fandomhighdorms | The Roof, Saturday Evening

Entry tags:

@roof,
ino yamanaka

The Roof, Saturday Evening

Ino was up on the roof, swinging her legs off the side, and trying not to think about the fact that she still had to go to talk to her Dad. She'd managed to avoid it by ~~handwavily~~ staying in her room for most of the day, but Ino knew she'd have to see him before he left. Or he wouldn't leave.

So she was brooding about that, and about Shikamaru and Chouji, and trying not to think of anything at all. She wasn't in the best of moods all things considered.

[Specifically for a few people, but also open as a roof is~ ETA: I know what date it is, really. ^^;; ]

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After finding Shikamaru napping in the hotel room, Chouji had first gotten himself something to eat, as that was important. But then he dragged him to the dorms.

Him and Ino needed to make up before things got worse. "Come on!" If he had to walk up these stairs, Sikamaru, sure as hell better make nice.

Shikamaru let himself be half-dragged, even if it felt like he was heading off to his own funeral. "I'm coming, I'm coming. Geez. She doesn't want to see me."

"Yes she does." Okay, that was a lie. A damn dirty lie. "Okay, no she doesn't, but you have to!"

"Geez," Shikamaru griped, pushing open the door to the room. "How troublesome can you get?"

Ino's eyes narrowed at the sound of two familiar voices. She kicked her feet out with more force than normal and considered running down the side of the building to avoid them. Then she crossed her arms and glared.

This was her school. They could just go away.

Chouji pushed just a bit, staying behind Shikamaru in case it got violent. Ino was still scary. "Ino?"

Ino didn't look at them, glaring instead at the view, "I'm here."

Shikamaru didn't want to do this. He just wanted to go back to the hotel and sleep. Maybe play shogi, or chess. "Yeah, we're all here." Except Asuma. Lucky Asuma.

Chouji just pushed him more. "Please?" He even resorted to puppy eyes, which never worked, but.. might as well try?

Ino's shoulders slumped. She didn't want to talk about this after last night. "Whatever. I don't own the roof."

That was about as much as an invitation as they were going to get.

Shikamaru was vulnerable to the puppy eyes, even if he tried not to show it. "Tch...fine." He walked over to where Ino was, crouching down next to her on the balls of his feet. "...I'm sorry I pissed you off last night," he said sullenly.

Ino's feet hit the side of the roof with a hard thump. She looked away. "Wasn't last night that pissed me off."

"Yeah, well, I can't apologize for the mission," Shikamaru told her, looking down at his hands. "I did what I thought was right at the time. I screwed up big time and almost got everybody killed." He winced as he said it, still not quite over how bad it felt.

Ino still wasn't looking at him. "You could have taken me along. We work well together." Sometimes. Normally.

"I was thinking tactics, Ino. You're strong, but everyone I took along on that mission came because of their specific abilities." He hesitated, then said in a quiet voice, "I did a bad job of it, but nobody died. I don't know if it would've been different if I'd brought other people, but I wouldn't change it. At least this way everybody survived, even if we failed."

She didn't turn her head, but might have leaned a little in his direction, "I'm still angry at you."

Logic never had much to do with her emotions.

There was a crinkling noise as Chouji opened a bag of chips as quietly as he could.

He was hungry!

And they weren't yelling so...

"Yeah, well, you wouldn't be you if you weren't constantly angry at somebody," Shikamaru agreed.

Ino whipped around to glare at him. That wasn't true! "We were a team. Teams don't leave people behind." Her eyes narrowed, "I'm not a disposable member of the team."

She looked away again, "I've got plenty of reason to be mad at you."

She refused to cry about this. Stupid Shikamaru.

Chouji shot Shikamaru a dirty look, clearly implying he needed to make nice or...

Well he had nothing there. Other than being sad if Shikamaru didn't. "Guys..."

"There are several people right now who have reasons to be mad at me. I can't change the past, Ino. I did what I did, and it's done," Shikamaru said, pushing himself up so that he was standing. "And I'm not sorry about it. I'm glad you didn't get hurt, and that Chouji's going to be okay." He put a hand on Chouji's shoulder, starting to reach out to Ino and then stopping himself. She'd probably flip him over the edge of the roof.

