AN: I started this well over a year ago and now finally can finish it. This takes place when Naruto and company are trying to depict that inscription on the back of that frog.
Dedication: ArAshiMitArashi for putting some ideas in my head about a certain new character that has a crush on one of our favorite Konoha boys…
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, which belongs to K. Masashi, nor do I own "Teardrops on my Guitar" which belongs to the very talented Taylor Swift.
"song lyrics spoken"
song lyrics
"dialogue"
thoughts/flashback
What is it that ninjas do in their free time? One often asks themselves this question. One will view training, missions, and funerals often, but never really what a ninja does in their spare time. Life can't only consist of training, missions, and attending funerals! Sure, that is a large part of the life of the ninja, but there has always been something more. They have their hobbies. And most importantly, they have their love.
Drew looks at me
I fake a smile so he won't see
What I want and I need
And everything that we should be
I'll bet she's beautiful
That girl he talks about
And she's got everything
That I have to live without
Drew talks to me
I laugh 'cause it's just so funny
I can't even see
Anyone when he's with me
He says he's so in love
He's finally got it right
I wonder if he knows
He's all I think about at night
A bittersweet melody coursed throughout the silent air of the Yamanaka home. A voice broke through, the tone of its beautiful voice just as bittersweet.
The young Ino sat on her bed, a guitar resting on her lap. One would question how on earth that Ino would know how to play the guitar. Well, ninjas do other things beside training and missions. They have lives outside their duties. Aside from working in her family's flower shop, Ino had taken up playing the guitar at a young age. It was also beneficial for being a ninja. Playing this particular instrument helped her fingers become skilled—one little incorrect movement could kill the song as in one little incorrect movement in throwing a kunai could determine your fate in a mission, or in other words, kill you.
Ino's fingers moved skillfully across the strings as she played her bittersweet song. She'd heard it on the radio a few weeks ago, and picking up her guitar, she practiced until she could get the song down right, only from listening and listening to the song over and over again. A handy little talent she'd picked up from her spying was an amazing knack for listening to something and remembering it.
"....And he's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar. The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star...."
When Ino had first heard this line in the song, she was hooked immediately. Funny how my life is exactly like that of a country song. Ino had thought to herself in bitter amusement after she had listened to the song a few times in a row to get the general meaning of it, aside from this beautifully bitter line. It seemed like everything about her life was in some way bitter.
Ino's soft voice hitched as she was filled with the reasons why this song fit her so much. She stopped playing and placed her guitar to the side of her before she got more teardrops on it.
"Shikamaru…" she mumbled to herself before she broke down in silent sobs, laying down on her purple-covered bed and grabbing a blue pillow with silver embroidered cloud designs on it to hug to her chest.
He's the song in the car I keep singing
Don't know why I do
Shikamaru ran on the rooftops, trying to get to his destination as soon as possible.
Ino…
He thought of her as he jumped from house to house, sprinting to the Yamanaka household only a few streets from where he was now.
Drew walks by me
Can he tell that I can't breathe?
And there he goes, so perfectly
The kind of flawless I wish I could be
She better hold him tight
Give him all her love
Look in those beautiful eyes
And know she's lucky 'cause
Misunderstandings.
A word that kills so many relationships in life. Whether it be a parent-child relationship, a sibling relationship, a friendship, or even a relationship between lovers, so many times has this one word destroyed everything to it.
Faith. Trust. Pretty words like those would be forgotten in a situation like this one. All one would be able to think of was the betrayal of the one they held so dear, and loved in different ways.
Betrayal. A word often mixed up with misunderstandings. One in the relationship would think the other in the relationship had betrayed them. Had left them in their time of need and gone to the other side to aid the other one. One claims a misunderstanding, where no such thing had occurred, but one could never be too sure that this was the truth. A misunderstanding can be used as an excuse, thus why misunderstanding is such a word that kills, even more than betrayal in cases such as these.
