Apologies to all those who patiently waited for updates, and my sincerest thanks to those who took the time to review.

Again, i don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Quick notes:

*shishi-odoshi (or deer-chaser): bamboo spouts that fill up with water, and tilt to hit a stone surface once full (I wish I had one)

Chapter 6: Erring over errands

What was one to say, when, truly, there was nothing to say?

Silence was supposed to be golden; or rewarding, at least. But the awkward silence that pervaded in the faintly lit room seemed like nothing more than what it was--awkward. Ino flicked her gazed to the young man whose demeanor and habits were as familiar to her as the hand seals to her own jutsu. He stood unmoving at the receiving room's entryway, with an expression that was far from easy to read.

"What are you doing here?" Ino exhaled evenly. The walls sighed, as a timid breeze from the courtyard wafted through the fully parted Shoji screens.

Although it was fleeting, Ino did not miss how Shikamaru's jaw had tensed, and how his already narrow eyes had narrowed just a fraction more. She did realize too late that the question she'd thrown was stupid, funny even, and she felt herself grow hot around the ears. But when Shikamaru spoke, there was no humor in his tone.

"I should be asking you that question. Don't you think?" he remarked matter-of-factly.

It was Ino's jaw that then tightened, and her mouth contorted midway between a wince and a smirk. There was a subtle and deliberate sting to the question. The sarcasm was not lost on her.

Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately), she was tired and cranky and was aching like a knotted a pretzel. So the best her state-of-mind could conjure was the straight and simple answer.

"Tsunade-sama sent me."

"What did she want?" Shikamaru pressed.

Her purpose for being there was hardly worth discussing, let alone worth mentioning. It wasn't exactly exciting, and in her honest opinion, a waste of her jonin time. Had things been their usual with Shikamaru, she would have elaborated on each and every insipid detail, seasoned with her favorite expletives. However, things obviously weren't their usual. And she hated how Shikamaru had somehow made her feel that it was all her fault.

"What is it to you?" her reply was tinged with mocking sweetness.

If Shikamaru was annoyed by the retort, he made no hint of it. He simply ambled nonchalantly towards Ino, and stopped until his lithe form towered over her.

The grin he gave was wide and generous.

"I just want to make sure that whatever it is, you get it done. It's quarter to six. We wouldn't want to miss happy hour now, would we?"

Ino heard something crack and then realized it was her own hand fisting underneath the kotatsu.

Did he just refer to her as an alcohol-head?

In a split second, she was looking straight into Shikamaru's eyes, as she stood almost on tipped toes to match his height.

Ino drew the line where her work ethic was concerned. As a kunoichi, she has and always would be, dedicated and dependable, how ever menial the task.

Perhaps her behavior (aka her drinking habits) in the last couple of days may have been leaning towards the irresponsible. But she was definitely not alone in that. And besides, she made sure that it never strayed beyond her personal business. He, on the other hand...

"Well, at least I don't go sleeping around in cheap inns, with...with village envoys!" Ino uttered sharply, "And then traipse around town the following day, shirtless, like a stupid man-whore!"

The remark was scathing enough to earn a caustic response.

And Ino waited.

KNOCK!

And waited.

KNOCK!

For something.

Anything!

KNOCK!

Somewhere far away, a shishi-odoshi demanded a serving of spring water.

Trickle...the fountain obliged.

Ino's heart sank. The seconds ticked by and with it any hope that the stolid man before her would call her insane, delusional and in need of a thorough head examination because apparently her vision and imagination had been playing tricks on her.

The feeling was passing yet profound—was she really that much of a fool?

"I forgot." Shikamaru's suddenly somber voice finally filled the tense quiet. "Cheap just won't fly with a delicate flower like you. Don't be so picky, Ino. You won't know what you're missing."

"You know what, Shikamaru, you're right. I might as well find out. After all, there IS a first time for everything, right?" Ino proceeded to pat her person, in places where pockets would have been.

"Damn." she breathed out in feigned disappointment, "Forgot my reminder scroll. Oh well, I might as try THAT tonight, lest I forget."

"Yeah. Great idea, Ino. Reckless. But, hey, it's your life!"

"Well, Shikamaru, it's you I have you to thank for that great idea. So thank you!"

