What A Drag... || Shikamaru x reader

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Edited: 01/06/24

Reuploaded: 06/06/24

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A/n, 2024: sobbing as I edit this because numb by Abe Parker is playing in the background and this is the saddest fucking scene, just give me a minute—

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We returned to the village and told Tsunade everything.

"I'll tell Kurenai," she sighed.

"No, let me," Shikamaru objected, Tsunade looked at him surprised for a moment.

"Ok," she agreed without much of an argument before we left her office, and I was about to walk home when Shikamaru grabbed my wrist and pulled me into a hug.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to him, "I wasn't strong enough to help him."

He stepped away and looked at me sadly.

"It wasn't your fault. You fought as hard as you could. Don't blame yourself. It's your fault your ice isn't working how it's supposed to," he told me, I laughed a little and sighed, resting my forehead against his as we hugged.

"You're not the one who is supposed to be consoling me. I'm supposed to be consoling you," I sighed, he looked at me sadly and then looked away.

I pulled his face back to looking at me by gently guiding it with my hand and looked at him seriously, "I am always here. For you. I will always be here for you. Just like you were there for me, I will be for you. I swear."

He stared at me for a moment before nodding, dropping his head on my shoulder and staying like that for a moment before pulling away and parting us again.

"Come with me to Kurenai sensei's flat(/apartment)?" he asked me, I nodded.

He didn't really have to ask me to be honest, I probably would've circled around there on the way home anyway.

"Ok, let's go then," I offered him my hand and he took it, holding it tightly and we walked to Kurenai's flat(/apartment). The closer we got the more Shikamaru slowed, and we ended up walking with me walking just slightly ahead, keeping hold of his hand and pulling him along behind me. We reached the doors and he stopped.

I looked back at him to see him looking up at the building almost like it was a hundred floors tall and looming over him like some kind of terrifying monster.

"I'll tell her alone if you want," I told him, looking at him softly. He shook his head but didn't move.

"I'll be right by your side. I won't leave," I told him, he squeezed my hand and then let it go before forcing himself through the doors. Following him into the building we walked up the stairs to the top floor and then walked to the end of the hallway until we reached the door.

Shikamaru took a deep breath before raising his hand and knocking. Kurenai opened the door almost instantly but when she saw us she seemed to get disappointed before forced herself to cheer up.

"Hello, Kurenai," I greeted her, my voice betraying the smile I'd managed to put onto my face, immediately it fell away as she frowned at us.

"Shikamaru, y/n," she greeted us, Shikamaru looked at her sadly, "what's the matter, Shikamaru?"

"Kurenai. I'm sorry I have to tell you this but..." he trailed off before regaining himself, "Asuma... he was killed. He died during our mission today."

We were all silent and I watched as her face saddened and then a tear escaped from her eye before the words registered. She fell to her knees and started crying. Shikamaru didn't move so I knelt down in front of her and pulled her into a hug.

"He's... he's..." she grabbed onto me tightly and sobbed uncontrollably into my shoulder. Shikamaru fell down next to us and hugged us both. He told her what Asuma wanted her to know which just caused her to cry more.

When she calmed down she looked at us sadly before saying goodbye and going back into her home. Shikamaru and I stood there for a bit before we both left. Not talking just in silence until we reached the split in the road to my home.

"So... I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked him, he avoided all eye contact with me, "or whenever..."

He stayed quiet and I just sighed before walking away. He's sad and not letting it out.

I didn't reach my house before I decided to turn around, I started walking towards the K.I.A stone, Shikamaru wasn't where I'd left him anymore. He's probably gone to his parents' house.

"Hey, Dad," I knelt down in front of the stone, "do you remember Asuma? You know, the guy with the weird black hair who always smoked? Yeah, well, he's up with you now so... look after him, will you?"

I've found myself in front of this stone a lot recently.

"How are you and Mum? Getting along well I hope... Things over here are pretty rocky, Asuma's death has affected a lot of people. He was a great man, I only really became good friends with him recently because he was always visiting me, bugging me about Shikamaru and telling me random things about him and how I can take him down and such. Speaking of.. uh—Shikamaru... he's grieving but he's not letting anything out. He needs to but he is just stubborn that way, like I was when Mum died," I continued, chuckling lightly at the memory of Asuma, "I remember I used to say that I would not cry, I would stay strong and smile forever because Mum died but she didn't die in vain. She left a mark on me that I would forever keep, that was her love as a Mother, as short as the time was."

I don't know what to do for Shikamaru.

I don't think he needs sweet words and hugs like I did but I just—I don't know what I can do for him.

"She was a great lady," someone's voice piped up, I turned to see Uncle Sora, "sorry, I was just leaving the Hokage's office and saw you walking this way and decided to take a look."

I took a deep breath and composed myself before forcing a smile.

"Welcome to Konohagakure, Uncle," I welcomed him.

"I heard everything," he admitted, kneeling down next to me, "Asuma would be proud that you're watching over his beloved."

"How would you know?" I asked him.

"I just know you will. There must've been a special someone in this village," he replied, tapping the side of his nose before sighing and tracing the names of my Mother and Dad.

"Hello, big brother, sister-in-law," he greeted them, "it's been a long time. I'm sorry, f/n, I was the wrong one when we last spoke, you were completely correct, I see that now. M/n, I'm looking after your daughter as much as I can, I swear. But I need to break my promise to you, I need to tell her who you really are because it's affecting her now. She knows. She needs to know. Please don't hate me for this. I'd like to meet you again in peace if at all possible, thank you."

"She won't. My Mother was kind that way," I told him before bowing to the stone, "goodbye, Mum and Dad. Until next we meet."

I stood and my Uncle followed.

"Let's talk," I told him, he nodded, and I led him back to the l/n clan's land once again.