Summary: She'll stop dreaming about you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Note: Eugh. This is not my best work.

Playing Theme Twenty-Six: If only I could make you mine.

Honey

The Dreamer

"I am a dreamer."

Ino said it cheerily, fully recognising the small fact and grinning about it like it was nothing. Chouji did not respond much, for that much was obvious without a statement. It always had been. She was the sort of girl who wished upon stars when she thought they weren't looking, who believed in good luck charms and magical happy endings but still smashed mirrors even though she thought it bad luck. She wanted a Prince Charming and castle, a thousand servants and love that would last forever. She wanted it all, and if she continued with her pipedreams and her glowing smile anybody would want her to have them.

"Aren't we all?" Shikamaru answered dryly, gathering up various projectiles she had embedded into the ground with forceful throws. It was hot, and her eyes were glittering, and he blamed it on that. Because sleeping was hard when Ino was around and being exceedingly loud, so he was making himself useful like she would want him to if she got the chance to nag. She looked at him bemusedly, eyebrows raised and beaming.

"I thought you were a sceptic and rationalist?" She asked excitedly, like her words meant anything. He tutted at her, wondering when she started to become an airhead. He preferred it when she at least tried to play strategy games with him, or gave Chouji a bit of help when he needed it in a reverent manner that could only be described as egotistical. At least then she didn't live up to the idea that someone on their team was a little illogical.

"Doesn't mean a guy can't dream." He stated, as though it were a simple minor detail. But Ino rarely knew when to drop a topic, and she didn't seem to sense the sensitivity behind his bravado because a smirk grew on her face that said she wanted all of the details. No information would spare from being dissected. A nasty habit she had recently picked up from Ibiki, that. He did not care for it much.

"What do you dream about Shikamaru?" She asked, the corners of her lips curling upwards cheekily. Chouji sensed the danger. His best friend knew the answer, and had since they were twelve years old. He would say he dreamed of an average girl, but really dreamed of anything but that. He would say he dreamed of having two children, but really he didn't want anyone to love the not average woman as much as he did. He would say he dreamed of retirement, but as he knew she planned to die before senility he wouldn't mind going out with her instead.

"Clouds, fields and silence." Chouji answered for him. Ino giggled, seemingly expecting something as petty as that. Really, if you were to dream, Shikamaru thought you should dream big. Otherwise, there would be no point in calling them dreams at all. They'd be whims, little unspoken wants which didn't have any licence to be grand and mostly unethical.

"I'm going to meet Kiba." Ino announced with a bright, pearly smile. Chouji looked to Shikamaru, who grunted in response. She seemed to take it as some form of acceptance. Truly, it was anything but that. Shikamaru had never disliked the mutt-rearing man, but recently he had been finding it hard to think of a reason to even so much as acknowledge his existence with a miniscule wave as he walked down the street. Then, Ino was gone. Racing away from the field, her blonde hair flashing in the sun to show where she had been with each graceful turn she made. He couldn't help but stare after her blankly.

"When are you going to tell her?" It was an abrupt question, but Shikamaru could not say he had not expected it. Even from Chouji. The kid with a kind soul needed this sorted. Being in between a rock and a hard place, or something like that. He could tell Ino and risk Shikamaru, or keep Shikamaru and risk Ino. Either way, it was not the best of situations.

"I'm not." Shikamaru stated. Chouji did not seem to register the answer, and pulled a pack of chips from his satchel. With a familiar popping sound as the bag opened, Shikamaru held out his hand, already knowing what would be placed in it. Sure enough, the food was in his palm and he opened his mouth that awaited the salty tang. The chip was ground up quickly between his teeth, but he could still feel Chouji's stare and it made him distracted from the task. Staring at inanimate objects might have worked a little better, he supposed.

"Tell me when you learn that some things cannot be avoided, Shikamaru." Chouji told him before standing up and brushing the dirt and clumps of dead grass from his outfit. Shikamaru nodded, though not understandingly. If he could, he would avoid it forever. Because his dream was something unattainable. Someone unattainable.

"If only I could make you mine, Ino."

"Hey, airhead?"

Kiba's question was not all that Ino had expected. She grinned back, and slung an arm around his waist companionably. He threw his arm around her shoulders with equal exuberance, smothering her in the smell of leather and dog. It was only then that they staggered on to the bench, with the grunts between them bordering completely nonsensical.

