Chapter Text
He’s tired of everyone in his class and school itself, and suddenly… He hears grunts? It’s weird, as the abandoned training ground is usually empty. Then he sees him. Naruto Uzumaki. Oh Naruto, Naruto, Naruto… He truly is the sun itself; he shines so bright, with an aura surrounding him.
He can’t breathe, and it catches up to him. “Haaah!” The blond whips his head towards—”Shikamaru?!” “Hah-hey, Naruto.” The lurking man now known as Shikamaru gasps out a response, still catching his breath. “How long have you been here, silly!?” The blond smiles at him, eyes crinkling. “I…" The brunette pauses, catching his thoughts before speaking again, “I wanted to watch the clouds.” Shikamaru says, giving out a short response. “Ah! Yeah… they’re pretty, aren’t they?—Oh! That’s a cumunonimbulos!” Naruto exclaimed, “Cumulonimbus.” Shikamaru corrects, “Yeah! I said that!” Naruto chirps out, “That's— You know what. Sure.” The brunette defeatively says, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Anyways! You wanna train with me?!” Naruto asks happily, giving out puppy eyes, Shikamaru looks away, ears red. “No…” Naruto’s face slowly withers away in despair, “But! Maybe later?” Shikamaru placates, and Naruto’s face beams instantly. “Oh, oh, okay! Well, I'm gonna go back to training, okay!” Naruto states, and the brunette grunts in agreement as he walks towards a tree.
As Shikamaru watches Naruto train, he thinks on his prior conversation. Naruto didn’t use his verbal tic like he usually does when talking. Why is that? Naruto also didn't scream out every word when speaking, his hands weren't all over the place. Naruto was calm. Calm and Naruto should never be in the same sentence, so what was going on?
“Hey! Hey Shika! Come on, let's go! It's gonna rain soon!” Naruto announces, running towards him. Shikamaru glances at the sky, still being blue with minimal clouds, squinting at Naruto. “How do you know?” Naruto smiles at him as if he were stupid. “Smell the air, it shifted.” Shikamaru gawks at the blond. “Smell?” He asks, still baffled. “Yeah? Can't you smell it? Maybe your nose is faulty, hehehe!” Naruto giggles, “Huh… didn't know you knew that word.” The brunette says as Naruto blanches, glares at Shikamaru, and walks away from him.
Shikamaru's eyes widen as he watches his sun walk away, fade away. He doesn't even have to think about it, it was instinct he followed chased after the blond, grabbing Naruto's hand and—“EH?!“ Shika, what are you doing, 'ttebayo'? The blond asks as his long lost verbal tic comes back, the two boys continue running, while the brunette doesn't respond to him, so he decides to stay silent. They run and run and run until…
The two reach Ichiraku's, and Naruto gasps, “OJI-SAN, HEY!” Aaannnddddd now the verbal tics are gone again, weird. Shikamaru thinks, not noticing as Naruto talks to said 'Oji-san’ and a young woman beside him, just standing still, idle to the world around him.
Naruto casually shrieks talks to Oji-san and Ayame-chan.
(*) If I had a family, Oji-san would be the caring grandma! Or is it Granny? Uhhhhhhh, and Ayame would be my big sister cause she’s so nice to me and pretty. All sisters are pretty and nice to younger brothers, and that’s a fact! Iruka would be a brother? No, no, no! I can’t have too many siblings! Iruka can be the mom! But I wanna have a dad too… IRUKA CAN BE THE MOM AND DAD!!! But sometimes Iruka doesn’t like me… he smells like sadness and mad? So can he still be a mom?
Teuchi and Ayame stare at their now silent customer, who once was all joyous a moment ago slowly wither away, muddled with thoughts, it was quite obvious that the boy was inside his head since he could never hide his emotions on his face and another matter on hand there was the Nara heir a few steps from the stand, who too was pondering. As Ayame tries to make conversation with the blond, Teuchi can’t help the pang at his heart to know these kids will become Shinobi, they will experience killing enemy nin and see loved ones die. Teuchi shakes his head at the depressing thoughts, there can’t be three men depressed, and he can't leave poor Ayame to handle the mess!
