The Rubber Band Odyssey

A/N: Hey you guys. *sniffles* This is the last chapter. Please enjoy it as much as I have. It’s been fun, and I appreciate your support, and everything. Thank you so much. I expect reviews from all of you, so don’t disappoint me!

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Epilogue: Oops…Was that Your Underwear?

They leaned on the side of the house. Naruto was holding his stomach. “Ugh…Shika…I don’t mean to be rude. You know I don’t…”

The other boy waved his hand. “Hey, it isn’t rude if it’s true. My ‘kaasan can’t cook. Everyone knows it. I bet I know what’ll make you feel better, though.” A smile that was positively filled with mischief pulled at the young genius’s lips, and Naruto’s face brightened.

“Ramen?” There was this little pouting thing Naruto did with his eyes that Shikamaru simply could not resist, and it didn’t take very long for the blonde boy to realize it. When he turned that on, there was no hope for the dark-eyed genius. He merely relented, heaving a little sigh and checking to make sure that he had his wallet. Naruto smiled brilliantly, making Shikamaru’s stomach a little light. After two months of seeing that smile on a regular basis, it still affected him more than anything else.

It was the fact that it was a real smile. That had to be it. It was real, and directed at him. Not long after that first day, he had all but ordered Naruto to stop his act of false happiness, if only around him, when they were alone. Of course, that had led to a near knock-down, drag-out fight, in which Naruto all but resorted to using his Rasengan, because—as Naruto said—Shikamaru shouldn’t ask him to change. But Shikamaru had been quick to point out that he wouldn’t be able to make him feel better if he didn’t know that something was wrong.

Now, as the blonde ball of sunshine all but bounced ahead of him on the way to the ramen stand, he smiled. It was a small, almost devious smile, but it was his. Shikamaru was dangerously close to falling in love with Naruto, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He knew that his father wasn’t exactly happy, since he had wanted grandchildren…but his mother had nearly had a fit when the man had suggested he stop seeing Naruto. It had, apparently, been her intention to make it so that they would be together. It was odd for a woman to do that, but then again, Shikamaru’s mother was not exactly normal.

Family issues aside, Shikamaru wasn’t really the type of guy that had that much to do with the female of the species. He’d always found them to be far more trouble than they were worth, and he was sticking with that opinion. Besides, Naruto was just his kind of trouble, anyway. He was too cute for his own good at times, which Shikamaru was starting to think was actually a kind of weapon. It certainly made him give up his side of several arguments. Really, it was the eyes. If he were going to be completely honest with himself, he would have to say that he definitely had a thing for Naruto’s eyes.

He didn’t know anyone else whose eyes could go from warm to cold to hotter than all the fires of Hell in no time flat, and it was that changeable nature that he found so appealing. That was not to say that he didn’t take just a little bit of pleasure in making those pretty eyes change to the hot variety of annoyed. It was, after all, too easy. One way that he could do this was to suggest that Naruto pay for his own ramen. But, as he had learned, Naruto was well aware of his fascination, and used it to his advantage. Therefore he must apply this tool sparingly, and only when he really needed to see that spark of anger.

Shikamaru watched as Naruto plopped down on the second stool from the left. “Ojiisan! Two bowls of miso ramen! One for me,” Naruto hooked a thumb at Shikamaru, who had deposited himself onto the stool next to him, “and one for this lazy guy here.” Smiling covertly, Shikamaru made his usual terse reply.

“Anyone looks lazy next to you,” but this was only halfhearted. As previously stated, he said it with a smile, and watched the old man roll his eyes. The daily ritual of ramen for Naruto was truly sacred. And on the rare occasion that he missed one of his observances—such as with the meal Shikamaru’s mother had just forced on them—then he had to make it up immediately. He chuckled to himself as he watched Naruto practically bouncing on his stool. The boy never could sit still for very long, and when ramen was involved…it was just hopeless. His smile widened when the bowls were set on the counter. Naruto immediately grabbed a pair of chopsticks and broke them apart.

“Itadakimasu!” the blonde boy chirped, digging in with all of the delight of a two year old being given a chocolate bar. When he was done with his first bowl, and waiting for his second, Naruto turned to Shikamaru. “Ne,” he mused quietly, “what do you do with the lunches that your mother makes?” Naruto had been told quite early on that nothing Shikamaru’s mother made turned out to be edible—unless one counted the fact that Akamaru found it to be delicious—and yet he nearly always left home with a bento.

The dark-haired boy sipped the broth in his bowl. “I give them to Akamaru. He loves her food.”

Naruto sniggered. “Wouldn’t she kill you if she knew that?”

