Fic [It Gets The Worst At Night]
Title: It Gets The Worst at Night
Author: yumi-maki
Rating: K+
Genre: Angst/Hurt/Comfort
Summary: There comes a time in every shinobi's life when it all just gets to be too much.
Comments: Written for 31 days. Fifteenth for Pictures of You. Inspired by something I read about how all the Jounins find a way to cope.
A/N: It may seem like it but this is NOT a romance.
It Gets The Worst at Night
April 15th - 'Dying by installments'
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
"Will you stay,
stay until the darkness leaves,
stay here with me..."
- Irvine, Kelly Clarkson
Shikamaru walked up the stairs at his usual languid pace, headed to Ino's apartment. He had just come from dinner with his parents and he was going to Ino's to drop off some food his mother had sent for her.
He came to a stop in front of Ino's apartment door and knocked. There was no reply.
Frowning, he gave the wood two more, louder raps and waited. Still nothing.
'She must have gone out,' he thought as he plunged his hand into his pocket and took out a small ring of keys. He moved them around until he found the right one and then fitted it into the lock. To think! That spare key she forced him to take actually came in handy.
As soon as Shikamaru stepped into the apartment, he knew something was wrong. Nothing in the room was actually amiss but he could sense that something was off. He also sensed a chakra signal, a familiar one - Ino was there.
"Ino," Shikamaru called out, dropping the bowl onto the coffee table.
Silence.
"Ino?" he called again, going to the kitchen and peeking in. Starting to feel more than a little uneasy, Shikamaru headed towards the bedroom. The chakra signal was stronger there. "Ino, answer me! Are you in there?" He shouted, knocking sharply on the door.
Silence.
Frowning, Shikamaru turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. He saw Ino immediately - she was spread out on the floor, her hair loose and unkempt, her face buried in her arms. She was facing away from him and didn't even flinch when the door opened.
Really alarmed now, Shikamaru rushed to her side and lifted her, peering anxiously into her face. Her eyes were open and she was staring straight ahead. "Ino! Ino!" he shouted, shaking her roughly.
Ino's eyes moved upwards slowly to meet his own. At first, the blue orbs were eerily blank, then a flash of something passed across them and she opened her mouth to speak but all that emerged was a strangled noise that sounded like Shikamaru. Then she moved forward and buried her face in his chest, holding onto his shirt tightly.
She started sobbing quietly, the moisture seeping into his shirt. Shikamaru paid it no mind, just wrapped an arm around her and started rubbing her back slowly. "Ino, what is it?"
The sobs grew louder. "Shikamaru...I can't, I can't do this," she responded through a series of heaving sobs, "I can't...if I had known..."
Shikamaru listened closely to her answer, thinking furiously and trying to make sense of it. At first, he was completely at sea but her last words enlightened him.
He sighed inwardly - it had only been six months since she was promoted to Jounin status and already the missions were starting to affect her.
"Ino, you can," he murmured, pulling her closer, "and you will." They had all learned to cope with this life, she would to, he was sure of it. He knew her strength.
"I'm here," he continued, "I'll help you." Then he fell silent - that was all the comfort he could give her.
She didn't respond verbally but the crying slowly started to decrease in intensity until eventually it stopped altogether. When Ino finally stopped, she raised her head, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and glanced quickly at him. "Thanks Shikamaru," she muttered, looking down for a second. "Look - do you - do you mind staying here, just for tonight? I wouldn't ask if - "
"Sure," he interjected, shrugging and smiling sheepishly, "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just went home and left you like this anyway."
She nodded her gratitude, then rose slowly, her blonde hair bobbing and blocking different parts of her face, "I'll just," she inhaled quickly, "go and wash my face and I'll be back, okay?" she finished, sniffling softly.
"Sure," Shikamaru replied, rising and going to the door. "I'll be outside," he responded before turning and walking out the door.
A/N: It's always Ino, isn't it? The ending on this gave me a lot of trouble. I hope this one wasn't too confusing.
