Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: The Troublesome Week, Chapter 9
A Shadow Is Never Petty.
Despite what most of his friends, or rather most of Konoha thought, Shikamaru wasn't a complainer. He was merely, a die-hard pessimist, who found it hard to see joy in anything other than lying about in the park and gazing at the clouds, which was why he tried to shirk from most duties. This, he understood, gave people the impression that he was a complainer. And, of course, the over-usage of the word troublesome. But what people most didn't understand, what they just couldn't get was that, to him, everything was troublesome. Even the act of complaining was troublesome to him. Sometimes, he didn't even feel like leaving his house, or to even wake up from his bed.
So when he found himself wandering back to a spot that had troublesome-potential written all over it, he pondered. He stood in the moonlight, trying to understand why it was that he was still going back to this particular spot. Why he was willing to get himself involved in something that went again all his principles.
There was the fact that it was a nice enough place to think, he couldn't deny that, and it was also pretty quiet and peaceful. (Till the woman opened her mouth at least).
No, he realized, what he wasn't sure of, was the company that he was keeping. To say that Temari had been acting weird was an understatement. After that strange and open 'first' night, she was not quite the same with him. True she still came to the spot, but she was no longer as talkative as normal In fact, last night she hadn't even spoken to him as they sat side-by-side in quiet contemplation. She had been quiet and withdrawn. The only words she spoke were to wish him goodnight as she left by herself without another word. He had been so perplexed that he hadn't offered to walk her home.
He had spent most of the rest of the night trying not to care about what was wrong with her, but was failing. This irked him, because it was obviously troublesome to get into any sort of involvement, and yet he couldn't let it go. He knew she must have been going through some rough stuff ever since her father had been killed and he suspected it had a lot to do with the Suna advisors. He had caught her coming out of the Suna government block today, with a look that could have killed a monster let alone a lazy genius, so he wisely stayed out of her path. After all, he didn't want to get caught in the cross-fire.
It perplexed him again this morning and the last, seeing as to the number of people he always saw around her all day. Most of the younger shinobis and kunoichis, (a scarce amount in comparison to Konoha's), seemed drawn to her every word, and she never seemed a loss for company. It perplexed him, because the Temari, he observed then, was more of the one he was used to. Proud and pompous, the one who liked being the center of attraction. That was why he found it so troublesome when a different Temari appeared at night.
He had considered not returning tonight. After all Temari didn't seem to be interested in talking at all. He doubted she would have missed him. Also, perhaps he was intruding on her private time. He paused on the sidewalk, silently considering the best action to take right now. Whatever was on her mind, she seemed to not want to talk about it. And not that he wanted to either. But it would be rude to just not turn up.
The last few times, they had met at the edge of the shopping area before proceeding together to her spot. Even when she wasn't talking, she had still been waiting for him there and they would proceed together in silence. This confused him. He never could figure out what Temari was thinking.
Sometimes she would act like she never met him before, and sometimes she would be so nice and friendly. So she didn't want to talk to him, but she didn't mind hanging out with him. What the hell? Why couldn't she just stick to one main course of action and stop giving him so much trouble.
A voice popped into his head then, reminding him, this was a two-way issue. It wasn't like she was forcing him to come. He was voluntarily coming and getting himself involved in this troublesome mess. He regretted not wearing his Chunnin jacket tonight, suddenly feeling cold and uncomfortable. But he had been wearing the same one for a couple of days. It was beginning to get just a slight odor.
That stupid voice. It kept drawing him back to a certain idea that he wasn't very comfortable with. An image of Temari walking beside him, smirking at him suddenly came into his mind. Women were nothing but trouble…
Oh well, he thought, rubbing his arms. Might as well get this over with now. He decided to just pass by and if she was there, he would just say that he was too tired. She probably needed to be alone as well anyway.
Besides he didn't want to appear rude.
No matter what the stupid voice said.
Temari stood at the side of the junction, wondering just where the hell that guy was. It wasn't like he would have had anything to do that would have made him late. He had been pretty much on time the last two days. As she started to pace, a sudden thought struck her; it couldn't possibly be that…that… the baka had fallen asleep! And had left her waiting in the darkness here like a fool! Oh she was going to kill hi-
Oh, wait a minute. She realized that there was someone walking towards her; more specifically, she recognized the slouching, yawning figure even in the darkness.
"Took your time didn't you… lazy bastard!" The flippant tone belied the harshness of her words. But Temari wasn't worried that Shikamaru would get angry. If he was the type of person that got flustered so easily, then they wouldn't be here at all. In fact, she wouldn't have found him interesting in the first place. And sort of trustwor… well more of that she was able to slightly relax with him. Just slightly… which was why she hadn't brought her fan the last few days.
