Disclaimer: I don't own anything

When Shikamaru found out Temari had a free day from work he jumped. Not physically that would be too much work. Mentally was a different story. But he insisted on meeting for a date. Luckily Temari didn't fight him. That gave him the impression she needed to unwind.

Shikamaru sent her a message with the location of their date.

Mini golf.

Was it a bit elementary? Maybe.

But he didn't want to bore her with a typical date. Normal couples would go to the movies or out to dinner. Temari was no ordinary person. Shikamaru needed fun, not average ideas, for their dates*. Since her work schedule was hectic it did give him plenty of time to think about ideas. Since she kicked his ass at bowling he figured he could win at a game he was good at.

He was not winning. Not that he was keeping score. Who did that for mini golf? Psh only children.

It still hurt his pride.

Temari held a smirk on her lips the entire game.

"You really should pick a game you're good at."

"I am good at this game."

"This is your 4th attempt to get your ball past the windmill."

"The windmill is always the hardest obstacle." Shikamaru tried to defend himself.

Temari easily moved him aside. She took one look at the windmill and gently tapped the ball. It passed the windmill with no trouble.

"I still think you're cheating."

Temari laughed. Shikamaru felt his insides turn to goo.

"I didn't peg you for a sore loser."

"A trait I hide well."

The couple picked up their golf balls and headed to the next round.

Shikamaru placed his ball on the ground and made mental calculations for the perfect hit. Temari leaned against her club and stared. Shikamaru ignored her and hit the ball. It bounced off an obstacle before reaching its destination.

"I believe that means we are tied."

"What a man," Temari rolled her eyes. Laughter dancing in her eyes.

Shikamaru was glad that she was enjoying herself. He could tell when they first met up that she was tense. She was a bit stiff when they first began to play. Not in just her movements but in responses to his comments or questions.

Work must be stressing her out.

Talking about work was not a safe idea. He could distract her with other topics though.

"How are you so good at this?"

"Children." Temari lined up her shot and tapped her ball. It easily made its way to the hole in the ground.

They haven't discussed their family life in great detail. All he knew was she had two brothers and was raised by a guardian. She knew he was an only child, his father was just as lazy as him, and that his mother was a nag. Family was a safe topic.

Right?

"How many nieces and nephews do you have?" Shikamaru hoped she wouldn't shut him down.

"1 niece and 3 nephews."

"What are they like?"

Shikamaru honestly wasn't expecting a detailed response. She was so tight lipped about having a dog. He expected the same when it came to her family. At best she might give him their names or ages. Maybe a story or two.

He didn't expect her eyes to light up like the sun. The gentle smile on her face. The proud tone of voice. She took out her phone and began to show him some pictures.

"This is the oldest Shinki. He's ten. Smart, calm, and respectable boy. Takes after his father a lot. He's made it his own mission to watch out for his brothers and cousin."

Shikamaru looked at a boy with dark spiky hair and green eyes.

"He's wearing face paint."

Temari chuckled. "Yes he was in a school play recently. He's not usually a shy person but he's not one to jump at the opportunity to act. He was, for a lack of a better word, tricked by his younger brother into performing for the play."

She showed another picture.

"This is Yota. He is a complete wild child. Drives my brother absolutely crazy. He takes more after his uncle Kankuro, which my brother hates. He's very spirited, quite a prankster, and has little to no filter."

This picture was a boy, age 7, dark brown hair with green eyes as well.

"This is Ryota. He's the youngest. He is shy with strangers but once he gets to know you, will talk your ear off. He's a gentle soul."

This picture showed a 5 year old kid. His hair was a mix of red and sandy blonde, eyes teal like his aunts.

"Lastly the only girl, Izumi. The only child from my brother Kankuro. She is a love bug. Loves cuddles and cotton candy more than anything else in the world. Although her love for Gecko is a close second. She's only four but she defends anyone if she thinks they're being picked on."

The last picture Temari showed him was of all the kids in a group photo. Izumi and Yota had giant grins on their faces. They had Ryota in the middle as they squeezed him in a hug. Ryota's eyes were shut as he tried, and failed, to get away from being made into a sandwich. Shinki just stared ahead with a bored look on his face.

Shikamaru was extremely pleased that she shared something so personal.

"You love them a lot."

"Of course."

"How come you haven't talked about them before?"

"You never asked."

Fair point.

"Tell me more about them."

"Such as?"

By this point in the conversation Shikamaru was no longer interested in playing mini golf. Temari was willing to share more about her personal life. If he wasn't careful she might clam up like an oyster and stop talking.

"Do you see them often?"

"No. Much to their, and my, disappointment."

"When did you see them last?"

Temari stopped to think.

"Too long."

Shikamaru frowned. That wasn't good.

"Maybe next time we can go to the zoo. No that's lame. Oh! Hey they have that indoor racing track. I'm sure they would love to drive around in their own cart. What about roller coasters? Do they like amusement parks?"

Temari was trying to move on to the next hole in their game. She didn't think Shikamaru would go on a tangent about her niece and nephews. She just stood and watched as he was thinking out loud.

