Shikamaru's thoughts
Ino's thoughts
There was something wrong. Something was missing. It just didn't feel right. It was quiet.
Much too quiet.
Shikamaru sat up and looked around from his spot on the hill. This was odd.
Three days.
She hadn't come to bug him in three days.
Normally he would be happy. He normally like quiet on days when he was watching clouds. As much as he willed his mind to not care, to empty itself like he wanted it to, his mind refused and rebelled.
Instead, he got up and headed towards the forest to practice. Nothing like stealing the shadows of squirrels to put a rest to his wandering thoughts. As he got to the path out of the village he saw a sight he thought he would never see. Ino was sitting cross-legged on a bench, reading. Not only reading, but reading Much Ado About Nothing, a classic.
Shakespeare? She's reading Shakespeare?
This was beyond confusing to Shikamaru. This was something he would read, not her. She would read gossip magazines, not Shakespeare.
He walked towards the dumpling stand behind her, to not make it look like he was looking for her. Ino looked up as she felt someone's chakra approaching, and then seeing it was Shikamaru, looked back down at her book.
"Hey Ino."
Ino looked up once more and acknowledged Shikamaru with a nod before going back to her book. As much as she hated to admit it, the book had her enthralled even though half the time she didn't understand what they were all talking about.
"Hey Shika, what are you doing up?"
She still didn't look up as he sat down next to her. He stared at her curiously while she stared transfixed by the page. She slowly raised her and turned the page, still ignoring him. This was slightly troublesome.
Shikamaru loved puzzles. He thrived on puzzles. To him the biggest puzzle was the human mind. It was always working in mysterious, seemingly random ways. However, if you came to know a specific mind long enough you notice the patterns in the random wavelengths. You learn how a specific person's mind ticks. Shikamaru had everyone around him figured out, or so he thought. By the mere act of sitting here reading a book, Ino just threw off his entire solution to her mind.
Figuring out that he was just sitting there looking at her like a creep while she ignored him; Shikamaru decided that this was just a momentary lapse of judgment. Temporary insanity on Ino's part. Come tomorrow she'll be back to bugging him awake and talking about how cute Sasuke is and how much Sakura has gained weight.
Then his puzzles will be back in order.
--
Hamlet. She was reading Hamlet. At first, when Shikamaru when into the library he thought he was seeing things. He actually had to do a double take. She checked out Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. All Shakespeare. Ino, in the library, not sneaking around spying on Sasuke, but actually checking out books that were written by William Shakespeare.
Why was she doing this? What had changed her perspective on the classics so dramatically? When he had tried to tell her how good the books were, she told him that she couldn't understand all his language and didn't even want to try and read them. Now here she was checking them out of the library. This was beyond weird.
Shikamaru turned and walked back out of the library, deciding that he needed a good nap to get rid of this newly arising migraine.
--
That's it. He's gone over this time and time again. There was something wrong with Ino.
5 days. She hadn't come to bug him for five days. As much as he'd like to say that those five peaceful days had been wonderful, they had been almost a living hell. What was wrong with her? Why hadn't she come?
As much as he hated to admit it, having Ino wake and interrupt him during his cloud watching was almost enjoyable. Then there were their battles. She would always try to outsmart his logic, always trying to prove that she was smarter. Of course she never won, but it was fun to see her brow furrow in concentration, the smirk adorning her face when she thought she would finally win.
Shikamaru liked being with Ino. Hell, Shikamaru like Ino period. Of course the ditzy blonde never noticed; she was too busy competing with Sakura for Sasuke's attention. Choji was the only living soul who knew, but he was sworn to secrecy. Now, however, he was slightly concerned for her. She was acting so unlike herself.
Shikamaru sat up and once again saw her sitting on the bench. This time she was reading Macbeth. He sighed and stood up. His latest puzzle was giving him too many headaches; he had to give in and just ask her what the hell was wrong.
What a drag. I'll have to hear her smartass remarks about how I couldn't just figure it out myself.
"Ino, what are you doing?"
Ino looked up from her reading.
"Reading. What does it look like?"
Shikamaru sighed deeply and took a seat next to Ino.
"I can state the obvious Ino. I meant why are you reading Macbeth?"
Ino shrugged, marked her book, closed it, and placed it on her lap. "It was recommended to me and I thought I would try and read it."
Shikamaru arched an eyebrow. "When I tell you to read Shakespeare you laugh in my face. Someone else on the other hand…"
Ino lightly smacked his arm. "It's not like that Shika. It's just that…"
Ino looked away from Shikamaru and started fidgeting with her hands. She turned back towards him. "Can I ask you for a favor?"
Shikamaru turned his head toward her. "It depends. What's the favor?"
"Can you tutor me?"
Shikamaru felt his jaw go slack and turned towards Ino. "Tutor? Tutor you? Aren't you usually avoiding school work?"
"Can I trust you with something Shika?"
"Sure."
"Well, there's this guy…"
Shikamaru raised both hands in front of him. "Sorry Ino, I can't help you on this one. For girly stuff direct yourself to a girl."
He was about to get up when he felt Ino's hand on his arm. "Come on Shika, who am I gonna ask?"
He turned toward her. "Ask Sakura. She likes talking about Sasuke too."
"No, it's not about Sasuke. It's another guy."
Shikamaru sighed. He felt the migraine pulsing behind his left temple.
Great, now she likes another guy. This is such a drag.
"Talk to some other girl about it."
He tried to leave again, but her grip on his arm grew tighter and she yanked him down. He landed once again on the bench, Ino's hand still a vice grip on his arm.
