of festivals and stranger encounters

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summary: AU. One-shot! Ino and Shikamaru meet on a Ferris wheel. Both abandoned, one slightly miffed.

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Disclaimer: I almost forgot to do this :O! I do not own Naruto! If I did...it would be one screwed up world.

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A/N: This came out of nowhere...I'm not lying, it's my first separate one-shot fic for naruto and I'm not saying to GIVE ME REVIEWS. Just chill out and enjoy the story. -.-, seriously.

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Nara Shikamaru didn't want to spend his day like this, no. He'd rather be laying down on a soft patch of grass and cloud watch. It was ridiculous how many things clouds could be. Anyways, he'd rather do that than be at this years Sakura Festival.

No offence to it, but the hustle and bustle of it was too troublesome. To prove his point, he wouldn't even be here if it weren't for Chouji, his best buddy.

Apparently, his buddy had finally scored, and found a date. Shikamaru was proud of him, but sometimes he wondered if he really had to drag him along. It was after all, it was a 'date'. Two people. Alone. No third person.

Three hours into the festival, Shikamaru decided to ditch them. In the nicest, most unnoticeable way possible. They were passing the Ferris wheel, and Shikamaru had already made a believable excuse.

Shikamaru tapped his best friend on the shoulder, and told him he was leaving to watch clouds while on the Ferris wheel. Maybe take a nap after.

The Akimichi rose a brow, but came to a conclusion when Shikamaru gave him a thumbs up.

Okay, so maybe he wasn't that inconspicuous, he'd have to work on that. Troublesome.

Shikamaru paid the fare and climbed into one of those passenger cars. Not caring if someone was already in it or not.

Unfortunately, it was the former. Meaning the baby blue eyes he met weren't supposed to be surprising.

They blinked, and stared at him with curiosity. "Um, who are you?"

Shikamaru leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, letting out a nonchalant. "Nara Shikamaru."

"Well, Nara Shikamaru, care to explain why you're in my car?"

Troublesome. "I walked in the first one I saw."

Unbeknownst to him, the blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "So you just decided to walk in, talk about manners!"

Shikamaru cracked open an eye, and drunk in her appearance. Long, light blond hair with a single bang that covered one of her eyes, which were a light blue, perfect curves, and a blue halter dress that showed her long legs and shiny blue stilett-Oh.

Was he checking her out?

"W-were you checking me out?" She demanded incredulously.

Shikamaru quickly shut his eye. Troublesome mind reader. "You never told me your name, it's considered good manners to say your name before asking. Weren't you speaking of that earlier?"

She gaped at him, as if to say, Are-you-kidding-me? Nonetheless she managed to stutter out. "Y-Yamanaka Ino."

"So…" Ino continued a few minutes after, unable to handle the awkward silence. "How'd you end up here?"

Shikamaru smirked. "I'm playing wingman." Well, it technically wasn't true, but the act of kindness he did Chouji (by leaving) was somewhat a reason enough to be labeled a wingman.

Ino grinned, and Shikamaru took note on how easily she forgot things. "Really? Same here!"

"And who's the lucky pair?"

Unfortunately, Shikamaru didn't know Ino had the ability to speak hours to no end.

"Their names are Sasuke and Sakura, and I swear they are the most stubborn, troublesome couple ever! If you met them, you would understand! Sasuke's insufferable and Sakura…don't get me wrong, she's my best friend. But sometimes she can be so…so damn stubborn. They were in complete obliviousness for three months! Three! When the Sakura Festival came around, I knew it was a blessing. I got Sasuke to ask Sakura out, but guess what she said, nothing! Zilch, zip, zero, nada! So, I invited them separately, but they've both been so irritating for the past two hours….I ended up ditching them." Ino shrugged. "I saw the Ferris wheel and took my leave."

"You like Ferris wheels?" Shikamaru asked.

"Ever since I was a kid," Ino confirmed.

"…"

"…"

"…You know this is our fifth time around?"

Ino blinked. "Are you sure?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes under his closed lids and nodded.

The next time the Ferris wheel stopped, they both exited, and were about to go separate ways until they remembered they had both ditched their companions.

Shikamaru sighed, and rubbed the back of his head as he stood awkwardly next to the blonde. Trying to find out a way to ask her out to the rest of the festival.

"So…is this where we take our leave?" came out instead.

Ino pursed her lips and shook her head. "Nope, I've already decided your going to be my date for the rest of this festival."

This got Shikamaru to open both of his eyes, and stare at the blonde.

Ino smirked, and tiptoed up to kiss his cheek, then proceeded to grip his arm and drag him towards the heart of the festival.

Shikamaru took note of his pink cheeks and grunted. Troublesome.

But still, he'd have to get her phone number later. She seemed like a pretty decent girl.