Counter Attack

Yugao

Summary: The next day, Shikamaru decides he has to confront Ino, but the genius might not hear exactly what he expects.

Author's Note: This, as you all know, is the companion to my oneshot Thirty Moves, which is the most favorite-d oneshot on my page thus far. This happens the day after Thirty Moves, and it's still Shikaino. If you haven't read the aforementioned fic, there's no need to go back and look for it, there'll be excerpts and stuff.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and I most probably never will.

Troublesome.

It is a word that has, for innumerable times, crossed Shikamaru's mind. Today, it seems to be attached to every thought, every sentence, and even every incoherent mumble that comes from him. His brow furrows, because for once in his life he is plagued by confusion and worry, things he does not usually bother himself with.

This is different, though.

This is about Ino.

Ever since they met, when they were much younger and still at school, he always somehow linked the word to her. His first impression of her was that of a bossy, self-centered spoiled brat who always had to get her way no matter what. Her frequent squabbles with Sakura over Sasuke or some other petty matter (not to say that Sasuke was petty, to be sure, but he wasn't quite so important to Shikamaru) became a little infuriating over time.

It is Ino who shows him that first impressions never last.

Today, he sees a different side of his friend as he recalls yesterday's events. Yes, yesterday… how troublesome, he thinks as he walks on.

"Shikamaru!" from afar she called his name, and as she appeared standing above him she said again, rather breathlessly this time, "Shikamaru."

Usually he would have been just a little agitated for the disturbance, but he is taken off-guard by her sincere smile and gentle tone of voice, so all he could muster was, "Ino, did you want something?" and he knew that despite his own noncommittal manner he was not able to spare the question from a tone of curiosity. What exactly was she up to?

She nodded, and slipped down beside him, so close that he had to stop himself from reacting. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. I wanted to ask you something," she said nicely. Shikamaru couldn't quite believe that it was Ino sitting there beside him; but more than that he couldn't quite believe that he sort of… liked it.

Where had that come from? He grunted, and replied with, "About what?" rather languidly. Maybe, if he was lucky, she would ask about training tomorrow or about him helping her test a technique she just mastered. Hopefully it was something he could answer with a mere, "All right," so that he wouldn't have to notice that something funny was going on.

He was even more surprised when she bit her lip shyly, and a blush colored her cheeks. "Well…" she said, with the same shyness that was so uncharacteristic of her. What was she doing to him? Why did he, above everything else, want to look away but can't?

But such feelings are meant to be bottled up, he thought, and instead of saying anything he raised an eyebrow. She noticed this, and her smile faded a little. "It… it's kind of personal, and… I wanted to ask you. Because you seem to know everything."

He gave her a sardonic smile, because she knew as well as he did that he did not. "Well… not everything, but… all right, go ahead."

He had no idea that with that sentence he had sealed the deal.

He stops walking, because he notices that he is in front of the flower shop Ino's family owns. He knows that she is inside, manning the store, and he hesitates. Should he go in, or shouldn't he?

After a mental debate he walks toward the store and takes a nonchalant peek through the window. He sees Ino in a corner, arranging vibrantly colored flowers in a bouquet. She doesn't see him because her back is turned, and a little voice tells Shikamaru, "Come on, she doesn't see you. You can turn around and act as if nothing had happened."

But he knows that he can't. If he goes the other way, then he would never find out what he wants to know. His hand was poised in midair above the doorknob, but he does not know if he has enough courage to let himself in.

"Ino," Shikamaru rehearses to himself, "What did you mean when you asked me what you did yesterday?"

"Okay," she replied, and took a deep breath as if to get ready for a cold plunge. "I wanted to ask you… how does it feel to be in love?"

All at once he understood what was going on. Her sweetness and giddiness, her perpetual smile, the sparkle in her eyes – how could he have missed it? It had to be about Uchiha Sasuke again – again, as always. For some strange reason, he felt a pang inside him, and he knew it wasn't from hunger.

The surprise must have shown on his face, because he felt his jaw drop slightly and his eyes widen. Realizing that Ino was still staring at him, he let out another sigh, scratched his head thoughtfully, and mumbled, "How troublesome…"

He noticed that she turned away, and frantically tried to stall her for reasons that were beyond him. "Hmm… love?" he said rather pathetically, in a halfhearted attempt to make her stay.

She stood up, and the look in her eyes changed. She was no longer ecstatic, but a little disappointed. "I'm sorry for bothering you. I know you have more important things to do today, and I'm sorry to have wasted a lot of your time," she said quietly before turning to leave.

