endgames | 025 -- [Action || Voice]

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025 -- [Action || Voice]

[When Shikamaru heads down to Asuma's apartment Monday morning, he finds it empty of everything but Kurenai's things and a silver lighter standing on the table. It's wrong, but he doesn't give in to the false hope.

Of course it would stay. Even though Shikamaru gave it back to him, the lighter stopped being Asuma's the moment he picked it off his dying body.

Kurenai must've stepped out before it happened. She's a ninja, and not so senseless to have left the door wide open and run off in her grief. And so he waits for her, and tries to find his words.

After he leaves Kurenai, he has to tell Ino. Team 8 he'll find in person too - he has a request for them on top of this. It's been too long since they've heard a stir from their enemies.]

[It's well past midnight before an announcement comes, after he's made this post and spent a few hours going over the discussions there. When people are either busy with the information he gave them, or asleep.

He smokes a cigarette on his way back to his apartment in the night air, putting it out before he steps into the building, his posture falsely relaxed until he steps into his own room.]

Sarutobi Asuma is gone. [There's a pause and- no, he doesn't think it was mentioned.] Also, Haruno Sakura returned to her world a few weeks ago, for anyone who knew her.

Funnily enough, I haven't seen that masked Akatsuki guy in a while either...

[Too many people to filter that too. It's vague enough, but anyone who needs to know should get what he means. It would have been better news if he'd known before.

He'll answer journal comments in the morning.]

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[Ino will be here, Shikamaru. Feel free to tell her the bad news. It's like everything can't get any better from here. At least, she already knows about Sakura's disappearance being the one who checked her apartment after she left.]

[He knocks, for once.]

[She heard the knocks that she stood up and opens the door for him. She blinks once.]

Oh. Hey, Shikamaru. [She opens the door wider.] Come in. You're feeling well, right?

[His posture suggests he's here on business. No slouch. He steps inside and notes Tenten isn't around.]

Yeah. The medicine you made worked like a charm.

[She takes due note of this, but Ino still can't help but toot her own horn. Even for a bit.]

Of course. I made sure it will.

[A beat. Alright, time to address the obvious as her expression shifts.] So, I take it that's not what you came here for.

[He wants to smile - she really is incredible - but now isn't the time. He shakes his head no. Can't drag this out.]

Asuma has left Luceti.

[She blinks. Wait, did she hear that right?]

[No, that can't be. They can't possibly lose him again.]

Shikamaru, tell me you're joking.

[Of course, she knows one hundred percent that he isn't. She knows him too well. She mentally curses herself for knowing him too well because now, she can't find anything to convince herself that what he said isn't true.]

[If there is one thing he would never joke about, it would be this. He doesn't bother to answer her with anything but his eyes for this reason. She knows that.

Lies just hurt less than the truth.]

[She does and that's what hurts most, knowing there's nothing but the truth left glaring at her.]

But... [But what? They can't take him away? They can't possibly do this? Ino then blurts out the first thing her heart told her.] We can't lose him again.

[Ino, you're breaking his heart. He looks at his feet to hide his expression- no. He's not such a coward that he can't look her in the eye.

Even prepared for this, it's shocking just how unprepared he was, is all.]

It was borrowed time to begin with. We should be grateful we had even that.

I know. [Come to think of it, the time they spend here is borrowed time. Every one of them present here from their world. The only difference with Asuma is that they won't see him again back home, the reason why Ino doesn't relent.]

But still...

Edited 2012-07-03 08:48 (UTC)

[She briefly pauses, trying to contain her emotions.]

To take him away again... [It's cruel.]

[It was more cruel, he thinks, to bring him here in the first place. And Kurenai too.

...he wanted to find a way to change it, but no time. He could say it's better like this, but it's not. Not completely. But they can't resign themselves to that sadness. He tries to catch her eyes again.]

But he's not. Not really. That's what the Will of Fire is, isn't it?

[They can't and she knows this but she also knows that her emotions are getting the better of her. She knows that shouldn't happen, too. Shaking her head, she successfully fought back tears.

Shikamaru's right. She should be stronger than this.]

I know. [A nod as she closes her eyes.] I know. [She repeats it, more to herself this time.] He's just here living in our hearts.

[And he has his legacy continuing to burn in everyone he taught, befriended, loved. Ino mentally kicks herself. Yes, she's stronger than this.]

Exactly. [He puts a hand on her shoulder, squeezes it with his thumb there.] And they can't take that away. Ever.

[She is so much stronger. He can see her pushing herself over that line of thought in her mind, but he'll try and pull her the rest of the way.]

Let me see them try. [She said this with a small smile forming on her lips now. Pulling her up is slowly working, Shikamaru, only because she also tries her best to hoist herself up.

And she appreciates this more than he'll ever know. Placing a hand over the one on her shoulder, let her pull him up too.]

Thanks, Shikamaru. We'll get through this together. [Because she also knows this is harder for him.] I'm just here.

[He wants to get over this, so there's that at least. Things are just confusing right now.]

That's good enough.

[Okay, screw it. She knows he's struggling deep inside. Call it teammate/female intuition or just her sheer perceptiveness at work or whatnot, but she'll go with it. So, here, let her pull you into a hug, bb boy. Because even if her presence and the thought of getting through this together are enough, she also knows actions speak louder than words.]

[-wasn't expecting that.]

[He stands stiff in her embrace. He doesn't know what to do with this - not her hug, but the feeling. It's strange how it feels as if it's not him she's holding, but some sort of heartache he didn't know he had. He can't place it, but it doesn't surprise him she could see it when he could not.

Shikamaru doesn't know if he's ready to deal with this right now. He'll leave it be after this, but it won't hurt him to return this favor. It's a hug, not something to be over-analyzed, and Ino could likely use it as much as him. He sags, and moves his arms to hug her back; tucks his chin down to her shoulder. He's been taller than her for a while, but near two years in Luceti has given him some extra inches on top of that.]

[She notices the few inches but she pays it no mind. Right now, she's paying attention on more important things like this embrace she's giving him which, to her slight surprise, he returns. It feels more solid now because holding him in this state is almost similar to holding a sand sculpture. She needs to grasp it correctly for it to hold in place.

Burying her face on his chest, she gives a smile.]

You're not alone, okay? [And this should prove that point even when Shikamaru might feel that his shirt is starting to get a little wet.]

I know.

[He doesn't cry - he sobbed himself sick earlier, before Kurenai got back. He doesn't have it in him for another round.

He doesn't know how he feels either, but he knows he can count on his friends until he can get himself over this. So that's what he plans to do. Stick with friends like Ino, who's crying into his shirt now. He doesn't mention the tears, and one hand moves up to the back of her shoulder again.]

And it's okay to think about yourself too.

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