18: New Chapter of Our Lives

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A/N - Soooooo, hehe, this chapter was actually almost finished like three days after I posted the last chapter - it probably needed some decent editing at most, but it was nearly done. Then, I had a vivid dream that I had to include in this chapter because we all need some good Shikamaru in our lives, right? Not gonna say anything because, obviously, this is the beginning author's note hehe.

Granted, it shouldn't have taken as long as it did for me to post by simply just adding a little bit here and there. However, I did say I was gonna take a small little vacation for my birthday, which didn't actually happen because my entire family got COVID. Then I had an extremely terrible week both at home and at work, literally just wanted to curl into a ball and cry myself to sleep. But that, was the previous week, and this is a new week, so I'll just write and try not to think about my feelings for a while.

Okay, that's enough out of me for now! Hoping to get paid in a couple days to spoil myself but, you know. Until next time, everyone, hope you enjoy the chapter!

It was late into the next morning, nearly almost eleven by the time Shikamaru groggily woke up. His dark eyes peeled open, blinking sleepily with no real energy - for some reason, he felt completely worn out. The black-haired boy lifted his head slightly off his pillow before almost immediately finding himself groaning in annoyance when the sun flittering through his window somehow made its way directly into his eyes. The Nara heir tried to turn over to escape the sun's rays but found himself unable to twist his legs and upper body. Shikamaru blinked deeply, nose scrunched up and forehead wrinkled, as if blinking harder would make himself wake up; he blamed the logic on being sleepy. It wasn't until after a rather unceremonious yawn that he finally noticed why he couldn't move.

Or rather who.

Naruto, who was still sound asleep, had one of his arms thrown around his best friend's waist, hand tightly wound in Shikamaru's dark-colored shirt. Both of their knees and ankles tangled tightly underneath the covers, the Nara heir trying to shift away but finding himself stuck. His best friend's other arm had wound up between their bodies, one of the blond's bandaged hands holding onto Shikamaru's tightly, the taller of the two staring at it with a slowing reddening face. They were so close, their noses nearly touching, both just breathing in each other's exhale.

It was surreal, the difference between last night when they were so close versus waking up still wound up in this closeness. Shikamaru had been almost completely sure of himself, confident when he'd climbed into his bed with his best friend - he'd even asked the blond to shift so he could make room for his own body in the small bed. But in the morning? The Nara heir couldn't stop himself from the shy embarrassment taking over him. Why is he like this? His mother would call him bipolar. The longer he stayed in this position though, the more his eyes were starting to widen, Shikamaru taking their position in once more before his gaze trailed up towards the jinchuuriki's face.

Naruto's face was smashed up against one of the black-haired teen's three pillows, dried drool trailing down his chin and soaking through the pillowcase. In the back of his mind, Shikamaru felt that he needed to feel grossed out over it, but couldn't muster up the disgust. His eyes searched the blond's face, finding faded lines flowing down his face and over the scars on his cheeks. The black-haired teen sighed, remembering the tear-tracks from the previous night. Had Naruto cried during his sleep? Shikamaru hoped not. The previous day had already been a nightmare for the other teen, he didn't want his dreams to be one as well. Despite that though, his face seemed to be filling with color again, which was a good sign considering how pale and shaken Naruto was at the hospital.

Shikamaru reached a hand out before any sensible thing in his head could stop him, brushing a strand of hair out of his best friend's face, his dark calculating eyes still taking in the other boy's features. He hadn't ever realized how dark the scars on Naruto's face were until they were only a few inches from each other, a thumb trailing across them in thought. The blond-haired teen sighed deeply, snuggling into his hand. It was that single motion that had the Nara heir realizing that his fingers had lingered on Naruto's face for too long, hand jumping away as if it'd been lit on fire.

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