I do not own Naruto.

Not enough Chouji / Shikamaru childhood stories. Slight one-sided ChouIno.


Misery Loves Company

I don't know why he did it. Shikamaru, I mean. He's a genius when it comes to strategies, but when it comes to figuring out his own stupid actions, he's a complete idiot. Either that, or he comes up with vague and universal answers for everything.

Hence, his infamous saying: troublesome. That's how he labels everything, just because it's too much effort to understand things. Or he just plain can't.

In any case, Shikamaru got his ears pierced.

And he moans about the damn things all week. We're best friends, and so he comes to me to complain. Oh, boo hoo, you decided to get the damn things pierced! Don't moan and bitch about it!

I don't say these things to his face, of course. I would feel like an asshole, after all the times he's put up with my own quirks (cursing at how I have run out of my favorite brand of chips, whining about how Ino will never pay me any mind, etc., etc.). So I put up with his incessant complaints.

For a while.

But really, you try listening to your best friend go on and on about how much his ears are annoying him, and how they're puffing up and blah blah blah. You eventually stop listening, and just wait expectantly for them to shut the hell up! And when they don't, you find yourself disillusioned and ill mannered. Plainly put, I wanted to punch his lights out, and that's a first in our relationship.

So one day, I evade Shikamaru after classes. Sure, I feel a little guilty for making him walk home on his own, but this is going to be worth it. Either it will be my revenge against him, or it will stop me from acting like such a prick whenever he starts complaining.

It doesn't really hurt, and I start getting the feeling Shikamaru has been making up those complaints just for attention. Sure, its completely against everything I've ever seen Shikamaru as, but hey, everyone wants a bit of notice sometime.

And then my ears turn green.

Freakin' lady. I should have known by her smell that she was unclean! She infected my ears, for Hokage's sake! I should have eaten her, or something, but I was too busy lying on my back with Shikamaru, exchanging loud, angry complaints.

Well, you see, misery loves company.


La, la FREAKIN' la.