To Catch a Ghost
Chapter 2
“Move in with you,” Shikamaru stated, one slim eyebrow raised. He knew that repeating the question wasn’t exactly the most intelligent response, but seeing the question itself he figured he had the right to be dumbfounded.
Kakashi smirked. “Move in with me.”
“Uh,” the Nara genius mumbled, “why?”
“Because I want you to.”
“And why do you want me to?”
“Because I love you.”
There was an awkward moment where Nara Shikamaru let his brain spin and spew out two hundred possibilities regarding what could possibly make the Hatake Kakashi said such a thing and a ten-step-ahead prediction for each response for all those possibilities. As always, he chose the safest possibility which was that it was a joke, and he chose the safest response which was to ask, “Seriously, why?”
“Seriously, I love you.”
“You know what, I give up. What is this? What are you trying to pull? If this is some sort of prank-bet you have going with your friends, I want a cut.”
“The truth, nothing, and there’s no bet.”
“The truth,” Shikamaru parroted again. “Which means you really…”
“Love you, yes.”
“Oooh-kay.” Shikamaru took a deep drag of his cigarette. “Would it be too much to hope that you… you know… like you do Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke? And that you want me to move in with you because you’re concerned about the way I live?”
“Hm… let me rephrase, then. I’m in love with you. So yes, it would. And you know that already since I wouldn’t have had sex with you if that was how I saw you.”
“Tsk. How troublesome.”
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“Awesome!” squealed a four-year-old as a box was opened. “Where did you get these?”
Shikamaru smiled. “I have my ways.”
“Will you teach me how to use them, too? All of them?”
“Sure. And when I’m not around, you can always ask Chouji, Ino, Kiba, Shino or Hinata. Or you can ask Okaasan to teach you.”
“Ask me to teach him what?” Kurenai asked as she walked in with a tray.
“Kaasan, look! Shikamaru-nii gave me weapons!”
“He what?!”
“Fake weapons,” Shikamaru interjected, taking the box away from the boy and showing it to Kurenai. “This is a mini-weapon set. All blunt and made of plastic. Very light, perfectly safe.”
“Uh-huh, and he said you’ll teach me how to use them. You will, right? Right?”
Kurenai gave Shikamaru a slight glare before smiling to her son. “We’ll see about that. Now go change and brush your teeth. It’s passed your bed time already. I’ll be there in just a minute.”
“Okay,” the boy said happily before taking the box and scurried away.
Shikamaru chuckled at the sight before he saw Kurenai’s smile and realized he was in big trouble. “Um, what did I do?”
“Mini-weapon set?”
“Would you prefer a tea set?”
“Smartass.”
“What’s wrong with a boy playing with plastic kunai and shuriken anyway?”
“Nothing, I guess. All boys his age are crazy about being a ninja. Actually, it’s better for him to have those things rather than trying to get his hands on real ones like other kids tend to do.”
“So then…”
“I… don’t know. It’s just that he reminds me of Asuma so much that I… Never mind. I was just being emotional. Damn, I hate it when that happens.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize this would upset you. If you want, I can take it back and-”
“Are you crazy?” Kurenai laughed. “Did you see how happy he was? If you take it away, he’ll hate both of us.”
“He’ll hate us, but he’ll get over it. I’ll give him a stuffed deer for recompense.”
“You gave him a stuffed deer when he was two.”
“It’s all raggedy now. He needs a new one.”
“He named it Shika and can’t sleep without it. Believe me, he does not want a substitute deer.”
“Oh… I didn’t know that.”
“What, you didn’t know you’re his favorite uncle?”
“Ew, don’t use ‘uncle’, I’m not that old. Besides, I thought Kiba was his favorite.”
“Kiba gets him in trouble. You get him out of trouble. Which is why although you’re his favorite, you’re not mine. Seriously, Shikamaru, the only times he ever got grounded is when you weren’t here to manipulate me into changing my mind.”
“Heh, sorry about that. I just can’t help myself.”
“I know,” chuckled the former kunoichi before sipping her tea. “Besides, that is one cool toy set you just gave him. Where did you get something like that?”
