Author's Note:

I enjoy hearing from reviewers and every so often I get requests for stories with particular pairings.

This multi-chapter story is dedicated to Deserter, who wanted to see me wreak some major havoc on a Shino and Ino pairing. I hope you enjoy it… little freak. XD

Special thanks to Judo Creature for doing the beta/previewing for me – very much appreciated.

Those folks, who have written me PMs requesting particular pairings – do not despair.

I will get around to it when it's humanly possible.

Please check the new story update section at the top of my Author Profile page for regular updates on the stories.

The characters are portrayed as being in their early twenties. I thought a Shino and Ino with a little more life experience under their belts would make a better story.

There is no such thing as being out of character where love is concerned. Love is a strange emotion at the best of times. It does mad and crazy things to folks!

Oh yeah… one more thing… do you smell the tang of lemon in the air? I sure do…

It can show up in this chapter or the next… one can never tell with lemon.

Flower meanings:

Daisy – Innocence, Loyal Love, I'll never tell, Purity.

Disclaimer: Baby cakes – you know I don't own Naruto… so you best be stepping off so I can write the next chapter, a'ight? Enjoy, my lovelies, enjoy!

I never understood before
I never knew what love was for
My heart was broke, my head was sore
What a feeling

Tied up in ancient history
I didn't believe in destiny
I look up you're standing next to me
What a feeling

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
Brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, I don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine
and it's brighter than sunshine

Brighter than Sunshine – Aqualung

Chapter One – The flower girl's dilemma

Sakura pushed open the hospital door and took a deep breath of fresh air into her lungs as she stepped out into the street. It had been an unusually hectic day to say the least and part of her was wishing that she could go back to her apartment and spend the rest of the evening soaking in a hot bath. Kami was not on her side today though – she had received a frantic phone call from Ino just before she left for work this morning and she had promised to meet her at a little café in the village as soon as she finished her shift.

The pink-haired woman frowned slightly trying to figure what was going on with her friend. It had been a strange conversation but she'd been getting used to a lot of weird behavior from Ino-pig in the past few months. If she wasn't doing missions or working in the flower shop, the blonde just disappeared for hours at a time and would show up glowing with smiles but no answers. Granted, Sakura was curious as hell about the mysterious little trips but she decided that she wouldn't pry into her dearest friend's personal life. If the pinkette didn't know any better, she could have sworn that her friend was seeing someone. Sakura mentally scoffed at that notion. Ino had taken it rather hard when Shikamaru began seeing Gaara's sister Temari on a regular basis. When the two had announced their engagement nine months ago, Sakura had seen the inner spark die in her blonde companion. It had only been in recent months that she had noticed the bloom back in her friend's cheeks and she was grateful for that small favor at least.

Well – no use worrying about it… I will find out what's going on soon enough. Sakura sighed wistfully to herself.

Her bath would have to wait for later… Ino was more important!

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Ino sat at the little booth in the back of the café, nervously twisting the pristine white napkin in her lap. She hadn't planned on things happening the way they had but she certainly didn't regret the last few months. Ino admitted privately that this was the happiest she had been in a while.

The blonde looked over at the entrance scanning for a familiar pink head. Ino took a cleansing breath and calmed herself down. There was no point in panicking until she had a chat with Sakura. Ino was trying not to think about the fallout if her suspicions were correct. The waitress approached her table then and asked her if she wanted to order something while she waited for her friend. Ino placed an order for some green tea, relieved to have something to take her mind off her worries.

She looked out the window and sighed sadly. She knew Sakura was curious about her prolonged disappearances from the village but was relieved that her pink-haired companion didn't pry. After the mess with Shikamaru, she had been terrified of letting any man get close to her again in that capacity. He had managed to slip under her defenses somehow and changed that. A slight movement on the window sill caught her eye. It was definitely a lucky sign. Ino gently touched the lady bug sedately crawling on the sill and gave a gentle smile. Lady bugs always made her think of him.

