So, a day later, I'm already posting another chapter. Define sleep and having a social life? Just letting everyone know, I definitely have friends, they're all still in the process of taking their finals. So I'm all lonely and such.

The first half of this chapter seems like filler but it's actually setting up for later chapters.

I also wanted to inform everyone that I will be labeling the later chapters that are lemons and smut, just so, if you're a sensitive susan, you can skip over all that nasty. Okay here's chapter 2, leggooo.

Sleep came to her just as quickly as the sunrise did and Temari felt it in the stiffness of her limbs. She stretched and grunted, the protest her body placed against her in the morning was not her best friend, but she was reminded with the knowledge that she was, technically, given a vacation by Tsunade. If anything, she should be appreciative for that. Temari had quickly placed her brief encounter with Shikamaru out of her head as she showered and dressed herself formally for the day. She had nothing arranged, but felt that the morning would take her on some adventure. Temari left her temporary home and ambled through the streets of the village, watching children play in the streets as their mothers made purchases in shop after shop. The sun felt fresh on her skin after she had traversed so far under the grim of gray clouds. The white clouds seemed too plush; they appeared almost as if they were painted onto the deep blue summer canvas that stretched before her. She stared blankly into the sky for a moment or two before ducking down a side street.

The smell of freshly cooked meals filled the warm air of Konahagakure's neighborhoods, where clothes hung from the eaves of houses and the humming of house wives resonated through Temari's ears. Konaha had returned to being that village that she remembered, close friends and closer families. It's almost as if they had forgotten the devastating damage and tragedies that had struck almost three years ago, but she was almost positive that they hadn't. It was impossible, but they were trying with exuberant effort to move forward. The families that walked in her direction all smiled widely and she did in return, even the ones that she had never seen before. It was just as impossible to ignore the feeling of being at home here. She would remind herself of how to get to this small section of town later. It was high noon and just as Temari planned on finding a venue to eat, she heard her name being shouted from a near mile away.

"Temari-chan!" Temari looked towards a two-bunned brunette just as she crashed into her with a powerful hug.

"Tenten!" She managed to reply as her friend let go of her, rubbing her aching sides. "It's been so long, I can't believe I let so much time get away from us without coming to see you!"

"I could say the same thing to myself. How have you been? God, you have to tell me everything you've been up to! We should talk about it over lunch!" Tenten rubbed her stomach just as Temari's growled, giving them enough cause to let out bursts of girlish laughter. Wiping away her welcomed tears, she noticed Neji standing just behind Tenten, looking as stoic as she had remembered. Although a lot had changed, in the same way, nothing had. Temari smiled at Neji who nodded towards her in return.

"Hello, Temari. I'm glad you're well." He said, seeming genuine in his regards, and Temari accepted them gratefully.

"Oh common, we've been friends long enough. Enough of that" She said, pulling him into a brief hug. To her surprise, he returned it without hesitation.

"Wow, human contact, how do you do it? Doesn't it hurt?" Temari teased him with a soft smack on his arm and, to her surprise yet again, he smirked at her sarcasm.

"I've trained him well. I'm a fantastic teacher, if I do say so myself." Tenten chimed in, crossing her arms in front of her chest, raising her head high with pride.

"I've had better." Neji chided.

Temari snorted in laughter, Tenten followed suit until they gripped their sides. It felt so fantastic to finally feel normal again, if just for a moment.

"We should go get some noodles before the lunch rush hits." Tenten smiled, her hand slipping into Neji's and she looked toward Temari, throwing her a quick wink. It was about time, the sand nin thought.

- x -

Each bowl was filled to the brim with the most delicious looking noodles she had ever seen so that the mere sight and smell made Temari's stomach growl again. The two kunoichis dove into their food while Neji ate slowly and with purpose. Certain things really never change. Between bites, the trio exchanged the less depressing stories from their experiences at war. Some were funny, looking back, and knowing that the memories would not always be there to plague her forced a relieving sigh out of her lungs. Neji and Tenten spoke of their missions together, Tenten expressing every last detail while Neji expressed only the mandatory.