“Probably.” He drank more of his broth, watching Naruto watching him. Oddly enough, this happened quite often. There was always some kind of staring competition, or he would catch Naruto watching him, just looking. Only, with Naruto, it was never just looking. He always seemed to be thinking of something, and it was like the blonde was the only one privy a relatively amusing joke, since every time he did this, there was a tiny smile on his face. It was just a little annoying. This day was no exception. That infuriating little smile was there, and after a few seconds, he stopped drinking his broth. “You’re going to have to tell me one day what it is that you find so humorous about my face.”

Naruto came close to jumping at that. His eyes widened, and there was a little blush on his cheeks, as if he hadn’t realized he was staring and smirking like that. Bullshit. There was something going on, and he was going to find out what it was. Even if he had to beat Naruto to a pulp, or tickle him until his wet himself. Actually, the second option seemed like much more fun. Wondering momentarily what Naruto would promise him if he would stop such torture, he almost didn’t catch it when the blonde muttered, “There’s nothing funny about your face…” before he dug into his noodles with more enthusiasm than before.

There was also a brighter blush on Naruto’s cheeks, which led Shikamaru to believe that the boy was thinking of something less than appropriate for lunch. Digesting this information as Naruto did the same thing to his lunch, Shikamaru waited only two more bowls before putting down a random amount of credits and dragging the shorter boy from the counter. It was time to see what made Naruto smirk.

All the way to their own private place—the clearing where they had gone that day to watch clouds—Naruto was mourning the loss of his ramen, and he squirmed in Shikamaru’s grip. “Shikamaruuuuuu…” The boy whined, “What is going on? I didn’t even get my last bowl finished!” Irritably, the blonde settled himself on the grass next to Shikamaru.

The clouds crawled lazily across the sky. His hands clasped behind his head, Shikamaru watched them, thinking. What was it that Naruto thought about when he smirked like that? Grass rustled next to him, telling him that his companion had stretched out as well. Something weighed down on his shoulder, and he moved his hand from behind his head, feeling soft hair that glowed in the afternoon sun. The next thing he felt was a tickling sensation as his vest was unzipped. Heavy cloth-covered armor slid down his sides, revealing the black shirt he wore beneath. Naruto’s head moved to his chest.

It was a steady weight. Naruto’s face was angled away from his, so he could not see the way his mouth moved as he said, “Why does this feel so good?” Fingers brushed over the cloth that covered his stomach, causing the mesh beneath to scratch at his skin. Naruto began rubbing his face against his chest. Shikamaru sighed. It did feel good. “I mean…I don’t feel sad right now.” It was a strange statement, but Shikamaru was decently sure that it was true. He didn’t feel anywhere near as lethargic when he was with Naruto, so he supposed that the feeling was mutual.

The warmth of the sun, and the closeness of the body halfway draped over his began to lull him, and Shikamaru’s eyes drifted closed, his face relaxing slowly as he drifted off to sleep. Just before sleep took him, he thought he heard Naruto continuing to murmur something, though he was unsure of what it was.

--

“Shika?” He asked softly, raising his head. Naruto smiled a little. Shikamaru had fallen asleep. The sun shone down fully on them, and almost seemed to make the sleeping boy’s face glow. If he were to really admit his own feelings to himself, Naruto was modestly assured that Shikamaru was very important to him. There was never any worry over being pushed or pressured when he was with Shikamaru. The only thing he had a hard time with was actually being himself. It had been such a long time since he had allowed himself to let it all out: the sadness, anger, the hopelessness.

As he watched the tiny, almost-glistening reflection of the sun off of dark eyelashes, Naruto found that there was an indefinable quality about Shikamaru that made him more special than other people. He was smart, yes, but that certainly was not it. His intellect allowed him to be able to see things that others did not, which was surely a large part of his understanding, but it was really the way he didn’t even need to think about it to know when Naruto was sad, or when he was hiding something. But there was no hiding from him. Not for Naruto. He thought that he was going to have a heart attack when Shikamaru caught him looking at him earlier. It was getting more and more difficult for Naruto not to look at him. No matter how many times he did so, he found something new. It was becoming clear now that watching the dark-haired boy’s every move was coming close to being an obsession. When he was away the week earlier, Naruto had been training.

He found himself watching the east gate of the city, from which Shikamaru had departed with his team. Every moment that he was not training was spent in deep thought and meditation, but not on what he should have been. The things he was supposed to be thinking of were how to combine certain forms of chakra manipulation with his unique abilities, and getting Sasuke back. But he could not concentrate. His mind kept straying to a different set of dark eyes, and his fingers could almost feel the texture of dark brown hair as it ran through them like water. It had gotten to the point where Kakashi was noticing his lack of focus. While he did want to tell the older man about Shikamaru, he didn’t want it to have to be in an argument over his training.

