A/N: Hi! Miss me?
I hope you still remember me. Lol. I'm still alive and kicking. I know it's been so long since I update any of my fanfics – I apologize for that – but time is not my friend. Busy with work, busy with life…
Busy with love…lol.
Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this oneshot. It's a spur-of-the-moment writing so forgive me if there's any grammatical error. Like I said, it's been so long.
Muah!
Temari shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She wondered what took Shikamaru so long to make tea. Surely it wasn't that hard to make tea, was it? She heard some noises in the kitchen and perhaps some curses – my, Shikamaru does not know how to make tea, does he? She thought – and Temari wanted to rise and go see what his problem was but she can't; her body glued to her seat.
Sitting lazily in front of her, just a few feet away, was a large orange cat with its eyes fixing intently on her. Temari might always put up a brave front in front of everybody and practically nothing scared her except her brother Gaara but deep down inside, she had one fear of animal and that animal was the one in front of her.
Yes, a cat.
The cat might have sense her fear because suddenly he/she…it stood on all four and began to walk towards her. Silently, stealthily like a predator and she was its prey. Temari leaned back, wanted to run to the other side of the room, to Shikamaru if she was not embarrassed to let him know that cat scared the living daylight out of her but fear froze her in spot.
The cat was really, really close. It licked its mouth. Holy shit.
Temari reached for her fan – forgive me if I kill your cat, Shikamaru but this is my defence mechanism – but before she did so the front door opened and two female voices entered her hearing.
She tried to figure out who, maybe it was Shikamaru's mother but she wasn't sure about the other because she knew Shikamaru did not have sisters and no female cousins his age.
"Ino!" There he is, finally! Temari thought, seeing nothing on Shikamaru's hands. So, Shikamaru doesn't know how to make tea – affirmative. But that was okay. She was glad. She was no longer alone with the scary creature. She was saved.
Except when she looked back down, the cat was a few inches closer. Temari sensed attack. Little did she know the cat wanted some love.
"Hi!" The blonde greeted cheerily at her teammate and sensing her presence, she turned and gave her a polite nod and a brief smile. "Would you give us a hand?" Without waiting for his reply, she shoved her bags of grocery to him. "Be a sweet and put them away, okay?"
Shikamuru muttered in protest but took the groceries anyway.
"There's more outside!" Ino announced and ran out the door. "Help us when you're done!" Oh, no!
Temari was alone again and the cat was really, really, painstakingly close.
"Meow." It purred.
"Go away." Temari hissed and made a weak attempt to shoo the cat away but it just won't budge. In her head, she'd killed the cat many times.
In her desperate moment, Temari blamed Shikamaru for taking her to his house. Honestly, she didn't know why he took her there. He only said, "I need you to help me with something." If she'd known he had a cat…
He reappeared. "Sorry no tea. I'll ask Ino to make some in a moment." He claimed his previous seat and like magic, the cat leaped onto his lap. Shikamaru scratched the cat behind its ear.
Temari said a silent prayer.
"I didn't you're a cat person." She said.
"I'm not. It's Ino's."
So why the hell that thing was here?
"He likes being here." Shikamaru said as if hearing her thought. So it is a he…
"So, what can I help you with?" She asked.
"Err…" Shikamaru suddenly looked embarrassed.
Temari wasn't stupid to connect the two and two together. "I see."
"Shikamaru!" The blonde hollered his name from outside and the said name sighed. "Troublesome woman." He cursed but Temari saw affection in his eyes. "Coming, coming…"
He stood and the cat was back on its feet.
No!
When the three – Shikamaru, his mother and Ino – walked into the house and to the kitchen, the cat was still on her instead of following his owner.
"Follow them." Temari encouraged. "There must be food for you."
The cat didn't budge. "Meow."
"Don't meow me."
"Meow."
The cat started at her again but…
"Maru!" Ino called. "Maru! Here kitty kitty!" She made some noise and the cat vanished from her sight.
Temari could have kissed her.
So…Shikamaru and Ino, huh?
P/S: I'm getting married *big smile*