Disclaimer: Shikamaru and Temari are created by Masashi Kishimoto (the creator of Naruto). The situation I have created between them is a result of my imagination, and does not occur in the manga or anime. At least, as far as I know. (I know a lot of people like Shikamaru with Ino, but I like this combination better. If you read and respond, please do not criticize the pairing. The fact that I put them together should not affect the way that the story is written. Thank you!)
A warm wind blew through Konoha. It rustled through the trees and gently slid the clouds across the sky. It reached Shikamaru, who lay on a patch of grass and watched the clouds with a slightly detached interest. After everything that had happened in the previous months, he needed this time to himself to gather his thoughts. Though he was a chuunin, he made sure that he still had time to engage in his favorite activity.
Yawning slightly, Shikamaru stretched and shut his eyes.
"HEY!" called a boisterous voice from his far left.
Grimacing, Shikamaru opened his left eye slightly. There was the sound of someone striding through the grass, and finally a foot appeared in his field of vision. He closed his eye again, and sighed with exasperation as he felt the foot jostle his shoulder.
"You dimwit. What do you think you're doing?" the voice said again. This time, from above him.
"What does it look like I'm doing, Temari?" muttered Shikamaru with his eyes still shut tight against the sun.
"You should be training! Just because you're a chuunin doesn't mean you can slack off!" Temari crouched down next to him and grinned. "I can't always be there to rescue you, you know."
Shikamaru opened his eyes and looked at Temari. She kept grinning at him in the way that only she could. He simply rolled his eyes and sighed.
"It's too hard to train every day," complained Shikamaru. "It's fine if you want to go and train, but don't drag me with you."
"Get up, you lazy ass," Temari stood up and held her hand out to him. "Or else I'll be forced to pick you up and carry you."
Ignoring her hand, Shikamaru stood up and started walking off towards the closest training ground. Temari smiled slyly and walked after him. The sound of the wind rustling the trees drowned the sound of their footsteps. Lacing his hands behind his head, Shikamaru looked up at the sky again. The clouds seemed to stand still whenever you were in motion. If you wanted to watch them pass by, you'd have to be as still as possible.
"Hey, Temari? Why are you here, anyway? Shouldn't you be back at your village?" Shikamaru asked.
"I'm on a very important mission," Temari answered huffily.
"All by yourself?" asked a slightly shocked Shikamaru.
"Maybe. Don't you think I can handle a mission alone?" replied an insulted Temari.
"Well, usually we take on missions in groups," answered Shikamaru. "Just what is this mission?"
Temari whacked Shikamaru on the back of the head.
"As if I'd tell you!" shaking her finger at Shikamaru, Temari stopped in front of him. "If I did tell you what it was, I'd have to kill you. But for all you know, that might be my mission!" With a wink, she started off again.
Sweat dripped slowly down the back of Shikamaru's neck, and he rubbed at the trail it left behind. There was no doubt in his mind that she could kill him at any time if that was indeed her mission. He somehow doubted that it was. For one thing, Temari could have done it earlier. But maybe she was planning on doing it somewhere else. It wasn't entirely impossible. Shikamaru began to try and plan for the worst. How and why did he allow himself to get into this situation?
Temari stopped and gazed at the clouds. She seemed to be deciding something. Shikamaru placed a hand on his kunai. With her back to him, it was difficult to tell if she had already drawn a weapon. He'd rather not try to kill her, but if she was going to try to kill him, he'd have no choice.
"This isn't usually something a ninja should brag about, but I've developed a new taijutsu that's powerful enough to defeat even the toughest guy in the Anbu," Temari cast a backward glance at Shikamaru. "And you're going to be my first test subject."
This is it, he thought. He braced himself for an attack as Temari whirled around and faced him.
Shikamaru's grip and resolution faltered as he saw the look on her face. She was smiling in a way he'd never seen before. She didn't look threatening at all. What was this look she was giving him? What did it mean?
"Shikamaru..." she spoke softly, and stepped closer to him. Shikamaru found that he couldn't move, and wondered if she had somehow mastered the Kageshibari no Jutsu. He tried to speak, but found that he couldn't. All he could do was watch as Temari got closer and closer.
"Shikamaru, do you want to see my new taijutsu?" Temari asked, slyly. Shikamaru could only nod mutely.
"My mission...is to give you this." Temari leaned in and gently kissed Shikamaru's lips. A pleasant chill ran up and down his spine several times. When Temari finally pulled away, all Shikamaru could do was stare blankly at her. She was blushing. He never knew she could blush.
"I like you very much, Shikamaru," continued a flushed Temari. She noticed his blank stare, and turned even redder. "I'm sorry if you didn't like it, but I made up my mind to do it, and so I did it. If you didn't like it, then you can just--"
Shikamaru reached out and pulled her to him, pressing his lips to hers once again. Temari froze for a brief second, then relaxed and wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss deepened as Shikamaru wrapped his arms around her waist.
The warm wind brushed past both of them. Pulling back from their kiss, Shikamaru gazed into Temari's eyes.
"I like you too, Temari." He grinned at her, and she grinned back. Shikamaru pulled her tighter against him, and cast a glance up at the sky as Temari let her head rest on his chest. He remembered his father's words:
"Even the roughest woman is tender to the guy she loves. You'll understand when you're grown up."
"I finally understand, father," whispered Shikamaru as he and Temari watched the clouds slide by.