Day to Day

A Naruto Fan-fiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any bands mentioned, with the exception of Star Pirate Ship.

(A/N: Hey guys! I'm glad I got such great comments on my last chapter! So, from the day after the chapter was posted, here are the polls: Naruto and Hinata with four, Neji and Tenten with three, Sakura and Sasuke with three, and Ino and Shikamaru with five! So here we go guys!)

Chapter 19: Chocolate

You always remember these little things about people, but sometimes, those things aren't little. They're so big, whenever you think of that person, you think of them, and you go, "Wow, I remember that." Its confusing, yet makes perfect sense. It's all a matter of the situation, the perspective. You can't pin point it-sort of how you can't pin point every star. Its something little, like a star, but huge, like the star compared to the Earth.

Ino's were her blue eyes.

Even now, with her eyes half-open, he knew that was her little quality. She was just waking up, and the covers came up to her collarbone. Her pajama top was ruffled above her shoulders among the blankets. Her face was turned to the side, with open hand open, palm up, and to one side, and the other close to her face, barely touching a lock of blonde.

The window let in the morning breeze that gently brushed her hair and face, and the sunlight illuminated her waking figure. The sunlight seemed to add a brush of gold to her hair that lay tousled and waving around her face, some strands lying over her cheeks, which were flushed from just waking.

And her eyes. They were half-open, pupils small from sleep and the bright blue catching every glint of light in the room. Inside those eyes were a universe, a complete galaxy and hundreds on constellations; he was sure of it. In fact, he dubbed it "Ino's Universe." It was dorky, but he would always remember it!

He smirked at her, and gently brushed the strands of blonde off her cheeks and on top of the others that spilled across her pillow. She squinted and stretched lazily, like a light-skinned, blonde cat. He could see the wrinkles in the fabric crinkle and move as she did, and each one made a new curve to suit her.

Both arms emerged and stretched upward with her hands in fists. When they reached the maximum stretch, she opened her hands, stretched her fingers, and sighed. Then she retracted her arms under the covers and folded them close to her chest. She made a smacking sound, closed her eyes, and snuggled against the sheets. For the final effect, her hair spilled over her face, hiding all but her round nose, which poked from between the strands.

"Ino, get up."

He could feel her frown.

"Shii-kun…I'm tired…."

Shikamaru sighed. He could feel the puppy dog eyes as well.

He squatted by Ino's low bed, and his arms laid across his slanted knees casually. Today he wore another beanie, kaki pants that cut off at his knees, a red shirt, and a black sash. His headband was around his sash, and his feet were clad in sandals.

"You're so troublesome…."

"If you were tired and curled up in a bed, you wouldn't want to get up either…I know you."

Ino's voice waned, and Shikamaru's lip was out.

"Don't make this difficult."

"Then don't wake me up."

Ino's reply was short and aggravated, but Shikamaru continued.

"I thought we were going to-"

Ino propped up her head and opened her eyes, looking at her old teammate.

"We can't do anything without a nap." She said.

"Its almost noon."

Ino's eyebrows furrowed.

"You're up before noon?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Leave it to Ino to think of his weird habit instead of the fact that she had been sleeping past noon, and she couldn't sleep past nine on most days.

"I went to bed early. Were you up late?" he asked. His eyes were narrowed in their normal, analytical way, but Ino could still see the warmth in them.

Ino gave him a sly smile, her eyes crinkled, and then she ducked under the covers! The blankets formed a bumpy hill, and Shikamaru couldn't help but smirk when he heard her giggle.

"I'll never tell you what I did!"

Shikamaru smiled his toothless smile, and stood. He looked down on the Ino bump (he'd already named that too). Then he kneeled on the bed, letting his sandals slip off his feet and hit the wooden floor. He could tell by the way the covers folded that Ino was curled up on her side with her face toward the wall.

Without warning, Shikamaru slipped his hand under her arms, though his hands were covered by the blanket, and tickled her through the covers!

Ino burst out laughing! She rolled, and her giggles resounded in the almost empty room, bouncing off the walls.

"Shii-shii-shii-kun!" she cried out between laughs.

Finally, she pushed her arms up toward her pillow and then pushed the covers down. They landed on and around a smirking Shikamaru, and then lay in ripples up to her waist. Her pajama shirt was lightly wrinkled and exposed one proding hipbone.

Her blue eyes narrowed at Shikamaru. He now sat beside her, and looked down on her. His legs were right by her shoulders. He had this look on his face that was like he was laughing and still planning something.

