Hello people of fanfiction, this is the first story I have ever written/published so any criticism is welcome.

I don't own Naruto but I wish I did.

Shikamaru was sitting, as per usual, on the top of his preferred hill, looking for all the world as though he was just staring at the clouds as he usually was at this time of day. Except he wasn't, instead his genius mind was contemplating a rather complex issue, what was the issue you ask, well it was none other than his blonde team mate Ino Yamanaka. Ino was loud, obnoxious and very troublesome, which was why Shikamaru couldn't figure out how exactly he had fallen in love with her. Hadn't he always said that he wanted a nice ordinary wife who wasn't overly pretty and didn't nag him constantly, but know the supposed genius had to go and fall for the one woman who nagged him just as much if not more than his mother and was one of the most beautiful women in Konoha. If Asuma could see him now, Shikamaru was sure the older man would be laughing.

Looking back he realised the he had always loved her, even back in the academy, having grown up together she was one of the very few girls he tolerated at the time. Even when she was obsessed with the Uchiha bastard he still liked having her around. Sighing Shikamaru rose slowly from his position on the hill and decided to go and visit Choji, if anyone could help sort the mess that Ino had made of his feelings the Akimichi would be it. So he set off down the hill and began to stroll lazily towards the Akimichi compound where Choji and his dad would be training.

As he was strolling through town his thoughts drifted back towards Ino, why did he love her? Sure she was beautiful but there had to be more to it than that. Thinking back over his previous interactions with her Shikamaru contemplated the many things that made Ino who she was. She was fiercely loyal to both her friends and her village, the only reason she nagged him as much as she did was because she was worried about him, it didn't make any less troublesome but still, she was strong, she didn't like crying in front of others, she never had. All of these things Shikamaru admired and yes loved about her, but they weren't the reason he had fallen in love with her so what was. Ino was funny, smart, beautiful, she was all of those things and more but they still weren't the reason why he feel in love with her. Shikamaru sighed in frustration, why couldn't he figure it out. He sat down outside a store front and assumed his classic thinking pose, he wanted to at least attempt to figure it out before he went and saw Choji. Shikamaru was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't the hear the door open nor did he notice the presence that knelt down beside him until a voice broke through his thoughts. "Shika-kun?" Snapping out of his thoughts Shikamaru turned towards the voice and his eyes with those of none other than Ino the cause of his current frustration. "Hey Ino." He sighed only just now noticing that the store he had sat himself outside off was none other than her parents flower shop. "Are you okay Shika-kun you look like something is bothering you?"

"No Ino I'm fine, just thinking."

"Well okay then, I just saw you sitting and figured something was up." He turned towards Ino meaning to reassure, but at the sight of her smiling face it was as though the world had stopped and something inside him just clicked, giving him the answer to his question. He loved Ino because whenever he saw her smile his heart would start beating a mile a minute, he'd hear her laugh and swear he was about to melt, when he saw her crying and was consumed with the desire to kill whoever it was that hurt her, but what's more is when he was with Ino she bought out a side of him no one else ever, a side no one but her would ever see, and that was why he loved her.

Snapping back into focus Shikamaru continued looking at Ino, who by now had a very puzzled look on her face. Still reeling with his sudden realisation Shikamaru didn't notice how much closer he was getting to Ino until he could feel her breath on his lips. Flicking up towards her eyes he carefully judged her expression and by the look of shock evident on her face he decided to continue. Leaning forward he gently brushed his lips across hers before gradually increasing the pressure of his lips, he was about to pull away when to his shock she began to push back. Shikamaru tentatively stroked Ino's lips with his tongue asking for her permission to deepen the kiss, he was both surprised and pleased when she slowly parted her lips and allowed his tongue entrance, he pulled her into his lap and deepened the kiss.

By the time the broke apart both he and Ino were flushed and panting, their lungs trying to gather much needed air into their bodies. Ino still looked as though she was trying to comprehend the fact that one of her best friends had just kissed her, while Shikamaru was looking at the various flowers assembled outside the storefront when he noticed a large white lily, carefully removing it from its place he gently reached towards Ino and tucked the flower behind her ear. Smiling Shikamaru stood up and extended his hand towards Ino, already planning how he would make her his forever, and the first step was to buy her flowers, after all, who doesn't love flowers.