𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 ˢʰᶦᵏᵃᵐᵃʳᵘ

gentle kisses

Time skip a few lovely months

"Sh-Shikamaru," her voice shook in shock the shogi pieces scattered around the floor and the board itself was thrown aside.

"What do you want!?" he spat as he laid on the floor tears slowly streaming down his face.

"Should we intervene?" Shikaku questioned his wife the both overhearing [y/n] and their son speak.

"No, she knows what she's doing," she reassured her husband as a wife herself she knew [y/n] would be able to handle her son.

"I know the pain you're going through, I mean I've been down this same road, but you can't..." she paused while walking towards the Nara, and then she laid down next to him.

"You can't let that pain it build up inside of you," she finished her sentence and turned her face towards her favorite person.

"I watched everything, I was useless," his voice cracked and the tears streamed faster.

"You weren't useless Shikamaru!" her voice rose as she held the urge to smack him across the face.

"You had the responsibility of protecting not just Asuma, but the team and you had to make a choice,"

"We had him...we stopped him, b-but he outsmarted us, he outsmarted me!" Shikamaru began to sob uncontrollably and out of pure reflex [y/n] wrapped her arms around him.

"Cry Shikamaru, let it out please," she whispered and he began to wrap his arms around her, they embraced each other on the ground.

[y/n] rubbed his back gently and Shikamaru held her closely crying into her chest. That day of Asuma's death was the day he was going to ask her to finally be his girlfriend, but he never did his heart wasn't in the right place.

They laid there until Shikamaru sobs had calmed down. [y/n] could hold him for hours even if her arm felt as if it was going to fall off, she would hold him until he cried all the tears he needs to.

"Don't make the same mistake as I did, let my emotions build up inside of me and I nearly killed a person that I love... so please Shikamaru don't keep that pain inside of you,"

His sobs soaked through her shirt and his hands clenched her back.

"H-How did you do it? H-How did you get over all that pain?" his voice was muffled and the vibration of his voice tickled her chest.

"I didn't get over it Shikamaru, I accepted it, I took it in and let myself feel that pain. I turned it into fuel so I can make a better life for myself and those around me," her hand began to rub the side of his face.

They laid there for what felt like hours but it was only a few moments.

"You're leaving tomorrow right?" Shikamaru finally spoke his voice broken. All he wanted was for her to hold him and never let him go.

"Just for a few weeks, I'm going to scope Orochimaru's lair while Team 7 deals with the Akatsuki, and I'll report straight back so we can all get Sasuke back together," she explained to him.

"You're going alone?"

"Yeah, it's best that way,"

Shikamaru just stayed quiet for another few moments as he held her.

"Come back to me okay?" his voice cracked and his grip grew tighter.

"Shikamaru I'll always come back to you," she knew this was the moment that she would confess her feelings to him. The Uchiha knew Shikamaru wasn't the type to make the first move, so she took into her own hands.