The Things That Don't Match
folder
Naruto › Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
27
Views:
1,681
Reviews:
128
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Naruto › Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
27
Views:
1,681
Reviews:
128
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Naruto nor do I make any money from this story.
Talk It Over
Chapter 17
Shikamaru reluctantly opened the door to his apartment, it was about 2:00 am. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see Naruto- okay, maybe it was. However, he wasn’t the type to run away from his problems so he stepped inside. The funny thing was that this situation wasn’t even quite his problem. It was just that Naruto tended to complicate things and he became a casualty of war being wrapped around Naruto’s fingers- it really was a good thing that it was mutual.
He took off his shoes at the doorway and looked up to find Naruto curled up on the couch, Kimimaro was nowhere in sight. Shikamaru briefly wondered if that meant he was in Naruto’s room or if he had gone home.
Naruto’s head jerked up at his entrance and panicked blue eyes met his own before his body sagged on the couch, “You’re home.”
Shikamaru nodded, “I said I would see you later, didn’t I?”
Naruto tiredly nodded, “Yeah. I didn’t think you’d come. You were more upset than I generally ever see you. The only person that makes you that mad is Sasuke. I’m sorry.”
Shikamaru sighed, “No, I apologize for what I said, I didn’t mean to sound so harsh. I just… worry for you. Where is Kimimaro?”
Naruto stood up from the couch and awkwardly approached him, “I dropped him off at his apartment, he lives about 25 minutes away from here.”
Shikamaru nodded, not quite sure what else to say. Naruto stood in front of him, shifting from foot to foot, doubt in his eyes, and he regretted his actions. How could he have been so stupid?
He reached a hand out and touched Naruto’s arm lightly, Naruto clung to him and he chastised himself for not considering Naruto’s personality and past.
“I’m sorry for leaving. I shouldn’t have left.”
Naruto shook his head, “I should have warned you. I just like him and- and he likes me. He doesn’t want anything from me and isn’t looking to gain anything from dating me. He likes me for me, Shika. He really does. He was angry about the orphanage. Give it a chance for me? Please?”
Shikamaru sighed, maybe he should have waited to come home, this was a disaster waiting to happen, “Fine.”
Naruto smiled and hugged him, “Thank you.”
Shikamaru waved it off, “I’m going to bed. Goodnight.”
Naruto’s smile drooped a bit. “Alright, goodnight.”
***
Shikamaru waited until he was in his room to call Kyuubi, he hoped he woke the man up.
“Hello?”
“It’s Shikamaru.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes it is. Do you know any other Shikamaru’s or why they would have any reason to call you?”
“Alright, I’ll accept that. I must admit it would be more of a pleasure had you called earlier.”
“Why did you send him here?” he asked.
“Send who?”
“Kimimaro! Why did you send him here?”
There was a brief silence before Kyuubi responded, “Naruto likes him.”
Shikamaru felt like banging his head against something, “Seriously? *That’s* the only reason why? You know that their relationship won’t last long, it’s going to end badly.”
“Why? Because he’s not with you?”
Shikamaru gasped and Kyuubi continued, “What I don’t understand is, you’ve loved him since your late teens- I’m not stupid and Naruto told me that you started acting a little weird around him then- why haven’t you made a move by now?”
Shikamaru laughed bitterly, “You apparently don’t understand enough then. It’s always been about Sasuke, Naruto has always been obsessed with him and now that he’s finally out of the picture you’ve allowed Kimimaro to replace him.”
“Don’t give me that. You could have taken him in hand anytime you wanted. You both are aware of the influence you have on each other. He loves *you*, he was fascinated by Sasuke, he would have stayed with you for that reason alone and you could have made it more given time.”
“So I was supposed to force my way into a relationship with him and use his love for me to get him to stay. I was supposed to manipulate him in something so important? And he and Sasuke may not have started their relationship loving each other but by the time it ended, Naruto loved him.”
