Motivation

by Original Blue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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T is for Trouble, or lack thereof.

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The sky was light when he woke, clouds already ushered onwards by spring winds.

Shikamaru sat up and rubbed his forehead, feeling his hair hang loose to his shoulders. Troublesome... I'll have to fix it later...

She was already standing, sheets wrapped around her, as she stared at the rising sun. He pulled on some pants and joined her by the window. They stood in silence for some time, the shinobi and kunoichi, watching the crimson color spill into the sky like ink.

"I never get tired of watching the sun rise," Temari whispered.

Without quite knowing why, Shika reached out and took her hand in his. She glanced over briefly before continuing to gaze out the window.

"It's troublesome," he muttered, earning a smile from Temari.

"Isn't everything?"

He pulled her into his arms, enjoying the feeling of having her close once more. "You aren't."

"Are you sure? I could be really troublesome if I put my mind to it..." There was a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Just give me someone to trouble..." And then she broke off laughing because he was covering her neck in light kisses, hands occupied with her waist.

...

They got up an hour later to go take a bath, and Shika offered to help with her sadistic hair. He helped soap her back, and stomach, and shoulders... before rinsing the shampoo from her hair, by which point she was entirely uninterested in washing. They stayed there until the water got cold and then went to get breakfast.

Sitting in Shika's living room, sipping the remnants of her tea, Temari marveled at how her point of view of this house had changed. Once it had been just a warm place to sleep, then it was a place for rest and fun, and now...

She glanced up at the kitchen counter wonderingly, and then glanced away, slightly embarrassed to be thinking about what the grain of the wood would feel like against her back.

"Do you want some more tea?" he asked, walking out of the bedroom.

She smirked and shook her head. "Geeze, don't you know how to do anything right?" She walked over to him and fingered the zippered edge of his jounin vest, which hung open. "You're too lazy to shut your clothing the right way," she teased.

He sighed. "Troublesome woman... I was just trying to be thoughtful..." Soft lips touched the secret spot beneath her jawline, making her gasp as she found herself suddenly being kissed. "It would have saved you the trouble of undoing all those clasps for when I get home tonight."

"Mmhh..."

Her fingers stroked the outer edge of his ear, and he jerked away, breathing hard.

She stopped moving. "What's wrong?"

"Well, um," he smiled embarrassedly, "If we continue this right now, I'll never actually get to work."

Temari grinned and stuck her tongue out. "Look at the hardworking genius," she taunted, pulling lightly on his fishnet shirt, "Afraid of a little kunoichi, but ready fight for his country, leaving me home, alone and vulnerable..."

The next kiss made the breath freeze in her lungs as he lifted her up and pushed her again the wall.

"Remember that it's an uphill battle, Temari." He let go of her hastily, leaving her feeling weak–kneed and completely unlike herself.

Her teal colored eyes trained on him until he reached the door and looked back.

She crossed her arms. "If you get yourself hurt, I'll just have to kiss it better, stupid war hero." Temari's hands settled on her hips in the classic pose of aggression. "Don't be so lazy at work! Other people depend on you."

He nodded and smiled lopsidedly. "I'll see you later, then."

The door shut behind him and Temari slid to her knees, a huge cheesy grin plastered all over her face.

...

The first week passed in a daze. Their days were occupied with bickering and arguments which eventually devolved into kissing.

They both agreed it was better to keep their relationship behind closed doors; Shikamaru because it would be troublesome to have to explain everything, Temari because her brothers might possibly rip her lover to infinitely small pieces.

Sitting in a tea shop one morning, having finished an impromptu breakfast with Hyuuga Hinata and Ino, Temari wondered abruptly if Shikamaru would tire of her. Honestly she didn't understand why he liked her. She was brash, merciless, blunt, stubborn... what was he thinking?

She snorted into her third cup of tea. For a genius, Shika could be a real idiot.

...

At around midnight, when they lay wrapped in each other's warmth, she turned over to look at him. "Shika."

He yawned. "Yeah, Temari?"

"I'm sorry I'm always yelling at you."

"Um... it's fine." He gave her a weird look. "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because that's what people do when they're sorry."

"You're saying sorry?" He smothered a laugh. "Temari, you're not–"

She sat up, blonde hair streaming around her shoulders and eyes blazing. "I'm not what? Not sorry? Don't I have a conscience, like every other living, breathing human being? What exactly am I to you?"

He stared at her, mouth hanging open slightly.

She quickly covered her mouth with the palm of her hand, returning his shocked look at the words that had slipped from her mouth.

Slowly Shika put an arm on her shoulder. "You're Temari. Just Temari."

But she was already climbing out of bed, pulling on her clothes and grabbing her fan from its place by the window.

He scrambled to pull on a pair of pants, calling after her as she strode to the door. "I was going to say that you don't need to apologize for who you are. I like it when you yell at me."

She hesitated. "You should see Suna sometime."

Her pride prevented her from saying anything else. Biting her lip to keep the tears at bay, Temari shut the door behind her and flickered into the night.

...

At the gate they asked her for her visa, which she promptly handed over. The guard on watch scanned the code into the computer and compared the digital picture to the real thing.

Meanwhile, Temari waited impatiently, aching for the feeling of sand and wind swirling around her.

"Here ya go, Sabaku-sama. Ye're free ta go ta Suna now." He spat out the piece of grass he'd been chewing. "Safe journey, Sabaku-sama."

Nodding, she shot off into the dark forests surrounding Konoha.

...

When she reached Suna three days later, neither Gaara or Kankuro asked any questions. But she could feel it in their quiet looks as she taught Academy classes and tore apart training fields.

What if Shikamaru comes here? she wondered one day during her lunch break. Will he come after me?

But the more devastating thought, the one she hardly allowed herself to entertain, was what if he didn't?

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T is for Trouble, or lack thereof.

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