Thinking about laying bed with COLLEGE AU! Shikamaru Nara. 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟. 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠. 🖤💜 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐨𝐬.
You're curled up against him in his dorm room and trying to keep your head on your body as you repeatedly tried to doze off next to him. He lays on his back and scrolls mindlessly through his phone and every once in a while snickers at s video or shows it to you. The bed was warm but really messy; half of a blanket just barely covering your feel and the corner of a another blanket covering your upper body.
You're head was starting to pound with an ache, you wanted nothing more than just to sleep in Shikamaru's arms but it doesn't fucking matter if he's occupied with being an asshat on Instagram. You turned your head to the side and faced him, tugging at his loose fitted T shirt.
"Shika..." He shifted his gaze to you but kept scrolling. He hummed in response to let you know you had his attention. You picked at the Cottonfuzz of his sweats and nuzzled into his shoulder and sleep seeped into your bones.
"Get off your phone for two fucking seconds wouldja?" You nudged his side, the phone dropping from his hand and landing with a plop in between his legs.
"Ya almost took out my sacks of glory." His very warm fingers poked your cheek repeatedly and frowned. You craned you neck forward and took a large chomp in front of his fingers, threatening to take a big bite out of them.
"I'ma sack you if you don't get off your phone and go to sleep with me" A glare reaching him to let him know you were serious. He sighed and grabbed his phone, staring at it like he was parting with a life long friend and then tossing it on the night stand for it charge.
If you find the time could you please write an imagine for Shikamaru as a parent? I love your writing it brings me so much joy, thank you for sharing this part of you with me, you have no idea how much it means to me
Shika is the way I function. I just had a baby about a year ago and I think writing this will bring me a sort of cartharsis. I have an OC that is his daughter, so she's a bit featured in this, I hope you dont mind. Bless and thank you for the ask. Sorry it sat forever :0 ~Lizard
"Daddy, dont forget about my art show tonight at the academy!"
"Oh lovely girl, I wouldnt dream of missing it."
Shikamaru placed a gentle hand on his daughter's head, rustling the thick black strands in between his fingers until little bubbles formed in the updo. Koshika giggled and swatted him away, mumbling a half-hearted complaint about messing it up as she pulled it down and tried again.
"You two are going to be late!" You said, entering the living room with two pieces of toast, one for each of them, and then planted a kiss as Koshika ran out the door, not wanting to be late walking to school with her best friend waiting outside.
"I cant believe we made her." You sighed, Shikamaru yoinking the toast from your grip and smiling in reverance at the door.
"Smarter than I am, and beautiful just like you. I struggle to believe it myself." He replied. "She beat me in shogi yesterday, and I have a streak running with half the shinobi in the village. Didnt make a scene either, just said that it was 'bound to happen eventually if we play every weekend.'"
You giggled, wondering if she had any idea the effect she had on him. The only person in the world he couldnt figure out, and he'd be upset if it wasnt the result of his passing the torch. He kissed your head, and headed out, off to another day managing Naruto's affairs.
The Village lived in peace for the most part, but Shikamaru still had to keep the financial books up, assign missions to the younglings, even if they were placing older shinobi out in the woods to keep them all agile and intuitive. He had a hefty order today though, the planning for the newest Chuunin exams had landed on the leaf this time, and there was plenty of matters to make arrangements for. Today, he and Naruto were overseeing the renovations of the main arena. It was all terribly boring, but all must be done.
"Naruto, Koshika has an art show this evening at the academy that starts at 5 for Appreciation week. Im going to have to leave a bit early today, but I have the orders for the builders written out in case theres any questions. Does that work for you?" He spoke with a courteous tone as they walked through the gates of the arena, and his friend gave a knowing smile and nodded.
"Yeah, I stopped by the academy yesterday at Shino's request, to give a speech to the students. I saw her working on her piece, you should be excited." Naruto was a true friend, checking in on her specifically like that. He actually knew her well, and they spoke for hours at dinners between households, and it was fascinating to watch the way she could hold her own in conversations with adults at only 13. Shikamaru remembered the day she was born, with his best friends all showing up with gifts, and takeout, and well wishes. Naruto said he could see the smarts in her eyes even then, and now she was less than a few weeks from graduating. She was loved from every corner, and radiated all the best of the people he loved the most from within her.
"I think I appreciate the way you, and my team, and Y/N all pour the best of yourselves into her. Thats my appreciation for this week, I'm thinking. Thank you for that."
"Its easy to do. You're important to me, and Koshika is easily just as such. She's going to do incredible things, just like you did." Naruto smiled, and then took the pile of paperwork from his hands, gesturing to builders to come around and starting the layout of renovations.
**************
4:30pm arrived faster than he'd expected, and Naruto shuffled him off, insisting he had to be on time. Shikamaru walked briskly to the academy, to the one thing in the world that wasn't boring to him. His girl.
