Here is the day 3: Childhood Memories for ShikaIno week. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.

Childhood Memories

Shikamaru was lying under a tree, watching the clouds in the sky like usual. But really, his mind wasn't on the clouds right now; he had been thinking about his teammate, Ino. She had always been on his mind lately but can anyone blame him? When he is aware that he is in love with her and he just can't seem to get her out of his head? He is a genius by birth and one of his skills in using his head is that he can't easily forget every memory he shared with Ino. He remembers all of the times when she was angry, sad, or determined. But what he remembers most of all was the day he first met her. It was on a comfortable day like this and they were six years old when she had come traipsing into his life.

Eleven Years Ago…

Shikamaru was lying on the grass underneath the tree of one of his favorite to cloud-watch from. He had just gone out of his house to get away from his nagging mother. He always found her strict nature troublesome among other things. When he was cloud-watching, he was at peace and his thoughts would drift away along with the clouds. He would have just continued with watching the clouds and then fall asleep for his nap. His eyes were closed but as soon as he opened them again, he was suddenly looking into a pair of blue eyes, eyes that were as blue as the sky above. This new comer had startled him so much that he sat up quickly and bumped the person's head with his.

"Ow!" a voice cried that was unmistakably female.

After he rubbed his forehead where he hit his head, he looked more closely at who disturbed his peace. It was a girl, about his age if he is not mistaken; her platinum blonde hair was short with a red clip on the left side on her temple. She was wearing a pink dress with a smaller purple skirt over it. But he was just openly staring at her before he saw that she was glaring at him.

The little girl proclaimed, "That hurt!"

Then she crossed her arms and then continued to glare at him, while tapping her foot.

Then she asked, "Well?"

He looks at her quizzically, and then asks, "Well, what?"

She looked at him incredulously before yelling, "Aren't you going to apologize?"

"For what?" Shikamaru inquired again.

She let out a frustrated growl before answering, "For bumping my forehead!"

"Oh, well, I'm sorry about that but you startled me by staring at me. Most people don't like to be stared at." Shikamaru somewhat apologized.

The girl huffed but then reluctantly replied, "Well then, I'm sorry for staring at you."

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders and then laid himself back down onto the grass, placing his hands behind his head.

He heard her come closer to him and then she asked, "Can I sit here?" She indicated to the spot next to him.

He opened one eye and then answered, "Go ahead."

She sat down on the grass next to him and then discreetly watched her from the corner of his eye, wondering, "What is a girl doing here in the first place, because this one is definitely troublesome."

Then she started picking the small daisies that grew there and started to weave them into a ring, which Shikamaru recalled that it was a flower crown.

Then she asked while weaving, "Why were you staring at the clouds? Shouldn't you be playing like other kids?"

Shikamaru looked over at her curiously, why someone would be talking to him about his hobbies, especially a girl; he didn't know. But he could tell that she was genuinely curious so he decided to humor her.

"It's too much energy to play; I'd really rather do nothing. I like to look at the clouds, because I want to be like one," he answered.

The girl looked at him with a raised eyebrow, she asked, "Why would you want to be like a cloud?"

Shikamaru felt a little weird telling a complete stranger his thoughts but he couldn't help himself. It was almost like that he suddenly feels like he could tell her anything.

So he sat up and then answered again, "Because they are continuously drifting through the sky because of the wind, they don't have a care in the world as they drift along. I want an easy life when I grow up and just go through my life living easy."

Then the girl bluntly stated, "You're weird."

Shikamaru started to scowl at her but then it was wiped off his face when she placed the flower crown on his head.

He looked up at her and then she said to him, "But I like you."

Then she suddenly smiled at him, a bright smile that made her eyes sparkle, leaving Shikamaru suddenly speechless and his cheeks were pink.

She held out her hand to him and she said, "I'm Ino, what's your name?"

He stared at her hand and then watched her smile again before he held her hand to shake it and then he replied, "Shikamaru…"

Present

Now they were here but under different circumstances, he was on a date with her, after a few others and she was sitting by him again, weaving a flower crown like last time. His lips twitched upwards in a smile and he started to chuckle.

Ino looked down at him beside her and asked curiously, "What's so funny, Shika?"

Shikamaru looked over at her and answered, "I was just recalling the day when we first met. At that time, I really had no idea why you wanted to talk to me when you could play with other kids."

Ino smiled and then once again, she put a flower crown on his head, surprising him and then she replied, "There is a reason why I wanted to talk to you and spend time with you."

Shikamaru looked over at her and waited for her reason and then she answered, "Because, back then, I thought you were cute."

Shikamaru looked surprised but then smirked and then he asked, "Really?"

Ino nodded her head while giving a big smile, the kind that had stunned him years ago and still does. He gently took her hand into his and smiled at her.

"That day, I thought that you looked pretty with your smile that I love so much," Shikamaru confessed.

He paused before he added, "Your smile made me want to always protect you and have you keep smiling."

Ino laughed, "That's corny, Shika."

Shikamaru looked down at her, feeling embarrassed for being called corny when he really means it.

But then she brought herself closer to him and says, "But I love you anyway."

Shikamaru brought his lips down to her and gave her a chaste kiss on her lips and then replies, "I love you too, Ino."

Then they both lay on the grass together and watch the clouds drift by, both content to be together like this and hopefully for a few years to come.

I hope that you liked this little story for the prompt. Next is College AU. Please feel free to leave a review.