Ha ha. anyway...

Disclaimer: I disclaim this disclaimer that disclaims all disclaimers that disclaim this. (did that make sense or do I need to repeat it to you?)

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Temari knew she was beautiful; She knew she had long, sexy legs. She knew she had a great body. She knew her face was one others would kill for. She just didn't see why she couldn't seem to get the guy she wanted. Not that she needed another troublesome guy in her life. She already had the angsty Gaara and the play-boy Kankuro.

She eyed the man standing behind her. She really liked him, but as a retired shinobi, she would only pose as a weak-point for him, or even a nuisance. She hated the thought, but it was true. She couldn't stop staring.

He cocked his head in her direction after noticing her gaze. The man gave her a lazy smile and what could be mistaken for a wink. "Not tonight. I'm not up to it today."

She had slept with the man many times. But it was in a mutal way. They had to share a tent on the way to Suna several times because the trip was three days long and funds weren't at the highest they had ever been. It became a joke between them that they had "slept together." The truth was, was that Temari really did want to sleep with him.

She returned his smile with a toothy grin. "I understand, with your teacher and all. Although I'm not sure it'll happen again, I don't really like the smoking types."

He threw his head back and laughed. "So that's why you always declined dinner with my team and I. You don't like smoke."

In mock defeat she threw up her hands, "You got me. I'm sorry."

He bent over and whispered in her ear: "I can quit if you want."

The smooth tone of his voice washed over her. As soon as the words sunk in, Temari blushed a brilliant shade of maroon and gave a nervous giggle. "I'm not sure I'd want that. You're great the way you are, Shika-kun." she used the pet name she had deemed for him after going on several missions with the fifteen year old.

He brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes and smiled to her again. "Okay then, I won't quit. Just tell me if you want me too, though."

The blush spread through the rest of her face at the simple touch, and she gave the same nervous giggle.

"Anyway, you want to go out for dinner so I don't have to survive your horrid cooking again?" Shikamaru asked. "My treat."

"A date, or with the teams?" Temari questioned, silently hoping for the ladder of the two.

"Your pick, same with the restruant." Temari didn't want her hopeless brothers try and ruin the perfect day by baraging Shikamaru with questions about why he hadn't asked Temari out and how they would threaten like that had been lately.

She also didn't want to deal with Ino's crying over their dead teacher and Chouji refusing to let her eat her meal and scarfing it down himself. His last excuse was "You need to keep that great figure of yours." For which, Ino had later beat the shit out of the large man later. Temari smiled at the fond memory.

"Without the teams. We're going on a date, for once. But we're just friends, and if we happen to sleep together later, so be it."

Shikamaru had obviously been training with Neji lately, because he gave an uncharacteristic smirk. "My teammates have been wondering when you'd ask me."

Temari shrugged and smiled. "My brothers have been secretly plotting your assasination if we didn't go soon. You're of no use to me dead, so I mine as well keep you alive."

Shikamaru was happy that Temari no longer carried her fan, because at the moment she finished her sentence, he ruffled her hair and ran like a bat out of hell. "Where to?" he called over his shoulder only to see that she had left the spot he had last seen her.

A whisper came at his ear, "You're choice, before you're a dead-man of course."

Shikamaru's eyes widened to the size of quarters and he slowly turned his head to see the mock-angry girl next to him, grabbing him by the elbow and dragging him to her favorite restraunt in Konoha: the Ichiraku Ramen hut.

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cute fluffness. I think. anyway, this didn't come out how I had planned it. I originally thought that this story would go something to the tune of: Ino and Shikamaru have a son, and names it "Shika(insert end to name)" and Temari marries, has a girl, and then Temari dies, so the father names the baby Temari, Shika's kid and Temari's kid meet up and talk about old times...I may still do that now that I think about it.