Chapter Text
You clicked. It was a subtle click, but it was there. Not overly loud, but just high pitched enough to hear when Shikamaru tried to take a nap. You audibly clicked and Shikamaru could not, for the life of him, figure out where the clicking came from.
But what he did know that you were on your way over to him. Between the rhythmic skip of your shoes to the little rattling noise you made, Shikamaru knew exactly who was on their way to interrupt his cloud watching session. He groaned.
You appeared above him. Shikamaru diverted his eyes from your. You stood leaned over. The strands of your hair dangled down to frame your face. Shikamaru was torn between appreciating the way your head blocked the sun from his eyes and being annoyed at the intrusion on his nap time. He looked up at you, fixated on how the light came to wrap itself around your hair like a halo.
“Shikamaru!” You clicked and tilted your head in excitement, letting a beam of light hit his forehead. Shikamaru squinted, moving his hands to shield his eyes. “I knew I’d find you here!” You laughed. Shikamaru groaned again.
“Can’t you see that I’m busy?” You looked up, watching as the clouds moved slowly across the sky. A bit more light poured onto his face. You turned back to the Jounin.
“Very busy!” You giggled. The wind toyed with your qipao. “Well, I know it’s short notice, but I was going to invite everyone out for dinner tonight. My treat! And I was hoping you’d join me.” Shikamaru yawned.
“Yeah, maybe.” He dismissed with little thought, but your face lit up at his answer. You clicked.
“Well if you can make it, it’ll be at Shushu-ya. Seven o’clock, okay?” You beamed at Shikamaru who fought the urge to roll over.
“Yeah, yeah, sure.” He drawled, looking back at the sky. You looked with him.
“I wish I could join you.” The hill bloomed with wildflowers and oversaw the most beautiful view of the town. You grinned at the Jonin. No wonder he liked this spot so much. Your smile faltered but you regained your composure within a second. “But I’ll leave you be. I want you to enjoy the peace.”
Shikamaru paid no mind as you left. He didn’t even notice that you didn’t click when you left.
***
A dull ache pounded in Shikamaru’s back around the time that he decided to go for a walk. It certainly wasn’t cloud watching, but perhaps he could spend some alone time and walk off the soreness in his system.
“Must’ve slept on a fuckin’ rock…” Shikamaru muttered to himself as he made his way down the street. Lost in his thoughts, he completely and uncharacteristically missed the presence of his two teammates slowly sneaking up behind him.
“Talking to yourself, Shika?” Choji appeared, wrapping an arm around Shikamaru’s shoulder with a snicker. Ino appeared on his other side.
“It’s from all that napping.” Ino laughed as she gave a playful wink. Choji removed his arm and plunged it into a bag of potato chips.
“You coming with us to Yakiniku?” He asked between crunches.
“Don’t you mean Shushu-ya?”
“No, Yakiniku. We’re all going tonight.” Shikamaru paused, feeling off put by his friend’s words. He looked up, snapping his fingers as he thought. Ino leaned forward, making awkward eye contact with the Akimichi.
“Who invited me out?... It was-uh… hmm…” He lit up when he remembered. One last snap of his fingers and your name spilled from his lips. Choji snorted.
“Do you mean ‘Tick’?”
Shikamaru furrowed his brow. Ino playfully tugged on his arm.
“That’s the name that Kiba gave her. Isn’t it hilarious?” She snickered with Choji. “You know, because she makes that weird sound-”
“And sucks the life out of everyone.” As the two laughed, they looked to Shikamaru, but it became clear that they found the joke funnier than he did.
“I mean we love her, of course!” Ino backtracked, still snorting as two lead Shikamaru down the street.
“Of course we do!” Choji chimed and rolled his eyes.
“But you know as well as we do that she’s… energetic.”
“Very out there!”
“So will you join us tonight?” Ino questioned. “Everyone’s going to be there.”
Shikamaru let out a sigh.
“Yeah, sure I will.”
***
Shikamaru arrived at Yakiniku Q with his team later that night. Everyone had already settled around a long table. Kiba greeted them with a shout before turning back to referee the eating contest between Naruto and Lee. Sakura waved Ino and Shikamaru over to the other side of the table as Choji made beeline to the contest.
Sakura ordered three more bowls of rice for their new guests. Ino immediately launched into talk with the other women, but Shikamaru sat silently. He found himself in quieter company between Neji and Tenten. Something felt off and to his relief, Neji was ever-quiet. He scanned the table. Me. Choji. Ino. Naruto. Sakura. Sai. Sasuke hasn’t been in the Leaf in years. Lee. Tenten. Neji. Hinata. Kiba. There was someone missing.
Shikamaru tried to tear his mind away from the thought as a plate of beef appeared at the table. He stared down at his rice, the feeling of missing something gnawing at his core.
“His head’s been up in the clouds all day, don’t mind him.” Ino’s voice briefly snapped him out of his thoughts. He let out a hum that caused a laugh to go around the table.
“Hinata asked how your day was.” Sai leaned to tell him. His face remained stoic, but a sparkle of amusement shone in his eyes.
“Ah, sorry,” Shikamaru drawled, “I’ve been alright.” With that, the conversation quickly moved on.
Shikamaru pursed his lips. Another sweep of the room. Perhaps if he counted everyone again he would see that nothing was out of place. He breathed sharply. Choji. Ino. Myself. Sakura. Hinata. Tenten. Neji. Lee. Naruto. Sai. Kiba. Again, no Sasuke.
“Wait.” A few heads turned towards the Jounin. He swept over the row of eyes. Shikamaru recounted. “Where’s (Y/N)?”
The table fell silent. Shikamaru repeated himself, locking eyes with Hinata who quickly looked away.
He stood, ignoring the shouts that came from behind him as he swiftly left Yakiniku Q.
***
Shikamaru found you sitting alone at a table for fifteen at Shushu-ya. A bundle of balloons sat tied to a weight next to you. When he spoke your name, your head snapped up. You hastily wiped away the tears that brimmed in your waterline.
“Oh, Shikamaru!” You tried to smile. “You made it.”
He took you in. Your eyes were red and puffy. He took in your smile. Unconvincing. His face contorted into something bittersweet.
Shikamaru came around the table and picked up the balloon weight.
“C’mon.” He extended a hand out to you. “Let’s find a smaller table.”
“What?” Shikamaru scratched his temple.
“This table is way too big. C’mon, let’s find a better spot. I’ll pay.”
You took his hand and Shikamaru signaled to the waiter that you would be moving. Choosing a random table for two, he pulled out a chair for you. You thanked him and he sat across from you. He glanced down to your bunched fist.
“What’s that?”
“Oh.” You blushed, opening your palm to reveal a small clicker. “I like to use it when I’m happy. It kinda grounds me, you know? It helps me to appreciate things in the moment.”
Shikamaru took the small device. Turning it around in his hand, he inspected it. You gave him a bashful smile.
“I know, it’s dumb.” You lowered yourself sheepishly.
Click.
Your eyes shot up.
Click. Click. Click.
“Happy Birthday.” He congratulated you softly. You gave him a warm smile.
“Thank you.”