Chapter 9
Shikamaru whispers urgently, "Temari..."
"What?" Temari doesn't bother to raise her eyes, busy as she is, stirring their dinner in a pot while her companion is to check the nearby river banks for any welcomed guests.
"I think they're here."
"What! Really?" Temari looks at the direction where Shikamaru is gesturing at, only to snort moments later. The resulting twilight, with the diminishing sun rays giving in to the night, obviously has affected his eyesight. "No. Those are reindeer."
When the deer moves from the shadows cast by the trees, Shikamaru then realizes his mistake simultaneously as Temari announces it.
"Tch. So it is," mumbles Shikamaru, deflated. "You know we have been here since yesterday and there still has been no white-tailed deer sighting."
"Are you again doubting my wisdom on this kind of things?"
"No—Yes—" Seeing the flare of temper in Temari's eyes, Shikamaru hastily changes his answer. "No. I believe you. They'll come here. We just need to wait patiently."
"Good of you to understand. Now make yourself useful and get me the metal bowls and spoons. This is almost done."
Silently, Shikamaru obliges, digging into his and Temari's bag for their respective wares. He then proffers the bowl to her and her hand brushes over his, lightly touching the back of his hand.
Temari reflexively withdraws her arm as if bitten and the bowl clanks to the forest floor.
"Whatever is ailing me I got it from you so there is no need for you to be squeamish in touching me," utters Shikamaru in a voice, though calm, the undertone reveals that he's angry nonetheless.
Temari is not being squeamish. Far from it! She is just surprised. "I'm not—"
"Okay. Alright, I admit I watched you yesterday while you were swimming and specially...after that," defensively,Shikamaru explicates himself. "At the time, I was mesmerized to act like a typical scum. Let me reassure you that such an action is something I don't usually do."
Temari picks up her bowl from the ground before wiping it on the underside of the top layer of her skirt. It gives her something to do aside from look at her trespasser as he admits things that makes her heart thrum. She has thought that he and she understand each other, that the incident yesterday won't be brought up for conversation.
Obviously, she misunderstand.
"Yesterday, I expected your wrath to befall upon me and was perplexed when none was immediately forthcoming..." Shikamaru takes a deep breathe before taking the plunge, asking the thing that has disturbed him since he noticed. "I was right. You were angry and had casted this spell on me, didn't you?"
Temari's eyes flick up at Shikamaru, the bowl in her hand forgotten.
She can't believe it. He still thinks that what he has before is just a simple case of sunburn. And now that a reddish area has started sprouting baby fine hair, he's thinking it is because of what happened yesterday...
When their hands touched moments ago, it made her take notice of it. It surprises her, making her drop her bowl, even when she has already expected something like it. The black and sparse hair growth has appeared on the back of his proffered hand and she bets in other areas of his body too.
The hair is still short and is soft to her touch but in a few more days, there is no doubt it'll be covering his face, his body in its entirety.
She can't blame him then for thinking her a witch. And she should have foreseen him pinning his misfortune to what happened yesterday.
"I..." Temari tries to explain but her mind is screaming at her to take the opportunity. He doesn't need to know what's in her heart. Let him settle for his own reasoning...And later, when the time to part comes, then and only then will she set the record straight and admit to him her feelings and the reality of her curse, of his curse.
Monsters must not love anyone. Because if they do, they turn to real monsters, bringing misery into the lives of their precious ones. For that is the real definition of a monster—someone who brings harm to others.
She will give Shikamaru more days of respite. He already has a lot in his mind, what's with his father's mysterious illness and the fact that the key ingredient to his healer's potion remains elusive.
Are those white-tailed deer?
Suddenly, Temari's mind comes to a screeching halt as her eyes widen as she spots, behind Shikamaru, a group of white-tailed deer. The big ones are simply standing still, ears perk up, listening while the young ones sip from the water's edge. The magnificent animals composed of three fawns, their white spots still visible in their reddish brown coats; the doe, their mother looking after them; and unusual their father is with them, a buck, his antlers protruding from his head identifying him as the male. After drinking, they all move to a nearby shrub to munch some berries off its branches.
"Can you lift this curse if I prove to you how sorry I am for disrespecting you? I know I deserve it but if you're going to cringe every time, obviously repelled by what you see, I can tell you right now that I have learned my lesson," utters Shikamaru, still unaware of their visitors. "I don't want to witness that expression on your face again, that unguarded dread just because I touched you. Hell, I like it better if you get mad at me but to be squeamish of me, I hate that—"
"Shh!" Temari puts her index finger on her lips.
Shikamaru groans, "I'm trying to convince you that—"
"And I'm trying to tell you that your deer is here," interrupts Temari.
"Huh?" Shikamaru hastily and quietly swivels around to look at the direction of Temari's gaze. He can almost not believe it. The elusive white-tailed deer horn is in front of him. He can finally save his father.
Getting the heirloom knife from his satchel, Shikamaru rehashes his plan to Temari. They will trap the animal and they must be successful. If this deer is able to elude capture, Shikamaru knows it will further warn the rest of its kind and finding this mystical creature will become harder—no, impossible more like.
—o0o—
Temari half listens to Shikamaru's plan, having memorized it by now. She will approach from behind the buck, a little loudly. The deer will then be unwittingly directed to their trap. Since they are only after one target, the one with the antlers, focusing on its capture should be easy.