“— uto, d’ya want fish cake? We've seen how hard you've been working, and we'd like to reward you!” Ayame-chan smiles, and she puts the fish cake in the half-eaten bowl. Naruto stares at it for a moment or two… “Yeah! Thanks, Ayame!” He beams. Ayame-chan shakes her head. “Now Naruto, where are your manners? Call me Ayame-chan! Other kids have started to call Dad "Oji-san" because of you! She says exasperatedly with a fond smile on her face still. “Hey! I’m not a kid, I'm—“ He counts with his hands, "Ten soon!" As he shows all his fingers. “Eleven.” Ayame-chan corrects, “Well, I don’t have that many fingers!” Naruto argues as Teuchi laughs, “Well, he’s right about that.” “DAD don’t enable him!”
As Naruto reverts into his cheerful self, there’s a feeling as if he’s forgotten about something, something important… well, if he’s forgotten it, it must’ve meant it wasn’t important enough.
Naruto continues with his chatter, and Ayame-chan continues trying to teach him manners and other ‘useful’ skills, he smells it, rain. It’s here. “Ah! It’s sprinkling.” Teuchi notes, as he stares? Naruto can’t really tell if Oji-san is bs-ing him.
…shiKAMARU!” Naruto’s mind and throat shouts out. Naruto quickly dashes to Shikamaru, “Oh Shika! I forgot about you!” Naruto bluntly says as he grabs Shikamaru's arm to drag him back to the safe place named ‘Ichirakus ramen’ As the two sit together, “Get anything you want it’s on the house!” Naruto exclaims, before pausing, “…right?” He stares at Oji-san and Ayame-chan with puppy eyes. Teuchi quickly nods, but it’s Ayame-chan's permission he truly needs, but she too slowly relents, “Yes, Naruto, you’re right.” She sighs out as Naruto beams at her, she can’t help but smile back at him. She won’t ever admit it, but she’d let her shop burn just to see him smile.
Shikamaru stares at Naruto unblinkingly. “Naruto, I want us to become closer” and become one, but that goes unsaid. The blond smiles at him. “Oh! You wanna be friends, Shika?” Naruto grins, “I want to feel your warmth around me.” Shikamaru continues, and the two older pair splutter, “Oh? You want a hug? Okay, Shika, I’ll give you all the hugs!” Naruto says but with a confused tone in his voice. “I want-“ A bowl of food slams down in front of him, interrupting his words. “Here's your food!” Ayame-chan says with a strained smile on her face along with her father as the man isn’t faring any better, a grin so tight that it seems to hurt, but of course Naruto the big oaf doesn’t notice.
Hissing sounds surrounds the shop as heavy rain falls around the shop. Naruto looks between the rain and his clothes. “Awh man, now I’m gonna get wet!” He pouts, but a glaring hint of worry shines through his eyes. Ayame-chan chuckles, “I'll lend you my umbrella later, hope you won’t mind how cute it is.” Naruto thinks it over, putting a hand on his chin. “But won’t you get sick, Ayame-chan? I wouldn’t want you to get sick over me…” Naruto states but slowly mumbles, “Ah. It’s fine Naruto, me and dad can share!” She states as she ruffles his hair, the blond easily agrees. “Mmm—okay.” He replies with food in his mouth, “Don’t speak when eating, Naruto.” Ayame-chan shakes her head. “We can share an umbrella too, Naruto.” Shikamaru comments with a gleam in his eyes, not noticing or caring for how the older pair freezes. “Well—“ Oji-san coughs. “Young Shikamaru, I could lend you my umbrella.” Shikamaru glares at the man, “Oh, we wouldn’t want you two to get sick because of us!” He fakely cries out as Naruto nods, “Naruto and I are smaller than you two, We can fit under an umbrella together.” He 'innocently' smiles at the older man, “Yeah, Oji-san, I wouldn’t want you to be sick!” Naruto innocently states, ending any remaining rebuttal from the older pair.
This little Nara is no deer, he is a predator pretending to be prey. Teuchi thinks as he tightly smiles watching the two young men walk towards the Nara compound, shoulder to shoulder. “We got played, Dad.” Ayame remarks, “Yes. Yes, we did.” He responds.
