AN: as requested by all but one reviewer, more Shika-Ino for you all. Comedy section here, not sure if it's any good.
Yet again, the next chapter is mostly already written it just needs editing but my new boyfriend has inspired a character in my novel so I may be writing that for a while instead. Forgive me if I don't update for a few days after this.
Had to split into two chapters again, so I'm putting up two today. Hopefully that will keep you all happy for a few days. No cliffhangers I promise.
Back to Surreality
Chapter nine- stop us part one
They were determined to make sure that they got a confession out of their parents, one way or another. Shikamaru had a very detailed plan, starting with a step by step procedure, and branching off into parts where he had assessed every possible situation and they had memorized their responses.
First step, acting like nothing had happened. That worked brilliantly on Friday so it wouldn't take much to keep it going.
Second step, ignoring each other completely. That meant, as hard as it was, they couldn't look at each other, talk to each other, or touch each other in any way. This would throw them off track.
Third step, guilt tripping them. Making them painfully aware that they knew all about what their parents had done, but that they weren't going to confront or address it until they did.
Fourth step, shock tactics. No one knew what had happened since the mission so they could use that to their advantage.
And so it began…
First step:
Knock! Knock!
Ino approached the Akimichi household with a grin on her face, standing next to her father. They had both told their parents that their "boyfriend/girlfriend" was going to come along later.
Chouji opened the door and gestured for them to come in. she stopped as she entered and gave him a strong hug. "Is he here yet?" she asked him, loud enough for her father to hear.
"No Ino. He'll be here soon enough, don't worry." He smiled back.
"I'm not worried." She smirked and looked up at her father with a gleaming smile.
"Alright, we're just sitting in the main room" Chouji informed them and lead the way.
"Konbanwa Inoichi, Ino" Choza greeted them.
They sat down with Chouji "Konbanwa" Inoichi nodded in reply, noticing the presence of another pair of shoes at the door way "Shikaku is here?"
"Hai, he's just upstairs."
"No Shikamaru?" he frowned
"Not yet, but he is coming, Chouji has assured me. Yoshino is feeling ill though so she won't be joining us"
"Shame, oh well. Any idea when the Nara boy is due to arrive?"
"No. Shikaku said he was going to check over some things with his girlfriend before he came"
Ino looked over at Chouji. He gave her a weak smile back. She knew fine well that wasn't what he was doing. He was probably just after another few minutes of sky watching to clear his head.
"She's coming tonight as well?" Inoichi scowled again.
"Hai, so Shikaku tells me"
Ino glanced away, half hiding a smirk.
"I'm sorry princess, is this disturbing you" Inoichi asked tentatively.
"No daddy." She replied cheerily, turning back to him. "Why should it? I'm just tired that's all."
Knock! Knock!
Shikaku walked into the main room just as the knocking was heard at the main door and froze. "Nobody get up, I might as well get it"
Choza sat back in shock as he left. "Did he actually just volunteer to do something?"
"Hai and Shikamaru listened to a woman the other day without muttering under his breath." Chouji inputted "I think the Nara clan has gone mad"
"He's finally here" Shikaku announced as he re-entered, Shikamaru walking apathetically behind him.
They both sat down in a slouch. Shikamaru put step two into action, smiling slightly at Chouji and not even acknowledging her presence. "Hey Choj, how are you? Feeling better?"
"A lot better actually. Arigato, Shika."
"When did you get out of the hospital, Chouji?" Ino asked, acting like she had never even heard their conversation.
Chouji was forced by their positions to turn all the way around to face her "Sakura let me out on Friday. I've been busy since then otherwise I would have called."
"That's ok Choj, I'm just happy to see you feeling better."
"How long has it been since I've been here?" Shikamaru asked him, realizing the expectant look on their parent's face.
They were expecting Ino to speak up in response and it was obvious in their faces that they were preparing to be made temporarily deaf.
Instead, she stayed quiet and began to run a hand through her hair absently, as though she didn't even realize he had spoken.
Chouji answered. "It's been since Christmas, Shikamaru; the party that we hosted. Since then you've been so busy, I don't think we've even talked."
"Well I have some time off for a while now. Tsunade seems to think I don't need any more missions for some time."
"What would give her that impression?"
"I think she thinks she owes me for something. I can't imagine what though."
Shikaku coughed politely and signaled the others to give the younger Nin some time alone. They were beginning to get the point. Step three.
"I'll go and serve dinner or something" Choza suggested.
