Lucky in Love?

by Kimberlae93

"I like you Chouji, you're pretty cool. In fact, I really like you. You should ask me to a date sometime," The burst of her drunk words hit Chouji liked a brick wall and caused him to stop in his tracks...

Stuffing another handful of barbeque flavoured potato chips into his mouth; Chouji kicked the pebbles along the path of the Markets. Chouji looked into the bottom of the bag and sighed heavily. It was almost empty, and he was in a serious need of another packet. He sniffed the air and a waft of delicious smells made his stomach rumble with anticipation. 'Perhaps I could get some fried pork before another packet of potato chips'. Chouji's tummy rumbled violently at the thought of fried pork and his feet automatically carried him to the little shop that himself, Shikamaru and Ino often visited with Asuma Sensei. It was like a tradition for the team and it was Chouji's favourite place to eat.
"Ugh, so hungry," Chouji rushed to the little restaurant and burst through the doors, the bell chiming announcing his arrival.
"Ah Chouji! It's good to see you again," the shop keeper and chef called out. "What will it be today?"
"Two lots of the barbeque house pork! On the double," Chouji smiled greedily at the older man and perched himself in one of the booths. The warmth of the heated coals brushed his face and he instantly relaxed, finding comfort in the familiar booth he shared with his team. He gazed out of the window and watched the towns-people pass, stopping at different stalls and chatting to one another. He spotted Ino fixing up the flowers in the florist she worked at, right across from the window. He sighed dreamily as he watched her stock some roses and delicately place a variety of flowers about the front of the shop. Ino turned and spotted Chouji at the restaurant and waved cheerily at him, a cute smile plastered on her face. Chouji, filled with nerves and inexperience, jumped awkwardly at being caught and turned away to look at the fire in front of him. 'Aw man, grow some balls,' Scolding himself inwardly, he reached for the pair of chopsticks and began to cook the pork meat that had just been placed in front of him. The bell above the door chimed again and an excited Ino rushed up to greet Chouji.
"Are you eating pork without inviting me?!" Ino grinned and sat across from Chouji.
"Would you like some?" Chouji tried to spit out, but with a mouthful of food it sounded more like 'wulfd ooh lick sun?' Ino giggled and the butterflies in his stomach stirred restlessly. He thought she was beautiful in everyway, but he could never be so lucky to get Ino to date him. Ino leant forward and pinched Chouji's chopsticks, picking up a piece of pork and placing it in her mouth.
"Mmhm," she mused. "Cooked perfectly like always Chouji!" she winked at him playfully and stood from the seat. "I need to get back to work, but I'll see you at the Shougi event tonight, yes?"
"For sure I'll be there," Chouji grinned stupidly at Ino and waved a dorkish wave as she darted from the restaurant and back to the florist. How could he forget about the Shougi event? Once in a blue moon, all of their friends would get together for sake and play drunken tournaments of Shougi. Chouji didn't drink, but it was fun to watch his friends get plastered and attempt playing the game seriously. His mind wondered back to daydreaming about Ino, as he shovelled the last few pieces of pork into his mouth.

Chouji's feet carried him to Shikamaru's home that occupied his friends for the night. Munching on the third bag of barbeque potato chips for the night, Chouji's tummy fluttered at the thought of seeing Ino again. Sure, he used to see her a great deal during training, but casual get-togethers were completely different, and the thought made his heart flip flop in sync with his stomach. Music carried on the wind, reached Chouji's ears and he could tell the gang had already started up their drinking and gaming.
"Come to join the party, eh?" Shikamaru lounged lazily against the door frame leading into his home, smiling at Chouji.
"I am the party," Shikamaru laughed at Chouji's response and welcomed his friend inside. Chouji looked about the room and shook his head in amusement. Ino, Naruto and Lee had clearly been hitting the sake hard for majority of the evening, evident in their loud singing and giggling fits that filled the room. Sakura and Sai sat patiently at the Shougi board, placing tile after tile and sipping at their own cup of alcohol. Tenten and Neji sat beside Sai and Sakura, watching their every move, and prepping for their chance to play the winner of the current match.
"Chouji!" Ino stumbled over to greet him, and Chouji caught her by elbows before making impressive contact with the floor boards. "Wow, you're quick! Come join us," She tugged on his hand, bringing him deeper in the room. Chouji noticed Kiba and Shino playing a separate match of Shougi on the other side of the room and waved cheerily to his friends. They smiled and waved back, at least, Kiba smiled and Chouji proceeded to be tugged by a drunken Ino. Naruto threw his arm around one side of Chouji's shoulders, and Rock Lee had trapped him on his other side, they swayed inconsistently and sung loudly to the music that played through the speakers.
"Hey guys, man, you're already plastered! I sure hope I don't have to carry any of you home tonight," Chouji shrugged the two men off of his shoulders and made his way towards a nervous Hinata that watched from the wall.
"Hey Hinata,"
"Evening, Chouji," She smiled sweetly. Chouji reached for a handful of the snacks provided on a side table and munched on them contently, watching the scene before his eyes. Ino seemed to be dancing to the music in her own little bubble, absent to the others around her. Naruto and Lee clung to each other to stop from falling down and were laughing at something ridiculous and not funny to the sober eye.
"Ah! You won again! I'm not playing against you anymore Sai, I never win," Sakura stood from the Shougi game and went to fill up her drink. Chouji watched Naruto's eyes chase after her hungrily, and then he followed her into the kitchen like a drunken puppy dog.
"I don't think that will end well." Chouji glanced down at Hinata who's smiled had fallen and hands had begun to fumble nervously. "Is everything okay Hinata?"
"Oh, yes I'm fine," A tiny smiled tugged at Hinata's lips as she left to sit with Kiba and Shino, cuddling into a sleep Akamaru.
"Huh, strange," A sullen Naruto walked from the kitchen and rubbed the middle of his head. Chouji laughed to himself, and sat beside Neji, watching the matches and crunching on a bowl full of snacks.

