There was some comfort for I knowing that I wasn't the only one displeased about being back in town. For family he had said, he had come back for family. He was there because he needed to be. Deidara wanted him there and he had some dirt on him. Enough to force him.

It was a gift Deidara had, it was no hassle to get to know your deepest darkest secrets and he used them for his advantage. He was good at smelling and finding dirt and there was something about him that made you think you were safe to confine in him.

Itachi was clutching his mug. They were at the local creamery the light was burning Ino's eyes. Everything inside was either white or black. As far as Ino could remember they hadn't joined the sudden 50's trend, they just hadn't remodeled since then.

"I'm sure Sasuke will come around to enjoy me staying there a few days."

There was something between the brothers. Had always been. Sasuke had always loved and adored him. He had always bragged and talked about his brother. It had all been about Itachi always.

Things had changed after Itachi moved. His first novel had been about the little brother who was so filled with admiration for his older brother that he simply forgot that he was a person too. It had all been about the older brother making the little brother vanish never amounting to the heights of the oldest always remaining in the shadows.

Sasuke had refused that it was based on their relationship. It wasn't anything like that. If that was true why was Sasuke still angry at his brother? The novel had cut too close to home.

"For now I'm trying to stay away from home as much as possible. Father wants my money, mother is constantly telling everyone she always believed in me and saying I'm the greatest thing since spray cheese and Sasuke, you know how he can be."

I certainly know he can be and how he was most of the time.

Itachi must have forgotten about his toiletries and left them. He couldn't have shaved since he came down hair and it was one of those rare times when his hair wasn't in a ponytail. He had a golden ring on his left hand similar to a wedding ring. Itachi had gotten it on his graduation. He had gotten it from his grandfather who had died a few months after.

"Tell me about it. Father is strange and Deidara was still sleeping when I left. At what time did you guys go home?"

I hadn't needed to know what had gone down that night came his response. Guy stuff. The party had ended when most of the crew had gotten so full from eating that they had mobility problems. They had divided the food that was left and most went home. Sasuke, Sai, Temari, Deidara and he had stayed behind.

Deidara and he had opened a tab and there was no holding back. The owner had even held the restaurant open past hours. He was selling whatever he had as premium whatever to a premium. Deidara didn't know the difference and he was the bar master. If it was expensive it had to be good but truth was that he probably couldn't have tasted the difference between prison wine and Tequila Lay. People didn't mind drinking when it's all paid for by other than them.

After the police, Ino's dad had turned up and closed the party down they had gone home with one of the waitresses and that was all Itachi had wanted to share.

"Explains why he was sleeping in."

I had spent the day tucked under bed just breathing. Just cooping and existing. I had screamed at Shikamaru making him leave. I had needed alone time to think. I couldn't have anyone with me when I needed to mend and repair.

I looked out the window and saw people walk past. It was Saturday and people were out early. A girl in a pink dress skipped past holding a blue balloon. She caught up with her mother and grabbed her hand before they entered the grocery store on the other side.

"Don't tell me you have mommy fever?"

I immediately turned to Itachi and laughed. I would never want to have children. My body was my temple and paycheck as well. Children were annoying and nothing was worth running my body.

"Deidara wants children."

I had feared that. Then he would have to find a surrogate and find a nanny. The nanny would certainly have to be male or else rumors would spread. I didn't mind passing my genes on, it wasn't like I didn't want a child. I didn't want to give birth to a child. It couldn't be worth it.

"I've never said that I didn't."

"He wants the whole deal."

I didn't know if I was able to give him that. It didn't worry me too much. It wasn't like I was the queen in 16th century France and needed to produce an heir or else I would lose my head. If he left me because I couldn't give him this said whole deal I would still come out of it alive and breathing.

"He hasn't told me."

"Maybe you guys should talk about stuff like this before you get married."

While Deidara and I were artist living in the moment Itachi was more of a realist with his rules and thinking ahead. I wasn't worried about going blind into a marriage. I knew that I loved Deidara and he returned those feelings. We didn't need to talk about how many doors we wanted in our house, if he was allergic to gold fish or if he wanted children.

"The marriage will just be for fun, it's not a serious deal."

To me it had been once. I used to think that marriage was the most sacred thing. It was the most special bond a man and woman could share. Today it didn't mean anything to me. I could have gone down to the church and married Itachi there right now to prove my point.

"I'm not allowed to say anything, but do you think it's a good idea?"

He wasn't allowed to say anything. Deidara had told him, he had told him everything that was going on in our home. He knew about the arguments, he knew what we said and did in the moment. Nobody had told him what happened after. How loving we were in between those seldom occasions when our fights got out of hand.

