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synopsis: Shikamaru and Chouji take Ino out for one last barbecue session before she gets hitched. [ino-shika-cho friendship]

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Down The Aisle

[ one-shot ]

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Tastebuds watering, Ino's stomach grumbled when she caught a whiff of the cooking meat.

As Ino was a regular, the waitress gestured towards the far end of the restaurant; at the same table that she and the boys often dined at. Eyes squinting through the stretched smoke, Ino could just about make out the back of Shikamaru's erect ponytail, and Chouji's sturdy frame. Ino passed the line of waiting customers, and could not help but feel thankful that Shikamaru had booked them a table in advance. When push came to shove, Shikamaru was reliable like that.

"Can we eat now?" Chouji asked, gripping tightly onto a pair of tongs. His round face hovered over the grill, eyes enlarged with eagerness.

Shikamaru slapped his arm away, mundane voice droning out, "Not yet. We've got to wait for Ino. Besides, the meat is practically raw. Don't you remember that time when you got food poisoning-"

"I'm here!" Ino declared. She lightly tapped Shikamaru on the back when she passed by him, motioning for Chouji to slide towards the right so that he could share some space with her on the booth.

"Finally. I'm starving," Chouji complained, despite grinning at her in greeting.

"Aren't you always?" Shikamaru quipped back before turning to her and saying, "You're late."

"I know. Sorry," Ino replied. Shikamaru was known to be Konoha's number one sloth yet he was the one who, strangely, always ensured to be punctual. "The girls' spa day took longer than I had expected."

Although she had apologised, she did not regret it the slightest.

That morning Sakura had surprised Ino by ambushing her, along with the rest of the girls (Tenten, Hinata and Temari), proclaiming that they were taking her to one of the high-end onsens for a day trip. Ino's mother had also taken apart in the plan, as she - along with the help of Sakura - had shooed the bride away from finalising the wedding flowers. After soaking in the hot, steaming water, the girls had additionally gone to get a facial and full body scrub. Ino felt like she was walking on clouds. She could still smell the lavender that had been infused in her hair from the scalp massage.

He shrugged. "It's no big deal. We can forgive you just this once considering it is your special day tomorrow."

Despite Ino being grateful that the girls had treated her that day, it was dinner she had been looking forward to the most. Barbecue was a plus to her, but it was the company that she had always valued.

To her, Chouji and Shikamaru held a different, a special presence that naturally made her feel at ease. She had known them for such a long time, even prior to being teamed together, that it didn't feel right if she weren't to spend her last night before the wedding with them.

Unlike the girls, the boys weren't scared to hold back their opinions from her, even though they could be offensive. They were brutally honest and would never back down whenever she'd go out of line. Ironically, she returned the same favour to them, hitting them on their heads whenever they'd act intolerable. Ino wouldn't have it any other way with them. She'd rather a person be honest to her face as opposed to being stabbed in the back.

As they waited for the meat to cook, whilst dealing with an earful of Chouji's constant groaning, Ino bragged about how spoiled she had been that day.

Shikamaru murmured, "Yeah, that specific onsen was what I gifted Naruto and Hinata for their honeymoon. It's expensive and it almost ended the beginning of my relationship with Temari."

"Is that so?" Ino raised an eyebrow, smirking. She had already known the story because Temari had told her about it.

He scowled in response, connecting the dots when he noted the mischievous look that played on Ino's face. "You women never know when to stop gossiping."

Snatching the jug of bubbling beer, Ino could tell that Shikamaru was attempting to distract her by topping up their glasses. When the froth was about to topple over the brim of her glass, Shikamaru stopped pouring and returned the glass back to her.

Ino saw a glint of gold when Shikamaru retracted his hand, observing the new band that wrapped snugly around his finger. She found herself smiling. Ino had suspected that she would get married before the other two, but ever since Shikamaru has gotten close to Temari over the years, Ino had known that he would be the first to settle down.

She took a sip from her beer, cheeks becoming relatively warmer. "Shikamaru, is it scary?"

"You'll be fine, Ino." He eyed her, a soft smile visible on his lips when he caught her staring at his ring.

"Father...he always thought I'd get married to one of you guys," Ino said. "I told him he was crazy."