The night continued, the drunks getting louder and the losers getting feistier. Of course Shikamaru had taken on everyone in the room, and won every match. But the crowd of friends were just beginning to disperse when Ino had sat on the floor next to Chouji, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Woo! What a night, I am so puffed," she slurred. Chouji froze at the casual touch and could only nod, fearful she'd move from him, separating the touch. "But I am starting to get really tired," Shikamaru walked up to the pair and smirked at his best friend.
"Ino, you should get home. Naruto and Lee have passed out in my lounge, and everyone else has returned home. As for me, well I plan on getting some sleep right now,"
"I'll walk you home Ino," Chouji stood and helped her to her feet.
"That would be great," she mumbled sleepily, rubbing tenderly at her tired eyes. Shikamaru saw Chouji and Ino off, leaving them to walk home alone.
"How are you feeling, Ino?" Ino sighed and walked in an angled direction, still drunk from the amount of sake she consumed.
"Tired, I just want to fall right here and sleep," Chouji continued walking, oblivious that Ino, had indeed, decided to fall onto the grass and sleep away her drunken state.
"No you don't, you need to get to bed," Chouji reached underneath her fragile body, pulling her up in his arms and cradling her against his chest, making his way to her house.
"Hmm? Oh Chouji, it's just you," she mumbled, snuggling into his chest. Chouji's cheeks heated and blushed a deep red. "Thank you for walk… Carrying me home," she giggled uncontrollably and sighed again. "I like you Chouji, you're pretty cool. In fact, I really like you. You should ask me to a date sometime," The burst of her drunk words hit Chouji liked a brick wall and caused him to stop in his tracks.
"Is this drunk you talking?"
"This is drunk, but truthful, me talking,"
"You really want me to ask you on a date?"
"Something light," she mused. "A picnic or something," She snuggled into his chest again and passed out in his arms. Chouji looked down at her innocent face; thought's reeling through his head. She wanted to go on a date with him? Since when? And for how long? He strolled back to Ino's house, not wanting this moment to end too soon, but too soon did he reach her front porch, and he had to wake her.
"Ino, you're home," Ino's eyes opened sleepily and adjusted to the torch that lit up her home. Chouji helped her from his arms, and attempted to steady her on her feet.
"Oh," She fumbled for a moment, reaching for the door handle. She turned and faced Chouji, a smiled crossing her features, her crystal blue eye gazing up at him. "Thank you Chouji," She stood on her tippy toes and kissed his cheek delicately, before stumbling back inside her home, and locking the door behind her.
Chouji walked back to his place in a complete daze, testing the words for himself. "Ino, go on a date, with me?" The words sounded sublime to Chouji, and he floated back to his house in a high.