"I can help" Ino grinned and stood up to follow him.
He looked back at her strangely, and then glanced to Inoichi, who just shrugged, so he stood and walked to the kitchen.
She heard snatches of their conversation as she trailed towards the kitchen.
"Well, maybe we should all get together some day soon and go out with the others or something" Chouji suggested to Shikamaru.
"Hai"
Hours later, they had finished their dinner and were sat around in silence, waiting for someone to start a conversation.
Ino stood up and smiled at them all, except Shikamaru of course, who she was ignoring. They had even sat out of formation, with Shikamaru sitting on the opposite side of Chouji. "I'll clear up" she offered.
"Arigato Ino" Choza grinned at her.
She made a deliberate point of clearing all of the plates, except Shikamaru's. This was noted clearly by a stare from their parents.
Once she had moved into the kitchen, Shikamaru rolled his eyes and picked up his own plate with a sigh, following after her.
When he entered the kitchen a little while later, Ino was smirking at him. "Too far?"
"No." he smiled gently back, stacking his plate with the rest as he snuck a sly kiss on her lips, pushing her against the counter "but it's killing me"
"Hmm… me too" she kissed him back teasingly "but it was your clever idea, not mine."
"It's just a little longer." He assured her.
For a little while, he got lost in her eyes again and they stood there, holding onto each other tightly as though someone was trying to tear them apart.
"You two are so predictable" Chouji stood at the door, grinning.
They broke apart in surprise, not immediately noticing who had spoken.
Ino turned to him, clutching her rapidly beating heart as she sighed with relief. "Thank Kami it's you Chouji, don't scare me like that"
"Your parents told me to come in here and break you apart. They thought you'd be fighting"
"Yeah, well…" Shikamaru sighed, his hand lingering across Ino's waist as he headed towards the door.
She blushed and stood still for a second, giving enough of a pause, before following with Chouji.
"Chouji, will you leave us alone for a second please? We need to talk to Ino and Shikamaru." Choza told him when they returned to the room.
"Hai." He left to go upstairs
They didn't look at each other, pretending to be awkward.
"Ino" Inoichi frowned.
"Shikamaru" Shikaku said in the same tone.
"There are some things we need to discuss with you both."
"You know that next month you both turn twenty one."
"And there have been plans to mark the occasion since you first met."
Choza held up a hand to stop them briefly. "Could you just let one of you speak? We discussed this earlier and we were all decided, so is the verbal tennis completely necessary?"
"Fine. You tell them then" Shikaku shrugged.
Inoichi nodded his agreement, thinking it was better coming from a partly impartial party.
Choza sighed. "We don't really have to tell you what was intended for you I'm sure. We weren't exactly subtle. You were to be married on the twenty fourth of next month. That was the plan and always has been. It was to be a union of the Ino-Shika-Cho team, in a more solid and official sense. Chouji has never been the type for marriages like yours, and he was always better suited as a friend to you than as a lover or spouse. "
Ino casually picked up her drink, expecting to hear this tonight. She resisted the temptation to smirk at Shikamaru. They were so predictable…
"However," he continued "recent events have brought it to light that, although this was our dream since you were children, it may not have been yours. We realize that a union between you two may not be for your best interests and it is unfair to force such a fate on you if it will only result in a loveless marriage. So, as a group, we have decided that the plans will be cancelled"
"What?!" Ino spurted out her drink in surprise.
"You aren't getting married anymore." Inoichi told her in a slow, patronizing manner.
Shikamaru scoffed at him "I'd like to see you stop us"
"Pardon?" he looked up at the lazy ninja, who had yet to look up from the table, where he had been staring.
"Speak up lad, we didn't hear you" Shikaku commanded him.
"I said…" he moved over a seat to where Chouji was and put his arm around Ino protectively, finally looking them in the eye. "I'd like to see you stop us."
"What?!" Inoichi perfectly imitated his daughter's earlier exclamation.
Ino smiled. Step four.
"You can't be serious" Shikaku waved them off.
Ino pouted at them, "And why not?"
"Well… it's um… you don't…You're not even…" he was trying to step around the subject of the mission.
"What about that boy you were talking about?" Inoichi looked at her, feeling proud of his point.
"Don't tell me you are that stupid. Who the hell did you think I was talking about?" she shuffled closer into his grip, resting her head lovingly against his shoulder.
"You don't want to get married" Shikaku addressed his son
"Oh really?" Ino smirked "Well when he proposed yesterday it certainly seemed like it."
AN: to be continued…