Oh man, sorry about the delay, I'll try to update double fast before I'm sucked back into school! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! DAMN WINTER BREAK HAS TO END! Anyways, yea, here you go. Enjoy and REVIEW. Oh, and I think the title should be changed to Accidentally in Love, because in all honesty, it was a huge accident.

Chapter 5: Distance is Troublesome

When Shikamaru woke up the next morning, he felt two things: that the bed was mysteriously too big, and something vital was missing. As he took in the room around him, he recognized immediately what it was – Gaara had left. His absence made the Chuunin wonder if last night has just been a crazy dream- some misplaced chimerical fantasy that has surfaced out of loneliness. But the First Aid kit was still out, flaking brown drips of blood dotted the ground, and sand shifted in his sheets. The friction and confusion he remembered were too perfect to be imagined… yet he had woken up alone.

By noon, Shikamaru was sitting on a park bench shaded by trees, the same place he had sat last night. Many people return to places that give good luck, he mused to himself, be it out of hope or habit. Clouds drifted by in the open sky, white wisps or feathered blankets interrupting a deep blue. Shikamaru wanted answers, but he didn't even know the right questions. It had been only a day, and his entire outlook on feelings and emotions had changed, and with the least likely person in the world warping them into uncertain new chills. Though it was always so troublesome to think about, he had to think about love.

Love – it couldn't be solved because it wasn't supposed to be solved, but it was turning into a problem. Shikamaru had always thought of love as a riddle, but it wasn't, and that's what made it so confusing. It wasn't a commonly arising attraction between two people; it was strong and empathetic adoration combining body, soul, and mind, though the mind was often optional. He nodded and sighed in agreement with himself. Of course, the mind and the heart were two separate organs and often at odds with each other. The heart ruled love, and the mind ruled sense, only interpreting what nerves were being rattled at what time. Love never completely made sense at all, so one could be a genius and still know nothing of love.

This conclusion made Shikamaru glare at the clouds. True, he knew nothing about love besides his father's warnings, that all girls wanted it, and that he couldn't escape it. He had to admit he was wrapped up and dangling in the red sheets of love, but he wasn't in it for compatibility or a good time, and he definitely wasn't in it because he chose to. In all honesty, he still would rather be eaten inside out by bugs… even that seemed impossible now. As cliché as it was, Shikamaru noted that he had actually fallen in love – fallen, been dropped in, elevated to, lost at sea: all of the accidental actions above. So far everything about it was troublesome, especially the fact he was enjoying the fluttering and pulsing feeling in the knots in his stomach.

His mind briefly detoured to what Choji had said the day before. The goal is to find someone you're compatible with, not just pick someone out and start dating them. There was a scary thought, dating Gaara of the Desert. The problem was Gaara wasn't really compatible with anyone, or at least no one had taken time to discover common interests. It all seemed troublesome to actually date the sand Genin: a night of glares, embarrassment, awkward silences, and the weird looks they would receive from everyone around. All he wanted was to be with Gaara again, and not in that bizarre and publicly pressuring atmosphere… just tucked up in the apartment.

Slowly the clouds crawled across the blue ceiling above. Love did make people do dumb things. Kissing a genocidal, red-haired ninja with green eyes and nice legs with bleeding feet was generally a red flag for stupid and/or idiotic actions. Comforting the said ninja while he cried was even worse. Shikamaru's eyes softened as he stared up. The thought of Gaara crying made him regret waking up alone. If it ever occurred again, he would comfort Gaara until he died… love was definitely eating up his time.

A big-boned, round faced, kindly Genin sat beside Shikamaru, smiling broadly. Choji also looked up at the gliding clouds, one of his spiraled cheeks still red from the peck he has received the night before. He felt blissful and calm and for once, incredibly confident. After all, one of the best-looking girls in Konoha was now his girlfriend – he could take on the world.

"Good dater?" Shikamaru asked dully, chasing the clouds with his eyes, pretending he was chasing his thoughts.

A large grin plastered itself on the nodding head. "It was spectacular. We ate and talked the whole time. Ino is something special. We have another date tomorrow night."

"…Troublesome."

"Hey, Shikamaru," Choji began, casting a glance at Shikamaru out of the corner of his eyes. "What did you do last night? You didn't get too bored did you?"

