Shikamaru walked down the hall of the Konoha Ninja Academy. All the students sat dormant, studying their teachers as they explained various techniques using complicated drawings and equations for which they would need in battle. He watched their bored faces with a smile, for he was once in that seat many years ago. It was a hot summer day, Shikamaru's Chuunin vest was half unzipped, though he still chose to wear his classic black long-sleeve shirt. He'd been helping around the school for the past few years, guiding the young as they grew and welcoming the new. He strolled out the front door and made his way down the dirt road, the clouds so fluffy and white, he couldn't help but look straight up to them. Thank goodness he wasn't needed at the academy on such a wonderful day. He was going to his special spot to gaze at the sky when he bumped directly into an old friend.
"Shika-kun!" She exclaimed with surprise.
"Ringo!" He responded, a bit shocked himself. "I haven't seen you in months, how have you been?"
"Just training a lot. I've been very busy honing my skills for the up-coming Jounin exams" She smiled uneasily. "To sum it up, I'm pretty tired"
They shared a laugh before continuing their walk together. It turned out Ringo had been intending to just spend the day at home resting, so Shikamaru invited her to relax with him. On their stroll, they conversed about the various happenings in their lives, past academy memories, and future plans, among other tid-bit things. Along the way they took a quick stop for drinks and ice cream, for only a moment, becoming their old school selves. Chatting and playing like children, Ringo dropping her cone and stealing Shikamaru's. It was her personality to press buttons and tease, she was always one to crave attention. Back in the day, she used to sit next to him in class, always asking him for help when she didn't get the answer, but soon after calling him a nerd for knowing. It wasn't malicious, it was just her way of showing she was his friend. Bumping him in the side with her hip, she leaned the ice cream back toward him, offering to share, it was his. Snatching it back whenever he went for a lick, she would giggle at his lonely tongue outstretched with nothing there to satisfy it. After a few times, he grew tired of this, and grabbed the cone himself. His hand gripped onto hers, his large fingers engulfing her petite ones. She watched him suckle on the scoop, and imagined what it would be like to kiss him. His hands so gentle against the back of her head, pressing her closer to his lips, his tongue tossing with hers. Quickly, she pulled her arm away, stopping the image in her mind. The jolt caused the cone to drop on Shikamaru's vest.
Apologizing repeatedly, she offered to bring him back to her place to clean him up. Agreeing, they made a complete 180 turn and back tracked all the way to her apartment. Journeying up 8 flights of stairs, she unlocked the front door and in they went. The two made their way to her kitchen where she wet a sponge under the faucet then proceeded to wipe the dairy treat from his clothing. She pressed the cleaner against his chest, her cheeks glowing pink, it was so firm. This surprised her, considering he was so lazy, she didn't expect such muscle tone. She wished he'd still dressed in the same manner as when they were younger, she would have loved to see his body through that fishnet shirt he used to wear. It was growing close to summer time anyway, it could maybe make a pleasing return. Shikamaru stared at her, the ice cream stain was already washed off, yet she continued to mindlessly wipe away at the same spot. Clearing his throat to get her attention, she dropped the sponge, startled into waking from her daze. Hurrying to pick it up and toss it in the sink, she chuckled nervously, she made it so obvious that she found him attractive. She was never good at being discreet with her feelings.
"So, what would you like to do now?" Ringo asked, her eyelashes batting bashfully.
"Well, Ino's hosting a party later on, if you want, we can head out there now and help set up" Shika responded, raising his eyebrows with an encouraging smile, inverbally pushing her to say "yes".
It felt as if he was asking her to be his date, to which her cheeks became further flushed. The day was oddly working out for her and she had no idea why. She'd not seen the pony tailed ninja in quite some time, then suddenly they just clicked. It was very convenient for her, given that she was "on the market". Making their way out of the apartment, they climbed down the numerous flights of stairs and continued on the dirt road to Ino's house. Rin was a little disappointed that the blonde didn't invite her herself, but then again, they hadn't seen each other in a few months as well. She continued to ponder the thought of who would be showing up, if there would be good music, and if she and Shikamaru would dance. He just simply strolled along side her, gazing at the fluffy, free clouds. She was strangely quiet, but it didn't bother him, he hated when girls talked too much. He retrieved his eyes from the sky and planted them upon her form, unbeknownst to her. Her curves were never subtle due her attire, her skin-tight clothing she wore for aerodynamics, her main talent being that she was faster than the speed of sound. Her mini-dress revealing every inch of her legs, the v-neck cut leaving her cleavage out in the open only being covered by a thin fishnet shirt, her black short-shorts being the only thing covering her bottom half. Still, with all of these nice things she had going on, there was something missing and he couldn't put his finger on it. Was it her chest? Her breasts were very small compared to all the other kunoichi. Was it her rear? Her muscular bottom was quite bubbly and large. Was it her hair? There weren't any other red headed girls in the village, maybe she was just too different.
Arriving at the Yamanaka florist, they stepped through the front door, a tiny bell ringing to signal the owners of customers. Ringo turned off to the side and sent her attention to the beautiful blooms of flowers that sat organized by type and color, breathing in the wondrous aroma of the petaled plants. Surely, she planned on buying some before leaving. Ino came rushing down the stairs, tape on the back of her hands and balloons tied to her wrists looking frantic, her make up wasn't even done yet. Sighing with relief that it wasn't a customer, her tensed expression calmed. Shikamaru took the time to have a laugh at his frazzled teammate who simply punched him in the arm, leave it to a man to not understand a woman's plight. The reason why he chuckled was because he just couldn't see why she put so much effort into her outer appearance, in his mind, she was beautiful without the extra primping. Plus, he knew it annoyed her when he teased her about it.
