Thought it was You Shikamaru. (Shikaino Shikamaru x ino)

Chapter 38: Morning After

The next morning, Shikamaru stretched and yawned, the events of the previous night swirling in his mind. He slipped into the same clothes he had worn the day before, the comfort of familiarity settling in. As he prepared to head home for a shower, he knocked gently on Ino's door, not wanting to disturb her too much.

A moment later, the door creaked open, revealing Ino with messy hair and pajamas that hinted at a restless night. Her sleepy eyes widened in surprise as she looked at him. "Shikamaru?" she mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Hey, I think it's best if I go home now," he said, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips.

"Oh, yeah, okay," Ino replied, still a bit dazed from sleep.

He hesitated, then added, "Hey, how about we grab lunch later? Just us and the rest of the team?"

"Yeah, that sounds great!" Ino replied, her enthusiasm growing as she began to wake up.

As Shikamaru slipped on his shoes and turned to leave, an unexpected impulse made him stop and pivot back toward Ino. He stepped forward, wrapping her in a warm hug. "Thank you for everything," he murmured, feeling a genuine wave of gratitude for the comfortable night they'd shared.

Ino blinked in surprise, her cheeks flushing as she hugged him back, even if it was just for a brief moment. "No problem, Shikamaru. Anytime," she said softly, a smile breaking through her sleepiness.

With that, he released her and stepped out, the morning sun shining brightly as he made his way home. The prospect of lunch with the team filled him with a sense of ease.

Later that day, the team gathered at a familiar restaurant, laughter and chatter filling the air as they recounted their latest missions. Shikamaru couldn't help but steal glances at Ino, who was animatedly discussing their plans. The atmosphere felt right, and for the first time in a while, he could sense that everything was falling back into place.