Naruto 1. Chapter 1

AsumaxShikamaru story

Two years of an affair kept secret, and after a near death experience leaves both sensei and student exposed. Will their relationship last?

Disclaimer, I do not own any of Kishimoto's characters, nor do I make a profit out of them.

**.:Chapter 1 :.**

It was an early morning, the dew still settled across the dainty blades of grass, the sun peeking up from behind the hills casting a golden glow over the entire village while the birds sung their morning wake up call. It was really beautiful… there was only one problem. It was too damned EARLY! Shikamaru yawned, his tired eyes watering as he walked down the still dark alley. If his mom would just stop being so overprotective and so old fashioned, he would be able to just live with his boyfriend and he wouldn't have to sneak out of his house at the ass crack of dawn to go see him. He mumbled a soft 'troublesome' as he climbed up the tree that would allow him entrance to Asuma's flat. He would normally just use his key but he was tired of Asuma's neighbors being so damned nosy. He didn't need another one of them calling his mother because he was over there so it early. People could really be a bother.

Troublesome… it was the perfect word to use.

He barely made any noise as he dropped into the teacher's bedroom, closing the window behind him. He looked down at the man still sleeping on the bed, cocking his head to the side as he thought. He didn't have all that much time, he had a mission later that day that he would be gone on for over a week and he wanted to see Asuma before that. Normally Shikamaru was apathetic and lazy about their sex… only getting into it after the other man had thoroughly convinced him. That didn't mean he didn't love the sex… it was just his nature. But, he didn't have time for that today and Asuma was already hard. Morning wood was a wonderful thing. He grinned as he tugged off his clothes, letting his hair down before he crawled onto the bed. He carefully pulled the sheets down; humming slightly when he saw the other man was wearing boxers. Well, those were just in way. He reached up, tugging them down just as carefully before he leaned down blowing cold air across the tip of the others arousal. He hesitated for just a couple moments before he leaned down even more, taking Asuma's erection into his mouth without a second thought. What better wake up call could he give him then a hot, wet mouth around his cock?

A low groan furled from the older male's lips once the young Chuunin firmed his lips around the Jounin's throbbing shaft. It had been a few days since the last time Asuma was near Shikamaru; dealing with small errands for Tsunade-Sama was turning out to be a game of cat and mouse with each of the tasks. And whenever he did finish with the small task, the Sarutobi was too exhausted and frustrated to go any further than his apartment. He did contemplate on sneaking into the Nara estate for a quick session, but most of the time it was trying to coax the young Nara for a quickie, and that usually took forever.

After a few days of wanting, Asuma was feeling pretty bothered that every time he closed his eyes, he fantasized what he wanted to do with Shikamaru; what techniques would make his young lover curl in pleasure. But whatever images flashed in his mind, it felt like he was actually being pleasured, causing his cock to twitch inside the young Nara's mouth. When that hot wet tongue pressed against a throbbing vein on the underbelly of Asuma's shaft, it made the teacher groan out. It took him a few moments before his eyes fluttered open to the sight of his young lover naked, sucking him off. Instead of questioning on when Shikamaru came in, or how, Asuma slowly slid a calloused hand into the long chocolate locks, pushing that hot mouth onto his cock. "Nn…good…" he whispered softly, rolling his hips slowly into the Nara's mouth, plunging the head of the thick member against his lover's cheek.

Shikamaru had no problem opening his mouth wider and relaxing his muscles to take Asuma deep inside his throat when Asuma finally started pressing up inside his moving mouth. It wasn't often that he took the initiative to suck the older man off; normally he was too lazy or just uninterested in the task. It wasn't his favorite thing; he didn't particularly like the taste but he did like the feeling of the others hard cock thrusting down his throat and he knew that Asuma very much enjoyed the feeling of having him sucking him off. It must have been a male thing… he loved when Asuma sucked him off to. It just felt damned good to have his cock inside something. He might not like to top because of the energy it took but… he did enjoy the feeling of being inside something every once and a while.

He pulled up when he heard Asuma speak, just licking at the tip of his erection as he looked up at him. "I needed to talk to you, Asuma." He murmured, licking just under the crown of his erection, speaking as he teased the other man with his tongue and mouth. "I've been put on another mission." His mouth trailed down the others length at that, just nibbling softly as his shaft before soothing the soft sting with his tongue. "I'm going to be gone for a week or more." He licked back up to his head again at that, dipping the tip of his tongue into the small slit before he pulled up totally, licking his slightly swollen lips. "I have to leave in a couple hours and I want you to fuck me before that." The way he said it was matter of fact but there was clear need and want in his voice and eyes. He had really been missing Asuma and he needed this before he had to leave again.

Figured, Asuma thought after Shikamaru explained the reason as to why he was there; it wasn't like the Nara would be the one initiating any sort of sexual interaction. Deep down, the Sarutobi wasn't really excited that his lover would be leaving for a week or more, but that wasn't going to stop him from pleasuring his student if he was already wanting.

"Nnghn…Shika…" Asuma moaned lowly as he released the long dark locks before reaching out toward the nightstand next to his bed. His large hand reached for the small knob on the drawer, pulled it open, and delved in to find the bottle of lubricant and the box of condoms.  
His first grab was the bottle of lubricant and a pack of cigarettes, the Sarutobi decided to keep those on the nightstand for something to enjoy after, but then the second time he reached in, he pulled out the box of lubricated condoms.

The Jounin brought the bottle of lubricant onto the mattress, and then grasped onto the dark colored condom wrapper. He eyed the latex before tossing it down to his young lover. "Kay...since you're leaving, you can do the honors of putting it on." He smirked lightly while he let his fingers comb through the long locks of hair.

Shikamaru watched him, licking his lips as he took in how the others sleek muscles moved under his tan skin. Asuma was hot… that fact was undeniable. He had always wanted to just jump him and lick all those muscles and scars; he just didn't want Asuma to know he had that much drive or that would be used against him. He knew it would. He had always had a thing for muscles and scars, well, tattoo's and piercings too but he hadn't told anyone that. It was something about having a bigger, stronger man on top of him that made him feel… safe, protected. He knew he sounded weak saying that but… he really did enjoy it.

"Honors, huh?" Shikamaru asked, almost laughing. "Just you can't touch yourself without blowing your top, can you?" He teased, reaching out to take the condom, ripping it open with his teeth. "You're even worse then I am." He licked his lips a bit before he took the object out, leaning forward to carefully roll it over the others erection. He crawled up on top of him after that, looking down at him. He licked his lips again, leaning down to whisper in his ear. "I stretched myself before I came here, you'll just have to add some lube." He murmured, nipping at his earlobe. It was something he didn't normally do but it had been far too long since he had felt his lover inside him. Even if he acted lazy, he felt want and need just like everyone else. He just normally didn't do anything about it.

"Christ…" Asuma growled out, wanting to retort to Shikamaru's teasing comment only to find himself distracted with that hot mouth fanning over his ear. He was so hard, so horny at the sultry tone that whatever he had to say melted away. His dark chocolate eyes locked onto those soft pink lips, feeling that irresistible twinge to kiss those lips grow. "Shikamaru…" the older male groaned softly, sliding his fingers into the long locks of hair, and then pressed his lips against those luscious lips, diving his tongue into his lover's hot mouth.

The kiss was quick and sloppy, but god it felt great to just kiss the person that meant so much to the Jounin. When he pulled his lips away, a small string of saliva stretched from his mouth, connecting their lips. "Missed you…" he cooed softly, moving the Nara's back onto the mattress as he nestled in between the slender legs. Asuma worked the cap off of the lubricant, applied it onto the slick condom and the puckered entrance before pressing the tip of his throbbing cock against the hole.

There was a slight hitch of breath when he rolled his hips gently, feeding his pulsing girth into the tight cavity. The Jounin swallowed thickly, burying his cock deep inside the young chuunin's body. God his lover felt so good, it didn't matter how many times they fucked, Shikamaru still felt nice and tight around his heavy cock. Asuma's muscles quivered with excitement, and he couldn't hold back, he needed to fuck Shikamaru into the mattress. Without really waiting for the other to adjust, Asuma scooped his hand under Shikamaru's body, lifting the lower half of his lover's body from the bed before thrusting himself against the firm body.

Shikamaru's arms slid around Asuma's shoulders when he was pressed against the bed, his legs spreading wide to accommodate the other man. He knew that it hadn't been all that long but it felt that it had been ages since he had been in this position with his former teacher. If he had known that all it took was a little exertion from him to get this close to Asuma again, he would have done it a long time ago. It hadn't been all that much work and he loved having the elder man on top of him, pressing against him so intimately.

"Mmm, I missed you too." Shikamaru murmured, licking his lips slightly. He pulled the other man down into another kiss just as he thrust inside him, an uncharacteristic groan coming from his throat at the feeling. Fuck… it felt so damned good. It had to be that his fingers were smaller then Asuma's and that he had been less stretched then normal. It was damned good. He would have to try it unstretched at some point… the small bite of pain was really turning him on. "Nnngg… Asuma." He gasped out, his eyes fluttering a bit when the other man thrust inside him again. "Fuck… fast and hard this time." He whispered, biting his lip a bit. "I'll let you take me slowly when I get home."

