AN: Okay, just to make myself absolutely clear: I love ShikaIno to death. They have the potential to be an incredibly cute couple. This idea just struck me a couple months ago and it hasn't left me alone. I didn't want to write it – I was trying to think of a cute ShikaIno for their birthday. But I couldn't, so I wrote this and hopefully it's out of my system now.

On another note - I'm working on Healing, I promise! School's started and I am very busy. Seriously. I'm almost done the next chapter of Healing, and I have another idea or two I might want to try out in other stories. Again, it all depends on time. But I'm still here, and I'm still writing.

Happy Birthday Shikamaru!

Almost

Shikamaru was almost Sasuke.

A genius, silent, dark hair and dark eyes. Oh, not the same by any stretch of the imagination – but almost enough none the less.

Her family and friends, and most especially her father, could never understand why almost wasn't good enough. Shikamaru was better for her than Sasuke. More importantly, Shikamaru was here. He hadn't betrayed his village, his Hokage, his responsibilities and friendships. He hadn't betrayed her.

Ino herself often found wondered why, why couldn't it have been Shikamaru? He was her best friend, her confidant. He watched over her body and she felt safer with him then she did anywhere else in the world – and that included being in the company of her father, Naruto, and the Hokage.

But he wasn't the one – he wasn't Sasuke, and Ino wasn't foolish enough to try and pretend that almost was good enough.

--

Ino was almost Temari.

A kunoichi, blonde, bossy, and beautiful. Oh, not the same by any stretch of the imagination – but almost enough none the less.

His family and friends, and most especially his father, could never understand why almost wasn't good enough. Ino was better for him than Temari. She knew him better than anyone else on the planet. They were best friends, and watched each other's backs. More importantly, Ino was here. She didn't live in another nation. She hadn't attacked his village during the chunin exams and even beaten him in a fight.

Hell, he himself hadn't understood – hadn't understood why she couldn't just accept their fate and be with him – until he met Temari. And then he realized that what he felt for Ino was nothing like what he had with the sand kunoichi. That even if he and Ino were the closest of friends and she would always understand him better than Temari ever could, it didn't matter.

Because she wasn't the one - she wasn't Temari, and even Shikamaru wasn't foolish enough to try and pretend that almost was good enough.

--

Many years later - when Temari had moved to Konoha as Suna's official ambassador and Sasuke had finally returned - Shikamaru and Ino knew that they were right. Almost wasn't good enough, and the wait was unquestionably worth it.

Reviews are, as always, greatly appreciated.