Fall for You

Chapter 21 – Ass Kicking, Dinner, and True Love?

A/N – I don't own Naruto and it's characters T-T

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Running past everything in a swift and fluid motion Ino jumped from roof top to roof top in search for her Shikamaru.

My Shikamaru? She thought. Since when did she ever claim him to herself? She shook her head at the thought. She was pissed. He just left her like that sporting four wounds on her back. She could feel the blood seeping out of her body.

"That jerk! Wait till I get my hands on him he'll be sorry for just leaving me there," she spat finally reaching his house.

As soon as the door opened and out came Shikamaru. Fire came out Ino's mouth and eyes then suddenly she dashed to him, lifted him up in the air, and body slammed him hard to the floor of his living room.

At the side Shikaku and Yoshino took a peek at the scene before them.

"You jerk!! How could you just leave me there on the battle field?!"

"What battle field, get off me you troublesome crazy girl!"

"NO! Not until you tell me why you left me there bleeding. I lost so much blood I could barely stand!"

"Whatever you're still bleeding now but you have me in a headlock…"

Ino decked him and he went flying three rooms away. She ran towards him in a pile of heap and began shaking him and throwing him about like a rag doll. With every punch and tossing of his body to another corner Shikaku winced feeling his son's pain every time he dealt with his wife's anger. Yoshino watched Ino beat her son to a pulp proud that Ino is taking action towards her son's misbehavior. That's her future daughter-in-law she thought silently with a wide smile.

Finally with one last painful elbow drop that had a mix of chakra blending in with the force, Shikamaru screamed loud enough for all of Konoha to hear.

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Dinner came and Ino sat with Shikamaru's family nursing her hand eyeing Shikamaru sweetly for her oh-so sweet revenge. Shikamaru sat looking a little beat while pouting, "Come on Ino I said I was sorry now come here and heal me."

"Fat chance that will happen Nara, but since you're so nice to let me have dinner here I guess I can heal you.....partially."

A vein popped in his temple, "For your information nobody here invited you to dinner," at that moment Yoshino walked in, "Ino would you like to stay for dinner?" giving Ino a nice smile and then staring at Shikamaru with a confused look.

"Sure I'll stay for dinner, I wouldn't miss it for the world," she said to Yoshino but staring straight at Shikamaru with a devious smile.

"Troublesome," he growled.

Through out dinner the family including Ino laughed and talked as midnight came near.

"Whoa, it's late. I better get going," Ino said thanking the Nara family for letting her stay for dinner.

"Ino would you like to just stay for the night? Your room is still vacant. You can just stay there," Shikaku asked.

Shikamaru choked on his tea surprised that he would ask her that. Usually it was his troublesome mother that would offer. Yoshino stared at her husband with stars in her eyes.

"Um… sure why not? I'll just phone my parents and tell them that I'll be staying here for the night. Thank you Shikaku-san," she said kindly bowing."

"It's no problem," he replied, "Oi Shikamaru go help Ino settle down."

"Do settle down here forever," Yoshino said dreamily.

"Uh…." Ino blushed.

"Troublesome mom!" Shikamaru said knowing exactly that she was referring to the marriage thing.

Yoshino wacked her son with a frying pan but sat down smiling ever so happily.

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As soon as Ino hung up the phone she stretched and rubbed her eyes. She was feeling sleepy so she walked straight to her room. Or that's what she thought was her room. Forgetting she was in Shikamaru's house she went in the direction where her room would have been in her own home. She lifted the covers and lay on the bed. Too tired to even bother looking around she wrapped her arms around a big warm pillow. Sleep hit her very hard and she was knocked out.

Shikamaru opened his eyes turning his head to see Ino facing nose to nose with him on his bed. At first he was going to tell her to go to sleep but then realized she was sleeping - only she was sleeping next to him on his bed, in his room, in his house. Feeling the rise in his heart beating he mentally cursed himself. He wouldn't get any sleep tonight if she was staying in the same room as him.

The sudden urge to kiss her soft lips flashed through his mind. No he shook his head. That would be like taking advantage of her, he thought. He didn't want to wake her up knowing how long her day was. So he just let her be. Shikamaru shifted getting his body to completely face her trying not to wake her up. Her arms around wrapped around him dropped to his waist and tighten their grip. Shikamaru brushed a few strands of her hair to the side of her ear and watched the moon illuminate her beautiful flawless face.

His hand slowly slid up to the side of her cheek and he caressed her face slowly and gently careful not to wake her. A small smile played across his face taking in this moment.

If only he had just asked her to marry him then they would be doing this every night. But then his mind drifted to what if's.