"My pleasure!"

Ino could barely restrain her shaking. "Great!"

"Great!" Shikamaru scowled

"Great?"

Shikaku Nara's easy timbre cut-in was like warm water to ice. He chuckled as he entered the room,thoroughly amused at how the two before him almost leapt to opposite corners.

"You guys bickering already?" he jibed, as he began smoothing a large roll of crisp parchment on the kotatsu, "Hmm…Love must be in the air."

KNOCK...

The shishi-odoshi barked.

trickle…

KNOCK

Even Shikaku who was usually pensive, shuddered from abrupt silence. He paused unraveling the map before him and swung a curious gaze from Shikamaru to Ino, and from Ino back to Shikamaru again. When the older jonin smiled the angry scars on his face softened into fatherly creases. He then motioned Shikamaru and Ino to Join him by the kotatsu. They complied but with scarcely veiled reluctance.

"Look, you guys may think I don't understand, but I do." Shikaku started, "I was once your age too, y'know."

Ino stiffened. She had heard that line before, and all at once, it felt like yesterday.

Automatically her gaze sought Shikamaru's. And when the same sad look met hers, she looked away, as her impulse was overridden by pride and reason.

I was once your age too.

Asuma-sensei had muttered years ago, during one of their proverbial Team 10 Yakini-Q dinners. The lecture he gave had been out-of-the-blue, and out-of-character. He talked about youth, love, and the incomparable joy that came with it. But the best he got from his freshly post-pubescent audience was nothing else but jeers and giggles.

Have you gone green?

They had teased, alluding to none other than the sensational Guy-sensei.

The day you give up cigarettes for a woman would be the day they'd erect Shikamaru's stone image on Hokage mountain.

They had joshed.

Of course, at that time they were yet too egocentric take notice that their dear sensei had actually kicked his unhealthy habit cold-turkey or that he had tired out all of their sparrows sending three messages daily to a supposed "informant" he simply referred to as "K". Neither had they known that Asuma had already submitted Shikamaru's name as one of the young'un's he believed may have "Hokage-potential".

"I know, believe me I do" Shikaku stated plainly "Especially after having tasted the adrenaline rush of high-octane missions, coupled with the zest of youth. I understand how you guys might feel. It's as if you thirst for something more…something more meaningful…"

Ino tightened her grip on her sullied skirt. The conversation was somehow making her uneasy, and that was all she could do to stop herself from fidgeting.

"And then you end up with this. Errands."

Errands? Ino blinked, suddenly remembering to breathe.

"Yes, errands." Shikaku continued as if reading Ino's mind, "They can be an absolute pain the ass. And, no matter how good you are as a high-ranking shinobi or how indispensable your skills are as an elite, there'll be no end to it. Hell, it'll even make you consider taking up a group of snotty little genin just to keep you under the radar. "

The older Nara then began showing the callouses that had permanently remained from peeling five hundred potatoes in one afternoon for a winter-fest, in which he had later performed a dance to a poorly rendered folk-song by Ino's father. Shikaku laughed. Shikamaru groaned. While Ino half-listened, feeling somewhat relieved yet somewhat disappointed.

"Good times...good times." Shikaku shook Shikamaru's shoulder heartily, "Never think it beneath you to do something so menial. Just welcome it as opportunities to hang out with old friends, because these moments, I assure you, will soon become a rarity. Make lasting memories while you still can."

Lasting memories. Ino wondered how she would remember this day. Something heavy tugged at her insides.

Shikaku shifted his attention to the map, and his fingers began drawing invisible paths and tracing unmarked trails.

"Now, I'm sure the two of you have a lot of catching up to do. For all you know one of you might be getting hitched soon and..."

"Dad--" warned Shikamaru tersely.

"Son, lighten up once in while. I think I liked you more when you were just plain lazy. Anyway, time we back to business so you guys can make it before dinner. Shikamaru, this is the rout you should take into the forest. Make sure that Ino is always close."

Ino missed the furtive wink Shikaku gave his son. But she did catch the Shikamaru's uncomfortable glance as he folded his arms against his chest and nodded tersely.

"Oh and remember, be very gentle, that flower is quite delicate."

