Rating: T

Summary: AU SHIKAINO. It seemed like he was the only one who could drive away the ache and the loneliness she felt inside of her. Just him.

a/n: Second time writing shikaino and I'm as thrilled as when I wrote them the first time. Alright, well enjoy!

Song suggestions for this one: ○Give me Love -Ed Sheeran [what I listened to when I wrote this one-shot]

She remembers the way he had held her tightly to him that night, when they both received the call that told them both of their fathers were dead. She had cried and clutched the phone in her hands tightly, begging and pleading to whoever heard her up there to relieve the ache, to bring her dear father back.

He didn't tell her to stop crying or that it would be okay, she knew it was because they've dealt with this sort of pain before. A man who had been like a second father to her and him, both, died as well years ago in a car crash. She had been through this type of ache before that as well, her mother, a sweet, caring woman with a smile that could warm up your heart in seconds. Her mother had died of cancer when she was only five, back then the ache wasn't so strong because she was naïve and incredibly sheltered from the problems of the real world. Her father was there for her then, she had him to rely on.

Now it seemed like the few things she had left were being pulled out from under her feet and she could only watch without being able to move. That night she had thrown everything in sight, breaking anything in reach to relieve some of the pain that was swelling in her chest making it harder to breathe. He had stood inches away, watching but never saying a word.

He allowed her to break everything until there was nothing left, he allowed her to cry until it felt like she couldn't anymore. And when she slumped against the cool, wooden floor he had picked her up and laid her gently on the now messy bed. She didn't flinch nor did she move when he wrapped his large arms around her small body, that night he pulled her close.

He didn't promise it'd be okay and he certainly didn't tell her the cliché things anyone else would've. He held her and pressed kisses to her forehead, he hummed and he just laid there in silence with her as she sobbed softly.

"I'll always be here for you, Ino," where the only words he spoke that night.

Since then he made it his personal goal to be there for her in any way he could. He was there when she graduated from high school and he was there when she checked her admissions exams scores. He was even there when she started college, right by her, but that was mostly because he was going to college there too.

He'd been there since that night and there was no way she could express her gratitude towards him. It was him who brought her out from the cold and dark place she had begun to hide herself in. He brought her back to reality and promised that he could help, never once did he promise it would be okay. He understood, he knew that some things took a toll on you and that sometimes it just wouldn't be okay, no matter what.

But lately, she's felt okay.

Glancing at the man before she lets a small smile come on to her lips, he's reading a book, intently. His brow scrunched up in concentration and he almost looks mad, to those who don't know him.

"I was thinking we could go out for Italian tonight," he yawns, eyes never leaving the book.

She nods with a small smile on her lips, "yeah, that sounds tasty."

"I was getting tired of the same old junk food we keep eating," he tells her.

"Same here," she chuckles, "sorry I can't really cook."

"Tch, troublesome, it's fine."

She doesn't say anything else and merely hums as she picks up her book and continues to study. She knows that in order to keep advancing forward she'll need to pass every class and graduate. She wants her mother and father who are both looking down at her, to be proud of her and the person she has become in their absence.

She lets her baby blues move back to the page and continue reading, the smile still on her lips as she studies.

It's a cloudy, winter day when she realizes that what she feels for him isn't some sort of friendship based love, no, for Shikamaru, she feels something deeper. Something that's a little more meaningful to her.

She loves him in every sense of the word.

He had invited her out to a grassy field, even in the cold, and they had laid and watched the stars. They talked about what they each wanted for the future and she was happy to hear his future wasn't anything simple, he had everything mapped out. It was then that she realized she wanted to be included into his future as someone he came home to, someone he loved.

That had been three months ago and now she could only hope she could get the courage to tell him what she felt. She giggles as she begins to pack the basket in her hands with food items, she's only gotten better at cooking and she can't wait to try out her new recipe.

After paying for her items she walks back to the apartment, a million and one things running through her head. She assumes it's only natural that she be this unsure about what to do, she's only ever known how to be Shikamaru's friend, never anything else.

She enters the small apartment and she expects to see him laying on the couch, bored expression on his face as he complains on the lack of interesting things to do in this world. However she's rendered speechless when she opens the door and finds Shikamaru sitting on the floor, books open on the small table before him and a girl she's never seen before across from him, seemingly studying as well.

"Ino," he yawns, "you're home, where were you at this time of the night?"

She tries to keep a small smile on her lips as she chuckles, "I was just getting things for dinner."

"What are you making tonight?" he asks, turning around to face her.

"Don't know yet," she smiles.

She looks at the girl sitting across from him and then to him and he scratches the back of his head.

"Oh, this is Temari, " he introduces, "partner for my project."

