[[A/N]] I told you all I was procrastinating, didn't I? Random ShikaIno fluff thing that I wrote while I was away. Enjoy!
I never thought I'd be able to admit it, but the more I think about it, it's true. It's not Sasuke I've wanted for all these years. Shikamaru, it was you.
God, I am so stupid, why can't I just say it to him? He's my friend. He wouldn't be horrible about it and at least then he'd know.
I just wish Hinata was here to give me some advice, stupid Hyƫga trips...
"Hey, Ino, you in here?"
Ino slammed the book she had been writing in closed and shoved it hastily under her pillow.
"What the hell, Shikamaru?" she moaned, standing up and making her way to the sitting room. "Don't you believe in knocking?"
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her. "I did," he said. "Three times."
"What do you want?" Ino said, ignoring him.
Shikamaru walked over to Ino and placed his hand on her forehead. The sudden contact sent blood flushing to her cheeks.
"Shikamaru," she said, slapping his hand away. "What is it?"
"I thought you might be ill, it's not like you to forget a party."
Confusion washed over Ino's face before realisation hit her. "Crap, Naruto's birthday!"
Shikamaru smiled as the blonde turned and ran back to her room to get ready.
o0o
It was almost midnight. The party of 12 had eaten and then made their way to a local bar where most of them proceeded to get rather drunk. Those who were still (fairly) sober were Shikamaru, Lee, Sai and Shino. One person from each team designated to looking after the others.
Shikamaru sighed. Choji wasn't so drunk he needed help getting home but Ino was a different story. For the last hour she had been draped over Shikamaru, questioning him constantly and (in a very un-Ino-like fashion) declining Kiba's drunken advances.
"Choji," Shikamaru called over the banter to his friend. "I'm taking Ino home, are you ok?"
Choji nodded and waved them away.
It took a lot longer to get Ino home than he thought it would have. Sitting her down on her couch, Shikamaru sighed.
"Shika," Ino said quietly, trying to fend off her drunken slur. "Thanks."
"No problem," Shikamaru replied, handing her a glass of water. "Drink this," he told her before going to her bedroom and setting the bed up for her. He pulled a small note book from under the pillow and flipped through the first few pages before he realised what he was reading. "Troublesome woman," he muttered before walking back to the front room and seeing Ino unconscious on her sofa.
Picking up the small woman took almost no effort and as Shikamaru lay her down in her bed he sighed again, his gaze passing over the diary.
o0o
Ino woke up the next morning with a headache and a dry mouth. Getting out of bed, she realised she was still wearing her clothes from the night before.
She picked up the diary that was lying on her desk and fear filled her. Shikamaru had brought her home, so what if he'd read her diary when he'd moved it? She opened it quickly to the page she had been writing on the day before and gasped when she saw Shikamaru's lazy scrawl on the opposite page.
I never thought I'd be able to admit it, but the more I think about it, it's true. I don't care who you've wanted over the years, Ino. I've only ever wanted you.
[[A/N]] Awwww! Don't you just love the cheesy crap I make people spout when I'm writing them? I hope Ino and Shikamaru weren't too OOC (Although I honestly think that if Shikamaru found Ino's diary he would deem it too "troublesome" to read)
You should know the drill by now, Reviews = love
EDIT: I just realised I made a mistake with the party, nothing serious, I just mentioned that Hinata was there when she's not...
Lessthanthree you all
WatchingAsYouFall
