'Hey, Shikamaru…'Gaara murmured. 'You're being even more absent minded than usual. I'm starting to think that dating my sister wasn't such a good idea in the end. '
'Sorry Gaara.' He smiled pale. 'I just found out a close friend of mine was going to die in soon future.'
'What?' He gasped surprised. 'Well I'm sorry for you…'
'Yeah…' He looked out of the window.
'If you even want to talk about death…You can ask me anything. I'm kind of familiar with the topic.' He shrug his arms.
'Thanks Gaara…' Keys hit their desk.
'Quite there you chatty Cathy!' Asuma roared.
'Ay ay Capitan!' Shikamaru forced a smile on his face.
'Better work on your attitude boy.' He winked at him smiled back.
'Nara.' The blonde buzzed over his ear making him jump up slightly out of surprise.
'What is it Temari?' He looked around at her face that was closer than ever to his, which made him blush slightly.
'Did you came over just to be in a funk?' She tilted her head to the side and looked him in the eyes. 'You don't look anything like yourself from the morning. Where's that cocky Nara?'
'Sorry. I just got some bad news today. I might be leaving in the evening.'
'Leaving? Where?'
'A friend of mine needs support. His girlfriend is pregnant and being a father wasn't much of his wish.'
'Man.' She sighed. 'You're very fond of sex but not a single one of you is ready to rise the result. '
'Don't generalize it.' He sighed. 'Troublesome woman. That's more complicated than it might sound.'
'So explain it to me genius.' She sat down in front of him on the floor. 'Story time for Temari.'
'I can't. I promised.' He rubbed his neck.
'Shikamaru Nara, are you having secrets from your girlfriend? We only started dating!' She frowned and crossed her arms.
'My what?' He smiled.
'You heard me Nara.' She turned away and a slight blush came over her cheeks.
'No I didn't. Could you please repeat?' He smiled wider.
'No I can't. I must have been wrong.' She was just about to get up from the floor when he came over her and pushed her to the ground. 'What are you doing?!'
'Taming my rebellious girlfriend.' He looked her in the eyes with a pair of joyfully glowing eyes.
'Oh look. There he is. The man I met in the morning.' She smiled back and took his hair band so his long hair fell on her face and made her giggle.
'Very nice to see you again Madame.' He came a bit closed and felt his heart racing.
'I'm also very pleased to see you sir.' She remained motionless and only a mysterious smile came over her lips.
That kind of scared him, so him stopped shortening the distance between them and just looked deep in her eyes, trying to figure out what she wanted him to do. Normally he read people like an open book but this look gave him shivers. It could mean everything and nothing at all. What was he supposed to do? He started to panic and wanted to get off her but she grabbed his elbow.
'Are you going to kiss me or not idiot?' She whispered still smiling mysteriously.
'With the greatest pleasure.' He answered with a shaking voice and slowly put his lips on hers.
He felt like a complete virgin around her- clumsy and awkward. As they kissed he had the feeling he had never kissed a girl before and he had forgotten everything he knew about it.
'Nara..'She kept talking in the hushed voice. 'Get your shit together or I'm going to regret saying yes…' She smiled and put her hand on his head.
'Don't pressure me woman.' He said turning red. 'I can do better. I'm just…'
She pushed her lips onto his once more and this time he tried to be more collected.
'Yeah, that was better.' She laughed gently. 'I think your date is calling. You better run. ' She pointed at his backlit phone display.
'Damn…I really need to go. I promised.' He rose slowly and sighed looking down on her.
'Go.' She smiled joyfully. 'But you'll have to tell me this story someday Nara.'
'Yeah, I promise.' He kissed her quickly once more, collected his phone and left the apartment.
'Asuma? Where can I meet you?' He tried to sound cool although he got pretty nervous.
' Come over to my apartment. I'll send you the address with a text.'
'Sure thing. I'll be as soon as possible.' He tried to read how bad it was out of his voice but it was strangely emotionless, so he decided to ask. 'How bad?'
'I'll tell you when you'll be here. '
'Just on word. I'm freaking out.'
'You're freaking out youngster? I thought this was my problem.'
'I care too, ok?'
'It's way better than I thought.'
'Good. I'll be right there.'
A moment after he knocked at Asuma's apartment door the man opened him and Shikamaru yelled surprised.
'Asuma! What has happened to you?!' He looked terrified at the guy who was holding a package of frozen peas against his eye which was turning dark.
'Kurenai has happened. Apart from the fact she was always a bit feisty, they say pregnant women tend to get emotional way faster. Come in. I don't want all the neighbors to know.' He led him inside, sat down on the couch and poured two glassed of whiskey. 'But if there is one thing I know about women, that it's way better if they get angry at you than if they keep it to themselves.'
'So…she broke up with you?' He whispered sipping the alcohol.
'I wish it was that easy.' He played with his glass. 'She's moving in on the weekend.'
'That's great news, isn't it?'
'Well I guess I should be happy. But this also mean she's going to be by my side till the end.'
'I don't understand, why aren't you happy.'
'I didn't want anybody to moan over my death. I pulled her inside all of this crap. She'll suffer because I was selfish enough to start an relationship with her.'
'Come on. It would be selfish if you pushed her away now.'
'That's also true. I'm just fucked, and so is she. At least I'm in this misery with the most wonderful woman I can imagine.' He looked at the messy hair of the younger man. 'Did I interrupt you in something?'
'What?' He looked up and immediately started putting his hair in a cleaner ponytail. 'No, no!'
'But I see you finally have something going on with that chick. Good job, congratulations.'
'Yeah, it worked out in the end.' He smiled shyly.
'She's special to you, am right?' He smiled calmly. 'Young love.'
'Yeah…but it's not that trivial as you may think.'
'What does that mean? You want to tell me that at the age of 20 you're emotionally devoted to a woman and consider spending more time with her than just a few weeks of breathtaking sex? I can't believe that. '
'But I do. I've never been in love before.' He blushed. 'So I guess she must be very special.'
'First love. The worst. She's going to hurt you bad. It's always like that.'
'Don't say such things.'
'Sensitive little boy.' He laughed. 'I wish you all the best. If that's really what you want, fight for her. Remember, if you want it to work it's going to be a fucking lot of work you'll have to get done.'
' I know. Can we change the topic please?' He finished his drink and Asuma poured another one.
'Sure thing, my friend.' He laughed and patted his shoulder nearly the same way his father used to do.