Ino would certainly have made the attempt. "I don't need you to protect me."

"I wasn't protecting you, Ino. I was protecting the village in the way I thought was best." Shikamaru shrugged, still looking uncomfortable.

"And that worked out so well." Ino snapped without thinking, before shaking her head, "Whatever. It's not like you'll have to deal with me for a while anyway now that I'm here."

Chouji actually put a half full bag of chips down, reaching out to touch Ino's arm. "Don't say that!"

Ino batted his arm away. She didn't want to be touched. "It's the truth!"

"Yeah, well, it was your choice to come here. That's one bad decision you can't pin on me." Shikamaru was trying. He really was. But the failed mission and almost getting people killed was kind of a sore point for him, and he wasn't going to try if he was just going to keep getting nowhere. "I told you it was a bad idea to come here, Chouji. She doesn't want to see us."

"Both of you just shut up!" Chouji snapped, pulling away from the pair. "We're friends! We shouldn't be fighting like this!"

Ino stood up, taking care to keep her balance so close to the edge of the roof, and planted her hands on her hips.

"I came here," Ino said viciously, "to get away from you. You're the one that came to visit."

"Yeah, because it's the polite thing to do," Shikamaru said forcefully. "Because we're a team and all that, just like you said before. Or does that only matter when you can twist it around to suit you? I hope being here helps you grow up, Ino." He turned away from both of them. "I'm going back to the hotel," he announced.

"SHUT UP!"

If Chouji had more energy to spare he might actually be all glowing with angry, angry chakra.

"BOTH OF YOU." He glared at each of them. "Can't we just..." Go back to how it was before? His shoulders slumped. "Why can't you guys ever just shut up?"

Chouji's shout made Ino take a startled step back. Her foot met nothing but air and she realized her mistake in moving even as she flailed.

Ino's flailing cost her what little balance she'd had, and fell. Off the roof.

"Ah!"

"!?" Shikamaru spun around at the startled noise, just in time to see Ino fall. "Ino!" he shouted, lunging to the edge of the roof on his stomach, and reaching out for her.

Chouji... hadn't meant for that to happen. He rushed forward too, reaching out for her other side. "Ino!"

Ino? Was still flailing because she'd fallen off the roof.

What kind of a ninja did that?

She reached for their hands, and tried to grasp them.

Shikamaru grabbed one of her hands tightly, gripping it with both of his. It was going to hurt both of them, probably, but better that than Ino hitting the ground.

Provided she didn't drag him down with her. He hadn't thought of that possibility.

Not wth Chouji grabbing her other arm and pulling back. This was when he missed his weight a lot.

There wasn't much for Ino to do now that they'd caught her except cling to their hands and try not to look down. "Don't you dare let go!" She'd meant it to be scolding, but it came out mostly scared.

"Not planning to," Shikamaru assured her. "Okay, Chouji. We pull on three." He automatically began issuing orders, almost instinctively. "One. Two. Three!"

On three, Chouji did what he always did. Listened to Shikamaru and pulled. No more near deaths on this team, thanks.

Ino bit her lip to keep from crying out when they pulled her up - it hurt! - and promptly collasped on the roof. She didn't let go of their hands though. In fact, she tightened her grip on them.

Shikamaru shifted so that the three of them were close together, supporting Ino. Like a team. He reached out to touch Ino's hair, just as a sort of confirmation that she was really there. "Are you okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. "I'm okay." Her voice was still breathless, and she was pale. "I'm okay."

Chouji flanked him, holding onto her as well. "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to yell."

"Sorry we made you yell, Chouji," Shikamaru apologized, pretty much hugging them both.

Hugging sounded pretty good to her. She shook her head, "Sorry I've been... yeah. Sorry."

It was a big pile of ninja-y hugging.

And Chouji was totally okay with that. Ignore the growling stomach. "No fighting about stupid things that are in the past."

"Not stupid." Ino said half-heartedly, getting to her feet and tugging at the boys to do the same, "Let's go to my room." She eyed the roof darkly, "I don't want to be up here anymore."

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The Roof, Saturday Evening

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