As he arrived, he saw that Shino had erected a banner that said "Appreciation Week Art Show: Welcome Parents!" He walked through the doors and saw the walls between the classrooms were filled with consecutive drawings of the friendship symbols, and friends, and a few of his yellow-haired friend. Shino and Koshika were standing in the doorway, and turned to greet him as he approached.
"Daddy! You made it!!" She yelled, and weaved past a parent and student discussing a piece on the walls. He looked at her so warmly, and Shino followed up after her, saying something that very much took him off guard.
"Im glad you could be here, this whole event was her idea, the art and parents of it all. Shes incredibly bright and thoughtful." Her idea? She hadnt mentioned setting up the event, just that she was in it, and he watched a blush bloom across her cheeks as her instructor said as such.
"Ko, you didnt say-"
"I wanted to make something and I thought it would be cool to let everyone else show off what they were thankful for too. What the point of appreciation if there isnt the thanks to show for it?" She replied, and he had to glow at her brilliance. Learning appreciation was important, sharing it was what made it special and she did just that.
"That makes sense to me, so wheres your masterpiece, my girl?"
"Its right over here!!" I want to hang it up at home if we can!" She basically vibrated with excitement and dragged him by his hand over to the last piece on the wall at the end. It was huge, and beautiful, painted with nearly every color imaginable, and he felt tears start to prick at his eyes. The way real art, and appreciation should. This was the way she saw the world, and it was more important than anything. He wanted to blow it up and put it on walls. He wanted to wear it on his skin.
"Do you like it Daddy?"
"I couldnt love it more, Ko. Thank you."
"Hey, thats my line!!" And her giggle made his tears break down his cheeks in streams that no man could stop. Nothing could be more special than this.
synopsis: you and shikamaru are friends(with a little sprinkle of weird tension) and after a sleepover at neji’s house, and a game of hide ‘n seek with naruto and kiba, he realizes he likes you.
cw: kinda suggestive at the end? mainly fluff also neji’s filthy rich
wc: many words..jus read bruh
a/n: i love shikamaru so bad yk i had to make another banger🔥anyway let me shut my corny ass up
it was a sleepover at neji’s large ass house. as childish as that sounds it was actually a great idea—that was until naruto wants to play hide ‘n seek with everyone.
neji wore an expensive robe and walked up the stairs into his room right after naruto said this because he was not about to play hide ‘n seek in his gown in the dark with his beautiful robe swaying back and forth.
“grown ass man.” shikamaru scoffs at naruto’s eagerness to play. shikamaru was seated at the sofa hunched over glaring at the blonde boy who was behind the kitchen island, raiding neji’s cabinets.
you sit beside him, trying your best not to take in his mesmerizing side profile, he catches you.
anyway, you and shikamaru and you were different from the group, you two had this sort of weird tension that formed after winning a shogi match against him.
no one has ever won against him besides his dad and since then,
you always found yourself doing little strange things; always sitting next to him anywhere, it was natural and felt right. he also found himself doing the same thing, and you also fell asleep on the phone with him sometimes.
“c’mon!” a enthusiastic voice snaps you out of your thoughts. kiba walks in flopping onto the sofa that probably cost more than your whole house.
“i’d totally catch you 3 easily.” kiba points to his nose, meaning that he could smell you three.
there’s awkward silence.
“man, you’re so weird.” you say, making the other 2 boys snicker lowly, trying not to wake up neji.
-
the four of you now stand on the second floor of the house and in the hallway furthest from the stairs.
all the lights are off besides the hallway light. the only sound being heard was the hum of the AC. this lowkey sent a chill down your spine.
“okay, kiba.” naruto grins. you three stood around kiba as he leaned against a wall, already grinning back.
shikamaru stands beside you; unbothered and yawning waiting for naruto and kiba to be done bickering about what number he should count to.
kiba lets out a huge theatric sigh followed by counting down. “19, 18..”
naruto flicks off the light, submerging all of you in complete darkness and your heart races.
there’s shuffling and then stomping down the stairs and you follow, holding the railing and nearly slipping before you sprint.
The curtain to the garden is left swiped to the side, letting moonlight in and you pause, wondering where the fuck to go.
the moonlight catches on naruto’s figure as he hurdles the fucking kitchen island again, opening a cupboard and shoving himself in it.
when the fuck is hide ‘n seek ever this serious?
shikamaru’s nowhere to be seen and kiba’s already reached to 10.
you’ve been so busy standing and searching for a spot that you yelp when shikamaru comes from behind, firmly grabbing your arm and pulling you straight ahead towards the screen door, sliding it open and shutting it with a slam before leading you out to the garden.
the chill of the air hits you, but it’s not colder than the air inside, so that’s a plus.
shikamaru scans the garden, eyes falling on the rose bushes and he gestures to them. In one smooth move you dive over them cartoonishly(you’re pretty sure your hand caught on the thorns) and shikamaru meets you behind them.
the both of you crouch behind the red roses, hearing a muffled yet loud “READY OR NOT HERE I COME!!”
