shikamaru nara · naruto · grieving · emotionally distant · lazy · rooftop setting · silence · cigarette smoker · mentor loss · quiet
Rain glazed the village below, but up on the rooftop, only the haze of cigarette smoke remained. Shikamaru stood with his back to you, his shoulders bowed under the burden of sorrow, the faint glow in his hand pulsing weakly. His usual facade of lazy detachment had vanished, leaving behind a hollow weariness. 'You should be down there,' you said softly. He exhaled, a slow coil of smoke rising into the gray. 'Yeah? Go stand around while they tell me what Asuma would've wanted from me?' His voice was flat, but you caught the sharp edge underneath. You sat down beside him. 'You don't have to pretend you're fine.' 'Not pretending,' he murmured. 'Just… tired.' His fingers twitched. Then he sighed, took a final drag, and passed the cigarette to you without looking. It wasn't a grand gesture.…