Rainy days

Summary: Sai hates the rain, but it might be just because he's never found color on it.

One night, he wakes up past midnight, startled, after the storm outside worsens.

He has always disliked such weather. He prefers sunny days, bright and shiny days, days where everything that makes him smile – truly smile – just seem more magnificent than they already are.

Sai gets up to corroborate all the windows are closed, and all the blinds are drawn, because staring through the glass and watching the rain pour outside seems to affect him more than it should. He just can't put his finger on what it is that disturbs him to the point where he wishes he was blind and deaf so he could go back to sleep, but he sits on his table, grabs a brush and a piece of paper, and does what he's best at: draw.

He draws a cloudless sky, a radiant sun, and someone who's there to smile at him.

Had it been another kind day, he would have gone another way. But the skies are gray and there still are traces of the rain that just stopped but is menacing to come back. People walk by rushing to their destination, stopping only when they must, and there's just not one single amicable face in the crowd. It's like the cold wind had blown away all the joy.

So, when the only colorful place comes into his sight, he finally feels the numbness inside his head start to dissipate. He has never walked into such place, but he does stop in front of it sometimes, to admire the vibrant displays of color, the delicate handwork, the exquisite way every single element blends perfectly.

Sai could be described as an artist, but he has never given much thought to his skills. He just does what he feels like, his hand moving on it's own. People usually compliment his work, but then again, he is not used to showing his paintings to others. They are his own, the only things he never had to give up, even when Danzö and ROOT robbed him of everything else he had had, even his true self.

But what is laid before him is art, one of the best exhibits of art he's ever seen. He marvels at the shape, the kaleidoscope of colors, the placement of the side elements and how nothing clashes. There's no ink and there's no blood, and yet this is fantastic. His hands twitch inside his pocket, urging to draw what his eyes are seeing, and his chest seems relieved to find something that shines even on rainy days.

"Hey, Sai. Do you need anything?"

Sai doesn't respond immediately because he's still trying to absorb the splendor of his discovery, but when she starts approaching him, he is forced back into reality.

"No. Just looking."

Ino Yamanaka seems to be confused, because she blinks a couple of times and then frowns a little bit. Sai feels uncomfortable now, because all he wants to do is look at the flowers that remind him of better days, and she is not leaving him alone, instead deepening her stare as if she could see what was inside his mind.

"I can…" Ino says and he gulps, looking surprised and taken aback, "I can let you in, if you want to see the shop. We've got more arrangements there, and I am working in one for Kurenai-sensei." She walks past him towards the door, and takes out her keys. Sai is still unsure of what is going on, and could she really read his mind? Or is she just inviting him in? She turns again and makes a gesture for him to follow her, and even as confused as he feels, he obeys.

His life is full of black and white, so dull yet comforting enough for his tortured soul. The only time he gets to add some color is when he has to paint the drawings he makes, and that did not happen often anymore, mostly because lately nothing he's been able to produce has space for a dash of life, not even green, there's nothing blue.

But when he sees the interior of the flower shop, he is left breathless and awe struck. Everything is covered with different shades of color, and Sai feels so intrigued by such beauty that he has forgotten he is not alone.

"So, you like flowers?"

Ino has taken off her coat and put on her apron, turning on the lights of the shop and looking around just to make sure everything is in place. She does a roundabout, tending to some flowers, rearranging some vases, always looking at him from the corners of her eyes.

Sai nods and then mentally berates himself for forgetting his notebook at home. He didn't want it to get wet, but now he is wasting a perfect opportunity for a perfect drawing.

"Yamanaka-san, can I borrow some paper and a pen?"

She didn't have a problem with letting him stay the morning. In fact, once he retreated to a corner with a notebook and some pencils, he got so quiet she almost forgot he was there. It was a slow day because of the rain, and there weren't many customers coming in but she still needs to finish some tasks.

First, the bouquet for Kurenai-sensei. She makes a weekly bouquet that Shikamaru delivers for her. She likes Kurenai a lot, but she wasn't as close to her as Shikamaru is, and with a newborn baby to care for now, Ino just doesn't want to be an inconvenient visitor. She would go see her later, for sure, and bring some baby clothes she had bought.

Then, water the plants. She also has to sweep, mop and clean the floor. It is a flower shop, but that is not an excuse for the place to be covered in dirt and dust. Appearance is important after all.