“why were you just standing there?” shikamaru directs his gaze to you.
“i was waiting..” you reply, unsure what you actually were doing. could your brain not tell the difference between being tracked down by a murderer and one of your friends?
“waiting.” he repeats, gaze darkening as he clicks his tongue, as if he expected you to do better.
“why does it matter to you? it’s just hide ‘n seek.” you retort, the corner of his mouth twitches when he hears kiba slamming his feet down the stairs; he’s going upstairs again. poor neji.
“i know that. i didn’t even wanna play in the first place.” he finally answers, sighing.
“wait.. then why-“ you’re cut off by shikamaru. there’s a change in his tone. it’s softer.
“you.” his eyes are fixed once again on your face.
the word floats around in the air for a second while you suddenly noticed how close he was to you.
“when we’re on face time, you sleep with a single lamp on in your room.”
“so you’re a little scared of the dark, right?” he casually asks.
it all hits you like a truck. he really is observant about you. shikamaru himself found noticing the little things about you. ever since you won against him in shogi, he had the last few moves of the game engraved in his head; how you moved your pieces, the concentrated look on your face and your rosy lips moving as you spoke to him while calculating your every move.
“shikamaru.” you nervously lick your lips, bringing him back to reality. his gaze flickers down to them and his expression softens more, he feels like he’ll turn into putty if you say his name again.
“don’t talk.”
his voice is low and you flinch at the sliding door being slammed open. shikamaru doesn’t react because he expected this. he squeezes his eyes shut for a second, annoyed.
you two return to looking in-between the gaps of the rose bushes, watching kiba step out.
“hello?” kiba says as if he’s in a cliche slasher film. you stifle a laugh and shikamaru looks down at the ground, a huge ass grin spreading on his face.
you just know kiba would die first in a horror movie.
“hm..” he walks around a pond, sniffing the air. this is when he walks over to the opposite end of the garden aka far away from you two.
“come.” shikamaru mouths, he rises to his feet and you follow.
the both of you silently walk away from the bushes, tiptoeing through the sliding door and being back in the dark ass living room makes you feel cramped, a hand wraps around your wrist gently and shikamaru leads you through the hallway and into an already open closet that kiba must’ve checked.
once you two are inside, it’s fucking cramped. of course. he holds the knob— the door slowly shuts with a click and he flicks on the light switch.
shikamaru’s chest is inches away from yours and your breath catches in your throat.
you mull over what he said behind those bushes and relax your shoulders with a sigh. shikamaru looks down at you, the stark contrast of your frames is scarier than being caught by kiba. you can’t really gauge his expression.
his hand reaches for yours and your eye twitches. you feel a sharp sting at your finger but shikamaru seems to be too deep in his thoughts to notice.
“did you see the way naruto jumped over the island and scurried into the cupboard?” he asks and you chuckle, now deciding to lean against him with your forehead pressed to his chest while your hand is still in his.
“shit.” you look down at your finger where a thorn must’ve been stuck into the pad of your index finger, it wasn’t there anymore but a tiny bead of blood forms, at first it isn’t anything concerning but it thickens.
“what?” shikamaru backs up a little creating space and brings your hand up.
he isn’t concerned, just looks at you like a thought is forming in his head, heat creeps up your neck at the way he takes in this sight. you, with him. in a cramped closet.
and without a second thought he brings your finger up to his lips, his tongue lightly brushing against your finger tip. and yeah, you’re fucking wet.
he didn’t need to do that but he did.
“sh-shikamaru!” you hiss and his hand tightens around yours while he licks the tiny spot of blood off.
your thighs rub against each other, you don’t mean to do it but you also can’t help it if he’s doing that sultry shit.
your heart drops to your stomach as the closet door whips around open, nearly flying off the hinges by the force.
shikamaru’s eyes fly open as he freezes, your finger still halfway into his mouth while your heart sinks to your ass.
“What the fuck?” kiba’s excitement is wiped off in an instant. his jaw trembles and hangs open while he looks at the both of you, naruto is behind him, cerulean eyes blown wide and his eyes flicker to you, your finger, shikamaru’s mouth— and finally to kiba.
immediately you pull your hand away ignoring that you just caught a brief sight of shikamaru’s saliva that glistened on your finger.
“y-you’re dreaming… we went to sleep a few minutes ago… this is a dream..” you wave your fingers in a way to hypnotize them but they just stare at that one wet digit.
you give shikamaru a side-glance that screams “shut-the-fucking-door-wtf-are-you-doing.” but he’s just stuck in place.
after that, you had a lot to explain to them. kiba stares at you as if you were his daughter that has just been sold off to the mafia boss. he isn’t listening to anything you say.
naruto rings up sasuke. as he waits for him to pick up he tells you about how he made a bet that if you and shika were dating, he’d win money.
and.. now that he caught your finger shoved halfway into his mouth in that closet, naruto could win enough money to practically buy the whole menu of ichiraku for hinata.
a couple of minutes later, kiba and naruto were sprawled out on the couch, knocked out.
you were upstairs, carrying down blankets for them because you felt like if you didn’t, kiba would detach the curtains and use them as blankets and naruto would go sleep in the cupboard… because that happened last sleepover.
once you’re crouched—pulling it over naruto’s legs, shikamaru comes over behind you.
