"You're going out tonight right?" He heard his co-worker ask. Naruto was leaning on the desk with one of those goofy smiles of his.
Shikamaru looked up from the computer and rubbed at his face. "I guess so."
"You guess so? Come on man it's Sakura's birthday and I promised I would do something nice. Every year either she is on night shift or I am on the night shift and we finally got it worked out. I mean I could get you a date." Naruto exclaimed with a smirk.
Shikamaru snorted, eyes not parting from his computer, "I need a woman like I need a bullet between my eyes but thanks."
"Come on Serg. Are you still bummed out about Choji and Ino? It was bound to happen at some point they work together all the time since he runs security at the hospital."
"I am not bummed. I am happy for my friends. I just would rather spend my evening playing chess or gaming online or literally anything else."
"Yah you need to get laid," Naruto muttered and Shikamaru flipped him off. "Alright see you tonight, Sakura has plenty of single friends." Once Naruto was out of earshot he groaned, wiping his hands over his face.
He couldn't get out of it at this point if he tried. It didn't matter that he was technically Naruto's superior, the other man was persistent. The last time he denied an invitation out, Naruto came over unannounced and refused to leave without him.
And truthfully he didn't want to be around a bunch of people. So Ino and Choji moving on in their lives didn't bother him because they were happy, it was his own lack of direction. Especially people who were bound to leave him hanging with strangers.
…
"Shikamaru, what a pleasant surprise," Sakura smiled, getting up to greet him and Naruto waved dramatically. She hugged him and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry I'll distract him so you can sneak out early."
"Thank you. You know me too well," he snickered and accepted a beer from her.
Sakura shrugged, "It's no problem. I know he's trying to be sweet but I would much rather have him at home to myself."
He wished he could 'un-hear' that but too late. "The crazy house wearing you down Haruno or is that just Naruto?"
She rolled her eyes, "Ha ha yes, the psych floor is exhausting me. Any way he invited a bunch of people from other precincts and the gym?" she laughed airily and led Shikamaru to a nearby table as she sat next to Naruto.
He kissed her cheek and wrapped an arm around her, smiling at Shikamaru, "I'm glad you made it!"
"Look who climbed out of his hobbit-hole," Ino teased.
He shrugged off his jacket and didn't look up at his long time friends. "I didn't know satan gave hall passes Ino," Shikamaru quipped and she chewed her lip, trying to suppress her anger. Sakura was no help, snickering at her friends' quarrel.
Choji rubbed Ino's shoulder and she eased up, "You guys and your colorful way of expressing your friendship."
"Yah well it's good to see you guys too…for once," Shikamaru said dryly and Choji's smile fell.
"Did you guys hear that Kakashi is a candidate for commissioner?" Naruto said quickly. "I mean that's pretty exciting news huh? A captain position could be opening."
"You need to start working on becoming a Sergeant first," Sakura pointed out with a knowing smirk and Naruto groaned. She rolled her eyes but her face was soft as she muttered, "And actually study. Also if you boys plan on sticking together you may want to convince Shikamaru to start working on his Lieutenants."
"Studying is not my thing that's why I became a cop in the first place!" Naruto groaned and rested his hands behind his head. Sakura continued talking and Naruto effortlessly changed the subject by waving to someone walking through the door with a few people behind them. "Gaara! Come on over!"
Shikamaru groaned and Sakura sighed, braving a smile. Shikamaru had to give her some credit, she had mellowed out over the years. A few years ago she would've lost it if Naruto pulled this kind of stunt. He had his doubts when the pair settled down, but Sakura did seem to truly love his friend so who was he to judge. It's not like he had a romantic bone in his body.
"Sakura this is my friend, Gaara Suna, youngest Captain in the entire police department," Naruto smiled and they shook hands as he went around introducing everyone. Shikamaru began to feel overwhelmed like the walls were closing in.
All the conversation was suffocating and he dug in his pocket. Sakura side-eyed him and he flashed his pack of cigarettes at her, "I'll be back."