"What, dog breath?" Ino replied with a hint of tiredness in her voice. He moved his arm around and placed a hand on her head softly, a small gesture that acted as an attempt to keep her awake. She was lucky he didn't rise to the comment. She supposed it was because she hadn't reacted too much to his, but decided not to say anything about it.

"Why aren't we really going out? I mean, we're both completely hot." His words were slurred slightly, but she couldn't help but feel they were somewhat accurate. She knew she was the sexiest thing on two legs that Konoha had ever seen, and Kiba was quite toned. On top of that, although he hadn't said it, they were close and she was sure they had chemistry on some level. She could not help but smile at herself still however, as she knew even if she thought it really would be a good idea she knew it couldn't work. Not because of him, but because of her and her ridiculous fairytale ideas.

"Well, we're not like that. We're pretending, remember?" Ino giggled, trying to flippantly pass the idea. Kiba grunted, pulling her head under his chin. She could feel him bury his nose into her head a moment later, despite her whining that it would make her hair loose and untidy.

"Truth is, Ino, you're the only girl I'd want. Pretending or not." He rambled slightly. She wondered if he knew that he was speaking to her, but chose not to voice that part. She squirmed in his grasp, breathing heavily. He was too warm, and it had to be all down to the alcohol he had been drinking since two in the afternoon at the latest. Some fake date that was. At least she wasn't anywhere near plastered.

"That's ridiculous. I mean, you have Hinata on your team. Have you seen her boobs?" Ino hurried out the words, telling herself she'd apologise to the much more petite and somewhat large busted girl later for being so crude. Kiba growled, seemingly picking up the scent of a decoy. She was just glad Akamaru wasn't allowed in the local stints, because he would have bitten her for being so selfish rather than been so kind.

"I'm not interested in her. I mean, I'd be more like a replacement for Naruto. With you, I think eventually you'd realise I'm better than him." Kiba nodded sagely, and then moved his nose away from the tip of her head. Ino felt her breath hitch as he curled into a ball next to her, cupping his feet in his hands and burying his face into his knees. She touched his shoulder softly. Maybe it was out of pity. She couldn't quite decide.

"Kiba, it's not that I don't love you. It's just not the same thing." She whispered, knowing he could hear it perfectly clearly. His heightened hearing was good for many things, but hearing words of rejection was probably its worst effect. He shivered slightly, seeming to hear but not want to understand. She felt a lump of guilt building in her throat.

"Because I'm just a silver medal compared to Nara, and you've always been a winner." Kiba said, his words almost as hushed as hers. She felt the words as though they were a harsh slap across her face. It hurt, but what made it even worse was that his words probably hurt him even more and everything she was saying just seemed to make it worse. She bit her lip, trying to concentrate on the stinging pain. She couldn't cry. Not then. She was the one to ask for his help, to make Shikamaru jealous. To make him say it. Because a girl confessing did nothing, she'd learnt that a long time ago. But now, it was almost the same situation and she was cutting him up into tiny pieces with the truth. She couldn't be sure than lies would be worse, even.

"Please don't." Her voice was cracking. He turned, his still shaking and unsober voice aching and missing something she knew she had taken. Feeling. She had taken away his enthusiasm and confidence, whatever it was that essentially made Kiba who he was. He uncurled himself from his strangely childlike position, and before she could say a word placed a chaste kiss on her cheek with freezing lips.

"Some things, Ino, are worth waiting for." He told her, before stumbling upwards and beginning to walk away. It was only then she copied his position, though not through vulnerability but through exhaustion and fear. If she hid her face from the world for a while when she was young, it made all the nastiest things go away even if only for a short time. But right then, it wasn't working. Because she had always felt that about Shikamaru, even if she didn't feel like she could tell him. She couldn't tell Kiba she would always wait for him. She couldn't tell him that sometimes, dreams were futile. She talked to nobody in particular but his shadow, which wasn't even around to hear her words either. They were pointless and useless and meant everything, yet gained her nothing.

"I never wanted you to be mine."

"You never told me."

Chouji's four word sentence made Ino look away from the meat cooking in front of her almost instantly. He was no longer a boy, but a hardened man. He needed to ask something important, and she could see it in his eyes. He'd grown a lot. It was for that very reason that small amount of words put her on edge.

