A/N: Oops, kinda posted it later than I said I would, sorries... BTW, everyone, I'm kind of a like-to-be-lonely person (lol) so sorry, sorry, so so sorry if I don't answer PMs/reviews/stuff instantly (yes, I have been pushing it off for a month). But, just so you all know, I'm doing it to basically EVERYONE, so no one can worry about being excluded, hehe. Anyway, wrote this for Ino's and Shika's birthday actually, and it's really weird. I've never written InoxShika before, but whatever... Hope it's okay. I wrote this months ago. Enjoy!!

Rays of a Setting Sun
By SpacePirateGirl

It was a disaster and a pleasure to love. It was a disaster to pour one's heart out to somebody who didn't love in return. It was a pleasure to feel giddy and atop the whole world.

It was chaos trying to fit the happiness and heartbreak together as one.

We were born only a day apart. The month of September, on the twenty-second and the twenty-third. I was only a day younger than him, only a day. So close in age, yet so far apart in feelings. One could call us opposites. He used his shadows, forming black, while I was labeled as bright. We both formed the yin-yang.

But there were problems between us. Everyone had their disagreements, and two as different as Shikamaru Nara and I tended to argue a lot. We had plenty of differences to never grow tired of fighting.

Of course, he was lazy. He called everything that needed his energy "troublesome" and a "pain." On the other hand, I was always ready for anything, jumping for action. Standing still destroyed my patience—which there was little of. Shikamaru didn't understand why love was important. I lived for love. I would die for it.

I remembered the day at the academy when we were assigned to Genin squads. I was so angry that Sakura had been picked for Sasuke's team. And Shikamaru had teased me. We had argued that day, and I ended up being on his team instead.

Over the few months filled with more bickering, my love for Sasuke began to disappear. I didn't notice at first. Habits were hard to break, and the only habit I had known was to love Sasuke and swoon over his every move. But at the second part of the Chunin exams, I had felt a strange new feeling arising, one that had nothing to do with Sasuke at all.

Shikamaru had backed me up when I flung myself in the way of Sakura being murdered. I had saved her, knowing I would be diving into a pit of failure as well. And my teammate had followed me into that sinking pit without another thought. That was when my love for Sasuke died.

But habits were still hard to break.

On the surface, everyone, including Shikamaru Nara, believed my crush on Sasuke still remained. How wrong they were.

"Shikamaru, you go to that hospital every day," Ino complained as they walked down the streets. "Kurenai's fine. I'm sure."

He shrugged her words off. Shikamaru was different now. He wasn't the same as that lazy, little bum he had been three years ago. With Asuma out of the picture—she really missed him so much—he had taken on more responsibilities, had begun to carry more burdens. As a result, he appeared far older than he had ever been before.

He made her feel young.

"I know Kurenai's fine," Shikamaru finally answered. "Still that's no reason to avoid seeing her."

"But every day?" Ino complained. "Twice a week, sure, but all the time . . . It takes forever."

He shrugged again. "Whatever. It's not like you had to come."

Her cheeks stung as a blush came to her face. She regretted her words, and how she had said him. Asuma and Kurenai's child was important to Shikamaru, and what was important to him was important to her. An act of loyalty for a teammate, one could call it—but Ino had lost all her feelings of friendship for him a long time ago.

"Sorry," she apologized clearly, though she knew it was strange for her to take her words back.

He stopped, and she halted her steps with him, her body in perfect sync with his. "You know," he started, "you've been acting pretty strange lately."

"Uh, I have?" His birthday was coming up—one more day—and she had, of course, already found him a present. Hopefully he would like it. And then a day after his birthday was hers. Would he get her something? They were no longer teammates, but they were still friends. Would he even remember her on that special day?

Shikamaru nodded, scrutinizing her carefully. "We haven't argued in days, even though I've given you plenty of opportunities to. You feeling all right?"

She laughed hysterically, nervousness plaguing her voice. "Oh, me? I'm great! I guess I'm just sick of arguing." It was a really lame excuse, and he wasn't buying it.

"Mm-hm," he replied sarcastically, though he said nothing else and continued walking down the road.

Ino hurried to keep up with his long strides. After Asuma's death, his pace had even changed. He was more firm with his footsteps; he was sure on where he was going and he wanted to go there.

Ironic really. All that time, Shikamaru had been paying attention to me, and the one time I actually paid attention to him, he hadn't noticed. He'd been off in his own world, staring at the clouds, sleeping in until noon—instead of purposefully pestering me about my crush on Sasuke.

