"Ino, We need to go princess!" Inoichi called up the stairs for the second time. "Just a second daddy!" 17 year old Ino Yamanaka called a second time herself. Tonight they were going to their longtime family friends house, the Naras, for dinner. Ino was standing infront of her mirror checking her outfit, Black skinny jeans and a deep red long sleeved shirt that left her shoulders bare and showed jus the appropriate amount of cleavage and black low heeled boots. After making sure she had a few weapons stashed away on her, something that was habit for ninja even if they were in civilian clothes, she glared at the mirror trying to decide whether to wear her long golden hair up or down...
"Ino, NOW!" her mother Maya called up the stairs. "You have 10 seconds to get down here!"
"Down it is then..." Ino muttered as she ran her fingers through her silky locks and then bolted dow to the first floor of the Yamanaka household, it was NEVER a good idea to keep her mother waiting.
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The walk to the Nara household was about ten minutes 'It would be quicker if we could run ninja style there, but since mom isn't a ninja...' Ino thought while letting out a puff of air. She loved her mother to death, but she never truly understood Ino. That was the way it was with civilians, even if they were related to ninja and had a better understanding than civilians that were not related to ninja, the never understood complety. They never understood the secretivity, the dedication or the sometimes horrors of the life of the shinobi. That was why Ino was so much closer with her father...it not like she was a daddy's girl or anything...right?
As the family of three neared the path that would lead then to the Nara's house, Ino felt a wave of memories wash over her. She had been going to the Nara's house her whole life, as well as the Akimichi's since their familys were all best friends and she had known Shikamaru and Chouji since she was born. Looking to her left, she saw the slightly risen grassy hill spot infront of the house where she and Shikamaru and Chouji would play when they were little. 'Heh now all it is used for is for lazy boy to watch clouds!' She thought while letting out a small giggle. Her father turned and gave her a curious look. "What are you laughing at princess?"
"Heh, just remembering playing on that hill over there." she replied giving him a bright smile. Her father just smiled back. Maya knocked on the dark wooden door and stood back with the rest of them as they waited. A moment later the door opened to reval the slender dark haired form of Yoshino Nara. "Ah! There you are, come in, come in!" she beckoned and quietly shut the door behind her before leading them to the living room where her husband, Shikaku sat infront of the TV. "Hey Inoichi, Maya, Ino. Have a seat." he said motioning to the cozy looking furniture. Ino's parents sat on the couch, while Ino took the single chair sitting in the corner. "Dinner will be ready in a little bit!" Yoshino said in a pleasent voice and was about to leave to the kitchen when Ino stopped her by asking "Mrs. Nara, is there anything I can do to help?" Yoshino smiled brightly "Oh, no dear,I am fine. Why couldnt I have such a wonderful, helpful child?! All I have are two lazy men who never do anything!" She huffed iritably.
They all chuckled except for Shikaku who said "What? I help out! Yesterday I did the dishes after dinner!" Yoshino's facde darkened. "You only did it AFTER I threatened you with bodily harm." Shikaku shrugged nonchalantly. "I still did it." Inoichi chuckled "You rule this house with an iron fist Yoshino!" She just smiled and winked at Maya, who had to do the same thing with Inoichi. "You know, there actually is something you can do for me Ino!" the Nara matriarch chirped and her face brightened up as she went back to Ino's question. "What would that be?" Ino inquired. "You can go get my son from his room and drag him down here." was her answer. Ino nodded and stood up and walked over to and up the stairs with fluid grace that belonged only to a kunoichi.
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'That man better be up, or I swear to Kami, I will drag him out of bed and down the stairs' Ino thought as she remembered all the times she and Chouji and sometimes even their sensei Asuma had had to drag Shikamaru out of bed and to the training grounds or Hokages office early in the morning because he was unwilling to get out of bed. As she approched the door she didnt even knock and reached for the handle and opened it to step into the room. Her eyes widened at what they saw.
Her face flushed lightly and her breath caught in her throat. Shikamaru was in the middle of removing his shirt, and Ino could see the lean definition of his muscles as he took it off. The first thought in her head was 'HE HAS A SIX PACK! SINCE WHEN DID HE HAVE A SIX PACK?!' The second was 'HOT DAMN! He. is. FINE.' That thought had Ino mentally reeling. Did she just think he, Shikamaru, the Lazy Boy, and her childhood friend was HOT?
"You know, knocking is the polite thing to do." Shikamaru said sarcasticly, snapping Ino out of her stupor as he walked to his dresser and pulled on a shirt, not noticing Ino watching his every move and trying to calm the blush on her face and stop the twitching of her fingers that longed to run down his chest and feel his body. "But of course this is you we are talking about so I guess I should know not to expect much in the form of manners." He said with a smirk. 'Even his smirk is hot! Since when has his smirk been hot?' she thought as she tried to figure out what was up with her attraction to Shikamaru all of the sudden. "Hello? You there Ino?"
She jumped when she realized shikamaru was waving his hand infront of her face. "Stop that, baka!" She grumbled and scowled at him as he pulled his hand away. "Well sorry, but you were just standing there like a space cadet, what was I supposed to do?" He let out a sigh and Ino was pretty sure she heard him mumble the words 'troublesome woman' under his breath.