“Like I told him, I have my ways.”
“Yeah, right. You can’t play that card with me. Seriously, where did you get them? I’ve never seen toys like that. They look almost real.”
“I saw them in Suna when I went there a couple of weeks back,” answered Shikamaru, lifting his own teacup and sipping. “They use them for real training, actually. You know how militaristic those people are.”
“They train four-year-olds? I mean, really train them?”
“Why are you so surprised? Clans or parents here do it too, sometimes.”
“Your clan trained you since you were four?”
“Ah… no. Now back to topic, I asked Temari if I could have some of those plastic weapons and she said she would see what she could do. The package arrived this afternoon.”
“That’s really nice of her.”
“Um, yeah. Look, Kurenai, I’m really sorry about this. I can just take it back, really. I don’t mind if he hates me for a while.”
“No, don’t take it back. It’s really okay. But you know, there is something that you can do to make it up to me.”
“Name it. I’ll do it,” the young Nara offered, drinking his tea.
“Move in with Kakashi.”
Shikamaru thought he wasn’t a crybaby anymore, but he couldn’t stop the tears from bursting out when hot tea sprayed out of his nose. Luckily, it only took a few seconds for him to get his breath back -- while Kurenai was busy patting his back and asking if he was alright -- and told the kunoichi to go tend to her son. And after a bit of cajoling and reassuring, Kurenai left, spouting threats of elongated pain if the Nara tried to escape while she tucked her son in.
Now alone, the young shinobi promptly put his fingers together in front of him, frowning for all his worth. What was Kakashi thinking? Last night he had told Kakashi that as much as he was flattered, he had no interest in having a real relationship right now. The Copy-Nin had smiled and said he had known Shikamaru would say that and then thanked the younger man for handling his brutal honesty so well. The air afterwards was a bit awkward, but it was clear that there were no hard feelings and the issue was more or less forgotten -- as well as their friends-with-benefits arrangement.
Kakashi being relentless was among Shikamaru’s many predictions of how the situation would progress, but it was so low on the list that he didn’t think it would actually happen. He thought the man had really let it go but, apparently, he was wrong. Shikamaru hated being wrong, because being wrong meant making wrong calculations. Making wrong calculations meant he would have to make new ones, which was troublesome. Troublesome! Anyway, now he must dissect the current development.
Knowing that almost-impulsive liar, there was no way Kakashi had told Kurenai the whole truth. First of all, he was pretty sure Kurenai wouldn’t have taken sex between him and Kakashi all that well, much less the fact that Kakashi was currently trying to rope him into a relationship. Second of all, from the way Kurenai was actually helping Kakashi, that sexy bastard must’ve conned her into it somehow. In the span of this few minutes, Shikamaru had already thought of plenty of things Kakashi could’ve said to the former kunoichi. He had a pretty good idea what bullshit the Hatake had told her, but he still had to confirm it. He had to talk to Kurenai some more.
As if deliberately following Shikamaru’s train of thoughts, Kurenai walked into the room. “Okay, he’s asleep. You ready to talk now?”
Shikamaru looked up at her as she sat beside him, face neutral as if he hadn’t nearly killed himself by choking on hot tea. “About what?”
Kurenai rolled her eyes. “About why my request nearly killed you.”
The young genius chuckled. “What did Kakashi tell you?”
“That you got paired on an impossible mission, that he was very much impressed by your skills and tactical abilities, that he had seen your apartment and that he’s now concerned about your wellbeing. He said he has a spare room in his apartment and had offered you to be his roommate but you refused.”
Ha! He knew it! Roommate. Right. “Did he say anything else?”
“Well, he rambled on and on about cost-saving and better living conditions. By splitting the rent, you only have to pay a bit more than what you’re paying for where you live now, which is more than worth it since you’ll have a bathroom and a real kitchen. Oh, and a living room, too.”
That was exactly what Shikamaru had guessed, so much so that he wanted to laugh. “Uh-huh. Figures. When exactly did this conversation happen?”
“Hm? Oh, he came here earlier today, just before lunch. He’s my close friend too, you know. He visits me as much as you do.”