No, Shikamaru had wanted to yell out in adamant contention. She's a venus fly-trap, which lures you with her shapely figure, and then eats you alive without compunction.

His thoughts must've been etched on his face for his father had given him an odd look that made him realize they were actually thinking about two different things. His father really had been referring to those brightly colored petalled things that attract bees and butterflies but never eats them.

He on the other hand was thinking of ...

Shikamaru sighed heavily.

Women.

He said that he would forever hate them--especially that one in particular. Of course, at that time she could hardly be even considered a woman. She was a girl; a blond, blue-eyed girl who sat in front of him during class, and who had forgotten that they had once been inseparable playmates. She was that feisty know-it-all who every girl in their class secretly wanted to be and whom every boy secretly wanted to be with. Well, except Sasuke.

Ms. Popular.

He had hated everything about her--the way she unconsciously played with the ends of her hair when she was in deep thought, the way she would raise an eyebrow and smirk in the face of difficult tasks, the way she could throw a twig with deadly accuracy even with those dainty fragile-looking hands and wrists, the way her eyes lit up each and every time that damn raven-haired genius walked into the classroom.

But the thing he had hated the most was the way she proudly scoffed at her pinked-haired bestfriend for letting her go, just to quietly cry behind the garden's tool shed so no one could see. Because beneath it all, beneath her hard and impenetrable exterior, she was kind and considerate, sensitive and loving. And he hated how much of it he alone could see.

Now seventeen and an adult by shinobi standards, Shikamaru had begun to comprehend that "hate". If only he remained ignorant to his own feelings, then everything would be easy...uncomplicated.

Shikamaru dug deeper into his pockets. Neither he nor Ino had muttered a single syllable since they left the house. The only thing that broke the silence was the rhythmic scratching of their rubber soles against the dry earth. It could've very well been his own pulse, for it too was fast, steady, and harsh.

If his father had not cut in, how would their heated conversation have ended? It didn't take a genius to know that the conversation would have been the least important thing that would've ended. He was being unfair. He knew that with nagging clarity. But it was as if he was holding an iron-bar that begged to stoke the flames out of her, until everything about her was alight and burning. He wanted...no...he needed her to understand, even in the slightest, what it was like...to be him...around her.

Nonetheless, his recent hostility towards her weighed heavily on his conscience. He was more than aware that he had neither right nor reason to be angry with her. Ino's affairs were her personal business and were, as far as he was concerned, off-limits. She wasn't his. There was no unspoken agreement, no mutual understanding, between them.

They were just friends.

He hated that word.

Just.

He stopped abruptly, and Ino walked straight into his back. Apparently, she too had been distracted. To his disappointment, she took a step back just as quickly, again drawing that invisible, albeit tangible, line between them.

"Look, Ino" Shikamaru breathed, "I'll save you the trouble and deliver the stupid flower myself to Tsunade-sama. It isn't really necessary for you to tag along. The way back is relatively safe, just stick to the route we took and…"

"You know," Ino interjected sharply. "you don't have to pretend like you want to do me a favor. If you don't want me around, just say it, Shikamaru."

Apparently, she also was still pissed. He had almost forgotten how much of a hot-head his friend could be, and the accompanying intense gaze became an instant reminder of how 'hot' she was when she was at it. He drank in her perfectly oval face beset by almost cherubic features, that tapered into her slender neck and tight stance. She was both rough and graceful, sweet and spicy.

gods.

Talk about a wrongly timed testosterone surge. He let out an impatient grunt, not only out of frustration for Ino's stubborness, but also for his own barely restrained reaction to that obstinate pout of her full lips.

Somehow, he always knew her harsh mouth would be the end of him someday.

When Shikamaru finally willed himself to turn his back on her, he did it with such convincing lassitude that he too was left surprised. Under tense circumstances, he managed to pull off a convincing I-don't-really-give-a-shit act. That itself deserved a tip of the hat, and a buttload of paperwork off his back.

"Hey!" Ino yelled, "You're not using that tactic again!"

"What tactic?"

"Your I-don't-really-give-a-shit tactic."

Damn it, wasn't she sharp! And, damn it how the hell he even could think of that as sexy! The stress of paperwork must've really been getting to him, he surmised.

