Disclaimer: I DO NOT own series Naruto series…nor do I own Gaara…or Shikamaru…or Kankuro…-sniff- I'm such a lonely person in this cruel world!! sniff

Chapter 1 - Unexpected

Shikamaru fidgeted helplessly in his sleep. His dreams were plagued by memories…memories of her; everything from when they first met in a grassy field when she was riding her horse, what she looked like when she smiled, how her skin smelled of lilacs and how her lips had a slight flavor of hard whiskey when he kissed her.

Tears formed subconsciously in the corners of his eyes, his eyelids clenched tightly shut.

"Shikamaru, there's something I have to tell you…"

Her words rang painfully the dark-haired shinobi's mind. He whimpered and buried his face in the pillow.

'Why…why did it have to be you?'

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It had all started three years ago…when his best friend Chouji had announced that he had a girlfriend. Shikamaru just thought she'd be a shy and chubby thing, slightly older than Chouji, who was the probably the most amazing cook in Kohana.

Shikamaru could not have been more wrong.

Her name was Yumi, and she was the cutest and prettiest girl he had ever seen. She had dark purple hair that fell to the middle of her back, and had large ice blue eyes. They were the kind of eyes that could pierce into the very depths of your soul with just a glance. The iciness of her irises did no justice to her fiery wit and will-make-you-die-laughing sense of humor. She was quite young, only 18 years old when she married 24 year old Chouji. She wasn't thin, but she wasn't chubby either…just an average sized girl with curves in all the right places.

The only thing Shikamaru was right about was her cooking. She was by far the best cook he had ever known. When Chouji had invited him, Ino, Kiba, Naruto and Hinata over to meet her, she had cooked a delicious meal whose vast quantity had the capability to satisfy the appetites of over 100 Chouji's.

Yumi was all he ever needed or wanted. Never in a million years had Shikamaru thought he'd fall in love…at least, not with his best-friends girl.