A/N: Sorry for the delay! Here is a late Valentine's Day gift for everyone!

Today on A True Love Story: Ino has lost interest in Sasuke by summer break. He was just never that interested in her anyways. Not wanting to mope around for the time off she has, she suggests going to the beach for a long weekend. Shikamaru is, of course, invited. Maybe this will be his chance to confess his feelings for her! Or maybe it'll be another let down for Shika… who knows. Please read and enjoy!

Chapter 6 Part 1

The heat was nearly unbearable as the pair made their way into school together. The song of the cicadas could be heard for miles and the sound lulled the two into a lazy stride despite the desire to escape the summer heat.

Ino fanned herself with her hand and leaned forward dramatically as she panted from the sweltering heat. She glanced over to Shikamaru to see him melting in his short sleeve button down. He was also breathing heavily as he tilted his head back in the hopes that a cool breeze might dry up the sweat that had gathered on his throat and chest. Ino blinked curiously while her gaze fixated on a bead of sweat as it dripped from his chin, along his jawline, down his throat and below the collar of his shirt.

Shikamaru glanced over at her with a look of irate insecurity as he asked, "What?!"

Ino licked her dry lips, wondering what had gotten into her as she grinned at Shikamaru disarmingly, "Nothing, you're just really hot!" she teased.

"Funny ha ha!" Shikamaru snapped back, tilting his head haughtily.

Ino just giggled to herself as they continued on their way. It had been some time since she had last walked to school with Shikamaru and she had truly missed him. He had been distant the last four months and she couldn't understand why for the life of her.

Despite his distance, once back together again, it was like they had never been separated. The closeness and friendship between the two of them could span for thousands and thousands of miles and they would never grow an inch apart. She felt this fact in her heart and drew comfort from it. The idea that she would always have him in her life, no matter what, was a gratifying comfort to her.

She smiled contentedly to herself and moved in to walk closer beside her best friend, drawing a curious look from the dark haired teen.

"What, you aren't hot enough, now you wanna smother me with your presence?" Shikamaru grumbled out irritably.

It really was just the heat talking. He wanted nothing more than to be in the coolness of the shade! The sunlight was not his friend!

"Don't be that way Grumpy Gus!" Ino snapped back, reaching up to ruffle his ponytail.

Shikamaru didn't think before he grabbed onto her wrist and came to a stop, yanking against her arm to bring her close and whisper menacingly in her face, "Don't do that!"

Ino's expression was slightly stunned and she found herself blushing from the close proximity of his body. She could feel a chill run through her limbs, despite the heat, and mumbled out the first thing that came to mind.

"Now whose presence is smothering?"

Shikamaru glowered at her and released her wrist to continue on their travels, leaving a flustered Ino in his wake. She blinked after him, taking notice of the unusual fluttering of her heart. What was that?

"Are you coming or what?!" Shikamaru shouted.

"Quit being so mean to me!"


"Stop hogging all the water, Ino!" Shikamaru snapped from behind the blond, as she occupied the nearest drinking fountain.

The fact that she was bent over low against the metal fixture and that he could just slant his head to see the color of her panties underneath the shortness of her skirt was not lost on him. He had, in fact, been sorely tempted and would have had it not been for all of the other students in line and throughout the hallway.

At this point, she had been monopolizing the water for at least two minutes and he was a little more than parched!

"Keep your shirt on, Pineapple Head," she muttered as she stood up straight and whipped the little drops of water remaining on her lips.

The infuriating nickname was lost on Shikamaru as he watch a droplet of water travel along her throat and down into Ino's cleavage before she managed to catch it with her fingers. Her hand grazed between her breasts momentarily and Shikamaru wished he could have put his tongue against her salty skin and…

'Nope!' he jerked his head from the tempting image she painted to hover over the fountain and partake of his share.

Thank god summer uniforms were only worn for a short period of the year, or he would constantly be in heat for how much skin she showed. As it was, the skirts seemed even shorter and she never wore her sash or blazer in this overwhelming heat, which was entirely understandable! But his hormones always had a field day in the summer…

He took a hand and cupped it under the water as he finished drinking. Filling up the makeshift cup, he added his other hand and rubbed it over his sweaty face and down the back of his neck. He glanced over to Ino as he finished, taking note of the curious expression on her face. She wasn't looking him in the eyes. Her gaze was focused elsewhere on his body…

"Do I have something on my shirt?" he asked before glancing down at his front.

