Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
'Why?'
That one word filled with so many questions repeatedly echoed itself in Temari's mind countless times. For the past few hours since she regained consciousness, she had been staring unseeingly at the ceiling of her hospital room with a frustrated glare as she tried to come up with the answers to the questions buzzing in her head.
'Why did I disobey Gaara's orders?'
---
"Why can't I assist with the search," an outraged Temari demanded.
"You've just returned from an S-rank mission. Undoubtedly your chakra level is low. Kankuro and the search team have already left and it would be pointless to send you after them alone in your current condition," Gaara said calmly while standing behind his desk looking out the window.
"I can take care of myself! I'm sure with my help the search can go twice as fast," Temari argued stubbornly.
"Are you doubting my judgment as well as Kankuro's skills," Gaara asked in a challenging tone.
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what reason do you have for your insistence on taking part in this mission," Gaara asked in an even tone as he observed his sister's sudden discomfort at his simple question.
Temari merely stood rooted in one spot with clenched fists and a frustrated look unable to find a logical answer to her little brother's reasonable question. Gaara watched the war of emotions in his sister's eyes. The mix of emotions stirring in her eyes were not new to him, but for her to fail disguising these feelings so heritably only happened when it involved him.
"Is it because it's Nara," Gaara asked breaking the silence.
"Of course not," Temari exclaimed with redness rising to her cheeks until she caught herself and continued in a more controlled voice, "It might strain the relations between Suna and Konoha if the crybaby was killed near Suna by missing-nins from our village."
"Kankuro and his team will suffice. Konoha have also dispatched a team of their own," Gaara said calmly as he sat down placing his hands in front of him as he leaned forward on his desk, "Furthermore, I recall that Nara is an excellent shinobi. He has a high chance of holding his own until either party locates him."
"But---"
"Enough Temari," Gaara said in a tone that left no room for argument, "As the Kazekage I deny your request to go after the dispatched team. Go home and rest. You will have a new mission tomorrow."
Seeing her brother was not about to reconsider, Temari exited the Kazekage's office slamming the door close behind her so hard that scrolls fell from shelves and rolled off Gaara's desk.
---
'I can't believe I ignored Gaara's order. How could that crybaby cause me to act so impulsively? I never act out on emotions alone. Not even when Gaara had been captured by the Akatsuki,' Temari thought with shut eyes and a frown.
Several moments passed before the frown left her face and was replaced with an unreadable look. Returning her gaze back at the ceiling, there was a hidden glint of relief in her eyes.
'I guess it was lucky of the lazy idiot I knew his jutsu well enough or I might not have made it in time.'
---
Standing under the blazing sun of the Suna desert, Temari took a moment to rest while trying to figure out where Shikamaru would try to move a battle if he was currently in one.
'The open desert would not be a good terrain for his jutsu and it doesn't help that it's midday when shadows are at their smallest. I doubt he would have tried to head back toward a forest terrain as that would be too tiring. That leaves…the plateaus!'
Without another thought, Temari rapidly headed toward the direction of the plateaus. When the rock formation finally came within sight, she recognized some distinct slash marks against a boulder that were made by a wind based jutsu the four Suna missing-nins were known for. Suddenly the sound of an explosion shook the sands and a familiar cry of pain caused her eyes to widen. Throwing all caution to the wind, she ran toward the sounds of battle and came upon the scene of a wore out Shikamaru holding a kunai in his hand as he got backed against the plateau by three shinobis who she immediately recognized as Suna missing-nins. Taking her tensen out of its holster behind her back, she sent a whirl of chakra infused wind sending the three shinobis flying back into the sand several feet away from the surprised shadow nin.
---
'With my low chakra level I was only able to take down one of them with that first move. Not only that but I actually…'
"Tch this is why I should never act on raw emotions," Temari muttered to herself while unconsciously gripping the edges of her blanket with her hands tightly.
With a frustrated groan, she threw the blanket over herself and shut her eyes tightly. Not wanting to think about a certain lazy Leaf shinobi anymore, she quietly muttered to herself that once the certain unnamed shinobi left Suna everything would make sense again.
"How is she Ino," a bandaged Shikamaru leaning against his hospital bed asked his friend who had just entered.
"Don't worry Shikamaru. Temari woke up and her injuries will heal in time," Ino said as she took a sit next to Chouji by Shikamaru's bedside.
