Head in the Clouds
Summary: Ever since I was a little boy, all I could do was stare at the clouds. They amazed me, I wanted to feel them, touch them, fly in them. This is my story of a guy who just wants to fly.
Authors Note/Warning: Please note, since this is an alternate universe set in modern day Tokyo, it will use slight use of the Japanese vocal system, aka Japanese words. I'll post translations at the bottom of the page.
Why was she here again? I mean, it was my room, and I had a right to my own personal space right?
Apparently I was wrong.
There she was, that blond haired popular girl that some guys already drool about looking through my closet. What they saw in her? I had no idea what so ever. I mean, we're only seven for pete's sake! Whatever, it wasn't like I cared really. As long as I got to look out my window of mine, I would be happy. So peaceful, calm and not-"SHIKAMARU! COME DOWN NOW!"
…Like her…
Sometimes, I just want to get away from it all…ahem…away from her. Psh, I can stay up here for a few more minutes. Not like she cared. If I was bought this Western style bed, I had a right to use it right? What's the po-"Shika-kun! Your Okaa-san is calling!"
You know, I really wish she would stop calling me 'Shika-kun.' It get's annoying.
Also, I wonder why we were 'friends' in the first place. 'Tomodachi' as she put it. 100 yen she wouldn't even bother getting to know me, heck, know my name if our fathers didn't play Hanafuda and western style poker all the time.
Oh yes, the same girl I was talking about it now poking me with her right index finger. Hard. I opened my two closed eyes , and glanced left to were the blond haired girl was literally attacking me with her finger. "What Ino?" Yes, Ino. That's what I called her. Not 'Yamanaka-san,' not 'Yamanaka-chan,' not even 'Ino-san' or 'Ino-chan,' but a plain 'Ino.' Since we were after all, childhood 'Tomodachi,' calling each other by out family names would get too troublesome.
"Your mom has been yelling for the past five minutes."
That pout of hers was on her face. You know, the one she makes by sticking her lips out, and looking up at you with those two use eyes…which apparently had no pupils. Was she related to the Hyuuga's? I remember the miko's from the Shinto Shrine a few blocks away had no pupils, just like this troublesome girl.
Whatever.
"Hai, hai. I'm getting up now Ino." I said, yawning slightly. Sorry cloud-san. I'll watch you later. Another sigh came out of my mouth before actually getting up from my bed. I moved my neck left and right, hearing a small cracking noise. Waiting for Ino to move from the bedside, I stretched my arm above my head, giving the Yamanaka a glance telling her to move.
Took her a second, but she understood.
Probably didn't help with the screaming in the background.
Troublesome girls.
I moved my feet over the side of the bed and let them hang for a second. Yes, I was aware I was stalling for time, and pretty much that was what I was trying to do until a certain someone just had to drag me off the bed.
"What was that for Ino?" I said, slightly annoyed before hearing my 'Tomodachi' say "Help."
I guess she was happy. A large smile was one the blonds' face, grinning from ear to ear. I still ask myself, 'Why am I friends with this girl?' And I can never think of an answer. Guess it's better than sitting around just watching the clouds.
…
You didn't think I was serious about that right? Majestic beings only the Kami-sama can touch that us non-privileged could feel, or this annoying blond idiot in front of me, pulling me from me left arm. Had enough time to think? Exactly. The majestic beings that we call 'clouds.' Well, at least clouds didn't pull you out of your room unwantedly towards the downstairs where the annoying beast has been standing, growling and snarling her teeth.
"Finally, you're here Shikamaru. Choji-kun's here in the kitchen. Say hi to him now."
What was that? An order?
"Shikamaru," she said In a sweet, sing song voice. Not. Good. "That. Was. An. ORDER!" She said, adding a malicious, and demonic twist to the angelic voice at the end. "Hai, hai." I said tiredly, rubbing the back of my head with my right hand.
After making my way through the kitchen, hearing Otou-san scream out 'troublesome,' I saw the obese boy munching on some brand name potato chips. Choji was his name. He liked potato chips.
That's all I knew, and all I needed to know. After giving him a 'non-caring' look, I said my hellos, and walked back to my room, Ino soon following after. All that screaming just to say hello to a guy I don't even know? I sighed. Guess that's Okaa-san for you.
I immediately hit the sack. And stayed there. While a blond haired seven year old rummaged through his stuff, apparently bored. "Oi! Shika-kun! I didn't know you still wear tighty-whities!" She said, pulling out a pair of white underwear, holding it out for the world to see. "Yes, Ino, I do wear underwear? What? You don't? You still wear diapers or something?"
That put a blush on her face. Maybe if I cared more, I would had paid attention to it. "O-o-of course I do baka!" She looked extremely flustered at the question. I guess that's what girls do I suppose. "Right, right. I believe you, 100." He said, waving his hand in front of the girl while looking out the window.
"What! You want to see or something? I'll show you and prove to you I don't still wear diapers!" She said, feeling challenged, even taking a step forward with her right foot. I yawned. "Sure." I wasn't even paying attention at the conversation, and just putting in words when needed. Huh, I wonder what type of cloud that was…
"PAY ATTENTION BAKA!" The blond girl screamed out, causing the cloud watcher to steer a glance at the Yamanaka. Blink. Blink twice. Now slowly turn head back at clouds and pretend I didn't see that. Oh, just great. The window is reflecting Ino and her raised up skirt. Just peachy, I mean, not peachy as in the color of her panties, but, ugg. This is so troublesome. Ultimately deciding it was useless, he pointed his head upward where there was no window, no skirt-raised Ino, but white. A white roof was what he saw.
