Chapter
"Secchan! Secchan!" Temari yelled as she banged here way into the flat. "Secchan! Where are you?"
Secchan ambled into the lounge, munching on a piece of toast. "I'm here, geez. Where's the fire?"
"ShikamaruaskedmetodinnertonightandIsaidyesadhe'scomingtopickmeupatsix!" Temari squealed, grabbing her friend's shoulders.
Secchan raised her eyebrows, startled, as her friend shook here like a rag doll. "Love, I didn't catch a word you just said."
Temari took a deep breath. "Shikamaru asked me to dinner to discuss the baby. He's picking me up at six," she said slowly.
Secchan squealed and started jumping up and down. And then choked as she inhaled the crumbs of the piece of toast she had been eating. Temari slapped her on the back as she bent double, hands on knees and eyes watering. When that didn't work, Temari dashed for a glass of water. She came back in and handed it to Secchan. Secchan grabbed it and downed it.
"Thanks," she gasped, wiping her eyes. She gave a final cough. "Temari, that's great!" she squealed. "Okay, so, I think daddy likes you, and this could evolve into a relationship."
"Secchan, I don't think so, hey. He's just… taking responsibility," Temari said.
"What happened to the overly excited girl who came in?"
"Our personality swap was over, so she returned to you," Temari said dryly.
"Whatever. So… what are you gonna wear?"
"Clothes."
"I dunno, hey, you might stand a better chance of hooking him if you go naked."
Temari gasped. "You bitch!" She took a swipe at her giggling friend.
"You know I love you," cooed Secchan between giggles.
o0o0o0o
Shikamaru found Temari's place without much trouble. He arrived on time (5 minutes is not late.) and stood in front of the door. He knocked. He heard a muffled yell that sounded like Temari saying 'Secchan, stay the fuck away from that door!' and then the door opened to a giggling girl with black and red hair.
"Hi."
"…Hi. Um, I'm here for Temari."
The girl looked at him. "So you're the dad. My, that's going to be one good-looking baby."
"Uh-"
"Temari-biscuit, Loverboy's here!" she yelled over her shoulder. She grinned at a surprised Shikamaru (Had he just been referred to as Loverboy?!). "I'm Secchan."
"Secchan, you are so dead. When I get back, I am going to smother you while you sleep, or put arsenic in your coffee," Temari declared as she hurried out the bedroom, cheeks burning. "Either way, you will be dead. As in not living."
"Yeah, whatever."
"Stop saying that like you don't believe me!" Temari told here as she slipped out the door.
"Hi," she greeted Shikamaru.
"Hey," he said with a smile.
She glanced back at Secchan. "Can we go now?"
"Have fun! I won't wait up, and if you only come back tomorrow morning, at least you'll remember how it was!" Secchan called bawdily from the door.
"Should I kill her now or later?" asked Temari. "Now," she decided and turned back to the door. Shikamaru caught her arm.
"Leave her. She means no harm," he said with a shrug.
" I mean her harm," Temari declared, beet red. "But ok, I'll leave it for now."
They started walking towards his car. "You know, I've never been referred to as 'Loverboy' before," Shikamaru mentioned.
Temari's cheeks flared up again. "Yeah… Told you she needed apologizing for.'
Shikamaru laughed. "She seems like fun."
"I'm feeling very mutinous towards her right now, so you're not going to get anything nice about her out of me," Temari told him.
"Okay." He left it while they got in the car. He then glanced at her. "Oh yeah. Temari-biscuit?" he asked.
Temari whipped her head around to look at him. That was a definite smirk on his face.
"That's what happens when you've known someone your entire life. You get odd nicknames."
"I think it's cute.'
"Don't you dare start calling me that!"
Shikamaru laughed again. "Ok. I promise I won't.'
Temari smiled sweetly. "Thank you."
"It's the least I can do for the mother of my unborn child," he said. And immediately regretted it as an awkward silence filled the car.
Temari looked out the window.
Well, that effectively killed the mood.
What mood? There was no mood.
Yes there was! There was a mood of… of camaraderie!
Yeah, yeah. He was just being friendly.
…That's what camaraderie is, retard.
Oh…
"You know, that is an incredibly scary thought," Temari said quietly.
"What is?"
"That I'm going to be a mother. That I am going to have a thing gestating inside of me for the next seven months," Temari explained.
Shikamaru was silent as he contemplated this. "That is a pretty scary thought. I think the father gets the easy job," he mentioned.
"Yeah, I reckon you do," Temari laughed. "You don't do much, really. Not during the pregnancy, in any case. Even in the earlier months the baby will still be largely dependant on me, because I plan to breastfeed it."
Shikamaru had to concentrate hard on the road to keep from imagining Temari's breasts. Eh-hem. Let's just stop those naughty thoughts right there. Let's not crash the car.
"Uh… Temari… you know… if you… I'm here for you. Through this," Shikamaru said, concentrating very hard on the road.
"Thanks," she replied quietly, her heart melting. Why did he have to be so goddamn nice?!
Shikamaru nodded. "Uh… pleasure."
Crick, crick.
Shut u-up.
They rode in silence until they reached the restaurant, aside from the usual 'so, how is work?', or 'nice weather we've been having lately'.
What scintillating conversation.
After what seemed longer than it really was, they arrived at the restaurant. They entered and were shown to a table, making small talk all the while.
