Troublesome.-Shikamaru love story-

Chapter Three: Change?

"Ame," a voice said repeatedly whilst poking me on the cheek each time."Five more minutes," I grumbled, not caring who it was as long as I could continue to sleep. I heard the person gasp and my eyes flew open. I figured it'd be Shikamaru since I fell asleep next to him. I looked up to spot my older brother by two minutes, Kiba. He stared at me wide eyed. "Do it again," he begged. I gave him a confused look, pretending I didn't know what he was talking about. "Ame, I haven't heard you talk in two years. Please, do it again," he implored, on his knees and all. I sighed and looked down feeling fairly defeated. I hated seeing Kiba upset, I really did. Usually, though, I could pretty much ignore it. Now that he was in my face, however, it's basically impossible.

I looked beside me to give Shikamaru a look that asks for help only to see nothing but the grass and fallen cherry blossoms beside me. "He had to go somewhere," Kiba told me as he sat in Shikamaru's spot. For some reason Akamaru wasn't with him. "Ame, you know mom just gets mad because she's worried, right?" Kiba asked. I nodded. I knew mom was worried, but her concern didn't stop the nightmares that consume me. Nightmares. My eyes widened when I realized that I didn't have a nightmare. It seemed like one at first, but it faded into blissful nothingness. I wasn't drunk, though. I didn't understand how this was possible.

"You know, in order to get her to change you have to change too," he told me, obviously completely unaware of my phenomenon. "Change," I whispered the word to myself. Of course, Kiba's acute hearing heard me. "You did it!" Kiba shouted excitedly. He jumped up and pulled me up with him. He had a huge grin on his face as he hugged me super tight. He pulled away quickly and looked at me with an unsure pout. "You and Shikamaru aren't..." He trailed off and my eyes widened. I threw my hands up and shook them in defence."N-no!" I practically shouted. He sighed and his whole body relaxed. "Good. My baby sister is too good for any of the low lifes in this village," he said. I didn't even bother reminding him that he was only older than me by two minutes.

I mumbled a soft goodbye to Kiba, so quietly any one that wasn't an Inuzuka wouldn't have heard, before taking off to find Shika. I knew a lot of people thought our spending so much time together all the time was weird. Everyone always expected some type romance from it, but it wasn't like that. Shikamaru and I got along from the moment we met at the Academy. We were best friends from the start. We fought beside and protected each other during the war, of course we were close. How couldn't we be? Yes, we've fought, but never stayed mad at each other for more than a couple of hours. Simply because without each other we were bored. Sure, we had plenty of other friends, but Shika and I just clicked differently than we did with any of them. Now, though, I don't really have any friends. I stopped talking and, last time I checked, friendship requires communication.

I walked to the Nara compound and knocked on his door. Praying to Jashin, Kami, or whoever was out there that he would be home. Naturally, he wasn't. Just my luck. Yoshino tried to get me to stay for some tea, but I declined. I had to find Shika. I had one word on my mind. Change. I wanted to change, but how could I? Is it even possible for someone to change for the good? I had no clue and I was hoping Shika would. After walking around the village a little and I face palmed myself. How I didn't realize where he was before is beyond me. It should've been the first place I looked. I went back to the Nara compound and went to the roof of his house. There he was, laying down watching the clouds. "I was beginning to wonder what was taking you so long," he said, a stupid smirk crawling onto his face. I rolled my eyes even though he wasn't looking at me and took my place beside him.

We lay there for a moment in silence, just watching the sky as a few clouds rolled by. "Shika?" I asked quietly. He "hm?"d in response. "How do you change?" I asked reluctantly. I was sorta nervous I sounded like a complete idiot asking such a childish question. "Change?" He asked cocking an eyebrow as he turned his head to the side to look at me. I nodded, blush creeping onto my cheeks. "Why do you want to change?" He asked sort of confused. "Kiba said in order to change my mother I have to change," I explained. "I think you're perfect the way you are," he said casually as if he said this completely obvious thing he says everyday- which isn't the case. I felt my face heat up even more and something stir inside of me. It made me feel almost happy to know that he thought I was 'perfect'. I don't know why I reacted this way, it's only Shikamaru.

"If you want to change, you can start by talking more. I don't mean just to me, I mean to others," he said after a few moments of a slightly awkward silence. I sighed. "There's a reason I don't-" I started but he cut me off. "I know, but loosing people is part of life. Besides, you'll have me around so you can count on something constant," he promised. I smiled a closed mouth smile at that, my canines poking out from under my top lip. "Also, you could put a stop to those drinking binges of your's," I knew he hated when I drank, just like I hated when he smoked. He hated that I was destroying myself and I hate that he was destroying himself. "You know I'll have nightmares if I don't," I said quietly, sort of ashamed I let something like that control my life like it did. "I'll make you a deal," he said taking his pack of cigarettes from his pocket. I glared at the pack. Then he stood up and walked to the edge of the roof and I followed.

"You give up your drinking and I'll give up my smoking," he said giving me a look that said "deal?" I looked at him worriedly. "If you have any nightmares just come get me, okay?" He reasoned. I nodded. Then he threw, with all his might, the pack of cigarettes off the roof top. It had to have left the compound with all the force he put into it. Then he opened his arms and I walked into them. Our bodies melted together in a warm hug.

I would finally be changing, I just hoped Kiba was right about this. "Troublesome man," I sighed jokingly, mocking him. He chuckled and shook his head.

A/N: this was definitely a sucky chapter >.> oh well cx sorry if there are any mistakes I've been doing all this from my phone c':