"Y'know, instead of standing there making fun of me, you could help me set up for the party" The blonde forced balloons at him. "My parents left already, so I have to manage the store until it closes in an hour"
"Yeah, yeah" He responded. "Let's go, Rin-chan"
The red head popped her head up above a bouquet on display before making her way to the front of the store again. "Alrighty, coming"
"Oh, I didn't even see you!" Ino's mouth turned up to a smile before she handed off the rest of the party items to her fellow kunoichi. "You can help out, too!"
Ino opting to stay in the shop and preparing for lock up, the two climbed up the stairs into her house above. A very spacious home already decorated and tidy for company, but now even moreso due to the bash they were setting up for. Taping balloons to the walls and all the entrances, along with colored ribbons, Shikamaru wandered off to the far end of the Yamanaka manor. In this place, stashed in a cabinet, bottles of liquor stand tall just waiting to be consumed. Positioning them on the table with cups and different juices, he looked at the red head who stared back at him with a glimmer of confusion in her eyes.
"We're drinking at this party?" Ringo asked somewhat nervously.
"Yes, what else would you do?"
"Oh, I just didn't know Ino threw those kinds of parties..."
"Since we were old enough to pronounce 'vodka' she's been having them"
"Oh, I see...I've never been invited" She shuffled her hands in each other.
"You've never had alcohol before, have you?"
Rin sat quiet, her cheeks rosy once again, this time from embarrassment. "It's okay, we'll drink first since we're doing all the grunt work, anyway"
Pouring her a small portion of a shot of rum, he handed it to her, raising his eyebrows as if to tell her to drink. She stared anxiously at it, she wanted to try, but was unsure of what it would be like. She didn't want to throw up or do crazy things like other people did when they were drunk. Shrugging her shoulders in a 'what the hell' manner, she downed it. Her eyes burst open, her body shivering a second before she coughed quite a bit. Her throat was on fire. When she looked up at Shika for reassurance, he just winked at her, holding out his hand to lift her to her feet from the couch. He took her over to the stereo in the middle of the room, plugging in Ino's iPod, a mix of the perfect party tunes blasting from the speakers. He poured her and himself another shot, cheers, then down the hatch. Her face screwed shut once again, she could feel the alcohol rumbling in her stomach already.
"Don't worry, I won't let you over drink" He took her by the hand and led her to dance in the living room.
She was already feeling different, more...Happy. She wasn't much of a dancer, but it didn't bother her as much as it would usually. But before they could even feel the beat, up the stairs came Ino, followed by Chouji, Sakura and Kiba. They all greeted Ringo with open arms, hugging her hello before rushing to the table with the good stuff. Kiba claiming his beer, Sakura snatching the super sweet schnapps, and of course, the snacks were Chouji's. All of them. Shikamaru casually mentioned to Ino that Ringo was a light weight and should be kept an eye on. This fact, of course due to the blonde's lack of self control when it comes to gossip, made its way around the party faster than a racer in Nascar. As the night went on, more familiar faces joined the group of liquor and fun times, and the bigger the gathering got, the more drinks Ringo was forced to consume.
"Here, have some of my beers, you'll barely get buzzed off one" Kiba opened a can for her, the foam bubbling over his hand and onto the floor.
"This drink is so delicious, you won't even know there's alcohol in it" Sakura pushed the bottle to red head's mouth.
"Rin-chan! I can't believe you've never let loose before! Drink this, it's called a Screwdriver!" Naruto handed her the mix of orange juice and booze.
Meanwhile, of all that were not expected to come, the sand crew, or most of it, walked through the door. Temari and Kankuro nodded to the hostess before taking their places in the group. The two happened to be in town on business for their Hokage brother. That caught Shikamaru's attention instantly, baby sitting the speed demon was no longer of his interest or concern, as the quad-tail blonde was looking rather saucy in her high cut skirt and fishnets. Their eyes met, and soon after, their bodies as well on the empty space in the room they designated as the dance floor. In different areas of the house were various happenings, mostly drinking games Ringo was losing due to no one sympathizing with her inexperience at partying. Ino was making her rounds with her camera every ten minutes catching every glimpse of black mail she could, her main focus being the two pony tailed ninja dancing by themselves next to the speakers. Her reasoning for snapping them was much different, though. Temari was grinding her ass very intensely into Shikamaru's waist, his hands gripping her hips, slickly pulling her skirt up higher with his finger tips. She twirled her hands to the music in the air, at times putting them behind Shikamaru's neck. Dancing had never looked sexier, which gave Ino the notion it was only considered such because they still had clothes on.
"Are you going to make room for the other girls here, or should I plan for you two to be out of commission for the rest of the night?" She butt in with a huge grin, her camera's flash waking them from their hunger for each other.
"No, I suppose it's your turn now, isn't it?" Shikamaru grabbed the Yamanaka by the wrist and twirled her around, pressing her against him to grind.
Ino watched with glee as Temari made her way to another room to find some other form of entertainment. However, the shinobi was not pleased. "If you're going to be a cock block, please warn me before hand, thanks"
The blonde chuckled devilishly, grabbing him by the chin. "You know you're my favorite to tease"
Well, this certainly was true, she loved stealing his attention away, and he was actually quite used to it. Ino was spoiled and greedy, Shikamaru had become her play thing and she didn't want to share. There was never an instance where she hadn't gotten in the way. As bad as it seemed, it didn't bother him a bit. He was just too lazy to fight her ways, and the more she did it, the faster she would become tired of him and let him alone. At least, that was his theory. Sadly, there was another blonde sitting across two rooms, staring at the two as if she was a lion on the prowl ready to pounce, sipping her drink and sitting quietly in a chair pulled from the kitchen table to make room for a game of beer pong. She and Kankuro were actually above parties like Ino's, where the sole purpose was to get smashed. But they each had their intentions, and she wasn't leaving Konoha without getting what she wanted. Shikamaru caught her eyes and rose his eyebrows, a bit shocked at how hard her leer was. He shrugged his shoulders at her as if to say that he could do nothing, to which she slammed down her cup on the near by counter and made her way back over to Ino. Just before confrontation could happen, her face painted brother took her shoulder.
