He feels his body give, as he hears his female teammate call out to him.
No, there's definitely no joy coursing through his veins when seeing her smile. He's been around enough to know that smiles can be faked as easily as clothing can be changed. Yet he's happy when he's around her.
That's what love is about, isn't it? Well, he can't be sure, but he'd bet his head that it was.
A tiny bit of him likes her to be sad.
That's the only time when she dashes her into his arms so they can spend some time together. Just a tiny bit, because he likes seeing her happy, too. Either way, it's kind of troublesome, but…
Her smile is so pretty. It slowly spreads all over her face, until she looks like an angel who has fallen from the skies.
He's convinced that angels have blonde hair and turquoise colored eyes, just like hers. There's nothing anyone can do to convince him otherwise. After all, she's his earthly perfection.
He likes to pretend that he doesn't love her.
It's a pretense; a fantasy. He knew better than to indulge in fantasies, but at least then he doesn't have to think of her every waking moment of his life. Then again, in his dreams, she appears too.
Every time she stares into his eyes, he carefully masks his emotions. No, it wouldn't be good for her to see all the emotion that lies beneath. Falling in love was the most troublesome thing he had ever done, but there was no changing that. He didn't want it to. It felt good; real. It was something that would never change.
She loved the Uchiha. He couldn't say he knew the guy too well, but he knew Sasuke would be able to protect Ino.
He felt dread and fear crawl into every part of him. He was afraid.
He was a ninja. Why was he afraid?
Far away, he hears his name on her lips. He struggles to lift his eyelids.
"Shikamaru, are you alright?" She asks now, staring right down at him. Beside her, his other teammate Chouji stood silently. They knew, so why make him answer? Their shared pain trapped them, bound them to each other,and the three refused to move from their positions even when they heard the unmistakable sounds of footsteps.
A droplet of water falls onto his cheeks. He saw the rainbow, the endless possibilities in that drop of water, and he was no longer afraid. If anything, he was proud that she had shed a tear over him.
"I was…thinking about you, Ino."
He faintly registers the look of surprise on her face as his eyes slip shut. He likes that look, he decides.
She would be the last thing he ever saw. He smiles at how romantic it seems. He had wanted to be a normal man, marry an average woman, but… Ino was far from average. She was perfect. Still, he can never help who he loves. Even if he can never attain her.
Ino… don't be sad.
He never noticed the tearful kiss.
A/N: He might have died, but then again, he might not have. It's sort of up to the reader. Although, I do think he's dead. I muight conside continung should I get the chance.