Fading Scars

This was written as a one-on-one RP, so the point of view of the story will change, usually with every paragraph. Scenes will also change abruptly and large periods of time will pass with little notice, though I’ll try to give some warning at the beginning of the chapter.

***Warnings for some graphic material***

Thoughts in Italics


Please read and enjoy!

Fading Scars
Chapter Forty:

Shikamaru tried not to appear too eager as he hopped lightly across the rooftops, but he couldn't help it. Naruto should have been back from his mission today. Tsunade had been working him hard lately, with Konoha's political situation in such a shaky state. They didn't get the chance to see each other as much any more, let alone share nights.... Hopefully that might change tonight.

"Naruto?" Shikamaru hopped onto the balcony and peered inside. "Are you in there?"

"Hmm...?" He poked his head out of his bathroom, toweling off his hair to see who'd be showing up so late. Seeing Shikamaru, he grinned. "Hey. I guess you heard I'm back." It feels like...it's been months, even if I was only gone a few weeks.

"Yeah." Shikamaru swallowed a grin as he slipped inside, meeting Naruto at the bathroom doorway. "They said it was a tough one, but you look fine to me."

Naruto started to wrap the towel around his waist, but it was only Shikamaru, after all. "It took a while," he admitted, leaning against the frame easily. "What about you? I hope you haven't been sitting on your ass the whole time."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Of course not. They've got me dragging new recruits out on field trips. Such a bother. It's a good thing you're back--those kids like you better anyway."

That made him smile. "They're not so bad," he agreed. "I wouldn't mind helping out, but I'm taking tomorrow off, got it?" Naruto finally straightened, turning away to hang up his towel and find something to wear. "I earned at least that much."

"That's…good to hear." Shikamaru didn't follow him; he really was trying not to look desperate. "You can get some rest, sleep in late…stay in bed…."

Naruto chuckled. "Man, a bed sounds great about now." He eyed his boxers, then glanced back towards Shikamaru, considering.... He's gotten a lot easier to read, lately. I wonder if it's him or me that's changed. Standing up, he smirked over his shoulder, dangling his boxers for the other to see. "Think I'm gonna need these?"

Shikamaru smirked in embarrassment. "Maybe not." He came forward, taking the boxers out of Naruto's hand and tossing them aside. It wasn't really like him to initiate like this, but...he'd missed his lover these last weeks.

At least it's just him. Naruto easily slid his arms around the other's neck, happily seeking a firm, long-missed kiss. I'll be able to sleep better if he's here. It had been a long trip, and a lonely one, since his growing strength had prompted Tsunade to start sending him out more and more on his own.

Shikamaru wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist, holding him tight. He was a little surprised to feel something tender behind Naruto's usually excited affections. He rubbed faintly at his back. "You're not too tired, are you?"

He shrugged. "Just a little, but it's okay." Naruto kissed him again, trying to put a little more energy into the affections. "Did you miss me?"

"What do you think?" Shikamaru kissed him again, more strongly than before. Damnit, I'm totally gone. He gave Naruto a squeeze before pulling back to lead him toward the bed.

Naruto almost laughed at the other. "I'm gonna guess...you missed me a whole lot," he joked, easily following him. It struck him deeply and suddenly, how much being welcomed home like this meant to him. To think he had someone who had been waiting for him, had come out in the middle of the night for him.... It made him grin broadly. "I missed you," he informed the other, hurrying the last few steps so they knocked into the bed, tumbling over each other onto the mattress.

"Yeah...you make me act stupid, you know that?" Shikamaru pushed Naruto onto his side so he could kiss him again. "It's a real pain sometimes." But he was smiling as he started to wriggle out of his jacket.

Chuckling, Naruto helped him get out of his clothes, being already bare himself. "I hope not," he teased. "You're the smartest guy in the village, you know. What would happen to us if you got stupid?" Once Shikamaru was free of his shirt, Naruto leaned closer to nibble playfully at the other's collar.

"Well then I guess Konoha'd be in trouble." Shikamaru sighed, sinking his fingers into Naruto's hair as he held him close. "If not for you. You're practically Tsunade's poster boy now."

He snorted at that. "Yeah, I've been a real good little soldier, right?" Naruto stretched, starting on Shikamaru's pants. "Get these off already. You know that last mission was S class? My first one alone."

"Really?" Shikamaru sobered a little as he helped Naruto with his pants. "No wonder everyone was talking…." He tossed his pants aside once they were free, and quickly turned his attention back. His eyes danced over Naruto's body as if confirming he really wasn't hurt.

Naruto squirmed a little as the other looked him over, hoping...Shikamaru wouldn't notice some of the scratch marks on his ribs and sides. "People were talking?" he asked, trying to distract him, kissing him to draw his attention back. "About what?"

"You," Shikamaru replied simply. "You know, people are starting to say Konoha really would be in trouble if not for your old team. You keep our reputation high…."

Then they should treat me better. But he couldn't say that, and immediately scolded himself for even thinking it. Instead, he urged Shikamaru closer, on top of him. "I'm just doing my job," he replied, trying to sound casual. "Same as everyone else."

