Chapter 17

To hope that things would go back to the way they were, was a dream that was far, far out of her reach, Naome realized. It didn't take more than a day for Naome to recognize that something was wrong with Shikamaru. His usual expressionless self was even more closed off than usual. He no longer seemed to have motivation to better himself, and worst of all, he was easily irritated at everything that came his way.

Naome remembered the first day back, Shikamaru refused to apologize to his parents for worrying them the entire day. It didn't seem like much at first because they all knew he was hell bent on avenging Asuma, so in his mind there was nothing to apologize for. Besides, he was successful on his quest.

Then later that night, Naome realized that Shikamaru was tossing and turning in his sleep. They stayed well separated on the bed, but she could still feel him turning, even when she was deep in sleep. The next morning, Shikamaru had snapped at her for accidentally waking him up when she was preparing to go to training. Naome put his moodiness off as a result from his lack of sleep.

It was after the first few days that Naome decided it would be a better idea to leave Shikamaru alone in his room. Her own mood had considerably worsened and she figured he needed some space to find himself again. Besides, maybe he would get a better night's sleep having his whole bed to himself. So she began sleeping in the guest room again.

The next two weeks were the same thing. On and off, Shikamaru's mood would be visibly sour. He began getting angry whenever he lost to his father in shogi. He sometimes would go on hunger strikes if he wasn't in a good mood. Occasionally, he even got angry at Naome for leaving early and returning home late (even though she was still on time for dinner each night). Tsunade had kept both Team Asuma and Team Kakashi off missions so that they could rest, but despite that, everyone was still training on their own time. Shikamaru, on the other hand, refused to go to practice and he just remained home, or walked around town with his head down.

At home, it seemed as if everyone was walking on eggshells around him. Yoshino and Shikaku would stay silent during the dinner, not wanting to say the wrong things to foul their son's mood, and Naome found herself dreading going home and facing Shikamaru every day.

"Shouldn't you be heading back now?" Kakashi asked Naome one evening as they strolled around the forested area. The two had been walking and talking the entire time after lunch, but the sun was setting and Kakashi knew that meant that Naome was supposed to be home for dinner.

Naome let out a heavy sigh. "I don't want to go back."

Concerned, Kakashi stopped in his tracks and looked the kunoichi in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

Naome stuck her hands in her pockets and looked up at the orange hue of the clouds above. "Everything is just different now, you know? Shikamaru...he's just...angry every time. No matter what I do or say, or even what I don't do or say, he just gets upset."

Kakashi stood there, listening to the girl wholeheartedly. Deep inside, he wanted to kill Shikamaru for ever hurting Naome. He brushed the feelings aside as just wanting to protect his student.

"I mean, you're always welcome to my place," Kakashi said, "but you should probably see if there's anything to do to fix the relationship. You have such a good relationship with his parents, it would suck if there's a strain there now too. Besides, I don't think Shikamaru is angry at you. I think he's just adjusting to life without Asuma here. He's probably still hurting inside and he doesn't know how to cope."

"Yeah, that's what I figured too." Naome let out another sigh before she turned around and began walking in the way they came. "Let's go. I should probably go back now before they get worried."

The smile on Naome's face made Kakashi weary but he went along with it anyways. Afterall, what did he know about relationships? He just hoped that in the end, she was happy, even if that meant that she stayed with Shikamaru. Even he couldn't deny it, that family dynamic was probably the best for her future.

"Sorry I'm late." Naome walked into the dining room after setting aside her training gear. Both Yoshino and Shikaku smiled at her fondly and welcomed her back.

"Where have you been?" Shikamaru asked from this spot.

Shocked, Naome looked at the lazy ninja. He had never questioned her before, and it wasn't like she was that late. Judging by the food on the table, the family had just started eating.

"Um...I was training this morning…"

"And then?"

"And then I had lunch with Kakashi-sensei and we went for a walk." Naome said. She already knew she was going to hear an earful from the Shikamaru because for some reason, Shikamaru didn't like her teacher. Usually she would be understanding of that because he had been jealous before of their time spent together, but now, she was losing tolerance. She was growing tired of his moodiness.

"You what?!" Shikamaru slammed his bowl onto the table. He set a glare in Naome's direction.

