A/N: For JuliaJuliaJulia, sorry this took so long but I hope it's something along the lines of what you imagined. Thank you for the prompt and for being so supportive and amazing, even though I'm really bad at replying to messages. This is for you *hugs*
It never occurred to me to try a detective AU, even though B99 is one of my favourite shows (any fellow Peraltiago shippers out there?). I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (or Brooklyn Nine-Nine, for that matter).
"Detective," a sharp, canine grin greets him. "Tell me all about your wild weekend."
"Go to hell, Inuzuka," he grumbles in reply. "That was a stupid, unfair bet and I just wasted my only two days of relaxation on paperwork."
"Life's not fair, my dear Nara," Kiba reminds him with a smile, making himself comfortable on the edge of his colleague's desk. "Oh, come on, man. Cheer up. We've got someone new joining the squad today, remember?"
"What? Since when?"
"You've gotta start paying attention during morning briefings, Shikamaru," Kiba rolls his eyes. "Captain told us about this mystery fellow last week. In fact, he'll be showing up any minute now..."
"Great. With my luck, I'll probably be saddled with showing him around. I've got admin to catch up on as it is."
"If anything, I'll end up pitying him, Nara, not you. Good luck to the poor guy that has to put up with Negative Nancy over here."
He shoves him off his desk.
"Attention, squad."
He barely looks up from his desk, but when he does, he's hit by a sight he did not expect to see. He looks over to Kiba, who merely shrugs at him and makes a face of complete bewilderment and surprise.
"As I mentioned last week, a new member will be joining our precinct as of today. Detective, would you like to introduce yourself?"
"I'm Detective Temari Sabaku. I look forward to working with you all."
He hasn't really heard her at all, because yes, he's still assimilating the fact that she is, indeed, a woman. Not a man, as he had been led to believe by some less-than-reliable sources, but the blonde-haired, teal-eyed result of XX-chromosomes and society's projections. Well, not quite, as this revelation has proven.
"I have no doubt you'll all make Detective Sabaku feel welcome here in the precinct. Detective Nara, if you could give her a brief tour. Dismissed."
His sleepy eyes pop open a little, but he remembers that his prediction was correct. Reluctantly, he rises from his chair, shooting a dark look at Kiba as he walks past his desk.
"You said the new member was a guy!" he hisses under his breath.
"I assumed it would be a guy," Kiba corrected him. "How often do you get a female detective? Once in a blue moon, my friend. Make the most of it!"
Shaking his head, Shikamaru walks up to her and holds out a hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Detective Sabaku."
Her hand grips his with - supposedly - uncharacteristic strength and assurance. It feels almost intimidating. "And you, Detective Nara."
"This is the copy room," he points lamely to a door on the right. "That's the interrogation room over there, and those are the toilets at the back. The evidence locker's downstairs." He turns to her and nods in the direction they came. "That's about it. Shall we?"
"Really?" she muses, folding her arms across her chest in scepticism. "You're not even gonna take me inside any of the rooms? Just walk a few feet with me and point at some signs? What a poor excuse for a tour."
He's somewhat taken aback by her bluntness. Sure, she didn't bother with any niceties upon arrival in the precinct, and her handshake had told him she meant business, but considering they'd known each other for the best part of twelve minutes, he didn't expect her to be so...forward.
"Sorry. Most people I show around here don't really care. It's just a police precinct, after all."
"It's hard to care when you've got a guide as unenthusiastic as you," she mutters. "Either way, I'm working here for the rest of the foreseeable future. I'd like to get some kind of a map in my head of this place, so I'm not stumbling around like a baby deer for the first few weeks."
He sighs. No one's pressed him this much about a stupid tour before. He figures he might as well let her have her way. "If you insist."
"Happy?" he asks, after half an hour has passed and she's probably made a filing cabinet's worth of mental notes about the place.
"As happy as anyone can be looking at your gloomy face," she laughs. Laughs.
She can laugh? He didn't see that coming.
Today was full of surprises.
"My face is gloomy?"
"Like a winter's day in Washington."
"Interesting simile."
"I would've been a writer, had I not become a detective."
"I believe you."
She offers one last surprise as she flashes him a smile, a grin so cocky and genuine, he would never have expected it to come from the serious and steely colleague he'd been introduced to this morning.
"Well, thanks for the tour, Nara." She walks past him towards her desk.
"Already dropping the title?"
"Your initial idea of a tour was pointing at a few rooms. I thought mutual respect had long gone out of the window."
"Touché." He sits down at his own desk, but his eyes stay on her for a few more moments. She's paying him no attention, having already started on some paperwork.
"So, how'd it go?"
How did he know this interrogation was coming?
"Fine. I showed her around, and that was that."
"Bullshit," Kiba interjects, taking a hefty bite out of his sandwich. He sees Shikamaru's unchanging expression and adds, "Seriously? Nothing?"
"She's been here for the best part of one morning! The hell were you expecting?"
"I don't know, something juicier," Kiba shrugs. "Then again, it is you, Nara."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Hey, Temari!" he suddenly calls out. Shikamaru looks over his shoulder and realises what he's in for.
"Oi, Kiba, don't!"
"It's her first day, Captain said to make her feel welcome, didn't he?" Kiba reminds him. He returns his attention to the blonde who's now walking towards them. "Have lunch with us."
"Since when were you two on a first name basis?" Shikamaru hisses under his breath.
"Sometimes you've gotta be bold, my dear Shikamaru," Kiba grins. "Here." He stands up and pulls out the seat across from him and Shikamaru. "Sit."
