Serendipity

Chapter Six

It was a clear August night. A slight breeze hung in the evening air, cool and calm, as summertime was slowly drawing to a close. For as long as she lived, Ino would never forget that summer, the summer when she effortlessly said goodbye to her heart, and fell in love with her best friend. And there he was, walking along beside her, offering that same comforting presence that she had become so very attached to. They trailed slightly behind Chouji, their hands brushing together on occasion, clasping in a gentle squeeze before reluctantly letting go.

The trio had completed a mission late that afternoon and decided to set up camp in a forest clearing for the night. "This looks like a good spot," Chouji surmised when they found a break in the trees. He and Shikamaru made a small pit for a fire, while Ino pulled her cot from her rucksack, unraveling it onto the forest floor. Lying down, she gazed up at the cloudless sky, the stars and constellations scattered across a wide sheet of midnight blue.

Chouji fell asleep only minutes after lying down, snoring contentedly into the crook of his arm. Shikamaru shifted on his cot, feeling restless. He turned his head to look at Ino, only to find that her green eyes were already watching him.

He propped himself up on one elbow then, glancing over at Chouji's sleeping form before returning his gaze to Ino. There was a certain look in her eyes that he knew all too well. With a small smirk, he dragged his blanket down and stood up from the floor, careful not to make a sound. He walked a short distance, still keeping the fire in sight, before stepping behind a large tree. His heart rate began to quicken as he heard Ino's approaching footsteps, snapping a twig beneath her feet. He reached for her in the dark, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her snug against him. And Ino sighed, elated to be back in his arms again. They had been keeping their distance all day.

To top it off, Shikamaru had been busy with orders assigned to him directly from the Hokage for the passed two weeks, giving him very little freetime to spend with Ino. Being with her now, holding her like this, was like seeing the sun again after a week of rain. He buried his face into her neck, inhaling his favorite scent. "I miss you," he whispered against her ear.

She smiled. "I'm right here, stupid."

"I still miss you…Sorry for not being around much, lately."

She shrugged. "I understand…Lady Tsunade relies on you. That's what I get for dating a genius, I guess."

Shikamaru smirked. "Well if I'm such a genius then how come you call me stupid so much?"

"'Cause, we both know that I'm the brains in this relationship."

He chuckled under his breath. "Troublesome."

Her hands drifted up and down his sides, slipping underneath his sweater to touch skin, hot beneath her cool fingertips. She stood on her toes, tilting her chin upwards to silently ask for a kiss. He met her eyes, smirking slightly, before brushing his lips against hers, soft and slow. A thumb on her chin coaxed her mouth to open so that he could lick at the seam of her lips, dipping inside to taste. A breath passed between them as Ino's hands slid around to his lower back, scratching at the delicate skin with her nails. His eyes peered open, watching with a half-hooded gaze as she pulled back slightly, nibbling at his bottom lip.

She released him then, lips moving from the corner of his mouth to travel up the line of his chiseled jaw. He shivered as warm breath ghosted across his ear, before her mouth latched onto a sweet spot at his neck, lips parting to lick and suckle the skin with wet little noises. She felt his body tense against hers, as his pulse jumped in his throat. Her knee slipped between his legs then, parting them to rub her thigh against his groin. He inhaled sharply, tightening the grip of his hands on her hips, kneading the flesh beneath her clothes, and brushing his already hardening cock against her thigh.

A loud grunt was heard from the nearby campsite, and they suddenly froze in place. Chouji stirred in his sleep before rolling over, his snoring continuing only moments later. And Shikamaru lowered his head in relief, still breathing hard. He glanced down at the bulge in his pants with a sigh. "We better call it quits before I'm too hard to fall asleep."

Ino giggled. "Why are you so horny?"

"I can't help it! Not when you're touching me like that." He scratched at the back of his neck. "Besides, it's been awhile."

A few weeks had passed since the night Ino spent at Shikamaru's. They hadn't had a chance to be alone again following that weekend, which, admittedly, had resulted in some heavy sexual frustration on Shikamaru's part. Normally, it wouldn't have affected him so much, but after experiencing just a little taste of what it was like to be with Ino, having her hands on him, getting him off, and then touching her, too…it only left him craving more.

"You mean since that weekend?" she asked, though she had a feeling she already knew exactly what he meant.

He nodded, causing Ino to smirk. Her hands slipped down to his hips, trailing her fingers along the waistband of his pants. "Have you been thinking about that?"

He chuckled darkly. "Only every night since then."

"Oh? What did you think about?" she whispered, purposely keeping her voice low and suggestive, as her hand moved even lower to cup the bulge at the front of his pants.

He bit his lip as her fingertips stroked him over the fabric, his hard-on rising excitedly in response to her touch.

