Nara Ancestral Home, Japan

Shikamaru watched the clouds float above him. He closed his eyes and felt all the tension come back to him. It was Kiba's fault that he was here. The entire band told him that he was either going to go on vacation or they were going to fire him as their manager. And with his love-life down the crapper, he couldn't let his career go the same way. He thought that he had no choice but to leave.

The last time he was in Japan, for Neji's wedding, he was in the south for the Hyuga Estate had been on the Kyushu province of the country and he didn't want to cross to the next island, the Kansai region, to visit his family. He'd gotten an earful from his mother, when she found out that he had been in Japan, about how he hated his family and couldn't even visit is parents—the people who raised him to become rich and successful.

Now, he realized that home was really the only place he felt welcome. He was able to spend his days lazing around like he used to back when he was a teenager. He couldn't remember feeling so relaxed. A part of him wondered why he didn't stay here and continue the family trade in rice farming. But, then again, his mother did always tell him that he had too much brain and not enough muscle for the work here.

Shikamaru opened his eyes when he felt a shadow fall over him. A dark-haired, loud-mouth woman, he called his mother, stood above him.

"So, is this all you're going to do while you're here?" She snapped at him. "Your father says to leave you alone, but a mother always worries about her son. Especially when he's too lazy to find a girlfriend he can bring home to his parents to meet."

"I told you, mom, that I'm too busy to find a girlfriend." Shikamaru glared.

"How is your father going to be able to see his grandchildren if his only son won't hurry up and find a wife?" His mother's dark eyes bore down at him, sceptically. "Your father and I aren't getting any younger, you know."

"I know, but—" An image of Ino flashed in his mind. But he fought off the possessing thought.

"How are we supposed to continue the family name when all you care about are boy-bands and work? Couldn't you have at least signed a girl group so you can marry one of them?"

"Mother, I don't mix business with pleasure." Shikamaru stood to overshadow his mother. He couldn't fight her without at least some effort on his part. "And before you ask, no, there is no girl for me to take home and there is no one waiting for me back in Konoha."

"Well, then you're lazier than I thought. Even your father asked me to marry him at your age. How are we supposed to have grandchildren when you won't do your job? You're almost thirty."

"You trying to guilt-trip me isn't going to work. And before you even try, I won't fall for any of your matchmaking." Shikamaru frowned at his mother's determined expression.

"Ooohhh, you think you're so smart, huh? Just because you came from the city? Well, one day you're going to meet a woman who's going to break your smug, cocky smirk and bring you down a few notches and then I'll have my grandkids." This said, Shikamaru's mother left to go on her way. "I just hope she comes soon enough so that I can have my mago while I can still carry them in my arms."

"She already came and left mother," Shikamaru said bitterly when his mother was long gone.

He turned his gaze back to the clouds. The brimstone in his eyes ebbed somewhat when he saw the puffy, white pockets of water. But, beyond the clouds was the sky, the exact colour of Ino's eyes. Even thousands of miles away from her, he couldn't escape her.

"Don't think about her, you idiot." He urged himself. "Forget her and her stupid blonde bimbo hair and ugly, blue-coloured eyes."

He watched as the sun came up higher in the sky. He'd been here for almost a month now and the air was as refreshing as it could have been. And their home was basically isolated, which meant that he didn't have to deal with other people. It wasn't long before he could hear his mother calling him for lunch. He wanted to stay and watch the clouds a little longer, but found that it might be better if he went back inside before he got sunburned. He was already a little darker because of his time spent lying outside. Shikamaru walked back to the house. He entered through the back door and went directly to the kitchen.

"Yeah, sorry to keep you waiting." He said to appease his mom's complaints about his lateness. "Tell dad to leave me some okonomiyaki for me."

His mother only walked up to him and glowered at him.

"You're a liar." She stated and went out back to get more tea.

"Okay, I'm not really sorry about being late, but you never took it seriously before." He answered, following his mother and helped her fill the pot with more water before putting it on the stove fire.

"I don't mean about that." She frowned.

"What do you mean then, ma?" Shikamaru was immediately pulled by the hair and taken to the dining room. "Ow, let go!"

"I mean that," Mrs. Nara pointed at Ino. "You told me there was no girl!"

Ino looked up from her cup of tea and watched Shikamaru's surprised expression.

Shikamaru pried his mother's grip off his head and swallowed audibly. Fear sprouted from the bottom of his feet and crept up his body to hold his heart in a vice.

"Ino," he breathed desperately.

"Shikamaru," she tilted her head in greeting.

His insides churned and flipped and flopped until he felt sick and bile tasted in the back of his throat. He stared at Ino as if he was seeing a mirage or scared stiff. His father, who was sitting at the head of the table coughed inconspicuously to warn him of his impolite staring.

"Don't stand there gawking like an idiot," Shikaku finally had to tell his son since he wasn't getting the message. "Sit down and eat."

Shikamaru sat down across from Ino beside his mother. He did his best not to look at her. He wondered what in the world was she doing here. What was she doing here of all places? Didn't she have a business to tend to?