"Uh, sure, but I've gotta get my lunch first," she replies, a hint of amusement in her voice. She turns and heads for her desk to pick up her handbag, then disappears from the precinct.
"Smooth, Inuzuka," Shikamaru comments, slurping his ramen.
A disgruntled Kiba knocks him on the back so that he nearly chokes on his mouthful.
"Where were you based before, then?"
"Oh, just here and there," she says casually. "I moved around a lot, worked a few international cases. Feels good to have some sort of stability again."
"So you'll be here for a while?"
"If all goes to plan, then yeah, I guess."
Kiba looks at Shikamaru pointedly. Game on? he mouths.
Shikamaru rolls his eyes, entirely not in the mood for his friend's fantasies.
"Well, I say we get to know each other better. Why don't we all go for drinks later? I'll tell everyone else."
"Oh, that sounds fun, but honestly, I'd rather just spend the night in. It's my first day at a new job, I need some time to relax and adjust."
"Where better to relax than a bar with some booze?" Kiba presses. "Come on, we won't keep you long. Just a drink or two."
She turns her attention to Shikamaru, who hasn't spoken since she sat down to eat with them. "Is he always this pushy?"
"You learn to endure it. I would know, we're roommates."
She smirks. "Right. Well, I'm just not sure..."
"If anything, you should come just for the chance of seeing Shikamaru absolutely hammered. He's hilarious."
"I'm not getting hammered, Kiba," Shikamaru hisses. He tries to assure Temari of his self-control with, "It was one time, after we solved a huge case."
"Understandable."
"So, you'll come?" Kiba posits again.
She thinks it over, but eventually relents. "Fine. One drink."
"I knew it: no one wants to miss the chance of seeing you hammered!" Kiba grins triumphantly at Shikamaru.
"Is everything alright?"
She turns to see him sit down on the bar stool next to her. He has a beer in hand and, though his question suggestions concern, his face remains as disinterested as always.
"I'm...not very good with new people," she admits, taking a swig of her drink.
That doesn't surprise him. "Moving around must've sucked, then."
"Yeah." She looks at the drunk mess that is Kiba Inuzuka, currently embarrassing himself in front of his Captain. "Also, your roommate-slash-friend-slash-our-colleague keeps hitting on me, and it makes me mildly uncomfortable."
That doesn't surprise him, either. "Sorry about Kiba. He's a handful, but he's a great detective. I think you'd like him, if you gave him a chance."
"Really? What makes you say that?"
"Kiba's a funny guy. He's a bit of a clown, and a little up-his-own-ass, but that's part of what makes him fun to be around. He's got a lot of energy and...I don't know. I feel like you'd get along."
"Interesting. Well, I hope he doesn't come onto me so aggressively when he's sober. Then maybe I'll come around."
"You'll never guess what."
"If I'll never guess, just tell me," Shikamaru mutters, eyes fixed on the document in front of him.
"I'm going out with Temari on Saturday night," he grins. "We're going to watch a horror movie."
"Dude, are you sure you're gonna be okay? You hate horror."
"I hate horror when I'm alone. But it's the perfect genre for a date! She gets scared, she wants to cuddle. Foolproof, no?"
"Sure."
"Can't you at least be a little happy for me? It's Temari! She's hot."
"We've known her for a week, Kiba. If that's still the only thing you have to say about her, maybe you shouldn't jump straight into dating and get to know her as a colleague first?"
"I tried to!" Kiba says defensively. "She told me she doesn't date people she works with, even though I didn't mention dating at all."
"You're not exactly subtle, Inuzuka."
"Whatever. I wore her down, and she agreed to a date, so long as it involved us watching a horror movie. Guess she has some weird kink, or something."
"She's just fucking with you, dude."
"Well, I wouldn't mind that, either."
"You know what I mean."
Kiba sighs. "You're no fun."
"Never said I was."
"Nara, Sabaku. Can I see you in my office, please?"
"First thing on a Monday morning?" Kiba raises an eyebrow as Shikamaru stands up from his desk. "Someone's in trouble..."
"Shut up, Kiba. If that's the case, it means your girlfriend is, too, which probably means no sex for you."
Kiba opens his mouth to retort, but Shikamaru has already disappeared into the Captain's office.
"We're on the tail of what could potentially be a huge drug bust, so I'd like to put the two of you on the case."
"Me?" Shikamaru iterates. "Why?"
"Well, you're one of my best detectives, Nara. As for you, Sabaku, I'm aware you worked a lot of drug cases in the past, including bringing down a major cocaine ring in Europe, so I thought your expertise would be of great use on this occasion."
"I'll do my best, Sir," Temari nods.
"Here's all the intel we've gathered so far," Captain Hatake pushes a folder towards them. "We received a tip that three of the major players will be meeting behind the Yamanaka Flower Shop on 52nd Street at 6pm tonight. I'd like for you to conduct a stakeout and gather further information on their plans and future movement."
"Got it."
"This is taking forever."
He looks at her curiously. "It's not even six yet."
"I don't get why we had to come forty minutes early."
"You never know when you'll miss out on the action. Ever heard of 'patience is a virtue'?"
"Hey, I have patience in spades."
"I find that hard to believe," he says sceptically. "I bet you couldn't spend a whole day watching clouds."
"And you could?"
"It's my favourite pastime."
She scoffs. "Loser."
"You must've been a fun partner to work with."
"I've always been more of a lone wolf."
"How come you're dating Kiba then?"
"Who said that?" she asks sharply. "He did?"
"Well, he didn't deny it..."
