It Had To Be You

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

What a disaster it would be

if you discovered that I cared
A little too much for friends,

but not enough to share.

- It Had To Be You by Motion City Soundtrack

Shikamaru didn't bat an eye as Ino passed through the living room for the fifteenth time that night, carrying a new combination of clothes. This was nothing new for her - she went through the same routine every time she had a date.

He just turned another page of his novel as he lay spread out quite comfortably on the couch of the apartment that he shared with his former teammates, Ino and Chouji.

At the moment, Chouji was out visiting his parents and soon, Ino would be leaving on her date and Shikamaru was quite pleased (inwardly, of course) at the prospect of having the apartment to himself for most of the night. He glanced in the direction of the bathroom as he heard a muffled yelp come from inside - now if only Ino would hurry up.

"Ino?" he called out, "You okay in there?"

A loud, frustrated shriek was his response, then the door to the bathroom flew open and Ino marched out. Shikamaru shrank a little at the sight of the blonde - not so much because of her anger (although that was a contributing factor) but more on account of what she was wearing.

Ino was sporting just a light blue wife beater and dark blue boy shorts. Shikamaru averted his eyes while simultaneously forcing down the blush that was threatening to spill onto his cheeks.

"Ino, why aren't you dressed?!"

Ino, who thankfully appeared not to have noticed Shikamaru's discomfort, flopped down on the couch next to him, "That's just the problem. I can't find anything to wear. All my clothes make me look fat and old."

Shikamaru chanced a look at the female and couldn't help but roll his eyes as he took in her lithe, slim frame. The movement helped him to relax to a certain degree. "Ino, don't be ridiculous. I've never seen your clothes do anything but compliment you. Now stop fishing for compliments and get dressed."

Ino frowned prettily and lifted herself off of the couch, "Whatever Shikamaru. Just know that if I look bad, I'm blaming you."

Since Shikamaru was sure that she would look nothing short of breathtaking, he didn't hold much store in her threat. He settled into the couch once again and returned to his book, only to be distracted again only a few minutes later.

Ino stood in front of him, holding an outfit in each hand. She lifted her leg and kicked him, "Hey! Stop reading and help me choose something to wear."

Shikamaru peeked over the book at Ino and frowned when he saw that she was still sparsely dressed. He opened his mouth to protest, then decided that helping her would probably be a better idea - the faster he helped her choose, the faster she'd get dressed and he could regain his peace of mind (and body).

Steeling himself, Shikamaru put down his book and looked at Ino, making sure to meet her eyes. Ino's leg was poised in mid-air (she'd been getting ready to kick him again) and she quickly dropped it to the floor.

"You're lucky," she muttered loud enough so that he could hear. "Now," she said, "which one of these do you prefer?" She held each outfit against herself for a few seconds while Shikamaru watched, then waited for his response.

Both outfits looked good to Shikamaru so he did a quick eeny-meeny-miny-mo in his head and ended up choosing the one on the left. Ino held the dress out and considered it for a few seconds, then shook her head and said, "You know, I'm not really feeling this one anymore. I think I'll wear the other one instead. Thanks Shika!" Decision made, she turned and retreated into her bedroom.

Shikamaru wanted to roll his eyes (really, what a waste of five minutes) but held off until she left the room. Then he sighed and leaned back on the couch, thinking that that wasn't really as bad as he thought it would be.

He picked up his book but instead of opening it, he glanced in the direction of Ino's room. Her door was ajar and he could just see her pulling on her skirt. Shikamaru's eyes widened and he instantly turned away and buried his head in a cushion, trying with all of his superior intellect to keep the image from being ingrained in his mind.

When Ino emerged several minutes later, fully dressed (finally!) and wearing just enough make-up, Shikamaru was in the same position. She gave him a bemused look, then poked his side, "Hey Shikamaru. Get up."

Slowly, labouriously and painstakingly, Shikamaru sat up and turned to her, his face a little paler than usual. Ino cocked her head quizzically, then leaned closer to him and placed her hand on his forehead, "Shikamaru? You're not sick, are you?"

"I'm fine, Ino," he responded, pushing her hand away gently. Then he leaned back on the cushions and focused on a point as far away from her as possible.

Still regarding him with a concerned expression, Ino straightened up. "Are you sure? You felt a little hot just now."

Shikamaru nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Ino shrugged, then held out her skirt, "So, how do I look?"

He glanced at her for the briefest moment possible and glimpsed just a mass of purple, then returned his eyes to the point, "You look good."

Ino frowned and placed her hands on her hips, "You didn't even look at me! Come on Shikamaru, I'm serious. All I'm asking you to do is tell me how I look."

Scowling, Shikamaru turned to face Ino completely. Her hair was out of its usual ponytail and instead was arranged in two simple braids that fell down in front of her shoulders and she was dressed in a lilac top coupled with a purple skirt. He took her in, drinking in her appearance hungrily, then nodded appreciatively, keeping his features as neutral as possible, "All right, I changed my mind. You look...incredible."

Ino's face betrayed her surprise, surprise which quickly melted into a pleased, gentle smile. She opened her mouth to speak but just then, the doorbell rang. Sighing, Ino leaned forward and pecked Shikamaru on the cheek, "Thanks Shika. That means a lot."

Then she ran into her room and emerged a few seconds later with a sweater. She threw another brilliant smile at Shikamaru as she made her way over to the door, "I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"

"Sure. I'll see you," Shikamaru responded half-heartedly, watching as she opened the door and stepped out, inwardly chastising himself for letting her go once again. Sighing deeply, he threw the book on the table and himself back on the couch. There was no way he was going to enjoy his alone time now.

A/N: I wanted a challenge, so I wrote a ShikaIno! lol - my first (and only?) Now to clarify, I am not saying that Shika's a pervert, just that he's a guy. Anyway I would love feedback for this one, love, love, love it. REVIEW - pretty please.