Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto I wouldn't be writing for you freaks. (J/K!)

Hey guys! I'm ShikaRoX-LOL! I'm new, and this is my first fic. I'll have you all know, right off the bat, that I am NOT a Shikamaru fan girl! I just happen to think that he is the best character in Naruto! Now that we're clear on that subject, commence with the story!

Memory

"Hey, Shikamaru!" shouted the blonde ninja known as Naruto. "Nice job on the mission!

How did we do? OOH! Did we get a good report? Did we, did we, did we?" Naruto barraged questions at the poor, lazy Shika, like kunai from an angry Tenten.

"Oi, oi, Naruto, shut your troublesome trap!" yelled the aggravated chuunin.

"Ne, Shikamaru, where are the others?" asked the ramen-loving boy.

"Eh? Oh…um… I think Kiba was dragged off by Kurenai to train, Lee thought he, um…smelled Sakura, so, yeah, and Sasuke is over there mumbling stuff about Itachi incoherently." stated Shikamaru in a very Shikamaru-ish manner. Naruto nodded, turned on his heel, and high-tailed it to the ramen bar. Shika stood there, thinking about what he should do next. He looked down at his hands. Wow, after all these years of being a tool… not a scratch. He didn't have calloused hands like other ninjas. No, this assassin kept his limbs in the best possible shape he could, and it was proving to be quite effective. But like so many others, his hands had killed. They were blood-stained, and dirty. You couldn't see it, but he remembered everything. He often wondered if anyone else even cared that when you killed someone, you could be destroying someone else's life. That person that you had just slain, could be a father, or a mother, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, it's all the same. When you spill another human's blood, you just may be killing another human's source of happiness. Yet, it seems that nobody in the world besides Nara Shikamaru thinks, or cares about these things. You see, everyone thought that the people from Cell Ten were the lucky ones, the people who didn't have any problems, or issues.

But…they're wrong.

Maybe Chouji didn't have problems, and sure Ino's no Sasuke, but our lazy, nonchalant ninja hides many things under his bored and uncaring expressions. Shikamaru remembers the first time he had to kill someone.

FLASHBACK

It was on a "B" ranked mission, and Ino was preparing to use her Shintenshin No Jutsu. Shika stood behind her, ready to catch her soulless body once the technique was induced. It was pulled off quite easily, just like always…until it happened. Ino's body fell limp and useless into Shikamaru's strong arms, when he heard Chouji cry an urgent warning. He span around with Ino in one arm and a kunai in the other. In extreme panic, he screamed and thrusted the rusty object into whoever it was that threatened him and his teammates' lives. The assailant howled in pain as his eyes widened with the realization that he was going to die. His dying body collapsed to the ground with a sickening thud. Instead of last words, he let out another ear-shattering scream…and passed on. Shikamaru cringed at the drastic action he was forced by fate to take. He looked at the corpse of the guy he murdered, and felt like he was going to vomit...and he did. He winced at the memory of the expression on his face as he died. He looked at his victim and immediately tore his horror-stricken gaze away. Ino rushed over and kneeled by his trembling form, her right hand gently rubbing his back.

"Shika? Shiki? Are you okay? Come on, let's go back to camp. You can brush your teeth and I'll make you some soup…okay?" she whispered softly in his ear while giving him a warm smile and holding his hand reassuringly.

"Uh huh…thank you so much Ino…I just…I feel so messed up right now," he gave her a soft, grateful smile "I just need you to take care of me, and I'll be fine." he whispered as he shakily got up with her assistance. She looked at him with her eyes slightly widened from the very un-Shikamaru-like words that came out of his mouth.

'Wha…what did he just say?' she thought. Before she could stop herself she said, "Whatever you need me for, I'm there okay Shika?" He nodded slowly

"Where's Chouji?"

"I told him to go ahead and set up camp. I felt like I needed to talk to you…alone."

She really wished she hadn't said that now. Her stomach started to turn like it always did when she was alone with Shikamaru lately. She looked up at him.

'Since when did I start thinking these things? Also, since when was he so tall? How did he get so handsome, so fast? I wonder…what does he look like with his hair down? I bet he'd look totally different. I bet…he wouldn't be my Shika anymore…just another guy. That's the last thing I want…wait…my…Shi…ka? WHAT THE HELL?' Through all this time, Shikamaru was wondering "What the hell?" too. First, Ino was staring at him, then she tilted her head and looked at him in a funny way, then a goofy smile graced her pretty features and her eyelids closed a little making a sort of dreamy sort of gaze, then she suddenly snapped out of it and started touching the tuft of hair on the back of his head and gently tugging at his ponytail holder, but not pulling it out completely, then she stared at him critically, as if trying to figure something out, then her head drooped a little and she looked kind of sad, then her eyes widened and she clutched her head and screamed "WHAT THE HELL?"

"Ino? Are you…okay?" Shika queried, somewhat afraid of her…abnormal behavior.

"Huh? What? Oh! Oh yeah, red is a great color, but I like…pink…more?" At his questionable expression and raised eyebrow, she somehow got the notion that she should slow down her statement, and turn it into a question.

"Oh look we're at camp! Heh heh…you go brush your teeth…and I'll make food! Oh yeah we women sure are troublesome! Wellseeyouatdinnergoodbyenow!" said Ino awkwardly. 'That…was weird…did she just say…what the hell is wrong her!'

END FLASHBACK

"Oh well, better get to my cloud-watching spot before dark."

Meanwhile at said cloud-watching spot…

"Oooh, you lazy bum…come home already...three months is long enough!" whispered Ino under her breath. She looked up at the vividly colored evening sky and sighed. "You idiot, I need you here…I miss you…please be okay…Shika. Hurry back…because…the clouds…they'll be gone soon." Ino had come everyday to his little sanctuary, knowing he would come here first after he got back. In the very, very tiniest corner of her mind…she was hoping something would happen between them, something…romantic.

