10/25

Ino Yamanaka.

Only daughter. Doctorate student. Lover of music, cake and cinema. Polite towards strangers, ironic and witty with her friends: a hard-working woman with a sense for fashion and a surprising - and well-hidden - streak of self-consciousness.

He hadn't needed much time to deduce that much about her. People were something that came to him quickly; as did most of the things that made up the world. He had encountered many people like her before. He just hadn't found anyone so normal, so average, and yet so fascinating.

Shikamaru, usually, went out of his way to avoid women, especially the troublesome ones. But with Ino… It was different. There was something in her that made it fun watching her getting worked up.

"If you think that, you're obviously radically left."

"Listen to you, liberalism here, liberalism there, the liberal party got all cozy with the industry the last time they were in power-"

"This country needs liberalism. It's one of the fundamental pillars of democracy." And then, he smirked at her. "Everybody knows that."

This time, she kicked his shin. Seriously, woman? And either by accident or on purpose – she was stronger than she looked, tall and curvy as she was – she hit the nerves running along the outer shin bone, and dammit, it hurt.

Shikamaru just grinned and watched as his non-reaction to her assault made her flush with anger.

"Don't fight, kids," Naruto said and Ino's venomous glance was golden.

Naruto, wisely, ducked his head and disappeared from the kitchen again, mumbling something about helping Sakura. Which left Ino at the sink and Shikamaru leaning against the counter. He had already resolved to dry the dishes after she had washed them, but it could wait a little bit longer. Just until…

"Are you going to help or just stand there like a jerk?" Ino snapped.

Grinning, Shikamaru grabbed the towel and a frying pan. "You're only this annoying when I'm there, aren't you?"

"Don't feel flattered," she shot back. "You bring it out in me."

He chuckled softly. "What a nice thing to say."

She stopped scrubbing the pot. A few strands of hair had escaped from the bun at the top of her head and fell into her eyes, her face was flushed and her arms covered with soap bubbles up to her elbows. She was pretty, to say the least.

"Well, what goes around…"

"Touché."

He continued watching her, bemusedly, and marveled at the fire in her eyes. Oh heck, what was he doing? He'd always wanted a silent, peaceful girlfriend, hadn't he? Ino was the epitome of trouble.

And he did not care in the least.

Shikamaru smirked.

"So, what happens next? It's the first time I'm invited to one of your precious dinners, after all. What did they promise you for coming here knowing I would be, as well?"

Her glare would have evaporated water.