Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Sober ❯ Sober ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter Six: Sober
Shikamaru looked at Sakura as she healed the cut on Akamaru's leg. She knew about Ino, too; he could sense it. Kiba petted the dog gently, "it's okay."
"Why are you staring?" Sakura asked angrily.
Shikamaru blinked and scowled, "I can look where I want."
Kiba frowned, "wait...what?"
"Get to the point!" Sakura snapped; she knew what this was about. She loved to abuse Ino's trust when she was angry.
"Okay," Shikamaru sighed, gripping the scroll. "I want to know what you know."
"About?" she asked.
"Ino," he mumbled.
Kiba and Akamaru exchanged looks.
"Why is she so upset?" he asked hopefully.
Sakura frowned and looked away, "she made me swore not to tell, but she did slap me....and she did rub your relationship in my face..." She nodded, "okay, I'll tell you."
Shikamaru smiled slightly, "okay, go ahead."
Kiba had to say something. How could he stand there while Sakura did this? "Wait!" he said suddenly.
They looked at him. "Stay out of it," Sakura told him.
"No, you can't just betray her like that," Kiba said angrily.
"I can and will," Sakura said. "Besides, Shikamaru should know what he's getting himself into if he stays with her."
"Sakura!" Kiba snapped.
"Tell me," Shikamaru told her.
"Don't! Ino trusted you!" Kiba growled.
"You know, too?" Shikamaru asked.
Kiba nodded, "yes, and Sakura-"
"Ino is-" she started.
"Sakura!" Kiba snapped.
"She's-"
"La! La la la la la la!" Kiba sung loudly, closing his ears.
"Ino's pregnant!" Sakura blurted out between the la's. Shikamaru's brain crashed for a split second. His eyes widened as Sakura said it again, "she's pregnant." Shikamaru shook his head. Then he looked at her expectantly, waving his hand a bit for her to go on. She looked at him oddly and shrugged, "what?"
"I didn't hear any of this!" Kiba told them, running away. Akamaru followed quickly.
Shikamaru held his head, "she's...pregnant."
"Yeah, well I have to get going. I have a date with Lee," Sakura said nervously.
He waited until she was leaping away on tree branches to sit on the ground. He bit his lip, "Ino...is...going to have a baby?" The gesture he made earlier to Sakura was a question as to whom the baby belonged to, but she didn't say it was him. "It is me, right?" he thought. "Sakura would've said that she was pregnant with my baby, but she didn't..." He stared at the clouds, "it not being mine would explain why Ino won't accept my help and that she won't tell me....and why she asked if I thought she was easy. All those questions last night... It would explain alot. She probably wants to keep it hush and get rid of it before I find out." He closed his eyes, pulling out a cigarrette, "I'm suppose to be quitting, but...how can I?"

Ino smiled brightly as Shikamaru walked in. "How was your day?" she asked. Tonight was the night. She was going to tell him everything. But her smile faultered a bit as he didn't respond to her. He walked past her and to their room. She followed, "Shika-kun? Uh...what did Tsunade say about your side?"
"Look; I'm really tired tonight, and all I want to do is take a shower and go to bed," he mumbled.
"So..." she hummed worriedly.
"So, no more talking," he told her, getting his clothes and going to the bathroom.
She put her hands over her stomach protectively as she stood there in shock. She shook her head, "no...he must already know..." She hung her head, "I should have gotten rid of it." She sat on the bed and waited for him. She stopped her crying, "I can do this. I can."
Twenty minutes later, Shikamaru walked into the bedroom silently. "Night," he whispered, laying down.
"I was in the middle of cooking." He shook his head. Ino looked at him sadly, "I want to talk to you."
He rolled over to where his back was facing her. She waited for a response, but he stayed silent.
"Shikamaru," she whispered. She hung her head again and hugged herself, "please, I want to talk to you." He didn't say anything. She finally got up and walked out of the room. "Plain and simple," she thought, "he can't stand me."

Choji greeted Ino cheerfully as she walking into the living room. She, on the other hand, didn't look too happy. "Ino, you okay?" he asked.
She shook her head, "no, this all turned out how I thought it would. I should've never listen to anyone else's advice! Especially yours!"
"What?" he asked blankly.
Shikamaru walked in and slipped on his sandals quietly. Ino glanced at him, "Shikamaru!"
He cut his eyes at her, "what?"
"What is your problem?" Choji shouted.
"You know, don't you?" Ino asked cautiously.
Shikamaru tensed up and frowned, "yes."
"Then why are you so angry?" Choji asked.
"I'm not... I just understand why you all kept it from me."
Then it struck her. It wasn't that he knew she was pregnant; it was that he didn't think it was his. This washed off her sorrow and washed up anger. "You said that you didn't think of me as a whore!" she cried.
Shikamaru's eyes narrowed, "how can I not think that now? I trusted you, Ino."
She choked out a sob, "what about that dumb method of yours? About my skirt?"
"I've been away on plenty of missions. How could I possibly make sure when I wasn't here to see you the day after a date?"
She wiped her tears, "I didn't touch it once while you were gone all of those times, idiot."
His eyes widened, "what? So, it is mine?"
Choji nodded, "yes, retard."
Shikamaru gaped and put his hands over his ears. Ino stared at him fearfully. Finally, he knew. He closed his eyes and sighed, "...troublesome."
Ino smiled at his lighter tone, "so, you're not..."
He looked at her again, "I'm sorry."
"Then you'll stay with me?" she asked.
"Of course I'll stay with you," he said. "Who do you think I am? Sasuke?"
She rushed to him and through her arms around his neck, "I love you, Shika-kun."
He smiled, hugging her back, "I love you, too."
"Then, will you come with me to the hospital today?" she asked sadly.
He frowned, "uh, sure."
Choji shook his head and mouthed, "a-b-o-r-t-"
Shikamaru began to read the letters, but Ino kissed him. He only got an A, P, O, R, D. What did that mean? He shrugged at Choji as Ino took his hand, "I have to get dressed real quick, and then I'll be ready to go, okay?"
Shikamaru nodded, "I'll meet you there. I have to talk with Kurenai for a minute."
"Wait, I have to warn-" Choji whispered as Ino walked into the bedroom.
Shikamaru chuckeld, "chill out. I'm not angry that she's going to have my baby. It'll be...kind of nice to have a kid around. See? I'm not denying it."
Choji shook his head, "that's why I'm trying to-"
"I'll talk to you later, okay? I'm really late," Shikamaru interrupted. He then walked out of the door.

