A/N: Inspirations are hard to ignore.
Got this theme from LJ 30 Kisses and thought "Why don't I give it a shot?" Everybody has their own version of "Red", so here goes mine…
And I just want to write something angsty.
Enjoy.
(AU. Think of Sydney Bristow and Michael Vaughn and Alias. Loved that show)
Beta by tomboy14. You rock, girl!
Disclaimer: Naruto is fully owned by Masashi Kishimoto.
Shikamaru watched the blonde pacing back and forth in front of him silently, her red dress swaying around her hips.
"Calm down, Ino."
"Calm down!" She screeched and paced even faster. "I can't calm down! How can I calm down?! Those bastards killed Choji!"
Shikamaru winced and realized that the loss of his best friend still stung.
Of course, his funeral was only yesterday.
Ino's matching high heels clicked in the background. Red was very unusual for mourning, in fact, it was not appropriate at all but she wore it anyway because it was Choji's favorite color on her.
"He bought this for me but never had a chance to see me wear it, so I guess it's okay if I wear it today."
She finally grew tired of her pacing and suddenly dropped to the empty space beside him. "He shouldn't have died this way." She buried her face in her hands, frustration in her voice. "He didn't deserve it."
Shikamaru said nothing.
"It should have been me."
"It was not your fault."
Ino quickly turned at him; her gaze burning hot in anger. "He died protecting me. So it was obviously my fault." She buried her face in her hands again, close to tears. "He wasn't supposed to die, Shikamaru… I was."
"For the last, Ino," his voice was surprisingly calm. "It wasn't your fault he died."
This time, Ino sprang from her seat.
"Oh, yes, it was! If I had been stronger, I would've been able to defend myself!"
"If there is a person to be blamed, it should be me." Shikamaru looked at her. "If I had constructed a better plan then–"
Ino didn't let him finish. "Your plan was flawless and you know it! But I screwed up! It was my fault he died! Admit it!"
Shikamaru sighed. Dealing with an extremely upset Ino was definitely troublesome.
"He died because of me…" Ino slumped back to the couch. "I killed him."
"Stop saying that."
"He didn't deserve to die…"
"Ino–"
"He was fat, unattractive…" Ino babbled on. "But he was the kindest person I know, and he loved me so much…so very much…"
Shikamaru reached out his hand to her.
"It took me years to accept his feelings, but when I finally did…" Ino choked, trying her best not to cry. "He left me…and it was my fault."
He was going to give her a comforting pat on the back but instead, he pulled her closer to him and let her cry on his shoulder.
"You really need to stop blaming yourself."
She sobbed hard.
"He wouldn't want to see you like this. You are strong, Ino. Get a hold of yourself."
"You're right." Ino said slowly after a long, pregnant silence, a sheer determination in her voice. "He won't like it if I turn out this way."
Shikamaru sighed, knowing what she was going to say next.
"I will avenge him, Shikamaru."
"No." He corrected. "We will avenge him, Ino."
"Ow, ow, OW! Geez, can't you be gentler?"
Shikamaru didn't answer. He continued to nurse the wounds on her back rather roughly.
"It hurts!"
"Bear it."
"Shikamaru!"
He finally stopped and shot a pointed look at her as she turned her head to glare at him. They locked gazes for almost a minute before he looked at her back once again.
Her bare back was full with red and raw gashes. And it really pained him to see all that.
So he grabbed a new cotton ball, soaked it with iodine and dabbed it on her wounds albeit her protests and all.
"You're angry."
It was an understatement. He was beyond furious. "Obviously."
Ino winced when he pressed the cotton a little too hard.
"You didn't follow my instructions, Ino."
And she knew that they will come to that.
"Why?"
"I'm sorry," She apologized but didn't sound like she meant it. "I can't control myself. Choji's killer was just in front of me. I couldn't let him get away."
Shikamaru's hand stilled.
"So have you killed him?"
Ino shook her head.
"You failed and you blew your cover." Shikamaru stated. His tone was dangerous. "You could've been killed, Ino."
"But I escaped."
"Yes, but you're wounded."
"So I scraped myself. It's not a big deal."
"Didn't you hear what I said? You could've been killed!" Shikamaru shouted. "Last time you disobeyed my orders, Choji died!"
Ino froze and turned deathly pale. Her suspicion confirmed. She really was the one who killed Choji.
"I'm sorry." Shikamaru sighed, silently cursing himself. He never meant to say that, but he was angry. The words just poured out of his mouth. "That was a wrong thing to say."
"No, you're right." Ino whispered. "I've always known it was my fault he died."
"My point is," Shikamaru crouched in front of her, momentarily oblivious towards her unclothed chest. "You didn't act according to the plan again. You could've died tonight."
Ino said nothing. Shikamaru stared at her as something clicked in his mind.
