Room 504, Friday Evening

[intraspective]

After a more eventful afternoon at the welcoming picnic thing than she'd planned on, thanks to Shikamaru, Chouji and her Dad all showing up, Ino was glad to be heading back to her room. Even with company.

Maybe even especially with company.

She grinned at Chouji as she opened her door, "This is my room, so no snooping!"

[For Chouji~]

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[intraspective]

She leaned into the contact, "Not your fault." Ino said, closing her eyes, "You didn't pick who went."

[hungry-mind.livejournal.com]

Damn it, this was why Asuma-sensei was around! "I don't think he had time to get anyone other than us."

[intraspective]

Ino's lips twisted, and she pulled away, "Doesn't matter much now, does it? He still left me behind, and now I'm here and you're probably all doing just fine without me."

She didn't want to hear Chouji try and justify Shikamaru's actions.

[hungry-mind.livejournal.com]

Oh, that was the last straw. Chouji hugged her. "We miss you! Why do you think we came?"

[intraspective]

"Because my Dad made you. He'd do that." Ino said immediately. She didn't try to get out of the hug though. It was nice.

[hungry-mind.livejournal.com]

"Did not!" Chouji replied. "You're our teammate!" And then added, more quietly, "And friend, right?"

[intraspective]

Ino smiled slightly, "Always. Just... doesn't always feel that way."

[hungry-mind.livejournal.com]

"You're scary sometimes," Chouji said, sheepishly. "You know? Don't want to make you upset."

[intraspective]

"I'm not scary!" Ino protested, "I just say what I'm thinking!"

[hungry-mind.livejournal.com]

"Not like that!" He was bad at this. "I mean..."

Oh the ninja flailing. "...what if I say the wrong thing and you get mad?"

[intraspective]

"Then I get mad!" Ino was trying not to get mad right now. "It doesn't mean I don't want you to talk to me."

... there were problems when you were the only one of your team that liked arguing.

[hungry-mind.livejournal.com]

"You're getting mad now!" Chouji might be trying to hide now.

[intraspective]

"I'm trying not to!" Ino snapped, crossing her arms. "I can't help it!"

[hungry-mind.livejournal.com]

He flailed, trying to think of something to appease the angry beast. "Sakura says hi!"

[intraspective]

Ino was not a beast. If she knew Chouji was thinking that...

"Eh?" Ino was successfully distracted, if a bit startled, by the abrupt change of subject. She looked at him, "Tell her I say hi back!"

[hungry-mind.livejournal.com]

Well, to be honest, it was Shikamaru's influence that brought about that title.

"I will." And then he sighed a breath of relief that she wasn't yelling at him anymore.

[intraspective]

Ino wasn't distracted for long, even though she made a note to write to Sakura and have Chouji take it back with him. "I still don't want to talk to him."

[hungry-mind.livejournal.com]

Chouji should have known better. He was crap at talking to girls, even if it was just... Ino. Damn it. "I know."

[intraspective]

"You can't make me be nice to him either." Ino warned him.

[hungry-mind.livejournal.com]

"I know," Chouji repeated. And went quiet. "But we do miss you."

[intraspective]

"I believe you." Ino assured him, "Just not him."

It wasn't like he acted like it or anything.

[hungry-mind.livejournal.com]

"He's Shikamaru," Chouji tried to explain. "He's just weird about it all."

[intraspective]

"You're nicer than I am, because I think he's just being a jerk." Ino said finally, "Chouji? Don't ever change."

[hungry-mind.livejournal.com]

That made Choiji feel better than he had since getting out of the hospital. "Really?"

[intraspective]

"I mean it." Ino smiled at him, "Way, way nicer than me."