Chapter Text
He held his jacket closer to himself, it was kind of chilly tonight but no worries, he'll be home soon, all warm and toasty. After looking both ways, he crossed the road and went into the store; he needed to get the groceries or else his sister will throw him out and will not let him back in unless and until he went back for them. He smiled fondly as his thoughts strayed to her. Ino was his big sister but Naruto always took care of her as though she were a baby. Their mom died giving birth to him, Ino was 3 at the time and when he was 10, their dad died in a car crash; with no known relatives, they were put in the system. Ino had done everything within her power as a 13 year old to keep in touch with her baby brother, always sending him cards and presents on his birthday and any other celebrated holiday, always assuring him that she'll take him home as soon as she could and she had done just that. When she turned 18, she fought for custody, somehow miraculously won at 19 and had taken him to a new city with the little savings she still managed to have left after the proceedings. She had wanted a fresh start for them both. By then Naruto was 16 and old enough to shoulder some responsibilities which he did, he got a small job working at an electronics store after school and during the holidays, he took on more jobs. He knew what Ino had done for him and how much she had sacrificed for him, he wanted to show her that it was all worth it in the end. Before he'd graduated high school though, Ino had fallen ill and despite persuasions on her part, he had refused to go to college choosing instead to work and help provide for their upkeep, pay the rent and help with her medical expenses.
The illness, his heart dropped everytime he had to think about it. At first, they had thought it was something minor from the symptoms she had complained of but one day, she had collapsed at work. Her colleagues had rushed her to the hospital and after a series of tests, she was diagnosed with some sought of kidney infection. They were told that she needed a transplant but in the mean time she would have to be taking certain medications and coming in for occasional tests and treatment to keep the infection check and stop it from spreading to the other kidney. The drugs were insanely expensive and soon enough they'd needed an extra source of income to keep up with the treatment, but Naruto hadn't minded that, he did whatever he could lay his hands on and they had somehow found a way to manage. As the years progressed though, it had become worse and he'd had to get some other Job that he would otherwise never have considered if not for desperation. But it'll be fine, he thought, everything will be alright. They'd gotten a donor just last year, all they needed now was the complete money and he was more than halfway there; they'll be able to do the transplant and this nightmare will be over. He'll leave that job forever.
He entered the store, took out the list Ino had written and began to shop, when he was done, he approached the counter and stood behind the man the clerk was attending to. The man collected his purchases, paid and turned to go almost running into Naruto. The man righted himself, adjusted the grocery bag and shifted his gaze on him and when Naruto locked eyes with the stranger, his breath caught. Time literarily stood still. He had lazy looking dark eyes that seemed to know too much, they made Naruto feel like this stranger could tell all of his secrets just by looking at him. Naruto felt naked under his penetrating gaze. Those eyes spoke of a kind of superior intelligence that not only intimidated him but also made him want to let himself go in the reliability and dependability they held; they spoke of strength in a very reassuring way. He wore a very expensive looking suit without the jacket though, it was probably in his car or something but he had on his waistcoat and the sleeves of his shirt was rolled to his elbows. He had dark hair which he held up with a band, the tips were spiky and Naruto estimated they'd fall just below his shoulder if let down. Even his hairline was spiky and Naruto for some reason found this sexy. Tiny diamond studs glimmered in both lobes and Naruto was sure he had glimpsed a Rolex on the man's wrist before he'd looked at his face. Why couldn't he take his eyes off this man? He felt hypnotised by the compelling aura surrounding the mystery man and he finally understood what people meant when they said they felt like they knew someone even though just meeting them for the first time. It was almost like he knew stranger and understood him even without them exchanging any words. He unconsciously took a step forward as though pulled in by some magnetic force, wanting to close the space separating them; he wanted to merge himself with the entity before him, body and soul.
Shikamaru knew for sure he was gawking stupidly seeing as his mouth was hanging open but he couldn't help himself. He'd had a long day, needed to go home and have a hot shower before going to bed but first he'd rushed to the store to pick a few things. He was about to dash out when he'd turned and almost run into someone, he was going to apologise but as he faced the person, he was met with the most beautiful pair of blue eyes he'd ever seen. They were the color of the deep blue sea and it almost felt like he would see crashing waves in them if he looked deep enough. The eyes were captivating, they looked like they had seen enough of life and ached to tell their story to anyone who cared enough to listen, their innocence drew him in and he saw in them an earnestness that one never just came across. He caught himself wishing he could swim in their depths forever. He wanted to know this guy. The guy was young, probably not more than 20, he had very blond, spiky locks of hair and he had the look of someone who laughed alot even though life had dealt him one too many blows. He was several inches taller than the skinny blond and he noticed that the guy couldn't take his eyes off him too. He wondered if he felt the strange pull and when the younger man moved in a little, he understood that the feeling was mutual. Goddammit he was drowning in those eyes and he didn't want to be saved.