"Hm?" she blew into his ear. "Tell me."

He swallowed hard. "…Being in the shower with you."

She smiled, remembering how it felt to have wet, naked skin against hers…his hand moving between her legs…"I liked that, too," she said, knowing that her words were turning him on and loving every second of it.

Blood pumped white hot to his groin, causing his length to swell with need. He pushed into her hand, desperate for more friction.

"What else did you think about?"

He took a deep breath and let it out, lost to the feeling of her touch and the relentless teasing that was making him ache in the most painfully delicious way. "When we were on the couch…you teasing me."

She sucked at his earlobe, hearing his breath catch in his throat as her thumb trailed along the outline of his penis. "…You're really hard. Were you hard when you were thinking about all of this?"

She gripped him tighter, causing his head to fall back. "Fuck, Ino…" he groaned. Why did her voice have to sound so damn sexy.

She chuckled under her breath. "I'll take that as a yes." Her hand moved up to his zipper, pulling it down agonizingly slow, tooth by tooth. "You know, I'll be happy to take care of this for you…but you'll have to be very quiet."

His eyes glazed over in pleasure and relief as she released him from his pants, ghosting her fingers along his exposed length in a feather-light touch. This was madness; they were in a forest, their friend sleeping a short distance away, but nothing was ever rational when it came to the raw desire between them. There wasn't a force in the world that could stop it.

She grabbed for his hand, wrapping both their fingers around the firm shaft, still not entirely sure what to do. "Show me…how you like it."

He exhaled a deep breath as he began to move his hand; Ino's moving in tandem, just a little rough, twisting their grips as they tugged at the tip. After a moment, she pushed his hand away, copying his movements. "Like that?"

"Y-yeah."

She moved her lips back to his neck to peck and lick at the skin, while her hand continued to pump him, hot and thick inside her palm.

His eyes dropped closed, relishing in the feel of her hand on him; it was so much softer than his own. He wanted nothing more than to push her up against that tree, lock her legs around his waist and really feel her, to make her feel good, too. She quickened the pace of her hand and he began to pant against her hair, lost to the sensation, hips rocking forward of their own will into her grip. Her other hand rested on his hip and he grabbed it with his own, needing just a little bit more. He moved her hand down to the delicate twin sacs beneath his shaft, and she gave them an experimental massage, slow and gentle. He bit back a whimper.

"Does that feel good?" she whispered into his neck.

He crashed his lips onto hers in reply, licking hungrily and seeking entrance. He groaned into her mouth as her hand continued to relentlessly stroke the sensitive head of his cock, gripping him tightly and flicking her wrist. Tiny beads of precum seeped from the slit, and she swiped her thumb through them, swirling the moisture across the tip…

He released her lips then, letting out a few last shuddering breaths before quickly moving away from her, as he came onto the floor. He collapsed back against the tree, heart pounding, spent from his orgasm.

She tucked him back into his pants and zipped them up, smiling up at him coyly. "Better?"

He smirked, his face still glazed with a pleased look. "I'm gonna get you back for that, you know."

"Hmm. We'll just see about that."

He pulled her against him and she pressed her face into his chest, listening as his heart beat finally settled down. They stood like that for awhile, holding each other in silence.

"I wish I could sleep next to you," she whispered.

He kissed the top of her head. "I know. Me too."

And together, they walked back to camp.

The next morning, they passed a small diner on the way home and stopped in to grab a bite to eat. Shikamaru and Chouji slid into one side of a square booth table while Ino sat across from them, skimming through the menu.

A minute passed before a waiter sidled coolly up to their table, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked to be about eighteen years old, give or take a year, and was noticeably attractive, with long dark hair that framed his handsome face. His gaze quickly traveled over Chouji and Shikamaru and came to rest on Ino, giving her a charming smile, an obvious glint of interest in his eyes. He scribbled their orders on a notepad before returning to the kitchens, throwing Ino a backwards glance as he walked away. And Shikamaru shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

The waiter returned a few minutes later with their water glasses, setting them down on the table with three straws and a handful of napkins. Instead of moving away, he leaned against Ino's side of the booth and crossed his arms, a friendly smile on his lips. "So, are you guys from around here?" He asked them as a group, but kept his eyes on Ino.

She tore the paper covering from her straw, dropping it in her glass to stir the ice. "Nope," she said. "We're from Konohagakure."

The waiter nodded his head. "Ah, I can tell. We don't get too many girls as pretty as you around here," he said with a small smile. "I'll be right out with your orders." He turned and walked back to the kitchens.

Shikamaru's jaw clenched.

Chouji snorted. "Hmph. He must want a good tip."