"I'm so glad you're here, Temari! It's been such a relief to be able to talk about this stuff with people who aren't too scarred from just being there." Tenten said, joy flowing over her every expression. Neji frowned, though Tenten didn't seem to notice. Even frowning, Temari had to admit that he was handsome. Tenten was lucky to have him, she mused silently.

"I am too, to be honest. I'm glad that I've finally gotten time to relax. Even though there aren't many battles to be had lately, it's still the constant travel that wears me down." Temari admitted, leaning back in her seat.

"I'm sure." Neji mumbled, still frowning. Temari knew that he was remembering too much and was unsure of whether to pull him out of it his thoughts or let him fight through it as he must. For some reason, she was so detached from emotions that tending to others was no longer her forte. Tenten took notice this time and she took his hand in hers beneath the table. The flush that covered Neji's face lifted quickly at her touch and a smile tugged at his lips. He needed reassurance, that was all, and Tenten was overflowing with every positive emotion imaginable. And Neji was lucky to have her.

"How long are you here for?" Tenten chimed, trying to change the direction of the conversation abruptly. Temari obliged.

"I'm not entirely sure. Tsunade hasn't really given me an end date to my stay. She even gave me a key to one of the apartments until then. I'm expecting at least a week." Temari said, startled at her sudden formality but brushed it off quickly. "Maybe more, but it's great to have an official vacation with nothing to do."

"That's great! We've been back from our latest mission for well over two weeks and Tsunade hasn't even contacted us to brief for another." Tenten spoke with an excitement that nearly belied how bright her face was. It seemed impossible for her to not have an extended amount of raw energy. A constant fireball, that girl, and definitely a student of Gai. Temari smiled at her genuineness.

"She's asking for many of the shinobi to stay in Konaha until the three-day festival is over. She spoke to Hiashi the other day and expressed her worries that there would be an attack on the village by some remaining rogue Akatsuki. There will be masses of people from surrounding villages, if they wanted to do more damage to Konaha, it would be the prime hour for it." Neji stated flatly, as if he wasn't worried of another battle.

"Then why have the festival at all? Wouldn't that be too much of a risk for everyone to take?" Temari questioned him, her concern seemed to overwhelm her.

"Because the village needsthis. We've all dealt with so much destruction and many families lost sons and daughters, mothers and fathers.. The festival is typically not for another several months, to celebrate the new year, but Tsunade wants to celebrate a new age." Tenten spoke softly, a sudden change in her voice reminded Temari everything hit her so close to home. Literally and figuratively.

"A new era of security and safety. There may not be peace nor will there be constant protection from the chaos that follows shinobis, but this village will be damned if they let one more thing destroy their lives." Neji interrupted, speaking with confidence that he would be one of those men that would fight to the death to defend his family and friends. Tenten's face brightened just looking at him. The visiting kunoichi suddenly understood why Tenten felt so strongly for him, he was much more protective and caring than he let on. That was something that she knew her energetic friend needed from love. Temari's heart swelled in a way that she would never admit, but Tenten's happiness was almost necessary to her own. She could also safely admit that, other than her brothers, she was her best friend.

- x -

They had all continued walking around the village for quite some time sharing laughs and stories from childhood, looking inside shops, and passed the time showing Temari how the village rebuilt. The afternoon had slipped past them all and trailed into the early evening. The clouds that had once littered the blue sky were now contrasting lavender with the orange of the setting sun. The warmth of the day was stolen from the air and replaced with a breeze that sent bumps across their skins, but their laughter warmed their cheeks enough that there wasn't a care in the world.
Though, the day had to end at some point and Tenten and Neji regretted that they had to return to the Hyuuga compound for dinner before late evening fell over the village. The sun was already casting their shadows long against the road they stood in for a while before finally exchanging hugs and the promise that they would see each other again before the festival.

"It's only in a week, you know! You should, you know, find a date." Tenten winked and nudged her friend with her suggestion. Neji's eyebrows rose at his little companion's abrasiveness, though emotion never passed against his white eyes.

"Tenten, please." Neji chastised her, frowning at her pushiness. "And we really should be leaving. Temari, it has been great to catch up with you. Do keep in touch."

