A/N - Not a very long chapter this time, but I enjoyed writing it! And it definitely didn't take as long as the previous one, for obvious reasons. That and this chapter was mostly written because I couldn't contain my excitement for this chapter and ended up writing parts of it here and there. So, all I had to do was merge a few parts and fix/add some new things since the release of the previous couple of chapters! Very happy and excited to post this chapter! I love this story so much! I will likely be taking a short break after this or the next chapter for my birthday (March 11th, where my fellow Pisces at?!) and it will probably be the only vacation I take the entire year hehe. (Yes, Luc, I know I need a vacation).

I'll be turning 20 this year and I keep thinking about how far this story has come since I first started writing this at 14. I've been working on The Great Medic specifically for six years, molding the story and then this rewrite having started in December 2020 meaning I've almost worked on it for two years. It's strange and so odd, I can't even begin to understand the time I've spent on this. Each chapter feels like blinking, taking only a second, and then all of the sudden you look, and boom, six years have gone by. I've grown so much since first posting this at 14. I'm glad I took that leave from fanfictions for a couple of years because it's now fun for me. It's no longer this obligation or something to get followers/likes/kudos/comments.

It's just mine.

Apologies for the rambling but I just felt like I needed to monologue this for future me to look at, maybe one day when I finish The Great Medic for good. My friends joke that I'll be working on this for ten years, I'm not sure. I'm bad at committing to things so I can't always guarantee that there will be an Until next time! like I usually do at the end of chapters but I like to think that I would.

Thank you, to all who've either been there since the beginning of my The Great Medic journey or those who have just joined. To my amazing supporters in my discord server and my mom who has always pushed me into writing and was my first fanfiction supporter. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. So, without further ado, please enjoy this chapter and... Until next time!

Iruka smiled to himself, running his fingers through his son's hair, the boy had fallen asleep shortly after his emotional outburst. His son... It did have a nice ring to it. "Oh, how far we've come, my dear." He found himself thinking, "How could I have ever hated you?" Maybe it was because of his age when Naruto first joined the academy, the freshness of the wound caused by his parents' deaths, or whatever young adult angst he'd been going through. He was only nineteen when he'd become a chunin and then subsequently became an academy teacher. Iruka separated a tangle in Naruto's head, reminiscing that day clearly despite the fog of exhaustion still clouding his head.

It had been his first day as an academy teacher, finally getting his own class to teach after interning under the older woman who he'd been hired to replace. She'd been a great teacher to him, fueling the will of fire to teach the future generations of Konohagakure, burning that same passion into them that he'd felt when he'd gone to school. It wasn't until the students started coming in that he saw him, Naruto Uzumaki who was a known troublemaker at the time and, unfortunately, someone Iruka used to hate. His nose scrunched up, stomach rolling with nausea at the thought, "How did I ever hate you...?"

For two years, that young boy seemed to torment Iruka whatever chance he got, at least, that's how his younger self found himself thinking day in and day out. Painting obscure things on the Hokage Monument, dropping erasers fully to the brim with chalk residue on Iruka's head upon entering the classroom, pouring super glue on chairs in hopes someone would get their butt stuck - it was all Naruto ever did. And it used to piss him off. A lot.

Iruka used to go home every day dredging going back to work, worrying that one of the blond's pranks was going to be waiting for him at home as well. Naruto had been unusually good with locations, being able to escape ANBU agents and chunins alike who'd fallen victim to his pranks, slipping through back alleys and hiding under vendor carts. He'd do this all flawlessly, but none ever got as angry with him as Iruka did. The brown-haired man smoothed down a weird cowlick in Naruto's hair, mouth quirking up in remembrance.

Iruka never understood why his student never ran as fast away when he was there, or even why he'd lag around at the scene of the crime. He'd always chalked it up to Naruto not having good time management skills or merely just getting carried away and getting caught because of it. Now that he was older, the academy teacher knew now that it was for attention. Everything was, at the time. Naruto Uzumaki was an orphan, a lonely one who lived in an apartment by himself with no friends or family to keep paying attention to him. He acted out when he felt like this, alone and sad.

And then everything changed.

Iruka shifted the blond-haired teen up his chest so he could lay his chin on top of his head. He sighed comfortably, soaking up this moment. He remembered that day so clearly when he got to witness everything good that could happen, happen. Naruto hadn't been late to school because of the terrible hot spring day, intent on getting out of the sun by arriving to class earlier than anyone. Iruka chuckled, picturing a younger Shikamaru's face light up in surprise when he'd seen the blond-haired boy, wondering if he'd slept through class long enough for the perpetually late student to arrive.

