83

Good Night

Temari slightly pushed Gaara aside and looked up in the hallway.

"That should have been your idea!" she shouted after the fast moving away figure of her other brother.

"Who else would come up with this?" he shouted back over his shoulder and took the stairs for the first floor.

"It was indeed his idea." Gaara confirmed. "I hope we didn't cross some kind of a border?" he asked, concerned.

"No…" She smiled. "It was actually a good joke. But don't tell him that or he will become too arrogant about his jokes."

Gaara nodded and smiled to his sister, then to Shikamaru as well.

"I certainly hope I will see you at dinner?" he asked, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"Of course."

"Now I will have to leave you. I have some more stuff to finish for today." He nodded again more to himself and headed to his office.

When she closed the door, she turned around - Shikamaru was standing in the middle of the room. His hands were in his pockets and there was a tender smile on his lips. His black hair was still falling around his face, making him look a lot like a predator. Temari really liked how he looked right now.

"I really should send a report to Tsunade-sama…"

"Right. Do you have to do it right away?"

"She was really... insisting about sending her a report right after we spoke." He shrugged. "On the other hand she couldn't possibly know when exactly I had arrived and how long this conversation was."

"I really like how you think." She smiled. "That's actually something I really like in you."

He sighed really quietly and closed his eyes for just a bit. Then he smiled only with the tips of his lips. The man looked at her…

"Well, now, my future wife… What now?"

"Well, there are a lot of possibilities." she smiled in replay. "There is a certain thing I am really curious about. But I will need some time to try it out…"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say a word. He had figured out what she meant and he agreed with her - they would need more time to try that out. Temari nodded towards the door.

"Come, I want to show you something." She stretched her arm and waited for him to take it.

Then she opened the door and went down the hall. She wanted to take him to the stone terrace, where she used to stare at the stars, where they seem so beautiful. And this time, she wanted to share this experience with him just the way he shared his favorite rooftop with her.

When they were climbing up the stairs he chuckled quietly.

"What?" she asked looking over her shoulder.

"I had a hunch you will bring me here," he confessed.

She rolled her eyes, turned rapidly and pushed his back to the wall. The next moment she was pressing her lips to his and her body shamelessly was pressing down on his. She bit his bottom lip and pulled back just a little bit.

"Now, now… You can predict everything, eh?" she asked, her mean smile blossoming on her lips.

"Nope," he chuckled. "But that could make things only more interesting, don't you think?"

She nodded and rose to her toes, so she could bite lightly on his ear.

...

"Shikamaru had disappeared somewhere yet again." His mother sighed and sat on a chair.

"It is how it is. This is how he is." replied his father, who was comfortably sitting on the sofa, leaned back with his eyes closed.

"Yes… He is your son, all right." she chuckled lightly. "He is a lot like what you used to be at his age."

Shikaku opened his dark eyes and looked at her with a slight smile.

"Don't worry, I am sure he is fine. Tsunade had sent him to Suna a few days ago. I guess he will be back in about ten days."

"But why did she send him there? He just came back from Suna, didn't he?" She frowned.

"I don't think there is a relation with the chuunin's exams this time."

"What then?" She got up and approached him, setting her elbows just beside him on the backrest. Then she stared at his face. "What are you not telling me?"

Shikaku signed.

"Do you happen to remember the three siblings from Suna? Gaara, Kankuro and Temari?"

"I do, of course."

"You know Temari has been working on the chuunin's exams with shikamaru for some time now."

"I remember her well. That well cup, will-powered, nice blond girl, carrying that big fan around."

"Yes, the girl your son

The one that makes your son showered abuses against her for days…" he confirmed with a calm smile. "I have a hunch your son is trying to get her here, in Konoha."

The woman's eyes widened, then she narrowed.

"Nara Shikaku!" She started with a firm voice she knew her husband can't contradict. "You are going to tell me what's going on!"

"I really want to avoid making you hope unnecessarily. So that's just one of the possible options I figured out." He sighed again. "I think that he might ask Temari to marry him." He smiled. "And ironically, she'll probably be the only girl I've heard call you "nice."

She suddenly leaned down and pressed a light kiss on his lips. He smiled… She may have been tough and annoying, nagging almost all the time, but she also had a tender and soft side. He was the one honored to know that side. And she was still able to surprise him from time to time…

...

Tenten had an evening training. With a deep sigh she got her scrolls and attempted to go out of the room. Kankuro entered the room with a wide smile on his face. He was obviously in a really good mood.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I got a training session on training ground 7." She replied. "I guess we will be there till about 3 in the morning."

"Aww, I will be lonely." He grinned.

She looked at him with a sly smile, getting a really nasty idea.

"Will you not?" She asked innocently and took a step towards him.

"Definitely." He nodded.

"Should I leave you a nice memory to keep you company?" She shrugged.

"What do you have in mind?" The smile disappeared from his face and he took a defensive stance.

"Give me your hand."

He narrowed his eyes, untrusting. But taking into account their unusual agreement, he still gave her his hand.

