Chapter 38: The Beginning of Her Undoing
In the faintest corner of her unconsciousness was the rushing sound of water. She almost slipped past it in the midst of her dreams but it tugged her further and further away. Accompanied now by the shuffling of feet and the creaking of doors, she could no longer ignore the beckoning of her surroundings or the birds that sang in the trees outside. With whatever strength she could muster, she cracked her eye open to the floodgates of sunlight that penetrated through the room and warmed the broad back of the shinobi who was leaned over their bathroom mirror. Blinking away the evidence of sleep from her eyes, she saw Shikamaru removing the last of his facial hair with deep scrutiny. For a while, she allowed her body to wake up in relaxed silence until he finally put the razor down with satisfaction.
"Sorry I woke you." Casually, his voice barely was over a whisper while he cleaned the remaining shaving cream from under his chin.
The baby must be still asleep.
"It's fine." Looking over at the alarm clock, she sighed at her ruined plans for trying to sleep in as long as she could but her body once again betrayed her by only sanctioning a 15 minute indulgence. Stretching out, the cotton sheets rearranged itself gracefully over her figure before she pulled it up to shield her bare chest. "It's not like I'm allowed to sleep in anyway." Turning around to her other side, she was greeted by her baby still sound asleep to her surprise. He was usually up around 4am but she doesn't remember getting up.
"I fed him when he woke up last night. You were out cold." And with good reason as to why. She smirked slightly to herself but not without a twinge of guilt about these instances occurring when Shikachi was only an ear shot away. They were as quiet as they could be in the living room at least. With a towel around his shoulders and black pants hanging low on his waist, he left the bathroom to rummage through their closet.
"You're going to be late." As a matter of fact, he was going to be 30 minutes late if she wanted to be precise.
"I'm not going to be late." He disappeared deeper into the closet and with a sigh she knew that if she didn't coax him along, he would be much later that maybe even she though. Rising slowly, she tied the bed sheets under her arm and tip toed around the bassinette to the basket of folded laundry. He forgot his close in the wash and if she didn't save them, he would be smelling of mildewed rags for his mission. Knowing he felt her presence behind him, he stood up straight and sighed as she dangled his black field shirt between her fingers.
"You're going to be late." She repeated for emphasis as he slipped it over his torso and she took his flack jacket off one of the hangers. Stepping behind him, she held the jacket up as he peeked over his shoulders. Narrowing his eyes, he sighed again and put his each of his arms through before she smoothened the wrinkles out the back. Then the front. Looking down as she fastened the front, quickly working her way up, she didn't even notice she was humming.
"You're in a good mood." Immediately stopping her tune, she looked up as he gave her a knowing grin which only made her scowl and roll her eyes. She shook her head, slipping on a robe before leaving to make breakfast but not without slapping him hard on the chest first. Grunting and rubbing his sternum, he followed her out the room. Breakfast went by to the sizzling of bacon she was frying in the pan and the beating of eggs he had in a bowl next to her.
"Naurto needed you to leave so quickly."
"We both figured that the sooner we get this mission done, the better." In between bites of his meal, he yawned. "I wish it didn't have me pretty much working back to back this week but it comes with the job….mendosuki."
"Diplomacy is a tedious process." She set her mug down on the dining table and yawned herself.
"This is only for the weekend thankfully and I'm taking off Monday. Shittiest day of the week anyway."
"Just as long as none of your paperwork end up on my desk on your day off, I'll let you actually enjoy your Monday." She glances at him as she takes another sip of tea. "You'll be home before you know it anyway." Upon saying this, she realized that this would be their first time apart since having Shikachi and for reasons beyond her comprehension; she felt a flutter of apprehension. Dousing those flames quickly, she cleared her throat. He cleared the table a few minutes later and grabbed his pack from the couch, double-checking it's content. Yesterday, she has enough time to pack him a lunch for the journey with hope that whatever this tight-lipped peacekeeping mission was, it would last him.
7:46…I knew he was going to be later…
By the time she swiveled around from the kitchen, he was at the door with his shoes on, hand on the knob.
"Your lunch."
