It All Started With A Smell

Interruptions

There was a weight pressed into his chest. Even with all the aches and pains in his body it didn't hurt that much. With a tired grunt he opened his eyes, blinking away the sleep. He almost laughed when he saw Naruto was the weight. She had tangled herself around him like an octopus, one leg wrapped around his hips, her head in the dip of his shoulder, and an arm hugging his chest. Half her torso was draped over his, pressing her chest into his in a distracting manner. He could feel a damp spot on his skin close to Naruto's mouth and chuckled, realising she was drooling in her sleep. One of Shikamaru's arms was around Naruto's back, after having pushed up her shirt to sit on her skin. He didn't remember doing so but instead enjoyed the feel of her skin under his callused palm. His touch made Naruto squirm in her sleep. Her exposed stomach rubbed against Shikamaru's as she practically laid on top of him. It was easy to take a moment and forget that the village was broken, that his leg was in a cast, that his system felt raw and blistered after nearly burning out over chakra excessive use. Instead he just took the time to enjoy having Naruto pressed tight against him.

He finally noticed the pressure in his abdomen that signified an urgent need to use the bathroom. With a sigh, he tried to move Naruto's shoulder, only to find she wouldn't move. Stroking her cheek, he looked down at the blonde.

"Naruto, I need to get up."

The woman frowned. "Kakashi-Sensei, you can't swim in a lake full of pudding!" With that she rolled away from Shikamaru, sprawling over the other side of the bed.

"I'm not even going to ask." Free of the blonde suction cup, he grabbed his crutches and made his way to the bathroom. When he was done he made his way the lounge room to identify the voices he heard.

"Shikamaru!"

His breath was knocked out of him when a small figure barrelled into him, wrapping their arms around him.

"I'm so sorry. I tried to get down there and help you both, I swear."

Putting an arm around Hinata, he patted her shaking back. It was lucky that he had wiped Naruto's drool off his shoulder. "I know, Hinata. I heard your clansmen held you back, and I'm thankful."

"She broke his nose," Neji stated, a smirk on his face. For Neji that one smirk was the equivalent of rolling on the floor laughing.

Hinata rounded on her cousin, her face scarlet. "I didn't mean to! And I've apologised profusely for it."

"It's alright, Nara men like feisty woman," Ryota waved off, making Hinata's blush darken and Neji to glare.

"Stay away from my cousin!" Neji growled.

"Oh, Ryota, still making women feel uncomfortable, I see," Ino laughed.

Shikamaru's mother came into the room carrying a plate of cookies. He had no doubt she and Choji's mother were baking food to take to those ninjas still working. The two women liked to keep their hands busy. Yoshino put the plate on the coffee table before looking from Shikamaru to Choji and back.

"Boys, did you know Naruto is claustrophobic?"

Shikamaru looked at Choji, who wore the same confused look as he did. Slowly, the two of them, along with Neji, all made the same noise. "Ohhh."

"That explains a lot."

He had no doubt they were all thinking about the earth dome they were trapped in years before and how Naruto had exploded, demanding out. He had thought it was because Naruto wanted to fight the enemy but he could see something was off, that she was panicking, even if no one else could see it. She hid it well. Thinking it over, he actually didn't remember her ever going into small spaces. She even often left her bedroom door open, even when changing. The only time she closed it was when he was with her.