"Hope"

With a quick look over Gaara's shoulder, Shikamaru could see her green eyes, getting darker and darker with each passing second. It was hard to look away from them, especially when they shone with such fury. 'Troublesome woman, she's even more dangerous wounded.' Shikamaru tried hard to concentrate on what he was telling Gaara or even Gaara's response. All he knew was that how he was in debt with Sunagakure even more now. How could he be not? He didn't expect them coming for him. His own comrades aside, the fact that Temari of Sand asked his brother to come to his aid was beyond him. But why wouldn't they, they had helped them before many times as Gaara always said it still doesn't pay his debt to Naruto and what had he'd done for his redemption. But Temari—

She didn't have any reason at all. Yes they were allies, yes they even could be considered as friends- perhaps- but was this really worriedness he saw in her eyes, standing still behind his brother? With her head held high and her face expressionless and hard, just like a proud Shinobi she was.

But her eyes.

Those dark green eyes couldn't deceive him. No matter how much she tried to keep them in control. Had he looked at them this closely before maybe her coming to his aid wouldn't be such surprise anymore. Her eyebrows were knitted together in a deadly frown but there was more to them. There was pain in them. Hurt. He once had seen them before back at the shinobi union, he was annoyed and frustrated at her back then, why would she care?

Now he knew.

She shone like the light. Her face and sandy hair were golden and shinning like the desert sun. It was as if he'd never looked at her before but he had, he just hadn't seen what he was seeing now. It was hard trying to remain cool and composed when all he saw was a woman with dignity, like his mother. 'But when the hell did she suddenly become so feminine and troublesomly beautiful?' he asked himself.

She always acted like a grown up, she was always the mature one in every situation but Shikamaru figured it was just part of her nature, she was after all the eldest child of her family. The protective one, always looking after her brothers, she was supposed to be the strong one and she was. The independent woman who took no shit from any man, he liked that especially about her.

Yes she had an attitude, annoying at times even but Temari seemed to have everything he lacked- resistance and wildness- she was like the wind, fearless, strong and just the right companion for him.

It wasn't many things Shikamaru regretted, but this was most definitely one of them. When Temari asked her about what troubled him, he began the bullshit rant about different villages and how she shouldn't pry in other villages' private matters. Something he didn't fully even believe in. Suna and Konoha were like siblings after Gaara became Kazekage and nothing seemed to separate them since then, Shikamaru knew yet still—

Looking at her, Shikamaru finally understood, the internal conflict, the strange feeling. Here he stood, the smartest Shinobi in Konoha, the most ingenious man in the whole shinobi nation yet still he felt like an idiot not to understand it sooner but how could he blame himself? Looking at her. Looking at how this strong Shinobi was most definitely one of the most beautiful women out there, he felt his face flush and his heart beat faster and his forehead sweat.

"Let's go home." Gaara announced loudly as the Sunagakure's shinobi unanimously answered in a cheer.

Shikamaru watched Temari turned her back to leave. The clock was ticking and this was probably one of the most troublesome things he'd ever done or said but he had to do it now. It was his last chance, she turns and he probably would hate himself for not letting her know for the rest of his life. That he might have been the laziest Shinobi alive and he might have seemed uninterested and care-free but he cared.

"Oi."

His heart pounded horribly loud, he felt like he was going to have a heart attack. Was it even possible to die out of excitement? And she came to a halt mid-step. Fortunately Gaara made a gesture for the rest of Sunagakure's shinobi to continue walking away but even if they'd stopped Shikamaru wouldn't stop. Not now anyway.

Her face was a mixture of what seemed like pure anger and hatred. Okay maybe Shikamaru shouldn't have done that. Maybe she wasn't as much as interested in him as he was. Now all he wanted was to literally hide and disappear in the shadows and never come back out ever again.

"What is it?" She asked bluntly. Her eyes throwing lethal daggers at him and penetrating every and each inch of his being.

He gulped nervously, " Today…"

"What?" She was losing the patience and he was questioning his sanity for what he was about to do.

"Thank you for today," He heard her snort in response but continued anyway, " Next time, how about eating a meal together?"

"Are you asking me on a date?"

'Was he really? Maybe he'd lost it after all. His sanity.'

"Well, yeah that sort of thing." Did acting all indifferent and sarcastic help any better now?

"I see, a date…" She said as if she was playing shogi, thinking of a good move to destroy him entirely. It surprised Shikamaru how he actually and in that special moment even considered inviting her to a game of shogi later. Oh how troublesome.

"You don't want to?"

He gazed at her seemingly calm but inwardly the pressure was killing him, it was until she finally looked up, a small smirk tugging at her lips. Her eyes now shining brightly in the fading sun, softened and relaxed just like his own muscles, some how they were both relieved when her face broke into a grin and she put her hands in the air, puffing like she was the one getting herself into trouble with him.

"How troublesome."

A/N:

Well basically I didn't do anything. Since the last episode of Shikamaru's story was a huge disappointment for me ( I liked the novel version better) I kinda rewrote what was already in the novel, my version of it anyway but same result.

Again, I take requests and write whenever I'm inspired so share your ideas with me

Cheers,

Bella