"Shikamaru," Yoshino reprimanded softly.

Shikamaru ignored his mother. He closed his eyes, counted to five, and let out a shaky breath. "You know how I feel about you visiting him."

"I wasn't visiting him, Shikamaru. He was helping me train, and then we went out for lunch and went for a walk-Like we always do!" Naome shot back.

Shikamaru flinched at the thought of it. "Always?"

"Always. Every freakin' day Shikamaru. I'm sorry you've been gone for so many days that you don't know, but that's the truth."

"Why?! Why him?!" Shikamaru yelled, breaking out of his confusion.

"Because he's the only one I can talk to while you're away! I'm sorry, I don't have as many friends as you do in this village. Everyone else is busy training with their friends and their mentors. What about me?"

"What about you? What about me? Have you ever considered how I felt being around the two of you? Do I go flaunting my relationship with Temari in front of you?" That hit a sensitive nerve in Naome, making her flinch as if she had been punched. Shikamaru stood up, turning to walk away. "Forget it. I don't need to be talking to someone who is going around whoring herself out."

"SHIKAMARU!"

The entire house froze at the sound of Shikaku's voice echoing loud and clear. The father had listened enough, and alas, his son had broken the straw. He stood up, marching up to his son with an angry look on his face. "You apologize to her right now."

"Or what?" Shikamaru mumbled under his breath.

"Or I'm going to forget I ever had a son like you. I never raised my kid to speak like this."

Shikamaru turned away from his father. "I'm sorry. Sorry that you couldn't have a daughter like her instead. At least she wouldn't be a failure of a son like me."

Shikamaru's footsteps echoed in the house on his way up the stairs and into his bedroom. The door slammed behind him, leaving an ominous aura throughout the rest of the house.

After dinner, Naome went up to Shikamaru's room. She took a long, deep breath, before knocking on the door.

"Go away."

Ignoring his words, Naome invited herself in anyways. Shikamaru was on the bed with his back facing the door. He hadn't even changed into his pyjamas yet, his ponytail tied high at the top of his head. "I told you to go away."

"What happened to us, Shikamaru?" Naome said. The previous fight, along with each and every one before that, had broken her. Now she was just lost, and hoping for an answer. "What's going on?"

Shikamaru closed his eyes. Her words reverberated in his mind as he thought about it. He thought long and hard, trying to dissect what had been happening recently. He knew he was easily agitated. Everything in the world pissed him off. His family, his teammates, training, eating, sleeping, and to his worst nightmare, even seeing Naome made him frustrated. He couldn't understand why either. "I don't know." His voice cracked as he spoke.

Surprised by his own voice, he realized he had begun crying, his tears falling for the first time since Asuma's death. He thought he was done crying. He thought he had gotten over it all, but he didn't.

Naome, noticing Shikamaru's shoulders shake a bit, went over to the side of his bed. Hesitantly, she placed a hand on his back, rubbing it soothingly. This was the first form of intimacy they had since the day that Shikamaru was discharged from the hospital. It had been so long that Naome had forgotten the warmth that he imparted from his body. She stood silently, watching over him with an aching heart as he broke down in front of her.

"I-I'm sorry." Shikamaru said. "I don't know what's gotten into me."

"It's okay," Naome's words were soft and soothing, almost as if she was caring for a baby. "You're hurting still. I know now."

She stayed next to him that night, giving him gentle rubs on the back and light kisses to the forehead before he fell sound asleep. She too, gave in, hoping that starting the next day, they would only progress from there.

Things only got worse. At first, Shikamaru seemed like he was in a better mood the next day, but when Naome returned home from her training, he was back to being extremely irritated again. The cycle continued. Yelling, screaming, apologizing. Shouting, hurting, apologizing. Even the parents have stepped in more often, making the entire household dynamic darker and heavier than it had been before.

It was one night, when Naome didn't return home for dinner, and had come home after Yoshino and Shikaku had gone to sleep, that the worst of the worst happened.

It had been raining outside so Naome changed out of her clothes as soon as she got to her room. She pulled on her white pyjamas t-shirt and a pair of comfy cotton shorts. She had just let her hair loose when Shikamaru burst into the room.

