Mission Impossible: Housewife

By KawaiPanda

Chapter six

A GaaraIno love story

To say that I wasn't surprised at the level of skill Gaara possessed when it came to kissing would be a lie. He had pulled me into him, encased his arms around my body as we explored each others mouths, but before I knew it, Gaara seemed to snap out of the 'spell' he was under and practically ran off.

Damn he's a good kisser.

I was whistful and kind of jealous at the same time. Thinking about it now, I narrowed my eyes. He couldn't have gotten that good without practice. There is no way in hell he could be that good naturally.

Damnit. If he'd been with someone before me, it was none of my business. After all, I shouldn't just assume he's a virgin just because he was so... insociable. With women like Matsuri (who I knew had to have some kind of feelings for Gaara) and the fangirls Temari told me about, one of them could have likely tempted him into experimenting.

Damn, damn, damn.

Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. I was cooking breakfast and I didn't need to be distracted. There was something I was forgetting anyway. Something that was at the tip of my tongue that I just couldn't, for the life of me, remember.

What was it?

A frown furled my brow as I wracked my brain searching for the answer. And then I heard it. That oh so subtle sound of a door opening that only from my ninja training I was able to hear. And from the pattern of the footsteps, it was my future sister in law.

"Morning Temari!" I called out as she reached the kitchen, a extra chipper spring in her step. I knew the smile that was etched onto my face was a bit too big—too eager, damnit. Taking a moment to calm down, to force down the giddiness brought on by the memories of last night, I took out an extra plate for her. "I wasn't sure you would be up this morning."

"Yeah, I have to meet Shikamaru at the gates this morning." She took a seat at the breakfast bar. Just what I need, Shikamaru here.

"Really? How long is he staying?" Not too long I hope. He's such an asshole. I tried to keep any annoyance from creeping up into my voice. But any worries I had that she would catch onto what happened last night vanished. I knew she was too damned happy and excited to be even thinking about me or my smile.

"Around two weeks." Damnit.

"Ah." I finished up the flapjacks and set a plate down in front of her casually sitting down in the next seat over. Since Temari was being too quiet for my taste, I asked her the first thing that popped up in my head, "Have you and Shikamaru ever had sex?"

"EH?!" I couldn't help but giggle when she turned bright red. Similar to Hinata from several years ago—hell she still blushed whenever Naruto spoke to her! Only, she didn't faint anymore, thankfully.

"Is that a yes?" I smiled at her, taking a bite of my food. "I was asking because I've been wanting to know for the longest time now how far you guys have gone."

"N-no." She was lying, but I didn't call her out on it. "N-not really."

"Not really?" I cocked my head, and asked, "So, no intercourse though?"

"No."

"Ah." After all, they've been together a long time, and I found it very unlikely that they'd held out for this long, Of course, I thought it would be funny to ask her, "Why not?" as she was swallowing.

I hid a small smirk as I hit her between the shoulder blades as she began choking on her food, "W-why not?"

"You two have been together for almost four years, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah."

"Surely you guys have had ample opportunities."

"Opportunities for what?" Came Kankuro's voice, still thick with sleepiness as he strode into the kitchen heading straight for the refridgerator.

"Shikamaru and Temari to have sex." I supplied as he began drinking from the carton of orange juice. He sprayed it everywhere, choking on the juice as he glanced at his sister, glaring furiously.

"WHAT?!" Well, with him preoccupied with this, I knew nothing about me would seem off at least. I hated throwing her under the bus, but he came in at just the right time. Thank Kami. "You guys are having sex?! I'll kill him!"

Temari abruptly stood. "I've got to go. Don't want to be late." Ignoring Kankuro's outraged protests, she left the mansion.

And then I remembered what had been bugging me since this morning, what today was.

"Shit," I cursed but Kankuro couldn't hear me over his ranting and I took the opportunity to slip away, heading for my room.

I don't know how I could have forgotten. I mean, I never ever have before. Wow. I guess the whole, 'marrying Gaara' thing affected me a lot more than I thought to forget that.

Today was my birthday. Huh.

XxXxX

It was night time, and the day had gone by fast. I spent the day, my birthday all alone. I wandered about the village, sometimes feeling overwhemlingly depressed as the time passed. The fact that I wasn't going to see any of my family or friends was what hurt the most. When I was a girl, my parents made such a fuss, but because our families were so close, I had to share the celebration with Shikamaru because his was only the day before. And usually, we would have the celebration on his birthday, and mine would basically be forgotten the next day.

It was like an open wound whenever I thought about it, and when I moved out I put a stop to the shared celebrations. Hell, several of my friends actually thought Shikamaru and I shared a birthday! The confusion lasted for a while, but I was eventually able to snap most of them out of it.

