A/N: A story of True Love from start to finish! Shika struggles with his emotions for Ino throughout adolescence into adulthood as she continues to find interest in and/or date other men. His heart is broken every time, but he still can't help but love her. What happens when he can finally take no more of her amorous adventures? Read on and see!

It all started with, "You're my best friend, Shika! I love you so much!" and an overwhelmingly warm hug that made said boy inhale sharply.

Actually, it started before then, much longer before then. In fact, it began when they were born. The familiarity of their families would bring them within close proximity for the majority of their lives.

The aforementioned moment, was when Shikamaru realized he loved Ino in a different way than she loved him.

At the tender age of fourteen he began to experience unique feelings. One moment he would imagine what Ino looked like naked and the next he would wonder if he were crazy. At that particular second, he felt his father had done a poor job of explaining the birds and the bees to him.

He could feel his heart pounding in his throat as she wrapped her arms around his neck and settled her chin on his shoulder. She was on her tip toes and she felt so soft and warm and she smelled so good and he could feel himself begin to stiffen against her hip. If she felt it, she would think he was gross! Without thinking he grabbed onto her shoulders and pushed her away forcefully with a wild blush and scowl on his face.

Shikamaru didn't realize his error until he saw the look of shocked hurt on her face. Ino took a step back from him, her eyes watering.

Within an instant, she turned to run down the hall, calling over her shoulder, "Ok, well, I'll see you later, Shika!"

Shikamaru watched with a solemn expression on his face, wishing desperately that he could take it all back while watching Ino's retreating form with a sense of foreboding.

'I'm such an idiot,' he thought to himself, feeling an aching throb in his chest that must have been the feeling of his heart breaking…

But the story begins much earlier than this particular moment. It begins with the birth of two infants with a single day separating them. Nara Yoshino and Yamanaka Mai occupied two neighboring beds at Konoha Regional Hospital and neither of them believed there was a more precious infant than their own.

"She is just so sweet and tiny," Mai whispered softly while her adorable baby girl slept in her arms.

At two days old, she had a bright tuft of feathery, soft blond hair on top of her head that matched her fathers. Her eyes were bright and blue as a cloudless sky and she made the cutest noises while she napped.

"What's her name," her neighbor, whom Mai had come to know as Nara Yoshino, asked.

"Ino, a tribute to her father." Mai answered with a smile, "He insisted that our first born be named after him."

Yoshino nodded with understanding as she glanced down at her own newborn baby boy. He was a day older than Ino and he hardly made a peep. He also seemed to want to study everything around him and never sleep. His own hair was soft and black and, despite being newly born, his eyes were already dark; a testament to his genetics, Yoshino assumed.

"What's his name?" Mai returned the question with a soft smile.

"Shikamaru," she answered simply, "also a tribute to my husband's name."

The women chuckled softly over their silly husbands while they both snoozed in the easy chairs that furnished the room, empathetically exhausted for their wives.

"They're so hopeless," Yoshio mumbled, shaking her head when her husband let out a snorting snore.

Mai giggled in answer while she stroked Ino's soft cheek, "I find it ironic that we happen to live next door to one another and have only met now after giving birth to our babies no more than a day apart."

"I was thinking the same thing." Yoshino agreed with a nod, "Do you think it's a sign?" she asked jokingly.

"You know, it very well could be," Mai agreed nonchalantly.

"I'm just grateful that my little Shika will have a friend to play with," Yoshino smiled and Mai nodded her approval.

A/N: Please review and tell me what you think. I have the story all plotted out and there should be about 15 chapters or so. I hope everyone enjoyed the first instalment!