And then when class had finally begun, what should've been a day where Naruto either slept through the lesson or ignored it completely, became his true turning point. That week's lesson plans revolved around ninjutsu; they'd spent a great time on both taijutsu and genjutsu the previous weeks and Iruka thought it was finally time to get his exciting academy students a taste of 'cool jutsus' that they'd been craving since the beginning of their academy days. The teacher hadn't expected the lesson to turn towards a specific kind of jutsu, but it had, and that single lesson enraptured Naruto's attention.

"There are a few famous ninjutsu that are only found within the walls of Konohagakure." He had tried to explain, having always been fascinated by clan jutsus, "There is the Uchiha's many fire ninjutsu, the Nara's shadow manipulation ninjutsu, the Akamichi's expansion ninjutsu, the Yamanaka's many mind ninjutsu, the Hyuuga's-" But, as with every class, every lesson, Iruka was always interrupted without fail. It had been Ino that day, if he remembered correctly, the young blond standing up abruptly which caused him to pause.

"But, Iruka-sensei, we already know about the clans and their ninjutsu. There have to be some other kinds." And she was right, of course. It was no secret what all the clans could do and with so many clan heirs in their class, it would only be expected for his students' to all be aware of their abilities.

So, he thought about something cool and interesting to share with his students, something different from anything they'd ever learned so far in the past two years. "Well," He started, "there is one that most of you might not know. It's not very popular due to the severity of the art and how it could take decades for one to master it completely." Iruka could clearly remember the wide eys of excited students watching him carefully, absorbing the information like a sponge to water, consuming every word he spoke. "This ninjutsu is also the one used by the great Sannin, Tsunade-sama." His student cooed in awe, remembering their teacher having explained the great three Sannin in detail about a month ago, at least, those who listened to him did.

"What's it called, sensei?" Ino had called out again.

"It's called medical ninjutsu." Oh, how those words take him back. "Not many people like to attempt this type of ninjutsu because it takes weeks - maybe even months depending on your chakra levels - to get the hang of it. Most shinobis don't like to learn this art due to the mental grief because, as many medic-in-trainings come to find out, you can't always be able to save everyone." And it was true, even now as he caress' his son's head carefully, flattening his hair and lovingly petting him, he knew it was true. Even though Iruka got lucky this time around, that night could've ended up so much worse.

"However, for those who master medical ninjutsu, these people are praised in the shinobi ranks for saving lives." Iruka pressed another kiss to the top of Naruto's head. The blond's face scrunched up at the touch, tired blue eyes peeling open to stare up at him. "Hello, my dear." He greeted quietly.

Naruto yawned quietly, sitting up a bit so he wasn't leaning completely on his teacher, "Hi..." He looked around at the room, face dark with recognition. "How long was I-" A yawn interrupted his words, "-asleep?"

"Maybe about fifteen minutes." Iruka shrugged, "It hasn't been long at all."

He hummed in thought, "I wish you were getting discharged with me today..."

"I know," The older man thumbed the side of the genin's head, "but I'll be out shortly, I'm sure. I mean, now that I'm awake, I'll likely be getting a physical and then will be getting discharged afterward. That's usually how they do it."

Naruto was about to respond to that before pausing, "W-We're you not... awake... when I got here?"

Iruka chuckled, "If you mean, was I still unconscious since my surgery then, yes, I was... I think. Maybe I woke up at certain moments, but I don't remember anything after you... brought me back."

"So, you were in a coma?" His eyes widened, trying to think of what he would've done had he come to his teacher's room and the man hadn't have woken up when he needed him.

"Maybe, I'll have to ask Dr. Teruya if I really was in a coma or if I was just hopped up on too much pain medicine to remember anything." The academy teacher reached for the boy's bandaged hands, folding them over gently in his own bandaged ones, "I'm glad that-"

The door opened, Kaiya and a nurse entered shortly after the interruption. Naruto unconsciously leaned closer to Iruka, hands shaking as if he was expecting bad news. Kaiya greeted them both quietly with a short bow, a grim smile on her face, "Naruto-kun, I am... very sorry that I have to cut your visit short."

Ah, there was the bad news.

"W-What?" His eyes widened, tears filling them, "B-But, I... I haven't e-even seen him t-that long..."

