"Shika!" the lazy chounin's teammate yelled as she bounded down the hall of his apartment. He was still wondering how Ino had convinced him into giving her a key to his place. Actually no, he was still wondering how she had snuck into the house to get the key in the first place.

"What do you want," he grumbled turning over in his bed. See, when Temari came to his apartment in the middle of the night, she was silent and swift. She simply bound under the covers and snuggled in close before falling asleep. No trouble or hassle.

But when Ino came in, she made noise equivalent to that of a Parade. And she seemed extra excited today so Shikamaru didn't know what she was planning but it must be bad. He figured that she would be with Sai considering they had just recently began to date.

"Get up you lazy baka! Did you forget what today was?" it wasn't her birthday, considering it came right after his. And Christmas had come and gone.

When he didn't answer, Ino growled and gathered some chakra in her hands and shoved him out of bed, nearly causing him to crash into the wall next to it. He growled and got up rubbing the shoulder that he fell on.

"What the hell is wrong with you, you troublesome woman?!" he yelled. Ino didn't even look the slightest bit guilty. She in fact, looked quite satisfied with herself if anything.

"You seriously don't know?" when she didn't get a response from the glaring chounin she sighed dramatically before continuing, "It's Valentine's Day!"

His expression remained passive. Ino took it as a cue to continue, "So for Temari, I was thinking that you could take her out. Definitely not to Ichiraku. Something classier. And get her some roses from my shop. Although, I do see her as more of a Dragon Cosmo sort of girl… Shika, are you listening?"

Shikamaru was actually just looking for a clean shirt to wear for that day, barely hearing what Ino had just said. Yes, he had now acknowledged the holiday but he didn't really think that Tamari cared for the holiday. She hadn't brought it up last year after all so he figured that it wasn't that big of a deal. It was a good thing for him though. Less trouble to take her out on a date.

"Whatever. It's a drag. Temari doesn't even care about that stuff," Shikamaru shrugged, sniffing a shirt and deeming it clean enough to wear. This was his main struggle of being a teen living out on his own. He was far too lazy to do his laundry more than once a week, which left him with very few shirts.

"You think she doesn't Shika, Temari-chan is smart and strong but even the strongest woman like to be charmed once in a while," Ino solemnly said as though she was hiding a big secret. She shook out her demeanour and ignored the strange look that Shikamaru was giving her, "Just trust me, take the time to do something nice for her."

And with that she left.

Of course the bemused ninja just shook his head and muttered some obscenities. But the lazy man did not heed her warning. He spent the rest of the day as normal. Training with Chouji and cloud-watching. Temari wasn't even here, she was back in Suna Shikamaru thought smugly. The thought of Valentine's Day slipped his mind completely after that.

All day today, the guys were succumbing to their woman. Naruto had skipped the whole day of practice to spend time with Hinata. After a week of fighting, Sasuke finally came and apologized to Sakura with a bouquet of Pink Roses. Even Jaraiya had decided to do something nice for his long-time friend, our Hokage.

Sadly however, she thought it was another advance on her and nearly Jutsu'd him into the next town over. All day he had scoffed them and went to watch the clouds. He came home, keen to get a good night's sleep and start the routine all over again tomorrow.

What he didn't expect to see was Temari in his living room.

In a dress. An innocent red dress that went down to her knees with a modest sweetheart neckline and paired with heels.

With her hair down. And make-up on her face.

…

Shikamaru's mouth didn't fall open like Temari had expected. He didn't embrace her or tell her that she looked beautiful. In fact, if anything, he was looking at her like she was an alien species. As though he wasn't sure just what he was looking at. Temari pushed down her insecurities and smiled a large smile with her glossed lips.

Thank the Kami for Ino.

"Happy Valentine's Day," she smiled. Shikamaru still didn't move. His eyes still wandered over her dress. He still looked like he was analyzing her, not appreciating.

"What's that?" he said pointing to her dress and shoes. Temari refrained from her need to hit him in the back of the head and took a deep breathe, "Well it's your Valentine's Day gift. Well… only part of it," She pulled out a box from behind her back and held it out towards him.

She noticed that he still hadn't moved. Then she realized why he didn't and her shoulders sagged, "You didn't remember did you?" Shikamaru simply nodded.

"We never celebrated last year. So why the big hurry to…" he realized that he had said something wrong. Temari's face dropped. Shikamaru still hadn't moved but his eyes widened slightly at her looking vulnerable like that. She pulled out the chain that was tucked under her dress to reveal the key that Shikamaru had given her last year hanging from it.

"You gave this to me on February 14th last year. I wanted to go after you but I had to get back to Suna and then when I came back you took me out and…" Temari choked on her voice a bit. Shikamaru's forehead rose in surprise and remembrance. For a genius, he couldn't believe that he didn't realize it earlier.

Temari was pretty upset when she first found out about Ino having the key to his new apartment. So he had gone out of his way to get another key made for her and gave it to her. He didn't present it to her with a mariachi band or an endless supply of flowers. He had walked into her hotel and tossed it to her before walking back out. Suffice to say that he had pretty much made her day, not that he really noticed it.

