Here is Shikamaru's POV on the first story about Ino for her birthday. I hope that you like his point of view on their birthdays. Again, I apologize that they are not on the correct days. I hope to catch up soon. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.
Her (Shikamaru's POV)
Ino Yamanaka, only one of the most troublesome women I have ever met. Even if she is troublesome to me sometimes, I can't help but feel that she is this puzzle that I want to solve. I know that she had been loud and always had been screeching orders to me and Chouji when we were Genin, most of the time, I can tune her out. But despite that, I know that I can trust her with my life if needed. She was someone, besides Chouji that I grew up with since our fathers were in a team together. But lately, my feelings towards her seemed to change when I was first promoted to Chūnin. She had helped comfort me when I had told her of my failure in my first mission as leader. I had started to cry again, but she had surprised me by hugging me tightly and let me cry. After that, I had these feelings for her that continued to grow until I realized, I was in love with her. I knew that I couldn't keep these feelings inside from her for much longer. So, I had decided to tell her how I feel past midnight on her birthday.
Shikamaru's Birthday
He was walking with Ino, going towards Chouji's house but he didn't expect what he would find when the door opened.
"Chouji, you have the flu?" He heard Ino ask in worry.
Chouji looked horrible, his eyes were watery, his skin, a sickly pale color and his nose was red.
Chouji nodded his head and replied, "Yeah, I'm sorry I can't come with you guys to eat. But I have both of your presents so here."
He handed them two wrapped parcels, one had green wrapping paper with blue stripes for Shikamaru, while the other was handed to Ino with purple paper and light purple polka dots.
Then Chouji said, "You just go along without me and celebrate without me. I'll be fibe."
Shikamaru chuckled and Ino let out a laugh and replied, "I hope so, now off to bed with you."
Ino didn't notice but before they left Chouji's front door, Chouji had mouthed to Shikamaru, "Good luck."
Shikamaru smiled appreciatively but he can't help but feel that Chouji has too much confidence in him when he admittedly doesn't have much confidence in himself. In reality, he was apprehensive because he remembered that they usually celebrated their birthdays together with friends and family. But since their friends had other clean-up projects to do for the village after Pain's attack and their parents were helping with other matters. Their parents suggested that just he, Ino and Chouji celebrate together at a different restaurant but Chouji has the flu, so it's just them alone. He was planning to show Ino a place that he had stumbled on weeks before and then there, he would tell her how he felt. He looked over at her and noticed that she was silent the whole time they were walking.
So he asked her, "Ino, are you okay?"
She seemed to be snapping out of her thoughts to him and then replied, "I'm fine, I just had a lot on my mind. I mean there is still a lot rebuilding to do."
Shikamaru nodded in agreement as he took in their surroundings, people at work constructing new buildings for the ones that they lost and replied, "Yeah, Pain had nearly decimated the whole village and a lot of people were initially killed. It's unbelievable that they were all revived."
"Yes, it was thanks to Naruto that Pain was defeated," Ino commented.
Then he heard her murmur, "I was really worried about you..."
Shikamaru had looked at her again but this time in surprise, he never thought that Ino would admit that. Ino turned to him and he watched as a small blush on her cheeks. And then he asked her, "You were?"
Shikamaru watched Ino nod her head and then she confirmed her statement, "Yes I was, and I'm glad that you only had a broken leg."
He saw her turn her head away from him and saw that the blush on her cheeks had intensified slightly. To break the silence between them, he figured that he should be honest as well.
So he admitted, "I was worried about you too."
Ino looked up at him and it made him glance away for a minute but then he looked down at her again. Ino smiled up at him and he swears that his face got hotter.
Then she asked him, "Really?"
Shikamaru replied, "Yes, and I'm glad that weren't hurt at all."
"Thank you, Shika," Ino said to him as she gave him one of her smiles that seemed to seize around his heart.
He nodded his head and then they continued to walk through the village. Until she asked him, "Where do you think we should go to eat?"
Shikamaru had personally wanted something different besides barbeque so he answered, "Does sushi sound okay to you?"