"This party is getting ridiculous, let's get out of here" He rolled his eyes, motioning his thumb toward the door. "They've got Ringo half naked, close to passing out, and they're trying to get her, Sakura and Naruto to go streaking through town"
The instant Shikamaru heard this, he freed himself of both blondes and rushed throughout the house looking for the crowd before something disastrous could happen. Kitchen? No. Dining room? No. Bathroom?! No! Then the idea hit him. He ran through the house and threw open the door to the stairs that led down to the shop. Running so fast, he barely even touched the steps with his feet, almost gliding on the air, his heart pounding against his chest in panic, praying they weren't running the streets naked just yet. At the bottom was half the party, helping Naruto and Sakura strip off their clothes because they were too wasted to do it themselves. And there stood Ringo, a bright, toothy smile on her face, her red hair flowing every which way due to her broken hair-tie, her clothes on the ground with exception of her bra and panties. The Yamanaka shop was basically all windows to display their beautiful flowers and other floral products, and thank goodness it was hours after midnight, or passers-by would get quite the eye-full.
"Shika-kun, Shika-kun" Ringo stumbled over to the shinobi. "Look, I'm going to make everyone laugh and have a good time! I'm the life of the party!"
The look of pity in the lazy ninja's face was priceless. "C'mon Rin, it's late, let's get you home"
"NO! I want to go running with Sakura and Naruto because I LOVE THEM!!" She turned to said drunken teens, waving her arms in the air and stumbling over backward, everyone cheering back at her.
"But they told me that they want you to watch them, instead" He caught her in a "trust fall" position, trying to convince her not to strip out of her remaining clothing and cause trouble.
"They said that really?"
"Yeah, let's go get your clothes and watch them run"
Ringo nodded her head in agreement before awkwardly positioning herself back onto her feet to stand. She held Shikamaru's hand for balance as they walked over to the empty corner and picked up each item, one by one. He assisted her in getting dressed as if she was a small child, it was sort of cute, but not entirely. Holding her still so she wouldn't topple over, his hands skimmed her form to pull up or down her skin-tight clothing. He unintentionally felt her up, but enjoyed it. He found himself longing to hold her toned body against his, looking for excuses to keep touching her. Finally, all the fishnets and accessories were back on her body, but it was time to put on the main article, her red and blue mini-dress. She raised her arms in the air and Shikamaru slipped it over her head, pulling it from the bottom and shimmying it down her torso.
"Awww, what the hell, dude. Don't be a dick" Kiba called over, beer in hand, angry that the pony-tailed ninja wasn't allowing him to see a naked girl.
"You already have Sakura, and this is Ringo's first time being drunk, lay off her"
"What are you, her boyfriend?" Kiba took a gulp of his beer. "You know that's Lee's job and that's why he ain't here trying to jock Sakura"
"Oh please, you know the only guy who could like Ringo is Lee anyway, she tries too hard to be like a dude with all her training" The lazy shinobi finally popped Rin's head through the top of the dress, unafraid to speak of her like she wasn’t present.
"Doesn't mean I don't want to see her manly ass naked" He laughed loudly.
"Whatever man, you know I only like blondes anyway" He put his arm around the oblivious Ringo and fist bumped Kiba on his way out of the Yamanaka shop.
They walked down the dirt road a little and found a place to stand with a good view of the upcoming event. A few minutes later, the florist doors burst open, Sakura jolting out first, her hands wrapped around her bare breasts. Naruto followed quickly after, both hands cupping his junk, his butt jiggling with every step he took. Squeezing through the doors was the entire rest of the party, screaming and cheering, their drinks spilling all over the ground as they chased the two ninja down the road. Shikamaru and Ringo laughed together until the crowd disappeared beyond a hill. He took notice to just how drunk she was and offered to bring her to his place, being that it was near by. There was no way she would make it home without passing out or being carried. Their journey was quiet and peaceful, the red head too preoccupied with trying to walk steady than on anything else. She clung to his arm for balance, but it looked as if their arms were linked and they were walking as a couple. For some reason, he appreciated this moment, it made him feel good. Their personalities clashed, he being lazy and Rin unable to ever sit still, he wasn't big on her red locks either, but she wasn't bad looking. He was so used to hanging out with the over-the-top Ino, always in make up, never a stray hair, clothes perfectly pressed, that all the other girls seemed somewhat plain in comparison.
They very, very slowly climbed the stairs to Shikamaru's apartment, every step Ringo claimed was going "too fast", which he found ironic since she was the fastest ninja in the village. He led her to the couch, where he had her sit as he went in the other room to grab a pillow and blanket for her to sleep. Once he had them in hand, though, he turned around to see her standing in his bedroom, too drunk to comprehend staying put. Again, he took her by the shoulder and showed her the couch, where he placed the pillow down and had her lay. He draped the blanket over her and sat on the floor, petting her head and reassuring her that she didn't drink enough to throw up so she wouldn't worry. When she appeared to be asleep, he hopped onto his feet and made his way to his room and threw himself onto his bed. A few silent seconds later, he could hear very light footsteps and a subtle dragging noise.
