Hanakotoba no kazukazu or "The many words/meanings of flowers"
Alright, I really like this story. So here's the second part.
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Ino twiddled her fingers, shaking noticeably. Sakura stared at her with one eyebrow raised in question.
"Ino. What's wrong? Ever since Tsunade had that meeting, all you've been doing is looking anxiously at the clock…and playing with your hands." She said, pulling Ino's hands apart, one eye twitching in annoyance. Ino sighed.
"Sorry, sorry, Sakura! But, it's just—" Ino sighed, shaking her head, not bothering to finish the sentence.
Ever since she had returned from Suna, Ino had refused all the men that had began to hang around her flower shop and try to flirt, had kept her feelings to herself, instead hugging her pillow at night.
And…she wouldn't touch Asters. Her mother always got on her case for not doing the arrangements with Asters in them, but she just made a lame excuse, like she didn't have time to finish them. Her mother shook her head, but seeing the way she looked out the window, then the asters, and turned away, she didn't pester her daughter.
"It's strange Ino, and I just noticed it now, but…you've been acting…sad lately. And it's not just lately, is it! It's been…" Sakura leaned back in her chair outside the Hokage's office and thought for a moment. "3 years…I think. A long time." She said, staring at her friend, concerned. "In fact…it started right after your mission to Suna!" She said, her eyes widening. Ino looked down at her feet. "Ino…Suna. Something in Suna…"
Ino looked away, not wanting to let her friend see the pain in her face. "It's nothing."
"You have a mission to Suna, Ino. It's just to go with Shikamaru to meet the Kazekage. Tsunade-sama said it was important that you of anyone went…although, I really don't see why someone else couldn't go in your place if you can't…"
"No!" Ino cried, turning to her friend, eyes wide. Sakura blinked. Ino's frantic desperation slowly disappeared. "It's…fine. If I was requested, then I can't back out of it, right?" She said nervously with a small smile. Sakura frowned.
"Ino…please tell me. I'll probably be gone when you get back anyway…A lot of us are going on a mission…Naruto…" Sakura trailed off, looking down at her own feet. Ino knew this would be another mission with Sasuke in the core of it.
"Sakura…if I go to Suna…I may never come back."
---
"Ino, what's bothering you? Usually on this type of easy mission, you'd be talking nonstop. Or…I don't know, going on about your latest diet? New clothes?" Shikamaru tried, raising an eyebrow at Ino, who was meeting his pace and being surprisingly reasonable. "In fact…I may not have really realized this until now, but you haven't dieted or bought new clothes in….3 years." He said, raising an eyebrow at her. "Actually, you've refused every guy that gets near you." He blinked at her, eyes wide. She just glared down at the road.
"You're in love, Ino." Shikamaru sighed, looking up at the night sky. "Listen, if it's me…I really have feelings for Temari, scary as she is...I'm really sorry, Ino." He said, looking at her sympathetically. Ino's head jolted up to look at him, a horrified and furious expression on her face.
"Shika-kun, DON'T FLATTER YOURSELF." She said, narrowing her eyes in fury, her eyes fiery. Shikamaru blinked, eyes slightly wider than before.
"Sheesh, troublesome woman! I was just making sure..!" He said, turning away, his face burning. 'Huh! So those guys were wrong after all. Definitely not me. Phew.' He thought, with a small shudder. Then he turned back to her.
"It's Sasuke, still, isn't it." He said slowly, rolling his eyes. Ino shook her head.
"Of course not." She said. "I haven't even thought about him since he left Konoha." She muttered.
"You stand by the Konoha gates every afternoon at exactly 4:57 PM. Right after you leave the memorial to see Asuma." He said frankly. Ino's eyes turned pained.
"Look, Shikamaru, all I'm going to say is it is NOT you, and it's NOT Sasuke. Maybe I don't want to talk about it." 'Especially seeing as I haven't spoken to him in 3 years.' Ino thought sadly.
"Look, you can tell me." Shikamaru said, looking over at her. "I'm your best friend, remember? I mean, besides Sakura." He said, rolling his eyes. Girls. She bit her lip and looked at him.
"I…"
---
Gaara paced his office, and Temari sighed, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Look, it's just a meeting! Why are you acting so anxious? It's just two Konoha ninja…I even know who they are! Yamanaka Ino, and of course, Shikamaru." She said, with a smirk.
Gaara paused. "That's just it." He muttered carefully. "Yamanaka." He said slowly. Temari raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to one side.
"The blonde? How do you know her? Did she do something to you?!" She asked, her voice rising, hand clenching on her fan.
"Temari…don't be an idiot." He said in a flat tone. She narrowed her eyes but said no more.
"Tell me how you know her, Gaara." She said, sitting down, crossing her legs and leaning back in a chair in front of his desk.
"3 years ago. Flower shop." He said curtly, looking outside his window, a wind picking up, dragging the sand from the building up in the air. He watched it swiftly dance across the sky. Temari blinked.