Then when she came back from Suna 3 days later, he had taken her out to Ichiraku. Truthfully, he just hadn't felt like cooking that day. That was all but he should've noticed that something was up when she came back wearing the lightest amount of mascara and eyeliner.

She must have thought that he had taken her out on a late Valentine's Day date.

"Sorry Shikamaru. I just thought that… you know what it doesn't even matter. I should get going. So see you tomorrow or something. I really just need to go," and with that she fled out of the apartment leaving the guilty ninja standing in the same place.

Not only did he neglect to realize that he had unintentionally lead her on, she had come to his apartment all dressed up ,going out of her way, only to be ridiculed and scrutinized by the idiotic teenager.

To add insult to injury, he had just let her walk away.

"Damn it. Ino was right," he grumbled. He ran out of the apartment, knowing there was only one place that Temari could've been going at this time. To the house of the same girl that had warned him in the first place.

…

"It was pathetic Ino-chan. God I am such an idiot. I should've known that Shikamaru wouldn't celebrate such a feminine holiday," Temari groaned as she threw the dress down on said ninja's bed. She had wiped off all the make-up, let her hair hang around her face and changed into one of Shikamaru's sweaters- the one that she had still denied taking- and some pj shorts.

Ino was still fantasizing about her date with Sai. But she snapped out of it when she saw Temari gazing at the array of chocolates and sketches that Sai had gifted her with.

"Temari-chan, Shikamaru can be a dobe sometimes but he always makes up for it. Trust me," she said sympathetically. Just as she spoke that, the man in question came through the open window causing Ino to yell out in surprise and use a jutsu to send him flying into the wall.

Shikamaru groaned and sat up. Temari ran and helped him up.

"What is wrong with you? Ino you look before you attack!"

"What's wrong with you? Even if I saw you, I would've used the jutsu on you. How dare you leave Temari like that? I even told you that-"

"Um. Ino-chan. Can I have a moment alone with Shikamaru," Temari interrupted before she could get really heated. Ino nodded sharply and with one last glare, she walked out of the room, sliding the door close behind her.

At first there was just silence.

"That's my sweater. You told me you had no idea where it went," Shika stated. Temari stayed silent. Her face showed no emotion but her eyes were filled with disappointment and hurt. Shikamaru realized that it wasn't the best approach.

"Look… I'm… I'm sorry that I didn't do anything for Valentine's Day. I didn't know that it was such a big deal to you or that I had lead you on last year. I honestly had no idea that I gave you the key on Valentine's Day-" Shikamaru began but Temari interrupted.

"Shikamaru, it's not that. I didn't think that it was a big deal. I knew it was Valentine's Day and I figured that you weren't going to do anything for it. So when you gave me the key and took me out, I just figured…"

Shikamaru realized just how terrible a boyfriend he was. She thought that the one time that he took her out, it was only because of a special occasion. Temari thought that the only reason he had bothered to get his lazy ass off his dumb hill was because that certain date stated that it was the time for love.

And he knew that he only took her out for all the unromantic reasons. He didn't even acknowledge Valentine's Day. He was just hungry and his apartment happened to be out of anything edible.

He also realized that he hadn't been all too romantic when Temari showed up at his apartment dressed so beautifully. He had stared her down and picked her apart. Damn it, he didn't even tell her that she looked beautiful. For a genius he really didn't know all that much about anything.

Shikamaru sighed in frustration (towards himself) and walked over to Temari who was glumly sitting on the bed.

Taking both of her hands into both of his, she pulled her up and looked her straight in the eye. He released her hands, letting one of them wrap around her waist and the other go up to brush her hair back as he talked.

"Well you figured wrong," Temari looked down but Shikamaru lifted her chin again with two fingers, "I didn't get you the key for Valentine's Day. In fact I find it stupid how couples just cast all their problems aside for one day named after some pope that got killed. I gave you the key because… I. Love you per se. And I didn't need a special holiday to let you know it. I know my way of doing it wasn't the best," he thought back to how he had strolled into her room and tossed the key on her bed before muttering "troublesome" and walking back out.

"But I did it because you are my girlfriend and I wanted you to have more access to my life," Shikamaru stated. Temari gave a small smile. She had told Shikamaru that she loved him on countless occasions but he had never said those words back until now.

"How long are you going to be here?" he suddenly asked.

"5 more days," she stated. Shikamaru nodded and before she knew it, he was lifting her up bridal style causing her to let out a gasp of surprise.

"Ino we're leaving!" was all he said before he jumped out of the window with Temari in his arms, "For the next five days, I am all yours and you are all mine."

Temari smiled as they entered his apartment. She remembered that she still had his gift and pulled it out handing it to him. Opening it, he found a key. He looked at her for an explanation.

"I finally convinced Gaara to let you visit. So of course, you will be needing a place to stay and my apartment happens to be quite large so…" she couldn't finish Shikamaru pulled her into him and kissed her.

A gentle kiss that wasn't often found in their passionate love. After that they both had fallen asleep wrapped in each other's arms. When Temari had woken up the next morning not only was Shikamaru still lying next to her with his arm possessively around her waist but a huge bouquet of Dragon Cosmos resting on the table beside her.

Shikamaru woke up and kissed the side of her head, "I may have snuck out for a couple of minutes last night."