Wow, Shikamaru thought, the man sure moved fast. “And you think I should do as he asked because…?”
“Because I hate that closet you call an apartment. Seriously, Shikamaru, that place is a dump.”
“Hey…”
“No, really. I know that you’re saving your money and that the reason you’re still living in that building is because you haven’t found a person that wouldn’t be too troublesome to share rent and living quarters with. Well, Kakashi generally keeps to himself and he’s not a slob. He’s perfect for your taste.”
Funny how Kurenai’s last sentence was processed differently in Shikamaru’s brain than it actually meant. Even funnier, was the way his brain actually agreed. The young genius pushed the thought process aside as he said, “If I say I’ll think about it, will you get off my case?”
“Hm… let me think about that… No.”
There was thick silence as Shikamaru stared hard at the former kunoichi. Kurenai was never pushy. She was a caring and loving woman, but she was the kind that lets you do your thing without fussing. The Nara suddenly smirked. “Oh, wow. That was good. You almost got me.”
Kurenai twirled her hair uncharacteristically. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I can’t believe this,” Shikamaru laughed. “You didn’t buy Kakashi’s bullshit at all, did you?”
Knowing that her ruse was discovered, Kurenai laughed. “Oh, please. I was once one of the best kunoichi in this village. I could probably read body language better than the two of you geniuses put together, regardless of the fact that I’m now retired. Besides, I’ve known Kakashi for years, and the only times he would ramble is when he’s lying or covering something up -- like when he had to explain to his genin team why he was two hours late.”
“And you’ve been pushing me to take his offer so I’d get frustrated and blab?”
“Pretty much,” answered the red-eyed woman with an unrepentant grin. “Too bad it didn’t work. I must be losing my touch.”
Shikamaru chuckled. “Nah, you haven’t lost your touch. I’m just too smart for you.”
“Jeez, modest much?” Kurenai scoffed before her expression turned serious again. “Okay, Shikamaru. To be honest, while I am curious about what’s really going on between you two, I have another reason for asking you to take his offer.”
“And that would be…?”
“I couldn’t tell what Kakashi was hiding when he told me about his concerns, but I could tell that his concerns were genuine. He’s really worried about you living alone in that decrepit building and, to tell you the truth, so am I. Hell, even Naruto’s old place was better than that closet of yours.”
“Look, Kurenai-”
“No, Shikamaru, listen. Kakashi came here pretending to be a concerned mentor figure asking for help from a mutual friend. Now, since I don’t know what’s really going on, I’m going to play along and take it that nothing is going on. So, I’m asking you to at least think about accepting his offer because, from my point of few, it’s for your own good.”
“Tsk. How troublesome.”
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It was late when Kakashi opened his bedroom window for an annoyed Shikamaru. The young jounin proceeded to sit on the windowsill, looking like he was relaxing on a comfortable sofa.
“You are troublesome,” he stated, looking at the older man with an amused smirk.
Kakashi smiled. “Did you just get back from Kurenai’s?”
“Yep,” grunted the Nara as he jumped in without taking off his sandals. Hey, what Kakashi did was low and a dirty floor wasn’t even close to a real payback. “And seriously, man. Making her ask me to move in with you? Even I couldn’t have come up with that. Nice move.”
“Heh. Thanks.”
“The whole cost-saving and living conditions bullshit was kind of lame though.”
“Well what do you expect?” Kakashi countered, fighting back a victorious grin. “I couldn’t just tell her my real reason. She would’ve dragged me to Asuma’s grave and made me apologize while kissing the ground. Besides, you have to admit that the so-called lame bullshit is actually true.”
“That’s not the point, you jackass,” Shikamaru sighed tiredly. “You didn’t actually think that she really bought it, did you? She doesn’t know what’s really going on, but I’m sure she has a pretty good idea.”
“You didn’t…?”
“Of course I didn’t tell her anything. Though, seeing how she helped you anyway, not to mention the way she kept grinning at me through the whole conversation, I don’t think she’s as disapproving of… us… as I thought she would.”
“Really? That’s great then.”
