Chapter Two –

Shikamaru still, for the life of him, could not remember when she had started calling him Shikamaru-kun, but he'd be lying if he tried to claim he didn't like it.

Running a hand through his hair, he glanced down at his thigh where her arousal was still very prominent, and ignored the remnants of his teleportation jutsu as he stiffly walked towards his dresser to get a dry pair of pants and boxers.

Shrugging himself into his ANBU uniform, Shikamaru realized, a little belatedly, that he should have probably hinted that he was going to be gone for a while, since even mentioning an ANBU mission was strictly confidential.

Though, she was partly to blame, he supposed. No one had ever made his mind quite so quiet before. Reaching for his mask and pulling up his hood, he scribbled a note onto a small scroll and decided he could leave it for her to figure out while he was gone.

It'd probably be better to keep her busy. At least, less destructive.

Three weeks over-do and his mission scroll secured tightly in his pack, Shikamaru paused briefly at the gates of Konoha for check in, before heading directly to the Hokage's office.

It was just nearing dawn, and Tsunade sat at her desk, gazing out the window as she slowly sipped her morning cup of sake. She didn't startle when he landed on the window – instead she observed him for a moment, before reaching out her hand to take his mission scroll.

"You're three weeks late, you know," Tsunade commented dryly.

Shikamaru moved his mask to the side of his head, "I realize. Circumstances deemed it important that I extended my stay."

Tsunade hummed as she unfurled the scroll and began to read, pausing briefly to inquire, "You weren't able to use ANBU channels?"

Shikamaru shook his head no, "My cover would have been blown if I left the station, and I was being watched."

Leveling him with a look, she resumed reading.

Tsunade's eyes widened briefly, when she got to what he assumed was the first description of the cannibalized body, before mumbling, "I understand."

Setting the scroll aside, Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair to observe him, "The situation was dealt with completely?"

Nodding, Shikamaru grinned cheekily, "That's why it took three weeks. I had to travel to reach some of them."

"Well serves those sons-of-bitches right."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru frowned as he bowed and began forming the seals to leave, when Tsunade held up her hand to stop him, leveling him with a stern look.

"First, I did not dismiss you, you brat. Second – would you have any idea as to what the hell has gotten into my apprentice?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Shikamaru decided to play dumb, "Shizune? We aren't very close…"

Tsunade tried to fight a smile, "Don't play dumb with me Shikamaru. We both know I'm talking about Sakura."

"Ah, yes about that."

"If I remember correctly, I had given that scroll to you to decode."

"I did."

"Then why exactly, did you give it to my apprentice? We both know she's obsessive."

Shikamaru sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets, "I couldn't tell her I was leaving on a mission… It was the best I could come up with. Best to keep her occupied, you know."

Laughing loudly, Tsunade reached for her cup of sake, "Thanks to you, I might need to train her a bit more in code breaking. She's been absolutely enthralled with it."

Shikamaru smirked, "It's a good skill to have."

"Just go ask her on a date, you brat. That only occupied her for a week. She's been destructive for two."

Turning on his heel and slowly heading to the window, Shikamaru laughed, "Yeah, well, she's brilliant, you gotta give her that."

Snorting into her sake, Tsunade fought a smile, "You're damn right boy, now get the hell out of my office."

With a salute and a quite series of seals, he teleported out of the office, not daring to linger. He had a pretty lady to find.

She couldn't believe him.

How could someone be absolutely so insufferable, and intelligent, and good looking at once? It shouldn't be possible. She should probably try to date a civilian. They'd be so much less trouble. They also probably would have caught on quicker.

It would be easier to seduce a tree.

But Kami-sama, when he even looked at her…

But that was beside the point!

He made her waste a week of her life learning to break and use a code that had been extinct for three centuries just so he could leave her a message demanding, again, who it was that she wasn't wearing panties for.

Like hell she'd just admit that it was for him… the dumbass.

Where the hell was he anyways? She managed to wrangle a minimal amount of information from her shishou that he was supposed to be back three weeks ago, and the worry made her restless.

It wasn't until they had to repair the training grounds daily that her shishou even offered up any information…

She was going to maim him when she saw him next.

Give him the coldest shoulder, even worse than those two years when Ino ignored her.

That'll show him.

Deciding that she wrecked enough of the terrain, she tossed her gloves aside and dropped into a comfortable kata to cool down.

Baka.

When he landed in his apartment, he felt the first tremor of someone splitting the earth open and smiled. Not even using seals, he teleported to team seven's favorite training ground and easily spotted a mop of pink hair among the rubble.

Lounging in a nearby tree, he leaned back to enjoy the shade for a bit while she worked through a series of kata. She was angry and agitated, he could tell from the way she destroyed almost double of what she would normally, and her belongings weren't neatly folded and set aside for later.

Her katana was carelessly impaled in a tree, her gloves were tossed into a bush, and … was that her bra?

Nearly falling out of the tree, Shikamaru noted that yes, that was indeed a cute, powder-pink lacy push up bra hanging delicately from a kunai that had been impaled into a tree.

Obviously, it was a great time to say hi.

Leaping down from his tree, Shikamaru took the time to dust off his knees and bum before he fully straightened to his full height to wave at her.

Sakura frowned, "You're late, you asshole."

Grimacing, Shikamaru shrugged and put his hands into his pockets, "Yes, well… things were, not according to plan."

