ShikaIno: Lifeline
By kiwi4me
Summary: He was supposed to be the one to help her, but she soon realized that he was her death. She was drowning and she couldn't breathe anymore. How long until it was over?
She was drowning.
The ever ending air was unreachable as she fell deeper. What is she going to do now? She couldn't escape no matter how hard she fought back. In turn, the opposite occurred. The more she thrash and attempt to swim, she was pulled more into the depths.
She hated it.
She was never the type to just fall and not bring a lifeline. She was never the type to just jump in without floaters to keep her afloat. She could feel the breath in her thin out and she closed her eyes.
"Are you alright?" the question caused her to open her eyes as she stared out the window.
Was she alright? Didn't he already know the answer to that question? His voice was vibrating into the depth of her mind and she wanted to frown. How did he manage to get her to act like this? This was not like her at all, daydreaming and fantasizing.
"Yeah," she lied with a sigh shifting her eyes to land on him.
He looked lazy, yet his eyes were held with worry. The itching to frown was getting hard to suppress. He was currently leaning against the wall watching her as if she was a fine art. Her blue eyes didn't waver away from his dark brown ones.
She shifted her eyes back to the window.
The night sky was high and the moonlight was entering her window laying its light on her. To be a star wouldn't be bad, would it? To always shining down on those who are lost; witnessing moments that the living doesn't see. She laid her chin against her palm as her elbow landed against her propped up knee. Maybe if she would wish hard enough, she would become a star.
"Why are you so quiet?" she heard the suspicion.
The corner of her lips lifted.
She remembered when they were younger. How he disliked her. She talked too much, cared too much, argued a lot. He never said it, but she knew. He didn't like her. They were only getting along for the sake of their fathers. Being told how close the relationships of their fathers were, who would want to ruin such hope for the younger generation?
Her lips fell into a straight line.
She couldn't blame him. She didn't like him either. He was too lazy, too smart, too boring. She liked Chouji more. She remembered a time when he would say a smart remark which caused her to get riled up. Their kind friend was able to project their frustrated anger into something else. It still didn't change the fact that she didn't like him.
Something else did.
It was his silent agreements, his uncanny intelligent, his strive to be more that made the dislike turn to like. She had always looked up to him, felt a pang of envy. He was fairly boring, but that damn large brain of his made her look past that. There was a mission they went on as Team 10. It was meant to be average, but it turned out worse. She never quite saw how much he had grown. His thoughts were quick, so was she. She adjusted easily enough to what he wanted. The mission ended up successful with some bruises, scratches, and blood.
Maybe that was it.
She saw the scar wound against his shoulder. Their kind friend had separated from them momentarily and it was just the two of them. She hurried over to him placing both her arm on his shoulders before the hand on the wounded shoulder glowed green. Her eyes were in concentration willing herself to continue using what chakra was left in her. She felt him shift and her eyes immediately looked to see what the problem was.
The touch of his fingers brushed her cheek.
She remembered it so clearly. It felt like little electric pulses entering her system. That was new. She touched him plenty of times and him to her as well. Why is this different? He reprimanded her softly for using more chakra, but she ignored him. Her eyes held determination and his… his held worried, relief, and appreciation. That was definitely new. She knew she wasn't the strongest of their entire generation nor was she smarter than him, but there was something in the way his touch told her otherwise.
"Would you do it?" she questioned softly not looking at him as her eyes continue to stare aimlessly through the window.
She knew he knows what she was asking, but she was also sure he was going to question her. She heard him come closer to her and she felt her heart beat faster. This time she did frown. Why must her heart feel like this? Why couldn't her heart go back to just beating regularly whenever he is around? She wanted to sigh, but she couldn't find herself to do it.
"Do what?" she held herself back from rolling her eyes.
She shifted her eyes toward him again to see how close he was. She estimated a foot away. This time she did sigh. She turned back to the window only to have his hand touch the top of her head. Normally she would push the hand away and scream at him, but she didn't.
She welcomed it.
His hand smoothed over the top of her head and over the bump where the hair tie wrapped. She felt his fingers run through her golden locks. She immediately closed her eyes and thought about the first time he did that.
It was a winter's day.
She normally didn't like winter. The cold weather caused her hair to frizz up throughout the day. It was their meeting. They were supposed to visit the grave of their late teacher. She had gone to the waiting spot to wait for the others. No one showed up and she decided to head over to the cemetery herself wondering where her friends were. After paying her respect, she went to visit her kind friend first. She liked him a little more then. He was sent out on a mission. Ino pouted slightly as she left heading toward her other teammate. When she was sitting at the edge of his bed waiting for him to emerge from his bathroom, she felt his hand on her head. She was about to yell, but he stopped her. It was the first time she received a compliment from him.
He said she smelled good.
"Would you," Ino said softly once he stopped his movement to stand behind her, "… love me?"
It was quiet for a few minutes longer and Ino didn't move. She told herself she needed to breathe slowly. She had taken rejection before; it wasn't new to her. She felt his hand on her shoulder with a soft squeeze.
"What kind of question is that?" it was more of a statement, but Ino didn't say anything for another minute or two.
"It is an important one," Ino continued her soft tone and she could see the confused gaze on his face without looking at him.
His hand left her shoulder and she felt a little colder. She had been rejected by those she cared for before, so it wasn't too hard for her to get over this one either. Being friends was always difficult for her in the aftermath, but she still continued it. Sakura was the first. Sai was last.
"You should know already," his voice was soft.
Her eyes closed and she wished she was somewhere else. She wished she didn't feel this overwhelming feeling anymore. She didn't want to get hurt again, but then again she had to. If she didn't, how would she know?
"There are times when I feel you so far away," Ino confessed, "… and I can't reach you."
"I will always be here for you," she heard the confidence in his voice, the presence of loyalty.
"I know," it was quiet as she continued her stare out of her window.
He loves her. She loves him more. She felt the beat in her heart calm and she sighed.
Drowning was something she does often.
It was surprising she wasn't dead yet.