Hello everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates. (Insert excuses here.) I
promise to try to update more often. I've noticed that reviews really
inspire me to write more often. (Because it makes me feel bad when I
leave you hanging.) So, please review. And I hope you enjoy reading
this story.
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Shikamaru sighed, they'd been like this for atleast half an hour and she didn't seem to be planning on letting go of him anytime soon. He closes his eyes, rubbing his temple. 'Definatly have a headache on the way.' Their current sitting arangements didn't quite help either."Temari?"
She stirred, lifting her head slowly. "Sorry..." She met his eyes for a moment before taking interest in the sky. "It's not every day that the ice maiden of the sand breaks down and acts like a normal girl." Temari sighed deeply, glad no one had really noticed. Shikamaru wasn't really looking at her, instead taking great interest in a pebble a few feet from where they were sitting.
"Who said it wasn't okay to be normal every now and then." he murmured "And you're not really an ice queen."
Temari scoffed lightly, sitting up straight in an attempt to look him in the eyes. "But a shinobi isn't supposed to show emotions."
"No, we're not. But we're not on a mission right now, are we?" there was a thoughtful pause, a small smirk forming on his lips as he spoke again. "You know, your eyes are cold at first, but that's only because they're so dark; almost unreadable. They're actually quite nice."
Temari flushed ever so slightly at the compliment, looking away and wiping her eyes again.
"But when someone is this close, there's almost no mistaking what's going on.. Now, would you mind getting off of me. If someone where to see us, it might be considered indecent." 'Now to watch her reaction.' he mused mentally.
She narrowed her eyes a bit and got off of Shikamaru's lap. "We wouldn't want them thinking we were an item would we." she crossed her arms after standing. "You might get accused of being a traitor as well."
Shikamaru laid his his head back lazily as he slouched on the bench. "I think everyone knows about you and your brother's predicament by now, people love to gossip." his expression changed from sleepy to slightly aggitated. "As for us being an item, I'm sure my everybody would be overjoyed. Everybody in Konoha would be waiting to see what kind of child two geniuses could produce. And then there's my parents.. Right now they're worried because I'm not even really interested in girls. I..."
Temari cut in, mirth in her voice "So they think you're gay?" taking note of his previous complement.
Shikamaru's eye twitched "It has came up. I got the whole 'We'll still love you' speech. What a bother.." He huffed. "By the way dad talks, after I take an interest in women, I'll loose all common sense. Along with my mind."
She grinned. "You, a sex crazed maniac? I would never imagine."
Shikamaru rolled his eyes, looking at her from their corners "Heh, dating seems like alot of trouble." He finally stood, staring off into the distance. Well, at the clouds on the edge of the horizon.
"You're probably right." She smiled that scary little smile of her's and turned to him, troubles currently forgotten. "Hey, Shikamaru... How about you escort me around Konoha today? Surely you could do something so easy for someone who saved your life." Her grin widened, to the point it was almost sadistic.
He stared at the ground for a moment, hands in his pockets. 'Damn she's bossy.. and scary, like mom. But I guess she's right.' "I don't guess I have anything better to do."
They had spent nearly 45 minutes walking, mostly just around the edges of the village. Temari occasionally asking him about restaurants and shops they passed. They where quiet for the most part and no one really said much to them. Just how Shikamaru had hoped. Well, that was until they came to the Yamanaka flower shop.
Shikamaru froze, a silent prayer crossing his mind as he looked to Temari. He wasn't scared, no. He just didn't want to run into Ino. He watched Temari gazing at the flowers in the window. 'I'll never hear the end of it if she sees us.' There was about a 75% chance Ino was working today, he thought. 'Bah, what the hell am I worrying about.'
Temari was lost to the world once she layed eyes on the shop. Though she would never admit it, she envied places other than Sand because of their plants, especially flowers. Her smile was almost childish as she turned to her counterpart in this little excursion. "I wanna go in here."
He had opened his mouth to protest but knew it was too late when her had wrapped around his wrist, pulling him with suprising strength. 'Swinging that fan around so much has made her strong. And now I'm getting dragged into the last place I want to be right now. Damnit.' He sighed. 'Maybe Ino will get jealous, that could be entertaining..'
When they entered, Shikamaru thanked the gods; Ino was nowhere to be seen. 'But of course her mother's here.' another sigh. 'This is alot of trouble.'
Temari, on the other hand payed no heed to the owner. Instead, letting go of Shikamaru and wandering around the small shop. 'I haven't seen many of these before...'
Shikamaru on the other hand had walked over next to the counter, slumping against the wall. "Hello Mrs. Yamanaka."
Ino's mother beamed at him, looking over at Temari. "So you've found yourself a girlfriend?"
He shook his head, having closed his eyes.