"I... I know." She tried, voice tight and hands clenched by her side, unsure about splitting them apart, "I don't want to break you two apart, but..."

The nurse beside her cleared his throat, "Umino-san needs his evening pain medicine which will cause him to fall asleep due to the drowsy side-effect. It's best that Umino-san gets his rest early on into his recovery now that he's more alert."

"Then, w-why do I have to leave? I-" Naruto hiccuped, hands shaking. He just got him back, and they're trying to take him from him.

Iruka reached out, pulling him into a soft hug, shifting slightly to accommodate his injuries, "It's okay, my son, I'll still be here when you need me - I'm not going anywhere, so you can visit me whenever you like." He pulled back, wiping his thumbs underneath the boy's watery eyes to rid him of his tears. "However, we both need time to rest and recover after what we've been through. I'm in good hands here, you of all people should know that. You've worked with them for a long time."

"I don't w-want to go..."

"I know, Naruto, I know. I don't really want you to go either." Iruka could feel his eyes mist over, "You're the brightest thing in the room at the moment and I don't want my own personal sun to go away." Naruto chuckled wetly at that. "But you and I need rest. You're falling asleep at random intervals and you can barely keep your own weight up right now."

"I..."

He brushed a few blond strands behind the boy's ear, shushing him quietly. "I want you to rest as much as possible so that, when I get out of here, I can see that big smile of yours without these sunken cheeks," Iruka thumbed along his cheekbones, "and these bags under your eyes." The academy teacher shifted his thumbs to wipe away any remaining tears left on the boy's face. "Okay?"

He nodded stiffly, "O-Okay..."

"Rest lots, my dear, I will see you shortly." Iruka kissed his forehead one last time before moving the blond-haired boy's crutch closer to him, watching the blond-haired teen hobble out of the hospital bed, "Naruto?"

"Yeah."

"I love you."

He smiled weakly, trying not to cry again, "I love you too... Dad." Iruka smiled widely, a sparkle in his eyes.

"Naruto, c'mon," Kaiya called out, holding the door open for him as the nurse who was with her went to Iruka's bedside, a needle in hand, ready to administer his evening medicine. Naruto followed Kaiya out, quiet and tired. His knees were shaking and there was this foreboding feeling settling in his chest, worrying him that he might pass out at any moment. The blond-haired genin lifted his head, seeing both Shikaku and Shikamaru waiting for him by the nurses' station still.

Had it really only been fifteen minutes that he'd been with Iruka? It felt like a lifetime gone with just a blink of an eye. His stomach churned, eyes burning with unshed tears. "Why does it feel like I lost him again?" Naruto found himself thinking, his entire body shaking with emotion, "He's just in the other room, but..." The farther he walked, or rather, limped away, the more it felt like he'd lost Iruka over and over, the feeling making his stomach jump with nausea.

All Naruto can see behind his blurry eyes is his bloodied, broken and glass-ridden hands running over Iruka's chest, desperation in his voice as he pleaded to whoever would listen. "Please... Please..." It was a mantra, silent and shaken. The compressions he'd started immediately, pressing his palms down onto Iruka's chest made his shoulders burn with exertion, his body already exhausted of its energy, fueled only by whatever of the Kyuubi no Kitsune's chakra was left.

Naruto lifted his head as far as it would go, staring into Shikamaru's eyes. The world was starting to tilt. The ANBU in the area was distracting him, he's losing concentration and Iruka's still bleeding out. He can't get his chest wound to shut. And Hiruzen... Shikamaru gave him a worried stare, head tilted to the side in question as the blond continued to lumber behind Kaiya, slowing down significantly. "I'm bringing him back even if it kills me." His proclamation carried its weight in the form of a trail of blood escaping his left nostrils. Maybe it would kill him. Those injuries must've caused too much damage. And all he could do was sob and grit his teeth. It hurt, so much...

A tear slipped down Naruto's face, the world turning to the left and taking him with it, the genin falling to his knees, unable to keep his weight up any longer. "It feels like I lost him again..." His mind cried out.

Upon the sound, Kaiya turned around swiftly, startled by his fall. "Naruto!" She called out.

Shikamaru was the first to break away from his shock, running as fast as he could towards his best friend. Despite the older woman being closer, he managed to make it to the fallen blond first. Naruto sobbed quietly, too exhausted to cry any louder despite the entire world feeling like it's falling off his shoulders. He laid his head in the crook of Shikamaru's neck, feeling the other boy's hands on his back, soothing him.