As if broken out of a trance, Ino gasped out softly and giggled nervously, "Nope. Come on. Let's get to class."


For some reason Shikamaru was unaware of, they ate their lunch with a group of friends that day instead of just the two of them. He didn't really think much of it, but he was a little disappointed as he enjoyed eating alone with Ino. It was like they were in their own little world when they did eat lunch together.

Things had gotten considerably better over the last few weeks. Ino had lost her interest in Sasuke as soon as she realized that he had no interest in her. She wasn't the type of person to pine over someone apparently. It seemed like her, so it made sense that she would want to cover up her disappointment in the failed attempt at a relationship with the presence of friends. He just wished that his own presence had been enough for her.

As it was, she had begun acting a little strangely. She would stare at him as if in a daze and it was like she was seeing him for the first time. For some reason, it unnerved Shikamaru. It made him think that she was getting wise to his perverted thoughts or something.

'If only she knew just how perverted, hu?' his hormones grinned.

'She really doesn't need to know all the details,' he thought with a shudder.

His dreams had pretty much increased in intensity. He had one at least every other night and would daydream about her on multiple occasions at school. He was certainly going through a change in his life and he wondered, not for the first time, if it was normal to think such deviant things to the point of distraction.

'Might need to educate yourself a little more,' his hormones thought snidely.

'That's not a bad idea,' he concurred.

'He has seen the light!'

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and focused in on the conversation currently taking place to help distract himself.

"What does everyone have planned for the summer break?!" Ino asked excitedly.

"Nothing yet, really," Sakura answered, breathing out a disappointed sigh, "I never do anything during summer break."

"Me neither," Naruto grumbled in answer, "sleeping in late is about all I do."

"Lazy," Sakura muttered to herself, but the entire group heard and chuckled as Naruto looked miffed.

The general consensus was that there was nothing planned, so Ino was excited as she made her suggestion, "How would everyone like to go to the beach?!"

"All of us?" Hinata asked timidly.

"Why not?" Ino asked back, "We can get two rooms at a traditional ryokan! One for the guys and one for the girls. It'll be so much fun!"

The group seemed to need a little more persuasion and Ino began to feel frustrated, "Come on! When was the last time you all went to the beach?! We can make sand castles and hunt for hermit crabs and get shaved ice! It'll be awesome! Some of you need to get out and get some sun! Especially you, Sakura," she jeered, receiving an irate look from the girl.

"Sounds like fun to me!" Naruto cheered, giving Sakura a meaningful glance that she ignored entirely, "Come on, Sakura! We could go surfing!"

The pink haired girl looked as if she only needed another nudge and she would be on board, "There might be some hot guys there," Ino baited while waggling her eyebrows.

"I'm in!" Sakura concurred to cheers from Naruto and Ino.

"I'll go too," Hinata granted with a soft blush tinting her cheeks as she glanced over to Naruto while he did a little victory dance.

"How 'bout it Choji?" Ino coerced, "There'll be some yummy barbeque in it for you…"

"I'm in!" he agreed as eagerly as Sakura had in reference to the potential for scantily clad male suitors.

"Great! That's everyone!" Ino cheered eagerly, not noticing the skeptical look that came to Shikamaru's face.

"I didn't agree."

Ino's head snapped to look at him with a fierce gaze in her eyes. She had just assumed that Shikamaru would agree as he normally did. Why the hell was he putting up a fight now of all times?!

"Oh, come on, Shika!" Ino begged, crawling over to him on her hands and knees to kneel before his relaxed, reclining form. She put her hands together as if praying and looked at him with pleading eyes.

Shikamaru grinned evilly, loving the fact that Ino was begging for his presence. It made him feel good that things were back to normal and that the infuriating Uchiha Sasuke wouldn't be there to ruin his time with her.

As it stood, she would most likely spend her time with him in a skimpy bikini that barley covered anything, but that was what worried him. What if he lost control? But looking at her pleading expression was only the beginning of his surrender. He truly could never say no to Ino.

"Alright," he muttered, reveling in the delighted look that overtook her beautiful features.

And, who knows, maybe he could build up the courage to finally tell her how desperately he loved her.


