D/C: We all know the horrible, horrible truth. Oh, man...the characters would have very interesting lives if I owned Naruto!

Title: Far away
Genre: Romance
Summary: You never notice the invisible connection between you and another person...until they are further away from you than you ever anticipated.
Pairing: Shino/Sakura

NOTES: I don't know why I like this pairing. It's in my Top Ten Naruto Pairings list...and I don't know why. So this is my first time writing this pairing, please be nice about it. And you can also blame listening to "Far away" by Ayumi Hamasaki as inspiration.

text - normal text
text - thoughts
text - flashbacks

Haruno Sakura, age 17, sighed as she glanced out her bedroom window once more. She couldn't find a way to cure this feeling of...of loneliness that was weighted deep inside her. And it was all because of a certain boy, a boy she never thought she'd like, especially in a romantic way.

Shino was like Sasuke, in the way that both of them hardly talked, but Shino was much more interesting than the Uchiha, considering he didn't radiate angst and vengeance all the time. There was something to watch Shino do all the time, whereas when Sasuke was still in Konoha, it seemed like Sakura saw the same things over and over again.

Perhaps that's the reason why she felt some sort of attraction to him, and it wasn't even physical since she, like most of her friends, had never seen what Shino looked like behind his glasses. No...it was more like an intellectual attraction during any brief conversations they shared.

Soon she was hoping that Shino didn't see her as some other girl who was lost in the dreams of winning Sasuke and not focused on a ninja life. She started worrying about her appearance if she knew she was going to see him, and wished that she had more in common with him.

"Sakura-san, I'm not sure if this is safe to say..." Shino said.

Then, one fateful day...

Sakura motioned for Shino to continue. "Go on, Shino-kun."

Shino hesitated, and confessed, "I think I like you, Sakura-san...as more than a friend."

Never in her life had Sakura been so happy when she heard those words.

Sakura smiled, and took Shino's hands. "Shino-kun...I know I feel the same way about you. I don't know why, but I just do."

There was a hint of a smile behind Shino's coat, and he interlaced his fingers with Sakura's. "It's the case here as well," he murmured.

The happy couple had been dating for quite a few months, and then the ultimate test happened upon them: the distance test.

"Hokage-sama has assigned my team on a recon mission that will last at least a year, Sakura." Shino informed her on their sixth-month anniversary. "I leave tomorrow."

Sakura felt like her world of happiness ended right there. She had felt her heart wrench. She spent the night crying softly and cursing fate. She knew it would happen, but she didn't want it to happen. It had been very hard to say goodbye the next morning.

Sakura held back her tears, and she couldn't bear to look Shino in the eye. Shino took her hand. "Sakura...will you wait for me?"

He closed the gap between them, and kissed her softly. "Wait for me," he whispered. Sakura could only nod, and then she felt him break away.

She tried to call out for him, but she couldn't speak. She just stood at the gate, and watched him leave.

There was only the occasional letter, and even then it was screened. Shino only said that he was alright, and that he would come back as soon as possible, as long as the mission wasn't compromised. Sakura prayed and prayed that the mission ended soon.

As she watched Shino leave Konoha, knowing she wouldn't see him again for a year, Sakura realized that...

She loved Shino.

Sakura decided the atmosphere of her room had enough gloominess for today, and she stepped outside of her house, and walked to the park, where they were preparing for the annual spring festival. It had indeed been a year. She wanted Shino back.

She held back a sob as she departed the park and went on her way to the bridge. She threw herself at the railing, no longer able to repress all the anger, longing, and hurt that she felt. She sobbed loudly and uncontrollably, and she fell to her knees, still crying.

"Why are you crying?"

Sakura stiffened as she heard the voice she had so longed to hear for so long. She looked up and saw the face of the man of her heart. "Sh-Shino?" she whispered, shakily standing up. "You're back!"

Shino caught the medic nin in his arms and he sighed contentedly as he felt her arms wrap around him tightly. "Thank Kami-sama!" Sakura continued to sob. For some reason, Shino knew the time was right.

"Marry me." he said.

Sakura looked up from Shino's chest. "What?" she asked in a small voice. "What did you say?"

"I love you, Sakura, and I want you to stay by my side forever. So will you have the honor of being my wife?"

Sakura put her hands to her mouth and gasped. She couldn't believe it. Shino had just proposed to her. Then...slowly...she nodded. "Yes!" she smiled as she answered. "Yes, I will marry you!"

Shino pulled her into a loving embrace. "Sakura..." he sighed. "You don't know how much I ached for you while I was away."

Sakura shook her head. "Same here."

"Thank you for waiting for me." Shino whispered as he slipped the engagement ring onto Sakura's finger.

"Of course I waited for you. No matter how far away you were, I know you were somewhere, thinking of me."

Yeah...it's fluffy. I like fluff, is that so wrong? It's going to be just a oneshot, but if you want me to do more of this pairing, I will! Please do not flame me! Leave a constructive review! Thank you for taking the time to read this story!