Hi guys! Long time no see! I've been away for almost eight months! Sorry to those who have been waiting for an update on my multichapter. I very much appreciate those who encouraged me to continue via reviews and inbox. But no worries, I am working on the next chapter!

This story is for my entry to Fanofthisfiction's 'Show Me the Love' challenge. Thank you for inviting me as it did help me get back into writing. I'm hoping it's not a bad product since I haven't been writing for that long. Plus I only created this in a total of eight hours.

This challenge is to promote the Fanfiction Review Movement. I do encourage everyone, not just authors but also readers, to read about it in Fanofthisfiction's profile and join in the movement as it is something that can help writers improve and provide us with more high quality writing.

I was actually contemplating three plot ideas. This particular plot was suggested to me by my boyfriend. So you could say that this is a challenge within a challenge? Hahaha.

Setting of this story: This is before Shikamaru and Temari are in an actual relationship but the mutual feelings are definitely there. So imagine them as not yet fully adult but not so young either.

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"Hey stranger. Mind if I join you?" Temari drawled as she strode up to the male figure sprawled on the ground of the rooftop.

His pony tail swivelled lazily in the air as he turned his head to look at who was coming. Shikamaru cocked an indolent half smile as he replied, "Why not?"

Temari plopped into the space next to him and examined the opened box of donuts in front of him. Her face scrunched up as she posed the question with noticeable confusion in her voice, "Why do you have donuts? I thought you're not fond of sweets."

His shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "Mom thought I'd need the sugar to get through the three-day journey to Suna."

"So did you even eat one?" Temari asked in curiosity.

"Nope. Saved them for you," he said with a tiny grin.

"Am I supposed to be flattered?" she replied with a raised brow yet a smile threatened to break loose.

"Definitely. Try one." His eyes bore into hers as he said so. The hint of eagerness in his expression made it difficult to hold back that smile.

"Not sure I should. Are you sure your mom made them?" Temari tilted her head in question.

"What, you think I would make the effort?" His face looked affronted.

They paused as they stared at each other at that. A second later, they burst out laughing at the absurdity of the question.

When they wound down, Shikamaru stared expectedly at Temari. And it made her wonder with all the constant staring.

Temari decided to play a little with him. She did miss teasing the lazy ninja.

"No, I don't think I want to," she said nonchalantly as she folded her arms across her chest in a stance of refusal.

He frowned, taken aback. "Why not?"

"Those will make me fat. As ninjas we can't afford to be sluggish and heavy," she managed to answer in a matter of fact manner.

"Oh come on, it's just this once." A hint of irritation laced into his voice. "And I brought them for you."

"You said your mother packed them for you," she retorted.

He snorted, avoiding her eyes. "Same difference."

That was odd that he shifted his eyes away. A thought came to her and she had to hide her dopey grin. How many times had she attempted to do so in the past five minutes? "Shikamaru, did you buy these specifically for me?"

His denial was swift. "Of course not. Why would I?"

She bit her lip from snickering. "So that I won't realize how sweet you can be?"

"Don't be troublesome, woman. Just taste them."

"I won't 'til you tell me the truth."

His eyes narrowed. And that was her only warning.

She froze in her spot as shadows slithered about and took control of her limbs. And though she was aware of his irritation, she did not think he would try such a thing.

"I'll let you go if you take a bite," he proposed as he took a donut and she mimicked his movements. Then he held it up to her lips. There was an assertive shade to his tone and form and most specially in his obsidian eyes as he drew close and she felt the soft texture of the donut punctuated with sugar crystals graze her bottom lip.

It was a rare moment when Shikamaru showed this side of his. And she found herself getting a bit warm from the attention. "Fine," she relented a bit breathlessly.

Triumph was evident in his grin as he pushed the donut into her mouth.

Her mouth opened and she bit with enthusiasm, a mischievous glint in her eye.

One second later, she stumbled backwards and Shikamaru hissed in pain as his bonds fell away.

She whipped her head back to see Shikamaru clutching the tip of his index finger. The skin of which was peeled away and revealed bright droplets of blood.

She covered her mouth, horrified. "Oh kami, Shikamaru! Are you okay?"

His face was a bit pale which alarmed her more. "Did you really have to take off my finger, woman?"

"No, it's not like that!"

He raised his brow and yet the pain was still clear on his face.

"I mean I did mean to bite but not with that result! I thought maybe it would just leave some temporary teeth marks but I guess I don't know my own strength." What started out as some vehement protest ended in embarrassed mumbling on her part.