When she is finished with her cleaning duties, she sits behind the counter, sighing out of boredom. She likes rainy days, except when she has to work, because it means she will just sit at the shop for hours without someone to talk to. She wonders if Sakura will remember she is working today, and maybe drop by at lunch time with some food. It has become kind of a costume since the war ended, for them to eat together or go to a little coffee shop after their hospital duties are done. Of course, Sakura's load of work at the hospital is way heavier than hers, but Ino also has to work at the Intelligence Divison. Her friend often asks her if she can manage all three works, worried about her sanity and physical condition. But every time Sakura asks, Ino laughs and repeats the same words she told Shikamaru once, "It's not a matter of can or can't. I'm doing it."

That's what her dad would have expected of her. That's what would have made him proud.

Thinking about her dad brings a smile to her face, and a sudden rush of inspiration to her mind. She leaves the counter and goes to the corner she likes to call her "little workshop", because that's where she usually puts the arrangements together.

The ones in display are getting old anyways. She should do new ones.

Maybe it's been an hour, or two, she can't remember, but when she senses someone come in, she's halfway done with her third bouquet, her apron dusty, her forehead sweaty and there's a considerable amount of dirt under her fingernails. But she's so accustomed to it that it no longer bothers her.

"Oi, Ino."

Shikamaru walks in, completely soaked by the rain, his usual high ponytail almost undone. He shakes off the water like a dog because he knows she hates it when he does that, and when he notices her annoyed look, a grin appears on his face.

"Shikamaru! What are you?! Akamaru?! I already mopped the floor!" she complains, growling and standing up to go get what he's here for, but she suddenly realizes and stops, "wait, are you going to give it to her now? The rain will ruin it!"

"I know. But I'm going on a mission tomorrow, so it has to be today. I do not know how long it'll take. Such a drag…" he sighs, defeated, "so I guess I will have to borrow your umb – huh?"

"What?" Ino asks, busy trying to find some plastic to wrap Kurenai's arrangement in.

"Sai?!"

That's when Ino turns around too. She blinks twice but does not look as shocked as Shikamaru expected, nor does she screams and proceeds to murder the intruder. If anything, there's a tiny smile and a blush in her face before she breaks out laughing.

"I had totally forgotten you were here, Sai!" she admits, trying to sound cheerful, although the color in her cheeks probably mean she feels a little guilty, "Man, you sure are quiet."

Shikamaru looks perplexed and now Sai has lifted his head, feeling uneasy because Shikamaru is standing right in front of what he was drawing and it kind of bothers him.

"Is that a problem?" he asks, no expression in his face whatsoever.

"No, no, not at all. Ignore Shikamaru." Ino finishes wrapping the bouquet, making sure not to make it too tight to avoid crushing the flowers under the plastic wrap, "here it is, lazyass. This will have to do because you're not borrowing my umbrella. You never give back anything I lend you."

Shikamaru is still confused and baffled, but he receives the flowers and she walks him to the exit. There, he stops for a minute, a frown in his face.

"Are you sure you're alright with him in there? Because I can tell him to go away, you know. Such a creepy dude…"

"Well, thank you, dad. I forgot I am not able to take care of myself and tell creeps to get lost if I wanted them to. Besides, he's just weird, not dangerous and definitely not a creep." Ino waves her hand, dismissing his concern, "It's alright, Nara. Who knows? Maybe I'll get to know him better and he'll fall in love with me!" she jokes, giggling.

Shikamaru chuckles.

"Yeah, right. I bet the only reason he's been there for so long it's because he didn't have to listen to you, you troublesome woman."

"SHIKAMARU, YOU JERK."

Sai hears the battlecry and through the window he can see Shikamaru cowering in fear and shielding himself behind the bouquet he holds, and Ino moving her arms very fast and menacingly while screaming her lungs out. That must mean she's mad at something, right? She has the same mannerisms as Sakura but at least she does not have the physical strength to beat Shikamaru to a pulp. Even though, he remembers Naruto saying something about Sakura being able to swiftly kill you with her fist, but Ino being able to slowly kill you with her mouth.

"Oh," he finally understands what Naruto meant. Ino is not going to eat anyone, apparently, just yell at them 'till they fall into despair. And by the look of things, Shikamaru is already regretting ever being born.

But they both seem to be long-time friends, and Sai has a feeling this happens quite often, so there's no need to fear for Shikamaru's life. Sakura has never killed Naruto after all, and this seems to be the same kind of relationship.

