Note: Sorry I'm late...tried to be as respectful to Temari's character as possible.

Flashback

Ino always imagined her boyfriend on the manlier side. Ideally, he'd have broad shoulders, tan skin, kind eyes, a decent smile. He'd love dogs, work a 9-5 job, and the only thing he loved more than her was his little sister. He'd have a two-syllable name like Yusuke or Daisuke, something that rolled off the tongue with ease.

And yet, here she was, still dating Sai, whatever that meant. She didn't mind the crop tops (no, seriously. After putting up with two teammates who couldn't care less about their appearances, it was a breath of fresh air). And she didn't mind his work schedule, even if he was away more than she liked. He called her Miss Beautiful, which was a nice sentiment, even if it sometimes felt like a weird uncle's compliment. He promised he'd take on her last name when they got married; and though Ino didn't want to say anything anti-feminist, she sort of wished he'd argued harder against it.

Oh, and she knew the two-syllable name was a stretch, but still, Sai-kun just didn't have the same ring.

"You have a thing for dark and twisty people."

Ino scoffed, staring incredulously at Shikamaru, who sat across from her at a singular booth in the barbecue restaurant.

"I do not."

"Yes, you do."

"No. I do not."

Shikamaru sighed, "You put yourself in a position where you're the one chasing damaged goods. And then you cry about it when it becomes too much. It doesn't work like that. You can't have your cake and eat it. You get what you sign up for."

"Why can't I have my cake and eat? If I have a cake, I'm going to eat it."

"Ino," he said stiffly, knowing full well she understood the expression.

She stilled, shifting her gaze to the slabs of meat sizzling on the grill.

"Fine. Have it your way. While we're at it, let me take a gander at you, since you seem so intent on psychoanalyzing," Ino stated, placing a finger on her lower lip. "You're probably into the curvy type. You know, buxom and blonde. Strong front with a soft heart. You get off telling people you'd settle for average, but it's all for show."

Shikamaru snorted.

"Oh, and she's probably pretty quiet," Ino added. "Not that she has anything interesting to say, but she tends to speak when spoken to. It fools you into think she's compelling because she prefers to think before answering questions, but in reality, she's really nothing special."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, "Oi, easy."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a horse," she snapped.

Ino grimaced, leaning back into her seat. She was being fussy; even she knew that. But when he attacked her character, her natural defense was to attack his.

Especially his fiance.

Though this would wind up being another conversation neither of them would acknowledge.

"You know what?" Ino stood up, her chair screeching back. "Screw you, asshole."

With that, she stormed off towards the exit, the bell chiming as the door closed behind her.

Shikamaru took the insult in stride, picking up a particularly burnt piece of beef from the grill. He knew that in no less than an hour, she'd return and apologize. Ino certainly knew the art of the dramatic exit. It was astounding, and, at the same time infuriating, how well he knew her.

Just as he was thinking about it, she stormed back in, huffing indignantly as she retook her seat across from him at the table.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, unable to meet his gaze.

"What was that?" Shikamaru asked, only mildly amused.

"I'm sorry," she said, louder this time.

"Didn't quite catch that," he said.

"I'm SORRY!" She shouted, slamming her fists on the table.

Shikamaru was unable to resist the urge to smile, picking up a piece of beef from the grill. It was medium-rare, the corner just mildly singed, just how Ino liked it. He placed it on her plate.

"For the record, I'm sorry too," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ino smiled.

Present day

"I had an affair."

It's a brisk afternoon in autumn when Shikamaru musters up the courage to tell Temari. She's in the middle of washing dishes, her back facing the living room, where he's sitting. The water is still running, but the sound of dishes clinking against utensils comes to an abrupt stop.

He's gotten pretty good at reading her back over the years. Temari was a quick and efficient walker, and Shikamaru liked to saunter, so he always ended up watching her from behind. In the beginning, it was almost romantic, as if he were watching out for her. But somewhere down the line, he stopped watching her and started looking at the sky. He wasn't sure when, but it never seemed to matter until now. Hindsight, Shikamaru learned, was a bitch.

The water stops. Temari places the remaining dishes back into the sink.

She leaves the room.

Shikamaru follows her to the bedroom.

"Are we going to talk about this?" He says.

"There's nothing to talk about," Temari replies indifferently.

She's gathering a travel bag, tossing in the essentials: some underwear, a change of clothes, some pajamas. Shikamaru takes a seat next to the open bag, resisting the urge to sigh.

"You're obviously not remorseful," she states plainly.

"I am," he replies. "That's why I told you."

Temari shoots him a glare, "Yeah? So why haven't you apologized?"

"Ino, you can't sulk forever."

Sakura knocks on the door to the blond kunoichi's apartment, but there's no reply. It's been almost two weeks since she's heard from her and she's beginning to get worried. No, scratch that, she is worried. Worried because this is completely unlike Ino. Worried because she's afraid that Ino will shut out the world, just like Sasuke before her. Though Sakura would never admit it out loud, Ino was the most important person in her life.

Sakura knocks harder.

"Oi! YA-MA-NA-KA INO. If you don't open this door on a count of three, I will knock it down with my bare fists. Think I'm joking?"

"ONE."

"TWO."