As he stepped out the door, he turned back to her to lean against the door frame with his hands in his pocket. "By the way, thanks for the send off…" Then that daring smirk was back again. "And for breakfast this morning too..." It was already too late when she heard the sudden cough of their neighbor who was closing his door. Glancing over Shikamaru's shoulder, she saw the cougher stiffen as her eyes locked on the elderly man who looked as startled as she looked embarrassed. Before allowed Shikamaru to unsettle her anymore, she scowled for the second time this morning and threw his lunch satchel at him before slamming the door in his face. "The damn man!" And as she cursed, something told her he was still on the other side of the door, mocking her.
Since when did I allow him to unnerve me like that? It must have been the same time I started playing housewife….
Shuttering, she walked back to their room.
This cannot be a good sign….
….
The first day of his absence went without a hitch. Temari managed to drop Shikachi off at his grandmother's house, make it to work on time, run errands at the end of the day and make it home with the baby before sunset. While the apartment felt a lot more still, she shrugged off the unnerving emotions that picked at the edge of her mind all day.
He's fine..It's not his first mission and it won't be his last.
Annoyed that she was even harboring these thoughts, she kept herself busy until the apartment was spotless, the work she brought home was completed and Shikachi was having his night time bath before bed. Tonight he was a little more fussy than usual, whining ever so often and fitfully falling asleep in her arms. Temari felt even he must have sensed that something was off kilter in their little family.
"He'll be home soon."
She places him in his bed and eerily wonders who the reassurance was really for. With the long day she had, although she got a lot accomplished, everything seemed to drag with unhurried speed. It was frankly exhausting now that she finally managed to hit the pillow but as she turned over to her side, she half expected to feel the other side dip, the ruffling of the sheets and with contentment, a relaxed sigh. While she had the whole bed to herself for once, she didn't feel the warm welcome of the opportunity to be spread out as much as she wanted. Hell, she didn't even feel tired all of a sudden but hyper aware of just how stagnant everything was, like the entire apartment was holding it's breath. Laying on her back, she stared at the ceiling, now even more aggravated than ever that his daily presence affected her so.
"Get a grip Temari."
Turning back on the same side, she must have unknowingly shifted closer to his pillow and the scent of his shampoo and a touch of his pine scented after shave he'd been using wrapped itself around her. Refusing to admit any sort of comfort to this sneaking aroma, she forced her eyes shut, willing herself to sleep before her actions become anymore unlike herself. Her last thought would have almost startled her out of transition if she hadn't been doused by a wave of tiredness
You better come home….you idiot…
That morning, she awoke to an even bigger assault on her senses seeing as how in the middle of the night after feeding the baby, she found herself clutching his pillow. Jumping up, she quickly threw it as far as she could as if it were diseased and huffed out of bed unwilling to confess to the moment of weakness that overtook her in the wee hours. The next night didn't fair any better but she didn't feel enough embarrassment to distance herself so she simply lay there in the silence of early morning. Turning her eyes to the alarm clock flashing angrily on his side of the bed, a whisper of a count town began to tick.
Temari what are you doing? Enjoy the time you have alone…who knows when you'll get it again. I'm sure he's enjoying his time away anyway…
Shikachi was already awake and twisting back and forth in his little bed beside her. Leaning over him, she scooped him in her arms and held him tightly as she does each morning and each morning he returns a greeting with a gummy smile. "Good morning to you. Let's make breakfast, yea?" Balancing breastfeeding in one hand and pouring cereal in the other, she decided to enjoy her morning sitting out on the balcony to greet the early sun. As the golden rays bathed the village skyline in a halo, she wondered how far beyond the forest he was, although he mentioned he wouldn't be back until the evening.
Good, more time for me then.
As she frowned, she started her day busying herself with Sunday morning chores and sighed as it dawned on her that she would have to do his chores along with her own. That included all chores regarding errand running through the village picking up the groceries, picking up some packages that came in at one of the local clothing shops and since she was on her last package of birth control, stopping at the pharmacy. All forms of birth control were covered by the village for employed kunoichis. This not only saved money in the long run monthly but also de-stigmatized views of sex amongst women and promoted healthy practices, an aspect of women's health Sakura championed. With a list of to-do's that made her grumble throughout the entirety of getting herself and the baby ready, she was sure it would only get longer as she thought of more things. Shikamaru's absence made her appreciate his active role a little more and if he wasn't away on official business, he would have gotten and earful when he got home. With Shikachi nestled in his sling, he was cooing to himself before she heard a knock at the door.
