Chilly
"Sensei," she whispered furtively. "Sensei, you awake?"
"No."
"Sensei!"
"What, Ino?" She could barely discern the tired amber eyes gazing across at her.
"I'm cold." He sighed. Of course she was cold. And Choji was hungry and Shikamaru was tired. Hadn't he heard enough today? A simple mission in the wilderness. Some herb gathering for some doctor and some endangered species inspecting for some other doctor. Hiking all day for two days. Sleeping in a tent, there it was! That was where the mission fell apart. "I'm tired, I'll just sleep out here." "Hang on, let me get a snack. What? Just a quick one!" He and Ino had set up the tent by themselves. Well, Ino had tied two or three knots and he's set it up by himself. And now, regardless of his warnings "bring warm clothes", "over dress, it will be cold at night", "if you freeze in that, it'll be your own fault", here she was cold. Well, he was sleepy and it was a bit brisk.
"Okay, Ino…uhh…" he reached over and shuffled through their luggage. Nothing. He glanced around the tent. Ino, balled up against the cold, me, barely fit in my sleeping bag, Choji, barely squeezed in his sleeping bag… bingo. "Go sleep with Shikamaru."
"What?!"
"He's probably cold too, you can't fit with me, can't fit with Choji, and are cold by yourself, have any better ideas?"
"But-"
"It's up to you, Ino. Sensei has spoken," he closed his eyes and lay back down.
"Hmph!"
1…2…3…4… Asuma felt her crawling over his feet towards the opposite end of the tent. He smiled as he heard her muttering and unzipping Shikamaru's sleeping bag. Knew she couldn't last. Ino looked down at her sleeping teammate and scowled.
This is so weird… She scooted her legs in, careful not to touch him and eventually found herself shoved in the corner of the tent, in a sleeping bag with a boy, and still cold. She shivered and turned on her side, back to Shikamaru, mentally listing all the ways her life was horribly unfair. I'm cold, I'm on the lamest imaginable mission to date, I haven't washed my hair for twenty-four hours, I'm going to catch the flu in this freezing weather, I have a bum and a pig for teammates, I can't feel my toes probably due to frostbite, I'm the only girl in a tent with three guys, I'm guessing this is poison ivy developing on my knee, and it's just so darn…warm? She blinked and felt arms that were not her own draped around her waist and soft warm breath on her neck. Her initial reaction was to scream bloody murder and incapacitate whoever was touching her in the dark. Then, she reached the conclusion that it had to be Shikamaru and so changed her course of action to elbowing him in the stomach and whispering his name. No response. No way he's asleep! She elbowed him harder and said his name a little louder. No response. She sighed resignedly and attempted to squirm out of his grasp. It might have worked but there wasn't much space to squirm to. She yawned and settled into the embrace. At least it's not cold anymore. "Shikamaru," she always talked herself to sleep, "you better not blame me for this when we wake up because it was all your fault." She paused here and contemplated voicing her next thoughts. "I really don't mind that much, I guess. You are warm and kind of snuggly…as much as a skinny, boney, muscular person can be. But thanks," she let her eyes close and sleep finally take her.
"You're welcome," Shikamaru grinned to the dark.