Reunion

The evening wind howled through the empty streets of Konaha. It was nighttime and the young chunin figured most people would be having dinner. But that didn't explain why the streets were bare.

He trudged towards his home wearily. It was a long year.

The battle with Sand against Lightning was finally over. And they had only lost two out of a hundred nin. Not bad.

But it had taken a year.

One very long year.

The battle didn't settle as quickly as Shikamaru originally thought. The Lightning forces were crafty and knew how to retreat. It took a long time to trap them and a longer time to exterminate them.

But he was finally home.

Gaara and Temari had seen him off as he and the rest of his men returned. The teary Sand kunoichi blew kisses at him and begged him to return someday (as if).

Some of them, eager to see their family, had rushed off rest of the weary men lagged behind, but were moving nonetheless. They went their separate ways at the gate, each heading to his own home.

He looked around the familiar place that was his home. All the lights were out, and it looked desolate.

Except for one.

All the lights in the Yamanaka house appeared to be on. Rowdy music and the sound of people chattering reached his ears.

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head. He was hot, he was sweaty, and he needed a nap. But curiosity overcame him.

He trotted over to the front door and let himself in. The place was cramped. It seemed like everyone in the village was there.

Before he could gape and wonder why the hell was everyone here, a loud shout of "Shikamaru! You're back!" in his ear nearly made him fall over in shock.

A grinning Naruto gave him a tight bear hug.

"We've been missing you to bits!" exclaimed Naruto as Shikamaru hastily untangled himself.

"So…what's the occasion?" asked Shikamaru, looking around at the noisy crowd.

"You forgot?" asked Naruto incredulously. "It's Ino's birthday, baka!"

Naruto took hold of Shikamaru's arm and dragged him through the crowd.

"Ino nearly went insane missing you!" said Naruto. "My, I wonder what she'll do when she sees you."

A table came into sight and with it a group of familiar girls sitting around it, chatting.

He saw Sakura, Tenten, Hinata, and…Ino.

"Hey Ino-chan, look what I got you for your birthday!" yelled Naruto, shoving Shikamaru towards her.

Ino's eyes widened.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A whole year he was gone. Ino had went wild with worry and with missing him. But now that he was right before her, she didn't quite know what to say.

But then again, maybe she didn't need to.

Standing up, she flung her arms around his neck, sobbing quietly.

Tenten smiled. She cleared her throat and eyed the other girls meaningfully. They all stood up and left the duo alone, Naruto already having disappeared to who knows where.

Shikamaru wrapped his arms around Ino and nuzzled her hair. He loved feeling her pressed against him, this tender thing under his protection.

Ino, pressed against him, could feel his lean, muscled torso through his shirt. She could feel his lips against her hair, and his arms holding her protectively.

It was what she always wanted.

As the old saying goes, "absence makes the heart grow fonder", Ino found out what she really wanted wasn't the unreachable, but the one that had been by her side all the time.

"I've missed you so much," she whispered.

"So did I," replied Shikamaru softly. He kissed her on the forehead.

Ino reached up and stroked his ponytail. "You mean so much to me, Shikamaru."

He caressed her neck gently. "Exactly what I wanted to say," he murmured.

He slipped a finger under her chin and tilted her head upwards. He drew closer, and Ino waited for whatever would come next.

His lips touched hers just barely. She could feel his hesitation, and she wanted it gone.

She pressed her lips to his.

The brief kiss lasted only a moment. But Ino was overjoyed. Finally, she found somewhere she belonged to, somewhere she was loved and wanted.

"I missed you so much I dreamt of you every night," she murmured, burying her head in his neck.

Shikamaru chuckled quietly, a low rumble in his chest. "Liar," he said softly, running his hand through her beautiful blonde hair.

"Okay, maybe not every night," she admitted. "But I-"

Shikamaru's lips silenced her. She moaned softly as his tongue slid into her mouth.

They pulled away after a few minutes, both breathing heavily.

"There's something I want to ask you, Ino," he said, wrapping his arms behind her back.

"What's that?" she asked, snuggling into his chest.

"Would you be my girlfriend?"

Ino's eyes widened in surprise. Then she grinned widely.

"For someone who's not my father, you sure know how to press my buttons," she teased, poking him on the chest.

"Well?" pressed Shikamaru.

"Gladly."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N:

This is the end of this story, hope you guys liked it. Please review, I really want it.

Naruto does not belong to me.