***AUTHOR'S NOTE***
Hello Dear Reader,
I would like to sincerely thank you for reading even a portion of my fanfiction. Before you start, however, I would appreciate a moment of your time. This fanfiction's continuation is entirely dependent on you; if you review, (even if it just contains the word 'More') I will continue to write and update (until the story's finished). In the next few weeks I'm going to have a lot (A LOT) of free time, so I can easily promise a new chapter every two days, likely even more (like I said, lots of free time). So, if you enjoy the story, review! Thank you, and happy reading!
Sincerely,
M. Turing
***/AUTHOR'S NOTE***
Chapter 1: Reunion
The sun slowly slid below the tree-covered horizon, bathing the dusty streets of Konoha in shadows; Shikamaru felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he leaned even further into the darkness surrounding him.
She's late…again…
As the last rays of sunlight vanished, a bell near the center of Konoha rang; once, twice, three times.
It seems she won't be arriving tonight…and I'll be walking all the way back here tomorrow. What a pain…
Pushing away from the side of Konoha's gate, Shikamaru lost his inner battle and a small smile appeared on his face
I should have known she wouldn't be on time
Shikamaru glimpsed the chuunin ninja guarding the gate beginning to pull the wooden doors closed as he turned lazily in the general direction of his apartment. A few steps later, he heard a soft thud as the doors closed completely. In his mind, he saw two of the chuunin step forward and begin the long series of signs necessary to seal the gate shut.
Without warning, Shikamaru felt a surge of chakra just beyond the gate—accompanied moments later by furious shouts, "Wait God Damn it! I'm not spending another night on the ground! There's a bed and a warm bath waiting for me in there! OPEN THOSE GATES!"
Shikamaru felt the small smile on his face erupt into a grin that threatened to split his face.
I stand corrected…I should have expected her to show up late, and then force her way in.
Turning back towards the gate, Shikamaru made a conscious attempt to remove his smile and place his hands carelessly behind his head. Despite his best efforts, he found himself smirking as the chuunin by the gate looked at one another in confusion; apparently they had never had to deal with an angry kunoichi ordering them to open the gates when, by all rights, they were closed until morning.
"Kami help you if you don't open these gates in the next 10 seconds!"
Shikamaru picked up his pace towards the gate ever so slightly; he was enjoying Temari's furious threats, but it wouldn't do to have her destroy one of Konoha's main gates.
Three seconds left…subtracting two to account for Temari's perpetually rushed sense of time meant he would have to act…right about…now
"Open the gates."
Shikamaru's command held as much authority as he could muster, and was pitched just loud enough that Temari would hear as well. At the sound of his voice, the Konoha shinobi surrounding the gate immediately turned towards Shikamaru, instantly recognizing him as a jounin.
"Shikamaru-san! Of course!"
Shikamaru's smirk only grew as the shinobi guarding the gate let out a sigh of relief at being rescued from their predicament. Two of the shinobi moved to crank open one of the heavy, wood-slated doors as Shikamaru stopped directly behind the gate.
On first hearing Temari's angry threats, he had immediately decided on the best strategy; thus far, it had progressed perfectly. Unable to see the hesitation of the leaf shinobi behind the gate, Temari would only be able to conclude, upon hearing his command to let her in, that he was the reason she would be having her precious bed and warm bath. All that was left was the killing stroke; standing behind the opening gate, Shikamaru allowed his hands to migrate from behind his head to his pockets, assumed a casual pose, and then permitted the smirk on his face to grow even larger.
Outside the gate, Temari tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for the damn leaf shinobi to hurry up and listen to—she was unfortunately certain on this point—Shikamaru. She could practically see his arrogant smirk already.
At long last, the gate cracked open, and she was able to make her way through. Glimpsing Shikamaru, she immediately turned towards the nearest leaf shinobi and sent him a harsh glare. Then, without sparing Shikamaru another glance, she walked past him into Konoha.
Shikamaru witnessed the failure of his plan with mixed feelings; it would have undoubtedly been pleasant to stoke Temari's anger further, but there was no one else quite as adept at eluding him—indeed, it was a large portion of the reason he found her company so pleasant. Turning towards her retreating back, Shikamaru allowed himself, for the shortest moment, to admire her receding figure. Even after six years, she still had her hair tied back harshly into four golden ponytails, and her fan strapped securely across her back; her clothing had gradually morphed from the white kimono and red sash of her genin days to the drastically different black kimono and red sash of the present.
Hmph…at least she's consistent…
Shikamaru's mind was pulled, not entirely unwillingly, from his amused thoughts to the soft sway of Temari's hips and the brief moments when her toned body would stretch her black kimono taut—revealing, for the barest instance, the subtle curves and hard muscles below. Without warning, Shikamaru felt the knife buried in his heart give a sudden, sharp twist. Mentally berating himself for his masochistic moment of weakness, Shikamaru managed to slowly reform the carefree face he had become known for.
Troublesome…
Leaning towards Temari, Shikamaru concentrated chakra into his right foot; stepping forward onto it, he disappeared in a flash of speed. A moment later he stood next to Temari, walking calmly beside her as though she hadn't just ignored his existence.
"Hello, Temari"
Temari turned her sweetest smile towards the leaf jounin, "Shikamaru! Where did you come from?"
Shikamaru nonchalantly placed his hands behind his head, sensing the moment for a bit of revenge,
"Oh, nowhere. I was walking through Konoha, enjoying the night air, when I heard some Konoha shinobi being verbally assaulted by a traveler without the good sense to arrive before sundown."
Shikamaru tilted his head back just far enough to give Temari a small smile, taking the edge of his words.
"Naturally I was concerned by the traveler's behavior and felt the need to protect the shinobi of my village."
Temari allowed her head to roll lazily over her shoulder until she captured Shikamaru's onyx eyes, she again sweetened her voice to the upmost, "You mean you weren't waiting at the gate for me Shi-ka-kun?", Temari punctuated each syllable of his name with a slight widening of her eyes…and the pain in Shikamaru's chest happily reciprocated with a sharp pulse.
After several long seconds staring into Temari's eyes, Shikamaru realized they had stopped walking; worse yet, Temari seemed to be waiting for some kind of a reply.
"Hnn…wouldn't dream of it…", Shikamaru mentally cursed himself for not paying more attention, and abruptly began walking again.
As he walked away, the playful smile faded from Temari's face;
He still hasn't gotten over me…
Temari's mouth curved itself into a small smirk
…maybe this will work…
Shikamaru stepped forward and pulled open the door to his house, allowing Temari to enter first. He had offered his home to Temari the first time she had come as an ambassador from Suna, mostly in an attempt to cover up how unprepared they had been for her arrival. Somehow, it had become a small tradition between them, not that he minded; Temari had always been good company…at least until her last visit.
Shikamaru mentally checked the flood of feelings that threatened to overwhelm his senses; now wasn't the time to relive his mistakes. Temari was still a friend, and he wouldn't jeopardize that friendship.
Temari dropped her pack to the floor as soon as she entered, pulling Shikamaru away from his silent reverie. Kicking off her sandals a moment later, she began to run up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
"Shika, I'm taking a bath! Do you want to do dinner afterward?"
"Of"—the door to his bathroom crashed closed—"course", the last word died on his lips—audible only to him and the empty entryway.