She narrowed her eyes then decided to brush it off. Grabbing his arm the blonde was going to drag him out the door and down the stairs, but as soon as she touched him, they both jumped as a strange warm tingle appeared where their skin touched. 'What the hell?' they both thought at the same time. Ino looked at shikamaru and he just raised an eyebrow at her. Huffing she grabbed his sleeve, making sure to avoid skin on skin contact as she dragged him down the stairs.
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"Dammit slow down woman!" Shikamaru grumped as his teamate dragged him. "Come on Shika! I am hungry!" Ino turned and pouted at him. He felt a slight blush form on his face as he looked at her. He hadnt been paying attention when she first walked into his room, but now that he was looking at her, he realized she looked good, real good...as always. 'Damn...' he thought as he dragged his eyes away from her barely revealed cleavage and smooth shoulders just in time as she looked up at him. "You okay shikamaru? You face is flushed." Ino asked and pressed a small cool hand to his forehead. "I'm fine Ino." he sighed out. "Troublesome". He muttered irritatedly as he thought of her soft hands on his face. He had liked Ino for about two years now. He was good at hiding it and so far the only person that knew was his best friend Chouji...and he intended to keep it that way. 'So troublesome...'
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'Shikamaru is acting weird...although I'm not one to talk with all these weird as hell thoughts running through my head.' Ino thought as she continued dragging her friend down the stairs and into the living room. "Hey there Shikamaru!" Inoichi greeted his friends son, while Maya nodded and smiled at him. "Hey Mr. Yamanaka, Mrs. Yamanaka. How are you?" Shikamaru asked politely as he lowered himself down on the couch next to Ino. Their conversation faded to the background in Ino's head as she became acutely aware of shikamaru sitting next to her. His heat was radiating off of him and onto her. She also noticed a scent that she had always subconciously knew belonged to shikamaru. 'Why am I just noticing all of this now?!' She thought nervously. 'He smells nice...like...cinnimon mixed with something that is distinctly Shikamaru.' She inconspicuosly breathed in his scent as she tried to relax her body next to him. She was so lost in her thoughts she didnt realize that she had been asked a question until Shikamaru nudged her lightly with his shoulder, making her jump. "There you go spacing out again. If it wasnt so troublesome, I would worry." he muttered and leaned back into the couch. "Oh, um...what?" she said smiling sheepishly. They were all looking at her curiously then her mother repeated her question. "Ino, dear, would you mind coming with me to set the dishes on the table for dinner?"
Ino nodded and stood up, casting a quick look at Shikamaru before following her mother into the dining room. As they left the men in the other room Maya turned to her daughter. "Dear, what were you spacing out about over there? Usually you are aware of everything...it was a little strange."
"Oh, nothing mom just tired." she replied with a small smile. Her mother did not look fully convinced, but dropped the subject as they started setting out the dishes.
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Dinner was pleasant. The food was great and the talk was entertaining. To all but Ino. She was distracted thinking about all her reactions to Shikamaru earlier. 'If I didnt know better, I would think I liked him...HOLY SHIT! I LIKE SHIKAMARU! WHEN THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN?!' Ino had sucked in a sharp breath in her shock, but as she did she choked on her dinner causing her to cough loudly and sharply. Shikamaru who was sitting next to her, handed her her cup of water, which she quickly drained, set down and proceeded to suck in much needed gasps of air. Once she was breathing normal again she looked up and paused. Everyone was staring at her strangely...again...'damn' she thought. "Uh, Princess, you okay?" Her father asked, both eyebrows raised. "Heh heh..yeeaaah...just uh b-breathed in wrong." was her genius reply to which she felt like smacking her forehead on the table.
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After dinner and all the dishes were done, everyone migrated to the living room to chat and socialize somemore. The parents were talking and tellign stories, laughing and enjoying eachother. Ino and Shikamaru, on the other hand, were sitting quietly and feeling bored as hell. 'This sucks...they have told these stories hundreds of times, dont they ever get bored of them?!' Ino thought exasperatedly, leaning her chin on her hand. All of the sudden she felt a light tug on her sleeve. Looking next to her, she saw Shikamaru gesturing to the back door, to which she nodded and stood up with him and walked across the room and out the door. When they got outside, they sat on the wooden porch and stared at the stars for a few moments. "They have told those stories like a hundred times...you think they would loose the entertainment value after the first few times..." Shikamaru muttered and leaned back on his arms. "Hahaha! I was just thinking the same thing a few minutes ago!" Ino giggled, looking at him and smiling. He turned his head and gave a smirk. When he did, Ino felt her face heating up and quickly turned her head so he couldnt see. Shikamaru frowned. "Ino Are you okay...you have ben acting weird since you got here?" he asked turning his body to face her. "I am fine, no need to do something as troublesome as worrying." she chuckled and looked over at him since her face had turned back to its normal color, Only to have it flare up again as well as Shikamarus face when they saw their noses only inches apart. "Ahh, okay..." he murmured and subtly scooted away a couple of inches. They sat side by side and watched the nightsky for the rest of the time until The yamanaka family had to leave. "Bye Shika!" Ino said and gave him a soft, slightly shy smile as she walked to the door. "Bye Ino." He returned and gave her a crooked smile that had her blushing and scampering through the door and out with her family. Shikamaru let out a chuckle as she left. 'What am I going to do?!' Ino thought to herself and kept that thought all the way back home.