“No, that’s not what I… Aw, hell. Look, Kakashi-”
“Wait, Shikamaru, listen. Forget about Kurenai, forget about my feelings for you. For now, forget about all of that. Logically, moving here is a win-win situation for you. The cost is only a bit higher and the perks are more than worth it. I’m sure that you’ve already calculated that.”
“That’s true and I have, but-”
“More than that stuff about better living conditions, by staying here, you won’t have to walk or jump halfway across Konoha to reach me when you’re feeling horny. And vice versa. You can’t tell me that’s not the most comfortable arrangement a guy could have.”
“Comfortable, yes. Right, no. Kakashi, I know I’m a jerk, but I’m not that much of a jerk. The first rule of casual sex is that it has to be just that: Casual. We both know that it’s not casual for you. I won’t use you like that.”
“You won’t be using me,” Kakashi said, smirking. “It’s not ‘using’ someone when what you’re using him for is something that he actually wants.”
“No,” Shikamaru said resolutely. “No way. You’re a really, really great guy. You don’t deserve-”
“Great sex?”
Shikamaru chuckled, noting how the older man had gotten closer and was obviously seducing him. “You deserve sex, alright. What you don’t deserve is me stringing you along.”
“And how are you stringing me along?” asked Kakashi as he moved forward still, making his breath stroke the Nara’s lips. “You’ve made it very clear that, although you’re attracted to me, you don’t want a relationship with me. I’ve acknowledged that.”
“I don’t…” Shikamaru trailed off, belatedly realizing that his lips were actually grazing Kakashi’s as he spoke. Damn it, why did he let Kakashi get so close?
“You don’t… what?” Kakashi questioned, stopping his advance and shifting his face so now his lips were grazing Shikamaru’s cheek, his breath blowing softly to the younger man’s studded ear. “You don’t want me?”
The Nara sighed. “You have no idea how much I want you.”
That statement came as a surprise to both of them. Kakashi pulled back a bit and looked at Shikamaru in the eyes. “Then what’s the problem?”
“I don’t…” Shikamaru paused to gulp. He should’ve waited until tomorrow, when he could talk to Kakashi when the man was wearing that mask, unable to turn him into a freaking retard. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Kakashi let out a soft chuckle that went right into Shikamaru’s gut. “I know.”
Shit, the tactical genius swore inwardly. What could he say to that? “Kakashi… I’m not-”
“Ready for a commitment. I know that too.”
“No, that’s not what I was- damn it,” Shikamaru hissed. Kakashi was kissing that spot under his ear. Why didn’t he just push Kakashi away? Why didn’t he just tell Kakashi to stop? What was it that he was trying to say?
Oh, well, it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered, really, when Hatake Kakashi was kissing you so passionately your IQ dropped to below zero. At least, that was what Shikamaru concluded as he brought his hands up in reflex to grab the older man’s shoulder. Somewhere in the back of his genius mind, the Nara wondered why Kakashi had such an effect on him. He wasn’t the type that could be seduced so easily. And yes, he knew that for a fact. But somehow, with Kakashi, everything was different.
However, all thinking process went more and more unheard as hands worked his vest loose -- Kakashi’s pulling the zipper down and his shrugging it off, letting it tumble onto the floor. The kiss wasn’t broken and they were breathing harshly into each other. Shikamaru felt Kakashi’s hands inside his shirt and he liked it. He liked it a lot. Then, those hands went to his pants and tugged insistently. He didn’t have a chance to react before calloused fingers suddenly grabbed his growing erection, gripping firmly and squeezed in a way so pleasurable his breath hitched.
The feeling was too good and too abrupt that Shikamaru felt like he was jolted awake. His common sense came back to him in a rush and, with the same speed, he grabbed Kakashi’s wrist and held it still.
“Wait,” he garbled breathlessly. “Wait…”
The older jounin gave him a questioning, annoyed look, and Shikamaru took a deep breath before he continued, “Don’t get me wrong. I want this. This is great. You’re great. But this is still unfair. I… I can’t give you what you want. I can’t give you more than this.”
Kakashi sighed as he took his hand out of Shikamaru’s pants. For a genius the Nara could be so dense. “I’m not asking for more.”
