The wedding. It was the only thing that Shikamaru had in mind on the fourth day of his mission. Just two more days... He felt mixed emotions about the whole situation. How was he supposed to get through this wedding alone? He mostly wondered what Temari has been doing the past four days. She was back home in Suna and was heading back to Konoha tomorrow. So many thoughts filled his head.
Ino, who stayed with him for so long wasn't able to tell. Even though she hated this mission, she managed to stay focused. Arguing with Shikamaru was the only thing that distracted her.
"There's gotta be something" Ino wailed. Both of them hid themselves again spying the two boring couple. The more she tried to convince herself that there was something more, the more the couple bored her.
"Just give up" Shikamaru suggested "They're just some happy married people and we should have no business invading their private life"
Ino glared at him. "What else are we supposed to do?" she pointed "We can't just barge in the house and interrogate them"
Shikamaru sighed "Why do you have to make everything sooo troublesome?" he questioned. A little bantering was all it took to begin a quarrel.
"Why are you such a bum!?"
"Why are you so bossy!?
"Why are you so hard-headed!?"
"Why are you so complicated?!"
"Why can't you see things my way!?"
"Why can't you see things my way!?"
Without warning, a loud voice shouted, "What the hell is going on here!?"
Ino and Shikamaru faced away from each other and turned around. The rain cloud nin stood in the front of his house greatly irritated. His green eyes had this threatening look that indented to kill.
"Hi there..sir" Ino greeted nervously "We're just shinobi…from Konoha"
"Whatdaya want from me!?" He demanded "Why are you in my rightful property?"
"Umm..excuse us sir.." Shikamaru's knees began to tremble "We were sent...on a mission.."
Ino jabbed him in the stomach. She loudly whispered "Shika-kun! That was really stupid!"
"What kind of mission?" He cross-examined
"We were...sent by Tsunade-sama..." Shikamaru began. No Shikamaru! Don't say it! He'll kill us! "We were asked to spy on you"
Shikamaru gulped.
"The Hokage sent you here?" he asked. His look changed. It became slightly welcoming. He began to chuckle hysterically as Shikamaru and Ino grew puzzled.
"Come inside" he said "I'll explain everything"
"You mean to say, you two have been spying on us all along?" The wife said laughing. "Oh please"
That seemed to be the only reaction they had from announcing their revelation. Ino and Shikamaru grew annoyed but never mentioned it because they were offered dinner.
Thank God Chouji isn't here, Ino thought.
They sat across the couple from their small table but remained silent. Ino felt somewhat embarrassed and mad at Shikamaru for blabbing out their missions.
"The guards of Konoha were suspicious of your husband" Shikamaru told her "They wondered why a raincloud shinobi would settle around Konoha for such a long period of time"
The raincloud man laughed again. "I'm not a spy—nor is our village planning some type of attack on Konoha" he stated "I'm here for personal reason"
"Well, can you at least tell us?" Ino begged "Tsunade wouldn't believe you and she'll probably scold you…"
The wife sighed and held his hand. "We needed to escape our village" she said "Because we got married"
"Why?" Shikamaru asked
The man answered "She's from the village hidden in the mist and people refused the fact that I loved her"
She's from a different village? Man, that would be so troublesome...oh wait. Never mind..
Ino sadly looked down They were willing to work things out..even though she was from a different village. Wow..Temari must be the perfect girl for Shika-kun
The man spoke up again "We expected something like this to happen. That's why we keep our marriage certificate as proof" he explained "You know..just incase the Hokage wants explanation"
"How come you didn't just go directly to her?" Shikamaru asked "That would've been less troublesome"
The guy let out a snort as her laughed. "I guess I could've done that" he confessed "But, I'm just too lazy…"
"Ino-chan" the wife said "would you like to help me with some dishes?" Washing dishes were too troublesome for Ino, but it would be so impolite to refuse.
As she scrubbed the dishes and as the lady rinsed them, they slowly started making conversation.
"So?" she asks "When are you and Shikamaru-kun getting married?"
"Oh No!" Ino responded "I'm not his fiancé"
The woman's jaws dropped. "But he mentioned that he was getting married in two days" she argued "Aren't you his bride—"
"No" Ino cut her off. "He's marrying this conniving—"
"See, you're insulting the bride!"
They both laughed.
"Look girly, you love him. Don't deny it" she teased Ino
Ino rolled her eyes inoffensively. "I don't love him. He's my teammate. Temari is better for him" she said all of this a little too quickly.
"Sorry, but you can't hide that fact anymore" she told her "I just can't believe you're gonna release him that easily"
Release…like in mind transfer?
"So, how are you going to stop their wedding?"
"So when's the wedding day for you and Ino-chan?" the man asked from across the table.
"Eh?" Shikamaru raised his eyebrow "I'm not marrying Ino…."
It was the man's turn to raise his brow. "But you love her" he told him.
"I don't love Ino…she's crazy.."
How does he know this? I swear he can read minds
"Then, why are you cheating on your wife?" he questioned "If you're engaged, you're supposed to be faithful"
"What?! I never cheated on Temari!" he lied. The guy shook his head and gave him a stern look. It made him feel guilty.
"Yes you did" he happened to know magically "Look boy, I don't understand why you're marrying someone when you kissed someone else"
"It's kind of obvious" he told him "You guys argue constantly and that only helps your relationship grow"
Shikamaru laughed wildly at his corny statement. The man across from him didn't think it was funny at all.
"I feel really bad for you" he said to Shikamaru "You love two blonde kunoichis and in the back of your mind, you know that you're not ready to marry"
"Love them?" he asked "How do you know..when you love someone?"
Sadly, the guy didn't say much. He only answered honestly saying "I don't know. It's quite troublesome…"
Shikamaru knew he was right—but he couldn't be a coward anymore. Whether he liked it or not, he was bound to marry Temari. All his thoughts haunted him and just needed to get away.
He took a short stroll outside in the night. He lit a cigarette—it became a bad habit from his sensei. He used it to calm down whenever frustration retained him. It was effortless for him to quit at times..but he didn't quit of long. Tonight, there were too many stars.
Suddenly, a hand grasps at his shoulder. "I prefer it when you watch the clouds or play shougi" the voice said calmly. He turns around and looks at Ino standing beside him. She witnessed him take his first puff of a cigarette and never really liked that about him. He drops the cigarette onto the ground and stared profoundly into her.
Sometimes you kill me…when you're like this. When you're gentle and caring. He's right. I do love you …
"I like the sky better at night" she said. "The stars are prettier than the clouds" She began teasing him again—but only to cheer him up. Shikamaru watched her observe the bright stars.
The stars reflected on her glittering blue eyes.
Sometimes, we're the same, just in different ways.
Ino looked at him, who also looked straight at her.
What's gonna happen? Ino wondered.
Shikamaru slowly drew his face closer to hers. Ino did the same thing. They moved slightly closer, facing each other as if it were innocent. Shikamaru placed his left hand on her back. Eventually, their lips touched……and neither of them stopped this time…
A/N
I wanna say sorry for leaving you in the midst of a kiss..oh well. Maybe next chapter! I am so sorry to the Temari-lovers out there. (Although, I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't be reading this if you were a ShikaTema supporter) Well, thanks for the reviews you guys! Okie chapter dedications to: the people who reviwed on chapter 8! OMG. Thank you for encouraging me! (I swear you guys force me sometimes) Yay. I really can't go back and look at the reviews, But anyway only 27 more reviews till my 100 reviews goal! Keep reviewing!
Previews:
"Why did you do that?"
"You're getting married..tomorrow"
"You chose Temari. Remember?"
"If I had stayed..would you have asked Temari to marry you?"