Finally I had realized why. He was in love, himself, and not with me. I had remembered Temari of the Sand from the Chunin exams. I remembered how she had been put up against Shikamaru in the final matches, and how he had lost yet still become a Chunin.

Yet never in my wildest nightmares could I envision Shikamaru Nara, the laziest, smartest Chunin in the entire village, paired up with Temari of the Sand, vicious, bulky woman that was hardly pretty at all. There was at least a foot difference in height, after all!

I supposed they had something in common. Though Temari would never be a match for his IQ, they both shared a sense of brilliance, of genius. They were both hugely intelligent.

And I was left in the dark.

The yin-yang. We both were opposites, we both possessed different shades, and we both were very different. The yin-yang was an opposite that formed a whole. Didn't opposites attract? Couldn't they cover each other's weaknesses and enhance each other's strengths?

I had seen us in battle. He used his shadow, and I used my mind control sequentially. It had always worked out in the end.

Until the battles got rougher, and I got overwhelmed. I loved Shikamaru, and that was all I could think about. Nothing else—no battles, no techniques, and only him. He loved Temari, and I couldn't get the jealousy out of my mind.

But happy endings weren't always made in stone. Temari had one thin weakness. She attacked when somebody was upset. She was powerful, powerful enough to target someone who was down. And when Shikamaru was sent off to his doom to bring back Sasuke, Temari had saved him, insulted him, and completely hurt him when he lost his fight against Tayuya and watched all his friends find their death beds.

She had killed his feelings for him, and my feelings were still alive. I had seen it as a new beginning—a new chance.

His birthday had finally arrived. Ino had put his gift inside a box and used the finest wrapping paper she could buy to decorate it. After putting a bow on top, she decided she was ready to give it to him.

Hoping to find him before he left to check on Kurenai early in the morning, Ino raced down the streets to his home. He was no longer a late-sleeper. Surprisingly enough, he had become the early bird, instead of her even.

But there was one thing that had remained the same. Three years ago, Shikamaru Nara had despised parties. He had hated having to small-talk with everyone, had loathed buying presents over some simple party, and never in his life had celebrated his own birthday party.

Over the three years that had passed, Ino was glad to say he had not changed in that aspect. Except there was one tiny problem—he had never bought her a present for her birthday either. And her birthday was tomorrow. The chances of receiving a gift were next to nothing.

She reached his house in minutes, having memorized its location. Her hand came up quickly and knocked on the door three times.

He must have already been on his way out, for the door opened immediately. Ino sighed with relief when she saw his face. She had made it just in time.

"What are you doing here?" he said, a regular greeting that she had learned to expect after getting to know him.

She took a moment to catch her breath, and then held out her arms holding a present. "Happy birthday!" she exclaimed.

The look on his face frowned in surprise at first, but then the frown turned to annoyance. "Ino, I told you not to get me anything."

She knew this was coming, and although the bitter carelessness broke her heart, she had a plausible retort. "Don't worry, I didn't spend a dime," she promised, and extended the gift out closer to him. "Please," she added. "Just this once?"

He sighed, and took the gift from her hands.

About to set it back in his home without opening it, she grabbed his arm. "Open it now please?"

"Kurenai's about to leave the hospital," he countered. "I have to get there first."

"Fine." Ino bit back the tears threatening to surface. "Open it while we walk."

He shrugged and closed his door behind him, taking the present, too. While they walked at a quick pace, he ripped open the wrapping paper, and opened the box. Ino's blue eyes searched his face for any reaction, once he saw what was inside.

"It's a picture frame," he commented dryly. "With a price tag on it."

Ino laughed. "It's my mom's, and she gave it to me. I didn't spend a dime." Then reaching into her pocket, she soon held a small photograph out for him. "And here's the picture!" she said, tossing it into his hands.

She had insisted on taking that photo three years ago. After spending time with Sakura, she had noticed her picture of Team Seven standing on her dresser in her room. Jealousy had tormented her, until she forced her own team to get a picture of themselves. Of course, Chouji had been the only one besides her who had gotten a copy of the picture, so she knew Shikamaru didn't have one. She would give him hers, and a picture frame to go with.

His face showed no emotion as he stared at the photograph, but his legs stopped moving immediately when he saw it.

Ino wasn't sure of his reaction. She had been positive that he would love it! And it was really heartbreaking to lose her only picture with Asuma in it.

"This . . . is yours," he spoke slowly.

Yes, it was hard to let go of the picture. But her love for him was enough to grant the permission. "No," she whispered tearfully. "It's yours now. Happy birthday."

