Heavily inspired by Jimmy Eat World's song, "Drugs Or Me". Please, give it a listen.
"Are you done?"
Ino glances up but she doesn't meet his eyes. He's too disappointed to look at right now.
When she doesn't answer, Shikamaru presses her, anger in his usually bored voice.
"Well?"
"Yes, of course, Shikamaru."
Her pretty blue eyes flit up to meet his, pleading and bloodshot. But she's still high. He can tell.
Shikamaru sits down on the bed, suddenly finding it difficult to stand. His ribs feel like they're caving in.
A moment passes and then he hears her rise. A lump in his throat forms as she sits beside him on the mattress, their legs touching. Her head delicately rests on his shoulder, one hand rubbing his back, the other finding his fingers.
"Don't lie to me."
Ino has no reply for that, besides a soft kiss on his neck.
"Don't you trust me?"
It's a loaded question and a manipulative one. She wants sympathy, comfort. But he can't keep giving. Not like that. Not with her like this, broken and self-destructive. She was going down a path he could not, would not follow.
"Please stop," Shikamaru whispered.
Ino gently took his face in her hands, turning him so she could look him in the eyes. Up close, Shikamaru only felt fear.
Her skin was sallow and pale. She had lost a lot of weight, exposing unnaturally high cheekbones. Sores had begun dotting her skin.
"Don't you love me, Shikamaru?" she inquired. Her mouth was chapped and red.
With just a small assembly of letters, she was breaking his heart. Crumbling it into pieces, pouring it into that damned pipe of hers, and lighting it. The smoke made his eyes burn.
Shikamaru closed his eyes, pained.
"Please, say you love me," Ino whispered against his cheek, his jaw, his throat.
Her hands were cold. Her lips were cold. Everything was cold and Shikamaru couldn't get the image of a blond corpse out of his head. He didn't even know if bashing his head against a concrete wall would help. Short of blowing his brains out, Shikamaru wasn't sure if anything could remedy this.
"I love you," he said, wrapping his hand around her throat, eyes closed. "Please stop. I can't lose you."
He felt her lips smile under his jaw.
"I'm already lost," she murmured, barely audible.
"Come back," Shikamaru begged, his voice raw.
Ino pulled back suddenly, her eyes icy blue and glazed over. She shook her head.
"I can't find my way back. Either you have to come bring me back, or let me go."
She leaned forward and kissed him hard on the mouth, before standing abruptly. She swept out of the room like a ghost, leaving no trace of her presence.
Shikamaru bowed his head and cried.
Thanks for reading.
