Vash- Clear! *ZAP*
A.H- Get off me you lunatic! And yes! I am alive. Thank you Vash.
Vash- ^ _.^ Yup.

Anyway! Look at all the pretty reviews! I love you guys. This is what keeps me going...that and all the angry reviewers too...O_O;. You all are going to love this...I hope. Here we go!

****

Shikamaru was leaning against the railing of the bridge that he and Chouji were standing on. A few seconds later Ino came dragging herself in, not very lady like, and then probed herself up. Nice and straight spin. She wouldn't want to look like a slob in front of her teacher.

As every morning, Chouji gave her a grunt and a nod and then turned his gaze back to the clear still water underneath his feet. Shika gave her a look up and down and shrugged. Same old thing. Ino gave Chouji a half smile, and flatly gave Shikamaru a glare.

"What?"

Ino gave a 'humph' and snoblishy turned her head away from him. He rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on. I didn't hit you that hard."

"How would you know."

"It was a freakin' chop stick."

"Yeah well you could have-"

"Good morning children!"

The deep gruff voice of Asuma was heard as he came up to them. This early in the mornings he didn't have ahis cigarette lit. Chouji's confused eyebrowed face turned from the arguing team mates (not even three minutes into the early morning, and they were already barking at eachother.) to his teacher.

Asuma reached into his vest pocket and pulled out three small scrolls. As he handed them out, the three children saw that they were blank.

"Training canceled for today. So have a good day off children. Us it wisely. Read a book., or train with eachother. Something like that. Write it down so I know you at least did something. So long."

Asuma turned on his heel and headed back to where ever he came from.

"Wait. How come?"

Shika had to ask, other wise he wouldn't be able to enjoy his day off.

"It's not really of any of your children's concern. No worries though...just don't ask."

He waved them a goodbye with his back turned and left.

-Inner Ino- Another day off?....YES!!!!

Ino couldn't believe it. She had another day to do nothing but earn some extra cash at the flower shop, relax and maybe get in some mushy romance novel. Ino looked over at her other two teammates. Shika looked pretty happy. As in a 'that's not too bad' type of look. Even though it looked like he cared less if he got another day off. But Ino was pretty sure that he did like the idea, a lot. Chouji was smiling from chubby cheek to chubby cheek. This just meant another day for him to spend his time at home eating whatever his mother would bake for him and watch TV with not a care on his mind.

Shika was the first to move. He shrugged and turned around to go back to his home most likely. Ino watched him go before she, herself, went in his direction to go tell her mother the happy news. Chouji went left, since his house was in that direction. After a while of looking like Ino was following Shikamaru, he turned into an ally way, leaving Ino alone. Her head followed him until her body was too in front of the opening of the ally way. So her head snapped back into looking forward and she kept walking. As Ino walked down the now very busy street (seeings how it was Monday morning) she smiled and nodded at the smiling people, and even a few waves to some adults she knew from her parents. She reached her mother's flower shop, and as the little bell rang, to notice that a customer has come in, her mother popped out from under the counter and started to greet whoever came in.

"Welcome to the Yamanaka Fl-Oh. Ino. Ino? What are you doing here? Girl, you better not be ditching."

Ino gave a sheepish smile at her mother. There was a reason her mother to give that look. When Ino was younger she had the thought that if Iruka's lesson became too boring then she could come home and sneak into her room for the rest of the day. But after she received her head band, she never ditched again. What a good little girl.

"No, no Okaasan-chan! It's not like that at all. Asuma-senshi just kinda said we have the day...kinda off."

"Kinda off? What in heavens name for? It's not a holiday...is it?"

Ino shrugged.

"I don't think so Okaasan. He just did. Shrugged at us, and left."

Her mother gave her a look head to toe. And then smiled at her perfect daughter.

"Wonderful. I can use some help then."

Mrs. Yamanaka waved her daughter over.

"We have a veeeeeery nice gentlemen call us this morning. Says he wants three dozen of our finest blue Mulchins. Isn't that great?"

It was pretty great. Mulchins were not really the cheapest flowers on the market. And three dozen...Ino would most likely get an extra birthday gift this year.

"That's wonderful. But what do you need me for?"

Mrs. Yamanaka lead her to her task. Ino saw the large flowers that were all spread over the floor in the back. There where two flowers already done, and the scissors that did the job next to them.

"He said he does not want any thorns on them. Guess what you get to do?"

Ino sighed.

-Inner Ino- Dammit. And I thought I could just hang out today.

"You got it mom."