Ino frowned at that thought. She felt bad about keeping this problem to herself but she was scared of rejection. Not that she thought he would but she'd been rejected once and the pain still echoed in the background. She didn't think she could cope if he turned his back on her… not when she secretly loved him so much…

"Here you go… one green tea."

The waitress had arrived back at the table with the tea and noted the blonde woman's preoccupation.

"Wow – You don't normally see lady bugs this time of the year… they're a sign of good luck, you know."

Ino looked up as the beetle flew off into the nearby tree and replied, "Thanks… Yes, a friend of mine told me once they were a good omen."

Ino was going to say more when they were distracted by the arrival of a certain pinkette.

The waitress walked off to fetch another menu while Sakura settled down in her seat by the window. The medic nin thanked the young woman when she returned and redirected her attention to her blonde friend. Despite the nervous aura she was giving off, Ino certainly looked more at peace than she'd seen her in a while.

Ino waited for Sakura to place her order and they waited in companionable silence until the waitress delivered the tea and sweet cakes.

She watched her friend take a measured sip of her tea and lean forward on the table.

"Ino-pig… are you okay? Your phone call this morning got me worried." Whispered Sakura. The medic nin's green eyes flared slightly when she watched her friend blush bright red and return to twisting the cotton napkin in an agitated manner. Wow – she'd never seen Ino this nervous! The blonde looked up and reached for her tea, taking a sip before indecisively biting her lip.

"Forehead Girl… I think I may be in trouble." Replied the blonde hesitantly.

Sakura gave a worried frown and asked, "Trouble? How so?"

Ino quickly looked around to make sure no one was looking in their direction before she leaned closer to the pinkette and whispered brokenly, "I think I'm pregnant…"

Sakura was in the process of bringing the teacup to her lips when Ino dropped that little bombshell. She didn't feel the hot tea splash on her leg as the cup smashed on the floor but the sound snapped the woman out of her shock. The waitress rushed over to the table to clean up the broken shards of pottery. Sakura blushed painfully and apologized for the mess. Ino gave the woman a chagrinned look and asked for the check. Sakura nodded slowly at the blonde's logic. Here was not the place to ask the questions she needed answered.

The woman rushed off to get the bill while Ino fished around in her bag for her wallet. As soon as the check arrived, the blonde slapped down enough money to cover the order as well as a generous tip.

The two women walked of the café and headed back towards the village.

"Where do you want to go now?" asked Ino in a worried tone.

Sakura stopped and gave the blonde's arm a comforting pat. "How about we stop over at my office… I need to pick up a couple of things."

The blonde gave the medic nin a startled look of relief and whispered, "Oh my god! Thank you, Sakura… I don't deserve a friend like you."

The two women continued walking down the road, unaware that someone watched the exchange with great interest from the safety of the big oak tree.

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Ino sat on the edge of the examination table gripping the edge with white knuckles. She was scared, nervous, excited… Sakura had just left for the lab with the blood work. In a few minutes, she would know the answer. The blonde looked over at the window and smiled. She knew that she owed the medic nin a lot of answers but she was thankful that her friend was prepared to wait a little while longer.

Sakura rushed back in with a file in her hand. She sat down next to her friend and gently held her hand, unsure of Ino's reaction to what she was able to tell her.

"Ino-pig… you are pregnant… by my calculations, roughly three months. I need to finish the examination and I'll be able to tell you more." murmured the medic nin. Sakura positioned her friend on the table and continued to gently hold her hand while she continued. She was secretly worried that Ino would fall apart when she heard but she seemed almost serene. The pinkette took that as an excellent sign because she had even more surprising news to tell her.

Sakura took her time smoothing down Ino's gown and helping her to sit up. Ino glanced at her friend with concern, "Well, Forehead Girl… is everything okay?"

Sakura patted her friend's hand and smiled wryly, "Ino, apart from the nausea you've been experiencing, you're healthy as a horse."