She rolls her eyes. "He was relentless, so I told him I'd go see a horror movie with him. Mainly because I knew he was all talk, and funnily enough, he spent the entire time shielding his eyes and wishing it was over."
"You're cruel."
"So I've been told."
He laughs. "Women like you are troublesome."
"That's because I don't have time for the bullshit of men."
"Damn, who hurt you?"
She sighs. "Let's talk about something else."
He raises an eyebrow, but concedes and lies back on the bench.
"What are you doing?" she hisses. "We're on duty!"
"Didn't you say we were forty minutes early?" he says. "Relax. I'm just lying down for five minutes."
"Why?"
"Because I want to."
She wants to slap him. At this point, he's being more irritating than Kiba.
"You men are all useless."
"You really don't have any patience, do you?"
"I do-"
"Prove it. Lie down and just look up at the sky for five minutes. Five minutes. Not a word of complaint, and then I'll believe you."
"We're on duty, you idi-"
"You're just proving me right, you know."
She huffs and angrily plops herself down next to him. Arms folded over her chest, she stares up at the sky. It's dark, and when she stops seething and starts focusing, she sees that it's littered with stars, something she hasn't experienced in a long time. She figures she's never really stayed in one place long enough to appreciate such a thing.
"Pretty, isn't it?"
"Shut up."
They lie there like that in silence, and before they know it, fifteen minutes has passed. He turns his head and looks at her; she seems a lot less intense, a lot more approachable now. Like all the anger or frustration her past had instilled in her had melted away into the night. He exhales slowly and sits up.
"Looks like someone can be patient and quiet if they want to. Apparently you're just troublesome by choice."
She hits him lightly on the arm. "You have pretty nice skies here, I'll admit."
He looks at his watch. "We should start policing seriously." He offers her a hand. "Shall we?"
She catches it in her vice-like grip once more and grins. "We shall."
"Well, our job here is done," he says, hooking the binoculars around his neck. "I can drive you home, if you want."
"Thanks, but no thanks," she replies. "I live fairly close to here, so I'll be fine on foot."
"I'll walk with you."
"Really, it's fine," she says, with a finality in her voice that warns him to not push it any further. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Temari?"
She turns. "Yeah?"
"I think Kiba really likes you."
She smiles to herself. "I look forward to him telling me that."
"Woah."
"What?"
"Temari just texted me. She wants to go out again. Dude, can you believe this?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Well, uh, funny story...I didn't tell you this last time, but our date didn't go too well."
"No."
"Yes! It embarrasses me to think about it. You were right...I hate horror. I endured it, couldn't really speak afterwards, and came home."
"But you played it off like it was fine. You practically waltzed through the door with confidence."
"It was all a façade, Shikamaru! I was a total wuss in front of her. I have no idea why she's suddenly interested, especially after she made it so clear she didn't date colleagues."
"Guess fate is giving you another chance," Shikamaru pats him on the back. "You should grab it while you can."
"I will!" he grins, all teeth exposed. "Thanks, Shikamaru. I thought once you heard about what a pansy I was, you'd never stop laughing."
"Oh, I'm absolutely going to hold this over you for years to come," Shikamaru assures him with a smile. "But I'm happy for you, too. A good friend knows how to find the balance."
She comes by quite regularly now. He was right; she did like Kiba. She gave him a chance, and they got along. Both outspoken and brash with a sharp sense of humour and a cocky grin to match; he sees how similar they are, and is satisfied that he played a part in bringing them together. He's never seen his roommate so happy, and he deserves that happiness. As for her, they're good friends. The three of them watch TV together sometimes after the pair have come home from a date, and they'll always eat lunch together at work. He's the only one who can put up with the two of them, after all; their bold personalities seem to scare off the rest of the squad, and they've developed so many weird inside jokes that no one can really jump in on their conversations.
This particular Friday night, the two of them have come back to Kiba and Shikamaru's apartment. He figures they're probably a little tipsy, because there's some commotion coming from the entryway where Kiba's probably tripped over a shoe and fallen into the coatrack, or something ridiculous.
It's pretty late, and if they're out at this time, they usually stay at Temari's since she lives alone, but tonight is an exception. They're not particularly quiet with their conversation, probably because they're still running on alcohol and adrenaline.
"Are you sure?" he hears Temari try to whisper, though it comes out as more of a hushed shout. "It's three A.M. or something, Kiba. He's definitely asleep."
"Exactly."
"Hey, stop it! Let's just go back to my place."
"No way, we're already here. Your place is twelve blocks away, and I doubt we'll see a bus for another hour."
"Don't you have a car?"
"It's Shikamaru's. Besides, we're not really in a state to drive..."
"Shit. You're right." He hears her kick off her shoes. "Guess we're stuck."
"Whatever shall we do?" Kiba drawls sarcastically.
"Kiba, he'll hear us."
"He's asleep."
"We're not exactly quiet, are we?"
Please, God, no...
"I've brought girls here before, it's been fine."
"Maybe he's just being nice."
"Nah, it's Shikamaru. He wouldn't hesitate to send a string of four-letter words my way if I ever crossed a line."
"Kiba..."
"Maybe this'll help..."
"Oh!"
Shikamaru buries his head under his covers. He knows what's happening, and he doesn't want to hear any of it, but he knows he has no choice.
He grabs his headphones and attempts to drown out the noise, but her voice in particular seems to consume him.
He prays he'll fall asleep soon.
They bump into each other in the kitchen the next morning. She's dressed in just a t-shirt, and he can guess whose it is.
