I try to update every day except weekends.
Neither the story nor the characters belong to me.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
SHIKA
The house quickly filled as it approached four o'clock. I left the front door open as the crew filed in, single guys and families alike. I got the hell out of the caterer's way as they put the finishing touches on the mountain of food in the dining room.
I'm not sure what had me more nervous, the impending phone call from the certification crew or the rings in my pocket... That was a lie. It was the rings. Those little suckers were putting my stomach into full somersault mode. She'd be here any minute. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura swore they'd convince her to show.
"Thanks for having this here, Shika," Kakashi said, shaking my hand as he came through the door. "It feels a little more family-oriented than getting the news at the clubhouse."
"No problem."
I didn't mention that this had been the only idea I'd been able to come up with to get her here. Could I have shown up at her apartment? Absolutely. Stormed the preschool? Sure. But this house…this is where everything happened, where we became us, so I figured that this was the best place to remind her of exactly how good we were together.
"Want to show me to your office?" he asked.
"Absolutely." I led him through the house and down the hallway to the office. "We'll keep everyone out of here so it's quiet for the phone call. Then you can come out and give us the good news when you're ready."
Kakashi gave me a stressed smile.
"As long as it's good news."
"It will be" I said with way more confidence than I felt "There's no way that everything we've done, everything we've worked for, was in vain. It'll be good news."
That fire was already at thirty percent containment and a lot of that was due to Kakashi's strategy yesterday. He'd made the right call. I'd made the right call by following him, even if Daikoku didn't agree.
Kakashi's attention snagged on a photo of the original Konoha crew, and his jaw flexed a couple of times.
"Your dad would be proud of who you've become, Shika. Not just the firefighter but the man you are."
"Thanks." I managed to choke the word out. It didn't matter how many years it had been, the grief of losing Dad had never really lessened. It had become my shadow of sorts, elongating at certain times and hovering close at others, but never fully leaving. "I'll send Neji in when he gets here."
I left the office and headed back to the gathering, which had yet to become a party. The clock struck four, and by a quick glance toward the living room and through the windows to the deck on my left, I could estimate that most of us were here. Sakura stepped into my path at end of the hallway. Her lips were pressed together, and the emotion running through her eyes was pure apology.
"She didn't come." My chest deflated.
Sakura grimaced.
"Oh, no. She came, all right."
"She's here?" I looked over the petite brunette and scanned the room for my wife, coming up empty.
"Yep." She nodded slowly.
"What are you not telling me?"
"She, well, um…." Her face scrunched for a second. "She kind of pre-gamed."
"Pre-gamed," I repeated like a parrot.
"You know." Sakura shrugged. "Like when you're going out for the night, but you have a few drinks before you head out."
"Saku, I know what pre-gaming is."
I scanned the room again, and still didn't see her.
"Right. Well, she pre-gamed pretty hard."
"Are you trying to tell me my wife is drunk?" I asked slowly.
"Maybe a little." She held up her thumb and forefinger, making a pinching motion, then widened the space. "Or a lot. I mean, if she were a bigger person…say an NFL linebacker, then it wouldn't really be that much, but she's kinda small, so..."
"So she's plastered," I guessed.
"I'm really sorry. If it makes you feel better, she only did it so she'd have the liquid courage to see you." Her nose wrinkled.
My jaw slackened.
"That doesn't make me feel better, Saku."
In fact, it pretty much threw this evening's plan right out the fucking window. Then Temari waltzed into my view, a giant smile on her gorgeous face. She had on the world's tiniest shorts and an oversize, off-the-shoulder sweater that ended at her hips, and her hair was loose down her back. My tongue swelled, she looked that damn good.
Then she swayed slightly, and Naruto's arm swept out to steady her. "Plastered," I repeated.
"It was the only way she'd come."
I sighed, but a smile tugged at my lips. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd seen Temari let loose. Her timing was shit but kind of fitting in a way, since that's how it always went with us.
"Do me a favor," I said to Saku as I slid past her. "Send Neji into the office when he gets here? That's where Kakashi is taking the phone call."
"You got it." She gave me a thumbs-up. "And good luck"—she motioned toward Temari—"with all that."
I was going to need it.
The sound of Temari's laugh was an electric shock to my heart, throwing it out of whack, the rhythm skyrocketing before settling into a steady beat as I crossed the floor to get to her.
"Hey, Shika." Someone stopped me. "Where are the shirts? We want to be prepped."
The voice alone told me it was Kiba.
"Boxed by size under the dining room table," I answered without taking my eyes off Temari, closing in on her.
Naruto glanced my way, then sent me the same apologetic look Sakura had given me as Temari laughed again…at something Chance had said, go figure.