I should just close my eyes…and that's what I did. Close my eyes, trying to get that picture that might scar me for life out of my system.
Panties. Panties. Panties. Panties. Panties. Tighty-whities. Panties. Panties. Panties.
Darn you Ino, and your peach-colored panties. "Shika-kun?'
Oh just great now I can hear her too. Might as well respond or else mind Ino will start annoying me too.
"Hai?" I said to the mind Ino, in my mind, her skirt now gone and just her in a shirt and panties. "Sorry for doing that." She said, doing that pout again. And darn, it really breaks you down. I sighed once more. "It's OK Ino. I forgive you," I said, not aware I was also saying this aloud.
"Well, I want to make it up to you." she said, sounding almost sorry. Keyword: Almost. Who knew if she was talking the truth. She was a girl after all, the most troublesome of species. "I know something that you'll like. Is it ok if I do it?" Ino? Asking permission to do something? Never going to happen.
Then again, this wasn't Ino I was talking to. It was mind Ino who I had control over, and I probably subconscious made her be more…accepting to over people's feelings. I'll humor her. "Sure, go ahead." I said. Not like it was ever going to happen in the real life.
And then I could hear the wind. Instead of the blackness of my mind where I could only see myself, the shadow, and her, I was in the air. I could hear the wind buzzing through my ear and body. A tingling sensation went down my spine. Whatever mind Ino was doing so far, she was doing it great! I could already feel a smile come onto my body, both inside my mind, and out.
And now, a cloud was in front of me. Here I was, right about to fly into a cloud. Heck, I'm happy I'm flying! My eyes were actually opened wide, and nothing in the world could beat this for anything else.
I hit the cloud at full force, feeling the softness on my lips, feeling a warm wind down my nose. A peach smell was in the clouds.
…Peach…?
Clouds smelled like peaches? I opened my eyes to see what was really happening.
…Maybe I shouldn't have done that…
Opening my eyes, I saw the face of none other than my 'Tomodachi.' Looking downwards, heck, I didn't even have to. My lips felt it for sure. The lips of this girl. Instinctively, I pushed her away from the position she was in above of me, knocking her off the bed. Where I heard a loud banging noise. I looked down from my bed, right about to tell her to get up.
Her eyes were shut. The right hand was under her body as she laid on her side. The blond locks of hair covered her face.
What have I just done?
I then jumped off the bed, careful not to jump on her, and rushed by her side, picking her up by the head like those guys from Western movies when the female lead is right about to die. It was like everything else was black, and the spotlight was focused on us. Did I just…no…impossible right? Ino is a hard working fighter. That's what I knew about her. She couldn't have just…"Shika….kun?" I heard weakly from the young girl's lips.
"Gomen. I…shouldn't have done that." She said, opening her eyes weakly, sticking her tongue out slightly with what looked to be all her strength. Tears started to come out of my eyes. What…have I done? "…Shika…kun…I…might not….make it…" She said, a tear coming down her left eye as tears of my own dropped down to her face. "What are you talking bout Ino-chan? You still have hundreds of years!" I just had to make her last moments happy. "What is it you want? Anything! I promise!"
I was desperate now. If she was going to go out like this, I wouldn't want to be called looking into the Heavens because a girl I accidentally killed after she kissed me! I wanted to know at least I could make her happy.
"…Arigato…There…" She coughed, making it more hard on me. "…Marry…me…when we get…older…" She said, growing weaker with every second. "I will! I promise! I will marry you Yamanaka Ino!" "Pro…mise?" She said, raising her right hand that was clutching onto my chest weakly. "Pinky…swear?" I had to do it. A promise was nothing unless we pinky sweared. I moved my right hand weakly over to hers, and wrapped my pinky over hers. "Ari…gato." She said, as the pressure from her pinky loosened and fell to he ground. Her face was cold, her eyes were closed, and a small smile was on her face along with the tears from my two eyes.
Why? Why did I? Why did I…
The spotlight over us faded out to black. If this was a play, this would be the end of the script and the girl would walk out of the man's hands now, calling it a work well done. This however was n-"Shika-kun!"
Why did I fall for it?
Ino now popped out of my arms and gave me her large smile, and closed eyes. "You promised remember? We'll get married when we're older!"
Yamanaka Ino is now officially tied as number one most troublesome girl I know with my Okaa-san.
Translations:
-kun: A suffix used on male names, symbolizing closeness between friends, or someone younger than you.
-chan: A suffix used on female names, symbolizing closeness between friends, or someone younger and/or more immature than you.
-san: The most basic of suffixes. Used when nothing else fits.
Okaa-san: Mother
Otou-san: Father
Tamadachi: Friends
Hai: Yes
Kami-sama: God
Oi: Hey
Hanafuda: A card game where Ino-Shika-Cho is a winning combination
Arigato: Thank you
Authors note: Hello everyone! Yes, I probably should be working on my other fanfics, mainly Behind These Eyes, but now that I'm on a new computer and lost like three pages of work, I don't really have the inspiration to continue it for now. I will be doing this story unless I get numinous people yelling at me for wanting me to update it.
Also, this story will contain Shikamaru's entire AU life, ranging from childhood to adulthood where it will ultimately end. This story is set in Tokyo, year 2007. The month and day doesn't really matter now does it?
Remember everyone. Constructive criticism and reviews will get me to update more. A review is better than a flame, and a flame is better than not leaving anything at all, so whatever you do, hit that comment button!