"That's great. Now you can rest easy knowing she's okay," Chouji said to his best friend with a wide smile, "You don't need to ask about her condition every few hours anymore."
"I did not ask about that troublesome woman that often," Shikamaru protested trying in vain to stop the blush rushing to his face.
"If only you haven't," Ino said with a scoff, "You know how many times you made me ran back and forth to check on Temari. Really Shikamaru you obviously care about her a great deal."
"Hey it's only natural for me to worry about someone who just got injured while saving my life," Shikamaru replied in his usual bored tone even though he could feel his heart beat rapidly in his chest.
"Well then what about all those other times when Temari got injured when she had gone on collaborate missions while in Konoha," Ino challenged with a knowing look, "I recall seeing you appearing in the hospital every time she was there. Not only that, but you would go visit her everyday if you had time. Everyday Shikamaru! You don't even do that for Chouji or me when we end up in the hospital. Just admit you like the girl already and ask her out."
"You're overanalyzing things Ino," Shikamaru said calmly, but refused to look at either of his teammates, "Besides even if I like her, which I don't, I doubt she would like a 'lazy crybaby' like me. Furthermore things are too complicated for any chance of a relationship to succeed. This is Suna and I'm from Konoha."
"I thought you were suppose to be a genius Shikamaru," Ino said with a shake of her head, "If Temari didn't have any sort of strong feelings for you why would she take a blow meant for you. Not only that, but it would seem she went against the Kazekage's order and went in search of you of her own free will. Tell me Shikamaru, after all this time you've known her, has she ever disobeyed orders even when she did not agree with them?"
"Come on Ino. Shikamaru's still recovering. Lets just let him rest," Chouji said gently after standing up.
Ino continued to watch the silent Shikamaru who still refused to look at either of his friends. With a defeated sigh, she stood up and followed Chouji toward the door.
"Things are hardly ever easy Shikamaru and if you're always too lazy to fight for what you want, you just might find yourself regretting it for the rest of your life," Ino said without turning to face him before exiting after Chouji.
Silence filled the room upon his two friends' departure with Shikamaru staring into the cloudless sky through the window. Usually the noiseless atmosphere would help calm and empty his mind, but the more he tried to do so, the more his mind strayed back to the Suna princess who was only a few rooms away from his own.
'Why did I have to fall for such a troublesome woman,' he thought with a tired groan as he buried half his face in one of his hand.
Turning to the small table beside his bedside, Shikamaru picked up the silver lighter and flipped it open. The soft 'click' of the lighter being turned on and off began echoing through the room. Although he now only smoke on the anniversary of Asuma's death, he still kept his late sensei's lighter with him at all times. A small smile slowly formed as he recalled why he now only smoked one day each year.
---
"Bye-bye Shika. Bye-bye 'mari." the two year old son of Asuma and Kurenai said as he waved good-bye in his mother's arms.
As the two got further from the mother and son, Shikamaru noticed an amused smile spreading on the Suna ambassador's face. At first he tried to dismiss it, but the longer she remained silent with that grin the more curious he got. When they arrived at his usual cloud watching spot, he watched Temari take a sit on the bench after placing her tensen beside with that same amused look on her face. He could tell she was aware that it was bugging him to no end being in the dark about the reason for her amused grin.
'Knowing her it's probably at my expense,' Shikamaru thought as he took a sit next to her.
Unable to stand it any longer, Shikamaru let out a defeated sigh and said, "All right woman. You've been grinning like that since we left Kurenai sensei's place. It's starting to creep me out."
"It just surprised me that's all," Temari said before turning to face him with a smirk, "Who knew a lazyass like you could actually be energetic."
"Tsk, well," Shikamaru said with a smirk of his own after fighting down his blush, "I would have never guessed you could act so motherly around a child."
When she didn't give any sort of annoyed or angered response, Shikamaru knew there must be more to her amusement. Risking a glance away from the sky, he immediately regretted it when he saw the mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
'This can't be a good sign for me,' he thought nervously.
"You know I was talking to Naruto the other day and I learned something I found quite funny," Temari said in an 'I know something you don't' tone.
"And that would be," Shikamaru said in the most disinterested tone he could muster as he racked his brain trying to figure out what that idiot Naruto had told Temari.
"Is it really true you want to be a really 'cool' shinobi in that boy's eyes," Temari said teasingly with a grin.
"Tch so what if I do," Shikamaru said while trying to hide the redness rising to his face.