"You better!" Naruto exclaimed and Shikamaru rolled his eyes heading for the door. He stood outside happy to have some fresh air, it been years and he had plenty of time to move on. It shouldn't be disturbing to know that the 83rd precinct had a new captain. It had been years since Asuma died and this wasn't the first person he had seen replace him. His phone buzzed and he took a drag off his cigarette, checking it.
'You okay?' - Choji
He sent back a quick response. Because he was fine. He had to be. Once he was done he walked back inside ordering a double shot of whiskey. It was going to be a goodnight one way or another.
…
A handful more of shots in and his head was beginning to feel fuzzy. It was more of a comfortable buzz but it made the trivial banter more tolerable and the conversation less awkward.
Eventually, the group began splitting which was to be expected. Ino and Sakura had peeled off from the group to gossip. Naruto was chatting up Gaara who seemed rather quiet and reserved. Kiba was off on his own. And truthfully he wasn't keeping track of everyone.
The woman across from him made no effort to even pretend to be entertained by the conversation. Adding indignant snorts and eye rolls anytime Ino spoke. Her eyes rarely peeled from the TV screen and maybe if he was more sober and less distracted he would know who she came with. "What's your name?"
She didn't look at him but seemed to know he was talking to her. "Temari."
"Shikamaru…so you into MMA?"
She turned to him giving him the most unimpressed look he had ever seen. Something about it was rather entertaining. Like she would rather be doing anything but speaking with him. "Something like that. You a cop?"
"I'm a detective. But how did you guess that?" He raised a brow and a smirked graced her features.
"You have resting cop face. Mostly everyone here is an officer. And you have your badge clipped on your jeans still." She half shrugged and drank from her drink.
He found himself being rather entertained. She was more observant than she pretended to be. "Well Temari, do you have any outstanding warrants?"
It was his turn to smirk as a hint of confusion danced in her eyes. "No," she snorted and smiled a little.
He rested back in his seat, "Damn. I guess I have to pretend to be interesting to get you to keep talking to me huh?"
"Yep," she said and looked down in her drink.
"So how you know Naruto? Or Sakura I suppose?"
She answered quickly, twirling her straw in the drink. "I don't. My brother, Gaara is Captain at 83rd precinct. He is friends with Naruto and I got dragged here."
"What do you do?"
"Defense attorney."
Shikamaru's eyes widened and he took a big drink from his glass, "Well we can't all be perfect can we."
"Says who?" She snorted and crossed her arms over her chest, "I believe in what I do. I offer people a defense. So frankly I don't need your validation or anyone's."
"Fair enough, spoken like a true defense attorney."
"Let me ask you a question. Why are you here? Because you're lonely? No 24-hour donut shops in a ten-mile radius?"
He laughed—hard, covering his mouth, "Okay, one that is a terribly outdated insult. Two, wouldn't say lonely but I did come here alone." He turned around to wave down the bartender, "Two of whatever she's having. On my tab."
Temari looked rather amused and winked at the bartender who quirked a brow at her, "Go ahead let him."
"So you mentioned a brother. But I am guessing the guy I have never met before who is staring at me and keeping giving me a thumbs up is brother number two?" He offered as the bartender set down their drinks.
"That would be Kankuro, my middle sibling. He wants nothing more than me to meet some asshole to settle down with someday."
He emptied his drink, "Pretty sure my mother has given up on me by now."
"Commitment issues? Divorced parents?"
"Nah. None of the above. My parents were married for years. I guess I just don't think it's necessary. And I have been single for a while so there's that."
"I wonder why," she teased and he only shrugged in response. "What broke up your folks?"
"My dad died," he put a hand up to stop her from the typical practiced apologies most people gave him, "It's fine. It happened years ago."
"Pity never served anyone well so cheers," she said lifting her drink up.
He clinked their glasses together. It had been an interesting turn of events, but he was glad he choose to spend his time with this stranger. He drank from his glass brows pinched together, "Is this just soda? Or am I that drunk?"
Her laugh was warm and full-bodied as she whipped moisture from the corner of her eyes. "Shikamaru, you are an interesting guy and I have to give you credit. I thought I was going to hate tonight."
He wasn't sure what she was preparing him for but it sounded like a rejection. He had a gameplay in his head ready to counter anything she said. "Before this goes any further you should know, I'm pregnant."
Well, almost anything.