A/N: I can't belive I updated the day after I posted my second fanfic! Well, miracles happen. Anyways, please enjoy. Oh, yea, I guess that one of my reviewers was right-this is monotous. It's a little boring I guess...I'm not good at writing action. But I'm trying in my next fic. This is my first story and I'm determined to finish it. It won't be long now, I guess I'm hlafway through it.
People said it wouldn't work out. Friends made fun out of them from the beginning.

For the first few days, it was really hard, not to mention embarrassing. Especially all the stupid comments made about them. Plus, finding a place where they could spend some time with each other, not bothered by anyone, was difficult. Fortunately, it stopped when they saw that it was really serious.

Finally, everyone saw that, even though they were blushing and even though they were embarrassed, they never denied it.

Real love isn't something that's funny, right?

No, it's touching, dramatic and passionate but never funny. Sure, there can be laughable misunderstandings and situations but the feeling isn't laughable at all.

It is something that will stand tough through everything. And the only ones who can destroy it were Shikamaru and Ino.

Love is something you should accept and give. You can't force anyone to love you back, like Ino tried with Uchiha.

If you throw it away, the bond will be broken forever.

So, only their rejection could shatter the bond between them. And that thought never passed between them.

Parents allowed it only because they were theirs best friend child and they thought of it as a more advanced friendship.

But both of them knew that it is something much deeper than friendship. It was something that couldn't be ignored.

People said that they were too different from each other. No one, except them believed that it will last forever. Many times they said "I told you" when the often true rumor about them fighting reached their ears.

Only once, they broke up with each other.

"I told you to fight me, not defend yourself from me!"

Ino was furious. She was a Yamanaka. Pride was one of most important issues. Besides, she wasn't a small girl anymore. She could make a dangerous opponent. Although the spike-haired boy didn't seem to realize that.

When her demand was greeted only by silence, she used heavier weapons.

"Fine if you don't want to treat me seriously and with respect, I'll find someone who will!"

Still, he made no attempt to even acknowledge her sentence. That made her even more angry. She was not to be ignored, especially not by her boyfriend.

"Sit here all day if you want! I'll go find Neji. Or anyone."

That made Shikamaru twitch a little. It was something about Neji that was too much like Sasuke. He saw him as a replacement for Sasuke for the village. He hoped that Ino would be different.

"Well then, why weren't you with someone else from the beginning?"

As soon as those words left his mouth, he winced. That was the best he could do if he wanted to lose her. Ino rarely turned down challenges.

"I'm sorry. Wait, Ino, let's talk!"

That snapped her back into reality. Hurt by his previous words, assuming that he only was with her because of mercy, no, that was too much for a Yamanaka to handle. She didn't need mercy.

"Talking out our differences. Only a stuck up intellectual would come up with that."

He tried to control this pang in his heart after this comment. Gods knew he did. But he, himself always so patient, now could also feel, for some unknown reason, dark anger inside him. He found himself thinking why did she thought of Neji so soon.

"Isn't it important to discuss things to better understand each other?"

Right now, Ino hated the way he always found a good explanation to his way of behavior.

"As I thought, we're total opposites."

That was it. He was tired, dirty and beaten up from her reckless training session. If she didn't want to make things better, why would he?

Of course he knew the answer but this time he chose to ignore it.

"You're right. Totally different."

He could say that his reply surprised her. Usually it was him, giving up to prevent the conflict from exploding.

"Totally different, right?"

"Way too different!"

He snapped. He knew he shouldn't have. Tears already started to well up in her eyes. Very small, but he was observant.

"Same to you!"

With those words, she ran away. Before she did, he caught the glimpse of something glittering, sliding slowly down her cheeks. He hated himself, although he couldn't help but wonder if she really went to Neji.

He doubted it, though; She preferred to cry alone.

He didn't know that she always cried holding onto her stuffed deer. The one he gave her as her 5th birthday present.

He never got much allowance, and he never thought that anything he bought would show her how special she is. So, he gave her what, in his little boys brain, was the most important to him. He believed that it will be as important to her.

He wasn't wrong; He was born a genius and age had nothing to do with it.

Only when he stayed in her room once, he saw the deer. He saw that it was well taken care of and often used. He could smell both, her tears and her sweet scent.

He sort of wanted to take it back, carrying this scent with him forever, taking it into his bed and cuddling every night. But he didn't.

He knew that it would soon fade away, replaced by his own scent. Some years later, Ino will tell him that it always had his scent and that was the main reason why she loved to snuggle with it.

Besides, he had a thing that sure reminded him of Ino, though it couldn't be hugged. And it had her smell.

It was a flower he got from her for his 5th birthday. She said she raised it with her own hands and that she cared for it since it was a seed.

Also, she said that it was the smell of her favorite perfume.

That's why it smelled like her. Though Shika could smell something more. Her own, unique scent that still was in the flower. The scent of love and care she expressed as a five year old child, when she planted the flower. The same scent he thought she got whenever she was with him.

So, as you see, even though they hit a bumpy road sometimes, their bond wasn't broken. It was clean and pure without even a scratch on it.

Because they never even thought of not loving each other.

Because they always came back to each other's arms, people actually started to see how good they looked together. Disbelieving shakes of head stopped, replaced by words of approval and admiration.

It's an irony that their love could be summoned by the words of the biggest loudmouth in the village. The one who was too blind to notice Hinata's loving gaze and her unsuccessful attempts to catch his eye. The one who was so childish to go after one girl, even if she so clearly turned him down.

Yes, it was Naruto who, with one exasperated sentence, summoned all their relationship.

"God, you guys really are inseparable!"