"Hm?" The knock came again more impatiently.
"Temari it's me! Open up."
Ino…
Already preparing for the exasperation, she reached for the door and came face to face with the unmistakable blonde firecracker. "Oh thank the nine beasts you're home because I swear if I came all the way over here at this time of the morning and you left-"
"I'm actually on my way out so if you don't mind-" Temari tried using her body to usher into out the door.
"Well leave Shikachi. I wanted to spend some time with him!" Leaning down, she pinched his cheek gently. "Tell mom you want to spend time with aunt Ino." He started cooing and kicking his legs in his grey footy jumpsuit.
This could work…at least I wouldn't have to take him with me.
"Fine. I'll run my errands and you can watch him." Backing up, she allowed Ino in and unstrapped him from her torso. "He should be hungry in about 3 hours but he'll be down for a nap soon. There are bottles in the fridge that you can warm up in the warmer. It's already pre-set so don't touch anything. Diapers are next to the dresser in his room-"
"Yea yea I know where everything is! You think this is my first day?" Ino snuggled the baby cheek to cheek and his eyes seemed to plead with his mother not to leave him with his over the top aunt. "Now shoo! Go run your errands and leave us to our fun."
Temari had to remind herself that this was Ino's personality and it was true, she had watched him enough times to know what she was doing. It still didn't make wanting to shake her a little any less. "I shouldn't be gone long. I'll make it quick." Temari glanced over her shoulder one last time before stepping out the door.
"Take your time!" Ino shouted before Temari shut the door.
"Well...maybe I can get everything done after all." Reveling in her stroke of luck, she headed off into the crowded Sunday streets.
…..
"Good morning Lady Temari! We're having a special on mackerel today." The grocer stood by the front of the store with a basket in hand and a chipper smile on her face. Although she never got the name of the young red-head, she always stood by the front and greeted almost every customer by name. If she didn't know your name at first, she would have it down packed by the time you left. Her contribution was probably one of the reasons why this store did so well and even had Temari smiling at the girl when she frequented. She noted that she should make it a point to know her name.
"Looks like Shikamaru is getting lucky tonight-"
"Is he now?" A familiar voice was next to her as she stood infront of the fresh fish laid out on the packed ice in front of her. As soon as she replied, she knew she had made a mistake.
"Shut it Kiba."
Wagging his eyebrows at the innuendo he assumed was what she was referencing to, he gave her a toothy grin. "You're a grown woman Temari and you and Shikamaru are two consenting adults-"
"I said shut it Kiba before I put you on ice."
"Testy, testy. Shikamaru will be back soon so don't worry."
"Kiba!" Before she had the chance to unleash her pent up agitation, he had already run off into one of the isles, chuckling. Growling, she almost threw the fish in her basket at her feet before grabbing it and practically stomping down the bread isle. As she unloaded her items in the check out line, she saw the girl at the front chatting with the boy who was ringing up her items.
"Akahanna, you're missing people coming in." The boy teased and she blinked, suddenly remembering that she had neglected customers at the front.
"Oh gosh! You're right!"
So Akahanna is it…
"Thank you for shopping with us today. Here is your receipt!" Thanking the boy, she made her way to the door.
"Have a good day Lady Temari!"
"Same to you Akahanna." Temari smiled slightly as the girl stepped back in surprise, blinking furiously. Then, the biggest smile eased onto her face and she spoke quietly to herself.
"A dignitary knows my name…." Then, she shouted across to her. "Have a good day Lady Temari! I'm sure Shikamaru will get here faster once he knows whats for dinner!" Instantly, Temari regretted her decision and now half of the people within her vicinity were giggling. Her cheeks flushed and she darted and she ducked her head.
Is there some sort of hidden camera in our house we don't know about?!
