People are Troublesome

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine.

This isn't going well. Shikamaru had thought that if he waited for long enough, Hidan would have enough time to calm down and maybe leave the bathroom. He hadn't reckoned on Hidan's incredible stubbornness. Half an hour after their original altercation and he was still in there, occasionally making loud cursing noises and apparently breaking things.

"Can't we just talk about this?" So troublesome… He didn't want to leave without at least attempting to talk to him, then he would have made the effort and could go without guilt. Trying to work out what Hidan wanted him to do was a tiring pain in the ass.

"Go fuck yourself!" This was the response he had expected and he sighed.

"I'm trying to apologise."

"I'm not gonna accept it just so you can feel good. Asshole." That was clear enough.

"Should I just leave then?" Because the guy wasn't going to come out with him there apparently.

"Yes! Get the fuck out of here!" Well if he asked for it… Shikamaru got to his feet and went to the door. "Wait!"

"What?" Hidan had just yelled from the bedroom door and Shikamaru was starting to get annoyed, as well as confused.

"…For fuck's sake!" Hidan forced the door open and stormed out, glaring at the young brunette.

"…Have you been crying?" He wasn't doing it now but his eyes looked red enough and it would explain why he was so reluctant to leave the bathroom.

"Fuck you!" He threw himself onto the sofa and lay facing away from Shikamaru.

What do I do? Shikamaru was not the best at dealing with emotional things and so normally he avoided it. Yet whatever this was, was his fault. Hidan was apparently upset about something specific.

"Hidan?"

"Why am I so shit?" Wow… He sounded so dejected that Shikamaru felt pretty bad about wanting to leave.

"What are you shit at?"

"Everything. Everything I fucking do!" He sat up and turned to face the smaller boy. For one you could see exactly what he was thinking.

"Why did you shout at Kiba if you weren't angry?" Anguish was probably the best description for it.

"I don't know! I don't know why I fucking do anything! Do I have to be so fucking awkward all the time?!" Most of this seemed to be said to himself more than anything else.

"You're not that bad." Even he knew that was bullshit and the way Hidan looked at him reflected this. "Ok you can be pretty bad. But I have to ask… why did you flip out this time?"

"…" He wouldn't even meet Shikamaru's eyes, instead choosing to focus on a speck of dust on the floor.

"There was a reason because I know you won't flip out over nothing. Why?" Kiba was irritating but it was odd to flip out over something minor. Then again it was Hidan. He was currently retreating into himself. "…Was it because he touched you?" It was all he could think of; when Hidan looked up with a startled expression, he knew he was right. "Do you dislike being touched or something?"

"Yes…"

"But…" This was the part that bothered him. "You've touched me before and been fine." Memories of the time they'd shared the bed came flooding back and blood started filling his cheeks. That was something I didn't want to remember.

"That's different! I don't like it bein' done to me! Especially when I don't expect it!"

"Oh… You should have said, they would have understood." His friends were good about these things.

"I didn't think. I never fuckin' think. I just go on automatic because I'm a dumbass!" Hidan grabbed a shoe off the floor and lobbed it across the room.

"Did that make you feel better?"

"A little…" He seemed so miserable about this that Shikamaru felt worse. The reason he'd dragged him there was so that he didn't have to be the only one the guy socialised with.

"I'm sorry I forced you into this…" And then something else occurred to him. "Was that why you went weird yesterday too?"

"Maybe." So yes then.

"If you really didn't want to go, you should have just told me."

"I didn't want to piss you off!" There was so much frustration in his voice.

"Don't worry about that. You know I'm too lazy to get really annoyed at anyone." This led to a small smile. A positive facial expression at least. "So you didn't want to be around lots of people?"

"I don't like it. I never know what to do so I do somethin' stupid."

"Telling Kiba to fuck off isn't that stupid. We all do it." Shikamaru had done it about an hour ago. But this didn't explain why Hidan had been so weird the whole time. "Err… I'm sorry I didn't notice." Hidan just stared at him.

"It's fine…" Neither of them could look at each other by that point and they were staring downwards. Shikamaru was rarely in deep conversation with people but with Hidan it seemed to happen often. He didn't like over-sharing with people so it was especially odd. Though judging by the silence, Hidan was equally as awkward.