A small grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, finding it a huge turn on whenever his young lover begged for something naughtier. Asuma liked slow and sweet, but with how wound tight he was earlier in the week left him in the state of a dog in heat. "Deal…" His knees dug into his mattress, feeling the coils tense under the pressure before his hands rested against his lover's slender sides. Fingers dug into the porcelain skin, bracing the other. His hips rolled slowly before he pulled his cock out halfway, only to force the thick girth back into the slender body. The Sarutobi kept a steady pace of heavy thrusts, and then down to a slow grind only to pick it back up with pumping his need roughly.

It didn't take long for the bed to moan under the weight and for the headboard to tap against the wall lightly. The room was now filled with the exotic sounds, heavy pants, and low groans.  
Asuma's body flushed, and the light sheen of sweat slowly matted the chocolate bangs against his forehead. It was hard to keep his heavily lidded eyes open, but the older male fought the struggle so he could watch the pleasured expression plastered on his lover's flushed face. His member twitched inside, letting his swollen head tap against the bundle of nerves inside Shikamaru's body caused Asuma to let a vocal moan roll off his lips. "Oh god…Shika… nngh…so good…"

Shikamaru's body bowed up as his hands clenching at the covers, creating wrinkles in the fabric as his knuckles turned white from the force of his grip. It was always like this with Asuma… hot, sweaty bodies pressing together, moving in the most carnal of rhythms. They had come so far from those awkward early touches they had shared when he was younger. Well… his awkward touches, Asuma had always seemed so experienced. A gasp was forced from his throat when he felt Asuma's rock hard erection pressing deep inside his body again. He couldn't think like this… he could barely breathe like this. It was all so intense; his body forced into the bed as he was forcefully impaled by his lovers hard cock was making him loose his mind.

Fuck… it just felt so damned good.

"As… Asuma…" Shikamaru's voice was stilted as the older man continued to thrust in and out of his prone body, making shocks of heady pleasure race through his body. His back was bowed almost painfully, his skin gleaming with sweat as he rocked up into the movements, fighting to take the older man even deeper inside himself. He let his head fall to the side, his hair fanned out on the pillow under him as he took a deep, calming breath. "I… I want you to mark me." He whispered, reaching up to tangle his shaking hand in the others sweaty hair. "Mark me… scar me… I want to remember this the whole time I'm gone…" He was almost begging now, his body trembling in overwhelming pleasure. He cried out when his prostate was suddenly hit, his erection twitching violently between their bodies before a thick bead of precum fell to his stomach. He couldn't believe how close he felt to cumming already.

Lust-filled eyes stared down at the young teenager mewling with pleasure, only to watch the glistening body writhe underneath. The slender body was like an empty canvas, hardly any marks while his own was painted with battle scars of a shinobi in his prime. If Shikamaru wanted be marked, Asuma would have to find the best place so there wouldn't be any suspicion. His lover was a lazy student; it would be awkward for him to explain a darkened hickey to the overly strict mother. The Sarutobi eyed his prize, thrusting his body into the young Nara while he leaned down to let his hot breaths fan over the ivory skin. His tongue traced over a prominent collarbone, tasting the sweat off of Shikamaru's body before he nibbled lightly.

Asuma could hear his lover growl in slight frustration, causing him to smirk at how needy the young male could get. "S'gonna hurt…" he replied lightly, moving his lips up to the top of the Chuunin's shoulder, where he rubbed his lips against the muscle slowly. Hot, heavy breaths fanned over the Nara's shoulder while the Sarutobi rocked his body against the others roughly. The sound of bare skin slapping against each other was growing audible over the heavy moans from both men. God the Jounin was growing close to his climax, feeling the urge to continuously ram himself into his student grow. With every thrust, Asuma could feel his stomach coil tightly as his groin ached with tension. His body was so worked up at that moment he was sure his cock grew thicker inside his lover.

When his pulsing shaft did twitch against Shikamaru's quivering walls, Asuma bucked his hips, forcing his engorged heat deeper into the slick cavity. Sweat rolled down his forehead, over his temple, and caught into the light scruff framing his face. God the pressure in his abdomen was so tight, his body was begging for release. Feeling the once steady thrusts grow erratic and uneven, the Jounin licked the Chuunin's shoulder before clamping his teeth into the smooth skin. His canines dug in, pinching the skin upward while he sucked the sweat from Shikamaru's body. Just tasting the salt off caused the older man to groan heavily as he impaled the writhing body underneath.

Shikamaru couldn't think. He was too caught up in the feeling of Asuma thrusting in and out of him, pressing against and spreading open his sensitive inner walls over and over again. The slick slides were making him tremble, his breath coming in shuddering gasps as he pressed up against Asuma. "Sen… Sensei…" He let the word slip without even thinking about it. It had been a long time since he had called Asuma sensei but he couldn't help but do it now. He was far too gone to think about what he was saying, the other man was just too good at sex… he felt fantastic every time he entered him.

He focused just enough to understand the others words before he groaned loudly. Pain? Yes, he wanted the pain. He wanted his ass to be sore, he wanted his neck to ache… he really, really didn't want to be away from Asuma for a whole week. Maybe even more time after that. He winced a bit when Asuma bit into his neck but his body showed the other man that he was clearly enjoying it. His entrance clenched hard around Asuma's length as he pressed up into his body. His length twitched between them again, leaking even more precum onto his stomach. He knew that he was going to cum soon even if he didn't want too. It all just felt too good. Even if he hadn't had any direct stimulation to his erection, he couldn't help but quiver signaling his impeding release.

Dark eyes widened at the small slip of words. Asuma couldn't remember the last time Shikamaru called him by his superior title. But the way that name slipped from those kiss swollen lips was like liquid sex, giving him the drive to push his throbbing cock until the dark curls surrounding his manhood pressed against the firm ass. His hips rocked against his flushed lover, feeling the coiling pressure in his lower abdomen tense and tighten for release.

The Jounin finally pulled his mouth away from the Chuunin's neck, noticing a small drop of blood trickle from the already darkened mark. He bit a tad bit too hard if he was drawing up blood, but at least it would leave a lasting mark. The Sarutobi kissed the small red bead before hovering his lips over the young Nara's. The chocolate orbs softened and a small smiled tugged at his lips. "M'close…ohhn…" He growled out before claiming his lover's succulent lips. His hot tongue delved into Shikamaru's mouth, letting both wet muscles dance around each other for a passionate kiss.

The more Asuma kept driving his engorged flesh into Shikamaru's tensing hole only to tap against the prostate, made the swollen head of his cock overly sensitive. He was sure his pre-cum leaked into the latex sleeve as the blood pulsed down into his heavy shaft. The feeling of his climax nearing made his hips thrust uncontrollably. Asuma pried his mouth away from his lover's lips as a baritone moan echoed the room. "Nngh! Shika…ohhh…I'm so close…"

Shikamaru's mind was torn between sensations. He didn't know whether to focus on the overly pleasurable feeling of Asuma pounding in and out of his prostate, hitting his sweet spot without error or on the slight, aching pain he could feel in his neck. He loved both sensations so much that he didn't want either of them to end any time soon even if he knew that both of them had to end eventually. He almost whined when Asuma's mouth pulled away from his neck, his body arching up again as titled his head back, baring the mark that the other man had made on his shoulder, wanting more already. He loved the bite of pain that it had given him… it was definitely something he would have to ask the jounin to indulge him in again sometime.

"Asuma…" Shikamaru whispered softly, his heart feeling like it would beat out of his chest, matching the rhythm that the elder man was thrusting in and out of his prone body. "Me too… jus… just a little more…" He couldn't help the scratch marks his nails made as they dragged down Asuma's back. He was desperately trying to hold on, trying to anchor himself but nothing he did seemed to work. He moaned deeply into the kiss as his entrance suddenly clenched hard around Asuma, trying to hold his pistoning cock inside his body. He couldn't stop it, even without touching his own length; he couldn't stop himself from cumming. He almost screamed from the sensations, his body trembling in anticipation as his chest heaved with the heady sensation of finally releasing, painting their abdomens with the warm, slick substance.

"Shit…" Asuma growled out when Shikamaru clenched around his pulsing shaft; just feeling the warm cum splash onto his abdomen sent the older male to his own blissful high. His balls tensed up, his thick erection twitching inside the tensing hole as the inner walls fluttered around the latex shaft and soon the tight coiled knot that nestled in his abdomen unwound. The Jounin dug his fingers into the sheets, curling the digits tightly until his knuckles blanched white as he released his own white seed. A low, heavy groan furled from his kiss swollen lips as his load shot into the latex glove, filling it with his own orgasm. His heart thrummed against his chest quickly, leaving the elder man breathless and exhausted.

Hips rolled against the young Chuunin slowly until he felt his member slowly soften before pulling out from the abused entrance. Heavy breaths escaped the Sarutobi's lips as he moved away from the flushed Nara's body, his fingers fumbled around the slick latex rubber. After tying the sleeve into a knot, Asuma tossed the cum filled condom into the wastebasket next to the nightstand. Before moving over to cuddle against his lover splayed out on his mattress, Asuma reached over for his cigarettes and nuzzled his body close to Shikamaru. He slipped a cigarette on his ear, and then wrapped a muscled arm across the slender form. "Mm…good morning…" He chuckled softly, pressing his lips against his former student's shoulder.

