Just a Phase
#70 Carnation (stripped): 'Sorry, I can't be with you.'
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
"What are you doing here?" Temari asked, one hand on her hip, the other on the door.
Shikamaru inwardly cringed at the irritation in both her face and her voice. What had he been thinking coming here at nearly midnight? Frowning, he absently fingered the flower behind his back, "I'm sorry - about waking you up. I was just passing by and I thought of you so...I came up."
Temari blinked, "You were just passing by?" The irritation had been replaced by disbelief. "Listen Nara - you better have a really good reason for being here right now and 'I was just passing by' is not one."
Shikamaru's frown deepened - he had forgotten how intimidating she could be, "Alright, alright, that was a lie. I really came here...because I wanted to see you," he responded, his last few words slow and halting as if each word was being forced out of him.
Temari raised an eyebrow, interest peaked - it wasn't often that she got to see Shikamaru looking so unsettled, granted, it was only mildly so since Shikamaru never seemed to fully experience any emotion. "Why?"
He shrugged, his eyes anywhere but on her, his embarrassment obvious.
Temari considered him silently for a few minutes, curiously observing his growing discomfort. Finally though she spoke, "Well, now you've seen me. Good night."
Shikamaru looked up just in time to get a glimpse of her before the door closed. He blinked, staring in something akin to disbelief at the door, wondering if (and trying very hard not to hope that) it would open again.
It didn't.
Sighing, he brought his hand forward and looked down at the flower in it. He had picked it along the way, intending to use it to curry her favour and hopefully stop her from walloping him for disturbing her at this late hour but as soon as the door (the same one he was still standing in front of) opened and she came into view, he forgot all about it.
In a sudden fit of irritation, he closed his hand around the carnation and pulled off all of the petals, dropping them (petals and stalk) to the floor. Then he turned and started down the hall, deciding then and there to suppress any thoughts of her that arose ever again in an effort to avoid any more embarrassing moments like this one.
Temari didn't move until she could no longer hear his slow, shuffling footsteps, then she turned and leaned against the door, replaying the whole exchange in her head.
"I really came here because I wanted to see you."
She shut her eyes tightly as his embarrassed face appeared in front of them, shaking her head to remove the image.
'It's best to nip this in the bud,' she thought, 'nothing good will come of it.' And yet, she still turned around and opened the door again, long after he'd gone, glancing up and down the empty hallway.
Her eyes were immediately drawn to the flower scattered in front of her door. She bent over and scooped it up, sighing as she touched the detached petals. Then she raised her head and looked down the hallway, staring for a long time at the empty space, thinking, thinking.
Finally, she retreated into her apartment and closed the door, reminding herself that there was no reason she should feel guilty because really, she was doing the right thing.