"Ah, alright. We really do have to leave. Someone's impatient." Tenten stuck her tongue out at Neji, who pretended to be offended and turned his back to her. "Please stay in touch and don't be afraid to stop by the compound or my apartment at any point. I'd love to have a friend to go to lunch with while he's busy." They squeezed each other again, and parted ways into the impending night.

- x -

Littered with lanterns of the upcoming festival, Konaha ignited with bright colors of reds, oranges and yellows that contrasted beautifully against the deep blue and lavender sky. Temari remembered the curfew that was now held in the village and suddenly became more aware that she was the only one in the street. Shades were drawn, doors were shut and the giggles of children soon faded into the chirping of crickets and the hum of summer cicadas. The solitude was bizarre, so she tried to make her way back home as quickly as she could, but knew that the shinobi that were in charge of the night watch were following her. She could feel their eyes in her back, burning white hot, watching her every step.
As she led herself further and further away from the center of the city and towards the small, suburb-like areas of outer Konaha, Temari could see a speck of light that flickered on and off in the distance, held by a snapping hand. She made a few paces into the clearing only to find herself overwhelmed with its beauty. Tall trees reached for the sky, as if trying to shake hands with the stars. Their leaves danced independently with the evening breeze, a dance she could never quite find the beat to. Temari grasped at one of the leaves, but it just nearly escaped her fingertips and continued to dance with joyous freedom. She noticed the shinobi that was responsible for the speck of light was Shikamaru, and he was staring at her intently; She stared back at him with an uncertain amount of silent communication passing between them. She let a hiss of air pass through her lips before she spoke.

"I didn't mean to tread on any sensitive subject with you." She paused, waiting for his response. But he remained silent and motionless, back still flat on the grass. Still staring at her. Or through her. Temari was unsure. "I know that I'm not the only-" Shikamaru raised his hand to stop her, letting it fall back to his side with a thump.

"When I told you that, it wasn't to make you feel guilty for hurting the way you do. Some people find comfort in knowing that they aren't the only ones who are so damaged. And I didn't say it to tell you to find comfort in the fact either. I told you what I wanted to hear, not what you needed to." His voice was rough with an apology that seemed to clear and concise to have not been rehearsed at least a dozen times. Shikamaru was and remains as brilliant and tactical as the day she met him, and expected nothing less from him, especially when it came to speaking. But Temari heard the slightest hint of empathy in his voice. He was not one for empathy almost as much as he wasn't one for flippantness.

"What are you doing here?" She smiled and lied down next to him. Shikamaru resigned his rigidity and replaced it with a smile too, silently understanding her acceptance of his words. She watched as every muscle in his body relaxed, sinking deep into the grass. Temari discovered that she was unsure of many things tonight, all revolving around this puzzling boy, but too discovered comfort knowing that she made himnervous. The thought was almost endearing.

"Waiting, I guess." He shrugged, his head fell to the side to look at her. His normal, stern gaze softened to a hazy guise and he squeezed his eyes shut to rid himself of it, but when she turned to look at him, he felt his heart pound. Mentally, Shikamaru scolded himself for letting such a bossy, rude woman make him feel like he was some sort of teenage girl. He, too, prayed that she couldn't hear it, but he was nearly deafened by the blood surging through his ears. He was sure he was blushing, so he looked

"For me?" The blonde's forehead wrinkled when she looked at him questioningly, her eyes glistened under the rising moonlight.

"No, don't flatter yourself." He replied harshly, trying to regain some semblance of control and admitted, "I'm not sure what I'm waiting for." Shikamaru rubbed his forehead with a clenched fist, finally feeling his body return to a form of normality, one that he accepted with gratitude.

"Sounds boring to me." She mused, ignoring his sudden hostility and closed her eyes.

"Why would you close your eyes? You're missing all of it." Shikamaru pushed her arm until she finally opened her green eyes.

"Missing what? The consciousness of being lazy? I can enjoy being as lazy as you when I sleep." She mumbled, rolling onto her side.

