Yamanaka Ino strode slowly to the top of the steep hill, upon which stood a gnarled old tree. She sighed deeply, sitting below it, in almost exactly the same spot she had all those years before, the day her team officially became genin. She smiled, seeing, in her mind's eye, the younger version of herself, flouncing angrily to this spot, still muttering about how she would kill Sakura for being on Sasuke's team.
I hope you come soon, Shikamaru... Ino thought to herself, leaning her head back on the tree's trunk and closing her eyes. Night was drawing in around her, but the dark didn't scare her. It felt like a soothing, cool comfort blanket, wrapping itself gently around her shoulders as she sat beneath the branches of the ancient tree. She glanced at her watch:
8:05. Please be coming...
The stars were starting to emerge in the vast, inky sky, tiny diamonds sparkling far away. Ino had always thought that they watched over everyone on the planet, and felt safe under their gaze.
I wonder what I'll say to you, when you get here...
She gazed across the grassy ground, her breath catching in her throat at the wonderful view you had of Konoha. Each tiny light could be seen in the village, and you could make out the academy, the Hokage offices, even the Yamanaka's flower shop. Ino sighed, letting her eyes wander off towards the woods to her right.
A twig snapped behind her, making her turn, her heart in her mouth.
"Miaow!"
A cat...
I thought...it was you...
8:20. Now you're getting late.
The moon peeked out from behind a wispy cloud, casting it's eerie glow upon her spot, making her face look ghostly pale. She decided to wait a little longer, he might have been caught up in something. He could have been delayed by someone. Anything was possible. Her stomach flipped at the idea that he might not arrive.
Half past eight, and she bit her lip.
What if you don't turn up? I don't know how I'll be able to remain friends with you...I know...I know I said that we'd never speak of it again...but...
She shook her head. Shikamaru wasn't going to let her down. He would be here...surely?
But what do I say? What shall I do? All I want to do is hold you, but is it too soon?
Ino sighed deeply, playing with a twig, rolling it between her forefinger and thumb. She watched as it twirled in her hand, finally snapping it in two and casting both halves aside.
8:40. You're not coming...are you?
Ino rose to her feet, dusting herself off as she did so. A noise from the path below her made her freeze. Footsteps, definately.
You're here. But you're so late. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe you've just come to let me down...Maybe...

Ino stood stock still as Shikamaru emerged over the brim of the hill, not knowing what to do, not able to move. His skin was pale in the moonlight. He was beautiful.

Shikamaru inwardly sighed as he hurried toward their meeting spot. He could see that Ino was still there. It wasn’t too late. If it was meeting with anyone else or for any other purpose, he probably wouldn’t even have showed up- he was already 40 minutes late, so it wouldn’t have mattered, as either way the other person would’ve been pissed at him. But he knew. This was nothing like those situations.

--------------------

When he’d gotten the letter, he was shocked. Weariness from the mission was the last thing on his mind as he showered after he got home and read the letter. Ino’s words lingered in his thoughts. It gave him a dilemma he couldn’t shake, a choice he couldn’t make. Could he handle this? He had no idea. He didn’t want to cause any more misery to anyone. But he couldn’t take it back. He could seriously hurt Ino if he rejected her- a lot more than the pain it caused her when Sasuke left, for this was not some longtime crush- it was far more serious than that. But he could still hurt her if he accepted and did the wrong thing. What was he to do? Doubts clouded his mind. He had no control over the situation. He couldn’t just sit down, and plan everything out, because from what he knew, there were a lot of unpredictable factors involved when it came to something like this.

Drying himself off and exiting the bathroom, Shikamaru went back to his room, and lay himself down. He was about to doze off when he heard something hitting his window.

Standing up and opening the window, he caught a pebble that was thrown in his direction. Looking down, he saw his portly friend looking back at him.

“Hey, Shikamaru,” Chouji called out. “Want to go eat lunch with me?”

Shikamaru looked at the clock. It read 1:20 P.M.

“Sure.” He answered. “I’ll be right down.”

Dressing himself as quickly as he was able, Shikamaru got out of the house. In minutes the two friends were strolling through the streets of Konoha. Chouji didn’t need to say where they were headed- Shikamaru probably already had a good idea.

