I'm researching flower meanings. D: -has officially lost it-

Shikamaru lay back on the grass, staring up at the clouds and breathing in the thick flower aromas that permeated the Yamanaka flower garden. Ino had needed some help in the shop today, but she was particularly quiet.

This unusual silence, however, did not prevent her from being as bossy as usual.

"Get Anko's cactus ready! Kakashi wanted it today!" she said, smacking him over the head with a trowel.

"Eh, so troublesome," he grumbled, but stood up and walked over to the prickly plant anyway. While best debating how to water it, as the cactus was in the way of the roots, he figured that if he put his finger carefully in between the close-together spikes, and tilted it with the one hand rather than picking up the pot which looked heavy, he could pour the water underneath the plant. He was just placing his hand, when Ino interrupted.

"I broke up with Sasuke today."

"EH? Oh, ouch..." he said, having missed and placed his finger directly on a spike. He pulled it off deftly and healed his hand, using a smaller healing technique he'd learned from Tsunade.

"Huh? Did you hurt yourself?" Ino asked, worried-looking and seemingly forgetting about the sunflowers she was debating between.

"Nah, I'm fine. You broke up with Sasuke?"

"Yeah," she said quietly, feeling the petals of a sunflower meant for Hinata.

A short pause ensued.

"Why?" he asked carefully.

He did know the answer, of course.

He'd always known the answer- as to why Ino and Sasuke weren't a good pair for one another. Now, all Ino needed to do was figure it out herself. But his real question was: had she?

"He... he didn't listen to me," she said sadly. "It was all about Sasuke. And I found out that even though I could obsess over him, I couldn't fully lose myself in him. I'd always wanted to be the one he loved. Well, all Sasuke wants is someone to love him. He doesn't want to love anyone."

She paused. Shikamaru waited. It didn't bother him. What was two minutes compared to an entire lifetime of waiting?

"Which isn't bad, I suppose. But he wants me to be the one to ask. He wants his girlfriends to beg and plead after him. Never mind that he asked them out. Never mind that he's supposed to show his care for them. He doesn't. It's just... all the girl's job. And... I need someone who will listen to me, from time to time at least. Sasuke didn't care. He didn't even say 'hi', ever, really. Just a sort of grunt."

Another pause.

"Sakura just wants to love him. And that's all well and good, but I hope she's not too crushed if- or when- he doesn't love her back."

Ino paused, then shook her head. "I worded that badly. I mean that he didn't ever show he loved. He never listened, or asked questions, or spoke, even. I need someone who listens, and who I can talk to. He just wanted someone to listen. And it didn't work, because I want to talk too."

Shikamaru had always known that. Ever since day one. It had made him laugh at some times, and made him absolutely, insanely frustrated at others.

"Sakura couldn't hardly listen to my complaining, either... she was too excited Sasuke was free again."

"Ino!" called her mom from inside the store. "Telephone for you! It's Sakura!"

Ino nodded. "That'll be Sakura, calling to say that Sasuke asked her out. I'll be back in a while. Can you take care of Tenten's roses? Neji wanted a dozen for her."

Shikamaru nodded. "Troublesome, but yes."

Ino rolled her eyes.

"Thanks for letting me complain to you, Shikamaru!" she said, running off towards the house. "It meant a lot to me!"

She disappeared through the doors.

Ah, well. She'll figure out what she really wants someday. And when she does... I'll still be here.

I think I'm going to do a couple of chapters on the flowers. I know who I wanted Hinata's sunflower to be from, but I'll let you guys pick. :) I think I've written too much of that couple recently, anyway (now I'm sure some of you can tell who it is).

The candidates are pretty much anyone (except Sasuke... xD).

You can tell me in a review, or I might make it a poll on my profile (-shameless plug- Go check there! And read what else I wrote!).

Thanks for reading!