At present, though, he had been instructed to rest. And rest was what he intended to do. He slept so well nowadays that he felt better in general, and he knew that had something to do with the boy he rested his head on. Of course, Naruto could not deny some other things, such as how his face pressed against hard muscle, and the way a little tremble developed under his fingers as he ran his hands over certain areas of Shikamaru’s abdomen. His ribs were sensitive, as was the area around his navel. It gave him ideas that were far less than wholesome, and when they came to his mind in the other boy’s presence, he had to quash them quickly, lest Shikamaru catch on.

The thought that occurred to him earlier, while they were at the ramen bar was probably not something that he would ever share with anyone. Naruto had no problem with kissing. They had done so several times, and it was always an experience that made his stomach do cartwheels. But the thought he’d had half an hour ago nearly reduced him to stammering. Flashes of images flooded his mind: hands sliding over naked skin, lips crushed against one another in a desperate kiss, and bodies joined in an embrace of extreme passionate longing. He wasn’t even sure where those images in his head came from, and in a way, he was frightened of them. Were they something that was a result of having a demon inside him?

At some point during these somewhat disturbing thoughts, Naruto’s hand had ceased its movement. Now, he rested his palm flat in the middle of the other boy’s stomach, feeling the mesh undershirt below the soft cotton of the outer layer. His face flamed red as the same thoughts cropped up again. There was no way to get rid of them, it seemed, especially when he was so close to Shikamaru. He could not get rid of them, and he couldn’t push them aside. The thoughts prodded at him, wearing him down. His fingers twitched.

Naruto could almost feel the heat of Shikamaru’s skin against his own, a radiation that called to him, beckoning his hands. Shutting he eyes tightly against the phantom sensations that ripped at his nerves, he unconsciously shifted closer to the sleeping boy until he was pressed entirely against him. Finding the heat of Shikamaru’s body intoxicating, Naruto bit his lip. His body was not his own anymore. He had no control. It was only vaguely that he felt his fingers gripping the bottom edge of black fabric before it was pulled up, mesh then tickling his palm before it too was pushed aside in favor of something warm, soft, and almost like silk. Naruto let out a long breath as his hand moved over lightly indented muscles. Sliding further, his fingers traced over ribs, and then down even farther to find the waistband of Shikamaru’s pants. It was frightening, and exhilarating at the same time how very badly he found himself wanting to touch, and to be touched in return.

The instant his index finger dipped below the upper edge of loose black pants, Naruto found himself caught in a blur of movement, resulting in his laying flat on his back, arms and legs restrained. Shikamaru’s body pressed heavily down on his, and Naruto could barely breathe. His hands were restrained above his head, and Shikamaru had hooked his feet around his legs. The position made him turn a new shade of crimson as sleep-clouded eyes began to clear, then stared down at him with curiosity. In an almost mocking tone, Shikamaru asked, “What were you doing?”

Unable to look at Shikamaru’s face, Naruto’s eyes chose instead to peer across the clearing at a rather unremarkable tree. “I…” Shikamaru’s grip changed, and he could feel hot breath on his neck. His eyes instantly slid shut. “I…wha…I…”

Lips grazed his ear as they moved in speech. “You were trying to molest me in my sleep, weren’t you, Naruto?” He tried so very hard not to agree. Really, he did. But he could never hide from Shikamaru. Naruto just let out a little sigh when Shikamaru’s tongue touched his earlobe. Why on earth did that feel so good? An unusual note of mischief entered the dark-haired young man’s voice, “Ah, well…why not try it while I can return the favor?”

Heart attack in five…four…three…two…

“What?!” Naruto squawked, his eyes flying open and fixing on the face that was so very close to his own. Shikamaru’s eyes somehow radiated heat just as much as his body did, and it took a great deal of Naruto’s self-control to keep himself from letting out the very girly whimper lurking in the back of his throat. His voice, which had served him so well for so long, was simply not working. All he could do when Shikamaru leaned down to kiss him was to meet him halfway. Before, when they kissed, it was slow. Shikamaru never forced anything, preferring to take things at a snail’s pace rather than put him into a position that might be uncomfortable. Before, their kisses were sweet, and made Naruto feel like he was special and loved.

That was before. Before he was being teased by lips barely brushing over his…before he felt the stirrings of what could only be termed as desire for the body pressing him into the grass. It rose; hot and so intense it almost frightened him, in his stomach, then burning through his every nerve. That desire only grew when he felt something hot and wet trace the line of his lips, and one of his hands was released so that Shikamaru could grasp the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Narutro gasped, and he could feel a lazy smirk against his mouth just before that same wet something slid right into his mouth. His free hand reached shakily up to Shikamaru’s head, fingers grasping the rubber band, and pulled. Dark eyes fluttered near to closing, and a little moan of appreciation escaped Shikamaru as fingers combed through his hair. Naruto could not stop touching it. As he did his level best to keep up with Shikamaru’s kissing—no easy task, I assure you—he buried his hand in chocolate-colored silk, loving the way it slid through his fingers. Tugging gently on the hair at the back of the other boy’s head caused a groan to escape him.

