My Pet Peeve

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine.

Despite the fact that they hadn't done anything, Shikamaru still felt embarrassed when he walked into the lounge the next morning and both his parents gave him a look. Of course the blushing made him look even guiltier. Add to this, the fact that Hidan was standing there half naked with a dazed look on his face and it didn't look good. He really needed to force him to get fully dressed in the morning before leaving the bedroom.

"Did you have a nice lie in honey?" His mother was smiling at him.

"It was ok..." It wasn't her he had to worry about.

"You were up there a while boys." Shikaku winked at his only son and received a glare in return.

"We were just tired out after last night." Realising what he'd just said he had to add more before he could get any comments. "It was a long train ride!"

"Of course it was." Luckily his mother wasn't impressed either and bought her fist down on her despicable husband's head.

"Stop picking on our son!" The look of rage turned to a smile as she looked over at the two boys. "Why don't you go into the other room Shika while I get you guys something to eat?"

"That'd be great, thanks!" It was good he knew the warning signs and he dragged the confused looking Hidan out of the war zone.

"Wow your mum is pretty pissy, isn't she?"

"Being married to dad would make anyone that way."

"What's wrong with him?"

"...You don't get it?" The boy shook his head. "Well seeing as neither of you seems to understand privacy or normal conversation I'm sure you'll get on well."

They listened to his mother shouting yet again until a loud bang resounded through the house and then there was silence. Not long after, Yoshino came into the room smiling and holding two plates piled up with food.

"Here you go~. I've given you a lot but if you're still hungry after that I have extra's in the kitchen."

"Thanks mum."

"Thanks Female Shika." Yoshino giggled at this and left them to it. Probably going to bury dad in the garden...

"Your parents fight a lot eh?" Hidan was already shoving anything resembling bacon into his mouth.

"Not as often as this usually, it's only because you're here and mum doesn't want dad acting like an idiot in front of guests."

"Your mum makes fucking awesome bacon!" As usual Hidan was distracted by food. "Not burnt like yours."

"...Well thanks." If he thinks I'm making him anymore he's got another think coming.

As Shikamaru ate he could feel eyes on the back of his head and he knew he was being watched. He'd noticed that Hidan often looked at him when he thought the younger boy was unaware and it was creepy to say the least.

He never just looked either. It was always the same intense stare that felt as if the boy was gazing directly into his soul. When he'd first woken up that morning the weirdo had been watching him while he'd been sleeping. The staring had been there while he'd been drifting off the night before too. Why he was being watched he didn't know, but it was going from being creepy to just plain irritating.

Shikamaru turned and looked directly at the silver haired boy who had finished eating and was watching him as expected.

"Why are you always doing that?"

"Doing what?" The confusion was obvious on his face.

"Staring. You keep doing it and it's starting to get on my nerves. What's so interesting that you have to keep looking?" Hidan pondered this for a while.

"...I don't know." Is he kidding me?!

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I don't really get why. Just that I like watching you and I want to keep doing it." And that's not weird at all.

"You do realise how strange it is for me when you do that?"

"Why?"

"Never mind." The boy wasn't known for his intelligence so it wasn't worth trying.

"Are you boys finished?" Yoshino had stuck her head around the door.

"Yes...?" She seemed strangely keen and that was rarely good news for him.

"Would you two mind going over to Asuma's place? I promised him I'd send over apple pie."

"Some what now?"

"Homemade apple pie. Kurenai's parents are coming down for the weekend and he wanted something good for them."

"I guess that's alright." Clearly she was just using this as an excuse to send him to Asuma's place. Although he'd never say anything he was quite pleased. He had kind of missed the old guy.

"Great! He's really missed you, you know. He's been round here trying to play shogi with your father almost every weekend."

"I bet he has." That guy always was a weirdo.

-Page Break-

It was nice to be walking through the streets of his old home town again. Unlike the city his university was in, the town was quite spread out with a lot less buildings and much more in the way of open spaces and green. The lack of stupid amounts of crowds was another bonus. Shikamaru had to admit that he'd missed the place more than expected while he'd been gone. It didn't feel as stifling as it used to. Hidan seemed more chilled due the lack of people too which was always a good thing.

"Who's Asuma?" It was strange that he'd never mentioned him before.

"Friend of the family. His dad worked at the company dad works at and he used to come round a lot when he was a teenager and I was a kid. Pretty nice guy."

"And what's shogi?"

"A board game, kinda like chess I suppose. We usually play it together. He's never beaten me once."

"Wow. You never got out much as a kid did ya?"

"...Just shut up."

"And who's Kurenai?" His voice went a little strange at the name.

"His fiancée. They've been together for years."

"Lucky them." He sounded almost bitter.

Asuma lived quite close to the Nara household and Shikamaru was used to going there often. It had been his main hiding place when he'd needed an escape and felt like a home away from home. The house was reassuringly exactly the same as it was when he'd visited a few months before. Kurenai smiled when she opened the door and saw him.