Curse women and their damn intuition.

"Well?" Ino barked. Shikamaru glanced at her over his shoulder. She was glaring at him expectantly--with furrowed brows and, of course, that vicious pout. He felt naughty beads of sweat form on his forehead. Where was a drink of water, or any body of water, when you needed one?

"Ino...listen...I'm really really getting a headache." and some other ache I'd rather you not know about, "so could we just drop it."

"Drop what?!"

Shikamaru fell silent. Words. Not only would they fail him now, they'd most likely get him into much deeper shit.

"Why are you so nasty to me?!" Ino glowered

"W-what? C'mon on, Ino." Shikamaru stammered, stupefied by the frankness of the question.

"Oh, don't pretend to be ignorant! Your snide remarks, your smirk, those grunts. And now, you won't even look at me. You obviously want to drive me up a wall."

Drive her up a wall?! Seriously? Did she really want to drive him nuts, and rob him of any hope of one night of unperturbed sleep?

"So?" she waited.

"I didn't sleep well last night." Shikamaru muttered tersely.

"Why? Had too much fun at the party?"

"Yeah, more than you know."

Ino's smirk vanished.

"Well, I'm glad!" she remarked pointedly before tramping ahead of Shikamaru. "Now, could we hurry this up. The sooner we're out of each other's hair, the better!"

More than you know.

What was with the bastard's gloating? Well, she was happy for him. Ecstatic even! They deserved one another. They really did!

Ino huffed and puffed, as she felt a growing tightness in her chest. If only she could punch something…anything!

"Hey Ino," Shikamaru called from a few paces behind, "Maybe you'd want to slow down?"

"Maybe you'd want to keep up" she yelled back. As if Shikamaru's hovering presence wasn't enough to nibble at her nerves, the uneven path with all its sneaky little foot traps just had to test her patience…not to mention, grace.

"Maybe you'd want to stop being so clumsy" he blurted.

Ino stopped so abruptly that Shikamaru was actually on his toes to stop himself from ramming into her back.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she growled.

"You tell me."

Ino narrowed her eyes expectantly at Shikamaru. Although there were the telltale sounds of the forest here and there, the immediate silence around them seemed to swell and magnify the almost non-existent distance between them. Ino could almost feel the heat of Shikamaru's skin and how it seemingly emanated in waves with his every breath. And when she noticed that her own breathing was keeping pace with his, she looked away, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

Time fluttered with the falling of dry leaves—excruciatingly slow and vivid. Finally, she heard Shikamaru clear his throat.

"When did you get so…wobbly?" he asked almost too timidly.

"Wobbly?" What was she, a stool?

"You know."

"No. I don't."

"You almost stumbled, a total of six times. Even if you were the clumsiest genin, that still would've been too much."

"I'm just tired."

"Tired?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"And…none of your damn business."

Shikamaru let out small chuckle then brushed past Ino. She watched his expression harden, but not before catching the quick grimace that crossed his countenance as if he had been stabbed by a kunai. Ino felt the characteristic hollow pit at her stomach. Sometimes she wished she could cut her own tongue.

"Shika." she called out. "wait--"

But Shikamaru pretended not hear, and continued walking.

"Shika…" pleaded Ino.

"There." he said.

"What?" Ino pace slowed into hesitant steps as she approached her sole companion. Shikamaru's hands were perched impatiently on his hips and the way his head was cocked told her that they had arrived.

She wanted to say something first, but was stunned speechless by the scenery before her. Against the candlelight hue of the retiring sun, a seemingly endless field pulsated in rainbow pastel to the soft murmur of the wind. It was beautifully wild and unkempt. Running almost parallel to one another, about 2 kilometers apart, were jagged walls of black granite, that were peppered with specks of yellow, white, and lavender. Untamed blooms danced and chattered excitedly, while everything else stood motionless.

"Legend has it " Shikamaru said as he stared absently at the darkening heavens ."that the goddess of the moon, bitter with jealousy, chipped a piece of her kingdom and flung it to earth, to this very place. And, when it landed it scattered moon dust along with her tears of love and hate."

"Shika, I— "

"That thing you need." He pointed towards the one of the walls. "They grow on the tiny crevices in the black granite."