They stood in silence for a long minute. Shikamaru stared at the picture while she stared at the ground, feeling helpless. Didn't he like it? Wouldn't he make some sign? He had to. It was the least he could do after her tears of loss when she decided to let it go and give it to him.

"Ino," Shikamaru suddenly said, and she looked up at him instantly. "Thank you."

He really meant the gratefulness, too! She had never heard him say the words with such meaning. So he did like it. "Sure," she said, and wiped away the tears that had come. "You're going to miss Kurenai," she reminded.

He shook his head. "It's okay if I do. Just this once."

Her courage had taken an astounding leap at that moment, that moment when he told her he cared. "Shikamaru?"

"Yeah?" His eyes stared her down, knowing her words would be why she had been acting so weird.

But Ino had known all her life that actions spoke louder than words. Taking a step forward, she pressed her lips onto his, ignoring any reaction that he might have. At first, she could sense his shock as he just stood still, letting her display her undying love. Then for a moment he returned her feelings, and she felt overjoyed.

Until his last reaction was resistance.

Shikamaru Nara pulled away from her dreams for reality.

"I'm . . ." His voice cracked, and she knew from being his teammate for all those years that he wanted to cry or at least, look gloomy for the rest of the day. His eyes suddenly found a rock on the ground very interesting, and he was frowning as if the pressure held back any tears. "I'm . . . sorry, Ino, but . . ."

She knew what he was saying, and she didn't want to hear anymore. Ino took a desperate sprint across the road—anywhere, just away from him. Tears ran down her face. She couldn't remember the last time she had really cried.

"Ino!" Shikamaru called after her, though she knew full well he really didn't want her to come back, he really didn't want to say the words of heartbreak, the "I don't love you back."

Ino kept running. She had never run so fast in her life.

Over the three years that had passed, I had never really gathered up my courage to ask him one simple question. "Do you love me?" The thought had crossed my mind several times, of course, but I was positively avoiding any possible leads to pronouncing my deep love for him.

It was embarrassing after all. Loving somebody like him? The bored, lazy genius. The guy who always slept through lessons instead of listening—though his intelligence was never affected.

And besides, everybody still thought I loved Sasuke.

When Sai, an ANBU who held an uncanny resemblance to my long, lost crush, had arrived, the habits had returned, and I had pretended to love him. But I knew it was fake. I knew I was just desperate to avoid spilling the truth to my true love. Wasn't it easier to say you loved somebody when you really didn't care what the answer was?

And I didn't care one bit if Sai loved me.

But Shikamaru's answer was my everything—and my nothing since I never really got around to finding it.

Besides, I was still embarrassed, even after three years.

Then there was the loss that hit all of us the hardest. Asuma had died. Kurenai, me, Chouji, and especially Shikamaru—we were all confused and disoriented after his death. But that was when Shikamaru Nara began to change. He was not the lazy idiot of the class anymore. He was still a great genius, but he used his knowledge, instead of letting it rest around like some old clothes torn up and shredded.

My embarrassment faded away from my view. I had no reason to be shy of him anymore. I was in love, and I wanted to make it obvious.

But shyness crept up on a girl fast, just as easily as embarrassment did, no matter how much she needed to rid herself of it. I was an unlucky girl—and shyness's next target.

That was when Shikamaru had labeled me as "strange." Every day I walked with him to see Kurenai, he asked me what had gotten into me, why I was so weird lately, why I actually seemed to care? I would have answered honestly if I could have. But love was a strange thing, and it never could be spoken by a victim of its cruelty.

Because love was cruel to me. Love had put me through all this pain. And still after all of that, I never wanted to let it go.

And if he ever couldn't return my feelings when I asked him that one question, I needed and loathed an answer to, I knew I would have to let it go.

With Shikamaru's words, Ino had just let her love go. Another day had passed. She could hardly remember what had occurred when she got home yesterday. All she knew was that there had been a lot of tears and a lot of tissue. There hadn't been much of anything else—including sleep.

Her birthday present was a nice refusal from Shikamaru.

Suddenly a knock came on the door, and Ino rose to answer it. Looking through the window as she went to see who it was, she saw Sakura, waiting patiently, and Naruto, tapping his foot against the sidewalk. Ino nearly smiled when she saw them, for she was glad the two were finally expressing their feelings for each other. Her desire of a smile died when she realized how much she envied the two.

Ino checked her appearance in a mirror. Her blonde hair was down, for she had been to careless to put in the high ponytail. Reluctantly her hands quickly came up and did her hair. Her indigo eyes were red and puffy. There was nothing she could do about that. After a slight re-check, she noticed her hair looked messy, and that putting it in a ponytail did no good. So she took it out again.