The girl glances up and Ino freezes because it frightens her how scrutinizing her gaze is. The girl is very pretty, she muses, she has a pair of the most striking blue eyes she's ever seen but she doesn't like the way they seem to be judging her silently.

"Sabaku no Temari," the girl speaks, her voice intimidating and strong, "you must be Shikamaru's roommate."

"Y-Yes," she smiles, "Yamanaka Ino."

"Pleasure."

And that's all the girl says as she looks back down at her book, she frowns before clutching the bags even more tightly than before. She looks at Shikamaru who is now setting his things down and making his way to stand up.

"I'll help you put everything away," he tells her.

"I-It's fine," she smiles, "I've got it, study with your friend."

"Friend?" the girl chuckles, "you're such an ass, Shikamaru."

That is enough to make Ino freeze her steps and turn to them slowly, the woman is now looking up but her eyes are on Shikamaru. He's looking at her with a small scowl and she's giving him a very teasing smirk.

"Temari is not my friend," he sighs, "the troublesome woman is also my girlfriend."

Ino doesn't know what to say, she doesn't know how to react because she's never been in this situation before. She feels a small wave of pain hit her but she keeps a smile on her lips and doesn't move, she can't, she looks at Shikamaru before chuckling softly, forcefully.

"You're such an idiot to hide things like that from me," Ino tries her best to sound like herself, to sound normal, "I thought we were friends."

"You make a big deal of these things so I didn't tell you," he sighs, "remember how you were when you found out Choji had a girlfriend?"

She nods with a fake smile still in place, "idiot, well keep on studying, don't mind me."

She makes dinner for the three of them and pretends she's okay, she's quiet at dinner but Shikamaru and Temari are far to occupied with each other to pay her any mind.

She's here by herself for the first time, she doesn't know if she should be mad or upset. Shikamaru always promised to be here with her and lately it seems the promise is slowly being forgotten.

It's becoming an after thought to him, just like she is.

She smiles at the names engraved on the slabs of stone before her;

Yamanaka Inoichi

Yamanaka Kaori

Her wonderful parents, a mother who she knew so little about yet remembers many things. Her kind smile and her warm embrace, Ino's positive that if she was alive right now she'd understand and she'd give her the advice she needs. Then there's her father, the man who took on the role of not just a father but a mother when she was so young. He was there for almost everything and she's sure that if he were here he'd give Shikamaru a piece of his mind.

"I miss you both," she whispers softly, "it's your birthday today, daddy and I felt like I should be here like last year and the year before that, and well you get the picture."

She can almost imagine her father laughing loudly and pulling her into a bone crushing hug. She feels the tears well up in her eyes as she keeps her small hand on his gravestone.

"I can't believe you're gone," she whispers, "it's been years but I still miss you and I still need you."

She slowly lays her head on to the cold slab of stone and shuts her eyes tightly. She wishes for a better outcome because she can't see one now, she sees nothing but pain ahead, nothing but emptiness.

"I feel so lonely," she whispers as she allows sleep to take over her.

The next morning she expects to find herself still sleeping against the stone but she's surprised to feel warmth. She looks around and groans slightly as she sits up, she's in her room and she can only think of one person who knew where she was. She smiles at the thought of him missing her and going out to look for her.

"Good, you're awake."

She turns and smiles upon seeing Shikamaru approaching her bed with a tray in hand, "Shikama-"

"It's a good thing Sakura found you," he tells her placing the tray on her lap, "you would've died out there, it's far too cold."

She feels her heart sink because it's not him who looked and worried, it was her best friend. She sighs softly and looks down at the soup before her and watches as his large hand picks up the spoon and dips it into the soup before bringing it up to her mouth.

"I'm not hungry," she whispers.

"You have to eat, Sakura's orders," he sighs, "you know how doctors get."

She pushes the tray away and Shikamaru places the spoon in it before taking the tray away. He leaves without another word and doesn't come back, she doesn't expect him to because she knows he's found someone new to look after.

She feels sick and she can't really stand the pounding headache but nonetheless she drinks and drinks until she can taste nothing but alcohol. She slams a glass down on to the counter and the looks around the bar. She finds no one interesting, or rather no one who can compare to who she wants most, and turns around in her stool.

"Another shot."

"Are you okay, Miss?"

"I'm just tired," she whispers, "and so lonely."

He doesn't say anything else and brings her another shot, she takes them one after the other. She expects the pain to go away and just stop making everything worse but it doesn't go away, it gets stronger.

"I'm so lonely."

They've announced their marriage, she's not surprised, it's been roughly two years since they told her they were dating. She notices they fight a lot but it seems to only be playful banter between them, nothing serious, or she hopes.