"Does anyone know where the plastic cups are?" Ino called out from the kitchen.
"Top pantry shelf!" Temari answered, turning slightly.
Our gazes collided and held. This woman was worth the fight, even if I had to wait to plead my case, even if waiting meant pleading it over and over.
"Temari," I said quietly.
"Shika." Her smile slipped. "Naruto said that I don't have to talk to you if I don't want to." Her eyes widened, and she slapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh, that was loud, wasn't it?"
"It's fine."
Considering that nearly every head in the living room had turned our way, yes, it had been loud, but I didn't care.
"But Naruto also thinks it would be a good idea if you heard him out," Naruto added, supporting her when she swayed again.
Thank God she was in Vans. Heels would have done her in.
Temari's head swung toward her brother with exaggeration.
"Traitor."
"Just giving you my honest opinion."
Temari looked back at me, and it took everything I had not to throw her over my shoulder and carry her out of here so I could make her listen to reason. There were a thousand emotions in her eyes, but the one I couldn't stand was the hurt, because I knew I'd caused it.
She stepped out of Naruto's reach and pressed her finger against my chest, glowering up at me.
"I told myself that I wasn't going to talk to you. Because…" She shook her head. "Because of a lot of things. But you know what? Maybe I will. I haven't decided yet."
"Can we at least do this talking in private?" I didn't need the rest of the crew witnessing this.
Her gaze narrowed.
"Fine. After the call comes in. But you have to keep your hands to yourself, Shikamaru, because I can't think when you touch me." I fought off a grin.
There was something to be said for a drunk, filterless Temari.
"Please, God, have this conversation in private." Naruto groaned.
"Neji just got here," Sasuke said, sliding through the crowd with Sakura tucked to his side. "He went back to the office."
"Now we wait." Naruto glanced at his watch as Temari retreated to his side.
We were going to talk.
A nervous hum filled the air and built as minutes passed. The guys and Saku did their best to fill our little circle with small talk, but I barely noticed what they were saying, not when Temari and I were locked into an emotional staring contest.
"It's four thirty," Sasuke muttered, shifting his weight nervously.
"They'll call," Sakura said, giving her most supportive smile to her fiancé.
"You know the town council is shitting bricks right now." Naruto slung his arm over Temari's shoulder, anchoring her when she swayed again.
Damn it, that was my job.
"They pretty much did everything they could to set you guys up to fail." Sakura's smile faded.
"We're not going to." I kept my eyes on Temari. "Failure has never been an option."
She flinched, and my chest went tight with fear that our talk might not go my way. Winning an emotional staring contest had never felt so shitty.
"Heads up!" Neji's booming voice filled the house and silenced the crowd. "Get everybody in here."
"It's time," Sasuke said quietly.
Lee motioned to everyone out on the deck, and they piled in, cramming the first floor of my house to its max occupancy. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. There was nothing that could be done now, so why was my stomach in knots? Either they'd decided to certify us, or they hadn't. The decision had already been made. It was out of our hands. There were at least forty people in here, and silence reigned.
"I got the call from the certification team." Kakashi stood at the edge of the kitchen where everyone could see him.
I stopped breathing.
A slow, proud smile stretched across his face.
"Welcome back, Konoha, you're all certified hotshots!"
Holy shit.
The roar was deafening as we cheered. My heart thundered and emotion overwhelmed every logical thought as Naruto, Sasuke, and I grabbed for each other, our arms around backs, our heads pressed together as we shouted our joy. The work. The sacrifice. The begging we'd had to do in front of the town council. The moves and the money. The sleepless nights we'd spent tracking down every living legacy. The training and the doubts…it had all been worth it.
We were our father's sons, and we had brought back their patch.
Every person in this room had played a part, but it had been the three of us from the beginning.
"We did it." Sasuke spoke first.
"Hell yeah, we did!" Naruto shouted.
"They'd be proud of us." My voice was strained, the boulder in my throat growing with every passing second and every blink of my aching eyes.
They both nodded, and we broke apart.
I was grabbed into another hug by someone—Kiba—and he slapped my back before releasing me. Everyone around us was jumping, hugging, exchanging high-fives, and grinning like they'd won the lottery.
Sasuke had Sakura in his arms.
Naruto hugged Temari, lifting her feet off the ground... The joy cracked in my chest. That was my wife. She was the only woman I loved—would ever love—and all of this meant nothing if I didn't have her to come home to.
"Hyuga!" Kakashi called out.
"Here!" Kiba and Neji both shouted, making everyone laugh.
Shirts flew into the waiting hands of the crew.
"Nara!"
I held up my hand and Neji sent a shirt sailing over the living room. I caught it.
