A/N: I saw Phantom of the Opera on Friday night and it was EXCELLENT. I'm a musical person, and I just can't live without music. Anyhow, are you actually lazy? It's just a click of a button to just "review" and tell me what you think of what I write. In order for me to become a better writer, I need honest feedback. So, please, review and tell me what you think and also some improvements that I need to make. I'm just going to tell you that I am not a person who gives flowery descriptions of the things around them, I focus on the dialogue because I feel that they are more "concrete" and that you get more input on the characters' feelings through the words they say. I don't know, maybe it's because I've been in Drama class for a long time. Let's move on. This is probably going to be one of the climaxes of the story, YOU'LL SEE! Haha, I have so much in store for you, twists and turns! Oh, you've gotta love it! I really do hope you'll review, or I'll take a break off from this story…for a year or more
Previously on Dangerously Sixteen: Kinky Sakura and Sasuke going at it.
Disclaimer: The characters that you have never heard of belong to me, and the ones that you have heard of belong to the sole creator of the series of Naruto. However, this story is copyrighted under my possession and should not be plagiarized at anytime and anywhere.
Title: Chapter 32
The sun had just risen, and the cool breezes danced with the trees in the neighborhood. Children have come out to play and cars drove by to their fated destinations.
It was morning, a priceless moment.
A sixteen-year-old blonde maneuvered in her bed, and embraced her pillow against the side of her face. She looked to her side and saw that her bedroom door was half opened.
"Good morning, angel," a man appeared in the frame of the doorway.
The blonde sat on the edge of her bed and greeted her father.
"Morning," Ino stretched her arms in the air and combed her hair with a hairbrush.
In a bedroom, clothes were scattered in the room. Bottles of alcohol lain on the carpet, and a few giggles escaped from the covers of the canopy bed.
Enclosed in a young man's arms, a pink-haired girl slowly opened her eyes to greet the morning day. She moved around and felt protective arms around her.
"Hm?" a muffled voice greeted her, as Sakura turned to see who it was.
"OH MY GOD!" Sakura shot up from her bed and grabbed the covers against her chest. She gazed at the raven-haired young man who was still asleep. He moved to his side and cuddled against the covers.
The girl looked around her room and realized that she had drank too much the night before; her clothes were dispersed on her bedroom floor with Sasuke's clothes.
"Did we just?" she thought to herself. Sakura looked down between the covers and gasped.
"Yes, we did!" she whispered.
Sakura felt as if her head was knocked out by a rock, she didn't feel well. She quickly sprinted to the bathroom and pulled up the toilet seat and let out her liquid waste from her mouth.
"Oh, shit!" Sakura slammed her hand on the toilet seat. She pulled her hair back and continued to regurgitate. In the bathroom, she could hear Sasuke moaning and moving around in her bed.
"Angel, I'm going to visit your mom in the hospital, are you sure you're going to be all right?" Ino's father embraced his daughter.
"I'll be fine," the blonde girl whispered.
Patting her on Ino's head, Mr. Yamanaka slowly strolled out of the bedroom. As Ino headed to her bathroom, she heard a few noises coming from her room.
She looked around her bed, and in the closet. Ino couldn't find anything.
The noises resumed, and Ino couldn't help but grin.
She walked to her bedroom window and steadily unlocked the window. Ino peered out from the open space and gazed at her visitor of the morning, down on her driveway.
"Good morning, babe!" Shikamaru sat on his motorcycle. Ino laughed as she saw the young man dressed in a casual white shirt, and black slacks.
"Is that what you're going to wear from now on?" Ino crossed her arms across her chest.
Turning off the ignition, Shikamaru stepped off the vehicle and walked up to the garage, and tilted his head up to see Ino. He held out his hands toward the window, and Shikamaru smiled.
"Do you want to go for a ride?" Shikamaru leaned against the seat.
Ino laughed and shook her head.
"I've got breakfast!" Shikamaru pulled out a bag with some breakfast he ordered.
Ino hesitated and bit her lip.
"Come on, just one breakfast with me," Shikamaru playfully waved the bag as if to lure Ino out of her bedroom window.
Ino said no and that she had breakfast downstairs.
"Not as good as what I have to offer you," the young man winked.
"Just one time," Ino clarified as she looked out her window. She quickly dressed up in her casual clothes and ran down the stairs. On the way to the door, she grabbed a light jacket and groomed herself quickly in front of an oval mirror near the foyer.
"I had a really good time, Naruto," Hinata whispered as Naruto helped her sneak back into her bedroom.
"I hope Neji's parents wouldn't mind that we came back in the morning," Naruto politely replied.
Holding him by the hands, Hinata shook her head. In front of the driveway, Naruto leaned in and cuddled his girlfriend around his arms and swung side to side.
"I don't want this to end," Naruto whispered as Hinata planted a kiss on his lips. The two felt a spark ignite between the touch of their lips.
The young blonde carefully stroked his thumb against Hinata's back. His fingers caressed the back of her blouse, and steadily waltzed under the top and glided against Hinata's soft skin.
"You're so soft," he playfully kissed her, "like silk and cotton candy," Naruto teasingly smelled her hair.
Feeling a surge of energy through her, Hinata threw her arms around Naruto's neck and pulled in for a more passionate situation. Her hands explored the features of his face, and Hinata rubbed her nose against his and whispered sweet words in his ear.
"I should've taken you back to my place," Naruto answered. His hands succumbed to their temptation and slid beneath the girl's skirt.
