*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *
War (87)
*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *

And this is war.

Like a fresh painting, blood stains her face as she pulls back.

And here is an enemy, cut down as easily as taking a breath in the morning.

And this is fear.

Not that she'd admit it. But the undercurrent flows thick and her mind screams at her that this could all be for nothing.

And this is pain.

She processes it, but hardly pays any attention as she sees who threw it.

And this is relief.

Relief that she's found him in one piece, his hair falling loosed from its tie, and his smirk threatening to show.

...

And this is revenge.

Revenge for the silence. Revenge for the lies. Revenge as she sweeps towards him in an easy motion and brings the kunai to his throat.

And that was love.

The moment where she hesitated for a split second when she laid her eyes on him and wondered wether this was what she really wanted.

But this is resolve.

When she decides that the throat isn't fitting, and aims for the heart instead.

Yes. And this is victory.

*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *
Alcohol (21)
*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *

Temari groggily hauled herself out of bed and dragged herself to the front door as the knocking persisted.

"What?" She snapped as she pulled it open, only to wind up face-to-face with the last person she expected to see at half past three in the morning.

"Sh-Shikamaru?" She asked, tugging self-consciously at the hem of the shorts she'd pulled on as pyjamas. It wasn't her fault she went to bed dressed indecently-if the Konohan night time wasn't so unbearably hot, it would be a different matter.

"Um. Hey, Temari." The man slurred, looking at her with unfocussed eyes. "It's um. It's late."

She nodded slowly as she processed the fact that Shikamaru was standing on her doorstep, clearly drunk.

She scolded herself for not pulling on a bra before answering the door, because she felt more embarrassed than ever in her life: Even if he was drunk, he could probably still make out the fact that she was more naked than he'd ever seen her before.

"Yes. It's late. What do you want?" She snapped, hiding her mortification.

"...I can't go home."

She understood in an instant and sighed.

"Your mother would kill you if she sees you in this state," Temari finished for him, stepping aside. "Well, come on in then."

Shikamaru thanked her politely and shuffled into the apartment, heading straight toward the couch.

Temari smiled at his rosy cheeks and went to the kitchen, bringing him a slice of bread and a glass of water and setting them both down on the coffee table for him as he peeled off his jacket and rested it on the arm of the sofa.

"Thanks," he mumbled again, glancing up at her.

"Where even were you?" Temari asked.

"Out with Naruto and Kiba," Shikamaru explained.

"Ah, I see." Temari patted his shoulder and moved away from him, "I'm going to bed, you know where to find me if you need anything. Sleep well."

"Yeah, you too. Thanks."

And with that, Shikamaru flopped onto the sofa with his eyes shut.

Temari stifled a laugh and went to her room, shutting the door behind her before curling into her blankets with a satisfied smile.

The smile dropped the moment she heard footsteps padding into the bathroom, followed by the sound of lights being switched on, a toilet seat being opened, and a series of retching noises.

With a sigh, she pulled herself out of bed once more and walked to the bathroom, pulling on a robe as she went this time.

She found Shikamaru leaning over the toilet and she gave him a pitiful look before holding his hair back away from his face and rubbing his back as he threw up unceremoniously into the toilet bowl.

"Charming Nara."

He gave a drowsy chuckle and closed the toilet seat, flushing as he went.

"I'm a charmer," he said, "Thanks."

He rinsed his mouth out in the sink and coughed a few more times.

"You're such a mess."

"I know."

"Go drink some water."

He nodded and stepped out of the bathroom with Temari close behind him.

He downed the glass that she'd given him and she went to fetch another as he sat himself down.

"Better?" She asked gently.

"Better." He nodded.

She sat down beside him and gave him a smile.

"What would you do without me?" She drawled sarcastically.

"I'd fall apart." He murmured, sounding more serious than she'd expected.

Taken aback, Temari stood and looked him in the eyes, trying to see if they were still hazy and unfocussed from the alcohol, but he seemed to have sobered up.

"Good to know," she said before swiftly kissing his forehead and leaving him baffled as she strolled into bed once more, not feeling tired at all.

*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *
Kiss (110)
*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *

The only thought going through Shikadai's mind was that he had to get out. Fast.

He'd come home, expecting to be scolded by his mother for skipping training, but he ended up walking into the hall only to find his parents arguing loudly over something or another in the kitchen.

He thought that he might be able to sneak up quietly to his room and grab his game console, but a sudden silence stopped him in his tracks.

Shikadai shuffled back and peeked into the kitchen, quickly stumbling backwards as he processed the scene before him. Horror-struck, he saw his dad hugging his mom and kissing her.

Eww, gross! Old people definitely weren't allowed to do that, right?

He shook his head and left the house, making for one of his dad's favourite hills.

Why the hell did his old man marry such a loud and troublesome woman?

He would never understand...

*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *
Sunset (3)
*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *

It's beautiful.

But this is not home.

These strange trees in abstract colours that she could hardly fathom had it been five years previously.

This warm, heavy night. The humid stifling day.

It isn't home.

These brightly dressed people, the lively market place.

Smiling strangers. It can't possibly be home.

But this is love, in the shape of a crooked tree where she sits alone, waiting, surrounded by the the sky, seemingly only inches from her fingertips.

The torn golden clouds bleed to purple in the setting day, and she knows that night will fall fast on this winter scene, as though gravity could suddenly drop the curtains to obscure the sun.

But that one, suspended moment is defined by love.

And she knows he'll join her soon.

A/N: I promised y'all a bit of shikadai so there ya gooo.

Idk how I feel about some of these, but I guess I'm just trying to mess around with a few different styles of writing. Please let me know what you think!

~Lee :)