“Yes, but- I- you-”
“Whoa, you’re good at explaining strategies but you really suck when it comes to this stuff, do you?”
“Can you please not use the word ‘suck’? The mental image isn’t really helping, you know. I’m hard enough as it is.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” Kakashi laughed. “And I’ll suck you off if you let me.”
“Will you stop that?” Shikamaru grumbled, bending over somewhat uncomfortably to get his vest. “I’m trying to have a real conversation here.”
“Fine, sorry,” snickered the Hatake. Then he gestured the young jounin to follow him. “Come on, let me show you something.”
Shikamaru followed demurely, tucking his shirt back in and wearing his vest. They walked out the bedroom door, into what looked like a living room with an adjoining kitchen. Kakashi opened the first door they passed to reveal a standard, practical bathroom -- with the shower on the wall above the bathtub and the sink right across the room. The older shinobi didn’t say a word before moving again, this time to another door that revealed an empty room.
“This is where you’ll be when- if you decide to move in,” said the host finally, carefully studying Shikamaru’s expression as he led the younger man into the room. “You’ll be my roommate, Shikamaru, not my lover.”
The Nara just stood there quietly, taking in his surrounding. The room was literally empty. It looked like Kakashi hadn’t bothered to furnish it since he never used it for anything other than small indoor exercises. The size was the same as Kakashi’s bedroom and, whether Shikamaru liked it or not, his overactive brain was already plotting which of his stuff would go where.
To be honest, this place was perfect. The cost was just right, the space was just right, the location was just right, the company was just right. If it wasn’t for Kakashi’s stupid love declaration, Shikamaru thought, he would’ve accepted the offer in a heartbeat.
“Stop thinking so hard, Shikamaru,” Kakashi’s voice brought him out of his musings. “Like I said, forget about my feelings for you. They’re mine so I’ll worry about them. All you have to worry about is getting your stuff here and changing your address.”
Kakashi made it sound so easy, Shikamaru couldn’t stop a small laughter from bursting out. “You’re really serious about this, aren’t you? You’re really okay with this?”
“I am,” answered the Hatake with a smirk, taking a step closer. “I’m also serious about this.”
That last word was grunted out the same time Kakashi pushed Shikamaru against the wall, one hand kneading the Nara’s cock through his pants. The younger man didn’t struggle, knowing that he had lost the argument and that this was pretty much what the Hatake wanted. At this point, he was inclined to let the other jounin take the lead.
“Tell that troublesome brain of yours to shut up, Shikamaru,” Kakashi breathed to a studded ear, throwing the catchphrase right back at the owner. “There’s nothing here to deduce. No stratagem,” nip, “no subterfuge,” lick, “no tricks,” suckle.
Shikamaru shuddered, his brain starting its emergency shutdown procedure as the older man’s hand slipped into his pants and working the appendage there to hardness again. Seriously, this Kakashi-turning-him-into-a-complete-idiot thing could be really bad. But somehow, the Nara couldn’t find it in him to care.
Kakashi didn’t say anything more before going down to his knees and pulled Shikamaru’s pants down with him. He didn’t tease. There were no little nips or kisses around the younger man’s crotch before he went to the real prize. Long licks were given all around the impressive shaft, wetting it thoroughly as Kakashi recorded the new flavor in his mind. He’d been wanting to do this ever since that night in the onsen, and he wasn’t disappointed by what he was finally tasting.
Nara Shikamaru tasted good.
One hand pressing against the wall and the other running through silvery, white hair in reflex, the aforementioned Nara Shikamaru could only close his eyes in gratification. He shivered as Kakashi’s breath caressed his wet cock, that evil, evil tongue bathing it so deliciously.
The member was starting to strain, getting rock hard in Kakashi’s hand, and the Copy Nin purred in appreciation. It was a sight to behold, and as sharingan spun automatically to imprint the image forever in his mind, he took a deep breath before finally closing his lips around it, sucking gently while sliding along the length with care.