Ino nodded her head and then they went to one sushi place that had been rebuilt. They had ordered their food after getting a table at a booth. Their conversations had been about the village and what their friends had been doing recently. For Shikamaru, it started to be a pleasant dinner with Ino since this was the first time that they were alone together.
"Almost like a date," Shikamaru mused. But then subtly shook his head as if that would get the thought out of his head. Between bites he would glance at her and then take in her appearance.
"She really is beautiful," Shikamaru thought.
Her sky-blue eyes always were more expressive than his were. They would have a fire within them when she was excited or angry. He also has seen them have a sparkle in them when she is happy. Her platinum blonde hair always was always put up in a ponytail with it flowing down her back ending past her waist. He often wondered if her hair was as soft as it looked, of course, he had never admitted to wanting to run his fingers through her hair to anyone. He also admits that her body seemed to be perfect with curves that girls would kill for. But what he really liked were her smiles. She could light up a room with her bright smile, and he always made it his personal mission to always make her smile, including with doing trivial tasks that she asks of him.
He saw that she seemed to be spacing out or that she might have been staring at him. But he had decided to see what was wrong with her.
"Ino, are you sure you're okay?" Shikamaru asked her.
He noticed that she seemed nervous because she answered hastily, "Yes, I'm fine, really. Now what were you saying before?"
Shikamaru raised his eyebrow at that and explained, "I didn't say anything, Ino."
Now Shikamaru really started to worry because she always is the one to be speaking, not him so he asked again, "Are you sure you're okay, Ino? Your face is red."
He brought his hand across the table and put it on her forehead and asked, "Did you catch Chouji's flu?"
She gently pulled his hand away and answered him, "I'm okay, really. I was just thinking of something else. But thank you for your concern."
Shikamaru was a little skeptical but then he shrugged his shoulders and continued eating his sushi. But he still kept an eye on her just in case she did seem feverish.
After a little while, Ino playfully said to him, "I think now is the time for you to open your presents, Shika."
Shikamaru chuckled at her playfulness before he started to open Chouji's present first. It seemed a little weird to their parents and friends but it was Ino's idea that they open each other's present a few minutes before midnight. It was when they both had turned seven years old, but Shikamaru really didn't mind so much because he liked to think that this was a tradition that he only shares with Ino.
Shikamaru opened Chouji's present and to his surprise in the small parcel was surprisingly a large wad of ryo. Shikamaru complied to read the note Chouji left inside by pulling it out and he read it aloud.
After reading it, Ino commented playfully about the money, "It's about time that he paid you back."
The she asked him, "What did you receive from your parents?"
Shikamaru agreed with her about Chouji owing him while he put some of the money back into his wallet and left some out to pay for the bill for their meals. Then he answered her question, "A new shogi board game, since our original one was destroyed in the attack."
Then Shikamaru said to her, "Your turn Ino, you have to open yours."
Ino then brought Chouji's present out and proceeded to unwrap it. When he watched her open the box, she gasped as she saw a small handheld mirror that looked ornate and had delicate designs on the back of it.
"Wow, this looks really nice," Ino said as she looked at the mirror and it was the right size to see her whole face and it looked to him that she loved how the mirror looked. She read the note from Chouji and it said:
Ino,
I thought you would like this mirror. It was from a nearby market village but it is very nice because it was originally made in Kusagakure. I hope that you like it. Happy Birthday, Ino!
Chouji
He saw her smile and then smiled as well because she liked her present. Then later, they left the restaurant and started to walk around the village. And he noticed that it was close to midnight so he thought that it would be good time as any to show her his surprise. Then Shikamaru gripped onto her hand and then pulled her with him.
He heard her inquire, "Where are you taking me Shika?"
He only answered, "You'll see."
He continued to walk until he led her into the forest outside of the gates. He was sure of the path to take because he had always taken this path many times. He kept his grip on her hand but made sure that it didn't hurt her. Then he led her to the cave that he always went through and cracked a glow stick to light their way.
The he said to her, "When we get to the other end of this cave, close your eyes before we get out."
"Why?" Ino asked him.
Shikamaru looked back at her and explained, "It's a surprise."
