Lust Addiction: Chapter 1

The blonde kunoichi sat patiently across from Shikamaru, with an ash blonde eyebrow arching and tapping her finger incessantly, annoying the hell out of him. Shikamaru huffed and the corners of Ino's lips began to curl up in a smirk.

"Hmph…checkmate." Ino said smugly, satisfaction splayed across her face.

"How? How did you? That's! What?" Shikamaru stuttered, unsure of how his teammate could have beaten him.

Triumphantly, Ino jumped up and screamed, "Yes!!! I have defeated the great Shikamaru at chess!"

"Ah… what a drag!" Shikamaru sighed. "You're such a troublesome girl!"

"Na, na, na, na, na! You suck, I win. I own you." Ino taunted, ignoring him and stuck her tongue out.

"Alright…I'm out." Shikamaru said dismissively, getting up and starting to walk away.

"Uh-Uh. Oh no you don't. Shikamaru, we're not finished here."

"Ino, you beat me, it's over," he conceded, cringing at the sound of defeat coming from his own lips.

"Nope, not letting you get off that easily…" she said, winking and pulling his hand.

"What do you want from me, God?" Shikamaru almost silently cried out in a grave tone.

"Hold on, let me think about a punishment for you…" Ino said, gazing off into space, deep in concentration.

"Well let me know when you're done thinking 'cause I'm bored as hell." Shikamaru said as lit up a cigarette and puffed the smoke from the tobacco in and out.

The stench broke Ino's concentration. "Shika-kun, stop that," she demanded, "You know I hate smoking… It reminds me of him…" she said in a nostalgic tone.

"Well I'm sorry, but I smoke; it's like he's living in me." Shikamaru said gazing into the distance methodically.

"Bullshit." Ino remarked, "If anyone brings up memories of Asuma-sensai, it's Kurenai."

"Whatever. Don't care. I smoke because I want to and nothing can stop me," Shikamaru concluded defiantly.

"Oh yeah? Watch this!" Ino challenged as she snatched the cigarette out from between his lips and crushed it with her foot into the grassy earth.

"What do you think about that, huh?" Ino beckoned.

"I'll forgive you." He said with sarcastic monotone as his slipped a new cigarette from his pocket and slid it between his lips.

Ino reached to snatch this one, but Shikamaru pushed her hand fiercely restraining her from access to his burning cigarette. She rolled to the side of him and took his cigarette box and wallet from his pocket.

"Oh, hell no," Shikamaru muttered.

Ino leaped forward and broke into a sprint. "Catch me if you can; bet you you can't!" she yelled as she ran.

On a normal day, he would have let her go and move on with his life, but today she was pissing him off. "Ino, come back here – now!" he ordered but she ignored him and vanished into the trees. Shikamaru crushed the barely touched cigarette onto the ground and started to leap.

His blood pulsed through his veins. 'Why the hell is she being so snotty today? It's pissing me off…' Shikamaru thought. Today was not a good day for him at all. First of all, he woke up late and exhausted from doing so much tiresome work the night before. Then, his mother just decided to have the sex talk with him again and then ask him when he's going to find a wife. After that, Shikamaru had one of the most humiliating experiences he's had in is life: For the first time in his life, he'd lost a game of chess––to his ditzy teammate, Ino. No… she couldn't have beat him, he thought, she must've cheated or something.

Shikamaru dashed from tree to tree, the soft but steady fast-paced breathing getting closer. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ino leap and not wasting a second, Shikamaru charged after her. Ino sensed him and spun a kick in his direction but Shikamaru swung his head, dodging it. He flashed behind her, grabbed her in mid-air by her waist. Ino writhed with struggle as she tried to loosen his grip. The two plummeted into a soft patch of grass and Shikamaru rolled on the ground, set his palms on the earth and planted himself on top of Ino, holding down both of her wrists.

"Shikamaru!" Ino whined angrily. "Let go of me!" Ino continued breathlessly.

"No. Not until I get my cigarettes." he refused pitilessly.

"You can't have them!" Ino shouted in aggravation as she failed again to loosen his grip on her.

"Where are they?" Shikamaru shouted back impatiently.

"You want them?" Ino asked sardonically. "Heh. Fine. You can have them. They're inside my shirt."

