It felt good to wake up next to Deidara again. Too see him lying there woke my butterflies. He was always so peaceful in his sleep. He always had the same face. I kissed him and slipped out of bed.

He had come for me; he had made a commitment to me. Everything was as it was supposed to be. I did not care about my career anymore. It was not important. It was not what I had missed and needed. It could not compare to the feelings being loved gave me. This was bliss. I would be happy again.

The news reached me through Sakura. Ino was to be married to that awful man. Temari had complained about my bad mood all day. I was still not over the fact that she had punched Ino. Nobody was allowed to hurt Ino, yet he allowed it to happen time after time.

I hadn't protected her like I had sworn I would. She hadn't come back for me like she swore she would.

It had been stupid of me to ever believe that Ino Yanamaka would love me.

Ino of the magazines, billboards and runways.

Ino in the tight dresses and high heels.

Ino the famous model.

What would she ever do with a hick like me? I who had never seen the world, who didn't have abs and never had touch anything stronger than shots on the local bar.

I who loved her as she was.

I who loved her no matter what she did.

I who loved her no matter how she looked.

"What do you want for dinner?" Temari asked me as she was flipping through the channels.

We were in a rut. We did the same over and over again. What do you want for dinner, it's Wednesday why don't we have something easy like chicken and vegetables and watch that show I love?

I just nodded I knew those words would come out of her mouth. The only thing that ever changed occasionally was the bag of frozen vegetables we used. We were definitively in a rut.

"Have, do, do you have a past with Ino?"

I was certain she knew the answer to that. What other reason could a woman have for asking that question? She wanted me to deny it but be mad that I was lying. If I told her the truth she would only be mad and hurt. I never cared much about lying. I preferred the truth over white lies. They always came back to bite me.

"I slept with her once in high school, and that was it. I'll get started on dinner."

Sakura had called Shikamaru later that night.

"I'm throwing Ino an engagement party, I don't know if that's something you want to be part of?" I had to leave him with an invitation and a way out.

I was surprised when the response came that both he and Temari would be there if that was okay. He had certainly wanted to meet the guy Ino planned on marrying instead of him.

It felt naturally for me to plan Ino's engagement party if you're looking away from the fact that the flirtatious childhood friend of mine was engaged. It had been so romantic.

Showing up out of the blue with enough roses to last a year. Then even more out of the blue just going down on one knee after being apart for so long. It was only something you see on movies and with the rich and famous I guess.

With Sasuke and me it had been different. Sasuke had admitted once drunk on beer after partying with his work buddies that he had wanted children once I was done with school. I had told him that there would be no children before a marriage. He had then asked if he could and I quote "marry my sweet touch."

It didn't matter though. He was still the man of my dream and no amount of roses or lack thereof would ever change how I felt about him.

Ino and I had always discussed such matters. Engagement party, bachelorette and then weeding. We had then gone on to dreaming about houses, children and then husbands.

Eventually we picked up that we were dreaming about the same husband. It didn't matter though, because that specific husband had been Ino's boyfriend at the time. We never fought, but it had torn us apart.

Perhaps this time with boys out of the pictures we could finally be friends again?

I would want for nothing more than that to happen.

Ino had Deidara straddled to bed.

He had finally woken up. It had been boring just lying there watching him sleep like some pervert.

"Did you enjoy the show?" he asked.

What kind of question was that? Of course she had.

"Yes, I love the idea that you're open for a permanent marker attack."

Deidara rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He knew I would never dare. Ever since the cat face incident. Deidara hadn't checked his face before he went to his office. No wonder people had been hissing, purring and meowing at him throughout the day with a black cat nose and whiskers.

"So what do you want to do today?" I asked.

He had a vicious grin on his face.

"You."

I had expected and wanted it. We were in love again, and we would always be. This was what I had dreamt of as a child. I had it all now but I couldn't help but to wonder if this truly was real love.

It felt good but did it feel right? It might have been my inability to be happy speaking.

With my tongue in his mouth and his hands on my breasts came a knock on the door.

"Ino pumpkin, do you want pancakes?"

My father was blissfully unaware that he had interrupted his daughter from being thourughly screwed him her childhood bed, room and home.

"Yes! Please, daddy!"

I slipped out of bed and made a move for the bathroom.

"I hope you'll start calling me daddy,"

I laughed. I didn't know if he was joking about me calling him daddy or if he tried to insinuate that he wanted children. I laughed because I couldn't and wouldn't give him any of that.

"You should prepare yourself, father's pancakes are amazing!"

I had never in my grown life described food as amazing. Food had always been something I needed unless I wanted to die. A bear necessity.

The party had certainly been rushed but Sasuke knew how much time Sakura had put into it.

I had contacted the usual gang. I didn't know if Ino kept in touch with anyone else from their old high school.

I had rented the BBQ restaurant. I had decorated with pink and purple balloons. I had gotten a princess crown with pink plush for Ino. I had gotten a kings crown for Deidara but I was certain he wasn't going to wear it.

I had given him an option and I was all about giving options.

If they wanted.

I had called and invited her to dinner under the pretense that we should get to know her fiancé. She had sounded out of breath and flustered when I called around lunch. I didn't want to comment it because I think I know why. Why would she even pick up her phone during?

She had agreed. She wasn't sure if she wanted to eat since she was getting sick of the food she had eaten three times since she got back. She promised to be there so it wouldn't be a problem.

I had ordered food from the restaurant, bought snacks and even baked a cake myself.

I wanted things to be perfect. It would make things better between me and Ino. If we gave each other what we wanted again perhaps things could go back to how things were before Sasuke.

The phone in my pocked buzzed. I had gotten a mail. Ino had updated her blog. I sat down on the closest chair. I clicked the link in the email and waited for her page to load. This was always exciting to me. I was probably the one Ino's been to closest too but she's always able to put me in the look. Ino valued the shock effect.

Dear lovelies sorry I've been out of bounds. You might think you know why, but if you think you know me by now you need to get yourself checked. Because my check told me that no one knows me.

Things totally have changed since last time we spoke

I've mended my hangover for once.

They're also been some changes in my love life. It's personal, but we're friends right? And friends share everything. I know you've been dying to hear what's going on. He held another girl's hand and so what? He's practically European and it doesn't mean anything. Like she could ever replace me. Hah, I laugh.

But yes, there still have been some changes in my love life.

Deino is officially going to be a union on paper and I have a reason for my spending spree on Elie Saab's web shop.

Once again we're stronger than ever when everyone says we're over.

I'm shocked there's been another rumor about us going rampant that's wrong.

Then came the picture of Ino pretending to be shocked. She had clasped her hand above her mouth. I could see that she was wearing a deep red lipstick between her fingers. She had placed her long blonde hair in a donut bun. What was shocking was her ring. I had seen it in real life and even if the picture didn't do it justice it was breathtaking. The stones were beyond giant and sparkly. Once again I wouldn't trade my sweet and delicate one for that colossal one.

Gimme love, gimme dreams, gimme a good self esteem

Gimme good and pure, what you waiting for?

Gimme everything, all your heart can bring

Something good and true

Love wifey 2 b ino