Title: Things We Do
Author: blurredoasis
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Kiba/Shikamaru (with possible splashes of other couples)
Rating: PG-13 (for this chapter)
Warnings: Shounen ai, swearing
Summary: Kiba screwed up. Royally. To make it up to his boyfriend and prove that he does actually care for Shikamaru, he sets up a scavenger hunt of sorts for him.
Random Notes: Many many thanks for LJ demondreams for beta-ing this for me!.
Disclaimer: Not mine
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"Hey... Shikamaru." The person called slowly lifted his head from the papers he was grading, very warily catching eyes with the owner of the voice. What does Naruto want with me now?
"Yes, Naruto?" Shikamaru drawled, dropping his red pen to the desk.
"I found something for you." The one in blinding orange flashed a bright smile (Shikamaru could almost hear the ping from the teeth), holding out an eight inch tall stuffed deer.
"Found...?" Shikamaru asked, taking the animal from Naruto. He was certain most people knew 'shika' meant deer and that his family helped take care of Konoha's population of the gentle animals, but who would go out of their way to make this for him was an interesting puzzle. Rolling the toy in his hands, his fingers grazed over the soft chocolate brown fur, and he made a mental note to figure out the material later. It would make an awesome pillow, which might have been the reason it was given to him. A soft reminder to curl up to when his normal bed mate was occupied with missions. It had on a red dog collar which was the first sign the deer was an odd gift from his boyfriend. Not many people went around putting dog collars on random animals, but growing up in the dog influenced world of the Inuzuka clan, it came naturally to Kiba (Shikamaru knew because he had first hand experience of this particular habit). The spiked collar was complete with his name etched on a golden tag.
The deerwore a gray jacket, very much like the one Shikamaru used to wear during his genin years, another trait that only Kiba would do. Back when they were first dating, Shikamaru had been dragging the Inuzuka back home after a night of playing drinking games with Naruto (who, Kiba hadn't noticed, couldn't get drunk because of the kyuubi's metabolism) when they had passed the fields that held the Naras' deers. Kiba, in his drunken wisdom, has asked why the deer didn't wear those cute little jackets like Shikamaru did, and could he possibly make one for them? During the rest of the walk home, which thankfully wasn't long, Kiba elaborated on the picture, mentioning hair bows, necklaces, and lacy underwear for the poor ungulates. Luckily, right around the time he got to fishnet shirts for the males and corsets for the girls, the Nara house came into view and all conversation had to be halted to ensure they didn't wake up the parents. The last thing, which Kiba had to squeeze in there before he went to sleep, involved leather somehow, and was very adamant that the deer need some, even though Shikamaru tried to convince him wearing another animal would most likely not go over well. It dawned on him sometime later that night, when the body next to him curled in tighter, that Kiba probably wasn't thinking of the deer per se, but their owner instead in those particular clothes. Fortunately, the prefer style of clothing wasn't brought up the next morning, so Shikamaru thought the beer had fogged out most of that night from memory. Obviously he was mistaken.
He sighed softly, resting his head on his hand. If the many years he had spent with Kiba had prepared him for anything, it was to always be on your toes. Kiba gave little warning to what he did, the chaotic tornado that blew through a room in seconds, leaving you scratching your head later, wondering what exactly had just happened.
Flipping the deer so it was on its back, he was amused that his boyfriend had even gone so far as to give it a fishnet shirt too. He was only partially surprised though, knowing if Kiba had his way there would be a lot more fishnet added to his boyfriend's wardrobe. The first moment he found Shikamaru in his chuunin vest, Kiba congratulated him, then with a quick flip of emotions, frowned. Kiba had tried to act serious, but it came out kinda whinny, that if being a chuunin meant no fishnet on Shikamaru, then the Hokage better make him a genin again.
A flash of baby blue sticking out from under the shirt caught his eyes. Make me reach into his shirt to get whatever else you have planned for me. Subtle again, Kiba. Pulling out the blue item, he was surprised to find a note. Kiba wrote something? That's very unusual for him. He still tries to bribe others to fill out the mission reports while he dictates what to say.
His head lifted, finally finding its way out of the daydream like state he had been in. If there was anybody who knew what was on Kiba's mind when Shikamaru couldn't figure it out... "Naruto--" He started, but the man had disappeared. Oh, now what? His disppearance before I can say anything to him usually means his hand is in the cookie jar too. Those bastards. What do they have up their sleeves? This isn't my day is it? I just want to finish correcting these tests, not play victim to some practical joke. Shikamaru sighed deeply, certain somewhere a god was laughing at him. Might as well read it. He unfolded the note. In familiar handwriting (chicken scratch really, but that was the teacher in him talking) it said:
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Shikapoo ("Shikapoo? Where the heck did that nickname come from?" Shikamaru muttered, hoping that Naruto hadn't read this before handing over the deer. That would be a name they would never let him live down.)
You know I love you, even though sometimes it doesn't seem like it. I thought I should tell you, to give you ten reasons on why I do, to prove I'm not just in this for that body of yours (which is a damn sexy one while we're on the topic). One reason I love you is you have particular quirks that make you uniquely yourself. There is the fishy smirk you get when the solution finally comes to mind, the way your lips drop in an adorable frown when everything becomes 'too troublesome', that amazing hair (which I'm glad to be the only person outside of your family to see down), and the sexy way you wear fishnets. You don't know what it does to me, all these little habits that make you Shikamaru, that make you my Shikamaru.
To find out the next reason, use this letter to figure out where to go next.
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Shikamaru paused. What if I don't want to? Was the first instinct of his, looking from the piles of schoolwork in front of him. He thought--no, hoped--after each year of teaching at the Academy it would get easier. However things weren't working that way. It amazed him that there were actually kids that were worse at school than Naruto had been. He sighed, eyes glancing over the note again.
Coming from Kiba, where would he put the next note. One reason he loves me is that I wear fishnets... Mr. Romantic, I see. An odd choice of words. Not my clothes, not my shirt, but fishnet. Fishnet. Fish nets. Next note must be where you use fish nets. Water. A pond. Where would Kiba fish? Kiba... fish... there is always that bridge he meets Naruto before they train together. The one from Naruto's genin years.
He leaned his head heavily on a hand, eyes glancing over the empty classroom. Ah well, I guess it is better than grading papers I can't even read and that I really don't care about anyways.
Kiba smiled, leaning over the roof of the Academy to get a better view of his target. The white dog next to him whined, drawing his attention away from Shikamaru's fading form. "Of course Akamaru, he's going in the direction of the bridge. I knew he would figure it out." The dog gave a few more barks, eliciting a frown from the Inuzuka. "Not funny, Akamaru. While it is great you have faith in him, the lack of faith for me and my clue giving skills is--"
"Arf, arf!" Akamaru chided.
"You keep up the comments, little doggy, and I'll start making clothes for you. That deer was about your size, right?" Since he was already white, the paling of Akamaru's face wasn't visible but the soft whine of defeat was clear. "Come on, we gotta get to the bridge before he does to make sure he gets the next note."
TBC...