Ino caressed the slight slope of her belly and frowned briefly before asking, "Sakura is it normal to start showing this soon? I was hoping that I would have a little more time before I needed to tell everyone I'm going to become a mommy."

Here it comes, the part she was nervous about…she needed to tell Ino now while the opportunity was available.

"Ino…" began Sakura anxiously, "It's perfectly normal to start showing around this time when you're expecting… twins."

----------------------------

Ino pulled on her clothes in a daze, a small smile on her face. She was going to become a mommy! She sighed as a sudden thought popped into her head. She needed to tell him before she told her parents the news – it was after all, the right thing to do. He needed to find out from her that he was going to become a father. The blonde wasn't too sure how he was going to take it – he rarely showed any outward emotion but she was hoping that he would be happy for her. She knew that he cared deeply for her and that was a start. Ino finished dressing and walked over to the door to find Sakura waiting patiently outside the room. She had wanted to tell her everything then and there but the pink haired one quickly shook her head and suggested that it could wait until they were somewhere more private for this particular conversation.

Ino silently agreed with her companion. She waited this long to divulge all the details, she can wait a while longer.

Sakura looked at her blonde friend with concern in her green eyes.

"You ready to go, Forehead Girl?" asked Ino with a small smile in her voice.

The medic nin nodded mutely in response, marveling at her friend's newfound serenity. She was now just dying of curiosity to find out who this paragon of manhood was that instilled this sense of calm into Ino.

Sakura finally found her voice and asked, "You wanna go to my place or yours for our little chat?"

A breezy little chuckle drifted through the air as the blonde replied, "Definitely mine – we've got something to celebrate… Come on, Forehead Girl, I have a tub of ice cream with your name on it!"

Ino stepped over to her friend and looped her arm through Sakura's own. The two young women walked out of the hospital, not aware of the two men watching them.

-----------------------

The man hiding in the shadows followed the two young women with his eyes before he planned to follow them at a distance. He was always careful to mask his chakra and so far hadn't been caught in the act of being Ino's shadow. She would tear strips off him if she knew that he regularly escorted her home from their weekly rendezvous. He hadn't meant to follow her today but something inside kept pulling at his heart, urging him to go check on her. Her odd behavior over the past two weeks had him fearing the possibility that things weren't as wonderful between them as he had imagined. He caught a flicker of a figure from the corner of his eye coming out of the hospital and noticed the man was frowning in contemplation. The man in the tree scowled slightly when he saw who it was. Shikamaru! The figure knew that although Ino never mentioned it while they were together, the shadow wielder had hurt her pretty badly and the emotional scars went deep. He remembered the pale broken girl he first encountered in that daisy field after the breakup and was proud of the fact that he was responsible for chasing those dark clouds away from her soul. He wasn't happy about keeping their relationship under wraps but he understood her fears. He had wanted to openly show his love for her several times but he was secretly worried about scaring her off. The man in the shadows sighed silently. He was not by nature an openly demonstrative individual but with her, he would be unafraid to declare to the world at large his deepest admiration for the blonde if she just said the word.

He frowned slightly as he continued to watch the man still staring after his woman.

Yeah, Shikamaru… his. It's not your name she howls when she's screaming in orgasm.

The man felt his face flush with the sudden possessiveness that washed over him and took a calming breath to settle himself down. It was not his problem that the man may be having regrets. As far as he was concerned, the man had made his choice and so had he. He wasn't about to give up on something so precious to him now that he had found his heart's desire. The figure glanced down at the road again and smiled as he watched the two women turn down a familiar street. He flicked his glance back at the man watching them still and shrugged slightly before disappearing back into the shadows.

-----------------------------------

Shikamaru stood in the middle of the street, watching the two women walking arm in arm down the road. He had witnessed the blonde's curious secrecy and wondered at the source. He thrust his hands into his pockets and frowned in thought. She seemed a lot happier these days and he was privately relieved by that.

