DON'T SPEAK

Chapter Ten

"Accident"

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"Dreams.."

As they shuffled through the slender wood frame, Shikamaru's arm still draped over her shoulder, he looked down at her with soft eyes.

"I can't believe she kissed me," He thought, his other un-occupied hand reaching up and fingering the patch of skin on his neck, the skin was warm there.

Shikamaru pulled his arm from around her shoulders as they stepped into the apartment. A wave of heat rushing up to their blushing, frost bitten cheeks as they pulled off their coats and toed off their shoes.

He watched as Ino slid her small feet into her fuzzy purple slippers, the way her fingers gripped the collar of her shirt as she pulled her arm through the holes, and held her body.
He smiled, his own feet remaining bare as he made his way over the hardwood floor. His fingers wrapping around the hem of his shirt as he pulled it over his head, and threw it onto his floor.

He pulled the crisp, white, four hundred thread count sheets back, his hands running over the surface of the bed to smooth out the wrinkles, before he sat down, his fingers expertly gripping the tie in his hair and pulling it free. His hair cascaded down onto his shoulders, a whisper against his skin causing him to shudder, before he laid his back down, his head sinking into the pillow.

He stared at the ceiling, counting the dents in his textured paint.

--

Not too long after he had laid down, Shikamaru felt the other side of the bed shift in the darkness. The sound of a soft sigh fluttered through his ears as Ino pulled the covers over her legs. Then she reached out, her fingers skimming over the skin of his arm causing chills to run up his spine, and the hairs on his arms to stand tall.

"Shikamaru?" She signed against the skin of his arm.

A small smile flickered over his lips as he let his head slowly turn towards her, his eyes squinting as he blinked, trying to see her in the pitch black darkness of the night. "Yes, Ino?"

Her hand stiffened slightly.
She must have thought he was asleep.

He almost chuckled.

Her fingers began to move over his skin again, more lightly than before, like she was unsure about something. "Will you...hold me?"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, and although she could not see him, she recoiled slightly after not receiving an answer for several minutes.
He slowly unfolded his arms, his fingers pulling on the fabric of her fishnet shirt, he pulled her against his chest, his chin resting on her shoulder. "Yes."

He heard her sigh, and he allowed himself to exhale the breath he had not known he was holding, as she shifted in his arms, wrapping a pale hand over his fingers and clutching them tightly.

"Go to sleep, Ino." He breathed out, his lips brushing against her ear unintentionally as he lolled off into slumber.

--

Shikamaru awoke to cold fingers gliding over his eyelids, down his cheeks bones, and softly like a feather, across his lips. He struggled to keep from reacting, but could not control the way his head seemed to lean forward on it's own accord, to fall into her cold yet soothing touch. He allowed his eyes to flutter slightly, to fiegn slight consciousness, but this did not deter Ino, but made her bolder.

He felt her other hand leave his own, the feeling of cool air hitting his warm, sweating palm was uncomfortable. He wanted to snatch her hand back, but thought better of it.

"What will she do if I don't stop her?" He thought to himself as he shifted slightly, his head falling down to her upper arm as she stroked his hair.

He hoped this was not a dream, that he would not wake up and Ino would not stop skimming her fingers over his scalp, twisting his hair and curling it around her finger.

He turned his head on her arm, his body practically melting onto her own as he pressed his nose against her soft skin. She smelt so wonderful, heavenly, like raspberries and that crisp smell of morning dew. He nuzzled in closer, against his own free will mind you, and his arms wrapped around her automatically, causing her to flinch slightly.

So she hadn't known that he was awake.

He was sure she had, that she could sense his chakra flaring every time her skin met his, every time her breath whispered against his skin in soft sighs, the way she smiled against his hair. He was sure she had known, but by the way she was acting- Shikamaru groaned quietly, inhaling sharply like he had just awoken, but he did not move. He stayed perfectly still, his nose still pressed lightly against her skin, before he relaxed in her touch, and opened his mouth.

"What are you doing to me, Ino?" He asked, his voice deep and husky with tiredness.

He felt her shrug beneath him, but he could hear her heartbeat quicken as he shifted in her arms. Then her fingers were on his shoulder and she signed something quickly, before removing her hand again. "I don't know."

Her hands were shaking terribly, her fingers digging into his flesh as she gripped his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" He asked, leaning closer so that he could see her face in the pale moonlight.

"Nothing." She signed, her hands falling from his shoulders as she turned over onto her back, and let her head fall to the other side.

Ino closed her eyes tightly, biting her lips as she felt the stinging of tears rise from her chest and into her throat.

She brought her hand up to his arm and placed her fingers rapidly over his skin. "Do you hate me, Shikamaru?"

She felt him stiffen under her touch, his muscles becoming rigid as he sat up, leaning on his left shoulder. "Why would you ever ask me that, Ino?" He said, his voice still deep and husky, but laced with worry and confusion.

She shrugged, not really knowing the answer to that question herself.

She pulled the sheets over her chilled arms, slanting her eyes so that everything was only visible under the dark, ebony lashes. She blinked back a few tears, curious as to why she was crying now. She wasn't sad or..at least she didn't think she was sad.

"What's the matter?" Shikamaru's concerned voice resounded through her senses, making her eyes open slightly wider.

She didn't really know the answer to that either. Ino pulled her legs up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her knees in an attempt to shut out the world, but Shikamaru was still there, looking down at her with soft eyes, as she looked up at him with curious ones.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

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