"Was accepting donuts from me that hard to do?" Shikamaru teased as he sat down, still gripping his wounded finger.

She followed suit, her back a bit slumped. "I only wanted you to admit it like you just did now," she mumbled but then she remembered something which made her sit up. "And anyway! Who told you to use your shadows on me!" Her voice rose as she bristled while recalling that little humiliating incident.

"You were being stubborn about accepting my gift. What to do." He shrugged, unaffected by her temper.

"Still." She frowned as she could not think of how to counter that particular logic as it was the truth.

"And you bloodied my finger in the process," he repeated lightly.

The guilt came flooding back into her. She blurted out, "I'm sorry alright! I didn't mean to!" The guilt was not something that she was used to thus the apology came to her easily. Her attacks in battle were always calculated and this was surely an aberration.

She could blame the smolder in his eyes when he came close. But she would not admit to that. No way. Surely her self-control was greater than the effect of a mild sensual look.

"Sorry is not gonna cut it. I have a feeling my finger will be numb for a while," he contemplated, staring closely at his finger.

She gritted her teeth. An apology was not enough? When she had to lower her pride to admit she was in the wrong? This officially sucked. "What do you want me to do? I'll eat the donuts."

"We are past the donuts. And I won't make it easy for you. Surely you can come up with something creative." He smirked at that.

Creative? "Aren't you being too vindictive? It was an accident!" she desperately called out. She did not want to sound desperate but she had a feeling that he was going to exact some sort of punishment that she would find humiliating.

"Perhaps but here we still are with my bloody finger. And if you don't plan on doing anything to make it up to me, fine. Take the donuts and go," he deadpanned. Then he proceeded to lay down with his back to her.

That deflated her somehow. He was being uncharacteristically childish. Or did she really owe him? Was this the consequence of pretending to refuse the damned donuts? Did he imply that she lacked creativity? Was she overthinking?

And yet she could not refuse that challenge. Her pride would not let her.

Just as perhaps her heart won't let her leave him like that. She let out a soft sigh. Being a slave to your emotions was not a ninja-like quality at all.

She walked away from him, making sure her footsteps were sound.

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He sighed as he heard her footsteps fade away. He knew he was being whiny but can't a guy allow himself to be after being rejected? Even for a short time?

He bit his lip as he contemplated running after her.

Sitting up, his mind set as he jumped to his feet.

As he turned around, he stopped short in shock. He had not felt her presence. Or perhaps he was too focused on his train of thoughts to notice.

He felt a trickle of something liquid slide down from his nose. As he swiped with the back of his hand, he saw blood once more. He felt burning heat consume his face.

For a while he could not gain control over his tongue. He sputtered gracelessly. His knees felt watery.

And he had the greatest urge to come closer for thorough inspection.

The sight of a woman's bare chest can do that to a guy.

"Is this creative enough for you?" she said in husky voice that nearly brought him down to the ground.

But it was enough to put some senses back into him. He quickly turned his back on her with a completely crimson face. "Temari! What do you think you're doing?!"

"Why? Don't you like it?"

"Ye—" He shook his head. "That's not the point! Pull your shirt down!" Yet the image still burned brightly in his head. And the voices in his head argued back and forth between savoring and thrashing the image.

That he did not notice her coming closer. Until she wrapped her arms around him and pressed the aforementioned chest into his back.

He nearly groaned aloud.

"Do you forgive me?" she murmured into his right ear, not without a wicked glimmer in her eye.

He could feel another trickle coming down. Hastily he broke out of her embrace and relented, "Fine fine! I won't blame you about my finger anymore."

"Really?"

"Really."

She smiled. "Turn around."

"No, not unless you're dressed."

"I am."

He turned and had to hide his disappointment that she was indeed clothed once more.

She smirked. "Come on lazy ass, I'm taking you to the infirmary to get that cleaned up and bandaged."

"Oh."

"Oh?"

"Nothing."

"Did you want another peek perhaps?"

"No!"

She guffawed which made his face flush. While still in the midst of laughter, she managed to spit out, "Bring more donuts next time?"

"Maybe, you troublesome woman."

She grinned as she grabbed his hand and pulled him away.

And he thought, Just another typical day with her.

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A/N: Thank you for reading all the way to the end! Please remember to check out the Fanfiction Review Movement on fanofthisfiction's profile! :D

Fun fact: I bit my boyfriend's finger by accident when he was feeding me a green tea almond cronut. I was too excited. But that's all the similarity with real life this story has. He was a bit tramautized. The wound turned into a scab and didn't go away til a week later! Hahaha.