Caving in

The cave is pitched black. Shikamaru uses his lighter to illuminate where he is going but its tiny flicker isn't enough for him to be able to see. Furthermore, the uneven floor of the cave is wet and slippery causing him to skid and land on his butt. Groaning, he raises his hands which he has used to break his fall, a slimy substance sticks to them and it smells weird. Judging by its scent, his hands and pants seat are now covered in bat excrements. The very high roof of the cave is probably home to a million of bats.

"Just great," Shikamaru mutters as he tries to shake the dirt off his hands while he is standing up.

Unable to see anything, Sikamaru realizes the lighter is now out of his hands. Bending and searching the cave's floor for his lighter, he tries not to breathe in the stench while his hands rake through mud-like substance.

"What the!" Shikamaru shouts when something crawl on top of his right hand. Probably some rodent considering he has felt on the back of his hand, its four tiny legs followed by its long tail as it scampers away.

Finally finding the lighter after a while, Shikamaru is aware that the stench has now permeated his hands. Unable to do anything else, after shaking his hands with fingers spread wide apart, he wipes his hands on his pants legs.

Pocketing his lighter, Shikamaru moves towards one direction; probing blindly for one of the cave walls. Finally encountering a rocky barrier of some sort, with his outstretched hands, he utilizes the wall as his guide to go straight and hopefully out of the darkened cavern.

Suddenly something slimy passes between his feet. Knowing that it's best not to move, Shikamaru has to wait for a full minute as a very long, very scaly something slithers slowly between his two feet.

Breathing hard, he wonders if the snake is poisonous or not. As he couldn't distinguish anything it would be difficult to judge. Heaving a sigh, he continues feeling the wall for directions. They said just go straight. Dammit!

Finally, spoting a beam of light and hearing what sounds like running water, Shikamaru removes his hands from the wall and runs towards the opening.

Panting at the cave's mouth, Sikamaru tries to catch his breath.

"What took you so long?" Temari snaps, abruptly appearing out of nowhere.

Shikamaru glares. "It's dark in there!" he answers back.

Temari suddenly laughs upon finally noticing Shikamaru's disgruntled and dirty appearance. "You should learn not to believe Kankuro sometimes." Only Kankuro would mislead Shikamaru to go through the cave and not on top of the cave.

"Gaara is in it too."

"Gaara?"

"Yeah, that's why I believed them. They said go straight and that—" Shikamaru points towards the cave behind him, "— is the shortcut."

"Aw, poor Shikamaru." Temari grins.

"Why did you want me to go here anyway?" Shikamaru glowers.

"To show you my secret place." Temari gestures around the hidden oasis with its profusion of tiny flowers and patches of grass and the spring that provides water throughout the area.

"It isn't a secret, if people know about it."

"Okay, fine forget about it!" Frowning, Temari has thought Shikamaru would be...touched.

"Tch." Shikamaru finally notices the blanket on the dusty ground and what looked like a picnic basket with its contents taken out.

I can't believe my first romantic gesture is wasted on this guy! Temari then starts to gather the food spread out on the blanket.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Temari ignores Shikamaru, as she packs everything back inside the basket.

"Dammit woman, I can't even hug you at the moment much less kiss you to show my appreciation." Shikamaru glances down at himself; he already knows he's covered in bat shit.

Temari stands up from ground, after picking everything.

"Hey!" Shikamaru calls the woman's attention as she starts to go back. "Tch! You leave me no choice." Shikamaru then embraces the woman from behind.

"SHIKAMARU! YOU STINK!"

"If you have wanted the perfect date, don't involve your brothers. They hate me."

"If you have any brothers, you would realize they don't hate you," Temari mumbles reasonably. "But really, get off me, you stink."

"Now, look who's talking?" Shikamaru grins.

"Come on then. Let's go! I need to get your smell off me."

"We don't have to move from this place to do that." Shikamaru gestures towards the spring.

"I didn't brought a change of clothing—" Temari's brows knit together. "Why do I get a feeling you have just successfully manoeuvred the situation to your advantage."

Shikamaru shrugs.

"I am not gonna wash your clothes for you."

Shikamaru removes his shirt and throws it at the spring followed by his pants. "There it is already soaked."

"Haha."

"You can wash your own clothes too. You just have to remove it first."

Temari gives a snort. It will serve him right if she just leaves. But it will serve her brothers right if she stays.

Temari glances at the shirtless Shikamaru...Really, it isn't a tough decision to make.

~5/26/11.6/13/11AF~

A/N: Again this is too long...Hope its okay I posted it here.

And it should be creepy... but ~scratches head~ ...

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