"Shika. Please. Could you just listen..."

"Like you said, the sooner were out of each other's hair, the better, right?"

Ino knew him, and she knew him well-- the man whose demeanor and habits were as familiar as the hand signals to her own jutsu, the man whose eyes now strayed from hers, the man who had withdrawn into his impenetrable world where she was not welcome. What could one say to make things right?

"Right." Ino acquiesced.

It was just a short distance to the nearest edge of granite. The specks of white, yellow and lavender upon closer view were scattered blossoms of moonflower ready to exhale their enchanting fragrance into the night. Ino approached the ominous looking rock, and with her calloused pads, felt its rough cool surface as if begging permission for what she was about to do next.

Glancing upwards, the even closest aggregate of blossoms was well above her reach. Nothing that a chakra assisted climb could not fix, she thought. Tree. Granite. Same difference.

Ino positioned herself closer to the wall, and inhaled sharply.

Nothing.

Not the slightest tingle.

Closing her eyes for good measure, Ino gave another try.

Still nothing.

Not an ounce of chakra surged from her core. Her internal pathways were shut and empty. Nothing flowed.

And then she realized. Unconsciously, she brought the tips of her fingers to her lips as she remembered the drink that Sasuke had given her. It was a chakra-tonic, there was no doubt, one that sealed gates as during the regeneration process. But how could it have been tasteless and colorless, and uncannily akin to ordinary water?

"Orochimaru"

She could almost hear Sasuke's deep melancholic whisper.

The traitor, who just so happened to have been Sasuke's mentor, was after all once Konoha's best when it came to chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences and experimental medicine. She had used a similar treatment on many of her most stubborn patients, mostly ANBU, those who did not seem to comprehend what "complete bed rest" meant. The stimulant was potent, effective and fast-acting. But it left the taker incapacitated for a good eight to twelve hours depending on how depleted chakra stores were.

Ino calculated. It had been five hours since she had taken he medication, which only meant there was no other way but the hard way. She chanced a furtive glance at Shikamaru, who was sitting at a moss-covered boulder with arms tightly crossed.

Again, Ino put her palm on the rock's surface. It wasn't as if she had not climbed a rock surface without chakra. And besides, it was a task that entailed technique more than it did brute strength. However...

She snuck another glance at Shikamaru, who had stood up and was watching her with knitted brows and a suspicious frown.

"So?" he asked.

"Don't be so pushy. I'm going already."

How ever she was going to pull of an act of seemingly effortless vertical ascent without chakra, she had no idea. But she had to think of something fast. Shikamaru was incredibly perceptive. And she would not be surprised if he had already surmised that something was wrong.

So as to appear busy, Ino dug into her pack and in a deliberately slow manner rummaged to find "an appropriate kunai" for the job. A gnawing warmth crept around her neck, ears and face. She'd be stupid to think her dilly-dallying could fool the likes of Shikamaru or any jonin for that matter. Perhaps the idiot already knew and was simply enjoying the embarrassing show she was putting on. It was best to just get everything over with so she could leave, then go home and smother herself with a pillow.

That was the only option.

With a tired exhale, Ino pulled out a non-descript kunai, and tasted the bitter tang of leather as she placed its handle between her lips. The hard way it was going to be, and unfortunately that way necessitated the use of both her hands. Just as she was about to grope the rock surface for hand-holds, a steady grip on Ino's bicep held her in place.

From the heady mix of floral fragrances stood out the characteristic scent of musk and pine soap. His scent.

Shikamaru leaned close, so close that Ino could map the faint shadows emphasized the silent strength that his young face had acquired over the years. His intelligence spoke through sharp yet sincere eyes, which now looked at her with an unfaltering gaze. His presence was imposing, and the firmness of his grasp made her inexplicably nervous.

It donned on her that Shikamaru had become a man.

He had become one, without her noticing.

It was an awareness that only intensified her growing unease.

Slowly, Shikamaru raised a hand to gently take the kunai from Ino's mouth. As he did so, his thumb brushed Ino's lips lightly, and for a brief second Ino thought a pulse of chakra surged through her chest. She was expecting Shikamaru to then let go of her. Instead, he placed the kunai on her palm, and shifted his grasp on her wrists. Before Ino could say anything in protest, she squeaked as an abrupt tug tipped her balance and she was suddenly lifted off her feet.

