Shikamaru's shoulder helps to keep Ino upright as they trudge the long, uphill pathway back to Konoha.
They are weary and worn-out. Their clothes are tattered, their exposed flesh is bloody, their eyes show intense terror. They have just survived a gruesome battle.
"I'm dead."
"Don't be dumb. You're not dead, Ino. You're just tired and out-of-energy."
She gazes up to the starry night sky and thinks for a moment. She returns back to reality with a shake of her head. "Nope. I'm pretty sure I'm dead." Blonde hairs fly all around as she nods her head. Her ponytail had been ripped from its usual gravity-defying stance, leaving her rapunzel locks to fall messily down her back.
A piece of hair flies into Shikamaru's mouth. He tries to discreetly blow it out, so as not to offend Ino (the act itself wasn't really all the offensive, but Ino was always able to find offensive in something), but the ugly noise that comes from his mouth sells him out.
"Sorry my hair is so repulsive."
"It's not, Ino." He sighs. "How do you sleep with all this hair? Don't you drown in it?"
"No." She replies flatly. "It's a wig. I just take it off."
Shikamaru stops dead in his track, causing Ino to stop too. A… a wig? He had never noticed it before, but it all made sense now. There was no way Ino grew this much hair in 2 years. It was all fake.
"Wait, really?"
"No!" She yells at him, but there's still a hint of a smile on her face. "You sure your IQ is over 200?"
"…..huh?"
"You're a fool, Shikamaru." She continues walking, becoming less reliant on Shikamaru as her crutch. She quickly learns that that was a mistake and she still needs his help, as she succumbs to her lack of bodily strength and begins to topple over. Luckily, Shikamaru is standing behind her, and catches her in an almost manly way.
"Thanks."
"I've always got you, Ino."
He wasn't lying. He did always have her. Not just physically, though. He had her emotionally and mentally too. He would always be there to support her, to hold her up, whether it was in a literal sense or not. Shikamaru was, technically, in love with the girl. He didn't realize it, being the oblivious genius he was, but everyone knew. Everyone but Ino, that is. He wondered if she loved him too.
They continue walking up the hill. It's still a long way up to Konoha. The horrors of their brutal battle still linger behind them.
"I can't believe that just happened."
"I know." Ino groans, with a mild sting of shame in her voice.
"We had no chance." He reminds her.
"We were outnumbered." She adds.
"We were ambushed."
"We were taken by surprise."
"Okay, enough with the excuses." Ino hangs her head in embarrassment. "We're shinobi and we lost. We're pathetic."
"But no one saw us being pathetic. And if no one saw us being pathetic, are we still really pathetic?"
Ino tries to hide her chuckle. "I dunno. If a genius asks a stupid question in the middle of the forest, and only his amazing and talented and fashionable teammate is around to hear him, is he really still a genius?"
The both let out a giggle.
Ino gazes up to Shikamaru, whose gaze remains on the path before them. The moonlight hits his face, and it's a sight more beautiful than any famous painting by any dead artist could ever hope to be. She feels the warmth of his body, and the strength of his grip around her, and it occurs to Ino that she very may well be in love with this boy. Everyone sees the way she looks at him. Everyone knows how she feels. Except Shikamaru, of course. She wondered if he loved her too.
She turns to face forward once again, and they walk the rest of the path in silence.
Until Shikamaru decides to speak again.
"So…is that a wig, or not?"
Ino stops. Shikamaru continues to walk, until he notices Ino's hesitation. He turns back to her, and they both stare at each other for a minute. Ino lets out a laugh, followed by another, followed by a hundred more. Shikamaru falls victim to her contagious laughter as well, and suddenly they're both on the ground, in each other's arms, unable to breathe from their laughter, not even remembering what was so funny in the first place.
In this moment, neither of them are who the world labels them as. Shikamaru is not a lazy genius. Ino is not a bossy narcissist. Rather, they are just two teenagers. Two teenagers who just needed a laugh. Two teenagers who just needed a break. The pain from their battle wounds seems insignificant now as they roll around like freaks. They are freaks, but they are happy. This is the first time in a long time that either of them has felt at ease. This tranquility seems to be a feeling they're only capable of feeling in the presence of each other. After all, they are just normal kids, right?
But more importantly, they are really just two people in love. They wondered if the other loved them back.
Shikamaru and Ino regain composure, and continue up the path. They hug each other closer this time. A goofy grin is plastered on both of their faces. They couldn't hide their giddiness if they tried. But it seemed neither of them wanted to hide it, anyways.
They finally reach Konoha again, where Sakura is waiting impatiently for them at the gates up ahead.
"Where were you two?" She yells. "We were all worried sick! We were about to send Anbu after you!"
The two finally come into clearer view for Sakura, and she notices what a mess they are.
"Holy crap! What happened?"
She also notices the way they hold each other. The way they sway together. She notices their smiles. Sakura lowers her eyes happily at them. She doesn't wonder whether they love each other. She knows.
"We got into a little fight….." Ino scratches her forehead nervously.
"….And we lost." Shikamaru adds, as if Sakura couldn't tell.
The pinkette raises an eyebrow. "With each other?"
"Well, kinda." Ino notes. "But that's not where these wounds are from, no."
"Oh. Then who was the enemy?"
Ino and Shikamaru turn to each other with a jump. A sweatdrop rolls down each of their foreheads. Neither says a word, but a sense of mortification hangs over both of them as they fall into a slump.
Let's just say neither of them will ever try to steal some honey from a loaded beehive again.
i haven't written anything, especially fan fiction, in 4ever. but man i love shikaino
also, i don't know why i wrote this in present tense. it probably sounds really dumb hahaahahahaah i'm so sorry
but please review or favorite if you liked it! hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading!