The evening had settled on Konoha, and it was one of Sakura's favorite times of day to walk the familiar streets. The sun's last rays were visible on the horizon, giving the sky a dusky shade of pink in the distance. She glanced over at Shikamaru, who had settled into that same leisurely pace that he usually kept, hands as always stuffed into the pockets of his Jounin pants. "This day has been such a surprise," she thought to herself. "I thought Naruto was the Number One Unpredictable Ninja." She felt herself smiling for what had to be the hundredth time. Being around Shikamaru, however unexpected, was exciting. It was interesting. It was easy. This felt... right.

She turned to him. "So? Where were you thinking about getting something to eat? I sincerely hope you weren't planning on Ichiraku Ramen. I mean, I like the place well enough, but Naruto drags me in there at least twice a week."

Shikamaru smirked. "Nooooo," he drawled, "And I figured we'd skip the barbeque joint Chouji, Ino, and myself frequent for the same reason. I was thinking along the lines of, well, do you still like soba?"

Sakura stopped in her tracks for just a fraction of a second, her shock clearly registering on her face, and her companion's notice, before the mask slipped back up again. She hadn't expected him to remember. She had mentioned, in passing, her newly acquired obsession with the soft and slightly sweet buckwheat noodles nearly three weeks ago. She'd tasted them at a small soba stand in the Hidden Rock Village in Earth Country while there on business with the Tsuchikage, having delivered a variety of antidotes for their hospital. The smells emanating from the little stand had drawn her in, despite never having had the dish before, and she was heartbroken when she returned home and realized Konoha as yet did not have any place that served it.

"But, where?" she sputtered, "I haven't been able to find a single restaurant in Konoha that serves soba noodles!"

Shikamaru smiled knowingly.

"Hn. I think I know of a place. It's in the east district, near the dango shop that the guys in code-breaking usually frequent after lunch. I noticed it when I was there with Ino's dad last week. I haven't actually eaten there myself, but..." he paused to take in the enraptured look on Sakura's face, smirking in satisfaction at having piqued her interest so completely.

"That sounds wonderful, let's try it! Have you had yakisoba before?" Sakura gushed, before he could finish. She looked around them eagerly. "That's only a few blocks away from here, isn't it? Let's go, I'm positively famished!"

In her eagerness, Shikamaru realized she had grasped his elbow, and was tugging him out of his leisurely pace to match her excited gait. Rather than find this sudden development bothersome, he felt a warm, pleasant feeling in his chest, and a sort of practiced ease at their contact. The electrical energy had almost disappeared, he realized. This connection was more familiar, more friendly. He would have to do something about that, he thought to himself. Already he found that the electrical current that ran between himself and the roseate medic-nin was a feeling he was fast becoming addicted to.

Sakura held on tightly to Shikamaru's arm, half-dragging him in the direction of the newly opened soba stand and the east district, past rows of shops and stalls, through a side alleyway and through the dim lights of a residential area. Soon they were rapidly transversing the east district, and before long, she could smell the heavenly scent of her quarry, and hear the soba noodle chefs calling out "Sooooooooo-ba!" to one another, indicating an order up. She smiled, a wide and genuine smile, and licked her bottom lip in anticipation, the gesture not at all lost on the man whose arm she was clinging to. Sakura, however, was singularly focused. They approached the stand, with it's low-hanging awning, and ducked underneath into the warm glow and heat of the narrow counter space and its five meager stools.

"Ah," she sighed, breathing in the smells, and taking note of the line of customers at the register beside her. She dropped Shikamaru's arm, and turned her gaze to him. "Did you want to grab a seat here? I didn't realize it was such a small space. We can always grab takeout, if you'd prefer."

"I don't mind eating here, but they don't serve alcohol... I was rather in the mood for a drink as well, if you were up to it," he replied, eyeing the busy stall. "You can place the order for takeout, and I'll grab some sake from the package store across the way?"

Sakura nodded absently, completely engrossed in the menu, and waved him off without asking his preference. He found he didn't mind much, however, and resolved to be quick with his purchase, in order to prevent her from attempting to pay. He stepped out of the stall, moved purposefully across the street, made his purchase of two bottles of sake, and was standing next to her again in line just as she was about to fish into her purse.

"I'll take care of this, thank you," he said, with a polite nod of his head to the cashier. Sakura looked up, blinking in surprise as she saw him hand the young man behind the counter some cash.

"Thanks Nara, you're quite the gentleman," she smiled, a hint of playfulness in her tone. "Are you going to let me continue to take advantage of your kindness this way? Coffee, sweets, dinner, and drinks now as well? I feel like I'm building up quite a tab."

He chose not to reply, simply taking the bag from her hands and gesturing out towards the sidewalk, a smirk characteristically in place.

"So," he said, after stepping up next to her, "Where shall we eat?"

Sakura hummed to herself, thinking it over, clearly a bit distracted in her hunger. The smell of the yakisoba was making her mouth water.

"My place?" she asked.

