Well I was bored…so….

4. I meant it, drunk or not

"Do you guys even remember what happened last night?" Shikamaru asked, his forehead pounding. He felt terrible. And he had woken up to what he didn't want to see. Boys strewn along the floor, groaning from sake overdose.

What exactly had they done when drunk? Shikamaru had fantasized a night with Temari, but he doubted that was true. He almost threw up with disgust of the room, reeking with alcohol. He blushed as he recalled his dream. Temari. Such pleasant dreams he had when he was drunk. He ignored more slurred moans from the bodies on the floor, and stumbling to the bathroom, he sighed. He sighed as he took a hot shower, and changed into clean clothes. Temari, and that night. Sometimes you wished that things were true. He saw Ino at the table, in the kitchen, trying to get breakfast too. He felt refreshed.

"Good Morning Ino." Shikamaru's voice was unsteady, and he felt drowsy. "Why are you all wet?"

Ino wrinkled her nose up in a disgusted look.

"We girls went swimming this morning, not lazing around like you pack of dogs." She said in a disgusted tone of voice.

Then, suddenly realizing, she glared at him.

"What did I do now?" Shikamaru thought as Ino slammed the milk carton down on the counter. He looked away at the painting on the wall. "Wait. Do I even know what I've done?"

"I heard…" Ino looked absolutely furious, her eyes etched with the words…punishment time. "I heard Temari crying last night." Her face softened.

Shikamaru looked straight at her, surprised. About what? I'll pound the person who made her cry, he thought.

"Did you know what you did?" Ino asked cautiously.

"Yes, of course! What do you take me for?" Shikamaru replied, smiling coolly. I am such an ass, he thought.

"Well good job Macho man." She quirked her eyebrow at me, banging the carton down on the counter again. Shikamaru watched as the milk shot out of the hole. "Good job for making her cry… So all that talk about liking her was bullshit or what?"

Shikamaru thought of ways to commit suicide, analyzing them in his head. Was there a way for him to pound himself? He felt like giving himself a good punch right there.

"I don't know what I really did." He confessed, leaning down on the counter slowly.

Ino glared some more. "You told her you loved her when you were drunk." Her eyeballs were almost bulging by now. "She was happy until she realized u were drunk."

The way she said the word drunk made Shikamaru so ashamed for being drunk in the first place.

"Why was she happy?" Shikamaru asked calmly, placing his words carefully.

"She loves you, you idiot." Ino shook her head. "And you went and hurt her feelings."

"She loves me but I hurt her. But I would never want that." Shikamaru thought. "Never."

"Well I hope she knows I didn't mean it." Shikamaru said defiantly.

"Mean what? That you loved her?" Ino said gently.

"I mean that! I do love her, I meant that whether I'm drunk or not! What I was saying was that I hope she knows that I didn't mean to hurt her." Shikamaru placed a hand on his forehead like he was distracted.

"Go apologized now. She's on the terrace drinking morning tea." Ino turned around and went, leaving the carton on the counter.

Women are sure messy, Shikamaru thought. Should I go say sorry? Would she accept it?

The decision was quite easy, he decided. He looked at the ground. Easy. How easy were women? Not very. He wandered out to the terrace where he saw Temari looking out at the sunrise in a blue bathrobe, calmly lying on a beach chair. The beach chair was next to a small table, which on it lay sunglasses. Shikamaru saw she was sipping a steaming cup. Her hair was wet from swimming in the new pool. Her eyes were red from crying and had dark circles around them, though not as bad as Gaara's.

"Temari?" He called gently.

Temari heard him and jumped up, pulling the bathrobe more tightly around her. Shikamaru saw she was bare underneath and blushed. They stood there in embarrassed silence, Temari trying to conceal more of her chest with the bathrobe.

"Please, have a seat." She gestured, pointing to the beach chair.

"No, that's not it." He said. "Temari, I'm…"

Her eyes softened.

"Ino told you, didn't she?" Shikamaru didn't reply, and she went on. "Well it didn't hurt me, if that's what you're getting at. Why would I be hurt by you? It's not like I want to be loved by you or anything."

Her voice was high pitched, and she was trying not to let the tears fall. Shikamaru had to know she was lying.

"You know that's not true. Temari…please let me explain…" His voice was pleading.

"I'm serious. Why would I care? It's ok." She tried to walk past him and run, just to hide the tear that had escaped.

He let her brush past him.

"Temari, do you love me?" He asked.

It made her freeze, but she forced herself to walk on, slowly. The real question was, did he love her? Shikamaru spoke to himself in his mind.

You coward Shikamaru. Your letting her go! Why? Why let the only thing you live for disappear from your life? Well, I guess it's too troublesome.

Shut up. I can let her go if I want.

Yeah right genius. You act all smart, but anyone can see you're actually stupid.

She was walking away, and still only one tear had escaped. Suddenly, she felt Shikamaru grab her shoulders. She was facing him now, but they were very far apart.

He looked down at her; he couldn't stand her hurt expression. He really was a coward.

"I deeply apologize." He said in a proper voice.

For what? For not loving me? Temari's thoughts spun. Why did I even believe Ino in the first place? Shikamaru probably loves her. She's so lucky; she just doesn't realize it yet. She decided to speak.

"What do you apologize for? I know you don't love me. Don't be sorry." She said, trying not to cry anymore.

"No." He shook his head, but his voice was soft and gentle. "For this."

He leant down and kissed her, and time seemed to be caught between the two young ninjas. His kiss was gentle, and her heart seemed to be tossed like a feather in the wind as he pulled her closer. She kissed him back and put her arms around him. Sakura and Gaara? Hinata and Naruto? Who cares about them? Right now, she had gotten her perfect movie script ending. His fantasy, her fantasy, they all came true.

Temari and Shikamaru are my fave couple. Lol! I'll be back!