Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Honestly.

Closer

By Raine Ishida

Chapter Two

Shikamaru was on his way to class, his cup of coffee gripped tightly in his fist as he forced himself to stay awake. It had been a week since his foolish dalliance with the strange but intoxicating girl from the club, and he vowed he wouldn't let it happen again. He had a reputation to keep, after all.

He hated school. He only went because he didn't want to flip burgers or sell t-shirts for the rest of his days. As such, he could only afford to go to university because he sold t-shirts on weekends. Most of his tuition had been paid off due to a hefty scholarship he'd earned with an entrance exam and essay, some stupid "Why do you want to attend here" and another, "What will you do with your degree" type questions. He'd made up some crap about changing the world with his mind, making it a better place. They'd thought him a perfect candidate for their scholarship program.

And so they'd sent him a hefty check towards his tuition, he'd enrolled, and they'd regretted it since. He hated doing schoolwork, and spent most of the time in lectures sleeping on his desk. Shikamaru's father, Shikaku, had nothing to say about it. "He's my lazy, though intelligent son. What do you want me to do about it? If he wants this degree, he'll snap out of it eventually."

When Shikamaru was bothered enough to pick up a pencil, he wrote fluently, sentences that brought tears to the eyes of emotional professors. He aced his exams without picking up a book and wrote 750-word essays in 50 words or less. His brain was fine. His attitude was what needed work.

And so with a groan, he walked over the campus' grassy exterior and opened the doors to what would be another boring day.

…

Shikamaru needed fresh air. His class had been as boring as usual and he'd spent most of it doodling in his notebook because his teachers had caught him sleeping behind his textbooks too many times.

Crossing the grass again, he figured it would be a great day to flop down onto it and stare at the clouds, but there were geese walking around. He didn't feel like lying in poop.

He scoured the grass for a poop-free area and flopped onto it, closing his eyes once his hands were behind his head. There weren't a lot of clouds to watch, and his eyes were heavy anyway.

He managed to doze for at least 20 minutes before a shadow obscured his sunlight. He frowned, his brows furrowed as he opened his eyes. "What? You're blocking my sunshine," he muttered, trying to discern the face that hovered over him.

He sat up. A female. The girl from last night.

"Hi," she said softly, kneeling next to him. "Good nap?"

"It was," he stated, raising an eyebrow. "How'd you find me?"

Tenten grinned. "I go to this school," she said. "I knew I'd run into you eventually. Everyone knows who you are."

"That's comforting," he muttered.

"So anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me tonight."

"I'm pretty tired, to be honest," he started to excuse himself. She grabbed his arm, her brows furrowed with concern.

"No, no, nothing big! Just for coffee or something. Please? We could even go right now."

"Coffee?"

"I'll even buy," she said with a pleasant smile.

Shikamaru's eyebrows raised significantly. "Fair enough. Where to?" he asked, standing and offering her his hand.

"The Starbucks just down the street?" she asked, taking his arm. He wasn't exactly keen on her closeness, but he humoured her.

"Let's go."

…

They talked for an hour, she giggled, he attempted to push out the occasional smile, but to be honest, he wasn't interested in her. At all.

She was pretty enough, but when he looked at her, he saw a mistake. A one-night stand, a fling. When he looked at her, he wished she was someone else.

Temari might never take him back, and he knew that, but he wanted her still.

He drew up a story for Tenten while she chattered about how she loved to make cookies on rainy days.

"So, tell me more about yourself!" she finally said, wrapping her fingers around her half-emptied coffee cup.

Shikamaru looked at her and frowned. His tale was fabricated, but hopefully the apathy in his face would translate as compassion and guilt.

"Listen, Tenten…I haven't been honest with you."

Her expression changed then. Her eyebrows furrowed gently with concern.

"What is it?" she asked softly.

He bit his lip. "You're a really great girl and all, but to be honest, I'm seeing someone right now…"

Tenten's eyes turned to slate. "You mean you cheated on her. Or is this just a 'let's be friends' speech? Or is it even that?" she asked, her voice getting higher with every question.

Shikamaru put his hand on her arm to settle her. "Look. …I didn't really cheat on her because we were 'on a break', technically, but…we've made up. I feel really bad because I didn't want to hurt either of you, and it was pretty irresponsible to do what we did."

"We're both adults, Shikamaru. We can take responsibility for our actions," she spat. Her eyes were narrow with anger.

"Yes, but…at the same time, I need to be true to her. I really care about her," he said, thinking about Temari. Praying, praying she'd take him back so he could tell himself he wasn't really lying to this girl sitting across from him.

"So you just go randomly sleep with some girl you meet at a club?"

"Tenten-"

"No, it's okay, I've heard enough. Sorry I wasted your time then," she said softly. "Enjoy your coffee." Standing up, she turned away from him for a moment before turning back. "I'm really sorry," she whispered. But was that sincerity….from her? Or for him?? He didn't know. The way she whispered and the way she didn't look at him when she said it showered chills over his body.

Tenten stormed out of the Starbucks and down the street. Shikamaru sighed. It was over. Now, to call Temari and make her take him back so he could say he wasn't lying. Hopefully she'd go for it.

…

Tenten was sitting on the ground in her underwear and a tank top, staring at the screen of her laptop when he walked in later that evening, closing the door behind him softly. She didn't even glance up when he stopped next to her, dropping his messenger bag to the ground with a thud.

