It had been Itachi's idea. Inokoto had immediately turned them down, not that Itachi had actually invited her. So, it had been just the three of them. Ino wondered if Ami was aware of where her husband was right now. They were in public, so there was only a matter of gossip before she knew.

Family dinner.

Aikoino had suddenly taken a liking to her father. Or they had taken a liking to each other. It hadn't been too late for them to grow that bond.

Ino sighed and rolled her eyes as the two were sharing a second dessert. They were spitting images in personality. Ino had opted for a smoothie as dessert. They were indulging with cakes and ice cream. They reminded her of Inokoto as a young child. She would come around eventually. Inokoto had to. Itachi was Inokoto's father after all.

"Moooom!"

The unison shout had broken her train of though and she looked over to her pleading child.

"What, sweetie?"

Ino tilted her head and smiled at her child. She was different now, she took space. She wasn't afraid to ask and she wasn't afraid to take.

"Can I go play with my team?"

Ino looked at her watch, it was time for their standing playdate, which meant that I was also time for her standing play date.

"Sure, yes. Of course."

Ino was a bit perplexed, she wasn't ready for their family dinner to end. It had been so nice, so normally. Itachi and her still hadn't discussed what he had done. It was some huge elephant in the room. Ino wasn't sure if she was upset with it or not. She knew she should be, but it had been beautiful, their life. Though the fact that it hadn't been real left a sour aftertaste.

Itachi held out his hand to help Ino up from her chair. He gently grabbed her hand as soon as it was offered and gave it a kiss. He was being a flirt again, and Ino couldn't help but to love it. Flirting was innocent. Wasn't it?

"That's disgusting."

Aikoino shook her head and started walking.

"It was nice spending some time with you again, as a family."

Itachi hadn't moved since Ino had gotten on her feet and they were standing rather close. She could smell him, he hadn't changed his scent since that night she had gone home with him. It took her back to those times, when she felt so safe and comfortable with him.

"Don't be a stranger, we can still be a family."

Ino nodded and hugged him, mainly so he wouldn't see her cry. Knowing how annoying Itachi is, he probably knew she was crying. If not, it was an awkwardly long hug.

"Family."

Her voice was shaking. She sniffled and broke their hug but grabbed his hand for the few seconds it would take her to say goodbye. He hadn't been ready to let her go either. He wanted the moment to last as long as she did.

Itachi had noticed that change in her. The constant need to be touching him. Like he'd slip between her fingers and evaporate. Like he was a fantasy and she needed to feel him to know it's real.

"I better get going before Aiko complains again."

She leaned in and gave him a quick peek on the cheek. Too close to the mouth to just be friendly he noted. She let go off his hand and before he knew it, he had been left alone with the remainder of dessert… and the bill.

Much to her mother's dismay Aikoino was getting proper fast, if it wasn't her mother getting slower. Ino was beat when she slid down at their regular boot.

This time it had been Shikamaru's responsibility to host this playdate. He had coaxed Temari to be responsible for his team's three small rascals so that they could have their old team meeting as well.

"She got that boyfriend glow!"

Choji exclaimed as soon as he saw Ino with her giggly smile and flustered cheeks. She looked over at him and rolled her eyes. She hadn't heard anything so stupid in years.

"Don't say that, I was having dinner with Itachi."

Shikamaru groaned loudly letting them know he thought that had been a bad idea. He was not having this again. He was too old. He did not have the energy to keep up with them again.

"Troublesome... I grew up with you, troublesome woman, I was there when you got knocked up by a man hailed from a clan known to cause troublesome shit, popped out two troublesome brats. Broke up, now you two have your own partners... yet somehow still managed to cause troublesome thing after years of being separated. What troublesome trouble."

Ino huffed and ordered a drink from the waiter before she took a deep breath ready to respond to Shikamaru and his rant.

"Ino has always been the very definition of troublesome."

Ino couldn't believe Choji had viciously attacked her and sided with Shikamaru liked that. She had just had dinner with Itachi, she hadn't signed papers to formally become his mistress. She would never disgrace herself like that. Having been his non-formally his mistress had been low enough for her. She was happy now, she had Genma now.

"Calm your fantasies, it was a family dinner."

"Fantasies, ew. Please, speaking of fantasies. Chunin exam, Anko has been on my mind the past few weeks. All that fishnet. That was a fantasy."

Choji nodded. There had always been something about Anko when they were younger. She had been so hot headed and determined, but in a different way than Ino. Anko had been so in a sexy way. Ino in a troublesome way.

"I can't believe you guys,"

Ino shook her head at her boys. Sometimes it was like none of them had changed since their academy days. Other times they were forced to realize that they were hardly the same person anymore. War did that to you. It crushed you, it killed your spirit and you were left to rebuild that in the same fashion as they had rebuild their village. Ino had been especially crushed after the war, it was as if she was still rebuilding. Maybe she was growing.

"Rich coming from you, do you still feel the tiniest tingle when you see Sasuke?"

It was Choji who had the nerves to remind her of her teenage crush. Crush, it was more of an unhealthy obsession. Shikamaru laughed along. Only mentioning Sasuke around Ino in their teens would have been enough for him to mutter troublesome. His name had become taboo in their group. If either of them mentioned his name Ino would become riled up like some blood hound puppy hot on Sasuke's scent.

"Please, don't remind me. If anything, I look at him and wonder why,"

She had gotten over her crush late in her teens. Replaced one dark haired, pale boy with another… and then with another and now. Genma kinda had a tan going on and he was more brown haired than dark.

She had no romantic admiration left for Sasuke. Somewhere along him deserting the village and trying to kill her friends her crush had crumbled along with her innocence. There was no other way of putting it. Uncredited, Ino had always been fiercely loyal to their town.

The whole ordeal of her teenage crush just felt embarrassing to her now as and adult.

"You know who aged well? Hinata."

Choji nodded and it almost looked like he fondled his own breast. It was no question as to what Shikamaru thought had aged well on Hinata. They weren't shy around Ino, and she didn't mind. She was quite glad they treated her the same, she would sometimes put up an act. They all knew that she was just as guilty as them checking out Hinata's cleavage.

"Boobs, right?"

Ino took another mouthful of her drink.

"Boobs."

Shikamaru confirmed and they all laughed. It was as if nothing had ever changed, and nothing would ever change.