A/N: Hi friends, thanks for coming back. We're finally getting somewhere with the spiciness level of these chapters. I'm still committed to a slow burn, but we've got to tease a bit. :P You can thank the song bad decisions by Bad Omens for this chapter, I drew a lot of inspiration from it.

- x -

Sounds from Kiba's party were audible well before his loft even came into view, the thumping bass of whatever music was playing vibrated the ground as he approached. He tucked his lone cigarette behind his ear, instead opting to press a toothpick between his teeth; He couldn't waste his ace-in-the-hole to escape the cramped confines of Kiba's living room on his brisk walk there. Shikamaru often arrived at these gatherings as they were already well underway, knowing that he could avoid most conversations if no one noticed his arrival, though there was at least one person's attention he hoped to attract. He was still committed to acting casual, but found himself unable to untie the knot that started to twist in his was a grown man getting butterflies over holding hands with a girl, it felt so childish and troublesome yet there the feeling was. Demanding his full attention, no matter how hard he tried to suffocate it. He dragged his hands down the front of his face in exasperation before he pulled the sleeves of his shirt from his wrists to his elbows, silently cursing that he hadn't dressed a little less warm considering how packed this loft would inevitably be.

Shikamaru's pace slowed as he approached the door, taking a few deep, measured breaths before entering. Just as he imagined, the room was nearly overflowing, the air thick with the smell of booze and whatever he knew Shino was habitually smoking in his room. The room was unbelievably humid and he groaned as he could already feel sweat beading at the center of his back. He pressed through the crowd, doing his best to avoid direct contact with anyone but often had to all-but-force his way past several. Fortunately, as he had planned, most ignored him - either too drunk or too invested in their own conversations to be bothered. Shikamaru finally breezed through the entryway into the kitchen, knowing that the room would be the least congested.

"My man!" Kiba shouted, slapping his hand to shake and pulling him in close for a briefhug before he started pouring him a drink, nearly overflowing a glass with some sort of brown liquor. "Need some-"

"Yuuup," Shikamaru sighed loudly, reaching for the glass before Kiba even finished pouring and downed it. He winced slightly at the burning sensation in his nose before he wiped at the edges of his mouth with his thumb and slapped the glass back onto the counter. He tapped two fingers next to the glass, all but demanding more, to which Kiba responded with another heavy pour.

"Shit, what's with you?" Kiba's gaze passed from Shikamaru, looking particularly shaken up, to Sakura and Temari as they slinked through the crowd from the room over. "Ha! HA! Oh man. What a momentous occasion. I can't believe I'm watching her get you all hot and bothered in real time." His grin widened by the second, his lips curling devilishly to reveal his canines. Shikamaru shot him a dirty look, followed by a pleading one to Shino as he entered the kitchen.

"Don't look at me, I didn't even know he knew what the word momentous meant." Shino quipped as he shrugged, which produced a genuine laugh from Shikamaru. Kiba grit his teeth, readying some sort of defense about being well read but he seemed to drop the fight as soon as the two women entered the room. His devilish grin returned, glancing at Shikamaru quickly before returning his attention to the women.

"Sakura, 'Mari, my two favorite ladies." He said, his voice smooth as he delicately picked up a hand from each of them.

"Do you say that to all the girls?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow as Shino poured some liquor into her and Temari's glasses. Kiba dropped their hands and clasped his own together in earnest, shaking his head in denial, only to be almost immediately betrayed by Shino nodding a silent affirmation. Temari let out a long laugh, grabbing at her sides that cramped almost immediately.

"Recycled material? Kiba, what a shame. I really thought you better than that," She scolded, met with yet another finger from Kiba. Temari pretended to be shocked, pressing a hand loosely to her chest.

"Forget you guys." Kiba scoffed, before looking to Shino and raising pinched fingers to his lips. "Shino?" Shino merely nodded, fishing through his pockets as the pair made their way towards the back door. Sakura eyes trailing them closely, shaking her head before looking back to Temari.