Temari dove into the crowd again, determined to maneuver around as many people as she could to go to the pharmacy. When she was almost at her destination, she heard a voice that made her groan and repeat a silent prayer.
"Lady Temari! Just the woman I want to see."
"What is it Konohamaru…" She didn't stop walking though in hopes that she would lose him but he kept up without batting an eye.
"We're selling silver chains and necklaces to raise money for a new part of the school training field. I know you have money and so I saved the most expensive one for you." With a grin, he held up a smooth yet shining silver chain to her face. "I figured you could give this to Shikamaru when he got back from his mission. You know, kind of a token of how much you missed him."
"Why is everyone assuming that he's left some sort of gaping hole from being gone?" This was becoming more annoying as the day wore on. "And for the record, I don't miss him!" Jerking off the main street, she walked up to the pick up window where an elderly women came approached. "Good morning, my name is Temari-"
"I know you already. No need for formal introductions. Here you go. This is 3 months supply, same directions as always. Now sign here and here." Temari didn't appreciate the rush, especially because she was still trying to avoid this chestnut headed squirt patiently waiting beside her.
"So…you want to take it now or should I have it delivered later?"
"Why are you doing this anyway? The village provides the school with any and everything in needs. Why are you always out here selling things instead of training?"
"We were told that it teaches appreciation when we are aware of the cost of things but quite honestly, its required we do it once a quarter as part of our marks. Anyway, how should I wrap this up for you?" He simply wasn't going to leave her alone and unwillingly, she grabbed some cash out of her satchel and shoved it in her hand before snatching the chain. "Pleasure doing business with you again. I'm sure Shikamaru will like it. You'll get a nice big kiss-"
"Konohomaru if youre not gone by the time I stopped counting backwards…"
Counting the cash, he strolled off triumphantly and disappeared to where he came from.
Shikachi cannot pick up ANY traits from him…in fact, I'm keeping him as far away as I can from that kid.
The rest of the morning was uneventful, which allowed her to go through her list as quickly as she planned. Groceries, pills, package and luckily the dry cleaning was ready early as well, Temari reveled in the feeling of accomplishment as she made her way back to the house, trailed by the scent of lunch hour in the restaurant district. Sunday lunch in Konoha was for family and all around her, the tables were packed both large and small with biological families, lovers, war buddies and all other relationships in between. She couldn't help but smile fondly at the memory of the first time Temri and Shikamaru took Shikachi out with them on their first lunch as, well, whatever type of family they defined themselves as at the moment. Besides constantly running into well wishers and Shikamaru's clan members, it was one of the more pleasant memories they had together. It even made her laugh as she also remembered him spilling his tea in his lap and the pee stain jokes she cracked. He sulked all the way home.
Big baby…
The memory carried her all the way home and right up to the front door where clanging and crashing echoed from the other side. Thinking that something wrong is going on and her son is there, vulnerable and exposed, she almost broke the door down. To her relief, Ino was bouncing around to the beat playing on the small radio while she wiped down the entire kitchen.
"You're back quickly." Ino didn't look fazed that Temari nearly ripped the door off the hinges.
"Yea it wasn't too bad out there luckily."
"Well while you were away, I folded the laundry- except Shikamaru's boxers because I am NOT touching those-, made the bed, swept out the living room and I'm almost done the kitchen if you give me a few more minutes."
Temari was stunned that within a few hours, Ino managed to knock off all of her chores except cooking. "Wow…thanks Ino. You really didn't have to."
"He is down for a nap so what am I suppose to do? That kid can sleep through anything and it kept me busy enough even though you both keep the place pretty clean…shocking considered Shikamaru's room at his house was uninhabitable sometimes." Ino's statement revealed how long she had a close relationship with him. He had always been relatively tidy when they lived together and even when she use to come to his apartment before she was pregnant. "Ah I see Shikamaru is getting lucky tonight- I mean! I don't mean like that! I mean like with diner."
Temari put the grocery bags on the counter and the smell of fresh fish emerged from the bag, purposely turning away to hid the heat creeping up her face. "I know, I know."
