What you are about to read—Ino x Shikamaru oneshot.
Made entirely by your one and only—Cecily-Chan.
The Anime/Characters made by the 'God of Anime'—Masashi Kishimoto.


"His hand looks best woven in my fingers, his ink black hair looks the best messy and wet, and his eyes sparkle like the moon's breath when I gaze shyly at them. His lips will touch mine one day, and it will taste like cinnamon and the tingle of warmth. I will feel the warm embrace and feel like the gravity had finally expired as we rise into the sky together, dancing upon the star sprinkled sky with the moon's polish face staring upon us. We will wonder and dream together, feel the flame lit upon our two hearts and the buzz upon our bodies as we become one. Nothing can stop the rhythmic pattern of our hearts and minds...not a soul in the world, no one..."

Ino folded the pink piece of notebook paper and hummed. The neat inked symbols written on that page was hers, but not exactly. Ino had written this long ago. When she dreamed hard about the black-haired boy who had hated everyone, and when Ino had practiced slow dancing with a mop just for him. Those long summer days when she rather bathe her hair in a sink full of conditioner and shampoo and hot water rather than train for her future role as a shinobi. No. Ino was useless. Hair and skin and beauty were the only thing on her list. Right below Sasuke.

Ah, Sasuke. The raven-haired, jet-black eyes and pale skinned boy. The one who pushed away girls and pulled in his studies. He was intelligent. He was quiet. He had the best grades and the best skills throughout the village and never gloated. He could kill with a soft smile, but then break hearts when his face hardened to the neutral grin again. And what really lured the girls in was his looks. No doubt in the world, the boy was gorgeous. Ino could trace back to when she loved him. The boy who turned on his own village. She promised on her heart she wouldn't open old wounds again. It hurt her too much.

"What cha got there?" A voice called. Before Ino could look up from the folded piece of pink paper, a toned finger snatched it away and opened it up. Ino didn't have to look up to see who had quietly walked into her flower shop without sounding the bell. The bell did go off, but Ino was to busy lecturing herself to look up. So when Ino inhaled the toxic smell of cigarette smoke, Ino looked up with big blue eyes and a gaping mouth. She jumped up from the stool that was placed in front of her desk in the back of the flower shop that was covered with loose petals and stem snippings. Before Ino could snatch away the paper, the boy flipped it open and stepped back, out of Ino's reach.

"Shikamaru," Ino hissed, running around her desk that literally had a wall of books by the side. Ino tried tackling the boy, but Shikamaru stepped forward and to the right so Ino missed and squirmed around. Her face nearly red was ruby, Ino jumped up and managed to get the end of the paper's corner between her fingers. Taking the entire note down with her as she hit the floor, she realized the attempt was futile. Meaning, useless. Shikamaru had already read enough, and the only thing Ino could do was watch him laugh.

"I will feel the warm embrace and feel like the gravity had finally expired as we rise into the sky together, dancing upon the star sprinkled sky..." Shikamaru recited, his narrow brown eyes closed. He took the cigarette from his mouth and blew a huff of smoke out into the open air. A thought jolted into Ino's mind about sticking a 'NO-SMOKING' sign outside the door, but that thought erased in a heartbeat. "...with the moon's polish face staring upon us. We will wonder and dream together, feel the flame lit upon our two hearts and the buzz upon our bodies as we become one."

Ino melted away. She watched her feet as she slugged away back to her desk, and buried her head in her arms. She could smell the heavy cigarette smoke that was stronger than the millions of flowers in the entire shop, and Ino could already see Shikamaru laughing. Laughing on how she thought she was a great poet, and how she was a fool and a complete idiot to like someone who was a horrible person, inside and out. Ino remembered when Shikamaru had lectured her on even if they did have a happy-ever-after with her and Sasuke, she'd probably end up drinking and being abused and committing suicide.

"Go ahead," Ino muttered from the folded arms. She placed her chin up and closed her eyes shut. "Go ahead, laugh. I know, I know. 'Ha ha Ino, you liked a total jerk and he doesn't and will never love you and blah blah blah'!"

Shikamaru placed the cigarette back between his lips. "I never said that," teased Shikamaru.

Ino winced at him. "But you were going to."

"Are you saying I'm very predictable?" Shikamaru challenged.

Ino smiled again, raising her head from her folded arms. Shikamaru could always bring out a smile—and other times a frown—in Ino. Though usually lazy and bored, this guy could be funny. "Yes I am," sang Ino. "You are predictable."

Shikamaru shook his head, the cigarette smoke lifting and shaking in the air with him. Shifting the cigarette to the side of his mouth, he placed his hands at the end of Ino's desk. "So what am I going to do next, then?"

"Well," Ino started, nearly nose to nose with him. She threw her head back and laughed. The expression on Shikamaru's face was what made her laugh. He was smirking, the cigarette sticking up like he was one of those broke gamblers. "You're going to crumple it up, toss it in the trash can, and then you're going to laugh."

Shikamaru pulled out his cigarette and put it out with his hand. Sure, it hurt, but the sting of ashes only hurt a little and leaves a small blister. No big. Shikamaru tossed the cigarette in the trash can by Ino's desk. "Wrong," Shikamaru sounded. He took the note, crumpled it up in a ball, and dropped it in the trashcan, above the burnt-out cigarette.

"How am I wrong?" yelled Ino, her eyebrows raised.

"I didn't laugh."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because it's not funny."

"It isn't?" asked Ino surprised. "It's not funny that I used to like Sasuke."

"No. Because you already said you don't like him anymore."

"What if I do?"

"..."

"Shikamaru?"

"Well," Shikamaru responded. "Do you?"

"No."

"So what's the point of asking that question?"

"I wanted to see what you would do."

"What did you think I would do?"

"Ask more questions," Ino teased. "See? You are predictable."

"Really now?"

"Yes."

"Then what am I going to do now?"

"Ask more questions."

"Wrong."

"Laugh at me."

"Wrong."

"Walk away."

"Wrong."

Ino slammed her hands against the oak wood table, and stood up to reach Shikamaru's eye level. "I give up! What are you going to do now?"

Shikamaru kissed her. And he was right as always. He wasn't predictable.