Naome stared, wide-eyed at the ninja. "Shikamaru?"

"Where were you?"

Naome rolled her eyes. It was yet another one of these conversations. She was sick and tired of having to explain herself every day. "I went out for dinner with my team."

"Your whole team?" Shikamaru asked, eyes narrowing.

"Yes. Literally the whole freakin' team! It was Jiraiya's birthday so literally the whole freakin' team was there! Naruto, Sakura, Tsunade, Shizune, oh and of course KAKASHI!" Naome couldn't help but raise her voice towards the end. She was getting so frustrated.

"So why did your dinner end so late?"

"Because it's Jiraiya's birthday for Christ's sake! You know how much that old man drinks! He got drunk with Lady Tsunade, and we spent a good hour dragging them back to their houses. You can ask the whole town, everyone saw!"

"Well-"

"Listen," Naome cut him off. Her voice was low and shaky from the words she was about to say. "I'm tired Shikamaru. I'm tired of all of this. I don't even know if I can be around you anymore."

Shikamaru was shell shocked at the girl's confession. He dropped his head, unsure of what to say. "But...but you already know why I'm acting like this…"

"Asuma is gone, Shikamaru." Naome replied. "He's been gone. When are you going to wake up in your life and move on from this?"

"Easy for you to say." Another wave of anger and frustration hit Shikamaru, but it had left Naome unfazed now. She was used to it. "Who was Asuma to you?"

"Asuma was my sensei too you know!" Naome shot back. "And guess what? He's gone! He's dead! Quit using him as an excuse for all the problems in your life!"

"You've barely known him! You know nothing about losing someone close to you. You never have!"

"Are you being fucking serious right now Shikamaru?" Naome asked. She was angry. She was hurt. She was frustrated. She was upset.

"Yeah, I'm serious." His voice was dark and bitter as he spoke, "You said it yourself the other day. You're close to no one here, you have no one in your life. You don't even have a home! So how can you lose someone close to you? You know nothing about what I'm feeling!"

Naome's tears were falling now. She had never imagined that Shikamaru of all people would be hurting her in the worst way possible. All her life, she had been alone. She had lost her parents at a young age. She had no one to care for her, and no one she cared for, until she came to Konoha. And yet, even when she was here, she had every insecurity in the world about being the outsider. She found refuge in his arms. She had opened up her heart to him, and he knew everything about her past and about her feelings. Yet here he was, saying the most hurtful things he could think of to her.

"I-I'm leaving." She was so broken, so hurt, that she didn't even know what she was doing when she ran out of the room and out the front door all together. She wasn't sure if she heard Shikamaru calling after her or if it was just the sound of the rain pouring and hitting the ground beneath her feet.

It was dark out, especially since the Nara residence was on the outskirts of the village, but she ran anyway. She travelled through the familiar streets, her hair blowing wildly in her face, and her eyes blurry from the rain and her tears. The dim lights strung across the street reflected off the ground from puddles as she ran through the town.

There were many people watching her, but there were a few that were shocked at the girl running through the pouring rain without an umbrella or a jacket. It was cold, and the rain stung as it hit her bare arms and legs, but she kept going anyway.

The words that Shikamaru said kept replaying in her mind, stabbing her heart more and more each time. She looked around her as she ran. The place she decided to call home was, as he had mentioned, not her home. She didn't belong anywhere, no matter what she did for the village and no matter how long she spent there. She tried, she really did, to fit in. And for a couple of months there, she finally felt that she found her place, found her routine, and found her life. With just a few of his words though, it had all broken down.

Struggling to catch her breath, Naome slowed to a walk. Her feet carrying her aimlessly around the village. She continued wandering. After a while, she began shivering. The heat from her run had warm off, and she was freezing from being soaked head to toe in rain water. Unable to go back to the Nara residence, she went to the only place she knew.

Kakashi had just about fallen asleep in bed when a knock came on his door. Confused, he went to open the door, only to widen his eyes in shock at the girl standing in front of his apartment. For a brief second, he almost didn't recognize her with her hair drenched and tangled from the rain, and the cotton t-shirt and shorts she was wearing.