"Oh, Shikamaru, you're up." She quickly moves behind the counter, suddenly self-conscious about the amount of leg and possible underwear exposure happening. "I'm making breakfast, if you want some."
"I'll pass, thanks," he mumbles, heading towards the fridge and pulling out a carton of orange juice. "I don't have much of an appetite."
She scuttles around the other side of the island again to shield herself once more. They both know what transpired last night.
"You don't have to keep hiding your lower half, you know," he says absently. "I've had many unwarranted morning encounters with his girlfriends, in varying states of undress, before."
"We're colleagues. I don't want to be unprofessional."
"You're dating my roommate. There's nothing professional about that."
She sighs. "Sorry about last night."
"It's fine. I just wish you confined your...amorous activity to your apartment, where there's no one else to disturb."
"That's not entirely true..." she says bashfully. "We got a complaint from my neighbour the other night."
He feels worse by the second. "I don't want to hear anymore. Of anything."
"I know, I'm sorry. It was selfish of us."
"What's done is done."
"It won't happen again."
"Now you're just making promises you won't keep."
She bites her lip. "Don't you ever bring girls home?"
"Only when I knew Kiba wouldn't be around."
"Ah. Considerate."
"I try." He swills his orange juice around in his glass, a million questions in his mind. "What changed your mind?"
"Huh?"
"About Kiba. About dating colleagues in general."
She thinks for a moment. "I don't know. You, I guess."
"Me?"
"You seemed really keen on getting us together, and for someone as lazy and unmotivated as you, I figured it must've been important to you."
"I just like to see my friends happy."
"That's very noble of you," she teases. "But as much as I hate to say it, you were right. Kiba's great."
"Yeah, he's alright when he wants to be."
She leans against the counter. "Are you seeing anyone at the moment?"
"No," he says flatly. "I'm not really looking for something. I don't think I'm particularly good at relationships, either."
"How so?"
"My last girlfriend broke up with me because, in her words, I 'wasn't making the effort'."
"You didn't love her?"
"I thought I did at the time, but looking back, I think I was just comfortable. No real attachment."
"Don't you think that if you found the right person, you'd make the effort?"
He ponders this. "Maybe. It'd be hard."
"Why, do you have some ridiculously specific type?" she chuckles.
"Nah. If anything, I feel like I have the easiest standards," he shrugs. "Not too tall, not too short, not too pretty, not too ugly. Just an average woman who understands my schedule and accepts my laziness and will leave me be."
She smiles. "I think I know just the person."
"Huh?"
"Promise me you'll keep an open mind," she begins. "Because I think I'm friends with your soulmate."
He shoots her a sceptical look. "Temari, I told you, I'm not looking for anything right now..."
"And I'm telling you, Shikamaru, you could be missing out on the best thing that's ever happened to you, and it's right before your eyes."
He sighs. She's still as stubborn as ever. "Fine."
"Great. I'll talk to her about it, and maybe we can arrange a double date. No throwing you in the deep end. Alright?"
"Whatever..."
"I wouldn't push it if I didn't think she was perfect for you. Like how you told me to give Kiba a chance...you should give her one, too."
"I already agreed, didn't I?"
"Isn't this great?" Kiba grins, adjusting his collar. "Shikamaru Nara, finally putting himself back on the market."
"It's only because I knew neither of you would stop bugging me about it until I said 'yes'."
"Can't deny that. Man, I'm excited! You're gonna love her."
"What's her name?"
He tapped the side of his nose. "Sorry, I'm under strict orders to zip it. But Temari told me all about her, and she's right; you guys'll get along like a house on fire."
"I appreciate the analogy, but house fires scream 'chaos' and 'fury' to me."
"Maybe this is why you've been single for so long, Nara," Kiba rolls his eyes. "Just enjoy it, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"He cleans up nicely, doesn't he?" Kiba laughs as he waltzes through the door towards her.
"Sure does," Temari nods, giving her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek. She moves in to hug his companion. "You look great, Shikamaru."
From behind her, a dainty-looking woman appears. She's pale-skinned, bespectacled, with a slender frame and long, blonde hair. Her demeanour is shy, and her dress is conservative, but she ticks all the boxes in Temari's head. Hopefully in Shikamaru's, too.
"Shikamaru, this is Shiho, my friend from the CIA. Shiho, this is our colleague, Detective Shikamaru Nara."
"It's nice to meet you, Shikamaru," she says sweetly, holding out a hand.
"Likewise," he nods in return.
"Right, let's go eat!" Kiba announces enthusiastically.
"Uh, so, Shiho, how did you meet Temari?" Shikamaru asks, cutting into his steak.
"W-well, I helped with one of her most recent cases, then I found out I actually worked under her f-"
"She worked under me for another case in Germany," Temari says quickly, boldly. "We just didn't meet directly."
Shiho glances at Temari with confusion, but Temari simply laughs it off. "What a coincidence, huh?"
"U-um, yes, it was," Shiho nods. "Shikamaru, what detective work have you been doing lately? Unless it's classified, of course."
"Oh, just a drug bust. The usual...did some surveillance, caught the bad guys."
"I'm sure it was much more interesting than that!" Shiho says brightly. "Tell me everything."
"I don't know if I can tell you everything...I mean, we joined the case pretty late."
"We?"
"Temari and me. We were only put on it after an anonymous tip, so we conducted a stakeout, and everything just sort of dominoed from there."
"You must've done a great job," Shiho smiles. "You're both brilliant detectives, after all."
"So am I!" Kiba interjects. "I'm gonna be Captain one day and run this whole precinct, just you wait."