“Uh… Shika, this isn’t the way to my home, 'ttebayo... As the brunette basically drags him to somewhere new, Shikamaru nods. “You're right, we’re going to my house.” So his verbal tic only works when he’s nervous, but why? I hear his tic every day at school. Naruto stiffens. “Shika, I can’t go to where you live, 'ttebayo.” Naruto reports, “You’ll be fine.” The brunette shakes off the blond's concerns as he tries to walk again, a stiff hand now on his shoulder. “Shikamaru. I can’t go to your house, Dattebayo.” Naruto announces once more, looking at Shikamaru more seriously, rain quickly falling down on him. “Why not?” Shikamaru stares at Naruto’s, his blue eyes filled with worry and fear. “Adult—Adults don’t like me or trust me. Shikamaru, I want to be your friend, but I can’t handle how they look at me… like I’m—” A monster going unsaid, the blond now shakes from coldness or fear, who knows. “Naruto.” Shikamaru hugs Naruto, getting himself wet. “I swear my parents won’t be like that, I swear my life to you, and IF they behave like that, I will defend you.” He says as he tightens his hold, Naruto gasps out. “Oh—okay, Shika...” The blond says, but his eyes are still shining with fear, the two walk and walk and walk.
Shikamaru opens his house's door, “Deer, is that you?” Shikamaru grunts a response, “I’m going to my room.” Hiding a shorter blond behind him, “Not so fast, mister! Do you know how late you are?!” He sighs, “Do you even know what time it is!? And look at yourself, you’re all soaked!” The older woman shrieked out, then she heard a shuffle. “And who is that!?” Shikamaru cringes, he really didn’t want his mother to find out about Naruto before his father, speaking of father, steps out behind his mother. “What's going on?” A gruff man’s voice “Your genius son decided to be out in the rain with a little friend of his to go out and get hypothermia! And then bring said friend home!” She cries out, and his father raises an eyebrow. “Is that true?” He stares at his son. “No, I and a friend decided to hang out and then go out to eat, but then it started raining. An employee was nice enough to lend us her umbrella, though it didn’t prove to be helpful as we still managed to get wet.” It was basically the truth if you ignore them getting soaked on purpose.
The man analyzes his son, “Who is your friend anyway? Ino and Chouji would never hide away from us.” The blond tenses before revealing himself, “I’m Naruto Uzumaki… sir.” Naruto says as he plays with his fingers, scared to see the faces of the adults, “Hello Naruto, my name is Shikaku Nara, this is my wife, Yoshino Nara.” The man mentions, “Hi…” The blond shyly waves, still looking down, not noticing the reaction of Yoshino before being able to calm herself, she coughs. “Ahem. Well, you two should take a shower, I’ll find the futon for you, Naruto.” She declares, and Naruto stares, “W—You’ll really let me stay?” His eyes awestruck, she looks away and scratches her cheek. “Well, you don’t suppose that you go home in this heavy rain, right?” Her voice stern, hiding her sadness and anger, her words ending the conversation as she and her husband walk to the kitchen, Shikamaru holds Naruto’s hand as he leads him to his room.
As the two have now washed up and changed, Naruto smelling like Shikamaru and wearing his clothes makes him think that he always wants Naruto to smell like him and wear the Nara clan's clothing. Naruto was about to go to the futon, but Shikamaru stopped him. “Let's talk first.” He pats his bed. “Sit next to me.” The blond sits and says, “What do you wanna talk about, Shika?” The boy asks, “Talk about your training.” Shikamaru doesn’t necessarily demand, but it's clear he wants to know, and the blond obviously complies, he chatters on, and Shikamaru nods his head every so often. The two slowly start to lie down on the bed as the boy continues to talk. Shikamaru doesn’t allow himself to fall asleep yet, he needs to know more about Naruto. Naruto surprisingly falls asleep first.
Shikamaru startlingly wakes up alone, the warmth that he felt last night was long gone. He searches his room for the blond but only sees a note on his nightstand. It reads…
hey shika sorry for leaving I forgot to do some thing and Ill go and wash your cloeths stuff later Ill give them to you today or morrow
ALSO YOU CUTE WHEN YOU SLEEP ITS LIKE A DEER
As Shikamaru reads the poor excuse of a note, he smiles because Naruto wrote him
a note just for him. He glances at his alarm, 6:30AM. “Fuck.”