It was nearing dark by the time I dragged myself back to the mansion, carrying several bags of various things I filled the hole that was my bleeding heart with.

Silence greeted me when I arrived at the mansion. And after putting the stuff away in my room, I rolled up my sleeves and proceeded to cook, mechanically throwing something together, for the family that wasn't yet my own. By the time I was done, Kankuro and Gaara were already seated at the table, though when they arrived, I didn't notice. Temari and Shikamaru were probably getting re-aquainted somewhere. Whatever.

"Damn, you're a good cook!" Kankuro exclaimed, digging in immediately upon having his plate set down in front of him. I rolled my eyes before placing his brother's plate in front of him as well.

Gaara nodded his thanks at me.

I took my seat, and it was when I was bringing my first spoonful of whatever the hell it was that I'd made into my mouth that Temari and Shikamaru walked in. His smile fell way the moment our eyes met, and he slipped his hand from hers.

"Eating without us, ne?" Temari asked in a teasing tone.

She made a plate for both her and Shikamaru before the two joined us at the table, Shikamaru sitting next to me and across from her.

"Sorry Temari-chan. I didn't know when you would be in," I replied around a mouthful.

"That's fine." She wave it off and smiled at her lover from across the table. "We have some news to tell everyone."

The first thing to cross my mind was that she was pregnant. But then she told us, "Shikamaru and I are engaged!" She cried in excitement. I kind of checked out after that, sucked into my head.

It hurt. Truly, it did. I don't know why though. After all, we were never together. Not as a couple any way. So, why did it feel like my heart was breaking? It was pounding now, loudly. So loud, it felt like everyone at the table could hear it... maybe they could hear it breaking too.

Why was I feeling so rejected? Was it the combination of not just my birthday but feelings I refused to even entertain for a teammate surfacing? Feelings I denied to ever have existed?

But I wouldn't allow it to show. Not with any of them around to see. Especially not Shikamaru. So, instead of bursting into tears like I wanted, I shoved the pain aside and turned to Shikamaru and did what anyone else would have done. What a friend would have done.

"Congrats, Shika." I gave him a small smile.

He frowned at me. "Whatever." I was taken aback.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't cause a scene Ino." And just like that, my temper was skyrocketting to the point of no return.

"Cause a scene? Me?" My voice was steadily rising, and the sand siblings attention turned to the two of us.

"Ino!" He hissed.

"No! I just congradulated you on your engagement, asshole. What the fuck is your problem?" I demanded. I didn't care that all eyes were on me. And that one of them was a man who I was going to marry. I was used to it back in Konoha, and this was no different, though it had been a while since I yelled like this at anyone.

His eyes flashed, and he bit out, "My problem is you."

"Excuse me?" I repeated, standing from my seat.

"You heard right. I'm tired of you. Your so fake."

"I'm fake?" I couldn't help it. I laughed. "Says the fucking hypocrit." Turning to the curious trio, I bit out, "Excuse me. I'll be in my room." Calling over my shoulder, I added, "And by the way, Temari, you might want to keep his drinking in check. Addiction runs in his family."

The abrupt scrapping of his chair against the floor informed me that he stood. "Shut the hell up, Yamanaka!"

"Or what? You going to make me?" I demanded, rounding on him.

"Just mind your own business," he growled.

I nodded with a smirk. "That's what I thought, coward."

"I am not a coward."

"Oh really?" I smirked and cocked my head to the side. "Have you told her?"

Shikamaru looked stricken when Temari looked between us, finally asking, "What is she talking about Shika?"

"I wanna hear this too," Kankuro butted in.

"..." Gaara had been looking at me the entire arguement finally shifted his eyes from me to his future brother in law.

After the long silence, I laughed. "You're such a coward."

"Don't! Ino-"

I shook my head with a bitter smile. "I could be nice and not tell her, but you... you shouldn't have been an asshole and just taken my congratulations for what they were. Temari, your precious Shika has been hiding something from you. A secret he has kept from you for four years."

"Ino!" He took a step towards me, fists clenched so hard that his hands were beginning to turn white. At his movement, Kankuro and Gaara stood, a human blockade between the shadow-nin and myself.

Sometimes... sometimes I hated Shikamaru. He was my best friend at one point in time. My teammate. My friend. And then he turned into someone I didn't know. Someone who would treat me like shit because of a decision made my someone else... But because I still cared for the idiot, I shook my head.

"Just... nevermind. Forget I said anything." I could hear him let out a breath of relief when I didn't give in the the desire to see his relationship fall apart with the woman he loved. I gave them a bitter smile, tears beginning to sting my eyes as my vision grew watery. "What a happy birthday to me, huh?"

And with that, I turned my back on them and all but ran to my room.