Dawning Realisation

Dawning Realisation.

His lips met hers, gently brushing together, almost a tender caress really.

And then all hell broke loose.

Chouji wasn’t entirely sure what had just happened, but Ino was now stalking off into the forest and Shikamaru was glaring at him. Also, his cheek stung where she had slapped him.

Shikamaru stood, shouldered his pack and followed Ino.

Oh. Everything had just gone wrong. Right.

* * * *

Chouji had only been following Shikamaru’s own advice. A week ago, not entirely sure how to go about romance, Chouji had asked his best friend for some advice.

“So troublesome, man. Just go for it, sometimes team mates make the best couples.”

Shikamaru had avoided looking at him when he said that, so he had thought he knew who he was talking about. Apparently not.

The trio made the rest of the trip back to Konoha in silence, a busy silence in which each ignored the other. Chouji’s mind, alone of the three, was a complete blank the entire two hours it took to reach the gates. As soon as he realised their surroundings and spotted Izumo and Kotetsu giving the three of them weird looks from their guard stations, his heart began to race and his eyes flicked from one team mate to the other.

He didn’t know what to do. Normally after a mission, they would all pile into his apartment and he’d whip up a good celebratory ‘We’re Still Alive!’ meal. But if neither of them were talking to him..?

Ino, her eyes closed, inclined her head towards Shikamaru, “I’m off to see my parents. Shikamaru, you’ll take the main report to hand in?”

Shikamaru nodded and both were gone in a flash, leaving Chouji standing alone at the gates.

He sighed, shoulders slumping and began the long walk home.

* * * *

Three solitary weeks passed. He put his all into two solo missions, in an attempt to fill the emptiness that was getting on his nerves. He didn’t hear from either of his friends, it appeared they were both avoiding him.

At his age, Chouji felt he aught to be used to being alone. Twenty-five, single, living in the Jounin bachelor’s barracks (it was really a nice sized apartment.) The feeling was nothing really new. It was just that, before, his two best friends had been there to share in the woe occasionally.

To fill the empty hours, Chouji trained, read, watched a little TV and cooked.

Currently, he was cooking up some nourishing soup (using a traditional healing recipe from the Akimichi clan records) for Rock Lee, who had gone down with an alarmingly serious case of pneumonia.

He hummed to himself as he worked, trying to fill the silence of his small apartment. He wasn’t used to the quiet; normally Ino would be talking his ear off, or Shikamaru would be badgering him to play Sho-Gi or Chess – or both of them would be arguing while he mediated with a smile on his lips.

The unaccustomed silence was growing oppressive.

To fend off any bouts of uncharacteristic depression, Chouji decided to actually visit Lee and took the soup over himself.

Sakura opened the door when he knocked. They both gave each other surprised looks. He held the soup up, almost I self defence, “Something for Lee?”

Sakura gave him an assessing look before relaxing into a smile, “Sure. He’s in the bedroom. I was just popping out – would you stay with him for me, until I get back?”

Chouji nodded, “Sure.”

Lee was happy to see him. But then, Lee was always happy to see anyone, it was part of his nature.

The older man was propped up against half a dozen pillows and cushions, wrapped in a blanket and draped in a thick duvet. His nose was slightly pink, but what other skin Chouji could see, was ghastly pale, such a contrast to his normal healthy tan. He gave a deep, rattling cough as Chouji stepped into the room. Up close, he could see the bags under Lee’s eyes.

“This should help you feel a bit more normal,” Chouji said softly as he poured some soup into a mug and handed it over.

“Thank you, Chouji-san.” Lee smiled gratefully and sipped the soup.

“Are you any better?” Chouji sat in the seat that had been placed by the side of the bed. Lee had only been released from the hospital three days ago, after spending almost two weeks in the special care unit.

Lee nodded, “I am getting stronger every day, Chouji-san. Soon I will be my old self once again.”

Relieved, Chouji relaxed a little – it was a stroke of luck that Lee was married to the most talented healer in the Village. “No more missions to Mist in the near future, though, eh?”

Lee nodded, a slightly haunted look settling over his features. The look passed in mere seconds and abruptly Lee was grinning again, giving Chouji a challenging look. “I hear from Sakura-chan that you and your team mates are not talking? Is this true?”

Stunned that Lee had been told such things, Chouji simply nodded. After a wracking cough, Lee gave him a pointed look.

“Do you have any idea why this is?”

Chouji stammered for a moment and then pulled himself together to answer, “I kissed Ino.”

For a moment there was silence, but for the rattle of Lee’s laboured breathing.

“And that is all, Chouji-san?”

Chouji looked at his hands, clasped together on his knees. “I thought it was the right thing to do. Ino had been paying me so much attention before then, and even Shikamaru said I should give it a go. But it all went wrong and now I’m alone. Alone and lonely.”

He looked up at Lee, “I’m sorry, Lee; I shouldn’t burden you with this!”

But Lee only shook his head, smiling. “What exactly did Shikamaru-san say to you?”

Chouji blinked and thought back to the conversation, “Um… ‘Just go for it, sometimes team mates make the best couples.’ I think..?”

Lee nodded, as if to himself, then gave him a sharp look, “What did you ask him, please?”

Chouji shook his head, “I asked him if he thought it was ok for team mates to date.”

“So you did not mention Ino-chan by name?”

“No, I suppose not.” Chouji blanched, “Then he thought..?”

Lee coughed and gave him a thoughtful look. “I may appear simple, Chouji-san, but the way I am allows me to see what others may miss. I suggest you think some more on what has taken place, and do not dismiss out of hand, something that, at first, may seem strange to you.”

Chouji, stunned, fell silent. When Sakura returned, it was to find Chouji deep in thought ad Lee fast asleep with a smile on his lips.

