Standard disclaimers apply.
Important note: This was a former songfic. Due to guidelines, the lyrics had been eliminated and transferred in my online journal. If curious, please visit my profile and click the link to the desired song. )
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Eternal Promise
…
Seven days had already passed since we realized what was really in front of us. Strange isn't it? All this time, we both were looking at the wrong person – or in my case, never even bothered to look. Yeah, even I'm the laziest ninja who ever walked the face of this earth, I can still remember, even down to the smallest of details, that particular week. As clear as your beautiful sapphire eyes…
…
Nara Shikamaru was strolling through the busy streets of Konoha, on his way to the usual place ― a hill overlooking the village (the perfect place for cloud gazing, really.), when he passed by the marketplace and heard an all-too familiar voice calling him. He turned around and, as he expected, saw his friend, Yamanaka Ino, burdened with three jam-packed bags of groceries. She had a mischievous grin and an evil glint in her eye when she saw Shikamaru steer his head back at her direction.
'Hey, you lazy bum! Get your ass over here and help me up with these groceries!'
'Yeah? Good morning to you too, Ino.' he replied sarcastically.
'Hmph. It will be, if you help me carry these bags!' the girl stated. 'It will do you a lot of good, anyway. You should get up and exercise once and a while. But I bet you're on your way to cloud gaze. Again.' she added.
'C'mon, Ino. We both know that I get plenty of exercise in our missions; it just doesn't show in my physique. Look at Chouji, he's getting his share of exercise yet he's still as fat as before.' he complained.
'Well, Chouji's Chouji.' Ino irritably retorted as she shoved the bags in his arms. 'Now be a man and carry them for a beautiful young lady.'
The lazy ninja snorted and pretended to look around. 'And who might that be?'
The blond raised her eyebrow at him. Oops.
Sensing his defeat and his friend's looming anger, Shikamaru sighed. 'Fine, I'll carry them. But just this once, then no more.'
She smiled innocently. 'Thank you, Shika-kun!'
'…troublesome.'
'You said something, Nara?'
'Nothing.'
As they walked on their way to the Yamanaka house, Ino tried lighten things up a bit by starting a conversation. But thanks to Shikamaru's lazy nature, it was more like her saying a couple of things and him merely grumble in response. And at last, they neared her house. Shikamaru mentally rejoiced and thanked Kami-sama that he was merely moments away from escaping this burden and going back to his original plan: Cloud gazing.
But this genius of 200+ IQ never thought that he was dead wrong.
As they neared the front door of the Yamanaka flower shop, they heard Ino's father searching for her. Apparently, he had some errand for her to do on the other side of the village.
'Now, princess, you give this scroll to the main ninja posted on the west gate, ok?' her father instructed her.
'Don't worry Otousan. It's gonna be a piece of cake.' Ino boasted to her father.
'Of course! I see you've got our family's pride, eh?' her father laughed. 'Yep. No body pisses off a Yamanaka! Especially the female kind! Hahaha!'
'Otousan!' Ino whined. 'Cut it out! Anyway, I'm going to deliver this now. Bye!'
She went out of their shop and just in time to see Shikamaru go out of their kitchen after dropping off the groceries, his cheeks red.
'What happened to you?' she giggled.
'Che. It's your mom. Can you believe she pinched my cheeks and called me adorable like I was some five-year-old? Seriously, Ino,' He defended when he saw her laugh at him. 'Chouji and I might be your mom's biggest fan when it comes to her cooking but invading personal space is illegal when I drop off the groceries, which I won't anymore.'
'Whatever.' Ino replied as she took hold of his arm. 'C'mon, let's go.'
'Go where? I do not remember you asking me out on a date. And if you did, I will not agree unless it's your treat.'
She rolled her eyes, her hands on her hips. 'Dream on, Nara. Dream on. Anyway, we're going to the west gate to deliver this scroll, duh!'
He did a double take. 'Excuse me? You didn't say anything about a scroll or the west gate!'
'Aw, don't tell me you aren't gonna accompany me there?'
'Fine. Then I won't tell you.'
'Shikamaru!' the blond nagged. 'C'mon! Who knows? This might be the last noble deed that you'll ever do because maybe the next time we'll go out on a mission… ' she trailed off dramatically.
He mentally slapped himself in the forehead. 'Get a grip, woman.' he moaned. 'And I've got other things to do.'
'And exactly WHAT except for cloud gazing?'
He thought of an excuse but he was a second too late. Ino had already half-dragged him in the street.
'Hmph. Women…'
For what seemed like an eternity, Ino had finally delivered the scroll and was again dragging Shikamaru back to the Yamanaka residence.
But, as fate would have it, the sky suddenly darkened and heavy raindrops began to pour down, soaking both of them
The blond looked heavenward. 'Aw, crap. Why now?' And they both ran to the nearest shelter, which was a good hundred meters away past the bridge near the academy.
She was only thinking of getting into shelter when her eye caught something. Her eyes widened, she slowly comprehended what she was unexpectedly witnessing. Kami-sama, please tell me what I am seeing isn't true.
Shikamaru, also thinking of getting out of the rain, suddenly collided with her back and made him land on his behind.
'Man, Ino! What exactly are you thinking? We're already near the shelter and your standing there dumb as a…' he trailed off when he saw Ino transfixed, unable to utter a word. 'Hey.'