"In your dreams!" Temari adds. "You can't even pick me up for a date on time. Thank God we're double dating tonight, otherwise who knows what hour you would've arrived at."
"Hey, it's not my fault Shikamaru's so stingy about sharing his car-"
"Don't bring my car into this," Shikamaru grumbles. "Maybe you should get your own."
"I forgot to say earlier, thanks for driving us all here, Shikamaru," Shiho says earnestly.
"No worries," he shrugs.
"Maybe you should learn a thing or two from your roommate," Temari quips.
"Who needs a car when I've got my guns of steel?"
"Just shut up, Kiba."
"Sorry about the two of them," Shikamaru says as they drive back to her house. "They're both pretty intense people."
"It's okay. It's a good thing they found each other, then!"
"I guess so."
"How come they're not driving back with us? You and Kiba live together, don't you?"
"Yeah, but let's just say they're intense in other ways, too."
"What do you mean?"
He doesn't know how to put it without sounding crude, but he's worried she won't get the message if he euphemises it too much. "If they're not having a fight, they're having sex. One or the other. Thankfully, they tend to do the latter at Temari's place."
"Oh." Shiho shifts uncomfortably in her seat.
After a few more minutes of driving in silence, he pulls the car into the kerb. "Looks like we're here."
"Thanks for driving me home," Shiho says shyly. "I had a really nice time tonight."
"Me too."
He doesn't really know what's an appropriate parting gesture, but judging by the bashful, coy look that's on her face, he figures he might as well just go for it. He leans in and kisses her, waiting to see how she reacts, and it ends up being exactly as he'd imagined. It's innocent, it's sweet, it lasts for a moment and then he pulls away, satisfied with the shade of crimson on her cheeks. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
He hears the door slam at two in the morning.
"Fucking bitch," he hears Kiba curse in the hallway.
"Kiba?" Shikamaru calls groggily, stepping out of his room and shielding his eyes from the light flooding his surroundings.
"Ah, Shikamaru. Sorry to wake you, man."
"Is everything okay?"
"Temari and I just got into a little argument, that's all."
"So you're spending the night here?"
"Looks like it," he nods. "Go back to sleep. I'll be okay."
"Are you sure? You guys have been arguing more than usual, lately."
"We're just stressed and tired. We've been working a lot, so having time to ourselves is more difficult. And when we are alone, we don't really do much talking."
"Yeah, I know, it's gross."
"No, I don't mean it like that. Well, I do, but also, we don't really have much to talk about."
"Really?"
"Yeah. She gets pissed at me when I make jokes, and she's always so high and mighty about everything. Keeps saying she'll make Captain before I do, which is bullshit if you ask me."
"Well, she is pretty driven. You, on the other hand, are all talk."
"You're taking her side?" Kiba groans. "Come on, man, we've been friends for years. We fucking live together. Can't you just back me up on this one?"
"Kiba, you're drunk and irrational. Just drink some water, sleep it off, we can talk about it in the morning."
"I'm not drunk!" he insists. "She's just a bitch."
"Oi. Don't say things like that."
"Why? She is."
"She's your girlfriend, Kiba. She deserves more respect than that, no matter how pissed you are, or how pissed you are at her."
"Whatever. It was all a bad idea, anyway."
"What?"
"I get why she didn't want to date colleagues. It makes things hella awkward when you get into fights and shit."
"Do you think you'll break up?"
"I don't know. I mean, I really like her, man...but she's a lot of work."
"More so than you?"
"Way more. I feel like I'm trying, trying to get to know her, but she won't let me in. She's met my mom, but she won't say a word about either of her parents. Always changes the subject." He chugs some water from the tap and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "Anyway, enough about that. How'd it go with you and that Shiho girl?"
"You were there," Shikamaru deadpans.
"Yeah, but after that."
"It was fine. I dropped her home, we kissed, we said 'goodnight'."
"That's it?" Kiba looks at him in disbelief.
"Mm."
"You didn't like her?"
"No, she was great...Temari knew what she was doing when she set us up."
"So you'll see her again?"
"If I find the time, yeah."
"Good for you, man. I'm glad you're interested in dating again."
"Well, Temari was so insistent I'd like her, I thought I might as well give it a try."
"Sounds good. Just don't have crazy, wild sex while I'm around, please."
"Practise what you preach, Inuzuka."
"Ah...point taken."
"Things are going well with Shiho, huh?"
He looks up, and she's standing over his desk, coffee in hand and wicked grin on her face.
"She told you?"
"Everything," Temari chuckles. "Apparently you're such a gentleman. A not-particularly-punctual gentleman, but I told her you can't be any worse than Kiba."
"She always wants to go to nice-ish places, so I'm always trying to find something decent to wear. It's so troublesome, I can't help if I'm ten minutes late every time."
"Ha! Ten minutes is nothing. Kiba once forgot entirely."
"He's a work in progress." He staples together the papers on his desk. "Speaking of, how are things with you guys?"
"They're alright," she shrugs. "Kind of business as usual."
"You don't sit with us at lunch anymore."
"I've got work to do. We see each other after, anyway."
"Fair enough."
"Nara, Sabaku. My office, please."
They both turn around to see Captain Hatake ushering them in. Exchanging curious looks, they follow after him.
"There's a problem with some of the paperwork you filed from the drug bust last month."
"They only just picked it up now?"
"As it was a particularly big case, it took a while to process everything. Some of the details don't correlate with each other. Can you two look into this and get it sorted by the end of this week? I'd rather not spend too much time digging this up again."