“the spare bedroom’s free, wanna go?” he asks.
“sure.” you get up and walk upstairs.
“shikamaru, do you like me?” you ask halfway up the stairs. he reaches the top and you two walk to the bedroom door.
Contents: Shikamaru with prompt 15 of the kissing category
Event M.List
TAG LIST
more Shikamaru content here
WARNINGS: PENETRATIVE SEX
Night routines are the most important part of the day. Or at least that's what Shikamaru says.
You and him share a specific ritual before finally giving up to exhaustion. Cook dinner together, or go out if he’s feeling particularly lazy. You wash the dishes, he cleans the kitchen. He takes a bath if he’s feeling grimy, all while you brush your teeth and do whatever other troublesome thing you do with your face and products that terrify him for reasons he can’t explain. He brushes his teeth. You take some time to read, and he will play shogi with himself so he doesn’t get rusty. He has given up on playing with you, because it's no fun playing against the only one who manages to beat his ass every single time without any effort. If you’re both still restless, you’ll indulge in other… activities. Ones that leave you all the more tired than he’ll ever be, because he’s a slob, and loves to have you riding him until your knees just as for a break. Then he’ll pound you, nice and slow, make you squirt all over his cock and abs. And just when you’re trembling, spasming under his expert touch, he’ll call it a night. Another shower, the two of you this time, and he lets you wash his hair, and he rubs your back before rinsing the floral soap off it.
And once you’re in bed, snuggled under the covers, limbs tied and tangled, his head over your chest, or your head over his arm. Doesn’t matter, the important part is that you’re together. It’s the condition to go to bed, as long as you’re both home, none of you go to sleep if the other isn’t in bed.
“Night, Maru.” You say, nuzzling him.
“Forgetting something?” He asks, rather curtly.
“I did pee before bed.” You murmur, closing your eyes.
“No, stupid. An important thing,” He groans, though in that second it feels more like a whine. “A very, veeeery important thing.” He ironizes, and you smile. Then, you pucker your lips and get closer to him.
“Kissy kissy for my husband, so sorry for forgetting.” You croon, he rolls his eyes and he thanks the night for hiding his blush. He cups your face in his hands, and finally, you kiss. A tender contact, passionate, delicate. “Sweet dreams, Shikamaru.” You whisper, and he smiles softly.
Heyyyy I hope that you’re well, I would like too request an angst to comfort shikamaru x reader where they get into an argument and the reader tries to go to bed angry and shikamaru isn’t having any of it, if that makes sense.
Of course, as always, im always super happy to write about Shika. Sorry for the delay, and I'm sorry if it's short, im gonna write another thing soon to make it up, haha.
You are a drag and troublesome, but i still love you.
Tags/warnings: none.
Shikamaru x gn reader
You couldn't even remember the fight well, not because it wasn't serious, but your brain was tired, angry, but tired, that kind of tiredness that only comes after crying a lot or straining the body.
You never fought, sure, you had arguments, but never a fight, and although this wasn't completely a fight it felt like it, because usually he said something dumb, you got annoyed, and everything was okay again five minutes later, but now?, now it had been 5 hours and you where still not talking, and yes, it was because he wanted to give you space, and although appreciated, an angry heart makes an unreasonable brain, so, for you that space turned into a 'he doesn't care' even if it wasn't true.
So by night you changed into your pajamas, brow still furrowed as you turned off the light, him already in bed looking at you from the corner of the eye as he read, that look he always had when analyzing things.
Your back was turned on him, hand toying with a strang of fabric of the pillow, eyes tired but yet refusing to sleep, a lingering pressure on the chest.
You two stayed quiet a few moments, could have been five seconds, five minutes or five months, either way he moved after those moments, a small sound indicating his book had been left on the nightstand, and the soft rustling of sheets besides you made you open your eyes more.
And then quiet again, because you two knew this wasn't about being right or wrong, that was forgotten, but the important thing was lifting the ache on the heart, being at peace.
'Tch… I hate going to bed like this. It’s a pain in the ass, "he murmured in his usual annoyed tone, yet the way his body heat became closer and how his forehead pressed against your shoulder softly said otherwise.
'I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I just didn’t know what you wanted me to say', he said as you took a deep breath.
'...i care about you, about us, and its a drag, and I'm an idiot, and I'm sorry, and i know its not that much of what you want to hear but what i should say as your partner, and the truth, because i do love you, even if you are the most troublesome living organism i know', he whispered softly, hand moving to caress your arm gently once your body relaxed more.