He stood up and gazed at her face; surprised to see that she was nearly in the verge of tears. He looked at the direction of her tear-strained face and understood what it was all about…
There he was, Uchiha Sasuke, Ino's all-time crush, under the rain sharing a warm embrace with… 'Is that who I think it is?' the brunette squinted his eyes to see more clearly. True enough, it was Hyuga Hinata together with the cold-hearted Uchiha.
'Well, that was… uhm… quite… unexpected.' Shikamaru glanced uneasily at his companion, afraid of her reaction to the romantic scene involving the Uchiha. 'Ino…'
…
Ino turned to the opposite direction and ran, her tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Shikamaru quickly followed her. When he had caught up with her, he hastily grabbed her wrist and, unexpectedly, pulling her close to him.
…
When she felt his comforting gesture, she felt herself circle her arms around him and let go of all the emotion, all the disappointment out into his chest. Surprised from her actions, the brunette felt his heart beat faster as her intoxicating scent of wildflowers filled his lungs. He felt a sudden pang in his chest as he listened to her sobs, breaking down. 'Ino…'
'It hurts.' She murmured in his chest. 'It hurts so badly, Shika-kun. Why did I have to go and believe that he'll like me? After all it's just a silly little crush, isn't it?'
He breathed. Ready to make a typical Shikamaru-ish reply, he was suddenly at loss. 'No, it isn't. Please stop crying, Ino. I…' he paused. His heart was already racing, telling him what all of these meant. He didn't want to believe it but he knew it was true. 'I don't like seeing you like this, Ino. Please stop.'
…
Her sobs suddenly faded. Looking up to his face, her wide blue eyes scanned every inch of his face and found nothing but pure sincerity. She felt her heart thump intensely. 'Shika…'
Then, without warning, she pushed herself away from him and ran.
…
Within the next three days, both adolescents tried their very best to avoid each other. In fact, neither had gone out of their rooms, both barely ate nor slept, thinking about that incident. They tried to search for a loophole but in anyway they put it, they always go to the same conclusion. You fell in love with him/her, damn it!
Even the people around them had already noticed it. They were all worried for the both of them and yet they were exasperated for they were being such hardheads. It came to the point where everyone decided that they couldn't take it any more and organized a plan for the two to finally get together…
Ino huddled herself in bed, staring at the blank wall adjacent her. She heard three soft knocks from her door. 'Ino-chan?' Her mother peeked through the door. 'Your sensei just passed by. He wanted for me to give you this note.' She handed her a simple scroll.
'Oh… Thanks mom.'
'Ino-chan?'
'Hai?'
'Are you sure your okay, honey?'
'…Yeah mom. Don't worry 'bout me, okay?'
'If you're sure… I won't ask any more. Just know that Dad and I are here with you always.'
'I know mom. Thank you.'
As her mother went out of her room, she opened the scroll and found a simple note from her Asuma-sensei.
Ino,
Meet me at the hill this afternoon. Tsunade-sama wants you to have a special assignment. I'm not kidding.
Asuma-sensei
'Man, talk about weird. What could that mission be? ' Ino pondered. 'I'll find it out later.'
Later that afternoon...
'Where could he be? I'm tired of waiting.' she impatiently leaned tapped her foot. She was supposed to meet Asuma there for a special assignment, whatever that is, five minutes ago. 'Well, at least it's better than thinking about HIM.'
She saw a silhouette making its way up the hill. 'Finally!' She sighed. She pointed an accusing finger, ready to nag Asuma's ear off but stopped in midair when she saw…
'Shika-kun?'
'Yeah, yeah, I know I'm late, sorry sense― Ino?' He seemed equally surprised. 'What are you doing here?'
'Oh! Me? Uhm… Asuma-sensei…'
'I see… He sent you a note too?'
'Uhm… yeah. I guess he did it on purpose?'
Uncomfortable silence surrounded the two as they were face to face with each other yet averting eye contact. Both did not know that both of their hearts were saying the same thing: 'Tell her/him already!'
'Uhm, Ino/Shika…' both said at the same time. 'It just that I…'
'I love you!' they cried in unison.
…
Both stared at each other, shocked from both confessions. Then Ino laughed. 'You know what, Shika-kun? I feel like an idiot.'
He stared at her questioningly.
'To think if we'd been honest about each other then the past three days might have been so much faster.' She explained a matter-of-fact.
It was now Shikamaru's turn to chuckle. He moved closer and wrapped his lean arms around her lithe body. 'Nah, I think it would have been much less troublesome if that happened.' He whispered.
'I thought you hated all things troublesome.'
'Well, not all. I love you, don't I?'
She smiled and placed her lips unto his.
…
Yup. Our love story. And in the days that passed, we were inseparable. Here I am now lying on the very first spot where we shared our first kiss. As I reminisce those moments one more time, I feel you lightly place your lips to mine and lie down beside me, contended at the thought that I would always be there no matter what...
…
A late birthday gift for my friend, Felisa Agustine.
Happy Birthday, Onie-chan!
Finished: 090805 11:01 pm
Revised: 072806 6:11 pm
Reposted: 041607 12:19 pm
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Yuri-chan's note: I gotta admit, that was slightly cheesy. LOL