With a small sigh she looks at the half-empty apartment, he's moved out and now she's all by herself.

He invited her and told her he expected her to come because she's important and she's a friend. She had almost scoffed when he spoke those words, planning to throw the invitation in his face and tell him that his words are just empty, meaningless.

Sakura is trying to help, she knows, but there's so much her friend can handle when she's pregnant. She's happy for Sakura and she can't wait to meet the little one that resides in her stomach, claiming it as her godson/daughter so Naruto doesn't take the honor first. But even that happiness is just small, lying above the massive amount of pain that's been haunting her since her father left her, Shikamaru just added on to it.

It seems everyone leaves her easily.

She looks at the invitation and opens it, she reads over the details and wonders why he would even want her there. She's pushed him away time and time again as of late and made it clear she didn't want his help, why?

Ino clutches the invitation tightly before slipping it into the nearest trash can. She can't be there, not because she's selfish but because she wants him to be happy and if she's there, looking every bit like a heartbroken girl, he'll be upset too and that day is his special day, she can't just ruin it for him because that would be selfish, that would be so incredibly stupid of her.

Especially after everything he's done for her.

So she settles for receiving the details about the lavish affair from Sakura once it's over because then she can express her pain and not hurt anyone in the process. Then she can let her heart-break into smaller pieces and be done.

Only then.

"You aren't going?"

She looks at the man and shakes her head slowly, "busy."

"We've been friends for years, Ino," he chuckles, "lying to me is useless."

"I am busy, Choji," she whispers, "so busy, I can't."

This conversation is one she's been avoiding, doing everything in her power to drive Choji far away from the topic. It's worked, up until today, the afternoon before the wedding. She looks down at her cup of tea and then she looks at Choji, keeping the pain and the tears at bay.

"What are you doing?" he asks with a sympathetic smile.

"Nothing that should worry you, Choji," she smiles.

"You're such a coward, Ino," Choji sighs, "always running away and hiding the obvious pain you feel."

"Don't say that," she scolds, "I just know my place."

"Your place?" he frowns, "and where is that? At home, crying while the man you love marries someone else? Is that what you want for yourself? You won't even muster the courage to let him know how you feel?"

"Enough!" she snaps, hands slamming down on to the table, "I won't speak about this any more, Choji."

"Do you really love him, Ino?" he asks.

She looks down at her cup of tea and nods, "yes, a-and because I love him, I'll stay away, far away."

"He'll come looking for you, you know him," Choji sighs.

"I was planning on leaving Japan for a small time," she tells him softly, "I have a friend in the states who can help me for a bit."

"Why do you insist on running?"

"Because that's all I've ever done, Choji," she whispers, "all I know how to do."

"Ino-"

"All my life, I've spent it running from everything that's hurt me, that scares me," she whispers, "I've run and run away from it all, it's a habit of mine. I shielded myself from that pain using Shikamaru instead of facing it head on."

"D-"

"This whole situation is my fault," she tells him, "all of it."

"And if I told you he doesn't love Temari?"

She shakes her head, a bitter smile making its way on to her lips, "it's far too late."

She excuses herself shortly afterwards, heading home to the apartment made for two that only holds her. She slumps down on to the floor upon arriving and wonders when she allowed herself to become this damaged.

She lays her head on the wooden floor and awaits morning and just like before she feels alone.

Their wedding she knows takes place in one hour but she is still not attending. She's supporting him from here, from a place where she can't be hurt and she can't dampen the mood. She looks down at the stone and smiles bitterly, she can already feel the tears, lately they just seem to come naturally.

"I can't remember a time when I've cried this much," she whispers, "well probably when you died, daddy."

She laughs softly as the wind blows this way and that, her small hand coming to touch the stone before her.

"Today Shika is getting married," she smiles, "her name is Temari and she seems to make him very happy, so In turn I'm very happy for him."

Her father would've scoffed at her obvious attempts at comforting herself, he would've told her to pick herself up and show Shikamaru just what exactly he's missing out on. Her mother would've held her, she knows, she would've told her that everything in this world happens for a special reason and that she shouldn't cry.

"But you know something, mom and daddy?" she whispers, "I feel so lonely."

She looks up at the sky and smiles at how blue it looks today, she shuts her eyes as the breeze moves her hair this way and that. It's almost Autumn by the looks of things, she muses, almost.

She opens her eyes and pulls out her phone, the time is now noon, she smiles bitterly, "it's started, he'll be married soon."

She sighs and makes to get up, "I promise to visit again soon, I've got to get some things sorted out because I'm going on a very long trip."

She gets no response but smiles and continues nonetheless, "I'm excited, it's kind of like a fresh start to this whole deal, I could use one of those but as soon as I return I'll come right here and I'll tell you everything."

