Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Summary: Shikamaru is out for an afternoon and gets an idea.

Sweetest Melody

Shikamaru's POV

Bunny. Chicken. Cow. Shruiken. Chouji? Shikamaru sat up from his spot on the grass. 'The clouds are determined to mess up my mind today.' He thought. Shika looked around him from his favorite hill in Konoha. The air was sweet with some kind of sugar. Then the breeze really hit him. Pineapples? Someone was probably making a pie. Sand? From the playground about a half-mile away. And with that sudden realization, he sat down again. The idea was great, but would she like it? Why does she make me think about trivial things so much? Troublesome woman. And with that, he still took out a pad of paper and a pencil that he usually used for sketching or writing down strategies.

Temari's POV

Where could he be? What could possibly drive him so insane he asked for a complete day off of guide duties? It couldn't be her. He didn't hate her. She could tell that much. Sometimes he was even playful. They might not be best friends, but he didn't absolutely despise her. He never shooed her away when they were together. The worst thing he had ever said to her was that she was 'troublesome.' And he says that so often it could be used as an affectionate term if you looked at it right. It was at that moment that all her thoughts crossed out of her mind and a new one took shape. 'He's cute when he's asleep.'

He looked peaceful, somewhat. He looked troubled, but not in a deep, heartwrenching way. Like he couldn't figure out what to buy his mother for her birthday. Yes, that was it. She sat down a few feet behind him. She began to stir the around his face, his nose. He bat at it and turned over. She continued, but he did not stir. Then she stopped for a moment and stood up. She crossed to his side and dropped on to her stomach. Her face was about a foot away from his, and she sat in a very girl like pose that did not seem like her usual ones. She lifted one foot up and twirled it around in the air. Had Shikamaru had his eyes open, he probably would have imagined her twirling her hair, too.

But at this moment he still did not open his eyes. Temari stirred the air around his face once more, then stopped. And then she waited.

"Nara, it isn't nice to pretend to be asleep when you have company."

"It isn't nice to wake a man from his sleep when he has no work to do." He said, eyes not opening, body not moving.

"I know that."

"Then why do you not abide by that?"

"Because there's no man around here." And with that, Temari regretted it. She felt guilty. "Sorry Nara. I didn't mean that." She muttered, her face facing the ground. This meant that she didn't notice that Shikamaru had sat up in his spot. He faced Konoha with a very solemn face. She looked him over. 'When did he get those?' She thought. She had seen developing muscles the last time she had come here about three months back, but now they were huge. And she admitted it. To herself, at least.

"Yes you did." He said. He sat facing away from her now. He was gathering things in his backpack. Had the sun been that low when I got here?

"Wait, Nara, I really didn't mean th-" And with that he turned around and looked at her. His sleep face had not given all of it away. He looked deeply troubled, but there was nothing of the kind to make him feel troubled. Or was there? Something she hadn't known about?

And with that, he was gone. He had left while she was pleading to him. She had screwed up. But what had him so upset that one of her harmless comments had broken him so? It was then she noticed a piece of paper that was slightly rumpled, probably because it was in the same spot where Nara had been laying. She shouldn't, but she picked up the paper and read it. She should have just returned it, but something felt that she had to read it. Like it was calling to her.

The letter was addressed:

To Temari, the troublesome woman...That I, Nara Shikamaru, have come to love.

Sweetest Melody,
One with bells that ring,
I know why the dove sings.

Sweetest Lover,
Shall we run into the sunset?
Forever are we young.

Sweetest Breeze,
Carrying me to and fro,
Bringing me high and low.

Sweetest Bird,
Sing forever on the wind,
For ye are not caged.

Sweetest Self,
Live forever shall your soul,
The sweetest of them all.

And a note was attached.

Dear Woman,

I know I'm not a poet. And the poem probably should have been about your troublesomeness, your pineapple hairdo, something about sand, or about our 'adventures' together. But instead, I chose to show you how I think. It's difficult to put into words. But there is one thing I can put into words for you.

I love you.

-Nara

Tears dripped from Temari's eyes. What the hell was he thinking, storming off? Then leaving this poem for me to find? It was full of emotion, he never did that. And then the note with our 'sweet' nicknames. The gall of him!

But she still ran. And ran. It was dark now, a few stars dotting the landscape. And then she found the figure in the darkness. He was in a field, just sitting there. It was lucky she had been looking that direction, because otherwise she never would have noticed the simple dot on the field's lushness. He was lying down, staring at the sky. Typical Nara.

She crossed the field, eyes still puffy from the cry, heavily panting from the run.

"Nara."

"Woman."

And her anger disappeared. She sat down next to him. Then she fell flat on her back, exhausted. After a few minutes of silence and regaining her breath, she spoke.

"Got your letter."

"Did you now?"

"Yes." She wasn't going to play his game. He was going to break first.

"And?" he said, sitting up.

"And you forgot this." She said and sat up. He looked at her puzzled for a moment, noticing her lack of luggage. Then realization hit him.

"Oh no you don't woman, I don't care how emotional you are, you will NO-" and then she tackled him. She kissed him lightly on the lips. When he didn't pull back (or throw her off of him, because she was laying on top of him) that she sat back up and let him up as well. They sat there for a moment, and she just grinned at him. He gave her a death glare. 'You can do that all you want, Nara, but you liked it.' she thought. Then humor crossed his eyes.

"You really are stupid, woman."

"And why is that, Nara?" she asked, grin still stapled to her face.

"Because you thought that I wanted you to stop." he said, and a small uplift of his mouth could be made out in the darkness.

So she kissed him again. He held her this time. And when they stopped, they laid down together in the field and fell asleep under the stars.

"Nara?" She said, both of them on the edge of consciousness.

"Hmm?" He said, holding her a bit closer.

And then she muttered something so quietly that only he could hear. And while it was quite incomprehensible, and terribly sleep-sodden, he could tell she meant it.

"I love you too, Nara."

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END!!!!!!!!