Hinata jumped and pulled away from the young man.
"I'm sorry, I just…I'm not ready," Hinata readjusted her shirt and skirt.
Taking a step forward, Naruto tried to slip her hands into Hinata's, however, she took a step back.
"I have to get inside, bye," Hinata quickly walked to the door, leaving Naruto alone in front of the Hyuga residence.
He felt the smooth curves of the bed comfortable, as he laid with his arms and legs spread open on the soft mattress. Sasuke opened his eyes and groaned as his eyes greeted the bright morning rays.
His hands moved to his side to feel Sakura's presence, but all he could feel were the covers and pillows. Sasuke rolled to his other side; Sakura wasn't there.
The raven-haired young man massaged his face with his hands and relaxed on the bed. Suddenly, he felt cold and dove inside the blanket and rested his head on the soft pillows.
All of a sudden, Sasuke gaped his eyes open as he felt the covers' soft texture rub against his skin. Soon he looked down inside the covers and realized that he was naked in Sakura's bed.
He later heard some noises in the bathroom.
"Sakura?" he called out to her from the bed. The noises of regurgitation and the toilet flushing were audible from the bedroom.
The toilet flushed, and Sakura appeared in the doorway dressed in her silk robe. Her hair was not combed and tangled from the night before.
"Hi," Sasuke greeted as Sakura lied beside him on the bed.
The two gazed at the silk covering of the canopy and lied in silence.
"Did you just throw up?" Sasuke asked.
Sakura lied still and nodded, "I had a bad hangover, thanks to your Vodka,"
"I thought you'd want something to drink, and just relax," Sasuke shrugged.
Sasuke shifted to his right side and saw Sakura in his full view. He could see that she wasn't looking at him, and still staring at the canopy.
"Sakura?" he waved his hands in front of her view.
The girl turned her head and gazed into his black orbs. A worried look was displayed upon her face.
"Last night," her broken voice worried Sasuke.
"What about last night?" Sasuke asked.
"You and I, well, we…" before she could finish, Sasuke completed the sentence for her.
"We did it, yes, I know," he answered.
He moved his hand across the covers and locked his fingers with Sakura's.
"Did you regret it?" he asked her.
Wrapped in her blanket, the pink-haired girl squeezed his hand. Sakura took in a deep breath and inclined her body against the young man and whispered in his ear.
"Did you…slip anything in my drink?"
Horrified, Sasuke shook his head.
"NO! Why would I do that?" Sasuke cried out.
"Shh!" Sakura hushed Sasuke as she placed her finger on his soft lips, "you're going to wake up my parents if your voice is going to be loud like that,"
Turning on the ignition, Shikamaru saw the door open, and Ino closed the door behind her. She rushed to the motorcycle, and greeted him.
"You look dashing as usual, my sweet," Shikamaru complimented her. He handed Ino a helmet as she hopped onto the bike and sat behind him.
As she placed her arms around his waist, Shikamaru held onto the handles and stepped on the pedal.
"I'm just joking, loser!" Sakura joked as she hooked her arms around Sasuke's neck, "and I didn't regret what we did, it was just surprising," her emerald eyes lit up.
A smile curled on his face, "I thought so, I'm good in bed, after all,"
"Oh, stop it!" Sakura wrestled with Sasuke on her bed.
The raven-haired girl carefully rotated the doorknob to let herself in. Slowly closing the door behind her, Hinata looked around the room and sighed.
Before she could move, a voice from behind a chair startled Hinata.
"Where were you?" the voice made Hinata turn around to see whom it was.
Letting out a breath of relief, Hinata was glad to see her cousin.
"Just out, no worries," Hinata casually laughed and placed her hand on the staircase and took a few steps up the stairs, but Neji stopped her.
"Where did you go?" Neji had a stern voice.
Surprised, Hinata didn't know where his questions came from. Ever since she and Naruto have been out together, Neji had been protective of her, maybe TOO protective.
"Neji, save the worries, I'm fine, Naruto and I just lost track of time," Hinata excused herself.
Not believing her, Neji moved closer to Hinata and placed his hands on Hinata to stop her from moving. His pale eyes bore into Hinata's and stared deeply at her. Hinata knew that he was thinking of something else.
"Neji, you're scaring me, what's the matter?" Hinata's eyes shone with worry.
"I don't want you to come back late, from now on, I want you to come home before midnight," Neji ordered.
"But…" Hinata couldn't finish.
"NO BUTS. I don't care if you and Naruto have a good time, I just want you home safely. And I know that Naruto is my friend, but he is a guy, and I know what guys think," Neji continued to lecture his cousin.
Rolling her eyes, Hinata resumed to walk up the stairs with Neji talking behind her.
"I don't want this happen again all right? Since my parents aren't home, I have to watch over you now," Neji crossed his arms across his chest and called out to Hinata.
A young blonde clutched her hands around Shikamaru's waist as he swerved the motorcycle to the left lane of the street. His shiny black hair was tied back as his dark shades glimmered in the broad daylight.
The vehicle cruised down the lane and circled a few neighborhoods before it reached its destination.
Shikamaru leaped off his motorcycle and assisted Ino with her helmet. Holding her hand, he grabbed their breakfast and led Ino inside his home.
"Where are we going? Your bedroom?" Ino was shocked when Shikamaru escorted her to his spacious bedroom.
For Ino's case, she has never been in his bedroom, but has been tempted a few times the past few years. The rooms that Ino has never been in were the foyer, living room, kitchen, dining room, and the bathroom; but never had she stepped foot in Shikamaru's bedroom or "love nest" as Shikamaru had called it.