"...even if it kills me." His mind chanted when the exhaustion started to border on pain.

Shikaku squatted down beside his son and the blond-haired genin. "Naruto," He called out softly, watching the exhausted teen turn his head towards him, "Let's get you home, okay?"

Naruto nodded as much as his body would let him, unable to move his limbs much more than necessary. The older Nara waved his son to the side slightly, wrapping his arms underneath the medic-in-training back and knees, pulling him up until he could rest comfortably against Shikaku's chest. Naruto didn't even have the energy to protest the embarrassing position, silent tears still running down his face. Shikamaru stood up hastily beside them, reaching out for his best friend's hand as a means of comforting the blond a little more.

Shikaku turned towards the doctor, "I'm going to go ahead and take him home."

Kaiya nodded, tears in her eyes, "Okay... Take care, Naruto-kun."

Instead of responding, the blond-haired teen hid his face in the crook of the Nara clan leader's neck. The nurses' by their station waved the teen goodbye as well, calling for him to get well as soon as possible, while others merely stared quietly. Naruto didn't even care anymore, it hurt too much to even blink by this point. "I'm s-sorry..." He mumbled out with a wet cough.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." His best friend's father called out softly, the three making their way out of the hospital slowly. It was a little awkward with Shikamaru walking in front of his father, keeping a tight hold of Naruto's hand. To a bystander, it might've looked like the Nara heir was dragging his father and friend somewhere. Shikaku stared down at the blond, "You should sleep some that way you'll have a little bit of energy to eat."

"I think Mom made your favorite." Shikamaru voiced for the first time in a while, turning his head to stare at his friend, "Miso ramen with extra pork. And she even made some soy eggs too..."

But Naruto had already fallen asleep by then. Even without Shikaku saying something, he would've eventually passed out. It had been a rough day, he needed whatever rest he could get.

There was a familiar click sound one that had Naruto opening his eyes. He was comfortable and warm although extremely drowsy. The blond lifted his head, staring up at Shikaku's chin. "Honey," He heard the man call out, "We're home."

Yoshino poked her head out of the kitchen, face already twisting in a way that the genins knew she was about to fuss at her husband, whether for being late to dinner or for some other reason. However, upon seeing Naruto in the Nara clan leader's arms, she paused in worry, shuffling over quietly while Shikamaru took off his shoes. "Oh, sweetheart." She murmured, running a hand along his forehead, "You must be exhausted."

He pressed his head closer to the coolness of her hand, "Hm..."

"Let's get some food in you and then you can go to bed, alright?" Yoshino smiled softly, motioning for both her husband and son to follow her into the kitchen.

"Don't you think it would be best for him to eat in bed or on the couch rather than the table?" Shikaku asked quietly, still clutching the medic-in-training in his arms.

She hummed in thought before looking at Naruto again, "Sweetheart, do you want to sit at the table or in a bed?"

"Table..."

"It's decided then." Yoshino shrugged before turning towards her family, "The only one I'm serving is Naruto today, so I don't know why you boys are standing around."

Shikaku shook his head, rather amused by her behavior before setting the blond-haired teen down by one of the dining table chairs. Shikamaru had already gone to the living room and retrieved a pillow for Naruto to sit on. Naruto bowed his head in thanks, using the Nara clan leader's arm as his crutch until he was finally seated at the table. Yoshino presented him with a medium-sized bowl of ramen with a smile.

"Thank you." He mumbled out, blinking sleepily. Shikamaru plopped down beside him, bowl positioned under him greedily, instantly going for the broth. Naruto watched him for a couple of seconds before reaching for a pair of chopsticks. He could manage to pull the wooden chopsticks apart, but upon reaching for a thin slice of pork, his hand cramped out and both the pork and chopsticks slipped out of his hand. Naruto's eyebrows furrowed, staring down at his bandaged hand in disdain.

The kitchen was quiet upon the realization. Naruto's face flushed in embarrassment, reached for his chopsticks again to try and pick up some noodles but he couldn't. "Is... it permanent?" His mind worried.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, but you should be fine." The Kyuubi's voice was startling but oddly comforting.

Shikamaru's hand on his shoulder startled him back to life. "Do you... want me to feed you?" His voice was low, face tinged pink, "Since you can't use chopsticks right now..."

