***

"Hey, Shikamaru?" The ma was said in a slightly higher tone, turning the statement into a question. Shikamaru turned his eyes away from the clouds and over to his potato chip eating friend.

"Hn?" The equivalent, in Shikamaru-nese, of saying, "Yes, I'm listening."

"Your birthday." Crunch. Another handful of crispy grease gone. "Is coming up." This was said matter of factly, leaving no room for argument. Shikamaru had a birthday coming up, and that was the end of that. Shikamaru stretched his body out from where he lay next to Chouji. There were a few creaks from his back, like an old staircase, his body not prepared for movement after being in the same spot for so long. But getting up wasn't necessary as long as the clouds were in viewing range, the chips were in reaching distance, and Chouji was still sitting next to him.

"Shikamaru?" There it was again, that higher pitched ma. Another question. Did you hear what I just said, Shikamaru?

Shikamaru sighed, the common Shikamaru dialogue. "Yes, I know my birthday is coming up." He reached up for a chip, his fingers sliding into the salt-stained insides of the bag. "So?"

"So..." Chouji trailed off, his hands holding onto the bag a little tighter, his breaths a tad bit faster, his feet swinging back and forth and almost making his shoes slip off. Shikamaru blinked as he stuffed a chip into his mouth, waiting for Chouji to finish his sentence. "... what... should I get you?"

"Get me?" Now it was Shikamaru who had the questions. Get him? Like a present?

"Yeah, you know..." Chouji paused and bit his lower lip before he spoke again. "... a present? For your birthday?" The pre and the day were said with a small crack in his voice. Nervous questions. You understand what I'm saying, right? I want to get you something for your birthday because...

"Hm." Shikamaru grabbed another chip and stared up at the sky as if it had the answer to Chouji‘s question. Well it wasn‘t like Shikamaru had an immediate answer, so maybe the clouds did. What do I want for my birthday, sky? Gifts were such troublesome things. He looked up at Chouji again and noticed the light tinge of red across the swirls of his cheeks. Shikamaru reached into the bag of chips again, his fingers brushing against the very last chip. A test. He waited for a reaction but Chouji didn't notice at all, still holding the bag, still swinging his feet, his teeth still sunk into his lower lip.

And just like that, Shikamaru knew what he wanted. Thank you, Chouji. "I'll tell you later." He slipped his hand out of he bag, leaving the last chip. His eyes traveled up to the sky again as he licked at his fingers, tasting the salt with a hint of vinegar.

"Later?"

"Yeah. Later." And it was left at that.

The next day had the same scenario. Same sky, same chips, same Chouji. Shikamaru,

however, sat next to Chouji instead of laying at his side. And Shikamaru, this time around, paid more attention to those teeth pressed against that lip when Chouji brought up the birthday question. They had a good grip on the wet surface, not enough to bleed but enough to leave a small mark of Chouji’s nervousness as he repeated the question from yesterday. Shikamaru watched each chubby finger squeeze around the bag, the chips cracking apart in protest of the added pressure. They would still be edible, but they would not be the perfectly curved shape they usually came in.

"I'll tell you later." Shikamaru said once again.

"Later?"

"Yeah. Later." And it was, again, left at that.

And the next day had the same scenario. Same sky, same chips, same Chouji. Shikamaru, however, took the time to brush his fingers against Chouji's to release his death grip on the bag of chips when he, again, asked that question. The chips thanked Shikamaru for it, spared from being crippled like their predecessors. The brushing of fingers, of course, caused Chouji to nearly drop the bag and spill the chips all over the ground. Natural instincts was the only thing that kept the chips off the floor, for no chip would be wasted by any Chouji. It was a troublesome thing to do, Shikamaru thought, to ask that question again. But it was Chouji, and Chouji wasn't troublesome at all.

And once again, Shikamaru said, "I'll tell you later." But this time when he said it, he said it a bit too closely to Chouji's ear. And poor little Chouji's face grew hot and for a moment he stopped breathing. Had he been paying attention he might have caught the smile on Shikamaru's face.

"Later?"

"Yeah. Later." But this time, it wasn't left at that.

"But... your birthday is tomorrow."

"I know." Shikamaru tried, but again, it was not left at that.

"How am I supposed to get you something if you don't tell me..."

"I'll tell you later, Chouji. I promise." This time, it was left at that. What else was there to say? Though Chouji was beginning to wonder, how was he supposed to get a gift in time for Shikamaru's birthday when it was only a day away?

Hours passed. The sky changed and the clouds went away. For some reason though the two had stayed in the same spot. But Shikamaru didn't move to leave, and if Shikamaru wanted to stay then Chouji would stay. The afternoon had been full of the crunching of chips, the removing of grease from fingers with the tongue, and occasionally a comment about a particular cloud in the sky: a bunny? A castle? Barbeque ribs? At that remark Shikamaru had laughed and agreed with his friend that indeed, a white puff in the sky could look like a plate of barbeque ribs. But eventually the chips ran out. And with the clouds gone it meant it was time to return home to parents who, even if their children were trained shinobi, still felt better if they were in before the sky turned pitch black.

"Wait." Shikamaru took hold of Chouji's hand, not letting him leave just yet. "Thanks for my birthday present, even if it‘s early."

"What do you mean?"

How troublesome, Shikamaru thought, to be so surprised over a kiss. He had thought that it had been obvious what he wanted his present to be.

But, it was Chouji, and Chouji wasn't troublesome at all.