Shikamaru's eyes thinned a little. Are you really all right, Naruto? "Better than almost everyone else," he assured, kissing Naruto firmly. He tightened his arms, content for now in a little foreplay.

Naruto closed his eyes. Not better.... I just have more power. His stomach gave a little twist, making him frown, but he quickly pushed it aside before Shikamaru could feel it. He slid his arms around the other's neck again, bending his knees up on either side of Shikamaru's waist. "Well, then all the more reason I should get a nice welcome home, right?" he asked once they paused.

"Yeah. That's what I'm here for." Shikamaru gave him one more kiss before slipping away to Naruto's drawer for the proper supplies. "Maybe I should go easy on you tonight...?"

"You do and you can forget it," he retorted, grinning. "Didn't you say you missed me?" Reaching over, Naruto caught the other's vulnerable flesh, rubbing him with his thumb. "I wanna know how much."

Shikamaru paused, groaning softly at the contact he'd missed for so long. "Oh...I think you'll know…." He licked his lips, finally waking himself and returning to Naruto's side.

Good. Let's just...not worry about anything tonight. Naruto happily welcomed Shikamaru back, reaching to take the oil for himself to apply to the other. "I'm glad you came," he said, grinning. "I probably would have just gone right to bed."

"You look like you could have used the sleep," Shikamaru admitted, though he didn't want to get stuck on that topic for long. He couldn't, really--not with Naruto touching him like that. He took the oil himself, slicking his fingers so that he could help prepare Naruto.

Once he made sure Shikamaru was covered, he easily sank back to let the other take care of him. Naruto couldn't help a quiet sigh at the first touch, eyelids fluttering. He was quick to wipe off his fingers so he could paw lightly at Shikamaru's shoulders. "It's...been a while," he murmured. His breath was coming slow and thick, making him light-headed. Or maybe that was just because of Shikamaru's fingers....

"Yeah." Shikamaru set the oil aside once he was finished, pulling himself up and settling into position. "More to look forward to, right?" He took Naruto's hips, easing gently into him.

Naruto's breath caught a little, fingers clenching. It's been a while...since something didn't hurt.... Gasping softly, he pulled his legs up to wrap around Shikamaru's middle. "Come on," he hissed. "You missed me, right? Come on...."

Shikamaru licked his lips. He still wanted to take it easy on him, but…. He leaned forward, bracing his knees as he began to rock into his lover. "Shit, I...really missed you after all," he murmured, not without embarrassment.

Of course you did. You.... Naruto shivered as he pulled at Shikamaru's back. You're my lover, right? He let go with his legs, planting his feet firmly so he could thrust up into all of Shikamaru's movements. It felt…incredible, a steady, pleasant warmth spreading all through him. It made his chest quiver with emotion. "Shi...kamaru...."

Shikamaru closed his eyes, focusing on meeting Naruto's movements. And suddenly it didn't feel like they'd been separated for weeks at all. He strengthened his thrusts, murmuring softly as sweat broke out on his forehead.

Naruto groaned thickly, head falling to the side. "Come on--" he gasped weakly, arching his back so that Shikamaru's next movements sent something white and hot up his spine. Vaguely, he was aware of how tense he was getting, how his nails were starting to dig into the other....

He jerked his arms back, fingers clutching instead at the sheets beneath him to help give his hips more leverage. His stomach was tight, his skin almost burning. Just a little more....

Shikamaru's brow furrowed. Something...seemed a little off. But his body was obeying without him, forcing Naruto more strongly into the mattress until his stamina ran out. With a low groan he pulled Naruto against his hips and came.

It was just enough, and Naruto cried out softly as his body gave in as well. He tiredly collapsed onto the mattress, breathing hard and still quivering with remaining adrenalin and the cooling sweat on his skin. He...really had missed this. Now that his hands were able to relax, he reached up with both to touch Shikamaru's face, urging him down for a kiss.

Shikamaru returned it wearily before pulling back. "Welcome home," he murmured dryly. He sighed as he flopped to the mattress at Naruto's side.

Naruto closed his eyes. "Welcome home...." He rolled over suddenly, wrapping his arms tightly around Shikamaru's ribs and burying his face against his chest. Shikamaru.... Why was it so hard to breathe? "Stay here tonight...okay?" he asked in a whisper. "Stay here."

Shikamaru frowned as he regained his breath. "Okay. If you want." He reached up hesitantly to touch Naruto's hair. "You all right?"

He nodded. "Just stay." I don't want to be alone another night. The thought nearly made him cringe, but he just managed to keep it inside. "I'll be fine. I just need some rest, okay? Really, I'm fine."

"That's a lot of 'fines' for someone who's...fine," Shikamaru said thoughtfully. He held Naruto a little tighter against him and rubbed his back. "But yeah, okay. I'm staying."

"Thanks." Naruto managed to relax with that reassurance, snuggling close. "Tomorrow...let's get ramen," he suggested, smiling faintly at the idea. "I want a bi~g bowl of ramen."

Shikamaru smiled; that sounded more like him. "Yeah. A big bowl of ramen, my treat." He was still a little confused with his partner's behavior, but kept it to himself for now. "You're going to be staying in Konoha for a while, aren't you?"

