[HOKAY. So gaiz, this one didn't even have a srs motivation except I was at school, in the morning, and randomly thought of it. Lulz, InoShika, though I'm not really a fan of the pairing. 3 Hope you like, despite the cliché-ness]

It would figure that he would be stuck tutoring her. Her, blonde, blue eyed, conceited, arrogant, adorable in her odd way, and of course, not interested in a guy like him.

They had known each other for who knows how long, really. Their fathers had been coworkers, and the base of power in their company aside from the CEOs. He and her, plus another boy named Chouji, had been with each other since diapers, and perhaps even earlier; their mothers had all hung out while they were pregnant, after all. But it would figure as they grew older, they would have to watch the others split apart and grow, make new friends, separate themselves little by little from the pack.

And three years prior, at her fourteenth birthday, Nara Shikamaru had realized something about himself. And it was something that annoyed the crap out of him just about every day of his life, because he had not been able to stop realizing it every day since. It was an easy fact to accept, really. But it was a matter that women were always going to be far too troublesome to deal with.

And Yamanaka Ino was never going to be an exception. Yet, his brain, his hormones, seemed dead set on making her the only girl he wanted. How troublesome.

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It would figure that she would be stuck being tutored by him. Him, brilliant, lazy, handsome beyond his knowledge, uncaring, sweet when he felt like it, and of course, not interested in any relationship. Especially not one with her.

As the years had gone by, from age thirteen and on she had flown through the guys in her life, breaking hearts every which way with her sickly sweet demeanor, which only hid away the stabbing poison she hid at the tip of her tongue. She never cared about them. She was beautiful, she knew it, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not help but be bitter because she couldn't have what she wanted. So she took out her frustration on every other male available.

She could always recall the one year Shikamaru had tried out for some sort of team at the school; he would be far too lazy the following, but on a dare from Naruto he had done it. And of course, as his friend, she had gone to support him at some kind of tournament. There, while he was so casually propped on one arm as he demolished the competition, she felt admiration for the Nara boy. She had always felt he was too lazy, that he could never be a contributing part to any sort of relationship… But he had drive sometimes. It was just a matter of finding out for what.

And that day, she knew that she wanted him to have a drive for her. Yet, she never could manage to entrance him like she did others, get them to adore her like others did… Nothing worked on him. And now she would be stuck being taught by the sad reminder of her failure for the next semester. Fan-frickin'-tastic.

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"Ino… Did you read anything this year?" Shikamaru questioned her, rolling his eyes like he always did as she fumbled for the answer to the apparently simple history question. Oh, why? Sakura was smart! Why didn't her father ask for her to be her tutor?! Oh, but no. Shikamaru's father had immediately volunteered his own son, saying he needed to get out and do something other than watch clouds, anyway. And now they sat, in the huge library of their school, three hours after school had let out.

Ino glared at the 'teacher', and grumbled something under her breath about not caring much for history. It was stupid, it was in the past, and it should be forgotten. No one cared about who started what war, who made what decree, which emperor did this or that… But still, Shikamaru knew it all. Damn geniuses and their brains. Scowling down at the textbook in front of her, she flipped it close with a slam that brought the attention of the librarian to their table. The young man waved his hand, smiling slightly at the old woman. She dismissed the situation on account of his presence.

"As a matter of fact, I did. I studied for math, science, and my two languages. I just don't care for the past. It's not like it can do anything of worth," she retorted, obviously angered. It was true. She was passing all her other classes with high B's or A's. She was already fluently bilingual, in Japanese and English, and working on French. She could be smart, yes… But the D- in history always strove to prove her otherwise.

"History is what makes us who we are," he said back casually, leaning back on the two legs of his seat until it threatened to tip backwards. She stuck her tongue out at him, already ready with a reply.

"History is the mistakes that other boring people made."

Shikamaru's seat came down with a loud thud, and he stood up, grabbed his coat, and walked towards the entrance. Ino's bright eyes sprung open, and her mouth formed the words she wanted to say… But she couldn't come up with any sound behind them to talk.

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History is the mistakes that other boring people made…

Those words seemed ingrained into his mind. And no, he wasn't thinking about hundreds of years ago, when miscalculations in supplies led to the defeat of the overall stronger army. He was thinking about his own mistakes. Never asking her to a dance, never showing any sort of interest, never being his blunt self and telling her that he wanted her to be his. It looked like it was too late, anyway. Their last year of school, and by the end of the second half of it, she would hate him for his methods of tutoring, and he would continue to sulk on, always longing. And then they'd go to college.

"But can you redeem yourself?" His brain questioned him. Or was that his heart? His brain wouldn't ask him that… It would condemn him to the sad fact that no, he couldn't, and he just had to move on. But his heart…

It said to try.