"Shikamaru! What are you doing?!" she cried, feeling the warmth in her face grow a hundred degrees more.

"It's not as if we haven't done this before."

Shikamaru looked up from between Ino's thighs, and put a hand one of her knees to steady her on his shoulder. He was right. It was not as if it was the first that she had been carried on Shikamaru's shoulder. When they were younger, she would always bully him into doing it while they were horsing around coming up with possible Shika-Ino-Cho formations. But things were different. He was different and so was she.

"Look, you can't climb" Shikamaru remarked, as if sensing her concern, "And, I have no idea on how to properly nip your flower--"

There was an awkward pause, and all that could be heard were the shrill, seemingly impish, whistles of the cicadas. Ino wanted to kick Shikamaru who with his flagrant lack of tact, turned their assumed positions from bearable to downright uncomfortable.

"N-no, wait, no. That's not what I meant." his words stumbled over one another, "not f-figuratively... literally...nip that thing...the flower...the moonflower...from its stem, i meant. You know what I mean."

Shikamaru finally sighed. "Ino, just take the damn thing so we can go home."

Although Ino would have liked to argue just so she can lash out at Shikamaru, she went ahead and worked at the half-opened blossoms that were conveniently sitting right in front of her. All the while, she kept trying to steady her hands which trembled mildly. It's the fatigue. She told to herself, but not really convinced it was that.

"Done." Ino said, as she slid the last moonflower into the canister.

Ino wasn't sure if Shikamaru had heard her, because he had not moved or showed any intention to. But as she was about to yell out a more emphatic "Done", she felt his light touch on her knee shift, followed by the sensation of his calloused palms on her thighs.

Ino tensed.

It was that familiar flutter. Just like a pulse of chakra.

Gradually, Shikamaru lowered himself, and Ino hurriedly got off.

"Thanks." she quickly said.

"Uh yeah." was the equally hasty reply.

They both began smoothing their wrinkled clothed here and there, and a tad bit more than necessary. The task was complete. However, the undeniably disconcerting air that had formed around them now lingered, if not thickened.

"It's my fault. I took a chakra-tonic. Sasuke...I--I'm sure he was just trying to help." Ino confessed, though not fully comprehending why she needed to explain.

"It's none of my business, Ino." Shikamaru replied and, after giving his nape a brief squeeze, turned to walk away.

Shikamaru paced restlessly around his old bedroom which was now littered with more than a few tiny boxes. His father had always complained about needing an extra room for all his "other stuff"--herbs, flasks, deer antlers, apparatuses for all his experiments. Obviously, he'd finally found that extra room, while overlooking the fact that he still had a son, who might be keen on dropping by once in a while. At least, his bed was still intact, although its mattress wasn't as fortunate. Just looking at its threadbare covering and the quasi-crater in the center, Shikamaru began to wonder whether the floor might be comparable alternative.

At the other end of the hall was the guest room. It just took ten easy steps to get there--a quick left from his own door, then a quick right. Shikamaru had hardly ever set foot in that room. In the first place, there was hardly ever any need to. The only guests that had actually slept over were a couple of relatives who lived in Konoha's busy urban capital. But even during their sporadic visits, they would, more often than not, seek accommodations at the closest hotel. City slickers. They never could survive without air-conditioning.

So the guest room was pretty much left un-primped until someone remembered that, while it had been deserted and unchecked, it may have acquired new tenants in the form of lost reptiles and rodents, and your regular cocktail of one-celled organisms

Now, however, seemed like a good time to at least give that space a once-over. Ino, afterall, was sleeping there for the night, thanks to his father's unbelievably keen sense of observation.

Why don't you stay the night, Ino. Shikaku had suggested. I know how newly instated jounin are overworked. Shikamaru will accompany you back in the morning.

The way her eyes had widened told him that she was just as surprised as he was. As he had expected she was going to courteously decline. But before Ino could even open her mouth, his mother walked in and whisked her away towards the guest-room.