The knock rapped harder on the door.

"I'm coming!" she called, keeping her voice steady and calm.

Finally she opened her front door.

Naruto grinned when he saw her and exclaimed a, "Happy birthday!" He was usually oblivious to things. Ino wasn't surprised.

Sakura, on the other hand, was stunned at her friend's appearance. Things didn't get past her easily. She was what one might call very perceptive and observant. She noticed the recently crying eyes on Ino's face, the messy hair.

"Thanks for coming, Naruto and Sakura," Ino said, and let them in halfheartedly. She had planned on having a party, but knowing Shikamaru would never come, she didn't really want one.

Sakura held out a wrapped box in one hand. It was a tiny box, and Ino wondered what it was as she took it—all thought of Shikamaru was lost for the moment.

"This is from both of us," Sakura explained, smiling nervously. Ino knew she wasn't sure what to do about her friend's depressed appearance.

"Thanks, you guys," Ino said, and opened it. It was a tiny box, and she opened that as well, only to find a pretty opal necklace that looked quite expensive. "Oh, you shouldn't have," she said gratefully as Sakura put the necklace around her neck.

"Sure, we should have," Naruto argued. "It's your birthday after all."

Ino smiled at Naruto. Then she felt Sakura pat her on the back before returning to Naruto's side.

Suddenly Sakura held out another small wrapped present. It was very tiny, at least two inches on each side. She took it curiously, and inspected it.

"That's from Shikamaru," Sakura explained. "He . . . Well, he's had it ready for a while now, and wanted to give it to you in person, but . . ."

He didn't want to see her again.

Naruto finished for Sakura: "We were coming here anyway, so he asked us to give it you."

Ino smiled weakly. "Oh, thanks for bringing it here." She placed it on a stool next to the wall.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Sakura asked.

Ino shook her head. She wasn't ready for anything that had to do with Shikamaru. And any present would just be too much. It kind of hurt to think that he had bought it for her, even just as a friend, and then Ino had torn their friendship into pieces. So she didn't want to think about it. The present would lay wrapped in some drawer forever.

Naruto suddenly began walking toward the door, unaware of the hidden and silent conversation between the two girls. "Well, Jiraiya's expecting me to go train, so see ya! Sorry!" Then he was gone.

Sakura stared at Ino, and embarrassed, Ino scrutinized the floor.

"You should open it," she said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Maybe later."

Sakura sighed quite audibly, and reached into her pocket. "This is also from him," she explained, holding out a letter.

Ino reached for it and also set it beside the unopened present.

"Ino," Sakura began slowly, "I know what happened yesterday. And it's not at all what you think it is. You really should open it. He told me to make sure you did today . . . So he would know something . . ." She was being very vague.

The blonde took the letter from the stool and opened it carefully. Her eyes hesitated to read. Her heart had rose into her throat, and she could barely breathe.

Sakura placed a hand on Ino's shoulder, and finally she was able to concentrate.

Happy birthday, Ino. About yesterday. I don't know what I was thinking. But I have had this for a long time, and finally decided to make it your present. I would have given it to you a while ago, but you know how much of a lazy ass I was back then. I was sometimes a nervous-wreck, too, even though nobody would of guessed. Please forgive me and at least look at the present. You don't have to answer, once you find out what it is. I'll know when I see your hand.

A confused expression found its way onto Ino's face, and she glanced up to see Sakura laughing.

Was there some nasty joke sent to humiliate her after breaking her heart again? And she thought these people were her friends . . . She still hesitated to open the present as tears swarmed up in her eyes.

"Come on, Ino," Sakura whispered. "I promise you won't cry about this anymore if you open it. Really, you don't look like it's your birthday at all, so open it."

What the hell were they trying to do to her? Well, whatever it was, she was a big girl, and she could handle the pressure. She could handle . . . whatever Shikamaru had given her as a present.

Opening the wrapping paper softly, she saw a square, tiny jewelry box, smaller than her hand. Opening it, a small slip of paper fell out, and she reached down to pick it up. Somehow she saw both the message on the paper and the jewelry in the box at the same time. This was . . .

If she hadn't been thinking the smallest bit, she would have dropped the jewelry box and the paper-slip.

The ring had a golden band, and it fit on her finger nicely. It was opal, her favorite jewel, and she knew he had thought a lot about this. Her attention turned back to the message written on the piece of paper:

Ino Yamanaka, will you marry me?

