A/N: Fluff, fluff, fluff. I love these two. I still don't own them however. Read, enjoy and review.
He leapt from the rooftop to rooftop trying to get to the gate as fast as possible. Why did Tsunade wait so late to tell him? Temari was on the way to Suna. He usually knew all the details of her visits as her assigned liaison but last night her plans changed over dinner with the Hokage.
The gate came into view in the distance. He put more effort into his next leap, the rooftops would be ending shortly and he'd have to go on foot. When he got to the Hokage's office this morning he was mildly surprised Temari wasn't there but he wasn't alarmed until he heard Tsunade say, "Temari won't be joining us this morning. She's on her way to the gate right now."
"Suna?" Shika asked.
"No emergency, but our business is concluded." Tsunade looked up pointedly, "She had no reason to prolong her visit." Her words had fallen on Shikamaru's retreating back as he leapt from her window.
His feet hit the dusty road transitioning without losing speed, letting his arms trail behind him. His mind was clear, he had to find her. He couldn't see her ahead, but she couldn't be too far from village.
"Lazy ass, where are you going in such a hurry?" The voice can from behind him.
Shikamaru skidded in the dirt and pivoted 180 degrees towards her voice unable to resume his cool he launched himself at Temari wrapping his arms around her waist, bending to burrow his head in crook of her neck seeking contact with her flesh. His Temari, he almost missed her. This visit was her first after the war. He hadn't seen her for five months. For five months they had both been committed to the rebuilding of their countries with less shinobi to pitch in. For five months there had been no one to call him lazy ass, no one to motivate him, no one to be so beautiful it hurt.
She had been in Konoha for a merely a day. He spent his entire time with her trying to pretend things were the same. He guided her around the village as though she didn't know her way blindfolded. Mostly he ended up pointing out the rebuilding and modifications necessary since the invasion of Pein. They bickered in their way, in which she insulted him and he deliberately pissed her off more by not rising to the bait but it wasn't the same. Yesterday though he frequently found himself engaging her in their verbal sparring matches just to hear her voice. Her voice wasn't sweet, it strong and clear, womanly and powerful. He loved her voice, Kami he loved her.
He stood there hanging on, letting his heart come back to normal, breathing in her scent as the adrenaline rush eased out of his body. He pulled her tighter, relieved to have caught her, closely followed by dread that he had caught her. Slowly he the let reality seep in. He was holding Temari. He was in plain sight of anyone who cared to look holding onto Temari for dear life. How long had Temari let him cling like this? When he let go was she going to kill him this time with her tessen?
Finally he noticed Temari's arms were wrapped around him too. She wasn't pushing him away, she was clinging to him, on tiptoe reaching up and pulling him down.
As much as he wanted to rein it in and resume his trademark nonchalance he didn't stand a chance when she whispered his name, "Shika," then again "Shika." Each time revealing more emotion until she said with some alarm, "Shikamaru, are you...are you crying?"
Temari felt the wetness on her neck. The urge to return to familiar ground, teasing him about his tears was overwhelmed by the shivering in her tummy. Nara Shikamaru had feelings for her, deep feelings.
"Don't go Tema-chan. Don't leave like this," He pleaded in her ear.
"What do ya know, Gaara? Our sister has come to the gate to meet us." Kankuro's voice surprised them. Temari and Shikamaru jumped apart but did not quite separate as they came face to face with her siblings. She wound her fist in the back of Shikamaru's flak jacket. In the face of her brothers she held him making sure he wasn't going to get away now that they were finally getting somewhere. Her brothers' timing she feared, may have destroyed a moment that was as delicate as a bubble. She took heart from Shikamaru's arm firmly around her waist hoping it wasn't the tessen keeping it pinned there.
Kankuro continued, "Do you suppose this is why Temari couldn't wait for us to escort her?"
Temari blushed to her roots as Gaara answered, "It's not surprising though, is it? She's been trying to get back here to him for months. Brother, you and I will no longer have to play Shogi into the wee hours to help our sister sleep."
Kankuro was quick to join in,"We won't have every move picked apart with, "Nara would never leave himself so open", "Nara would have thought that through", and my favorite "I'm never going to beat him at Shogi if you don't step your game up." Kankuro roared with laughter watching Temari squirm.
Gaara turned a stern expression on his sister, "Temari, leaving as you did I could have declared you a missing nin and had you hunted down. The roads are still too dangerous for a young woman traveling alone, even a kunoichi like you. I will make an exception this time, especially as it is the last time I may do so."
"Nara-san," Gaara bowed deeply to a stunned Shikamaru, "You have my blessing to marry my sister."
Shikamaru bowed as deeply as the kazekage had, his mind bombarded him with a million thoughts about the uncertain state of things between him and Temari. Basically he had molested her in the street but rather than explain said molestation to her brothers he rose he simply saying, "Thank you Gaara-sama, I am honored."
The couple turned to follow her brothers to the Hokage's office. Shikamaru's arm trailed slowly from Temari's waist to link his hand into hers. She looked up at him smiling, "You know I wasn't leaving?"
"Oi woman, I figured that out for myself." His hand pushed at his brow as his mind raced. Tsunade had deliberately mislead him. His face was still wet from begging her not to go. He wiped quickly with his free hand.
She continued whispering, "See what you've gotten us into, genius. How are you going to get us out?"
"Get us out?" He repeated. He could have sworn for a moment she returned his feelings. She hugged him back. She had only hugged him once before when she expressed her condolences when Asuma died. She had embraced him and whispered in his ear, "I am so sorry for your loss. He was a great shinobi and a fine man. I know how much he meant to you." Her voice had emotion that time but it was completely different from her whispers of Shika today. She held him just at tight as he held her. "Get us out? I have no intention of doing so. The Kazekage's blessing is all I need to marry the woman who disobeyed orders in a rush to get to me."
Temari colored again, thinking 'thank you little brother.' She didn't know she had been so obvious pining for the jerk at her side, "Ass, I wasn't the one sobbing my heart out a moment ago. Besides you still have to ask me."
He halted his steps turning to face her, staring into her eyes. Temari stopped as well waiting for her impossible dream to come true. Aqua eyes met deep brown eyes in timeless moment, then he asked, "Is there a chance you will say no?"
She swept her eye lashes down to hide her eyes, "You'll have to ask me to find out."
Abruptly Shikamaru began walking again, "Then I would rather not. As I said, I already have the Kazekage's blessing. That is enough. You will do as you're told...woman."
"Shikamaru!" Temari's face flamed red again, not in embarrassment but a full rage beginning to bloom. Of all the men in the world she had to be in love with this arrogant ass. Her temper grew at his smile. It started as a smirk and grew to encompass his face, his lips pulled wide, his eyes crinkled he began to laugh at her before wrapping his arms fully around, her lifting her into the air.
"Kami, you're breathtaking when you're angry." He spun her around just once before settling her to her feet and he continued down until he had one knee on the ground. He took both her hands into his, "Temari, I love you and can't bear the thought of being separated from you. Will you take my name, bear my children, cook my meals, wash my clothes, warm my bed and nag me into an early grave. Temari will you be my wife?"
She ignored his litany of chauvinism, it was part and parcel of Nara, and frankly she loved every twisted part and lazy parcel. "Yes. Yes. Yes."
Across the street Neji felt genuine fear, realizing that if a lazy bum like Shikamaru was motivated enough to propose to a scary chick like Temari his own bachelor days were coming to a close. TenTen sighed at his side looking at the couple kiss in the street before she looked meaningfully at Neji. Mentally he began to calculate how much he could afford for a ring.