Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

AN: Mwuah! Gomen-nasai! I know I know that "Be Careful What You Wish for" should have been out about a week ago, but I just can't concentrate right now!

And now it looks like I'll be posting this one first!

Important: This chapter is not really a chapter. I know, I know, that was confusing, but due to the amount of people saying that they enjoy the Ino/Shikamaru pairing, I decided to make a side story dedicated to how they got together. It's rather short, but it's full of fluff for just the two of them!

And please note this story took place about a year and a half before the rest of the events in "Optimism" There's no need to read this story if you don't want to. It shouldn't really be necessary for the understanding of the story, so if you want to skip it, go ahead.

Spoilers: until about manga chapter…um 180 something…the one where Sasuke goes bye bye.

Optimism

Ask Why: A Side Story

By: Poison Ivy

~

"Sakura! Over here!" Ino's hand was raised above all others in a sea of head that was the Ichiraku Lunch Rush.

The pink-haired shinobi weaved her way through the people, finally plunking down at the table with a huge sigh.

It quickly turned into a beam as she regarded her friend. "Ino-chan! How are you?"

Ino rolled her eyes slightly. It was obvious that Sakura was still riding on her high that came from being near her idol the whole day.

"We just saw each other this morning, Sakura-baka-chan." She admonished lightly, tapping her on the nose with her chopsticks.

Sakura's eyes were still glazed over. "Really? Was that you?"

Ino sighed, and then waved a waiter over with a free hand as she listened to Sakura babble on about _how hot_ Sasuke looked that day.

"Let's order now." She interrupted.

After their order was placed, Sakura's gaze sharpened. "But I really mean it, Ino-chan!"

"Mean what?" Ino mentally reran their conversation, not knowing what the other was talking about.

"How _was_ your day? I know that Chouji-kun and Shikamaru-san can be a handful…"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it."

She then launched into her own story about how Asuma-sensei set an exploding note on a squirrel to check their reaction time, Sakura making sympathetic noises all the while.

"But of course I discovered it before it could go off," she bragged, silently adding, 'because Shikamaru told me about it.'

"Then what?"

So she told her all about Chouji wanting to eat the _poor thing_, which was just terrified, of course. She and Shikamaru had to spend a long time talking him out of it.

Sakura made a grossed out face between bites (their food had arrived while Ino was talking.) "Why do guys always want to hurt animals?" she launched into a story of how Naruto almost killed a rabbit while trying to show off during their first real mission.

She also talked about the Sound-nins pulling the same trick as Asuma had during her first chuunin exam. Ino noted carefully that she didn't mention such key words as "Orochimaru," "Curse seal" or "war"

She'll never change.

But Ino didn't mention it either, and lunch continued in the same way, each swapping stories.

Because that was how friendship worked.

*

After lunch, Ino wandered off into the forest, determined to walk off any extra pounds that she may have gained from the ice-cream that she and Sakura had consumed after lunch.

"Must. Not. Gain. Weight." She huffed to herself, power-walking through the foliage.

That is, until she tripped. Over something warm. Over something that went, "Ow Ino. Get off!"

She scrambled off of him quickly, hiding her embarrassment by saying hotly, "What do you think you're doing? I could have been really hurt!"

"You?" he grumbled, sitting up, "What about me? I'm the one you fell on!"

Ino huffed, "Well it's you own fault for lying there! It's hard to see!"

Though she had to admit, it wasn't really. She just hadn't been looking. Not that she was going to admit it to _him_.

"Jeez." Shikamaru grumbled, "all I wanted to do was rest today."

Ino settled herself next to him on the soft grass. She smiled. Trust Shikamaru to get the best view of the clouds.

"So how did you get Chouji to let go of the squirrel?"

"I bought him lunch."

Ino winced. "Ouch."

"Not really. I'm a little worried about Chouji still."

Ino frowned. After retrieving Sasuke from the Sound-nins, Chouji had decided that he never wanted to rely on the super-strength pills again. He began to train with Shikamaru's encouragement, but the going was tough.