"Road trip, road trip!" Ino cheered happily as the lot of them traveled the back roads on their way to the beach.

They had borrowed her father's giant Mitsubishi Outlander with an ample amount of begging, pleading, and pouting coming from the blond female. After ten minutes, the older Yamanaka gave in, handing over the keys grudgingly with a threat that if they wrecked it he would find her and kill her. Unfazed by her father's threat, Ino had dragged Shikamaru out of his bed and hustled him along to get ready.

She wanted to pick everyone up and be on their way ASAP! They really could only afford to stay for a couple of nights, so she wanted to enjoy as much time as possible at the ryokan and the beach!

Shikamaru yawned widely behind the wheel of the massive vehicle before muttering, "I still don't know how I got wrangled into being the driver."

"I hate driving this huge thing and I don't trust anyone else besides you to drive it," Ino supplied with a smile as she looked back at the other passengers, not knowing what significance her words held for Shikamaru.

"Everyone having fun back there?" she asked excitedly.

Naruto sat next to Hinata in the middle set of seats and pouted at not being able to sit next to Sakura. The pink haired girl glowered at how rude he was being to poor Hinata and Hinata just seemed to be happy to be beside Naruto. Choji sat in the far back seat beside Sakura, munching away happily at a bag of pork rinds.

They had only been on the road for maybe fifteen minutes and things were already beginning to go south, "How 'bout a game?!" Ino asked, desperately wanting to lighten the mood.

"What kind of game?" Shikamaru muttered, glancing over at Ino and then averting his eyes to the road.

"Hum…," Ino thought deeply for a moment before a brilliant idea came to her and she pulled out her phone, "How 'bout would you rather?"

"How do you play it?" Hinata asked in a quiet voice.

"It's easy!" Ino assured, "Shika and I play it all the time on our way into school," she smiled at her 'shadow' and received an answering grin.

The pair missed the knowing expression that Sakura flashed them from the back seat.

"Here's an example," Ino began, thinking up something small off the top of her head, "Would you rather eat green beans or broccoli?"

"Broccoli," Shikamaru answered, but Ino already knew that answer.

"But everyone answer it," Ino urged with an encouraging smile.

"Green beans," Naruto and Hinata both answered at the same time. Naruto grinned at her while Hinata just blushed cutely.

"Broccoli," Sakura answered.

"Both," Choji answered with a grin between mouthfuls of pork rinds.

Ino shook her head fondly at the heavyset young man before continuing, "As long as you don't answer it like Choji over there you get the idea," Ino explained, receiving looks of recognition and understanding from the group, "I can start with a few online and if y'all think of any you want to ask just jump in. It can be anything really."

"Would you rather live in a world with no problems or live in a world that you rule?"

"No problems," everyone but Ino answered.

"Wow, I guess I'm just a natural born leader," she commented to a derisive snort from the seat to her right.

She glared halfheartedly at Shikamaru before asking her next question, "What hurts more, silence or words?"

"Words," Shikamaru, Ino and Choji answered while the remaining three admitted to the opposite.

"Would you rather be in a relationship with a totally submissive partner or a totally dominant partner?" Ino blushed deeply as she read out this question. It just happened to be the next one on the list and she hadn't screened it before she asked, "Sorry, y'all don't have to an–"

"Submissive," Shikamaru's answer surprised everyone there as he looked off to the side with a blush.

"Submissive," Naruto answered as well, emboldened by Shikamaru's bluntness.

The remainder of the group answered the opposite.

Ino glanced at Shikamaru out of the corner of her eye, wondering why the answer he had given had made her feel the way that it did…


"Welcome to our humble ryokan."

The group bowed low as they were greeted by the hostess. She was an older statuesque woman who held herself with great poise, "Please, leave your baggage here and I will lead you to your rooms."

The lot of young adults followed her eagerly down the clean hallways of the ryokan. The decor was simple, traditional and sparse.

"Gentlemen, will please sleep here," the hostess gestured to the left, "and ladies here," she added while gesturing to the right and continued on a little further down the hall, "Master Nara, will please stay here."

The group turned to stare at a smug looking Shikamaru as he brushed past them to enter into his designated room. Ino just looked irate as she followed after him. She hadn't realized that his family owned this establishment, but she probably should have guessed.