Naruto considered hiding his face with his hands, but the thought of his stupid bandaged hands being anywhere near him at the moment after not being able to do something as simple as holding chopsticks made him cringe. So, instead, he sighed deeply, face depressed and shoulder sagging. "You... don't have to..." He stated, looking at his best friend slightly.

"I know I don't have to, but we're friends... so, I want to." The Nara heir tried a soft smile, hoping it would help in coercing the blond to allow him to do this for him. For his parents, though, the two merely kept quiet, not wanting to embarrass Naruto anymore, continuing to eat their meal silently.

"A-Are you sure? I... don't wanna be a bother..." Naruto whispered out, face almost completely red by now.

As a show of how 'sure' he was, Shikamaru just pulled his best friend's chair closer to him so they were nearly shoulder to shoulder now. "Do you want some pork, noodles, or broth first?" He asked with a wide smile, digging his chopsticks into Naruto's bowl.

Naruto smiled softly, "Pork, please..." If he flushed completely crimson when Shikamaru held up his chopsticks to his mouth, no one mentioned it. And if he enjoyed being fed by his friend, Naruto was sure to keep it to himself.

Dinner went by smoothly, if not a little louder than usual. It was always louder than usual when Naruto ate with the Nara family. For some reason, the room always filled easily with laughs and jokes, conversation flowing swiftly through them, sharing things between one another. Naruto had regained some strength after being fed, energy coming back to him shortly, joking that Yoshino's cooking had healing chakra in it. Yoshino, herself, though, had nearly laughed herself sore when Shikaku had a noodle draped over his upper lip, imitating a long mustache of sorts. She had laughed and laughed so hard, the older woman had nearly fallen out of her chair. And although Shikaku worried about her injuring herself on accident, even he couldn't stop himself from letting out a soft chuckle.

Shikamaru, upon being distracted by the laughter of his parents, had accidentally spilled some warm broth on Naruto's shirt. Yoshino had chastised him for not being careful since he was feeding someone. She got up and headed for her son's room before returning with one of Shikamaru's shirts, insisting Naruto wear it while she washed the t-shirt he'd gotten from the hospital. The blond-haired teen looked at it quietly before changing at the dinner table.

The black-haired teen thought about poking fun at his friend for taking his shirt off in front of his parents but paused, face paled significantly. He eyed the large angry scar on Naruto's lower abdomen, knowing it was just one more thing leftover from Mizuki's attack. He nearly said something, but upon feeling his father's eyes on him, he lifted his head instead. Shikaku shook his head discreetly, eyes warning him to keep whatever comment he was about to make to himself. He bowed his head, almost as if it were an apology.

"Well, I think it would be appropriate for you to get some sleep, sweetheart." Yoshino smiled softly before turning to her son, "You too, mister."

He raised his hands in surrender, "Okay, okay. Is the spare futon already in there?"

She hummed, "Washed, dried, and fluffed."

"Thanks, Mom." Shikamaru stood up, pushing his chair back enough so that he could get access to his best friend's side more, "C'mon, Naruto." The blond-haired teen immediately latched onto the Nara heir's arm, leaning nearly all of his weight against Shikamaru's side. They both said their goodnights to Yoshino and Shikaku before making their way to the Nara heir's bedroom. Shikamaru opened the door for the both of them, "Alright, I'm going to sleep on the futon this time around and you can have my bed."

Naruto blinked rapidly in surprise, "What? I... I can't take your bed. And I always slept on the futon..."

"So? You're sleeping in my bed because it's more comfortable than the futon." The black-haired genin rolled his eyes, moving them towards the bed, "Plus, I think it'll be easier for you to in and out of it than having to climb off the floor and stand up."

While his logic was sound, he still didn't like the idea of taking his best friend's bed. Naruto pouted, "Okay, but only until I'm better."

"Sure." He helped set the other boy down on the bed before making his way to turn off the lights. Before he flicked the light switch, Shikamaru turned his head to look at the blond-haired teen making himself comfortable, "Do you need anything?"

"No," Naruto smoothed the blankets over his lap, "I'm okay. Thank you though."

Shikamaru hummed, flicking the lights off before making his way through the dark and into the futon. "Goodnight, Naruto."

"Night..."

The room was quiet, almost unbearably so. Naruto shifted onto his side, hissing quietly when it pulled at his sore ribs. Despite all the healing the Kyuubi no Kitsune did, there were still some things the demon fox was working on fixing. He needed time to rest and let his body naturally recuperate, giving the demon inside him time to get his chakra levels back up. Maybe then all his scars would heal, make the wounds Mizuki gave him disappear completely. Thunder rumbled through his head, low and off in the distance like a summer thunderstorm.