He hadn't meant to hurt her as badly as he did but it couldn't be helped. It wasn't often a man was torn between two beautiful women like Temari and Ino. He had to make a choice and he chose the fiery fan wielding sand shinobi. Belatedly, he had wished she found out about his relationship with the other woman in a less startling manner. It had torn at his insides to see Ino retreat from everyone like that but there wasn't much that could be done to repair the damage that had been done. Despite the initial awkwardness, they had somehow managed to maintain a sense of camaraderie up until when he announced his engagement to Temari… then everything went south. He still didn't know what happened the night of the engagement party. Ino and Temari had disappeared for a while but Ino had come back looking all pale and had been physically shaking in fear. Shikamaru had caught sight of her before she darted out of the party like the hounds of Hell were after her. He had tried asking his Fiancée but she clammed up whenever he mentioned the other blonde by name. He knew Temari was extremely jealous of his prior relationship with Ino. In fact, Shikamaru had his suspicions that his woman had threatened bodily harm to his team mate if she didn't disappear. He had no proof of this, of course - because both women weren't talking. It was just too convenient that Ino had suddenly asked for a transfer into another team and now avoided him like the plague. The shadow wielder sighed, a little saddened by the current state of affairs he found himself in. He genuinely missed his chats with the blonde at the flower shop. She actually understood him on a deeper level. A part of him mourned the possibility of what could have been with Ino if they had have gone beyond a couple of innocent kisses.

He remembered the last time he had been around her. It was four months ago and Ino had passed him in the street. It was obvious that she hadn't noticed his presence but he recalled how her eyes had glowed with a quiet radiance. In that moment, he had never seen her look more beautiful. She had glided down the road with that sultry half smile on her face, her hips undulating hypnotically as she walked. He wasn't the only one who had watched her with a great deal of interest.

Hell! Every male within a six mile radius had tracked her path through town that day!

He had known right then that someone had finally claimed her affections for his own.

A part of him was jealous that she had found happiness in the arms of another but he couldn't fault her in moving on with her life. Shikamaru watched the two women turn down a street that led to the blonde's apartment and shrugged.

He heard the leaves in the nearby tree rustle but took no notice of it. Shikamaru took one last look down the road before he turned and walked away in the opposite direction home… home to Temari. He tried not to dwell on the little curl of anxiety that settled into his stomach at that thought. He had made his decision. It was too late to have regrets now…

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Ino unlocked her apartment door and ushered her friend into her home. Sakura slipped off her shoes and gratefully flopped on one of the fluffy couches in the living room.

The pink haired woman looked around the sunny looking room and grinned at the vase of daisies sitting prominently on the coffee table. The blonde worked in a flower shop and had her pick of exotic blooms but she preferred the simplistic beauty of the wild daisies. The irony never failed to put a smile on the medic Nin's face.

"Do you just want the ice cream Sakura or do you want some wine to go with it as well?" called a voice from the kitchen.

The medic nin looked up from her contemplation of the daisies and replied, "Sure, white wine would be lovely… thanks."

Sakura had a feeling that she was going to need some Dutch courage to go with her ice cream.

The pinkette gratefully took the proffered glass of wine from her friend and took a small sip. She watched Ino place her bowl of ice cream on the coffee table before settling into the nearby couch with her bowl in hand. Sakura took another sip, glancing over at her friend's delight in the frozen treat. She smiled then looked at Ino with concern in her eyes. "Ino-pig, before you fill me in what I have the feeling is going to be the scandal of the century… I need to know one thing."

Ino frowned at her companion and replied, "What's that, Forehead girl?"

Sakura toyed with the stem of the glass before answering. "How do you feel about this man?"

Ino stirred her spoon idly through her ice cream before scooping a portion out and popping it into her mouth.

"I'm in love with him… but I've never told him how I feel." came the softly spoken response.

Sakura looked up in shock. "You love him but he doesn't know? How is that possible?" Ino grimaced slightly, "I've known for a while but I just didn't know the best way to tell him… Sakura, I-I'm scared of getting hurt again."

