That night, it was raining,
The Konoha civilians were all inside their homes. Couples, hugging each other, half to give some warmth, and the other half, for selfish reasons, such as love.
Rain was pouring down on her, water drops sliding trough her fingers, like bugs.
The small kid she was carrying buried her face into Temari's neck, searching for
warmth.
"I'm so sorry I forgot to bring an umbrella Aiko..." mumbled Temari, covering her with her body.
The small child nodded "it's okay mommy, we can handle it, right?
Temari was pissed. They were almost at the hotel. The umbrella thing, it was her fault after all. She hadn't been in Konoha since the last chunin exams, she almost forgot there was rain.
She hugged her daughter stronger. Aiko was almost five years old, Temari was so proud of her. Everybody talked about her kid nowadays, "the sand genius" "the only one outstanding" "the promising offspring of the sand princess" the ladies in the market said.
Then they'd add: "it's a shame that their parents have that kind of relationship" and hid when they thought Temari had heard them. It was truly frustrating to her.
"Why do I have to be the one to slow her down?," Temari had asked herself often, a long time ago "why do my choices affect her life?," but she knew why. It was his daughter after all. She couldn't keep whining about that fact, so she stopped thinking about it long ago too. Had tried to.
"Your father, Aiko, he is a great man," said Temari, they were even near the hotel now.
"I know mom, that's why we love him, right?" said the child happily
Temari thought about it, about the feelings she had for her husband.
He really was a good man: "deserving of you" her brother had said, after all.
He was smart, strong, nice and caring, everything she could ask for, but his husband was not "him". It was no longer about what "he" made her feel, the butterflies, the blushing, that was long forgotten. It was "just the way he was", it was just "him whom she couldn't replace". "The heavenly him she couldn't forget".
He slowly became a part of her and after all these 14 years, Temari understood.
After all these years of unspoken promises, unspoken conversations, unspoken confessions did she really understand what he meant to her, and tears fell from her face, mixing with the cold piercing rain. That eating hole inside her chest grew wider, and started eating everything, anything, and nothing at the same time.
It was too late for them now.
He probably loves someone else now, he probably didn't even remember her. She heard he got married, and already had some kids. They all said his wife was nice, beautiful, and a decent ninja too. It's been so long since they talked, Temari and Shikamaru, just them.
But maybe he understood, just like her. Maybe he remembered all of their unspoken promises, unspoken conversations, and confessions. Maybe she was a part of him too, maybe she was just "her whom he couldn't replace", maybe he had an eating hole inside his chest, and maybe he also realized how late they were. He probably also realized she was the same way, maybe he would come and they would elope together.
"No..." she thought to herself "don't be childish, don't make yourself think about this... it's already so late..."
They were almost there, Temari could see the hotel already. Aiko sneezed, and Temari cursed. They bumped into someone. Temari felt feverish, she apologized and continued walking. At some point, she stopped feeling the rain on them and looked up. And he was there, as heavenly she remembered him, as unforgettable as she remembered him, as unreplaceable as he had always been, holding an umbrella.
"A ninja must always be aware of his sorroundings," he said, pointing to the umbrella he was holding.
She nodded, for the first time, she agreed. Temari cursed under her teeth
"I'll walk you to your hotel"
Temari nodded. Aiko looked with curiosity the man walking beside her mom. He had
sharp, but gentle eyes, and brown hair.
They looked alike. Not in the twin way, though, they just had coincidental features. The same elegant, bird-like nose, the same straight, dark hair. The same glint in the eyes.
Aiko extended her hand to the man, and he looked at her in surprise.
"You are different..." mumbled the little kid. Temari smiled at her daughter.
Shikamaru then smirked and took the child's hand into his. "You are a really bright little kid. I couldn't expect less from Temari's daughter"
Aiko flashed a smile.
They were at the hotel's big, elegant gate.
"We're gonna get sick! I can feel it!" sang the little girl "put me down mom! put me down, put me down, put me down!"
Temari let her down, and the kid ran inside the hotel.
They looked at each other's eyes
"Temari, that could have been our child..."
"I know..."
"That couple we saw on the way could have been us..."
"I know..."
"I could have been that girl's father..."
"I know, but you know too..."
"I understand..."
"I should probably go inside..." She smiled at him, apologetic.
"And I have to go..."
An awkward silence filled the air around them.
"Goodbye Shikamaru"
"Goodbye"
They were to go on opposite directions but looked at each other in the eye one last time, and one last time they had a spark, and one last time they had unspoken conversations, confessions, and promises. This time, for the last time in both their lives.
"Let's not make it harder…"
"There's no way to make it easier..."
"We cannot forget..."
"I know..."
"In another life we..."
"I know"
"You know?"
"I understand"
He threw his free hand as an uninterested salute, as if he knew she would look at him go.
She walked swiftly inside the hotel and followed her daughter up the room. She walked into her room carelessly, looking out the window in an unaffected manner.
The rain had stopped, but there was a man who walked down the street carrying an umbrella. Temari stared at him until he disappeared at the end of the street.
Looking at her daughter, who was changing clothes at the moment, she mumbled at her "Aiko, your father, is really a great man..."
"Understand what?"
"We are so late..."