"…So aside from touching, is there anything else I should know about?" Otherwise something else could set off the Hidan bomb.

"You mean is there anythin' else that'll make me act like a dick?" And as usual, he was blunt.

"Basically."

"When people touch me when I don't expect it, people talkin' to me, starin' at me, comin' too close…" He counted off each thing on his fingers, trailing off when he noticed the look on Shikamaru's face. The Nara boy felt like he was sitting near an unexploded bomb.

"That's useful…" I think I'd better stay a good few metres away.

"It doesn't matter for you, I'm not gonna hit you."

"Aren't you?" Granted he'd never actually been punched by him but it had always seemed a real possibility.

"No. I like you so I-." Hidan stopped then scowled. Normally Shikamaru would have assumed he was angry but the slight flush on his face gave him away.

"You like me? You have a funny way of showing it."

"Fuck you! You're the only person who talks to me! I don't have a fuckin' clue what I'm doin'!"

"…As a general hint, try not to sound so aggressive or look so miserable." Hidan raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You always look depressed."

"…You have a good point."

"And now it's your turn." Hidan swung his legs up on the chair and sat facing him, cross-legged. "I've spilled my guts, now you do it."

"I don't have anything to say!"

"Bullshit. What happened with beard wanker the other day?"

"Oh… That." He really didn't like talking about that. "I don't-."

"You just forced me into tellin' you a load of crap! Fuckin' start talkin'!" It was hard to argue with that.

"Fine. He basically told me to grow up, stop being so childish and start talking to him again. Apparently forcing me into an IQ test was 'for my own good'. Shouldn't I know what's for my own good? I'm pretty sure having every single teacher and all of my family pushing me isn't for my own good! Stupid condescending bastard!" Shikamaru finally halted his tirade and started panting. It wasn't often that he ranted about his problems and so he had ended up spewing it out all at once. This was cathartic but now he felt awkward.

"You really let it out when you're pissed, don'cha?" Hidan didn't look amused. If anything, he looked impressed.

"Well?"

"What?"

"Aren't you going to tell me I'm being stupid?"

"You're not. The guy is a fuckin' asshole." This he had wanted to hear but hadn't expected it.

"…So I'm not over-reacting?"

"No. Did you think you were?"

"Pretty much…"

"Dumbass. You said you trusted him and he screwed with you. He should fuckin' apologise instead of actin' like you're an idiot." It had been a pretty long speech for Hidan and Shikamaru found himself staring. "What?"

"That actually made sense." He hadn't meant to sound surprised.

"Hey! I'm not that stupid!" And he brought his fist down on Shikamaru's head. It wasn't as hard as expected.

"I thought you said you wouldn't punch me?" Hidan flushed.

"That wasn't a real punch!" Shikamaru knew this. He'd seen him break someone's nose before.

"…You should be like this more often."

"You mean awkward as hell?" His brow was furrowed in confusion.

"I mean you should show what you're thinking more often. Don't hide things because you're embarrassed."

"You mean you like this?"

"You're easier to talk to. Plus you'd be better with other people." Hidan had been watching with some interest but now he started scowling.

"And this again. You're tryin' ta push me off on other people."

"No I'm not. You're the one who said you wanted to talk more and didn't like being alone."

"You have a point…" For a moment he seemed to retreat in on himself but then his eyes stared straight into Shikamaru's. "You're definitely not tryin' to push me off?"

"No! I like being around you! Mostly." He hadn't meant to add the mostly. "That wasn't an insult! I just meant that I offend you a lot without meaning too!" Now being a good example of this.

"Just saved it there."

"Good. I don't want to be beaten again."

"Ahh, that guy's gonna be pissed." Hidan laid back on the chair, putting his legs across Shikamaru's lap.

"You mean Kiba?"

"Yeah." He didn't look too guilty but he seemed resigned about it.

"Don't worry. I told him to fuck off just after you did. The guy gets it continuously."

"From his friends. It's different from me."

"We'll sort it, don't worry." It had been his fault that it had happened after all since he hadn't noticed that there was a problem.

"'We'?"

"It was my fault so…" He went kind of red as he said this.

"Oh… Thanks. Dick." The insult was thrown in as an afterthought.

"No problem asshole."