"I can stay and watch him for the day while you do stuff. Really, I don't mind." Ino grinned and Temari tilted her head, puzzled as to what was really going on. "Fine fine, I'll confess! I'm just passing time until Sai leaves work. This is his first time working on a Sunday and Sundays are usually our day to hang out and reconnect and stuff."
"Ah, that explains it."
"I just miss him.." Ino leaned against the counter and slightly stuck out her lip.
"Ino don't be ridiculous, he's only at work."
"I know. I can only imagine how you must feel about Shikamaru being gone!"
"I'm fine! Why does everyone keep assuming I'm not?"
"Someone's a little on edge today." Muttering under her breath, Ino turned back around to scrub the counter tops.
"I am not!"
"You know," Ino leaned against the counter, cleaning her nails. "It's ok to miss him. Like, really. You're not gonna lose your edge feeling something for him and trust me, it's clear as day that you feel something for Shikamaru. Everyone sees it."
This conversation was going left and fast. "I don't know what you're talking about." She was determined to stay oblivious for her own sake.
"Temari, you're hopeless. I just don't want you to lose him before you admit it to yourself. Anyway, since you've been so snappy today, maybe you should go let off some steam. When was the last time you trained? You have to make sure you keep up with that."
Temari schedule allowed her to train twice a week and although they were intense, she knew she needed to up her frequency if she was ever going to remain at her peek. Shikamaru always offered to stay with the baby to give her more time but she still didn't feel comfortable with him doing too much for her. They agreed on a 50-50 partnership and she was planning to stick with it.
"Earlier this week."
"You should go again today. Make use of me being here and plus it's a nice day and not too hot. Season the fish and then you can go."
"I have been meaning to add another day to my routine." This would be a prime opportunity to review some of the older jutsu she hasn't used in a while and burn off some of these unsettling emotions. After ponder it over cleaning and seasoning the fish, she agreed but only for a 2 hours before she would be back to kick Ino out of the apartment. Today was supposed to be a quiet day for her and so far she'd spent it in everything but solitude.
…
"At least I'm still not tiring too easily." Panting with her hands on her knees, she had pretty much ripped the thick piece of wood in the center of the field she was practicing on. It was created just for wind style practice with a sprawling field with enough acreage where her wind would die out without doing any major damage to structures or people. After wiping her brown, she stood to her full height for another go. This wood was purposely chosen for its extreme durability and her goal for today was the rip it straight from it's footing deep without disturbing too much of the ground around it. It was a test of precision and control. Since it was still standing, it meant that none of the other wind users had been able to do it.
"I need to adjust my approach. Instead of using my techniques in a knife like motion, I should try to form more of a wall to uproot it…."
Walking back a few steps, she positioned her put her hands in position and quickly executed a set of hand signals. "Wind Style: North Wind Jutsu!"
Grabbing her tessen, she opened it dragged it in a downward motion. The wind created pushed itself forward like a battering ram towards the post. It whined and tilted but ended up back in the ground as the wind subsided. "Now to just use more force…" After the war, many had declared her the one of the most powerful wind users not just due to her raw strength but also with her cunning and expert regulation. She could make a smell breeze mow over a single blade of grass or a tornado to decimate an entire forest if she concentrated. Metal, wood, bone, they were all breakable once she calculated her approach, which made her deadly in battle and on missions. It was through the intense trainings ordered by her father and her own diligence for perfection that helped secure herself so maintenance was always important.
"Alright. Again." Regaining her stance, she prepared herself once again but sudden presence just behind her pricked at her neck.
