Love

Shikamaru and Temari were standing in training grounds with nothing to do. Temari's meetings and ambassador crap had been finished about an hour ago and Shikamaru wasn't meeting his team until three hours later. Temari sighed and slammed her fan into the ground, "I'm BORED!" she complained loudly.

Shikamaru grumbled and rubbed his ears, "Stop being so loud troublesome woman."

Temari scowled, "There's nothing to do!"

Shikamaru lay down on the grass with a sigh, "Then sleep."

Temari yanked her fan out of the ground and hit Shikamaru on the head with it. "That's your hobby you baka, not mine!"

Shikamaru rubbed his head, "Are you trying to kill my brain cells troublesome woman?"

Temari rolled her eyes, "You have a few to spare."

Shikamaru looked up at her in surprise, "From most people, that would be a compliment," Temari blushed slightly and angrily turned her head away, "From you, it's the closest to a compliment you'll ever give me so thank you."

Temari snorted and tapped Shikamaru's shoulder with the iron fan, "Don't get use to it."

Shikamaru snorted and put his arms behind his head, "I won't, just lie down and relax for a minute will you?" he complained.

Temari looked at him suspiciously before hesitantly putting her fan down and lying down next to him. "This isn't that bad," she mumbled hesitantly. She looked at the sky before looking back at him, "Want to talk about anything?"

Shikamaru looked at her as if she had grown horns out of her head, "Why would I do that?"

Temari huffed and turned her face away angrily, "I'm just bored, I don't really want to talk to you lazy ass."

Shikamaru shrugged, as best as you could while lying down anyway, and spoke, "What do you think on love?"

Temari snorted, "It's a pathetic, weak emotion that gives you everything than rips it away to give you pain. It's also a pain in the ass," she stated blandly.

Shikamaru looked at her in surprise, "You don't believe in love?"

Temari rolled her eyes, "Look," she demanded, rolling over to see him, "I was never loved, my mom died, my dad didn't give a shit, my brother believes the same thing I do, and my other brother had never been loved, he was hated in fact," she growled, "It doesn't exactly give you the greatest opinion on love."

Shikamaru looked at her thoughtfully before standing up and dusting of his pants. "Are you getting up? I think we have another meeting in a few minutes," he stated calmly.

Temari stood up and picked up her fan, "Great, another meeting. Just what I need to relax," she muttered sarcastically.

Shikamaru yawned, "I need to go visit Kurenai-sensei after your meeting, do you want me to drop you off at home first?"

Temari shrugged, "Kurenai is alright, I just go with you."

Shikamaru nodded and they both slowly walked to the Hokage mansion for another monotonous, boring, annoying meeting.

Shikamaru looked somewhat happy as he walked next to Temari to the graveyard. Temari stopped when she noticed their direction of travel. "I thought you said we were visiting Kurenai," she said with a cocked eyebrow.

Shikamaru glanced at her lazily, "Kurenai-sensei is at the graveyard, she goes there every night to talk to Asuma-sensei."

Temari stopped and blushed slightly, "Oh….. right." She followed Shikamaru to the graveyard and stood at a slight distance as Shikamaru talked with Kurenai.

"How's the baby?" were the first words out of Shikamaru's mouth.

Kurenai whipped around and looked at Shikamaru with a slightly exasperated expression, "You don't have to check up on me every day you know, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru shrugged and walked forward until he stood in front of the gravestone, "Asuma-sensei would throw a fit if I didn't," he muttered. "It's troublesome, but how do you argue with a stone?"

Kurenai laughed, "I'll take that as a compliment, Shikamaru," she said with a smile, "After all, you're saying that I'm worth the trouble aren't you?"

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head ruefully, "Never mind," he muttered, embarrassed. Kurenai waved and smiled while he walked back until he stood in front of Temari, "Let's go troublesome woman," he grumbled.

Temari glanced at him then turned to stare at Kurenai. Now that Shikamaru wasn't looking, Kurenai stood in front of the gravestone with tears gently trailing down her face. "It must be hard," she whispered, "To be in love."

Shikamaru looked at her quickly before turning back to look at Kurenai, "She'll always love him."

Temari laughed, "Always isn't very long for a ninja," she said dryly.

Shikamaru lifted the corner of his lips just a little, "Too true."

Temari looked at Kurenai with something akin to pity or compassion in her eyes, "Love is unconditional," she whispered, almost to herself.

Shikamaru looked at her in surprise, "So it is, do you believe it?"

Temari laughed sardonically, "I do believe it, that's why I don't like it."

Shikamaru looked at her closely as they started walking, "What do you mean?"

"Falling in love……. Love is unconditional……. Those are quotes you hear a lot. Nobody bothers mentioning the dark side of the whole love deal." She scowled and kicked at a random pebble that got in her way, "It's always happily ever after, they never mention that you get your heart crushed, beaten, and stomped on before you actually manage to mend it in some way."

Shikamaru looked at her with a frown, "What are you getting at?"

Temari tossed her head, "Love is unconditional, sure, but that's also why it hurts so much. You give your whole heart to someone without thinking whether or not he'll care for it."

Shikamaru looked at her closely, "Has no one ever told you that they love you?"

Temari looked at him as if he was an idiot, "My brothers, but I meant a love beyond family."

Shikamaru looked at her expression, "Nobody ever told you that you were beautiful, that they loved you other than family?"

Temari shook her head, "Some drunk once told me I was hot…… but Gaara and Kankuro kicked his ass before giving me the pieces to rip apart…….. and whenever someone tells me that they love me, it's because they want to be in the Kazekage's favor or get higher in rank," she brushed back her bangs to hide her eyes, "Assholes…."

Shikamaru stopped and looked at her in the eye, "Well, you are beautiful," he commented as if he was talking about the weather, "And I'm sure some guy will tell you that he loves you sooner or later."

Temari stared at him in shock, "Okay, who are you and where the hell is the lazy ass that I try to kill every day?"

Shikamaru waved his hand around vaguely, "Taking a vacation."

Temari laughed and punched his shoulder, "Thanks Shika."

Shikamaru sighed in annoyance, "Stop calling me Shika will you?"

Temari laughed, "Awwww, do you want me to call you Shika-kun?" she said teasingly.

Shikamaru blushed slightly and grumbled, "Sheesh, you're not going to get a guy that way."

Temari snorted, "I don't want to get a guy if I can't be myself."

Shikamaru smirked and quickly gave her kiss, "If you weren't being yourself I would think that you got a disease," he said before turning and running home.

Temari stared at him in shock, "What the……. OI!" she yelled when she realized he ditched her. Cursing under her breathe, Temari chased him back to his house. She smiled slightly, So I'm beautiful ay? Seems there's some aspects of love that doesn't hurt……