He saw her nod her head in understanding and continued to lead her through the cave. When he saw the exit ahead of him, he requested her, "Close your eyes, Ino."
When he made sure that her eyes were closed, he placed his hands on her shoulders and then he slowly walked her out of the cave. When they were outside, Ino asked him, "Can I open my eyes now?"
He answered, "Sure, open them."
He watched as she opened her eyes and then he heard her gasp because of the beautiful field of wildflowers surrounding a lake that is perfectly clear with the moonlight reflecting off of the surface, a place that he believed she would love.
Ino turned back to him with a smile on her face and asked him, "How did you find this place?"
He shrugged his shoulders and then answered her, "I was just looking for some place to be by myself and I stumbled upon it in the forest."
"But why show it to me?" Ino asked him.
"Because I wanted to and I thought that it could be a secret place for both of us…" Shikamaru trailed off in embarrassment.
He knew he was blushing because he felt a little warm on his face. Then he saw one of her smiles that made her eyes seem to sparkle again. And then he watched her walk up to him and then he was surprised that she was hugging him tightly with her arms around his neck. He had flinched for a minute but then he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist and he couldn't help but think that she felt soft.
Then he heard her whisper in his ear, "Thank you for sharing your secret place with me.
He gave a half-smile in return and replied, "Your welcome."
Then Ino said to him, "Shikamaru, now you have to open my present before it gets past midnight."
Shikamaru nodded at her as he brought out the small present that Ino gave him earlier and then he slowly opened it. After he tore the paper off the box, he opened the lid of a blue velvet box and was pleasantly surprised to reveal a silver pendant that had looked like the Nara symbol on a silver chain.
He listened to Ino explain, "I thought that it would look nice on you and you can hide it under your shirt if you don't want to show it to others."
Shikamaru then smiled down at her and then said to her, "Thank you, Ino. I really like it."
Then he put the box and paper in his pocket and then put the chain around his neck and fastened it. The pendant caught the light of the moon and it reflected the light, making it seem to light up against his black sweater. He really did like the necklace, because he had thought that it did look nice.
Ino smiled in contentment at him and then exclaimed, "Happy Birthday, Shika!" Then she brought out her present from him that she received from him earlier.
Shikamaru waited for a minute before he knew that it was midnight and then said to her, "Happy Birthday, Ino."
He watched as she started to tear the paper off of it slowly, and he was anxious if she would like the present she got for her.
He watched her stare at her present before she opened the purple velvet box. Then he saw her gasp at what was inside. It was a silver locket with sapphires on the front of it and matching sapphire earrings. He had a feeling of relief when he saw her looking at them in awe and then she smiled at him, then she hugged him tightly once again.
He heard her whisper in his ear, "Thank you so much, Shika. They're beautiful."
He watched as she had brought out the locket and then he took the locket out of her hands.
"Allow me, Ino," Shikamaru whispered.
Ino nodded while she brushed her hair away from her neck and then he had brushed the skin of the back of her neck which to him, felt soft.
Then he whispered again, "Look inside the locket."
Shikamaru watched Ino open the locket to reveal an old picture of them when they were little kids on one side and then another one of them that had been taken when they turned fifteen. Now they were both seventeen.
Then he said, "I have one more thing to say."
He gathered his courage and leaned down to where his lips were a mere inch from hers, and he looked into her eyes.
He whispered to her, "I love you, Ino."
He brought his lips to hers and he felt her stiffen; he was a little worried that she may pull away but then was relieved when she gave into his kiss and returned it enthusiastically. When air was needed, they pulled away from each other and gazed at each other with half-lidded eyes.
Then he saw Ino smile widely up at him and it stunned him because of how beautiful it is.
He heard her whisper, "I love you too, Shika."
He was surprised but then he felt his lips twitch upwards because he couldn't believe that the girl he loves, loves him too. Then he felt her wrap her arms around his neck and he was brought down for another kiss, while he felt her smile into the kiss.
He felt that this was right, Ino in his arms, and so help him as long as he lived, he would never let her go.
I hope that you liked it. The next prompt is: Childhood Memories. Please feel free to leave a review.