The van finally arrived back on campus. Shikamaru lightly shook Temari as everyone else piled out. Temari groggily woke up and lifted her head to Shikamaru. She looked up worriedly at him, making his heart flutter rapidly as she brought her hand to his cheek and rubbed it softly with her thumb, "Oh no, my kiss is gone from the fake blood I smeared on your face.", she said sadly.

Shikamaru held her warm hand against his face, "Don't worry, you can give me another one.", he laughed at the tired girl, "We're back at the campus."

Temari started to comprehend her surroundings a little bit better and took her hand back sheepishly to follow him out of the van.

"Party time!", Ino shouted as she led them to Shikamaru's dorm.

"You live pretty close to Ino and I.", Temari stated as they walked to his dorm.

"Yeah. When Ino and I got accepted, we wanted to live relatively close to each other."

Shikamaru shoved his hands in his pockets to fight the urge to hold her hand and Temari wrapped her hands around her midsection to do the same, "Oh, that's cool. I guess I'll be seeing you a decent amount after tonight then."

Shikamaru looked at her slightly concerned, "I hope so... I mean if not, we still have the end of this semester together and we might have next semester classes together too.", he offered.

Temari politely smiled, and started to analyze how fun her new partner was, but realized how this might be the extent of their times together.

The gang walked up the stairs and Shikamaru filed through the group to his dorm door that was already vibrating from the party going on. He clicked his key in the slot to unlock his door and opened the entrance to let everyone in. Their dorm was one of the suite dorms, meaning their room was large enough for a party.

Ino grabbed Temari by the arm and pulled her across the room with her, "Woah Ino, calmer. I just woke up.", Temari joked.

"Now you're going to get dizzy from alcohol!", Ino excitedly shouted as she got the both of them a drink, "I have some people I want to introduce you to."

Shikamaru scoffed at them unbelievingly and met his roommate, "Hey man.", the two greeted each other then went to get drinks of their own. They leaned against the counter and sipped on their drinks.

"How was the haunted house?", Choji wondered.

Shikamaru took a sip of his drink and watched Ino drag Temari around the party, introducing her to random people, "It was... different."

Choji watched as his friend couldn't take his eyes off the two girls, "And the girl?", he pried.

"She was... different...", he repeated and took another sip of his drink.

Choji smiled at his friend knowingly and Shikamaru rolled his eyes, catching it, "Give me a break. You're just like Ino. How was the beginning of the party?"

Choji leaned back with his friend, "It was mostly just setting everything up. We just finished at 9:30 and people started showing up around 10ish. You haven't missed much."

"That's good to hear. Ino would throw a fit if she heard something fun happened without her."

Choji laughed and Shikamaru watched as Ino introduced Temari to two boys, who Shikamaru already knew were going to be trouble from how he knew them. One of the guys was too into her personal space as they played with Temari's hair. Temari looked at him uninterested, but Shikamaru could tell she was trying to be polite. Temari looked everywhere in the room other than at the two guys while Ino ogled over the muscley figures.

Shikamaru put his drink down as he snickered, "I'll be right back, Choji. I have someone I need to save. Stay here?"

Choji nodded, and waited for his friend's return.

Shikamaru squeezed through the crowd. He saw Ino had a death lock on Temari's arm which was probably why Temari wasn't doing anything to get away herself. Shikamaru came up from behind the two girls and weaseled his way in between them, and placed a hand on Ino's shoulder, "Hey Ino, how are you enjoying the party?", he lamely tried to interrupt.

Ino excitedly turned to him, letting go of Temari's arm, "It's great like always! Temari and I have been talking to everyone."

Shikamaru chuckled at the response and took his chance to slickly slide his hand into Temari's and gripped it tightly, "Speaking of, I noticed you didn't introduce her to Choji. I'll bring her right back, alright?"

Ino nodded excitedly, "That's a great idea! I'll come meet you guys soon.", she chimed.

Shikamaru gave the two guys a death glare, "You boys behave yourselves, alright?", he patted one on the shoulder harshly, "Have a good time at the party.", he fake smiled and drug Temari through the crowd.