Being a shinobi, her reflexes had to be quick for her to survive and that sometimes meant attacking first and asking questions later. Whoever it was behind her was now just a breath away, the perfect distance to unleash whatever short-range attack she could. Without hesitation, she swung her closed fan in a upright motion in hopes of knocking her stalker out cold with an uppercut to the jaw. Close combat was never her strong point but she could still hold her own as a pretty formidable enemy. Instantly, her fan was blocked by a set of familiar weapons clutched in the fist of her challenger. With the scraping of metal to metal, sparks flew and her fan was thrown off but not without her striking again. This brought her eye-to-eye with a set of familiar, easy set, brown pupils. Before she could pull back her surprise, his chakra blades came at her again with increased speed giving her only half a second to block. Although they were seemingly equal in close combat, Shikamaru had clearly upped his practicing. Swipe, block, spin, strike, block, jump, their dance went on and on relentlessly while taking them further out into the field. For each time she pushed him, he equally came right back at her with no ground lost or gained on either side. At one point she discarded her tessen and swiftly distracted him with the graze of a left hook to his lips and he spit bright blood into the earth between them. His own shock only showed for a few seconds before he settled back again in his stance but his taunting smile never faltered. That only gave her moments to charge again with her kunai in each hand. While she didn't mean to bloody him up, this match would be sufficient practice to keep her on her toes and she would still hold back just enough. Despite her efforts though, he was beginning to gain ground and managed to knick her on her upper thigh. Temari knew that at this point all she could do was tire him out before the final attack so her moves had to be energy efficient yet calculated. Sweat soon began to drip down both of their brows as they went blow for blow and her gaze caught his grooves of muscle beneath his mesh shirt glistening in the peek of the sunrays. It was only a split second that her mind was clouded and that was all he needed. She didn't register the kick was coming until it was too late and she grunted, slamming back into the post with splinters of wood spreading about her from the force. Then, a blade was at her throat and his body forcefully pressed against hers.
"Well doesn't this seem familiar?" Smirking, he gazed down at her in the familiar fashion; reminiscing about the last time he had her pinned to a tree trunk. From the dip in the top of her plum dress, the searing skin on his chest rubbed against her through the spars fabric. The contact sent impulses crackling through her body down to her finger tips that clenched and relased. Although he was covered in sweat, she inhaled the dizzying scent of his shampoo and aftershave and had to blink herself out of a stupor.
In between panting, she caught her breath enough to respond. "You weren't supposed to be back for a few hours."
"Everything went according to the plan so I didn't see the need to waste time there any longer." Releasing her slowly from her cramped position, he was heaving himself as well.
"So why are you at the training field then?"
There was a sudden difference in his eyes when he looked at her now that was there one minute and then evaporated. Longing? Relief? She couldn't quite tell. "I saw you and I thought I'd butt in I guess." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and turned from her. She was going to keep the conversation going but she was here to train and not talk. It was then a idea came to her that made her lips curl mischievously. One of the rules her father taught her was to attack while your enemy was unaware. A ruthless lesson but still one that had saved her life in the past and with him walking off out of the clearing, it was perfect timing. Besides, she never officially stated the match was over anyway. As silently as she could, she crept up within range behind him. An abrupt blow to the legs had him knocked off his feet and in seconds she was straddling him with a kunai to the throat. Between the blonde strands that were glued by sweat to her brow, she kept the impish grin. First disbelief and then something else that made her want to squirm and throw herself off of him passed over his face but she held herself there to prove a point that she was not easily defeated after all.
"Well if this is how you wanted to welcome me back, you could have at least waited until we got to the house." Now her cheeks were flushed. Now she had to do something to relieve her embarrassment and wipe the smug grin off his bloody lips so she jerked her knife closer to his throat. He didn't even inch back at the contact but slowly reached in front of his neck and firmly grabbed her wrist.
"Let go Shikamaru!" Her hand jerked backwards but he held it stead and used the other hand to pry her fingers open. The weapon dropped onto his chest and he flicked it away where it landed blade first into the ground. "What are you doing?…" In the breast pocket of his flack vest, he pulled out another kunai that made her gasp unconsciously. It was beautifully sleek and pure onxy all the way down the handle that was wrapped in a solid silver plate. Wedged in the handle was a small blue jewel in the shape of a raindrop that spun ombre light against the sun above them. She couldn't help but admire the workmanship that went into it's flawlessly balanced craft and perfected edges. The blade was light, to decrease it's sound as it broke through the air but still sharp enough to glide through flesh. Gently, he put it between her grip and pulled it back under his throat as her eyes never left it. "Shikamaru…"
"I figured if I brought you back something, maybe you wouldn't mind me going away on more missions. " He chuckled and positioned his hands to cradle his head. His eyes then held hers hesitantly and she looked back and forth between him and the stone cold weapon in her palms.
