Wrong, wrong, wrong, this is wrong.
Ino was walking down the isle of a church. A church where a wedding was taking place. A beautiful church which she had always wanted her wedding to be in. And the man before her was the man she desperately wanted to marry.
But this was not her wedding. He was not her soon-to-be husband. And she was not walking down the isle in the beautiful wedding dress that she had wanted from the store downtown.
No, Ino was the maid of honor, not the bride. She was in a purple chiffon evening dress, not a white wedding dress. And the man before her was not marrying her like she wanted him to…no he was marrying the gorgeous woman in the white wedding dress behind Ino.
Shikamaru was not marrying her…he was marrying that bitch Temari.
She glanced behind her and Temari gave her a nervous smile. She quickly looked ahead of her again. This was so wrong. She had to contain herself just so she wouldn't jump onto Shikamaru screaming about betrayal and telling him what she really thought.
Oh how she wanted to do that. Oh how she wanted to run, and run, and never stop. Oh how she wanted to scream and hit Temari and Shikamaru till they both came to their senses. Till they both realized how wrong this was!
But she couldn't do that. She couldn't hurt them that way. As much of a bitch as Temari was, and even though she had stolen Ino's precious Shika, she still loved Temari like a dear sister.
They had become close as they went on missions together and helped each other out. But then Temari and Shika started dating. That's when everything went wrong in Ino's life.
Shikamaru had always been there for her. He had always helped her when she needed him. He had dealt with her when she was being difficult, and he had protected her on countless missions.
And Ino had fallen for him, oh she had fallen hard.
Well, as she looked at it Sasuke was now out of the question. For one he was going out with Sakura, and had even talked of asking her to marry him. Then Ino really didn't care anymore, not after he left Sakura like he had and then how he'd treated them all. She couldn't care less about Sasuke.
She had never liked Naruto, and even if she had it would be pretty hard to get him alone in Hawaii and away from his new bride Hinata. In fact the only reason they were back was because of this damned wedding.
And then everyone else Ino either would never think of dating, or they were taken. Well maybe she'd go out with Kiba, but he was with Lily (cough the writer cough). And so she had turned her attention to Shika, and had realized, she had always loved him, she had just been distracted by Sasuke's hotness!
So she had planned to ask him out on that Valentine's Day. She could still remember that day perfectly…
"Do you think he'll like it?" Sakura looked at the heart shaped wreath of daisies in her arms.
"Baka! Haven't you learned by now? Sasuke-kun will love anything you get him! I just hope Shikamaru likes what I got him." Ino looked at the tiny box in her hands inside of which lay a small metal heart with a black metal shadow of it attached. It was on a black leather strip and as gay and girly as it sounds it looked completely like something a guy would wear.
"I think he'll love it Ino." Sakura lightly touched her arm then looked at the clock on the wall. "Is it really that late!!!? Sorry Ino I've gotta go!!" Sakura ran out the door of the flower shop and around the corner as fast as she possibly could, messing up the hair-do she had spent practically all morning on.
Ino laughed at the sight of Sakura running in a green kimono with a beautiful green sash and cherry blossom design. Ino wouldn't be surprised if Sakura tripped, or ruined the beautiful gown…or did both. She then began to head out the door with her present for Shikamaru in hand. She searched all over for him but she couldn't find him anywhere. She huffed out an angry breathe as she sat down to think where Shikamaru could be.
Maybe he's at the field on the edge of the forest; you can see the clouds clearly there. Ino thought as she got up and began to head over to that field.
Ino began to pick up her pace when she saw Shikamaru in the distance, but slowed down again when she saw he wasn't alone. Temari was with him…and they were holding hands.
Ino simply stood there unable to move. If she could listen she could hear them talking.
"Temari will you go out with me? Please?"
"But I thought you liked Ino."
"I did, but she's been ignoring me lately so I thought maybe she doesn't like me, ya know, that way. And I've always really liked you Temari. Always."
Ino couldn't breathe anymore. She had been ignoring Shikamaru so she wouldn't let anything slip about her surprise to ask him out on Valentine's Day. No, she must have heard wrong. This was all a bad dream, she was going to wake up, and this would all be a very bad dream.
Ino squeezed her eyes shut, but she didn't wake up. She looked over to where Shikamaru and Temari stood. She watched in horror as Shika, her Shika, the one she was going to confess her love to today and live happily ever after with, pulled that sand girl with the retarded pigtails closer until they're faces met and they kissed.
Ino couldn't take it. She threw her present on the ground and turned and ran away from the now broken necklace, tears streaming down her face. Her and Shikamaru? No, that would never happen, he loved Temari and Temari loved him. Shika didn't love her. Nobody did.
She was alone.
Ino closed her eyes, and then opened them again, begging the tears that were threatening to come out to stay put.
But she couldn't help it, a single tear slide down her perfect face. A tear as perfect and more valuable than all the diamonds of the world put together.
And Shikamaru saw that perfect tear. And he felt that he wanted to run over to Ino and wipe away that tear. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, and hold her tight, and protect her forever. But then he looked at Temari. The beautiful goddess in white who he was about to marry.
But the thing was he felt no emotions as he looked at her. He did not feel his heart flip and his stomach summersault and feel as if he would die if he didn't kiss her right then. No that only happened when he looked at Ino.
He wanted to kick himself. Why had he ever asked Temari out? He was in love with Ino and he knew it; so why did he go ahead and ask Temari to marry him?
