Title: Shadow Games... yes, cheesy, I know (sorry). How about this: insert suitable shadow/sand pun here...?
Pairings: Shikamaru x Temari/Temari x Shikamaru
Rating: M mainly for second chapter...
Spoilers: Takes place after time skip
Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any right to the Naruto series... Oh, but if I did!
Warning: Gets a bit saucy later on...
A/N: Firstly, many thanks to all who have reviewed my other pieces. Hmm... so this is my first piece with this pairing - it was originally meant to be a oneshot but despite the first half practically writing itself, the second half is being an arse to finish, so here it is as a two-chapter piece. Hopefully this should kick me into finishing it! I'm not completely happy with it but I'll let you decide... all feedback most welcome, thanks.
The sun had barely begun its slow ascent over the sleeping rooftops of Konoha as a lone figure lazily followed his scribbling footsteps toward the village gate. The dark haired nin found his way to a carefully chosen position, along the outer wall, and as daylight slipped into a reflective arc, he leaned into shadow and stone, beginning what promised to be a good morning for cloud-watching. The time certainly wouldn't pass inactive; even to those who misunderstood the intellectual stimulation of a good sky-view, Shikamaru was clearly very busy indeed – the knot in his brow unmistakably translated his heavy state of occupation.
Hn… so, Shikamaru, we've been over this. She is the Sand's ambassador… and you are the ambassador's guide. You're not in any mortal danger and you don't need to protect your friends… or yourself, for that matter, so there'll be no more quips about being rescued this time. Now if we can just steer clear of the whole crying incident… Che, it's not my problem if she wants to bring it up – clearly trying to be feminine is a pain in the ass for her… which just makes her a pain in the ass for me…
With the final leg of her journey ahead, the blonde kunoichi packed up her small camp, re-taming her golden hair, and dissolved into the trees before the birds began their song. She moved with the wind at her feet and the forest in her lungs, body led on by Suna business and mind chasing some of her own.
Heh… ambassador's guide is it? Remember the last time we saw each other? Hn… it'd be just like you to overanalyse that one. Still, if you think I might give you a hard time over it… you're damn right. But only because you love it. Heh, don't worry, I'll be plenty troublesome for you…
A smirk spread across Temari's face, quickened by the late morning glow as the day seeped full-fledged into every shadow, the forest clearing away to brush.
As the slowest cloud swept along, meeting the distant carpet of green that formed the horizon, Shikamaru lowered his gaze in grudging expectation. His timing was minute perfect and eased into a nonchalant smile, wryly tugging the corner of his mouth. Though the lazy grin remained, the chuunin's eyes widened suddenly as they dipped into view, all thought shaken from his head by those elements, which he had not accounted for: Temari danced across a sea of apple and ochre, sunlight playing in her hair and a simple waist of red the only distraction in the black, which seared every inch and angle of the outline of her frame into his retina. After a moment of scrambling, Shikamaru's mind found some logic to hook onto, attempting to re-establish immunity.
Che, let's face it, in this case more womanly can only mean more troublesome…
Temari relaxed her grip on the journey, allowing her light strides to carry her across the remaining distance and up to the ally now shuffling toward the open gate. At full height she was now the shorter of the two and angled her head to focus on those features, still so familiar, yet somehow firmer, wiser. Without hesitation, she attempted to compensate for the gap.
"So it's true they sent a boy to do a man's job, then?" she poked.
"Hn. Well, it's a pain but still less bother than thrashing it out with the old woman. She'd probably give me three months filing her paperwork if I said anything now."
"Hah, just don't cry on me this time, ok?"
"Che, try not to get yourself hurt then. Women in trouble are a real hassle."
Their eyes locked for the briefest moment. Trying to hold blood back from their cheeks, with the awkwardness of the chuunin's ancient moment of weakness dealt with and discarded, the sparring had begun. Shikamaru motioned in the direction of the village.
"Well, I suppose I'd better get you to the first meeting, ambassador."
Side by side, they passed through the gate and into the sunny streets beyond. Hands found their way into pockets, a welcome shelter from open fidgeting, each nin smirking as they stole glances between them, pushing silently for the chance to catch the other out. Almost before they knew it, the meeting was upon them.