He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
He's the song in the car I keep singing
Don't know why I do
Perfect. Simply perfect. Everyone always commented (albeit quietly) that Shikamaru and Ino were the perfect couple. The only problem was…they weren't a couple! They were just two best friends that were so similar and different that they made the impression on others to be the perfect couple. Just watching them interact for not even five minutes, and one could tell that those two were made for each other: Ino, the hyperactive, beautiful blonde girl, and Shikamaru, the lazy, genius boy. Oh, how they loved each other so much, and it was so painstakingly obvious that it made everyone around them feel queasy with knowing. Oh what they both shared in common: stubbornness.
So I drive home alone
As I turn out the light
I'll put his picture down
And maybe get some sleep tonight
"Ino, come on, you have to like Shikamaru, or atleast a little bit!"
"Oh, Sakura, for the last time: NO!"
The pink-haired medic-nin sighed, all but rolling her eyes at the blonde's foolishness. She'd been trying to engage the blonde in conversation about Ino's dark-haired teammate, but she wouldn't budge. Hell, she bet even Shino would have better luck getting this kinda stuff out of Shikamaru right now. And Shino never deals with love stuff, and Shikamaru is so…untalkative…
"You have to admit, he's rather attractive, right?" Sakura threw in a win-wink, nudge-nudge combination at the end of her question, earning a roll of the eyes from Ino, but that couldn't hide the light pink tinge resting on her face.
"Well, duh, I've even seen some of the older women giving him appreciative stares! But, seriously Sakura, I thought you would know that there's more to love than just physical attraction." Ino gave Sakura a pointed look, referring back to their days pining over the Uchiha, and how Sakura had really opened Ino's eyes at to what they both saw in him, and how different it was.
Fighting back the painful memories of their more shallow times, Ino and Sakura looked at each other again, determined looks in both their eyes.
Sakura smirked.
Ino frowned.
Sakura just thought of something.
Ino had no idea what it was…
But was sure it couldn't be good.
"Alright, then, Ino, answer me these questions honestly." Sakura stated more than questioned.
"Okaaay." Ino's questioning tone didn't go unnoticed by Sakura, earning a larger smirk to fall upon her face.
"If you had to describe Shikamaru in one word besides 'genius' and 'lazy,' what would you say?"
Ino blinked. That's wasn't what she'd expected. She was expecting something like, 'Have you ever snuck glances at him when he took his shirt off?'
"Well, that's easy. Loyal."
Inner Sakura shouted with joy. Outer Sakura stayed calm, cool, and collected, her smirk still present though. "Really. Why?"
Ino tapped her chin with her right index finger, pondering how to explain this right.
"Well, I guess because he's always been there for me. And Chouji, too. Oh, and when Asuma died, he tried to protect not only us, but Kurenai. You were helping deliver Asuma Jr., so you know he was waiting right outside, and was the first person outside the medical staff to see both of them!" Ino looked for a reaction on Sakura's face. She got none. "And then, like during missions, he's really, I don't know, dependable, I guess. He doesn't slack off like usual, and I know he's got my back. No pun intended with the Mind Transfer Jutsu and all. He's never lost a teammate, or left one behind. His success rate on missions is a Konoha record! So yeah, I guess that's why."
Sakura smiled. "Anything else? You know, more pertaining to you, Ino, not just Konoha?"
Ino sighed, she knew this part was going to come. And knew Sakura was going to take it the wrong way. Well, better sooner than later! "When you broke out friendship, Sakura…"
Both Sakura and Ino gulped.
"He was the one that showed me friendship. He let me cloud-watch with him, even though I was a girl, a very troublesome one, too, and didn't complain too much when I cried on his shoulder every time."
Sakura's smile was gone now, but that's didn't mean she still wasn't intent on what Ino was saying.