Naruto shrugged at that, his mood sobering again. "I...don't know. Tsunade always seems to have a ton of things that need to get done. Errands and spying and fighting...." He didn't want to think about that too much. "I want to stay a while."

"Yeah…." Shikamaru gave him a squeeze. "She's depending on you too much these days. Tell her you need a break."

He chuckled a little at that. "Try telling her anything," he retorted, wiggling a little more between Shikamaru and the mattress. "You know she's getting a lot of pressure from the capitol, and we're pretty thin still on jounin.... Not that I need much." His shoulders hunched slightly. "But if the country's in danger...."

Shikamaru sighed. If the capitol was better at negotiating, we wouldn't need more jounin. He went back to rubbing Naruto's back. "We'll be all right. Fire Country's not that weak."

Naruto nodded, glad to know that someone was on his side. "Maybe you should talk to her," he suggested teasingly. "You're smart. She'll listen to you. You could--"

Naruto cut off suddenly, wincing as something in his stomach twisted. Damnit, I'm too tired for this now. He slowly pushed away from Shikamaru. "Ah...I have to use the bathroom," he explained lamely.

"Naruto...?" Shikamaru watched him, frowning--he'd caught the expression Naruto was trying to hide. "What is it?"

"I just gotta use the toilet," he quickly protested, squirmed off the bed, keeping his stomach covered. He tried to smile but knew it probably looked forced. "I'll only be a moment, okay? Gotta clean up anyway." Turning away, Naruto hurried into the next room and purposefully shut the door.

Shikamaru sat up, watching the closed door a moment with concern. Is he hiding something from me? It seemed like a strange idea, that Naruto would lie, but... He leaned back against the headboard, waiting for Naruto to return.

Naruto leaned against the sink, shuddering and clutching at his stomach as it began to burn worse than before. Damn you, get the fuck back down there! When that didn't work, he twisted to sit on the toilet, hunched over his knees and fingers digging into both sides. For a few moments he thought he would actually get sick, but the pain finally began to recede. Panting softly, Naruto held still until the remainder of it eased away.

He wasn't sure how long he was in there--it was impossible to tell through the burning--but once he was able to he set to cleaning himself up. His nails had left a few more red scratches along his ribs, and he hoped the darkness of his room would hide them from Shikamaru.

By the time Shikamaru actually heard the water running he was out of bed, having cleaned himself up a bit and slipped his boxers back on. Something's wrong…. Frowning, he paced the apartment a moment before returning to sit on the bed. I'll have to just ask him….

Naruto finally came back into the main room, hair a little damp after washing his face and with the addition of boxers. He still felt weak, and nothing looked better than his bed at the moment. "Sorry 'bout that," he said to Shikamaru, quickly pulling up the blankets so he could get beneath them.

"Naruto…." Shikamaru watched him. There was nothing obviously wrong with him--he looked a little pale, but that might have only been the lighting. "Are you...sure you're okay?"

"Hmm? Fine." He pulled the blankets up to his shoulders, feeling some relief that Shikamaru hadn't noticed the scratches. "Just tired. Long day, right? I just need some sleep and some ramen tomorrow." That's right--everything was fine, would be fine. He was home now, after all.

Shikamaru was quiet for a moment, still watching. His eyes thinned. "Naruto. If...there were something wrong, you'd tell me. Right?"

Naruto averted his gaze, and already he knew that by hesitating he was giving himself away. "It's...really nothing," he tried to explain, but his voice came out strained. "I just haven't been feeling all that well. Probably wearing myself out, you know?" He tugged the blankets over them better. "Using up too much chakra and all that...."

Shikamaru sighed. "You're such a pain," he murmured. But before Naruto could get the wrong idea he leaned down to give him a kiss. "If it gets worse, say something, all right? I don't want you getting yourself in trouble."

He nodded. "Okay, Shikamaru." Naruto watched him get settled as well, wiggling closer with a tiny smile. "You'd take care of me, right?" he asked lightly, brushing his fingertips across the other's chest.

"Yeah, but how can I if you hide it, huh?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes and then kissed him again. "I can try to talk to Tsunade, if you want. Try to get her to lay off."

Naruto sighed, though ultimately shook his head. "I agreed to work hard when I was promoted," he reminded softly. "I just...need to be more careful." He slipped closer, touching their cheeks together. "I'll be fine, because I've got you looking after me."

Naruto, you know I'm no good at that. Shikamaru welcomed him closer with a slight frown. Most of the time I don't even know what to say. "Okay. But you do realize...I'm going to be keeping an eye on you."

He nodded. "Good." Naruto gave a huge yawn then before letting his body go to boneless jelly. "Damn, I'm really tired now. Let me sleep in a little, okay? If anyone tries to bug me, you'll have to kick their asses."

"All right. I think I can manage that much…." Shikamaru tugged Naruto slightly over his chest as they both settled. "Goodnight, Naruto."

"Goodnight," he replied. And thanks, Shikamaru. I'll...try not to worry you too much. Before he could add anything else, Naruto fell quite suddenly asleep.

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