A/N: Wow! To my dear readers, it's been so long since I last wrote something to be posted at and I believe my writing had been a little rusty. I'm sorry for the overlooked grammatical and structural mistakes in the story. I know, I'll brush it up, ne? Well, since I've just finished my studies and while waiting for a degree offer, I'll be spending most of the free times I have to write. I hope you guys enjoy this one. And, you don't need to think that it's a ShikaTema fic minna-san, because it IS.

Disclaimer : All the cast in Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I'm a nobody, trying to share enjoyable things with people all over the world, making new friends, and…I'll just let you read the story and shut myself up….eheh…

THESE FOOLISH THINGS

By ardenilia

SUMMARY: What foolish things you ask? Falling in love blindly is one of them of course. Because of this, Temari knew better not to ever trust any man again. Well, that is until Shikamaru came along and voluntary playing a role inside her life; from an 'enemy' to a friend and protector. Just when she thought the windows of her sealed heart will finally be opened once again, her past life and his supposed 'future' came to shatter their dreams and hopes together. AU fic. Modern settings.

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PROLOGUE

Tokyo, 2000

If she could turn back time, she'll do it without hesitation. She would most certainly undo the moment she bumped into him and his gang of 'hooligans' at the hallway, resulting in an attention-grabbing dispute between one of the campus's popular and most-swoon-after senior guy and a girl who no one knew, except for the lecturers. Well, more like she refused to be known by other students at the university. She prefer to be the on the low.

If she could turn back time, she would certainly undo the moment she accepted his apology after the hallway 'scene' and somehow found herself lost in those enchanting onyx colored eyes, low, deep husky voice and most importantly, the way he seriously and whole-heartedly showed that he wanted to get to know her better. Surpassing the senior and junior basis.

Maybe it was in the way he always made everything under his control, and he could do that by only using his menacing gaze but when they're alone together, his eyes would only bear the radiance of tenderness and love. Or maybe it's in the way he gave her his most genuine smile, on contrary to the fact that she heard from the college gossip-folks that he was a stoic man, the one who never have any emotions or feelings.

Despite all that, she felt special and proud, yeah, if that's the word to describe it. Proud to have someone that she could place at the very special spot inside her heart. It was the first time that she felt such things and for a girl who had spent her entire 21 years of life focusing on gaining more knowledge and working hard to make her father proud, falling in love was a new experience to her.

Although he's only a year older than she is, she always teased him saying that he acts much older than he looks. It seems like he's more matured than guys his age and maybe that was one of the qualities that she admired in him.

However, the turning point of her life happened on that one night in July of strolling along the seaside. It was 3 months before graduation. As the faintly chill breeze blew and the three quarter moon's beam enveloped the embracing, loving couple, he took her face in his hands, gently caressing the outlines of her cheeks. Heck, she still couldn't get the vision away from her mind; the vision of his devilishly good-looking face, the raven bangs protruding out from its mass, with the boyishly dazzling smile and his affectionate dreamy eyes. Damn him.

He bent down, his knees and legs planted firmly on the white sandy ground. His slightly rough, callused yet warm hands hold her cold ones in a firm grip. Her turquoise eyes looked at him quizzically, on the same time the wheels of her mind started to spin, trying to make out what surprise that he could possibly had in store for her tonight. She'd known him for over a year now and during those times she had grown used to the fact that he is a man who is full of surprises. There's always something for her to look forward to everyday.

"Temari…"

"Yeah?"

He took out a small velvet box from the pockets of his dark jeans and slowly opened it on the planes of his palm.

"Will you marry me?"

"Co…come a…again?"

Her question received a laugh from the dark-haired man in front of her. In response, he brushed his lips against her hands, before looking back at her.

"Will you be my wife?"

Boy, only god knows that she had the ultimate 'surprise' that night.

If she could turn back time, good Lord, she would've said NO. She should have said, 'It's too early, aren't we rushing things?' or 'I'm not sure about this. Besides, we haven't got any jobs yet' or something along the lines. If she did then all of this would never had happened. But, what would you expect from an intoxicated and madly in love woman?

"Oh YES! YES!" She jumped happily into his arms. Pure bliss evident on her blushing face.

"I'm glad" The platinum engagement ring had been slid onto her left ring finger; its embedded emerald stone glimmered under the moonlight. His thin lips nuzzled the top of her golden blonde hair, eliciting a small grateful sigh from the said girl.

"Oh God…"

"What's wrong Temari-chan?" He looked down at her.

"This is expensive, anata" She exclaimed, pushing her left hand to him. "You shouldn't waste a lot of money for the ring"

"Love, you don't have to worry about that. We promised that we'd share everything that we have, right? What's mine is yours."

"Demo…"

He looked at her amusingly, trying hard to suppress his laughter. "Whatever. I'm not sending the ring back"

"Fine, I give up…" She gave in to his persistence. "I hope your dad doesn't shoot you in the head when he gets your credit card receipt this month"

He shrugged his shoulder in ignorance. "He's got a lot of money to waste, he wouldn't mind. Besides, he couldn't 'murder' his successor to the business empire, he'll kill himself first if he ever dared to think of that. Or, I'll personally sees that he'll 'finish' himself off" He finished the sentence with a conceited sneer before he drowned her in a passionate kiss and a possessive embrace, as if marking her as his, besides trying to shut her off from displaying any comment. Her long, dainty fingers had long found their way to rest at his nape, just below his low ponytail. Temari had always known that she is a sucker for guys with long hair.

Back that time, in the midst of a cloudy mind and an amorous tryst, she should have listened to that voice deep within telling that she is making the biggest mistake of her life. But when one of his hands had tangled itself in her golden tresses, every inch of their bodies touching, his lips and his other hand went to administer things at places she never knew could make you writhe in ecstasy, she haphazardly chose to ignore every single thing that requires her rationality. When lust and love combined, they could deceive you of the awful truth, making you see the lies as the sweetest thing a pathetic human being could believe in.

Damn, she regretted it all. Because of that man, she carried the guilt and hate for the next six years. She swore that she would never fall in love with anyone ever again. One heartbreak is already enough. And this is what she promised to herself.

I'M GONNA LOCK AWAY MY HEART (AND THROW AWAY THE KEY)

- Billie Holiday -

I'm gonna lock my heart

And throw away the key

I'm wise to all those tricks you played on me

I'm gonna turn my back on love

Gonna snob the moon above

Seal all my windows up with tin

So the love bug can't get in

Park my romance right alone the curb

Hang a sign upon my heart

"Please don't disturb"

And if I never fall in love again

That's soon enough for me

I'm gonna lock my heart

And throw the key

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END OF PROLOGUE

A/N: Wheew…that was quite a long ride for me. I know you guys would say "what the heck? It's only three pages long. You've got to be kidding me" Well, I still need time to get myself back up into the writer's seat. Heheh…I probably keep you guys guessing who is the 'man' huh? He's still one of the casts in Naruto. But one thing you should know, he's not Shikamaru of course. He's going to be in the picture very soon. So, if you got any questions or comments, please do tell me in your review/PM. Take care, everyone.

P/S: If you realized, the main title of the story is one of Billie Holiday's song. I love her. She's a legend.

Love,

ardenilia