Chapter 99

"Thank you," Shikamaru mutters as his hand creeps up to twirl a strand of Temari's sunlit hair. He's lying down on a picnic blanket, with his head on her lap. They are on his favorite place, the secluded area that overlooks Konoha.

"For what?" Temari asks, dipping her head trying to catch his words better, her untied blonde hair swinging down except for the strands being twirled near her ear.

"For the food, for letting me take a nap," answers Shikamaru.

Temari raises a brow. "Didn't we have this conversation before?"

"Yes, we have," drawls Shikamaru, trying to sound casual as he too remembers their date months ago in that exact same place and what he said then. He said and he's saying again, "I like you, Temari."

The woman smiles—the smile of someone getting the joke. She's sure the lazy ass is re-enacting their first official and yet fake date. "We were just pretending back then—"

"Tch correction, you thought I was pretending."

Temari's amused blue green-eyes abruptly sharpen at the reminder. Bristling, she snaps back, "Well, because you let me think that."

"If I didn't—" Shikamaru hesitates, seeing Temari's expression turning darker. He hoists his body up from her lap. "Back then, we were just newly married. I had just forced you to agree to marry me."

Temari shakes her head, trying to deny the truth in his words.

"I did that, Temari," mutters Shikamaru quietly. "If I really admitted my feelings back then, you would see how calculating I was and then you would hate me."

"I—No!"

"Be honest."

"It's a no because…" Temari's forehead creases into a frown as she considers her answer.

When he said he likes her, she didn't actually gave herself a chance to examine her feelings since soon after, he admitted it was for the charade for her kasan's benefit.

But…maybe, just maybe as early as then, the truth she was trying to deny to herself was that she already wants him to like her.

It's so easy to see now. She has already feelings for him but she was just being stupidly stubborn.

Looking back, there were already signs—lots and lots of them. All of which she adamantly ignored.

When she was in Suna, while bickering with Kankuro and getting close to Gaara, the three of them were waiting for news of whether Shikamaru is dead or alive…At that time, the fear that she felt each day that passed by that the lazy ass didn't return home was pushed down but then being able to do so didn't change the fact that the fear was real. It existed…

Then there was the fact that she couldn't forgive herself for usurping Shikamaru's birth right…

Really, there were those signs and more. She was just too pigheaded to recognize them early on. It was only when she was left alone…to wait for him to come back to her after his fight with that Hidan that she really opened her eyes...

Gah, she's that stupid! The thought makes her cringe. "Maybe we should stop talking about the past now."

Shikamaru watches as she squirms. Her discomfort apparent but it seems to be more out of embarrassment than anything else. Whatever's running through her head…he'll let her keep it. She'll tell him when she's ready. "So how about the future instead?"

Temari gives a relieved sigh for the change in topic. "Like?"

Lounging back on Temai's lap, Shikamaru turns his head sideways, his nose bumping the obvious swell of her tummy. "Like what we'll name this kiddo if he's a he or she's a she."

"If it's a male, we'll name him Shikadai."

"Hmn." A smile can be heard in Shikamaru's voice, kissing the lump before him between words. "You obviously have thought about this before."

"Stop that. That tickles," gasps Temari but Shikamaru just continues to plant playful, loud kisses on her tummy.

"Did you hear that, son?" declares Shikamaru, "Your name will be Shikadai. It means number one. It also means big and strong."

"Shhh," warns Temari,"What if it's a girl? You're making her think she's unwanted if she is."

Shikamaru stops mid kiss on Temari's tummy. What he cheerfully just said isn't an indication that he prefers his firstborn to be a male. Actually, he prefers it to be a female. Sitting back up again, he puts his hand atop Temari's bump, speaking to it gently, "If I have a daughter first, she'll be treated like a princess. Afterall, her mother is a queen."

"How cliché," snorts Temari, a chuckle in her voice taking the sting off.

"So we agree we'll name her Hime," Shikamaru utters satisfied. His daughter being called princess seems apt in this case.

"Oh Kami, no! We'll give her a kick ass name just like mine."

"And the name Temari is kick ass?" drawls Shikamaru. "A name that means a handball?"

Shoving Shikamaru backwards before forcefully laying her body atop his chest, she scowls near his face, "Are you mocking me now?"

—o0o—

Temari opens the Yamanaka Flower Shop door with a flourish, Shikamaru in tow, calling out, "Ino, I brought a customer. It's your chance to make a hefty paycheck."

Ino approaches them, wearing a huge welcoming smile. "Good day. What can I do for you?" the blonde kunoichi exaggeratedly addresses the so called customer before winking at Temari.

"Tch, you heard her," grunts Shikamaru, dipping his head towards the woman pulling his arm. "She wants something expensive."

"Of course." Ino gestures for them to follow her. Pointing towards a bouquet consisting of red-orange orchids, and matching callas then to a bouquet of pink stargazer lilies mixed with similarly colored gerberas before picking up a concoction of blooms sharing the shade of indigo. The latter is a beautiful arrangement made up of hyacinths, hydrangeas, irises, and tulips. Smiling knowingly towards her customers, Ino presents what she's sure is a winner in her hands.

"That and the others look awful," snorts Temari.

Instead of faltering, Ino's smile turns into a very knowing smirk. "That's 'cause you don't have any discerning taste at all."

"Ha!" scorns Temari. "I seem to remember you liking a certain boy who's a lazy ass and—"

"How about that?" interrupts Shikamaru, looking disgruntled, pointing at a profusion of blood red roses tied by a piece of twine. He likes the simplicity.

