A/N: Hey guys, remember me? I wrote a ShikaIno fic several months back entitled Musing. Anyway, seeing as that one was so well received, I've decided to give ShikaIno another shot, hence this fic. It's just a short; though longer than the last one; little oneshot, that takes place after Asuma's death and before Team 10's second fight against Hidan & Kakuzu. I thought it would be interesting to do something with Shikamaru and Ino spending what could've potentially been their last night together, and so it's rated for some suggestive themes, but nothing too bad.

This was also inspired by the amazing track, "Fireflies (Light Messengers)" by Saosin, hence the title, which I would definitely recommend checking out if you haven't heard them already.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this! If you do, please don't forget to fav and review. :D

Edit: Just thought I'd point out the actual manga chapter this fic takes place before is chapter 330. Just in case it wasn't clear to you.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

stay bright, little fireflies

He drew the smoke in deeply, the cigarette balanced loosely between his lips, as he observed the small spark burning brightly at the end of the thin package, like a lone firefly illuminating the darkness twilight emanated. His hand rose steadily to retrieve the roll from his mouth, his breathe carrying thin wisps of smoke into the cool air as he exhaled; slowly and heavily.

Upon releasing a single, ragged breath, Nara Shikamaru paused, seemingly lost in thought as he studied carefully the thin paper roll resting between his fingers. The young man scoffed at himself bitterly, before butting the offending object against the cold earth beneath his sandal, as he berated himself inwardly for ever taking up the habit in the first place.

He used to hate smoking, often finding himself coughing and wheezing due to the exposure to second hand smoke. But now for whatever reason, he found something about the habit that made him feel at ease... He couldn't quite explain it. There was just something in the smell that he found comforting; almost therapeutic.

He assumed it was because it reminded him of his team's late sensei, Sarutobi Asuma, and his regular indulgence in the habit. It had been his final request after all... One last cigarette.

Shikamaru could remember watching helplessly in silence as the feeble flame was gradually extinguished in the wind's erie chill, the now feeble, limp package crumbling and disintegrating as their comrade, their mentor and squad leader's life slowly faded before their very eyes.

The sense of contentment it provided was really something he needed right now. Given the fate that would potentially await both him and his teammates the following day.

They were going to avenge their sensei's death at the hands of Hidan.

Their sensei who they had just laid to rest that very day. Paying respect to the man that had guided them in their younger years, the man who had strengthened the bond they shared, and taught them to perform competently as a team. But most importantly, the man who had believed in and supported them through every obstacle that had stood in their way...

They would avenge him, or dying trying; and in this case the latter served as a likely possibility.

It was a rather daunting notion to comprehend, that this night could possibly be his last one alive. Shikamaru still hadn't completly gotten his mind around the idea yet. The thought of death alone still remained something incredibly alien to him. Sure, he'd been told about it in the Academy, along with his fellow classmates in the Rookie Nine. He'd learnt about the risk involved in highly dangerous, life-threatening missions, the ninja who were killed in action defended their village, the significantly shorter life-expactancy of ninja compared to regular civilians... It wasn't until the death of their sensei, that Shikamaru and his teammates were able to completely understand the gravity and significance of those lessons.

Releasing a deep yawn and scuffling through the contents of his right pocket, the young Nara retrieved another cigarette and a lighter. He fumbled with the small silver box between his fingertips, flicking at the ignition button in numerous failed attempts to create a spark.

It was only on his fourth unsuccessful attempt that he saw her. He swallowed reflexively, drinking in the sight of the moonlight dancing over her smooth, creamy skin; exposed brazenly by her scanty ninja attire; as she emerged, wordlessly from the dark recesses of the night. Her long blonde tresses, secured back tightly in a ponytail, swayed by her waist, picked up by the calming night breeze, her assure eyes studying him inquisitively, as she folded her arms against her chest, watching him in silence.

It was his teammate, his longtime comrade and fellow member of Team 10, Yamanaka Ino.

Shikamaru glanced upwards, somewhat puzzled by her sudden appearance. They had seen each other earlier in the day; Shikamaru had stopped by the flower shop to see her, as they discussed the plan of action they would take against Hidan and Kakuzu, but had exchanged nothing more than a few words.

'What is she doing here?' Shikamaru pondered, his eyebrow raising curiously. He opened his mouth slightly in order to verablise his query, but was interrupted by the sound of her voice, silencing him before he had the chance to speak.

"I thought you hated cigarettes," Ino stated simply as she approached him, recalling his previousreactions to their late sensei's habit to be that of disgust and exasperation, much similar to her own.

