It had happened in such a simple manner.

Simple in a way that would only make sense for the two of them.

But damn was that Nara smooth.

Sakura bumped shoulders with Shikamaru as they both walked home from a get together with Naruto and the others. Given that they both had a day off tomorrow due to the completion of their own separate missions, it called for a little celebration.

"Geez, those guys." Shikamaru drawled as he unconsciously reached into his jacket pocket. Sakura glanced over to see him sigh as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, shaking it slightly to pop one out.

"It still amazes me how so much energy Naruto and Lee have even after so many shots." Sakura added with a chuckle, hearing the flick of Asuma's lighter next to her.

Beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol ebb away, Sakura stretched her arms up and felt the kinks in her back crack as she looked up at the shimmering stars above her. Despite having realized what she felt for the man, everything was still as normal as it could be between them. She felt content.

Shikamaru gave a slow exhale next to her, the waft of cigarette smoke hitting her in the face. Jolted out of her thoughts, Sakura breathed it in and immediately began coughing, fanning the air in front of her face.

"Ah! My bad Sakura." Shikamaru apologized as he pulled the stick away from his lips, a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"No no, it's okay! I should've seen it coming." She replied with a small smile as she met his concerned gaze.

"Still. On another note, I'm surprised you're not on my ass about this." Shikamaru quipped as he raised the cigarette that was in his other hand.

Sakura blinked at him for a second before breaking out into a soft giggle. Shikamaru's gaze dropped from her eyes, to her lips, and back to her eyes again.

"Don't you know me well enough by now? I may be one of the best medics around, but that doesn't mean I go hounding every single person for smoking or drowning themselves in alcohol! I've got a life too!" Sakura exclaimed as she began walking again, Shikamaru following with a smirk.

"Didn't expect that answer, Ms. Medic."

"Oh please, you probably knew I was going to say that anyway."

"Right you are. You've caught me again. Say..."

When Shikamaru trailed off, Sakura stopped and turned to him, only to get the white end of the cigarette pointed towards her. With wide, confused eyes she lifted her line of sight from the cigarette to Shikamaru's soft smirk (which made her heart race) and then to his questioning gaze.

"...want to try it?" Shikamaru finished as he raised a brow curiously. He happened to also tilt his head to the side a bit, a habit he seemed to have caught from herself she noticed.

The thought of smoking a cigarette herself didn't bother her. It was more of what she knew what they could do to a body. Stained teeth, affected vocal chords, blackened lungs, etc. But those were long term.

What's the harm in trying one right?

Without answering his question, Sakura took the cigarette between her fingers and blinked at it uncertainly, catching her friend's quiet chuckle in front of her. She hesitated for a few moments really not feeling it. Suddenly, his hands were holding her wrist and the hand that was holding the cig, the contact almost making her drop it.

"It's okay, if you don't want to. Really. It's not for everybody." Shikamaru said, leaning closer as he plucked the stick from her fingers and placed it between his lips, eyes downcast as he took a drag, the ember burning.

If Sakura had a camera in her hands, this would have been a moment she would have shot and kept forever.

"Kami..."

Shikamaru's dark eyes were suddenly on hers, expression intrigued. "Hm?"

Oh, shit. Had she really just said that out loud? Really, Sakura?

As she racked her brain with a plausible excuse, Sakura barely stuttered out "W-what? Did I say something?" before she felt her cheeks flush. Shikamaru silently stood near her, eyes calculating, as she felt the warmth of him burning so close to her skin that if he shifted any closer Sakura might've just have instead punched him into the air.

But they were friends and friends don't punch each other into the sky. At least, what Sakura grasped with this kind of friendship.

"You're quite troublesome, Sakura." Shikamaru quietly said after breathing the smoke out to the side. Which gave the said woman in question a nice brief look at the Nara's beautiful side profile. But then he turned his head back to her and her heart shot into her throat as his dark eyes pierced into her soul.

"But I guess that's what I like about you."

Sakura stilled, mouth agape as she saw Shikamaru begin to realize what had just escaped his lips. The cigarette he was holding slipped from his fingertips as time seemed to slow for the both of them. A blush was growing furiously across Shikamaru's cheeks as Sakura broke into a wide grin.

"Oh?" Sakura said as she pulled away from him for a moment - trying to hide her shaking hands behind her. She could barely keep up her grin because the rest of her wanted to pull the Nara in front of her into her arms.

Sakura had to say it now. She had to. S

hikamaru stood in front of her, a hand in front of his mouth as the rest of his face turned red. Even though his expression was beyond embarrassed, Sakura could see the bright look in his dark eyes as they searched her face. She smiled as she could see the Nara begin to stutter while his brain tried to pull itself together.

"Well you're more troublesome than I am, Shika. But I probably like you more." Sakura confessed as she could feel her whole body light afire with embarrassment.

The look that Shikamaru gave her - joy mixed with that dark gaze she loved so much, lit a fire in the pit of her stomach.

Kami, was this for real?

Seeming like he could barely contain himself, Shikamaru grinned as he suddenly got close and cupped Sakura's face. Caught off guard, Sakura let out a yelp as she grabbed on to Shikamaru's wrists, eyes wide in surprise as she met his mirthful gaze.

"Troublesome woman, you're too cute." Shikamaru muttered as he touched his forehead against hers for a moment.

Sakura was doing the best she could to breathe evenly which was difficult since her heart felt like it would jump out her chest any second. And when Shikamaru leaned in - not hearing on Sakura's "W-wait!" - and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, Sakura just about died. As he lingered there for a moment, Sakura couldn't help but giggle after she recovered.

"What?" Shikamaru quietly said as his lips pulled into a grin, a brow raised.

Sakura's cheeks were hurting from how much she was smiling but she couldn't help what she thought of in that moment. She was just too happy right now.

"So, when's the first date?"

Hi guys! It's been a while. I got caught up in finals from spring semester and now I'm at an internship/summer class so it's hard to kind of balance everything at the moment. But I'm here now!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! This story will most likely wrap up by the next chapter! Thank you to those who have favorited/followed/reviewed this story so far! I really appreciate that you like reading my work! Thank you for sticking by this story even while it's updates have been so horrible with timing haha.

Till the next update.