"Why do you keep moving around? I want to sleep" Rin yawned, pillow under her arm, blanket almost covering the hallway from her hand.
"Then go to sleep!" Shikamaru responded, his voice muffled with his face in the mattress.
"But this is your house! I can't be in there alone, I have to be where you are!" Stomped the red head, too drunk to make any sense.
"Oh, just come sleep here then...So troublesome" Arguing with her wasn't an option and he knew it.
Sliding over to give her room, he tapped the bed on the spot next to him, signaling her to lay there. A wide smile spread across her face before she skipped over and jumped onto his mattress, looking like a child with her crazy red locks and bedding in hand. She began singing the "sleepover" song, which wasn't much of a song but more of Ringo putting together words to a very nonsensical and unmelodious tune. The pony tailed ninja groaned before turning his head the other way, he should've just left her at the party. She threw herself, face up, into the mattress and lie still with a grin pulling at her lips. Silence was granted to the shinobi, finally. Just before he dozed off, the sheets rustled a bit. It was called liquid courage because it gives one the strength, and in some cases stupidity, to say their hidden feelings, and Ringo had a request on her mind for the entire duration of the day.
"Shika-kun" Ringo whispered, putting her hand on his back. "Are you awake still?"
"Unfortunately"
"Um..Well..."
"What's wrong? The bathroom's just down the hall to the right, you passed it coming in here"
"No...I..I was wondering if you.."
"I have a hair tie, I don't want to hold your hair back...I'd have to watch you puke and it's pretty gross"
"My tummy is fine, I think...But I wanted to..."
"The kitchen is to the left, take whatever you want from the fridge"
"FUCK ME, DAMN IT!"
He turned over to face her. Shikamaru was definitely awake.
"You wouldn't let me finish ta-..."
With a quickness, he sat up and took her lips with his. His hands stroked her thighs, so smooth and soft, as she ran her fingers through his long, dark hair. She murred and scooted over closer to him, her red, wavy locks tickling his shoulders. He had a thing for playing with girls' hair while making out, but for some reason, he just couldn't bring himself to touch hers. The fact that it was brushing his skin made him tingle in discomfort. He wasn't the type to discriminate, but she wasn't blonde and that's what he wanted. She was also the only red head in their town, so even though she was perfectly fine in the "looks" department, she was always "just Ringo". Guilt swarmed his stomach, he was leading her on at this point, but what he wouldn't do to just get off after all that hot dancing with Temari earlier.
"Ringo" Shikamaru pulled away just enough to talk.
"Yes?" She answered, her eyes still closed, his breath like silk on her lips as he spoke.
"I...I..." He stuttered, his hands just above her breasts. He wanted to touch them so badly, it was painful, but he needed to remember his morals. "I can't do this...I don't feel that way about you"
She finally opened her eyes. "But...Why? Is it because I'm ugly or something?"
"No, no...It's nothing like that" He shook his head before putting his hands on her shoulders. "Look, you're drunk. I can't just do that to you, it would make me a bad person"
Ringo wanted to argue back, but it was of no use. "Can I still sleep here at least?"
With Shikamaru's nod of approval, they lie down underneath the blankets and drifted off. He was turned with his back to her, he didn't want to open his eyes to the image of her on his bed, alone, untouched, and innocent, and then regret turning her down. But if he did the act with Ringo, all he would do was pretend that she was either Temari or Ino. Most likely Temari, but that's not the point. She lie facing away from him, staring at the wall very tired, confused and most of all, disappointed. The weather outside was neither hot nor cold, but the warmth from Shikamaru’s body was so satisfying, she couldn’t help but scoot up close. His bedroom window was open, letting in the summer night’s breeze, the dim light from the moon and stars outside shining through, shadows of distant things blowing in the wind dancing on her face. She was still extremely dizzy from all of the alcohol she had consumed, the room wasn’t spinning, but she felt like she was floating. Rolling over, she put an arm around the finally sleeping Shikamaru, underneath his arm, as stability, to feel like she was grounded. Her nose was in the back of his neck, the smell of his hair and his skin mixing together made her long for him more, she only hoped to have him in her dream that night.
The next morning, Shikamaru was first to wake. He felt her soft hand against his chest, and pressed it closer to him. He entangled his fingers in hers and wished that she would change her appearance, she was so beautiful, but her hair, it was just too different, he couldn't accept its uniqueness. He began to imagine her with golden locks, breaking his own heart, knowing the likeliness of it actually happening was very slim. He could feel her breathing on the back of his neck, her lips so gently resting on his skin, it was like they were barely there. With every breath, it was a shiver down his spine. He clutched her hand, he wanted to prevent regret by not looking at her, but her presence was just enough to make him want to turn over and take her for his. He bit his bottom lip, he wanted her naked so intensely. He couldn't handle it anymore, he ripped her arm from his body and shot off of the bed. Her sleep wasn't disturbed at all by his sudden movement as he stood there with his back to her, slowly turning his head behind him to look upon her form. First her cute little toes, then her tiny feet, her shapely calves, and her juicy thighs that led into her round waist up to her hour glass torso. He turned away abruptly, he just couldn't look all the way up at her, he felt like he almost didn't deserve it. He journeyed to the kitchen for some coffee for energy and some breakfast.
