"Temari," It was a nice evening in Konoha. The couple was sitting in the grass near the river, watching the sky change from cool to warm. The woman turned her face to the man, a content smile lying there. His heart was beating faster and faster by the second and Shikamaru didn't know if he would survive the night if he couldn't get it under control. "I love you," The words flew out of his mouth like he had practiced it a million times, which he hadn't. As smooth as they came out, they hit Temari like a train. Her face dropped immediately.

Love was such a powerful word. A powerful emotion. One of which Temari never really thought she would feel, at least in a romantic way. She loved her brothers, that she knew. But Shikamaru made her feel a different way.

She had heard of "romantic love" before. However, she never thought she would experience it herself. And if this was what it was like, Temari wasn't sure she wanted to feel it. She was terrified, her heart was pounding. She felt as if she was going to throw up.

Temari quickly stood up before she knew what she was doing. "I have to go," she then ran off, leaving a confused and hurt Shikamaru behind.

Three days had had passed and Shikamaru hadn't seen, let alone heard from Temari. He knew she was still in the village, but she had managed to hide herself very well. He sighed, sitting on the ground and looking up at the sky.

Shikamaru couldn't help but think he had messed up. Was it too early? Does she feel the same way? Of course she does...right? All he could think about is if Temari loved him back. She seemed like it by the way she acted with him, but her not saying it back really hurt him.

He started to question their whole relationship. Did she ever even like him in the first place? There were always people who said she deserved way better, which he himself agreed with. However, none of that bothered her. She was always reassuring him that she was there for him and no other reason.

Now? All he could think about was how this whole relationship was a lie and a waste of time... Or was it? Shikamaru loved Temari, that was a fact. He knew that even if this relationship wasn't meant to last, it also wasn't a waste of time. He had enjoyed every second of it and wouldn't trade any of it for the world.

So why now? Why was he second guessing every moment they had spent as a couple over the last year? Were her words, or lack of, really going to be the thing that causes their relationship to crumble? Surely not.

Temari felt terrible. After the initial shock of the situation was over, she had caught up with herself and figured out that she had completely over reacted and owed Shikamaru an apology. However, she was still terrified. But for a different reason. This time, she didn't want to see him hurt again. How awful that made her feel was something she never wished to feel again.

She knew her boyfriend was a big crybaby, so she figured he was probably really hurt by her actions. Considering she had been avoiding him the past three days, Temari decided to suck it up and apologize. She set out, leaving her hotel and moving towards the Hokage's office.

Once she made it, Temari made her way to the roof where he normally spent his break times. Just as she suspected, he was lying there with his eyes closed and a cigarette between his teeth. She noticed his eyebrow raise when she moved towards him, but his eyes remained shut. She sat next to him, not really sure how to break the silence.

"It's okay," Shikamaru spoke, which shocked Temari. "I know it's probably hard for you to say it back, but I know you love me too. You don't have to tell me with your words,"

"But how did you-"

"Actions speak louder than words. And you do so much for me," He was now sitting up and looking into her eyes. They looked pained. "You're always traveling back and fourth between out villages, and I know it's not because you need to complete a simple mission that any genin could do. Not to mention how you helped not just me, but my mom as well after the war. Neither of us were in a good place, but you were patient. And those are just a few of the reasons I love you, and I know that you love me too. If you aren't ready to say it, I don't want you too,"

Temari simply smiled at him and then hugged him. "I love you too, Shikamaru,"

Uh, hi! This story was for the "Show Me the Love Challenge" which was started by fanofthisfiction (who you should really check out). I hope you all enjoyed! Please let me know how it was and if there are any mistakes I need to fix. Thanks for reading!