"You couldn't be serious." He hissed angrily. "You planned on dying? How could you–"
"So what if I want to die?!" Ino cut him off, yelling. "I'm tired of all this! I'm sick of running around killing people! Choji's not here anymore! So what if I want to follow him to the grave?!"
"How dare you, Ino…" Shikamaru glared murderously at her. "How dare you think of leaving me!"
"Even if I leave you, you won't be alone."
"That's bullshit!"
"Even if I'm not here you will be fine, Shikamaru!" There was sorrow in her eyes. "You have Temari."
"You've got to be kidding me."
"She'll take care of you."
Shikamaru threw up his hands in frustration. "Ino, don't you get it? She and I don't have anything between us! We're just friends! We will never work no matter how hard we try! Ever! Besides, I don't need her to take care of me – I need you!"
"You need me…but you don't want me."
"And what the hell that's supposed to mean?"
Ino pondered her next words carefully.
"You love her, Shikamaru."
"As. A. Friend."
"You should love her more than that."
"How many times do I have to tell you? I don't see her that way! Why can't you understand?"
"Because I know she will be good for you."
"Goddammit, Ino…" Shikamaru grabbed her shoulders and spoke through gritted teeth. "What gives you the impression that you are not good for me?"
Ino didn't answer.
"You are good for me. No, you are more than good for me. In fact, I don't deserve you at all." Shikamaru swallowed, looking deep into her eyes. "If there is a woman I love – as in more than friends – it would be you."
He saw tears began to form.
"So don't you dare start thinking I don't want you – you know I do. Don't you dare waste the life Choji gave you because I cannot imagine how I am going to live without you. We are the only two left. We should stick together."
Ino was too proud to let him know that he was right.
"Okay, that's it. End of discussion." Shikamaru decided to drop the matter off seeing Ino was about to cry. He hated to see her cry, especially when he was the one who cause it. Arguing was troublesome anyway. "We are not going to talk about this anymore. We have to focus on avenging Choji. No more disobeying my plans, Ino. No more thinking of dying. I'm sorry, but you're stuck with me for the rest of your life."
He handed her a pillow he found on the floor. "Cover up. I can see your breasts." He said and went back to work on her wounds.
Ino silently tucked the pillow under her chin.
Ino walked around the living room just in her underwear, collecting things she needed for her next mission. Her hair was slightly damp from shower so she just let it loose behind her back.
She knew that a pair of male eyes was watching her but she didn't give a damn. It wasn't the first time he'd seen her like that anyway.
After packing her things into a small backpack, Ino sat beside Shikamaru on the couch and began to assemble her weapons.
"You know," he started as she loaded the bullets into her gun. "I think I should go with you this time."
"No, Shikamaru."
"I'll be your partner, just like Choji before. It'll make your job easier."
"No."
"The percentage of success rate will increase with two people on the field."
"And it also raises the chances of two people to die." Ino simply pointed out. She grabbed another gun. "I won't allow it so you're not going with me."
"You don't have to do this alone."
"No, I'm not. I'll have you monitor my every movement." Ino glanced slightly at her left. "Right behind that computer."
"It would be much better if I'm right beside you."
"It would have been – what you like to call it – troublesome."
Shikamaru scowled. "I'm capable of protecting myself, thank you very much."
"And you will try to protect me as well – like I don't know you." Ino rolled her eyes. "For God's sake, I'm not fragile, Shikamaru. I kick asses for a living. You don't have to worry about me."
"I still want to be there with you." Shikamaru countered stubbornly. "It's our final showdown. It's important to me."
"It's important to me, too. That's why I need you to be there–" Ino pointed at a desk far in the corner, the spot she looked earlier. "–where you belong. I need you to guide me, to tell me exactly what I should do so that I don't screw up this time." She then cocked her head aside, studying his sour expression. "If you're right beside me, then who's gonna hack up the systems? Who's gonna provide me the exits? Your job is to do all that, Shikamaru."
Shikamaru sighed, knowing that was true. Although he was as skilled as Ino and Choji, he was much more needed in the background. He was the brains in their operation, while the other two were the arms and legs.
"You might disobey me anytime."
"I promise I won't." Ino slipped into her bedroom to get dress. "Trust me."
"You might change your mind." He said out loud.
"I made a promise, didn't I?" She replied. Her voice was muffled by the shirt being pulled past her head. "And I intend to keep it so don't you worry."
"I don't want you to die."
"I'm not going to."
"No, seriously." Ino didn't realize when he joined her in her room, or when he went to stand behind her. All she knew he was already there and his arms were around her. "Don't die, Ino, please."
Ino stared at their reflection in the mirror. Shikamaru's face was hidden in her hair but she knew that he was scared, scared of losing her, scared of being left alone in this cruel world.