Shikamaru couldn't stop another soft moan when he felt Asuma's release. Even with him wearing the condom, he could still feel his cum splashing into the latex. They had only done it without a condom a couple times and he liked it. He liked the feeling of warm cum sliding against his inner walls, coating them with the sticky fluid but… he didn't like the annoying mess that, that caused. It was far too troublesome to clean himself out so he just preferred that they used a condom. "Mmm." He murmured lazily, licking his lips slightly as he looked over at the older man. He was slightly disappointed when Asuma had to pull out but… he knew it was going to be hard enough to walk now without keeping the other man lodged inside his body.

A soft chuckle escaped his throat when Asuma spoke. "Morning." He murmured, stretching lazily as he licked his lips. He slid his hand down, trailing his fingers over his stomach as he relaxed against the bed. He was feeling very content now, his body flushed a soft, rosy color from the pleasure he had just received. He hummed softly, nuzzling against Asuma before stealing a soft kiss. "I'm going to miss you." He said, bringing his fingers up to lick off the sticky cum without even thinking about how seductively the move could be taken. "I have to go in like… half an hour." He groaned out after looking at the clock, letting his head fall back against the bed. "So troublesome." He muttered. He didn't want to leave the bed or Asuma's side. He knew he would gladly give into another round if he could just stay there; he had missed the feeling of being impaled by Asuma.

"M'going to miss you too…" Asuma whispered softly while his dark eyes watched that bubblegum pink tongue lick the cum slowly. If time and getting a bit older wasn't an issue, he would definitely pound his lover into the bed again. But if they only had half an hour together before Shikamaru's mission briefing at the Hokage tower, Asuma wanted to soak up whatever time he had left.

"Love you," came a soft whisper as his lips pressed against his lover's damp forehead lightly. He kissed the already bruising mark gently before sitting up to light his cigarette. Once the tobacco began to burn, there was a long drag from the filter and soon a pleased moan echoed the room. Besides being with someone he loved, smoking a cigarette was at the top of Asuma's list.

His eyes glanced toward the small alarm clock on his nightstand; it was still early in the morning, and since Shikamaru was leaving shortly, he figured it would be the last time they ate together until the Chuunin came back. The Jounin wriggled his body out of the bed, pulled on his boxers, and took another long drag from his cigarette. "What do you want for breakfast? I can whip up something really quick before you go…"

Shikamaru just yawned as he watched Asuma move, stretching on the bed to ease his muscles before sitting up himself. He rubbed a bit at his tired eyes, pushing his hair back from his face. He couldn't help but be distracted, licking his lips as he watched how Asuma's muscles contracted and released as he moved to stand. It was like they rippled under his skin… always a major turn on for him. He shook his head after a few moments, reaching over to grab his hair tie off the nightstand. He reached inside the table after that, grabbing the brush he had taken to leaving there, quickly brushing and putting his hair back up.

After getting his hair into its customary pony tail pineapple shape he kneeled up on the bed on his knee's, reaching up to snag the cigarette from Asuma's hand. "Mmm, breakfast?" He asked, putting the cigarette to his lips to take a deep drag also, a soft noise coming from his throat as he blew out the smoke. It had long since stopped making his eyes water, being around Asuma had done that for him. He always smoked after sex making it to where Shikamaru almost always smoked after sex and whenever he wanted to be reminded of his lover. He always kept a few of his brand of cigarettes around for when he needed that smell of normalcy. "I think I'll be ok, I'd rather stay here and let you molest me until have to go." A sly grin crossed his features as he handed the cigarette back after one last drag. Really? Who would turn down that offer?

Asuma twiddled the cigarette in between his index and middle finger, raising an interested brow at Shikamaru's seductive comment. Normally his lover would word his way around a second round, or fall asleep whichever came first, but the young Nara must've been a bit off if the Sarutobi was getting a second shot; it was tough to refuse such an offer. It was like baiting a fish, and Shikamaru was the lure

"Heh…I'll bite…" a devious smirk furled from his lips taking one last drag from his cigarette before snuffing the butt out onto the dark oak nightstand. He moved over toward the slender form, leaned down, and caressed his thin lips against the teenager's. A hot, wet tongue smoothed against the pink lips, and then his teeth nibbled lightly. "Whatever my kohai wants…" came a quiet coo as the older male got onto his knees, digging into the hard wood flooring.

The jounin's lips trailed lower, nibbled here and there until his lips found a pink bud, still erect from the sex. His tongue flicked against the perky nipple and soon his lips firmed around sensitive spot. Asuma's dark chocolate eyes glanced upward while his large hand slid down the lean torso only to palm at his lover's member. He hummed around the pink nipple, slipping his hand a bit lower to let his index finger prod at the slick entrance.

Shikamaru trembled from the new touches, his hands sliding over Asuma's muscled shoulders as he leaned closer to him. "Mmm." He murmured softly, licking his lips slightly. It always felt so good to have Asuma touch him… to lick him and poke him in the most appealing of places. He didn't know why he had given into another round so easily; he just knew that he had a bad feeling about something. He didn't know if it was just him leaving or if it was the mission but… he really, really didn't like the sensation. He stayed until he had to leave, giving in to another round of quick sex, feeling as if he would greatly regret it if he didn't. It made his ass hurt even worse but… they had both enjoyed it. He kissed Asuma, stealing a drag from the cigarette he had lit before pulling away and waving. "I'll see you after my mission."

Asuma glanced over toward Shikamaru with a soft smile, before reaching out to grasp onto his lover's slender wrist. His dark eyes stared at his tan hand and the pale contrast with a confused expression; why the sudden impulse? Chocolate eyes glanced upward, as a weak chuckle escaped his lips. "Be…be safe okay? And I'll see you in a week." He released the chuunin's wrist and ran his calloused hand through his hair. "I love you…"

Shikamaru seemed a bit shocked when he was grabbed but nodded, smiling as he leaned down to press another kiss against Asuma's lips. He just couldn't resist. "Of course I will be." He murmured, leaning close to him again before he pulled back. "I love you too, Asuma, I'll see you as soon as possible." He said, smiling softly. "Now I really have to go before the Hokage sends people looking for me." He said, chuckling slightly before he disappeared out the window, heading towards the Hokage's offices.

Shikamaru's mood had dropped as soon as he left Asuma's but that didn't mean he was in a bad mood, just not as good of one as when he had been laying in bed, curled up in his lovers arms and being kissed until he couldn't breathe correctly. He always hated when their alone time got cut short. It was like it left him feeling… needy. It was like he just wanted a little bit more but he couldn't have it. It was annoying, that was the only way he could really describe it. No, that really wasn't the only way. There was another…

Troublesome.

He went to the Hokage's office first for his mission scroll and to hear any other added restrictions that came with the job. He waved to the Hokage before he jumped out of her window, heading towards the exit of the village. A whole week away from Asuma… it was going to be horrible. The couple days they had gone without being together because of conflicting schedules had been like hell… a whole week was going to be even worse. He just didn't want to go… even if he knew that he had too.

A month passed…


	2. Chapter 2

When Shikamaru came back, he was bloody and bruised, injured worse then he had ever been on a mission before. He was automatically taken to the Hokage, passing out half way there right into the arms of the chuunin's leading him. That certainly freaked them out.

"Is the Hokage here? He's injured severely!" It was Kotetsu that yelled once they entered the hospital, drawing the attention of many of the medical staff. He and Izumo were still carrying Shikamaru; his body totally limp between them, his breathing scarily shallow.

"I'll call her." A nurse called out from behind the desk, moving to find the Hokage for them.

It was hours before Shikamaru was wheeled to a regular room, his body covered with bandages and tubes. He had been in an intensive care unit during that time. The chuunin had been rather seriously injured, most of the damage focused on his heart and lungs but he had received a rather bad injury to the head also. Tsunade looked down at the still sleeping ninja, a soft sigh coming from her throat as she pushed back his hair. "I want you to go get Asuma." She murmured, looking up at the orderly standing with her in the room. "Bring him back here but no one is allowed in this room but him, me and the nurses, understand that?"

The orderly just nodded, putting down Shikamaru's chart and walking out of the room. It didn't take long for the medical ninja to reach Asuma's apartment, only knocking on the door as a formality before jutsuing into the flat. "Sarutobi Asuma, you are to come with me." He said before leading the jounin out of the apartment and back to Shikamaru's room. He led him inside before stepping out himself and closing the door to allow the Hokage and the jounin to have their conversation.

Tsunade was standing in the room, the curtain closed behind her, hiding the person in the bed. She wanted to talk to Asuma for a few moments before he saw his lover lying in a hospital bed. She knew he would react badly to it… he would probably ignore everything after the moment he saw Shikamaru and she had to get her point across. "I need to speak with you Asuma, please sit down." She murmured, gesturing towards the empty bed in the room.

Asuma gave Tsunade a testing glance before taking a seat on the mattress. His hand smoothed over the standard white sheet and then tugged at the zipper of his forest green vest. When the medical ninja appeared in his small apartment, he was a bit confused as to why he was to attend at the hospital but jutsued out as well; it was better than sitting around trying to count how many holes were in his ceiling tile. But when he arrived at Konoha's hospital, the Sarutobi was expecting to show up in a private office, not an actual patient room.

Chocolate eyes took in the room slowly, eying the instruments on the wall to the buttons on the bedrails. Something seemed off, the room was too quiet making his ears pound slightly, and every time he looked at the fifth Hokage made his stomach tense in a knot. Something was wrong, and small part of Asuma didn't want to know why he was there. In fact, he was starting to get tired of the sickening feeling he'd get every day Shikamaru didn't return. A week dragged on by, and he kept himself busy with small missions, helping certain chuunins grade papers, and spending his life savings at the Korean barbeque.