"We could," he replied, "I suppose, but isn't your apartment a few blocks from here? Mine is closer. We could head there. Chouji is supposed to be staying at Ino's for a few days to keep her company while her parents are out of town, I think. We would have the place to ourselves, and there's no risk of him helping himself to our meal."

Sakura giggled. "As if Ino needs someone to 'keep her company' while her parents are gone! Was that his explanation, or hers? She's shameless! Obviously there's more to that story." She continued to laugh. "Your place is fine, let's get moving though, I'm positively voracious!"

Shikamaru smiled to himself again. It was good fortune, that his best friend and food-focused roommate was otherwise occupied for the evening, even if he did think the story for his absence was a rather flimsy cover for what was clearly going on between his two former teammates. In fact, whatever it was had been going on for quite some time now, and why they seemed to think that the genius would remain oblivious was completely beyond him. It wasn't as if he cared in the slightest, he was happy that they had finally realized that there was a latent attraction between the two of them, and had been since they were preteens. Only Chouji was patient and resilient enough to tolerate the bullheaded bossiness of one Yamanaka Ino. The girl was practically a hurricane in that regard.

They turned in the direction of his apartment, Shikamaru allowing Sakura to grab ahold of his arm yet again to hurry him along. He liked the way her small hand, capable of such insane strength, looked when wrapping her thin, elegant fingers around his elbow. How could someone so utterly feminine be capable of such incredible brutality? And yet, these same hands were responsible for healing as well. Feats of healing that surpassed those of even the Godaime Hokage herself. "She really is remarkable," he muttered to himself.

"Who? Ino? I know!" bubbled Sakura, having heard him and assuming the previous statement of hers had been what prompted his remark. "She has been secretly harboring this thing for Chouji ever since the Spring Festival last year, when he won all of those carnival games for her and kept giving her all of those ridiculously huge stuffed animals. It was so funny. After that day, she kept making comments like, 'Have you ever noticed how incredibly strong Chouji is? He's more like a bull or a Clydesdale horse than a butterfly...' or 'Brute strength is so attractive when it comes from someone so gentle, you know what I mean?' I could hardly keep from laughing, she was so obvious."

Shikamaru listened intently as she rattled on, appreciating that she hadn't caught that his comment was directed at her. There was time enough for compliments. As it was, they'd shortly be enjoying dinner and drinks alone in his apartment. This could afford him the opportunity to make his thoughts regarding her more than clear. As soon as he had them fully sorted out for himself, anyway.

A few moments passed in companionable silence, Shikamaru moving a bit more quickly, but Sakura's delicate fingers still wrapped securely around his arm. He led her into the foyer of his apartment building, holding the door open as he did so, and into the elevator. Only once they were inside the lift and he had pushed the button for the top floor did she let her hand drop.

"You boys have the penthouse apartment in this building? I didn't know that," she said softly, "I thought you lived on the fifth floor."

"We did, up until about a month ago," he replied. "I wanted a bigger place, with a better view. Chouji didn't mind- although he is hardly ever home to appreciate it anymore anyway. I think it's only a matter of time before he and Ino get a place of their own. She's made it more than clear that she's tired of being in her parent's compound. I think they're just worried about putting me out. Not that I don't know, or that I care, what they're up to. I'm happy for them."

The elevator opened into an elegant private hallway, and Shikamaru gracefully opened the door to the apartment and gestured again for Sakura to follow him. She stepped into the front room and stared around in slight awe, her hunger momentarily forgotten as she admired the tastefully appointed apartment. It certainly did not appear to be your typical bachelor pad in the slightest. Everyone knew both the Akimichi and Nara clans were wealthy, but this place far exceeded her expectations.

"Your building is so much nicer than mine," she murmured.

He cocked his head at her as he set the takeout bags and sake on the dining room table a few steps from them.

"It was recently redone. Your building is only three over from here, is it not? They're planning on refurbishing the rest of the buildings in this area as well, I thought. It wasn't nearly as nice a few years ago," he shrugged. "Make yourself comfortable, I'll grab us some plates. You want some sake as well, I assume?"

"Oh, um... yes. That would be nice," she replied softly. Sakura continued to gaze around the room as he slouched into what she assumed was his kitchen area, completely dumbfounded by how beautiful the apartment was.

It was a huge penthouse, with a large sunken living room and a wall of glass that overlooked the village. The furniture was all dark wood, as well as the floors, and the couches were a rich forest green leather. There was a large traditional low coffee table in the living room as well, with several floor cushions in slate grey fabrics of varying patterns, and above the couch was a painting of an elegant stag. Aside from a coat rack where a coat emblazoned with the Akimichi crest hung, there was very little indication that Chouji lived here at all. The place seemed to be completely Shikamaru's style.

The Nara sidled back into the room, holding a tray with the first bottle of sake and two cups, some plates and chopsticks, and smiled at the sight of Sakura's timid form, seeming lost in the apartment. Her hair, unnoticed by her, had begun to fall out of the messy bun she'd crafted in the coffeehouse. She looked lovely and was obviously a bit nervous.

"If you wouldn't mind grabbing the food, I thought we'd eat on the patio. It's a nice night, after all."