"What?" Ino asked cautiously, picking up her chopsticks before prodding the meat in front of her. She could probably savour the taste more if she wasn't in an uncomfortable situation. But she guessed she owed Chouji. He found her the previous night; sitting on the bench still in the same position after it had began raining. But he hadn't complained, hadn't whined at all and had picked her up and carried her home as though it were nothing. She couldn't turn him away right then. It'd be heartless.

"Everyone knows you're a dreamer, but you never told any of us what you dream about." Chouji mused. She would have kicked him, if she felt she could that morning. But she had clump of mascara on the tips of her eyelashes, eyeliner streaked down her cheeks and she was wearing a spare oversized shirt Chouji had leant her as a dress. On top of not wanting to be angry with him or have him angry with her right then, she was leaning gratitude and didn't want to look any worse in the frequented restaurant of her old team then she already did.

"Someone. Start eating, or I'm taking the last piece." She answered evasively. Chouji was not baited so easily. As soon as she moved her chopsticks to grab some more meat to prevent too much talking, his chopsticks snapped against hers to prevent silence. She looked up, slightly startled at the sudden and quick movement. His deep eyes bore into hers with such certainty and wisdom she felt like she had no right to even dream at all because he deserved it instead in return for all his kindness. Just like he deserved a proper answer.

"Ino, tell me the truth. You don't love Kiba, do you?" He shot directly. Ino choked even though she had not been swallowing anything, the stale air that had regurgitated in her throat coming out in a coughing fit moments later. People were staring. She wondered how Chouji could look as calm as ever, when all those eyes were fixed upon them.

"What would you say if I told you that's correct?" Ino asked, taking a quick swig from a glass of water the waitress had tactfully placed on the table the moment she burst into coughs before scuttling away. People really were touchy about getting germs, not that she had any. She was healthier than the average person her age. Her strict fitness regime saw to that.

"I'd say you're not even going out with him, and you're just trying to make somebody jealous." Chouji answered, his dark eyes sharpening. Just like those belonging to his best friend did when he was thinking too much. Hanging around Shikamaru was beginning to get to him. She liked it when Chouji wasn't being an inquisitor, and strangely abrupt. She had grown to rely on his gentle nature most of the time when he was around. She could feel her eyes beginning to sting, and unlike the previous night she wasn't sure she could stop the fall of salty tears from her eyes. She blinked them back stubbornly.

"Say this is all metaphorically speaking, what if I was trying to make Shikamaru jealous?" She said, the words slipping out messily. However startling they should have been, it was not Chouji they shocked. They hit her harder. A final admittance, an acknowledgement that he was the only one she wanted. Chouji didn't even look surprised. He must have expected it, must have known or something. The tears finally crashed out in the minute or so of silence, and she covered her eyes with a toned arm in shame.

"I'd say that's a good dream." Chouji answered, and Ino felt forgiven. For what however, she was unsure. She raked her fingers through her hair, feeling clumps of it curl between her grasp as if wanting to escape. But what from? The only thing she was ever running from was herself. Shikamaru would let her down gently, she knew that. But she wasn't sure she wanted it. If he hurt her more, it would teach her not to. Because love wasn't something she was ever sure she wanted to feel, if it made her do ridiculous things.

"Dreams don't always come true." Though who she was telling, she was uncertain. She had always poured over story books, knowing that she could never be the beautiful damsel in distress or princess that needed saving. She was born to be a fighter and not a lover, although she often wished it otherwise, and if she was ever in a desperate situation with her team she knew she needed to have an unbiased choice based on survival. She'd learnt at an early age that you could dream all you wanted if amounted to nothing that way.

"What's this?" There was a grunt as Shikamaru slid into the seat next to Chouji. Ino blinked back her tears and looked up, recognising the voice. Not that hiding things ever seemed to fool him. But he was tactful, most of the time. That being her operative thought.

"Ino's usual romantic dilemma." Chouji answered passively, in a calm voice which she supposed was meant to tell Shikamaru not to get involved. She thanked whatever was out there for putting Chouji on her team right then. Someone else could have had a bigger mouth and a far less kind soul that disliked waiting for things to happen. Shikamaru didn't seem convinced, and he always found some sort of interest in her latest problem. Probably because it amused him, in some twisted way. If only he knew.

"Oh, is this the Kiba thing?" Shikamaru asked, his voice sounding strained. Chouji and Ino looked to him, and suddenly Ino had a dreadful feeling that he knew everything. But he couldn't, otherwise he wouldn't have been late to meet Chouji. She would have left by then, too. She stared at him blankly, and it was left for Chouji to cut the silent confusion.