As Shikamaru set the bag on his bed, he removed his leather jacket and hung it behind his door. Near the young man, Ino toured around the room, gazing at the posters of women dressed in seductive attires advertising for various products.
Across from the king-sized bed, Ino saw two windows beside each other, with dark satin curtains. Below was a small dresser with a picture frame, before Ino could move forward to take a good view of who was in the picture; Shikamaru grabbed the picture just in time.
"That's personal, babe," Shikamaru clasped the small portrait to his chest and placed it inside the drawer.
Pouting, Ino asked who was in the picture.
Shikamaru playfully winked and replied, "It is for me to know and for you to find out."
He made his way to the side of the bed and shifted to the other end of the bed. He held out a basket and waved it in Ino's face.
"Would you like some breakfast in bed?" Shikamaru patted his bed as if to motion Ino to sit beside him.
Crossing her arms on her chest, Ino threw back her long blonde hair. Her eyes shone with curiosity and wonder. Her thin rosy lips pressed together as the young girl hesitantly put her knee on Shikamaru's bedside.
"What are you waiting for? Let's eat," Shikamaru held out a cinnamon roll to Ino.
"Mr. Nara, are you trying to seduce me?" Ino playfully remarked.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and laughed. Instead of giving the roll to Ino, he took a bite from the pastry.
"Now that you mentioned it, it wouldn't be such a bad idea," Shikamaru chuckled as he licked some of the cinnamon powder on his fingers.
Horrified of what she had heard, Ino asked, "What?"
"The seducing question, you meant?" Shikamaru retrieved a carton of milk and drank from the opened slit.
Ino nodded and demanded an answer from him.
"You're an English student, I'll let you analyze it yourself," Shikamaru sighed and held out a banana toward Ino, "do you want a banana?"
The young girl scoffed and shook her head in defiance, "Actually, instead of me having it, why don't I just shove it up your ass!"
Their arms were tangled with each other, as their hair caressed each other's face. Their bodies moved against each other as Sakura tried to gain control of their hold on each other.
"Since when were you a good wrestler, Sakura?" Sasuke tightened his hold on Sakura's hands and landed on top of her.
Pushing him, Sakura was now on top of Sasuke with their hands locked together. A solitary strand of her hair landed on her nose, and Sakura blew it away from her face.
"Don't you know that I can be playful too?" she giggled.
Below her, Sasuke tilted his head and raised himself to Sakura's face. Their noses made contact and Sakura closed her eyes. Sasuke slowly parted his lips and Sakura inclined toward him slowly.
"Sakura? Are you all right in there?" a voice behind the door startled the teenagers.
Sakura's eyes gaped open and wide as Sasuke shot up from below her.
"Hold on, mom!" Sakura leapt from the bed and whispered Sasuke to be quiet.
"Sakura? Sakura? Are you all right? Is someone in there with you?" Mrs. Haruno knocked on the door.
Sasuke quickly put on his clothes as Sakura assisted in buttoning up his casual shirt.
"Yeah, I'm ok, and no one is here. I'm just doing something!" Sakura answered her mom as she made hand motions for Sasuke to leave her bedroom.
"Wait, my underwear!" Sasuke whispered but his voice came out a little too loud.
"Sakura? Someone is in there with you!" Mrs. Haruno turned the doorknob and knocked on the door. Luckily, Sakura locked the door the night before.
"No! The radio is just on!" Sakura ran to her radio and turned it on.
She ran to Sasuke, "What do you mean your underwear? Don't you have it on?"
Sasuke shook his head and looked under the bed. When he got up, he held up a pair of lacy panties; he blushed bright in his cheeks.
Sakura gasped and flushed crimson; she sprinted over to him and grabbed the undergarment away from him.
"Excuse me, that's mine!" Sakura was embarrassed.
"You're excused," Sasuke whistled at the sight of Sakura's bright panties.
"Now, help me find my boxers!" Sasuke looked near the dresser and near the foot of the bed.
"Sakura! Open the door!" Mrs. Haruno called out.
The radio still blared in the bedroom, and Sakura pulled Sasuke from the bed and led him to the sliding window.
As Sakura was talking to Sasuke, a manly voice greeted her bedroom door in a stern manner.
"SAKURA? THIS IS YOUR FATHER, OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!" Mr. Haruno slammed his fist against the door.
"That's my dad! Sasuke, get out of here or he'll kill you!" Sakura swiftly unlocked the window.
Sasuke put on his jacket, "But, what about my underwear?"
Ignoring him, Sakura said, "Just hurry up! I'll give it to you when I find it, now hurry! My dad is going to knock down the door any minute now!" She literally pushed the young man out onto her balcony.
Before he got off the balcony, Sasuke kissed Sakura goodbye and, "It was fun while it lasted…"
Sakura smiled and immediately shut the sliding window shut just when her father opened the door with the master key.
"Miss. Haruno Sakura, you had your mother and I worried!" Mr. Haruno addressed his daughter.
Moving away from the window, Sakura straightened her silk robe and hair, "Well, good morning to you Dad,"
"Was someone in the room with you?" Mrs. Haruno asked as she turned off the loud radio.
Sakura put her hands on her waist and shook her head.
"Honey, I swore I heard someone else in your room," Mrs. Haruno suspiciously asked.