The stranger recovered first. He bowed his head slightly while offering an apology, took a step to the side to let Shikamaru pass and stepped up to the counter. Shikamaru stood where he was for a few seconds, debating whether or not to talk to him; he may never see him again and this meant he had lost the one opportunity he'd had to talk to the blond, but then, if this had nothing to do with coincidence, they'll somehow run into each other again. He walked towards the exit and as he neared the door he looked back to get one last look at the blond and it was almost like he had spoken to him because the guy turned also. They locked eyes for what seemed like forever before he stepped out into the chilly night.
Naruto waited for the clerk to bill him as his mind wandered to the strange encounter he'd just had. What the hell was that? Who was that man? This was one mystery he knew he would never be able to solve unless he met the stranger again which had an extremely low possibility. He paid for the things and left the store, wishing the black Audi he'd seen drive off had waited to give him a lift.
***
He let himself into the quiet apartment through the kitchen door. It was not a big place but it was not too small or uncomfortable either. It was a two bedroom apartment with two bathrooms, a small kitchen, a parlor and a little balcony. As soon as they'd entered the space while looking for a place, Ino had declared it their own. It did have a homey feel. He dumped the groceries on the kitchen counter and went to the parlor, Ino was sitting im front of the tv, his blanket around her as she stuffed her face with very buttery popcorn while watching a soap opera
"doesn't it ever bother you that you have chosen to let this thing have a better portion of your lifespan?", he complained as he sat heavily beside her, dipping his hand into the bowl for a handful of popcorn
"this thing, as you so impishly put it, is the heart and soul of every woman in Japan"
"Ino, I am not a woman. Could you please have mercy on me every so often before I die from having to see this every single night?. Cause of death: Soap overdose"
Ino snuggled closer to him with a laugh and rested her head on his shoulder
"stop being such a grouch"
Just then his stomach growled, he was hungry. He hadn't seen any food in the kitchen and from the way Ino had made herself comfortable on him, she wasn't going to be doing any cooking anytime soon
"uh Ino, I brought the groceries, you know? How abou--"
"shhh they're getting to the best part"
Oh boy, if he didn't try to help himself right now, he would go to bed hungry. He gently extricated himself, picked a tissue and wiped his sticky hand as he went into the kitchen and got to work unpacking. He put a pan on fire, poured a little oil into it, seasoned two hams and placed them into the pan, he'll make them burgers, at least that wasn't hard to make and didn't take long. He reduced the already low heat some more and began to wash the vegetables when he felt skinny arms snake around his waist
"what are you making?", she asked, resting her head on his back. Ino was shorter than him by a foot and a half and she was so fragile he was sometimes scared to hug her so she doesn't break. He turned and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling closer while placing a kiss on her head. She was blond like him except she was a sunflower blond, she had always told him he was the blondest blond she had ever seen
"glad to see you still care about my stomach"
She chuckled
"just the stomach though so don't get any ideas"
"I'm making us burgers, care to do the onions?"
Ino pulled away from the hug with a laugh as she picked up the spatula, turning the ham
"nice try, very suave"
He joined in the laughter
"can't blame a guy for trying"
They worked in silence for sometime before he spoke up
"how was your day?"
"oh you know, went to work, came back home, made a smack, watched tv. The usual"
"I meant how did you feel today?"
Her shoulders stiffened, he was walking on eggshells but he had to ask. Ino hated it when they had to talk about her health, she said it made her feel like a nuisance; it reminded her of her shortcoming and the burden she had unwittingly placed on his young shoulders. But he didn't mind, he worried about her most times and had to know how she was faring; left to him, she would not work at all but Ino had insisted, she could be so stubborn sometimes and Naruto had agreed to let her work as long as the job was nothing stressful. She worked at a beauty shop and he was fine with that
"I didn't collapse if that's what you're asking"
He put down the tomato he was slicing and went to her
"hey, I'm sorry. I know you hate having this talk but you know I've got to check on you. If our positions were reversed you'd do the same"
She turned the hams once again before looking up at him, mentally scolding herself for her reaction. He was just being the concerned baby brother he always was
"you're right, I'm sorry. It's just..."
Naruto pulled her in for a hug
"I know"
Then pulling back he looked into her beautiful green eyes as he rubbed a thumb against her cheek
"you know I love you right? I mean you're such a stubborn stubborn woman but I love you all the same"
Her lips cracked into a smile as she gave him a light punch on the upper arm
"you're weird, you know that right?"
Naruto giggled
"you're the one with the tattoo of a horned pig", he said referring to the little tattoo she had behind her ear; a very delicate but impressive tattoo of a wild boar representing some kind of boar god or something. Naruto secretly thought it was cute even though he liked to tease her about it. Ino knew this and never failed to return the jab
"Naruto you have a scary looking fox with nine tails tattooed on your bicep and you call me weird? Plus its a boar not a horned pig. This is what you get for refusing to go to college"
"ok first of all, you're the one who called me weird and second, Kurama is not scary". He had named his beloved bicep fox Kurama, getting a major eye roll from Ino. Ino had gotten her first tattoo, the peter pan characters, just below her prominent collarbone when she was 17. It was all ink with Peter, Jane, her baby brother and Tinkerbelle floating diagonally in a line that was a little curved. After they had moved to Tokyo, she had taken him along to a tattoo parlor to celebrate winning his custody and had gotten another. While she'd had the boar head and a navel piercing done, he'd had the moon phases done behind his left shoulder. Two years after that, on his 18th birthday, she'd taken him to get another; that was when he had gotten Kurama on his right bicep, she had encouraged him to get a piercing too and he had chosen to do a couch piercing on his left ear.
