Star Boy ~ Shikamaru x Fem Reader

Chapter 2

Shikamaru stares at Asuma across the shogi board, but when his sensei meets his gaze, he lowers his eyes.

"Something on your mind, Shikamaru?" He always went to visit his sensei for a late-night game of shogi whenever he couldn't sleep. Always watching the clouds, that one; the darkness unsettled him. However, taking too long to make his move was unlike him and Asuma knew this.

"No," he plainly replied as he made his move. Asuma's brow furrowed as his eyes caught the clear lack of strategy in his student's last move. Shikamaru was a lazy one but never was he without a game strategy.

"Hmm... it's a girl." Shikamaru's face slightly turned a pale pink.

"Asuma Sensei, you know how I feel about women," he replied, rolling his eyes. 'Nice save, idiot.' Asuma let out a small chuckle at this, moving his own piece.

"Is it that y/n girl?"

"Eugh, no, I can't stand that girl with the scent," he scoffed, his true feelings still hiding behind his blush from before. By 'scent,' he meant the distinct sweet aroma you give off, somehow only in Shikamaru's presence. You thought it had something to do with your earth jutsu but never discussed it with anybody seeing as how they couldn't detect it. The other boys would swear he was losing his mind whenever he brought it up, even Kiba with his impressive sense of smell couldn't pick up on your earthly scent. Though the two of you never spoke of it to each other, you both thought of it as a special thing only the two of you shared, even if they believed the feeling wasn't mutual.

"Right, her scent," Asuma rolled his eyes. 'That boy always hallucinates something around her, I swear.' "You and that girl have known each other for, how long has it been now?"

"Seems like forever," he answered, feeling a smile tugging at the corners of his lips but forcing it down. "A little too long, I guess..." he continued under his breath at the thought of knowing he had growing feelings for you. He'd hoped Asuma hadn't seen that.

Shikamaru made his final move, ending the game, catching Asuma's surprised face before getting up to leave. 'So, he did have a strategy in the back of his mind even when he was thinking of his little girlfriend,' Asuma thought, smiling, standing up as well.

He gently tugged his student's ponytail before saying,

"Get some sleep, Shikamaru, I know how you feel about women," he winked.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at this, knowing he won't be getting too much sleep when he got home anyway. 'You've never liked her before, why would you now?' The cold night air hit him as he left Asuma's place, admiring the stars as he walked him. He passed Naruto's flat, as well as Choji's house, Kiba's, Shino's. He contemplated knocking on their doors to keep his mind off of anything but y/n but stopped himself after remembering it was almost midnight. 'I guess it'll be another night staring out the window.' He knew not to enter through the front door, his mother would hear the noise the hinges make and he'd get in trouble for sneaking out. He walked down the alley and around to the back of his house before catching a glimpse of you turning in your sleep through the window.

Shikamaru felt himself relax into an admiring smile but hit himself in the head after realizing what he'd done. He turned back towards his own house but stopped. 'What would be so wrong if I went to see her anyway? We are best friends.' The word 'friends' stuck in his head for a little longer as he contemplated the thought. 'Best friends,' 'friends,' 'just friends,' Shikamaru. Just friends.

Your bedroom was on the second floor of your house, but a tree rested closely to your window. Shikamaru grabbed a few pebbles from his gravel walkway before stopping right below your window realizing what he was doing.

'Am I really going to throw pebbles at her window right now?' He let out a quiet chuckle at himself, careful not to have you hear him. They hit the window with a few clicks and small thuds as they fell back to the ground. Shikamaru felt joy arise inside of him when he saw faint light flicker on from your window almost directly after the pebbles hit.