Ino flicks her long blonde hair, ignoring the customer. "Like I said your taste sucks. I didn't end up marrying that boy. You did."

"Haha," sniggers Temari while simultaneously Shikamaru sighs, his shoulders drooping farther. "I'll get that one," he says, indicating the red roses with his index finger but neither of the blonde women with him turns to look.

Ino smiles sweetly, still facing her childhood friend slash her rival, mouthing the words, "Ino, ten points. Temari, nada."

Temari glowers then putting on a calm air, drawls nonchalantly, "Oh but Ino, I still got the boy and you got nothing."

"That's it!" groans Shikamaru a little too loud. "Do the two of you want me to get a bouquet or not?"

Temari harrumphs. "Get me one."

"Who would envy you?" pouts Ino as she finally looks at Kamaru but with clear distaste. "Your husband is no fun at all," she sniffs, getting one last dig in.

Which Shikamaru chooses to ignore. Not waiting to be assisted, he picks up the bouquet from its pail. "How much is this one?"

Ino is about to automatically say the price when her eyes catches the sudden glint in Temari's. Understanding it, she raises the flower's value ten times more than its original value. "Five thousand ryu," she says without batting an eyelash.

"That expensive?" Shikamaru frowns. Impossible! Ino must be kidding him. "That's equivalent to the price for one D rank mission."

Instead of Ino, Temari answers tersely, "Ass, what do you think of the Yamanaka's flowers and their artistic craftsmanship? Cheap?"

"Women," Shikamaru mutters derisively to himself. One minute his wife and her friend are fighting, and making him feel uncomfortable then next they are ganging up on him. With a defeated sigh, he takes out his wallet, pulling out the Konoha currencies and putting the crisp 5 pieces of one thousands on the work table.

Ino wraps the two dozen bloody red roses in a pink paper and gauzy mesh before finishing it with an elaborate ribbon, obviously pleased with the sale. Waving goodbye to her customer at the door, she calls out to him, "Come again and buy flowers," and to Temari, she smiles maddeningly sweet. "I'll get a husband—someone who knows when not to butt in."

Temari snorts.

Shikamaru walks away. Temari then has to hurry to catch up, clutching the overly large bouquet to her chest.

When they're abreast, Shikamaru turns his head to glower at his wife.

"What?" asks Temari, faking a clueless expression. Then hiding her smile, she dips her head down to sniff the lovely blooms she's holding to her chest.

Gradually mollified that someone atleast thinks the flowers are worth its astonishing price tag, he shrugs and mumbles, "Anything else you want to do, troublesome woman?"

Suddenly, Temari pushes the profusion of flowers to Shikamaru. "Here, hold this."

"You want me to hold this?" He's carrying the picnic basket and now, even the huge bouquet of two dozen red roses.

Temari agrees readily. "Yes."

"Hey, you two are obviously on a date!" Naruto calls out to them, then pointing towards Kamaru, the blond shinobi laughs. "You looked so whipped, carrying those around."

"Stupid Naruto," grumbles the pink haired kunoichi, simultaneously using her fist on her companion to drive in that point. "Who are you calling whipped? That is the Suna shinobi who took care of that immortal shinobi—the mission that Kakashi-sensei told us about."

"Eh." Naruto looks from the pink haired kunoichi to Kamaru then back to the pink haired kunoichi. "Sakura-chan, what does that have to do with him being whipped?"

Even before Naruto mentions the name Sakura, Shikamaru remembers where he has seen the girl. She's Sasuke's wife—the one whose identity he had mistaken because he was so sure that Temari loves Sasuke... Reminded, his head swivels to glance at Temari, almost accusingly.

But Temari isn't looking at Shikamaru as she asks the two, "Sasuke is not with you guys?"

Shikamaru frowns. Why the hell is she now looking for that bastard?

"Mission," answers Sakura.

"You should tell him not to accept the ones that will take him far away from Konoha, especially when your due date is near," says Temari.

Sakura strokes her huge tummy, much bigger than Temari's. "Don't worry, baby. Papa will be here just in time," she speaks, talking to her stomach,

Sakura's happiness is unmistakable as she beams at Temari while Temari purses her lips.

Shikamaru watching the exchange doesn't notice the hand that suddenly slaps the back of his shoulder. "You hear that?! Husbands should be present on the big event," Naruto announces like it's news.

"Ow," Shikamaru grunts in pain, raising his flower laden arm to touch his injured back. At least Naruto's jab wakes him up and reminds him not to read too much into Temari and Sakura's exchange…It's not like Temari likes Sasuke. She doesn't. She likes him now.

In fact, Temari loves him.

With one hand holding the basket and the other holding the flowers, he suddenly gives the flowers back to Temari thereby freeing a hand then with that freed hand he grabs Temari's, intertwining their fingers. "Let's go," Shikamaru says. "We have a date to finish."

"Let's get together sometime," Sakura shouts to their departing back. "I'll invite the others too. You really should formally introduce Kamaru to them."

Allowing herself to be pulled, Temari can only raise her and Shikamaru's linked hands to signify her assent to Sakura's offer.

Walking together, out of earshot, Temari then taunts at the man holding her hand, "Showing Naruto you're not whipped by dragging your woman around?"

With a grin, Shikamaru gently squeezes Temari's hand. "I like that. Calling yourself my woman."

—o0o—

~2 14, 3 8,20 15AF P 3 21 15~

A/N: Yikes, I don't eat lunch on time and now, maybe, that's why I can't update in no time. I have successfully starved my brain cells…

Remember, your reviews, guys, are like a brain booze :D