--

He was going to explode. Shikamaru groaned as Naruto pulled on his hair, the pleasant sensation tingling down his spine. He had no idea of what was happening. What were they doing? Somewhere in the back of his head, he knew that this was what he wanted for a long time…and in that little dark corner, he said a prayer that Naruto did, too. Running out of air, Shikamaru pulled away from Naruto to look down into his eyes. They were a bit hazy. That strange blue, the color of cornflower skies, blinked up at him for a moment before he found Naruto’s other hand wiggling out of his grip to join the first, in his hair.

Shikamaru continued to stare into Naruto’s eyes. He had admitted to himself earlier that he had a weakness for those eyes. They revealed more than they hid, and their blue depths spoke volumes about the way he was feeling, or what he wanted. “Your eyes…” he murmured, one finger tracing Naruto’s cheek, “…they’re beautiful…” Any other time, with anyone else, he may have felt foolish. Another time, he might have thought himself corny. But Naruto, he was sure, knew that he meant it, and that he did not say it to gain anything.

A smile that was soft, and almost sad, though no less brilliant for it spread over Naruto’s face, all the way up to his eyes, crinkling their very corners. “I love your hair,” the blonde said, his fingers tangling deep, near the scalp to pull him closer. Warm breath glided over his lips, and suddenly, Naruto’s mouth was forcefully pressed against his, and sharp teeth nipped at his lower lip. Shikamau’s eyes opened wide with surprise, but he didn’t let his surprise keep him from responding. Hands slid out of his hair and down his neck, beneath his vest, pushing it down until Shikamaru was obliged to sit up and toss the thing aside.

Before he had truly turned his attention back to his companion, Shikamaru felt air hitting his stomach as his shirt was pulled up. Naruto was now sitting, tugging at his shirts, eyes fixed on the skin that was being revealed. Warm hands smoothed up his sides, taking the mesh and cotton along with them, and he could feel calluses scratching at his skin every so often, causing pleasant little shivers to run through him. It felt almost like fear, but this was the kind of fear he could get used to. A tight knot of expectation was forming in the pit of his stomach, and it grew exponentially when he felt Naruto grazing his lips over the indentions between his abdominal muscles. “Mmmm…” he mumbled, until soft lips were replaced with a slightly rough, wet tongue that began traveling up to his chest, “Ahhhhh…N…”

Shikamaru couldn’t even get out Naruto’s name. His hair fell into his face when his shirts were pulled over his head, and he pushed it out of his eyes to stare down at blonde hair swaying in the gentle breeze. Though he was only half dressed, he felt like he was still wearing too many clothes. It was getting so hot, he was sure he would start sweating soon and—

Oh for the love of…

Naruto’s mouth had latched onto his left nipple, teeth nipping lightly, and Shikamaru found that he could barely breathe. With all of this stimulation, he failed to notice what the other boy’s hands were doing. Suddenly, he felt a draft. His pants were unfastened, and being slid slowly, teasingly down his legs. Fast. Too fast. Things were moving too fast. Naruto couldn’t want this. Not this way. The way things were going, his self-control was going to fly away like some bird, and he would take advantage of Naruto in the least romantic way possible. He didn’t want to do that to him. He deserved better. Naruto deserved gentleness, kindness and romance, not a rough fuck in the grass. With a supreme effort, Shikamaru took hold of Naruto’s face with one hand and his own pants with the other. “Naruto…”

A confused crease formed between pale eyebrows. “What? I—“

Shikamaru silenced him with a chaste kiss. “Why are you doing this?”

Blue eyes couldn’t meet his. “I…I w-want to…”

Somehow, Shikamaru doubted that. “Naruto, I don’t think that this is what you want.” He looked closely at the little downward turn of Naruto’s lips, the way his jaw set. He was going to be stubborn about this, Shikamaru could tell. “Look at me, Naruto.” The smaller boy looked up at him, eyes set in a determined expression. “It doesn’t have to be now. I know your body wants this,” he said, remembering the way Naruto’s hands felt on his skin, “but your heart isn’t sure, is it?”

“But…” Naruto’s voice took on a pleading tone.

“But what?” Just like that first time months ago, Shikamaru asked his questions gently, letting Naruto lead himself to the answers. Two hands reached up to his hair, twined fingers in the silky strands, and pulled him downward.

