I do not own Naruto, Naruto, it's settings, characters and story is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

Here's chapter 12, knock on wood. I do hope you enjoy it. R&R! No flames!

Shikamaru walked silently downstairs, hands dug deeply into his pockets as he made his way to the kitchen for a late lunch. He was honestly feeling a little sick to his stomach and just depressed, unsure exactly what he could do about Ino. A small part of him liked her, after all who wouldn't? She was good looking, outgoing, motivated. She was everything you could want in a woman. But after the events of the night before everything had changed, and then upon her declaration of love everything changed again. Her words had totally shattered him, his anger had just ebbed away, and he was rendered powerless. He knew that Ino was a self centered brat that wanted everything for herself. And yet, her words had sounded so sincere, so much so that his rage was replaced with pity, and he had been too weak to throw her out. Could she actually love him? Could he actually love her? What the hell was he going to eat for breakfast? Now that was the real question.

He pondered this as he entered the kitchen, where Temari, Tayuya, and Ino ate lunch in silence. Until, of course, Shikamaru stepped in. Tayuya and Ino quickly looked up and Temari glanced up as well, but looked back down at her food and kept eating. Shikamaru had slept pretty late, it was about noon, no one had really wanted to wake him up, deciding he needed all the sleep he could get. Tayuya and Ino both opened their mouths to ask the same thing but Temari, not even trying, beat them to it. "You OK guy?" she asked casually, which caused them both to shoot her a look before considering Shikamaru once more.

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head "...Great" he lied, looking none of them in the eye. Temari lifted her eyes once more to look at Shikamaru, swallowing her food. She was the only one that would speak her mind in front of him, as the other two were in a battle for Shikamaru's affection, and would say what needed to be said to win his heart. "Don't lie to me Nara." she said idly. Shikamaru slowly glanced up at Temari at her words "Lie to you?" he echoed. Temari took her sweet time, wiping her mouth with her sleeve before looking at him again.
"You and I both know you're far from "great" , don't even try to hide it from me." she continued, eying him, earning her one of Shikamaru's trademark sighs "Eh...I've been better..." he admitted grimly, then sat down at the table, chin resting in his arms. "It could be worse." replied Temari simply, and to that Shikamaru gave her a look "I don't see how..." he mumbled, sure that that wasn't even possible. "Knock on wood." said Temari softly. Shikamaru looked up "...eh?" he said, slightly confused. She opened one eye, watching him "Knock. On. Wood" she repeated. Shikamaru lifted his head "Aw spare me.I don't believe in that Karmic retribution crap there's no such thing as luck." Temari shut her eyes and turned her nose upwards, a look that men of the Nara clan were very familiar with..that look of superiority "Suit yourself." Temari then turned her attention to the red head in the room. "Tayuya, I'd been thinking about something. You don't really have clothes of your own, do you?" she asked. Tayuya blinked, it was true, other than the sound gear she only had one extra pair of clothes. "Well, yeah." she admitted, squinting as if trying to actually see what she was getting at. Temari took her arm and lifted her up out of her chair as she said "Well that simply won't do. Come on we're getting you something nice to wear" Tayuya didn't even have time to complain as she was pulled out of the house, giving Shikamaru a look before vanishing out the door, within the Sand-Jounin's clutches.

Shikamaru blinked gently, then looked over at Ino, still looking a great deal depressed. 'Great. Now I'm stuck with her.' thought Shikamaru bitterly. It wasn't that Ino was a bad person, it was just that after last night, she was one of the last people he wanted to be
around. It was too fast, things were too awkward, but that didn't seem to stop the blond from wanting to say something. To do something. Ino looked up at him, then back down at her food, then up at him again, wondering when to make her move. Shikamaru let out a sigh and rested his head in his arms. This day was already turning out pretty troublesome. Ino cautiously rose to her feet, watching him, and while his head remained flat on the table, Ino silently walked behind him and rested her hands on his shoulders, then massaged them gently. Opening his eyes, and feeling her hands on his back, Shikamaru had intended to tell her to stop, really he did, but something about her touch felt too good. It was almost intoxicating, and his worries began to slip away, muscles beginning to relax for the first time in days. Ino took note of this change and continued, moving her hands to his back, rubbing it softly. For a time, the two were silent, as Ino tried to figure out what to say, while Shikamaru waiting, having a pretty good idea of what she was about to.

"I'm a pig."