"Oh, I see." Mrs. Yamanaka said. "A friend of your's then."
Shikamaru stood up straight, feeling uncomfortable. "Sort of. She's one of the sandnins taking refuge here. And I've been showing her around Konoha."
Mrs. Yamanaka nodded sagely. "She's the one you fought in the chuunin exam then. I remember Ino telling me about the fight. Sounded very exciting."
He nodded, turning as he heard Temari coming towards them, in her hands a few white and blue irises.
Temari layed them up on the counter, smiling. "I'd like these." she grabbed Shikamaru by the scruff of the neck. "He's paying." Her grin almost promised pain if he didn't comply, so he did what he was told. 'They don't cost that much anyways.'
After sharing their goobbyes, they left. Shikamaru thanking the powers that be for his luck. Yes, the entire flowershop thing had gone quite alright. That was, until he felt someone's stare boring into the back of his head. 'Can't be.' he gritted his teeth slightly, hearing a 'hmmp'. He turned, to find none other than Ino.
Temari, noticing he was no longer behind her, turned to find Ino glaring daggers at Shikamaru.
Ino, after looking over Temari and noticing the flowers in her hands, looked back to Shikamaru,. "I didn't know you had a date. And with the sandnin, no less." she sounded mildly disgusted and had obviously just returned from visiting her precious Sasuke.
Shikamaru crossed his arms. "Heh, not quite. Just helping her out is all." he was slightly agitated by her tone. Temari on the other hand was giving Ino a look reminiscent of Gaara.
"Well, some people have to get to work. Have fun." she grumbled, entering the shop.
Temari growled, turning and walking off, wanting very much to strangle a certain girl named Ino.
The young Nara could do nothing but sigh, turning to follow. "Sorry, Ino can be a real pain sometimes."
"Your teammate, right?" she was calming down, just a little.
"Yeah." he looked over to the flowers in Temari's hand. "Though it isn't hard to see why she'd think we where on a date, is it?" she nodded a bit."Heh, not like she cares anyways." 'Strange that she'd get jealous when no one can compare to her precious Uchiha.'
Temari was staring at the sky "I'm going back 'home'. We'll continue tomorrow, Nara." she turned to him, smiling just the littlest bit "Even if it was a date, would that be so bad?"
"No, not at all." he smirked "After all, it's the least I can do for someone who saved my life."
She smirked as well, turning and starting to walk away. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
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So did you enjoy it? Tell me what you think, and don't be afraid to give me a few suggestions.
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Shikamaru sighed, they'd been like this for atleast half an hour and she didn't seem to be planning on letting go of him anytime soon. He closes his eyes, rubbing his temple. 'Definatly have a headache on the way.' Their current sitting arangements didn't quite help either."Temari?"
She stirred, lifting her head slowly. "Sorry..." She met his eyes for a moment before taking interest in the sky. "It's not every day that the ice maiden of the sand breaks down and acts like a normal girl." Temari sighed deeply, glad no one had really noticed. Shikamaru wasn't really looking at her, instead taking great interest in a pebble a few feet from where they were sitting.
"Who said it wasn't okay to be normal every now and then." he murmured "And you're not really an ice queen."
Temari scoffed lightly, sitting up straight in an attempt to look him in the eyes. "But a shinobi isn't supposed to show emotions."
"No, we're not. But we're not on a mission right now, are we?" there was a thoughtful pause, a small smirk forming on his lips as he spoke again. "You know, your eyes are cold at first, but that's only because they're so dark; almost unreadable. They're actually quite nice."
Temari flushed ever so slightly at the compliment, looking away and wiping her eyes again.
"But when someone is this close, there's almost no mistaking what's going on.. Now, would you mind getting off of me. If someone where to see us, it might be considered indecent." 'Now to watch her reaction.' he mused mentally.
She narrowed her eyes a bit and got off of Shikamaru's lap. "We wouldn't want them thinking we were an item would we." she crossed her arms after standing. "You might get accused of being a traitor as well."
Shikamaru laid his his head back lazily as he slouched on the bench. "I think everyone knows about you and your brother's predicament by now, people love to gossip." his expression changed from sleepy to slightly aggitated. "As for us being an item, I'm sure my everybody would be overjoyed. Everybody in Konoha would be waiting to see what kind of child two geniuses could produce. And then there's my parents.. Right now they're worried because I'm not even really interested in girls. I..."
Temari cut in, mirth in her voice "So they think you're gay?" taking note of his previous complement.
Shikamaru's eye twitched "It has came up. I got the whole 'We'll still love you' speech. What a bother.." He huffed. "By the way dad talks, after I take an interest in women, I'll loose all common sense. Along with my mind."
She grinned. "You, a sex crazed maniac? I would never imagine."