'...you are an idiot', you mumbled but didn't moved away.
'I know', he said simply moving so you could get closer to him.
He was an idiot, an intelligent one, but he was... still, he was your idiot.
'...does that mean im not getting killed with a kunai while i sleep anymore?', he asked in a whisper, a soft smile appearing on your lips even if you tried to repress it.
'Im still thinking about it', you whispered, but moved closer to him, his hand intertwining with yours.
'Teasing a genius sometimes isn't the best idea even if he seems lazy'
@2-c4ndy
Warnings: mostly fluff, established relationship, some suggestive stuff but not nsfw.
Short trip to the Nara forest.
You were not supposed to be here.
It had started as a random comment from your side about how pretty deer were when you encountered one during a mission. And of course, your boyfriend heard, and your boyfriend was a Nara. So now he had smuggled you into the Nara forest against all clan rules.
“Stop making so much noise,” he grumbled as you two walked toward his favorite spot.
“Sure, I’ll just make my feet not step onto the dry leaves all across the floor. Maybe I should fly to prevent that,” you replied sarcastically, making him roll his eyes.
“Don’t be stupid,” he grumbled again.
“And stop being so paranoid. It’s not like you haven’t gotten grounded before, and it’s not gonna happen anyway,” you said, poking his side. He flinched for a moment and swatted your hand away.
“I’m not. You’re just being troublesome,” he said, giving you a small glare—without any actual annoyance behind it. Then he looked away again, like he was waiting for his dad to materialize out of thin air and scold him.
You rolled your eyes but decided to shut up for the moment. The forest was beautiful—more than any normal one. There was something… ancient about it, almost magical. You could almost feel the trees breathe with the wind, the clan’s ancient runes carved into the stones adding to the pull of the place.
“They like you,” he whispered softly, so quietly it was almost imperceptible but calm.
Your brow furrowed a bit. “What do—”
Your words were cut off by a startled yelp as you felt something press against your back, followed by a very distinctive snort behind you. And despite all your ninja training or experience, your body reacted before your mind did. A very loud yelp left your mouth before you could even think, and your hands flew to grip Shikamaru’s arms, nearly jumping into them.
Then you looked back. Of course, it was a deer. A very massive deer, staring straight into your soul.
“...Why is he so massive?” Your voice came out in a whisper, torn between the urge to run and the impulse to pet it. It was cute—just extremely terrifying.
“You asked me the same thing last night, and you didn’t seem so scared,” he snorted teasingly, earning a smack to the chest.
“They’re just big. They’re not gonna attack you. They know you’re with me,” he said with a sigh, taking your hand in his and guiding it slowly but firmly to the animal’s fur, helping you get used to it.
Your body gradually relaxed, a small smile forming on your lips—both from Shikamaru’s closeness and from the way the deer seemed to enjoy your touch. After a few moments, the deer bowed slightly to Shikamaru before running off into the trees.
“See? That wasn’t so bad,” he said calmly, moving his hand to your waist and rubbing small, slow circles into your skin with his thumb, making you smile a bit more.
“Still… I wouldn’t have expected a chunin like you to get scared by some deer. A bit pathetic, don’t you think?” he whispered against your ear, making your smile fade into a smirk as you rolled your eyes.
“I will punch you,” you muttered.
“Troublesome woman… you’re the one who decided to come here, you know?” he snorted, his hand still on your waist, the other tucked in his pocket.
“I’m not the one causing such a scandal and breaking clan rules just to hang out with my girl,” you teased with a dramatic gasp.
“And I told you to keep quiet. Which we both know you don’t know how to do,” he replied, raising a brow.
“Yeah? And what are you gonna do tie me to a tree? Because Im not being loud. You're just too quiet,” you shot back.
“Don’t tempt me,” he smirked slightly, though you could swear you saw his eye twitch a little.
Then he leaned down, lips brushing the shell of your ear, his voice low and slow and entirely too effective.
“Yet I wonder what other sounds I could get out of you… out here, where no one’s around to hear.”
Your breath caught, and he chuckled, brushing a strand of hair away from your face like it meant nothing.
“But for now,” he murmured, stepping back with that lazy smirk, “you’re on deer watch.”
You blinked. “What?”
“Now behave,” he said, pulling away just far enough to smack your ass—not too hard, just enough to make you gasp while somehow making the gesture seem casual. Of course, he resumed walking like absolutely nothing had happened.
“I hate you,” you grumbled, walking beside him again, but any other complaints died on your tongue the moment you arrived at a small body of water.
There was a tiny cascade, with baby deer learning to walk near a big tree, others grazing nearby. It felt… safe.
“…It’s beautiful,” you whispered in awe.
“I know,” he said softly, barely audible, as he moved to lay on the grass, tugging you down with him to sit.