“Say, have you noticed the way Ino’s acting lately?” Chouji spoke.

Shikamaru blinked, coming out of his stupor. “Huh? No, not much.” He lied.

“Well, it’s like she’s not really herself. She’s been awfully quiet, like something’s bothering her.” Chouji mused.

“Well, whatever it is, I doubt she’d like to tell us.” Shikamaru replied. Chouji had no idea that, in fact, Ino had told Shikamaru already, or that it was Shikamaru who brought up everything in the first place.

“Um… I guess.” Chouji shrugged. “Do you think we should let her figure it out on her own?”

“Maybe.” Shikamaru sighed. “You know what it’s like with her. She gets frustrated over nothing in particular, and her mood swings around once in a while, but soon she’s back to normal like it never happened.”

“Yeah…” Chouji nodded.

‘And yet, that can really grow on a person.’ Shikamaru thought. ‘It’s like you can see it coming after a while. Makes things that much nicer, though. Without her mood swings and flamboyant attitude around, life would be that much more boring and troublesome.’

His thoughts quickly turned back to Ino. ‘I don’t know… maybe it’s just a phase like I said. Maybe soon she’ll change her mind about this, and tell me that it’s just our feelings getting the best of us.

‘Well, if that’s the case, I shouldn’t have broken up with Temari. But it’s over and done with. Come to think of it, I had a point… it sure isn’t easy if your girlfriend lives far away. She does need someone closer to her. But still, why did everything have to be so hard on her? I just hope she’s feeling better now…’

“We’re here.” Chouji’s words snapped him out of his thoughts again, and the two walked into the barbeque joint Chouji frequented.

--------------------

Shikamaru made his mind wander for the duration of the meal, eating slowly while his eyes barely kept track of how much Chouji had downed. The guy was a smart eater- he started with the lean stuff, and then moved on to the heavier, greasier dishes. He saved most of his stomach for food, opting to drink only a bare minimum amount of soda. Shikamaru’s attention was far from Chouji’s eating habits (which he knew quite well), though. The thoughts of 2 blondes made him look up blankly at the sky through the restaurant window, the clear, blue sky absorbing his conscious.

What was he supposed to do? He felt like taking Ino by the hand and never letting go, but he wasn’t an impulsive type of person. His reason was juxtaposed against his emotions- in other words, his brain was fighting his heart. To make matters worse, his heart was in a state of civil war, torn between confidence and doubt in his feelings. With the strength of his heart thus divided, his brain had the upper hand, though the decisive battle was yet to be fought. In such an inner deadlock, outside help would be needed for resolution. So, as Chouji moved on to dessert, Shikamaru broke the silence.

“Hey, Chouji…” He started.

“Huh? What is it?” Chouji looked up, swallowing all the while.

“I need your help.”

“Okay. On what?”

“Let’s just say I really like this person, okay?” Shikamaru sighed.

“Go on.” Chouji’s mind left the food in front of him, piqued.

“And I wanted to get with this person.”

“Uh-huh.”

“But I’m having doubts because I still care about my old girlfriend.”

“Shikamaru, is this about Ino?”

“What?” Shikamaru blurted out, putting on a look of incredulity. “No.”

“All right.” Chouji gave a faint nod. He was pretty sure it was about Ino, but did not press the subject any further, knowing that his friend wouldn’t have liked to talk about it.

“And this person says she likes me.”

“Okay.”

“And I can’t decide on what to do.” Shikamaru concluded.

“I see.” Chouji finished up as the bill came. Wiping his mouth with a paper napkin, he continued, “Look, Shikamaru, if I could help you decide, I’d definitely do that. But things like this, you got to decide by yourself. This is your choice. I will tell you one thing, though: go with your guts.”

“I see.” Shikamaru combed his fingers through his hair. “Thanks.”

The two paid for the meal, and left the restaurant.

--------------------

After he and Chouji parted ways, Shikamaru went to his usual cloud-watching spot. He was lost in contemplation again until someone dropped by, saying he needed to go to the mission room.

“What for?” He asked the messenger.

“I don’t know.” The man replied. “Probably another assignment or something.”

