A/N: I guess the first thing I have to say here is an apology! Sorry to keep you guys waiting! Too much things happened lately and i couldn't force myself i write this chappie! this chapter is mostly Shikamaru and Ino fluff! Hope you'll like it! Enjoy!
Chapter 11: Midnight Dances
Shikamaru wandered alone on the empty street right after he figured out what went wrong. Troublesome. He massaged his temples, hoping the exhaustion would disappear until he explained to the girl the actual scenario. He couldn't just let her think the wrong way for the whole night. He was going to tell her the truth. The truth that he loved her and only her. But this thought struck him hard in the heart. What if she doesn't love me the same way I do? The boy tucked his hands deep into his pockets and sighed. What if she doesn't even let me see her?
The shadow boy shook his head dumbly, cursing himself for assuming the worst. He finally reached her home. The lights were all turned off. The darkness made the boy wondered where Ino went to in this hour of a night. Shikamaru jumped onto the tree branch, which was directly in front of the window of the girl's room. Her window was opened but the thin curtain was closed. Carefully and quietly, he landed onto her windowsill. He pushed the curtain aside and peeked into her room.
The girl was tucked inside the blanket with her back facing him. Shikamaru let out a relieved sigh, knowing that she was in the house instead of somewhere else. He let the wind blew on him until he finally made up his mind and stepped into her bedroom silently. It had been years since he came into her bedroom again. Yet, everything was almost the same. The picture frames were placed on her clean desk and there were stuffed dolls set on top of each shelves.
Shikamaru allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness before he walked to the side of the bed. Ino's fists were gripping tightly onto the pillow and her blonde hair covered half of her face. As well, he noticed how the tissue papers were scattered onto the floor. Ino, were you- his heart ached for a moment when he thought about her crying in her sleep and having no one to comfort her when she did.
He squatted down next to the bed and stared at her. The moonlight shone onto her peaceful form. Ino. He raised a finger to her level, running it through her hair and brushing away the trands that fell onto her face. It was then when he noticed the tearmarks on her face and her eyes that were looking at him.
- - - - -
"I am going to be all right," that was what she said to Chouji before the fat boy left the house. Seriously, she thought she was going to be fine by herself. She thought that painful scene would leave her head. It didn't. Then, she thought that taking a warm shower and brushing her hair with her favorite shampoo would cure her. It didn't. At this moment, all she could do was forcing herself to sleep with both anger and jealousy mixed in her emotions.
Ino buried her face deep into the soft pillows. Her legs were tangled with the blanket, making her warm and comfortable. She hated it when she was defeated completely by love; she hated it when she was crying over for love. She kept her eyes opened and stared into the darkness. The memory taunted her, pained her. She sighed out. She didn't want to sob out. That made her weak and girly. But no matter how strong she wanted to act, tears were starting to form in the corner of her blue eyes.
"Stop crying, Ino," she wiped the tears away and mumbled to herself. Taking a deep breath and squeezing the fabric of her pillow, she managed to stop herself from crying. The room was filled with complete silent after a moment. She loved that kind of envoirment. Surprisingly, the silence made her felt protected and secured. However, suddenly, out of nowhere, she heard a quiet thud.
Maybe it was just a cat. Ino convinced herself to feel that way even when she felt that Shikamaru, the person who hurt her, was nearby. She started to grow more uncomfortable each minute. She felt like someone was standing very close to her and looking at her 'sleeping' face. Ino bit her lower lips and took another chunk of cold air into her lungs. Slowly, she opened her watery eyes and noticed Shikamaru was in front of her, brushing her hair away from her face.
- - - - -
There was an awkward silence between the two teenagers, either of them blinked or talked. It was Shikamaru was broke the moment by withdrawning his hand from her face. Ino, as well, turned away from him and pushed herself up into a sitting position. The girl moved the blanket away from her legs and stepped onto the cold floor.
She stood directly in front of him, not even aware how close their bodies stood, "what are you doing here?"
Shikamaru took few steps backward, avoiding intimacy between them, "there is something I want to tell you," he looked at her, bowing down his head, "Ino, there is something I want to clear up and explain about what just happened, what you just saw."
"I don't think there's anything you can say," Ino stared at him, flashing him her watery, yet angry, eyes, "I saw everything. You think I am stupid enough to believe what you say and not my own eyes?"
He reached out for her shaky hand, "Ino, please let me explain. It is not what you-"
The girl slapped his hand away from hers and yelled out, "Don't tell me she forced you into that situation!" she turned away, fighting hard to hold back her tears. There's no way that I am showing that I am weak. "You may be a genius. But I am not that stupid, Shikamaru! Guys are just-"
"Please, give me at least a chance to explain myself, to make you-" The girl walked past him, storming for the closed door.
"Get the heck out of my room!" Ino held onto the doorknob tightly as she swung the door opened, "get out of my house!"
Shikamaru rushed toward the door, slamming it shut, causing a loud, painful thud, "Why do you always have to be so troublesome and never listen what I have to say?" he grabbed her tiny wrist into his big palm, pushing her to the wall behind her, "why do you always have to think yourself is right and others aren't!"
Ino struggled under his grip and tears uncontrollably burst out, "Of course I am troublesome compare to her! Of course you will look at me as a troublesome, annyoing, girly, weak, stupid, unreasonable creature!" she pushed his hand away and escaped from the corner.
Shikamaru turned around and looked at her, "Ino, I never thought you-" he scratched his head helplessly. He hated dealing with a girl's tears, especially the girl he loved. Now what? A part of him wanted to say good night and that he would drop by another time. Another part of him wanted to stay and see her smile again. Lord, women are so troublesome. "Ino, please listen."
