Hi everyone! It's been a really long time huh? But not to worry! I have returned! I hope you guys are still out there!
"What do you mean you weren't drunk?" Sakura asked after a pause, her voice soft.
Shikamaru didn't know what do. Before he knew it, instead of saying that to her, he had said that instead. With just a tiny slip up, the result was painfully obvious - a confused and slightly hurt looking Sakura sitting beside him. His gaze broke away from hers and cast down to the space between them where his hand was still holding her wrist. Slowly pulling his hand away from Sakura's, he laced his hands together loosely in his lap.
"I..." he trailed off hesitantly. He already knew what this sounded like and he hated it.
"You, what? Did you trick me just so I could bring you back to your apartment? Or did you just say that just because?" Sakura said as she crossed her arms in front of her, head tilted to the side. The slow growing burn in her eyes was staring into Shikamaru's own so intensely that if he weren't such good friends with the kunoichi, he might've just backed away right then and there.
But Sakura was a good friend of his and he could not let this mistake of his damage what they had.
"Okay, I was actually slightly drunk. I don't know why I lied, Sakura."
"Oh, so were you just too lazy to walk home by yourself then?"
Shikamaru blinked once and froze for a moment. Recognizing the tone of Sakura's voice, he raised his gaze from the floor he didn't realize he lowered and stiffened.
Her amused expression stared back at him with the pale moonlight surrounding her, a snicker escaping between her lips.
"Did you want my sweet company, Shika? You could've just asked." Sakura teased as she leaned back and let out a chuckle, a hand against her mouth.
At the sight of Sakura not storming out of his apartment like he had thought, the cold grip around his heart released as relief coursed through him. The tension in his muscles relaxed as he leaned back against the armrest of the couch.
"No, I would've been perfectly fine. I just wouldn't have wanted to get robbed on my own." He quipped back as he could feel a small teasing smirk on his lips. Sakura's gaze widened as she let out an amused scoff.
"What?! You would've had me carry you and fend off a robber while you flopped around like some fish?!" She exclaimed as she stood up, let out a sigh and dramatically placed a hand to her forehead. "The things I do for you, I swear."
Shikamaru chuckled as he pulled himself up, careful to be wary of his balance. He wandered over to his kitchen and flicked on the light when he bumped into the counter and stumbled into his fridge, earning a snort from Sakura. Opening the fridge, the cold air that greeted him cleared his slightly hazy mind for a moment, heaving a long sigh through his nose in reponse.
"Tough day?" Sakura greeted from behind him, her voice closer than when he had heard her snicker.
"What?" Shikamaru grabbed the water filter from the bottom shelf and pulled himself up, shutting the fridge as he did so.
Sakura was leaning against a counter, arms crossed as she tilted her head to the side curiously. As he reached for a glass, Sakura appeared at his side and took it for him, Shikamaru nodding in thanks.
"That sigh you just did made you seem tired. And now that I look at you, you look tired as well. Are you alright, Shika?" She said as he poured himself a glass.
Shikamaru hmmed as he lifted his glass, meeting Sakura's concerned gaze. In that one moment, a flit of possible scenarios that could've happened under different circumstances wandered through his head, making him almost choke on his water. He could practically feel his cheeks turn red as he turned away from her.
Not now, Shikamaru.
"I'm doing okay. We're shinobi. We don't know the concept of sleep." Shikamaru finally replied as a small smile stretched across his lips. He set the glass down and glanced at Sakura to see a hesitant look on her face before it slipped away.
"Speaking of sleep, we've definitely lost a few hours by now." Sakura said as she began to make her way to the door, a hand behind her neck.
Shikamaru followed after her, clearing his throat.
"Yeah, thanks for bringing me back here." He was met with a glare to which he snickered at.
"You owe me, Nara." Sakura said as she slipped on her shoes, glancing up at him.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you need, troublesome as it is." He replied as he scratched the side of his cheek. As Sakura stood up, Shikamaru opened the door for her.
With a roll of her eyes, Sakura grinned at him and was about to leave when she paused for a moment. Shikamaru caught this and was about to ask what was wrong when her hand reached out and pulled his keys out of the lock of his door.
"Oh, right." He said with an embarrassed scoff, a hand open for her to drop it in.
As Sakura placed his keys in his hand, he did not expect her to shift forward and wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him close. He almost choked on air as his whole body melted against hers in immediate response, embarrassed and unsure of how she would interpret it. His hands were frozen in mid-air, hesitant of what to do and when he was about to ask what she was doing, her hand moved. He came to realize that it was comforting gesture.
"I hope you and Chouji feel better soon." Sakura softly said.
Shikamaru blinked in gradual realization as snippets of chatting with Chouji about Asuma flitted through his mind.
"Oh." Shikamaru quietly said as his hands rested against Sakura's back lightly.
He suddenly remembered why he didn't want to go home alone.
It was Asuma's death anniversary.