Nagging Feelings

1

"No thanks, I got stuff to do." Shikamaru replied waving his hand in dismissal.

Asuma looked after Shikamaru surprised, he has never passed up going out to BBQ. Asuma sighed and took another drag of his cigarette, he owed Ino now. She had told Asuma that he shouldn't waste his time but he never thought she would be right.

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"So where's Shikamaru?" Ino asked as Asuma sat down by Choji. Even though she knew the answer, she just wanted to see what Asuma said.

"He said he had thing to do. Since when does he ever do anything?" Asuma asked shaking his head.

Ino gave a small sad smile, she knew exactly why Shikamaru hadn't come. It looked like he finally got tired of teasing himself. It was almost poetic, in a dark and demented way, but still poetic.

Ino had figured it out two weeks after Shikamaru had become a Chūnin, she had caught him smoking and she had asked him if he started because their sensei smoked. She had watched him slide his hand down his face muttering out something that sounded like "Such a drag." Which had told her right there that he had in fact started because of Asuma Sensei.

But she never knew why until a few months after when he had come over and kissed her, shocking her beyond belief. He then pulled back, sighing and apologized, she remembers asking him what the hell was going on. His reply was "Why can't I just like girls? It would make my life easier. God this is such a drag." He had slumped agents her house looking down at the ground.

Ino was shocked that he kissed her but she couldn't say she was surprised, that Shikamaru was gay. "Come in and we can talk. Come on, up you go." Ino told him helping him up to his feet. She had taken him to her room and shut the door "OK Shikamaru what's going on?" She asked as she got out her Shogi and set it in front of him. She knew he like this game, she was so bad at it but she didn't think it mattered at that time.

Shikamaru groaned and dropped his head into his hands. "I have a crush on Asuma Sensei." He told her making Ino freeze.

"You what?" She asked calmly not believing what she just heard.

Shikamaru looked up into her eyes glaring at her a little "I said, that I have a crush on Asuma Sensei and I don't have a fucking clue what to do about it." He snapped at her. Making Ino cock her head, she can't remember when she ever saw Shikamaru lose his cool.

"I'm sorry...I have no clue how to help you out here." Ino said giving him a sympathetic look.

"I know, let's just play. Hopefully I'll get over it." Shikamaru dismissed. And that's what they did all night, not one of them bring it back up.

"Don't worry Asuma Sensei, Shikamaru has his days where he just wants to be alone." Choji said intently looking at the cooking food. Not really worried about Shikamaru.

Ino smiled "Yeah I'm sure he'll be back to eating with us soon." Even as she said it she knew it was a lie.

Asuma sighed at Ino's lie but didn't call her out on it. Why did he feel something was going on with Shikamaru and Ino was trying to cover for him? What the hell were those two hiding?

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Shikamaru looked out into the pond watching the fish swim, it had been three weeks since Asuma found him smoking. He figured Asuma had figured out that he was trying to avoid him. Although Shikamaru wasn't really trying to be nonchalant about it, every time Asuma came up to him, it didn't matter if he was with Ino, or Choji, or someone else; Shikamaru would tell them he had to go and walked the other way.