Some time later, the absence of Shikamaru's body forced Ringo into waking. She first looked around the room in confusion of where exactly she was. Taking a few moments to reflect on the night before, she pushed her face into the pillow in humiliation...Many people saw her half naked at that party, including Shikamaru. With that thought in her mind, she instantly remembered the area of which she was occupying. She took her time getting out of his bed, sitting up first to fix her hair using a few strands to wrap it into a ponytail. Taking light and quiet steps, she timidly explored his apartment searching for him. When she finally reached the kitchen after sneaking around corners, afraid of getting into trouble, she saw his dirty dishes from his morning meal on the table, but he was missing. Still some coffee left in his mug that read "Don't talk to me until this is finished", which was obviously a gift from Ino who always complained about his crankiness, Ringo added a little sugar. After polishing off the remainder of the lukewarm beverage, she realized that finding the owner of the apartment was the least of her worries. Once she drank that liquid, it almost immediately went to her bladder. Scurrying her way out of the kitchen and down the hall to the bathroom, she noticed the door was open, which meant he wasn't in there either. This was also a good thing because she had to go, PRONTO. Swiftly removing her pants and underwear in one motion, she threw her rear onto the toilet for a much needed release.
"Aahh" She breathed audibly while leaning forward, a little shiver twitch running through her shoulders.
"You did good for your first time" Shikamaru turned to her from the sink, toothpaste foaming in his mouth. "You didn't pop the cork once until now"
Ringo's eyes grew to half the size of her face. "OH GOD! I thought you weren't in here! The door was opened! I'm so sorry to barge in! I-..."
"Don't worry about it" He rinsed after brushing his teeth a bit more. "You've gotta go, you've gotta go. Plus, I'd much rather have you rush in on me than go anywhere else. Do you know how much piss I have to clean in a week after scared ninja in training at the academy?"
He rolled his eyes then laughed before really taking notice to Ringo's face. She only chuckled in response but still couldn't look him in the eye, her hands on her lap, covering her important area as she sat up straight in a tense manner, very much opposite of how she was seated before she noticed him. He cleared his throat before toweling off any excess water or toothpaste from his mouth. He saw it as a normal occurrence because he got around quite a bit. Once one becomes intimate with someone, sharing a bathroom with the other gender becomes less taboo. However, it was quite obvious she was different and not used to such casual behavior in such a private environment. He left her alone in the bathroom, closing the door behind him, a slight sting of discouragement in his heart. They'd known each other since they were kids, for pete sake, they almost screwed the night before! How could she be so cold? Carrying the thoughts on his shoulders a little while longer, he made the bed. Which, even if he didn't want to think about it, it was still forced into his head seeing as her body was lying on those very sheets he was tidying just a few minutes prior.
Finally, Ringo emerged from the bathroom rather humbly, her hands behind her back as she took baby steps down the hall to his bedroom where she could hear him primping the blankets. Once he looked up, he could see her in the doorway, their eyes met. She smiled and thanked him for taking care of her the night prior before reaching out her hand, palm up, an offering to walk her home. He walked around his mattress with a bit of a skip in his step and took her offering, along with her hand, as they left together. Her heart was at a steady flutter, he was such a good man to take care of her but not advantage of her while she was drunk. Not only a good man, but a good friend in general, at least, that was the idea in her mind. They walked together speaking of the party and telling the various happenings the other missed out on, the tension from their bathroom incident earlier vanishing. The sky was clear blue, there were no clouds for Shikamaru to gaze at, so all of his attention was on her. Up until they were called upon from Ichiraku, the ramen shop.
"Yoohoo!" Ino waved, a bag in her hand with a to-go bowl of ramen.
"Good morning, Ino" Ringo smiled at her, Shikamaru just giving her a nervous look, predicting the inevitable.
"I see you guys had a good night" The blonde winked and nudged Shikamaru in the arm.
"Oh, yeah! The party was so much fun! I hope I'm invited to any more you have in the future" The red head clasped her hands together.
"As long as you continue to get naked and bring guys home, I'm sure you'll be the person of interest from now on" Ino made a puss of a smile, leaving Ringo rather confused to her offensive behavior disguised in sheep's clothing.
"Hey, cut that out!" Shikamaru tapped his team mate on the arm with the back of his hand before lowly stating "We didn't do anything"
"Yeah, yeah. I have lunch to eat, I can't spoil my appetite on all this bullshit you're feeding me" The Yamanaka rolled her eyes before moseying off. "Tootle-loo, love birds!"
"I'm so sorry about her, you know how Ino is" Shikamaru turned to Ringo with a sympathetic look.
Rin simply shrugged her shoulders, the two of them knew what was true and Ino's gossip wasn't going to make it any different. She was rather oblivious to just how angry the blonde was since she liked lighthearted play, she was never the type to stir up trouble. Block by block they walked, Shikamaru rolling the memories of last night over in his mind, kneading them like bread, the yeast of guilt rising in his stomach. He took Ino for granted a lot of the time, saying things like "Women are troublesome" yet calling upon her help in battle when needed, ignoring her best efforts at looking her finest spending hours upon hours with make up and diets, undermining her every opinion when it clashed with his. The Yamanaka daughter had never gotten so flustered with him bringing a female home, then again, he was very discreet with that information. Obviously, she'd witnessed him flirting, but she could always butt in without a problem. A talk needed to be had between the two before it meant they couldn't talk at all. With a sigh, Shikamaru dropped his shoulders and finalized the thought in his mind just as he reached the front of Ringo's apartment building.
"So I'll see you soon?" He asked, his hands resting in his pockets.
"How about tomorrow night?" Her eyebrows curled up in a hopeful nervousness.
"What do you have in mind?"
"Dinner" She bit her bottom lip and looked toward the ground bashfully.
Shikamaru's eyebrows rose before he blinked a few times. "Oh!"
"I-...I mean I know last night was a little weird, but I still thought..."
"No, no! That sounds like a good idea, I'd like that" He feigned a smile. "Eight O'clock?"