"I got Daddy to bring him over to my house more, using our Dads to get drunk together as an excuse whenever anyone asked. Shikamaru knew what was going on, he was the first one to know about our fall-out, and never once did he try to bail out of coming over. Sure, he'd mumble under his breath when I wanted to pick flowers or do other girly stuff, but he did it anyway. That's why I see him as loyal. I could keep going on, but I think you get it enough."
Sakura sighed, looking down at her lap for a moment.
Ino perked up, hoping that this little guilt trip would have made Sakura shut up about her possibly loving Shikamaru.
Sakura looked right up into Ino's eyes, a triumphant smile on her face. Ino's didn't even have time to gulp.
"You totally love him."
Ino just smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand.
'Cuz he's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only one who's got enough of me to break my heart
He's the song in the car I keep singing
Don't know why I do
Even though she was willing to admit that she loved her best friend, it would do nothing for her now. Shikamaru had made his choice. She'd seen him hanging out with that other girl. The girl was not only pretty (although she did look rather like someone she knew, but couldn't put her finger on it), but she was intelligent. She was one of the code-breakers in the Intelligence Unit for the Hokage. She'd seen them leaving the ramen shack, smiles on both their faces as the girl looked up at Shikamaru adoringly with a blush on her face.
Ino threw the pillow away from her and bit her lip, trying to keep her mind off the pain in her heart as it was ripped in two. She was going to finally tell him that day she saw them. She'd ran all over Konoha to find him, only to be stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of them.
A sliding of glass, then a thump alerted her to a presence in her room. The way her heart traitorously beat harder let her know who it was.
"I'm not in the mood, Shikamaru." She whispered, not trusting her voice to stay steady at a higher sound. She refused to look at him, instead occupying herself with the way the last rays of sunlight hit the water on her guitar and entranced by the view.
He sighed, taking a few steps closer to her bed before stopping, unsure of himself.
"Will you at least listen to what I have to say?" He asked, his tone that of a desperate man.
"What is there to say?" She questioned, voice still soft as she still refused to meet the eyes that were burning a hole through the side of her face.
"Everything." He whispered, finally moving those last few steps to stand beside her bed and grasp her chin in his hand, pulling her face to turn towards his. But still she refused to look at him, eyes downcast and finding the collar of his black undershirt interesting.
"Please, look at me…" He begged, his voice barely audible and so heartbreaking that she couldn't deny him anything. What she found in his eyes she could not identify, but it made her heart flutter.
"Shikamaru…" Ino mouthed, no sound coming out.
He's the time taken up but there's never enough
And he's all that I need to fall into
Drew looks at me
I fake a smile so he won't see
"What you saw earlier, that wasn't what you thought. I was, and she isn't, but she's your, so I…" He bit his lip, nothing coming out the way he wanted it to. She giggled at his flustered words and despite the tears still in her eyes, she started to hope.
"Oh, forget it!"
And with those final words, his lips met hers in a tentative embrace, learning the feel of each other in a dance as old as time.
When they finally parted, each had the softest smile on their faces as they gazed at each other.
"I love you…" Ino dared to whisper, and his answering smile was so glorious that she considered going to the medic to get her heart checked out because of the way it had been beating today!
"Ino, I love you, too. I don't know how you could doubt it. That girl you saw me with, from the code-breaking team? We were just leaving from meeting with Naruto at Ichiruka, and when you saw us we were laughing because I just learned her last name. That was Shiho Yamanaka, your cousin!"
Ino's face froze in shock. That had been Shiho?!
"Seriously?! I didn't recognize her with those glasses!"
"Neither did I, plus I haven't seen her since one of your birthday parties when we were kids."
"Although she did have the biggest crush on you…"
Shikamaru managed to blush and avert his eyes before regaining himself and sitting on the bed next to her, pulling her down to lay in his arms.
"It doesn't matter. All I've ever wanted is right here."
They laid in each others' arms all night, drifting off to sleep with the sound of their heartbeats and easy breathing.
I don't have to fake a smile anymore…
The teardrops on Ino's guitar evaporated with the morning light.
AN: Please be kind and let me know your thoughts!