At his answer, Temari broke out into an uncontrollable laughter causing Shikamaru to only blush harder. Yet as embarrassed as he felt at the moment, he couldn't help but feel a bit light hearted at his companion's unguarded laughter. Having known her for a few years now, there was still hardly anytime Temari would comfortably let out her emotions. She always had this guard around her that creates a sense of distance, but recently he felt she's been lowering that mask more and more around him…or at least he liked to think she's becoming more comfortable around him.
"Tsk troublesome woman," Shikamaru muttered when he found his thoughts straying toward a feeling he did not want to admit he might have for the shinobi next to him.
"Oh lighten up crybaby," Temari replied thinking he was upset about her laughing at his expense, "I'm actually quite impressed you would want something like that. After all, being a 'cool' shinobi requires work and kami knows you find work too 'troublesome.' This is a good thing. Now you have a reason to quit being so lazy."
Shikamaru found himself going weak kneed at the grin Temari was giving him. It was a good thing he was sitting down or he'd probably fall straight to the ground.
"Oh and one more thing," Temari said as she began leaning toward Shikamaru causing his blush to return.
He felt his face burning up as he wondered what the troublesome woman was up to. As her hand reached out toward him, he swore his heart was beating so fast he was in danger of a heart attack. Then suddenly Temari snatched something out of one of his Jounin vest pockets.
"If you want to set a good example for the kid, I would suggest you quit this nasty habit," Shikamaru heard Temari say.
Blinking his surprise away, Shikamaru realized she was holding Asuma's lighter and his pack of cigarettes. Finally coming out of his daze, he quickly attempted to protest as Temari began to stand up, "Oi you can't just---"
He immediately became silent when he saw the look Temari was giving him. Her expression reminded him of his mother's 'don't try to argue with me' look.
'Only she looks scarier than my mom.'
"Look I recall you used to hate the smell of smoke. I know this may be your way of remembering your sensei, but I highly doubt he would appreciate it if you gave his son lung cancer," Temari said as she strapped her tensen onto her back before turning back to face him, "This lighter of his should be enough to keep a part of him with you at all times."
She tossed the lighter back into his hand before walking toward the stairs. As she walked, Temari gave a raise of her hand as a wave before saying, "I'm gonna head back to the Hokage tower. There's still work to be done."
Shikamaru only watched her retreating back with a dumbstruck look. When Temari reached the door, he watched her turn to face him with a grin as she said, "Oh and if you have to smoke, do it only one day each year. Being the genius that you are you should know which day I'm talking about."
With that said she exited while waving the pack of cigarettes in the air. Her voice became more distant, but Shikamaru could still make out her chuckle as she said, "But you'll have to buy another pack cause I'm throwing this one into the trash."
---
"Troublesome woman," Shikamaru said with a grin as he shut out the lighter. He found it funny how he did as she said after that day when he had ignored the numerous attempts of his other friends and family at trying to make him quit smoking. Somehow she always did seem to understand how his mind worked better than anyone else.
She went against the Kazekage's order and went in search of you of her own free will.
Ino's words rang loudly in Shikamaru's mind as his grin vanished.
"I already knew that," he said softly.
---
The clanking sound of Kankuro's deadly puppets rang loudly as the puppet master made quick work of the remaining two enemy nins. The agonizing screams of the two dying shinobis were lost to Shikamaru as he was only focusing on the unconscious woman in his arms. With the piece of cloth the puppeteer had tossed to him before facing the two missing-nins, Shikamaru attempted to halt the bleeding of Temari's chest wound caused by an enemy's jutsu that had been meant for him.
"You better not die on me you troublesome woman," Shikamaru muttered as he watched her shallow breaths with worried filled eyes.
"Nara," Shikamaru suddenly heard Kankuro call.
Looking up, he saw the Suna puppeteer hand a semi-large scroll that had his precious puppet sealed in it to another Suna Jounin. Kankuro then reached for a smaller scroll at his side and made a few hand signs. Immediately a standard medical kit appeared in his hands. After taking out some gauzes and bandages hurriedly, Kankuro kneeled by his sister's side and began wrapping up her wound.
"At least the bleeding slowed," Shikamaru heard the worried brother muttered, but then Kankuro's next words were what caught him by surprise, "Always so stubborn. I highly doubt Gaara sent you after us when you were just on an S-rank mission. And you accuse me of being rash…"
The rest of Kankuro's mutterings were lost to Shikamaru as his mind was still warping itself around the idea of Temari likely disobeying the Kazekage's order to come save him. His mind felt numb and dumbstruck as he was unable to comprehend why Temari would do something so rash, so idiotic, so…unTemari-like.