"Naome, what are you doing here?" He noticed her tears for the first time. At first, he thought her face was simply wet from the droplets of rain, but he realized she was crying hysterically, and even more so, now that he was standing in front of her.

Naome reached out subconsciously to the male in front of her. Kakashi immediately pulled her into his arms, ignoring the fact that now his clothes were beginning to soak through from the body contact. He pulled her in, and shut the door behind them. Once inside, he held the crying girl in his arms as she continued to bawl her eyes out wordlessly.

He didn't really need to ask to know what had happened. His student had been complaining almost every day about Shikamaru's sudden change in temperament, and he could only watch as day by day, the life in her eyes drained from the tension at home. Even during the birthday dinner today, she hadn't said much despite her usual quirky personality.

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come." Naome said, after she had calmed down a bit. To Kakashi's disappointment, she backed away from him so that they were no longer touching. "I should go-"

"No, stay." He didn't know what had overcome him. Just a few months ago, he was adamant that the girl could not stay over at his residence, and yet here he was. "I told you already. You're welcome here anytime."

Her broken eyes warmed a bit at the sound of his words. Kakashi could tell she was still a bit hesitant though. He decided he was acting upon her safety, as her teacher, rather than his own feelings now. At least, that was the excuse he gave himself. "I'm serious. I don't want you going back there tonight. Stay."

With that, Naome gave in. She looked around the apartment. Although she was more than familiar with the space, she felt awkward standing inside it for once, knowing that she was going to stay the night.

"What's wrong? Come in." Kakashi said as he made his way to the kitchen. He filled some water into a kettle and set it on the stove to bowl. He turned to eye the girl leaning awkwardly against the dining table facing him before realizing that he could see right through her shirt. The rain had soaked the white t-shirt completely through and he could see the bra she was wearing underneath.

Clearing his throat, he immediately spun around to force his eyes off of her figure. He could feel his pants growing uncomfortably tight again and he knew he would be sent straight to hell if he acted upon his dirty thoughts.

"I'm gonna make you some warm water. You should go take a hot shower, otherwise you're going to catch a cold. I'll lend you a shirt of mine." Kakashi said. He waited for the kunoichi to be out of the room before he let out a sigh of relief. His boner disappeared as he heard the water turn on in the washroom.

When the kettle rang, he poured out a mug of hot water and set it on the bedside table for her. Afterwards, he went into his closet and pulled out another cotton t-shirt along with a pair of loose fitting boxers. He didn't have any shorts, so he figured that the boxers would have to do. He let her know that the clothes would be just outside the bathroom door before he went to the couch and laid down there. He resigned himself to the fact that he would have to sleep on the sofa for the night, afterall, he couldn't let a girl sleep out in the living room.

"Um...Kakashi, I hope you don't mind. I borrowed a fresh towel from under your sink." Kakashi shot up from his spot when he heard the kunoichi's voice. She had a towel in her hands as she rubbed her hair dry.

"No, it's okay." He said.

"Oh, and I also left my clothes hanging in your washroom to dry." Kakashi froze as he examined his clothes on her body. He gulped as he felt a familiar heat returning. She just looked so sexy in his clothes. The oversized t-shirt hung long and baggy to the point where he couldn't even see the boxers underneath. The neck hole was wide so it almost hung off of one of her shoulders. It was then that he noticed there weren't any bra straps on the exposed shoulder.

He groaned quietly, the bulge in his pants growing in response. She wasn't wearing a bra. Of course, it must have also been soaked in the rain.

"Kakashi?" Naome's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, though barely. Now he was busy staring at the lips that he had kissed before and wanted to nibble on again. "Where should I put the towel?"

"Oh, there's a laundry basket in my closet, under some of the hanging clothes." He said. He would have taken it from her and done it himself, but it wasn't exactly a good time for him to get up.

Naome walked off into the closet for a few moments before she called out to him again. "Sensei, I can't find it!"

Letting out a deep breath, he sat up and adjusted his pants slightly before he went to the closet himself. He stood behind the kunoichi who was peering into the closet. Leaning forward, he took the towel out of her hand and reached over her shoulder to place it into the basket hidden in the far corner.