Suddenly she heard a few footsteps and a crinkling sound. Sort of like…a potato chip bag? She span around to find herself face-to-face with her chubby teammate!

He had a very smug look on his face, and looked like he knew something.

"Oh! Hello Chouji! H-how are you?" she asked her rotund teammate nervously.

"Oh…I'm okay…how about you?" the smug look still was present on his face.

"I'm good, I've been better." She said, calming down a bit.

"I seriously doubt that Ino." he snickered, stifling a laugh.

"What are you talking about?" she half asked, half shouted while blushing furiously.

"You like him, don't you?" he managed to say through his uproarious laughter.

"N-no! Hell no even! Also…HE DOESN'T LIKE ME EITHER, SO SHUT UP CHOUJI!" she screeched

"And what, may I ask, are we yelling about now, hmm?" asked our favorite lazy shinobi.

"SHIKAMARU!" the arguing nins yelled and/or shrieked in unison.

"What? What is it?" he asked, wondering why they yelled his name, and in unison too.

"Oh, we weren't talking about you, really!" Ino shouted a little too quickly. Chouji just sweat-dropped.

"Huh? You were talking about me?" his eyes narrowed "What were you saying?"

"See! That's what I hate about you! You don't listen when people talk to you! I just said we weren't talking about you!" she screeched

"Okay, 1. You added "really" to the end of your sentence, meaning you are in fact lying.

2. You're sweating like crazy. 3. You're playing with your hair, which is what you do when you're nervous. 4. I know you better than you know yourself, so I think I know when you're lying, and you're lying." he crammed it all into one breath, and through the whole statement, stared her straight in the eyes…without blinking. She had never seen him so serious over something so…trivial. 'Is he…trying to tell me something?' By this time Chouji had left. He really, really, REALLY wanted them to stop fighting and finally realize what he did a very long time ago. They were made for each other…and they were in love.

"Why is this bothering you so much? I mean…you've never gotten this mad…ever." She was very concerned, and wanted to know what was troubling him so much.

"It's…nothing…just, no. It's okay." he mumbled while rubbing his temple.

"Don't say that! I know when something is wrong with you! I may not be able to pull the "OMG, look at me! I am the ultimate body language psychic! I am of light! Bleah!" act, but I know you too! Sometimes…I know you better than I think I should." At first she was supremely chewing him out, then her tone softened dramatically.

"Look, Ino," he turned towards her with the most sincere gaze she had ever seen "I know it's stupid, but no matter what it's about...I can't stand it when you lie to me. I don't know why you feel like you must lie to me about little things like this. I don't give a shit whether you talk about me! JUST DON'T LIE TO ME!" he sighed, relieved that he got that stupid issue off his chest…but now he felt a new, warmer weight on him instead.

He looked down and saw a blonde head burying itself in his chest. It was…crying?

"I am so sorry, Shika! I-I didn't mean to hurt you! I just…the topic was so embarrassing, and…well…I didn't…you…you're so…warmmmm…" she mumbled the last part into his chest as she moved herself on top of him and rested her head on his shoulder.

FREEZE.

'W-what? Warm? Oh…oh man…she, she's on top of me…hugging me…breathing down my neck…she's not heavy at all! Maybe…maybe she won't be mad…if I move my arms…just a little. Could it be that the most troublesome, loud-mouthed women…is the one I love?'

"Shika? There's something that's been bugging me." she whispered in his ear.

"Hmm?" he tilted his head a little so he could see her eyes. Now, they're noses were touching, and they could feel each other's breath on their faces.

"I…oh, this is embarrassing, I um kind of…have been having this sort of weird feeling around you lately…I start zoning out and stuff…well…I think I'm starting to-"

"Ino," one arm snaked tightly around her waist, the other caressed her pale face. At his sudden action and cool touch a strange sensation came upon her and she gasped.

"Aishiteru." her heart skipped a beat, and she stopped breathing. She just stared at him and slowly reached up and gently pulled his hair tie out. His brunette tresses fell down, parting perfectly down the middle, to the sides of his face.

"I was wrong, you look even more like…my Shika." She murmured quietly in his ear. He tugged gently at her shoulder, signaling he wanted to be face-to-face with her again. She obeyed. Once they were back to their previous position, his penetrating gaze bore into hers. She was the one who started to lessen the space between them. She closed her eyes and patiently waited for her first kiss. He waited a few seconds and took a deep a deep breath before claiming her lips hungrily. She moaned as he started moving his hand up and down her side. He kissed her deeply and passionately as if he had wanted it for years. She nibbled gently at his lower lip and he steadily opened his mouth. That's how he did everything, steadily. She smoothly slid her tongue into his mouth and gently licked the roof of his mouth clean of it's taste. As she proceeded to do so, he moved his hands up her blouse and ripped at the bandages binding her body. She gasped and started trailing lustful kisses down his neck. He moaned as she stopped and focused all of her attention on one spot on his neck. After a few minutes of releasing bottled up emotions,

they separated from one another and shared the silence of the beautiful, starlit night.

"Ino…do think I'm…a pervert? You know, after…that whole…thing?" he asked, blushing furiously and rubbing the back of his neck.

"No! No, of course not! Ummm…I kind of feel perverted but I know it was just…hormones…so! Wanna sleep over at my house?" she chirped happily with a huge grin.

"Sure. Why the hell not?" he said playfully with a soft smile.

"Oh, and Shika?" she asked.

"Hmm? Mmm!" she startled him by jumping him and crushing her lips into his.

"I love you too."