The red head gasped with excitement before expressing a relieved chuckle and nodding. She waved goodbye as she climbed the stairs to her apartment, fiddling with her keys before opening the door. Shikamaru took off briskly the second Rin entered her home, he needed to catch up with Ino quickly before she had a long enough chance to brood and become angrier with the situation than she already was. He was almost a hundred percent sure that she was working another shift at her family's flower shop again, that was the only time she ever got Ichiraku ramen for take out, because it was quickly made and close to home so she could eat it in enough time for her lunch break. He knew he had to hurry, but running was never an option unless it wasn't optional. Urgency wasn't ever a priority over laziness. Keeping calm, he was also able to anticipate just exactly how the conversation would go. What he would say and how Ino would react, getting his point across while also avoiding sounding like a pompous asshole. Women were sort of like Shougi, but far less predictable and ten times as many rules. He enjoyed puzzles and rewired his strategic knowledge to also work as charm.
He made his way around the corner just before the florist, and rehearsed how he was going to explain the situation and defuse the blonde's rage. He really wanted nothing more than to turn around and stroll to his favorite spot in the village and watch the clouds because of how much of a chore it felt like apologizing to Ino, but chores need to be done at some point, or the mess just gets bigger. He approached the massive window showcasing multiple bouquets of flowers available to be sold. Beyond the mountain of petaled plants revealed a bored blonde, tapping her nails on the counter sporting a pink apron, her head in her other hand daydreaming toward the outside. The sudden hue change of Shikamaru's black hair against the brightly colored flowers forced Ino's eyes at him. He caught her glare and forced a sigh of fatigue. She turned away from him as he entered the shop, a scoff following the small sound of the bell attached to the door.
"What do YOU want?" Her attitude already on full blast.
"Don't you mean 'How may I help you'?" He stepped up to the counter. "You should work on your customer serv-.."
"Get out of my store if you're going to joke around, it isn't cute" She snarled, turning back around to face him with fire in her eyes.
"Okay, Ino, first of all, we really didn't sleep togeth-.."
"First lie"
"Second of all, I'm not attracted t-..."
"Second lie"
"Stop cutting me off!" He slammed his fist against the counter in irritation, she merely sneered in response. "Third, even if we DID sleep together, you can't get mad at me at all"
"Oh, and why is that?" She cocked her head to the side almost sarcastically. "Perhaps for using my party as a means to bring Ringo closer to you? Or drinking ALL of my alcohol to convince her that going to your place would be a good idea?"
"It's none of your business"
"Just because it didn't specifically happen at my party, doesn't mean it's not my business, it still started there"
"I'm not your boyfriend, Ino" Shikamaru maintained his usual look of boredom, a stern look of seriousness laced between his eyebrows.
The blonde was silent for the first time in her life, he had hit a nerve with five simple words. "Then be my boyfriend, Shikamaru"
Speechless, he freed a hand from one of his pockets and scratched the back of his head. "Um..."
"I've wanted you to be mine forever" Her anger fell into sheepishness. "I mean, I've always loved Sasuke, but you suit me"
Shikamaru studied her form, or most of it from what was revealed above the counter. There was no beating around the bush, he also wanted her from the moment he realized he wanted girls. Her hair so long and glorious, it was the only thing softer than her skin and never had a single knot or tangle. It was yellow and shined like the sun, and even though he loved clouds, he never wanted a single one to float in front of her flaring locks. Her big, beautiful, blank eyes like a mirror to anyone looking upon them if she blessed them with the honor of letting them stare long enough, and that was exactly what the Nara was doing. Just beholding her every feature, his hand falling from his head slowly to touch her hand, so small in his own, that he could almost engulf it with his fingers alone. He could feel her lightly quivering with nervousness.
"I'm doing that to you?" He leaned forward with curiosity, speaking of her shaking.
She nodded her head before snatching her hand away in humiliation. Her response sent a jolt through his entire being, he was shocked and excited, yet still maintained his disinterested demeanor. He leaned in closer to her, his waist pressed against the counter, his face only inches from hers. She remained still, the moment binding her and encasing her to prevent every movement. Breathing became something of an effort, but every time she did inhale, his scent filled her expanding lungs. She closed her eyes, she couldn't bear his staring into them any longer. Her lips became moist and warm, her heart feeling like an explosion, her blood heating every vein in her body. A gentle, tender kiss.
"I can't" Ino pulled away. "Not after you and Ringo..."
The pony tailed ninja snatched her arm and stole her gaze before shaking his head. "Go out with me"
He pulled her elbow down to the counter, forcing her to bend over before stealing her lips again across the counter. Her other hand immediately took his cheek in her palm, his ear interlaced between her fingers. She pulled him closer as if to try to eliminate any distance in their kiss. He grasped a lock of her blonde hair, smooth to the touch, he played with it. Her long bangs tickled his face, and he relished every second. This. This was how a kiss was supposed to feel. No second thoughts, no regrets, no guilt, just pure and simple pleasure. A lip lock so intense that no one else in the world existed. Well, no one except one person.
"AHEM!" They pulled away from each other to see an older woman staring at them with four bouquets in her hands. "While you two were having your lovers' spat, I've been waiting to check out"
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! Yes, yes, come this way, please" Ino adjusted her shirt and apron before pointing a hand, palm up, to the counter.
"I apologize" Shikamaru's face burned tomato red.