What if she rejected him? What if it's still Sasuke that's in her heart? What if she hated him after he asked her? What if she never wanted to see him or to do anything with him ever again?

But then, what if she had said yes to him?

He put the 'what if's' to the back of his mind and just decided to watch her sleep. Soon sleep overcame him too and surprisingly he fell straight to sleep.

Halfway through the night Ino lifted her eyes to feel two very strong and warm arms wrapped around her. She looked to see Shikamaru's nose touching her's. Her face immediately turned a bright shade of red. She's never been physically this close to Shikamaru. Ino found that her cheeks were warming up even more if that's even possible, suddenly thinking how cute he looked.

Whoa, Shikamaru cute? That's got to be wrong she thought.

But, hey she wasn't one to complain.

Ino continued to watch Shikamaru through the moonlight. Her smile faded away when she suddenly saw Sasuke's face in Shikamaru's. Painful memories returned to her mind when she recalled one memory of her watching Sasuke sleep in the hospital one night when it was his birthday and she secretly stayed overnight.

She carefully lifted his arms away from her and she froze when Shikamaru moved. He turned to the other side of his body and continued to sleep. His back now faced her and she released the breath she was holding in. She quietly left his room sliding the door shut and headed straight to her room to be on her own.

Shikamaru opened his eyes and sighed. It was too good to last long he thought. Deciding he would go check on her he stood up from his bed and went to her room. There he stood by the door preparing to knock on it when he heard sobbing. Unable to control his actions he slid the door open and Ino whipped around tearfully.

"Wha.." before she could finish Shikamaru held onto her, "Forget about him."

She pushed him away, "Sasuke?" she asked looking through her blurry orbs. When the tears slid it wasn't Sasuke it was Shikamaru standing in front of her.

"Ino just forget about Sasuke."

"But –

"Ino can't you see?"

"Shikam –

"Why do you keep looking for him? He hurt you and used you. Why can't you just forget about him?" he asked her hugging her tighter, "Why can't you see that you don't need him, that there's someone that's out there better for you. That there is someone standing in front of you this whole time. That you don't need to shed anymore tears for him. That I've been here. That I'm the one standing in front of you waiting for you to notice me…."

Her breath hitched into her throat not coming out just letting her suffocate. No, it's not supposed to be this way she thought. It's not supposed to be Shikamaru saying this to her. It was supposed to be Sasuke. Not him. She pushed Shikamaru away from her. She couldn't do this.

"No…."she whispered.

"I …just can't forget about him…"

Shikamaru still held her shoulders staring at her fighting back the tears, "But –

"I …I still care about him –

"But you don't love him."

"I –

"Don't deny it, you only care for him but you don't love him. Ino please, just give me a chance. Give us a chance. Please?" He looked at her pleadingly.

"I …" just looking at him made her have second thoughts about Sasuke, "Okay I will give us a chance."

At that moment Shikamaru pulled her to him and swung her around. Her eyes bulged out of her head, this was so un-Shikamaru-like. But what the hell, she started laughing until he picked her up bridal style and walked her out of her room.

"Wwait where are you taking me?" she stuttered.

"What? Back to my room. You weren't complaining earlier," he said not realizing what he said didn't exactly sounded like what he meant.

Ino's face burned like no other, "Okay, only in one condition no funny business okay or else I'll kick your ass."

"Deal," he said happily.

Together they slept side by side not minding the closeness to each other. In less than a few hours, the sun or what looked to be the sun rose up blinding the two of them. Ino giggled at the sight of Shikamaru, his pony tail undone and drool hung from the side of his mouth. Soon his eyes opened to see his new blonde girlfriend giggling.

"Hey," she said.

"ugh…" he moaned then yawned pulling her back into the covers and putting the covers over their heads, "five more minutes."

"No Shika-kun I have to get going and go back to the supply shop."

"NO!" he grumbled tightening his arms around her.

"Stop acting so Un-Shikamaru-like! Grrr," she growled.

"No!"

"Argh Shikamaru!" she squealed when he started nuzzling his nose on her collar bone.

"Stop it!" trying to hold in her laughter and be serious.

Her attempt to stop him failed when she just gave up and let him have his way, "Fine you can have your way gawd," she lay back down holding his hand. She closed her eyes trying to go back to sleep when she felt his breath close to her lips. Ino lifted her eyes open to find him closing in on her.

Then suddenly he just stopped nose to nose laying right on top of her, "Ino, will you marry me?"

He popped the question and her heart stopped.

"Shika-chan, did Ino leave cause I just checked her room and she isn't …." Yoshino walked in looking at her son and Ino at their predicament, "…nevermind," she said sliding the door leaving the two to be alone.