"Yes, Sir."
"Ugh, this is like a mountain," Temari complains. "When are we gonna get it done?"
"Just come over tonight and we'll go through it all."
Her gaze drops to her feet. "Do you mind if we do it at my place?"
"Is something wrong?"
"I'm just...not in the mood to see Kiba tonight."
"Sure. Whatever works for you."
"Eight o'clock. Right on time," she comments as she opens the door.
"You'd give me an earful otherwise," he explains as he steps in.
"You're not wrong there. Take a seat, wherever's comfortable."
He plops himself down onto the sofa.
"Really, Nara?"
"You said 'wherever's comfortable'!"
"Yes, but how are we gonna get any work done if you're falling asleep on my couch?"
"Trust me, your nagging mouth is enough to keep me awake."
She rolls her eyes and closes the door. "Have you eaten yet?"
"No."
"I've got some stew left over from last night which I was planning to heat up. Want some?"
"Sure, thanks."
She sits on the other end of the sofa from him, turned so that she's facing into it. Her eyebrows are knitted together in concentration, she bites her lip as she tries to assimilate all the information in front of her. He sees her in his peripheral vision, and finds her mannerisms somewhat endearing. He realises this is probably the longest they've been together without her scolding him for something.
He's seeing her in loungewear for the first time in a while; since that morning when she was dressed in just a t-shirt, she's made a conscious effort to look a little more presentable whenever she was round at theirs. But here, in her own home, she's stretched out in a old, chunky sweater and some plain leggings - entirely effortless, but on this occasion, she doesn't give a damn.
He's never really given it much thought, because she's always smirking or rolling her eyes or snapping at him, but she's kind of beautiful.
"Thank fuck." She drops the papers onto the coffee table and leans back into the sofa; happy, relieved.
He looks at the clock. It's nearly midnight. "That took a while."
"It really did," she exhales. "Let's celebrate. I'll crack open a bottle of wine."
"Can't drink; I'm driving."
"It's late. Just stay over."
"We have work tomorrow. I can't go in dressed like this, Temari."
"You can borrow some of Kiba's clothes. There are a bunch of them in the wardrobe."
"Are you kidding? He's gonna murder me!"
"He knows you came over tonight to finish the paperwork with me, and you two are good friends. He won't give a shit, promise."
"I don't know..."
"Relax. What you need is wine and sleep. I'll get some extra pillows and blankets and take the sofa."
"What? No, it's your place. Sleep in your own bed."
"I'm not gonna let my guest sleep on the sofa-"
"I'm not gonna let the host give up their own bed!"
She sighs. "It seems we've reached an impasse." Walking over to the kitchen, she grabs a bottle of wine from the cooler. "This stuff usually helps with decision-making."
"It's our best bet."
"I'm gonna be honest with you, Shikamaru," she begins, after a few glasses of wine too many. Both are slightly incoherent and definitely worse for wear, but at least the company isn't so bad. "I think I need to break up with Kiba before shit gets serious."
"Isn't shit already serious? You've met his mom, haven't you?"
"Exactly! We're already at the stage of meeting parents...I don't think I can handle it."
"Your parents won't like him?"
"I don't have parents."
"W-what?"
"I'm gonna tell you something, Shikamaru, and you're gonna have to promise you won't tell anyone, not a single soul - after tonight, it's as if you never heard me in the first place, got it? Promise me."
He gulps and nods.
"Promise. Like, pinky promise."
He realises she's serious (and seriously drunk) when she sticks out her pinky in front of him and, hard as she tries, can't keep it still.
He laughs and catches it with his own pinky. "Pinky promise."
She inhales deeply. "Alright. My father...he was a dirty cop. Corrupt like you would not believe. He committed crime after crime, all in the name of 'good'...he was the Chief of Department, highly respected, but then word came out about everything he did, and my family and I were publicly disgraced. Eventually someone shot him."
He doesn't quite know what to say; he's shocked, obviously, but now little things are beginning to make sense to him. Why she initially seemed so cold and distant; why she always changed the subject when family was brought up in conversation; why she was always so vague about her past in the force. He looks at her with a new understanding in his eyes, although something tells him he still hasn't quite grasped the gravity of what she's telling him.
"Wow...Temari...I'm sorry. About your father."
"Don't be. If someone hadn't shot him, he would've shot himself. It was only a matter of time."
"Still."
"He was an asshole. I wasn't sad about it. If anything, I was just angry. So unbelievably angry that he'd left us with this mess. My brothers and I had to split up and move to different parts of the world, always running, trying to escape the shame that followed our name. Sabaku isn't my real surname. I had to change it, and I'm sure my brothers did the same. I haven't seen them in eight years, and I don't know how to begin looking for them. But I became a cop in the hopes that maybe, someday, I'd see them again. That, and the job gives me the excuse to go undercover or lie low in general."
"How come you ended up here? You said you'd be here for the foreseeable future."
"It's difficult to keep moving; emotionally, physically, legally. I figured, as long as I find somewhere oblivious enough, I could stay in that place until I tracked down my brothers. I'd decide what to do after that."
"I'll help you."
She nearly chokes on her wine. "What?"
"I'll help you find them."
"Shikamaru, I don't want you getting involved...I don't want anyone getting involved. Hence why I need to break up with Kiba."
"Why did you go out with him in the first place? Seems like you knew it would be a bad idea."
"Like I said, you were so insistent. And I thought that maybe he could help me in some way...whether it was regarding the search, or even just some emotional support...but that was me being naïve. I've learnt to rely on myself and that's the way it should be."