It took most of a year since the even occurred for Chouji to be eating normally again. It was even harder to gain weight since the boy was converting as much fat into muscle as possible, to soften further blows.

But he was getting there, and Ino knew that.

"Why?"

Shikamaru sighed. "It's probably nothing, but when Chouji doesn't eat as much, it troubles me."

This is probably the longest conversation that we've ever had. Ino realized, well, a civil one anyway.

She smiled. "As opposed to being relieved?"

To her surprise, Shikamaru smiled back.

They lay in silence awhile. Then Ino said, hesitantly, "Shikamaru?"

"Aa?"

"Remember that time…that you told us that when you grew up…you would marry a girl neither beautiful nor ugly, marry two children, and grow old playing Shogi?"

"Aa."

"Do you…" Ino had to choke back a lump in her throat. This was probably the most important question that she had ever asked.

"Do you…still…believe that?"

There was a slight silence.

"Sometimes beliefs change." Said Shikamaru cryptically.

There was an ache in Ino, something she couldn't describe, couldn't put into words.

An ache for him to…say something.

If you ask right now, she thought with sudden clarity, I'll tell you. If you ask…

But Shikamaru, being Shikamaru, was probably too lazy to say a thing.

After about a minute of silence, he said suddenly, "Oy. Ino…"

"Hm?"

"Why…" her heart suddenly beat faster, "did you stop chasing after the Uchiha?"

Her heart returned to normal. "Because I'm not a kid anymore. "When I was little, I could fool myself, thinking that when Sasuke fell for me, he would change, but I know that that's not going to happen. Besides, who do I want to spend the rest of my life with, a cold man or—" she caught herself. That had really been too close.

But Shikamaru, unnaturally listening closely, for once, prompted, "Or?"

And that was all Ino wanted. "Or a guy like you."

*

Shikamaru, for all his lazyass ways, was just a little too smart to hate Uchiha Sasuke. Not for want of trying, of course.

After all, Sasuke had everything, and he didn't even want it.

Shikamaru had lost track of all the times he had done something, to gain Ino's attention, only to have it snatched away by Sasuke, and all he had to do was walk by.

Yeah, Shikamaru was apparently to smart to hate him, but not smart enough to stop trying to gain Ino's attention.

But things changed awhile back. And, he was just beginning to see, for the better.

"Look Shikamaru," Ino said hurriedly, "I like you, okay?"

"Why?" he choked out, "I'm not—" I'm not Sasuke. He wanted to say.

"I know that you're lazy and not motivated, but who else can I talk to openly?"

"Chou—"

"Screw Chouji!" she interrupted suddenly, with such vehemence that Shikamaru was really too surprised to shut his mouth.

"Screw him and Asuma-sensei and Sakura-chan! Why does this have to be so hard? Why does it have to be So. Fucking. Hard around you?"

She was glaring at him with anger, and a trace of…hurt. But that was stupid. Girls like Ino didn't get hurt.

"Ino…" he mumbled.

She had started crying, sitting up, and sobbing into her hands.

Shikamaru patted her shoulder awkwardly. Jeez. I'm not good at troublesome things like this.

He thought carefully of what to say and how to say it.

"When I said that…" he began carefully.

She looked up at him.

"About my wife…I realized something."

Her face was blotchy and red.

"I was a fool."

Her eyes were puffy and swollen.

"Because no matter who she is…"

Her hair was disheveled…

"She will be the most beautiful person in the world to me."

…and tangled, sticking out in all directions.

He reached out and wiped a tear away.

Ino wasn't the most graceful crier. He hadn't met a single one of those yet.

"They say that I'm smart." Yet in this…I made probably the biggest strategic mistake."

He leaned closer. "In my life."

Their lips met, and she stopped sniffling.

Yeah, Ino wasn't at her best while crying.

But damn, she still looked beautiful to Shikamaru.

~

AN: I hope that was ok! No too cheesy or anything!