"Hi," she said, noting down something on some paper next to her. A phone number, he noticed.

He frowned. "You look amazing."

She glanced up and raised an eyebrow. "You've seen this outfit before."

He smirked and shook his head, adjusting his glasses with his index finger. "My professor is on to me, I think."

Tenten closed the laptop with a snap and pulled him down to the ground next to her. "What?" she hissed.

He shrugged and sighed heavily. "I mean, I did kind of bring it upon myself…I asked him a rather complicated ventricular question today, and all the other students stared at me like I was on drugs."

Tenten smirked. "What happened?"

"He took me aside after class and asked me if I'd been reading ahead. I know too much about the internal workings of the human anatomy to be in class with such simpletons."

"I know that," Tenten snapped. "What else did he say?"

"Well, after some careful persuasion…he eventually believed me. I told him I'd been reading ahead."

"Like, a decade ahead! You're the smartest person in that class. Don't try and tell me you belong there. You should be a doctor already," Tenten said, rolling her eyes. "You need your own morgue."

"Wouldn't that be something," he said with a chuckle, pushing his glasses up his nose. "You bring me victims and I autopsy them for kicks."

"Kabuto," Tenten said with a grin, pushing his shoulder playfully. "I mean it. He doesn't suspect you?"

"I don't think so. What's to suspect? The only thing evil about me is my soul."

"Because the rest of you is so perfect," Tenten said sarcastically, standing and walking into the kitchen, pulling on her silky robe as she passed the couch where it was draped.

"So were you expecting someone? In that getup, I mean," Kabuto asked, turning to watch her pace through the kitchen. She glanced back and frowned.

"Jealous?"

"It was a simple question."

"So was mine."

"Tenten," he started with a groan, standing up so he was in the middle of the living room with his arms dangling at his sides. She sauntered over to him until she was directly in front of him, just close enough for him to feel her body heat on his chest. She ran her index finger down his chest and smiled teasingly.

"You know, jealousy's kind of hot," she purred softly. Kabuto put one hand on his hip and shook his head.

"Don't start this now. Last time you started teasing me there was no follow through."

"And you were angry with me for a week," she grinned. He sighed.

"I'm worried we're going to get caught," he whispered. She stood up on her tip-toes to make up for the height difference and kissed him gently.

"We won't. I have the best surgeon in the world next to me who can keep us both out of trouble," she said softly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Come on. Don't be angry with me."

"It's hard to be angry with such a sick person," he replied gently, his hands still kept to himself. The noise that came from her throat made him glad he didn't have his arms around her. She wrenched her arms from his neck and stomped her foot on the ground angrily.

"You're the one cutting people up and I'm the one who's sick?" she demanded. He looked at her, unblinking from behind his glasses. He didn't judge her. He never did. He was hardly qualified. Both of them belonged in the same boat destined for hell. They belonged together in a sick, demented kind of way.

"That was one person."

"So far," she grumbled. "He had it coming."

"The redhead?"

"He did!" she insisted. Glancing over to the front door, she crossed the room quickly and locked it. "He was…suspicious."

"If I'll recall, he got spooked and tried to call the cops on you."

"For whatever reason," she muttered, crossing her arms. Kabuto crossed the room and rubbed her arms.

"But that's past. Forget about it, alright?"

"Why, because soon there'll be someone new to carve up?" she asked, looking up at him with confused eyes. He frowned deeply.

"That's not what I meant."

"But it's going to come to that. Shikamaru…doesn't want me anymore."

"He's a moron," Kabuto muttered, kissing her forehead as she bowed her head in sorrow.

"He refuses to see me anymore," she whispered, anger entering her voice. Kabuto tensed. He knew that tone. It was dangerous.

"You'd better never leave me." The voice she used now was reserved for her purest, strongest anger. It brought chills to Kabuto's bones.

"I wasn't planning on it," he said quietly. Tenten looked up at him again, her anger completely dissipated.

"Good," she whispered, bringing his face down to hers and kissing him gently, then urgently. He knew this would have happened sooner or later. It always did when she got angry. He supposed he was lucky he was always around when she was angry.

Later, when he found himself watching her as she lay on her stomach next to him, covered in sheets, her hair dishevelled and falling around her face, she drew designs on her pillow with her index finger.

He picked up his glasses, studied them to ensure they were clean, and sighed before putting them back on. "You're a black widow, Tenten."

"Why do you say that?"

"Every man you sleep with dies."

"That's not true," she replied, glancing at him with a soft smile.

Kabuto smirked. "My time's coming."

"Not for a long time," she assured him, leaning over his chest to kiss his nose. "I still need you."

"But all the others…"

"Unfortunate coincidences," she finished, drawing new designs on his bare chest. "I've only killed one of them," she explained, resting her chin on her hands which were folded on his chest. He glanced down at her through his lenses and sighed.

"The redhead."

"Yes. Gaara. The others died soon after for whatever reason. Drug habits. Car accidents. Not my fault."

"Whatever you say, ma'am," Kabuto muttered.

Tenten sighed and turned over so her back was to him. Outside, the sun was setting.

Kabuto kissed her bare shoulder. "I'm staying here tonight," he told her softly. She didn't respond. By that, he knew he was allowed.

Removing his glasses, Kabuto took in a deep breath, and dropped into sleep.

…