However, the deer is startled too soon by Temari. It raises its tail, the white fur on its underside showing before it runs fast veering in the direction quite away from their net.
Observing this fact, Shikamaru moves from his hideout near the net to the deer's path, recognizing that he could be trodden by the extraordinary 6 feet tall, 500 pound animal running almost 36 miles per hour but the danger to himself is unheeded as all he can think about is the importance of catching this one.
But the buck does not hesitate upon Shikamaru's sudden appearance. Truly spooked and on the defensive, it still proceeds with its intent obvious when it directs its antlers towards him. With its speed and weight the tip of those horns should be fatal.
Temari lifts her hands, giving it all that she's got, asking the wind to save Shikamaru, but not even a tiny whoosh of air current develops that could thrust the rampaging deer away from its target. And that is when she realizes, her curse has been thoroughly lifted, as with her heart in her mouth, she yells, "Gesture with your hands and visualize what you want to do!"
Shikamaru, with his ears ringing with the thundering hooves of the magnificent animal, cannot understand a word of what Temari is shouting. He reflexively ducks, bending his knees and covering his head with his arms while he prays that something will save him.
A second, then another, then another ticks by...when he should have been trampled, Shikamaru is still in one piece, still furled in a ball-like position. Lifting one hairy arm, he tries to look at the gap and sees that the buck is immobilized.
A nearby tree, its shadow has moved like a thickened black string and wraps itself around the buck, catching it quite effectively. The antlers' tips an inch or two away from the top of Shikamaru's head.
Shikamaru heaves a sigh of relief before swiveling his head, searching for Temari and seeing her immediately to his left with her mouth agape. He can only grin his thanks, feeling almost limp with his near brush with death.
Temari rushes to Shikamaru's side, reassuring herself that he must be alright if he can still smile at her.
"Are you mad, putting yourself in danger like that!" Temari scowls, wanting to pummel him with her own fists and only the fact that he looks shaken is staying her hands.
Just then, the buck bawls, the sound angry and indignant, saving Shikamaru from formulating a reply.
Totally ignoring the livid woman, even though he's grateful to her for saving him, Shikamaru makes a show of approaching the caught deer, letting it know that his hand only intends to pet its snout. With his voice soft and steady, he talks patiently to the captive animal, reassuring it that he only needs a small portion of its horns and then it will be set free.
After a while, the deer quiets down and stops restraining against the shadow rope. Shikamaru takes out the knife he inherited from his father and with a quick flick of his wrist, he cuts the tips of the deer's antlers off.
The deer grunts and Shikamaru looks at Temari, silently asking her to free the animal now that he has gotten what he needs.
"Just imagine it," snaps Temari.
Shikamaru frowns at the woman who is just a few feet away from him. Noticing the black mood still enveloping her, he imagines her tearing the shadow ropes quite fiercely from around the deer, releasing it from captivity.
With his eyes on Temari, he misses the sight of the buck hurriedly springing to freedom. But the sound of its hooves trampling the earth as it goes back to its companions has grabbed Shikamaru's attention from the woman.
The small family of deer, a thoroughly unusual group, is once more reunited.
Shikamaru watches the small herd as they gallop away, however, with his peripheral vision, he catches Temari staring at him, an odd expression on her face.
Slightly turning around to better face her, he slowly grins. Then with two long strides, he reaches her, showing her the prize clutched in his palms before, with a relieved chuckle, Shikamaru's arms then go around her and he just embraces her.
Temari, with her arms trap along her sides, stiffens in shock.
Feeling her reaction, Shikamaru, with his eyes closed as he hugs her, opens one eye then another, checking her expression. "Oh God, you're not going to add more curse because of this, are you?" he grumbles under his breath.
Temari tries to dislodge the arms around her but the hold turns vice-like unexpectedly.
"Promise me first, that you won't," pleads Shikamaru, finding it quite easy to restrain her.
Temari tilts her head up to look at her gaoler, knowing that he has no idea of his strength. "Let me go!" she growls fiercely.
"You're beautiful," Shikamaru says simply, looking straight into her blue-green fiery eyes, "especially when you're seething mad."
"You don't know what you're saying!" snarls Temari, her body wriggling and writhing, trying to separate herself from the close contact to her gaoler's chest.
Shikamaru, enjoying Temari's undulations, secures further his hold. "Tch, I know what I'm saying."
"No, you don't!"
"You're such a contrary female. Why don't you just accept the compliment then—"
"Get your hands—paws—off me!"
The smirk that has been on Shikamaru's lips is swiftly erased and is replaced by an uptight line when he hears Temari's obvious dig at his appearance. "If it's your wish to turn me into some kind of black dog, so be it. But to be fair you must allow me to touch you once in a while. If I'm going to be punished then at least let me be guilty of the crime."
"You are not guilty of anything!" rasps Temari, her conscience pricking her soul. It's not at all his fault. It's all hers.
Seeing the remorse striking Temari's pale features, with his arms still wrap around her, Shikamaru snuggles his head on the crook of her neck. "Then return me back to normal," he entreats to her gently.
"I—I can't. I'm sorry," whispers Temari, her eyes bright with the sheen of unshed tears, "It's because I love you."
—o0o—
~12 9 13AF P 12 12 13~
A/N: Hopefully, you guys will leave a lengthier review next time because really, I'm not a monster, I don't bite so feel free to babble.
