the mighty mighty m – OMG stop reading my mind! You might be figuring out too much for your own good! GEEZ, read my note (I wrote it before I read your review)
suzako – I just try not to be a hypocrite because I always find myself correcting other people's grammar but never my own. I'm sad you were expecting the fetus.
Elsie-Neechan – really? Neato.
tomboy14 – why would it be someone else's?
Cookbook24 – you make me smile.
ArAshiMitArAshi – Fwee
Hlomondodeli Majoribanks – I'll try just for you.
Flaming Beauty – Sorry, I think this is the longest I've made you wait yet.
BUT ON TO MY NOTES
I am really glad at how you guys took that pregnancy, honestly I thought it was a little cliché but at the same time Ino and Shikamaru were supposed to have been married long enough that a child would have been expected. Hey, who am I to rob a story of a little drama? I still don't know how I am going to end it, but I know what its leaning to (AND YOU DON'T!) I plan on doing more flashbacks to happier days between the couple too, of course from Ino's perspective (if you haven't caught on, this is all kind of in Ino's perspective). And in this chapter her anger is finally going to come out and the old pushy Ino we know and love is going to come out – just a little bit of a spoiler for you. Also you can take a little peak at some Sai/Sakura love!!
(It's a short one I know!)
Disclaimer: is in the first chapter
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"Are you sure?"
"What else could it be, Sakura?" Ino had explained the entire situation to Sakura, but unlike what she had expected, Sakura seemed skeptical. "I don't know, but doesn't it seem kind of – I don't know – out of character for him?"
"Doesn't all of this seem out of character for him!?" Ino pressed, stubborn – had she thought wrong of Shikamaru?
Sakura shrugged, "You know the only way you are going to get out of this is talking to him, you should just go home and get it over with."
"How can you possibly know that's the right thing to do? Sai hasn't ever cheated on you before!" Ino held her tea tighter, unable to cope with Sakura being so damn smart all the time.
"No, never – though once we were sparring and – "
"Sai she doesn't mean it like cheating in a game – what are you doing coming back?" The man had walked through the entryway silently and must have overheard their conversation.
"He asked me to get some herbs from you for some…minor…wounds from our training earlier today" he watched Sakura steadily as the pink haired woman searched through some cabinets near the sink.
"You didn't hurt him too bad did you? The last thing I need is to report to Tsunade in the morning with a whining Naruto," she found the salves and handed them to him, there hands lingering as their fingers brushed.
"Not too bad" his almost nonexistent smirk had Sakura flushing slightly, "I'll see you in the morning" they kissed, Ino turned her head away to give them their privacy, grimacing as a memory surfaced.
II
"Chouji is waiting," Shikamaru leaned against the door frame leading out to the warm summer air.
"I know, I just need to find those salves. You and Chouji always manage to rough each other up so bad," Ino had let her hair fly loose, landing at just below her bottom – betraying how much in disarray she really was. She couldn't seem to find anything and a basket full of goodies for the three of them was getting warm.
Without preamble Shikamaru stepped up behind her and wrapped his hands in her hair. "They are already in the basket; you put them there last night. Come on." He reluctantly untangled himself and took her hand and the basket.
"Wait – my hair!" She began to turn back into the depths of the house.
His grip tightened "You look fine, geez" he sighed with a roll of his eyes. "We are late and I really don't want to hear Chouji complain!" he tugged her out into the sunlight and she was momentarily blinded by the sudden brightness.
He grunted, shielding his eyes with the basket. "You can let go of my hand instead of using the basket, I won't mind," Ino kept giggling every time the basket would smack him in the forehead.
He looked at her like she had sprouted another head – like he had never even fathomed doing such a thing. They walked all the way to their regular training grounds with his hand tightly laced with hers and the basket making a quiet 'twak' against his forehead, always accompanied by a soft laugh.
II
He had smiled a lot that day, she remembered. When she had asked about it later, he had said it was because it had been the perfect day to relax in the sun. Ino had accepted that answer, but was only half sure about why he was really that happy. She felt herself smiling, the feeling foreign, as if she hadn't smiled in a decade. She cleared it quickly as Sakura closed the door behind Sai and moved back next to Ino.
"What are you going to do Ino?" Sakura asked gently.
"I am going to stay the night here, I'll talk to him in the morning," Ino emitted a long sigh, "I don't know what I could possibly say – its not like, even if he admits to it, I could leave him. The bastard has a hotel room in my heart that he usually visits."
"Nice metaphor" Sakura ginned.
"Is it a metaphor? I can't help but think its something else – I can't remember" Ino finished her tea and looked over at Sakura, "I have to throw up."
Sakura sneered "You know where the bathroom is – go! Go!" she ushered the blonde into the bathroom.
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"So, remember to follow doctor's orders, talk to Shikamaru, get some rest – you look like hell, and brush your teeth" Sakura rubbed Ino's arms as if warming her. "I'll see you soon, be safe walking home, okay?" Sakura led Ino to the door, the sun was barely shining over the horizon but Ino had felt the need to go back.
"Yeah I'll try. This morning sickness thing though – does that stay during the entire pregnancy? I can't handle having to throw up my breakfast lunch and dinner" Ino yawned, feeling the gurgle in her stomach.
"The doctor said you have a really sensitive stomach and on top of that you're stressed. You could be puking your guts out for a while if you don't find some peace – now go home, get in your bed snuggle under the covers, and sleep." Sakura pushed her all the way out the door.
"Sai do home so soon?" Sakura blushed at Ino's remark.
"Obviously" she smiled "Goodbye, Ino."
"Goodbye, Sakura" Ino turned and began her journey home, watching her breath rise in white clouds, illuminated by the rising sun. When she made it home she was hesitant to go into her own yard but did so slowly. When she reached the door she held out her hand, as if testing it for a foreboding presence.
Before she could muster the courage to open the door, it swung open for her. Shikamaru stared down at her, alarmed. "Where have you been!?" he sounded angry and she found she was too tired to fight or say anything. Shouldn't she have asked him that the other day?
"Sakura's" she found her voice after he ushered her inside. "I spent the night at Sakura's again."
"You're freezing, Ino" as if a switch had been flipped she suddenly felt the cold that permeated her bones. Had she been so numb at Sakura's?
She shook "I'm fine – I'm going to bed" she slipped out of her jacket and moved toward the bedroom, he followed closely behind, asking questions that she, for some reason, couldn't understand. The world seemed to be slowed down as she stopped in her tracks, only one feeling she had she could identify for certain.
The gurgling in the pit of her stomach.
She ran to the bathroom, both hands over her mouth as she collapsed to her knees and retched violently into the toilet. Unfortunately, once again, she had nothing in her stomach but some tea, and began to simply dry-heave. After she was done she flushed the toilet, sitting back on her heels and resting her head against the cool floor. She was so tired she couldn't think straight, didn't even notice when Shikamaru wiped her hair out of her face and filled her mouth with water to swallow.
"Ino, how did you get so sick?" he felt her forehead "You have a fever, can you stand?"
She stared up at him from the cold floor, tears filled her eyes. How could he be so tender after how he had been acting? After what he did? His face contorted for a second, was it pain in his eyes? Worry? Shame? She couldn't decipher the look as he scooped her up into his arms carrying her to their bed. He laid her down beneath the heavy blankets and crawled under behind her, pressing his front against her back to meld them together. She fell asleep quickly, forgetting all her troubles if only for a few seconds to just revel in the feel of his arms around their growing child.