Title: Shadow
Author: Simply Kelp
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.
Rating: pg
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.
A/N: Uh oh, Shikamaru is talking about his feelings! (I'm liking the posting in bulk; I hope I can keep it up though!)
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Temari
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As Konohamaru was watching one particularly slow cloud progress across the sky, a thought struck him. "So what's with you and Temari?" he asked before his mind could tell his mouth to 'shut up.'
He heard Shikamaru shift uncomfortably. "Huh?"
Konohamaru shrugged. "When I was in Suna, I talked to her a bit; she asked about you. She got this weird smile on her face when she did. And the other day, when I mentioned her, you looked like you were a million miles away."
He heard Shikamaru shrug. "Oh. I don't know," he muttered. "I guess you could say we sort of liked each other. But nothing ever came of it."
"Why not?"
Shikamaru sighed. "It was too troublesome. I liked her, but girls-- they're so high maintenance. They think you need titles, and declarations, and a bunch of stupid stuff you have to puzzle through. When I get in a relationship, I want it to be natural; I just want it to be." He shrugged. "That doesn't really make sense."
Konhamaru peered over at Shikamaru. His eyes were still closed, but he looked a bit bemused. "It sounds like you want a friend more than a girlfriend," Konohamaru replied, tugging at the loose string on his scarf.
Shikamaru shrugged. "Maybe."
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I've noticed that there is a disproportionate amount of people reading, and not reviewing-- unless claymade is just reading each one about twenty times. While I won't demand that you review, I would really appreciate a comment. In the past, I know I've been really bad at reviewing-- even fics I really like--, so I understand why people don't review. Even if you just give some general statement like 'cool,' or 'cute,' I would like that. I'm writing these for me, but, like every author, I do need a little encouragement to make me more motivated to churn them out. Thank you so very much for reading these, and I would really appreciate it if you told me what you thought!