No Longer Weak

Mind Games

She stared silently at him for a long time. With every second ticking by he got more nervous. Why wasn't she saying anything? Had he been too fast to assume that she wanted to marry him? Oh god, he had to tell his mother that Sakura never wanted to do anything with him. And what was he supposed to tell...

"No" she suddenly stopped his train of thoughts. Registering what she had said his shoulders slumped and he looked at her with a frown. "It wasn't supposed to be like this!" she snapped at him. "I smell like I haven't bathed in far too long! I'm tired and battered! It was supposed to be in a lovely restaurant where you surprise me with a ring in my drink! But I just came back from the most annoying mission, after carrying our target through half the country and you just..."

"Ne Sakura-chan," he said kindly while grabbing her hands and slowly loosening her fingers which tugged on her hair mercilessly. Finally holding her hands, he took the ring from his pocket and progressed to slip it on her ring finger. "We don't need a fancy restaurant because it would just dim your beauty down. And the ring would be not good in your drink. You just chug them down anyway. But nevertheless, I want to marry you because it doesn't matter to me if you are smelly or annoyed or tired. I always find your way to good to be true. So please don't be too troublesome and say yes" he said determinedly. Her gaze had never once wavered from his and he saw that she needed a few moments to digest all that he had said.

"So you still think I'm smelly?" she pouted but there was a glint in her eyes that told him everything that he needed to know. "Troublesome woman. You would just jump on that part of my speech!"

She wound her arms around his neck slowly and smiled gently at him. "Of course I would pick that part. It's the only one that needs some explaining, cause I for one are certain that I'm going to marry you" with that she gave him a kiss. Shikamaru couldn't stop the smile that was going to be attached to him for the longest time. She had said yes and now nothing could go wrong because she would always be by his side. Slowly leading them towards their bedroom they both thought that this was worth everything they had gone through until now.

* * *

A quiet knock on her office door startled her. Shuffling some very private papers together she told her visitor to come in. Sakura pressed her lips together when she was Ino walking in, looking uncomfortable and nervous. "Do you need something Yamanaka-san?" she asked as politely as she could. This was her workplace here she wouldn't ignore a fellow medic.

"I wanted to ask... to offer that if you would perhaps need help with the wedding. I would really like to help" the blond said in a rush and looked expectingly at Sakura.

The nerve of the woman! "I don't need your help to plan my wedding Ino!" answered she furiously. "I would have needed your support when I was slowly losing myself within the darkness that comes with power!" she shouted, jumped up and threw a file at Ino, who ducked. "Sakura, please. I'm..."

"Don't tell me your sorry!" screeched Sakura. "You were my best friend and just up and left me! LEFT ME!" she shouted. Taking a calming breath she grabbed her chair and pulled it back in the right position. "And now you have the guts to ask me to help me plan my wedding? MY WEDDING? Leave before I make you!" she seethed.

* * *

Ino looked helplessly at her and turned around. Maybe this had been the wrong way to ask. "Maybe I haven't been here to help you out of this darkness you speak of but I want to be there for you now. And not everyone left you! Shikamaru was there all along, he helped you and now you're marrying him!" the blond said determined and looked defiantly at Sakura. Who was slowly blinking and progressing what Ino had just told her? "So you mean it's okay that you left because Shikamaru was there and that I'm marrying the only person who never left me. Are you shitting me?" she asked quietly.