He didn't put any mind to it that a few days passed since his lover's "supposed" return date didn't ensue, but when it hit the two week mark Asuma started to worry. Tsunade started to force small missions onto the jounin, which took a few days here and there, but every time Asuma returned Shikamaru still wasn't there. And now that a month passed, the jounin wasn't in the best of shape mentally. He was exhausted and infuriated that none of the ANBU would relay any detail of his lover's mission; where did he go? Was there anybody else with him? What was the mission?

Those three questions prodded at the Sarutobi until he lost the appetite to do anything, even now. A heavy sigh furled from thin lips and he pulled out a pack of his favorite cigarettes tucked away in his jounin vest. He shook the pack a couple of times before sliding a slender stick in between his lips, lighting the tobacco end with his notorious silver lighter. Asuma took a long drag from the stick, savoring the bitter taste as a weak chuckle escaped his mouth. "If this is about me skipping out on my last physical exam I'll just go make a new appointment…" he drawled out slowly, still eying Tsunade suspiciously.

Tsunade watched the jounin when he stepped into the room, suddenly glad that she had turned off the beeping machines before he had came. She didn't particularly want him to know that there was someone behind this curtain, especially someone that she knew he was dying to see. She had told the ANBU not to relay information about Shikamaru and his mission… it had been highly classified and it had, had to stay that way. Even now, she couldn't tell him exactly what happened… only that there had been complications. "This is not about your physical, Asuma… even though we will have to talk about that later." She murmured, stepping forward and looking down at the man sitting on the bed.

"You are in a hospital." Tsunade suddenly said, reaching out to grab the cigarette and put it out. She just shook her head, sighing softly. "You shouldn't be smoking." She didn't seem like she was upset with him though, she was more worried about the injured man in the room. He wouldn't be smoking anytime soon… his lungs had been injured by a rather nasty jutsu. She sighed softly as she sat down on the bed beside him, touching his shoulder gently. "This is about Shikamaru… his mission did not go as planned." She murmured, sighing softly as she looked down. "I can't tell you exactly what happened or what the mission was about… all I can tell you is that there were… complications."

The Hokage looked towards the hidden bed, taking a deep breath before she stood up. "You can't jar him, Asuma." She murmured, carefully pulling the curtain back to reveal Shikamaru. "He was injured on his mission. His lungs were hurt the worst… so no smoking around him." She said, stepping back a bit to turn the monitor's on the machines on again, a low beep entering the room again. "I thought you would want to be the first person to see him because of your… relationship. Once he wakes up, you can't move him too much, not until after we have had a couple more healing sessions with him… I'm sorry Asuma… that it turned out like this."

Asuma sat there on the bed, letting Tsunade's words sink in along with the visual of Shikamaru's current condition. His eyes caught the telemetry unit monitoring the heart rate, the nasal cannula under the others nose, and then the frail body resting unconsciously on the bed. Bruises covering the left cheek, a darkened right eye, an already soiled dressing secured on a swollen cheek, down to marks covering the slender arms; his lover looked like some dog's chew toy.

Now the jounin's heart thrummed against his chest rapidly, his stomach tensed, and his head throbbed. He wasn't sure how to react; he was worried, concerned, terrified, and angry. Who in the hell would do such a thing? Why didn't somebody send out a search team for Shikamaru if that was the outcome? Why send Shikamaru on that mission? Asuma brought a shaky hand to his forehead, pulled off his hitai-ate, and combed his fingers through his mocha hair. He suddenly wished that the meeting was about the delayed physical, not his abused lover.

Finally, after several quiet moments, Asuma pushed his body from the empty bed and shuffled over to look down at the young Nara. Blunt nails scratched at the five o'clock shadow outlining his beard as he stared down at the large bandage covering Shikamaru's chest, the very body he envied for the lack of wounds. He should've been there for the chuunin, not only as a lover but as a comrade. Now he felt sick to his stomach, it was hard to process all of it. The jounin closed his eyes as a heavy sigh furled from his lips. He glanced over to the blonde woman checking the charts. "Tsunade…tell me...the mission rank." He whispered in a quiet, yet demanding voice. He needed to know, and needed to know now.

Tsunade watched Asuma with Shikamaru, feeling her worries about their relationship slowly fade away. She had been slightly worried that it wasn't totally consensual but… with the first thing Shikamaru had said when he woke up for the short time before his healing and the way Asuma was reacting now… it really seemed like they were serious about each other. "I can't…" She trailed off as she spoke, looking to the side. She thought about it long and hard as she checked the chuunin's vitals, marking off different things on his chart. She waited for a few moments before she spoke again, reaching up to tone down the pain killers being injected periodically into Shikamaru's arm.

"It was A rank." Tsunade said, swallowing a bit. "Its classifications fit him perfectly… and it was supposed to be simple in and out. We could have never seen a complication like this coming." She hesitated for a few moments before she reached down, touching the Nara's forehead gently. "I can't let him stay awake for long, talk to him while I go get him a new IV bag." She murmured, watching Shikamaru long enough to make sure he was waking up before stepping back out of the room. She only planned to be gone for a max of ten minutes… she wouldn't risk keeping him awake longer then that, he needed sleep to heal.

Shikamaru shifted just a bit after Tsunade left, his eyes fluttering open slowly. They were blood shot and tired but he focused on Asuma rather easily. "Asuma…" He whispered softly, not able to talk any louder than that, his chest still felt like it was being compressed. He reached up, his hand shaking as he tried to reach his lover. "Missed you." He wanted a hug but he couldn't seemed to be able to get his body to move correctly to do it.

As the Hokage exited the room, Asuma couldn't help but glare at the woman's back. Whether or not she could foresee the risks and injuries from the mission, she should have considered Shikamaru's status. Chuunin's were capable of D and C ranked missions alone even some B missions, but an A ranked mission needed someone of a higher status. How dare she assign a mission of that stature to a chuunin, to a teenager?

As much as the Sarutobi wanted to raise hell, raspy words coming from the bed caught his attention. His infuriated expression softened as he glanced down at the Nara. The corners of his lips tugged into a weak smile and pulled a chair closer to the bedside; Asuma didn't want to worry Shikamaru with the shock plastered on his face. His hand grasped onto that shaken limb, lacing his rough fingers with the bruised digits.

"I missed you too…" He whispered quietly, leaning forward to be closer to his lover. The bloody, metallic smell was heavy on the fragile form. After waiting, pining for a month Asuma didn't know what to say. He didn't want to bring up the mission, the timing seemed inappropriate, but so did many other things. Instead, he gave out a weak chuckle and squeezed the hand gently. "Took you long enough…did you get caught up in cloud watching again? Lazy bum…"

Shikamaru held onto Asuma's hand when he felt the other man grip his own, a soft, sigh coming from his throat. He chuckled slightly when the other man spoke, wincing when the movement jarred his chest just a bit too much. It wasn't just a jutsu that had hurt his chest so bad and left him so broken but… he had also been captured while on his mission and subjected to torture that even Ibiki would find cruel. "I… you know how i…" He sighed, swallowing a bit. "You know how I love those clouds." He whispered softly, trying to pull Asuma just a bit closer. He just felt far too weak for that to happen.

Shikamaru made another soft noise, his eyes closing as he took a deep breath. "They had… very pretty ones there… so fluffy and white." He whispered, looking up at him with a gentle smile. "But enough about me…" He murmured, reaching up to tug him down a bit again. He was having nightmares about what had happened but he figured he would get over them soon… it was just one of the worst things that had happened to him on a mission up until now. "Where is my welcome home kiss?" He asked his voice still raspy as he tried to pull him down. He wanted that kiss… he figured it would make him a feel a lot more better than he was feeling. Asuma's kisses always made him feel so much better.

As much as Asuma wanted to believe that Shikamaru was outside, watching the clouds slowly drift across the beautiful painted blue sky, he knew that wasn't the truth. Something horrible happened to his young lover, he probably even dealt with worse torture than the jounin had; even after all the years as a rebellious ninja scouring across the fire country as a guardian. Shikamaru wasn't only hurt physically, but probably psychologically as well. It would take a long time before the night tremors, the horrors, would stop. That was the thing the Sarutobi didn't like about the younger crowd finally getting their hands into that sort of mission; it takes time and thick skin to bury the repulsive side of being a shinobi.

Asuma stared down at Shikamaru, smiling weakly as he leaned closer, brushing his lips against his lover's. The young Nara looked like he hurt all over, and the Sarutobi felt a bit hesitant for the kiss; he couldn't stand to make the teenager hurt more than he already was. But when he felt the others urgency, the need for that kiss, Asuma pressed his lips against Shikamaru's gently for a tender kiss. His rough hand slid into the chuunin's hair with a bit of hesitance, not wanting to cause any more pain while their lips remained locked on each other. God he missed kissing Shikamaru, missed being with the young male, missed everything. The jounin barely pulled his lips away, wanting to nuzzle against his lover.

"I'm glad you made it back…" his dark eyes took in the frail form as a small sigh furled from his lips. "At least in one piece…" He joked weakly, checking to see if anybody was near the patient room door before kissing Shikamaru once again.