"I already know about everything now, so what's the use in trying to do it alone? Two minds are better than one, after all."
She smiles. "Underneath all that I-don't-care-about-anything crap, you really do want to make people happy, don't you?"
He shrugs. "Only the people I care about, which proves that I do care about things."
She pauses. "You...care about me?"
"Oh, no...uh...I didn't mean it like that. You...you're with Kiba, and you guys are good together, and I...forget it. I shouldn't have said anything." He puts the wine on the coffee table and buries his face in his hands, cringing at his drunken misstep.
"Shikamaru," she says seriously, moving his hands away from his face, forcing him to acknowledge her. "I've been honest with you this evening. In spite of all the risk and danger it's putting me in, I'm trusting you. Do you know how many people I trust? Zero. Except for my brothers, but do they count if I have no idea in hell whether I'll see them again or if they're alive?" She closes her eyes briefly to hold back what appear to be tears. "So, if there's anything at all that I'd ask for from you, it's for you to be honest with me. No excuses, no beating around the bush. Tell me what you're thinking."
He was thinking that he'd really like to kiss her.
So he does.
He brings her mouth to his in a quick movement that almost catches her off-guard, but she'd long since sensed the tension and instantly reciprocates. One hand is around her waist while the other twists in her hair; her fingers are caressing his face, slowly sliding down to the buttons of his shirt. She pulls at them, and the two slowly recline into the sofa so that he's hovering over her, somewhat careful not to press his entire body weight on her for fear that he'd crush all the delicacy of this moment. His touch is warm and comforting; there's nothing rough or animalistic about it, but for some reason, it's not gentle, either. He loves her with reverence and urgency in equal measure; her head is slightly hazy from the emotion and the alcohol in her system. The softness of his expression, however, quickly sobers her up.
"We shouldn't," he whispers.
"I know," she nods. "But what do you really want to say, Shikamaru?"
His heart is running a million miles an hour and before he's even thought it, he's said it.
"I love you."
Her breathing stops for a second. "I'll give you one chance to take that back."
"I love you," he reiterates.
Before she can respond, her eyes are already giving her away.
He's never had the opportunity to be so close to them before, to see them in such detail; he always knew they were striking, but now that they're here, in front of him, bearing into him, he can see every single facet of teal and emerald and brilliance in them, magnified by the tears that are forming on the surface. He finds himself lost in them, like drowning in her sea...no, not drowning. Floating. He feels light.
"How long?" she says.
"I don't know," he replies earnestly. "I just know that I do."
There's not a hint of sarcasm in his voice, and that scares her.
"I..." she trails off. "...need to do something, before we let this go any further."
"No," Shikamaru says. "Don't break up with him over the phone."
"I can't go over there at this time, can I?"
"This...this can't happen, anyway. Dating colleagues is never a good idea. Especially when you've already dated one...it would be too soon. You'd never be able to come over. Kiba wouldn't speak to either of us again."
"He'll just pretend I don't exist, which he's been doing lately anyway."
"He really does care about you, you know."
"He knows nothing about me."
"That's not entirely his fault."
She sighs. "You're a good friend, Shikamaru."
"A 'friend'. That's what I should be to you."
"But you..."
"Kiba's never been this invested in a relationship before. I get that he's been an asshole lately, but that's partly because this is his first, committed relationship. He doesn't know how to handle it when things don't go his way. He's loud and impatient and has a hell of a lot of growing up to do, but he's only acting out because I think he really does love you, Temari."
She hiccups a little. "I don't think I love him, though."
He half-smiles. "If you don't, you will. You're too similar for that not to be the case."
"Why are you doing this, Shikamaru?"
"I want to see you happy."
"And what about you?"
"I'm going to see where things go with Shiho." He stands up and fixes his shirt. "You were right. She's pretty much everything I said I wanted."
"Do you love her?"
"I think I will." He grabs his jacket on the way out.
She's twenty minutes late, and still nowhere to be found. And for someone who's always, always on time, he can't help but think this has something to do with him.
He's startled out of his reverie by the sound of his captain.
"Nara, can I see you in my office, please?"
Once inside, Captain Hatake gestures for him to sit down.
This can't be good.
"Thank you for sorting out all of the paperwork last night. I'm sure it wasn't the ideal way to spend your evening, so I am truly grateful."
"That's one way to put it," Shikamaru murmurs, buried emotions tugging aggressively at his heartstrings.
"Unfortunately, that will be the last case you work with Detective Sabaku for the foreseeable future. As of today, she is undercover indefinitely, and unable to contact anyone in the precinct. I am informing everyone individually, so I would appreciate it if you could keep this to yourself and avoid discussing it with your colleagues until the end of the day. It also goes without saying, but you are not to speak with anyone outside of law enforcement personnel about this. If I were you, I would avoid mentioning it altogether until you are in a secured, private space, so as to avoid being overheard by any civilians who may be in the precinct for whatever reason."
He takes a moment to process what he's just been told, but he can't wrap his head around it for the life of him.
Undercover.
Indefinitely.
Just like that.
"I understand that you and Detective Sabaku were fairly close, given her relationship with Detective Inuzuka. If you need time to deal with this in your own manner, or would like for me to arrange some informal or professional support, just let me know."
He remains silent.
"Shikamaru?"
The use of his first name startles him out of his daze.
"Sorry, Sir. Thanks for letting me know." He gets up and turns to leave.
"Call Inuzuka in on your way out."
"Will do."
"I can't believe she fucking left," Kiba practically growls, taking a swig of beer in the dim light of their kitchen.