The woman counted her cash out into Ino's hand before handing Shikamaru one of her flowers. "Here, this little rose made its way into my sunflowers, you should give it to someone you love"
The pony tailed ninja watched the woman as she tilted her head in Ino's direction as a way of pointing to her before turning around and leaving, the bell jingling upon her exit through the shop door. He peered down at the rejected flower, almost feeling sympathy because of its dismissal just because it was different. He extended his fist with the rose at the blonde, his eyebrows high, an inquiring glint to his expression out of wonderment to if she would take it. She chuckled and smacked his hand away, almost making him drop the flower. Of course she didn't want it, why would he give a rejected rose to a florist? She continued to giggle as she almost skipped to the front of the shop. She locked the door and drew the curtain, turning over her "Open" sign so it would show the opposite side reading "Closed". As she made her way back to where her new boyfriend was standing, she released her hair from its half pony tail, a few yellow strands finding their way to her face.
"Y'know..." Ino plucked the rose from Shikamaru's fingers and placed it on the counter. "....My parents are still gone until tomorrow"
His face became brighter than Ino's glistening hair, his mouth curling into a lecherous smile. Without another word, he embraced her jaw line in his hands and tapped her lips with his. He briskly brushed his fingers along her neck to her shoulders then down her arms before just grabbing one of her wrists and turning around, leading the way up the stairs and to her bedroom. They were definitely going to celebrate their newly blossomed relationship.
The next morning Shikamaru awoke in Ino's bed, entangled in her white sheets, his hair splayed across the pillow he was laying on. Her arm rested across his bear chest, her golden locks taking up the remaining space behind her. He had fallen asleep with his hands behind his head, a very satisfied position, which made him reflect on the night prior. He couldn't help but feel proud that he made the right choice not acting on impulse with Ringo. He ran his fingers through his new girlfriend's hair, gently waking her. She sighed audibly with delight before kissing a trail from his ribs to his cheek, then laying on his shoulder. He embraced her briefly and smooched her forehead while turning to his side to face her.
"I've got to go soon" One side of his mouth stretched back in disappointment.
"No" Ino stated plainly before snuggling up to him again.
"I have to start my day, it's almost noon"
"I don't care what time it is, you're MY boyfriend and I want you to stay" The blonde took a bit of a bratty tone.
"Don't you have work?" Shikamaru pulled away from her a little astonished at her attitude.
"Nope! My parents are working the store today!" She smiled. "I get the day off!"
"Your parents are home?!" He hopped out of the bed with a quickness, scouring the room for every article of clothing of his that got tossed around the night before.
"Yeah, I told you they would only be gone one more day" Ino sat up confused, her hair a bit of a frizz. "What's the big deal?"
"I'm not ready for the whole 'meet the parents' part of the relationship... Even though I already know them" The black haired ninja rushed to put his pants on before turning around, his shirt in his hand, and crawling back on the bed to nuzzle his nose in Ino's neck. "I'll come see you later, I promise, I just have stuff to do"
"Whatever" She pouted, crossing her arms.
He kissed her deeply, slipping his tongue between her lips, and untwisting her arms. He took off out of her window, careful not to land in front of the shop so he wouldn't be seen by her parents. He slipped his black shirt on as he walked, fixing his hair back into a pony tail soon after. Grabbing some fruit for lunch, he made his way home to shower and change, then stopped at the academy to help some students who were training to become Genin. In the middle of helping a young ninja-to-be with studying for an upcoming test, there was a knock on the door. Upon answering, he was pleased with the surprise of a visit from Temari.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" He asked a little confused.
"Don't sound so happy to see me, dance partner" She smirked, poking a finger to his chest and pushing him back. "I was sent on a mission to reestablish communications with Konoha, it's an annual thing that we do once a year, so I'll be here for about a month and a half to two months"
"You can go on with her, Shikamaru-senpai, I've got it down pat" The student waved him off with a wink and smile.
The pony tailed ninja blushed before clearing his throat. "Right, well, work hard!" He slipped out the door of the classroom with Temari.
"What a smart kid, he'll do well in the future if he can read a situation like ours so quickly" The blonde commented with a grin.
The two strolled out of the academy and onto the dirt road toward a grassy park area. "Then again, it really doesn't take much when it comes to us, it's kind of obvious"
"Speaking of us, I never saw you again after you had to clean up that mess"
"Ringo? Oh, don't be so hard on her, it was her first time drinking"
"Nah, you were the one with the hard on for her" She snickered.
"Is that jealousy?" He shot her a charming look of amusement.
"Admittedly, a little bit" She bit her lip. "I noticed you brought her home that night, and I was kinda disappointed that we didn't continue our dance session in a more....Horizontal manner"
"Contrary to popular belief, I actually didn't do anything with Ringo that night" He rolled his eyes, reminded of Ino's outburst.
"Either way, I don't really care" She shrugged her shoulders. "I was the only one who got any passion out of you that night, and I did it without getting naked or using blackmail, so I'm satisfied"
He paused for a moment to reflect on it, and she had a point. Also, by some stretch of the unlikely, she managed to stay on his brain the entire rest of the night. He laughed and scratched the back of his head, she caught him out. She was able to see his feelings and bring them right out on him. Instead of charming her, she charmed him instead. He knew she was good at reading him since their fight during the Chuunin exams many years ago, and he always liked her sharp mind. She wasn't a typical "dumb blonde" and that was part of why he was attracted to her so intensely. He was so used to planning every step and predicting multiple moves ahead, but she always kept him on edge and prevented him from doing it, tearing down his protective walls and going right for the center of him. They continued to converse until dusk, a mixture of intelligent banter and light flirting, while also walking Temari to the place she was staying.
"Would you like to come upstairs and see my room?" She winked.
"I do...But I can't" He looked away from her. "I have something to do..."
"You're a very bad liar" She put her hands to her hips.
"I know I'm sorry, it's just that I shouldn't beca-..." He stopped himself. "What time is it?"
"8:27" She checked her watch before giving him a puzzled look.
"Oh shit..." He put his palm to his forehead and cradled it. "I really do have something... I've got to go, bye!"
