Author's Note- Hello, readers! I've gotten a lot of hits so far which makes me very happy. Still no reviews, but I'm just happy that I've gotten as many hits as I have. Shikamaru is still kind of OOC. Sorry. Also, I was wrong in my last author's note that said chapter 12 would be the first longer one. This is the longest chapter so far. Yay! Please review. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I only own Yumi.

Chapter 9

"I-I love you, Shikamaru! I've loved you for so long!" I said before I collapsed into him. He sat down and pulled me into his lap. I sobbed into his shoulder and he held me tight. I had my fists twisted in his shirt. Suddenly, I felt his breath on my ear.

"Me too," Shikamaru whispered.

"What?" I looked up at him through my tears.

"I love you, too, Yumi," he said with a small smile. I threw my arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder again.

"He loves me, too. This has to be a dream."

"Hey, Shikamaru, is everything ok?" Lee asked from outside the tent. I felt Shikamaru chuckle and I quieted my sobs.

"Everything's fine. Go back to your post," Shikamaru answered.

"Yes, sir!" Shikamaru looked down at me and wiped away my tears again.

"Can you stop crying? It's kind of a drag," he said. I laid my head on his chest and nuzzled his neck. He shivered and I laughed. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I'll stop crying. A shinobi's not supposed to show their feelings right?" He rolled his eyes. I yawned and he smiled again.

"You need some sleep," he told me.

"No I don't," I mumbled into his shoulder. He laid me down and stood up to leave.

"You can stay here. I'll go somewhere else," he said, starting to leave. I grabbed his ankle.

"You don't have to go….." I said as I drifted off to sleep.


The next morning I woke up with my face inches from Shikamaru's and my fingers tangled in his hair which was down. I internally panicked.

"What happened last night?" Slowly, everything came back to me. The fact that he loved me hit me full force again. He had said he loved me, too. I couldn't help it. I started crying again and I buried my face in his neck.

"I'm so happy!" I tightened my hands in his hair and he woke up.

"Yumi? What's wrong?" he asked sleepily. I loosened my grip on his hair.

"N-nothing. I-I'm happy!" I said.

"Then why are you crying?" He still looked tired but I could see the worry in his eyes.

"These are happy tears," I told him. He smiled but rolled his eyes.

"Troublesome," he muttered. "We should get up."

"Alright," I laughed.