Disclaimer: Don’t own

“As the team captain, I expect everyone to be on time.”

Why is it that, of all people, I’m the one who has a pissy captain in my kitchen, whining about how I didn’t attend his stupid crazy workout schedule? I mean, sure, he’s hot, but really, is the bitching necessary?

“I bet you anything YOU weren’t on time, Shikamaru.”

“Yes, well, I was there.”

“Well, that just shows that I have a life.”

I chopped up the vegetables vigorously enough that he raised his eyebrows. I sent him my worst glare. I am Ino! Hear me roar!

“It shows that you lack responsibility, Ino.”

“I sure as hell was responsible! I emailed Choji that I wasn’t going to be there. Ha! What do you say to that?”

“You emailed him while he was at training. Besides, we both know he checks his email as often as he decides to go anorexic.”

I poured the spaghetti noodles in the boiling water and began to stir.

“Yes, well, seeing as you don’t have an email, that’s your own damn fault.”

He shrugged.

“You could have called.”

This is where I mumble incoherent cuss words and insults toward him. It seems, no matter what I say, he always ends up right. Jackass.

Listen, we both know that I would love to keep bickering with you but I have a date.” Ha! In other words, GET OUT!

“Who, Chuck?”

“Yes, chuck. It’s our third date.” I said proudly. Shikamaru chuckled and shook his head. I frowned and flicked steaming spaghetti at him.

“You take him home…and he takes you to bed, right?”

“Wrong! Why would I sleep with him! I barely know him!”

“Doesn’t matter. Trust me, he’ll try to get you to bed, and since you’re not like that, you’ll get angry, and you two will be over by breakfast.”

“Yeah right. There’s no way something like that would happen. Chuck’s not like that.”

“10 says he will.”

“You’re on, now get out, chuck should be here any minute.” He grinned and walked toward the door. He opened it, and then turned back. for a split second I thought I saw worry in his eyes, but just like every other second it passed and instead of something nice and sincere, he smirked and said,

“Practice is at seven thirty…A.M.”

“Yeah, yeah,”

I pushed him out the door and slammed it in his face. After I heard him walk down the steps of the townhome, I huffed and sat on the third stair of the staircase. Chuck defiantly wouldn’t try anything tonight. Right?

Just then the doorbell rang and I opened it to Chuck, holding a small bouquet of lilies.

“Are those for me?!” my eyes lit up at the sight of the flowers, and he looked from me in my apron to the flowers in front of him.

“Well…for a price.” I crossed my arms.

“Like what?” He put on a face that made him look like he was thinking…a bit too hard. I laughed and finally he said, “You got to kiss me. “

“Okay…where?”

He pointed to his cheek. I kissed him, then he pointed to his mouth, and again, I complied. He pointed again to his mouth, and I laughed, before giving him a quick kiss on the lips before snatching the bouquet out of his hand and turned toward the kitchen.

“Hey!” he said with mock surprise in his voice.

“You snooze you lose!!” I shouted over my shoulder before I walked into the kitchen. I undid the wrapping around the flowers, cut the stem a little, and I heard him come in as I put the flowers in the vase.

I put the vase down and grabbed two plates from the cabinets when he came up behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed the back of my neck. But as he went to kiss me on the lips, I put a plate in front of his mouth, stopping him. He pouted and I laughed.

“I’ll kiss you…for a price!” I said as I handed him the plate. “Go set the table while I finish up. Okay?”

“Okay…” he fake stomped away and I laughed. He set down the plates and silverware while I gave us both a helping of spaghetti and meatballs, salad, and a loaf of French bread for the both of us.

We both sat down and he said with a laugh, “Spaghetti? Isn’t that a little unpatriotic?”

“Yeah, well, it’s good. And excuse me for being a little cultural!”

He laughed again and we both dug in.

A few hours later, with the dishes in the dishwasher and the kitchen clean, we sat on the couch, watching some old romantic comedy.

At one point, we started kissing, which turned in to making out, and next thing I know is that he’s laying on top of me, reaching for the buttons on my blouse. I grabbed his hand and pulled it away from mine.

“no, sorry chuck, I barely know—“he pushed me back on the couch.

“yes.” He said. Oaky, this pissed me off. I tried to push me off him and he hit me, hard, near my left eye. I was shocked. Who is this fucker trying to mess with?! He pinned my arms and legs down and quickly, my shock turned into rage.

“get off, asshole.” I hissed. He grinned.

“and if I don’t want to?” I smiled… before I head butted him, causing me to see stars in my eyes, and him to grab his head, letting go off me. Wrong move, fucktard. I got off the couch and before he could do anything, grabbed his shoulders and kneed him in the balls. He bent over, clutching his groins, and I pushed him up against the wall, pulling out a kunai from my leg strap and put it against his neck

“you messed with the wrong chick, bastard.” he eyed the knife and breathed shallowly.

“now listen,” I breathed, “you either get out quietly or I will cut your throat.” i traced his jaw bone with the kunai

“that’s murder!" He said

“that’s a defense mechanism.” I smiled at him, pointing to my eye.

Jesus Christ! This thing is black and blue! The guy gave me a fucking black eye! Of course, having common sense, Chuck left quietly and quickly.

Trust me, he’ll try to get you to bed, and since you’re not like that, you’ll get angry, and you two will be over by breakfast.”

God dammit, Shikamaru!

I threw the vase of flowers out the window and heard a stray cat hiss when the glass shattered on the pavement.

I changed into a sports bra and sweats and went over to my work out room. I went over to the dummy and started to punch it.

“You’re on, now get out, chuck should be here any minute.”

I threw a right hook.

“You take him home…and he takes you to bed, right?”

I jabbed with my left.

Chuck defiantly wouldn’t try anything tonight. Right?

A silent tear rolled down my cheek as I rotated to the left and kicked with my right.

. It seems, no matter what I say, he always ends up right. Jackass.

I took a shower and headed off to bed, although I was tossing and turning all night. I finally fell asleep at 4:15 am. Fun. I got up at seven, and tried to cover up the bruise as much as possible with makeup. Do you know how much it hurt for that powder brush to brush LIGHTLY against my skin?! It HURT! I sighed, got out of my townhome, bough an apple at the market on the way, and headed toward the training grounds.

Finishing the apple, I tossed the core into nearby bushes and walked into the clearing, where Shikamaru was laying on his back, cloud watching, and Choji was sitting up against a nearby tree, finishing his early morning snack.

Shikamaru looked at his watch.

“it’s seven twenty, you’re early Ino, should I be worr—“ I looked away and threw down a kunai inches from his right hand.