It was the sweetest, gentlest kiss he’d ever received. Naruto’s lips lingered on his for a moment before he spoke. “I’ve been dreaming about this…thinking about it all the time…I can’t get it out of my head, Shikamaru.” The soft wetness of Naruto’s tongue grazed his lower lip, and he could feel his control cracking. What was he saying? That he’d been fantasizing about seducing him? “I want this. I want you,” he took a deep breath, “I want you to make me feel the way I do when I dream…”

Shikamaru could feel his heart clenching in his chest. Those words tore at him, ripping away what little control he may have had on the need he felt. But he could still reason. His voice was a hoarse whisper as he said, “Not here.” Naruto looked confused as Shikamaru hastily tied his pants shut again, and gathered up his clothing. He put his arms around Naruto and made a single seal behind the other boy’s back. The world went black, and then there were faint, shifting colors at the edge of their sight until they materialized in a dim room.

--

Naruto sat nervously on the edge of the mattress as he watched Shikamaru secure the room against interruptions. There were sealing fudas on the door and the window, and a soundproofing jutsu was placed on the walls, ceiling, and floor. The curtains were drawn, and genjutsu was cast on the door to block out shadows and movement from within. His movements were precise, with not one bit of energy wasted. It felt contrived. Before, it would have been spontaneous. It would have been something that was unplanned, but now, it looked as if Shikamaru had thought of everything. Was that the way things were supposed to be?

In Ero-Sennin’s books, things happened in the heat of the moment. There was never any planning involved. The hero got into a fight with a beautiful woman, and somehow, they ended up making love in the oddest places…but there were never any sealing fudas or anti-eavesdropping techniques used. He could only think that it was because Shikamaru was a genius, and he would have been able to think of these things at some point. His thoughts were interrupted by Shikamaru’s voice.

“Naruto.”

The blonde boy looked up, blue eyes meeting black, and he nearly melted. There was a tender expression in Shikamaru’s eyes, and when he touched Naruto’s face, it was so gently that Naruto had to lean into it to really feel him. That hand took his chin and tilted it upward. Lips met his, chaste and tender for a long moment until he gave a little sigh. At that point, Shikamaru pressed more firmly against his mouth, parting his lips slightly and barely grazed Naruto’s lips with his tongue. This caused his eyes to fall shut, and he allowed himself to be washed away by the sensation of Shikamaru’s hands running over the shoulders of his jacket, down his arms and back up again. After an unknowable amount of time, the kiss broke, and in the low light, he watched the flickering emotion in dark eyes as Shikamaru smiled down at him.

“Naruto,” Shikamaru’s voice sounded unsure. “I…I…”

Resting his forehead against Shikamaru’s, Naruto whispered, “Shhh…you don’t need to say anything.” He didn’t need to. It was easy to see what the other boy was going to say. Naruto pulled him to sit next to him, and turned toward Shikamaru. The air in the room seemed heavy as he breathed in a combination of smells that was distinct only to the boy he was with. There was the scent of cloves, the remnants of cigarettes smoked in memoriam of his sensei…weapon oil combined with sweat to make it plain that he was an elite ninja…and then something more subtle, like the barest hint of ginger. That was what Shikamaru smelled like: ginger and cigarettes, with an undertone of clean sweat. It was sharp, but not abrasive.

In fact, he felt himself quickly becoming addicted to the smell. When Shikamaru leaned in to kiss him again, he could taste nothing of cloves and tobacco. It must have been hours ago that he had smoked. Naruto didn’t see it becoming an addiction the way it had for Asuma, but it might be a habit…a ritual of sorts. His nose brushed Shikamaru’s, and he tentatively pressed his lips against the other boy’s. Arms wound around him, encircling his body with a kind of protective shell, and he found himself being gently lowered to the mattress.

Shikamaru’s hesitation was endearing, making him almost awkward in his caresses, but Naruto didn’t mind. It was honest. He felt a hand snake under his jacket and shirt, cool against his skin, and moving in a slow, uncertain circle over his stomach. It was a little ticklish, but he could stand it, because it felt nice, too. The larger boy’s weight settled lightly over him, one knee between his, resting on elbows that were positioned on either side of Naruto’s shoulders. Only then did he realize that he was actually aroused. In addition to feeling his own erection, he found another hardness pressed against his hip.

The weight above him shifted, and he gasped as cloth rubbed over his groin. Shikamaru made a little groan, and his mouth moved from Naruto’s lips, down his chin, to his neck. Breathing became difficult for him when Shikamaru started nipping at sensitive skin just above his collarbone. “Ahhhh…” he bit out, trying not to be too loud.

“No one can hear, Naruto…” Shikamaru growled against his neck, “Let it out…please. I need to know if I’m doing this right.” If he was doing it right? Naruto wanted to laugh. He surely wasn’t doing anything wrong! Shikamaru’s tongue wound its way up the tendons of his neck to flick at his earlobe. His hips bore down harder, and a loud moan filled the room. “That’s better…” Every inch of his skin felt like it was being set on fire. Naruto was sure of it.