Ino blew a piece of stray blonde hair out of her face, but all it did was fly up and the land right back on her nose. With a light laugh, Shikamaru brushed the blonde hair out of her face. His fingers came back across her face, and stroked her cheeks gently.

Ino smiled very, very lightly, like the easy spring breeze that blew in from her window.

Shikamaru laid down on his side next to Ino. He propped his head up with his elbow and laid his other arm across her. Since the bed was twin size, he was nose-to-nose with the blonde. Both were up on their sides, facing each other. Ino had moved up to her head could rest on the pillow, and he looked down at her, since he had his head propped up. He smiled, and she bit her lip, but she didn't seem fazed when the tips of his fingers began to glide across her exposed back and spine (her pajama top had come up her back as she moved through the covers).

"So," she asked, "what brings you?"

"Boredom. Curiosity. No sleep." He replied, a laugh flickering in his eyes as his lip cricked upward.

"And you think I'm troublesome!" Ino exclaimed.

He smiled and laughed. "If only you could be me a day-then you would know."

Ino snuggled her arms closer to her chest. "Maybe you should be me a day."

"Oh?" Shikamaru asked, raising an eyebrow, "And sleep in until noon, eat coco puffs, and go shopping?"

"And I would sleep in until four, play video games and go train the rest of the day?" Ino challenged.

"That's not all I do."

"Oh really? What else do you do, besides going on missions?"

"I come see you."

Ino stopped, and then let a sleep-ridden smile fill her face. Finally finding a good opportunity, Shikamaru kissed Ino. Then he looked at her, waiting for her response. The best thing about being Ino was her unpredictability, after all.

"Shii-kun, you're so much more romantic than you let on."

Told you so.

He'd expected something sarcastic.

"Yea well…" he replied, and then looked back up at Ino, "I got over a lot of my cootie fear over the weekend."

"Girls have cooties, boys have bugs." She replied. It was an old joke-when they were young chunins, twelve, nine and above, Shikamaru used to cry out about Ino's cooties, and she'd then teased him about his bugs.

Shikamaru made a face. "I have green and blue bugs." Then he gave her another kiss.

"Good afternoon, Ino. I don't think I got to say that yet."

Ino gave him a look. "I thought it was 'good morning'."

Shikamaru smiled a sly, joking smile.

"Its lunch time. I'd say that's noon."

Ino slipped her arms around Shikamaru's neck. "It is noon, isn't it?"

"You thought I was lying?"

"…Yes."

"Ino!"

"What?"

"Never mind…."

Ino smiled, and gave Shikamaru a kiss herself.

"I'm hungry. Would you like coco puffs?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"In five years, you still eat the same cereal?"

"Yep!"

In a burst of energy, Ino untangled herself from Shikamaru and the covers. Then she skipped into the kitchen, and Shikamaru followed.

Although he had never been a fan of coco puffs, they seemed like the best food ever this morning.

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Ino crossed her legs on her mat, with a Hershey's chocolate bar in hand. Her face beamed as she watched her boyfriend. A laugh was glinting in her eyes and resounding in the room. Her hair was up in a loose, blonde bun, and she dressed in tight blue shorts and a purple tank top.

The room they sat in was empty, with light polished wood flooring, and every wall was made of glass, like mirrors.

"This is too hilarious!" Ino exclaimed, almost choking on her chocolate.

Shikamaru glared, and then tried to continue the stance. So far, one leg was around his neck, the waist was bent completely unnaturally, and the other leg was going for the other side of the head.

"You look like some guru master!" she cried, and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Shikamaru continued to glare.

But in a way, he felt responsible for his own demise. He, after all, had consented to the idea of teaching Ino yoga, something he had known since he was six. It was in his family to be care free, like leaves blowing in the wind. Yoga was simply a way to sustain that feeling for battle. Ino, however, fought almost completely on the fact that she liked to beat others up, take advantage of them, and make fun of them. Either that, or she got really pissed.

Why was he with this girl again?

Shikamaru tried to hold back his annoyance. Yoga was about peace, harmony…she was simply a test of his skill!

Clenching his teeth, Shikamaru shifted his foot over his shoulder, an exact replica of where the other foot was. Then, ignoring Ino's stifled giggles, he breathed in the incense deeply. What a sweet mango scent…

"Are you asleep?"

Shikamaru opened his eyes, only to see big blue ones! With a shout, he fell out of position and landed on his back, making his head bounce against the wood! Ino, unknowing of his pain, crept over him and peered down into his eyes.

"Are you okay, Shii-kun? I didn't mean to scare you that bad…."

