Hey guys :) This is just a super quick OneShot that I made. It was rushed and everything, so I'm sorry. Also I greatly apologize because the characters WILL seem OOC. If there are any mistakes, I am also sorry for that. Because I didn't re-read this at all. I'm a lazy human being, watcha gonna do?

"Darlin" (a ShikaTema fanfic )

Temari

It's been days and he's still locked up in there. And I hate to admit it, but I'm getting worried about him. She thought as she walked towards the Nara household.

About four days ago, Sarutobi Asuma died. About two days ago, Nara Shikamaru (the boy laze wonder) killed the very person who killed his beloved sensei. It didn't surprise Temari that he managed to defeat the two akatsukis. Shikamaru was a really good fighter. And a really good strategist. As much as she'd like to admit.

And just about yesterday, Temari heard all of these from her brother, Gaara. Temari had just arrived in Konoha this morning and had not had any rest since she arrived. She had to report to Tsunade what she was here for, using the fact that Gaara wanted to have a meeting with the Hokage soon. After that, she immediately went straight to the Nara's.

Honestly, she didn't know why she was going to do this. Temari had no importance to Shikamaru, or so she thought. She just had the urge to comfort him. No matter how troublesome it might seem.

She sighed as she finally saw the entrance to their house.

Ever since Shikamaru got home from the hospital after that mission, he stayed in the room where he and his father played shogi. All day and all night. He only went out to eat. And he slept there at most nights. Temari wondered what he even did there. Did he play shogi by himself all day? I wonder when was the last time he looked at the clouds.

Temari knocked and to her surprise it was Shikaku who opened the door. He gave her a small sad smile that reminded her so much of his son.

"Temari" he said, a tone of surprise (but it seemed as if he partially expected it). "Yoshino is in the kitchen, preparing lunch." He slid the door wider, "Please, come in."

Shikaku wasn't a man of many words, Temari knew. "Too lazy to speak" as Yoshino would say. "What brings you here?" Shikaku asked her, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Oh, I thought I'd pay Shikamaru a visit. It's been a long time since I've seen him." Temari says, smiling sheepishly.

"Why don't you get him out here for lunch then?" Shikaku simply says, with a knowing smile.

Temari held her hand up to the door, contemplating whether to knock or not.

She wasn't even sure whether he'd be okay with her here. Why am I even doing this? This is only going to worsen the rumor that me and the Crybaby are going out.

She wanted to chicken out. Using that as an excuse.

But she didn't. Simply because Subaku no Temari never chickened out.

Also, she was fairly sure Shikamaru had noticed her presence by now.

She softly knocked on the wood of the door. "Oi. Crybaby. You there?" she knew it was insensitive to be calling him that right now. But she figured if acted the same, things would be the same between them.

But there was no reply. She knew he was there though. She can feel his presence as much as he could feel her.

So she tried another approach. "Hey, Shika. It's been what? Three months? More or less? I—I just—wanted to see you. I heard about—" she hesitated. "What happened."

She gave herself a facepalm. She was not good at this. She sat down infront of the door and stared at what separated the both of them.

"I'm not good at this okay. I lost people I loved too. Heck, I almost lost Gaara. I won't say I understand you. But at least know that I've been there before. And I was doing the same thing that you are doing right now." She paused. But he still didn't make a sound. "But when I lost my parents, I remembered that there were two certain somebodies that are going through the same thing. I remembered that I needed to be the older one and take care of them."

She paused again, not knowing where the hell she was going with this.

"I don't know, what I'm doing right know, honestly. But I guess what I'm trying to say is—"

She took a deep breath. "I—I know it seems like a total drag. But you need to get back out here. Not just because it's almost lunch time—" she swore she heard him snort "—but also because your king needs you."

Temari had been the only person he told about protecting the king. They were both drunk. But Temari remembered it.

A silence passed over between them. "I also can't believe you're going to make me say this but, in these harsh times, you're probably the best strategist I've ever seen. No matter how much a lazy-ass and a crybaby you are. I know you want to follow the will of Sarutobi-sensei and I know you're trying. And I can't force you to come out here. But please, wipe your tears and put up your head. I—I just really wish you were happy instead. Because—"

She was cut short when she realized what she was going to say. But continued anyway.

"Because I miss you, okay? I know it's been three months. But—knowing that I won't be going back to the same Nara Shikamaru I know, it—it sucks. And there's nothing I can do about this because you're the only person who could pretty much do this. And all I can do is—" again she hesitated for the next words. But after a few breaths, she decided to continue. "I can't believe I'm going to say this" she muttered. "All I can do is, love you the best that I can."

Again a silence. She stood up. "Lunch is probably ready, so get out of there so that you could eat."

As she walked away, she suddenly heard something.

"So you're not staying?"

It was a whisper. The voice sounded as if it hasn't been used for days, and it probably really hasn't. but she knew the voice.

She turned around to see Shikamaru, with his arms crossed over his chest, looking away from her as if he were embarrassed.

"Do you want me to stay?" she asked him.

He shrugged, "You haven't really rest since you came here." He simply said walking towards his house.

Typical. He's already figured out everything.

Temari fell in step next to him and they walked in silence. Suddenly, Shikamaru grabbed Temari's hand, intertwining his with hers. She barely heard the next word that came out of his mouth.

"Stay."