I covered my left wrist thanks to the long sleeves of my dress. I stepped out of my room and closed my eyes thinking of the soul-mark on my wrist. Was he/she, perhaps, arrogant? That's what I think every time I think of the soul-mark engraved in me. What kind of phrase is 'I've always considered myself beyond human's abilities' for a first meeting? I brushed my fingertips over the material covering my skin before I opened my eyes once more and walked down the stairs.

"We're going to be late" I heard the voice of my best friend's cousin, Sasori.

"Shut up, Sasori. We're always late anyway." Replied the voice of my best friend, Gaara.

"Don't worry, I'm ready" My fluttered out of my throat once I stepped in front of the two redheads.

Both boys turn to look at me and smiled.

"You look beautiful" Gaara said while stretching his arm out for me to take. I gladly did so and stood at his side.

"Shall we go?"

I entered the ballroom gracefully with my wife at my side. I was not going to ruin this day just because I didn't want to be here. I looked around to the people dancing, chatting and eating. What was so interesting about events like this?

My wife yanked my arm so I could keep moving.

"Shikamaru, don't you think this is beautiful?" She asked me while looking up at the ceiling.

"It is" I said in a bored tone. Temari, my wife, glared at me before walking away to find our table. I sighed. Why did I marry her, again?

That's right, because I don't believe in this stupid 'soul-marks'. I clutched my right forearm where my mark was placed.

My wife, Temari, is not my soul-mate. I've always known this but I didn't cared. I thought it was stupid waiting around for a soul-mate that may never appeared, so I proposed to Temari with completely selfish motives. She, knowing that I wasn't her soul-mate and that she isn't mine, accepted. We've had our up and downs but we've somehow survived seven years of this.

Sometimes, though, I like to think how my soul-mate is like. What would drive them to say these words to me? 'That's a bit stupid, don't you think?' Are them a he or a she? But I lose those thoughts quickly, not wanting to get deeper than that.

"Shika, I've found it, let's go!" Temari came back to drag me to our table where three people were already sitting.

"Well, hello" I said to no one specifically. "Nara Shikamaru" I immediately introduced myself while sitting down besides my wife.

There were two redheads and a bluette, clearly younger than me. I eyed them each individually.

"I'm Gaara, this is my cousin, Sasori and that is my best friend, Hyuuga Hinata" The redhead with aquamarine eyes and a soul-mark 'Love' over his left eye said. I bowed to them before taking Temari's hand.

"This is my wife, Temari" The three said hello to her.

"You said you were Nara Shikamaru, like the lawyer?" The other redhead, Sasori, asked. I tried to hide a smirk.

"The same" apparently, I didn't hid my smirk so well because Gaara tilted his head to the side before asking.

"You take pride in setting free killers, rapists and the like?"

"It only means I'm good at my job. I've never failed and never will. If I'm good at something, why take shame?" All heads snapped to look at Hinata when she snorted. I let go of Temari's hand and folded my arms in front of my chest, my soul-mark in full view when my sleeves rolled upwards.

"I've always considered myself beyond human's abilities" I spoke for the first time directly to her and waited for a reaction. The girl stared at the table in shock but gripped her left wrist painfully before composing herself and looking straight into my eyes.

"That's a bit stupid, don't you think?"

Now I was the one in shock. I winced when my soul-mark started burning, my eyes looking down at my right arm.

'Those words' I thought 'The same words'

I looked up to see the girl, Hinata, doing the same with her left wrist, where obviously her soul-mark was.

Temari gasped and clamped a hand to her mouth when she realized what just happened.

"N-No" She stuttered out. Both redheads understood and their eyes opened wide.

"But, I thought your wife was your soul-mate" Gaara choked out. I rolled my eyes and drank from my cup of water.

"Clearly, she's not" Hinata stared at me curiously when Temari hit my arm and stood up quickly to leave the table.

'How troublesome'

If someone want to adopt this story, they can but only after talking to me and if I give you permission.

I know it's short, but I wanted it to be short. Now the mistakes, that wasn't planned. sorry.

Hope you liked it! If not, well, shame on me

~DM~