The sun broke through the curtains that we're lousily pulled across the window. The soft morning light warmed Chouji's cheeks as he woke sleepily from his dreams. Stretching on the smaller bed, Chouji rolled over and hit his internal snooze button, praying for a few extra minutes of sleep; until he remembered the events of last night.
"I almost forgot, how could I forget?" Chouji's heart was light and excited as he sprung from his bed and rushed around his room, throwing off his white sleeping shirt and blue satin boxers, replacing them with his red amour. "Maybe I'll go buy her a flower today," He fixed his red headband to his forehead and smirked in the mirror, self-satisfied. "Then I'll ask her on a date!" Heading out the door, he waved goodbye to his parents, and practically ran to the florist shop that Ino worked at. He was hoping that her severe drinking would cause her to call in sick, so he had enough time to prepare to ask her. But as he reached the little shop, that tucked away between other stores, he saw Ino slumped on the counter, groaning and sipping away at fresh water. He gulped and stepped inside of the store that seemed ten times smaller than when he arrived.
"H... hello Ino," Chouji stuttered nervously. Ino dragged her head from the counter and peeked at Chouji through her fringe.
"Oh hey, Chouji,"
"You don't look so good,"
"I don't feel so good either, I drank way too much last night," She smiled weakly at Chouji, his stomach melting like butter in the sun. "Thank you for bringing me home last night," Chouji cracked his knuckles nervously, wishing he'd thought to grab a packet of potato chips on the way out of the house. At least it would have kept him busy during such a nerve-racking time.
"Ino, I uh, last night, you said some things," Ino sat up right and looked at Chouji quizzically. "Last night you said I should, um… That I should ask you out, on a date," Ino's eyes widened momentarily before her face dropped to the counter.
"Chouji, I… I was very drunk last night and I…" Chouji's heart sank in his chest, just as the smile on his face. He'd been shot down, by the one girl he'd ever wanted to be with. He should've known that she didn't actually want to go on a date with him.
"I'd love to," Ino finished off. Chouji's eyes lifted from the floor as he gazed into Ino's blue one.
"Really?" Ino nodded and Chouji almost jumped with joy. "How about tonight?"
"Oh, okay I'm free tonight,"
"Okay, tonight, at 6," Chouji waved goodbye and headed out the door, excitement blooming throughout his chest and wrapping him in an unfamiliar, yet comfortable warmth. Chouji was going on a date with Ino. The thought slammed into him like a massive fist. What will they do on the date? Chouji has never on a date before, and he was completely clueless on how to run this one. 'A picnic, didn't she mention that she wanted a picnic date?' Chouji stopped by the general store and bought a bag of barbeque chips, chewing away as he thought about how he was going to set up the picnic date. Food obviously had to be involved; perhaps he would buy some barbeque pork and some sweet rolls for dessert. Chouji shopped throughout the day, munching on his favourite potato chips, thinking about what the rest of the night had in store for him.

Ino met up with Chouji out front of the florist, dressed in a casual purple dress, suitable for the summer breeze that warmed the evening air. Chouji thought she looked beautiful, even in the simplest of clothes, and seeing her made his heart thud dangerously against his rib cage.
"Hey Ino, are you ready to go?" Ino smiled and nodded.
"Where are we going?"
"It's not far, I promise,"
Ino and Chouji walked side by side, an awkward silence falling between the two.
"How are you feeling now?" Chouji peeked at Ino through his fiery red hair, again, marvelling at how pretty he thought she was.
"Much of the hangover has passed, I don't think I'll be having another big night like that for a while," Ino laughed and it instantly lightened the air around them. "Did you play any Shougi last night?"
"I did, but Shikamaru was unbeatable of course," Chouji smiled and lead Ino through the last of the forest edge, reaching the lake that ran by the Village. He'd set out a chequered picnic blanket, spread with pork, ramen, savoury bread and mounds of sweet rolls, just for the two of them. Ino gasped and smiled up at Chouji.
"Everything looks delicious," She giggled and sat on the picnic basket, stretching out and smelling the variety of foods Chouji had organized. "I cannot wait to dig in!" Chouji's stomach rumbled and he decided that he too couldn't wait. Chouji sat beside Ino and dug into the food in front of them, joining Ino in the feast. Once they finished up the food, they pushed aside the empty containers and lay alongside of each other, staring up at the clouds that began to turn pink and orange. They reminisced about previous missions they'd been on together, wondering when the next mission with Asuma sensei and Shikamaru would be. They talked about their other friends, and who was clearly getting with whom, and who liked which person. The spoke about Chouji's favourite topic, food, and about how they should all get together again and eat at the little restaurant they enjoyed eating at together. The night was going so well, and Chouji was proud of himself for making the night turn out successfully. They spoke and laughed until the sunset had passed, the stars twinkling above them. Ino sighed contently and rolled onto her side to look at Chouji.
"I've had a wonderful afternoon Chouji, who would've thought you could put together such a perfect date," she teased. Chouji's heart danced around in his chest, performing little pirouettes and leaps.
"I'm glad you've enjoyed it Ino. I wanted it to be amazing for you," Ino's smile widened and she learnt a little closer towards Chouji. Chouji's heart had fallen short during a leap and had stopped dead as her face inched closer to his. He could smell the sweetness of her breath from dessert, and her lips looked soft and delicate. Chouji couldn't move, he was frozen to the spot, his nerves taking control of his body. Ino, however, continued to lean forward, pressing a soft and gentle kiss to Chouji's lips. Their kiss held for a few seconds, and Chouji found himself, finally, leaning forward into her. She pulled back and flushed, smiling innocently at the shell-shocked Chouji in front of her. His body thawed out and a smile broke out across his face, his nerves replaced with need, and he leant in for another kiss.