There was a little clinking noise, and then he felt his jacket being unzipped. Somehow, the two of them managed to get both it and his shirt off without too much fumbling, and then he felt the most wonderful thing in the world. Warm skin pressed against his, sliding with a very faint layer of sweat as they moved against each other. Heat spread through him, and his muscles tensed as he made a very undignified mewling sound and arched up off of the bed when Shikamaru’s mouth slid down to his chest, suckling and biting at various spots. Just when he was settling into the flood of sensations, Naruto found himself looking around for Shikamaru. The other boy was gone. Disoriented, he blinked rapidly, trying to clear the fog of desire that had developed in his mind. A sudden light flared in the far corner of the room, and he found Shikamaru in the shadows, holding a candle. “It’s getting dark,” he said, “and I want to see you.”

The candle was placed next to the little alarm clock on the bed table, and Naruto smiled at the way the shadows played over Shikamaru’s face and chest, yellow light from the candle softening the little permanent crease between his eyebrows. Reaching a hand out to him, Naruto said, “Come to bed,” and was rewarded by a hand grasping his. Shikamaru pulled him up from the bed, lifting him off of his feet until he was at eye level with him.

“I want to see your eyes, Naruto.” His tone was serious. “I want to see them…when we make love.” Naruto’s heart skipped a beat in his chest. He had never thought that if they ended up being together, that it would be just sex. But to hear that word…it gave him a thrill he had never known before. His legs wound around Shikamaru’s waist, and he sighed when he felt hard flesh against his own groin.

His fingers set about their favorite diversion: threading through Shikamaru’s hair. “You…you want me that way?” His throat was getting choked up. That wasn’t a good sign. It was only a second or two before tears were rolling down his cheeks.

Shikamaru’s smile was sad, but beautiful. “I want you every way.” Their lips met again, and somehow, in a flurry of movement, the two boys found the softness of the bed. The pressure began to build in Naruto’s stomach as Shikamaru’s hips rolled against his. “I…” the dark-haired by gasped, “I need you.”

If there had been any defenses, doubts, or hesitations left in Naruto’s mind, they were gone now. There was something wild about the way he felt now, as if he had some deep hunger that needed to be satisfied, and there was only one kind of food that it craved. As he once again fumbled with Shikamaru’s pants, he gasped, “Please…” cool hands found their way into his dark blue boxer shorts, and he felt his eyes roll back into his head when one closed around the painful erection he had developed through all of their activities. “Ahhhhhh…Sh…Shik-agh!” His remaining clothing was yanked off in unceremonious fashion, and Naruto glared at his would-be lover.

When had Shikamaru learned to pull pants and underwear off like that?

With a wicked grin, Shikamaru said, “Oops…was that your underwear?” Naruto would have been sullen, but he had just happened to notice how the other boy’s pants were hanging on for dear life at a very low altitude, revealing a tease of dark hair, and the curve of his hips. He swallowed hard when a twitch of those hips sent black pants to the floor. Perhaps it was the candlelight, but he was sure that he had never seen anything more beautiful than Shikamaru in that moment. He seemed to glow. Noticing Naruto’s fascination, he smiled. “You should see yourself. So beautiful…” For a moment, he seemed almost afraid to touch him. Like he was fragile, and might break at the slightest tremor.

Then, Shikamaru knelt between Naruto’s parted legs. Sitting on his feet, he leaned down, kissing Naruto’s hipbone. A little shock of pleasure made him shiver. The kiss ended, but Shikamaru then traced the area with his tongue, then bit lightly. Naruto cried out. A tongue dragged closer and closer to his neglected erection, but didn’t touch it. He could feel his entire body begin to tremble. “Shikamaru…” He gasped, “…Please…stop teasing me…”

--

That was all he wanted. Naruto banished his fears with that one ‘please’. He spread the smaller boy’s legs slightly wider, and leaned down again. Running his tongue along the length of Naruto’s erection sent a violent shiver through his lover, and he went deliberately slow, until he reached the very tip, where he placed a lingering open-mouthed kiss. The fluid leaking from the slit was salty, but not unpleasant as he took it into his mouth, earning a loud moan and a growled expletive.

“Fuck!” Naruto said, gripping the sheets and throwing his head back. Shikamaru continued to lave Naruto’s erection with his mouth while the other boy attempted not to flail too much. “Sh…Shik…oh, gods…I’m gonna…” There was a pulsing in his mouth, and Shikamaru reached to the base of Naruto’s arousal, gripping it tightly, just enough to hurt. It had the desired effect of stopping the impending orgasm. He pulled back and looked into startled blue eyes, shaded by candlelight.

“Not yet, Naruto. Wait for me…” Shikamaru reached to the night table’s drawer, withdrawing a small bottle he had started keeping there a few weeks ago. For a while, he had been plagued with dreams of doing this very thing to Naruto, and he had found it necessary to relieve the god-awful tension he woke up with. Popping open the lotion bottle, he squeezed a liberal amount into his palm, first coating his hand, then his own painful erection. Bending low, he kissed Naruto. “This may feel a bit strange,” he whispered against his lips.

