This is a two-shot that I wrote and absolutely adore with every fiber of my being. If that makes me a pathetic nerd, so be it.

Summary: Shikamaru is bothered by the noise coming from the apartment below him. Temari doesn't care that she's making his life loud. Love is sure to follow.

Disclaimer: I don't own Shikamaru or Temari. Masashi Kishimoto has all the fun...

"See you later, Shikamaru!" Naruto called as he ran to catch up with Choji and Kiba. It had been an interesting day for the four of us, filled with laughter and mischeif and all the fun that a mall food court can hold. But the day was over, and it was time for us to go our respective ways home.

Living with my parents had gotten to be a real drag, what with them planning a second honeymoon and all. It had gotten to be so bad that I couldn't walk into of a room without seeing them groping each other. So in desperation I rented an apartment, not knowing it was probably the single most important thing I had ever done.

I made my way up the steps quietly. The sun had just set and stars were twinkling up in the atmosphere. Not clouds, but still nice. A quick glance at my watch told me it was almost eight o'clock. I quickened my pace a bit. I didn't want to miss it.

I opened the door to my apartment. It made a soft creaking noise, but other than that no noises greeted me. A flick of the switch turned all the lights on in my small living room/ kitchen. I grabbed a cola from the fridge and threw my self down gracelessly on the sofa.

Right on time, music began to play loudly from the apartment directly below me. Though the songs were never the same, they were always old show tunes or sappy love songs. Like Singing in the Rain and that kind of stuff. And I could feel her dancing (it's a pretty crappy building).

Naturally, at first I found this a disturbance. I tried ignoring it, but finally it became too much for even me to bear. I trudged down the stairs to confront whoever was being so inconsiderate. I pounded on the door.

*FLASH BACK*

"Gimme a minute!" the occupant yelled. The music abruptly stopped and then there was a crash. "OW! DAMN IT!" A few more curses were uttered and then the door was flung wide.

"Can you keep your music to yourself?" I drawled as soon as the door opened. I immediately regretted it. Standing before me was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen in a pink bathrobe.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded, propping her fists on her hips.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm God," I replied sarcastically. Pointing up at the ceiling I continued, "I live upstairs."

"Haha, bastard," she growled. Her eyes narrowed as she took a step toward me. "I meant what's your name."

"Isn't it more polite to offer your own name first?"

"I don't like giving my name to strange men who come knocking at my door in the middle of the night while I'm in a bathrobe," she sneered. This chick was reminding me of someone…

"I assumed that was what the music was for," I retorted.

She cocked her head to the side in confusion. "What?" she asked. Mentally I shook my head. Why were all blondes stupid?

"I thought the music was to mask all the mysterious men who come here in the middle of the night," I answered innocently.

"Bastard!" she shrieked. She raised a fist, I assume to deck me, but then she took a deep breath. "My name is Temari," she said evenly, fist lowering slowly. "Who the hell are you?"

I smiled condescendingly. "Now we're getting somewhere," I said. "I'm Shikamaru Nara, and I live in the apartment right above you. I was hoping that you could try and keep your music to yourself."

Temari glared at me. On most people, I assume her glares would send them running from the room to hide in a bunker. She sort of sent off this 'I look at nerds and they lock themselves in their own lockers' bitchy vibe. I of course wasn't affected.

The fact that her robe seemed to be slipping was a different matter. Hello cleavage. "What are you looking at?" she demanded. Temari glanced down, then back at me in astonishment. Next thing I knew her fist and my jaw were getting acquainted.

I stood up from the ground before she could start hurting me more. "Look lady, all I want is your music turned down," I said as I wiped blood from my chin. I walked back to her door where she stood there fuming. "Is that really too much to ask?" I smiled my charming smile.

Temari smiled back. She stepped foreword into my space and put a hand on my chest. "You haven't lived here very long, have you Shikamaru?" she asked in a slightly seductive voice. I shook my head no. "Well, let's get something straight then," she said. Her hand was tracing random patterns lazily on my chest. Temari rocked up onto her tiptoes and put her mouth near my ear, "My music stays," she whispered. "Tenants come and go, but my music stays the same. Live with it, or move out."