Shikamaru sighed when Asuma finally kissed him, his hands sliding up to hold his lover with his shaking hands. He had been worried that Asuma would say no… that he would reject kissing him because of the way that he looked, the way that he was injured. He had seemed so hesitant and worried… even Shikamaru could read his feelings clearly on his features. Asuma had never been good at hiding his feelings from him even if he was supposed to be able to as an elite ninja, he could read him like an open book and he never wanted that fact to change. Shikamaru just let his mind drift off after that, one of his hands sliding up so that he could touch Asuma's hair while they kissed. Surprisingly… this was one of the things he had missed most, just being able to touch Asuma.

The whine that escaped Shikamaru's throat when Asuma just barely pushed back surprised him a bit, making him blink a few times. It had been such a long time since he had needed a kiss from Asuma, not just wanted it. "I'm glad I did too…" He murmured, taking a deep breath as he looked up at him. "I really missed you… was hoping you'd be here when I got back." His eyes were drooping as he spoke, his voice getting softer. The beeping on his hear monitor was slowing down, signaling that he was quickly falling back to sleep. His eyes finally slid shut when Asuma kissed him again, the hands still buried in the jounins hair clenching for a few moments before they slid down, his entire body going lax when he fell to sleep again.

It was just a few moments later that the door slid open again, revealing Tsunade carrying an IV bag as well as a shot in her hands. "He's asleep again?" She asked, looking up at Shikamaru's monitors as she walked across the room, his shoes clacking softly on the linoleum floor. She reached up, replacing the IV bag before moving to the other side of the bed. "Now, there are some things you can't do for a while, at least until we do a couple more healings." She injected the shot as she spoke, barely watching what she was doing. She had done it a hundred times before, she didn't need to watch. "His body cannot be moved suddenly or jarred for at least two weeks, maybe more. What does this mean to you? This means, Asuma, that you cannot jump him for AT LEAST two weeks, no training and no sex, do you understand?"

Once Tsunade walked into the room, Asuma jolted away from Shikamaru's lax body and watched the blonde woman insert the IV in the anticubital region. He was too caught up with worry over his young lover that he was doing a horrible job of hiding their secret relationship. And the way she eyed him suspiciously, she quickly made the connection between the two. This wasn't a good feeling; she was the Hokage and had relations with the Nara family. Tsunade could easily contact Shikaku and Yoshino Nara to rat out Asuma's relationship with Shikamaru. His dark eyes locked onto the woman's emerald gaze before nodding slowly. He was okay with it all, for Shikamaru he'd do anything. He leaned back into the chair, shifted his weight, and rested his arm against the armrest.

"You won't have to worry about the training Tsunade-sama…but…" he muttered under a quiet breath, feeling an itch to pull out a cigarette. "What's with the assumption that I'm having sex with Shikamaru? I was his teacher, mentor…and now I'm just a comrade and friend…" Calloused fingers scratched at the scruff framing his face, and his chocolate orbs focused on the fifth Hokage. Asuma was feeling rather curious as to why Tsunade would make that conclusion, or how she found out about them. He grinned playfully, pulling out his silver lighter only to flick the flame on and off. "And I thought my mouth was rather blunt…but that was a straight forward accusation."

Tsunade watched Asuma, tapping her fingers on Shikamaru's chart as she watched the jounin. He was clearly straining to find a way to get out of what she had said and… she didn't really see why he wanted too. It was just so obvious that they were together, why else would he have been kissing the chuunin or asking every ANBU he could find why Shikamaru wasn't back or what his mission was about. "I'm not making an assumption or accusation, Asuma." He murmured, shaking her slightly. "You should know I know everything about my ninja's and I know this about you two."

She sighed softly after that, shaking her head a bit as she looked over the young Nara's vitals again. Tsunade didn't want to make them uncomfortable but it was her job to know what was going on with her ninja's. "As long as I don't find out that you're forcing anything on him, I won't do anything about it." She murmured, tapping the chart again. "He is of legal age so don't talk to me about being his teacher or just his friend, I don't enjoy being lied too." She frowned a bit before shaking his head, turning away again. "Let him sleep, I know it's hopeless to try to get you to leave so just let him sleep."

Asuma's grin quickly turned into a slight frown, she knew about them and didn't seem all too enthralled by the idea. Yes, they did start the relationship rather early, Shikamaru had just turned sixteen and he was still fifteen years older than the other; but it wasn't like Asuma forced the other into the relationship, hell, he didn't lay a finger on the chuunin until they confessed about pining for one another. Hopefully she didn't know how long they had been together.

He glanced back at the young Nara breathing shallow breaths, catching the other's fingers twitch here and there. The Sarutobi leaned forward in his seat, digging his elbows into his thighs while his right leg tapped against the tile floor nervously. "Don't worry about me waking him...I'm more worried about him not getting the rest he needs…" he muttered quietly, looking back up at the older woman. "You don't happen to have anything that would make him not experience night terrors? This was probably his biggest mission, and since there were complications, I'm sure it's going to leave some negative impact on him…" A heavy sigh escaped his lips, and Asuma slid his hand through his dark chocolate locks. "What I'm saying is…I just want him to sleep well. And since you've worked with medicine for years…you don't happen to have something to relax him or anything?"

Tsunade sighed a bit, knowing exactly how big Shikamaru's mission had been. So far, the chuunin had managed to come away from missions mostly unscathed, there was a broken finger or rib here or there but… nothing like this. On top of injuries sustained during a rather intense battle, he had signs of torture and of… rape. She looked down when she thought of that, sighing as he hands clenched on the chart she was holding. "The shot I just gave him should help with that, there's really not a lot we can give him for night terrors though." She murmured, stepping back a bit and shaking her head. "If he starts to flail or anything like that, just call in a medic and they'll restrain him so he doesn't hurt himself." She stepped back after that, hanging the chart on the end of the bed. "Well… if you don't have anymore questions, I'll leave so that he can get some more quality sleep."

"No…I don't have any questions at the moment…" Asuma whispered quietly, his attention going right back to Shikamaru. "I'll get a hold of Shikaku and Yoshino tomorrow morning." He muttered under a heavy breath, giving his hand a slight wave once Tsunade walked out of the room. When the door clicked shut, the jounin focused onto the slumbering body on the bed. He didn't want to take his eyes off of his lover just in case the chuunin had a case of night terrors. The more he thought about it, the more he grew worried with the idea of strapping the teenager down to the bed; he was sure Shikamaru had been traumatized enough already.

So Asuma sat in the chair, shifting his weight around to get comfortable. Two hours went by before a nurse and a CNA came into the room, checking up on the vitals, took a physical assessment, changed the bloodied dressings, and recorded whatever findings they needed.  
Before they left the room, the nurse brought in a small comfort cart filled with coffee, water, snacks, and magazines. The Sarutobi thanked the women for the hospitality and helped himself to the coffee. That was the routine throughout the night; the nurses came in every two hours for an update on the Nara's status. As for Asuma, he felt himself struggling to stay awake. He didn't' move from the seat, nor did he look away from Shikamaru's fragile body. Hell he didn't even know what time it was until the sun's rays started to peek through the blinds, heating up the side of his face.

He was tired, nodding on and off only to wake himself up whenever his head slid out of his hand. The man sighed heavily, moved his chair closer to the bedside, and laced his fingers with the bruised hand. Asuma smiled softly, gently patted the top of Shikamaru's hand, and then rested his chin on the mattress. His grip loosened quickly, and the upper half of his torso rested on the bed, finding himself oddly comfortable with the position. His other hand held onto the empty Styrofoam cup, and his heavy eyes closed shut. Asuma's mouth hung open slightly, as heavy breaths escaped his lips.

It wasn't very long after Asuma fell asleep that a nurse walked into the room wheeling a tray with bandages and ointments as well as a tray of food for both Asuma and Shikamaru. They had sent plenty of coffee; it wasn't hard to guess that Asuma wasn't going to leave or go to sleep until Shikamaru was released from the hospital. He sighed as he saw the jounin pretty much passed out against the bed, shaking his head as he looked down at him. "Asuma – san." The nurse murmured softly, reaching down to shake his shoulder, helping him to sit up. "You can't lay on him like that; it's not good for him." He murmured handing him a cup of coffee before walking back to the cart.

The nurse grabbed a few bandages, moving to the bed. He took Shikamaru's vitals in silence before he moved to change his bandages. He would have asked Asuma to leave but… he figured that, that wouldn't happen either. The Hokage had told everyone taking care of Shikamaru that Asuma was allowed to stay whatever they did. He removed the soiled bandages carefully, exposing the deep wounds on Shikamaru's chest just long enough to smooth on the salve before he was wrapping him with clean bandages once again. "The Hokage said she would be in later to do a healing, until then, there can't be any pressure to his chest." By the time the nurse finished speaking, Shikamaru was waking up, and he was still looking rather tired as the other man slowly helped him sit up.

The chuunin swallowed a bit, looking down at the food that was set in front of him with tired, blood shot eyes. He waited until the nurse left before he shifted on the bed, wincing as the position he was in aggravated injuries that he hoped Asuma would never know about. He looked a little better then the night before, his cheeks weren't as pale and his hands weren't shaking as much but he was no where near a hundred percent. He reached up, rubbing at his eyes, very careful of the wounds there before he looked over at Asuma. "Did you stay here all night?" He asked, not even thinking about touching the food. After what had happened… he didn't know when he would be able to stomach food again. He still felt so sick.