"Itachi, you're too sweet worrying about me when there's no reason to."

Temari had leverage on Ino.

I had bought it at a steep price. I had stayed out all night with the pompous jerks from the big city like that was something special. Shikamaru had gone after her. I just know when they went missing around the same time. Once again I felt like an idiot being left behind while my boyfriend ran after some other girl.

What I had done to make up for it might have been too much. I had crossed a sacred line last night. One I'm sure not even Shikamaru would let slide and forgive me for. That's why I would only use the information I had on the most special occasion. I needed to have something on her.

I had stayed behind hoping that baboon would do something. He was a player and a cheat. Ino might believe that he hadn't cheated on her but she's about the only one.

I had waited almost all night. I had seen how girl after girl had thrown their self at him and I had expected him to take almost all of them. He had rejected them as they came, to my big surprise.

Some of them had even looked fairly decent. It hadn't helped. It was then I had out of desperation flung myself at him by the bathroom away from anyone. I had expected him to turn me down too, I had waited to feel his hands on my chest pushing him away.

When those hands finally came it was just to open my top and I pushed him into the bathroom he had come out of. I had originally planned to just kiss him, then I decided to see how far I could go with him and before I knew it I had gone all the way and he was snorting coke off my breasts.

I had taken part in her world to get what I wanted. I had stooped to her level and it gave me intense joy but now that it was all over and looking at Shikamaru proudly displaying the breakfast he had made me I felt nothing but guilt and disgust with myself.

"I know how much you hate oranges when you're hung over so I picked out all the orange candy."

He handed me the bowl of fruit flavored candy and I picked up a white one smiling.

Sasuke hadn't been sure what he had seen.

I couldn't tell Sakura what I thought I had seen but there was no one who could help me confirm.

Even after a night out I was up before Sakura. I had left the party before anyone else from my group. I had been sure I had seen Temari and Deidara making out and entering the bathroom.

Sakura entered our white glossy kitchen. The morning paper was spread on the grey counter but I hadn't been able to read it. I wasn't even able to focus on Sakura in one of my old shirts. I knew I could see her butt when she would reach for the cereal. She placed her arctic blue bowl next to me on the kitchen island.

With sleep still in her eyes she started pouring milk into her bowl.

"Do you think Temari would ever cheat on Shikamaru?"

Sakura promptly closed her mouth and looked at me with disbelief. She knew I wasn't asking if she purely hypothetically could get the idea. She knew that I knew something.

I had to take her hand and set the milk bottle down before the counter became flooded with the white liquid.

"What?! Tell me all about it!"

I had told her the story from the very start where I was on my way to take a piss but came over Temari who lounged at Deidara. I told her several times that it might not have been them. I know that was just something I was telling myself. I had a good and long view of the both of them and they were nowhere to be found when I looked for her.

"Oh my god!"

Sakura noticed her phone vibrating and picked it up. She had several new emails and one of them lead to a new blog entry on Ino's blog.

First they were friends, then a couple, then they got engaged and thought why the hell wait?

Got you wondering what's going on? Good, I want this to be a buzz since you're the first I'm telling! I'm getting married! Sure you guys already knew that and don't know what I'm going on about telling old news but this is really new news!

I'm getting married tomorrow!

I was having morning tea with Itachi and we were talking about my pending marriage and I was thinking why wait? I love Deidara today and I'll love him tomorrow and for the rest of my life.

So I'll be a wife tomorrow around this time. It'll be just a small private event and then we'll do it again this fall and have the biggest, badest, most grand, exclusive and sophisticated wedding like we all dreamed of as kids. I wish to invite each and all of you but I would probably have to fight with my then husband for that to happen. Who am I kidding, he never says no to his princess.

So wow! I have a whole wedding to plan in less than 24 hours! This should be video documented! I'll do my best, I've already picked out and delivered weeding invitations I call that efficiency. Do you have any faith in me and our 24-hour weeding? Good, I do too because I have faith in love

Bride, Ino

I watched Sakura throw her phone on the counter and run. I tried to wipe off most of the milk spill and turned it off. She should know that you don't just throw phones in fluids like that. That was how you break things.

Sakura had run out in my shirt to check the mail. What could have possible been so urgent? She came back with one hand covering her mouth and a piece of paper in the other. She handed it to me, it looked like something Sakura had had me look at a thousand times. Had me pick out size, thickness, type of paper and color shades no one could see the difference between. This one was a plain white and gold. After having read it my fears were confirmed.

"Should we tell her?"

It was Ino and Deidara's wedding invitation.