Around us, crewmembers were stripping off whatever they'd worn to the party, leaving their tops discarded on the floor.
"Well, today just got interesting," Sakura said with open appreciation as Sasuke stripped down.
Rolling my eyes, I did the same, tugging on the Konoha Hotshot Crew shirt. It slid into place, and I glanced down at the patch just beneath my shoulder.
Just like Dad.
I turned, and a mass of blond hair was in my arms. Temari. Her arms were around my neck, her scent in my lungs, her body pressed against mine as I clamped my arms around her and lifted her off the ground.
"Now it's perfect," I said against her temple.
"I'm so proud of you." She squeezed tighter.
If I could have frozen any moment and lived there for an eternity, this would have been it.
"I love you." The words fell out of my mouth with no preamble, no grace, with none of the practiced, pretty speeches I'd gone over in my head all day.
She jerked her head back, her eyes wide and drunkenly glazed.
" 't."
"I love you," I repeated, shocked that the world hadn't exploded into flames and quicksand by simply uttering those words.
She shook her head and shoved at my chest. I let her go. We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity but was probably only the length of a heartbeat. Champagne popped somewhere. Beers were handed around.
Temari arched a brow and turned, heading for the steps.
"Good luck," Naruto called out.
I was going to need it. Eyes off her ass, I told myself as I followed her up the stairs, but damn, it was right there. My palms itched with the need to hold her, and when she slipped, I bracketed her hips, holding her steady.
"Hey." She waggled a finger at me. "I said hands off."
"Would you rather I let you fall?"
Her forehead puckered, and she shook her head before scurrying up the last few steps.
She looked to the right—into our bedroom—then turned left, and pushing through that door instead. I wasn't prepared for her little gasp, or the stab of pain that sliced me to the quick. This was their room—Denki and Hoks's.
"It feels all wrong," she said, shaking her head as she sat on the lonely twin bed. "The room is still here, but they've been peeled away."
Nothing personal of theirs remained. It was just a shell.
"Yeah, it does." I sat beside her, far enough that I kept my hands to myself as promised but close enough to reach her if she fell.
"You know what happens when you get all responsible for five months?"
I looked at her but didn't answer her rhetorical question.
"Your tolerance for alcohol disappears," she whispered.
Her brow furrowed as she swung her gaze to mine.
"I've had too much tequila to watch what I say to you."
"Then don't." That also meant she'd probably had too much tequila for me to hold her accountable for anything she actually did say.
She blew a strand of hair out of her face and then blinked as she stared across the room. "Where is Hoks's crib?" There were still divots in the carpet from where it had been.
"I gave it to Nolan."
Her head whipped toward mine, and it must have thrown off her equilibrium, because she grabbed ahold of my arm.
"You gave it to Nolan?"
"It was Hoks's crib." I turned toward her and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I listened to every voicemail you left, Temari, and you were right. The best thing for the boys was to give it to Nolan." My chest went tight, thinking about all that had gone down the night she'd left. I didn't even know where to start with my apology, or if she'd even remember it tomorrow. "I was so mad that night when I got home and found out they were gone."
She drew back.
"And I was so stupid to let my emotions rule. So stupid to lash out at you the way I did."
She glanced around the room, then surged to her feet.
"I can't do this in here."
"Temari," I started, but she was already out of the room.
I went after her, following her through our room and into our bathroom. She turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on her face. I held out a hand towel and she took it, drying her face as she leaned back against the counter.
"I didn't take your name," she said, slowly bringing her gaze up to meet mine.
"Yeah. That sucked."
"And it wasn't because I don't love you." She twisted the towel in her hands. "That's the problem with us, Shika. I've never not loved you."
I moved toward her, and she put up her hand, stopping me.
"Just let me get this out, because God knows I'm going to regret it all in the morning."
It killed me, but I stepped back.
"And I knew, even when we rushed through that ceremony, that I was getting everything I'd ever wanted, but you weren't." She held up her finger, and my mouth snapped shut. "You were marrying me because you saw yourself in the boys, and you were willing to do anything, including chaining yourself to me, to keep them safe. And it was all temporary. We knew that."
My jaw clenched, but I kept silent.
"You've always said you weren't capable of falling in love. And sure, I knew you were damaged. We all are. I'm not naïve, Shika. I've known you your whole life." Her eyes drifted shut for a second, and she pressed the towel to her cheek. "I knew once you met the right woman, the one you couldn't live without, you'd find a way to heal, and you'd fall in love." A smile ghosted her lips. "Because you have so much love to give. And I also knew, as much as it hurt, that it wasn't me." Her face crumpled and took my heart with it.
"Temari..."