"It's beautiful…I…you didn't have to do this." This gift seemed too custom made to be bought at a simple tourist shop in whatever village he traveled to. "Shikamaru, how much did this cost you?" Furrowing both of her brows, she became curious but also angered at the price she estimated he paid for it.
"Just rent for the next 6 months."
She nearly coughed up her lung. "Shikamaru!"
"I'm kidding! Not 6 months. Don't worry about how much it cost ok? I just saw it and I thought a kunoichi like you should have something like this. You can't carry it with you on secret missions obviously because it will give you away but maybe the more public ones." As he sat up, she leaned forward to get a better look at it and he sat up on his elbows. Their faces were now so close that she could see the russet streaks in eyes and her reflection bounced back at her. His breath was heated against her lips and when she glanced up at him, he gave her a weary smile that licked flames in her belly.
"This doesn't mean I'm going to release you or admit that you won this match." Pushing him back down triumphantly, his brow wrinkled.
"You cheated so by fairness you lost anyway."
"I did not cheat!" Temari cried at his accusation.
"You cheated. The match was clearly over and you still went for it!"
"That is not cheating. That is your fault for letter your guard down!" Crossing her arms and she sat firmly on top of him and watched him frown.
"Bullshit!" Shikamaru sat up on his elbows again, glowering at her and although she should have been irritated at his childish indictment, she could no longer contain and laughter simmering inside of her. His attitude paired with his vexed demeanor made him too easy of a target.
"Is Konoha's prize strategist a sore loser also? Whatever are they teaching you at the academy here?" Throwing her legs over to one side, she stood up while grinning down at him.
"I won and you know it! So…what's my prize?" Now it was his turn to offset her and being nose to nose with him did not do her nerves any good. It had only been a few days without his physical contact and her body was already betraying her. The hairs on her arms stood as stiff as soldiers.
"It's a prize you want huh?" Walking around him, she reached into her pocket for the silver chain Konohamaru finessed her into purchasing and threw it casually over her shoulders. "There's your consolation prize…for throwing a tantrum!" As she marched away, squaring her shoulders to appear as serious as possible, the chuckles escaped as she gathered her things. While it seemed as though they would spend the walk home in silence after their encounter, they ended up bickering the entire way. She called him an ass a few times, he muttered a few choice words under his breath, questioned her ninja way and she threatened him with full time night duty. By the time they reached the apartment, they had come to the conclusion that the only way to settle this fairly was a rematch at a later date with a judge this time.
"What the heck happened to you two?!" Ino shrieked as she held Shikachi over her shoulder. There was a blood streak running down Temari's thigh and Shikamaru's bottom lip was slightly swollen and caked with his own blood.
"Training." Shikamaru shrugged and reached for his son but Ino dodged his arms.
"Not before the both of you take a shower!"
"You would think she's the mother." Temari whispered to him and they both joked all the way to the bathroom.
…
As they lounged in bed that evening, him taking a load off by playing on his hand held console and Temari knee deep in a novel, things were finally starting to feel back to normal. Shikachi was sitting in his father's lap staring at the quickened images that flashed on the screen with his round forest colored eyes trying to keep up. Temari had laid down to face him as she read and held one of his little hands and would occasional glance to be sure he hadn't fallen asleep. Peeking over her book slightly over her book, she couldn't help but smile a little at how much Shikachi was growing into his father's looks. His hair was beginning to darken and take shape to mimic Shikamaru's hairline and right before her eyes she was losing her infant to change. He still had her eyes, though so that was 1 point for her. With the combination of what Shikachi had inherited from his parents, it at least assured his good looks and presently made him an adorable baby. Her attention then shifted to Shikamaru who had his lip between his teeth in a boyish gesture. He was handsome, she had to admit and as the years went by, she witnessed his personality mature with his features. It definitely helped make her decision easier to explore a physical relationship with him and she wasn't ever disappointed. Ever. Just like that, she felt her eyes simmer with the crude images that displayed themselves in the back of her mind.
Steady Temari….
