I Do Not Own Naruto
Chapter 35
Life for a diplomat got busy with the Rinne Festival coming in, and with everything that was still being set up for the Shinobi Union. He was surprised he could even remember his own name with all the work he had going on, and it was that very work which had had him not thinking about the two kisses he had shared with Temari in October.
Well, at least he didn't think about them until he was asleep and that electric thrill filled his dreams, plagued his mind and had him bolting from his precious slumber painfully aroused and gasping desperately for air before he would stiffly make his way to the shower for an ice shower. If that didn't help he would remember Naruto kissing Sasuke and that was a fast way to dispose of the dreams he was having of Temari. Seriously, that memory could kill the mood for anyone.
No matter, at this moment mid-November he was reading over the proposed budget cuts from a Tsukimi Kido and he sighed in exhaustion as he rubbed his brow.
Last night had been a very explicit dream about Temari and everything she could be doing to him, and everything he could be doing to her; he swore when he woke it was real until he looked around and she wasn't there, and he was harder than a rock. It had been an empty morning after a dream like that, which was why he was here early and trying to work.
It wasn't working because his concentration was shattered every time that dream from last night shadowed his mind.
Groaning he ran a hand over his face and looked up when the door was open.
"You look like shit," Temari said as she pulled off her very thick coat and hung it up. She was wearing her long black uniform which looked so far from sexy that it wasn't helping; he wondered if she was a curvy as his dreams made her out to be.
"I didn't sleep," he admitted as he pinched the brow of his nose and wondered what the hell was wrong with him. He'd expect perverted thoughts like this from Naruto or Kiba but him!? NO! Shikamaru was supposed to think with his head.
"Are you sick?" she asked and walked over.
"No," he said calmly.
"Dreams about the war? Mine have been keeping me up on occasion, I know a good tea to know you out though," she said as she sat at her desk.
"Yeah," he lied as he leant back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. The war was the last thing on his mind most nights when he went to sleep. Well, aside from the occasional phantom thought of playing a game of go or shōgi with his father or Asuma and then remembering they weren't there.
Thinking of Asuma reminded him he should go visit Kurenai and Mirai, they had recently pitched money into buying a shop with Tente, Lee, and Guy and had moved there. A bit of guilt hit him at not having helped them move, so he would visit them tonight.
"I can't believe it's been nearly six months," she sighed.
"Me neither," he admitted and leant forward on his desk. "It's been a hell of a year," he admitted as he looked at her. She nodded.
"We're going to need more help," she sighed.
"Yeah," he sighed. "That's troublesome."
They continued the paperwork for the rest of the day and he felt his mind turn to mush as he worked. But the moment he was finished with the paperwork was the moment he was going to go visit Mirai and Kurenai.
"Last proposal from Iwa," Temari said and he frowned. Iwa had been making a lot of demands as of late, and it was getting to be troublesome to figure out what they did and did not need.
"What do they want now?" he sighed.
"They want to trade medicinal herbs for their rare metals," she said.
"We'll read over it tomorrow, bring Sakura and Ino in to read the herbs and decide then," he decided.
"Good idea, because I haven't heard of half these herbs," Temari said.
"Alright," he shrugged.
"Plans tonight?" she asked as they both left the office.
"Yeah, visiting Mirai and Kurenai," he said as they walked down the stairs. "Haven't seen them since May because of all the work," he said bitterly.
Life as a shinobi was supposed to be doing what he wanted, when he wanted, and he was supposed to be an average shinobi. When had he become a key member to the Shinobi Union? Or the Allied Shinobi Forces? It wasn't like he stood out with an excellent work habit.
"They'll like that, see you tomorrow," Temari waved and he saw her walk towards the Suna Embassy.
Shoving his hands in his pockets he walked through the bitter, chilled streets of Konoha, and fought back the shivers that were ripping through him. Reaching Tenten's weapons shop he walked in.
"Sorry, we're closed," a voice called out.
"That's alright, I'm here to see Kurenai and Mirai."
"Shikamaru!?" a soft voice called and he looked up the back stairs where a woman with unruly black hair and red eyes stood. He smiled.
"Hey," he greeted.
"It's so good to see you! Mirai will be so happy!" she smiled and he chuckled as he walked up the stairs after her. Walking into the apartment which was still being set up he saw his favorite baby in her play pin chewing on a stuffed animal with gusto.
"Mirai, look, it's your Uncle Shikamaru," Kurenai cooed.
"Hey," he smiled and the baby girl squealed as she reached for him. Looking to Kurenai for permission, she nodded, and slowly he reached over and picked up the babe who grinned a drooling grin as her chubby hands grabbed his shirt.
"You are getting big," he observed, Mirai grinned and her scarlet eyes were bright, he smiled back.