‘This is just great. Now we’re getting missions back to back. What a drag. But then again, what can you expect after you have a long break like the one we just had?’ Shikamaru thought.

“All right.” He got up. “I’ll be right there.”

Sauntering slowly through the streets, he arrived at the Hokage tower, heading into the mission room. He immediately noticed the senbon-chewing figure seated at the extreme left of the table, looking in his direction.

“What is it, Genma-san?” Shikamaru walked up to him.

“Shikamaru, there was an accident in here this morning. Your mission report… was irreparably damaged. I’m afraid you’ll have to re-file everything.”

‘Tch, how troublesome.’ Shikamaru thought. “All right… Give me another form.” He sighed, concealing his displeasure.

Genma slid a blank mission report form to Shikamaru across the desk.

“Use the meeting room if you like.” He told him.

“Thanks.” Shikamaru parted as he left, entering the meeting room through the side door.

--------------------

It was quite late in the afternoon by the time Shikamaru managed to re-file everything. After handing in the report and relieving himself in the bathroom, he promptly left the Hokage tower. By then, the sun was pretty low in the sky, and Shikamaru felt his stomach rumble. He needed to head home for dinner.

His mind went back to his own troubles, and he continued contemplating as he got home. He absent-mindedly sat down at the table when his mom jolted him out of his thoughts with her booming voice.

“Shikamaru!” She called out. “Don’t just sit there, help me set the table!”

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. “I’m on it, mom!” He replied, going into the kitchen to help her.

In a few minutes, the two were done, and, as if on cue, Shikamaru’s dad walked through the door.

“About time you got home!” Yoshino commented, sarcasm evident in her voice.

“Yeah… friends got me distracted for a while.” Shikaku replied nonchalantly.

As the three ate, Shikamaru was lost in thought again.

‘Hmm… maybe I should ask Dad?’ He furrowed his brows.

“Shikamaru, have you quit smoking yet?” His mom questioned, bringing him back to this world again.

“Yeah…” Shikamaru nodded.

“That’s good.” Yoshino continued. “Honestly, the smoke was really getting to me.”

The meal continued on in silence.

--------------------

After everyone finished, Shikamaru did the dishes. When he was finally done, he went to talk to his dad, who he found sitting on the back porch, looking into the family gardens.

“Dad…?” Shikamaru walked up behind him.

“What is it, son?” He answered, all the while still looking at the garden.

After a moment of silence, Shikamaru started again. “Why did love have to be such a troublesome thing?” He asked.

“Hmm…” Shikaku did not answer right away. Instead, he pointed to the chair next to him. “Sit down, Shikamaru.” He told him.

Shikamaru did as he was told, looking into the gardens like his father. The sun was already setting, and its dimming light washed everything in a shade of burgundy.

“You know, love’s a strange thing.” Shikaku spoke. “It’s like… this garden, in a way.”

“How?” Shikamaru inquired.

“Well, to make a garden look like this, you have to put a lot of work into it.” His father replied. “As you said, it’s a troublesome thing. It takes time to put a garden up.”

Shikamaru nodded silently in agreement.

“But then again, one day, when you’re sitting down in front of it, and looking at it, you realize, ‘well, this was all worth it,’ you know? Takes all you got to make something as beautiful as this, but the reward is well worth all the time and effort you put into it.” Shikaku continued. “Love’s like the same thing.”

“But…” Shikamaru asked again after a moment of hesitation. “What if you’re not sure if it’s love or not?”

“I guess it’s really up to you, then.” His dad answered as he got up to go back inside. “You’ll have to decide for yourself.”

‘Hmm…’ Shikamaru contemplated again, going over his father’s words in his mind.

--------------------

He laid himself on the roof of the house, gazing up at the stars that had barely begun to appear as the deep indigo of the night gradually replaced the crimson afterglow. The daytime heat had dissipated, and a few clouds were beginning to drift lazily through the sky.

‘Oh, how I envy you so.’ Shikamaru thought. ‘You never have to be in a situation like mine. Always drifting without a care in the world.’

His mind wandered again to what his father told him. Nobody could help him in the problem he faced. It was all up to him. But how could he decide? He was afraid he’d hurt Ino if he said yes to her, but found out that what he felt wasn’t real. At the same time, he knew he’d hurt her all the same if he let her down. Again, being caught in an unsolvable dilemma.