“The forest likes you,” he murmured again, pulling you to lay across his chest.
“Is that because I like you?” you chuckled softly.
“Don’t get sappy… but yeah, most likely,” he whispered, hugging you a bit closer, eyes closing for a moment.
You didn’t know how much time had passed, but the sun was already beginning to set when you opened your eyes again. He stirred a little, still holding you close.
At first, you thought the distant voice was your imagination.
an: this is a commissioned fic, and I'm super excited that it was for Shikamaru! It's been a while since I gave the lazy genius the attention he deserves so thanks to the person who commissioned me! <3
pairing: Shikamaru Nara x gn reader
warnings: SFW, a little angst with a happy ending, use of shadow possession, implied 'friendship' (read as they were fooling around) between reader and Shika
“You could have been killed.”
Kakashi stated the obvious, and for the first time since your return to Konoha, you gulped, ashamed. Of course, you knew deep down that he was right, but hearing it said out loud, so matter-of-factly, it wedged a tight lump into your throat.
“I know, Lord Hokage, I apologise. I-I was reckless and take full responsibility, there is no need for anyone on the squad to be punished,” you offered solemnly, hanging your head so you didn’t have to look into his steel grey eyes, or worse, look at the man standing behind him.
Shikamaru radiated an energy that you were unfamiliar with. He was known for his cool, collected demeanour and his seemingly unflappable nature, even when in a crisis. Today he was practically vibrating with anger. That was much worse to face than anything Kakashi could say or do, and that was saying something in itself.
“That won't be necessary,” Kakashi said with a sigh. He waved a hand in the air, somewhat dismissive and yet you knew he wasn’t quite through with you. “I think you’ve learned your lesson, and you won’t go running off on your own during an assignment again, right?”
You nodded emphatically. This wasn’t simply lip service, you really were sorry. It would take a lot of grovelling for forgiveness from your friends, their feelings were hurt, and you understood well how lowly it was of you to have put them in that position.
“I swear it, never again.”
“That’s what I thought. However, I also want you to take time off from your squad and work on some aspects of performance that I believe can be sharpened. Shikamaru, can I leave that in your hands? Arrange for them to be tutored by someone you trust.”
Shikamaru stepped forward, a dark expression masking his features. His eyes bore into you, and your stomach flipped over before plummeting to your toes. This wasn’t helping your long-standing situation with him, and you only prayed that he wouldn’t choose to train you himse—
“Leave it to me, Kakashi. I’ll see to it personally.” He addressed the Hokage whilst continuing to stare into your soul.
Why did he have to be so handsome, even when more pissed than you had ever seen? The dark patch of hair beneath his chin was a new addition, and you weren’t certain if you liked it yet, but everything else... the man was a god. A lazy god but a god, nonetheless.
Your mouth opened as if you would dare to object and Kakashi’s sleek eyebrow rose until your mouth slowly closed once more.
What were you going to say anyway? “Sorry Lord Hokage but I don’t think I can train with your advisor for fear I might try to jump his bones.” or “Don’t you know he and I have this... thing going on and it’s all complicated because I don’t know what I want, and he isn’t very patient.” No, either were an option. Instead, you stood there and bowed your head in resignation.
“Tomorrow at noon. Meet me at the training field over in the far north corner. Wear something you can train in, and don’t be late,” Shikamaru ordered before striding for the door. He hadn’t been dismissed, but Kakashi wasn’t one for being overly formal.
“Good luck, it looks like you’ll need it,” Kakashi added, amused.
“More than you could know.”
~
The next day you walked the route that would take you to your predetermined destination. It was warm, the sun slid along your back as you wondered what kind of training you would be in store for. Given it was near noon, the village was at full hustle and bustle, and you had to actively avoid faces that would try to hamper your journey. This was not a time to be answering questions or having to admit why you were headed to the training grounds, never mind that you refused to give Shikamaru the satisfaction of arriving late.
The training ground came into sight—large flat land edged with trees that would stretch into a forest in the north and east borders. It was empty. Not even the sounds from the nearby market stalls could be heard from this part of town.
A lone crow cawed from the canopy of a tree, taking flight and disappearing into the dense foliage. Your feet scuffed into the dirt, turning on the spot and frowning. He had the audacity to insist you not be late only for him to be late! What a fucker...
With your arms crossed, you walked the perimeter and scoped out the surrounding area. There was nothing here, no sign that he was lying in wait or had been called away for something more important.
“Typical Nara.”
The trees were to your back so you could watch his approach, whenever that would be, and show your smug face to him that you at least could follow instructions. That was your first mistake.
Your shadow was also behind you, and you should have come prepared for this.
There was a moment where you felt your entire body jolt to attention, hairs prickling with the alert of imminent danger, but it was too late. You were frozen, unable to move an inch, or whirl in the direction you could feel the hint of presence from. Not even your eyes could swivel enough to bring the man lounging along a branch high up in the tree’s canopy into your line of sight.