Thus, by its very definition, Ino would be considered a guest. His guest. And guests should be made to feel to welcome, with their comfort and needs attended to.

Did she have clean sheets? Was her bedside lamp working? Did the toilet in the washroom flush properly? Did she need a towel? Soap? Shampoo? Someone to assist her with her bath...

Shikamaru threw himself, back first, unto the age-worn mattress. Not only did it berate him with an angry cloud of dust, but gave him (because of the lack of ample cushioning) a well-deserved whack in the head. Never did he imagine himself to someday be like the legendary Jiraiya, whose legendary skills were only equaled by his legendary lewdness. He felt like such a pig. Or maybe, he was simply a "man", with all his baser instincts intact. But if it were any consolation to his superego, it seemed that those thoughts were only incited by one person. And she was capable of stirring not only that kind of longing in him, but also an unnerving irrational possessiveness. Merely thinking about Sasuke's crimson eyes on her, invading every corner of her consciousness, of his hands, roving her every inch of taut skin ...it was enough to drive him mad.

Without sparing another thought, Shikamaru was up and, after few stoccato steps, right in front of Ino's screen door. He rapped lightly on its wooden frame and slid it a crack open as a warning of his intention to enter.

"Ino, I just wanted to check if you needed a tow--"

Shikamaru was met by the blond kunoichi frozen in the process of putting on her fishnet knee-guards. Her surprised expression would have been funny if what she was up to wasn't readily apparent.

"And what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm...trying to...um...get more...comfortable." was Ino's staggered explanation.

"By putting on more clothing? On what might be the warmest evening we'll have this summer?" Shikamaru raised questioning brow "Really? fishnets to bed?"

"Okay Shikamaru, let's just stop all the BS. You don't want me here, and I don't have any intention staying where I'm not wanted."

"Not wanted?" Shikamaru repeated, a little too emphatically. Did she really know what she was saying?

"So just do me a favor and send my thanks to your parents for their hospitality. I'll see myself out."

Ino motioned decisively towards the door, but Shikamaru mirrored her steps to block her attempt to exit. The glare she gave sent tingles beneath Shikamaru's skin. But rather than feel threatened, he felt strangely excited to rankle her some more.

"I don't think that's such a good idea given your fragile condition."

"Don't make it sound like I'm pregnant!"

"Really, I could not tell."

"Okay, I've had enough of this. Either, you step away and let me pass, or I'll force my way out of that door."

As Ino took another step, Shikamaru seized her arm. Their proximity immediately engulfed him. The inviting scent of summer (that odd mixture of dry earth and sunscreen on skin) immediately filled his nostrils. Ino's startled glance told him that he was gripping her too tightly. But he just could not let her go.

"When will you start taking care of yourself?" Shikamaru hissed "You're a medic, but you can be as bullheaded as a shuriken-crazy ANBU sent on a suicide mission. You accept a drink from Sasuke who is practically a stranger! A stranger, Ino! Didn't you even see any danger in that? Or were you too busy fawning over him?"

Ino did not answer.

"Your chakra gates are shut-off thanks to him, and you'll be as vulnerable as hibernating bear who forgot to wake up during hunting season."

"I'm just exhausted and, temporarily out of chakra. Nothing that a night of watching soaps can't fix. It's no big deal."

"No big deal? Damnit Ino, when will you ever learn to take care of yourself!"

By the way she looked away, Shikamaru knew that her stubbornness was chipping away. He too felt his rising anger abate. He could never stay angry with her, no matter how hard he tried.

"Look, rest here just for tonight." Shikamaru placated, "You'll feel a whole lot better tomorrow. Don't worry about the package. I'll take them Tsunade-sama in the morning, before I meet up with Temari."

When Ino snapped her head back, Shikamaru wondered what he might have said wrong for her lips were again pursed obdurately.

"I don't have to listen to this. I know my limits. And I can take care of myself."

Ino briskly brushed past Shikamaru. Her feet, however only took a couple of steps before they involuntarily stopped as if they'd been glued to the floor. Slowly, they shifted involuntarily, turning her around at the exact same time Shikamaru did, in the exact same way Shikamaru did. She was trapped in his shadow.

Ino's eyes widened in both disbelief and anger.