Shikamaru’s breath hitch, his eyes snapped open without focus and his hand clutched that gravity-defying hair with almost uncontrolled force. He tried to mumble an apology, but true to one of his sexual antics, his vocal chords refused to work so only his lips formed the words. Kakashi, who looked up at the Nara when he felt the pain on his scalp, caught the silent request for forgiveness and hummed in response, making the young jounin buck those slender hips and let go of his hair in fear of yanking the strands off his head.
Kakashi chuckled at the reaction, the vibration running along Shikamaru’s cock. The younger genius wanted to swear in indignation, but Kakashi was already flicking his tongue inside his mouth, batting it against his treat playfully. If the Nara could moan, he would have. His vocal chords remained frozen as he shakily exhaled, the feeling too divine to be processed by his short-circuiting senses.
Whoever said blowjobs were one-sided must have never given one to Shikamaru. Kakashi was having a hell of a time, bobbing his head back and forth in a languid rhythm. He took his time, tasting every little tang while his mouth tried to get used to accommodating the extraordinary member, before finally moving his head further forward, carefully letting the crown slide into his throat.
Gag reflex? What gag reflex?
It was odd how, at that moment, the most genius mind in Konoha could only process one word: Shit. It was chanted over and over again in Shikamaru’s brain as Kakashi took him in even further, the muscles in that relaxed throat hugging him, hot and slick. And then those muscles convulsed as Kakashi swallowed, and a violent shudder wracked through him as the intense sensation spread throughout his whole body with lightning speed. He shut his eyes and slammed his fist to the wall behind him on impulse, a hiss echoing from behind his clenched teeth.
God, no one had ever had the ability to deepthroat him that far before.
Breathing carefully through his nose, Kakashi took in the distinct, musky scent of Nara Shikamaru in utter delight. Soft, curly, dark hair tickled his nose as he inhaled, and he hummed in appreciation as he slowly moved backward… then forward again. He could feel the delicious tremble of the body in front of him, and he decided to just hold those shuddering hips with one hand so he could do other things.
Kakashi’s right hand began to run down a slender, muscular thigh; calloused fingers giving butterfly touches that made Shikamaru shiver. Then that hand wandered up again, this time circling around the back and finally kneading the Nara’s firm buttocks sensually. A playful pinch and Shikamaru jumped in surprise. Kakashi nearly choked, but he managed to chuckle instead, lips still locked around that appetizing hardness.
A finger traced teasing circles on his entrance before ghosting forward and gently pressed that oh-so-sensitive spot between anus and scrotum, and Shikamaru couldn’t decide if he wanted that finger inside him or just playing there because everything felt too damn pleasurable anyway. The oral ministration hadn’t stopped, still with the same suction and blissful participation of tongue and teeth. The young Nara was starting to feel like his legs were nonexistent.
The naughty right hand then found a new toy. It caressed and fondled Shikamaru’s balls, playing with it gently, lovingly. Shikamaru kept his eyes locked on the shock of white, silvery hair moving back and forth in front of his crotch. He wanted to grab them, but he didn’t want to cause any pain or damage so his hands remained still, clenched into tight fists on either side of him. He leaned harder onto the wall, afraid that his knees would betray him.
Kakashi started to pick up the pace, sucking harder and moving faster. Shikamaru was panting now, his body rigid in his attempt to not blindly fuck Kakashi’s mouth. He was close to release and he couldn’t warn the older man in any way. He wanted to say something, do something, but that want was so obscured by the haze of pleasure clouding his mind that his body didn’t hear it.
Of course, it wasn’t like Kakashi didn’t know what was going on. He could feel it in his mouth, on his tongue, against the walls of his throat. Shikamaru’s cock was pulsing, straining, leaking. He made a mental note to thank Shikamaru some time later for being considerate and not just follow his hips’ reflex to thrust before pressing against the Nara’s taut stomach more firmly, helping the young man’s effort. His other hand was now holding the base of Shikamaru’s erection, pumping in rhythm with his head’s back-and-forth movement.