And then suddenly I was face to face with her now closed door. I had figured it out. She reminded me of my mother.

*Not Flashback*

Of course, I've been in lo- intrigued by her ever since. We've had a few more encounters of the same nature and I even found out she goes to my highschool. An exchange student from Suna. How much more bothersome can it be?

But unfortunately I can't her out of my head. Everything I do seems to relate to her somehow. None of the guys have noticed because I usually appear spaced out anyway. But it seems I have no dignity left. I remember what my dad told me when I was four:

"Shikamaru, it's the curse of the men in our family to each marry a harpy of a woman. It's bothersome, but we can't help it. Women, Shikamaru. There's no comprehending them. You're going along in life, a happy bachelor, then BAM! An overbearing, yelling, plain out MEAN woman finds you. And you fall for her. Next thing you know, you're talking to your son about the enigma that is woman."

So I wrote her a love letter. Yes I, Shikamaru, wrote a love letter. A sappy, mushy gushy letter. Which with any luck will reduce her to a pile of goo and she'll run up here and throw herself into my arms.

I took the letter and taped it to some fishing line. Lowering it carefully off my back porch, I positioned it perfectly infront of her sliding glass door.

*In Temari's Apartment*

"Temari that's so romantic!" Ino giggled. "Shikamaru actually came down here?"

Temari rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to answer, but Sakura interrupted. "Temari, I don't think you understand," the pink hair girl squealed. "Shikamaru never bothers to do anything like that, but to do it three times? He likes you!"

"Ew!" Temari laughed. "He's so lazy, and infuriating, and… totally hot," she conceded hanging her head in mock shame. The others giggled. "He came down once with out a shirt on. I have to admit, it was a nice view."

Tenten nodded sagely. "I will give our friends of the opposite gender this: they do have nice bodies. Have you seen Neji topless? Girl, he is fiiiiine," she said appreciatively.

"My cousin? Tenten, what were you doing with Neji while his shirt was off?" Hinata demanded playfully.

Temari grinned and stood up while Tenten tried to splutter out an answer. She walked out of her bedroom to get another diet cola. It was nice to have the girls over. Suddenly, an idea hit her and she dashed back into her room.

"Any one up for some old show tunes and dancing?" Temari asked.

"You do this every night?" Ino asked as she panted for breath from her sprawled position on the couch. "How?"

Sakura nodded in agreement from beside Ino, too winded to speak. Tenten had favored the armchair while Hinata looked to be passed out on the floor. Temari on the other hand just smiled at her friends and kept swing dancing.

"How long do you do this for?" Tenten wheezed. She closed her eyes, fighting the nausea that comes from being too out of breath.

"Two hours?" Temari replied thoughtfully. "I never really time it. I turn the music on at eight and off sometime before eleven. It's the best workout I've ever seen, and it's fun. I can't believe you all are tired already." She twirled with her imaginary partner.

"Temari, who taught you to dance like this?" Hinata asked. She had almost regained her breath. "I know these steps because I have to, because of my family. Who is your family in Suna?"

Temari dipped herself back as she answered. "My mother taught me. My father was the Kazekage and now my brother Gaara is. It's just something we needed to know, and my mother loved it. She died when Gaara was born, but she was able to teach me to love it too before she died."

"Aww, that's so- what's that?" Ino asked, pointing out the window.

Sakura, who had her eyes closed, replied, "The word you are looking for is sweet, dumb-ass."

Ino slapped the pink haired girl upside the head. "No, the thing outside on the patio."

Temari walked over to the glass door and slid it open. There, seemingly suspended in mid air, was piece of paper folded like a letter. 'Temari' was written in an elegant script on the front. A dot of red wax sealed the missive. Temari reached out and grabbed it, tugging the fishing line free.

"What do we have here?" Tenten asked with a raised eyebrow as Temari closed the sliding door. "Is that a love letter?"

Temari blushed and walked quickly to the middle of the room. She sat down on the floor near the coffee table and broke the seal. Temari read it quickly then flung it down onto the table. Bringing her knees up to rest her forehead on, she hid her blushing face.