Chouji's stomach quivered as he chuckled at the comment. "No offence, Ino, but you're not my type."

"I never said that I liked you that way, idiot," Ino snorted, punching him on the arm as Shikamaru guffawed.

She didn't say it out loud, but to her they were more than just teammates. They were her close friends, her allies, her confidants. Above all, they were her brothers.

Soon enough, the sizzling pork belly transformed to a crispy brown. Ino took the tongs off Chouji, dispensing the meat evenly between three plates. Chouji immediately dug in. Shikamaru took a bite, closing his eyes and savouring the juicy taste of the meat in his mouth. Ino couldn't bring herself to eat just yet, mumbling, "I wish Asuma sensei could be with us right now…"

Shikamaru's eyes opened while Chouji actually stopped munching onto his food as they studied her. It wasn't often she'd get sentimental in front of them, and when she did they claimed she an emotional drama queen. And, although her wedding was the next day, she couldn't help but feel hopeless. She was going to celebrate the best day in her life, and her sensei couldn't even be there. Although, as they sat there, his burly presence was lacking and it disheartened her.

She downed her beer.

Shikamaru quietly repositioned the jug of beer away from Ino and muttered, "I know. I really wished he could be at my wedding too."

"And...father's not even here," Ino looked down, using her chopsticks to poke at the meat that she couldn't bring herself to eat. "I-he...he won't even be able to walk me down the aisle."

Ino had always wanted her father to walk her down the aisle. She wanted her father to comment how beautiful she looked, how he didn't want to give her away. However, now the harsh reality hit her...that her father wouldn't be there to do it.

Tears were piercing the corner of her eyes. She tried to blink them away, but they slowly seeped down. Chouji leaned in closer, putting an arm around her shoulder and handing her his serviette.

She laughed at the motion, dabbing her eyes, lightly pushing him away. "I feel so stupid. I should be happy, ecstatic, and darn excited that I'm getting married tomorrow...yet here I am being all gloomy and sad. I'm sorry."

"Trust me, I know." Shikamaru sighed, leaning back, sinking in his seat. She suddenly felt foolish for bringing it up because, like her, Shikamaru had been faced with the same dilemma. He hadn't complained about it - so why was she getting all emotional over it?

"Then how, how did you cope with your father and Asuma sensei not being there?" Ino whispered.

He frowned. "You don't, you just go on and take it for what it is. You're marrying the one person you love, and you know they'd be happy for you regardless of them not physically being there. Anyway, it wasn't like I could be all sad about it because, well, I was lucky that I had my mother because Temari didn't have any of her parents."

It was a beautiful wedding. Ino had forgotten that both Temari's parents had passed away, and because Temari's father wasn't able to guide her down the aisle, her younger brothers - Gaara and Kankuro - had done it instead. She had been touched when she watched Temari holding both their hands as they led her to Shikamaru. Ino couldn't stop the tears from falling as she witnessed the wedding, embarrassed that she was a blubbering mess throughout the whole ceremony.

Now that Shikamaru brought it up, he did have a point. At least Ino had her mother. On the other hand, Sai was an orphan. This made Ino feel selfish considering while she had been all upset about not having her father and sensei at her wedding, while Sai had nobody. Kakashi would be by Sai's side for the ceremony, but it wasn't like Kakashi had been the one who raised him. Thinking about the thought made Ino feel even more guilty.

"...down the aisle?"

"What?" Ino blinked, missing the words Chouji had spoken. Chouji was grinning at her and from across the table, Shikamaru nodded in agreement to whatever Chouji had suggested.

Shikamaru added, "It sounds like the only reasonable answer for this situation. We'll do it."

"Do what?"

"Ino, we'll walk you down the aisle," Chouji stated.

If Ino had thought she had shed enough tears earlier, she was a fountain now. She sniffed as she tackled Chouji into a hug before standing up and rushing over to Shikamaru, crashing him too into a tight embrace. Despite his smiling eyes, Shikamaru grumbled, "Ino…"

"Thank you."

And she meant it because to Ino, now that she thought about it, it only seemed fitting that the two special people in her life would walk her down the aisle.

Besides, they were her brothers after all.

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(a/n) I've always loved their friendship. Hope you enjoyed this one-shot :)