Title: Dreams Accomplished
By: JaliceLove
Chapter 3 – At ease, shattered.
A groan was heard in the young Nara's room as the sun's rays hit his face signaling the morning. Pulling the blankets higher up to try and block it, he tried to go back to sleep.
"I'm dying."
He shot up out of bed in an instant, his heart beating twice its normal speed. He shook his head, letting the tangles in his hair get worse. Scratching his head, he walked over to the bathroom to grab his hair tie and tied his hair up messily like always. He figured it would get messy later on anyways. He put on his usual attire then went downstairs, hoping his mom and dad weren't home. He just wasn't up to it today.
He saw at once that the house was indeed empty. He sighed gratefully. His mother was such a pain sometimes, which lead him to believe that most women were indeed troublesome and shouldn't be dealt with. He left a note saying he was going out for awhile in his scribbly scrawl and left the house without another word.
He walked the streets silently, pondering to himself. Young girls were chatting animatedly about some guy the thought was absolutely cute and hot, guys were playing games around the streets, mothers were talking within themselves, people eating ramen, Ino's mother leaving the Flower shop…
Without thinking, he ran after she was out of the vicinity into the shop, hoping that Ino would be there to explain. Entering the flower shop, different scents filled his senses as he heard her melodic voice fill the air, "Welcome. Oh Hey Shika."
It was like last night never happened.
He walked over to her. He noticed that her hair was left down today. He noticed that her eyes were still kind of puffy and red. He noticed that she looked quite tired. He noticed that she wasn't wearing her usual purple attire but instead, again, was wearing a sundress but this time the color blue. Like her eyes.
And he noticed, she was really beautiful.
"What are you doing here Shika?"
So she wants to call him by the childhood nickname again.
"Visiting." He simply replied, taking a chair and sitting in front of her.
"If this is about…" she trailed off knowing that Shikamaru would understand what she was getting at.
He sighed. "Ino."
"Shikamaru I don't want to talk about it anymore okay? Please?" she said, her eyes begging him to just drop the subject.
"Ino, running away isn't going to solve anything." He pointed out to her.
He noticed that her eyes began to get watery and her voice a bit smaller. "I know. But I just don't want to talk about it." She said.
"Alright."
Silence appeared in the air as Ino just arranged the flowers and Shikamaru looked after her quietly. He watched her gently pluck out worn out petals from some aged flowers, her eyes gently admiring the flowers. He watched her perfectly place the flowers in their arrangements the way they would shine beautifully. He noticed that she wasn't so loud and bossy anymore….
He wondered what life would be without Ino…
Moments passed between the two silently until Ino walked over to Shikamaru, nudging him since he didn't seem to recognize her presence.
"Shika?"
He shook out of his nightmare, his horrible nightmare.
"Yeah?"
"You alright?" she said worriedly.
"Yeah. Uhm..." he searched his brain for something to say. "Ino, when's your birthday again?"
She blinked at him then she glared. Hitting him furiously, "HOW DARE YOU FORGET MY BIRTHDAY?!" her eyes flashed dangerously at him.
He felt the familiar pain and he felt… at ease.
"Heh. I was just kidding. September 1 right?"
If her eyes could kill, he'd be dead.
"Ino. Kidding. September 23. How could I forget?" he said before she could hit him anymore.
Her eyes watered. "How could you even…"
Chuckling at her, he said something she thought he would never hear out of his mouth, "Missed you Ino."
Eyes widening as she realized his intentions, she smiled through her watery eyes. She hit him again and said in her bossy tone that he never thought he'd miss so much, "Come help me you lazy bum. Grab the pale and water the flowers GENTLY."
Sighing he grabbed the pale and muttered, "Yeah Yeah troublesome woman."
But his heart felt at ease and content as he watered the flowers at her side.
Which he decided was where he always wanted to be.
It was around four hours later that Shikamaru found Ino scribbling on a sheet of paper with a small smile on her face. He was curious as he asked her, "What are you writing?"
Ino quickly placed the crumpled sheet of paper in her pocket and said with a smile plastered on her face, "Nothing important. Did you finish what I asked you to do?"
Raising an eyebrow he nodded. "Yeah."
Looking at the time, her eyes brightened upon seeing that it was around 7 pm. "Shikaaa?"
Oh no, he knew that voice.
He groaned.
A smirk appeared on her face.
"Take me out to dinner pleaseeee?" she said jumping in front of him giving him her piercing dominating eyes giving no way for him to say no.
And besides, she'd abuse him if he did.
"Ah. Fine. Let's go."