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Why did she think that her simple comment on history being about mistakes took a more personal twist on Shikamaru than she had intended? Oh yeah. Because he had barged out of the library in the middle of a study session after she said it. But could she really question that? Had she not meant that in a different way herself, considering where her thoughts had been flittering around? History is the mistakes that other boring people made… It is true. And it sucked that she had to resign herself to that, and couldn't find a way to try and fix her own.

Surely, going off and flirting with every guy under the sun hadn't been the right way to entice the Nara boy who she wanted. No… It had been her own defense mechanism. Trying to protect herself from the rejection she had deemed inevitable. Her own fault, yes. She could have easily just been her usual blunt self and told him. But the pale blonde girl didn't want to know what hurt tasted like, she didn't want to ruin what semblance of a friendship she had maintained with the boy.

And now she was going to pay for it. Pay for it because there was still nothing she could do, she had made it probably look like she was not interested to even the smallest degree, and now he probably thought her far too troublesome to even deal with for some stupid study sessions. Now her only chance to spend time with him was seemingly gone, and though she had to bite down on her own tongue to keep herself from crying her frustration out, her brain was already resorting to its bullheaded stage. Her brain said it was hardly likely he'd even want to schedule another session. But her heart…

It said to try.

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"Shikamaru, the phone's for you."

Groaning, the young man swung his feet off of his bed, and looked at the floor. He hadn't been sleeping, really. Just thinking… "Who is it?" he called out to the kitchen, where his mother was cooking who knows what and shouting for him now.

"It's Ino. Now get in here before I beat you with my wooden spoon," she shouted back. How troublesome… On both of their parts. On Ino's for calling, and his mother was threatening him so. Sad part was that she would probably do it despite the fact he was seventeen, and bigger than her. Women were the most painful creatures in the world to live with, he swore. How Dad lived with it… He had no idea. And how did he expect himself to live tutoring his crush of three years without any problems? He had no idea. Especially after his little temper tantrum earlier that week.

Walking to the kitchen, he groaned again, and took the phone from his mother after she extended it before returning to cooking whatever she was cooking. Walking back to his room, he heard the light static-y sound as her breath hit the receiver, and he couldn't help but sigh. Immediately the breathing stopped, and he could practically feel the tension between the two. It had been like this even for awhile before the study session… Blegh.

"You called, Ino?" he finally questioned, his tone coated with the usual uncaring and maybe even slightly annoyed he couldn't help. What a great way to start off a conversation, no?

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At least he had answered… "Uhh… Yeah. I just wanted to say that I was sorry for upsetting you at the library," she mumbled into the phone, not really used to giving out sincere apologies. But that still wasn't really the reason why she had called at all. She had to make sure that she would see him again, even if it was for the study session. Maybe she would cough up the guts to tell him, then. Highly unlikely, but there was always the chance that something would initiate such a conversation.

"Apology accepted. I'm sorry that I barged out like that…Uhhh… I was just tired, and thought that a good excuse to leave," he replied, ever so casually. But he was lying. She had seen that flare in his eyes. Of what? She hadn't the faintest idea. Opening her mouth to ask about another session later this week, she was beat to the point. "How about we have another study session tomorrow? We'll only go for two hours instead," he tacked on. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, she couldn't help but actually want even that extra hour, just to spend more time with him.

"Three hours is okay. I was just frustrated… I'd like to have the extra time to-" oh shit, did she really start saying that? Really? Did her tongue LIKE running off on its own without her permission? "To uh… Study more. I think it's starting to click better, y'know?" Whew, nice save Ino… It was true enough, though. The constant barrage of questions he had hit her with had actually worked to make her remember the information involved. Not to mention, she had gone through and read as much of her damned textbook as she could during the weekend.

"Eh… Okay. We'll see how it turns out. I'll see you tomorrow after school, then," his voice was still the same, if just a bit suspicious of her falter. Not much to worry though, since they'd be seeing each other tomorrow. Before she even had the chance to affirm the meeting, the phone beeped at her, signaling he had hung up. Sighing, she pressed the little red button, and returned the phone to the charger inside her room. Now it was time to deal with whatever came next before tomorrow. Yaay?

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The heavy double door shut with a loud bang, bringing the strict eye of the librarian down on him before it softened as it always did. Oh, how being loved by her made his life all the more easier when he had to, for whatever reason, enter her domain. Walking over to the table he and Ino had occupied last time, he was surprised to find himself already beaten to the spot. Raising a brow, his eyes slowly brushed over her form, leaned over one of the huge history textbooks they had, eyes darting to and fro across the page methodically.

"Why so early?" he asked, 'hmpf'ing slightly at her jump, obviously startled by his sudden appearance. Her turquoise eyes went over to the cell phone on the table that so conveniently displayed the time, and she shrugged.