Stifling a laugh, Sakura covered for herself, "If someone was in my room, don't you think that I would know? Don't worry, no one was here; you probably heard the DJ talking on the radio or something,"
"Hm," Mr. Haruno grunted. Dressed in his red cotton robe, the man walked across Sakura's bedroom as his daughter's eyes followed him.
"If someone wasn't in your room, Sakura, why don't you tell me what this is?" Mr. Haruno walked over to his daughter and held up a pair of boxers in her face.
Shit, Sakura thought to herself, her father had Sasuke's underwear.
Calm down and think of a lie, Sakura said to herself.
"This," Mr. Haruno held up the underwear in the air, "apparently does NOT belong to you Sakura,"
Without a notice, his daughter immediately snatched the undergarment from her father's hands.
"Daddy," Sakura expressed a childish voice, "I wear this in my sleep,"
Her father's eyes gawked wide open in astonishment and disbelief, and so did her mother.
Mr. Haruno cleared his throat and held his head as if he was hit by a huge rock. His pale green eyes throbbed with fear and shock.
Work it, Sakura, she thought to herself.
Taking a deep breath, Sakura replied in a confessing manner, "Well, you know how wearing some revealing underwear in my sleep makes me uncomfortable. I mean, the lace sometimes get caught between my--" before she could finish, her father played right into her hands and placed his hands on Sakura's shoulders and interrupted her.
"No, no more! I don't want to hear anymore!" Mr. Haruno couldn't bear the thought of seeing his daughter in THAT way. Shaking what his daughter had said out of his head, Mr. Haruno breathed deeply and closed his eyes for a moment.
After he recollected his thoughts, Mr. Haruno placed his hands back into his pockets on his red robe and readjusted his reading glasses and rubbed his chin.
"Put that away, those boxers disturb me so," Mr. Haruno ordered Sakura.
Listening to her father, Sakura flung the underwear beneath her bed, which sent her father to wince.
Mrs. Haruno still kept silent near the door, as she stood beside Sakura. The two women waited for the man of the house to speak.
"Besides all of what has happened this morning, I cannot help but say that I am quite perplexed," Mr. Haruno held his hands out to point out what disturbed him, "and you, Sakura!" when he mentioned her name, Sakura's face shot up facing forward, "Do not lock your bedroom door next time, and please, do not leave anything personal of yours lying around, it disturbs me, as your father and as a person living in the same house as you,"
"Yes, Dad," Sakura nodded.
Mr. Haruno scratched the stubbles on his cheek and lit a smile on his face, "On the lighter note, Sakura, I have good news for you!"
Blinking twice, Sakura couldn't think of what could be good news for her father; usually the good news for her father meant bad news for her.
The pink-haired girl looked beside her, and could see her mother's eyes flickered with uncertainty.
"What is the good news, Dad?" Sakura stroked the strands of her long wavy hair.
Mr. Haruno slowly ambled toward his daughter and his red matching slippers scuffled against the cotton-soft carpet.
"Last night, when you went to your room, I received an important phone call in my study room," Mr. Haruno answered, Sakura gazed into her father's eyes and could tell that something was wrong because his eyes twinkled with excitement.
"Sakura, your fiancé will be flying in next week," Mr. Haruno revealed the shocking news.
NOTE: I spent three days concocting this chapter. Please, review! Thanks.
In the midst of his living room, Naruto passed the wilting flowers his mother had asked him to water for the past few weeks she had gone away for a business trip.
With a phone gripped firmly in his hand, Naruto dialed Hinata's phone number and placed the phone to his ear to wait for the ringing tone.
The phone rang a few times, until a voice picked up on the other end of the line.
"Hello? May I speak to Hinata?" Naruto politely asked the voice.
"Is this Naruto?" the voice answered on the other end.
"Hey Neji, what's up?" Naruto recognized the familiar voice.
There was a click on the other end, and Naruto assumed that his friend hung up on him, but he didn't. There was the sound of cooking, and clanging of pots and pans.
"Hold on, I'm in the kitchen," Neji replied.
Awhile later, Naruto asked Neji if he could speak with Hinata.
"Where were you two last night?" all of a sudden, Neji played "Big Brother."
Surprised by the question, Naruto shrugged and said that he and Hinata had a casual drive-in movie.
"And?" Neji's voice made Naruto think that he was expecting more details on his late-night date with his cousin.
Naruto continued to talk about him driving her around the city and about him driving Hinata back to his place.
"WHAT?" Neji literally screamed on the other end of the phone.
"Relax, Neji. It's not what you think. She asked if she could see where I live. So I drove her to my place, the OUTSIDE of my place. I didn't invite her in, if you're wondering about that," Naruto countered Neji's reaction.
"What? No, it's no one. Wait, hold on Naruto," Neji seemed distracted by someone else on the phone, "What? No, it's not him. Now go back to sleep, you have bags under your eyes. No, don't get the phone! Hey!"
Naruto held onto the phone and overheard the conversation with Neji and someone else. He heard a muffled conversation and sooner or later someone else picked up the phone.
"Naruto?" a friendly voice calmed Naruto.
"Hey, can you talk, Hinata?" Naruto was unsure whether Neji allowed her to, it seemed that she was the one who was struggling with Neji for control of the phone.
"Yeah, but just for awhile. Neji is getting a bit upset," Hinata's voice was filled with disappointment, "did you say anything to upset him?"
Shocked, Naruto said no.
"Well, I have to go Naruto," Hinata's voice trailed off.
"No, wait! Hinata, please! Don't hang up!" Naruto called out, "Look, I'm sorry about what happened today, can we just talk about it?"