She supposed she had been a little out of sorts the last few days, especially after what she had been forced to take from the advisors. The nerve of them to insinuate some of those things about Gaara. He had really changed but they just continuously refused to forget his past. She sighed to herself, imagining her little brother sitting on the roof, watching the night sky in silence. He had become a different person, someone ready to be human, ready to protect his friends (none in Suna as yet) and his family. Someone who was worthy to be….
She shook her head angrily. She had promised herself not to think about this problem tonight. Kankuro had asked her a couple of times what was wrong but she had just brushed it off. She hadn't wanted to discuss the issue with anyone, including a lazy ass kid who tended to irritate her, she thought, although she had almost broken down yesterday and said something to him. Not that she would have cared what he said, just that she wanted to hear his opinion. And it wasn't that she cared about his opinion, she just…. just… wanted…
Okay well she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to hear but now she was just repeating herself. For some reason, Shikamaru tended to have this slightly unsettling effect on her. But still, she was slightly grateful that he had been around the last 2 days. Even though she didn't want to talk, didn't mean she didn't want the company.
Well she was there. Waiting for him, he supposed. He observed her carefully as he walked up to her side, noting once again the lack of the fan. She was wearing a longer skirt today he saw, to his slight disappointment, a dark blouse and her hair was tied in its usual pony-tails. It was still too dark for him to see her clearly so he wasn't so sure of her mood…
Eh… wait a minute…
She just insulted him, didn't she?
Well, there went all his theories. She had just said more words in the last few seconds than in the last two days. And they just had to be insults. He shouldn't have bothered to worry in the first place. "I don't recall there being a reporting time, Temari." He said, pretending to yawn, knowing it irked her whenever he did that.
He stood back and pretended to yawn again, all the while giving her another once-over. She actually didn't look quite as bummed as the last few days, something that he was actually quite pleased to see. This had the effect of lifting his slightly somber mood. He threw caution (and the little voice) to the wind, and gave her a teasing smile, "Don't you ever get tired of being so impatient?"
Temari looked back at him in surprise. The way he was smiling at her was… was… strange to put it. It was the same lazy smile she had been seeing for some time now, but this time, it brought a different thought to her head. It brought the thought, that Shikamaru was doing more than just teasing her. He was…
Suddenly aware that she was staring at him, she snapped back quickly. "Don't you ever get tired of being lazy? You're worse than a child!"
But still Shikamaru just continued to smile at her. She glared back at him, feeling as though that something was wrong. He shouldn't be smiling like that at her. And she shouldn't be thinking what she was thinking.
Less than a few minutes with him… and already she was feeling unnerved. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. What was all of a sudden so different now? She licked her lips nervously and looked away, pretending to be irritated. "Crazy baka." She muttered, loud enough for him to hear.
Now desperate to hide her uncertainty, she quickly walked off, half-heartedly hoping that he wouldn't follow her. In the few seconds that they had met, she had changed her mind; she did want to be alone today, especially at this unsettling moment. She absolutely hated to feel uncertain, about anything.
She increased her pace, hoping he wouldn't try to walk alongside her. He started a little, at her change of pace, but other than adjusting slightly to walk behind her, he didn't make any other moves.
Which was good. She tried to get her traitorous thoughts under control as she walked, but found herself failing to do so. Her thoughts kept drifting to the way he smiled at her. Biting her lip, she snuck a quick look back at him out of the corner of her eye, watching him stroll behind her.
That stupid pineapple hair of his didn't look so geeky sometimes, she thought, if he would ever bothered to comb it nicely. He wasn't wearing that Chunnin jacket of his tonight, which actually made him look more mature she had to admit, thinking back, now that she was actually paying attention. He was also no longer wearing his netting shirt, having swapped it for a black t-shirt, which was rather tight. Made his muscles kinda stick out more too. Didn't expect him to really have any muscles too…
She blushed to herself, aware she was beginning to realize a lot of more about him suddenly. His hands seemed perpetually stuck in his pockets as he yawned, giving her a smirk when he noticed her looking. She rolled her eyes at him, as he increased his pace again, coming to walk alongside her.
Before she could say anything, he sighed and said, "What's the rush woman?"
She ignored the question, giving him a blank look, before turning back. She knew what he was talking about, and it was on the tip of her tongue to shoot back an insult at him. But she held her words, not wanting to continue their patented banter. It had always seemed kind of fun… but today… she was beginning to get slight uncomfortable at how fun she found it.