He could still remember that horrid valentine's day when all this had started…
"So are ya gonna ask her out?" Chouji asked between bites of the potato chips he was eating.
"Ask who?"
Chouji rolled his eyes. "Ino that's who Baka. I know you like her." Shikamaru looked at his hands. Yeah he did like Ino. A lot. But she had been completely ignoring him. And when he'd offered to walk her home after that mission with the stolen scrolls she had just said no point blank and then she'd run from him!
A guy could take a hint, especially a guy as smart as he was.
"No, I'm gonna ask out Temari. She's hot, noble, powerful, strong, all that shit, I like her." Chouji's face fell as he heard this. "What?! I don't like Ino ok?"
Chouji sighed. "Ok, but I always thought you two were perfect together." He said as he walked away.
Yeah, so did I
So the next day Shikamaru had asked out Temari, and she'd said yes. And that's when Ino really started ignoring him. And as smart as Shikamaru was he never caught on why that was.
A single unwanted tear fell down Shikamaru cheek. Like the summer rain that everyone has wished for. That precious and rare rain.
And Temari saw that tear. And she felt weird. She loved Shikamaru, yes but…not the way she wished she could. She knew he still loved Ino, and Ino loved him, that much was obvious. But the thing was…she also loved someone.
And unfortunately he was not her husband-to-be. It was that Chouji boy. The first time she had seen him he had been fat and ugly. But now he had lost weight, ha had trained and had become an amazing ninja. He was caring and sweet; he was the kind of boy who would go out of his way to make any girl he was with happy. He was the kind of boy Temari loved.
And yet she was still going to marry Shikamaru. She couldn't turn back now…could she? No, no she couldn't. It was all set, it was the perfect wedding on the outside, but everyone knew it was a nightmare on the inside.
And finally Sakura couldn't take it. She stood up. Yes in the middle of the ceremony from where she was sitting in the front row with Sasuke and Naruto.
"What the hell do you think your doing?" Sasuke looked mad.
"Yeah, sit down Sakura-Chan!" Naruto looked confused.
"Oh shut-up!" Sakura snapped. Everyone was now looking at her as she marched up to the front of the church where a bewildered Temari, Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji stood. And one by one she smacked the all. HARD.
"Baka! Baka! Baka! You are all so stupid! God I want hit you all so much harder right now!" Everyone stared in surprise at the petal haired girl at the alter; what the hell was she thinking?
"You guys have got it all wrong! You're marrying all the wrong people! What are you all just gonna go along with it and marry someone you don't love?" She turned to Ino, "Are you just going to stand there you moron? Your madly in love with Shikamaru and your just gonna stand there?"
Ino turned bright red as Shikamaru looked at her in surprise she's madly in love with me??? No I heard wrong, she's been ignoring me, not flirting with me…unless it was because she was mad at me for going out with Temari…
Sakura then turned to Shikamaru. "And I know you are madly in love with Ino!!! So what the hell are you doing marrying Temari you bastard!! You should be with Ino. I remember once you told me you wished I'd get Sasuke's love so you could get Ino's! Well wake up! That happened only you were a complete fag and asked out Temari instead of Ino! What did you mix 'em up or something??" Sakura knew she was being harsh, but they were all so stupid!
"And Temari I see the way you look at Chouji! So why are you with this guy?" She jabbed her thumb at Shikamaru. "And I know I said I wouldn't tell anyone but Chouji but are you really gonna stand by and let your best friend marry the love of your life?
Temari blinked, she was love of Chouji's life? Yeah, right, that would be her dream come true, but then again why would Sakura lit like that?
"Sakura…it's not as easy as you think..." Shikamaru began but he was cut off by Sakura.
"Yes it is!!! All that has to happen is for you to grab Ino desperately kiss her and marry her and not Temari and for Chouji and Temari to do the same!!!" Sakura began panting. Wow was yelling tiring!
Chouji turned to Temari. "If I kissed you right now and asked you to marry me…would you say yes?"
Temari smiled at him, maybe dreams did come true. She then turned to Shikamaru. "Sorry Shika-kun, but I love Chouji! I don't mean to betray you, but it seems that you have someone of your own too." She then turned back to Chouji who proceeded to pull her into him and kiss her softly and lovingly, just like Temari ha always wanted him to.
Shikamaru looked at Ino and sighed. "I thought you hated me Ino, so I asked Temari out instead."
Ino looked down, tears now spilling out of her eyes freely. "I know. The day you asked her out I was trying to find you so I could ask you out and give you this stupid boy necklace…"
"You mean this one?" Shikamaru pulled a small necklace out from under his shirt where it had been hidden. It was the necklace Ino had planned on giving Shikamaru, but had ended up dropping in the grass. "I found it broken in the grass and fixed it." Shikamaru smiled "in fact the only thing I love more than this necklace is the girl who was gonna give it to me."
He pulled Ino into his arms and kissed her hard and passionately and she kissed him back, tears still spilling down her face, only now they were tears of happiness.
Sakura smiled then turned and went to her seat where she sat down between a shocked Sasuke and Naruto. "That's what I was doing!" She said happily then proceeded to lean into Sasuke who smiled and wrapped his arms around her shoulders as they watched their friends try to explain to the minister that plans had changed and now he had to perform two weddings at once.
And as Shikamaru kissed his new bride Ino at the end of the ceremony all Ino could think was…
Right, right, right, this is so right! Thank-you Sakura-San! You're the greatest friend ever!