Shikamaru turned his head so a single eye peered out of his arms to look at her. THAT hadn't been what he was expecting. Ino hadn't said something like that in all of the time he had known her, so you could imagine Shikamaru's trepidation peering trough the crack in his arm to watch her. Was this some kind of trap? Ino's eyes were low, and tears were brimming in the blue ocean of her gaze. The one strong willed and confident girl now looked so delicate that if you touched her she would shatter into a thousand pieces. "I- I made you like this. It was too soon to tell you my feelings, wasn't it?" Well shit. Whether she was faking it..or it was real, this was a situation that he wasn't willing to step into. A veritable minefield, where he could be blown up at any moment. Maybe if he ignored it, it would just go away. It was certainly worth a try. So instead of responding, Shikamaru didn't say a thing, quietly biting his tongue. The last thing he wanted was for him to say something stupid, and have her come to some kind of crazy conclusion.

Ino's eyes lifted and looked at him and despite his silence, she carried on. "I admit that it was wrong, and I'm a terrible person for it." whispered Ino in miserable fashion, her fingers slowly tightening, clinging onto the shoulders of his shirt, as her head lowered further. "You must...hate me." At that notion, his stomach began to twist with pity and regret. How could he even think to hate her, when he was too busy hating himself? Shikamaru's eyes drifted away from her, considering her for a time before speaking slowly "You're...just confused." he finally said, even though red flags were going off in his head. These sentiments didn't seem to put her at ease as her face came down and slowly pressed against the back of his neck, and arms wrapped around him from behind, holding on as if she was afraid that if she let go for even a second, he might be gone forever. "And even after all of that, you're still letting me stay here. I don't even know...what to..." her voice finally broke off and Shikamaru could take no more. It was just too much.

"H-hey now." he finally breathed as his will broke and he turned around to face her, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. "Get a grip Ino!" he pleaded with her as she softly covered her mouth with her hand, eyes shutting tightly in anguish, her opposite quickly resting over one of his. "I'm sorry..I'm sorry.." she managed to choke out, muffled through her palm before swallowing her face turning red as she gulped down what had been the beginnings of a sob. "I just..I just don't know what-" she struggled to say in between pants. She was distraught. Upset with herself, upset at Tayuya, upset at her situation, but mostly she was just upset. Trembling uncontrollably, she couldn't find the words to finish. "Don't say things like that..." insisted Shikamaru quickly, doing his best to run damage control. Consoling tearful women was certainly not a strong suit of his. What could he say? After a moment he pressed bravely forward. "We've known each other forever. I don't hate you. So just try to calm down." he whispered, in an attempt to make it as plain and simple as he possibly could. Finally she began to pull herself together..nodding silently before pressing her face into the crook of his neck and wrapping her arms firmly about his waist. Shikamaru paused for a moment but then finally relented, dropping his guard, he finally did the same, and held her in his arms. His mental guard was broken, and the wall he had put up had come down. In his mind, he knew he was easy, but another part of him wanted to believe in her sincerity, and wanted to believe that she was just confused. After a few minutes, she had finally caught her breath and allowed her eyes to drift up to look into his, though there was no expression in his repertoire capable of reflecting the thoughts and emotions he was having. This was her moment. "...There must be something I can do to make it up to you." she breathed, and those words caught his attention as his eyes anchored into her gaze. "..Huh..?" was all he could think to say.

After a fair amount of digging around in the various racks and shelves, Temari finally whirled about with a smile, holding up a red skirt and matching shirt, smiling "How about this?" she asked. Tayuya glanced up at it, her hands in her pockets, it was clear Temari was having way more fun than she was. "Fine I guess..." Offered Tayuya with a sigh, her thoughts returning once again to Shikamaru. What does Shikamaru like in a woman as far as a wardrobe is concerned. Something revealing or simple? Heh...I may as well just dress up like Ino... after all, that's what he likes.' she thought dismally to herself as her eyes looked around the place for the hundredth time, taking in the racks of clothing and the many different styles they had. "I don't look good in dresses at all..."