"How?" Hinata asked.
"How about lunch? My treat," Naruto suggested.
There was silence on the other end of the phone line.
"Shut up," Hinata whispered to someone on the other end, "I want to go, just let me go Neji," Naruto eavesdropped Hinata talking to Neji in the background.
"Hello, Naruto?" Hinata came back to the phone.
"I'm here," Naruto answered.
"Just lunch, and I need to come home right away," Hinata hastily replied.
"Ok, I'll pick you up around 11, ok?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah, I'm going to go now, bye," Hinata said.
"Ok…" before Naruto could say goodbye, Hinata hung up.
The young girl scoffed and shook her head in defiance, "Actually, instead of me having it, why don't I just shove it up your ass!"
Taken aback from what Ino said, Shikamaru put the fruit back into the basket and adjusted his position on his bed.
"What's with you this morning? All I asked was if you wanted a banana and then all of a sudden you want to shove it up my ass! God, why are you being so anal?" Shikamaru retorted.
Ino gave him a sour look, "You don't have respect for people, don't you? Oh wait a minute, you don't have respect for me!"
Shikamaru couldn't believe what he was hearing; he started to laugh.
Frustrated, Ino could feel her inner emotions begin to fume into anger.
"See? You're still that egocentric pompous asshole!" Ino put her hands up in the air as if she had known it all along.
The raven-haired young man stood up and towered over Ino by more than a head. His dark chocolate eyes sharpened with displeasure.
"Excuse me?" his voice deepened in a lower level that Ino had never heard.
"You're an English student, why don't YOU," Ino held up her fingers to quote, "analyze," and continued, "what I just told you, asshole?"
The young man's nostrils flared, and he ran his hands through his black mane and sneered.
"You are still the same, still the same, babe," Shikamaru gave an acknowledging look.
Ino lowered her eyebrows in anger, "Why don't you shut the hell up and take up my offer on that banana?"
Furious, Shikamaru took Ino by the hand and squeezed his grip on her wrist. Shocked by his action, Ino screamed but Shikamaru muffled her cry by placing his hand against her mouth.
Ino squirmed within Shikamaru's hold of her, she tried to scream but the young man's hand vacuumed every noise she made with his hand.
"Apologize," he said.
Ino feverishly shook her head in insubordination.
"Apologize!" Shikamaru's voice seethed with rage.
Ino raised her knee and hurt Shikamaru's most vulnerable place and Shikamaru coiled his body on the ground and crying out in pain.
"Just leave me alone, Shikamaru," Ino began to walk out of the door when Shikamaru stopped her.
"Walk out that door, you walk out on what we have," Shikamaru groaned as he held onto his knees.
Turning around, Ino bent down onto the carpet and faced Shikamaru.
Ino whispered, "What we have? Baby, we have NOTHING,"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "You think you know EVERYTHING, you think I'm a conceited asshole? Well, I think you are the most insecure and overly-sensitive blonde I have ever met!"
Ino pointed to herself in defense, "Hey! I am not just a blonde! I have SO much to offer someone, but I guess I wasted that time with you!"
The young man uncoiled his position and sat in front of Ino on the carpet.
"Excuse me! I happen to be a very decent guy, you were just too insecure to notice that!" Shikamaru pointed to his chest where the heart is.
"Oh, please! You don't know where the heart is," Ino spat her insult.
"Why don't you save us the trouble and just shut the fuck up?" Shikamaru snapped back.
Ino felt a tinge of hurt; she helped herself up from the floor.
"I don't have time for this," Ino started to walk toward the door.
"Ino, wait!" Shikamaru regretted what he had said. He slowly got up and walked over behind Ino and held his arms around her.
"Forget it, Shikamaru. You just don't understand, you will NEVER Understand, you never will," Ino let go of his arms.
Not giving up, Shikamaru grabbed for Ino's hand and stopped her from walking out the door.
"How will show you that I understand?" Shikamaru pulled Ino toward him.
"Just forget it," Ino looked away from him.
"What if I kissed you," Shikamaru saw Ino gaze at him again, "would that prove to you that I understand?"
Opening her mouth to reply, Ino couldn't find the correct words to say to him. Before she could utter some words, Shikamaru dived in and consumed Ino with a soft kiss.
As she felt the touch of his soft lips, Ino knew it was wrong. She pulled away from the kiss and wiped her lips with her hand.
"No," Ino shook her head as Shikamaru tenderly caressed her face, "this was a mistake,"
"Sakura, your fiancé will be flying in next week," Mr. Haruno revealed the shocking news.
"WHAT!" Sakura freaked.
Walking around Sakura's bedroom, Mr. Haruno shook his finger as if he knew what had happened.
Standing still, Sakura was trying to interpret what was going on in her father's mind.
"That boy, he was in your room, wasn't he?" Mr. Haruno caught his daughter.
"What? No! And, since when is he coming here? I told you that I don't want to get married now!" Sakura's voice was smothered with resentment.
"Sakura, I am your father! Don't you dare to lie to my face! And yes, as a matter of fact, he is coming to see you," Mr. Haruno was furious that his daughter had lied to him.
Shaking her head, Sakura pleaded, "Dad, forget the fiancé, just leave Sasuke alone! He did nothing wrong!"
Pacing around the room, Mr. Haruno ignored his wife's pleas to stop arguing.
"I told you that I don't want you seeing hima gain, do you remember the last time?" Mr. Haruno trigged a memory of Sakura's.