‘Maybe I should just let her down.’ Shikamaru weighed his choices. ‘If I did it now, it’ll hurt less than when I let her down later. Either way, I’ll break her heart, but if I did it now, she can still pick up the pieces. If I do it later, there’d be no pieces left for her to pick up. The lesser of two evils, right?’

Still, he was indecisive. He couldn’t bear the thought of breaking her heart. Not willing to mull over the consequences of either choice any further, he turned his mind back to what his dad said to him.

‘Garden. Love’s like a garden.’ Shikamaru mused. ‘Gardens take time putting up. Gardens need effort. But then, to put up a garden needs determination and planning, both of which I don’t have at the moment. So what am I supposed to do?’

He went over his dad’s words again and again. ‘Some help you are, Dad.’ He thought, almost giving up.

‘Wait a minute.’ He was suddenly struck with a possibility he hadn’t thought of before. ‘Did he actually plan the garden out?’

Bolting up and jumping off of the roof, he dashed into the house. “Dad!” He yelled urgently, looking for his father. He almost bumped into his mom as he rounded a corner.

“Slow down, Shikamaru!” She reprimanded him.

“Sorry mom.” He replied as he kept going. “Do you know where Dad is?”

“Probably at his desk in the study.” She answered. “Now, slow down before you twist an ankle or something!”

Shikamaru dashed up the stairs. “Dad!” He called out, opening the door to the study.

“What is it?” His father looked up from his work on the desk.

“Did you guys actually plan out the garden or something?” Shikamaru inquired.

His father faced him. “Well, we did, sort of.” He started.

Shikamaru almost felt crestfallen at his answer, but kept on. “Sort of?” He continued.

“Well, I remember when I was young, and your grandpa and grandma would be working out the garden. Then, when they passed away, I kept working on the garden according to their plan, but then I noticed it wouldn’t work out. Besides, your mom changed her mind about it a few times, and we finally settled on a plan around the time you were born. After that, we just had to keep everything in order, and put the right plants in.” His father recounted.

“Thanks, Dad!” Shikamaru left the room, and dashed out of the house.

“Mom, I’m going!” He called out as he left.

“Where are you going, Shikamaru?” His mother asked.

“I got to meet someone!” Shikamaru yelled, dashing down the street and leaping onto rooftops all the while.

Yoshino shook her head as her son disappeared from view. “That boy of mine… what’s gotten into him recently?” She sighed.

--------------------

Shikamaru dashed along, looking down to check his watch. It read 8:35.

‘Damn it, I’m really late!’ He thought. Just then, due to the fact that he wasn’t paying attention to where he was going, he didn’t quite land right. He felt his ankle twist, and his body met the concrete ceiling the very next instant.

‘Crap… now I can’t go that fast anymore.’

But he’d have to get there for sure. Even if Ino would be mad at him. Because he’d realized something. Standing up, he continued on, his ankle troubling him as he tried to go as fast as he could.

His dad didn’t quite have a set plan for the garden. Then, if love was like a garden, he didn’t need to plan everything out. He’d just have to give it a try. He remembered what Chouji said to him- go with your guts. Shikamaru thanked the higher powers for giving him such a good friend, and for giving him such a wise father.

It was thus that he arrived at the training grounds so late, doing his best not to limp. As he went up the hill, he could see Ino standing there, looking at him.

“Shikamaru…” She blinked as he came up to her.

“Ino,” Shikamaru looked into her eyes, a rare look of singular determination entering his gaze. “I’ve made my decision.”

Ino stared as the shadow user walked closer to her, breathing his name as she blinked widely

"Ino, I’ve made my decision."

She gulped, her throat constricting as he took a little step towards her, her heart beating so fast she felt it might leap out of her chest.
Shikamaru looked her straight in the eyes. She noticed that he wasn't putting much weight on his left leg. Her gaze swept over him once, before she looked right back at him.

"You're late." she said simply, her voice sounding more confident than she felt.

Shikamaru smiled softly, blinking slowly and then looking at her again, "I know." he said.

