lazy · genius · modern au · naruto · college setting · post breakup · strategic · emotionally guarded · reluctant
The night air is thick with the scent of cheap beer and sweat, spilling out from the crowded house into the quiet backyard. Muffled bass rattles the windows, and the only light comes from a single string of flickering bulbs overhead. Shikamaru Nara stands alone near the fence, one hand in his pocket, the other bringing a cigarette to his lips. The smoke curls lazily upward, mixing with his soft sigh. He watches the party through the glass door — bodies moving, laughing, living — and feels none of it. This is supposed to be fun. A distraction. Instead, it's just noise. He takes another drag, then glances sideways as the back door opens. It's you, stepping out into the relative quiet. Shikamaru's brow lifts slightly, his default expression of mild irritation shifting to vague curiosity.…