xxBlackSakura24xx – You're new! Love to you, new reviewer.
hyuuga1124 – you too are new, feel my love for reviewing (positively).
Saer – beautiful you say? I feel like I'm going to sadly disappoint you (don't know why, I have low expectations of myself).
the mighty mighty m – I'm with ya, Sai/Sakura love gives me the warm fuzzies. Sai would be the type to do something like that. I'll be writing Sai/Saku next if I have any time. Hope to see you there!
Suzako – sweet like candy?
tomboy14 – I think I've over done the drama as it is lol.
Elsie-neechan – wow, that's pretty high praise. You must've read some crappy fics.
ArAshiMitArAshi – I think I'm done ShikaIno for now because I feel like I took there characters and just completely morphed them into OOC beasts.
Flaming Beauty – I know its not quite as fast as you were hoping. Sorry.
SURPRISE! This is the last chapter! OMG!!! I had a happy ending, a sad ending, and a really sad ending. After you read this one guess which one I used. :p Anywhoodles, I'm not so proud of this fic, happy that everyone who reviewed liked it – but not so happy with it myself. I have written much better but I've just been so pressed with time lately and just wanted to get this idea out there. You'll notice its really short, just like I said – Things happen pretty quickly because I know if I make them go any slower I'd probably never have time to finish the fic. Thanks everybody for your reviews, I might even put up my two other endings if I have enough time to type them up.
Its Been Fun
Disclaimer: is in the first chapter.
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Ino's nose twitched as the smell of smoke drifted across the bed. She opened her eyes slowly, staring at a slender hip that led up to strong shoulders pressed against the headboard. Shikamaru stared down at her with a considering gaze, cigarette dangling from his lips.
"I hate it when you smoke in bed" Ino stared back into his eyes blankly.
"I know" he took the cigarette in between his thumb and forefinger and set the cigarette on the edge of the ash tray. "We need to talk."
Ino's entire body tensed at his tone, he sounded defeated. Shikamaru never truly sounded defeated, he could pretend, trick her into thinking she had nagged him into taking out the garbage when really he would sneak away to the roof. But never defeated. "Yes" she couldn't say anything else, staring down at the very interesting white sheets.
He looked away to stare at the wall for a moment. "You've been angry with me – "
"Chya!" she sat up quickly "What an understatement!" She couldn't bear lying next to him and stood up "You've brooded before but this is absurd! And where were you the day you decided to disappear?" She watched him look at her with wide eyes for a second before narrowing quickly.
He stared her down, eyes piercing into her like a million tiny angry shuriken. She turned her back to him quickly, busying herself with finding a change of clothes. She fumbled through the large trunk to hide her angry tears from him. His hand shackled around her wrist, she hadn't even heard him move, and gasped at his close proximity. He took one hard yank and she stumbled against him, his other arm coming around to trap her against him.
"The day after you knocked some sense into me, when I broke the cup, I went to Chouji's mother. I had convinced myself no one was feeling what I was feeling, I was wrong. I held her for two hours as she cried Ino."
Ino's breath had caught. The other smell, it had been Chouji's mother? The heat of embarrassment washed up her neck into her cheeks. How could she have doubted him!? He had never and would never do that to her! She hid her face from him, hoping he had not figured out what she had thought of him.
"You thought I slept with someone else didn't you?" his voice was even, deceptively calm.
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have" she looked up to find him smirking.
"Please, and risk having you scream at me and be serious about it? What a drag that would be" his attempt at humor made her smile.
He grew serious, looking down at the floor between them. "I was angry at you this morning too. I was awake when you left yesterday, I thought you would come right back, I waited and you didn't come. I ran into Sai when I was looking for you and he told me you were with Sakura. I was scared Ino, terrified" his grip on her wrist tightened and she stared at where it lay trapped in between their bodies. "You're it for me, we're it" he shook his head "Team 10 is a two man team" he kissed her cheek softly.
Ino pulled her wrist free, wrapping it around his waist, "I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not dying anytime soon."
He grunted shaking his head "And when Tsunade has you on A missions again?"
"Trust me I won't be doing those for a long time either" Ino stopped at what she had said, that little bit of information had his mind tinkering away, she could see it.
"And why is that Ino?" his look was between questioning and accusing.
"Because I have a greater mission" She smiled and for the first time in weeks it lit up her face.
"And that it?"
"Helping repopulate Konoha of course" she stepped back from him hands on her womb. "I can't believe I even thought for a second this wouldn't turn out alright, you're such a smart guy – "
" – What did you say Ino?" He was frozen in place, eyes only slightly wide, as if he was telling himself to try not to react because he may have heard wrong.
"I said you're a smart guy – "
" – Don't play games Ino."
Her smile faded away and she straightened herself. With all the seriousness she could portray she simply stated "I'm pregnant…Shikamaru!"
She was being squeezed so tight she thought perhaps maybe Orochimaru had killed Shikamaru and sent one of his snakes. "Ino, I'm still not necessarily stable" He was always the realist, unafraid to point out his flaws to her.
"He's gone Shikamaru, and I know for a fact he's emptying Asuma's wallet on endless amounts of food in Heaven right now…what?"
His smirk revealed nothing "So I'm guessing your going to be throwing up an awful lot huh?"
"Please don't remind me. So what?"
"Well, I can't go into work when my wife is heaving her guts out" he said matter-of-factly.
"You're going to take off work using me as an excuse so you can sleep in?" Her face dropped disgustedly.
His smirk grew into a smile as he pulled her flush against him and pulled them back onto the bed. "We can both sleep in."
"Shikamaru no! If we're going to have a kid then you have to work! How are we going to pay for schools, and toys, and clothes and…" he set three fingers over her lips.
"Please no nagging, I don't know if I can handle it" he groaned.
She nipped at his fingers "It's going to get a whole lot worse when the hormones kick in. Put out the cigarette."
He let out an aggravated sigh "Yes ma'am."