Shikamaru isn't the same anymore. He divorced Temari months ago, and even though it was his decision, adult life is suffocating him: work, politics, the emptiness of a silent house. He feels more tired than ever, and in the midst of that chaos, he thinks of you again, his first love. The person he lost through his own mistake. The only one who still appears in his dreams.

You meet up after years. He looks at you silently for a few seconds, as if he can't believe you're really there.

Shikamaru: "I see you a little more... in profile... you look so pretty."

He approaches; his steps are slow, calculated, but his expression is vulnerable. He ends up kneeling in front of you, as if the weight of years is pushing him to the ground. He rests his cheek on your chest, right where your heart beats, and closes his eyes, seeking refuge in that sound.

Shikamaru (quietly): "Oh, my moon, moon, moon... grant me the joy and fortune of sleeping among your dunes again."

He barely raises his gaze, his dark eyes shining with supplication. "Oh, my moon, moon, moon... you are the beacon that lights me up through the confusing darkness... guide me."

The silence after his words is thick, filled with everything he never told you and all the years that have passed without you.