"Good thing it's not a dress! This is a skirt!" replied Temari, grinning "This is the kind of thing I wear all the time! Simple, comfortable and flattering. It's the perfect attire." Tayuya halfway snorted at that and allowed her eyes to roll from coast to coast. "The only thing they look is dumb. Why would I ever bother wearing something that...girly?" she asked gruffly, for lack of a better word. "Well, this is the kind of thing women wear to dates. What if you have one of those huh? You think you'd just show up in those shorts you always wear?" she asked as Tayuya gave her a look. "A date?" she repeated, to which Temari folded her hands into fists and rested them on her hips. "How do you expect to get his attention if you're not even willing to look your best?" she asked exasperatedly, which caused a fierce blush to erupt across her face, followed by sputtering "S-sh-shut up!" she barked, stamping her foot onto the ground, as her right eye twitched. "Just what the hell would you know about him..er..it...me...ANYTHING!? she stuttered, but her eyes widened with mild surprise when Temari met her anger with only a knowing smile. "I know that look. That look you have when you're in a room with him. Theres no hiding it from me! You're in l-" Tayuya quickly lifted her hands to cover her ears, her nose scrunching and her teeth gnashing together "Didn't I tell you to shut up already!? At that Temari huffed and turned her back on her. "If that's the way you want to play it then fine, but know this. Love doesn't wait for anybody. Even true love." she assured her, which Caused Tayuya to slowly lower her hands and blink up at her, her facade of strength and defiance weakening. Visions of Ino..and her confession the night previous shot through her mind like kunai..cutting into her psyche. "I was going to give you some tips, help you out a little bit. But if you don't want them-" she began only to have her words cut short by a "Wait!" as Tayuya took a timid step forward. "I-I guess it couldn't hurt to know?" she whispered, as if peeking out from behind her defenses. Temari only smiled.

It was at that moment that Tayuya temporarily stopped being the red headed devil woman of the village hidden in the sound. It was at that moment that Temari ceased to be the fan wielding spoiler to her former master's plot. Hours seemed to tick by like minutes as the women had the rare chance to do what girls their age actually did. Shopping, joking, laughing and gossiping about one thing or another. Temari shared stories about her brothers while Tayuya explained the passionate connection she had with her flute, how it had been with her all her life. They bonded over the harshness of their existences. Temari, living within the threatening shadow of Gaara, to grow up without a parent's touch. Tayuya, scooped up off the streets of a village that had forsaken her..forced into the service of Orochimaru himself. The topic, however, eventually gravitated to one of Tayuya's new favorite subjects.

Temari sat with her at a table, Tayuya's things resting in a bag by her feet, they were at a small dango shop. Tayuya was taking in all the advice she could about what Shikamaru liked and anything else that Temari had soaked in in her time knowing him. "He may look and act like
he knows it all, but when you get right down to it, Shikamaru is a very linear man. He has simple goals, and simple interests. He's gifted, but completely unmotivated, and therefore pretty much useless." summarized Temari with an exasperated sigh..when she spoke about him like that, he sounded like he wasn't worth it..glancing up, Temari saw how closely she was paying attention and couldn't help but laugh just a bit "Look at you, taking mental notes." she teased in an amused voice. Tayuya blinked, coming out of her spell and looked down a bit. "Pft, you were the one who offered to help!" Temari held up her hands "Alright alright...well...his favorite dish is kelp and mackerel, his clan uses medicine sometimes made from deer antlers..uh..he's exceptionally lazy? Oh! He's got an IQ over 200!"

"Know it..know it..know it..know it.." replied Tayuya with a sigh. Temari smirked "Well aren't you just the little expert" she jabbed with a laugh. Tayuya looked up at her, her chin resting in her hand. Temari smiled "...And he has a soft spot for you..." she added gently. Tayuya blinked slightly and lifted her head, looking at her "W-what?" she asked, more than just a little surprised. Temari nodded once "I can tell he's fond of you, can't you?" A blush crept across her face as she thought about it "It's not love...is it?" she asked with just the tiniest shimmer of hope. Temari smiled kindly at her "It definitely could be..." she said softly. A hopeful smile spread across the red head's face, one of the few real ones she'd ever made. "Thanks...I needed that." she whispered to what appeared to be her new friend, who smiled back kindly and gently patted her back. "Men aren't that complicated, especially weak willed, spineless men like Shikamaru Nara." and at that, the two laughed.

But really, what was a weak willed, spineless man like him to do?