“Sloppy,” he stated, droll and unbothered.
He released his shadow possession suddenly, your body sagging towards the ground like a bag of rocks. You managed to stop before your knees hit the dirt, but the effort was immense.
Shikamaru leapt far too gracefully down from his perch. His hands interlaced behind his head as he stalked towards you, smug. He was so self-assured that it forced your molars to grind down. He had been here all along, watching and not saying a word.
“Tomorrow, same time,” he said.
You blanched, jaw slack in disbelief as the Nara made to walk back towards the centre of the village. There was no time to admire his form, not when you were dumbfounded by his words.
“Wait! That’s it? You’re leaving already?” Your voice was higher than you’d like, and you took a couple of steps towards him involuntarily before you could stop.
He turned; head cocked and hands slowly lowering from behind his head until they could fit snugly into his pockets. “It’s annoying when someone walks away from you when you’re not ready for them to go, isn’t it?”
Warmth erupted over your skin at the implication.
You flashed back to that night so many months ago where you had been unsure of what to do, what to think, and had run instead of facing your fears. You knew what the hands in his pockets felt like on your skin, how the rough callouses scratched in that pleasant tingly way when he stroked your arm. The phantom scent of tobacco wafted into your nose, and you inhaled it, or tried to.
Shikamaru was hurt, that much you knew. That he was this hurt seemed unreasonable. He was a war hero, and you were... not. Didn’t he deserve someone far more worthy than you? That was certainly what you thought when he first showed you interest, even though at the time you played into it, tipsy on liquor and high on the back of a successful mission.
“I... Shika, I’m—”
He interjected before you could apologise.
“Tomorrow, noon. Your training will be complete when you can find me before I find you,” he said without a hint of emotion.
You watched as he walked away. Excuses and explanations heavy on your tongue, but you believed none of the lies you tried to concoct. At the end of the day, you hurt someone that you admired, cared for, maybe even loved.
It didn’t seem like a fitting punishment for your crime, but then again... you never could see the wood for the trees.
~
At exactly noon you entered the training grounds for a second time, and this time you were far more wary of your surroundings.
Every rustle of the wind could have masked movement amongst the lush green leaves of the trees facing you. You scanned each mighty tree with as much scrutiny as you dared to allow, scared that if you spent too long focusing on one, that he might attack from another.
That was your second mistake.
Just like yesterday, your danger sense was a fraction too slow. With one foot raised in the motion of turning to whirl around, your body jerked and froze in place. Looking down, you could see where his shadow connected to yours. Two long lines joined into one and you silently cursed.
“You’re meant to be better than this. Or at least, shouldn’t that be the case for someone hotheaded enough to go running off on their own during a fight?” Shikamaru’s tone was as cool as the previous day, his body was not.
You could feel him at your back and how very unprotected you felt right now. Had he truly been the enemy, you’d be dead before you even knew the killing blow had been struck. Instead, you felt the heat of him.
He was careful not to touch you, careful to maintain the few inches of distance that would keep this looking decent, but there was a low yearning in your belly that wished he would stop toying with you and take what he clearly wanted. In the same breath, you knew he wouldn’t.
“Is this really the training the Lord Hokage meant? It doesn’t seem to be teaching me much of anything except that you’re a sly bastard when you’re mad,” you hissed, giving in to your wounded pride.
Shikamaru chuckled and you wished you could shove your palms against his chest until he was forced to back up. As suddenly as your body had frozen, again it was released without warning. The desire to push him thrummed through you and you stumbled into a weird pirouette, carried by the momentum of your desire.
He caught you before you could fall. His hands beneath your elbows so that when he drew you back up to standing, he was right there, right in front of your face. Sure, you had to tilt your chin up to gaze into those clever, calculating eyes but he was so close now that it made the proximity of moments ago pale into insignificance.
“You really don’t get it...” he breathed, a crease forming between his brows. “It’s like you believe you’re an extra in your own story. Never the protagonist, always the comic relief.” Shikamaru shook his head as if he might laugh, but there was no humour to his claims.
You swallowed, unsure of how to respond. Heat prickled your eyes and the lump in your throat grew tenfold until you could barely breathe. Weren’t you the side character? That was what you felt like growing up, and even now that you were grown and more mature, the feeling never changed. It was like how on each birthday, you never actually feel any older, not until one day you look in the mirror and realise you are no longer a child.
“Running from your squad was a reckless action and it only served to show that you have no regard for what you bring to your team. You are not just a cog in a machine, nor are you a side character worthy of only a handful of minutes of screen time,” he said quietly, almost too quiet. “To your friends and to... to me, you are so much more and I’m not sure how to get that through your thick skull.”
Shikamaru placed a fingertip against the middle of your forehead, letting you absorb the message and remaining silent over the tears that were slowly tracking down your cheeks. So, this was what he was trying to show you, that you were important enough to warrant attention. Maybe he had already reasoned that was why you had run from him when he offered the invitation of something more than friendship. He was a genius after all.