Shikamaru could barely make out the unnatural rectangular shape near her chest. It was then that Shikamaru realized the uncomfortable position they were in. His body pressed against hers, both of their chests pumping in and out. He could feel the heat of her skin spreading into him. Releasing her hands, Shikamaru coughed and got up uncomfortably. He stared at her blankly for a moment as she lay on the ground, her chest still pumping and then offered her a hand. Scoffing, Ino refused his hand, stumbled and struggled to regain balance as she stood up.

Shikamaru shuffled his feet and held out his hand.

"What?" Ino spat at him.

"My cigarettes?"

Ino looked appalled and stared at him.

"Did you really expect I was going to take them out of your shirt? You're out of your mind!" Shikamaru asked her as if the reason was obvious, but in the back of his mind, he really would not have minded taking them out of her shirt. It's only the part after that he worried about.

"No, but I didn't think you would persist…" Ino replied.

"Well, that's me. Now give my cigarettes and my money." Shikamaru remarked apathetically.

"Ok!" Ino said, throwing her hands up in compliance and pulling the box out from inside her shirt, which was now warm from being there. She held out the box but as he went to grab it, she jerked back.

"Ino, you troublesome woman! Give me my damn cigarettes!"

"Uh-uh. On one condition."

"What condition?" Shikamaru asked impatiently.

"Promise me you'll follow through on the condition first, or you're not getting them." Ino told him flatly. She was really getting annoying.

"Damn it, what condition Ino?!" Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"Promise me." Ino said, crossing her arms.

Sighing, Shikamaru said, "Fine. I promise. Now, what is it?"

"Ok. After I give you these cigarettes, you have to quit smoking." Ino said.

"Hah! Woman, you're impossible. If that were the case, I'm better off just going out and buying a new pack." Shikamaru said incredulously.

"Fine. How 'bout a negotiation then? Life's all about compromise, baby!" Ino suggested.

"Alright, what kind of compromise?" Shikamaru asked, considering the proposition for a moment.

"What if I help you quit?" Ino asked.

"And how would you do that?" Shikamaru snickered.

Ino looked insulted. "I'll make an incentive of some kind."

"I doubt it." Shikamaru said and shrugged.

"Hmm…" Ino tapped her foot and closed her eyes in concentration. "Ok… why don't I kiss you every time you're craving nicotine?" Ino asked.

Shikamaru hadn't expected her to suggest something so outlandish; he blinked at her a few times and gazed at her. "Ino-chan, are you ok? I think you may be a little out of it."

"Ugh! Shika, I'm perfectly fine. So is it a deal or what?"

Shikamaru bit his lip as he turned the idea over in his head.

"I don't know, Ino… I mean who's to say that you'll satisfy my craving?"

"I guess there's only one way to find out." said Ino simply as she took a step forward.

Shikamaru did not understand what she meant. This was a dumb idea anyway. He just wanted his cigarettes back.

The next instant, Ino pulled him towards her by his shirt and crushed her lips to his. Her lips were soft and smooth against his and her breath was hot. Shikamaru licked her lips and caressed her tongue. She tasted like cotton candy. He pushed harder into her and explored her mouth, moving his lips with hers in a fluid motion. He closed the gap between them and slid his warm fingers down her arms and pulled her by her hips. He enjoyed the delicious humming reverberation he felt coming from deep within her throat. Ino tilted her head up and Shikamaru pulled away, catching his breath.

"Uh…" Shikamaru heard Ino exclaim to herself in a whisper, her fingers lingering on her moist lips as she tried to catch her breath. Shikamaru shuffled his feet back and eyed Ino with a face that spelt utter disbelief.

"Um… yeah. Ok, how was that?" Ino asked nonchalantly, snapping back into reality.

Shikamaru couldn't find words and had difficulty in trying opening his mouth.

"Enough to satisfy a craving?" Ino questioned further.

The only word Shikamaru could think of was 'Damn…'

"Shikamaru," Ino called out.

"I don't know… maybe" Shikamaru managed to say.

"So then it's a deal?" Ino asked hopefully.

"I guess." Shikamaru answered and shrugged.

"Yes! Ha!" Ino shouted, jumping in the air triumphantly, her blue eyes pristine and sparkling with excitement.

Sticking his hands in his pockets, Shikamaru smiled tentatively at the ecstatic Ino and with a motion of his head, he signaled her to walk back with him.

Ino handed him his wallet and Shikamaru looked at her and said, "Ino-chan, you know… I don't think this is going to work. I mean really…"

"We can always try, Shika; we can always try."