"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded. By the strangled way her voice came out, Shikamaru knew she was restraining the urge to yell at him.

"Calm down."

"How could you ask me to calm down, when you just used your justu on me!"

"Ino--"

"We promised one another, that no matter what we'd never use our justus against each other, unless we're left without any option."

Shikamaru approached Ino. And as she did the same, in exactly the same manner, Ino's eyes grew wider and wider.

Was it fear? Guilt tugged at Shikamaru's insides. He never thought he'd see her look at him that way. He never wanted her to look at him that way.

"Well, I feel like I don't have one now." Shikamaru sighed inwardly, "Ino. Please."

Ino's shoulders slumped and her muscles relaxed as Shikamaru released the jutsu. Although her fists were still clenched, her head hung low. In the mutedly lit room, a tense silence pervaded.

"All you had to say was 'please'" whispered Ino.

A moment of enlightenment occurred for Shikamaru at that most inopportune time. He realized, that despite his exceptional perspicacity, he too could be careless. Nothing could save him when it came to Ino. Around her, he was bound to be careless. That, he realized a little too late.

Shikamaru swallowed hard as Ino's dagger-like stare made the hairs on his nape stand on end.

"You're gonna pay for that, Shika!"

Without warning, she lunged forward, sending both of them to the floor. Her loose feather-light blond hair cascaded onto his face, chest and shoulders, and with it the scent of honeydew, melon, summer, and skin. Her skin.

Instinctively, Shikamaru used Ino's momentum, to pull her toward him. He heard her yelp when, in one fluid motion, he flipped her onto her back and immediately straddled her. He pinned her to with his weight, whereas Ino reflexively raised her guard by wrapping her both her legs around Shikamaru's torso.

Underneath him, Ino struggled. Her hair was splayed , framing her face like sun rays from her crimson face. She was achingly beautiful. Even when she was rabid mad.

Shit. shikamaru cursed under his breath. He was going insane.

"Ino, would you stop being stubborn, and just give up! Lie down, and go to sleep!"

"No!" she shrieked like a child throwing a fit.

"Stop squirming Ino!" Shikamaru again pleaded, as he became aware of how tightly hos fingers were digging into her wrists to match her efforts, "I don't want to hurt you!"

Ino froze.

Before Shikamaru could decipher her suddenly startled gape, he was thrown backwards by two strong hands, and dragged mercilessly out of the guest-room

"I won't have that, especially not in my house!" Shikaku scolded "Your mother and I did not raise an animal, who can't control his hormones and disrespects women!"

Shikamaru opened his mouth to explain, but was immediately interrupted.

"And don't tell me 'it's not what you think!' "

The dim hall seemed to stretch on forever. Although Shikamaru felt Shikaku's grip had slackened, he knew it was futile to resist. His father was rarely got angry. But when he was, even Chouji's dad trembled. It was best to shut up for the time-being.

Bright lights suddenly filtered through an open doorway, making Shikamaru squint. In an instant, the stifling surroundings were replaced by a soothing cool air of an open space.

The training hall?

Loud thuds echoed, as Shikaku shoved his son right in the very center of the room. Bewildered, Shikamaru watched his father fetch something from the equipment closet.

"Dad, It's not what you think." Shikamaru asserted, although he made no attempt to move from his place.

Shikaku reappeared wearing an inscrutable expression, and carrying a mop in one hand and a pail in the other. He thrust the mop into Shikamaru's chest so forcefully, that Shikamaru coughed.

"Work it off." The older Nara ordered

"What?!"

"If you can't control your urges, then I'll make sure you put it into good use."

"But--" Shikamaru wanted to protest.

"You heard me. The training hall, the bathrooms and the kitchen. And don't stop until you can see your reflection on every surface. You got that!"

Shikaku gave one last push on Shikamaru's chest, and leveled his boring gaze.

"Hey!" he warned, " And, don't get any ideas in that sneaky head of yours, because if you so much as give even one thought to getting yourself out of this, I'm telling your mother."

Without another word, Shikamaru begrudgingly took the wooden handle, and dipped the mop into the empty pail. He listened to his father's hollow steps fade away, and waited until all that was left was the chorus of the night.

Thanks for reading.