Date: October 27, 2009, 1:26pm

Pairing: Iruka/Temari for Molly

It was raining when they met.

Temari is always in constant limbo between the Sand and Konoha. She's working, technically, but it's more commonly known as running errands so that Gaara doesn't mount her head ornamentally above the fireplace. And it's storming something awful outside, but she's en route to Leaf, just like always, attempting to take shelter under her fan.

Iruka was just getting off work. Teaching a bunch of angry 10-year-olds how to throw kunai in the gym, rain battering the poor roof, had been more than he'd hoped for. Of course, he loved teaching, but there were some things that these kids resisted and refused, and throwing things at targets and not each other was most certainly one of them. The poor girl up ahead of him wasn't dressed for the rain, and she'd clearly been out in the rain for awhile. The least he could do was share his umbrella.

She smiled when he held out his umbrella. The poor guy even offered to help her fold her fan. (His hands weren't going anywhere near her fan, of course, but it was a nice gesture all the same.)

As the two of them walk toward the Hokages tower, they talk. Not about much, or anything in particular, and sadly, most of the discussion is about the weather. It doesn't rain much in the Suna, he learns. She's the Kazekage's big sister. He already knew that, of course. He recognized her from the chunin exam. She's seen him around the town, coming out of the school. They might be considered friends, on a good day.

But on a great day, much like today, two gentle pair of lips meet in a goodbye kiss that may have been more than a goodbye kiss. Now, they aren't sure what to think.