Before Ino could open her mouth to say something else, the boy held his hand up, signalling for her to let him speak. A blush rose upon her cheeks, as she looked down at the ground, suddenly very interested in his feet, it seemed.

"Please, I need to tell you. I've made my decision. And..."

Suddenly this seemed the hardest thing he'd ever done, as he stood before her, radiant in the moonlight, a breeze blowing through her hair. He needed to tell her this, more than anything, before it ate away at his insides, but right now it was a more difficult task than any mission he'd ever been on. Ino stood expectantly, her eyes wide. She looked as if she anticipated bad news.

Shikamaru paused, with the words on his lips, wondering how exactly to say it, how to put it all into words. He'd never been one for long speeches anyway.

Ino waited patiently on front of him, her eyes darting up to his face, and then down to his feet again as he appeared to struggle with saying something. Her stomach felt as if it had dropped suddenly as her mind clamoured with conflicting thoughts: he'll confess his love, he'll reject you, he'll confess his love, he'll reject you...
The seconds seemed to stretch on forever as she stood in the chilly night air, within touching distance of the one person she wanted to hold, more than anything in the world.

Shikamaru closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and then looking at the Yamanaka again. He haltingly stepped forwards until there was barely anything between them at all. He felt sure that she could hear his heart beating. Slowly, he raised his hand, his slender finger reaching out to her. He wasn't sure what he was doing, but for once...

For once, he hadn't planned for this to happen.

Ino sighed as Shikamaru trailed a finger gently down her cheek, his skin surprisingly soft. She looked up at him, her eyes silently questioning him. He looked back, smiling at her as he cupped her chin with his hand, drawing her closer.
Does this mean...?

"Shikamaru..."

He held her face in his hands, as he leant down, his face now level with her own.

"I've always planned for everything." he said in a voice that was barely a whisper. "From what I am going to do on a mission, to my daily routine. It's always planned. I'm a strategist. It's what I do. But this...this wasn't planned."

He inched closer, his nose now almost touching the tip of hers. She stared back at him as he spoke, her hands on his arms as his hands were still either side of her face.

Ino was frozen, rooted to the spot, not knowing what to say. For a usually outspoken person, this was unusual to say the least. He was so close, and obviously on the verge of saying something, but...
A mischievous smile appeared on her face as she leant forwards, and then without a word planted a small kiss upon Shikamaru's lips.
She pulled away from him, watching him closely.

He put his hand to his mouth, touching his lips, where hers had been. They tingled slightly. Maybe actions spoke louder than words. He took a large step forwards to where she had backed away, wincing as he put all his weight onto the forgotten ankle. His leg crumpled a little. Ino ran towards him, helping him regain his balance.

"Are you okay?" she asked, sitting him down on the ground at the base of the tree.

"Yes. I-uh...I sprained my ankle. I was um, rushing to get here..."

Ino's eyes widened. Rushing? Shikamaru?
He smiled wryly, seeing her expression.

"I had so much I wanted to say, but when it came down to it, I was tongue-tied." he said, as she sat herself next to him.

"It's okay Shikamaru. I know."

"You do?"

Ino nodded, "I told you. I didn't want a bunch of promises. I don't want meaningless words or a speech. I just want...some kind of sign I suppose." She smiled at him, breaking into a laugh. "And I think you rushing is enough of a sign for me."

Shikamaru lifted his arm hesitantly, before placing it around her. She sighed contentedly, relaxing as she rested her head upon his shoulder. They sat and looked out at Konoha as it continued with its evening. The Nara looked down at his teammate as she smiled to herself, and his heart fluttered. Maybe with emotions, it was best to just let what will happen, happen. Ino turned to him, her face a few centimetres from his.
Her lips parted as she leant in, and he almost melted as their mouths met in a kiss. So simple an action, so sweet, yet so meaningful. His whole body felt warm as she broke away again, looking at him shyly. He sighed, taking her hand in his.

"Ino, I won't make you any stupid promises, but I'll tell you my decision anyway. I want to...try with you. To see where this takes us."

Ino nodded, squeezing his hand in her own.
He smiled back at her, breathing deeply before saying those words he'd worried about for so long.

"Yamanaka Ino. I-uh...I..." he gulped,

"I love you."