Ino had a look of relief as Shikamaru walked to her. She hugged him, "they called me in a minute ago, but I couldn't go in without you."
He looked around the waiting room and frowned, "what is this place? I've never been in this part of the hospital before."
She frowned, too as her name was called again. She took his hand, "please, go in with me."
He nodded, "yeah, okay."
They walked through the door and entered the big room. The doctor placed a gown on the odd-looking chair. "Miss Yamanaka, just put that on and get comfortable. I'll be back with the pain killers."
She nodded as he stepped out. Shikamaru shook his head suddenly, "tell me what you're doing. You're not...you can't."
"I knew this wouldn't be easy if you knew," she said weakly. He took her by the arm and walked her out. "Let me go," she nearly cried. He didn't, though. He dragged her out of the entire hospital and kept walking. She began to sob, "Shikamaru! Let me go!"
"No!" he snapped.
"Why?" she cried. "I don't want it!"
"I do!" he told her, stopping.
She blinked away her tears, "huh?"
He hung his head, "I do want it."
She gaped, "but how would we care for it?"
"Sleep less, work harder, be more responsible!" he said, looking at her. "I know you want it, too, Ino."
She held her stomach protectively again, "I don't..."
"Look at what you're doing!" he said, pointing at her hands. "You love that child already."
"So I've gotten attached!" she cried. "It's not fair!"
"Ino, you think I'm going to leave you, but I'm not," he said desperately. "I am not going anywhere. That's your only worry."
She blushed, "how do you know that?"
"I know you," he answered. "I understand, Ino. You've been so worried and upset about this for a good while now. And having an abortion was the only way to return to your normal routine."
"That's how I thought," she said sadly, "but I know that I would always have it in the back of my mind. So, really the only way for me to be truely happy if for you to...help me with the baby, say it's okay, maybe even marry me to give us some stability."
He blushed, too, "m-marry you...?"
"Yeah, just like your plan," she said with a grin. "We'll have a girl then a boy. And you could marry me--someone who's not too pretty or not too ugly-"
He chuckled, "I might as well think of a new plan."
"Why is that? It is working out," she said.
He kissed her forehead and took her hand gingerly, "you're not average, Ino. You're beautiful."
She hugged him tightly, "Shika-kun!" He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her again.
"Gee, get a room!" Naruto said loudly.
They pulled away quickly. "N-Naruto, you're back from your mission?" Ino asked nervously.
He nodded, "yep, I didn't know you, two were so open around people."
They looked around to see empty streets. "No one is here but you," Shikamaru said.
"Anyway, I'm looking for Hinata," Naruto said. "Have you seen her?"
Shikamaru nodded, "she was just with Kurenai."
"She was? I just saw Kurenai, and sh-"
"Bath house!" Shikamaru snapped. He took Ino's hand and led her away.
"Sorry I ruined your kissy-moment!" Naruto shot back.
"Oh this students in my class...," Ino giggled.
He rolled his eyes, "what? Did they cry about what I did?"
She smiled, "you taught a week's lesson in one day to them. They all passed the test with A's."
He blushed, "so? Are you trying to say that you didn't think I could teach?"
"I knew you could; I was just amazed that you took the time to put it all at a lower level for them to understand."
"Well, I wanted them to understand. They needed to."
Ino smirked, "you had a good time with them, didn't you?"
He groaned, "ah Ino...."
"Didn't you?"
He sighed, "yeah, maybe some sort of an enjoyable time."
She kissed his cheek, "I knew it."
"They did get out of control, though," he mumbled.
"Good thing our baby will be mellow then."
"I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you," Shikamaru said.
"Why is that?"
"You're hyper like those kids."
"I have toned down alot since our genin days."
"Yeah, but you used to be energetic."
"Maybe she'll take after you."
He shook his head, "no, I was pretty wound up when I was a toddler, too."
"That's hard to imagine," she said.
"Yeah, my mother popped me alot." He smiled, "this is fun."
"What is?" she asked.
"Talking about baby stuff," he answered with a light blush.
"Aw, Shikamaru, you're so cute. I can't believe you're this excited about it. You're never excited about anything."
He looked up at the sky, "I'm not that excited. I just-"
She kissed his cheek lightly, "you just amaze me."
He groaned, looking away, "geez..." He frowned, "does...your dad know about this?"
She nodded.
He blushed, "your mom?"
She nodded.
"My mom?"
"Yep."
"My dad?"
"I'm sure."
He thought for a minute, "....everyone?" She nodded. He stopped, "Naruto!"
She sighed, "he may be the only one."
"Naruto!" he called, turning around and running for the bath house. "I have something to tell you!"
Ino shook her fists, "Shikamaru! Tell him later! You have to walk me home!"
"Hold on!" he called, darting away.
She trotted in their direction angrily, "come back!"