He was suddenly shook out of his thoughts by an annoyed sounding Kankuro, "Oi Nara! This is not a time to be spacing out on me!"
"Sorry. Must be from the exhaustion and injuries," Shikamaru replied in an unsure tone.
Kankuro gave him a worried look for a moment before saying, "Look I know you're wore out, but my sister's wounds are much greater than your's at the moment. I'm gonna carry her back to Suna on my own. You can head back with the rest of my team at your own pace."
Shikamaru nodded his understanding and carefully handed Temari over to Kankuro. Once Kankuro made sure his sister was not going to fall, he instructed the others to escort the Leaf nin back to Suna at his pace. Then with a nod to Shikamaru, Kankuro quickly headed toward Suna with the unconscious Temari. The image of the two was quickly lost in the windy Suna desert.
---
'Why did she push me out of the way,' Shikamaru wondered for the hundredth time as he clutched the lighter tightly in his hand.
A bittersweet smile formed as he could almost hear Ino's answers to the questions forming in his head.
Temari did all those things for you because she has feelings for you you idiot!
"Why would I care if she does or not?"
Because you have feelings for her too genius and don't go trying to argue with me Shikamaru. I've known you too long to fall for any of your denials!
With a tired sigh, Shikamaru rubbed his temples wondering why he actually felt his friend's words were right.
"Why me," he muttered to himself.
This time it was the words of his father that came to mind. Words he had spoken to Shikamaru the night Temari had came over for dinner on the invitation of his mother who wanted to meet the Suna ambassador that he's always working with.
You know son, the woman you love will always be troublesome, but that doesn't mean you would love her any less.
'Tsk damn it. Why does the old man always have to be right,' Shikamaru groaned inwardly.
Placing the lighter back on the table stand, Shikamaru laid down with his hands behind his head. As he stared at the ceiling with his usual bored expression he knew the talk he needed to have with Temari before he left Suna was going to be an extremely troublesome one.
Temari walked toward Gaara's office with an annoyed scowl and a small stack of paperwork. She had been stuck with secretary work as a punishment for ignoring her little brother's order. While Gaara had covered for her insubordinance by telling the council he had sent her as back-up, he had temporarily switched her to office work by saying she needed time to recover from her injuries. Although she appreciated what her brother did as well as both brothers' concern, it didn't mean Temari had accepted these terms without compliant. After a quick knock on the door, she entered without waiting for a reply knowing Gaara did not have any visitor today.
"That's the last of it Gaara," Temari said as she placed the stack onto his desk, "I'm glad I'm back to my regular duties tomorrow. I have to deal with enough paperwork when I'm in Konoha."
"Perhaps next time you will listen to my orders instead of getting yourself badly injured sister," Gaara said without looking up from his own work.
Temari merely crossed her arms and scoffed not wanting to think about her illogical actions just a few days ago.
"Ah there is one more thing sister," Gaara said this time halting his work to look at Temari, "Shikamaru had inquired about your injuries."
Temari merely raised an eyebrow at this new piece of information as if asking Gaara how this is important.
"Apparently," Gaara continued with a curious gleam in his eye," he was under the impression you were still recovering at home and have not returned to your duties."
Silence fell as Gaara watched his sister looked anywhere but at him. Temari's obvious discomfort only increased his curiosity about his sister's uncharacteristic behavior when it came to the lazy shadow nin of the Leaf. These strange behaviors have been occurring more often recently and it confused Gaara. He had asked Kankuro if he knew why their sister was acting this way.
You probably won't believe me Gaara cause I find it pretty unbelievable myself, but it would seem our tomboy of a sister fell in love and with that lazy shadow boy of all people.
In the beginning, Gaara had been doubtful if his brother knew what he was talking about. After all, Temari didn't especially talk about Shikamaru and even when she mentioned him; it was usually to complain about his laziness. Yet Gaara decided to keep a more open ear about his sister's trips to Konoha just in case Kankuro had been right since he himself was never one to completely grasp the concept of love and relationships due to his past. That was when he noticed the smaller things he had missed. Such as the way Temari had a slightly brighter gleam in her eyes every time she was due for a trip to Konoha, the way she would spend just a little more time and effort into picking out Shikamaru's birthday present compared to the others' she was close to in Konoha or the way her smile became slightly wider when she opens the Nara boy's gift on her birthday. Finally there was the recent event. The more Gaara thought about it, the more Kankuro's claim seemed more plausible.