"Running away again?"

She freezes because she recognizes that voice, the same voice that's made and broken her over the past years. The same voice that promised her support and comfort for years to come. But why is he here? He's supposed to be miles away, saying 'I do' to the woman he loves most, why is he doing something so careless, so out of character?

"What are you doing here?" she whispers softly, her eyes closing slowly.

"Well I was told you were planning on running away from me," he chuckles, "Choji and Sakura are quite the blabber-mouths when they want to be."

"You shouldn't be here, Shikamaru," she scolds, "you're going to make you bride worry."

"Temari?" he chuckles, "well sorry to disappoint you but she won't be worrying about me, she was the one who called off our wedding."

"Are you expecting something?" she frowns, "I don't know why she did it, I had nothing to do with it."

"No, but I did have a lot to do with that one," he chuckles, "it's all your fault, troublesome."

"I won't be blamed for your failed enga-"

"Shut up," he snaps, "you speak too much and all of it is nothing but idiocy."

"Shikamaru," she growls, "go away."

"No," he sighs, "I've let you run, for years I've sat back and watched you run, I even though another woman would get rid of what I felt for you, it's never worked."

"S-Stop."

"Yeah, that's right, Ino, I've loved you all this time, ever since we were children I've looked after you," he chuckles, "always making sure that nothing bad was going to happen to you and what-not, but I'll admit when your father died looking after you was much more different."

"I don't want to hear you," she whispers.

"Then that's too bad because you're going to stand there and you're going to listen," he sighs, "you, you always been so unreachable, always running and I've tried all my life to catch up to you and when it seemed that you wanted nothing more than for me to get away I decided to give Temari a chance, give her the benefit of the doubt."

Ino looks down at the gravestone before her and frowns, I bet you're smirking where ever you are, daddy.

"I'll admit I care for her but I've never loved her, never could because someone else already held my heart in her hands, even if she didn't know it," he chuckles, "and then Choji and Sakura come up to me minutes before I'm supposed to be out there, making a huge mistake, and they tell me something, you wanna know what it is?"

"W-What?" she asks shakily.

"They tell me that you, the most troublesome girl in the world, loves me," he chuckles, "my heart was beating much quicker then, words I've been dying to hear and I got them."

"Shika-"

"Shut up," he laughs, "you don't get to speak until I'm done, I won't tell you what happened then but when they told me you were leaving I knew you'd here, because your parents are people you always consult with. Seems I was right."

She turns around and meets his gaze, "you're so stupid, Shikamaru."

"And you're troublesome," he smirks, "but that doesn't change anything at all, my feelings, they're the same as before and they'll be the same for as long as I can think of."

She wants to tell him that he's foolish for not marrying Temari but she can't because in that short second he's pulling her to him. She gasps softly at the feel of his strong arms wrapped around her before she slowly lifts her arms to wrap around him.

"I've love you then and I love you now," he whispers into her hair, "so don't ever feel lonely because you're not, I promised I'd be here, then, now and always."

She buries her head into his chest and whispers softly, "thank you, Shikamaru."

Looking down at the slab of stone she smiles, "daddy and mom, how are you?"

She doesn't get a response, but that's nothing new. She looks up at Shikamaru who's standing short inches away with a warm smile on his face. Today she's happy to call him her husband, they married three months ago and ever since then she's felt whole.

"Shika and I, well we have news," she giggles, "you're going to be grandparents!"

Just as before she imagines the different scenarios, her father would probably be hysterical, almost killing Shikamaru for "tainting her innocence" and her mother, well she would be happy, thrilled at the prospect of having a small granddaughter/son.

"I'm so happy and I can't wait to come back and tell you the gender," she smiles, "I'm sure you'll love him or her."

She places a small kiss on each stone before Shikamaru helps her up. She casts a glance at the graves once more before slipping her hand into Shikamaru's larger one. She looks at him with a small on her lips before he leans down and presses his lips to hers.

She's content with her life, content with everything she's been given. A family of her own and for once in her life she feels completely, she can no longer feel the emptiness or the loneliness, she owes that to Shikamaru.

"I love you," she tells him.

"And I love you."

For once everything is as it should be.

ES: ○So I had to come up with a name for Ino's mom and that's the first one that came to mind, I don't believe her mom's name has ever been said? (Correct me if I'm wrong!)

○Please let me know what you guys think. Also, I was thinking of writing a second part to this but in Shikamaru's point of view since some things aren't fully answered! Well, that's all for tonight! I hope everyone has wonderful holidays and what-not, eat to your heart's content! Please make sure to drop a review by as well! x

[○Also, I have a tumblr for those who want to talk, I enjoy making new friends so please drop by and speak to moi!]