The next two days passed in a succession of snipes and blushes, exchanged like currency – all a 'tiresome' and 'immature' necessity to their respective missions, of course. Yet neither commented on their behaviour until the third day. They had been over to the Hokage's office to pick up some papers and had walked in on Naruto's long awaited, and not unwelcome, return. Pleasantries shared, reunions made and missions set (the Godaime had reissued Naruto and Sakura with Kakashi's bell challenge), they left after Naruto and Sakura, initially drifting in the remainder of team seven's wake. There sat an awkward silence between the two as they walked, Temari bemused and irked at Naruto's complete failure to recognise her, Shikamaru refusing to draw breath until the unpredictable ninja ahead was well out of sight. No such luck Shikamaru's brain and body complained in silent unison as the blonde halted in his tracks and steamrollered his attention toward the two of them.
"So… are you two on a date or something, ne?"
Naruto's grinning eyes flicked between the two of them, translating something of jealousy and something of the time he spent with Jiraiya.
"Hah! You can drop the joke now – seriously, who'd want to date a guy like him?" Temari's face half sneer, half tease, refusing to allow either to take dominance.
"Che, it's a pain but once I got involved with the chuunin exams, they made me the Sand ambassador's guide," he finished with a resentful groan.
The small talk that followed was drowned beyond thought; despite the easiness that had grown between them, Shikamaru and Temari had made their mutual teasing public territory – and the official line. The affront only served to heighten the tension between them, provoking their need to prove something, into a thrilling, sour sensation, washing through the atmosphere. As usual, they retraced their steps through Konoha beneath the final throes of the dying light, until they reached the inn where Temari was staying and they would part ways. Shikamaru held up a hand, a short distance from the door beside Temari.
"Well, good evening, ambassador," he waved, "until tomorrow."
"Chuunin," she curtly replied, turning her back to him.
What? You think I'll let a woman like you put me in my place? "You know, it's troublesome, but as your guide I have to be polite and wave to the grand Sand ambassador… but you could at least have the decency to return the sentiment…"
A smirk tugged his mouth upwards as he raised his hand once more. Temari, still with the chuunin to her back, mirrored him.
"Let's try that again, shall we?" he imagined the fury on her face, "Good evening, ambassador."
The two of them waved in time.
"So you've got me in your little-boy-ninja game," she called back to him, hand still in the air and a smile on her lips, "the question is, what're you going to do now, ne?"
Shit… she sidestepped the obvious choice of ranting. That I could work with but this… Heh, if she wants to play dirty, then I'll just have to play dirty…
The shadow-user had time and space to his advantage, their evening escorts never having been interrupted since they'd begun a few nights previously. He reached his hands up behind his head until he was sure Temari had a firm grip on her hairbands. Starting with the lower pair, he released her hair and shook it loose, allowing it to curl and flick across her shoulders and back. Next he rested his palms flat against his shoulders, igniting the shadow that connected them into a tangible heat. He allowed the weight of his arms to slip down a little, his hands coming to rest with his fingers at the base of his throat. A single, visible shudder repeated in front of him, as he stroked his throat with a lone feather touch. Hands crept further down until he was sure the blonde ahead had hers full of breast. He circled his hands a little, watching the kunoichi's movements to orient himself. He held his breath to drink in her small gasp ushered in by his delicate pinching and stroking motions. Feeling braver, he led her hands in slowly tracing her figure, from the rise of her bosom, through the red curve of her waist and down over her smooth, black hips, resting his hands with heels on her hipbones and fingers spread across the crease of her thighs. Just a little further they thought as one and Temari's hand curved low between her legs, a mere inch from the heat of her thighs. With a flash of chakra, the jounin grabbed at her dress, nigh on scrunching a hole in the front, to the sound of a pale, whimpering howl. She turned the handle of the inn's side-door, looking back at the painful sight as she did so.
"You've got balls, I'll give you that," she called.
"Hn, or at least I did have, woman," he muttered.
"Until tomorrow, then. Goodnight!" she finished, flashing a wave and a smile as she disappeared into her lodgings.
Aargh, that was a real pain… but look who got a wave. All this for just a wave? And my pride as a man of course… che, where did that go again? I'm not sure but I think that was a moral victory... Round one: Shikamaru…?
Sooo... the next chapter will finish this little tale... please let me know what you think!