Green Tea: Late as usual, a good 3 weeks later than the day that I said I'd write this. It's hopeless, I can't keep a deadline to save my life (It's the same in real life too). A pity, I'll pay dearly for it when I actually grow up and get a job... Oh well. In-zoi! (Enjoy) It's the last chapter! Wow! And it's long!

Oh! In case people were confused and all, here's a rough sketch of the timeline in this story:

Spring, Year 1: Chapter 1
Late Spring, Year 1: Chapter 2
Summer, Year 1: Chapter 3
Fall Year 1: Chapter 4
(Skip from Fall Year 1 to Summer Year 2)
Late Summer Year 2: Chapter 5
Early Spring-Spring Year 3: Chapter 6 --- This chapter

How To Smile:

Chapter 6: Happiness

It was early spring morning, the sort of morning that you would wake up to and open your windows, allowing the fresh scent of early blooming Daphnes and Magnolias to waft in, and after smelling it for a few minutes, you would finally be awake enough to notice it was a bit cold, and sadly close your windows with a sigh. The sweet floral scent would still linger in your room, and you'd smile as you dressed and got ready for a fresh spring day.

At least, this was the sort of morning you'd wake up to if you were Ayame Soramachi.

After clipping a rhinestone studded flower clip into her hair (one of her more generic ones, but rather pretty nontheless) Ayame glanced at the calendar-slash-to-do-list beside her vanity table.

It was already the eleventh of March, she noted, a good sixty to seventy days after the day they were proclaimed missing. Thirty-three days after they were proclaimed dead.

By 'they' she meant the four people that were the subject of the many pictures decorating her room.

Team Kurenai left for Grass Country in late summer, August fifteenth, to be exact and were expected back sometime in late fall. When they still didn't return by early December, the Hokage herself sent out ANBU teams to search for them. They were not found by the end of December and were officially proclaimed missing.

When they still hadn't been found by early Feburary, they were pronounced dead. Feburary sixth was the day of their funeral, and all throughout Konoha, everyone wore black clothing to honor their deaths.

Everyone except one person, that is.

That day, Ayame refused to wear black, despite the pleading of her parents. She also refused to attend the mass funeral that was held in their honor. Those who did not know the girl claimed she was spiteful and rude, but those that did know her knew that she refused to honor their deaths for another reason entirely.

She refused to believe that they were dead.

While the rest of the town spoke of the four ninjas in past-tense, in sorrowful and hushed voices, Ayame spoke of them as though she were expecting them to return tomorrow. She continued to speak their names with no inhibition, just with the same fondness in her voice like always.

Those that did not know her wondered if she had any doubts yet, whether she silently grieved for them when she was alone. But those that did know her knew she did not; that when she spoke of their return so casually, she truly did expect them to return.

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Ayame walked downstairs to kitchen, where she was greeted by her mother. The words they exchanged were the same every morning for the past six months, like a ritual.

"Ara, Ayame, leaving so early?"

Ayame nodded.
"Haiii! I promised Shino-kun that I'd welcome him home today."

Her mother reached for the wicker basket hanging by the kitchen door."Well, if you must, take this. It's filled with some lunch, so you two can have a nice picnic."

The girl hugged her mother and smiled.
"Arigato Gozaimasu, Mama!"

And then Ayame would take the basket and walk down the street, like every morning. Her neighbors would all smile at her sadly as she passed by every morning, holding the same wicker basket filled with lunch. And they would smile sadly again when she returned every afternoon, the lunch in the basket untouched.

In their minds, they all dreaded and waited for the day that she would finally stop walking down the road, holding the picnic basket. It would be a very sad day indeed.

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Kurenai sighed contentedly as she and her team traveled back to Konoha, en route the forest.

The past six months were needless to say, very difficult and stressful.

Soon after setting out from Konoha last August, her team was immediately ambushed by a group of ninjas. While the ninjas were not very strong, there were enough of them to cause quite a bit of trouble for her team. After defeating the ninjas, they learned that the ninjas were hired by the renegade Akatsuki members to attack them.