Author: yumi-maki
Rating: K+
Genre: Angst/Hurt/Comfort
Summary: There comes a time in every shinobi's life when it all just gets to be too much.
Comments: Written for 31 days. Fifteenth for Pictures of You. Inspired by something I read about how all the Jounins find a way to cope.
A/N: It may seem like it but this is NOT a romance.
It Gets The Worst at Night
April 15th - 'Dying by installments'
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
"Will you stay,
stay until the darkness leaves,
stay here with me..."
- Irvine, Kelly Clarkson
Shikamaru walked up the stairs at his usual languid pace, headed to Ino's apartment. He had just come from dinner with his parents and he was going to Ino's to drop off some food his mother had sent for her.
He came to a stop in front of Ino's apartment door and knocked. There was no reply.
Frowning, he gave the wood two more, louder raps and waited. Still nothing.
'She must have gone out,' he thought as he plunged his hand into his pocket and took out a small ring of keys. He moved them around until he found the right one and then fitted it into the lock. To think! That spare key she forced him to take actually came in handy.
As soon as Shikamaru stepped into the apartment, he knew something was wrong. Nothing in the room was actually amiss but he could sense that something was off. He also sensed a chakra signal, a familiar one - Ino was there.
"Ino," Shikamaru called out, dropping the bowl onto the coffee table.
Silence.
"Ino?" he called again, going to the kitchen and peeking in. Starting to feel more than a little uneasy, Shikamaru headed towards the bedroom. The chakra signal was stronger there. "Ino, answer me! Are you in there?" He shouted, knocking sharply on the door.
Silence.
Frowning, Shikamaru turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. He saw Ino immediately - she was spread out on the floor, her hair loose and unkempt, her face buried in her arms. She was facing away from him and didn't even flinch when the door opened.
Really alarmed now, Shikamaru rushed to her side and lifted her, peering anxiously into her face. Her eyes were open and she was staring straight ahead. "Ino! Ino!" he shouted, shaking her roughly.
Ino's eyes moved upwards slowly to meet his own. At first, the blue orbs were eerily blank, then a flash of something passed across them and she opened her mouth to speak but all that emerged was a strangled noise that sounded like Shikamaru. Then she moved forward and buried her face in his chest, holding onto his shirt tightly.
She started sobbing quietly, the moisture seeping into his shirt. Shikamaru paid it no mind, just wrapped an arm around her and started rubbing her back slowly. "Ino, what is it?"
The sobs grew louder. "Shikamaru...I can't, I can't do this," she responded through a series of heaving sobs, "I can't...if I had known..."
Shikamaru listened closely to her answer, thinking furiously and trying to make sense of it. At first, he was completely at sea but her last words enlightened him.
He sighed inwardly - it had only been six months since she was promoted to Jounin status and already the missions were starting to affect her.
"Ino, you can," he murmured, pulling her closer, "and you will." They had all learned to cope with this life, she would to, he was sure of it. He knew her strength.
"I'm here," he continued, "I'll help you." Then he fell silent - that was all the comfort he could give her.
She didn't respond verbally but the crying slowly started to decrease in intensity until eventually it stopped altogether. When Ino finally stopped, she raised her head, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and glanced quickly at him. "Thanks Shikamaru," she muttered, looking down for a second. "Look - do you - do you mind staying here, just for tonight? I wouldn't ask if - "
"Sure," he interjected, shrugging and smiling sheepishly, "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just went home and left you like this anyway."
She nodded her gratitude, then rose slowly, her blonde hair bobbing and blocking different parts of her face, "I'll just," she inhaled quickly, "go and wash my face and I'll be back, okay?" she finished, sniffling softly.
"Sure," Shikamaru replied, rising and going to the door. "I'll be outside," he responded before turning and walking out the door.
A/N: It's always Ino, isn't it? The ending on this gave me a lot of trouble. I hope this one wasn't too confusing.