Shikamaru had predicted that Kakashi was good in giving head, but not this good. It wasn’t long before his mouth opened in a silent scream, his fists banged the wall behind him as his back arched, his seed shooting into Kakashi’s awaiting mouth. He could feel the older man sucking him like a lollypop, eager for more juice to swallow. He felt like his orgasm wasn’t going to stop, prolonged by that mouth milking him. And when it did stop, Kakashi didn’t. The older jounin kept sucking and the sensation made his head spin. He could no longer feel his toes and it felt like his knees was turning to jelly. It was too much. He had to make Kakashi…
“…stop.”
The sound was so small, Kakashi thought he was imagining it. Mouth still closed around Shikamaru’s spent dick, he glanced up at the young Nara and found those dark eyes in a pleading stare.
“Stop,” Shikamaru said a bit louder after gulping, voice distorted by his ragged breath. “Please.”
Kakashi let go and scooted a step back. Shikamaru promptly slumped on the floor, closing his eyes as he tried to get his breathing back to normal. They were both silent, the Nara trying to get his senses back while the Hatake watched, a smug smirk plastered on his face.
“You okay?” Kakashi finally asked.
“Yeah,” Shikamaru sighed. “Just give me a minute.”
“That good?”
Shikamaru snorted. “You think?”
Kakashi chuckled.
They became silent again, comfortably so, until Shikamaru finally opened his eyes. The Nara then moved forward and caught Kakashi’s lips in a languid kiss of gratitude. He placed a hand on Kakashi’s crotch, feeling the hardness there, but he was surprised when calloused fingers gripped his wrist.
“What are you doing?” asked the older jounin as they broke apart.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. “Returning the favor?”
“What favor?”
Shikamaru had to think about that. He could read between the lines, and the look in Kakashi’s eyes didn’t left much room to doubt his conclusion, if any. Kakashi gave him a blowjob because he wanted to. No strings attached, no favors earned. And the same goes with everything the Hatake offered. The apartment, the sex -- everything.
Finally, Shikamaru smirked. “Is this your way of making a statement?”
“Is it working? Am I finally getting through that thick skull of yours?”
The younger of the two retreated and sat back against the wall. He pulled up his pants and started to pat his pockets for his pack of cigarette. “You’re really something, huh?”
“That I am.”
“Can I think about this some more?”
Kakashi smiled. He stood up and made for the door, saying, “Take all the time you need. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”
Just like that, and Shikamaru was left sitting alone in an empty room. He didn’t grin triumphantly when his hand finally found what he was looking for inside one of his pockets, mind too busy thinking in circles. He was in dire need of some nicotine to calm his nerves, so he proceeded to light a cigarette, inhaling deeply and closing his eyes again.
Darn it, but everything in him seemed to incline in accepting Kakashi’s offer. There was nothing wrong with this new arrangement, really. It was very beneficial for him. However, no matter how uncaring he was, he couldn’t stop thinking about how not beneficial this was to Kakashi.
But then again, the man had made it very clear that this was what he wanted. Sure Kakashi was in love with him, but the guy didn’t mind sharing quarters and having sex with him without being real lovers. All Kakashi wanted was to help him have a better place to live -- and maybe to have him close -- and to have him as his sexual partner. The famous nin didn’t ask for anything in return.
Well, maybe not anything. He would have to have the Nara’s consent for sex, but that was something Shikamaru would volunteer even without being asked. Seriously, this was Hatake Kakashi. He would be blind and/or stupid not to want him as a bed partner. And Nara Shikamaru was neither.
Shikamaru knew that Kakashi was no romantic fool. There was no way the man was doing this out of blindness caused by his feelings. He also knew that Kakashi was far from stupid, that that was probably the reason Kakashi was very straightforward. The Copy-Nin had discovered the perfect strategy to outmaneuver one Nara Shikamaru, and that was to use no strategy at all. Kakashi had come to him with no lies and nothing to hide, offering him something others couldn’t even dream about.
Well, hell, Shikamaru thought as his cigarette was reduced to half of its original length. If only it was that easy. The man was probably asleep right now, comfortable in his bed while he was busy thinking about what he should do. Suddenly Shikamaru was struck with a thought that said if only this was already his room, he could just go to sleep right there and then. He blamed it on his laziness, but somewhere inside him he knew it was something else. This time, when the words came, they were accompanied by a smile…
“Tsk. How troublesome.”