--

Naruto tensed a little as Shikamaru pushed a finger inside him. It felt strange, indeed. The intrusion wasn’t painful, though, so he started to relax a bit and let himself become used to it. But then that finger started moving. It probed, stroked, and explored him, moving in and out wetly. After a few moments, it didn’t feel bad at all. It really didn’t feel bad when that finger turned, prodding up toward his pubic bone, and brushed against something that made his breath catch. “Shikamaru…” he moaned, “Oh, do that again…”

The other boy had set about nibbling his right thigh, and mumbled his agreement as he did so. Again and again, that finger pressed the spot inside him, and he groaned heavily each time. He was completely relaxed now, simply letting the sensations fly through his body as he writhed under Shikamaru’s touch. It took nearly a full minute to realize that there was another finger working along with the first, every now and again, the two working apart from one another. He felt a twinge of pain, but for the most part, it was alright. His mind was taken from the hurt by Shikamaru’s lips on his, and the sudden jolt of pleasure he felt when something hard grazed against his erection. Naruto realized when it happened again that Shikamaru was running his own hardness against his, and his breathing started to become even more labored than it had been.

Shikamaru removed his fingers abruptly from him, and looked down into his eyes, “Are you sure? We can stop if you’re not…”

“No. I’m sure. Please, Shikamaru…” He watched the boy above him smile once more before he was being kissed senseless. There was something slick and hot pressing at him now, and he held his breath, not knowing what to expect. As Shikamaru pressed forward, Naruto whimpered into their kiss, voicing his discomfort. Tears collected in the corners of his eyes, shining on his eyelashes. The other boy’s forward advance halted, and dark, concerned eyes met his, asking the silent question. “No…I’m okay. Keep going.” With a very distracted nod, Shikamaru slowly joined their bodies, and once again stopped, giving him time to relax and adjust to the new feeling of being filled.

Naruto lay there, his hands gripping Shikamaru’s forearms, feeling the other boy’s ragged breathing as he trembled. “Oh…” Shikamaru groaned, “…it’s so…” his head rested on Naruto’s shoulder as he tried to control himself. So what? What was it? Was he hurting? But those questions were thrown aside when he felt hot open-mouthed kisses falling on his neck and shoulder. “…it’s…tight…”

“Oh,” Naruto mused, and clenched his muscles experimentally.

“Gah…N…Naru…” Shikamaru’s panting rendered his words nearly unintelligible. To shut him up, Naruto took two handfuls of his hair and pulled him in to kiss him. The room seemed to heat, the air growing uncomfortable with the expectation of what was to come as he explored the other boy’s mouth. Shikamaru began to move slowly, pushing gently, and Naruto’s eyes slid nearly shut. It felt good. Gods, did it feel good…but he could tell that Shikamaru was holding himself back.

“Don’t hold back,” he whispered against his lover’s lips.

“I don’t want to hurt you…”

Naruto wrapped his legs around Shikamaru’s thighs and jerked them hard, causing the other boy to slam forward with enough force to send sparks of white-hot pleasure flying through both their bodies. “Aaaaagh!” Naruto yelled, and then he growled, “I’ll tell you if you hurt me. Now please…do that again.” Shikamaru was still trying to recover from the sudden movement, it seemed. He was unable to move or speak. “Shikamaru…” he pleaded, “…make love to me…please…”

--

He couldn’t breathe. It felt like every nerve in his body was singing with some kind of pleasure. Naruto wanted him to move. He was begging for it. Unwilling to cause any kind of harm, he tentatively moved a bit faster. Shikamaru felt as if he were being smothered by the pleasure. It was like no matter how he moved, there was no way for him to breathe properly. Spikes of pleasure shot through him, and he willed his body to calm itself, to no avail.

Naruto writhed beneath him, panting and giving off such moans that he couldn’t restrain himself much longer. Collapsing to his elbows, he pressed himself into the body beneath him, faster, deeper…and all the while, he listened to the way Naruto voiced his own pleasure. After a little while, he heard a choked sound come from the smaller boy. When he raised his head from where he had been resting it on a damp shoulder, he saw that Naruto was biting his lips. “Don’t keep it in, Naruto.”

He watched Naruto let go of his lips before he thrust harder, and found what the choked sound was. A piercing scream filled the room, and Naruto’s back arched up off of the bed. Panting, moaning, and faint whimpers followed before Shikamaru heard, “Harder…please…oh, gods, please harder…” Overwhelmed by the pleasure of being inside his lover, and the breathless tone of the other boy’s voice, Shikamaru pushed as hard as he possibly could. Once, twice, three times, before another scream slashed through the dim room, ending in a howl that somehow sounded like his name. A sticky wetness filled the gap between their bodies, and already tight muscles inside Naruto clamped down even harder, causing him to groan as he let himself go, spilling over the edge.