Ino took off her white Ninja arm bands and sat cross-legged on the floor. Mulchins had think and very painful thorns on them. And sometimes, which was really everytime, they didn't want to come off without a fight. And other annoying hassle was if you pulled the thorn too hard then the steam would brake, and then the floor would have to be thrown away. So in other words, this would take awhile.

***

The morning faded into the afternoon, and when Ino's mother called her for lunch, Ino had four flowers left. Her hands where all cut up and she was very tired. She whipped her forehead, and stood up. She almost feel back down because of all the blood that went rushing to her legs.

"Oh man... Coming!"

Ino shook her head and went to the front of the store. On the counter, next to the cashier, her plate of rice and chicken with a pork bun were sitting there all nice and hot. A glass of milk was there as well. Good old mom. She smiled and brushed her hands off on the apron she was wearing and started to eat. Ripping apart flowers would make any girl tired, so she lazily started to pick at her food. But she didn't enjoy her meal for that long, for the bell shop rung happily. And like always, she started out her greeting;

"Welcome to the Yamanaka Flower Shop. We have a special today on, oh. Nevermind."

"Gee. Do you greet all your costumes so warmly, or am I just lucky?"

"I greet paying customers with a warm greeting. Your just lucky that I'm not throwing anything at you right now."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"And what, may I ask, tells you that I am not a paying customer? Hmm?"

"Unless you want to make your room all pretty with lilacs, I don't see any other reason for you to be here."

She let her snotty look drop for a moment.

"Unless you here with your father."

"Nope."

The look returned.

"In fact, Mrs. Pric, I'm here because of my father."

Ino let her glare go. Maybe he was going to buy something. Might as well not act like a complete ass to her father's best friend's son, if he has money with him.

"Oh?"

"Yup."

Shika let his arms drop and go into his pockets instead.

"I kinda...walked 'in' on my parents,

Ino blushed, but not as bad as Shika.

"And my Otousan rushed me out to by some more of though flowers he bought here yesterday."

"Oh...well he bought two Imchain."

Ino pointed to what she was talking about and Shikamaura's head followed her pointed finger to the same flowers that were in his house. He let out a 'Mmm' noise. He got it, but didn't find it as interesting as his mother did.

"Well?"

Shikamaru lifted an eyebrow.

"Well what?"

"How much do you want?"

"Huh? Oh...umm...one I guess."

Ino stepped out from behind her counter and went over to those flowers with a pair of scissors. She squated over the bunch and started to fiddle around with some of them. Shikamaru walked over behind her and leaned over her, to see what she was doing. Ino suddenly felt Shikamaru's knee pressing against her spin. Ino's face went red for a second and then she snapped her head around to glare at the pony tailed boy.

"Personal space! Now!"

Shika tilted his head (Having no idea why she was so upset at the moment) and took a step back. Ino shot straight up from her crouching position and went back to the counter ringing Shika up. Shika followed her until he could no more becucase of the wooden counter that blocked him. He pulled out his money and placed it on the counter. Ino wrapped the flower with a red bow and handed it to Shikamaru. When he grabbed it, his hand was on top of hers. And instead of both children yanking back their hands in an old comical way, Ino's red cheeked face locked onto Shikamura's gaze. After a second or two, Ino let go of the flower so Shika could pull it back all the way without dragging the poor girl with him. Not saying anything, Ino looked down onto the flower waiting to hear the little bell on the door frame to inform her that Shikamaru left. The little ring did not come. She looked back up, and Shikamaru was looking at the flower up and down and sniffed it a few times.

"Uh...do you think I can stall some time in here so I don't have to hear my mom screaming when I get home?"

Ino knew what he meant, and blushed again.

"Can't you stall outside."

"I guess I could do that...what a bother though. Since I'm already in here, and-"

"Ok ok. Shut up. I don't want to here you complaining. Hang out if you want, but I have work to do."

Shika smirked.And looked at the food.

"Lunch qualifies as work?"

Ino pouted at him. She then gave him a 'Humph' noise and turned on her heel to go to the back.

"Oh for the love of- Oh come on. I didn't mean it...'that' way."

That way meant whatever way Ino took it as. Shika was starting to get annoyed with Ino always being mad at him, and followed her to the back so he could be a man about it, and apologias. After all, as his father has told him time and time again; 'I mad women is bad. But a women that is mad at you is worse then Hell it's self.' Shikamaru placed the flower on the counter, forgotten, and then went behind it. When he reached the back, Ino was standing looking over really weird looking potted plants that looked like they had teeth. Sharp ones at that.

"Whoa."

Oops. He said that a bit too load. Ino turned around with full fury.