"Oi woman…" said Shikamaru again. She ignored him completely this time, not even turning to look at him. She tried to increase her pace, but found him matching hers. Damn, she just couldn't get rid of him! Maybe she should just tell him to get lost like that day. And if he dared to try and tease her again, she would just punch his nose in.
She was still considering it when she felt a tap on her elbow. Looking at him in surprise (guys had never dared to touch her without her permission) she stopped and gave him a look. "Don't you ever do that again!"
He raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised by her reaction. It was just a light tap, what on earth was her problem? "I didn't mea-"
"Well big surprise there. I'm telling you again kid; don't ever touch me again without my permission." She glared at him.
Which struck a nerve with him. "What about you then?" He said narrowing his eyes.
She raised her eyebrows, still irritated at him. He had a nerve being so familiar as such to touch her. "What about me?"
He gave her an unbelieving look, his voice beginning to rise slightly, "You hit me all the time! As and when you like!"
Temari began to turn red, as she looked away embarrassed. He was right but that didn-
"And who was the one who kissed me? You're the one acting like a kid here!" He snapped at her, before realizing what it was he just said, as well as how loud he had said it.
"Getting all riled up over a light tap…" The words had just come out before he noticed Temari's face turned a dangerous red. Not the cute kind, not the blushing kind, but the dangerous kind. The hurricane in your face kind, the huge metal fan pounding you kind. He stopped, realizing that he may have, just possibly may have, taken the wrong approach.
Temari glared at him, furious, her lips pressed in a straight line. Her fists were clenched as she snarled, "How dare you!? You insufferable, excuse of a boy! You have no right to say that, understand?!"
Shikamaru took a step back, getting a little afraid. She took another step closer to him, before snarling again, right in his face, "Don't you ever say that again."
With that she twisted away and walked off. He stared at her retreating figure; embarrassed and confused at how things had suddenly got to this level.
Damn, things had really gotten troublesome.
He looked in the direction she had disappeared, wondering just why it was she had suddenly gotten so angry so fast. What he said had been a little rude, but nothing to get so worked up over. It wasn't too far from the banter they normally had going. He had expected her to make some rude remark back at him regarding the kiss; after all it was only on the cheek, nothing so serious. What was he supposed to do now? Follow her? Or just go back to the hotel?
And it wasn't her normal mad face, but something way worse. Why did she have to get so mad a-
He stopped, suddenly struck by something. That hadn't been all he said.
She practically threw herself down onto the roof, her feelings in complete turmoil. Pulling her legs towards her, she sat, feeling very alone. Why had she reacted so badly?
After everything she had promised herself about acting more grown-up, she had just lost it when he called her a kid. And it wasn't all his fault. She had been in a foul mood all day long.
She clenched her fist, furious at herself. He was right, she was the one who acted so familiar to him, she was the one who had kissed him, and all he had done was just tap her. He didn't deserve to have her react like that. He must be pretty irritated at her right now. She doubted an apology would make a difference; surely no guy would be that nice.
She sighed to herself, wondering why it was that she seemed to keep irritating him. Making things troublesome. She supposed he had gone back to his hotel. Not that she would blame him. Even her own brothers would have left her alone after such a quarrel, let alone the laziest, trouble-avoiding kid she had ever known.
Letting loose another sigh, she racked her head, wondering why she was able to be so nice to the other guys, the fan-boys, but not to him. Thinking about it, she tended to treat him like she would Kankuro. Which wasn't so good, seeing as to Kankuro was her number one target for screaming to relieve stress. And… and…
He had been pretty interesting.
Smart.
Amusing,
Irritating, definitely.
But, gentlemanly at times.
Temari bit her lip, thinking back to a day earlier when he had called her, 'something else', though he had probably changed his mind by now. And he would probably start avoiding her for real now as well. She couldn't really expect him to be so friendly with her again could she…? The prank at her house had been one thing, but taking her anger out at him for no good reason was a bit too much.
She supposed she should be a bit happy, resting her head on her knees. After all she had gotten her wish, she was alone now…
Her head shot up suddenly, hearing the sound of someone landing on the roof. She stared at the figure, unbelievingly.
Shikamaru brushed his shoulders, wondering to himself if Gaara had something to do with the sand that seemed to keep accumulating on his shoulders. He looked around the roof, catching sight of Temari staring at him.
He gave her an exasperated look, "For god sakes woman, don't you ever slow down?"
Sorry for taking so long to update, but this chapter was a little tricky as I'm not so good at this kind of moments! I hope it hasn't been too rushed but I didn't want them to suddenly have feelings for each other without a proper progression of things. Please let me know what you guys think of the chapter.
This is only the first part of this night. Look forward to the next chapter, where things get a little more depth. And feelings finally start to be examined for real.