* * * *

Chouji thought as he worked. He thought deep and hard.

He did not come to any conclusions until he was sent as part of a three man mission with Shino and Kiba (Akamaru was the unofficial fourth, as always.)

It was a long mission, taking them out of Fire Country and it was during the trip back that he got the shock of his life.

Returning to their camp unexpectedly, carrying the provisions he had been sent to buy from the nearest settlement, he was startled to find Shino and Kiba kissing. In fact, not just kissing, but kissing passionately, as if they had been unable to do so for so long that they couldn’t help it. But then, after a ten day mission, that was probably a pretty good summation.

As he stepped into the light of the fire, the two swiftly broke apart, trying to un-ruffle ruffled clothing, both blushing a brilliant scarlet.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.”

Kiba blushed further, but Shino inclined his head. Akamaru wuffed gently in greeting as he sat in his place by the fire.

Chouji couldn’t help it, his curiosity was peaked. Putting away the various provisions, he glanced at Shino, “How long have you two..?”

Shino, in the midst of starting their meal for the night, gave him a carefully schooled look, one eyebrow quirked. Kiba, now lounging against Akamaru as if nothing had happened, answered for them, “Years, prob’ly five, six?”

Shino nodded in agreement.

Chouji stopped what he was doing and sat on his heels, a little shocked, “You’ve been together six years?”

Shino nodded again.

Six years? That was astonishing. Thoughtfully, he returned to the provisions, missing the shared glance of his team mates.

When they were eating dinner later that evening, he looked at them both. They weren’t sitting any closer than he had seen other male team mates sit, but now that he knew, he could see the tells, the way they looked at one another, the slight incline of their heads when they spoke, the movements that were almost a dance between them. It was very subtle.

He asked the question that had been niggling at him, “How did you know..?”

This time, Shino replied, “That we were gay, or that we were in love?”

Chouji stirred his food restlessly, “Both, I suppose.”

This time he caught the look, but chose not to comment.

Shino pointed his fork at Kiba, “He always knew, apparently. Something to do with his Clan being able to smell it.” Kiba nodded, but didn’t explain.

“As for myself, I figured it out when I was about sixteen. I found myself admiring the men around me, rather than the women.”

“And how did you two..?”

Shino actually smiled, something Chouji had never seen before, “I nearly lost him. A rock Nin came out of no-where; knocked him out. I thought he was dead. When he actually woke up, I kissed him silly. We haven’t looked back since.”

Kiba prodded him with a toe, “Why do you ask, mate?”

Chouji played with his food again, “I think… I think I may have made some mistakes. I think I’ve been a bit blind to the obvious.”

He looked at his confused team mates, “I think I may have lost him…”

* * * *

For ten years, Chouji realised, he had been in severe denial.

When he thought about it, it made so much sense. How could he have been so blind? So stupid?

How could he have confused Ino’s match-making, with a desire to be closer to him?

He decided he would go and apologise to her first.

* * * *

“Well, it took you long enough. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry for slapping you.”

Chouji shook his head absently, then noticed something. He stared and then blinked. “Ino! Are you-mph!”

Abruptly, her hand over his mouth, Ino pulled him into her apartment, making shushing noises as she did. She firmly closed her front door and then pressed folded hands against her abdomen.

“Yes, Chouji. This is kinda why I slapped you.”

Chouji was stunned, “How long?”

Ino grinned, “I’m nearly four months now!” A satisfied smile settled onto his lips as she patted the gentle swell of her belly – a swell that had been invisible during their last mission together, over a month ago.

“Who’s the lucky man?” Chouji fought the irrational fear that it could be Shikamaru.

“Genma, of course! But don’t tell anyone yet – we’re telling my parents this weekend.”

The relief must have shown, because Ino pulled him into a hug, “You can be such a dunce sometimes, Chouji. You know that?”

* * * *

He found Shikamaru on the Hokage Mountain. He was staring at the sky, not even bothering to watch the clouds scudding by overhead.

Chouji took up his customary seat to his friend’s right, hooking his arms around his knees. The wind, stronger this high up, blew his long hair in every direction. After a time, he spoke.

“Ino’s pregnant.”

Shikamaru shrugged, “I know. Figured it out weeks ago.”

Chouji wasn’t surprised, though he was mildly upset – if he hadn’t made the mistake of kissing Ino, Shikamaru would have told him of his conclusions as soon as he had them.

“I’ve missed you, ‘Maru. You know?”

He felt Shikamaru’s assessing gaze on him, but he continued to stare out at the Village below them. After a moment of silence, he tried to explain.

“I’ve been doing some thinking. Well, a lot of thinking.” He paused.

“Did you know about Shino and Kiba?”

Shikamaru shifted and muttered, “Yeah, known for years.”

“Oh. I only found out last week. Anyway. I talked to them. Lee too, actually. And they got me to thinking.”

He felt Shikamaru’s gaze on him again.

“I’m bisexual. But you probably already knew that, right?”

There was a sigh, “Yeah. So you figured it out then?”

Chouji turned to look at his best friend. Shikamaru’s eyes were closed, a very slight frown marring his forehead. Carefully, so as not to startle him too much, Chouji reached out and gently smoothed the frown away.

“Shikamaru, would you mind if I kissed you?”

Shikamaru’s eyes opened and gave him a piercing look. There was absolute silence for almost a full minute – to Chouji it felt like an eternity – and then Shikamaru sat up, a smile beginning to form.

Their first kiss was clumsy, but no less beautiful for it.

Eventually, Shikamaru asked the question that Chouji had known he would.

“How did you figure it out?”

Chouji kissed him again, then cupping his sharp angled cheeks in large, square hands, told him.

“It was when I thought I had lost you.”


END.