He looks down at his drawings. He had been working in one before Shikamaru showed up, and now he knows he won't be able to finish it. It was a one-moment opportunity and now it was gone. He traces the lines with his fingers, looking up at the same spot she had been working on those flowers. He had liked the small smile on her face, because it seemed to light up the whole place.

"Sorry about that, Sai. The pest is gone now. I hope he eats some poisonous mushrooms on his mission tomorrow," Ino mumbles, walking back inside, her hair a bit wet and an annoyed expression on her face.

"That could kill him," Sai replies, confused again because he had thought she didn't wish anything bad to happen to Shikamaru. Weren't they supposed to be friends?

"Yeah, yeah, as if killing him was that easy. I've tried." Ino growls and goes to sit behind the counter again, and she tries her hardest to look mad, but he notices the way her lips start to curve. "Anyways, what are you up to? Can I see your drawings?"

Sai doesn't want to show them to her, of that he is sure, but this place is her shop, and she has been kind enough to let him in and borrow a notebook and some pencils. He figured it wouldn't be polite if he refuses, so he nods and stands up, making sure to hide that unfinished drawing in his pocket.

"Yes. Thank you." He puts the notebook on the counter, fake smile on his face.

"Sai!" Ino sounds surprised as she stares down at his work, her jaw almost dropping because all the images were perfect and so, so beautiful and detailed. There were five of them, and although she already knew Sai could draw, she had never considered him an artist before. "These are wonderful."

The way she says those words make him feel a little warm inside. He isn't sure why, but he remembers the time Sakura also complimented his work, and it is kind of the same feeling. And it feels good.

"Ino-san. Can I ask you a question?"

The girl lifts up her gaze to meet his eyes, and he can also see a tiny light that wasn't there before and stirs up something in him that he had never known existed.

"Of course, Sai! Anything!" she responds, although she sort of already knows what he's going to say. She can just see it in his face, the confusion, and the eagerness to comprehend what's going on.

"When you say those words, I feel… satisfied. Good. It means you like my work, right? And I am supposed to like you liking my work, right? It is not a bad thing… or is it? Am I being…" he thought hard and long for a word, biting his lower lip, "presumptuous?"

Ino wants to laugh, she really does, but decides against it because she does not want to be misunderstood and hurt his feelings. It's just that she never noticed how sweet… and lost Sai is. He had suppressed his feelings for so long that he forgot what name to put on them, and although that thought was sad, it is relieving to see his feelings were never truly eradicated.

"It is not a bad thing at all," she finally says, reaching out to pat his arm reassuringly, "and yes, you're supposed to like being complimented. Everyone likes it, some just are too shy to admit it. But you shouldn't be shy, and totally shouldn't be ashamed to feel good about yourself. You're an awesome artist, Sai. And now I am your fan!"

"Fan?" the warm feeling inside his stomach it's burning now, and his face is starting to warmp up too, "What do you mean, fan?"

Ino is giggling now, though in her mind he can hear Sakura and Tenten saying "stop being so flirty, bimbo" but she ignores the voices as she always does.

"Basically means I admire you. Your talent, that is. And that I am going to put these up in the walls, so anyone that comes in can admire them too, and then you won't have just one fan, but hundreds of them!" then she pokes his cheek, winking at him "But I'll always be the first!"

That does it. His face is burning now, but there's a very pleasant feeling making his way up from his abdomen to his chest, and affecting his heart, making it beat faster. He's at loss for words, and he dumbly tries to say something, at least to ask her why he's feeling this good, but he's incapable of it.

And Ino knows. She knows because it's her work to understand the body language. It's part of the training they give her as a member of the Intelligence Division, but also, it's a gift of hers – not exactly a gift, it took her lots of years and observation and research but she will never admit to this out loud – to understand the way feelings are expressed, especially in males. That's why she's able to get under Shikamaru, Chouji or even sometimes Naruto's skin. There's only one she was never able to figure it out. And the thought brings a shadow to her eyes, but she's able to shake it off before Sai notices.

"I am glad you are happy, Sai. It's great to be reminded that you're special to someone, right?" She answers his unspoken question as she carefully rips the drawings off the notebook, moving towards the wall, "Now, help me decide the perfect spots for these!"

He concedes. The rain doesn't stop, but he no longer misses the sun.

A/N: If you haven't read Shikamaru Hiden's chapter 16, you SHOULD. It makes my heart so happy for Sai and Ino.

As always, sorry for any mistake. Still working on my english.