It took Asuma a few moments to register what had happened as his heavily lidded eyes blinked open slowly only to notice a fresh cup of coffee in his hand. "Sorry…" came a loud yawn, even though the nurse left the room for another hour or two. With a sharp inhale, the jounin rubbed the sleep from his dark eyes, and then sipped on the freshly brewed coffee. He smacked his lips, wiping off any drool that might've collected at the corner of his mouth, and then glanced up at Shikamaru, who seemed to be awake now.

"Yup…" he chirped out from behind the Styrofoam cup, sipping more of the bitter black coffee. Honestly, he could drink the hot beverage with or without cream and sugar; the strong taste reminded him of his cigarettes in a way. A sleepy smile spread across his gruff features as he eyed his lover closely. The Nara wasn't at tip top shape, but he was a lot perkier than last night that was for sure. "I was given a set of rules that I needed to follow, or else Tsunade would crack the whip on me."

Asuma chuckled lightly before yawning. "Ahhahm…s'cuse me…" he muttered before reaching over to his tray of food. He pulled off the burgundy colored lid and plucked a slice of buttered toast from the plate. "Did you sleep well? You kinda twitched here and there throughout the night, but most of the time you were still…" Both of which were true; Shikamaru did have one fit last night, scaring the shit out of Asuma as he watched the body tense up for a couple of seconds before his lover was back asleep.

Shikamaru just watched Asuma, feeling like it had been ages since he had just been able to see his lover. He sighed softly, a gentle smile coming to his features at the familiar movements and gestures. He missed it all… the kisses, the touches… his presence and when he had thought that he would be able to be see him again, touch him again or just be with him… it had broken his heart and his resolve. If the ANBU hadn't been there to save him… the wound on his chest would have probably killed him. He couldn't help but rub the wounded area slightly as he thought, barely even playing with his food.

"Yeah… I slept just fine." Shikamaru murmured, forcing another smile to cross his features. It was only a white lie… he just didn't want to tell his lover about the nightmares, the flashbacks to when he had been tied up in a dark, dank cell, his body invading in more than one way by the enemy ninja's weapons and tools. He couldn't talk about that… he just couldn't, even thinking about it made a dark, depressed gleam come to his eyes."She gave you rules?" He asked, looking fairly confused as he glances up and Asuma. "Rules for what… why would she need to give you rules and why would she crack her whip?" He knew he was asking a lot of questions but what Asuma had said had really confused him and he wasn't easily confused. Maybe it was the drugs messing up his mind…

Asuma raised an interested brow, observing Shikamaru's expression at the reply. He knew he could be pretty dense at times, but he wasn't about to let that farce look slide; it would just have to take some time getting used to the horrific sides of being a shinobi, and the terrors would go away eventually. It was obvious that the chuunin didn't want to talk about it, and that was fine with the jounin; he didn't want to force anything out of the exhausted teen. The Sarutobi sipped from the black coffee and finished the rest of his toast before prodding at the soggy looking eggs on the plate. The toast would tide him over until later on in the day. He shifted his weight around in the small chair, trying to find another comfortable spot while he stretched his arms over his head.

"Yeah…" the older male yawned lightly, trying to shake the sleep from his body as he sunk into the cushion. "No smoking around you…and no physical contact for two weeks or more..." he paused slightly; his dark eyes watched Shikamaru on the bed before looking up at the ceiling.  
"And not the training contact either." Asuma voiced out, knowing that his genius lover would connect the dots eventually. Wriggling around in the seat, the jounin glanced over to the patient's tray, noticing that Shikamaru hardly touched the food. This caused a great deal of concern for the Sarutobi; a better way to make the healing process go a lot quicker would be eating lots of protein.

Without asking, Asuma reached over to the gray tray, grasped onto a protein health shake, stabbed a straw into the carton, and then handed it to Shikamaru. "Drink it," the jounin said sternly, pushing the carton into the chuunin's hold. "If you're having a hard time trying to stomach solid food…I could call down and request a liquid diet. You need something in your stomach if you want to get out of here faster. So…drink up."

Shikamaru already felt like he was drifting off again, his eyes threatening to close. He rubbed at his eyes again, wincing with a slight sound of pain. He had forgotten that he was injured there also. That would be very, very annoying. "No smoking… no physical contact…" He murmured, blinking rapidly as he tried to understand exactly what Asuma was saying. It was like his mind was in a fog. Normally when he thought, he thought in sharp, exact images and formula's but now… now it was like everything was covered with a film and nothing he did could get it to clear up for him. He even shook his head, much like a dog to try to jar the thoughts into clarity. "Not training contact…" One of his eyes closed as he thought, swallowing a bit as he meticulously sorted through his bleary, jumbled thoughts.

"Wait…" Shikamaru swallowed as he looked up, both of his eyes wide, almost looking frightened. "Does she know…" He bit his lip a bit, his hands clenching slightly. "That we're… together?" He asked, his hands shaking as he clenched them in front of his body. It was only a few moments later that one of his hands drifted back to his chest. It was like he was trying to protect the injured area subconsciously, which he was, of course. He jumped when Asuma held out the drink for him, not taking it for a few moments before he wrapped his hands around the carton. He held it in one hand, the other arm wrapping around his stomach. "I'm just not hungry…" He murmured, swallowing a bit as he shook the drink some. "Not at all…" He sighed a bit but brought the drink up, taking a hesitant swallow. He was only doing it to appease Asuma. He wouldn't have touched it if his lover hadn't given it to him.

"Yes…she does know, but I'm not sure how long she's been aware," Asuma whispered softly, growing more concerned with the way Shikamaru reacted toward the simple gesture of handing over the shake carton. He didn't think he was that forceful with the drink, but it was for his lover's benefit. A heavy sigh furled from his lips and he moved the chair closer to the bedside again, now that the nurses were gone and the Nara was alert. "Just drink what you can…okay? I don't want you forcing it down if you can't stomach it…"

The Sarutobi leaned back into the chair, ran a calloused hand through his unruly hair, and yawned. His right foot tapped against the tile floor as his mocha eyes looked at the Nara, taking in the bruised face, the large wound on the chest soiling the bandage; he hated seeing his lover in pain, but now he knew what young chuunin went through whenever he was away on a long mission, only to come back as if he made a perfect chew toy. Now it seemed as if the roles were switched around.

When Asuma looked back up into Shikamaru's eyes, he chuckled lightly at how the teenager struggled to stay awake. The jounin reached over with one hand, caressing the loose locks, while his other hand gently grasped onto the hands holding the shake carton. "Hey…you look a bit tired. Go ahead and get some sleep. I'll be here waiting for Tsunade to come…as well as your parents. I'm sure by that time I'll be shooed out of the room…" he said lightly, leaning over to kiss the top of his lover's brow. "Get some rest."

Shikamaru sighed as he looked down at the hand on his, gripping the carton a bit harder. His stomach was already rolling like it wasn't even going to let him keep the few drinks of the shake down. He sighed as he looked over, yawning slightly as he watched Asuma move. "I am tired… I'm exhausted, Asuma." He murmured, carefully lifting the shake and placing it back on the table. He hadn't eaten any of the food; he had just moved it around to make it look like he had eaten at least a few bites of the food. He looked over at Asuma, swallowing a bit as he just… watched the larger man again. It was a comfort to him to just see him; one he had never expected would impact him so deeply.

"But I missed you so bad… I can't, not yet." Shikamaru whispered, reaching over to pull Asuma close. "I thought I was going to die… don't make me go back to sleep yet… just let me be with you for a while longer." He hated sounded so weak, he hated feeling so weak and helpless like this but he knew there was nothing that he could do about it. He pulled Asuma close, giving him a slight clumsy kiss. It kind of hurt in the position he was in but he really, really wanted a kiss from his lover. He wanted to feel his lovers stubble from his beard, the slightly rough quality of his lips and the wetness of a kiss… he wanted to feel it all. He just held onto Asuma, holding him close as he kissed him with all of his ability.

Mocha eyes softened at the chuunin's weak plea, hearing the terror in the soft words. Now Asuma was worried and curious; what in the hell went wrong with the mission? How long was Shikamaru held captive? Fuck the confidentiality of the mission, the jounin was going to get the details one way or another. If Shikamaru wasn't going to say much at the beginning, Asuma planned on getting the information from Tsunade; even if it meant disguising into one of the workers at the Hokage Tower. Whenever his young lover fell asleep, the older male planned on talking to the fifth Hokage, hoping to get some more detail from the woman, but right now caring for the Nara was his top priority.

"Wait…" Asuma muffled into the kisses, trying to adjust his position so that it doesn't put so much strain on his lover. The Sarutobi leaned closer to the bed, feeling his legs bump against the hospital bed, and his back leaned down to close his lips around the young Nara's for a slow passionate kiss. Tongues massaged each other slowly, tasting one another, and the Sarutobi swallowed a low groan. It felt like ages since he kissed his lover, reveling in the kiss with the hint of the chocolate shake.

Shikamaru just let himself get lost in the kiss, his hand clenched in the elder mans hair so that he couldn't pull away unless he forced him to let go. He didn't care if he was uncomfortable or his breathing was a bit forced, he just wanted to keep kissing Asuma until he could forget the feeling of someone else doing the same thing to him… someone else kissing him when he didn't want it. He sighed when he was shifted though, his eyes fluttering slightly as he leaned back against the bed. The pressure that he had been feeling in his chest disappeared, his body relaxing into the much needed embrace. His hands slowly slid down from Asuma's hair as their tongues moved together, just holding onto his shoulders as they kissed. This… was exactly what he had needed.