"So, have you told your parents?" Shikamaru asked when they sat down.
"My parents are dead," Temari said quietly.
"Oh. Sorry." Shikamaru once again felt like a social retard.
"No, it's ok. I haven't told my brothers yet, though," Temari said brightly.
Shikamaru looked up. "You have brothers?"
"Yeah, two younger ones."
Shikamaru cleared his throat and shifted in his chair. "Uh… your brothers… do…. Are they the… uh… protective type?"
Temari thought about this. "You know what? Now that I think about it, I think they are. Well, they've messed around in my love life enough." She laughed, and saw a flash of nervousness cross Shikamaru's face.
"Uh… what do your brothers do, exactly?"
Temari shrugged. "I'm not sure I want to know. When my dad died, they got mixed up with the gangs- I think it might have even been the Mafia. I don't think whatever they do is entirely legal. It was annoying to have Gaara help Kankurou home when he got a bullet in his leg or something. Gaara never seemed to get shot, but Kankurou always was the more reckless one. And I think Gaara was just too good."
Shikamaru had been growing steadily paler throughout Temari's reminiscing, and was now looking quite horrified.
Temari noticed this and grimaced.
"Sorry. I'm not making you feel particularly at ease, am I?"
Shikamaru gave a weak smile. "No, not really. I'm getting slightly worried for my life."
Temari laughed. "Oh, don't worry, they won't hurt you. Well… I don't think so, anyway."
"That is not the most encouraging statement I have ever heard," Shikamaru told her.
Temari chuckled. "No, I guess not. Tell you what, I'll tell them they can't do anything to you, or they'll face my wrath."
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "You think that'll work?"
Temari matched his expression. "My wrath is very scary. Yes, I think it will."
A smirk pulled at Shikamaru's lips. "Are you sure?"
"As sure as I can be," Temari answered confidently.
"You're lying, aren't you?"
"Absolutely." They both laughed.
"No, I really do think that they'll lay off a little bit, at least," Temari insisted.
Shikamaru grinned. "That's good enough for me. Of course, you could always give me pictures of them, and I could hide if I saw them coming," he quipped.
"Oh, they're very good at sneaking up on people without them noticing," Temari remarked airily.
Shikamaru gulped. "Then I'll just trust you."
Temari laughed. "Are you going to tell your family?"
Shikamaru chewed on his lip briefly. "Uh… I would take the easy way and say no, I'm not going to tell them- but I reckon it will eventually come out and my mother will kill me for hiding it from her. But if I do tell her, I'll be subjected to a lecture. Either way, it's exceedingly troublesome."
"Nothing from your dad?" Temari asked.
"He'd probably put in a few words when goaded by my mom, but… I don't actually know," Shikamaru found, slightly surprised. "I've never actually contemplated this situation before."
"You and me both," Temari laughed wryly.
"Well, I guess it's not something the average twenty-odd year old would think about," Shikamaru reasoned.
'Especially when they haven't had sex for ages," Temari muttered, half to herself.
Shikamaru smirked. "Yes, especially then."
Temari flushed a pale pink when she realised he had heard that. "Um... yeah... Hey, where's that waitress got to?" Shikamaru laughed as she scanned the restaurant- he could recognise a huge change in subject when there was one.
The rest of the evening was spent amiably, with the two greatly enjoying each other's company. They skirted the topic of the baby, both still not entirely comfortable with the idea yet.
Afterwards, Shikamaru behaved like an absolute gentleman and walked her to her door.
"So, uh..." he said, rocking on the balls of his feet.
"Yeah..."
They stood there in silence for a little bit.
Well, this isn't awkward at all...
You know, sarcasm is the lowest from of wit.
As said by those who are incapable of it's proper use and therefore suffer from it often.
...Are you trying to say something?
Who, me? Now why on Earth would I be doing that?
...I hate sarcasm.
"Um... I had a good time tonight," Temari said quietly.
"Yeah, so did I..." Shikamaru laughed.
More silence.
…This is getting faintly repetitive.
Well, what's your suggestion, then?
Jump him.
…I knew asking you was a bad idea.
"So…yeah. I'll see you around?" Shikamaru asked.
"Well, yeah, guess so."
…So?
So what?
Are you gonna jump him?
…Uh, no.
God, you're no fun at all.
"Thanks again, hey." Temari said.
Shikamaru nodded. "Pleasure. Uh… Bye, then."
"Goodnight," Temari greeted, opening her door.
"Night." Shikamaru waved, and headed to his car as she entered here house, mentally berating himself for not kissing her- well, with one half of his mind, anyway.
Back at the ranch, Temari was having a similar argument in her own mind. Secchan, of course, took the side of the part that said she should've jumped him. Temari sarcastically thanked her for the support- thanks Secchan cheerfully accepted.
As she went to sleep, Temari reflected on the day's happenings.
All in all, the day didn't go too badly.
Aside from the fact you didn't jump him.
…shut uuup.
o0o0o0o
A/N: I swear, my shift button is broken. Anyway. And so ends the second chapter. I hope you're enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it. Remember, I need to know what you thought about the story and whether or not you enjoyed it, otherwise I'll become demotivated and won't write. cue sad face and puppy dog eyes
That's a roundabout way of saying PLEASE REVIEW!!