"You know, it's not very nice of you to segregate the rest of the group," she sneered at him as he walked about his room with an appreciative expression.

"Hey, I want to enjoy my vacation too, and I can't do that with a hyper blond and a snorer," he smirked, sticking his head out of the room to look at his best guy friend, "No offence, Choji."

"None taken," the heavyset boy shrugged, entering into his own assigned room.

"What about me?!" the aforementioned hyper blond shouted indignantly.

"What about you, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked with a deadpan expression.

Naruto just stomped off into his room with a huff, slamming the sliding door behind him and Choji as he entered.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Shikamaru muttered, attempting to slide his own door shut.

"Oh, no you don't!" Ino shouted as she foiled his attempt at a dismissal with a hand against the edge of the door, "Get in your yukata! There's a festival going on just a little ways away and we are all going!"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and sighed heavily, knowing that Ino was going to get her way already, like she always did.


"I'm so excited!" Ino cheered out happily just outside of the ryokan.

The girls had all managed to assemble before the boys and Ino was beginning to get impatient. She hadn't been to a festival in years. In fact, the last one that she had gone to was with hers and Shikamaru's family. They were probably ten or so and had in fact stayed at that very same ryokan. She really should have guessed that they would be going to his family's establishment, especially after she designated him with the task of booking the rooms.

Sakura and Hinata were looking very cute in their summer yukata. Sakura wore a beautiful blood red one with little cherry blossoms overtaking the lower right hem and dispersing out further and further as they cut a diagonal line across to her left shoulder. Her obi was white and she carried a cherry blossom shaped fan in her hands along with her kinchaku. Hinata's yukata was a mauve color with large reddish purple peonies scatter haphazardly across the cotton fabric. Her obi was a contrasting olive green that complemented the mauve color beautifully. Ino wore a wisteria colored yukata with patches of paler purple petals littered throughout the fabric. Her obi was a royal purple color and drew attention to her pale skin and hair.

"Where are those boys?!" Ino snapped impatiently, "I swear, Shikamaru can be worse than a girl sometimes. You should see him put up his hair! It takes forev–!"

The clearing of a throat interrupted Ino's rant, "It took you…long…enough…" the fire in her words died slowly as her eyes fell upon Shikamaru's form.

He glared at her indignantly with a faint blush on his cheeks, most likely over how she had been talking about his grooming habits. The expression on his face only added to the appeal of the picture before her. His dark blue yukata hung open limply around the obi, showing glimpses of the smooth chest beneath and Ino had to force herself not to stare.

'What is the matter with me?!' she thought with a sense of alarm.

"Wow, you guys look great!" Naruto complemented excitedly, his smile wide and jovial.

Ino smiled sweetly at the other blond before moving forward to grab a hold of Shikamaru's hand, "Come on!" she urged, dragging him in the way of the festival with the other's following close behind.

Upon arriving, the group decided to split up and enjoy the festivities before meeting up at a designated spot for the fireworks display that night. Naturally, Shikamaru tagged along with Ino under the guise of making sure that she didn't get into any trouble. Choji ventured off on his own, presumably in the search of something delicious to eat while Naruto, Sakura and Hinata went off to watch one of the shows.

Shikamaru was happy to have Ino to himself and resisted the urge to smile at every turn. She was like a child again as she flitted from game to game, looked at all of the accessories at every vendor and practically begged him for shave ice and cotton candy.

"You'll get cavities," he reasoned teasingly and smirked as she pouted at him, puffing out her cheeks like a blowfish.

"Shika! I want shaved ice! It's hot out here and I can't leave the front of my yukata open like you!" she accused.

"I'm sure the local populous wouldn't have a problem with it," he continued to joke, enjoying the faint blush that came to her cheeks.

'Yeah and you wouldn't either,' his hormones persisted, conjuring up a tempting image of Ino from the back as she slid off her yukata to reveal flawless pale skin underneath while looking back at him with shy eyes and a pink blush on her cheeks.

Shikamaru shook his head slightly to dispel the mental image, drawing a curious look from Ino as he finally caved, "Fine; what flavor do you want?"

"Yay! Grape please!" Ino chirped animatedly.