“Sometime I want to blame you for that.”
“Blame me for what?” Shikamaru asked, “Blame me for doing the same thing you did? Blame me for allowing him to make his own decisions? If you’re going to blame someone then blame yourself as well because you did as much as I did, or should I say as little? Don’t talk to me about blame. You’ve allowed everything to happen.”
“And you didn’t even try.”
Shikamaru flinched before he nodded even though he knew Kyuubi couldn’t see him, “You’re right. But I would have tried now. You can say a lot about me but you know I’ve only ever wanted Naruto to be happy.”
“That wouldn’t be in question if you had tried earlier.”
“And how do you know that?”
Shikamaru waited a moment for Kyuubi’s response and when he got none he continued, “You can’t even answer that, can you? Goodnight, Kyuubi.”
Shikamaru hung up and stared at the walls in his room before getting up and checking on Naruto. He was asleep in his room. He looked at those golden locks and that figure made all the more beautiful by the moonlight before stroking a whiskered cheek, “You just had to make things more complicated, didn’t you?”
Naruto shifted in his sleep and his eyes blinked open, “Shika?” he whispered, reaching for him.
Shikamaru nodded and whispered back, “Yeah, it’s me. Go back to sleep.”
“Thought you were gone, wasn’t sure you’d come back,” Naruto said, his voice sleep-tinged.
Shikamaru laid down beside him, “I’m here. You know I’d never leave you. Who would make sure you were okay?”
“Yeah.” Naruto curled around him, resting his head on Shika’s chest and wrapping his arms around him. Shikamaru stroked his back until Naruto’s breathing evened out again and somewhere between strokes fell asleep like that.
A/N: Well...I could say something like 'Guess who's back?' but if you've gotten this far then you already know. A new chapter is up, what did you all think of it? On to the reviews.
Anon: Well then, I hope you're not too disappointed with them making up. There's a bit of tension between them still.
animelover: Did this chapter make things better? It's not that Shika doesn't understand, it's just that he can't be impartial with Naruto- plus he loves him so that would hurt. I like Kimimaro too. Thank you.
Shikamaru reluctantly opened the door to his apartment, it was about 2:00 am. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see Naruto- okay, maybe it was. However, he wasn’t the type to run away from his problems so he stepped inside. The funny thing was that this situation wasn’t even quite his problem. It was just that Naruto tended to complicate things and he became a casualty of war being wrapped around Naruto’s fingers- it really was a good thing that it was mutual.
He took off his shoes at the doorway and looked up to find Naruto curled up on the couch, Kimimaro was nowhere in sight. Shikamaru briefly wondered if that meant he was in Naruto’s room or if he had gone home.
Naruto’s head jerked up at his entrance and panicked blue eyes met his own before his body sagged on the couch, “You’re home.”
Shikamaru nodded, “I said I would see you later, didn’t I?”
Naruto tiredly nodded, “Yeah. I didn’t think you’d come. You were more upset than I generally ever see you. The only person that makes you that mad is Sasuke. I’m sorry.”
Shikamaru sighed, “No, I apologize for what I said, I didn’t mean to sound so harsh. I just… worry for you. Where is Kimimaro?”
Naruto stood up from the couch and awkwardly approached him, “I dropped him off at his apartment, he lives about 25 minutes away from here.”
Shikamaru nodded, not quite sure what else to say. Naruto stood in front of him, shifting from foot to foot, doubt in his eyes, and he regretted his actions. How could he have been so stupid?
He reached a hand out and touched Naruto’s arm lightly, Naruto clung to him and he chastised himself for not considering Naruto’s personality and past.
“I’m sorry for leaving. I shouldn’t have left.”
Naruto shook his head, “I should have warned you. I just like him and- and he likes me. He doesn’t want anything from me and isn’t looking to gain anything from dating me. He likes me for me, Shika. He really does. He was angry about the orphanage. Give it a chance for me? Please?”