After a few long moments, Asuma pulled his lips away from Shikamaru's with a gentle smile. "Love you…and now get some rest before Tsunade comes in with your parents as well as your new medical treatment." He took a seat at the edge of the bed and laced his rough fingers with his lover's soft digits. "I'll be here if you need anything…okay?"

He couldn't help the soft whine when Asuma pulled away though, his hands clenching a bit at the larger mans shoulders. Shikamaru understood the reasoning though, just sighing softly as he held his lovers hand, his other hand coming forward to rest on top of their joined hands. He didn't think he was ready for his parents to find out about them yet… Tsunade knowing was already worrying enough. "I love you too." He murmured, holding his hand a bit tighter as he looked up. He just sat back against the bed, leaning his head against the pillow as he looked up at his lover. "Just promise… you won't leave." He murmured, his hands shaking as he spoke. "Please… don't let her send you on a mission right now… I need you here with me." He murmured, quivering slightly as he looked up. He knew it was selfish to ask but… he didn't think he'd be able to get through this without Asuma with him.

"I'll see what I can do Shikamaru. The woman is a cougar, it's truly up to her to decide whether to ship me out or not…" he paused slightly, noticing the disheartened look from the injured chuunin. "Don't worry…I'll talk to her. If anything it would be a few errands around Konoha so I'm not too far." He leaned over and pressed his lips against the top of his young lover's head. "As for now…" he whispered softly. "I'm not going anywhere." The older male glanced over his shoulder, watching the movement outside the patient room before shifting his body over to the chair next to the patient bed.

He swung his legs over the armrest, pulled out his silver lighter, and started to flick his thumb against the metal cog. The more Asuma played with his favorite lighter, the more his crave for nicotine grew. The craving spiked as the nasty habit pestered him like some small annoying child asking "are we there yet?" The jounin shook the lighter before pocketing it inside his vest. As much as he wanted to smoke, he knew Tsunade would annihilate him for disobeying direct orders. The man grumbled softly, leaned backward slightly to crack his back before shuffling out of the chair. He poured himself another cup of coffee so he wouldn't have to fight off the urge to sleep, and moved over to the window.

Asuma pulled open the blinds to let the sun shine into the pale room. "There we go…" he said cheerfully, tapping his finger against the window pane. "A nice view of the blue sky…hey…we're even up high enough for you to view the clouds." The Sarutobi glanced over his shoulder, smiling brightly at the injured Nara. "Now you have a reason to daze off and cloud watch..." he teased playfully.

Shikamaru smiled softly at that, his head automatically tilting so that he could look out the window at the sky and clouds. It really was a nice view… he would rather be in his customary place, laying on his back and looking up at the sky on the roof of whatever building caught his fancy but… this was nice too. It was another glimpse of normalcy, one that he really felt he needed; it was just so nice that Asuma noticed that he needed these kinds of things too. Apparently the jounin could read him just as well as Shikamaru could read him. "Yes… it's really nice, isn't it?" He murmured, shifting a bit and returning Asuma's smile even as his eyes started to drift close. "Sounds like a plan to me…" His eyes were already mostly closed though, the comfortable position quickly putting him to sleep.

It was just moments after Shikamaru fell asleep that his door slid open, grant Tsunade, Yoshino and Shikaku entered the room. Yoshino automatically went to the bedside, reaching down to take one of her son's hands as he she looked down. "Shikamaru…" She murmured softly, he hand shaking as she leaned closer, her way of checking over Shikamaru. "God… you're so beat up."

"He just needs to sleep and recover." Tsunade murmured, looking up at Asuma as she entered the room. They certainly were slick, there was next to no evidence that they had any sort of relationship beyond teacher and student. Of course, they were probably always extra careful around the Nara's parents. She sighed softly as she rested her hand on Yoshino's shoulder, just looking down at her. "He'll be ok; we're giving him the best medical care possible." Her voice was a lot softer then it had been with Asuma last night, her gentle nature showing through. She just watched as Shikaku walked around the other side of the bed, giving Asuma a slightly wary look before he kneeled by his son also. Both of Shikamaru's parents were so very worried about him now.

Once the rest of the immediate Nara family walked into the patient room, the Sarutobi glanced up from the slight daze he was in. The coffee wasn't working for him, even when leaning against the windowsill, Asuma found some way to get comfortable. But he stood awake when the two parents knelt down by Shikamaru's bedside. Yoshino was already on the verge of tears, who could blame her though; her son didn't look one hundred percent. As for Shikaku, he knelt down on the opposite side, having a full view of his son as well as the Sarutobi.

The Jounin raised an eyebrow at the father before he pushed himself off of the wall he leaned against, and stretched his arms over his head. Even though his lover requested that he stood there, Asuma knew that it was time to let both Shikaku and Yoshino share some time with their injured son. He was never really big with his family, but Asuma knew that it wasn't his place to be in there. So what better time to go out and have a nice smoke? Yup that sounded like a good idea. As he moved over to the door, the Sarutobi looked over his shoulder toward Tsunade, signaling that he was exiting the room for a bit. When his calloused hand grasped onto the door handle, he felt a hand grasp onto his shoulder.

"Were you here all night with my son?" Shikaku asked softly. Asuma nodded slowly, and the older jounin smiled slightly. "Well…thank you. Your concern means a lot to us, and now I know why my son thinks so highly of you. Thank you Asuma."

"Anytime," Asuma replied with a smile, ignoring Tsunade's glance. "But…I have a cigarette craving to take care of…s'cuse me." With that, the jounin turned the knob and exited the room and made his way toward the elevator so he could get some fresh air while on his smoke break.

Shikaku turned toward the fifth Hokage standing in the corner of the room. "I'm sorry Lady Tsunade…could you give my wife and I some time with our son?"

Tsunade watched the way the people in the room seemed to gravitate around the sleeping chuunin on the bed, a soft sigh coming from her throat as she watched the way Shikamaru's parents reacted to his injuries. She hated knowing that they were only seeing the wounds that were visible as Shikamaru lay there… that there were much worse wounds hidden by his clothes and the blankets covering his frail form. She just nodded as Asuma left, glad that the other man had, had that courtesy. That would make it much easier telling Shikaku and Yoshino what she needed too. She walked towards the door, closing it before she walked back to the bed, looking down at Shikamaru.

"I will but… there are some things that I have to tell you first… some things about his different injuries." Tsunade murmured, sighing as she reached up, turning off the beeping on the machines so it would be one less thing to keep Shikamaru awake. She really didn't want him waking up to hear her talking about this.

"But you already told us about the chest wounds with his lungs and everything." Yoshino murmured, still holding Shikamaru's bruised hand in her own. "Is there something more serious than that?" Her hand clenched a bit on her sons as she looked up, swallowing nervously. Badly injured lungs along with broken ribs and torn muscles was bad enough… what else could have happened to their child?

"I'm afraid… those are only his visible wounds." Tsunade murmured, taking a deep breath as she looked down. "I just need you two to listen to what I say… I want to say it before he wakes up again and it causes him even worse night terrors." She settled down in one of the chairs, crossing her legs before she started to speak. Her voice was monotone as she related the details, she would get fairly upset again if she let the emotions get to her. "Shikamaru was captured by enemy ninja's while on his mission. Along with… torture." She left out how bad the torture was, not wanting to upset Shikamaru's parents more then she was about too. "He was subjected to rape." She looked to the side at that, swallowing a bit. "Continuously, for around two and half weeks, he was tortured and raped. I'm sorry to have to tell you this but seeing as you will be the ones helping him through his recovery, you need to know the extent of his injuries."

Both of the parents went quiet for a moment before a small squeak came from Yoshino, her lower lip trembled as the tears streamed down her face. She couldn't believe it; her child, her only son was a victim of rape, a tool for men's pleasures. She couldn't even compare to the amount of pain Shikamaru must have went through, the horror her son faced every day since the capture. This was one of the many reasons she disliked her boy becoming a shinobi; she didn't want to wait night after night, praying for her son's safety during a mission. The female Nara didn't mind much when the chuunin was assigned with his sensei, but now that Shikamaru was moving up the ranks, she knew he was going to go on more demanding missions. Yoshino rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hand before running her soft hand through her son's chocolate hair. Her pale fingers ran across the matted locks delicately while the tears continued to stream down her face, trying her best to choke back a few sobs so that Shikamaru could sleep longer.

It took Shikaku a few moments to process the news before he stood up and walked over to the window. His son was violated, molested by a group of horny dogs who used a poor method to get information. The thought of it left a sour taste in the older male's mouth. His dark eyes stared out the window while his fingers skimmed through the goatee on his chin. "Dammit..." he whispered harshly, looking over his shoulder to stare back at Tsunade. "Why didn't you contact us when he came home? Wouldn't you think that his parents should be the ones told first…not his former sensei?" he grumbled furiously before shifting over to the chair next to the bed. The man flopped down rather gracefully, rubbing his brow tenderly. The man felt angry, horrified, and disgusted from the act. Who would dare touch his son that way? Just thinking about those sinful gestures made him sick. It took Shikaku a few moments to calm down before his dark eyes found the blonde woman. "My apologies Lady Tsunade…the news is a bit harsh, but right now…I'm only concerned about what my son needs. Is there anything we can do to keep the night terrors to a minimum?"

