The Assassin's Bride

Waiting on the Nara's safe Return.

Two whole weeks without Shikamaru. Naruto was unbearable by the end of the first week. It was so bad his customers started to notice, but they were all so kind and brought in sweets and stuff for Naruto who they thought was just 'going through a rough patch' which was entirely true.

Naruto still thinks about what Shikamaru Said to him before he left. He told him to be careful, and that nobody could protect him, Naruto nodded and Kissed Shikamaru goodbye and good luck on his mission and watched him drive away. Naruto felt his heart clenched as he saw Shikamaru drive away and he realized.

He may actually love the man.

They would be dating for three months when he comes back from his mission, but the thought of something happening to Shikamaru on said mission makes his heart want to explode out of his chest. He couldn't believe he fell for Shikamaru in such a short amount of time. He looked at the clock and sighed.

12:47am

Did Naruto mention that he was seemingly nocturnal now. He was glad the bakery was closed today but he couldn't help but shake such a nagging feeling, the voice telling him to stay home, stay in bed, stay safe. He listened to the voice and just rolled over in his bed, he closed the window and closed his eyes, thinking of Shikamaru.

~

"Naruto, he'll be home soon, in about three days." TenTen cheered. TenTen, Shino, Kiba, Hinata and Naruto all worked the cafe today. It was Friday their busiest day so they needed all the staff working.

"I know, I just can't shake this feeling." The door opened and Kiba greeted.

"Welcome to Edibles, sit anywhere you like." The men looked gruff but everybody was used to that. Naruto looked up and his eyes widened as he immediately recognized who that was.

"Asuma?" The man that was smoking looked down with a smile.

"Oh Naruto, Shikamaru told me you ran a cafe. Who would've known it was this one?" Naruto smiled and saw that he had a man with blonde hair and blue eyes similar to his own behind him and a man with silver hair and black eyes next to him.

"Speaking of, how is he? I miss him ya know?" The blonde haired man stiffened for a second before looking over the menu:

"He's good, he says he should be home soon." Naruto smiled and exhaled.

"That's good, anyways what can I get for you gentleman?" Naruto asked bright smile on his face and the customers smiled.

"I'll have your Chocolate madness." Asuma Said and Naruto nodded.

"I'll have your pork ramen, with a tea." The blonde said and Naruto smiled.

"That my favorite ramen, it was my mother's too." Naruto gave him a smile and the man nodded.

"I'll have your sweet and spicy dango, green tea to drink." The silver haired Said and Naruto nodded.

"I'll bring that too you." Naruto went to hand that to Shino. Minato held his head down and Kakashi and Asuma nodded.

"So it seems Shikamaru's hunch was correct, did Kushina tell you she was expecting?" Kakashi said lowly and Minato shook his head.

"She dumped me, two weeks after we did it, she told me she couldn't deal with the darkness anymore, I didn't know she was pregnant." Asuma kept his head down.

"You should talk to him, looks like he's inherited most of what Kushina is." Minato nodded and the food came.

"Why so sullen boys? Food here, although Asuma you should eat more than Chocolate ice cream on a triple fudge brownie covered in chocolate sauce." Naruto scolded and Asuma chuckled.