My Trip To... (ShikaIno)

Day 2 - Knock Knock

Ino learned from her mistake yesterday. After getting ready, she moved to the room that held Shikamaru and Choji. She must have been pounding on that door for three minutes straight before getting any response from inside. "Morning!" she chirped as the door swung open. 

Shikamaru couldn't have look anymore unimpressed, yet it was his undone hair that caught Ino's breath. He glared at her through the strands of his hair. In all their time together, Ino couldn't think of a time where Shikamaru left his hair down. Even when she had visited everyday for one summer, he had always tied up his hair, even though he lay or sat in bed all day. 

Even the night before when the whole group of them had hung out in the pool last night, he had kept his hair up. While in the bathing suit she had bought for him! It had been a proud moment for her. She totally didn't stare because she hadn't seen him shirtless in years...

She was getting a staring problem...

"I gave myself an extra five minutes, Ino... You ruined the last five minutes of my sleep," he gave her a pointed look, which shook Ino from her trance. 

"You can't blame me for not believing you after yesterday," Ino grumbled as she brushed past him and into his room which he didn't exactly invite her into. "You and Choji both made us all late yesterday! We're lucky to have made it to our first Fastpass!" She pulled back the covers to Choji's bed to find him already gone. "Eh! Where's Choji?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes as he closed the hotel door. "Choji got up half an hour ago to have breakfast... So we wouldn't be late again."

"Oh..." Ino dropped Choji's sheets back onto his bed, guessing the boys really had learned from their mistake. It was like they were growing up right in front of her... Without her! She bit her lip, feeling suddenly off about all this. "I guess I didn't need to do this then..." Almost like they didn't need her.

Shikamaru shrugged as he began to tie his hair up. "You didn't know."

"No, I didn't..." She caught her reflection in the hotel room's mirror to find she was frowning. She was not starting her day like this! Especially after how great last night's had ended. Shikamaru and she had such a great time watching The Festival of the Lion King. They had gotten a great pair of seats and when the song, 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight' came on, Ino had teared up so hard. Shikamaru had just huffed in amusement at her before offering her his t-shirt sleeve like it was a handkerchief.

It had been such a sweet gesture. 

But it had also been confusing and frustrating on her end. She wasn't supposed to be spending all her time with Shikamaru. She was supposed to be with Sasuke. She wasn't supposed to be getting all flustered with Shikamaru. She was supposed to be feeling the rush with Sasuke. Shikamaru was never supposed to have such influence over her. 

He was supposed to be the grumpy, lazy boy always talking about things being troublesome. Not the one who was growing up and becoming a man. A man who could get himself up and emotionally comfort her when she needed it. It was almost like she didn't totally know this Shikamaru lately. She actually had to figure out what was wrong with him yesterday. Before she didn't have to blink before knowing.

Now she was constantly confused around him.... 

"Why are you undressing!?"

Shikamaru stopped tugging his shirt over his head to glance at her. "You wanted me to get ready, didn't you?"

"Yes! But not in front of me!" She blushed before leaning down to start throwing clothes that she knew were his at him. "Do that in the bathroom, Shikamaru!"

"Fine..." he muttered as he caught a shirt that was thrown at him and a few others piece before moving for the bathroom. Ino didn't catch the small smile on Shikamaru's face as he did.