Tears of happiness fresh in her eyes, Ino glared back up at Sakura. "You promised I wouldn't cry."

I had always wondered what would happen if he actually proposed to me. Of course, my dreams were always far-fetched. I mostly always pictured the setting after I had said yes. And when I pictured the actual proposal, I pictured him kneeling down—which was something he would never do—and holding out the ring to me like I was some princess. Hopelessly romantic . . .

But romantic things were not why I loved Shikamaru. I loved him because he was my opposite, and we made the perfect team. I respected him, and eventually had grown to love him.

At least, all my fairy tales had been face-to-face. I had never expected a written proposal, one that all the ladies in the olden days would receive.

Yet something about it was romantic.

As the possible answers, yes, no, maybe so, tugged at my heart, I was surprised that there was an actual choice. I had always believed I would say yes, and there would be no ifs about it. Never in my entire life had I realized that I could say no.

It was a hard choice. But it was a choice I made in a second, the second that felt like a year. I loved Shikamaru. And my answer would always be yes now without a second-thought.

Ino ran down the streets, late at night, where he usually went to his favorite spot to watch the sunsets or watch the clouds. From experience, she knew that was where he just thought about things. And from the big decision he had just made, he was sure to be thinking a lot.

The ring was a perfect fit on her finger. Ino wasn't even sure how he had acquired her finger size, but somehow he had. The snugness her wedding ring had definitely not just been a guess on Shikamaru Nara's part.

She finally reached his special place and sure enough, found him staring at the setting sun.

"Shikamaru?" she said softly, her heart beating in her chest. What if he changed his mind? What if this was just a joke? What if . . . No, what-ifs were to be laid purely forgotten in the dust until she got answers.

He didn't move, but acknowledged her presence by saying, "Yeah?"

Doesn't he want to see if I'm wearing his ring?

"Um . . ." Ino began hesitantly. "I got your present . . . Thank you very much. I loved it." It sounded completely corny, but at least, he would know what she was saying.

Finally he glanced at her, avoiding the sight of her hand. At that instant, she realized he was scared of looking. The same doubts in her own mind were passing through his. She could tell from the thin line of worry that sometimes appeared between his eyebrows.

Shikamaru Nara sat up from his laid out position, and she blushed at seeing him and knowing that she could be his.

For a long time they just stood there, staring at each other, afraid of each other, yet loving each other. Ino couldn't stand to leave him hanging for so long. She said suddenly, "My answer's yes." She held up her hand showing the beautiful ring on her fourth finger. "It's beautiful."

The opal shined in the rays of sunlight cast upon them. Maybe he had planned this out from the beginning, for the necklace Sakura and Naruto had gotten her matched perfectly.

Shikamaru Nara for once in his life was speechless, and Ino wanted to laugh at the stunned expression on his face.

"Why?" she asked nervously, hating to ruin the mood. But one question was destroying any hope of sanity that she had. "Why didn't you tell me yesterday?"

He looked down to the ground, and she realized that he had noticed her puffy eyes and messy hair. "I'm sorry. I had no idea," he apologized quietly. "First, I wanted it to be your birthday present . . . It didn't feel right to ask you yesterday. And second, I had no idea you would break out crying and run away. I was a little surprised."

She smiled and sat down next to him. She hated to see him upset on her account. "Well, it's just yesterday. Today's what counts most, right?"

He shrugged, as he did frequently when she asked a rhetorical question that he didn't really feel like answering. Reaching out, she grabbed his hand, and squeezed it. He squeezed back in response.

"How long have you had this gift?" Ino asked curiously, gazing out at the sunset. Her heart was screaming with joy, but somehow with Shikamaru at her side, she managed not to jump up and cheer for the first time in her life.

"Two years," he answered with ease.

Two whole years? Two whole years they had both had feelings for each other and hadn't known the other felt the same?

"But I've had feelings for you since the moment I saw you," he concluded, grinning a little.

Stunned, Ino gaped at him. "Are you kidding me?"

"Nope." His grin grew wider.

Well, truthfully she had feelings for him from the very beginning as well. Her crush on Sasuke had blinded her, but she had grown to learn that her love for Shikamaru existed.

"Shikamaru?"

"Yeah?"

It was the way most of their conversations started. To a spectator, it would be a bit funny, but between the two of them, it was as if she wanted to ask something personal or say something important, and he was granting her permission.

"Thanks for loving me," Ino said.

Shikamaru slung an arm around her shoulder—an acknowledgment to her words. "Thanks for loving me back."

They gazed at the setting sun, the beauty that had brought them together forever.