"I won't." She whispered. "I'll keep on living, Shikamaru, for you."
It had been almost twenty four hours since Ino was disconnected from him and he felt like his world had turned black.
Shikamaru didn't know what happened. Ino – for once – had followed the exact instructions he lay out for her and so far she had done splendidly. All was going according to plan and if she succeeded, they will get their revenge.
He had gotten up from his seat to take a quick break in the bathroom and in that brief seconds, Ino's images were no longer displayed in the monitor.
His heart dropped to the floor.
The first window on the screen, where he saw the situation through the hidden camera he put in her clothes was black. The three others, where he hacked through the building systems showed no sign of her.
There were only two possibilities: either she was captured, or she betrayed his plan again.
Shikamaru hoped for the latter.
Because Ino had more chance of surviving if that was the case.
But if she was captured, then he had to do something.
That was what his instinct first told him. Find her and rescue her. But he also had doubts. If he just jumped to the conclusion that she had been captured, the situation will get worse if what he thought was wrong. If he acted foolishly, both of them could be in great danger.
He had tried to communicate with her through her earpiece but he got no answer.
Her silence almost drove him insane. He couldn't wait not knowing what was going on. He couldn't just remain there holed up in their base while she was somewhere outside battling enemies. He had to do something.
Anything.
But in the end, he chose to stay.
And for the first time in his life, he prayed.
If Ino didn't return in twenty-four hours, he was going to look for her. He just hoped it was not too late.
Time was almost up. With patience running thin and head filled with worry, Shikamaru changed as fast as he could. He put on black attire and hurriedly collected the remaining weapons. He was so focused in getting everything ready and at the same time, his mind busily planning strategies. That was why he didn't hear the front door was being opened.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Shikamaru stilled for a second before turning slowly to the door. There he saw Ino stood; tired, yes, messy, yes, bloody, yes, but unhurt.
She was alive.
"Thinking of going after me, aren't you?" She said wearily, kicking the door close. "Geez, have some faith in me, Shikamaru."
He felt so overwhelmed he couldn't produce words.
"I'm sorry for not contacting you. I know you're worried." Ino stashed her backpack on the floor and dropped her guns on the coffee table in front of him. "I was nearly exposed and then after that, I was being watched. I have to cut our connection. Sorry for disobeying your plan again." She looked at him when realized he was quiet. "Say something."
"That's suicide, Ino." Shikamaru said acidly when he found his voice. Worry was replaced with anger.
"I know I'm wrong. I'm sorry. I should've consulted you."
"You could've died."
"I know, I know. But this time I didn't act rashly. I'm uninjured, see?" The blood on her wasn't hers. It was relieving to know.
Shikamaru glared daggers at her. "I was worried sick about you."
"I'm sorry."
"I thought I'd lost you."
"Well, sorry again." Ino took his hand in hers and looked at him tenderly. "Forgive me, okay?"
Shikamaru sighed.
"You don't have anything to worry about anymore."
"You're sure?"
"Of course. The organization's gone. I killed their leader. We did it, Shikamaru." Ino smiled brightly; her white, perfectly lined teeth were such a contrast to her smudged face. Her blue eyes sparkled brilliantly. It was the first time Shikamaru saw Ino that happy since the death of their team leader, Asuma, and their best friend, Choji.
His anger and worry vanished seeing that smile and without him realizing, he was smiling together with her.
"Yeah, I guess we did – although you did most of the work."
"Don't be ridiculous. You deserve some credit, too." Ino moved to hug him and he truly felt at ease with her safe in his arms. "Let's go tell Choji this news."
He tightened his hug and kissed her temple gently. "Okay."
They stood in front of the grave, hand in hand. Their outfits complimented each other nicely; black suit on him, the same red dress on her. Ino was calmer, her expression serene as she gazed at Choji's name engraved in the stone.
"Rest in peace," she said softly, watching the flutter of the red roses in the wind. "And don't you worry about me here. Shikamaru will take care of me."
"Yeah." Shikamaru replied, his heart searing in pain. "Goodbye…Choji."
They left the place as quietly as they could. Both knew they weren't going to come back, not in such a long time. They might've been free from grief and revenge but the world was never safe for them.
"Can you do me a favor, Ino?"
"What is it?"
"Don't ever wear red again."
She looked up at him with puzzled expression. "Why?"
It looked like blood on her body and after all they'd gone through, he never wanted to be reminded of what she used to do; killing people, being hurt. "I hate that color on you."
Choji loved it, Ino wanted to retort but realized that Choji was no longer living in this world. All she had now was Shikamaru and he was the only person she lived her life today, and no doubt, spent the rest of her life with.
She looked deep into his warm brown eyes, smiling brightly. "If that's what you want."