A shadowy figure leaned against the bedroom wall in shock. He'd been waiting for her to return but stayed in the sanctuary of the bedroom when he heard Sakura's voice. He knew Ino hadn't told her best friend about them yet but he respected her wishes to tell the medic nin when she was ready.

She loved him! A part of him wanted to rush out and sweep her off her feet right then and there, despite Sakura's presence in the room.

"Well… I can see where that would be a problem. Does he feel the same way about you?" asked the medic nin.

"Yes, Yes … a thousand times yes. Please leave, Sakura" begged the man in the shadows "I'll show her just how much I love her!"

He could see Ino chewing her lip in his mind before she responded. He wished he could chew her bottom lip for her! The man flopped his head into his hands in despair and then looked up in surprise at Ino's words.

"I-I think he does, Sakura but I'm not sure… He's more of the action speaks louder than words type of guys…"

He could hear the sly smile in the medic nin's voice when she asked, "So, how is his action, Ino?"

There was a long pause and a clatter. He had the impression that his blonde vixen was blushing… then he heard her reverent hushed tone as she uttered one word, "Incredible!"

Damn it! He was blushing now!

Sakura looked at her blushing friend and felt a little envious at her obvious happiness.

"Wow, Ino-pig… you're one lucky girl." sighed the pink-haired one.

He heard Ino's concern in her voice when she uttered, "Oh God, I'm sorry Sakura. I never meant to upset you."

Sakura sighed and replied, "No, no, Ino… you didn't upset me in the slightest. I'm just glad that one of us has finally found some happiness in their love life."

The man in the bedroom was shocked. He knew for a fact that the beautiful pink haired woman could have her pick of any man in two villages.

"No, Ino. It's not your fault that I set my sights on men who have the emotional equivalency of ice cubes in Siberia."

Ohhh… The figure in the shadows was wracking his brain trying to figure out who the men were that had caught the eye of the pinkette.

"Oh Sakura… don't tell me that you're still hung up on Sasuke!"

Sakura laughed, "Hell no… I gave up on that cold fish years ago!"

"Then who?" asked Ino then a thought occurred to her… "Oh no, Sakura… don't tell me, it's one of those two! They don't even know you exist."

The man was beginning to feel like a peeping tom. He was thinking that maybe he should leave the two women to have their girl chat but on the other hand, he was curious to find out who the two men were…

Sakura grimaced, "I like them both but you're right. Neji is too busy with Anbu missions and helping Hinata run the Hyuuga clan to look in my general direction… and Gaara, well apart from being the Kazekage – he's not interested in letting anyone other than his family get close to him."

Whoa! Sakura certainly picked the cream of the iceberg bunch, that's for sure… The man in the shadows blushed. He was in no position to criticize though… he wasn't big on expressing himself either.

"Well, enough about my sad and sorry love life. If I am meant to have someone in my life like you do, it will happen."

The man admired the medic nin's attitude. He was sure that the right man for her would show up when the timing was right. She was wrong about one thing though… He knew for a fact that both men in question carried a torch for the pink-haired woman but were too stubborn to say or do anything about it.

"Ino – I'm dying to know who this mystery man is… When do I get to meet him and when are you going to tell him that he's going to become a father in six months time?"

His heart skipped a beat. Wow… he blinked. Wow.

His head rested up against the wall… he was in shock but it was a relieved and happy shock. It explained a lot of things…

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Two things happened at the same time. The two women suddenly felt the presence of someone else in the apartment and a butterfly drifted in from the open window to finally rest on the bouquet of wild daisies sitting on the table.

Ino didn't seem too upset by the thought of an intruder in her home but smiled sweetly at the crimson butterfly on the daisies.

It was an eloquent declaration of the man's feelings for her and it touched her deeply.

"Well, Sakura… I think now is as good a time as any, I guess…"

The medic nin looked at the red butterfly in confusion before a thought dawned on her…

No way! That wasn't possible… they were like day and night…

Ino still looking at the butterfly with a half smile on her lips called out to the figure in the bedroom.

