Summary: AU. The day Ino met her first friend, she also met the love of her life. Part 2 of 3.


The cafe was Ino's favorite place in the whole world. It was small, quaint, and it had pastries to die for. The twenty-five year old brushed her long blonde hair across her shoulder as she stared out the window.

She'd come a long way from that chubby little girl with no friends. Now she was thin, kickass and the envy of thousands of girls around the country. It was funny how a stuffed animal on its last legs and a boy she didn't even know had given her the courage to make something of herself.

Her pink haired friend watched her over the rim of her latte and smiled. "Something wrong, Ino?"

Ino sniffed and grinned at her best friend. "Nah, Sakura, I'm just feeling kind of nostalgic, ya know? It's been awhile since I've been in Konoha."

She was remembering her younger days. When she'd been alone and a big crybaby, and she'd met her knight in shining armor, who'd left her a noble servant for her to cuddle with and be comforted by during rough times. She chuckled at her own girlish fantasies.

"Ah," Sakura said in understanding. She had met Ino in middle school and the two had both become fast friends-and rivals-over their mutual infatuation with Uchiha Sasuke. Sakura had helped Ino with her dieting, and Ino had in turn helped Sakura get over her issues with her forehead.

In the end, both girls had realized how childish it was to compete over a boy more interested in himself and improved themselves for their own satisfaction.

"Who would've thought that Ino-pig would become a famous model?" Sakura said, cheekily, raising her latte in a playful salute.

"I know, right?" Ino agreed, eyes misted over with the memories of teasing and loneliness that had dominated her life before she'd met Sakura. She smiled and tapped her own cappuccino against Sakura's cup. "Good things come to those who work for it, right Forehead?"

"Here here!"

The faint jingle of the cafe doors opening briefly caught their attention and both women glanced over like the nosy females they were.

Ino's breath caught.

The man who had just walked in was beyond hot. He was goddamn sizzling. Even Sakura had sat up a little straighter in her seat to give him a more thorough once over.

Crimson locks fell messily over an equally red tattoo; just beneath the oddly bright hair color, Ino caught a glimpse of delicate, yet firmly chiseled features that made the man toe the fine line between pretty and handsome. The striking eyes that were somewhere between green and blue made something in Ino click with recognition. Her own baby blues stared intensely at the fine male specimen making his way to the counter to order.

"Holy shit, Ino!" Sakura whispered, dramatically fanning herself. "Did we just die and go to heaven?"

"Heh, it's possible," Ino joked distractedly, eyes still on the strange male. I swear I've seen him somewhere before, but where?

"Jeez Ino, you'd think you were trying to stare a hole in the guy's head or strip him down with your eyes with how hard you're glaring at him."

Ino blushed as the stranger looked over, his eyes immediately meeting her own. She quickly looked away, and scowled at her pink haired friend, who was snickering at the exchange. "Shut up, Forehead!" she growled, sipping at her drink as casually as possible.

After she was certain her cheeks had cooled, Ino flipped her hair over one eye, artfully keeping it hidden so that she could discreetly peek through the thick strands. The man was sitting in one of the single booths, a newspaper and some steaming beverage in hand. A small, nondescript pair of glasses was perched precariously on his nose, and Ino had to resist the urge to tug them up and open the top two buttons on his dress shirt. The guy was model material and damn fine to boot.

"-over there already, Ino," Sakura muttered, and Ino blinked in surprise as she glanced back at her bestie.

"Huh?" she asked, rather lost.

Sakura sighed in annoyance. "Go talk to him already! You obviously want to, and he's been peeking over here at you since you first started staring at him." The pink haired woman smirked. "Maybe he digs crazy stalker blondes though, Pig."

"Oh, bite me," Ino automatically retorted, rapidly gathering her stuff so that they could leave. Sakura merely snickered and grasped her own cup as she followed.

As they made to pass by, a calloused hand latched onto her wrist, and Ino stopped in surprise. The redhead stared at her, his brilliant teal eyes both curious and slightly wary. "You look familiar," he said in a soft, yet deep, raspy voice. "Have we met before?"

"Oh, like she hasn't heard that before," Ino heard Sakura mutter, but the blonde was too busy taking in those striking features of his from up close to really take much notice of her friend as the other woman rolled her eyes and walked out of the cafe.

"I felt the same," she admitted, feeling oddly disappointed when the stranger suddenly released her wrist. "Did you live here in Konoha?"

"I left when I was I was six," the man said apologetically. "I was pretty quiet and sickly before I left to live with my uncle," he explained, and again Ino felt that quiet click of recognition in her brain.

Could he be...?

"Did...did you have a little teddy bear," she ventured, eyes entirely focused on his face for a response; if she hadn't been looking she would have missed the subtle flicker of surprise that crossed the man's eyes."...one that was missing an eye that you gave to a little girl?"

"Yeah," the man admitted, glancing away with a hint of embarrassment. Ino felt her lips twitch at the faint redness covering the bridge of his cute nose.

I was right! She grinned at him, her eyes triumphant as she checked him out once more. "You certainly grew up well, my knight in shining armor!"

"You...you did well for yourself," the man murmured almost shyly, and Ino suddenly knew without a doubt that this man would be hers.

She thrust her manicured hand at his face and waved it, amused when he stared at it in confusion for nearly a minute before gently taking it into his own. "I'm Ino Yamanaka," she practically purred, vigorously shaking his hand. Her blue eyes were half-lidded and sly as she said softly, "I never did get to thank you for being so nice to me back then."

"Gaara Sabaku," he declared cautiously, and blinked in surprise at the business card that he nearly had to cross his eyes to read as it magically appeared in his face.

"Call me," she demanded.

Operation Get the Guy was now in session.