"Well you did!"

He sat up, almost banging heads with Ino. Thankfully, Ino had one secret-a quick reflex. She moved right up with Shikamaru, so that her face was still close to his, but they hadn't touched.

Shikamaru was pissed. He had never gotten angry during his exercises before! A perfect, untainted record now stained! His eyes narrowed, and his lips pursed.

He expected an innocent smile, an alibi, because that was just how Ino was.

However, she took a totally different route.

With a happy, sweet smile, she held up her half-eaten candy bar, with the Hershey's wrapper crumpled down to the latest bite marks.

"Wanna bite, Shii-kun?"

Shikamaru glared.

Ino smiled, and a piece of her hair fell out of her loose bun and hung over her cheek.

Despite his normally perfect control over his thoughts, his mind betrayed him.

'She looks so cute….'

Shikamaru's eye fidgeted.

Ino smiled, and waited.

'Is that a smidgeon of chocolate on her finger? That's so-no! Its not! Its messy and disgusting, and she needs a napkin!'

Ino looked away, bit her lip, and then looked back at Shikamaru. Her blue eyes struck Shikamaru like a blow to the face.

'Oh shit, who am I kidding? She is cute!'

Shikamaru gave up!

He sighed, dropping his head and running his fingers through his hair. Ino had a triumphant look on her face. She sat back with crossed legs, and gripped her legs with one hand, while taking a large bite of the candy bar.

Shikamaru looked up at the smug girl, and his lip stuck out.

"Gimmie that!"

He took the candy bar, and took a bite from it, and sat down in front of Ino. She just smirked and rocked back and forth, knowing that in his dark eyes was some warmth.

Truth was, Ino had him and Chouji wrapped around her little finger. He wasn't sure why she had picked him over Chouji, or Sasuke, for that matter, but he guessed it was because he didn't deplete a buffet, and wasn't an egomaniac. Shikamaru sometimes wondered if it was because he was more normal than the other boys, or more down to earth. After all, Sasuke was bent on revenge and Chouji was bent on beating his record of fifteen pizzas; Shikamaru just preferred to take life as it came, things as they occurred. Maybe that was it, or a part of it. There had to be something about him she loved, something that made her be with him instead of anyone else! Ino was determined. She would never settle for less. She got what she wanted when she wanted it enough, and that was the way she was!

Despite his deep thoughts, the world kept spinning, and Ino continued to be abnormal.

When he least expected it, he felt fingers swipe across his cheek! He jumped, and blinked. In front of him was Ino licking her fingers! The ones that had just been across his cheek!

He gaped at Ino like she was an alien.

Ino's eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" she asked. "You smeared chocolate on your cheek."

Shikamaru sighed.

Then, he laughed!

With a glint in his eye, and an easy smile on his face, he said, "Ino, I love you."

Ino smiled, got up on her knees, and put her arms around Shikamaru's neck.

"Well," she said, "If you really love me, you'll get me another chocolate bar."

Shikamaru gave her a puzzled look.

"What? Why?"

"Because you just ate mine."

"Ino!"

"What? Oh, I love you too, Shii-kun! Don't I always say so?"

"No."

Ino pushed her nose against Shikamaru's, who was now looking at her suspiciously. He had not even a prediction of her next move!

"Well," she said, "I love you, Shii-kun."

Shikamaru smirked.

"As much as you love your chocolate and coco puffs?"

Ino laughed.

"Ten times more!"

Shikamaru stood with Ino, and both walked out of the room, leaving the mats, and the crumpled wrapper.

As they walked, Shikamaru's mind drifted again.

It didn't really matter why Ino chose him over the other boys in her life, or why she loved him. All that mattered was that she did, and that she was there for him.

He could never ask for anything better.

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Hey guys!

Hope you enjoyed that long-awaited update. The week was busy and I was idea less for a while. I kept trying to figure out elaborate plots like the chapter before, but then I thought, "Why?" I mean, the whole idea of this story is that the simple times are the most wonderful. Normal, just-being-with-them times are the most important! So I really wanted to bring this one home and make it normal. Like, what you might do with your boyfriend or girlfriend, what would happen and how you would react. Life isn't all a bag of goodies! I mostly starred Shikamaru in the last part of this update, since it was a lot about finding the amazing reason why Ino decided to be with him, and the beginning was just a random moment I had running through my head.

My next grand idea still has a lot of knots, so feel free to vote on who ever. So far, the grand idea is a Sakura and Sasuke, and has some funky twists that should be fun!

