I have posted the second part. In this part, they are their current ages of sixteen.
Disclaimer: I don't own Shikamaru and Ino, Masashi Kishimoto does.
Part 2
Shikamaru and Ino have been dating since that first kiss they had together. Although they have been dating secretly, they hide it really well almost as if they were still just friends. The only ones who knew besides them are Choji, Sakura and their parents, though it took some effort to convince Inoichi to let her date him. They haven't made it official to everyone else that they were dating, but they were pretty content to how things are. For Ino, there are some days that she gets frustrated with his aloof attitude and lazy demeanor, but he wouldn't be himself if he wasn't. It's been a few months after Pain's attack and they are preparing for war to protect their friend, Naruto. Ino was hoping to talk to Shikamaru before they have to go to war, that was why she was looking for him. She was going to tell him she loved him because she wanted him to know in case something happened in this war.
They both suffered when Asuma had been killed; Shikamaru more than her. She even went to find him at his house where she heard him sobbing and she stayed with him until he stopped. She gladly went along with him and Choji to get revenge for Asuma.
"Of course, he really had me worried when he went off by himself," she reflected. After they got their revenge, she scolded him for making her worry about him. She was really afraid that he might have been killed when he led Hidan away but was relieved that he came back alive, exhausted of chakra maybe, but alive. When Sasuke was declared an international criminal, she couldn't help but cry. Only it wasn't for Sasuke it was for Shikamaru because she was worried that Sasuke would kill him. She figured out her feelings after Asuma's death and she was determined to keep his last words to heart. Even if they were in different divisions, she wanted him to know how much he means to her.
Ino went to her boyfriend's favorite cloud watching spot and she found him there. He was lying on the grass with his eyes closed, and his hands behind his head. She smiled at him, stood right next to him and asked, "May I join you, Shikamaru?"
He opened one eye, looked up at her and smirked before answering, "Sure."
Ino laid herself on the grass next to him, copying his actions. They just lay there together, enjoying each other's company until Shikamaru spoke up, "Ino, since you're here, there is something I want to tell you."
Ino looked over at him curiously, sat up, and replied, "Okay, what is it?"
Shikamaru sat up as well, turned himself towards Ino and started to say, "You know that we have dated for a year and a half and I'm happy with the way we are. But with this war coming up, I feel that I should tell you something that I've wanted to tell you for a while. Well, I've been meaning to but I just never found the right words to tell you and…" he paused while placing his hand behind his neck, rubbing it slowly. He also had a small blush on his face.
Ino thought to herself, "He's nervous, he only rubs his neck when he's like that. I've never seen him this nervous since he asked me to be his girlfriend." She looked at him; he was struggling to form even a coherent sentence. She smiled at him thinking, "He looks cute when he is nervous."
She put her hand on his and gripped it which caused him to look at her. She said to him, "Shikamaru, there is no need to be nervous around me. Whatever you want to tell me, you can tell me, you know that I'll listen." She smiled at him as she held his hand, he watched her as he gave her a small smile. He squeezed her hand that held his and pulled it to his lips, kissing it gently. Normally, since they never showed their affection in public, Shikamaru would openly display his affection when they were alone. Ino was never disappointed by this, because Shikamaru would always be able to express his feelings that way.
He held her hand gently but firmly against his cheek, as he asked, "Do you remember that night after Asuma died?"
Ino smiled sadly, "Yes, how could I forget?"
Flashback
"I haven't seen Shikamaru all day. He never came to the funeral," It was nighttime as she slowly walked through Konoha towards Shikamaru's house. She stopped in front of his house and contemplated, "Maybe he's not home or he's asleep." She walked around his house to see if there were any lights on in the house.
She went into the area where there was a little pond but she still didn't see any lights on. She was about to give up and go home, until she heard it, a sob. A quiet but at the same time, a strangled sob, she knew who it was instantly. She sprinted to the room where she heard it from, took off her sandals, went on the floor of the house, and quietly listened for a sound behind the sliding door. Then she heard it again, a deep-throated sob, so she quietly slid the door open to reveal her boyfriend sitting on the floor crying. When he heard her come in, he looked up at her. His eyes were watery, tears streaming down his face which he tried to wipe away as he saw her.
"Ino, you didn't have to come," he said to her in a strained voice. He looked like he was trying to not cry, at least in front of her. She has never seen him so broken up, so lost, so in need of comfort so she did the only thing she could do; she sat on her knees in front of him and hugged him.
"Please, don't try to hold back your emotions, not when you need to let it out. I cared about him too you know. I also know that you were the one closest to him and I know that you're the one who is hurt the most. So please Shikamaru, let it out, I'm here for you," she said to him as she rubbed his back to comfort him.
She couldn't see his face, but she felt fresh tears dripping on her shirt as he held on to her tightly. She felt that he was trembling and she heard his sobs come out louder; each one stabbing her already aching heart. She even cried with him not just for Asuma but for him. While their teacher's death had created a pain in her heart; seeing her boyfriend in pain had broken it. She never liked seeing anyone sad or depressed but she especially hated seeing her boyfriend cry. Not that she found him weak for crying, far from it; that just means he cares but she never wants him to be sad. That was when she realized that she loved him deeply.