On the contrary, there hadn't been a more exciting experience. Gaara had made life interesting and trying and confusing and scary, and the prospect that it might happen again continually echoed in the Chuunin's ear. He could still feel the soft, helpless sobs on his shoulder. Even if he didn't have to tell Choji, he wanted to, that's what best friends did; Shikamaru thoughtfully closed his eyes and admitted quietly, "…I fell in love."

"No, really, what did you do?"

"I'm telling the truth Choji… it's so troublesome." A small tired sigh leaked out of Shikamaru's mouth as he perceived his friend's slow reaction to the news. Shock to amazement to puzzlement. The next question was obvious, so Shikamaru flat out said, "I can't say who it is."

Silence occupied the vacant conversation.

"Well, whoever it is," Choji finally insisted, pulling out a bag of potato chips. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks Choji." Shikamaru was just another victim in the vicious cycle of carnal attraction, but he wanted to know exactly what was going on the relationship he had been dumped in to… all because Gaara nailed his feet to the floor.

Hours passed of Shikamaru staring up at the clouds. Still he was at a loss for what he should do. Choji has left in search of more food. The sun was setting, casting orange and pink over the clouds as the sky grew purple. In the growing shadows, Shikamaru remained, between utter twilight darkness and the time when the park lamps turned on. A chill encircled his shoulder, and Gaara wasn't there to cry on it. Finally, Shikamaru had to do something about his uneasiness. He walked away from the bench, muttering how troublesome racking his brain all day for answers to unsaid questions was.

As he neared his apartment building, Shikamaru stopped to hide in the dusk shadows, seeing two familiar people on the steps outside.

"Yeah, this is where he lives. Floor six, apartment D," Naruto urged happily, confirming Shikamaru's address to the person beside him. "But I bet you remember now."

Gaara looked from Naruto to the building, a vague familiarity in his eyes, and new white bandages around his feet. Some feeling of dull jealousy whispered in Shikamaru's ear – whoever had wrapped the feet had done it wrong. The same forced voice the Chuunin had heard last night spoke to the blonde idiot. "Thank you… please don't tell anyone about this."

"Hey, I know the last thing you want is Temari breathing down your neck. Go have some fun, and show some legs, hm?" Troublesome. Did everyone know that Shikamaru had a thing for legs? "Don't worry about anything, Gaara. Good luck." The sand Genin entered the building and disappeared into the stairwell. Naruto soon lost interest and left.

Shikamaru sprang to his feet and ran to the building, jumping onto the side wall connected to his window. Concentrating his chakra to the bottom of his feet, he ran as fast as he could up and into his apartment, falling in from the window sill. He had to get there before Gaara so he could try to collect himself enough to act natural – though when he thought about it, there really was no natural with Gaara, just troublesome. For once Shikamaru's life was turning unpredictable and exciting, and he didn't know how to react to it all, so he cleaned. Clothes were dumped in a hamper, dishes were shoved in cupboards, the bed was stripped and new sheets were applied. Something about the bed had to be perfect.

A knock broke the sounds of rushed cleaning. Stillness hit the Chuunin like rain hit the street. Should he move or hide or just stay where he was? The second knock brought him to the front door and he opened it to see two darkly surrounded green eyes gazing up at him. Shikamaru's heart lodged itself in his throat. Neither spoke, they stood there awkwardly, not understanding a thing.

"…How are your feet?" Shikamaru asked with a fleck of pink on his cheeks. Out of a hundred thousand things he could've started with, he had mentioned feet. So troublesome to find the right words while a very distracting Gaara stood in front of him.

The green eyes dropped to the ground. "…They hurt."

"Come on in."

Entering, the sand Genin set his gourd against a corner and sat on the bed. The door shut and Shikamaru sat beside him. Silence crept out again in the awkwardness Shikamaru had wanted to avoid at all cost, pursued by a question burning in the genius' mind. If he knew he loved Gaara, did Gaara love him back? Could Gaara even love? If he could cry, he could love, but Shikamaru wanted to know if Gaara loves him. He couldn't come out and ask, but he felt an ache to know. There was only one way to find out. Words may lie, but lips never can.

"Gaara?"

"…what."

Shikamaru took a breath and muttered, "Can I kiss you again?"

The beautiful green in the eyes nearly blinded Shikamaru when Gaara looked up at him again. Gaara had changed – he didn't glare, he didn't fight, and he didn't hate. Instead, he let his eyelids drop and leaned his head up. A strange flutter tightened his voice. "…yes… please."