"I didn't have a last class today. Sub let us go early," she mumbled, flustered that she had been caught off guard by him. Shikamaru sighed, and took the seat across from her. Propping his feet up on a chair that was to the right of her, he looked over at the dates displayed on the page she was reading. Nice that it showed them at the top.

"That's cool, I guess. How much have you read of the book, now?" he asked lightly, though he already knew. They had only been at the beginning of the textbook at their last meeting, and now she was a good third into the book. The girl could read fast when she put her mind to it, he had to say. Though, it would be easier if she had been reading along in the first place instead of paying attention to other… Not academic activities.

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"Eight chapters or so," she replied, already finding her brain getting fritzed just because of his presence. How could she take this? Yes, she wanted to spend time with him, and yes, she wanted to actually pass History, but no, could she do both at the same time. And he would see that there was no improvement while he was there, and the sessions would stop, and she would, once again, be at a loss as to when to talk to him. Without a reason, he would think her weird, right?

"Hn. When were the Fujiwara clan most prominent?" The question was sudden, and any information she had about them suddenly pulled a disappearing act from her brain. She had just read about them… Frick. Looking at his expecting eyes, she felt pressured to answer, just to please him in some small way… But she just couldn't remember. And the lazy gaze on her fish-out-of-water expression was really not helping.

"Uhh… The Asuka period?" Crap… No, that was wrong. The eye-roll from him not only reassured her of that, but it made her feel like ditching out right there. Why wouldn't it just click? She knew what it was; she did. But the only thing she could seem to focus on was his approval, or lack-thereof…

"Did you read any of those chapters? No. They were an influence in politics during the Asuka and Nara era, but they were most prominent in the Heian." Did he really have to say it all with such contempt? Or… The lack of anything else? Like she was just some stupid kid that he had to sit with while they seemingly struggled with simple history like that. She wasn't struggling! She knew this, she had just read it, and she just couldn't call it up when he asked. Anybody else, and she probably would have been fine.

"Next question." She couldn't help but scowl and to ignore his just being there, but found it too hard to concentrate between scattered thoughts, his nonchalant ways, and then the random start of rain spattering heavily against the roof of the library. Thunder rumbled after he had asked more questions, all of which, save one, she had gotten wrong.

"I think you need to read more," he said, leaning his chair back on two legs, twirling a pencil in his long fingers. It was just so frustrating! Why couldn't she say the right answer? Why wouldn't anything in her brain work when she was alone with him? It made no sense!

"I just can't think right," she snapped, glaring across the table at him. Was he purposely trying to antagonize her? Make her fumble for words like no one else could? Hell if he knew that. He just probably thought she had managed to get stupider over the years… The raised brow spoke the question he meant to ask; 'why not?' "Because you're here, okay?"

"What difference does that make? I don't think I see the connection," he replied, the seat slowly coming down. Oh, so now he was giving her some sort of attention? His hands linked together to form a hammock for his chin as he looked at her semi-attentively from his position.

"You make me think about other things." Oh, way to so not be obvious. But he still didn't seem to get it, obviously. And she could feel everything she had pent up over the years, everything she had hidden from him, everything she had done her absolute best to hide flood up inside her.

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"Like what?" Gosh, she sure knew how to skip around a bush real good. Why did he just have to keep asking? Why couldn't she just tell him? Eh… It was her, he supposed. That was how she was, and would he ever be the one to change that? Nope. And he would always continue admiring her from the sidelines, even if at the moment it meant all her anger was directed at him. The flash of emotion in her eyes made him feel… Almost like he should be on the defensive, now. Steadying himself for her reply, he watched as her lips shaped the words before actually saying them.

"That I've liked you for I forgot how long and I have never, NEVER, done anything about it, and how now it's probably too damn late to and it was all just a big mistake, everything I did, just like the stupid people in the stupid book in whatever stupid time period!" With the last word she stood up, sending her chair toppling backwards before darting out the door, the preludes to sobs resounding through the library as she exited.

And then… He was stuck. Stuck in his chair, staring at the door that had just closed, mouth open in surprise. What? What had just happened? Why was his imagination playing tricks on him like that? Where was Ino? He jumped at the hand that sat on his shoulder after a moment, looking up into the old squinted eyes of the librarian. She was frowning at him in disapproval, and he jerked up to walk and pick up the chair that had been forced backwards.

"Nara Shikamaru. What do you think you are doing? What kind of gentleman listens to that kind of speech, and goes about picking up a mess? I'm disappointed in you, boy," she said to him, her voice raspy from years of use. So he hadn't imagined it. Yamanaka Ino, his best friend over the years until the awkwardness had started, had just confessed of a longstanding like of him? In more than just a friendly way? Either fate was playing a cruel joke, and he was going to wake up in the next minute and he could stay in the library for all that he cared, or he needed to run out the door after the blonde.

Fortunately, he went for the latter.

