I finally updated!! SO READ! Haha, hope you like it!
Dance is Life: Kisses
"He's with Temari," Ino breathed hard, she seemed to be hyperventilating. "He's with… Temari, Temari…" She hugged herself.
"What?!" Sakura peeked around the curtains. "Oh my God, why is he with her?!"
"I-I-I, I don't know," Ino stuttered. "But, she's there, and he's there and… Oh!" Ino moaned.
"He's pushing her away," Hinata smiled. "Look!" Ino looked around the curtain to see that neither of them was paying attention to the performance on stage. Temari was stroking his hair, or trying anyway, as he tried to get her hands off of him.
"He's still sitting next to her!" Ino cried.
"Stop crying!" Sakura hit her hard on the back, really hard.
"OW!" Ino cried from the pain now.
"Sorry."
"It's okay," Ino smiled. "I'm better, I stopped crying overall now!" Ino laughed. Her friends began to laugh with her.
"Just talk to him after the show, I'm sure he'll have a good reason," Tenten offered.
"I really want to know why he didn't come until now!" Ino whined. "I mean he got in, but soo late!"
"Just relax, I'm sure he had a good reason for that too," Sakura reassured her blonde friend.
"Okay," Ino took a deep breath and calmed herself.
"Hey Ino!" Hinata gasped suddenly. "You're on!"
"Oh!" Ino jumped up and got ready to enter the stage.
She wasn't in the right costume, she knew, and she suddenly forgot the dance steps when she looked at Shikamaru who was watching her attentively as Kankuro restrained his sister. The music began and Ino moved in a fashion that was beautifully her own. She began to move perfectly with the beats in a breathtaking manner that held the audience captive. Her airy lavender skirt from the last dance flowed; Kurenai was annoyed at first but began to realize that for the first time in her student's dance career she was really having fun. Genuine, unscripted fun, it was all her and she was making the dance what it was. When the song finished Ino was breathing hard, but she managed to twirl and land in a sitting position gracefully as the audience breathed a collective sigh of amazement and then began to clap.
"Ino!" Sakura rushed forward and consumed her friend in a hug. "That was the most amazing dance I've ever seen you perform!"
"Ino," Kurenai's voice could be heard in back of them. Sakura released her friend from the hug and Ino turned around. "That dance had absolutely none of the moves I taught you. They were in no specific order and I know it's because you forgot how to do the dance." Ino winced. "And it was the most beautiful dance a student has ever done."
"Thank you Kurenai, thank you so much," Ino closed her eyes in relief as Kurenai walked away.
"You did such a good job, the audience was mesmerized," Tenten told Ino in awe.
"I-it was really…amazing, Ino, tru-truly," Hinata smiled.
"Shikamaru looked very into you," Sakura teased.
"Speaking of people that like people; Hinata, you have to talk to Naruto," Ino told her lavender-eyed friend.
"What?! No!" Hinata blushed madly.
"Yes!" all three of her friends told her.
"He's madly in love with you!" Tenten explained.
"Yeah, he shushed us because he wanted to watch you dance," Ino gave further example.
"And, I've been told, he couldn't think of a reason why he liked me," Sakura said. "And usually, that's all he ever talks about…I've been told."
"Been told…" Ino said quietly to herself. "Oh my God!" Ino exclaimed in surprise, realization, and excitement. "You've been talking to Sasuke, haven't you?"
Sakura's pale cheeks were stained a deep crimson, but she shook her head.
"You're lying!" Ino shoved her.
"Well," Sakura mumbled, "I promised him that I wouldn't tell anyone, but…"
"He couldn't possibly mean us!" Tenten laughed.
"You guys are the exact kind of people he meant!" Sakura was suddenly angry. She pushed through her friends and walked away.
"Let's let her cool off," Tenten said and sat down.
Sakura sat in the dressing room crying. She didn't even know why she was crying, nothing was wrong.
"Sakura," a voice from the doorway called to her. Sakura lifted her wet face with runny make up to see that it was Sasuke. He fast walked over to her and grabbed tissues to wipe her face. "Sakura, what's wrong?!"
"I," Sakura sniffed, "don't know! Nothing is!"
"Then why are you crying?" Sasuke sat down in the chair next to her.
"I don't know! I'm stupid," Sakura whined, "for crying."
"You're not stupid, ever," Sasuke consoled her. "I just want to know, what happened?"
"Well we were talking about how Naruto likes Hinata, and I remembered what you said to me that one day we had lunch, and—"
"Wait, how does this involve you crying?"
"Just let me finish!" Sakura snapped. "Anyway, you told me that Naruto couldn't think of a reason why he liked me. I had said to Hinata, Ino, and Tenten 'I've been told' that Naruto blah, blah, blah. So then Ino immediately jumped to the conclusion that I had talked to you!"
"Okay, but why does that make you cry?" Sasuke asked, he sounded like a therapist to Sakura.