Shikamaru sighed, maybe he should have waited to come home, this was a disaster waiting to happen, “Fine.”
Naruto smiled and hugged him, “Thank you.”
Shikamaru waved it off, “I’m going to bed. Goodnight.”
Naruto’s smile drooped a bit. “Alright, goodnight.”
***
Shikamaru waited until he was in his room to call Kyuubi, he hoped he woke the man up.
“Hello?”
“It’s Shikamaru.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes it is. Do you know any other Shikamaru’s or why they would have any reason to call you?”
“Alright, I’ll accept that. I must admit it would be more of a pleasure had you called earlier.”
“Why did you send him here?” he asked.
“Send who?”
“Kimimaro! Why did you send him here?”
There was a brief silence before Kyuubi responded, “Naruto likes him.”
Shikamaru felt like banging his head against something, “Seriously? *That’s* the only reason why? You know that their relationship won’t last long, it’s going to end badly.”
“Why? Because he’s not with you?”
Shikamaru gasped and Kyuubi continued, “What I don’t understand is, you’ve loved him since your late teens- I’m not stupid and Naruto told me that you started acting a little weird around him then- why haven’t you made a move by now?”
Shikamaru laughed bitterly, “You apparently don’t understand enough then. It’s always been about Sasuke, Naruto has always been obsessed with him and now that he’s finally out of the picture you’ve allowed Kimimaro to replace him.”
“Don’t give me that. You could have taken him in hand anytime you wanted. You both are aware of the influence you have on each other. He loves *you*, he was fascinated by Sasuke, he would have stayed with you for that reason alone and you could have made it more given time.”
“So I was supposed to force my way into a relationship with him and use his love for me to get him to stay. I was supposed to manipulate him in something so important? And he and Sasuke may not have started their relationship loving each other but by the time it ended, Naruto loved him.”
“Sometime I want to blame you for that.”
“Blame me for what?” Shikamaru asked, “Blame me for doing the same thing you did? Blame me for allowing him to make his own decisions? If you’re going to blame someone then blame yourself as well because you did as much as I did, or should I say as little? Don’t talk to me about blame. You’ve allowed everything to happen.”
“And you didn’t even try.”
Shikamaru flinched before he nodded even though he knew Kyuubi couldn’t see him, “You’re right. But I would have tried now. You can say a lot about me but you know I’ve only ever wanted Naruto to be happy.”
“That wouldn’t be in question if you had tried earlier.”
“And how do you know that?”
Shikamaru waited a moment for Kyuubi’s response and when he got none he continued, “You can’t even answer that, can you? Goodnight, Kyuubi.”
Shikamaru hung up and stared at the walls in his room before getting up and checking on Naruto. He was asleep in his room. He looked at those golden locks and that figure made all the more beautiful by the moonlight before stroking a whiskered cheek, “You just had to make things more complicated, didn’t you?”
Naruto shifted in his sleep and his eyes blinked open, “Shika?” he whispered, reaching for him.
Shikamaru nodded and whispered back, “Yeah, it’s me. Go back to sleep.”
“Thought you were gone, wasn’t sure you’d come back,” Naruto said, his voice sleep-tinged.
Shikamaru laid down beside him, “I’m here. You know I’d never leave you. Who would make sure you were okay?”
“Yeah.” Naruto curled around him, resting his head on Shika’s chest and wrapping his arms around him. Shikamaru stroked his back until Naruto’s breathing evened out again and somewhere between strokes fell asleep like that.
A/N: Well...I could say something like 'Guess who's back?' but if you've gotten this far then you already know. A new chapter is up, what did you all think of it? On to the reviews.
Anon: Well then, I hope you're not too disappointed with them making up. There's a bit of tension between them still.
animelover: Did this chapter make things better? It's not that Shika doesn't understand, it's just that he can't be impartial with Naruto- plus he loves him so that would hurt. I like Kimimaro too. Thank you.