Knowing the rules, Sakura waved his explanation off.

Rocking on his heels, Shikamaru smiled at her cheekily, "So… Tsunade-sama says you cracked the code huh?"

"If you think I am going to tell you after spending a week learning how to break codes, and then use that particular strand then you are batshit insane."

Shrugging off his flak vest and letting it drop to the ground, Shikamaru smirked, "Fine, then maybe you can tell me why you're braless?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, suddenly very aware of how … alert her body was, Sakura glared at him defiantly, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Undeterred, Shikamaru walked to the tree proudly displaying her bra and reached out to touch the strap when Sakura squealed causing him to pause.

How did she forget ABOUT THAT.

Bouncing in place, Sakura whined, "Shikamaru-kun, please! No! You don't see anything!"

Rushing towards him and waving her arms wildly, she threw herself between him and the tree, blocking his view of her bra and he smiled broadly at her cute behavior.

"Shika!" she continued to whine, "Please!"

She pushed on his chest, and he smiled, "Please what?"

"You're embarrassing me! I'm trying to be mad at you!" She grumbled, slightly deflating as she slouched and refused to make eye contact.

Taking a step closer to her, he tried to not smile as she continued walking backwards until she bumped into the tree. Still attempting to ignore him.

"Really? How can you be mad at me when all I've noticed is that you seem to start missing clothing when I'm around?"

Appalled, Sakura glared at him, "It's all circumstantial!"

"How so?" he whispered against her cheek as his right hand came up to cup her face.

"I didn't want to ruin my bra," she whispered like it was the most obvious thing.

He hummed his acknowledgement as his left hand wandered down her arm to caress her sides, "I see. What about your panties this time?"

Blushing, she decided to ignore his question as she leaned a little more into his embrace, "I'm glad you're back."

"Me too," he spoke as he brushed his lips across her forehead. He felt her breath hitch, and her entire body still when he asked again, "Where are your panties?"

"I…." she tugged on his mesh shirt, and squirmed in his arms, "I didn't want to ruin those either."

For a moment, he couldn't think of how she could have possibly ruined those, or why kunai would even be near there until it hit him.

She was wet. Again.

And she was thinking about him. Hopefully.

And there wasn't kunai involved. Probably.

"Sakura-chan," he whispered, "Where you thinking dirty things?"

Her blush was telling, and he groaned.

Clinging to him, she was both terribly embarrassed but so unbelievably turned on that really, this was ridiculous, and she moaned before looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Shikamaru-kun," she pleaded, not wanting to answer… but she wanted him to know. Kami. Please.

He was insistent, "Are you wet right now?"

Nodding her head once, she bit her lip and wiggled again, moaning as her own shorts rubbed against her and Shikamaru's eyes started to glaze over.

"Fuck," he growled as he leaned down to kiss her, his left hand cupping her breast, casually flicking her erect nipple.

Kissing his way down to her neck, his other hand wandered up to cup her other breast and Sakura clung to him, breathlessly repeating his name.

When he reached a spot just below her ear, he pinched both her nipples, and watched in delight as Sakura came beneath him.

Her eyes closed, and her hands fisted in his hair; holding him to her as she ground against his thigh as she came undone.

He had hardly even touched her and she just melted, and it was beautiful and Shikamaru was filled with the need and desire to do it again.

Kissing her nose, and her cheeks, he smiled at her when she blinked up at him owlishly, a little out of it from the intensity of her orgasm.

Toying with the band her of her shorts, Shikamaru grinned at her, "So, where exactly are your panties, hm?"

Blushing, Sakura hid her face against his chest again.

"They may or may not be in your mail box with an angry letter demanding that you replace them."

Laughing, Shikamaru kissed the top of her forehead, "I thought you took them off so they wouldn't get ruined?"

Clicking her tongue, and grinding against him, Sakura mumbled, "I said I didn't want them to get ruined. That doesn't mean that they weren't … ruined already."

He hummed, grinding back against her, "Do you mean to tell me, Sakura-chan, that you put your wet panties in my mailbox?"

"Well… your bed, but close enough?"

"You're crazy."

"You like it?"

Growling against her mouth, Shikamaru kissed her thoroughly till she nearly trembled with need, breaking their kiss to groan, "Oh fuck yes."

Breathless and thrilled, Sakura smiled and reached for the band of his pants, "Oh good, just don't stop this time?"

Before the words were even completely out of her mouth, Sakura could hear Naruto yelling for her in the distance.

Flustered and painfully hard, Shikamaru growled, "His timing is brilliant and I want to kill him."

Squeezing his length through his pants, Sakura groaned, "He's going to die."

Moaning, Shikamaru leaned down and kissed her softly. Breaking apart a moment later, Sakura pouted and started to collect her things, "I forgot I promised to go to dinner tonight with the team."

"My place afterwards?" Shikamaru asked hopefully.

"After my rounds?" Sakura offered, "I work tonight too."

Making seals with his right hand, Shikamaru tried to tuck away his erection as he wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively before leaning to whisper in her ear, "I can't wait to taste you."

She almost came on the spot.

Leaning back, he admired his handiwork of her parted lips and accelerated breathing, stroking himself once through his pants while he watched her, before teleporting back to his house leaving her to deal with her enthusiastic teammate, with the worst (best?) timing ever, on her own.

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