My Trip To... (ShikaIno)

A Beaming Choji

"Do you guys want to go for a swim?" asked Choji as he practically floated around the room. Too infused into his own happiness, Choji didn't seem to realize the awkwardness that his best friends were now sharing. 

"Er -- what?" Shikamaru asked while trying to casually shift away from Ino. 

"Swimming. You know the pools here are pretty great and Ada thought it would be a good idea to go for a dip after the hot day it's been in Downtown Disney. Which was fun, by the way. Ino, you're right. There is just so much to do here. There's no way we're going to get it all done."

"Oh yeah... Thanks, Choji," Ino gave a small smile while her face was covered with a blush. "So you're... Your day went well with Ada again?"

"Oh yeah! She's just great," Choji swore as he grabbed at a bottle of pop from the room's mini fridge. "We have so much in common and she loves chips too! She prefers fries but I think I can deal and she always smells like amazing caramel because of her job. We even tried the romantic restaurant shaped like a huge riverboat, the one you've been talking about but never tried."

"Oh, did you?" Ino finally seemed to shake her trance at the mention of something Disney that she hadn't experienced yet. "How was it?"

"It was good. There was a bit of a wait to get in since we didn't have a reservation but every bite was worth the wait!"

"Aww! We should have joined them!" She turned to Shikamaru to see what he thought when she realized who she was looking to and to find a blush on his cheeks matching her own. She swiftly looked away after that, her heart beating. "Well... I'm glad you enjoyed it, Choji."

"We did. We really did," Choji beamed.

Shikamaru coughed, happy to have a reason to avoid Ino's direction. "You really like her, eh?"

It was now Choji's turn to blush up a storm. "Er -- Yeah. Yeah, I do," his smile went softer. "She's really nice and we get along so well..."

"Aww!" Ino cooed from the sidelines.

"But it's only a second date so don't go planning wedding invitations or anything, Ino," he teased with a grin.

"I'll show you the template later," she joked.

"Ino..." Choji grinned before shaking his head at her friend. Thankfully, he was pretty confident that she was just joking. Hopefully... Who knew with Ino. "So are you guys interested in going swimming too?" he asked as he went through his clothes, looking for his swimming trunks. 

"Oh, well..." Ino snuck a tentative glance to Shikamaru. She wished she could read him but his sidelong glance to her told her very little. So little she began to wonder if she had imagined it all. It would explain why Choji hadn't noticed anything when he had come in. Maybe it really had been all in her head. Or maybe it was what lay in her glass that was to be blamed. What else could explain all this?

What else could explain why she had thought that Shikamaru had been about to kiss her? It must have been in her head. Why would Shikamaru want to do something like that? He had known her when she had been in diapers! He knew all the worst sides of her that she always hid from her crushes. He had always called her troublesome as well... There was no way he had been actually doing it...

And why would she want him to do such a thing? He was Shikamaru, the lazy ass who wasn't at all her idea of the perfect man. He complained too much. He was into Disney as much as her. He wasn't romantic. He was... Shikamaru!

Yet why did her heart continue to pound on in a feverish manner? In a way that was uncontainable and her skin felt abuzz with electricity. She couldn't explain any of it so she took another drink of her apple pie moonshine to try and calm her nerves.

"Ino?"

Ino looked up from her drink with her lips slightly left open. "Oh! Uh... Well I don't really have my bathing suit..." Which was unfortunate since a cool dip in the pool might actually help her at this point. Maybe it would finally relax her overexcitement. "And I have no way of getting it..." Nothing could make her step into her hotel room tonight, in fear of what might be seen.

"Couldn't you go get it?" frowned Choji. 

"Long story but no."

Choji continued to frown at her before nodding. "Okay. I would ask but Ada is probably waiting for me by the pool. How about you, Shikamaru?" Choji was only asking to be polite. He already knew that Shikamaru was going to say no, which it obviously was his answer now from the stare pointed stare Shikamaru now aimed at him. There was no way Shikamaru would come if it meant leaving Ino alone... "Okay. See you guys afterwards." With that, Choji left the hotel room with his bathing suit and his drink. Quickly, the room became eerily quiet as Shikamaru and Ino stared at the now closed door. 

All Ino could hear was the sound of her heartbeat resounding and bouncing around inside her head as she wondered what to do. She was tempted to leave but she had nowhere to go. She was stuck here with Shikamaru who may or may not have attempted to kiss her. On the other hand, she may or may not have been ready to let him.

Ino wasn't sure of what to do with this knowledge or how it put her on edge. She still couldn't tell if it was a good or bad edge yet. All she knew was that both her mind and body were flustered to the point, she couldn't react. 

And she hated it.

"Well then! Let's have some more drinks!" she suddenly decided, unable to manage any other course and it had gone so well the first couple of times.

"Yeah... Sure." Shikamaru attempted to keep his building disappointment from showing. 

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Author's Note: Yep! I updated already! I think that might be the fastest I've ever done it. I even updated my other story this week as well! Pretty amazing I know. Haha.

I wonder if its because I think we're actually getting close to an end for this story. ( Which I'm not sure I'm at all prepared for. I don't want to this to end at all. So I may try and extend it a touch. Lol Any objections to this? )

Also I have to ask you ShikaIno lovers! Which story would you guys prefer more for after this one? I want another ShikaIno story after this one but I'm unsure if it should be another modern AU or Naruto verse ( it would probably be how Naruto SHOULD have ended for our awesome duo)?

Please don't forget to vote and/or comment! Love you guys!