Permanent Cloudcover

Shikamaru x Ino

Clouds shaped like dragons, bears, and beavers drifted slowly across the blue sky. Clouds shaped like hippos, leafs, and angels morphing into penguins littered the bright blue canvas. Clouds speckled and spotty and had bubbly form, drifting slowly, with softly glowing outlines as the sun transferred its hazy glow over each cottony ridge. Because clouds allowed him to dream and imagine, and were captured securely by two chocolate orbs.

Shikamaru Nara loved watching the clouds drift by, one by one. Carefree and simple, drifting whichever way the wind blew them, not having to make a choice or set their own pace. Unable to disappoint. No work required. And that's the kind of life he'd always dreamed of having.

But like the clouds, they changed shape and were unpredictable, so much like Shikamaru's life.

x.x.x

Stars glittering like far away diamonds, sparkling as glow-in-the-dark rubies. Stars that made designs, cutting out patterns like a simple slice in the dark expanse. Stars that told direction and guided people from everywhere at once, because they were visible to all whom could see or took the time to notice, and two bright blue orbs were always aware.

Ino Yamanaka loved watching the stars, looking at the shining specks, twinkling as if they mattered. Always bright and mystifying those who watched; with a sort of romantic aura. Ino had always dreamed of being like the stars—she wanted people to notice her, gaze upon and admire the small beauty.

But like the stars, they were only visible half the time. Stars were predictable and never altered, never changed; so much like Ino's life.

x.x.x

Ino and Shikamaru were often found laid back on a grassy hill, cloud-watching or star-gazing. Just laying side by side, with no telescope or binoculars but just watching with wandering eyes--Eyes that were always searching, always seeking.

"That one's a tiger!"

"No, it's a lamb…"

Silly arguments about what this cloud was or could be, sometimes turned into fierce shouts, until the cloud evaporated altogether and changed direction. Then both would laugh in their own way. Shikamaru sounding bored and clipped; and Ino: long, loud, and joyous.

At night was no different, lying there beneath the stars, too mesmerized by the clouds to realize when sunset had come and gone; and before they knew it, Ino was raptured by the beauty that shone in the night. Until, Shikamaru would begin to doze off and Ino hit him upside the head with shouts about the Milky Way and talk about the heavens.

When Shikamaru gazed over at Ino, he could see starlight in her eyes and moonlight shimmering softly on golden hair. Shikamaru smiled and didn't doze off again.

x.x.x

When daylight came again, and both lay back on the grassy hill, exhausted from training, and wiped out from exercise, they'd both exchange short sentences that would develop into long conversations, and sometimes they'd forget what the cloud looked like before it turned into that fuzzy little kitten.

When Shikamaru pointed to another area in the sky, using his finger and thumb to read the wind, he claimed the cloud to the north looked like a deer. Ino glanced his way, a little surprised at his answer, and scooted closer until their shoulder's brushed together and their hands bumped each other in mid-air as she mimicked his pose, trying to see what he saw; when suddenly he made a face, saying simply that it changed into a flower.

Ino could see it clear as day, as a soft white lily bloomed in the sky, right next to the sun, and both lowered their hands at the same moment, finger's accidentally locking together, and their position didn't change, even as the clouds drifted on by.

x.x.x

As sunset came, both were sound asleep, laid back on the grassy hill, and both bathed in the light of the full moon. Ino awoke after midnight to Shikamaru nuzzling against her shoulder and stars shining down from above. She shook Shikamaru awake when a star lost grip on the smooth black walls and fell slowly by.

Shikamaru tilted his head, and Ino wondered if he'd missed it completely, and then he muttered,

"It died…"

And Shikamaru almost died as Ino laughed softly and started humming the most soothing lullaby that he'd ever heard. He now understands how a shooting star feels while falling.

x.x.x

At noon the next day, both sat down on the grassy hill, gazing up at the pure blue sky, dotted only by one cloud here, and a wisp of white there. They had a picnic with…

"Bunnies."

"No, cat-fish!"

…looking down on them from above. Shikamaru took a bite before admitting it actually did look like a cat-fish, and Ino shook her head, because Shikamaru said a bunny, and the one over her head, that she had clearly missed Did look strikingly like a bunny.

"Bunny"

She agreed, but his eyes weren't on the sky anymore.

And Ino learned that Shikamaru wasn't as careless as the clouds made him out to be, for his mind was often stubborn and careful at choosing.

And Shikamaru learned that Ino wasn't as stable as the stars made her out to be, for she was easy to sway and would try to see things differently without judgment.

And as the clouds that slowly gathered and turned from a glossy white to a soft candy pink, and the sun began to set, neither of them missed it. Side by side on the grassy hill, bathed in twilight, both were smiling.

Ino was the first to point out at the horizon as the first twinkling bulb of wonder came into view.

Fuzzy pink clouds, like candy; and twinkling dimmed stars, like glitter, shared one sky, and both could see their mutual beauty.

So when Shikamaru raised an arm and draped it around Ino's waist, he was hesitant but firm in his decision, because his mind wasn't so easily swayed. Not like a cloud.

And when Ino snuggled into Shikamaru's side and met his enchanting chocolate gaze, with her melting sea of blue, she blinked once and nearly panicked when their breaths mingled, because Ino was susceptible to change, because she didn't want to crash like a meteor. Not like a star.

When night finally had befallen and the stars were fully visible, with clouds covering the big bright moon. Ino had decided she wanted to shine, and Shikamaru wouldn't change that. Soft and gentle as a cloud, Shikamaru pressed his lips to hers, vibrant and radiant as a stars. The kiss was careful and bursting, and nature was silent. Shikamaru was on cloud-nine. Ino was riding the cosmos. Wind finally parted their breath, and the clouds had drifted on, ghosting across the black midnight sky, and revealing the silver shimmer of moonlight, reflecting in both eyes so safely.

Because tonight stars and clouds had mingled in the dark night-time sky -- Clouds with silver moon-lit linings; and stars shining bright for the world to see.

So much like Shikamaru's…

So much like Ino's…

…Life.

This one is my very favorite so far! I adore the pairing, even though many may hate it… thanks for reading anyways.

There are a lot of symbols and metaphors in this one, and if you caught them all, Kudos to you! I won't take time to point them all out, but they are there! So it's sort of like a poem, rather than a story… but it IS longer than most in this thing. Anyways, the only ever of my own writing that's brought tears to my eyes.

I'd appreciate any criticism, comments, or speeches/rants in a review.