Heartache

Ch:1 How do you feel?

Ino had always had a 'thing' for a certain guy. His name, Shikamaru Nara. Ino never knew how to tell him, and still doesn't. Today she was going to build the courage to ask him how he felt about her.

'This is going to be difficult' Ino thought. For once, she found it difficult to find Shikamaru. She looked in his usual spot where he takes his afternoon naps. No Shikamaru. She looked in their usual hangouts. No Shikamaru! She went around to his house, and hesitantly knocked on his front door. The opened, and there stood Shikamaru's father.

"Hello Mr. Nara. Is Shikamaru here?" Ino questioned.

"Oh, hello Ino. Yeah he's upstairs in his room. You can go right up he's not doing anything, I think," Mr. Nara told her. Ino nodded, thanked him, and went upstairs to Shikamaru's. She knocked on his door, but no answer. She knocked again, and still no answer. She turned the doorknob, and the door slowly, creaked open. She poked her head, but she didn't see anything or anyone. She slowly walked in; as she walked in she looked around noticing all the pictures of him and his family. She walked closer; not paying attention to where she was walking, she banged into his bed. She saw something move under the covers, she wasn't sure if it was Shikamaru or not. The lump had moved again; she pulled the blanket off. She gasped when she saw Shikamaru in his bed with only his boxers on. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks as she saw Shikamaru's eyes slowly open.

"Wha… what the hell!? Ino what the hell are you doing here?" Shikamaru questioned while blushing madly.

" I…uh just wanted to know where you were," Ino replied. Shikamaru got up, walked toward his clothes draw, put some pants on, and exclaimed, " There has to be another reason. If you really wanted to know you could of called."

"Well there is. I… uh…um," Ino stuttered. Shikamaru looked at her with an impatient expression, "C'mon Ino spit it out! You know I wont ridicule or make fun of you."

" I know…"

"So just say it!"

Ino gulped and licked her lips, " how…how…do you…." She took one last breath and blurted out, " Feel about me?"

Shikamaru nearly chocked on the air he was breathing. He looked at her with widened eyes, and exclaimed while chocking on his words, " Ino…I can't really say with you here, the only person I really told was Chouji."

" Then pretend I'm Chouji, please I just really need to know so I can get this off my chest!" Ino told him.

Shikamaru sighed, shook his head, and said, " Ok fine but you have to turn around." Ino sighed, turned around and questioned, " so Shikamaru how do feel about Ino?"

" I think Ino is very smart, pretty, and brave."

" What else?"

"I like how she's very out going, and free spirited."

" And…"

"Ok, Ok 'Chouji'. My favorite thing about her is her eyes. I like how when you look in them you can see the world. When she smiles you can't help but to smile because it's so warming and sweet. So I guess I don't know how I feel about her, but I know I like her more than a friend."

Ino felt like she was going to cry; one: because she was happy he said all that about her, and two: because she was sad that he didn't say he loved her. Right now all she knew was that she loved him.