"Why have you been avoiding him sister," Gaara asked breaking the silence.
"I am not avoiding anybody," Temari replied crossing her arms.
"Temari we both know that unless you were avoiding him, Nara would have seen you working on paperwork at least once after all the times he came here to discuss matter with me," Gaara said with narrowed eyes, "Now I'll ask you again. Why have you been avoiding him?…Is it because you have…feelings for him?"
"I---I---I am not obligated to answer that Gaara," Temari said stubbornly as she challenged him with her glare to tell her otherwise.
The room became silent once more as the two siblings glared at the other. Gaara being fueled by the desire to receive a direct answer from his sister about her thoughts of Shikamaru Nara while Temari was fueled by the desire to avoid looking into the foreign emotions that arose from just thinking about the lazy crybaby. Neither was about to back down. It seemed the stare down between the two siblings would have continued for hours when a knock on the door ended it.
"Come in," Gaara said in his usual tone reverting back to his stonic expression.
"I've finished the report," Shikamaru said as he stepped into the office eyes becoming slightly surprised to find Temari there, "I see you're no longer in bandages."
Having expected some sort of witty comment, Shikamaru was surprised when Temari just nodded at him before turning back to Gaara and said, "I'll leave you back to your work."
Without another word, Temari quickly walked out as if being chased by enemy nins. Not wanting to have to search her out again, Shikamaru immediately placed his report on Gaara's desk and excused himself before walking out as normally as he could muster not wanting to bring any unwanted attention to him.
"Gee where that troublesome woman go," Shikamaru muttered after stepping out of the Kazekage building.
Searching the small crowds of people, he thought he spotted Temari's distinctive four pigtails, but as he began to head in that direction he soon lost sight of her. Cursing his luck, he decided to head to the Suna training grounds where he felt she was sure to be.
Temari frowned disapprovingly at the badly beaten wooden training post. With a frustrated yell and a single swing of her tensen, the barely standing post was snapped in two. Slamming the hilt of her tensen onto the ground, she continued to glare at the broken post as if blaming it for her current frustrations.
After she had left Gaara's office, Temari had rushed to the training ground itching to let out some steam, but as she was about to unstrap her tensen, she had sensed a familiar chakra quickly approaching. Not wanting to be seen by the source of her inner turmoil, she had immediately hid and masked her own chakra. She did not have to wait long before Shikamaru arrived. He had looked around searchingly with a confused expression. Several more moments passed before the confusion turned into annoyance. When she saw the knowing gleam in his eyes, she was afraid he had noticed her presence, but to her relief he only turned and left. As soon as he had been out of sight, she came out of hiding and had been training ever since, yet no matter how much she tried to concentrate solely on her training, her mind kept wandering back to him.
'Why can't I get him out of my head,' Temari asked herself as she angrily slammed her tensen onto the brokened off piece of wooden post smashing it into splinters.
Is it because you have feelings for him?
"Psh, that is completely preposterous," she exclaimed at the thought of Gaara's question, but was unable to stop the tell-tale blush that rose to her face, "He's nothing but a lazy, annoying crybaby slacker. There is no way I…I mean just cause I rushed to help him a few times…it doesn't mean…"
Her grip on her tensen tightened as she knew her thoughts were going nowhere fast. All this accomplished was to increase her heart rate along with the heat raising to her face thinking about the Konoha shadow nin. Her thoughts even began to betray her as she found herself thinking of the slacker's good qualities.
'I guess he's pretty brave and trustworthy willing to risk his own life for any of his comrades. And then he's also a great strategist and a pretty decent fighter. I suppose he's pretty cute and good loo---,' Temari realized her train of thoughts and immediately halted them.
The blush on her face brightened so much that if others were around they probably think she gotten a heat stroke form training under the blazing Suna sun for so long.
"Argh what is wrong with me," Temari exclaimed as she covered her eyes with one hand.
"That question you'll have to answer on your own," she suddenly heard a much too familiar voice said in that lazy drawled out tone of his.
Turning slowly, Temari saw Shikamaru standing only a few feet away from her in his usual laid back stance, but it was the look in his eyes that caught her attention. His gaze held a strong resolve with only the tiniest hint of fear.