Shikamaru sat on the edge of Ino's bed, hand having come to rest upon his cheek, elbow propped up onto his knee, a forlorn look gazing out of a window towards the skies high above him. His and her clothes lay everywhere, scattered hither and thither like clouds, very grim, dark clouds, in his case. Upon his bare body were the sheets from the bed, resting over his lap and his knees, the rest of it having been graciously taken by Ino, who seemed to be much more at ease than he. So much so, that she had fallen asleep, blond hair cascading down her bare back. Taking a moment to gaze over his shoulder and consider her, Shikamaru finally allowed his neck to stop supporting his head, which hung down, and a sigh that he went to all too often escaped his lips. It appeared that it was his destiny, to be overtaken by strong willed and terrifying women, who cared not about the destruction they left in their wake. "Well Shikamaru...I'm sure you deserved this." he muttered bleakly as he pushed himself off of the bed, the sheets falling off of him as he began to play a silent game of 'find my clothes'. After slipping on what he was sure was the last article, Shikamaru shouldered his way out of the room, closing it behind him, and began to tie his hair back. To his left and right down the halls were evidence that he and Ino had come this way. Tables were knocked over, pictures were on the floor, the rug was twisted, and Shikamaru for the time being paid it no mind. Making his way down the stairs and wincing as he grasped a hold of his leg, and entering the kitchen. Or, what had at least been a kitchen once. Everything that HAD been on the table had been thrown off in a fit of passion, chairs knocked over, bowls upturned, the remaining dishes from breakfast and the silverware that went with it scattered across the floor like leaves. Lifting two fingers to his face, this poor simple deer herder did his best to remain calm.

But there was no time for such conveniences. The sound of the front door opening, and then the distinct sound of Temari and Tayuya talking, giggling and gossiping, sounded more like the cackling of the reaper to him. Eyes wide, knees weak, Shikamaru spun about in a display of agility that actually resembled a legitimate ninja, instead of a lazy good for nothing. He moved like lightning. Every chair that had fallen he quickly propped back up, straightening the table cloth as he went, he scooped up the fruit on the floor and dropped it back into the bowl from whence it came. By the time Tayuya and Temari had finally made it into the room, the two girls blinked and their conversation stopped short. Shikamaru was standing in front of the entrance to the kitchen, his shoulder against the wall..much like his back was. "Hey..! You two!" he greeted, gulping down a pant.

With a light grin, and a short walk, Tayuya came forward and wrapped her arms around him "Hey you." Shikamaru shut his eyes and hugged her back, skin and conscious both crawling, feeling as if his entire body was evidence to his misdeeds. Tayuya was preparing for something big, and was mentally psyching herself up, looking back over her shoulder towards Temari, who looked back before receiving the message, and made her way into the kitchen to leave the two of them alone. Simultaneously, Tayuya pulled Shikamaru into the living room before releasing his hands and came to stand there with her back to him, gently toying with her fingers as she tried to put emotion to words.
She had to get it off her chest. If Ino was brave enough, then there was truly on excuse to shrink away now. After gathering her thoughts, she turned to look up into a pair of soft, but confused eyes, and reached out to grab his hands. Tayuya took a deep breath, a breath that she was sure had sucked every last bit of air out of the room, leaving everything momentarily silent.

"I...love you."

The fact that she had even managed to say it without breathing was a feat in and of itself. At first Shikamaru's look was entirely blank, at least at first, for soon the gears in his head began to screech to a halt, as the weight of this admittance smashed into his chest, nearly killing him right there. Instead of saying something witty something reassuring, something that sounded like...English, he could only find the strength to stare at her, mouth opening and closing wordlessly. However, Tayuya gently put a finger to his lips, not missing a beat "Just think about it. You don't have to say anything now, in fact, you don't have to say anything at all. Please just.. think about it." she whispered. She then turned and walked upstairs, out of sight before Shikamaru could even get a word in edgewise. Not that he could have anyway. Staring after her slowly shut his gaping mouth and hung his head, gripping his hair, cursing himself inwardly, as those gears in his head started turning once more with a vengeance, spitting questions, hypotheses, theories, variables.. what the hell was he going to do now!? HOW in the hell was this happening to him? It wasn't like he wanted this, at least not this way. Hell. Did he even know what he wanted?

Temari smirked hearing the words, and then Tayuya running upstairs, a feeling of pride swelling up in her chest. "Good for you Tayuya." she said softly to herself, her arms coming to fold over her chest and she took a moment to reflect on their day. In many ways this was not only a success for Tayuya, but a success for herself. After all, if she couldn't have him, she could at least feel that sense of happiness vicariously through her. Not one to dwell on things of this nature, Temari opened the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of milk, before walking to the kitchen table and slowly sitting down, only to blink as she felt something silky against her thigh. Sliding her leg aside, she gave whatever it was a light tug and out came a pair of silk panties, colored a deep purple. Her mouth opened just slightly,eyes fixated upon them. "Now, who could these belong t-" she began but the answer was very clear. After all, there had only been one woman at the house while they were out. Upon this realization, Temari's fist slowly clenched around the undergarment, each and every one of her knuckles popping, her face alone capable of murder to the 1st degree.

"Nara...Shikamaru..."

And so the plot thickens...I hope you enjoyed that as much as I enjoyed writing it..watch out for chapter 13 in the near future! R&R!