I have one rule that I'd like to remind you guys of: I don't do two chapters of the same couple in a row. So I won't do an Ino and Shikamaru next time, and if the next one is Naruto and Hinata, I won't do another one of them until I do a chapter on a different couple. That way, my writing is varied and everyone gets his or her favorite couple once in a while! So try and vote for someone other than Ino and Shikamaru this time! Thank you!

I GOT TWENTY-ONE REVIEWS! YAY!

Thanks to my AWSOME reviewers:

XInuyashaxxKagomex (I'm so glad you like my story! Please tell me what you think of this update!)

i-dream-of-blue-eyes (I'm so happy you liked the last chapter! The sisters were a bit funny! Let me know what you think of this one, too!)

Donut-nin (Does your name mean you're a ninja of donuts? Anyway, thanks for voting-maybe Naruto and Hinata will be up next time!)

Froggie3 (Happy Birthday to you too! I'm so glad you liked the last chapter! Let me know what you think of this one!)

Akia Bin Zaid (I feel like this chapter isn't of my normal caliber, but in a way, it settled something for me these past weeks. I didn't really have a grand idea for this chapter, but I just couldn't see Shikamaru and Ino doing anything that any of the other couples did. Ino's a very dynamic character, and Shikamaru is simple. The two are so uncommon; it makes them seem more real. So I decided to use them to stress the core idea of every installment that I write. Everything that you just read can actually happen, and is very down to Earth. However, in case you miss the installments that have drama, suspense and a plot, I'm working on one for Sakura and Sasuke in my head. Anyway, I hope you liked it; make sure to let me know what you think!)

kanashii-emi (That question the cousins asked Neji kind of had a double meaning that I completely spelled out. Sorry it was so predictable, but may this one was less predictable! Let me know of your thoughts!)

Kohyato (I'm glad you liked my last update! Let me know what you think of this update!)

Bianca (Girl, you are sweeter than pie! I love you! I'm so ecstatic that you liked the last chapter! Let me know what you think of this one too!)

Dark Twilight (I tried to stress that comic event with the women in the Hyuuga mansion, but no one seemed to really spot it but you! Thanks for reviewing, and make sure to give me your opinions on this one!)

sephynarutocloud (Maybe Naruto and Hinata will make it next time….)

Ayane Selznick (It was reviews like yours that made me want to fly into an alternate reality and get a picture of Tenten as she entered those doors! Either way, I hope my description was enough to suffice! In the back of my head, I wondered if someone would identify with Tenten, and you did! Let me know what you think of this chapter!)

Ronkieboy (Well, I must say, that I'm certainly glad that you liked the last chapter. (Sorry, I like to pick on people). Make sure to tell me your thoughts on this one, and all of the installments in the future! I'm glad the Naruto and Hinata chapter was good, too! Thanks!)

Harukakanata (Wow! Thank you! I certainly hope this chapter was up to speed as well!)

Rachel (Well, you got a Shikamaru and Ino chapter! Let me know what you think of this one, and if I missed anything! Thanks for setting aside your favorite for my own idea. Means a lot!)

warpince2000 (Darling, you drive me nuts with your limited vocabulary…but I love ya! Thanks for voting, guy!)

HiGh Pri3st (Funky new name. Anyway, thanks for reviewing, and for the birthday greeting! I know I don't update very fast, but what can I do? My life's a bit like a race these days!)

Moonlight path (I'm glad you enjoyed the different points of view! Let me know what you think of this chapter!)

KristiexxxNguyen (Hi! Let me know what you think of the Shikamaru and Ino update!)

Danny (Darling, I love you! You're so positive…and a person after my own heart! I love coffee! I won't drink it straight, but I adore starbucks! I'm so glad you consider me to be apart of your top ten list! And I certainly hope this hasn't dragged it down. It doesn't really have much suspense or drama, or a plot. It seems more like babbling to me now, but that's only because I'm rereading and replying reviews, and that always makes me feel awful about my latest update. I get really nervous, like I've just written this awful chapter. Its short, but a lot of thought went into the angle. Promise! Since a lot of people seem to like my grand ideas, I have a new one brewing, and its for Sasuke and Sakura again. I found the perfect CD to listen to while it's brewing, too! Let me know what you think of this chapter!)

Babykitty2070 (Maybe Sakura and Sasuke will take the stage next time! Vote, and let me know what you think of this chapter!)

animEvviErz (Thanks…I hoped I had gotten Neji and Tenten right! Let me know of your thoughts on this one too!)

Vote,

Review,

Love ya,

-IHearVoices