This is short. This is really short. I'm not sure where I want the story to go right now, so I've been stalling. I wrote a couple little short drabble-y things so that I don't feel like such a terrible person for keeping everyone waiting. Happy New Year and Enjoy!

"Ino, what are you doing? Why are you pushing me into my room? Damn it, don't lock the door!"

"Just get changed!"

"WHY SHOULD I?!"

"Because I FUCKING SAID SO!"

Sakura emerged some 10 minutes later in sweats. "There, you happy?"

"NO! Actually get dressed. We're going to a club."

"WHY? Can't we just stay in and watch movies?" Sakura pouted. "I rented She's the Man. Amanda Bynes. Pretty Please."

"You don't want to change, fine. You can go like that."

"Damn it, Ino!" She frowned. "Fine…" She practically slammed the door though. She eventually came out wearing a slinky red dress and strappy slingbacks. Ino wore a white halter top, black shorts and boots.

The music at the club was blaring and the beat vibrated through their sternums. Ino immediately jumped into the fray, dragging Sakura by the wrist. She stumbled after, feeling mildly annoyed. But the rhythm got to her, and she found herself enjoying dancing. She closed her eyes and let go, occasionally getting buffeted about by the tides of people. If Ino didn't occasionally make Sakura get drinks with her, Sakura would have spent the entire time on the dance floor. And when people started dwindling around 2, Ino had to drag Sakura again, this time back home.

As Ino led Sakura to her room, forcing her to sleep, Sakura said, "We should do this every Friday night."

"Okay dear." Ino collapsed in her own bed, heaving an uneasy sigh before rolling over to sleep.

Tenten hopped up from her bed and out the apartment door, not even registering Hinata's absence. This was her weekly cross-country run. She usually ran for an hour or so before turning back. Today there was a guest waiting for her outside the building. She smirked at him before leading the way. He kept in step with her, but was clearly not as used to it as she. It was in complete silence that they made their rounds, except for their breath and the pounding of their feet. Sounds which previously had no accompanying partner. When they finally reached her building again, quite some time after her usual hour, she gave Neji a quick kiss before dashing up the stairs. She turned back to say, "We should do this again sometime." When she reached her apartment she immediately went for the shower and spent the time humming a tune she was not aware of.

Shikamaru looked out the window of his parent's in-town home into the yard below. He, Chouji, and Ino had played there as children. Chouji had moved away several years back, and while they wrote on occasion, he had mostly lost that connection. And now Ino. She probably wouldn't forgive him for being such an ass.

"And just who are you thinking about?"

Shikamaru nearly jumped. "I was thinking that the tulips need some watering."

"I'll get right on that." But his mother just sat down next to him. "You should apologize."

"What?"

"Whatever it is you did to piss off Ino. Apologize for it. She's the closest thing I have to a child." Shikamaru stared at her, as if to ask, "and I'm not?" "Daughter then. And you certainly won't be my child for much longer unless you get her to come to dinner tomorrow night."

"I told you that we didn't get into a fight."

"I'm sure you didn't. I assume she had the sense to walk away from you immediately. Perhaps you should fight, then you can move on and I can get my daughter back."

"Yeah, I'll get right on that." But he just sat there. She shook her head before walking off. Maybe she even went to water the tulips, but he wasn't looking anymore.

Naruto stretched and sat up. Hinata and her tumbled mess of hair were lying next to him. It was so rare that he got up before her that he had to take a moment to savor the absolute bliss. Then he had a thought….

Hinata woke up and found Naruto missing. She checked the floor to see if he had rolled off in his sleep, but he wasn't there. "Naruto?" she called. He swept in with a small table laden with breakfast. "Aw Naruto, this is the sweetest thing. Thank you so much."

"I figured since you always cook breakfast, I thought it might make a nice change if I did it for once. Well go on, try a bite."

She smiled and tried her omelet to find it burnt and unevenly salted. She instantly and probably somewhat maniacally smiled to reassure Naruto. She reached for the milk to wash the taste from her mouth. It had curdled. They bought that milk the day before. How had it gone bad already? So she went for the rice and found it simultaneously raw and burnt. She couldn't keep it up. "How about I make breakfast for the both of us?"

"That'd probably be best." Naruto admitted sheepishly.

She got up and kissed him. "I still mean it. Thank you." They walked to the kitchen. "But some rituals are probably best to keep the way they are."