Shikamaru rolled his eyes, looking at her from their corners "Heh, dating seems like alot of trouble." He finally stood, staring off into the distance. Well, at the clouds on the edge of the horizon.
"You're probably right." She smiled that scary little smile of her's and turned to him, troubles currently forgotten. "Hey, Shikamaru... How about you escort me around Konoha today? Surely you could do something so easy for someone who saved your life." Her grin widened, to the point it was almost sadistic.
He stared at the ground for a moment, hands in his pockets. 'Damn she's bossy.. and scary, like mom. But I guess she's right.' "I don't guess I have anything better to do."
They had spent nearly 45 minutes walking, mostly just around the edges of the village. Temari occasionally asking him about restaurants and shops they passed. They where quiet for the most part and no one really said much to them. Just how Shikamaru had hoped. Well, that was until they came to the Yamanaka flower shop.
Shikamaru froze, a silent prayer crossing his mind as he looked to Temari. He wasn't scared, no. He just didn't want to run into Ino. He watched Temari gazing at the flowers in the window. 'I'll never hear the end of it if she sees us.' There was about a 75% chance Ino was working today, he thought. 'Bah, what the hell am I worrying about.'
Temari was lost to the world once she layed eyes on the shop. Though she would never admit it, she envied places other than Sand because of their plants, especially flowers. Her smile was almost childish as she turned to her counterpart in this little excursion. "I wanna go in here."
He had opened his mouth to protest but knew it was too late when her had wrapped around his wrist, pulling him with suprising strength. 'Swinging that fan around so much has made her strong. And now I'm getting dragged into the last place I want to be right now. Damnit.' He sighed. 'Maybe Ino will get jealous, that could be entertaining..'
When they entered, Shikamaru thanked the gods; Ino was nowhere to be seen. 'But of course her mother's here.' another sigh. 'This is alot of trouble.'
Temari, on the other hand payed no heed to the owner. Instead, letting go of Shikamaru and wandering around the small shop. 'I haven't seen many of these before...'
Shikamaru on the other hand had walked over next to the counter, slumping against the wall. "Hello Mrs. Yamanaka."
Ino's mother beamed at him, looking over at Temari. "So you've found yourself a girlfriend?"
He shook his head, having closed his eyes.
"Oh, I see." Mrs. Yamanaka said. "A friend of your's then."
Shikamaru stood up straight, feeling uncomfortable. "Sort of. She's one of the sandnins taking refuge here. And I've been showing her around Konoha."
Mrs. Yamanaka nodded sagely. "She's the one you fought in the chuunin exam then. I remember Ino telling me about the fight. Sounded very exciting."
He nodded, turning as he heard Temari coming towards them, in her hands a few white and blue irises.
Temari layed them up on the counter, smiling. "I'd like these." she grabbed Shikamaru by the scruff of the neck. "He's paying." Her grin almost promised pain if he didn't comply, so he did what he was told. 'They don't cost that much anyways.'
After sharing their goobbyes, they left. Shikamaru thanking the powers that be for his luck. Yes, the entire flowershop thing had gone quite alright. That was, until he felt someone's stare boring into the back of his head. 'Can't be.' he gritted his teeth slightly, hearing a 'hmmp'. He turned, to find none other than Ino.
Temari, noticing he was no longer behind her, turned to find Ino glaring daggers at Shikamaru.
Ino, after looking over Temari and noticing the flowers in her hands, looked back to Shikamaru,. "I didn't know you had a date. And with the sandnin, no less." she sounded mildly disgusted and had obviously just returned from visiting her precious Sasuke.
Shikamaru crossed his arms. "Heh, not quite. Just helping her out is all." he was slightly agitated by her tone. Temari on the other hand was giving Ino a look reminiscent of Gaara.
"Well, some people have to get to work. Have fun." she grumbled, entering the shop.
Temari growled, turning and walking off, wanting very much to strangle a certain girl named Ino.
The young Nara could do nothing but sigh, turning to follow. "Sorry, Ino can be a real pain sometimes."
"Your teammate, right?" she was calming down, just a little.
"Yeah." he looked over to the flowers in Temari's hand. "Though it isn't hard to see why she'd think we where on a date, is it?" she nodded a bit."Heh, not like she cares anyways." 'Strange that she'd get jealous when no one can compare to her precious Uchiha.'
Temari was staring at the sky "I'm going back 'home'. We'll continue tomorrow, Nara." she turned to him, smiling just the littlest bit "Even if it was a date, would that be so bad?"
"No, not at all." he smirked "After all, it's the least I can do for someone who saved my life."
She smirked as well, turning and starting to walk away. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
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So did you enjoy it? Tell me what you think, and don't be afraid to give me a few suggestions.