"I told them that I promised not to tell anyone about it, it being our lunch, and then Tenten said 'he couldn't possibly mean us'. I knew she was joking, but it just annoyed me! And then I said—"
Sasuke had inched closer to Sakura the whole conversation without her noticing. He knew she was absorbed in telling her story, so he used this fact to his advantage. Once he knew the whole story, he leaned in and kissed Sakura on the lips. He tasted her lemonade flavored lip gloss, and Sakura felt Sasuke's warm mouth on hers. She leaned in and wrapped her arms around Sasuke's shoulders. Sasuke took her waist and deepened the kiss further.
"My, my, they're really going at it!" Ino whispered to Tenten who giggled a little. They had originally gone to find Sakura and tell her they were sorry, but they stumbled upon Sasuke and her kissing. Though Ino was usually inconsiderate, she exercised kindness this time; she knew how important Sasuke was to Sakura, and she respected that.
"Let's talk to her later," Tenten whispered back. Ino nodded and the two girls closed the door softly.
Sakura and Sasuke came out of the kiss breathing hard; it had been long for a first kiss.
"I guess we should," Sakura paused, "go? I need to apologize to my friends for acting like a bitch."
"Alright," Sasuke agreed.
After the show was over, Shikamaru sprang out of his seat before anyone else, and, loosening Temari's grip with the help of Kankuro and Gaara, ran toward the exit. He went to his bike to grab the slightly wilting flowers in its basket, running the whole way. His feet mysteriously guided him to the backstage entrance. He asked every person he saw, even the little kids, if they had seen Ino. Most shook their heads, but one person was helpful.
"Ino Yamanaka?" Shikamaru asked frantically. "You! Ino Yamanaka? Do you know where she is?"
"Yeah!" the girl smiled brightly with her heavy make up. "Go up those stairs, to the left and there should be a dressing room that says 'GIRLS' on the door."
"Thank you so much!"
"No problem!" she said sweetly, and then harshly: "By the way, don't hurt her or I'll pummel you!"
"Got it!" Shikamaru yelled back as he ran up the stairs.
Shikamaru found the dressing room. He gathered his breath and then turned the knob of the door slowly. Inside the brightly lit room were rows of individual vanities for the girls. He looked around worriedly; how would he be able to find her among all of these rows?
"She's down that one," a girl pointed, "The seventh vanity. Break her heart and everyone, everyone, will be after you."
"I know, I got the message before," Shikamaru jogged to the far left row and found the seventh vanity. Ino had taken most of her make up off, but some of it was left. The make up that was left glittered in the light and made her face glow. Her hair sparkled in the tremendous light of the vanities. She was talking to one of the other dancers, and therefore, did not notice Shikamaru. He came up to her vanity and swiftly pulled her to her feet. Before she had time to think, Shikamaru brought her lips to his in a kiss. Fireworks seemed blast into the air as they kissed. Both of them experienced the familiar sensation whenever they touched, the almost unbearable tingling that tickled their bodies. They both looked to deepen the kiss, so Shikamaru let go of her hands to wrap his about her slender waist, and Ino brought her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer to his form. Shikamaru moved his hands up her back to touch her silk hair and then back down to rest on her hips. The two were reluctant to end the spectacular kiss, but both needed to breath. When they broke apart, Ino's sparkling azure eyes looked deep into his chocolate eyes and the two just stared at each other. They were only woken out of what seemed like a dream by the girl that was previously talking to Ino.
"Wow," she smiled at them and then walked away. The two began to laugh and then Ino kissed Shikamaru once more on the lips, lightly.
"I almost forgot," Shikamaru bent down to pick up the flowers he had dropped in order to kiss Ino.
"Thank you, and thank you," Ino smiled brightly at Shikamaru. "I-I thought you weren't going to come, and then when you did, you were next to…her." Ino cast her eyes downward and they filled with a different kind gleam.
"I wouldn't miss this for anything."
"Even an intense Shogi game?" Ino laughed.
"Not even for Shogi. And about that whole seat thing, I couldn't find any other ones and I didn't see her in the row." He smiled back. Ino hugged him tightly and rested her head on his chest.
"Hmm," a voice uttered behind them. Ino's eyes shot open and, turning her head, she let go of Shikamaru. "When you get bored of her, give me a call."
"Temari go away! No one wants you here" Shikamaru raised his voice to an almost yell, which was unusual. He turned toward Temari keeping a protective hold on Ino's waist.
"I know you Shikamaru, and I know that you'll get bored of her," Temari smiled.
"You don't know anything about me," Shikamaru looked down in anger. "Besides, if I ever do break up with Ino, an event that isn't likely, I'd never ever turn to you."
"Of course you would," Temari smiled at Ino this time. "I'm older and more adventurous than this sad excuse for a person." Temari pointed at Ino and Shikamaru's anger was a fire rising inside of him. But for some reason he controlled it.
"Do you have any bags?" Shikamaru turned to Ino with a smile, completely ignoring Temari's presence. "I'll help you carry all of those flowers too."
"You'll get bored of her!" Temari shouted almost desperately.
"Here, you can take these ones. I'll take my bag." Ino grabbed her bag and some of the flowers on her vanity. The two then started walking away from Temari and the dressing room. "Hey, did you come in a car?"