And so followed six months of chasing down the Akatsuki, while being attacked and ambushed every step of the way. They finally managed to track down and eliminate the spies for the Akatsuki, and the attacks stopped, leaving them clear to chase down the criminals in earnest.

Not only had this mission taken a lot of time, but it had also sent them all across the shinobi countries, from the Sand, to the Grass, to the Rain, Tea and back. As Konoha's resident genius would say, it was very troublesome.

Kurenai turned back to her team.
"Well, we're heading back to Konoha at last. I heard from some villagers back in Grass Country say that they already pronounced us as dead."

Kiba sniggered.
"I expect they'll get a nice surprise. It'd be really funny if they thought we were ghosts, eh, Akamaru?"

Akamaru yipped happily in reply.

Hinata, on the other hand looked quite worried."I... I'm sure everyone must be really, really upset... I wonder what father will say..."

The older woman smiled at her kindly.
"Don't worry about it, Hinata, I'm sure he'll be more relieved than angry."

Shino was silent, but his mind was filled with worries.

I wonder how Ayame fared through all this.

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When they arrived at the entrance of Konoha, they stopped and stared at the wooden gates, enjoying the sweet pangs of nostalgia.

Kurenai readjusted the straps of her bag.
"I have to go and report to the Hokage, no doubt she'll want to be first to know."

"F-father m-mu-must be worried..."
Hinata stuttered, trembling visibly.

Kiba grinned.
"I'm gonna give that Naruto a scare or two while he still thinks I'm a ghost. He'll probably fall for it too!"

Kurenai turned to Shino.
"You'll be at the Aburame complex, I presume?"

To her surprise, the bug master shook his head.
"No, I have some other things to attend to first."

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Honestly, he didn't quite know why he was being so irrational.

Every bit of him, down to the last brain cell was telling him that it was impossible. That it was stupid, wishful thinking. He was already four months late, he argued, it was ridiculous to think that she would be there.

And yet he still ran to his team's training field and straight on into the woods surrounding it, without hesistation.

Hell, he didn't even know where he was going, having only been to the place once, and even then he didn't really pay attention on the way there.

And yet he knew where it was, distinctly, somewhere, calling him. He could be blindfolded and still he knew he would find his way.

He saw the shadow of her retreating back, walking off to the woods.
"I'll wait for your answer, once you return. Good luck with the mission."

Then she stopped. But she didn't turn around.
"Oh, and you know where to find me."

And then, before he knew it, he was there.

He stopped for a moment and stared at the scene.

It was beautiful.

The flowers were in bloom all around the clearing, and the clearing itself was covered by a carpet of fresh green grass, still sparkling from the early morning dew.
The flowering cherry trees surrounding him were in full bloom, and showers of Sakura blossoms rained down from the sky, striking a sharp contract to the barren trees he saw two years ago.
And in the center of the clearing stood the majestic oak tree, only bigger and more magnificent than ever.

He then remembered his purpose for coming and scanned the scene. Ayame wasn't there.

What a fool he was for coming.

Shino was about to leave before he caught a flash of russet from the corner of his eye. He whipped around to see her head poking out from behind the oak tree.

He blinked, making sure that it wasn't an illusion. It wasn't. She was there.

She walked out from behind the oak tree, smiling like she always did, wearing a brilliant tunic of red strawberries and golden grapes; it clashed horribly with her purple sandals, but he knew she couldn't care less.

Ayame laughed.
"Shino-kunnn!"

He walked over to the oak tree, a bit dazed, feeling as though he were dreaming and clinging onto the last shreds of this wonderful dream, not wanting to return to reality.

Behind the oak tree, he was greeted with the sight of a delicious picnic already spread out and waiting for him.

Ayame giggled."You're just in time! I finished setting out lunch, and then, there you are!"