"Shikamaru! How long have you been back?"

"Only since yesterday. Mum sent apple pie."

"Oh yes she said. Asuma's out in the back garden if you want to see him."

"That's great thanks." As he entered the house Kurenai noticed Hidan for the first time. As usual he was giving the new person a wary look.

"Who's your friend?" She was being pretty polite considering Hidan's staring.

"This is Hidan. Sorry he's a little antisocial." He was hopeful that the scowl he sent him would discourage him from acting like a bratty child. Even though he huffed a little, no comments were made.

"Well nice to meet you." She gave him an awkward smile while he just stared blankly.

"...Sorry about this."

"That's fine." Luckily Kurenai was forgiving but he thought it best to drag Hidan out of the way before he decided to actually start talking and freaking people out.

Asuma was sat on a bench near the back door reading and had barely noticed the new people walking past him.

"Hey Asuma! At least pay attention." He jumped up when he heard Shikamaru's voice and smiled at him.

"Well well, look whose back. I've missed my shogi partner."

"Likewise. And I see you haven't quit like you said you would." He motioned towards the packet of cigarettes lying on the table nearby.

"It's a dirty habit but what can you do?"

"You could knock it off and do something that doesn't kill you and everyone around you?"

"Now you're on at me too... Kurenai never stops."

"Only because we care." Asuma noticed the silent boy staring down at the floor and standing next to Shikamaru.

"I've never seen this guy before. Is he a new friend of yours?"

"Oh! Sorry this is Hidan."

"I'm glad you actually bothered to try socialising with people instead of finding it too 'troublesome'."

"Well thanks." The man always knew what to say.

"So how do you deal with this lazy ass, Hidan?" There was only silence. "...Hello? Anyone home?" No reply. "...Is he ok?"

"I-I think so! He just gets a little shy sometimes." Christ not this again. I thought he was over it.

"I'll go get you guys something to drink." Asuma was tactful enough to give them some much needed space. Once the man was gone Shikamaru decided to deal with it.

"Ok, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Even only one word answers were better than the silence.

"Don't give me that. You're going weird on me again. Why?"

"I'm not going weird!" The boy pouted.

"You had no problem with my parents so why with Asuma and Kurenai? They don't bite."

"Because." It was hard to admit that you were jealous.

"Please try and make an effort, these people are important to me."

"Hn." Well it wasn't a no.

"So how'd the exams go Shika?" Asuma started as soon as he got back.

"Well I passed them all."

"I never thought you'd fail any of them. But did you get the perfect marks you're capable of?"

"Oh god not you too!"

Hidan listened to the conversation between the other two whilst keeping a blank expression on his face. These people were closer to Shikamaru than he'd ever be and this fact depressed him. Perhaps he was jealous but he couldn't help himself. He was a needy man and he liked the attention.

If he did anything to piss these people off these people though, Shikamaru would most definitely kill him so he decided the best thing to do was nothing. Neither making an effort nor irritating everyone.

"And how're Ino and Choji?" The conversation resumed.

"The usual. Troublesome woman never shuts up still."

"She just worries about everyone too much."

"I wish she'd worry less."

"Ha! You should be glad you have such good friends. And speaking of which, how'd you and Hidan meet?"

"In a club..."

"Really? I thought those kind places gave you a headache?"

"Ino. That is all."

"Understood. So Hidan's what exactly? Close friend?"

"...Actually he's my boyfriend." Using this story with Asuma seemed worse.

"Ah, I thought so."

"You thought what now?!"

"Well I didn't want to say in case you'd be offended but I always did think you were that way inclined. I mean, you always say how troublesome women are."

"...Thanks for that." Well now I know what people think of me.

"Something wrong?"

"Nope, nothing!"

"You two seem well suited though."

"Really?!" He couldn't see it.

"So Hidan, how'd you get the ultimate prude to agree to this?"

"I-." Just as Hidan was about to stop this long silence Shikamaru interrupted.

"We really should get going!" No way in hell was he going to let Hidan spout any bullshit. Things would worsen.

-Page Break-

"That Asuma guy ain't bad."

"Glad you like him."

"What's fucked you off?"

"Just weird to know that he's always thought I was gay..." Shikamaru had never looked at guys so he couldn't see where that had come from. "And you can't say anything about being 'fucked off'!"

"Eh?"

"You went all weird and silent again!"

"Oh. That."

"Yes that. What was all that about?"

"...Well you're close to all these people."

"And...?"

"You're not like that with me!"

"...You were jealous?!" How anyone could be possessive over him was unknown to Shikamaru.

"Only a little."

"Well... It's nice to know you care."

"That guy wasn't trying to steal you from me though so he was ok." Steal me?

"...It must be nice thinking the way you do."

"The fuck does that mean?"

"Nothing..."