Another Ino/Shikamaru drabble. I was posessed by first person since I'm re-reading the Hunger Games. Apologies in advance if there are discrepancies.

Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns everything.

Ino is resting her head on the lip of the bathtub when Shikamaru decides to show up.

He enters easily and closes the door behind him, and moves aside her clothes so he can sit on the only available chair.

Ino does not bother with covering her body. Mainly because she was taking a bubble bath and you couldn't really see anything, and secondly because Shikamaru wouldn't objectify her like other boys. He respected her enough to look her in the eyes than at her breasts.

Besides, there are no boundaries between Ino-Shika-Cho.

"You didn't have to run out like that," he begins.

Ino shrugs, feeling her shoulders emerge from the water only to dip back down again.

"Temari obviously didn't want me there," Ino replies, letting her arms rise to rest on the sides of the tub. She feels her breasts skim the top of the water and she wonders if Shikamaru has a desire to see her.

Shikamaru rolls his eyes at her, unamused.

"She didn't mean what she said," Shikamaru says.

Ino raises her eyebrows at him.

"I beg to differ. She should have just called me a whore and been done with it."

Shikamaru's brown irises are troubled, but Ino is too furious with Temari to care.

"I can't wait til she goes back to Suna," Ino mutters, blue eyes glaring at the bubbles in her bath.

She hears Shikamaru leave his chair after a few seconds of deliberation. His hand touches her arm, giving her chills.

Ino looks up to meet his eyes, dually curious and suspicious.

With one hand, Shikamaru smoothes down Ino's hair, gazing at her.

"You don't have to be jealous of her," Shikamaru advises quietly.

Ino's cheeks flush in embarrassment and anger.

"I'm not jealous—!"

"Ino," interrupts Shikamaru. He winds his hand further through her hair. "Stop being so troublesome."

Ino narrows her eyes at him.

He continues, "You've always had this grudge against her and I don't get it. You two haven't even fought each other, and it's not like you see her regularly either. So, it must be that you're jealous about our friendship."

Ino's face reddens to crimson at his deduction.

She stammers, "Shikamaru, you—you don't know what you're talking about!"

Shikamaru treats her to a bored expression.

"Explain it to me then," he demands.

Ino remains silent and glances back to the water. She wishes she was more covered up now.

"There's nothing between Temari and I. You know that," Shikamaru states, tucking a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear.

"Shikamaru, do you think I'm the slut that everyone says I am?" Ino asks in a small, quiet voice.

When he does not answer immediately, Ino's eyes flash to his, surprised.

But Shikamaru is staring at her with a focused intensity she's rarely seen in his eyes. It's as if he's trying to set her on fire.

"Woman, you're too self-confident to care what other people think. Don't start caring now."

He leans in and kisses her softly.

When he pulls away, Ino's lips burn from the contact.

Shikamaru smirks at her and stands, his cheeks slightly flushed.

He opens the door to leave, but Ino recovers enough to call out, "Wait—you didn't answer my question!"

Shikamaru answers with a raspy laugh and closes the door behind him, leaving Ino to her bath.

Review if you like.