"I guess I had a change of heart," he replied with a shrug, sliding the thin package between his lips. It was a blatant lie. They both new the true intention behind his recent engagement in the habit, but Ino chose to overlook it on this occasion. The strategist had always appeared quite impassive and reclusive, never particular open about his emotions. She assumsed that this was just his own, unique way of grieving.

The flame flickered restlessly against the wind's calm caress, the light reflecting off of the the metal lighter that was resting between his fingertips and the earrings she wore.

The lighter that belonged to him, the earring given to her, and the rest of their team, by their sensei.

"Could you put that away please, Shikamaru?" Ino eventually asked rather tentatively, her voice at an almost uncharacteristically low volume "I hate cigarettes... And after Asuma-sensei... I just... I can't."

"Okay Ino, I'm sorry" Shikamaru replied softly, immediately noticing the clear discomfort in Ino's tone. Gone was the normally independent, confident persona with which she carried herself. Instead she stood before him; vulnerable and anxious, her mind obviously overwhelmed by feelings of doubt concerning the mission they would venture on tomorrow. He complied to her request, snapping the lid of the lighter closed tightly and immediately extinguishing the flame.

She exhaled deeply, uttering a gentle apprecation for the man's obedience and willingness to help her feel at ease.

"So, are you ready?" Ino eventually asked, glancing apprehensively at the young male out of the corner of her eye.

"I guess I don't really have any other choice but to be," he replied, voicing his thoughts aloud "We're going to need to bring everything we've got."

"Do you really think we can do this?"

"I don't know," Shikamaru answered after a moment of silence.

It was one of those rare instances in Shikamaru's life where he was faced with a question that he honestly could not answer. Certainly, he believed firmly and wholeheartedly in the unique abilities of each member of his team, but it was the deadly, unpredictable nature of Akatsuki, Hidan and Kakuzu in particular, that made him feel concerned.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared," Ino admitted, sharing the same doubts as him.

"I know," he responded truthfully, placing a hand on her shoulder comfortably "Me too."

"What are you doing out here anyway, Shikamaru?"

"There are still clouds out," he answered simply as if it was the most simply thing in the world, gesturing towards the dark blanket of sky stretching endlessly above them.

Despite the overwhelming anguish they had experienced over the past few days, Ino couldn't help but smirk.

'Same old Shikamaru' she mused, taking happiness out of the fact that the recent tragedy of his mentor's death hadn't changed him.

"Well, why don't you come inside?" she offered "It's getting cold out..."

"Yeah... Yeah, okay."

...

Shikamaru was a tactician; and a brilliant one at that. Arguably one of the most intelligent, gifted shinobi currently serving Konoha.

However, there was no clear motive or logic behind any of the actions he took on that night.

It was as if he had momentarily decided to distance himself from that clear, coherent frame of mind with which he normally approached situations.

As if he had chosen, for once in his life, to simply throw caution to the wind and act on instinct, rather then stopping to calculate and second guess every move he made.

It was potentially his last day alive... He deserved to act a little impulsively.

He guessed that was why he had kissed her.

Why he kissed his longtime friend and teammate, holding her body close to his own, wanting to express what he would never be able to properly convey with words.

It was on that night Shikamaru found himself submitting to his most carnal desires, and in turn, found himself Her agile, petite form writhing, pulsating, caressing against his own.

She was beautiful... She always had been.

But never had she appeared as radiant as she did on then.

Being that their parents were good friends, he'd always seen a lot of her. He'd witnessed her develop throughout the years, growing from a young, pretty flower girl into the strong, gorgeous and confident young woman lying beneath him, moving her body in time with his own.

A woman who's fine porcelain skin gleamed with sweat, whose long, golden hair, that he loved so much pooled erratically around them, freed from the restraints of her hair tie. Whose body was now a full, curvaceous work of art that he worshipped with his every touch.

Her lips trembled with fervour against his own, stifling back the deep, sensual mewls of pleasure that threatened to escape from the back of her throat as his body grinded against hers. He possessed a primal, dominant demeanor she'd witnessed in him before.

Her name escaped his lips ad nauseum, a passionate, possessive utterance crawling from the back of his throat in deep, low growl.

She gasped at the sensation of her walls tightening around his lower anatomy, biting at his flesh with desperate need. She could feel a burning building deep in her abdomen as he continued to thrust inside of her relentlessly.

Their hearts beat in unison, calling out to another in a state of euphoria, as his seed spilt inside of her. He collapsed, panting heavily, as the strength in his arms was completely drained, his arms surrounded her protectively, as if silently expressing his urge to fight and defend alongside her whenever possible. A significantly consoling notion, given the war they would wage the following day.

Neither of them knew the true motivation behind their actions that night.

...

