Title: Truth/Denial

Pairing: ShikaIno (Shikamaru-centric)

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Angst

Warning: Allusions to sex, character death, possible ooc-ness

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, there'd be more Kankuro/Shikamaru/Kiba smexiness. And Ino'd probably do more in battle…

He loved her. (He denied it.)

That was why he always caught her when she fell. (Chouji was too busy rolling around to do it, and it wasn't like he was moving much.)

That was why he endured her constant interruptions of his beloved cloud-watching time. (He complained about it, grumbling about how "troublesome" she was, but he still got up to train with her.)

That was why he let her take charge of their team when they both knew he was the real leader. (She was more of the take-charge type, so it was just easier that way.)

That was why he had tried to get her crush back for her, even though he disliked the Uchiha. (It was a mission, and Sasuke was a Konoha shinobi, that's all, or so he told himself.)

That was why he watched her as she dated her way through the village. (Someone had to keep her from getting herself hurt, and it wasn't like he had other things to do.)

That was why he stayed up all night, unable to sleep, whenever she was out on a mission without him. (He pretended it was the same with Chouji, since they were all Team Ten, even though it was worse with her.)

That was why he was there for her whenever her fling-of-the-moment fell apart, holding her if she needed it. (He really didn't know why she came to him then, but he figured that Sakura was busy then.)

That was why he noticed the slightly dead look in her eyes whenever she got back from a solo mission that she never talked about, to him at least. (It was the years of knowing her that attuned him to this, that's why.)

That was why he went behind her back to try and get Tsunade-sama to lessen the number of seduction missions she was sent out on. (It wasn't like that worked anyway, she was practically made for those kinds of missions, and even as the Hokage's genius strategist, he didn't have enough pull to stop them.)

That was why he was in an even grumpier mood whenever the Uchiha's replacement on Team Seven was around, smiling at her. (The guy just rubbed him the wrong way, it had nothing to do with the fact that he called her "Miss Lovely". Not at all.)

That was why he always managed to show up at the very bar she dragged her friends to after a kunoichi-only mission, being there to help get her intoxicated self back to her apartment, so she never woke up in the bed of one of the creeps that always wanted her to themselves. (It wasn't worry, not at all. He just didn't want to face the possibility of a pissed AND hungover woman in the morning. … Or her father's rage at the idea of some drunkard violating his little girl, for that matter.)

That was why he couldn't help but worry about her when she started drowning herself in work, rarely finding time to hang out with her friends between missions, working in the Intelligence department, training, and sleep. (She was his friend; it was only natural to worry when she was cutting herself off from everyone.)

That was why he requested that she be placed under his command for the final battle against Madara and the Akatsuki. (He knew that his techniques worked well with hers, and it was going to be like they were Genin again, only without Asuma-sensei, that was his reasoning.)

That was why he did everything he could to keep her safe during the battle, even going so far as to cut down the rogue shinobi she was fighting. (He thought she was in danger, and didn't want to lose another person close to him, even if she was mad at him for it.)

That was why he didn't let her use the new technique she had said she had created, not wanting to risk her life for the sake of victory. (She had said that she may not have perfected it yet, so he couldn't factor it into his carefully calculated plans.)

That was why he freaked out when she used it anyway in the battle against the origin of Orochimaru's curse mark, taking over the at the time gentle giant and trying to force him to turn on his allies all while remaining in her own body and fighting off enemies herself. (It was just like her to ignore his plans in favor of doing what she wanted, but this was too much, she could've cost more lives than his plan.)

That was why he froze in shock as she lost control of the orange-haired male, who lost control and went after the one responsible for his temporary loss of function. (He couldn't even think straight at this point, let alone deny anything.)

That was why he lost it himself, sending his shadows out toward the man who was in the process of crushing her windpipe, dark hands moving swiftly up to wrap around his neck, causing the creature to toss her aside and claw at his own throat. (He needed to defeat this beast anyway; this just gave him a reason to kill himself.)

That was why the second his enemy finally fell to the ground, having clawed his own throat to pieces, he rushed to her side, praying that she was still alive. (Konoha needed her alive, she was one of the best kunoichi they had, he told himself.)

That was why he wiped the blood off of her face as she laughed dryly, commenting that maybe he was the genius for a reason and she should've listened to him. (Blood never suited her; she was always full of life, even when she dealt in death.)

That was why he begged her to make it, making all kinds of promises if only she wouldn't leave him there alone. (Kami, he just couldn't lose her, it would be like losing a part of himself.)

That was why he, the normally quiet and lazy genius of Konohagakure, let out an anguished yell as the light that had always shone in her bright blue eyes left them forever, and her body went limp in his arms. (He had just lost one of his best friends so no one could blame him.)

That was why he insisted on being the one to carry her body back to the village, not registering the sounds of the people talking around him, his mind focused solely on her. (She had always been first, always. Why should it be any different now that she was gone?)

That was why he couldn't even speak at her memorial service, for fear that if he said a single word, he would fall apart in front of everyone. (The wound was just too fresh in his heart; it was just too soon for him to even think about the fact that she wasn't around to nag him anymore.)

That was why he stood in front of the marker with her name on it, searching for the way to finally let her know what he just now understood.

He loved her. (He denied it.)

And now it was too late.

….. Well, that went somewhere I didn't anticipate.

And before all you Ino-fans start flaming me, she's one of my favorite characters. Kay?

And now that that's done, hey there! I know, it's been forever since I've put anything up here. Real life and all, ya know? But yeah, I've got some stuff coming up soon-ish… Depending on inspiration and all.

Anyway, review? Let me know what you think?