Ino tried to keep her face impassive as she looked at Shikamaru to gauge his reaction. He seemed a little tense. When Chouji wasn't looking, she smiled at her boyfriend apologetically, and he reached his arm under the table, placing his hand on her knee. She covered his hand with her own, giving it a little squeeze.

A short while later, the waiter returned with their platters and spread them out across the dining table. This time, Shikamaru was grateful to notice, he didn't say anything. They dug into the savory slices of meat, chatting between bites. Ino chastised Chouji for eating too much food, and Shikamaru smirked. Some things never change.

When they finished eating, they paid the tab and made their way towards the door. They had almost reached it when Ino felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned around, a little confused to see the waiter.

"Oh-Did we forget something?" she asked.

"No," he said, sounding confident. "I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment."

She opened her mouth, and then closed it again. Caught off guard, she nodded her head, as he motioned over to a booth.

Shikamaru felt his fist clench, dull nails digging into the flat of his palm. His mind went blank. Sensing the tension in the air, Chouji grabbed him by the forearm and pulled him out the door, leaving Ino and the waiter alone.

Shikamaru didn't even bother to pretend he wasn't staring, watching them through the window, feeling an emotion he couldn't quite place. Don't get upset, he told himself. He doesn't know she's my girlfriend. It would have looked like we were dating if we had been sitting on the same side of the booth, right? But we weren't. He probably just assumed that she's single. Chouji watched him sympathetically, but didn't say anything.

"Do you think he's her type?" Shikamaru asked quietly, eyes still studying the pair behind the window.

"Ehh…"

"Please tell the truth," Shikamaru said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Well…He does kind of look like Sasuke…" He scratched awkwardly at the back of his neck.

Shikamaru nodded.

Ino had only stayed behind talking to the waiter for about a minute, but it felt like much longer somehow. Looking a little flustered, she exited the diner and the trio turned to leave, following a dirt trail. Nobody said anything.

They walked the rest of the way home relatively in silence. Shikamaru was too caught up in his own thoughts to add to the conversation, and Ino kept watching him out of the corner of her eye, wondering what he was thinking. After what seemed like a lifetime, the gates of Konoha finally came into view. They entered the village together before going their separate ways and heading home. In accordance with their usual routine, Shikamaru started on the path towards his house before doubling back and making his way to Ino's instead, so that they could properly say goodbye.

He climbed up onto the ledge outside of her bedroom window, knocking a few times. She pulled it open a moment later, her hair down and freshly brushed back behind her shoulders.

She stepped out onto the small platform of the ledge to stand next to him. "Hi," she said, feeling a little uncertain.

"Hey." He was smiling but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Uhm…Sorry about today…when he asked if we could talk, it kinda caught me off guard. I didn't know what to say."

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders. "It's fine."

She studied him with her gaze for a moment before he spoke again.

"So…what did he want?"

She sighed. "He gave me his phone number."

He nodded his head. "You gonna call him?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I threw it away…why would I call him?"

"I don't know." He shrugged again, looking at the floor. "He seemed…like your type."

She looked at him incredulously. "Shikamaru…You're my boyfriend."

He nodded, but didn't say anything. His face looked troubled.

"…Are you mad?" she asked.

"No."

She bit her lip. "Well, something's bothering you. I can tell."

"It's just…maybe if the circumstances were different…if you had met him at a different time, you might have really liked him."

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

He dug his hands into his pockets. "…I don't really know."

"You think I regret being your girlfriend because other guys are off limits, now?"

"I don't mean it like that it's just…Look, guys are always going to be looking at you because you're gorgeous. And if they got to know you, they'd be crazy not to be interested in you. I understand that...And I can't help but wonder if I could be holding you back from something, or someone else...And I would lose you."

She smiled, sadly, her heart strings tugging at his words. "You say that, but I worry about the same things."

He shook his head. "You won't lose me," he said, raising his eyes to hold her gaze. "I don't want anyone else."

"And neither do I. So when are you going to accept that being with you is exactly what I want?"

He exhaled. "When I learn how to stop being such an insecure asshole, I guess," he said with a sad chuckle.

She took a step closer and wrapped her arms around him, and he pulled her into a hug. "There's no reason for you to be insecure," she whispered. "Trust me."

His arms tightened around her, cradling her against his chest. "I do trust you. I really do. But I hate that I can't stop other guys from thinking they can have you…" he sighed. "But I don't want to be this way. I don't want to be the jealous boyfriend, because you don't deserve that."

She pulled back to look up at him and stroked his cheek with her hand, tucking a stray piece of hair behind his ear. "It's okay to be a little jealous...At least I know you're not getting tired of me."

"Never," he said. And he brushed his lips against hers.

To be continued...

A/N: Poor jealous Shika! :( No worries, Ino will have her jealous moments soon enough *evil grin*

Review? It keeps the writer's block away! :D