Sunlight Casts a Shadow

9

Naruto and Shikamaru were laying in Shikamaru's bed, the Pineapple comforting his Sun. Shikamaru was worried about his Sun. The blond was taking short, rasping breaths, and they didn't sound right.

Pineapple finally shook the blond, trying to wake him up. "Naru? Wake up. I need to know you're ok. Please talk to me."

Naruto was turning his head side to side, as if he were having a horrible nightmare.

Shikamaru began shaking him, worried that Naruto would hurt himself. "Naru, wake up. It's a nightmare. I'm right here!"

Naruto sat up shaking, not quite fully awake. "Shika, no! Don't leave! Please!"

Naruto's dream

Naruto was running toward shikamaru, looking forward to spending another day with his crush. However, the second the Pineapple saw him, there was a look of hatred on his face. It was a look that Naruto didn't recognize on his crush's face.

"Hey, Shika!" Naruto wasn't sure why his crush looked so angry.

"Don't use that friendly name with me, you freak," Shikamaru said back, his tone disgusted.

Naruto was shocked. He couldn't understand why his crush was talking to him in a cruel way. "Shi..ka...?"

"Stay away from me! I don't want to be around you anymore! You're just a monster!"

Shikamaru started walking away, Naruto reaching out his hand and trying to chase after him. "Shika, no! Don't leave! Please!"

"Naru, I'm not leaving. I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here with you. Wherever you go, I'll be there, right by your side. I-I love you..."

That sentence snapped Naruto out of his horrible nightmare. He snapped back to reality, and looked at the Pineapple next to him, holding him so close. His eyes glossed over with tears and he clung to Shikamaru.

"Shika! Please don't leave me! Even if you learn my secret, please don't leave me! I couldn't live if you did!" Naruto sobbed into the Pineapple's shoulder.

Shikamaru wrapped his arms around the blond and rubbed his back. He whispered in the boy's ear, "If it's the secret I think it is, I already know it, and obviously I haven't gone anywhere. I love you too much to do something like that to you. Trust me."

Naru looked up at Shikamaru. He stared into the Pineapple's dark eyes, and saw the truth. The boy knew his secret already, and obviously didn't care.

"You know about my secret?" Naruto whispered back. He wasn't sure if he believed him or not.

"The truth about your birth and the night of the Kyūbi attack? Yes, I know that. And I think I'm a fair judge of character when I say that, you, and he are not the same being. You may share a body, so to speak, but there is a difference. You simply keep him within yourself, but you are in charge. There is a difference between the kunai, and the scroll it's sealed inside. That doesn't change the fact that I love you the way you are."

Naruto's tears spilled over. Shikamaru liked him for himself, and didn't care about the power trapped within him.

Then he realized the words that Shikamaru had admitted twice. "Sh-Shika, did... did you mean it? What you said?"

"Did I mean what?" Shikamaru knew exactly what Naruto was asking, but he wanted to make Naruto say it, because he needed to find out if Naruto felt the same way.

"Did you mean it wh-when you said y-you l-loved me...?"

"I did, Naru. I do love you. I really do. I'm not sure if you'll ever believe me, but—."