She couldn't lie. She did feel warmth spread through her chest as he tried to think of an activity that they could all enjoy. Still she did think it was a bit too soon to introduce him to his family. Her brothers would easily scare him away if she wasn't careful.

"Shikamaru."

He stopped mid sentence in his rambling.

"Thank you for the ideas but we should put that on hold."

"Why?"

Her brothers were assholes and would eat him alive? She emotionally wasn't ready for a huge step? How could she say this without being insensitive? She didn't want to drive him away like the Gecko incident.

"I just feel it's too soon for family introductions."

Temari braced herself. She was sure Shikamaru would get upset and try to convince her otherwise.

"You're right."

Ok not what she was expecting.

"If it took me this long to bring up family then we still don't know each other well enough."

Good. Both were on the same page.

"I guess that means we'll have to play catch up."

Temari was wary about that statement. "Meaning?"

"We're going on more dates."

"It's not...a terrible idea."

Shikamaru placed a giant kiss on her lips.

"Glad you think so."

Temari still wasn't used to such public displays of affection. It was a good thing there was dim lighting at the mini golf course. It was easier to hide her pink face.

"I believe this round puts me in the lead."

"Don't change the subject." Shikamaru teased.

"I'm not. You're the one who was upset about losing."

Shikamaru grabbed and held her hand (the one not holding the golf club). "I'm ok with losing if you're having a good time."

Temari was certainly not used to compliments.

"W-We still have to finish the game."

She turned on her heel and dragged him to the next round. Shikamaru didn't want to laugh out loud. He couldn't risk her running away from embarrassment. His shoulders shook as he tried, and failed, to hold in his laughter.

"You won't be laughing when we're finished!"

He laughed anyway.

The end of the night did not end with sex. Shikamaru put his foot down on that. Temari was a bit disappointed. She respected his wishes and did not jump his bones. Shikamaru kissed her good night before heading home.

As he laid in bed, staring at his ceiling, Shikamaru's mind was racing.

Maybe they could have lunch tomorrow. It would be a nice distraction from her work day. He was gonna take her out for lunch. The next day, he didn't wake up until almost noon. Laziness was burned into his DNA. He sent Temari a message about their lunch date.

He didn't ask. He was going to see her.

Temari didn't like using her personal phone at work. It was too distracting. Her brothers could talk to her about absolutely nothing for 3 hours. She normally took a peak, to make sure it wasn't an emergency, before putting her phone away.

When she saw Shikamaru's message about their lunch date she had to respond. His demanding side was showing again. She liked that.

"I suppose I could spare you some time for lunch."

Temari got a response from him quickly. He sent her the location of their lunch date, stating he couldn't wait to see her, and ended the message with a smiling emoji.

Good god he was now sending her emojis.

Temari shook her head. She needed to focus. She wasn't on lunch yet.

She continued to work hard at her desk when Naruto poked his head. It was about 1:15 pm and he looked concerned.

"What?"

"Uh you know your bosses, the really really old people?"

Temari didn't bother responding. Of course she knew her bosses. The devil was wary of her bosses.

Naruto hesitated and tugged at his collared shirt. "Uh they said to meet them in their office...like right now."

Temari stopped writing. She looked up. Naruto was sweating profusely by this point. His collar on his shirt barely hanging on by a thread.

"Did they say anything else?"

Naruto shook his head.

Temari didn't show it but she grew nervous. Her heart began to race. Mild sweat was collecting on her palms. A meeting with her bosses was never good.

"Very well. This meeting may take some time. Allowing the floor to take lunch."

"E-Extended lunch?"

"Yes."

She stood from her desk and left her office. Everyone in the office shared puzzled looks. Where was the boss going? She paid them no mind. She entered the elevator, hit the 13th floor, and anxiously waited.

Arriving on the 13th floor Temari made her way into the old bats cave.

She had to swallow down the feeling of nausea. She mentally took a deep breath before knocking. She could not show fear or any kind of hesitation.

"Enter."

Temari opened the door and was met with the wrinkled eyes of her two bosses. Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado sat behind one large desk. They motioned her in.

"Sit."

Temari took the only chair available. She sat in the center as the two old bats stared down at her.

"We have asked you here today because we are not happy with your progression." Koharu began the meeting.

Temari bit her tongue. The nerve of these people.

Homura adjusted his glasses. "Your last project was subpar at best."

Temari clenched her hands on her lap. She knew the last project was flawless. She couldn't get mad. That's what they wanted. They wanted to rile her up.

"We have concerns how you are dealing with the current project."

"Such as?" Temari asked politely.

"Well for one Naruto Uzumaki is no longer a part of it. Why?" Homura questioned.

"He is unable to commit the time that is needed."

"Why?" Homura stressed the question.

"Personal reasons." Even if Naruto had told her the reason, she wasn't going to tell them. Not that she had a valid reason. She certainly wasn't going to tell them that.

Koharu shook her head. "Did we make a mistake in putting you in charge?"

"No."

The old bats shared a look.

"Perhaps it is too much work for you."

Temari tensed in her seat.

"Maybe we need to pass this along to someone else."