From his position, he could smell his shampoo and body wash radiating off of her, and he couldn't help but think he liked it on her more than himself. His arm had reached over the exposed shoulder and he couldn't help but peek down. He noticed her nipples poking out just slightly from the fabric of the t-shirt and let out a small lust filled groan.

"Sensei?" Naome turned around when she heard the noise her sensei made. Her eyes widened as she realized she was dangerously close to the man in front of her. She bit her lower lip in nervousness as her arms went up instinctively to rest on his chest, either to keep a distance between the two, or to feel him more, she didn't know.

Kakashi looked down at Naome's swollen lips and gave her another once over before he decided he couldn't take it anymore. "Naome…"

He swiftly pulled his mask off his head, so that it would be out of the way all together. Throwing it to the side, he leaned into the girl. He stopped just briefly to make eye contact with her. "Can I?"

Unable to speak from shock, Naome nodded instead. Immediately, Kakashi's lips were on hers. She let out a deep breath that she didn't even know she had been holding. It had been just over two weeks since they last kissed and both of them knew that the sexual tension was just growing every day since then. Finally, she was able to relax again, as she let her hands roam her sensei's body.

Without wasting any time, Kakashi placed his hands on her hips and lifted her up. The way her legs felt when they were wrapped around his waist was just as perfect as he had imagined. He laid her down on the bed and leaned over her, sucking vigorously on her bottom lip until they were moist and swollen.

Naome was well aware of how turned on her sensei had been as he leaned into her body while they were making out. All care had gone out the window when she felt him grind his bulge into her crotch. She knew she had soaked through Kakashi's boxers with her juices because hell, she was just as turned on as he was at that moment. It hadn't been that long since her last time with Shikamaru, one or two months at most, but she wanted this moment for the longest time. She wanted it to be Kakashi almost since she first set eyes on him.

Suddenly, Kakashi came to a halt. His eyes met hers with a sense of uncertainty. She knew what he was thinking because she was thinking the same thing too. He was her teacher, and she was his student. They were captain and team member. Mentor and pupil. But hell to all that, she wanted him anyways.

Reaching up, she pulled Kakashi down to her again, bringing their lips together. She threaded her fingers through his hair. Breaking the kiss again, with heavy breaths, she spoke, "Kakashi, I want you."

That seemed to do it. Immediately, Kakashi had washed away all of his fears. He decided he would deal with the consequences another day. He trailed his lips down the side of Naome's neck, along the exposed shoulder that his t-shirt so graciously left for him. At the same time, one of his hands went up the bottom of the shirt, feeling around her soft skin, and sending shivers down her spine.

He nibbled on her exposed collarbone, careful not to leave a mark, as he reached up and grabbed her breast for the first time. He moaned into her body, and his hips automatically grinded forward when he felt the softness of the mound in his hand. He detached his lips and reached to pull the shirt completely off of her body.

Embarrassed by the sudden nakedness, Naome crossed her arms over her chest. Kakashi chuckled as he witnessed the red blush tinting her cheeks. "Now you're embarrassed? You were such a tease all those other times."

He pulled her arms away, and trapped them above her head in one hand. With the other, he reached down to one breast and pinched the nipple harshly between his fingers. Naome let out a loud moan, her back arching at the pain but pleasure she was feeling. "I gotta punish you for all those times you were teasing me."

Before Naome could open her mouth to protest, Kakashi latched onto the other breast with his mouth, sucking and nibbling at the nipple as he continued playing with the other one in his hand. Naome let out another loud moan when she felt him biting lightly onto the sensitive nub.

"Kakashi…."

Kakashi chuckled, "Really? That's not what you called me all those other times."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Naome replied in between her gasps of air.

"Oh really…" Kakashi brought his hand down from her breast to her pussy. He hastily pulled off the boxers before rubbing the wetness with two fingers, making sure to just avoid making contact with her clit and her throbbing hole. He watched in amusement as the girl squirmed helplessly under him, trying to draw more contact to his fingers.

"Kakashi…" She groaned again, more needy this time. "Please."

"Nuh-uh, not until you say it."

"Please, I want it in." She whispered, tears of frustration growing her in her eyes. Kakashi purposely slipped just the fingertips in, not even enough to stretch her walls. She squeezed her eyes shut, wanting more.