"Did she drop any hints beforehand?" Shikamaru asks, fiddling with his bottle cap on the other side of the island.
"She was distant, sure, but it'd been like that for a while. We were just growing apart. I don't get why she had to disappear without a trace."
He can think of a few reasons.
"God, she's messing with my head," Kiba complains, face in his palms. "I don't know whether I'm angry or upset."
"Both, probably. A little heartbroken, too."
"Ha!" Kiba snorts. "She couldn't break my heart if she tried. She's not that special."
"Stop putting on a front," Shikamaru hisses. "There's no one around for you to impress. So don't be an asshole."
"Right, I'm the asshole, even though she ran off without even saying goodbye."
"Just admit that you loved her."
"How can I, when she took off like that?"
"It was a dick move, but she's not completely selfish. She wouldn't have just vanished unless she had no other choice."
"Wow, who's in love with her, me or you?"
He hesitates.
"Holy shit." Kiba chugs the rest of his beer and then pushes the bottle aside. "You're in love with her?"
"I...I didn't mean for it to happen."
"Fat lot of difference that makes," Kiba snarls. "Since when?"
"I don't know. A month? Two?"
"That long and you didn't think to tell me?!"
"Nothing was ever gonna happen, so I didn't see the point."
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe our relationship went sour because you had something to do with it?"
"Oi," Shikamaru snaps. "She knew nothing about my feelings."
"What if she had feelings for you?"
"She didn't."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because she stayed with you, damn it!" He's surprised by the volume of his voice and quickly shuts his mouth.
They both take a moment to breathe and collect their thoughts.
"Well, doesn't matter now," Kiba mutters. "She's gone."
"I know."
"I thought you were seeing her friend, anyhow?"
"Who, Shiho?" he shakes his head. "Yeah. I don't know about that."
"What? She's perfect for you."
"That's what I thought about Temari for you, but look at how that worked out."
"Do you think you and Temari would've worked out?"
"I'm not talking about this with you, Kiba."
"If you're gonna spring the fact that you were in love with her on me, then we're gonna talk about this, Shikamaru! This whole situation is messed up enough already. We can only go up from here."
"We wouldn't have worked out, because she'd have already dated you, and I wouldn't pull a dick move like that."
"Sure, but what if Temari and I never dated. What if she came to the precinct, and you were the first one to make a move?"
Shikamaru sighs. "I don't know, Kiba. We're different people. We probably would've crashed and burned."
"Were you always this pessimistic?"
"One of us has to be. Your girlfriend did just drop off the grid entirely."
"Ah, yeah. That."
"It's okay to feel shit about it, Kiba."
"I will, just not when you're around. It's too weird."
"Sorry about that."
"Can't help who you love, man."
"And what about you?"
"Me? And her? Probably lust more than anything. You would know, we kept you up enough times."
"Don't remind me."
Hey.
Sorry to leave like that.
You're probably angry, or confused, and it was shitty of me, I know. But everything was getting too complicated and I couldn't take a risk like that.
I'll bet you're thinking I shouldn't have dated anyone in the first place if I wasn't willing to take that risk, and you're right. I was naïve, but I'm trying to refocus. Find my brothers, start again. Hopefully for the last time.
And if I ever have the luxury of considering myself safe, then I'll come and find you, too. Without sounding too stalker-ish, you'll probably be a lot easier (I'm also a much better detective than you, so don't even think about trying to find me first).
Don't wait for me. Fall in love with someone and cherish them while you can (I recommend Shiho, I'm sure you've already been told by Kiba how perfect she is for you).
Speaking of Kiba, I've left a note for him, too, so you don't need to walk on eggshells around him because you're reading this.
Good luck with everything, Shikamaru. You're an amazing detective and you'd be even better if you just sat up straight and stopped complaining about your work.
Temari
All he's thinking as he's standing in his room with this piece of paper between his fingers is, "How the hell did she get in here?".
Five years on, and he's still stuck in the same precinct, although he's held the title of Sergeant for the last three years. He's not sure where he found the motivation, but he figures if he's going to be doing this job for a while, he might as well try and make the best of it. He still works with Kiba, but they don't live together anymore, after he found himself a new girlfriend and they quickly decided to move in together, much to Shikamaru's relief.
Things with Shiho were pretty smooth-sailing, until Shikamaru realised they were too smooth-sailing, to the point where he sometimes simply forgot he had a girlfriend since nothing remotely interesting ever happened in their relationship. It ended after a year or so, and he hasn't committed to anything that long since. It's too troublesome, and it gets in the way of his work, but part of him knows he's just telling himself that because he can't bring himself to fall in love with anyone. Not after the last time.
And if he'd learnt anything from that, it was that falling in love with colleagues was to be avoided at all costs.
So each day at the precinct remains uneventful; he solves cases, eats lunch with Kiba, takes a smoke break every now and again. It's a bad habit, but he's got disposable income and it keeps him relaxed. He figures he'll quit when he meets someone he wants to get serious with, or when he becomes a father or something. But he doesn't see any of that happening in the near future, so it's not really worth thinking about.
He goes out for his usual afternoon smoke around the back of the building, leaning against the brick wall and closing his eyes as he inhales the chilly autumn air.
"You really should quit, you know."
He could recognise that voice anywhere.
And now that he's actively looking, those eyes are unmistakable, too.
He lets the initial wave of shock crash over him, unable to utter a single word in response, so he drops his cigarette on the ground and stubs it out with the sole of his shoe.
"Hey," he smirks. "What took you so long?"