"No." She shook her head even as she swiped the towel over her cheeks. "So when I went to sign the marriage license, I had a choice to make between grabbing ahold of everything I could from you and throwing myself into this…dream, or thinking about the pain it would cause when I inevitably had to change it back to Uzumaki. Thinking about the woman you would one day want to give that name to, not just because you wanted to stand up for the boys but because you wanted her to have everything—your heart, your soul, and your name. And how unfair would it be to you that I'd taken it when you'd already given me so much?" Then she smiled—a real, full, genuine one—and my whole body clenched. "And then you called me Mrs. Nara, and I loved it so much that I didn't have the heart to tell you the truth. I never thought we'd be married six weeks let alone five months."
"I understand."
I didn't like it, but I got it.
"And as for my apartment..."
"I already know." I shrugged. "Naruto told me. I'm so sorry that I jumped to conclusions."
She nodded.
"I'm so sorry I let you marry me."
"Fuck no. Temari, no." I closed the space between us and took her face in my hands. "Please don't regret that. I don't."
"We took it too far. I took it too far. And you were right, that night when you said there was nothing else holding us together but them."
"I was an idiot," I whispered.
"Admit it," she demanded. "Just once, tell the truth. If not for the boys, we never would have been together. You never would have kissed me..."
"I kissed you way before the boys were a factor." Just looking at her lips now made me want to sink right back into her.
"And look how that turned out," she whispered. "There really is nothing like kissing you, Shika. The whole world disappears when your mouth is on mine."
I groaned and rested my forehead on hers.
"It's kind of fitting to be here, isn't it?" The towel fluttered to the floor as she raised her hands to my chest. "You following me into a bathroom?" She raised her face and brushed her lips across mine.
"You're drunk." I felt the caress in every nerve ending.
"I prefer the term slightly overserved." Another graze of her mouth. "And that means we can't..."
She rose up, tunneled her fingers through my hair, and kissed me, darting her tongue along the seam of my lips.
"Fuck."
My hands fell to her hips, and I lifted her to the counter.
"Kiss me, Shika." She nipped at my bottom lip. "Even if it's one last time."
"It's not the last time. Didn't you hear me say that I love..." She slammed her mouth into mine.
I failed the self-control test and kissed her back. My tongue sank deep, swirling over hers, tasting tequila and citrus and home. One hit of her and every good intention I had flew out the window. Our mouths melded, the kiss deepened, and for a moment I forgot. I forgot that she'd left me.
I forgot that I needed to win her back.
I forgot that she was too drunk to say yes.
She broke away long enough to pull her sweater off, and then came right back to me. I was high off endorphins and Temari, taking her mouth over and over. She wrapped her legs around my waist and rocked her hips against me.
"Fuck, you feel good."
"I want you," she whispered, her words slurred.
And I wanted nothing more than to strip her down and use my body to remind her what it felt like to belong to each other, but that wasn't happening. Not tonight. My dick didn't make decisions for me, not when it came to Temari.
"I want you too," I promised her, somehow finding the discipline to raise my head. "But you, my love, are drunk."
"I'm saying yes." She fisted my shirt.
"Say it tomorrow morning, and we'll do something about it."
Like hell was I going to be something she regretted in the morning.
"Everything is spinning." She blinked rapidly, then dropped her head to my shoulder.
I grimaced.
"Need me to hold your hair?"
She shook her head, then cringed, hunching her shoulders up.
"Stop twirling."
"Yeah. It's bedtime for you." Her ankles were still locked around my waist, so I braced one hand on her back and the other under her incredible ass. "Hold on."
She whimpered, and I turned around slowly before carrying her to our bed. I put her right where she belonged, then took off her shoes and socks.
"I've always loved your bed," she murmured, shimmying out of her shorts before I could stop her.
"I hate it without you in it."
Shit. Those long, silky legs were going to be the death of me. I looked away as she slid under the covers. Her bra landed on the floor.
I deserved fucking sainthood, because I kept my eyes to myself and stripped out of my shirt.
"Sit up."
She worked her way up, and I put my shirt on her, helping her get her arms through the holes. That was better. Nice and covered up.
She threw her leg out from under the covers, putting one foot on the floor.
"You should get back to the party. It's your big night."
I brushed her hair out of her face.
"Believe me, Temari. There is nowhere I would rather be right now. I wasn't here when you needed me, and I know there will be times it will happen again, but tonight, I'm here."
"I'm stupidly drunk, Shika. Not dying. You can go downstairs. I'm so sorry if this is ruining your night."
Each word came out a little more slurred.
"Honestly, getting you back in our bed was the best-case scenario for the night, so I think I'm doing pretty damn well." I smiled at her, but she didn't see me.
She was asleep.