He woke before the break of dawn, just as they had agreed the previous evening. Shikamaru had proposed that it would be the perfect time for them to meet, as they could freely venture out of Konoha undetected. They were leaving the village alone, without the guidance of a recognised Squad leader, and without the official approval of the Hokage. They could not afford to be caught, otherwise they would never be allowed to go after the Akatsuki.

Except, when he awoke in this bed the next morning, Shikamaru certainly had not planned for his female teammate and childhood friend to already be there with him.

His arms were still embracing the shapely figure of his new found lover close to his own protectively. Her body nestled in his arms, her hair free and pooling down over their bare naked flesh as she rested soundly beside him. Shikamaru gazed in awe upon Ino's face, once again witnessing a side of her he hadn't seen since before their sensei had died. Her expression was completely relaxed and at peace, as her sapphire eyes remained firmly shut, as if trying to ignore the harsh reality and perilous battle that would await her when she woke.

With a soft smile gracing his features Shikamaru took a moment to carefully to caress the soft porcelain skin of Ino's arms and flat, smooth stomach. He stopped to graze a series of tender, kisses upon the young woman's elegant neck and nibble teasingly at her supple shoulder blades. He could feel her body reacting to his ministrations, shuddering in pleasure, as low moans of elation escaped from her lips. Her enchanting blue irises fluttered opening gradually, focusing on the man above her, before pursing her lips to capture his in an ardent, loving kiss.

"Hi," Shikamaru spoke akwardly, after pulling away from her now swollen pink lips.

"Hi," Ino responded in turn, a light blush dusting her cheeks prettily.

Their conversation progressed little from that stage onward, as the two silently untangled themselves from each other's limbsy dressed in an unintimate manner, a complete contrast as they each surrendered to their own repressed desires. Any genuine interaction between the two was suddenly absent, as they retrieved their scattered clothing from upon the floor. The two got dressed on opposite sides of the room, preparing to leave and meet Chouji at the Village Gate. They changed wordlessly, sheepishly, avoiding eye contact whenever possible, both flushing in timidly if their gaze did meet, before turning away to glance in the opposite direction.

"Wow, that sure escalated quickly last night, didn't it?" Ino offered; attempting to disrupt the awkward silence surrounding them; a sheepish ripple of laughter erupting from her.

"Ino," Shikamaru's voice broke firmly, as he suddenly turned and grasped her hand in his own desperately "Look... I want you to know that I... I don't regret this..."

Two blue irises widened visibly at this revelation, taken back by the male's unexpected open, honest display of emotion.

"If we don't make it back together I want you to know that last night was more than just a release... It really meant the world to me."

"When Asuma-sensei died, I lost one of the closest, most important people to me... I don't want that to happen again. I don't want that to happen to another person I care about... Not at least without me telling them how I feel first."

"Shikamaru?"

"Please don't leave me, Ino," Shikamaru added, his voice taken on the tone of a desperate plea, framing her face with his free hand "... I couldn't stand to lose you."

The young woman smiled genuinely, before placing her hand gently over his own and capturing his lips in a quick, chaste brush.

"We're going to make it out alive, Shika," she stated confidently against his lips "We're all going to make it out, I promise."

"I know we will... I believe it too."

"Shikamaru," Ino began, swallowing heavily as she spoke "I lo-,"

"Don't," he cut her off, his fingertrip brushing over her lips as gazed at him in stunned silence "Don't say it it yet..."

He could see the hurt written clearly in her eyes at his sudden rejection, and brushed his lips over her own once more, in a gesture of reassurance before speaking.

"Give us a reason to come back alive..."

She nodded simply in understanding, feeling her eyes beginning to water slightly as the gravity of the situation finally set in. Shikamaru picked up his forehead protector last, putting it on and slipping Asuma's lighter into his Chuunin vest pocket, before turning back to her.

"Come on," he instructed impassively, offering her an outstretched hand "Let's go!"

"Yeah," Ino replied, her tone bittersweet, as she dried her eyes and took his hand "Let's."

The two headed hand in hand to the Village Gate where Chouji waited for them.

Their leave wouldn't be regarded as an official mission.

They didn't have the approval of the Hokage, or even the guidance of a Squad leader.

It was simply an attempt to seek out two S-rank ninjas and members of the highly dangerous criminal organisation, Akatsuki.

At that moment, they weren't leaving as the second generation of Ino-Shika-Cho, or as Chuunins, or even as Konoha shinobi.

They were leaving as Team 10.

A/N: Again, I would like to stress that this is a ONESHOT, and I won't be adding anything else to it. Sorry if I seem rude, but in some of my other stories people ask me if I'm going to update a story that is either a oneshot or quite clearly marked as 'Complete'. It just irks me. So yeah, just in advance, I won't be adding anymore to this.

Apart from that, what did you think? Please R&R! Constructive criticism is very much encouraged and appreciated.