"Who? Ten ten isn't exactly someone I can talk boys with, I can't tell my mom…"
"Why exactly can't you tell your mom? Isn't this supposed to fall into the category of mother-daughter bond?" Shikamaru asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Well, if I tell my mom then she'll tell my dad and daddy will kill him. So, for his sake I'd rather not tell my mom."
Shikamaru sighed again before leaning back into the bench. "Then why are you telling me?"
"We've known each other since the day we were born. I trust you more than I trust myself sometimes."
After releasing another deep breath Shikamaru turned to face Ino. "Fine. Lets just get this over with shall we?"
Ino nodded, relief flooding her face. "Ok, well there's this guy and I really like him, but I don't think he likes me that way. It's mostly because he's so smart and talented, and I'm just me. So I figure if I can become smarter then maybe he'll like me more."
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "Ino, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
Ino's face fell before turning into an expression of anger. "Why is that?"
"If this guy doesn't like you for who you are then he's not worth it. You're plenty smart, funny, witty, you're a good fighter, and an excellent ninja. You shouldn't change who you are."
Ino looked dejectedly at the floor. "But Shika, I know he doesn't like me for me. I've been around him long enough to know what types of girls he likes."
"Oh really? Then what kind of girls does he like?"
"Girls like Temari. She's smart, fun, attractive, and a skilled fighter. I'm ditzy, whinny, and incompetent."
Shikamaru let out a frustrated sigh. He wanted to tell her exactly why he liked her, but obviously she felt deeply for this other guy and he didn't want to ruin it for her.
"Let me give you two pieces of advice."
Ino lifted her head and turned towards him. "First: Don't change who you are because the people that mind don't matter and the people who matter don't mind."
Ino smiled a little. Shikamaru stood up and faced Ino, his tall stature towering over her sitting form. "Second: Just take the risk. Tell the guy and if he doesn't feel the same, he's not worth it and you're too good for him anyway."
He turned and started walking away, leaving her on the bench to contemplate his words.
--
The next day, as he was lounging on the side of the hill, a familiar shadow fell over him.
He felt the grass sink next to him as someone sat down. The scent of Ino's strawberry shampoo wafted down to him and he breathed it in. Oddly enough, he felt more peaceful now than he had all week.
"Hey Shika, I need to ask you something."
Shikamaru cracked one eye open to see Ino staring down at him. "What is it this time?"
Ino lifted up the copy of Romeo and Juliet she had on her lap. "I'm getting kind of confused."
Shikamaru sighed for dramatic effect and sat up. "Yes Ino, they have sex before he leaves. Does that answer your question?"
Shikamaru resumes lying down, smirking as she blushed almost scarlet.
"You jerk that was not what I was gonna ask!"
Shikamaru started chuckling. "Relax Ino, just messing around."
Ino took a deep, calming breath and looked back at him, the picture of ease.
"I was wondering what Juliet meant in act 1 scene 5 about the palms and stuff."
Shikamaru arced an eyebrow. "Would you like to elaborate on that?"
"She's talking to Romeo at the party and they touch palms," Ino grabbed Shikamaru's hand and places both their hands palm to palm, "like this and I want to know what it means."
"She's saying that this," he says gesturing to their joined palms, "is how holy people kiss."
"Right, then Romeo says, 'O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."
Shikamaru arced his eyebrow once more at Ino. Ino merely shrugged. "I got really into it. Maybe I memorized an act or two, don't judge Shika."
"Saints do not move, through grant for prayer's sake." Shikamaru replayed Juliet's lines in the play, having read the book so many times he had it all down by heart.
Ino smiled.
Of course he had to know the whole play by now.
She interlocked their fingers ignoring Shikamaru's bemused expression. "Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips by thine my sin is purged."
Before Shikamaru could process what was happening, Ino had separated the distance between them and was softly kissing him.
Ino's arms found themselves around Shikamaru's neck while his arms circled around her waist. After moments of kissing Shikamaru broke them apart.
"Wait, what happened to your mystery dude from yesterday?"
Ino giggled slightly, playing with the short hairs on the nape of Shikamaru's neck. "You know, for being the village's resident genius you're pretty slow. It was you Shika."
"It was me? Hold on a minute, you thought I liked Temari? You've got to joking!"
Ino blushed slightly and shrugged. "She was definitely flirting with you every time she came to the village. I figured you liked her too since you always argued back."
"She's cool but I don't think I would be able to like her as anything more than a friend. She's too headstrong. That relationship would have been way too troublesome."
"Anyway, I figured that since you were a genius you would want to date someone smart, at least close to your intellect level."
"And what would we have done all day? Play chess? That's why I liked you Ino."
Ino's eyes opened in shock. "You liked me?"
Shikamaru nodded. "Everyone always expects so much from me because I'm the genius. With you, it was like I could goof around without everyone giving me lip about it."
"I guess I never thought of it like that." Ino said, blinking a few times. Then, a huge grin spread across her face. "I guess you're kind of lucky to have me huh Juliet?"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Next time you do this I'm Romeo."
Ino smiled and leaned in closer so that their noses were touching. "Fine. Then have my lips the sin that they have took."
Shikamaru smiled. "Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again."
They kissed again.
Really sappy, I know. It's just an idea I got. I wrote it during a time when I was obsessed with Romeo and Juliet and then I found it on my computer the other day and thought 'I should post this' so after a read through I did.
For anyone who has never read Romeo and Juliet, i highly recommend it. it's hard to understand at times but all in all i think it's a mighty good book.
Not the best thing ever, I know, but reviews are always much appreciated :)