"Ohhhh…was that the girl…" Suddenly Temari understood. Gaara had asked about her every time Shikamaru came, to which Shikamaru would reply 'As troublesome as ever.', never really understanding why he asked, to which Gaara would nod solemnly. Then she gave a look which Gaara could only categorize as plotting. "YOU LOVE HER!!! OH, IT'S GREAT! GAARA OF THE SAND, KAZEKAGE, AND OUT OF ALL THE FANGIRLS IN SUNA, FALLS IN LOVE WITH A GIRL FROM KONOHAGAKURE!" Temari cried with hysterics. "This is wonderful. REALLY! I can't wait to see Shikamau's face—"
Gaara gave her a look which one could only categorize as DEATH AURA. "Temari…I will deal with this on my own. For all I know…she has someone in her life." He said coldly. Temari blinked, pain seeping into her eyes, seeing him look outside, not the first time she had seen longing in his eyes. 'The first time he understands what love is…and he may have it taken away from him. So much has happened to him…' Temari thought sadly, thinking of being killed by the Akatsuki and being brought back to life again at the cost of their village elder Chiyo's life. Suddenly, a knock at the door came.
"Come in…" Temari said, furrowing her eyebrows. 'They weren't supposed to make it so quickly…' She thought, wondering if it was really them.
"Oi, we've arrived early." Said Shikamaru, giving a crooked grin. Ino was looking at the ground, and Temari noticed she looked nervous. Gaara turned, and looked at them with a solemn face, holding all emotion inside. Temari beamed at Shikamaru.
"Didn't expect a lazyass like you to make it so fast!" Temari teased him, and hugged him quickly. Ino looked up, meeting Gaara's eyes, and then, realizing her mistake, looked down again.
"Well, I gotta go talk to Shikamaru really quickly…you two…discuss the mission!" Temari said, dragging a very confused Shikamaru out the door with an eager smile. She winked at Gaara slyly, who gave her a look that read 'I'm going to kill you later' all over it.
The door slammed and both winced at the noise. No one said anything for a while. "So…Ino. How is Konoha." Gaara said awkwardly. She blinked, and met his eyes.
"Ah…good." She said slowly. 'Lonely, without you. Sad. Painful.' She wanted to add, but held her tongue. "How are you?"
"Fine." He answered curtly, meeting her eyes. 'What am I feeling? That thing…in my chest…so long ago. What is it?!'
"I…wanted to say something." Ino said slowly. He looked at her quizzically. She closed her eyes, and went on. "Ever since I left…I really missed you. And I know you probably have moved on, and maybe I was nothing in the first place," She added, laughing nervously, "but I feel like you're important to me. Not like my stupid crushes, like Sasuke. Like…someone I really care about. I guess I've just never really felt real love before." She finished, moving her head to the ground again. Gaara blinked, eyes slightly wider than before.
"I…"
"You don't have to answer." She said, her face burning, tears forming in her eyes. "It's okay. I just wanted to get it off my chest." She said, and ran out the door, leaving Gaara confused.
---
Ino sat on the roof of the Kazekage's tower where she and Shikamaru were staying in guest rooms, and stared out into the dark sky. 'He must have defended Suna in these skies. So amazing…he's so amazing.' She thought, sighing. 'Too amazing for a person like me. Me and my weakness in the Chuunin exams the first time, my diets, my stupid crushes.'
"Ino…" Came a soft voice. Ino turned around wildly, only to see Gaara standing a few feet behind her. She blinked.
"I'm sorry about earlier. But I'll leave again and we can both just stay professional." She said firmly, her heart aching. She went to get up, but in a second, he was sitting next to her, holding her arm down.
"No, listen." He said slowly. He face turned pink. "I…care. About you. Last time…Asters. Beginnings. We can pick it up from the beginning." He said carefully, closing his eyes. She looked at him, flushed.
"But…"
"Don't." He said, looking at her, with what she thought to be a small smile on his face, though she had never seen one on him before. "Love…I know what it is now." He said, and turned his face towards hers in a kiss.
---
"Told you!" Temari said, nudging Shikamaru, watching from a few buildings away. Shikamaru widened his eyes.
"Wow, who would've thought? Ino and Gaara. It's so unlikely." He said, shaking his head. "I wouldn't have figured that out in a million years." He said with a grin.
"It's so wonderful though." Temari sighed. "They're perfect." She said, smiling for her younger brother.
"So what's going to happen?" Shikamaru asked, putting his arm around her waist. "With them…and us?" He said, raising an eyebrow. She blushed, as much as she would before she refused to turn too girly.
"I suggest that I return to Konoha as a liaison again. And Ino stay here, with Gaara, as a true bridge between our villages." Temari said proudly. Shikamaru smiled.
"That's a good plan if I've ever heard one. Ever since Asuma-sensei died, Ino hadn't had much to do with missions and such. She'll be glad to be put to work here as long as she can visit Konoha once in a while." Shikamaru said, nodding thoughtfully.
"It all works out, doesn't it?" Temari sighed, resting her head against his shoulder as they watched Ino put her head on Gaara's shoulder also.
"Yeah, it does." Shikamaru said, smiling as their futures unfolded.
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That's the end of this part.
I MAY make a third part…meh. Comment! Tell me what YOU want! P
Thanks for reading!