"You've been avoiding me," Shikamaru stated in an unquestioning tone.
"I don't know what you're talking about crybaby," Temari denied meeting his serious gaze with her defiant one.
"Then why did you hide when I came here earlier today," Shikamaru said with a knowing smirk.
"Why would I hide from you," Temari said no longer looking at him.
"That's something I would like to know to," Shikamaru replied sincerely with a hurt gaze catching Temari off guard.
"Look crybaby I'm not obligated to greet you everyday so it wouldn't be surprising if we don't bump into each other," Temari said with a forced scoff as she strapped her tensen back on, "Unless this is something important or urgent, I'm gonna head home."
When Shikamaru continued to stand in her way, she was about to threaten him only to be stopped by the seriousness in his eyes.
"This is important you troublesome woman," Shikamaru said in an authorative tone leaving Temari speechless, "I need to know something and only you can give me the answer. For the past few days this question has been driving me insane and if I was honest with myself, this question has been on my mind for a long time now."
Shikamaru looked searchingly in Temari's eyes to convey his seriousness. He found himself hesitating, but the desire to let it out and get his answer was currently stronger than his fear of rejection. Seeing that she was paying him with her full attention, Shikamaru took a calming breath before asking the question that had been plaguing his minds for months.
"Do you have feelings for me?"
Silence feel as he watched her eyes go wide at his words. Her eyes held many emotions: disbelief, fear and…hope? While Shikamaru stood feeling like his heart would burst at any moment, Temari felt herself go rigid wondering if this was some kind of sick joke the lazy nin was playing on her to increase her already growing confusion. The desire to protect herself from hurt took over as a frown formed on her face.
"What are you getting at Nara," Temari said with narrowed eyes even though a hint of pink rose to her cheeks, "What makes you thi---"
"Because I know I have feelings for you Temari," Shikamaru interrupted after recognizing the denial and unsureness in her voice.
Having said the one thing Temari had least expected to hear from him, Temari could only look at him in disbelieve. All the emotions she had desperately tried to deny and lock away hit her at full force. For the first time since her mother died, she found herself at a complete lost. These foreign emotions scared her greatly and out of habit, she coped in the only way she's been doing for years by turning angry.
"Is this a joke Nara? Do you take me for a fool," Temari asked with anger in her tone yet also a hint of fear in her eyes as she took several steps back away from the shadow nin, "All you've ever done is complain about how troublesome I am! What makes you think I would believe you?"
"I don't know," Shikamaru answered truthfully not surprised by her response after all those time he had spent with her, "But I do know you're always on my mind even when I'm in Konoha and you're back here in Suna. I find myself wondering about how you are or how you would've responded to a comment one of the others made."
Seeing the anger slowly dissolving from her eyes, Shikamaru took small steps toward Temari as he continued, "I find myself missing your witty comments wanting you to be sitting next to me as I watched the clouds. I would miss your scoldings, your glare, your smirk and sometimes I would even wish to be smacked on the head by your tensen just to have you there. I don't know when and I don't know how, but somewhere along the way…I fell for you."
Temari lost all her anger at Shikamaru's confession. She felt her hands tremble slightly as they hung limply by her side. Her mind felt blank as she found a growing joy slowly surface. Before she realized it, she found herself face to face with Shikamaru.
"If those aren't good enough to convince you, then the only other thing I can tell you is that the thing I desire the most at this very moment is to see you smile for me," Shikamaru said softly as he placed a hand on her cheek, "Please Temari, tell me honestly. Do you have feelings for me?"
Slowly, a grin formed on her face as Temari looked straight into Shikamaru's eyes.
"If I didn't, you would be beaten to a bloody pulp already for touching me without my consent," Temari replied with her usual cockiness, but also a softness in her eyes.
"Hee troublesome woman," Shikamaru said with a light chuckle and happiness in his eyes.
Closing the remaining distance between them, Shikamaru held Temari's waist in one hand and her head with his other as their two lips met in a gentle kiss. When the two finally parted, they were smiling that special smile only reserved for the other.
Taking her hand into his own, Shikamaru smiled as he said, "Come on you troublesome woman. I'll walk you home."
A/N: Yay my second shikatema one-shot and a much longer one than the first =) I can't believe I actually got out a fic where the two ended up together for real! Now I have to get myself back in gear to finish my other shikatema fic.