Disclaimer: I do not own NARUTO or its character. Nor do I own Back to December which this story is based off of.
Back to December
It was cold, and that she would admit, but it wasn't the coolness that had her shaking so much. She was nervous and scare, and that was something she wouldn't admit.
She was in town for awhile on a business trip and she gotten up the guts to call him... Okay, maybe not call him but leave him a message.
Sure, it wouldn't have been that hard just to cancel and recall but she wasn't so sure that she was ready to hear his voice just yet.
She had been waiting in that little café for almost half an hour when she finally decided he wasn't going to show.
What was she thinking? That he been willing to just come and meet her after months of no interaction at all? Was she expecting to see him here as soon as she walked through that door?
Beginning to get her coat back on, she muttered to herself about being stupid and ignorant. As she grabbed her mittens off the table top the door opened with the jingle from the bells above it.
A cold air swept in brushing across her face, causing her cheeks to pink a little.
She was taking the chance and turn to the door until her breath caught in her throat from the sight of him.
"Hi..." he stated.
She opened her mouth for a brief second before realizing she didn't know what to say, "Um... hello?"
"I'm sorry... I had something but I came as fast as I can... Were you just about to leave?" he asked eyeing her gloves.
She hesitated, "N-no, in-in fact, I actually just got here."
It was lie but at that point she didn't care. She just needed to get him to sit down, both of them to sit down.
She started to remove her jacket again and sit in her seat; he doing exactly the same only across from her.
"Miss, are you ready to order?" a waitress asked lazily.
It was a different one from the other 7 times before.
"J-just a Es-Espresso Con Panna, if you don't mind." she answered silently damning her sudden stutter.
"And you sir?…" the waitress turned to the male. "Sir?"
The woman across the table lifted her head from her hands to find the male snapping his head away from her, "Black would be fine."
She looked back down and let silence cover the table as the waitress walked away.
"S-So... How have you been?" she tried to start up a conversation.
"I'm doing fine... I actually just named vice at Konoha Inc." he explained. "How's your family? I've heard that your business is growing strong."
"Yeah..." she bit her lip before continuing. "My... My brother just got elected onto the business council."
"I'm assuming the other sibling is still president." he stated.
The female nodded, "Yeah… he is."
There was another silence between them until the drinks came out and were settled in front of them.
"Vice..." she started again. "Must be a lot of work. Does she still give you hell?"
"He." he corrected, picking up his mug.
"He?" she cocked an eyebrow.
"Yeah... Naruto made president a couple months back." he explained
"Oh, I should have remembered that." she said sheepishly.
He wasn't getting personal and he wasn't acting in his usual... He was guarded... She wasn't surprised. He wasn't the same. She could tell just by the way he entered the cafe. Since when did he ever hurry to a meeting? Especially one with an ex-lover?
"Nice weather, huh?" he muttered before sipping at the mug and flinching.
"Nice my ass." she answered back causing them to both break a smile. "I practically froze solid just walking out of my hotel."
"Expected from someone like you." he said. "Can't handle the cold shoulder."
She rolled her eyes, "I've dealt with that type before."
Another silence as he tried out his drink again.
"Um... I've been having this problem..." she began.
"Dear lord, tell me you aren't pregnant."
"No," she was shocked but she laughed at his assumption. "No. I actually seem to be developing insomnia, you know? Where I can't seem to sleep for long periods of time or sometimes... I can't sleep at all..."
She put her hands around her mug and kept her eyes on the same place. "During the time I was up I caught up on some late work in the office... and... and sorted some things out. I realized I needed to talk to someone."
She glanced at him, she had his attention and it didn't seem like he was going to interrupt. So she continued. "Do you mind me asking, how old are you now?"
He looked surprised but answered. "24."
She nodded and tightened her grip on the cup. "I actually came here for another business trip just a few months ago. I went to a spot to clear my head a bit."
"Kage's Park?" he questioned.
She nodded again and looked back down. "Are you dating anyone?"
"What does this have to do-"
"Please, just answer." she pleaded trying to ignore the cracking of her voice.
"No. What-"
"I kind of realized something when I was here then…" she explained, cutting him off again. "I left as soon as the deal was done. I figured it was before you returned to work from a vacation." she started to drum her fingers against the cup. "I spent all of fall trying to clear my mind a bit more and nothing... nothing seemed to work..."
She bit her lip before continuing, "I kind of went through this stage... I ended up in the hospital for awhile... Stayed out of work until they thought I could handle it...
"I... I actually asked to be put on the deal." she admitted biting her lip once again.
The male raised him eyebrows and started to worry, "Why would you do that? If you are-"
"I was scared." she said quickly to shut him up. "I was scared that if I didn't then I might not get another chance."
She looked up, "I remember a few summers back when that accident happen. I was here on business, like always. It was your turn to call me a name but you didn't..."
"Te-"
"Just let me finish." she said. "I guess I always really known but was to stubborn to admit it. The pass few days it wasn't the first time I realized this but it was the first I realized that I was such an idiot.
"Think about it. Me, a supposed genies, an idiot." she laughed at herself.
She smiled sadly to herself, "I miss you."
He was speechless.
"Maybe I'm just over thinking this or maybe it was the mindlessness I've been going through is just making me crazy. It took every thing I had to gather my pride and kick it out the door just to come here." she let go of the mug as if it was finally burning her hands. "I came here... to apologize for last year."
He opened his mouth.
"Before you jump, I want you to know that I didn't come to beg you to take me back, as much as I want to that isn't what I'm going to do. Because I know you probably hate me right now. In fact, I would understand if you just walked away right now..."
She suddenly jumped up and gathered her stuff. Leaving the amount for her untouched drink on the table.
"I'm sorry. I am. If I could then I would change everything." she said as she got her coat on. "I just wanted to tell you that..." she met his eyes one last time as she leaned forward and grab her mittens. "Thank you for your time, Shikamaru."
Author's Notes:
1) Back to December is a new song from Taylor Swift. At first I thought I would use Hinata and Naruto, thus the stuttering in the beginning, but I decided on Temari and Shikamaru in the end. I kept the stuttering in there to show she was nervous.
2) I don't know but I'm leaning toward making a sequel or at least some type of series to this with the other character couples.
3) I actually really liked how this came out. I wrote it in less the 30 minutes before copy and pasting to a Microsoft Works for proof reading and correcting…
4) I reamp-ed it a bit and now I'm thinking I might start a whole new series on this.