"This. The night sky. Common, though, we can walk somewhere if you want, since you're insisting that this is too boring for you to waste your time on." He pushed himself of the ground and onto his feet in one swift motion, and then reached his hand down for hers. Temari extended for him, but hesitated with her fingers only inches from his. She looked up to him and he reassured her with a soft, lazy smile. Temari felt her heart flutter, if only for a second, but she pushed the troubling feeling to the side. There was no reason to feel this way.

- x -

"Are we allowed to be walking around this late at night? What about the curfew?" Temari inquired. They had long since reached the streets and the clearing that they had lied in was now melting against the shaded horizon.

"Calm down, woman. I can be out because I'm one of the shinobi that enforces it. And if anyone asks, I'm just escorting you home after a meeting with the Hokage. Or is that not good enough for you?" Shikamaru huffed, shoving his hands into his pockets. His false anger faded quickly the second that Temari gave him a dirty look. He couldn't help himself and belted out a long laugh. "You take things way too seriously, you know."

"I do not!" She shouted, frowning. If he was asking for an argument, she sure as Hell would give him a battle.

"That was a test and you failed miserably. You definitely take things too seriously." He joked, but his smile faded and his steps halted.

"That's a ridiculous test! And, for the record, I was entirely content with staying-" She let her words hang in the air for a moment, though those words were falling into silence. She turned to find Shikamaru staring at a stone wall and open gates that towered high above the rest of the surrounding buildings. Vines sprawled against the stoned cracks in the walls, bearing brightly colored ivy leaves. His body looked rigid, enough so that if she just reached out and touched him, he would shatter. Temari's face flushed before returning to his side to stare at the wall as well. She noticed through the gates were stone after stone and fresh grave after fresh grave. She sucked in a quick breath of air; her heart sank into her stomach, leaving her with a nauseating feeling of unwavering guilt and sadness. But Shikamaru walked towards the gates and into the cemetery. Temari remained, unsure if she should follow him or not, but knew that he needed her without reason, whether he knew it or not.
She followed a few meters behind him, her footsteps mimicking his, slow and precise, before he stopped in front of one grave. He could not move his gaze to meet the stone that was just at his feet, instead, he stared straight ahead at the graves that stretched before him. Temari knew that he must have made the same steps many times, remembering each blade of grass that stood between him and his father's grave. His burial, too, was recent. But life continued to exist and thrive. Her lips trembled on the words she could not say, and her hands trembled on the distance they could not pass through to hold Shikamaru before he broke.

"I told you it wasn't fair." Shikamaru whispered, slowly kneeling in front of the grave. Something within Temari pushed her to stand behind him and watch him pull little pieces of grass out of the ground. She knew that his father was watching over him, too. But she didn't find that comforting, and she knew that Shikamaru didn't either. He was right, it wasn't fair. None of this was fair. But before she could speak, she looked to see Shikamaru trembling with his face in his hands, his forehead pressed against the stone. For the second time today, Temari was confronted with the very real evidence that no one was unscathed, that no one has escaped the bitter anger that comes with loss. She kneeled behind this boy, no, this man, and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his back. He let out one choking sob after another, each filled with more torment and rage than the last. He had finally broke after feigning to be so strong for his mother, for his teammates, his friends, his village. It was a burden that few could stand to carry, but he carried it without being asked to. Temari felt tears sting her eyes and glide down her cheeks, soaking into Shikamaru's vest. She squeezed him harder, as if the reassurance would repair what was irreparable. He shook and shuddered until his body could stand no more. Finally, the stream of tears ceased and what remained clung to his eyelashes. Shikamaru wiped his eyes with clenched fists, but remained there with his forehead pressed firm against the stone. She heard him ask his father if he was proud of him. Temari understood how much he strived to be like his old man, how much he emulated him.

"I won't leave you alone." She whispered into his ear, sending chills down his spine. His hands touched her arms that were still strewn around his waist. She pulled them away fearing that she had overstayed her welcome, but he held them there, silently protesting, insisting that she say. Temari nodded against his back, and allowed him to hold her there for as long as he needed her to be there.
The faint rays of sunrise fell over Konahagakure, painting the village with pink and orange hues. But she stayed there with her cheek pressed to his her back, dew clinging to her hair.