"We should probably supervise. I don't trust Kiba to not do something.. moderately dangerous." Sakura said, holding her hand out to Temari, which she gladly took. As she began leading them back towards the crowd of people, Temari looked up to Shikamaru. He remained silent as he met her gaze for just a moment before looking down to the drink in his hand, a pink hue creeping across his cheeks. She wasn't sure if he had too much to drink already or if it was just the heat of the room. Neither would have surprised her. At the last second, she managed to grab his hand - catching him by surprise as she pulled him along to snake through the crowd.

"Come on," She said, her voice almost a giggle. His heart caught in his throat. Her fingers loosely wove through his, he followed her through the crowd. Shikamaru knew he was in dangerous territory - like this, he'd follow her anywhere. In his efforts to not focus so much on her figure as she pulled him along, he desperately clung to the sound of the music as they passed by the stereo system. Picking up the faint words between the chatter of those around him.

you can be all i've got, what's the difference
you and me and a lot of bad decisions

His brow furrowed at how unfortunately prophetic he found the words, but something in his chest swelled with conviction, suddenly remembering an ages old conversation with his old man over a long game of shogi, something about the universe "calling" for him to be a strategist.

But now the universe was calling again and it demanded an answer.

Would he rather make bad decisions with her than good ones with anyone else?

- x -

The five ninja filtered out onto the balcony, the night air noticeably cooler than inside the loft. Shikamaru pulled at the front of his shirt a few times as he shut the glass door behind them, dissipating some of the heat and sweat that beaded against his chest. The chill was a relief, helping quell some of his racing thoughts. Would he rather make bad decisions with her than good ones with anyone else?

Shino leaned against the corner of the railing, lighting up something that was decidedly very much not a cigarette. He took a deep inhale, letting the smoke slowly roll out of his mouth as he offered it to Kiba, who obliged with an equally deep drag.

"Temari?" Kiba asked through held breath, followed by a long series of coughs. She held up a hand and shook her head to decline. He rolled his eyes and mouthed baby, before offering it to Sakura with a wink. She seemed to think better of it for a moment before accepting, taking a small puff and passing to to Temari's surprise, Shikamaru took a long drag, smoke billowing from his mouth as he handed it back to Shino. He looked to Temari quizzically as she shook her head at him.

"I seem to learn new things about you all the time." She laughed and leaned back against the railing as she looked up to him, her nose scrunching up as she did so. He felt like he'd been punched in the gut, almost overwhelmed by her presence, the smell of liquor on her lips, the way her eyes looked even more blue and green under the moonlight. He'd gladly drown in an ocean of that color.

"I'm not that hard of a read." Shikamaru mumbled, resting his elbows on the railing next to her. He could hear his pulse in his ears. He took another deep breath and wrung his hands together, hoping to get some semblance control. He was losing his grasp on the orbit.

"Well, you're certainly not an open book." She said, her voice went quiet, matching his tone.

"You know that's not true."

"Do I?" She asked with another laugh, leaning her head onto his shoulder so slowly he almost didn't notice its weight pressed against him.

Shikamaru glanced to his left to look at her again and was suddenly, very acutely aware that they were alone on the balcony. The sliding glass door hung open slightly. He silently cursed Kiba, knowing this was absolutely orchestrated and, at that moment, the smoke and alcohol hit him. All control evaporating, all the walls he had built felt like they were crumbling.

"I think you do," Shikamaru stood upright as he spoke, his voice smooth and low, laced with inebriation. Shifting his stance to be directly in front of her, he hung his head down slightly - his face inches from hers. He was unbelievably close to the edge of every bad decision he wanted to make. With her. Only her. He knew it couldn't last, but it didn't matter. Fuck the orbit. His resolve was gone. Fuck being casual. He placed his hands on the railing to either side of her.

"I don't know about that," Temari said, her eyes piercing his as she raised a hand to poke at his chest, keeping her finger against him as she did so. "I think I'll need you to convince me."

Collide.