Heedless of the fast-drying fluid between them, or the heat of the room, Shikamaru collapsed atop the smaller body, panting. There was the most wonderful feeling of completion washing over him, along with a fatigue that was sure to claim him with sleep very soon. “Shikamaru…” He heard Naruto say before he felt a light kiss on his shoulder, “I could get used to that…”

A smile spread over Shikamaru’s face, beyond his control. “Me too…”

--

Some time later…

Through a light crackling of static, a hissing whisper came over the radio earpieces of the eight-person team. “It’s so fucking dark I can’t see my hand in front of my face!” Naruto shifted his feet where he stood. It really was too dark. How the hell was anyone short of Neji (who was not present) supposed to see anything at all?

“Keep quiet, moron!” Had Sakura been within arm’s reach of him, she would have bopped him on the head pretty harshly, but seeing as she was fifty meters to the southwest, all she could do was bark an order.

“Yes ma’am.” He shrank to the northeast, away from where he knew she was. Today was going to be hard enough, without getting a beating from Sakura as well. As it was, he could end up being beaten to a pulp and murdered by one person, or having his soul sucked out by another. He’d rather take his chances with the beating and murdering, honestly, because even if he was tainted, that person at least had a soul to begin with.

“It’s always darkest before the dawn.” The low voice of his former sensei cracked back at him. Naruto smiled. He was glad that Kakashi was there as well. He was going to need all the support he could get.

Sai sat near Naruto’s feet, and from the scratching noises he was hearing, the strange young man was raking his gloved hands through the dirt. He asked in his oddly toned voice, “Are we sure they’ll be here?”

Ino’s irritated voice came over the radio. “How can they not be? Didn’t you see that trail of destruction?”

“Hehe. I don’t have your abilities, Ino-chan.” It didn’t take a set of eyes to know that Sai was smiling, and more than likely, trying to bait Ino. That, along with prodding at Naruto, had become his favorite pastime. He’d learned his lesson about messing with Sakura quite some time ago when she nearly punched him through a cliff face. And of course, Ino took the bait.

“Gods forbid you ever learn the Shintenshin, Sai.”

“No, he likes to study his enemies. Kind of like studying the subject of a painting before the work begins.” That was Chouji. Every now and again, the armored teenager came up with the most surprising insights. Naruto filed that away in his mind. He wondered if maybe, Chouji was right. He’d sparred with Sai a few times now. It was nothing like with he fought and bickered with Sasuke, or even when he sparred against Shikamaru. The artistic ninja was more calculating than Sasuke, and more devious by half than Shikamaru. He really did take his time. Though, Naruto had to admit, he wanted to know how he got that paint to stay in the air as he summoned whatever big beast he was using…

Shikamaru’s voice came now, from the north, quiet and all business. “Quiet. The sun’s is starting to rise.” They all stood stock still, facing the one spot where they knew they would see what they’d come to. Far off in the distance, in the growing gray light, they could see a cloud of dust and debris rising sporadically from the jungle canopy. The clearing they were in was directly in the path of the destruction headed their way. By the time two figures burst through the tree line, the sun had risen into a blue, cloudless sky. Naruto smiled. It was turning out to be a good day to die, if that was indeed his fate.

“Naruto.” The voice was next to his ear, and if he had not been hoping for it, it would have made him jump. Turning to his left, he found Shikamaru standing there. “Don’t die, okay?” Naruto smiled softly up at Shikamaru until he said, “I don’t think I want to deal with things if you do.” Before he could reply, he found his mouth covered in a desperate, passionate kiss. His lips parted, allowing Shikamaru’s feverish exploration of his mouth. When the kiss broke, Shikamaru rested his forehead against his. “I know that I probably don’t say this enough…”

Naruto tried to shush him, but he shook his head.

“No…let me.” Dark eyes looked into his, and Naruto had to try very hard not to let himself cry. “I love you, Naruto.”

Just like every other time Shikamaru had said that to him, Naruto’s stomach suddenly felt light. “I love you, Nara Shikamaru.” It was hard to tear himself away. His hands didn’t want to let go of the soft black cotton of Shikamaru’s shirt front. But as they finally slid away, and he looked into his lover’s eyes, he gained the strength to do what he had to. It was just like what Shikamaru had said. He did what he had to, when he had to, and there was no going back. He turned away from Shikamaru, and strode out into the clearing.

“Sasuke!”

Black eyes turned to stare at, into, and through him. This was what he must do.

End.

--

A/N: Now. I hope you all liked it. I just finished editing this again, and it still makes me all choked up. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next story.