"There is nothing wrong with my work." Temari's calm demeanor was slipping.

"We did not ask for you to speak." Homura spat.

Temari went rigid.

Koharu wrote something down. "We have a list of candidates that can handle the workload. We may have been hasty in your promotion."

"Unless this project exceeds our expectations. Otherwise we will look into other options."

Temari snapped.

"Do as you wish. I will not give my employees any more work than they already have. This project is already complicated enough with your last minute changes."

"Pity."

"Shame indeed."

Temari was visibly shaking.

"If you are unhappy with the work conditions here, there are other companies. I hear that Icha Icha Paradise is in need of a new editor." Koharu sniggered.

"You are more than welcomed to work for the apes." Homaru sneered.

"Clearly others are asking about me. Otherwise you wouldn't be threatening my position here." Temari fought back.

Both huffed.

"It would be no loss of ours if you left."

Koharu hummed in agreement.

"Then this meeting is a waste of all our times." Temari stood from her chair. "If you excuse me, I have a project to lead."

Neither of the old bats said anything as she stormed out the office.

It wasn't the first time a meeting with them went like this. She could quit if she wanted but it would seriously hurt her chances of employment anywhere else. Due to her fear of being black listed Temari took the abuse.

Her nerves were fried. Her blood was boiling.

She took the stairs down one floor onto the 12th. Of course those old geezers wouldn't dream of having their subordinates work on the same floor as them. All their assistants, writers, editors and such were on different levels. All levels below theirs.

Entering the 12th floor Temari made a beeline for the bathroom. Once inside she yanked open the first stall door and slammed it shut. Locking herself in Temari sat on the toilet. She leaned forward until her forehead touched her knees. Her hands clenching at her sides. She ignored the dull pain from her hands, the large migraine forming right behind her eyes.

She just shook.

She allowed herself this moment of weakness.

Her breathing was more like panting.

Every nerve in her body hurt.

But she would do nothing except her work.

Sitting up, resting her back against the seat of the toilet, Temari blankly stared at the stall door. When did her life turn out like this? When did she allow others to knock her down? Allow others to keep her down?

Standing up Temari left the toilet. She walked over to the sink and splashed some water on her face. She needed to pull herself together. She couldn't allow her employees to see her like this. Not that they would care. She had to keep the tough image. If they sensed her weakness then they would try to overstep boundaries. Nothing would get done. Then she really would get fired.

Rising her face, and drying with some paper towels, Temari looked in the mirror.

She did not recognize herself.

She wouldn't face Shikamaru after a meeting like that. She was both angry and sad that she wouldn't be able to see him again. But he was smart. He would notice something was bothering her.

She would just postpone their date. She's done it before. He should be used to it.

Leaving the bathroom Temari did not make eye contact with anyone from the 12th floor. She could feel their glances as she entered the elevator. She ignored them. She made her way back to her office. She, once again, ignored the questioning glances from her employees.

Shutting herself in her office Temari got back to work. After sending Shikamaru a message first. Her message said she couldn't meet for lunch. She had a meeting that would be running long. She would just have something sent to her.

She then turned off her phone.

She did not have lunch.

There was too much work to do.

She left the office around 7pm. Her stomach was not happy with her. Her body was not happy with her. Temari grabbed some pasta before heading home.

She was completely exhausted.

She decided to sleep in the following day. She didn't have to be at the office so early. She chose to so she could get more work done. She could take Gecko on her walk before heading in.

She sent Tenten a message.

"I will walk Gecko in the morning. Sleep in before coming in for her afternoon walk."

Temari ate half of the pasta. She wasn't very hungry. Gecko decided to smother her. Sensing Temari's awful mood, Gecko laid her whole body on Temari. Normally Temari didn't like when Gecko used her as a human pillow. Tonight was an exception.

They stayed together. Neither moving. Gecko providing comfort and Temari slowly relaxing.

Until Tenten came through the front door holding a bag of goodies.

Gecko jumped off Temari and ran to greet Tenten. Temari didn't move from her spot on the couch. Tenten joined her after greeting the excited dog.

"Let me tell you about this drama I'm watching. It's super dramatic and ridiculous but I love it."

Temari stayed silent.

Tenten talked about her show as she brought out candy and soda from her bag.

"Then the evil stepmother made her pick up the necklace from the mud. With. Her. Teeth! Oh I was seeing red at that scene!"

Temari remained quiet as she nibbled on a chocolate bar.

"Then the talking dog saved the grandparents from a fire. Don't ask why the dog talks. It just does. You know it might be narration. I'm not sure. I haven't figured out the talking dog bit."

Temari appreciated the company. She was glad that Tenten didn't ask what was wrong. She just came to try and calm her from the stressful work day. She leaned against Tenten as she continued to explain the drama.

She would be ok.

*I'm trying to come up with not average ideas for dates. It's not working well so far lol. By all means I'm open to suggestions!

This chapter came out of left field. It started fun then took quite a turn. Still I'm enjoying how the story is turning out. Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing! I love to hear from you guys and that you're enjoying the story! Let me know your thoughts.

Thank you:

V