"Kakashi, please." She cried, "Kakashi-sensei!"

"There you go." He said with a smirk on his face. He entered her fingers into her dripping wet hole, stretching it as he went. He rolled his eyes back in ecstasy at the way his fingers were absorbed and the walls were pulling him in. "Fuck."

Curling his fingers, he easily found her g-spot which was confirmed when she cried out. Her breathing became quicker with every movement of his hand as he fingered her opening at a quick but consistent pace. Seeing how wet she was for him, made him curious. He let go of her hands and lowered himself so that he was face to face with her core. He gave a test lick on her clit, earning him a strangled moan. The next time he went in, he fully committed, sucking on the delicate nub and rolling his tongue around it as he continued to finger her. Naome was quickly becoming undone. She reached down and grabbed Kakashi's hair as she desperately clung to the man. She felt a familiar heat in her stomach and her back arched.

"Sensei!" She came hard, her body convulsing wildly in the arms of the man. She watched as

Kakashi licked his fingers with a smirk on his face. His eyes softened when he noticed the kunoichi relaxing on the bed, her eyes hazy as she came down from her high.

"We can stop here. You're tired." He said, as he leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.

"No!" Naome cried. She shot up, almost knocking into Kakashi as she did. She pulled at the shirt that he was still wearing and gestured for him to take it off. "I...I still want it."

Kakashi raised his eyebrows in amusement. "What did you say?"

She turned her face away from him, but Kakashi held her chin in place as he leaned closer. "What did you say Naome-chan?" He repeated.

"I still want it."

"Want what?"

Naome groaned in frustration. She reached over to his lap and grabbed his cock through his boxers. Kakashi yelped as she gave him a hard squeeze. "I want your cock inside me, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi didn't need to be asked twice of course. He quickly threw his shirt off to the side, and discarded his boxers, allowing his member to spring free. Naome felt herself growing wet again as she laid eyes on the long, hard shaft. Without wasting another second, Kakashi was in between her legs again. He pulled her legs over his shoulders as he leaned in, pressing the tip of his cock against her opening.

"You sure?" He asked again. He was answered by Naome pulling him down for a searing kiss. Giving in, he thrust his member inside, groaning at the heat that surrounded him. He paused for a second, thinking he could cum just from the sensation of having her around him. He was right when he had thought that they might fit perfectly together.

"Sensei!" She called again as she tried to press her hips down into his. Without a second thought, Kakashi began thrusting. Naome was breathless each time Kakashi slammed into her, filling her to the hilt. She had almost cried at how good it felt each time he pressed against her g-spot, sending her head spinning.

Kakashi continued thrusting. One of his hands found its way to one of her breasts and he massaged it as he went. He rubbed the sensitive tip between his fingers, making Naome whimper beneath him. He leaned in, kissing her deeply as he continued to pleasure her. He could feel her tightening around him as her moans got louder and more desperate.

"F-fuck!. Kakashi-sensei, I can't, I can't hold it. I'm about to…"

"Cum. Cum for me baby."

With the sound of his encouragement, she burst. The tension in her stomach released and her juices gushed out from around Kakashi's cock. Feeling her contractions, Kakashi groaned as she continued thrusting into her. His movements were getting sloppy as he felt himself nearing the edge as well.

"Oh fuck!" The copycat ninja cursed as he pulled out at the last minute to spurt white ropes all over Naome's body. He cringed. He hadn't intended to defile her like that, but in the heat of things he didn't have time to use contraceptive measures.

After a few moments of heavy breathing and returning back to reality, Kakashi went to the bathroom to wet a rag before returning to the bed. Naome had nearly fallen asleep already when he gently wiped the liquid off of her. He threw the rag into the laundry basket and got into the bed next to her. He pulled the blanket over their naked bodies and sighed, taking in the sight of the girl next to him. She had dozed off by then, and Kakashi finally had time to admire each one of her features up close. His heart fluttered as he scanned her long eyelashes and the flush on her cheeks. Reaching over, he gave the girl a small kiss on the forehead.

He knew he would have to deal with the consequences tomorrow but right now, he was just enjoying every moment he could with her.

For the first time in a long time, he was feeling genuinely happy, and it was all thanks to her.