"Look, I know ok? But, he's different!" Sakura defended Sasuke.
"That's what you told your mother and me about all the other boys you've been with, and what do they do? They use you and then drop you as if you were last night's dinner and stomp on your heart!" Mr. Haruno yelled.
"They were jerks, Dad," Sakura tried not to raise her voice.
"Of course, they were! That's why I don't want you to repeat this mistake over and over again! That's why this fiancé of yours will be an exception, he will most certainly take care of you!" the man spoke of his feelings.
"Of course, so you can expand your fucking business! Dad, I am not a pawn for you to use in your whole monopolizing game!" Sakura defended her dignity.
"What do you expect me to do Sakura? You should be THANKFUL that you have a roof over your head!" Mr. Haruno bellowed in anger.
"You treat me like nothing!" Sakura felt a tear streak from her eye.
"Honey, can we just stop this?" Mrs. Haruno begged the two to stop arguing.
"Darling, could you please leave the room, I need to speak with Sakura alone," Mr. Haruno led his wife out of the room and locked the door behind him.
"Sakura…" Mr. Haruno tried to reason with his daughter.
"Leave me alone, you have no respect for me, you treat me like a pawn in your game!" Sakura couldn't believe that she had been blind to her father.
"NOTHING? Look at what you're wearing, Sakura! Look around you, the room! I was the one who paid to have your room remodeled. How about your car? I paid for that too! I paid for everything! YOU are the one who should be thankful!" Mr. Haruno lost his temper.
"Just shut up," Sakura crossed her arms across her chest.
"Don't you use that tone Sakura!" her father pointed a finger at Sakura.
"I am your daughter, at least pay me some respect!" Sakura walked toward her father and stared him deeply in the eyes.
"And I am your father! As long as you live under my roof, you are to abide by my rules!" Mr. Haruno ordered.
Walking away, Sakura retorted, "I'm not marrying that asshole,"
"HE is not an asshole, Sakura!" Mr. Haruno defended her fiancé.
"Every guy that you set me up with is a jerk, and greedy for money. They're copies of YOU!" Sakura could feel her feelings igniting in fury.
"No," Ino shook her head as Shikamaru tenderly caressed her face, "this was a mistake,"
Not letting her go, Shikamaru whispered, "Why are we even arguing?"
Moving away from him, Ino didn't understand, "What do you mean?"
The young man placed his hands behind his head, "It's not even worth it."
As always, Ino knew what to expect from Shikamaru. After all these years, he was still the same and has not changed one bit.
"Shut up," she replied as she leaned against the door.
Furious, Shikamaru pushed Ino up against the wall and pinned her hands to the wall.
"YOU, SHUT UP!" his words shook every fiber of Ino's body.
Thoughts swarmed in his mind as Shikamaru tried to think clearly. He balled his hands into two fists and slammed them against the wall as he surrounded Ino with his body so she couldn't move. When he smashed his hands against the wall, the after effect shivered Ino.
"Why?" Shikamaru cried out, "Why are you suddenly all pissed off at me? I did nothing!"
He didn't give Ino time to answer.
"God, you're too damn sensitive! Has anyone said that to you Ino?" Shikamaru confessed, "You are goddamn sensitive!"
Ino felt insulted by Shikamaru's words, "I am not sensitive!"
Massaging his face with his hands, Shikamaru thought of points to justify his argument, "Oh? Well, how about that time when you saw me hugging this girl?"
"I thought you liked her…" Ino shrugged.
"SHE WAS MY FUCKING COUSIN!" Shikamaru exclaimed.
"So I made a mistake, big deal!" Ino held her hands up in the air.
"And how about that time—" before Shikamaru could finish, Ino completed his sentence.
"JUST SHUT UP, SHIKAMARU! You don't even notice me!" Ino's voice quivered with misery.
"Yes, I do. You're in front of me right now," Shikamaru said indifferently.
"Remember Valentine's Day?" Ino triggered a memory.
"What about it?" Shikamaru sighed, "You and Naruto were too close back then,"
Ino couldn't believe her ears, Shikamaru was indeed too stubborn for his own good. His real self was four times as worse than her comments, because they were too true for her retorts.
"He helped me pick out a gift," Ino defended her friend.
"Like I said, you two were too close," Shikamaru apathetically answered.
"That gift was for you, asshole!" Ino cried out.
Rolling his eyes, Shikamaru replied, "Well, I didn't get it."
"Because you were surrounded by all of your fucking sluts!" Ino shot a revolting glare.
"HEY HEY HEY! They were decent girls!" Shikamaru defended his famous fan base at school.
Ino was amused by Shikamaru's words, and she laughed.
"Decent? They were wearing 4 inch stiletto heels and hooting at you whenever you would ride your oh-so-mighty motorcycle. Puh-lease, spare me," Ino turned tables in her eyes.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and finally pinpointed the real reason behind this argument.
"You're just jealous, Ino," he answered.
Ino was shocked at what he said and as a result, her anger began to detonate.
"ME? JEALOUS?" Ino ridiculed Shikamaru's remark.
Laughing, Shikamaru leaned closer toward Ino and whispered, "Yes, because you just can't stand the fact that I haven't fucked you yet…"
"Every guy that you set me up with is a jerk, and greedy for money. They're copies of YOU!" Sakura could feel her feelings igniting in fury.
"How dare you speak to me in that manner!" her father spat.
Rolling her eyes, Sakura walked over to her bed and sat on the edge, "Oh, I'm sorry, but you weren't there to raise me during those 16 fucking years!" Sakura sarcastically said.