"Do you want to close your eyes?" She asked, smiling innocently again.

A warm wave washed over him and he instantly felt the first signs of excitement, just as a result of his not really clear expectations and images. He shook his head. He was going to definitely see what his Torturer had in her mind.

Tenten took his hand and lifted it to her lips. She tenderly kissed the top of it and made a little path by light kisses to his pointer finger. His skin smell felt really good according to her scent. And the texture of the skin itself was just too good. She looked at his face - his eyes had darkened and were intensely looking back at her. When her teeth grazed carefully over his pointer, she noticed his chest raising sharply and his other hand slightly trembling. While she put the tip of his finger in her mouth, his eyes shut and his jaw clenched. She lightly sucked his pointer, adding tender caress with her tongue.

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath.

Tenten smiled around his finger.

When she released him, he opened his eyes - his facial features had changed. The desire was so strongly visible, that would have been almost scary if it wasn't so sexy.

"I hope that would help with your feeling of loneliness?" She asked, suppressing her own excitement.

He just shook his head in kind of disbelief and went straight to the bathroom. When he closed the door in front of her confused gaze, she heard the lock turn.

She chuckled…

Shikamaru was shown by the civilians to a room in a different wing than the permanent residents.

He took a shower, finally feeling like he could wash off the worries together with the dirt and the sweat. The man entered the room completely naked with water still dripping from him. He didn't want to wipe it with a towel, so he could cool off. It was so hot here. For the first time since he came here he was able to get some cool air on him. Well… if he must be completely honest, the weather wasn't the only reason he was feeling hot… Temari had put some effort into keeping him that way.

But now the window was open and the room was completely dark. He could afford to just stand in front of it to get the maximum of the night's air.

"I do like what I see." came Temari's voice from the other part of the room.

He smiled, still not turning around. He had felt the light breeze when she had opened the door to enter.

"That's good." He looked over his shoulder. "That's all I have."

Temari came closer and pressed her breasts to his naked back. Then slid her hands over his abs and up his chest. The feeling of his smooth, warm skin was wonderful. Especially the way his muscles twitched under her fingers. As she expected his body reaction was immediate. She peeked aside his shoulder.

"I would say I am happy." She chuckled.

"As I already said, this is all I have." He turned within her arms and also hugged her. "And to your luck, I can tell you I do not have any complaints up until now for lack of creativity."

"That's really "modest" of you?" She caressed his face gently with a smile.

"Why? I can bet my head you also don't have any complaints behind your back."

"Well… I can't think of any."

"But not today…" He smiled tiredly and kissed her forehead. "My body needs rest. When I am with you for the very first time, I want to be well rested so you wouldn't be the first one to complain about my abilities."

Temari smiled and nodded. She took his hand and pulled him towards the bed. She sat on it and rolled to the other side, then turned to him. His slender figure was well cut and incredibly masculine. She gestured to him to follow her. Shikamaru hopped on the bed after her and laid down on the pillow, sighing in delight. The woman snuggled into him, then pulled the cover over them both.

"Good night." she whispered and kissed his shoulder.

"Good night." he replied and caressed her loose golden hair.

The training session was tough and purely exhausting. Tenten was barely walking. Her shoulder hurt pretty badly since she failed to escape a direct attack in it. But sometimes something happened - to be hit during training…

When she reached the Kazekage's home, she was so tired, she had the feeling she would fall asleep on the roll. She wished only for the bed… But shower would come first anyway.

She really tried to be quiet when she entered the room. She kind of expected to find Kankuro sleeping on the bed, but he was not there. Tenten frowned, wondering if he went out on an urgent mission. Then she saw the light coming from under the right door. She approached and listened for any noise - there was cracking and occasional curses. Pushing on the door handle, she opened the door. All of the baby stuff was moved to the farest wall. Kankuro was sitting on the floor and was working over one of his puppets - the salamander one.

"Welcome home." He said cheerfully and smiled at her over his shoulder.

"What on earth are you doing?" She asked, letting her scroll pouch hitting the floor.

"I am taking the best of the alone-time." He replied pointing at the puppet with some weird device. "I have to figure out a way to minimise the lateral weak point. I already have a few ideas and now I have to try them all one by one in order to pick the best option. If any of them worked properly…"

"All right…" Tenten shrugged. "I intend to go and wash out the dirt and the sweat and take the best of my alone-time, sleeping."

"That's a good plan," he confirmed.

"Good night." She said and attempted to close the door.

"Hey, wait! Should I come to the shower with you?" He grinned.

"Yesh, sure…"She rolled her eyes and shook her head, unbelieving he just asked her that.

But he got up anyway.

"Didn't you catch the irony?" She raised her eyebrows.

"I did, of course. I just intend to ignore it."

"You are not coming into the bathroom with me. It is against our agreement."

"Not at all." He smiled. "I am not going to touch anything."

"Still, it is a no." She waved with her hand already turning her back to him.

"Better lock up the door." Kankuro shouted.