The door swings open and Ino is standing on the other side. She looks like she's wilting, her face puffy and red, his skin dry and flaky. She's not taking care of herself, from what Sakura can surmise, which is an issue because Ino is the best at taking care of herself.

"Ino..." She knits her brows in concern. "What's wrong?"

The blond kunoichi shakes her head, smiling sadly, "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing if it's making you this upset," Sakura replies indignantly.

Ino's smile fades.

She walks out into the hallway and pulls Sakura into a hug. She smells like raindew on a summer day, which is ironic since it's fall. Ino feels the corners of her lips tug up. Nothing has changed.

Somewhere, deep down, Shikamaru always knew.

When he first told his father he was dating Temari, the elder Nara simply replied, "Make sure she makes you laugh."

Temari was low maintenance. She expected nothing of him, which was an exciting prospect when he first started dating her. If he could get by doing the bare minimum, then life was settled. He didn't want to make plans, and she didn't mind. In theory, she was the perfect woman for him. She was mature, composed and elegant in a way that Ino wasn't. Despite his best intentions, he'd ended up comparing them. Ino was selfish, Ino was brash, but most of all, Ino put Shikamaru on edge.

Still, with her, there was a sort of mutual understanding, a sort of telepathy between them. She infuriated him, challenged him, and forced him to want more. He always knew what she was thinking; and she was always one step ahead of him. She was sincere, which was rare in their line of work.

And most of all, she made him laugh.

She made him happy.

Though he didn't understand his father's words at the time (wasn't it enough to find someone who suited him?), it was clear now.

He wanted to make plans.

Despite his misgivings and despite his massive fuck-ups, he wanted to make plans with Ino.

"Did you ever love me?" Temari asks.

"Yes," Shikamaru replies.

He's being honest.

She doesn't cry for him. She isn't that kind of woman. He doesn't think he deserves her tears, anyway.

"Was it Ino?" She asks.

Shikamaru pauses. Nods.

"Then I think that answers it," she says, smiling sadly.

She closes the door on her way out.

Shikamaru doesn't follow her.

"Don't you think you deserve to be happy?"

Sakura sits on the couch in Ino's apartment, staring at the open window. She plays with the fringe of her red fuzzy sweater, her free hand stroking Ino's hair gently.

The blond kunoichi sighs, pulling her knees into her chest, "Not after what I did to Temari."

Sakura considers it, "If he made that proposition to you before the wedding, don't you think that their marriage was doomed to begin with?"

There's too many questions that Ino can't wrap her mind around. She knows Sakura is making sense, but it's hard for her to concede. "It feels wrong to be happy at the expense of someone else's life," Ino says. "It's not fair."

"Life isn't fair," Sakura replies. "You know, you might think you don't deserve to be happy but you do. The guilt is something you'll have to live with. That's the path you chose."

And then.

"Could you imagine your life without him? Could you imagine putting this behind you and never speaking to him again?"

It's almost three months after Temari leaves when Shikamaru and Ino meet again in the winter. For a village as big as Konoha, it's been pretty easy to avoid seeing someone you don't want to. Not that Shikamaru doesn't want to. He just wanted to figure out the logistics of extracting his life from someone else's. Never mind the political fallout of their marriage, he didn't know whether or not he could ever face her in person again at another Chunin Exam.

Ino smiles and stands up from the bench.

She's wearing a pretty yellow dress, cinched at the waist with a white bow. She's layered it with a red poncho.

Shikamaru resists the urge to smile as he approaches her.

Ino rests a hand on her hip, "Did you miss-"

Before she can finish, he pulls her into a warm hug. He's tall, much taller than she is, and all she can see is the sky, gray and overcast, over his shoulder. A single white puff floats from the sky and hits her nose, melting into a droplet of water.

It's snowing.

"Sorry it took me so long," he whispers.

Ino blinks away tears and breathes in the moment.

It feels right.

It's something he can't explain, even as he lays next to her in bed. They're naked, wrapped up in sheets, and drinking each other in. Trying to savor the moment, for whatever that's worth.

"When did you know?" Ino asks, propping an elbow up.

Though she's not specific, it's enough for Shikamaru to figure it out. "After we were placed together on Team 10," he says.

When Ino wrinkles her brow, he knows she's itching for an explanation.

"It's because you were so full of yourself," he says, smiling at the thought. "Still are."

She frowns, nestling her head back onto his shoulder.

"What about you?" He asks, stroking her hair.

Ino bats her eyelashes, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Shikamaru snorts, "Fine. Forget it."

"Oi! You're not supposed to give up like that."

He smiles.

She breathes in deep, her cheeks flushing red, "After Asuma-sensei passed away."

Shikamaru understands. It's possibly the only thing shared between them that no one else gets, save for Choji. He reaches for her silver earring, simultaneously reaching for his own with his free hand. They're matching, gifts from Asuma after they officially became Team 10.

"Why's that?" He asks, even though he already has a hunch what the answer is.

Ino smiles, "Because I saw what you could be...at your worst and at your best. That's when I knew."

He chuckles, "So, can I change my answer?"

It's just so natural.

So easy.

"No," she says, sticking out her tongue. "You cannot."

For the first time in a long time, he's happy.

Fin