A/N: I want to thank everyone for all of the wonderful supportive reviews. This story has definitely received a lot more attention than I thought it would. This chapter was fun to write and it takes the story into a direction that I think is good. Please read and enjoy.

Chapter 10

The next few days were spent with the pair doing anything and everything to avoid one another, which happened to be very difficult as they worked and lived together. Shikamaru would wake up and leave the house before Ino. And Ino would drop off his cup of coffee just before his usual early morning meeting let out. He would take lunch out of the office while she filed his paperwork. He would stay late into the evening whereas she would leave early and be fast asleep before he even got home after a long stressful day of work and eluding her.

It really was inevitable that they would run into each other, but Ino had wished that it would have taken longer and been under different circumstances…

She glanced up at the clock above Shikamaru's office door that read twelve o'clock. Five more minutes and he would be heading out the door to get some lunch. She had his schedule plotted out to perfection. After he left, he would be back at quarter till, which would give her just enough time to file the papers he would leave on his desk.

She had cut it a little late the other day and nearly ran into him on her way out of his office. He had been occupied with reading an invoice or letter of some sort as he approached her from the right. Ino had turned left immediately and scuttled out of sight, taking the long way around the office back to her desk as her path had been blocked by Shikamaru's approach.

It was so inconvenient to have to constantly avoid him, but she still had not forgiven him and he honestly didn't even seem to care that he hadn't seen hide or hair of her in the last three days. He just didn't care about her the way that she cared for him. She was certain that he thought she was a nuisance.

Ino couldn't have possibly been more wrong as Shikamaru had taken notice of her absence. He assumed that the games they had been playing must have been over at this point and that she was only interested in a working relationship. Because of this, he didn't see any logical reason why he should put more effort in than necessary. He truly did not want her to think that he cared more than he did. She would laugh at him if she knew just how much he had grown to love her. Her rejection the other night had been a clear enough message and he was unwilling to exacerbate the issue any further. Another two months and the problem would be moot anyways.

Ino peeked over the edge of her cubical as she heard Shikamaru's office door open and close. The dark man's shock of upswept black hair could be seen retreating down the hall a moment later.

'Right on time,' she thought to herself as she arose from her seat quickly to begin her scheduled task.

She entered his office a moment later and spied the usual pile of papers to be filed on the far right edge of his desk. Gathering them up, she flipped through them, taking note of the names and titles present on the papers. She made her way over to the large metal filing cabinet and set about her tedious task as quickly as possible.

Once finished, she moved behind Shikamaru's desk to straighten it up for him, whipping it down with sanitary wipes and repositioning his mouse pad and keyboard. In doing this, his screen came out of its hibernation. She glanced up noncommittally and spied a particular word in the open email that drew her attention.

Marriage.

Ino could feel her blood run cold as she read through the following email.

From: Sabaku, Gaara President & CEO of Sabaku Co.

Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2014 6:52 AM

To: Nara, Shikamaru Financial Advisor

Subject: Marriage

Nara,

Forgive me for the inconvenience of this message, but my sister Temari was rather insistent. I wish to propose to you a joint merger. As of right now, you are still considered an independent financial adviser of the Sabaku Co. and I would ask that you consider a merger of our companies through marriage to my sister. We could then begin to expand our empire more surly and quickly than we previously have. Please consider this message my blessing and contemplate carefully before you make your decision.

Respectfully,

SABAKU N. GAARA

President & CEO of Sabaku Co.

Ino read through the message three times before the words finally began to make sense. Gaara was proposing a marriage between Shikamaru and Temari. Ino released a shuddering breath that she had not realized she had been holding. Straightening her spine, she clenched her jaw angrily at the audacity of that awful woman! She was really a piece of work!

Ino held onto her anger as it was the only thing preventing her from crying in defeat. There was truly no chance for her now. No doubt Shikamaru would accept the offer. He would do anything to retire at thirty-five and be lazy for the rest of his life. Ino knew this, and yet her chest still throbbed with apprehension. Her skin prickled and shivered and she found herself sniffing back an onslaught of tears. She needed to get out of there! She needed to get away from this place.

With a sense of desperation, Ino turned to leave the office. Pausing momentarily at the door, she schooled her expression into one of nonchalance and was surprised as the door opened inward to reveal Shikamaru.

'No,' she thought to herself desperately as she took in his surprised expression.

"Ino, I haven't seen you in a while," he commented, turning to seat himself in his chair and taking little note of the fact that his screen was no longer hibernating.

'Like you haven't been avoiding me intentionally too you jerk!' she thought bitterly before smiling falsely, "I've been around," she answered sweetly.

'I bet you have,' Shikamaru thought rancorously, taking note of the email correspondence with Gaara still present on his screen and still unanswered.

He had no idea what to do with this. He had no romantic interest in Temari whatsoever, but Gara did have a point that it would make both of them even wealthier. But his heart was currently hung up on the beautiful woman before him. What would she think about the merger? Would she encourage it? Would she protest against it and confess her undying love for him? Shikamaru wanted to snort at the unlikeliness of the latter option. But what if she did?

Shikamaru looked at Ino as she turned to leave the office without another word before he stopped her.

"Ino," he called to her, and watched as she practically cringed at the sound of her name, "come back here."

Ino struggled resiliently to keep the scowl from her face and somehow managed to succeed as she turned back and reentered the office to stand before Shikamaru as nonchalantly as she could. She felt awkward in front of him as he looked at her blankly. He was so unreadable and it unnerved her. What did he want?

Shikamaru trained his features to appear bored as he studied Ino's indifferent expression, 'Let's see if you will still be so unfeeling after I tell you about this,' he thought to himself.

Gesturing to his monitor he mentioned, "I got an email from Gaara asking if I would be interested in marrying his sister," his voice was completely neutral and his gaze was sharp and calculating as he took in every minute detail about the Ino's reaction.

He could almost swear that he saw her flinch slightly and breathe in a little too quickly, but he couldn't be completely certain.

Ino clenched her jaw desperately against her anxiety, knowing that he wanted her to react to his words in some way. She would not give in though as she responded a moment later.

"Are you interested?" she asked, believing that to be an answer that anyone would give as a response.

"I'm not sure," he answered, continuing to study her, "he says it would be beneficial to the both of us as far as wealth goes. What do you think?"

He wanted her to shout! He wanted her to scream at him and ask him if he was crazy! He wanted her to cry and beg him not to accept the offer. He wanted her to tell him that she loved him and never to leave her, but she wouldn't.

Ino needed to think quickly; the longer she took to answer him the more suspicious it would seem.

"I think it makes sense," she answered calmly while inside she was writhing with resentment and bitterness.

"Ok, I guess I'll see about taking her on a date then," he mentioned off handedly as he turned to respond to the email all the while thinking, 'I knew Ino wouldn't fight for me.'

Ino turned to leave the room after another moment. Closing the door behind her, she gripped the handle with all the strength she had to keep herself from crying out her dismay.

Shikamaru grit his jaw together as the door closed behind her retreating form. He wanted to hit something! He settled for placing his head on his desk dejectedly as he gripped at his hair sharply with his shaking hands.

'I love you!' but neither of them was brave enough to admit it…

A/N: Wow I felt so many feels when I was writing those last few paragraphs. Please review and let me know if you felt the feels too!