"One, I am fifteen and I can't legally drive, keyword is legally," Ino laughed at his words. "Plus my parents took both of the cars."
"Then how'd you get here?" Ino looked at him, confused.
"I rode my bike," Shikamaru's cheeks tinged a light pink, and he scratched his head.
"Whoa! That's a long way from your house to here!" Ino looked at him with an open mouth.
"And I did just for you," he replied.
"Trust me!" She called again.
"Lazy as you are," Ino smiled back. "Hey wait! I'm supposed to go home with Tenten; Sakura and Hinata are coming, too. We're all going to go to the mall. Wanna come?"
"I guess, as long as we can go to one store that I like," Shikamaru bargained. "Otherwise, I'm just going to ride home…which I don't really want to do."
"Just come, you can put your bike in the back of Tenten's car. Oh, she might not have enough seats."
"You can sit on my lap," Shikamaru laughed. Ino had led them over to Tenten's make up table where Sakura and Hinata were also.
"Hey guys!" Ino smiled and waved. The three girls stared at her with open mouths as they witnessed Shikamaru's hand around Ino's waste and her enormous amounts of flowers in his other arm. "Tenten, can Shikamaru come to the mall with us?"
"Sure," Tenten still stared at the couple as if they were aliens. "But I don't think my mom has enough seats in her car."
"You can sit on Shikamaru's lap, Ino," Sakura smiled.
"That's two people who've suggested that; one laughed, and one is about to," Ino giggled. "I might as well."
"Then he can come," Tenten smiled brightly as she got used to the situation.
"But we have to let him go to at least one store that he likes, okay?" Ino asked.
"Of course," Hinata mumbled.
"Cool," Sakura smiled.
"No problem," Tenten agreed. "We're going to eat lunch at the mall, so I hope everyone has some money to pitch in to that." They all nodded. "Then let's go!"
"Shikamaru has to put his bike in your trunk too," Ino told Tenten.
Tenten found her mom in the parking lot. They exchanged hugs and kisses over Tenten's performance, as well as Sakura's, Hinata's, and Ino's. Tenten's mother looked Shikamaru up and down, frowned a little and then faced Tenten.
"Who is this?" her mother frowned.
"This is Shikamaru Nara. He's in my Italian class remember, Mom?" Tenten looked at Ino and then obtained a little malicious smile on her face. "He's Ino's boyfriend." Ino's eyes visibly widened and she turned bright red. She could feel her face heating up, so she hid behind Sakura.
"Really?" Tenten's mom smiled, too, and peeked around Sakura to look at Ino who was still bright red. The mother sighed and then laughed. "He can come, but I don't think I have enough seats." The teens eyed each other in turn and then burst out laughing. "I don't think I want to know." She then turned and got into the drivers seat of the car after putting Shikamaru's bike in the trunk. Tenten called shotgun, as Shikamaru went around to the right side of the car with Ino following closely. Out of her abundant kindness, Sakura sat in the middle and let Hinata sit on the left side of the SUV. Ino blushed as she positioned herself on Shikamaru's lap. Tenten's mom looked into the rearview mirror at the couple sitting awkwardly together. All the teens fastened their seatbelts, even Shikamaru and Ino could get the seatbelt over both of them due to Ino's tiny waist. Ino laid her hands on her lap. Shikamaru snaked his arms through her arms, and set his hands on top of hers as his arms held her waist tightly. Ino held his hands on her lap while a pink tint rose in her cheeks. Sakura smiled at the two, as did Hinata.
"You two are so lovey dovey together," Tenten smiled. "It's so cute."
"Don't go further than that, I don't want to be responsible for anything," Masumi said in a half-joking, half-serious tone. This comment drew a massive blush from both teens, and both looked out the window.
"MOM! That was totally not cool," Tenten whined. "Ino would never do that!"
"Hey!" Shikamaru complained.
"Oh right," Tenten laughed. "Shikamaru wouldn't either, seriously."
"I know, I know," her mother sighed. "I'm just giving them a little warning."
Awkward silence passed the time in the car. There was the occasional question followed by an answer, but then the silence came back. The trip to the mall seemed unending even though it was only supposed to take about twenty minutes. The girls wondered why they weren't very talkative right now. They usually chatter on and on, never stopping. Was it because of Shikamaru? Or maybe it was Tenten's mom? Well finally, someone broke the silence.
"So, how long have you two been going out? You look pretty cozy there," Masumi asked them. Shikamaru blushed more than Ino if it was humanly possible and the two looked at each other and away from Tenten's mom.
"Again mom, so not cool!" Tenten complained.
Hey people!! Can you believe I actually updated? I haven't updated since September, I feel so bad. I have a chapter now though…obviously. Masumi is a random name because I didn't want to keep saying "Tenten's mom". As a reader of fanfictions as well, I know I would hate to read that all the time. The name means true purity or increasing beauty. I don't know why I picked it…I just liked it. I don't have much to say about this chapter, I just hope you liked it! Every time you don't review, I die a little inside :'( Haha Review with what you liked!
Sorry no preview this chapter ; Next chapter will be about the mall, might be short.