Note: This may be the only beginning note for this entire story. I got this challenge from an LJ community, and it was pretty inspiring. These are pretty short and random, and are not related unless I tell you otherwise.

Author: Yukina Yukimura
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Shikamaru x Ino
Rating: T
Word Count: 491
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I don't own this challenge or Naruto.

Passionate Encounters

Chapter 01: Secret Encounters

Sakura is wide awake when the blonde comes back to their dorm room late at night. A masculine scent infiltrates her nostrils, much different than the fragrance Ino had sprayed in the morning. (The one that smelled something of soft fruit and pretty, feminine things.)

When Sakura switches her lamp on, her friend looks like a dear caught in the headlights. Her eyes are wide, and her mouth in hung slightly ajar. Sakura shakes her head at the priceless, blurry expression, but opts not to laugh.

She has to be serious for this, at least.

"It's past midnight, Ino," Sakura informs groggily, sitting upright in her bed. "Where have you been?"

"That's it? You scared me half to death," she says quietly, crossing the room. She sits on the edge of her bed, shedding an unflattering, green sweater vest. Underneath is a scarlet tank top.

It would have all been fine, but in all of their shopping sprees, Sakura never remembered Ino buying such a hideous garment (she wouldn't have allowed it). And the fact that her left bra strap, and the spaghetti strap of the scarlet tank top are hanging off her pale shoulder implies something that Sakura doesn't wish to know.

"My tutoring took longer than usual, is all. It's really nothing to get yourself riled up over." Ino rolls her eyes at the other girl's worry. "It won't happen again, Mom."

Sakura is unimpressed at her friend's attempt at humor. "You're lucky I'm not your mom. I would've killed you by now," she explains, glaring as Ino sighs. "You keep coming back after midnight every night even after you say you won't. You always smell like some fragrance you don't wear. Oh, and tonight, you bring back some ugly sweater vest."

"Alright. So?" It's Ino's turn to glare. She loves Sakura like her own sister, but not as her mother. Her meddling is too much to handle at times. "Maybe my tutoring takes a while. And maybe I wear different perfume. And maybe I like ugly sweater vests!"

"LIAR! Just admit it! You're sleeping with your tutor! You're having sex with Pineapple Head!"

Ino takes a melodramatic gasp, and covers her mouth with her hand. "I— I… I-I am… I am not!" At Sakura's unbelieving expression, Ino decides to dismiss the conversation entirely. "Leave me alone! It's none of your business whose sweater vest I come home with!"

For the night, the conversation is over.

The next morning, however, when Sakura is heading to her first class of the day, she is slightly repulsed, and expects what she sees. Ino, apparently, couldn't keep her hands off of Pineapple Head, and took to beneath the stairs to ease the frustration.

Shuddering, she decides to take the elevator, because she knows that it was bound to happen anyhow. In all actually, (unfortunately) she had stumbled upon their secret encounters many times.

So despite what Ino may believe, Sakura knows.

The End

Note: They were KISSING. Not that other thing.

Alright, this was sort of a test chapter to get in the mood of things. (I already KNOW it's not that great.) The next chapter will actually feature Shikamaru. So hold your horses.