It wasn't but minutes later, she watched Shikachi's eyes droop and his body settle into the comfort of the strong torso behind him. Shikamaru must have sensed his activity halt and peered down to see the baby fast asleep, earlier than his usual bed time. With one finger on his lips, he signaled to her that Shikachi was out of commission and placed him gently in his bassinette on her side of the bed.
"His day must have been busy. Oh the life of 3 month old." Temari's smile was met with Shikamaru's.
"So much to do." He yawned and stretched, lifting his arms high above his head and loosening his ponytail.
"Why are you yawning at 9:15? You know what? This shouldn't surprise me."
"It shouldn't. I take naps for lunch sometimes you know. I could have slept through Orochimaru's attack if they would have just left me there a little longer…Mendokuse…" Temari could only look at him and shook her head. As their banter filled the space of their intimately lit bedroom, it seemed to vanquish the ghost of the stillness left in his absence. The bed seemed warmer, the sounds of the summer night more peaceful and her demeanor a lot less "testy"? "Thanks for the fish. You didn't have to make dinner you know? I know that you'd have your work cut out for you since I was gone. I guess it was a good idea I told Ino-" Before he could finish the sentence, his mouth closed abruptly.
Hm?
"Well, next time before you leave, I'll just make sure you do your chores early." Shikamaru blanched followed by an exasperated exhale. She then cut off the lights. "I'm serious."
"Mendokuse…"
The familiar dip on his side of the bed triggered released her comfortable sigh and laid down on her side to face her infant who was already long gone into dreamland. Her new heightened sensation of Shikamaru's nearness drew her attention to her attachment to him and was now becoming more noticeable, more undeniable and it scared her to her bones. This weekend had provided proof of how much he had wormed his way into her life and how the strangeness of his nearness was now equally matched by the sense of loss in his absence. These sentiments would only complicate their already delicate situation and she had wanted so much for things to remain steady between them. Feelings only made a mess of things. While they could provide strength, it would also be an Achilles heal. She saw what love did to her mother. It killed her. The desire she had for her father robbed Temari and her siblings of a someone they all desperately needed and so for her, feeling anything to quickly, to heavy, outside of her baby and her brothers, would only end in pain. And yet here she was, laying awake, trying to justify herself, thinking of him. What if he started seeing someone again? What if he didn't feel the same way? What if she wasn't enough? What if he left her? They had no security other than agreeing to be the best parents for their child. There was nothing holding them together outside of that and she wasn't about to give up herself to bind them. She couldn't explain why the thought breifly made her unhappy.
"You're not gonna lose your edge feeling something for him and trust me, it's clear as day that you feel something for Shikamaru"
In the midst of her contemplation, she heard him whisper over her shoulders.
"Temari."
"Hm?"
"I um…" A beat of silence. "I have a lot to do in the village you know. There's a lot of intel coming in, especially from Sasuke, and some of these new guys are still getting the hang of the ropes. Naruto spoke with me about being more hands on with training them which would mean not doing to many missions for now…I mean what I'm trying to say is that, I won't be leaving the village for a while."
Now Temari should have felt guilty. She should have felt completely ashamed of herself but for whatever reason, this time she didn't. Thankfully she was turned away from him and thankfully the darkness shrouded her satisfied smile. Clearing her throat, she gathered her composure. "Oh ok. Well, congratulations on your added duty."
"Don't remind me! I'm over it before it even begins."
"Well get some sleep Shikamaru because if I catch you snoozing at your desk again, I'm reporting you."
"You wouldn't- Shouldn't you be asleep too? I heard you've been nothing but snappy all day. Unless….you'd rather do something else?" The inflection of his voice hinted at an activity that would have her sleeping through her alarm the next day. As much as it made her whole body clench in excitement, she knew he was still exhausted from his mission.
"Go to sleep Shikamaru." She waited for him to ask again but she felt him shrug and she sagged in relief. If he asked again, she was sure she wouldn't refuse him. She also knew she had plans tomorrow for lunch now. "Welcome home…" She thought she said to herself.
"There's no place I'd rather be."
And just like that, she felt the beginning of all of her justifications begin to unravel and there was nothing she could do to stop it.