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Even if anyone had been around to see her run out the library, no one would have really seen her anyway. The rain was coming down too hard, and too fast, for anyone to really be seen more than a few feet away, clearly. And who would have seen the tears that streamed down in face in the midst of all the water that joined it? There was no clear difference to anyone walking by under the safety of an umbrella or rain jacket pulled high. Had she been the only one unprepared in a plain purple shirt and jeans? Yeah… Probably.

The cold rain bit at her skin, cooling down the anger and frustration she had felt until only the feeling of stupidity and that awful self-pity that gnawed at her insides. This was all her own fault. Why should she try to blame it on him? The only thing he had done was get her to the point of explaining herself that she just couldn't close her own mouth.

Her running slowed to a fast walk, and that gradually slowed to a speed similar to that of pacing. She was off campus by now. In a park that she, Shikamaru, and Chouji had all used to go to when they were kids. It was their spot… Whenever they arrived, everything was about them. It had been their world. That was back in the days when stuff like romance meant nothing to their little five year old minds, and instead whoever got to the jungle gym's top first was the best of them all.

A bench still sat a bit away from the playground, where their mothers had used to watch over them as they played, and were always ready to dash to their need in any case of peril. It was now, a decade plus later, that Ino took that seat, and stared at the wood and metal that had once been the source of so much childhood glee. Why couldn't things be simple like that, anymore? Why did her heart have to feel like there were hairline cracks splintering it into sections, ready to break apart at any moment?

How long she sat there, thinking, ignorant of the tears that still ran down her face with the rain, she didn't know. How long it took for the heavy footsteps of another to approach her from behind, she did not know. How long it took for her to feel the warm weight of a hand on her shoulder, she did not know. But what she did know, is that when she felt that hand she already knew who was standing behind her.

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It didn't take long for him to get to the playground. How he knew where she had gone, he didn't know, and nor did he ever think he would. It wasn't like one of those problems he could ingrain into his skull and remember, not something he could deductively reason. A gut instinct that guided him, told him where to go. And when he saw her back, her long blonde hair wet and darkened against her shirt, his feet moved faster, and he couldn't help but reach out to her, putting his hand on her shoulder just to make sure she was real, that this was real… Dream ending now? No? Was this a keeper?

She stood up, and turned around to face him. Even with the streaming water that ran down her pale skin, that pattered against her body, her eyes obviously red and puffy through the mist of falling water, he could not help but think about how gorgeous he thought she was. And how all of those other guys had been so lucky, being able to have her touch them, have her kiss them, tease them, go on dates with them, all of the things that he had always wished she would do with him.

Walking around the bench, he stood directly in front of him, just looking into those wide blue eyes, the hurt she felt so open and vivid within their depths. If he had one wish right then, under those dark gray clouds and lightning and thunder that surrounded them, he would wish that he could protect her from that hurt. But something told him he didn't need that wish; he could do it without that sort of help.

Raising both his hands to rest on either side of her face, he cupped her cheeks in his palms, ignoring the surprise that mingled with the sadness in her eyes. He leaned forward, and pressed his wet lips against her forehead lightly, holding them there for a second. But that wasn't all he would need to get rid of that hurt. He needed to give her more. Whatever it took. Moving his face lower to hers, he pressed his kisses gently against each cheek, looked her in the eyes again, and slid her nose past hers until their lips touched so lightly, he hardly deemed it real.

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What could she do but stand there, stock still, completely in shock, as the guy of her dreams kissed her? Kissed her in a more sweet, sincere, and raw form than any other she had received in her life. Could that be because it was coming from him? Shikamaru? That probably only was a tiny part of it… His calm black eyes seemed so confident right then, so unlike the usual laziness that she saw on average. Like he was sure this was right, this was what he had to do.

Well, she thought as much too. Her eyelids slid down to block out her sight when she felt the fluttering meet of their lips, and her hands moved up to slide around his neck. Could she really deal with that right now? With the lack of substance, a worry that soon this dream would be over struck her. Her arms wrapped tighter around his neck, until the space between them was nonexistent. The pressure of their kiss intensified, and so did the feelings behind it. She knew it wasn't a dream now. She knew that her imagination wasn't playing some game with her. This was real, and this was now, and she couldn't help but want to cry some more.

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As much as he really didn't want to, he knew that he had to pull himself away, if just for a second. He pressed his forehead against hers, struggling to find the words he wanted to say. Might as well go with what came out first.

"I'm sorry for being stupid." Wow, what an opener. He inwardly cringed, but couldn't help but smile as she laughed slightly. It was amazing how she could still hear him despite the loud thunder and sound of rain hitting the ground, but was he going to complain? No.

"I'm sorry for being stupid, too." A smile of his own spread across his face; at least they could be stupid together.

"I think I've loved you for awhile now…"

"I know I've loved you, too."