"Wait!" he said suddenly, "Stay. It gets a bit lonely here all by myself. And I have something to ask you, too." Not one, but many questions gnawed at his mind: why? Why had she asked? Why did she suddenly seem so crestfallen? Why was this hurting him? Why should he feel so affected?

"All right, but just for a bit longer," she replied as she sat down with him, "What was it you wanted to ask?"

He holds her gaze. "I wanted to know… why you asked what you did, Ino."

The next few moments seemed to last centuries for him. He thought he could almost hear his heart palpitating, but in truth the only sounds to be heard were the rustling of the leaves, the blowing of the wind, and their own breathing.

She hesitated, but in a whisper, she said, "Um… because I wanted to know if I'm, you know… in… love."

He pretended it did not affect him, and leaned back against the tree trunk. His brows were furrowed in contemplation, and for once he did not even see the wisps of clouds floating through the tangerine sky.

He hears the sound of someone tapping on glass, and a quick glance to the window tells him that Ino has finally caught sight of him. She waves at him cheerily as she disappears back into the shop, perhaps to take off her apron before she answers the door. He does not know whether he should be thankful or otherwise.

The door in front of him opens, and Ino stands there on the doorstep, grinning. "Good morning, Shikamaru! Was there something you wanted? Flowers, maybe?" she says coyly, patting him on the shoulder. "Come in, it gets boring if you're stuck here all day. You're a sight for sore eyes."

"Good morning to you, too," he murmurs as he follows her into the shop. She brings him by the counter and takes out a pair of chairs from behind it, and nudges one his way. He stops it with one hand, and sits down in front of her.

Ino brightens, a smile not only on her lips but also in her mischievous blue eyes. "So, tell me, what was it you wanted? I'm sure you didn't just come around for a courtesy visit."

He shakes his head, but does not know exactly what to say. For once, the Nara genius is at a loss for words, and only she can render him speechless.

He looked back at his teammate, and noticed she had fallen into silence as well. "May as well tell her," he said aloud. Realizing the sudden soliloquy could get him into mounds of trouble, he stopped suddenly and prayed she hadn't noticed it.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" she asked, turning back to face him. "What was it? Please tell me."

He gave a sigh and looked back at her. "I was just saying that… the feeling of love might not be the same for everyone. For you and Sakura, it might be the happiness you feel around Sasuke, or the excitement of winning a competition, for example. For Hinata, it might be finding something to smile about each day, with her own special someone. But, as for me…"

He stopped. Should he tell her? Should he?

"… For me, it's the feeling of always being there to protect her, of staying calm knowing that she's safe," he said finally, and he knew that somehow, whether she understood it or not, he had told her exactly how he felt.

She seemed to ponder all that he had said. "Thank you," she replied as she stood, "But I'm not actually thinking of Sasuke at the moment." A smile spread out on her face as she held a hand out towards him. He took it, and she helped him get up.

A ripple of hope coursed through him, but he dared not let anyone know. "Oh? Then who is it you were talking about, pray tell? Someone I know?"

She laughed in reply, turning around to leave him. Abruptly, her shoe caught on a jagged rock. The sudden movement would have sent her to the ground if he had not caught her in time. There he stood, one arm supporting his astonished teammate by the waist, before she stood back up and he let her go. Persistently he asked, "Well, who is it?"

"Oh? Someone!" she answered, running back towards the village.

Someone…

"Shikamaru, is something wrong?" Ino asks, bringing him back to reality. "You still haven't told me why you've come!"

He looks back up at her, and decides that it isn't the best time to ask again. "Oh… right," he says with a short laugh. "I'd… like to buy some flowers."

"Oh!" she says, pleasantly surprised. She gets up from her chair and surveys the numerous bouquets in the shop. "Let me pick for you… who's it for?"

He stands up as well, there beside her. "For someone special," he replies with a crooked grin.

"Is that so…" she answers thoughtfully, finally pulling a bunch of peach-colored roses from behind the counter. She inspects them, as if a single leaf out of place would make her change her mind. Satisfied, she hands the bouquet out to him and smiles. "Here you go. I'm sure they'll appreciate this a lot."

Shikamaru presses the payment into her hand, and receives the flowers. "I know she will," he says as he hands the flowers back to her.

Puzzled, she looks back up at him. "Would you like this to be wrapped and sent or something, Shikamaru…" she begins.

He kisses her lightly on the forehead, and without a single word, turns around to leave. The bell attached to the door tinkles lightly, and a shy blush creeps onto Ino's cheeks.

Author's Note: I know! It's so… blah. Sorry for the fluffiness overdose, I hope you have enough oxygen to review. Thanks again for your support!