Then when his sobs had started to subside, he pulled away from her but he didn't let go of their embrace. Ino looked at his blood-shot eyes sadly and asked, "Are you alright?"
"I will be, are you alright?" Shikamaru replied.
""Yeah, I'll be fine," she said but was still crying a little. She suddenly felt his hand on her left cheek, using his thumb to wipe away her tears. Then he did the same process with his other hand on her right cheek. They gazed into each other's eyes, leaned in towards the other and their lips connected. It was a kiss that expressed that they were sad, but they were grateful that the other is there with them.
He broke it first, embraced her gently, and whispered, "Thank you Ino, for being here with me."
Ino smiled, happy that she at least was there for him. She returned the embrace and replied, "Your welcome, I just wanted to help you in any way I can." She then broke the embrace, put her hand on his cheek and added, "It's late, you should try to get some sleep."
He looked at her and replied, "Yeah, you too."
Ino saw that Shikamaru didn't want her to leave just yet, so she said to him, "I'll see you tomorrow, and I promise that we will get through this together, okay?"
Shikamaru managed a small smile as he replied, "Yeah, I know we will."
Ino then leaned in to give him a simple peck on the lips and said, "Good night, Shikamaru."
He returned the favor by giving her a kiss too, replying, "Night, Ino."
Her hand lingered on his cheek for a few seconds before going through the sliding door and went home.
End Flashback
He then continued, "That night made me realize a lot of things. For one thing, I realized that if I felt that horrible because Asuma died, I couldn't imagine what it would be like if I lost you, Ino"
Ino looked at him in surprise but she let him continue, "You were there for me when I felt the most lonely and distraught. You were an emotional anchor for me. The other thing I realized that night is that I care for you a lot and I was pained to see you cry. I had asked myself, "How would I feel if Ino were to die in this war?" Do you know what I answered, Ino?" he asked Ino.
Ino shook her head and answered, "No, what?"
Shikamaru replied, "I answered that I would feel worse than what I felt when Asuma died. I would feel that my soul would hurt; my heart would be ripped out and stabbed at multiple times. With this war coming, anything can happen and if anything were to happen to you, I'd never forgive myself. I already lost my teacher, I don't want to lose you Ino, because I…"
He paused to affectionately kiss her hand again before saying, "I love you."
Ino was stunned; just as she was going to tell him she loved him, he beat her to it.
He continued, "I love you Ino, I always have. You make me the happiest even if I don't show it enough. I look up at the clouds because the blue sky reminds me of your eyes. Your smile always makes my day a bit brighter and I'm happy when you are. I don't know what could happen in this war but at least you know how I feel. If somehow we would see each other on the battlefield, also know this; I would protect you with my life because I'd rather die than to see you get killed."
Tears began to fill Ino's eyes and she let them flow as she smiled. This startled Shikamaru, so he asked, "Ino, what's wrong? Did I upset you?"
Ino shook her head still crying, "No, you didn't. It's just I'm crying because I'm happy. I'm happy that you feel the same way." Shikamaru's eyes widened as she continued, "I was looking for you to tell you that I love you too. When we went to get our revenge on Hidan and Kakuzu, I was really scared that you could have been killed. I feel the same about this war as you; I don't want you to be killed either. But we are ninjas and we have to do this to protect our friend and our village. Also, just as you would protect me, count on me to protect you. I promised Asuma I would look after you and Choji, so hold me to it."
Shikamaru gazed at her admiringly, and asked, "What did I do to deserve someone as amazing as you?"
Ino blushed but replied, "Just by being yourself; that is what made me fall in love with you in the first place."
Shikamaru cupped her right cheek and said, "I guess it's the same for me; I fell in love with you when you have been being your troublesome self."
He smirked as she pouted but playfully replied, "You're lucky I love you that you could get away with calling me troublesome."
"I'm also lucky that I get to do this with you, "Shikamaru retorted as he pulled her in for a kiss. To Ino, she couldn't resist when he kissed her so passionately. They were soon kissing deeply, tongues were wrestling and moans had emitted from both of them until they broke apart for air.
"I think I'm the lucky one, because I have a boyfriend who is an amazing kisser," Ino spoke out breathlessly
He smirked and replied "I'm only as amazing at it as you are at it. Plus, we have had nearly two years of practice."
Then they both had laid themselves on the grass, Ino laid on his chest while Shikamaru wrapped his arm around her waist. As they watched the sunset, Shikamaru whispered to her, "I love you Ino, please promise me that you'll be careful in battle." He gripped her tighter almost desperately.
Ino smiled, leaned in to give him a firm kiss before replying, "I will, if you promise me the same thing."
He smiled and answered, "I'll be careful, as long as I know you're safe, I'll be fine."
So they lay there on that field, content in each other's embrace, spending one last intimate moment before they risk their lives. But as long as they know that they love each other, they'll never stop fighting for the other's sake.
Well, that is part two, I hope you like it. Feel free to leave a review if you want.
