A/N: Because I am such a loving and caring person, I decided to post this little preview of chapter 12. I feel awful for making everyone wait for so long for the next chapter, so I thought the least I could do was give you a little taster to satisfy at least for a little while.

So, things are getting interesting, ne? You shall just have to wait and see what Shikamaru decides.

Also, check older chapters for some little updates I have done.


And I was strong, strong in the sun,

I thought I'd see when day is done.

Now I'm weaker than the palest blue,

Oh, so weak in this need for you.

Shikamaru stared at the lounge room wall and sighed. Ever since Neji had left that afternoon, he had been unable to concentrate on anything – his mind just kept replaying Neji's words over and over again. He had been thinking furiously of ways he could convince Neji, but even he found himself defeated by this problem. There was nothing for it: he needed an expert. He went round to Ino's.

"Shikamaru?" Ino said, opening the door.

"Ah, hi, Ino," Shikamaru said, suddenly a bit embarrassed, "Um…are you busy at the moment? I kind of need some advice." Ino's eyebrows shot up and she actually took a step back from the doorway.

"What on earth about?" she asked suspiciously, "You've never asked me for advice in your entire life." Shikamaru sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I just figured that this was more your line of expertise rather than Chouji's," he said pointedly, hoping she got the hint. She did – her mouth opened slightly and it appeared as though she was fighting down a smirk.

"Well, in that case…" Ino stepped back to let him in.

'Sit down, sit down," she said, gesturing at the couch. Shikamaru sat, wondering what had possibly possessed him to do this.

"Tell Ino all about your troubles," she said, making herself comfortable in the chair opposite him. Shikamaru took a deep breath, and fought a rising blush with all his might.

"Maa…Ok, say I have this…friend," Shikamaru said, deciding that hypothetical was probably the best route in this situation. Ino arched an elegant eyebrow.

"A friend," she repeated, a tad sceptically.

"Well, a friend that I am…interested in."

"Ok," she said, humouring him, "Is this 'friend' interested in you?"

"…I think so," Shikamaru replied, "But there is this issue that's stopping anything from…happening." Ino smirked.

"I'm not sure I'm the one to ask for help with erection problems, Shikamaru," she said. Shikamaru felt a jolt of annoyance, and he jumped up from the couch.

"If you're not going to take this seriously, then I'm going," he said. Ino threw her hands up innocently, surprised at Shikamaru's reaction.

"Ok, ok!" she said, genuinely taken aback, "I'm sorry. I'll take this seriously – sit down. Please." Shikamaru regarded her for a few moments, but decided that her face had something sincere in it, so he sat again.

"So," Ino resumed, "You have this friend, but there's a problem that's keeping you from being…together –"

"– in a completely non-sexual way –"

"Right. So, what's the problem?" Shikamaru shifted on the couch, and frowned.

"This friend…well, they are very dedicated to their job as a, uh, law enforcer –"

"Shikamaru, cut the crap, I know you're talking about Neji." Shikamaru looked up at the sound of Neji's name, and sighed, suddenly feeling deflated and tired and a little bit lost.

"Ino," he said weakly, hating himself for sounding so pathetic, "I really care about him. I mean, we haven't known each other for long, but I want to help him. I want to show him that life isn't always about pride or loyalty or…I don't know, about being controlled by other people. I just…" Shikamaru trailed off, looking at the floor. Ino got up and sat down next to him, a comforting hand landing delicately on his shoulder.

"Shikamaru," she said quietly, in a tone that said she had been thinking about this for a while, "Maybe…. maybe it's just not going to work out. Neji is never going to stop being a Hyuuga. He's never going to stop being a shinobi, a killer. And you can't give him back his childhood, or his father."

"I know that, Ino," Shikamaru snapped, hating her words because they were true. She hesitated for a moment, but then continued.

"What if…well, what if you gave Neji a chance to let go, just for one night? What if you show him all the things you said you wanted to, just one time, and then…let it go?" Shikamaru frowned and opened his mouth to protest, but Ino cut him off.

"Maybe one night is the best it's going to get."

Silence settled over the two of them as Shikamaru went over in his mind what Ino had said. Part of him – a very small, rarely seen part of him – was screaming, telling him that Neji would come to him out of his own free will, in time. But then there was another, larger, more rational part of him that was looking at Neji and thinking about Ino's words and putting the two together. After a while, Shikamaru felt Ino move her hand away.

"I'm sorry, Shikamaru," she said quietly, frankly, "But I don't want to see you chasing after something that will never happen. I don't want to see you get hurt – I'm just trying to look out for you, as your friend."

Shikamaru stood up slowly, and placed a hand on top of Ino's head affectionately.

"Yeah," he murmured, "I know. Thank you, Ino."

Shikamaru drew out the walk from Ino's to his apartment, ambling along and not really paying any attention to where he was going. His mind, which had been thinking up solutions and ideas so furiously that afternoon, was oddly blank. Ino's words, as blunt as they had been, were beginning to make sense of Shikamaru more and more. He and Neji had known each other properly for a handful of months – he wasn't prepared to put his way of life, his reputation at risk for some person he barely knew… was he?