He could hear Shikamaru turning in his futon, it made the blond sigh; he knew how uncomfortable the futon was. Naruto had never mentioned it before because the Nara's had always been so kind to him, taking him in on the night of the Kyuubi festival, feeding him, making him feel the love and warmth of a family. Even Shikamaru had shown him great kindness in the many years they'd known each other.

Naruto turned over again, lying on his back, unable to fall asleep. The exhaustion that had once plagued him had either disappeared or his mind was too awake to let him fall asleep. He hoped that all his naps during the day had not disrupted his needed slumber at night now that he was actually in a comfortable bed in a place he felt safe. He looked out into the darkroom, sensing where the futon and Shikamaru were, staring quietly. He debated on whether to even say anything, hearing his best friend rustling underneath his covers.

Time merged together so much that Naruto's not even sure how long both he and Shikamaru laid there completely awake and unable to fall asleep. "Shika?" He called out in a whisper.

"Hm?"

"I... can't sleep."

Shikamaru heaved out a sigh, the sound of the covers rustling again, "Neither can I." It sounded like he rolled over, maybe to look at where Naruto lay.

"Why can't you sleep?" He asked quietly, hand massaging the left side of his chest where his ribs throbbed.

The Nara heir groaned lowly, "Why didn't you ever tell me how uncomfortable this futon is?"

Naruto laughed sheepishly, "Sorry..."

"What about you?" Shikamaru asked after a short pause, "I thought you'd be tired. You looked like you were going to fall asleep at the table."

Why couldn't he sleep?

The blond-haired teen was quiet as he thought about it. He was exhausted to his core, he could feel it seeping into his bones, making his body feel like jelly. His eyes were nearly swollen shut, pink-tinted from all the crying he'd done before dinner. Even Naruto's head hurt, desperately needing sleep to reset the headache plaguing him. So, why couldn't he make himself fall asleep? He searched the room, a pout on his lips. "I..." He started, "I feel alone..."

"Alone?"

Naruto bit his bottom lip, unsure of how he should put his next words, "I... You're right there, but... you're so far a-away..."

It sounded like Shikamaru had sat up in his bed, "I could put the futon closer to your bed and just-"

"No, I..." He sighed deeply, exhausted as he too sat up, "When we were still in the hospital, you were right there, beside me... always. Every time I woke up, you w-were there. I... I miss the c-closeness... of you..."

"Oh."

Naruto ran a hand through his hair, "C-Could you... um, we..."

"You want to share a b-bed with me?" Shikamaru's voice was just above a whisper, "Would that... m-make you feel better?"

"Yes..."

"Okay..." He cleared his throat, standing up from the uncomfortable futon. Naruto could hear the padding of his feet on the hardwood floor making their way towards him. He unconsciously slid towards the wall where the bed lay in the corner of the room, trying to sense out Shikamaru's figure in the dark. Naruto felt a hand accidentally brush against his shoulder from where he'd been sitting up. "Oh, there you are..." The Nara heir mumbled, hand slipping away to feel where the mattress was before there was a dip beside him, Shikamaru crawling into the bed with him.

Naruto could feel his best friend's legs touch his own, arms brushing against one another as the black-haired teen got comfortable in his own bed. The jinchuuriki tried to adjust as well, but they were clumsy trying to share a bed not meant for two people. "Sorry..." Naruto mumbled out.

"Can I get any closer?" Shikamaru whispered out, his breath ghosting over his best friend's neck, "My butt is hanging off the edge." They shared a short laugh, whether it be because the Nara heir said 'butt' or because of the lateness of the night, neither knew.

"S-Sure..." He could feel Shikamaru's body heat more now that he was moving closer. Their knees pressed tightly together, chests nearly touching. Naruto reached out a hand, unconsciously grabbing the Nara heir's own in his hand.

"Y-You're very warm..." The shorter of the two grumbled out, his head finally hitting the pillow.

"Y-Yeah?" The blond asked, Shikamaru humming in response; maybe his eyes were shut now. Naruto chuckled quietly, "Is it better than the floor?"

"One thousand times better." He scooted impossibly closer, sighing in content, "Might just have to keep you here forever; you can be my own personal space heater."