"Go away!" Ino yelled at him, wiping the streaming tears. She moved backward, hoping to get away from him, until her back hit the wall, "I don't want to listen to someone who is not...the same anymore!" She choked on her words, "Go away! Get out of my sight, Shikamaru!"
"Ino, you don't mean that," the boy held her arms and spoke with a gentle tone, "please don't cry, Ino."
"You have no idea how much you hurt me, Shikamaru," Ino squeezed her eyes shut, not caring how ugly she might be looking at the moment, "You don't know what you've done to me... by kissing... that woman like that in the public. You have no idea."
"I know I hurt you, I do," his hands reached for her cheeks, making her look at him, "but I also pain me to see you cry." He used his thumb to wipe the tears away from her eyes.
"Shikamaru?" Ino looked at him and admired how gentle he looked under the peaceful moonlight. Did I just feel...she bit her lower lips. Did I just feel love?
"Please let me do this right," Shikamaru whispered out the words before his face moved in closer to hers.
Then, the moment they've been waiting for finally happened, the moment when his lips touched hers.
- - - - -
"Don't touch me!" Temari slapped his brother's hand away.
Kankuro helplessly stood in front of his mad sister and asked again, "what happened? I thought the mission went well!"
The woman opened the closet, throwing every piece of her clothes into a huge suitcase, "I don't care about whether or not this stupid mission is successful or what so ever, not anymore!" after she packed up her clothes, she started to move towards to the shelves where she kept her scrolls of seals.
"Temari, just where are you planning to go with this huge case?"
"I don't care!" She stuffed everything in roughly and tried to shut the case closed, "Just anywhere as long as I am out of Konoha and this stupid place!" Just anywhere I can't see him or see her. She tucked her loose hair behind her ears and kicked the case hard, "why doesn't this stupid thing close!"
"Temari," suddenly, there was this cold voice calling out her name by the door of her bedroom. She calmed herself down immediately and looked up to her youngest and strongest brother. Gaara was standing by the door with his arms crossed over his chest and his light green staring at her suitcase.
"Gaara," the woman rose up from her spot but looked away.
"What are you doing?" The red hair boy walked into the room.
Temari took a deep breath into her lungs and answered, "we are going back to the Sand tomorrow, is it all right for you?"
Gaara looked at his sister. When he saw the determination from her eyes, he sighed and nodded slightly, "Hn."
"Gaara!" Kankuro looked at the boy and looked back at his sister, "Temari!"
"Just get a good sleep tonight, Kankuro," Temari calmly spoke as she headed for her bed, "we're going to have a long day tomorrow."
Kankuro wanted to ask more, so much more. Yet, he didn't know where to begin. For the time being, he guessed he had no choice but to leave his sister the way she wanted to be. He closed the door and switched off the light, "good night, Temari," Guess he just had to dig out the truth by himself.
- - - - -
This is not exactly thought it would be. It didn't expect it to feel so good. Ino closed her eyes for her own enjoyment. Never in her life had she thought she would be kissing her best friend, her teammate and her lover. She just couldn't get enough of the softness and sweetness of his lips. Her hands traveled around his board shoulders, pulling him closer to her.
It was Shikamaru who pulled away first. Ino looked at him and his blushing face. He tucked his hands into his pockets and stared at the wooden floor.
Ino smiled sweetly at him and asked jokingly, "isn't there suppose to be something that you should tell me after you kissed me like that?"
The boy looked up for a second but lowered his head as soon as he did. He rubbed the back of his neck and blushed harder, "I am never good at expressing myself with words. So I just thought you will understand what I am really trying to tell you, what I am really trying to prove to you."
"I love you," Ino confessed sweetly to him.
Shikamaru looked stunned for a moment before he raised an eyebrow and asked, "what?"
Ino pouted and placed her hands onto her hips, "I guess you are really awful at words, eh?" The girl leaned in closer to him and touched his cheek with her hand, "maybe i should express my words with actions too from now on," with that, she kissed him again.
Their lips touched ever so gently. Slowly, she placed her hands on the nape of his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. He, as well, held onto her waist and pushed her against the wall behind her. He could faintly hear her whispering his name and smiling between the kiss. Troublesome. Shikamaru licked her closed lips, begging for entrance. Then, she giggled again as she parted her lips to welcome his hungry tongue.
Then, after that very moment, Ino's hand left his neck and started to move down to his vest. She began to unzip it and slid it off of his broad shoulder. It was then she heard his chuckled softly. The girl pushed him gently away and stared at him with her blue eyes, "what?"
Shikamaru turned to her with his smile curved up slightly, "don't you think you are a little bit- too hungry?"
She blushed and pouted like a child who was caught stealing cookies from the jar, "Shikamaru-"
"Hn?" he kissed her lightly on the forehead.
Ino blushed in bright red and asked in almost a whisper, "do you want to spent the night here...with me?"
The boy looked shocked for a split second but soon gave her a warm smile, "what do you think?" Then, he claimed her lips again.
Yes, maybe there would be some explaining he had to do tomorrow morning about the Temari matter, but that's for tomorrow.
Tonight was theirs and theirs alone.
End of Chapter 11
A/N: Sorry for this delayed chapter! i got this typed out long ago, but my computer went a little bit crazy and deleted everything i wrote. A huge apology for keeping you guys and girls waiting! my apology! anyways, i am thinking about ending this story in the next chapter. hehe! hope you enjoyed this fluffy chapter i wrote! and please forgive me about all those grammar and stupid mistakes i made! haha, im never that kinda of writer who likes to read things over! hehe sorry sorry!