Tentatively, he stroked a thumb across your cheek to collect your fallen tears and you leant into the affection. He let out a soft whoosh of air, like he was finally satisfied that you weren’t going to take off again, and you smiled, watery but genuine.
It would take some time for this particular lesson to sink in, but if you were in fact the protagonist of your own story, and he was the love interest, then surely you could embrace him in the way you wanted?
You tested the theory; arms lifting so they could rest on his shoulders, fingers delving into the silky black ponytail until the tie came loose and he made a small noise in his throat. His forehead lowered to rest against yours, eyes softly shuttered whilst his skin warmed from the touch of your fingers through his hair.
“This is new,” you mused, touching the patch of coarse hair at his chin.
Shikamaru nodded. “When you ran from me that night, the night where I thought I had made it clear that I wanted you and no one else,” he looked at your sharply then, “I decided that something had to change and this happened.”
“What you really mean is that you didn’t shave for a few weeks and then couldn’t be bothered to finish the job when you finally got around to it, right?”
“I am not that lazy,” he snorted in good humour.
Your smile slipped when his hands skimmed your sides, stroking up and down until they came to pause at your waist, fingertips dipping into your skin enough to feel it. You chewed your lip, caught in a moment of indecision.
It didn’t last more than a second or two, not until you finally took the leap of faith and pressed your lips to his. He let you lead, moving in time with you and sighing contentedly when your tongue stroked the plush of his bottom lip, enough to let you delve a little deeper.
He tasted minty, but there was a familiar smokiness to it that you remembered from those times months ago when kissing like this seemed like nothing more than a game. Now, it was much more, and the weight of your feelings being reciprocated only heightened the experience.
“I promise not to run anymore, and...” you paused, nudging his nose with yours as he waited for you to continue. “I’ll try to stop thinking of myself as being the side character. I think I have a few more apologies to make, but the one that matters most belongs to you.”
Shikamaru shook his head. “Don’t. No matter how it made me feel, we wouldn’t be here today, like this, if things hadn’t played out as they did. I’m not sorry you were scared, but I am sorry I didn’t notice sooner. Keep your apologies for your friends, they might not be so easy to win over.”
“Damn, yeah. I guess this means my training is over?”
“No chance! Your perception skills are terrible. We’ll be here every day at noon until you improve,” he enthused, turning you both so you could begin the walk back to the village.
“But...” you made to lace your fingers through his and squeezed when he welcomed it. “Maybe we’ll both set off from the same place tomorrow morning.”
Shikamaru nearly tripped over his foot, and you grinned, devious and happy.
an: thanks to @honeyed-hedonist for requesting one of my favourite characters ever, Shikamaru. I loved the song and the vibe and I used elements of your story with him to write this little drabble. I hope you like it <3
starring: Shikamaru Nara x female reader
warnings: SFW but suggestive, lil angst, lil fluff, Shika acting very unshika like for reasons
now playing -
Shikamaru Nara had his shit figured out from an early age. He knew that he was never going to live a life where he gave more than he received—work smart, not hard—that was his motto.
Luckily for him he was naturally gifted with a cunning brain and the kind of attitude that fitted well within the ranks of the Yakuza. He rose—without trying—to consigliere and from his lofty height he became the genius puppet master from the comfort of his desk.
Nothing was too difficult. There was no ploy that could catch him off guard or that he couldn’t respond to and twist it in his favour, and then you walked into his life and turned it upside down.
It was obvious you were sent to him by some enemy faction, but there was more to the story and he felt the urge to unravel the mystery for once in his life.
For all the confidence you exuded, there was a vulnerability when he looked into your sparkling eyes. It rubbed at his chest like a physical manifestation of pain. To be honest, if he were to glance down and find you had stuck a knife in his heart... he wouldn’t be surprised.
“Didn’t think I’d ordered honey with my meal,” he remarked casually, his fingers slowly coiling around your wrist until he could turn over your palm. “Not that it matters. Tell me about yourself. Not the lines you’ve been fed, princess, gimme some truth to work with.”
After a silent debate that he watched rage behind your eyes, you seemed to relax into your seat. It was like watching the burden of expectation being lifted from your shoulders and you gave him your name and few truths that wouldn’t get you in too much trouble.
“You know I’m meant to sleep with you, right? That it’s my job to get close and report back to my fa—to my superior. This wasn’t my idea. It’s never been my idea.”
Shika’s jaw clenched at the implication that he wasn’t your first target. He sure as shit was going to be your last. He couldn’t explain it but for the first time in years he felt the desire to actively destroy his enemies rather than just move and react, to roll with the punches until the waters calmed again.
You deserved better and he would be the one to show you exactly what you were worth. There was no hesitation, no let’s take our time and figure this out. It was now or never, and when he opened the car door for you... it was game over.
