Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Rating: K+
Shadows and Sunlight
Shikamaru/Ino
She was always standing there, beneath the trees. The shadows were not dark enough to hide the sunny tresses, spilling carelessly over her shoulders. How many years ago had she cut it? And even now, she did not allow it to become too long. Just long enough.
Long enough for fingers to run through the silky locks, to flip out the ends flirtatiously, or to clutch in moments of frustration. Sometimes it would be braided, a sign that always signified danger ahead.
She only plaited her hair when she was upset. And usually with him.
But it was down today, causing his shoulders to ease. Normally, he did not follow her. Too troublesome, too much work. After five years of companionship, she had finally understood that he did not like to make the effort. His ideal life was that of an average person. He was happy that way.
She wasn't.
It never did work out for them, really.
But lately...
Lately there had been something in her eyes, written on her face. The laughing sparkle was more prominent - too prominent. Those lips would always be curved in a smile.
She never argued anymore. Never yelled. Was never upset, never angry. No; she was much like her companions now, quietly making her way through life. A Chuunin, with a long wait to become a Jounin - if she did at all. She no longer pushed and prodded.
It didn't feel right. It worried him.
Which was why he watched her, hands carelessly resting in his pockets, slumped against a wall. Yamanaka Ino was not one to hide in nature, but she was often found by these trees, standing calmly, as though contemplating. Like him, in fact.
"Sakura moved in with Lee today."
He glanced behind her, somehow unsurprised to see the familiar face of his teammate. "Hey, Chouji." He didn't respond to the somewhat bewildered comment.
Sakura had always been the one to run after Sasuke. And she had, indeed, cared for him deeply. Everyone had seen that. But suddenly... suddenly she had turned away from the young prodigy, and her eyes had landed on Gai's student. Though Lee had loved her for years, the feeling had never been reciprocated.
Yet it was, now. And everyone was rather surprised at the fact.
"Ino was crying."
Her jerked slightly at those words.
The blonde beauty, crying? Tears of sadness?
Impossible. She was too sweet, full of brightness.
"Yeah?"
No. She couldn't have felt any sort of sorrow. If she did... it would be too troublesome.
He would have to go to her, when they had drawn the line long ago. He would want to hold her, to comfort her. Put himself out in effort. Something he was quite adamant not to do.
"They've been getting along a lot better."
"I know, Chouji."
Simple words. Yes, he did know. He knew everything. Even Ino, who had worked beside him for so long, did not realize just how much he saw, interpreted, and predicted - especially when it concerned her. Chouji did, but he kept silent.
"Sasuke went on a mission." It was his first time volunteering information, and his companion nodded slightly.
"He talked to her before he left. That was when she cried." Chouji frowned slightly. "You're not going to do anything?"
"Why?" he asked simply, looking his friend straight in the eye. "We gave it up a long time ago."
"You care about her, Shikamaru," he persisted.
"I can't. It's too much trouble."
And that was the problem. He didn't want to put himself out. She wanted more than he could - would - give. Perhaps it was selfish.
But there had been other reasons, too. Too much, too fast. Problems during missions, because they were too worried about each other. Efficiency lowering. Jealousy.
Yeah, all those reasons.
So why was he standing here?
"If you don't..."
"Quiet, Chouji." He spoke fiercely, voice shaking with the sudden force of emotion. No - not sudden. It had been there for a long time.
"I've been quiet for this long. You're being an idiot." The disappointment in those words - those calmly spoken, absolutely truthful words - had Shikamaru spinning on his heel.
"Yeah, I know. I know, damn it."
And he took the first step.
He walked toward her, remembering the girl of their first acquaintance. Remembering as she grew to be the woman she was now. Bitterly reliving the time where he had pushed her into Sasuke's arms, at a time the Uchiha genius had been vulnerable.
And oh, how Sakura and Ino had fought over that. All because he had not wanted to realize that he was not made for a lazy life.
Because he had not realized that without her... without those dancing turquoise eyes... without that smile that could so easily segue into a smirk or snarl... he simply could not think.
Yes. The man with an IQ over 200 - who could predict steps beyond what people realized - who had been promoted to Chuunin before the other rookies of his class - completely lost all that ability when he could not depend on Ino's smile at the end of the day.
Even grimy and upset over mud in her hair, or flecks of dust on her face - her smile had mattered.
It had mattered.
He was going to have it back. Not that fake smile she had been touting the past few days. Past few months, really.
He was going to make the effort.