"You may as well come out… Sakura knows you're here."

The man sheepishly shuffled out of the bedroom and took a seat next to the blonde.

It was! Holy shit! Ino certainly did it this time!

He pulled the hood off his head and pocketed his sunglasses before reverently picking up her friend's hand and kissing it tenderly.

Sakura felt tears prick at the back of her eyelids when she watched Shino place Ino's hand he still held onto her belly and caressed it lovingly.

Lucky, Lucky, Ino-pig…

She watched the interaction between the two and began to realize now just how perfect they were for each other.

Shino gave Ino the emotional anchor she needed in her life… and Ino? Well, Ino gave the bug wielder something worthwhile to fight for…

"Is it true?" asked a masculine voice in hushed tones.

Sakura looked up from her contemplation of their joined hands and blushed.

"Huh?" asked the medic nin dumbly.

She was having a tough time concentrating on the conversation. This was the first time she'd ever looked directly into the eyes of an Aburame. They were quite mesmerizing.

"Is it true that I'm going to become a father?" asked the tall elegant male again, this time with a smile in his voice.

Sakura's emerald eyes softened as she took in the sight of the two lovers on the couch across from her. "Yes, its true, Shino. You're going to be rather busy in six months time…"

She looked at her blonde friend and said, "Ino, you need to tell him the rest…"

The medic nin sat back with her glass of wine and took a sip while watching the proceedings with interest.

The blonde was nervous… but Shino started talking first, "Ino, I do love you dearly. I know I don't tell you but I was worried that a part of you was still pining for Shikamaru." Ino adamantly shook her head and grimaced, "No… Temari is welcome to him."

Sakura sat back and watched fascinated, sipping her white wine – her ice cream forgotten on the table.She didn't know how her blonde friend couldn't figure out this man had it bad for her. It was obvious to her that the Kikaichuu master wore his heart on his sleeve as far as Ino was concerned. The medic nin could tell her friend was stalling… she needed to do something about that!

"Ino…" growled the pinkette, "Please tell him your news or I will…" added Sakura sweetly.

"You can start by telling him that you love him as well…" she prompted, rolling her eyeballs.

Ino-pig could be so dense at times!

"Oh!" gasped Ino, glaring at Sakura. Sheesh! Pushy bitch!

Sakura shrugged and took another sip of her white wine. She knew what her friend was thinking. It wasn't anything she hadn't heard before from the blonde.

Shino cut in, surprising both women, "Ino… sweetheart, I heard everything. I know you love me. What is the other news you need to tell me?"

The medic nin frowned… the poor guy was really nervous now. This was the most she had ever heard the man utter around her. Then she saw it… his destruction beetles were starting to get agitated. The bugs always made her a little squeamish. She adored Shino but those bugs of his… nuh-uh.

Ino saw it too and realized that she needed to put the poor man out of his misery before he lost control of his beetles.

"Shino, I'm pregnant with twins…" she rushed out quickly.

As quick as that, the bugs silenced their loud buzzing.

"Twins? Really?" Shino pushed one trembling hand through his hair. He looked like he was going to cry, which was a first for him… he rarely showed emotion.

Sakura smiled, it was first time she had ever seen Shino so rattled. It was rather sweet.

Shino gulped and then quietly said, "Ino, nothing would give me the greatest pleasure than to marry you but I understand if you still need time."

The medic nin choked on her wine when she heard that. Damn! Ino had a keeper!

"I do have one request though…" continued the bug wielder.

The two women looked at him with raised eyebrows. "I would prefer to be by your side when we inform our families of the good news."

Yep – definitely a keeper!

Lucky, lucky Ino-pig!

She was going to cry but first she was just dying to know…

"So – how did this happen?"

Ino looked at an openly adoring Shino and blushed.

"Well, it all started in the daisy fields outside the village six months ago…"

Sakura settled back into her chair and got comfortable. She had a feeling these two had quite the tale to tell.