He carefully watched as Ino took another sip of her tea. She looked a lot thinner than when he last saw her. Her hair had lost its lustre, but her stubborn chin was still held up stubbornly. The table was silent as each person ate their meal without much incident.

Shikamaru's mother was ecstatic, she was sure that her son was going to marry the young woman before her. Shikamaru had finally brought home a woman. And the girl was beautiful. Ino was a lot better looking than any woman she imagined would fall in love with her son. Mrs. Nara was a very proud mama.

"So, when is the wedding?" she asked the couple, breaking the silence. "You have mine and your father's blessings."

Shikamaru choked on a piece of shrimp and Ino on her tea.

"Oh, I'm sorry, was it supposed to be a secret?" Mrs. Nara continued. "I can keep it as secret, but of course we have to invite the neighbours and the town officials to the wedding. I can't have my only son elope. The two of you will be married here, right?"

"Please excuse me," Ino said before getting up, walking to the door and exiting.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Shikamaru also excused himself and followed Ino.

"Stupid young people," Mrs. Nara surmised.

"Woman, shut up will you? Don't ruin it for your son." Shikaku told his wife. "You might embarrass him out of the wedding if you do."

XXXX

"Why are you here?" Shikamaru asked Ino when he found her sitting on the grass where less than an hour ago he had lain and watched the sky.

"I came here to apologize." She said breaking eye contact to look at the clouds floating. "I tried to call you but you wouldn't answer. I even went to your house, but nobody was home. Kiba finally told me that you went back to Japan to visit your folks."

Shikamaru listened to her babbling with rapt attention.

"Why'd you run away?" he finally voiced.

"It's because I was afraid of what you can do to me. I was scared that if we break up again, there won't be anything left of me. I can't get hurt again. When you said that one time wasn't enough, and that you wanted us to get back together, it scared me to death. Because loving you, leaving you and letting you go was the hardest thing I had to do. I never once forgot you after we broke the engagement. I kept wondering what would have happened if it was us. If we had gotten married if I got my happily ever after. And when you came back and said you wanted another chance, I kept thinking that if we mess it up again, how much more would I dream of having the life I wanted to have with you." Ino's tears dripped as she hung her head in shame.

Shikamaru handed her a handkerchief; blue, like her eyes. She took it gratefully and blew her nose a couple times and swabbed her eyes with it.

"I'm really sorry that you're mom thought that we were going to get married. I shouldn't have agreed to come inside, but she was just so welcoming, I couldn't say no." Ino said with a forced laugh. "Shikamaru, say something, you're making me nervous."

"I'm not sorry." He said.

"I know it was entirely my fault. I didn't mean to be so cruel—I guess I...just wanted revenge on how you made me feel. I wanted you to hurt because...I got hurt by what you said to me." Ino cursed herself for stumbling on her words and nattering nonsense. "I realized that I made a mockery of how you felt about me. I can't take any of those words back, but I'm really sorry."

"I wasn't talking about that." Shikamaru held her hand in his and looked her in the eye.

Ino tried to back-track and try to think of what Shikamaru could not be sorry about. "I don't get what you're trying to say."

"I meant that, I'm not sorry that my mom thought that we were getting married." Shikamaru watched Ino's shocked face. "I guess being here for a while now, I learned that letting someone go is half the battle. To fall out of love with them is the other half. And I don't think I can force myself to fight that battle. Because if I win that battle, I don't get the prize."

Ino watched the man before her, dumbfounded though teary eyes. How could he still love her? How could he still love her after all she put him through? After rejecting him, breaking him, and sending him away? When she voiced these questions, he only said:

"Because that's what love is. You kill every portion of what's wrong with yourself so you can watch another person live." Shikamaru answered. "I killed off my anger, cynicism, and alcoholism so that I can see you live for the rest of my life."

"Yes!" Ino shouted and hugged Shikamaru. "Yes, I'll marry you!"

"I didn't even ask yet."

"I don't care, the answer is still yes!" Ino genuinely laughed. She stood up and pulled up lazy Shikamaru with her. "I want to get married before we change our minds again."

"A little eager, aren't you?" Shikamaru scratched the back of his head. "Maybe we should take this slow."

Ino pulled the Soleil manager into a lip-lock that would put the sun to shame and make the clouds blush pink.

"Don't tell me you're getting cold feet." She told Shikamaru.

"No, I'm on cloud nine," he joked.

"How are your feet?" Ino asked dramatically.

"Tingly, but pleasantly grounded."

"Good." She said before he dipped her for another kiss.

Ino was then carried off back to the house where Shikamaru announced to the rest of the family that the wedding was on. Mrs. Nara had a lot of wedding planning to take care of. And for once, Ino didn't care who did the flowers, just as long as the wedding was on a Nara, Kansai cloudy day.

A/N:

First off, I would like to thank everyone who read and reviewed this story. Special thanks goes out to those who has followed the series from the beginning. Without your input and encouragement I would not have finished this story. And, yes, this is the end of this story. There is only one more story left in this series called Windy Days. I wonder if anyone can guess the pairing for this story... Feel free to take a guess, although, I don't think that this pairing will be expected.

Again, I am grateful for your continued support in my abilities.