Naruto flushed red, thankful for the darkness so that his best friend couldn't see. "O-Okay..." He giggled quietly. He shifted down into the covers more, having nearly pulled them over his nose. The room went silent for a few minutes, content filling both genins.

"Naruto?"

"Hm?" His eyes were drooping.

"Can I be... um, honest... with you?" Shikamaru tightened his grip around his best friend's hand, squeezing it for comfort.

Naruto tilted his head closer, their voices dropping in volume due to their closeness, "Sure..."

"Do you remember in the hospital when you told me that... I was the m-most important person in, um... your life?" His voice shook at the end, swamped with emotion.

The blond-haired teen ran a thumb over the top of Shikamaru's hand, "Of course. You told me that I w-was too."

"I lied."

A painful coldness ran down Naruto's spine, eyes widening in surprise. "W-What...?"

"I just... p-parroted what you said... because I... I..." Shikamaru sighed deeply, "I'm b-bad with my feelings, okay? And y-you, you are important to me. But... it's d-different with, um... you."

"What do you mean?"

"I almost lost you." His voice shook, sniffling quietly, "A-And that... that scared me. You get yourself i-into trouble - t-that's why you're troublemaker now... But, you..."

"Shika..." Naruto touched a hand to his face, feeling wetness where his fingertips made contact, "Oh, Shika..." He wrapped his arms around the teen's waist, pulling him into a soft hug.

Shikamaru laid his head down, pressing his forehead into the other boy's shoulder, "I don't w-want you to leave me. I... want to be by your s-side forever. But, you like to g-go places I c-can't follow..." He lifted his head so it was resting against the pillow again, staring into Naruto's eyes; their noses were touching by now. "W-Why do you go so far...?" He hiccuped quietly.

"I'm sorry..." Naruto's own eyes started to water, "I'll keep you with m-me forever."

"Don't leave me."

"I won't."

Shikamaru sucked in a breath, "You have to promise me." He held up a pinkie.

The blond-haired teen did so as well, pressing it tightly against his best friend's, "I promise..."

"D-Don't leave me again..." He pressed himself closer again, tucking himself impossibly against Naruto's chest, curling into him until nothing remained.

Naruto tugged him closer, hands fisted in his t-shirt while his head lay overtop of black hair. "I won't, Shika." He pressed a chaste kiss to the top of his head like Iruka had done to him several times. He wanted to comfort his best friend as his father-figure had done for him.

Shikamaru's eyes widened at the feeling, words just on the tip of his tongue. His heart swelled with the need to say it... whatever it was. It was so overwhelming, his eyes watered, but he didn't know what those words were. But he was too exhausted to think anymore about what words he had to say. He'd have to say them some other day, whatever they were. For tonight, though, he was content in losing himself in Naruto's warmth.

Shikaku scratched his belly as he made his way down the hallway, exhausted but in desperate need of coffee. As he made his way to the kitchen, he stopped by his son's room, poking his head in to check on them. The morning light had made its way through Shikamaru's window, illuminating nearly the entire room by now. The Nara clan leader had expected for both his son and son's best friend to be resting in their respectful bedding, or maybe they were up already, talking amongst themselves.

Instead, he found the two fast asleep, cramped tightly against one another in Shikamaru's twin bed. "Oh." Shikaku blinked in shock, glancing between both of the boys, taking them in slowly. There was probably something to analyze here, but bafflement kept his mind at bay for now. He shook his head, almost debating on waking them up, but he felt a hand on his shoulder instead.

Yoshino smiled sleepily beside him, pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek, "Let them sleep, my love. They need it."

He nodded in agreement, "Coffee?"

She hummed, following after him as they made their way to the kitchen, "Honey."

"Yes?"

"If Shikamaru ever marries, I want him to marry Naruto." Yoshino grinned innocently.

If he'd been drinking his coffee already, Shikaku was almost positive he'd have spit it out on accident, "What?"

"I want Shikamaru to marry Naruto." The Nara woman nodded as if her word was set in stone.

"Honey, I don't thin-"

"Hush." Yoshino raised a hand, "You're going to wake them."

Shikaku shook his head, "You're terrible."

A/N - ShikaNaru bingo checklist. An appropriate amount of cuddling? Check. Hurt with comfort? Check. Hand-feeding your not-boyfriend-yet? Check. Wear your not-boyfriend-yet's t-shirt? Check. Sleeping in the same bed? Check. You all have been fed. I hope this has sated you enough. But don't worry, there is always more to come!

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