A regular girl who isn’t too ugly and not too pretty. he repeated himself, bringing up a mental image of the lone person who’s already thrown him off his planned life course. “Not too pretty, huh?” he chuckled to himself quietly.
“Shikamaru, who on earth are you talking to?” a gentle voice giggled from behind him.
A lazy smirk grew across Shikamaru’s face as he turned around to face the voice. “No one of course Nanami.” he replied lazily as he shuffled over to his sweet, charming, delicate girlfriend.
“Of course.” she teased with a lambent, contagious smile.
“What are you doing here?” Shikamaru questioned as he pulled her into a tight embrace.
“I was looking for you, but you weren’t home and I figured this would be the only place you could be.”
“You know me oh so well.”
“What kind of person would I be if I didn’t Shikamaru?” she questioned with a small smile “Anyways, you know what today is, right?”
Shikamaru’s mind immediately went into a frenzy, trying to figure out what that day could possibly be. Her birthday? Our anniversary? Yoichi’s birthday? he questioned himself.
“Shikamaru?”
“Of course I know what today is Nanami.” he fibbed. “How couldn’t I?”
Nanami’s smile grew larger and brighter “So what are we going to do today Shikamaru?” she asked eagerly.
I have no idea, since I don’t know what today is. “Whatever you’d like to do Nanami.” he replied lazily.
“No way, you have to decide.” she insisted.
“Why?”
“What do you mean why?” she asked slightly confused “Shikamaru…you do know what today is right?”
“No.” he finally admitted. “What’s today?”
“Your mom told me you’d forget.” Nanami said as she rose from the ground and walked away.
“Nanami? What’s today?” Shikamaru asked slightly panicked as he watched her walk over to a large tree.
“I have no idea how you could’ve forgotten though.” She continued “I’m pretty sure everyone else in the whole village knows about it. It’s an important day Shikamaru.”
“Is it…our anniversary?”
“Anniversary? That was last week silly.” Nanami chuckled “Do you really not know what today is?” she asked, still standing behind the tree.
Shikamaru sighed loudly. “No I don’t, what’s today?”
Nanami peaked from behind the tree “It’s your birthday Shikamaru.”
Shikamaru’s facial expressions showed that he finally had a realization. “Oh…”
Nanami walked towards him, holding a neatly wrapped black box with a small green bow on top. “Happy birthday Shikamaru.” she whispered as she kissed him lightly on the cheek.
“What’s this?”
“Open it.” she smiled.
Shikamaru looked at her questionably before carefully undoing the bow that held together the neat wrapping.
After a moment’s hesitation, Shikamaru slid off the top to reveal a small bracelet that was neatly made of vines, and held a small golden jewel in the middle.
“Is this gold?” Shikamaru asked slightly shocked.
Nanami timidly nodded. “My mother gave my dad a necklace that she made with the exact same jewel in the middle on his 17th birthday. I guess you could say, it’s a tradition for the women of the Miura clan.”
“I can’t take this. It’s your fath-”
“He wanted you to have it. It’s like, a good luck charm.” she explained with an innocent smile.
Shikamaru chuckled lightly. “But I already have one.”
Nanami’s smile transformed into a look of confusion. “You do?”
Shikamaru nodded his head yes.
“Where?”
“It’s you.” he replied with a smirk.
“Aww, Shikamaru.” Nanami awed with a light blush.
Shikamaru carefully planted a light kiss onto Nanami’s light pink lips, lingering there a few moments after with his black orbs gazing into her blue ones.
“I love you.” he whispered.
“I love you too.” she responded kissing the tip of his nose. “Happy birthday Shikamaru.”
Shikamaru gazed down at his new born son, born only moments earlier, that was gently cradled in his wife’s delicate arms.
Through tired, tear filled eyes Nanami looked up at Shikamaru with a tired but proud smile. “Happy birthday Shikamaru.”
Shikamaru gently kissed Nanami’s forehead tenderly, doing the same to his son.
“Happy birthday Asuma.” he whispered to his slumbering new born.
He looked down at the bracelet Nanami gave to him, 10 years ago that very day. Not to pretty, huh Shikamaru? he asked himself, looking back up at the most beautiful person he’s ever seen.
Maybe I still have a chance of spending the rest of my life playing Shogi. Shikamaru mused to himself. I do have three good luck charms after all.