Sakura and Ino dove for the letter with Hinata and Tenten not far behind. They scanned the missive, and at the end they simultaneously went "Awwwwww!"

"Temari, what's wrong?" Hinata asked. She scurried around the table and wrapped her arm around a now sobbing Temari.

"Yeah Temari, that's the most romantic thing I've ever read!" Tenten squealed. "I didn't know Shikamaru had it in him!"

Temari looked up at the others, her tear-streaked face smiling. "He doesn't. It's an old song. And I think I might just have to fall in love with him."

*Back to Shikamaru*

It seemed my love letter didn't work. Here it is the next evening, and no answer. I know she got the letter, I saw her pull it in. But the fairer sex works in mysterious ways.

Right on cue, the music starts. A slow song, that's unusual. Maybe… Nah. It can't be a message. Just a random choice. Well, only one way to find out.

I leapt up from my recliner and strode out of the room with purpose. Down the steps I flew, in a mad rush to get to the woman I lo- happen to be slightly infatuated with.

I rapped the door with my knuckles. "It's open!" she yelled from the other side. "I'll be there in a second!"

I walked into the room quietly, shutting the door behind me. She obviously didn't realize it was me. I glanced around the room, which was basically identical to my own. Chair, table, and sofa. The shelves were lined with pictures of people. Most of them showed Temari with two guys, one all in black with purple face paint and the other a redhead, in the middle of the desert. Two of them, oddly enough, had Naruto in them. The kid really does know everyone.

"Sorry Tenten, here's your-" Temari began as she entered the room. She stopped dead in her tracks when she realized it was me. She was in nothing but the same pink bathrobe again. Her face heated up when she saw me.

I smirked. "Nice outfit," I remarked as I turned back to look at the pictures. I knew she was standing there awkwardly behind me. "How do you know Naruto?"

Temari relaxed a little. She walked over to the shelf and picked up the picture of Naruto and the redhead. "This is my little brother Gaara, the Kazekage," she said. "Naruto and him are really close. Naruto's guardian, Jiraya, travels for a living. When Naruto was little he would take him along on adventures for the summer. Naruto used to spend a month of every summer break with us. He was my first friend when I moved up here, and he helped me get this apartment."

I nodded. Leave it to Naruto to be the reason that I'm in this bothersome position. "I assume you got my letter?" I asked nonchalantly.

Temari stiffened beside me. "Yes, I did. Not very original," she scoffed as she walked to the middle of the room. A different song came on, still slow, and she began to slow dance alone.

I leaned up against the wall. "You appreciated it though," I pointed out.

Temari missed a step before saying quietly, "Yes, I did."

I watched her dance for a time. Knowing she was dancing and actually watching Temari dance were two different things. She was beautiful and graceful like liquid silver. Slow song after slow song I watched her dance, enjoying myself by simply seeing what was hidden to me before.

Finally, I could watch no longer. As she twirled back in, I caught her. We danced for a while until she finally asked, "Shikamaru, what are you doing?"

"Dancing of course," I replied. "Don't tell anyone though. I'll never hear the end of it." Kiba and Naruto would heckle me to an early grave about it.

"I meant what are you doing down here," Temari amended. "What did you come down here for?" She cocked her head to the side and awaited my answer.

I bent down quick as a snake and caught her lips in a quick kiss. I half-expected another bloody lip, but instead she pulled my face closer and kissed me. When she let me go I straightened back up and pulled her back into the dance. "That's what I came for," I answered boredly.

"Well if that's all," Temari laughed. "What brought all this on, anyway?"

"Oh, a family curse, a loud blond boy, my disturbing parents, and a pretty girl," I answered. I shook my head, half amazed, half exasperated. "What a drag."

"I better be the pretty girl," she growled.

I smiled down at her and gave her the answer the men in my family having been saying for generations. "Yes dear," I assured her. I knew that she'd be the one I would marry. Don't ask me how, but I knew.

"Good," Temari replied. She rested her head on my chest as we swayed lazily to the music. "Break my heart and I break your bones."

I just smiled and held her tighter.

If any one was wondering, the old song that Shikamaru used as a love note is Knock Three Times by Tony, Orlando and Dawn, which I don't own or make a profit off of.