"I was there," the man safeguarded himself.
"No, you weren't! Only mom was there for me," Sakura pointed at her father.
"What does your mother have to do with this?" Mr. Haruno was perplexed that Sakura brought his wife into this conversation.
"How about my first ballet concert? You called in late!" Sakura quarreled of her bittersweet memories, "and how about my dance concert? My friends were there with mom and you weren't even there! You just had to have an 'unexpected' flight to a country that I have never even heard of!"
"Even so, your grades were slipping, AGAIN!" Mr. Haruno fired back.
"My grades are none of your business," Sakura cooed with anger.
"I am your father, I make it my business!" Mr. Haruno placed his hands on his hips.
"Just fuck off," Sakura bickered, "you never was there for me!"
Shaking his head with dismay, Mr. Haruno answered, "Sakura, I was there. I made it up to you, I bought you a ticket for you and your mother to visit me on my business trip!"
Sakura slowly retrieved herself out of her canopy bed, "You were never there for me, Dad. It was only your money that was there for me," Sakura revealed, "Money can buy a lot of things in the world, but the best things in life are FREE!"
She then continued, "You can't buy respect and love, not even from me!"
Laughing, Shikamaru leaned closer toward Ino and whispered, "Yes, because you just can't stand the fact that I haven't fucked you yet…"
Ino kept her breaths short and brief. Just then, she irately swiped her hand against the young man's face.
"You are a disgusting excuse for being on Earth," Ino answered hoarsely.
Placing his hand on his cheek, Shikamaru stroked his fight cheek that still stung from Ino's slap.
"Ok, I didn't mean what I said," he backed off.
"Yes, you did!" Ino argued.
Putting up his hands up in the air as if to surrender, Shikamaru replied, "Fine, bad choice of words."
Ino pointed at him, "You, hurt my feelings!"
"SEE? You're too sensitive! Everything is too touchy for you!" Shikamaru couldn't put up with the girl's sensitivity.
"Because they matter to me," Ino defended herself.
"Since when did EVERYTHING matter to you?" Shikamaru interrogated her.
Ino wiped tears from her face and ignored him.
"And you're crying too?" Shikamaru cried out, "Oh please, is that what you do to make me pity you? When you're in an argument, you just have to TURN on the Waterworks and then the argument will just end?"
"Shut up!" Ino sniffled her tears.
"You always say 'shut up, Shikamaru' or 'you hurt my feelings, Shikamaru'!" the young man disputed.
"Because you have NO IDEA how it feels when someone hurts you!" Ino shed a few tears.
"I've had my fair share of that," Shikamaru tightened his voice.
"You know what?" Ino wept, "I don't have time for this,"
The young blonde opened the door but Shikamaru stopped her.
"You're leaving now? You always do that when we're arguing! Running away is not going to help," Shikamaru calmed his voice.
"It'll help me get away from you," Ino turned her head and looked at him and walked out of the door.
"You can't buy respect and love, not even from me!" Sakura cried.
"Honey? Sakura? Open the door!" Mrs. Haruno knocked on the bedroom door.
"Just keep out of this!" her husband called out to her from the inside.
"I demand that you open this door! Sakura!" Mrs. Haruno yelled as she knocked on the door again.
Listening to her mother, Sakura unlocked the door and let her mother in.
"Your mother is not involved in this conversation," Mr. Haruno began to become fed up.
"Honey, I could hear you and Sakura all the way from the entrance downstairs! Will you stop this?" Mrs. Haruno begged the two to stop arguing.
"Satoshi, please! Stop this argument!" she pleaded her husband.
The young teenager stepped aside from the slowly-heated argument between her father and her mother.
Mr. Haruno dashed toward the woman and for once, had a sincere expression in his eyes.
"Keiko, please, for your condition and health, please just stay out of this. This is between Sakura and me," he calmly tried to persuade his wife.
Mrs. Haruno did not agree with Sakura's father, "I am tired of this, and everything!" her voice shrilled.
Attempting to maintain his short temper, Mr. Haruno rested his hands on the slender and fragile shoulders of Mrs. Haruno. His light eyes gleaned against the reflection of the sliding window in Sakura's bedroom.
"We'll get through this my darling, I just need to work things out with your daughter," Mr. Haruno explained.
"She may be your daughter, but she is also mine! And as far as she is concerned, it is also my business," Mrs. Haruno continued to speak as Mr. Haruno opened his mouth to talk, "And I am your wife! I also deserve some respect in this house, also! I am tired of standing aside and doing nothing when all you do is to make matters worse!"
Standing near the wall, Sakura couldn't help but give a sympathizing smile for her mother; she knew that her mother was right, and her father was the one to aggravate issues.
"You need to calm down, my dear, " Mr. Haruno softened his hold on his wife, "Actually, I'll be downstairs in my study room, I'm going to cool off for a bit. Now, you rest yourself and regain some energy, and you," Mr. Haruno turned to his daughter, "We will continue this conversation later tonight during dinner!"
The man turned on his heel and his robe trailed behind him as he left the bedroom.
When the door closed behind him, Mrs. Haruno closed her eyes and puffed a sigh of relief. For a moment, she clutched her chest and placed her hand near her waist.
"Oh, Mom!" Sakura spread her arms and invited her mother for an embrace.
It's been awhile since Sakura had ever had a mother-daughter moment. Of course, her mother had always been there when she was young and until now. However, Sakura had never been so proud of her mother than she is now.