She picked up a strawberry from the bowl sitting on the blanket and bit into it.
"I brought some early strawberries from our garden. You'd think they'd be sour, but they're even sweeter than the ones we pick in summer. We always sell these in early spring and everyone just loves them. But, I can't wait until the p-"

He cut her off.
"You're here."

The girl held her hands up in front of her and looked at them as if she were confirming her own existence.
"Yes, indeed I am."

"How did you know that I'd return today?"

Her reply was simple and innocent.
"I didn't."

Shino felt his mouth go dry. Did she mean to say that she... no, she didn't... she couldn't have...

"Oh, but I did."

The boy was surprised for a second, before he remembered that she was an expert at reading his thoughts.

He stared at her through his tinted glasses.
"Even in the rain?"

She nodded.

"And the snow?"

She nodded again.

"And the frosts, and storms?"

Ayame laughed.
"Silly, we only have storms in late spring and even those are nice and warm showers. I like being out in Konoha's storms, just as much as the plants do."

Shino shook his head.
"I thought the village gave us up for dead."

She laughed again.
"They did, but you didn't honestly think that I'd believe that mumbo-jumbo, did you? I thought you knew me better than that, Shino-kun. I told you that I'd be here, and I don't like to break promises, you know."

Ayame picked up another strawberry.
"Anyways, I'm still waiting for your answer. Got one yet?"

He was confused for a moment before he remembered and he nodded.

The russet-haired girl finished the strawberry and threw away the stem.
"And?"

"Teach me."

She was quiet as she stood and walked over to him. Grinning, she faced him and reached one slender hand up to his face.

Shino was grasped by a feeling of deja-vu as he found himself once more drowning in her sky-blue eyes. In fact, he was so enraptured by them that he didn't even feel it when she folded back his collar.

However, he did feel it when she pressed her lips against his and his eyes widened behind the tinted glass. He tasted strawberries... and flowers... sunshine... and fresh spring air, before it ended just as quickly as it came.

Ayame backed away from him, giggling, blushing and a bit breathless.

Like a flower under warm spring sunshine, happiness bloomed inside his chest, spreading out throughout his body.

And then he felt it.

It started out as a subtle flicker in his chest, almost tickling him, and then, as if by magic, it spread upwards, to his face, like the heat from a blush. The corners of his mouth twitched, once, twice, before slowly curving up into a small, but genuine smile

She laughed and returned his smile with one of her own.
"Welcome home, Shino-kun!"

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A little extra:

As he held her in his arms, leaning by the oak tree that afternoon, he noticed something.

"Ayame."

She stirred in his arms, but continued to sleep contentedly in his lap.

"Ayame."

This time she awoke and rubbed her eyes.
"Shino-kun?"

He tapped her on the head.
"It's March eleventh."

She yawned.
"And?"

He pointed to the oak tree that they were leaning on.
"We both have wings."

Ayame stared for a moment and smiled.
"That's right, we do."

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Green Tea: ZOMG! It's DONE! XDDD YESH! Second fic that's done! My longest one yet! A big thanks to all my reviewers, readers, supporters and friends. I couldn't have done this without you! THANK SO MUCH!

Extra Glomps To:
NNCS (x5): Thanks for being here with me from the start! You have no idea how much your reviews mean to me. Seriously, thanks, SO MUCH!
Stacey (x2): Stacey, you're special, so I love you so much anyways. Thankies, moi love!
Rahil: I'm glad you liked my fic. Your approval makes me feel so special!
Crasiness (x2): Hope you liked this "chappie"! Thanks for the extra morale boost! Much love to you too!
AmberFox and Lyell: Here's the kiss you wanted! Hope it's everything you hoped for! Thanks!
tlpg92: I wuv you to death too, for reviewing! I may make an epilogue, I've certainly mused around with the idea before.
ShadowFiction: ShinoxOC fics rock, and you rock too! Glad you like mine. Yes, we certainly need more Shino lubb. Thanks much for your review!

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