Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Summary: Ino couldn't think of anything more painful than being so close to him and knowing that he was going home to another woman, one who couldn't possibly love him as much as she did. ShinoIno, oneshot
A new fanfic from me. I really found that I love this pairing and just wanted to write something about these two. Angsty, I know, but I just wanted to write something with this concept and these two characters, for some reason. Please enjoy!
Gone
The sunlight peeked through the clouds, reaching its fingers down to the soft grass in which Yamanaka Ino sat.
Intelligent blue eyes gazed at the droplets of dew that had accumulated onto the blades of grass around her. She reached out and flicked one of the drops with a finger, watching as it splashed into the air, the light gleaming off of the tiny specks of water as if it were the finest crystal.
She could not help the dejected feeling that had nestled itself in her chest. She found that she did not want to, either. Ino found that she wanted to keep this feeling. This feeling was all she had left, after all.
The blonde kunoichi was sure that people would find her silly, would think her foolish for acting so dramatically in response to something that was so commonplace.
As commonplace as it might be, she never thought it would have happened so suddenly.
She thought of the brightness that news like this should have brought, thought of what she should have been feeling in response to such a thing. Ino should be happy, should be radiating with joy for her friend and the faceless kunoichi he had decided to take as his wife.
Ino had not known of this girl, the one that Aburame Shino had become so enamored with. She had not known that this would be the girl that would capture his heart.
She had not known that she cared this much.
And she shouldn't. She shouldn't care this much about the bug boy. It was ridiculous, the notion that she actually cared more about where Shino ended up than she did in regards to Shikamaru or Chouji.
But she did.
Ino looked over and saw a black beetle, crawling up the side of a nearby yellow flower. A buttercup. She smiled, taking comfort in things that were familiar. Flowers, nature, things of that sort.
Inhaling shakily, she reached forward, placing her index finger in front of the bug. Without hesitation, the beetle continued its path onto her skin. She found herself smiling as she felt the light tickling of its legs, crawling from the calloused skin of her finger and onto the smoother, unmarred flesh of her wrist.
She admired that beetle, thinking that things would be so much simpler to be in that countenance...
"I never thought I would witness this."
At the sound of the voice, Ino's back became ramrod straight. She let a gasp escape her lips before she turned around, her eyes wide in surprise. The tones almost linger in the air between them, resonating even moments after they'd been said.
She ventured a smirk, defiant even now. "There are a lot of thing you don't know about me, Aburame," she began. "The fact that I am fond of bugs is only one of them."
The double meaning was not lost on her.
"Apparently," he replied. He did not make a movement towards her, just stood there, hands in his pockets and his eyes on her. The light glinted off of his shades in a way that was almost menacing, though the sound of his voice betrayed that. It was strange, how slightly sad he sounded, and yet he chose to amuse himself by teasing her.
It was silent for a moment, the only sound being the wind brushing through the leaves around them.
"Is there any particular reason you're here?" she asked, breaking the silence. The question is almost painful as it forces its way from her throat, though she cannot imagine why that would be so.
Shino just stood there, unmoving, as if searching for words that would make his meaning clear. Finding none, he finally shifted his weight to his left leg and tucked his chin.
"I just saw you here, is all."
Ino felt her heart skip a beat, the traitorous thing. She almost started to growl at the ridiculous feeling of it all.
"So you decided to say hello?" she asked in response.
"Yes...I suppose I did."
"I suppose I should feel flattered."
"No, nothing like that."
Ino laughed a bit, running her nails through her hair, scraping her scalp. Her ponytail had started to fall a bit, the long strands falling around her shoulders freely. She looked up through her hair, seeing that Shino had yet to leave. Just being around him was enough to make her feel uncomfortable.
What was she thinking? Just thinking about him was enough to make her uncomfortable.
"How are you?" he asked.
Ino cocked her head to the side, squinting at him slightly. "Fine. How are you?"
Shino shifted uncomfortably, the cool façade lifting just a bit. "I am content."
Her heart squeezed at that. "Good. I'm glad."
"Kana has been asking about who is coming to the wedding," Shino stated. "Are you?"
No, she wanted to say, wanted to scream. No, because am selfish and immature and I don't want to see you permanently bind yourself to another woman.
"Maybe," she replied in a cheeky manner, tilting her head to the side, allowing her messy hair to fall over her shoulder. She gave him a wink. "I'll keep you guessing."
"You always do."
That caused Ino to smile, the feel of it odd as well as pleasant.
How easy would it be to tell him you love him? How easy would it be to rock his world like that?
But she can't. Because it's Shino, and to do that to him would be something bordering on cruel.
So she just grinned at him, fighting through the throbbing in her chest. "I'm happy that you're happy, Shino."
Shino then looked at her, his face kind even though she couldn't make out most of it. "Are you sure you're happy, Ino?"
Ino's heart stopped. She swallowed, looking at him as if he had grown another head. There was a pause in which she contemplated her next words, picking them in her head as if weeding out a garden. Singling out the good ones from the bad ones, watching out for the poisonous plants and dodging biting insects.
"Never been happier," she replied, making sure her smile was as bright and sunny as she could make it.
Shino looked like he didn't buy it, his eyes somehow piercing even behind his glasses.
"I hope that one day you mean that."
The blonde inhaled shakily, not saying anything as she watched Shino turn and start to walk away. To his home, to his future wife, to a place where Ino would never be able to reach, no matter how hard she ran or how much she wanted to clasp onto him with greedy, searching fingers.
But before she could call him back, he was gone, too far for her voice to reach.
But she responded anyway. She bowed her head and felt the breeze come by to blow her hair around her face, obscuring her face as well as the tears that had just now decided to make their appearance.
"I do, too."
End.