"Your father wants you to be married so badly, Sakura," Mrs. Haruno wiped her daughter's tears and stroked Sakura's chin.
"I'm only 16!" Sakura remarked as if to remind her mother of the fact that she was too young to marry.
"It's ok Sakura, I know that you don't," Mrs. Haruno comforted her daughter.
The pink-haired girl rested her head on her mother's shoulder.
"He just won't listen, why?" Sakura questioned her father's arrogance.
Her mother groomed Sakura's hair, "Your father is a very selfish man,"
The young teenager twitched her nose and tried to hold back her warm tears. Her damp eyes shimmered as a few drops of tears trickled down.
"Why did you marry him?" Sakura asked.
Mrs. Haruno hesitated to answer and took a brief moment to contemplate her answer.
A few seconds later, Mrs. Haruno answered her daughter, "I loved him."
"Do you still?" Sakura continued to inquire information.
"Not," her mother kissed Sakura's forehead, "when he treats you like this,"
"Mom, I'm not going to marry some guy that I don't even know," Sakura tightened her hug.
"Then don't," Sakura's mother replied.
"Dad won't listen to me," Sakura disapproved.
"He will, your father will come around," Mrs. Haruno tried to switch the subject, "Let's not talk about this. It's almost lunch; do you want anything to eat? I can get the chef to make something for you,"
"It's ok, I'm not hungry anymore," she softly answered and pulled away from her mother.
"You're leaving now? You always do that when we're arguing! Running away is not going to help," Shikamaru calmed his voice.
"It'll help me get away from you," Ino turned her head and looked at him and walked out of the door.
Shikamaru thought to himself that when it came down to girls, he usually mess things up. Of course, Ino was a difficult girl for him to deal with. Nearly every conversation the two would have, it would always end up in some sort of argument.
"Where do you think you're going?" Shikamaru took a few steps forward.
"I told you, I'm going away from you," Ino coldly rejoined.
"Don't tell me that you're going to go crying over to Naruto!" Shikamaru commented as if he could predict any move that Ino would make.
Ino slammed the door against the wall, leaving it wide open. She wiped her tears off her face and inhaled a few breaths to collect her thoughts.
"Why are you always mentioning him? He has nothing to do with this!" Ino defended her friend.
"Well, for one thing: you two used to date," Shikamaru pointed out.
"So?" Ino gave a sour look, "That doesn't mean that he and I still like each other, we're just friends,"
There was silence between them, and the sound of cars outside was audible in the bedroom.
The young man scuffled his shoes against the floor and placed his hands in his pocket. Staring down at his shoes as if he were a little boy.
Fed up with the silence, Ino began to walk out of the bedroom, and she approached the railing. She placed her hand at the of the stairs and glanced back behind her. Before she could step down the stairs, Shikamaru stopped her.
"Do you?" Shikamaru tilted his head up.
"Do I what?" Ino took a single step down the stairs.
"Do you still like him?" Shikamaru ambled toward her.
Now, the two of them are at the top of the stairs.
"He's going out with Hinata," Ino expressed the facts.
"So?" Shikamaru shrugged. Just because two people are in a relationship, does not necessarily mean that they are off-limits to other people, Shikamaru thought to himself.
"Oh, don't tell me. You like Hinata?" Ino guessed at where this conversation was leading to.
"No!" Shikamaru conveyed a disgusted face, "No offense,"
"Exactly, so leave me alone!" Ino must've said those words a lot of times during their argument.
"That was random! Why, Hinata?" Shikamaru followed the young blonde, "She's not even my type!"
Turning around, Ino momentarily gazed at him.
"Then what is your type?" she was waiting for his answer.
Amused by her question, Shikamaru rubbed his chin and thought deeply. Ino became agitated as she had to wait for the young man to answer.
"She has to have a good body, and I could always go for a good looking chick," Shikamaru smiled to himself.
"Shut up," Ino turned around the stepped down the stairs.
Following her, Shikamaru was perplexed by her answer, "What? You wanted my answer,"
Ino continued to walk down the stairs, "And your answer is so typical. You are superficial! I can't believe that I actually…" before she could finish, Ino decided to stop. She started to reach the bottom of the stairs. Ino headed into the living room with Shikamaru going after her.
"You actually what?" Shikamaru continued.
"Nothing!" Ino ignored him.
"Tell me!" Shikamaru grabbed Ino's hand and drew her body in closer to him.
"No," Ino tried to pull away from his hold.
"Just tell me," Shikamaru lowered his voice and Ino thought for once that he sounded sincere.
"No," Ino shook her head, "Just let me go!"
"Just say it!" Shikamaru raised his voice.
"Say what?" Ino didn't understand.
"Just say, what you want to say!" Shikamaru wanted everything on the table, "Let's just confess, just say what you want to say, and have everything out in the open!"
"No, I'm leaving!" Ino released herself from Shikamaru's grip and ran toward the door but the young man was too fast for her and stopped her.
"Why are you leaving us?" Shikamaru held Ino's waist.
"We were never in a relationship, Shikamaru!" Ino retorted.
"Baby, now that's cold," Shikamaru caressed Ino's slim waist.
"Goodbye, Shikamaru," Ino opened the door and quickly ran away from Shikamaru.
Running toward the driveway, Shikamaru stopped to turn around. He couldn't see Ino but when he turned to his left, he saw her running down the sidewalk.
"Ino, wait!" he cried out to her as cars passed by.
A/N: Review, please?.