Temari made it to the Embassy where she pulled her hair down and walked to her room to fall on her bed in exhaustion.
She had not been sleeping well these past weeks because of hot, explicit dreams about a younger man with spikey black hair and a scowl on his brow.
In those dreams he did naughty, wonderful things to her. Things she hadn't experienced despite having slept with targets before. He did things to her that she had only heard rumors of, and read in romance novels; when she hid those under her bed for her secret pleasure. He was nothing like anyone she knew, and she found it genuinely impossible not to think about that electric thrill she had felt when they had kissed.
Sighing she sat up and dismissed the track her mind was on as she got up again, dressed again, and figured out where she wanted to go for dinner.
Dressed and presentable again she walked out of her Embassy and started navigating the cold streets of Konoha, she wasn't going to have ramen for dinner, but she was in the mood for a hot meal and something delicious. Surprisingly she found herself walking into the local grill she would eat at when Shikamaru and she would share a work dinner and smiled at the hostess.
"Temari! Are you eating with Shikamaru again?" the plump woman asked.
"Uh, no, he's having dinner with his friends I think," she said as she walked after the woman.
"Foolish boy, he shouldn't leave his date alone, another man might whisk you out from under his nose," the hostess said sternly.
"Oh no, we're not…" she started.
"I heard from my friend that you two had a lovely date, about time, there needs to be life in the young ones again now that the war is over," the woman continued. Temari felt her face heat at the thought of dating Shikamaru.
That was a pleasant thought, but he was too young, even if she liked him she wasn't going to marry someone her little brother's age. It wasn't going to happen, and she didn't care how attractive or sexy or smart he was. She was not going to be a cradle robber.
"And you two are such a lovely couple, so sweet together, it must be nice to have a man who loves you so," the woman said.
"Shikamaru and I… we're not… we're friends!" Temari said in a fluster. It wasn't easy for her to get flustered, but this woman was managing to fluster her, and her mind was choosing now to replay the very explicit dreams. Oh Kami!
"That's good, I married my best friend would been forty-two years this year if Pain hadn't…" the elder trailed of wistfully and Temari sighed.
"I'm sorry," Temari said softly.
"Don't be, he was a grumpy man, and lived a good life; drove me nuts with his laziness," the hostess chuckled. "Well, here you are, should I get you your usual?"
"How about you surprise me, I'm in the mood for something new," Temari decided.
"Oh, my son will be happy to hear that, he loves freedom in the kitchen!" the elder chuckled as she bustled away and Temari sighed as she sat there staring at nothing as she thought over what the elder had said.
Sighing she shook her head and decided it was foolish of her to want to have something she couldn't have, especially from Shikamaru when he was one of her dearest friends.
A bit later she quietly savored her meal and decided that Konoha cooking was definitely a delightful perk, where in Suna it was a hardy, bland meal.
"Temari!?" a voice said and her head turned to see a stunned Shikamaru walking over to her.
"Hey Shikamaru," she replied as he sat across from her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked her.
"Dinner, I felt like eating out, I thought your mother was cooking tonight," she said as a waiter came by to take Shikamaru's order.
"No, she's eating with Chōza and Airi tonight," he said after placing his order. She nodded, the inosihkacho bond seem to expand outside of the initial three forming the bond. At least from what she had seen, the three clans: Akimichi, Nara, and Yamanaka, they were all tightly bound. She wondered just why that was, there was probably a very interesting story behind it, but some clan tale no doubt that few outside knew.
"So you were eating out?" she asked.
"Ino's working, Chōji's started training for the outreach program," he said.
"Ah, no company for you," she chuckled as she finished her meal as he was served.
"I am sitting here with you," he pointed out.
"That is true," she mused.
They talked as he ate, she paid for her meal and he paid for his so they didn't think it was a date.
"Thanks for sitting with me," Shikamaru said.
"The hostess thought you had changed your mind about standing me up," she sniggered at the memory and he sighed.
"Troublesome," he muttered.
"But funny all the same," she mused as she folded her arms and huddled as they walked the street.
"She was very shocked," he said.
"Apparently, the restaurant owner where we had our 'date' told her we were a couple," she said.
"That's a drag," he said. She chuckled.
"Yes, well all the same we're still friends," she said with force cheer.
"Yes," he said as they walked to the Embassy. She waved farewell to him as she walked into the Embassy and sighed. Dating him would not be a wise idea, especially with the Suna council planning arrangements for her marriage. Once in her room she pulled her hair down and fell on her bed as she thought over the fluttering in her heart with a cool head. It was just attraction, she doubted it was something deeper, or a crush, she was a young woman attracted to a smart, handsome young man.
It was perfectly healthy.
The butterflies in her stomach though annoyed her.
That's all for now folks!
Enjoy Until the Day I Act! =)