Opposites Attract
"Chouji, do you ever think about anything besides your stomach?" Ino asked, grimacing at how fast Chouji was able to scarf down so much barbecue.
"Yep," he said with his mouth full of masticated pork.
"Oh, yeah?" Ino challenged, cocking her head slightly to the left and then raised a well-groomed eyebrow. "Like what?"
"I don't know; you."
Ino, who had been sipping a small glass of water at the time, nearly choked as her breath caught in her throat. The liquid sprayed out of her lips like a dying fountain.
"You okay?" Chouji asked, his usually squinty eyes now opened as full as they could be.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Ino coughed, hitting herself hard in the square of her chest with a fist. "It's just...me? You think about me?" Ino could barely believe her ears when she heard Chouji say so himself. It just didn't seem real.
"Well, yeah, how could I not?" Chouji asked. Now, he was taking smaller bites and eating at a slower rate than before. He was obviously trying to get something off of his chest. He didn't normally slow himself down while eating just to say something. "I mean, you spend so much time just perfecting everything about you. You're bossy, you call me names, you flaunt yourself like some kind of priceless masterpiece. It's hard not to think about you, sometimes."
Ino was starting to wish she had never egged him on. That's what he thinks of me? I'm just a selfish girl in his eyes? Ino sunk into her seat, which, being a booth, made her slip further than she had in mind. She was so far down that her head was on the bottom cushion, and her body was underneath the table. She was scrunched up against the warm grill that was built into the booth, but she didn't care. Her knees grew hot and uncomfortable, but she remained underneath the grill table. What did she care about Chouji's opinion, anyway? It's not like someone as unpopular or unfashionable as him could possibly have an important opinion.
"Ino?" Chouji asked from where he sat, his body at least three feet higher than hers was currently. "Come back up, okay?"
Ino didn't feel like responding verbally, so she simply pulled herself back up. Leaning her back against the booth seat, she stared at Chouji as though his words meant nothing to her. The waitress came by and placed the bill on the side of the table, away from the hotter center. Ino didn't so much as glance at the undoubtedly expensive bill. Chouji took a peak at the total cost, brow twitching at the sight, then looked at Ino with a silly grin on his face. Ino was still looking at Chouji, calmly and collectively.
"So, what? You want me to buy you out again?" She asked, one brow raised in her perfect way.
"Please?" Chouji asked, the goofy grin still plastered to his face.
Ino smirked and grabbed the bill, roving her eyes over it without the slightest overreaction. She picked up her purse, which she had kept next to the wall the entire time, and pulled out her wallet, dropping a tip on the table, then went up to pay the hefty amount.
"That was the best lunch I've had in weeks!" Chouji declared, patting his full stomach as he walked alongside Ino down the crowded streets of Konoha. Ino grinned at him, keeping all of her sly remarks to herself. "Hey, Ino?" Chouji asked suddenly, looking at her with a hint of worry in his eyes.
"Yeah?" Ino asked, looking back at Chouji with her sparkling cerulean eyes.
"Why'd you take me out to lunch, anyway?" Chouji asked rather bluntly.
Ino smirked, closing her eyes as she continued walking with him. "Because, Asuma-sensei and Shikamaru are out on a mission." She held her arms out to the side, her shoulders propped up delicately. "They're the ones that usually treat you, but since they can't, I took it upon myself as your teammate."
Chouji gave her a warm smile, but said nothing. He couldn't help but wonder if what he said back in the barbecue hut had affected Ino in some way. But, then again, Ino had decided to treat him to lunch long before the harsh comment was made.
"Well, you know, I appreciate it." Chouji said in a low tone of voice.
"Yeah, I know you do." Was all Ino said.
After that, the two continued on in an awkward silence. Ino glanced over at Chouji, her eyelids only opened less than halfway. Well, he's not ungrateful, that's for sure. Ino thought, still looking at him. Chouji suddenly looked her way, and Ino casually turned her head in the opposite direction, humming an innocent tune as she waited for him to look away. She turned to look back, but he was still watching her. Her eyes wide, she looked away again, this time up at the clear blue sky looming carelessly above their heads. Great, he caught me on my look-back! She thought with a pouting voice.
"Hey, Ino," Chouji said. Ino grew tense. Was he going to ask why she was looking at him? "Where are we going, anyway?"
Ino let out a silent sigh, then covered up her relief with a smirk. "Where does it look like we're going? We're going to the training ground, you goof."
"Huh? Why? We're not scheduled for any training today."
"That annoying guy, Neji Hyuuga, asked for me to meet him there." Ino said with a slight shrug of her boney shoulders. "Apparently, he wants to train. I don't see why he picked me of all people, though." She smiled at Chouji, her long ponytail floating gently in the breeze.
"Well, don't get beaten up too bad, alright?" Chouji said, returning her smile.
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Author's Note: I hope you like it so far! A bit of action is coming up, so if Chapter One didn't entice you, hopefully the next chapter will! Please review - positively :)