"What about Kiba?" He asked, and Shikamaru visibly recoiled. It seemed a soft spot, at that time, but she couldn't understand why. Kiba couldn't have said anything, he wouldn't have. Tempting a desperate woman such as herself would have been ridiculous, when he had grown up with such a clever and devious women as his family. Her eyes narrowed.

"Asking Inoichi for permission to marry you, apparently. Care to tell us why you didn't say anything about it?" Shikamaru's look was stern and cold. She felt her mouth slide open slightly in shock, wondering what was going on. She was pretty sure it had never even been mentioned in the slightest between them. The whole relationship was a lie.

"I can't believe people can bear that insufferably know-it-all attitude of yours, Shikamaru. Because I didn't know. But thanks anyway." She shot up from her seat, ready to run and see. Because if he actually was doing that, she wouldn't be able to stand for it. If you didn't stand for something, you'd fall for anything. She'd always believed that. This time, she had to stand up for herself. If she didn't, she'd never achieve her dreams. She grabbed the glass from her table, drinking the remaining water quickly. She'd need hydration if she was going to run.

"I can't believe I'm in love with you." It took a moment for Ino to register what he said. Shikamaru blinked, as if trying to understand himself. The glass in her hand dropped to the floor, smashing into pieces. Ino stared at it for a moment as the restaurant turned to stare at the commotion, and finally, their eyes met. Then, Ino was gone. Running, just like she'd always done. Because she didn't know how to do anything else.

"Go after her." Chouji said quietly. Shikamaru gave him a withering look, and prodded the remaining meat in front of them without any clear interest. Chouji stood up, glaring downwards back at his best friend. It was for the best. Shikamaru stared at him blankly.

"Or what?" He mused, looking upwards. Chouji shook his head, the message clear without words. Or, he was going to lose the best thing that ever happened to him without even trying to stop it. He swallowed the lump building in his throat. She'd ran. She didn't want him. Chouji smiled wanly, showing no true happiness on contentment.

"She'll stop dreaming about you."

"Oi, dreamer."

Shikamaru's voice betrayed nothing but the fact that he had caught up. She'd ran so hard, ran like she never had before. She needed to stop whatever Kiba was doing, and she needed to get away from Shikamaru. Because Kiba would kiss her once and she'd try to forget how it felt when she had nothing left but it'd be futile. She'd still dream. She'd still love him. Her breath hitched, yet she did not dare to turn around. Her wooden door didn't show her his face, the gentle creases around his eyes or the rare winning smile he gave. The door couldn't break her.

"What?" She asked. One word. One question. One mound of nothingness. He'd never been hers to take, never been hers to hold, and he'd changed it all. She wasn't sure she could live with that, no matter how much she wanted it. Because love was just a word, and they were just friends – two good friends – and she was in over her head. She felt him touch her hands behind her back, and wondered when he had gotten so close to her without her even noticing.

"It was the truth." He said quietly, talking into the tip of her head. He was a lot taller than her. He always had been, with his gangly limbs. His legs were too long for his body. His arms were thin and wiry, snapping out at odd angles when he needed to catch things. His eyes were dark and brown, brooding and moody to warn those around him of storms. His hair forever remained a mess. She couldn't even understand what was so attractive about him. Maybe it was simply the fact that he was Shikamaru, and she was Ino. That the dream was meant to happen, or something like that. She had never been particularly poetic.

"I've always dreamed about you." She said quietly. His fingers slid from the top of hers gently, falling to his side without a single sound. She had always used those hands to make beautiful things. To put things together, to make sure everything bloomed into something beautiful just like the flowers she paid so much attention to.

"I'll take that as a chance." With those words, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her around before kissing her. Because he couldn't think of another way to say he was hers. Because Kiba could be stealing her right then and there. Because he couldn't give up on that dream of her, no matter how futile it seemed. Not when he had a taste of it. It was no longer a case of ifs. She had been his from day one, and she'd always dreamed about the same thing. They had yearned for each other without saying a word. So he said it.

"You're mine."

Just like in the best dreams.

Shorter than normal, and not the best thing I have ever written. Forgive me, exams are murdering me little by little and killing al the creative soul and will I possess.

Reviews are loved. :)