"What the hell do you think your doing back here?!"

Before Shika had a chance to open his mouth, Ino was standing a few inches away from him. She was mad. She had her hands on her hips and was tapping her foot like an old lady waiting for an answer from the kid that stole a cookie before dinner.

"I-I just wanted to-"

"Wanted to what? Steal something? Ask for more flowers? Take my chashier while I wasn't looking? To stand behind me again and look up my skirt?! Huh? What? Is that it?"

"Whoa. You need to chill out Ino."

Shika himself was getting a bit angry. He always did when Ino would start screaming at him for something really stupid.

"Geez. Your such a hassle."

"Hassle?! How dare you!? How dare you come into my shop and come to the back calling me a-"

Ino stopped as Shikamaru grabbed her by her shoulders and Ino found herself against a cold wall with Shika breathing down on top her.

"Shut up."

Shikamaru said it that Ino had to shiver. It wasn't threatening nor irritated. Shikamaru himself though looked annoyed...as always.

"I hear it's bad luck to have a women being mad at you. And since I get the day off today, I don't want a bucket of paint falling on me, or tripping over a ladder and breaking something. I didn't come here to steal, or beg, or look at anything. I came to say sorry for the little comment that got you so pissed off. Ok? That's it. So relax."

For the first time, Ino saw the little boy she knew when he was little. The way Ino stared into Shikamaru's brown eyes at such a close range. She saw the little ninja in training that was almost as quite as Hinata, and paid as much attention to Iruka as Naruto. She saw the small boy, who even then had a small pony tail, be as arrogant as Kiba if pushed to it, and as smart as Shino when Asuma made him be. Ino remembered Shikato's only and youngest son that was not cool enough to hang around Sasuke but always in the background with Chouji as two of the many small outcasts of the class.

"Oh."

Ino said in bearly a whisper. Now she left bad at getting so mad. Maybe it was true to what Sakura said to her once. Maybe she did over react at times. Ino did not look away from Shika, and nither did he. His grip of course loosened even before Ino was pinned, but his hands did not fall from her shoulders. Ino tilted up as Shika tilted slightly down. Ino was the one to pull back after the two ninja's lips met. She brought her hands up to Shika's chest. She wanted to push him back, but Shikamaru never felt the force, for it never came. Ino looked to the side and to the floor. Shika then gently placed his hand on Ino's soft, and beautiful face and turned it to look at him again. He captured her rosy lips again and she let him.

Rage faded away, along with any other though in Ino's mind and then she looped her arms around Shika's neck. Getting the hint (at least Shika took it as a hint) Shikamaru's arms went to Ino's waist and pulled her closer. Shikamaru inhaled Ino's sent deeply. Just the way he thought. Rose peddles. Slowly, because she was scared, Ino parted her lips and Shikamaru himself slowly slipped his tongue in. Not too sure on what to do, they both closed their eyes to see what will happen next. He traced the roof her mouth and the inside of her teeth. For once Ino did not fight back in anyway. Even her own tounge let Shika's tounge whatever he wanted. Shika now knew what Ino Yamanaka tasted like. Like the sweetest strawberry on the first day of spring.

"Ino! Child were are you? I need some help. Ino? Sweety?"

Ino pulled back from the warmth of Shikamaru and gasped for air. Shika himself looked towards where Ino's mother was calling her.

"C-coming. Coming!"

Ino pulled fully away from the slightly taller boy and took another deep breath. She looked back at Shikamaru, who had a smile on his flushed face. He nodded at her, and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"I'll see you tomorrow, ja?"

Ino nodded quickly.

"Ino!"

"I'm coming!"

Shikamaru went to the counter like before picked up the flower and left the flower shop with a little ring. Ino found herself looking at the door as he left. She saw the money he left on the counter as well.

"INO!"

"I'M COMING!! Geez..."

****

Mwhaha. No, that's not the mighty lemon part. I'm making this very tasteful, so that will come just a liiiiiiiiiiittle bit later. ^_____^ Anyways! So how was this? I'm proud of this actually. It's longer then I thought it would be, so I'm happy. Um, yes well this will go on! Seeing how you people like it. Meeep. Uh...Hmm..lets see..I hope to get started on the next chapter soon so you don't have to wait so freakin' long. Oh well. Until next time faithful readers!! Oh, and by the way, I'm my own beta reader, so sorry for any mistakes.

Vash-A kiss? That's it? I mean...WTF? That's it! Booo. Hisss. A.H- Shut up Vash. Vash- I guess you can review...but yell at her for not giving us lemon! A.H- No! Don't tell them that! Vash- Hehe.