Tsunade just sighed as she watched Shikaku and Yoshino, knowing that the news had been very hard for them to handle. It was always hard for a parent to hear that there child had been harmed that way… violated and abused for someone else's selfish wants. It was horrible for anyone to hear. "I did not call you in last night, Shikaku because you just came back from a mission yourself." She murmured, sighing a bit as she stood up to look at him. "I know you suffered your own wounds and I also knew that you were sleeping off a poison. It would have been detrimental to both of your health to call you in last night." She stepped back after that, cocking her head to the side as she thought. "There's really nothing you can do other then be there for him when he suffers one. There is medication that I can give him to make him sleep through them but that just means he endures the entire dream. It's like not being able to wake up from a nightmare and I'm sure you two wouldn't want to do that to him."

Yoshino nodded her head in agreement, wiping her eyes as she continued to cry over he son. She couldn't stop the devastated tears; this was her son, her only son. She just couldn't stand to see him hurt like this and she certainly wouldn't make him endure dreams just so they didn't wake him up. "Of course not… we'll be there for him when he has a dream."

Tsunade nodded at that, checking the young Nara's vitals once more before stepping back and hanging his chart on the end of his bed once more. "Other then that, I'm sure that you can hold your questions for another time. I don't want to overwhelm you with information right now." She murmured, smiling a bit as she stepped back towards the door. "Well, I will leave you alone with Shikamaru now. Please don't jar him in any way; we haven't done his treatment for his chest yet this morning." She waited until she received nods from both of the chuunin's parents before she stepped back out of the door, closing it silently behind her. Now, she was off to find Asuma to tell him to stay out for a while so Shikaku and Yoshino could have some alone time with Shikamaru.

It was only a few moments after the Hokage left that Shikamaru was shifting on the bed, a soft noise coming from his throat as he woke up, the sound of his mother crying pulling him from the drug induced sleep he had been in. "Wh…" He trailed off at that, coughing and holding his chest. A look of pain crossed his face before he finally calmed down, panting slightly as he gripped a bit at the blanket covering his body. "M… mom…" He murmured, looking up at her with tired eyes. "Why are you crying?"

"Ohhh, I'm so sorry, Shikamaru." Yoshino murmured softly, his hand smoothing Shikamaru's hair back from his face again as she looked down at him. "It's nothing… I was just upset with seeing you like this." Her words were a bit stilted as she wiped at her eyes, trying to stop the tears. "Everything's ok… just go on back to sleep son, you need it."

It didn't take long for Shikamaru to feel sleep taking over his form again, his eyes fluttering as he looked between his parents. "I'll be ok." He murmured softly as he reached up, touching them both softly with shaking hands. He couldn't make himself stay awake any longer then that, his eyes closing as he relaxed back against the bed. He hated not being able to stay awake and talk to him parents but… he knew the drugs would make him that way for a while. He had to sleep to fight the injuries riddled across his body.

Shikaku glanced over to the bed once Shikamaru started to stir, trying to feel optimistic for his son. He still couldn't get over the fact that his own flesh and blood was raped by a group of mentally sick shinobi. However, his son is still vulnerable and he needed all of the comfort he can get. He moved over to the bedside and ran his hand through the young Nara's hair with a small smile. "Everything is fine, kiddo. Just close your eyes and get some rest." The jounin winked at his injured son watching those heavy eyes flutter shut, before helping his wife off of the floor. "C'mon Yoshi…sit down and I'll go get us some coffee." The elder Nara sat his wife down and then moved over to the door. Shikaku glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "I'll be right back babe…" He whispered lightly before leaving the room.

Yoshino was still trying to hold back her tears as he husband lifted her up, sniffling a bit as she looked up at the elder Nara male. "He can't even stay awake…" She murmured, hugging Shikaku for a few moments before she pulled back to just look down at Shikamaru again. She made a soft noise when Shikaku left, just sitting down beside her sons bed and holding his hand as she waited for Shikaku to return.

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It felt like it had been forever since the last time he had a cigarette in his mouth. When the Nara's entered the room, the Sarutobi excused himself so that the family could have personal time with their son; besides it gave Asuma the perfect excuse to have a smoke. Konoha Hospital had a recovery garden at the center of the building, a perfect place to bend a few rules for his addiction. He found the perfect tree near the small koi pond, jumped up a few branches and made his perch against the rough trunk. The Jounin's leg hung limp from the branch while he enjoyed the bitter taste of his nicotine. A content groan furled from his lips, feeling his eyes grow heavy the more his body relaxed against the oak tree. He went through about four cigarettes before his chocolate eyes began to droop. Just being outside with the breeze rustling the green leaves and lightly kissed against his cheek felt too comfortable. Before too long, the Sarutobi slowly drifted off into sleep with his cigarette hanging from his mouth; his place was the perfect hiding spot, at least no one would raise hell for smoking at a hospital

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Tsunade went for the lobby when she left the injured Nara's room. It only took her a few moments to get there before she was leaning over the desk and speaking to the orderly. "Nara, Shikamaru's parents are in visiting him, please do not allow anymore visitors until they have left." She waited for her reply before she turned away, blinking a few times. She had to find Asuma now.

It only took her a few moments to find the jounin, a soft sigh coming from her throat as he looked up in the tree. Really? Why did jounins make it their goal in life to sleep and relax in the weirdest damned places? She debated just shaking him out of the tree, knowing it would make talking to him a lot easier for her but… she knew it really wouldn't be a good idea. She really didn't need another injured ninja on her hands; she had enough lying in that hospital waiting for her already. She groaned slightly, shaking her head before she jumped up into the tree just as easily as Asuma had. "Asuma." She murmured, nudging the sleeping man with her foot. "Wake up, I need to tell you something."

Asuma barely got into REM sleep before there was a small nudge against the bottom of his sandal. The subtle movement startled the man awake, causing him to snort softly as his hand quickly moved to the dwindling cigarette hanging loosely from his mouth. The lax body jolted, trying to put out the burning stick by snuffing the butt out in the palm of his hand; the skin was tough already from his style of fighting, so it was just a mere tingle to his nerves.

"Woman…" the jounin growled quietly, scratching at his beard while his dark eyes tried to focus in Tsunade. "You need to work on your timing a lot better…dropping in when I'm in the middle of something…" came a small grumble as Asuma glanced up at the blonde woman. He gave her a disapproving look before rubbing the sleep from his mocha orbs. "So…what do you need?" the Sarutobi asked softly, yawning loudly, and then turned his neck to the side trying to pop the small kinks.

Tsunade couldn't stop the slight giggle that came from her throat at the jounin's antics, just stepping back a bit as she looked down at Asuma. "Woman? How disrespectful." She murmured, shaking her head a bit as she poked at Asuma's foot again. "Maybe I should have just shaken you out of the tree, knocked some sense into your head." She gestured down at that, trying to show the man how far down a fall it actually would have been. She could have fixed him; really, she wasn't the highest ranking medical ninja for no reason and it would have at least given her some amusement during a very hard day.

"I just need to talk to you about some things." Tsunade murmured, sitting down on the branch with Asuma and looking over at him. "First off, Shikamaru's parents are going to spend some time with him so you can go home, catch a couple hours sleep and clean up some." She murmured, gesturing towards his beard. "Shikamaru will sleep for that amount of time so you don't have to worry about upsetting him because you're not here." She tapped her fingers against her leg as she spoke, looking a bit annoyed as she spoke. "We also need to talk about your relationship with Shikamaru. You must know that both you and Shikamaru are from influential families in the village. The two of you being together…" She sighed as she looked to the side, swallowing a bit. "You have to know what your families will think."

Sleeping in a bed sounded wonderful, especially without worrying every night for Shikamaru's return; finally a few hours to just sink into his soft mattress and just sleep. Asuma ran his hand through his beard, feeling the five o'clock shadow scratch under his rough palm, and sighed softly. He was looking a bit grizzly than the norm, but it wasn't that bad. "At least he's resting…" the jounin grunted softly and stretched his arms out.

A loud yawn furled from his lips once Tsunade brought up his relationship with Shikamaru. "I don't really care what my family has to think…my old man is dead," he shrugged his shoulders lightly, feeling a pair of eyes glare at him. Asuma didn't have the best relationship with the third Hokage, and Hiruzen disapproved with just about everything he did. As for the Nara side, he was more worried with their approval. The Sarutobi scratched at his chin and sighed.

"Well…Shikamaru is eighteen, he is considered a legal adult…" he paused momentarily, "of course they'll be disappointed at first…if Shikamaru came out…but probably even more upset that their son is sleeping with his former sensei…"

Asuma paused again before holding up his index finger. "Thus the best plan of action is…not telling. So…" He stood up slowly, pushing his knuckles against his back, popping some of the stiffness out of his back. "If there isn't anything else you need me for…I think I'm going to head home for some sleep…"

Tsunade just sighed as she watched Asuma; she should have known that the Sarutobi wouldn't listen to anything she would say right now. He apparently had other things on his mind. "Just know that we are going to have an in depth talk about this later." She murmured, looking up at him before stepping off the tree and landing gracefully on the ground. "Just stay out of his room for a couple hours!" She yelled up at him, chuckling slightly as she watched the jounin head towards his home via roof tops and trees. Ahhh, the way of a ninja, it was always good for a flashy show.


End file.
