Part Two, as requested.
Disclaimer: M. Kishimoto owns all characters and places.
In sleep, Ino habitually kicked her sheets off her bed which always meant she woke up freezing. She shivered, curling into the fetal position as she blindly searched for her bedspread on the floor.
Ino blamed it on the dreams.
She consistently relived her mission encounters in her unconscious state, and they kept her tossing and turning all night.
Ino gave up on her search for the cover and flipped over onto her back. She stared hard at the ceiling.
Clearly, Shikamaru had not kissed her out of adoration or affection. Even Ino knew that much. He had been angry and she had provoked him—but why not just storm out or yell like a normal person?
Troublesome idiot, Ino cursed silently, her frown deepening.
Ino had certainly enjoyed the attention, but it felt false, all the same. At the end of the day, Shikamaru only esteemed her to be one of his best friends, never a girlfriend or lover.
Ino's face flushed as she relived their short intimate moment. Ino hadn't expected him to be that good of a kisser, or touch her like he did, with so much freedom. Ino's blush intensified.
Ino rolled over on her stomach and sighed, exasperated.
Most of all, she wanted to demand an answer from him, but Ino wasn't so sure she could bring herself to ask. She admitted to herself that she was afraid of the answer.
"Ino! Are you up yet?" called Ino's mother from downstairs.
No doubt the old woman wanted her to hold down the fort in the shop again. Ino's mother always wanted her to when she was in-between missions.
"Coming!" Ino yelled back.
She rolled off her mattress and gave her reflection a glance as she passed her mirror.
The bruises on her arm were more prominent today. Ino did not look down to confirm the swelling bluishness of her inner thighs.
She dressed comfortably in a shirt and shorts, preferring things that covered her bruises rather than her more scanty ninja attire.
Ino's mother was just heading out the door when Ino arrived to take over.
"I'll be back in a couple of hours!" she called over her shoulder as the door shut behind her.
Ino nodded, unbothered. She wanted some quiet.
After setting up the register for the day, Ino filled a jug to water the plants. It had always had a calming effect on Ino since she was small. Something about nurturing the plants to make them grow stirred something deep within her heart.
-o-
The afternoon arrived before the shop had a visitor.
Ino looked up from her magazine and genuinely smiled.
"Hey, Choji!" she greeted cheerfully.
Choji smiled back, his big grin lighting up his jovial face.
"Ino!" he boomed. "Shikamaru told me you got back yesterday. Wish I could have made it over here sooner."
Ino waved this aside, silently wondering if Shikamaru had said something to Choji about their kiss.
"It's fine. I've been catching up on sleep mostly, anyway."
"Well, I just came to tell you that we're all having dinner together at Yakiniku Q! It's been a while since we've eaten together as a team. . ."
Ino's thoughts automatically flipped to Asuma, their beloved sensei. She let the moment of dwelling on his memory pass.
"That sounds great," she agreed. "I didn't really get to talk to Shikamaru much the other day. . ."
Choji nodded, but his expression was neither curious nor accusing.
So, he didn't say anything after all, Ino concluded.
"What time should I be there?" she asked Choji.
Choji shrugged, good-natured.
"Whenever. I was headed over there now, so I'll just eat some snacks until you guys get there."
Ino shook her head. Some things never changed.
"I'll be there after I close, around six."
Choji nodded and waved goodbye, letting the shop door close behind him. The bell sounded happily to mark his departure.
-o-
"Meat!" Choji announced as he flipped a chunk on the brazier.
Ino sighed, but smiled.
Currently, it was only she and Choji. Shikamaru was late, which was not all that unusual.
"So, Choji, how's training going with your dad?"
Choji nodded amicably.
"Fine. We've been practicing clan techniques. How have you been?" Choji fixed his small eyes on Ino's large ones. Ino sighed. He would want the truth, not the lies she was accustomed to giving.
Ino focused on trailing the beads of water left from her drink.
"All I've had lately is missions fit for a kunoichi," Ino began, using this coded phrase to clue Choji in. "My last one. . . Things got a little rough."
Choji's face quickly turned stony. He set down the tongs and Ino wondered if Choji had lost his appetite for the first time in his life.
"Sorry," Ino said quickly. She didn't want sympathy, even from Choji, who was a natural at giving it and meaning it.
"Have you talked to Tsunade-sama about it?"
Ino shook her head and replied, "Choji, what would she able to do about it? It's a mission that I'm responsible for. It's not like someone can monitor these types of things."
Choji looked down, his face troubled.
Shikamaru chose that moment to slink by and slid easily in next to Ino.
Choji brightened slightly.
"Why aren't we eating?" Shikamaru asked, looking between the two.
Choji picked up the tongs again and rearranged their food on the brazier.
"Where were you?" Choji retorted.
Shikamaru scoffed and sat back in the booth. He closed his eyes and shook his head.
"My old lady was nagging about something or other."
Choji teased him, and the two easily took up their banter.
Ino just listened, thinking.
"Ino, didn't you order dango?"
Ino nodded, snapped out of her reverie.
She accepted the delicacy and ate thoughtfully.
A beat passed before she was aware Shikamaru had his attention focused on her.
"What?" she snapped, wincing as she did so.
"Can I have some?" Shikamaru flatly inquired.
Ino's eyes narrowed and she scooted marginally away from him in the booth.
"Get your own," she advised.
Shikamaru rolled his eyes, but reached out and took her dango anyway.
Before he could taste it, Ino cuffed him sharply on the jaw.
"Get your own!" she yelled, taking the stick back from him roughly. She polished the remains off in a quick second and chewed satisfactorily.
Ino's victorious expression slackened when she realized not only was she standing in the booth, but most of the patrons of the restaurant were staring at her.
She blinked several times and sat down.
Choji leaned across the table, concerned.
"Ino, are you okay?"
Ino shook her head and stood up again, bypassing Shikamaru's slumped form.
"I'm going to go home and sleep," she said in a monotone, putting some money on the table to cover the bill. "Sorry for ruining dinner."
Choji tried to call her back, but Ino ignored him and rushed home.
-o-
The dreams came back that night.
When it got to the part she hated the most, Ino jolted awake and was unsurprised to find herself freezing. Again.
She fumbled around for her covers, and eventually found them, half-stuffed between her wall and mattress.
Ino pulled them over her tightly, but she wasn't tired anymore. She sat up and wrapped the blankets around her.
She slipped off her bed with her mass of blankets and treaded over to her window. Ino slid it open and pushed herself out into the night.
More to come. . .
Please tell me your thoughts.