She let out a laugh. Ino always enjoyed spending time with her brother, he was fun to be with, funny and extremely caring. She loved him with the whole of her heart and would do anything to make him happy, too bad this sickness had gotten in the way of that. Ever since she'd fallen ill, Naruto had let his world totally revolve around her, always close by, giving up everything just to make sure she was comfortable. He had refused to go to college, saying it was a waste of time since he was terrible at school even though she knew it was because he wanted to keep a close eye on her. He took on extra jobs, worked overtime and when things had gotten tougher, gotten a job as an escort. At first he hadn't wanted to tell her about it but she had stubbornly persisted, she had wanted to know where all that extra cash was coming from. She had pushed until he'd spat it out, she could see how ashamed he was saying it and she had felt regret for insisting. Naruto was her angel, she didn't know what she would have done without him; he never complained, never took offence when she got just a tiny bit bitchy and gladly did the extra jobs around.
She stood on her toes and gave him a peck
"love you too. So how was your day?"
"was fine"
"anything exciting happen?"
Naruto hesitated briefly, remembering the encounter he'd had just that evening and wondering if he should tell her. After a few seconds of deliberation, he decided to let her know; Ino would make a big deal out of it but he needed to share the experience with someone
"yeah, something actually happened". She turned sharply, her ears already perking
"really?"
He nodded
"uh huh"
She looked at him and when he was not saying anything, gave him a hard poke on his side
"spill"
"I.. Uh.. I met someone"
She gasped, her hands flying dramatically to her mouth. Naruto rolled his eyes, drama queen
"you met a guy?"
"kinda"
She knew he was gay but that didn't faze her, it never had. Naruto remembered the first time he had come out to her, he had been pretty scared of how she would react and it had taken almost a full year to tell her but when he finally did, she had given him a hug, telling him it didn't matter and that she loved him all the same and would accept any guy he chose to date. As long as he was good enough and deserving of Naruto that is. He knew this news excited her because she had been bugging him to date for over two years now; she said she didn't want him to waste his life and miss out on happiness just because of her
"what happened? Where did you meet? When are you seeing him again? Did two exchange numbers? Wait, you did exchange numbers right?"
Naruto chuckled at the barrage of questions
"I don't know when we'll see again, if we will at all. We didn't exchange numbers, we didn't even talk"
She looked confused
"what? What do you mean you didn't... Back up. Tell me everything"
Naruto had just finished assembling the burgers. He put them on one plate and walked to the parlor, they ate there since they didn't have a dining table. She took two cups of two cups of tea along with her and sat facing her brother
"Naruto, my ears burn"
He took a deep breath and began to tell her the story. He watched as she went from wide eyed, to open mouthed, to wide eyed and open mouthed, to having a stupid look of excitement with the mentioned facial expressions on her face. She nearly screamed when he was done
"oh my God! Naruto you just met your soulmate"
He groaned, not that again
"it's true, that meeting was too abnormal to be normal, it was preordained". He sighed, she sounded like some medium, all she needed was a crystal ball in front of her, a handful of heavy rings and bracelets and a turban.
"arrrgghhhhh. Tall, dark and handsome! Damn, why haven't I been so lucky?"
"actually he isn't--"
"you have got to keep your eyes peeled for when you meet again because you will"
"we might not--"
"ah ah ah", she commanded with a palm to his face "I have banished negativity from this house, she is not even allowed in here for a sleepover"
She let out a squeal
"it's just like how dad always said he'd met mom, he told us that story a whole lot"
"what story? I don't remember dad saying anything like that"
"that's because you were too young to understand"
"too young? Ino dad died when I was 10"
"my point exactly. What could a kid less than 10 understand about these things? You two will meet again, mark my words. Just make sure you seize the opportunity when it does come, ok?"
Naruto saw the earnestness in her eyes and chose to humour her
"yes mom"
She jumped
"yes! Oh God this is really happening. Love at first sight"
"who said anything about love? It was just shock, I'm going to bed"
He got up, cleared the plate and cups and went to the kitchen with Ino at his heels
"yes it was. What did your horoscope say today?"
"dunno, didn't check"
"you never check. Lemme get my phone"
She dashed off to get the gadget as Naruto struggled to hold his laughter in. His sister really was a case, she believed so much in fairytales and happy endings. He grabbed the sponge as he began to wash the dishes. Happy endings? Ino said they always come true, maybe if he believed hard enough, he'll get his fairytale ending too.
Maybe