Temari waved at him with a confused expression before turning around and walking into the building she was residing in. Shikamaru ran as fast as he could, as much as he hated running, to make it to where he needed to be. He felt like the worst person in the world. He spent his entire evening entertaining a woman he was interested in, flirting with her even, all while having a loving girlfriend waiting for him at home who wanted nothing more than that very affection, and he blew her off. Then to top it off, he was late. It was one of those moments where running was absolutely necessary. The entire way, he beat himself up in his mind, making himself feel worse and worse until he actually made it to Ichiraku where he found nothing but empty seats. He sighed, and hung his head, he was way too late and he knew it. When he finally looked up, he saw a little dot of a person off in the distance, there was hope after all. Quickly making the seals for it, he used his Kagemane no Jutsu to catch her shadow. Making her walk toward him, he got her just close enough to talk before releasing his ability.
"Ringo, I'm so sorry I'm late"
"I waited for an hour!" She put her hands to her hips. "You're very lucky you caught me with your jutsu before I could realize, I would've disappeared faster than you could process"
"I know, I know, that's why I did it" He cocked his head back behind him, motioning to the ramen stand. "Let's go eat and I'll explain"
The red head sighed harshly, before leading the way there. "Fine"
He followed suit and took a seat next to hers. He knew she was angry, but he also knew she would give him another chance.
"Listen, this is going to have to be a quick dinner, I have training in the morning and I can't be out too late" She glanced at the menu before putting in her order.
Doing the same, Shikamaru nodded and handed both menus to the cook. "I understand, I took a lot longer than expected"
"So..." She presented a hand. "What took you so long?"
That was where he was in a bind. If he told her the truth, she was going to hate him for all of eternity, or most of it anyway, and he would look like a really bad guy, which he kinda was. But, if he told her a lie, it could go one of three ways: She would believe it and everything would be fine, she would believe it and the truth would come out and she would then hate him for all of eternity, or she would see right through it... And hate him for all of eternity. The odds were severely against the lazy ninja, and for whatever reason, he actually cared about what she thought of him. Ringo leaned her head in her hand and rested her elbow on the counter, a snarky yet inquiring face complete with a slanted lip line and raised eyebrow. He might as well have just told her, all predicted moves in the future left him with nothing, and it was all a gamble.
"I was debating on whether or not I wanted to come tonight"
"Excuse me?" She released her head of her hand and slammed her fist down, a leer engulfing her blue eyes. "Is my company that bothersome for you?"
"No, no...Listen, Ino's my girlfriend" He might as well give her the truth. "It's a secret, which is the main reason why I was so awkward about it when you slept over" ....Some of the truth.
"Ino wanted to keep something worthy of gossip... A secret?" The red head crossed her arms and leaned back, almost as if commanding him to entertain her with his answer.
"No, I do" He interlaced his fingers together, his infamous expression of boredom. "I don't want to hear it from anyone that I'm shitting where I eat because we were on the same team, how I'll be dropped the second Sasuke comes back, how she's too pretty for me, how she's too prissy for me, how I-.."
"Hey, hey!" Rin jumped forward, uncrossing her arms and rubbing his shoulders. "It's okay! I'm not going to judge you!"
He sat silently, his eyes glued to hers in slight shock of his realization: He was giving himself an epiphany.
"I'm sorry I made you feel so pressured into telling me your secret" She caressed his cheek with her thumb to calm him. "I won't rat you out to anyone, okay?"
"Order up!" The cook put the two bowls of ramen down in front of the ninja.
"Yeah...Let's eat" He shook his head, snapping himself out of his trance.
The pair ate in silence, simply enjoying each other's company and the food they were served. Shikamaru couldn't bring himself to talk after spilling everything to her, all of his inner doubts about his girlfriend. Those were anxieties he'd had since the moment he realized he wanted her, he had just never expressed it to anyone before. Yes, originally he planned on giving her a little white lie, but in turn, he found truth in it. Instead of doing it to spare her feelings, he subconsciously did it to reveal his own. He took a brief side glance at her while she sipped her noodles, she was content, she was comfortable, she wasn't forcing him to speak anymore. 'I won't judge you' her voice echoed in his memory, he needed that. Upon looking closer, he noticed she had given herself a manicure.
"I like your nails" He smiled politely.
"Oh, Um...Thank you" She dropped her chopsticks in the bowl before quickly grabbing a napkin and wiping her mouth, then hiding her fingers in her fists on her lap.
Further inspection of the napkin revealed a light lip print. "Lip gloss, too?"
"I thought this was a date, okay!" Her cheeks became as red as her hair, her demeanor completely flustered. "Next time I won't dress up"
"Aww, please do, you look really nice" He chuckled. "Next time?"
"Or not, I don't know"
"No, no! That sounds like a good idea, I'd like that" This time, his smile was genuine.
She smiled back before placing her bowl on the upper part of the counter for the cook to take and leaving her cash next to it. "You know, if you ever need someone to talk to, you can vent to me"
"Thanks, I could use a woman's advice"
"See ya"
Ringo lifted herself from her seat and walked alone down the Konoha dirt road to her home to rest up for her early day she had to follow. Shikamaru watched her off until she disappeared into the darkness, then turned to his bowl to finish eating. Above everything, she was a good friend, and that was a fact he'd known for a very long time. He looked forward to seeing her again, and perhaps even finding some more truth within himself. Handing the cook his money and the bowl just as the red head did, he also left the ramen stand in the opposite direction, heading for Ino's house.
"But am I really getting what I want?"
END chapter one
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Story notes: This story is told from Shikamaru's point of view, even though there's an OC in it, it is not centered around the OC.