She grinned, "Let me finish locking up."
"Yeah yeah…" he sat down on a nearby chair watching her skip around happily locking things. Yeah. Like yesterday never happened. …
"Shika! Let's go. HURRY UP!" she yelled already outside the glass door.
He lazily got up and walked over to her and she grabbed his arm, linking it with hers as she dragged him with her to Ichiraku's.
"How's life as a Jounin Shika?" she asked him while eating the ramen that he bought her.
He grunted. "Pain. So much work."
She laughed, "It's not their fault you're just really needed."
"Troublesome. I knew I shouldn't have taken that test." He finished the last of his ramen.
Slurping the last ramen she said, "But Shika Konoha needs you."
"Che."
A comfortable silence came in between the two as Ino drank her drink. Shikamaru was just watching her intently, as if it was the last time she'd ever eat with him.
Like he'll allow that.
"Oi. Ino."
"Yeah?" she asked looking at him.
"Eat with me again tomorrow."
"Wha?" she looked at him confused.
"I… don't have a mission until the day after tomorrow so eat with me." He said, rubbing his neck sheepishly.
She placed her head on her arm as if she was thinking. "I will if you come watch the stars with me."
"If I don't?" he said smirking at her playfully.
She grinned at him, "I'll drag you there by force and still not eat with you tomorrow."
"Ino, why do you like the stars so much?" he asked her that night after deciding to just go with her.
Her head was laying on his chest (She didn't want to get her clothes and hair all dirty) and she sighed dreamily up to the stars.
"They give me a sense of peace Shika. And well just as you like the clouds so much I enjoy the stars."
He chuckled and while doing so allowed Ino to hear and feel the vibrations emanating from him. He then noticed Ino rubbing her arms absentmindly trying to keep warm he supposed. He gently pushed her off him so he could take off his jacket and handed it over to her. He figured she'd get mat at him (or someone will) if he didn't do so.
Not because he didn't want her to catch a cold or anything like that… sure.
She gratefully took it and wore it, and he couldn't help but think she looked great in it. She laid back down on him again sighing contently.
"Shika?"
"Yeah?"
"Pick a star for me."
He blinked. A star? "Uhm…"he glanced up and looked for a certain one that reached out to him. It didn't take him that long for one certain star shined brighter than the rest, in his opinion anyway. "That one." He pointed at it.
She followed his hand as it pointed to the star that he chose. She smiled as her eyes twinkled and she said, "Shika. That's our star now from now on kays?"
"What?"
"It's our star. Don't forget it. "She said contently closing her eyes listening to the sound of his heartbeat.
Shikamaru stared at the sky, watching that one star glow and stare at him. He allowed a gentle contented smile to appear on his face, breathing in Ino's scent as it surrounded him. He supposed she was sleeping now, hearing her even relaxed breathing. Eh, he didn't mind staying here a bit longer. A content tranquil feeling rushed over him and he sighed, his hand unconsciously reaching up to his teammate's hair to gently tangle it within his fingers.
What did he feel towards this troublesome girl?
Different pleasurable emotions warmth up him heart and body as he thought about the girl who was laying on his chest slumbering.
His thoughts traveled back into time as memories of their childhood, genin days appeared in front of his eyes. He knew when she gave up on Sasuke. He knew when she began to grow out her hair again, and changed her Sasuke-look attire to her now ninja attire. He knew when she began to give him more attention than usual.
Realization dawned on him as the answer showed itself in front of him. Troublesome as always, he thought to himself. Didn't his dad say something about how troublesome women always have their caring days that would draw the Nara men to them? He sighed. Guess I'm whipped…
But he smiled knowing he didn't mind if he lived with her for the rest of his life. He didn't mind if she were to boss him around for every single day. He didn't mind if she'd force her food down his throat. He didn't mind waking up to her loud bossy voice… he didn't mind if he would wake up every day seeing her face…
Realization dawned on him again as two words filled his ears…
"I'm dying."
Even the world could've heard his heart shatter.
Author's Note: Chocolate to those who reviewed last chapter! Kiwi4me, Gothic Queen, mood ink. Love you. Sorry for the mistakes.
Comments//reviews//suggestions are loved.
coookies this time (:
A bit about this week. I'm screwed. I got so much work ahead of me. Yet I did this right? Ahaha. Well ShikaInoHomework. Kays, got to do my essay then tackle some Poetry!
Wish me luck guys!
Hopefully by next week I'll upload the next chapter.
But I need some motivation you know?
It's quite depressing when no one reviews. It's like I'm being ignored…
(: cheer me up with a review//fav//etc.