The remainder of the day went off without a hitch. They met up with the group and walked around with some yakitori and then separated again. Shikamaru and Ino participated in several games, most lost. By the time the fireworks display began and they gathered with the rest of the group Ino had a yoyo balloon and a decorative fan that Shikamaru had won for her. The night couldn't possibly have gotten any better.

Shikamaru had essentially just had one of the best days of his life. Ino had wanted nothing more than to be by his side smiling at him and holding his hand as she dragged him this way and that. His love for her simply could not grow any stronger than it already was. However, when the fireworks illuminated the soft planes of her face in various colors, he was proven wrong as his heart swelled further.

He watched in amazement as her stunning blue gaze met his and she smiled happily, her face tented a red hue and then a purple. He felt it then, at that moment he felt the courage that he needed to confess to her. With a furiously beating heart, trembling hands, on a rushed exhale and with a look of consternation on his face he breathed out.

"I love you."

But the overwhelmingly loud sound of exploding fireworks drowned out his words. Ino looked at him with a confused expression and then held a hand up to her ear.

"What, Shika?!" she shouted, her question barely discernable from the loud noise.

Shikamaru breathed out loudly in defeat, his expression frustrated and solemn. He didn't have it in him to do it again. He had lost his nerve, so he just shouted back, "Nothing!"

And Ino took him at his word with another sweet smile.


Alone in his room for the night, Shikamaru thought back on his confession. He had done it, he had confessed his love for Ino, but she had not heard him. The sheer disappointment that he had felt overwhelmed him to the point where he couldn't do it again. Maybe it still wasn't the right time for them.

'Sure. You're just making up excuses now,' his hormones pouted grumpily, 'If you'd just said it again, maybe she'd be here right now laying with us in bed, but nooo…'

'Shut up,' he thought back irritably.

He knew that he had missed his golden opportunity, but he really didn't need his face rubbed in it at that moment. He was already kicking himself for being such a coward. He was comfortable with how things were and that was it. He wasn't satisfied, however. He wouldn't be satisfied until he could truly call Ino his, but he was comfortable and, for him, that was just barely enough.

'Yeah, but for how long will it be enough?' his hormones asked with a sense of warning, 'What if someone actually does come between the two of you in the future? What'll you do then?'

There was logic behind those questions, Shikamaru knew that, but he did not want to address the possibilities. If Ino did find someone that she wanted to be with more than him, that would be the saddest day of his life. Fate had already tempted her with the infatuation she felt for the Uchiha. What if it happened again and stuck?

'Are you willing to wait for her to fall for you?'

"Shika, are you still awake?"

His thoughts would have to wait as his mind went blank. His eyes widened in something akin to shock and fear as he looked from the ceiling to see Ino standing just inside his room. She had managed to close the door behind her and step toward him, wearing the complementary yukata the ryokan supplied and who knows what else underneath. Her expression was curious and a little concerned.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" she apologized sweetly as she came to a stop at the foot of his futon.

Shikamaru didn't know what to do. He was frozen as she gazed down at him. Her hair was loose and tumbled around her and over her shoulders, making her look like an ethereal creature of the night as the moonlight shown through the windows. She was so beautiful…

But then, his brain kick started as he sat up abruptly, hands supporting him as he whispered out toward her vehemently, "What are you doing in here?!"

Ino seemed taken aback at his frantic response, but dismissed it as him being cranky about having been woken up. With a soft, soothing smile on her face, she whispered back in a low tone, "I couldn't sleep. Do you mind if I sleep with you?"

Shikamaru's breath caught in his throat and his heart stopped beating.

A/N: Cliffhanger! Oh my god that was fun to write! I have never been to a festival or a ryokan or anything like that, but I want to one day. It may happen for me soon as I will be moving to Okinawa for the next three years in June! Oh my god, I am so excited! So a lot of the Japanese references are me researching and wishing so badly that I could be doing the exact same things! Please review! I am desperate to get a little more feedback on whether or not people actually like this story! I think it is great! I haven't read a ShikaIno fic like this and I feel like it is even true to their personalities… Please leave me a review and let me know what you think!

Next time on A True Love Story: Will Shika let Ino into his bed and if so what will happen?! Can Shikamaru maintain his tenuous control over his desires? Will this be it for our couple in the sense that they will FINALLY be together, or will something – or someone – else get in the way? Stay tuned and find out on A True Love Story Chapter 6 Part 2!