Tenten closed the door and paced to the shower. She knew he wouldn't cross in her personal borders and that was just teasing. And yes, he stayed with his puppet and the girl peacefully took a shower, washing the dirt, the sweat and the tiredness.

When she was ready, she wiped up within white fluffy towel and got dressed in her sleeping sleeveless top. She went to the room, where there was cooler air since the window was open. Kankuro was already in the bed, laying down to his side, facing her, an arm under his head. He smiled at her and patted the place on the bed beside him. He was inviting her. She approached and sat down on the edge of the bed - her top lifted and exposed her whole legs. She followed his gaze, then tried unsuccessfully to cover her legs. The girl quit trying, laid down and covered with the blanket instead, tending to hide from him.

"Three questions?" He asked quietly, looking into her eyes. Tenten nodded and smiled slightly. She laid like his mirror image.

"You can start this time." She replied quietly.

"Right. So… Where do you tend to go with your sweet torture?" He smirked.

"I am not so sure yet. But I would like to test where your limit is."

"You do realise when you find my limit out, it may be a bit too late?" He asked seriously.

"You do realise I am not just an ordinary girl and I am capable of saying no to you, also I am capable of defending myself while kicking your ass?" She smiled slightly.

"I am aware, yea." He nodded.

"Why are you so worried about the matter?" She asked her first question. "Do you doubt yourself?"

"It is not that… It is just…" He sighed. "Provoking me all the time, forcing me to hold back, to oppose that strong desire I feel… Touching you is becoming my only and strongest wish. And that was not my initial idea." He reached out and took her hand in his. " I am starting to worry, do you understand me?"

"I think I do…" She sighed as well and turned to her back, staring at the ceiling. "I am also thinking that this challenge was not a good idea. I seriously think it is not the go to plan for now. We may eventually leave it for later on if…"

"If…?" He raised his eyebrows.

"If we get to the next phase." She finished, still looking at the ceiling.

Kankuro smiled with a warm smile, but didn't comment on that.

"I have to say that I believed it would work out. But while you were at this last training, I thought seriously about it. And what I saw was this challenge moves out the focus of our communication. I am sure you feel this as well."

"Even if I love teasing you and adore your reactions…" She laughed. "But you are right. I call off this challenge for now."

"Does that mean I am allowed to kiss you?" He smirked.

"Is this your second question?" She turned her head aside.

"Depends on the answer."

"You are allowed to kiss me."

He pulled to her and pushed his body up, so he was hovering over her. His eyes were filled with bottomless tenderness - no freaking longing, just tenderness and care. He leaned to her and kissed her lips so gently, running all over them. Tenten raised one hand and caressed his cheek. And that moment was the turning point for her - the moment her fingertips reached his skin, she realised her feelings were already clear. That was no longer just a zeal, it was no longer a challenge or an experiment - she had begun to develop really deep feelings for this man…

He was keeping her laughing and smiling, joking around. He was tender with her and he was showing real interest in her. She could do all things she loved with him - she could be a shinobi too and he didn't have a problem with it. But also she was feeling like a woman for the first time - treasured, cared, desired…

She pushed him, forcing him to lay on his back. Then she laid on his chest, turning her face away from his. Right now she was not capable of looking him in the eyes - she was scared he would read those newly discovered feelings.

"Your heart beats so peacefully…" she said quietly.

"Because I do feel peaceful. I am feeling good right now. But I can feel your heart and it is beating really fast…"

"Have you ever loved a woman, Kankuro?" She still couldn't look at him.

"I did love a few women I have been with during my life, of course. Though none I have loved for long and maybe my love wasn't true. I love a woman I have never been with and I am never going to be with." Tenten now looked at him with confusion, wondering if he was talking about her. "Temari. I am talking about her."

She nodded, relaxed. Of course it made sense - she was his sister after all.

"When I kissed you, it felt as if something inside of you… broke. What happened?" Kankuro stroked her hair gently.

She was silent for some time, her eyes closed.

"For the first time I am going to hold up and not answer your question. Maybe I will tell you later on, but not now. I just can't answer you right now."

He nodded and didn't insist, giving her enough space to feel herself and her secrets protected. She was silent again, listening to his peaceful heartbeats.

"You still have one question left, if you want to use it."

"I do want to ask you something, but I am not ready for your answer. So I am just going to skip it for now." She confessed, still true to those three questions, to be honest.

"All right, I am not going to pry. I can see you are exhausted and in need of a rest." He turned her aside and pulled her to him, pressing her back to his bare chest. Then he wrapped her with his arms like something really dear, burrowing his face in her hair.

Tenten was really grateful for the understanding he had towards her. She really didn't feel ready to confess her realisation yet. She needed time to get used to it first. But if he wasn't able to fall in love with her, she knew she would be in really big pain…

"Good night…" he whispered in her ear, causing her shiver and snuggling even more into him.

"Good night to you too…" she replied also quietly.

She sighed and let herself fall asleep, feeling nothing else but him…