Temari pulled his arm closer to her so he could hear her, "You are my knight in shining armor, Nara."

Shikamaru laughed, "I know, princess.", He teased and she rolled her eyes.

"Alright, I had that one coming."

"Mission was a success!", Choji supported gleefully as Shikamaru approached with Temari in hand.

Shikamaru laughed and grabbed his drink, leaning back against his spot on the counter next to his friend, "Choji, Temari, Temari, Choji.", He introduced with a gesture of his cup.

Temari waved hello, greeting the new friend then looked back at Shikamaru, "That was planned?", she asked skeptically with a hand on her hip.

Shikamaru chuckled, "You seemed kind of irritated by your situation."

"You were watching me?", she questioned again with an elevated eyebrow.

He rolled his eyes, "I was watching the room and happened to notice Ino dragging you to each low life in here. What I said was not a lie. I noticed she hadn't introduced you to Choji, so I did it for her."

Temari looked at Choji and he gave a genuine smile in support of his friend. She shook her head with a laugh of disbelief, "You are trouble, Nara."

"It's Shikamaru. We were making progress at the haunted house.", he groaned into his cup.

"I don't care.", she confirmed, as she found a new position against the counter with the two boys.

Choji laughed, "I like her. She puts you in place."

Shikamaru scowled at his friend.

Ino came up to the group of friends and hugged Choji, "Choji!"

Choji hugged back, "Hey, Ino. Glad you could make it again."

"Did you meet my roommate Temaii? Isn't she just great?", Ino happily asked.

Choji nodded, "Yup, she's great."

Ino leaned in to whisper, but was practically talking normally, "Isn't she great for Shika?"

Shikamaru choked on his drink as Temari stiffened as they both became red in the face.

Choji laughed and nodded again, "I agree."

"Oh, I love this song! Choji dance with me!", Ino grabbed him by the hand and he frantically handed Shikamaru his drink to set down as he was dragged to the dance floor.

Shikamaru laughed at his friend being pulled away.

"Ino is really something.", Temari chuckled at her roommate.

Shikamaru laughed again, "Yup.. that's Ino for you.", he said as he finished off his drink.

Temari easily slid her hand into Shikamaru's when his hand was free.

Shikamaru looked at her surprised as the red color was rising in his face again, "W-what are yo-?"

"What? You thought you'd get off free because Ino has a partner to dance with already?", she smirked and started to pull him towards the dancing area of the room.

Shikamaru resisted and waved his other hand in defense, "I don't dance."

Temari put on a pouty face and Shikamaru tilted his head back in defeat, grumbling "Troublesome.", as he gave into her pulling him.

Temari grabbed both his hands and started dancing with him and he stood there lamely.

She yanked at his hands childishly with a pout and she stopped dancing. Shikamaru raised an unamused eyebrow, "Please, Nara?"

He sighed, grumbling curse words before he spun her around then put both hands on her waist. Temari laughed out of fun and placed her hands around his neck as she let him lead their dance, "So you can dance, you just chose not to."

Shikamaru let a small smirk creep upwards, "Look, all these years I've fooled Ino into thinking I can't dance. If she sees me now, I'm screwed for life."

Temari laughed, "Don't worry, as long as I'm your dancing partner she can't touch you."

Shikamaru let his head drop in defeat, "The whole point is that I avoid dancing altogether."

"Aren't you having fun, Nara?", she questioned with a head tilt and a genuine smile.

Shikamaru abruptly pulled her waist closer to him, making her gasp as he raspily said, "Shikamaru. It's Shikamaru."

Temari looked at him, blushing surprised at how attractive the boy was becoming to her. She huffed her bangs and looked away with an embarrassed pout at their closeness, "You don't have to be such a crybaby about it."

"Women are troublesome.", he groaned, pulling away to add space between them before he spun her one more time.

When the song ended, Shikamaru began to leave the dance floor. Unsure if he made things awkward between them, but a hand tugged him backwards, "Where do you think you're going, Nara?"

He glared at her over his shoulder, "The song is over."

"And then another one begins?"

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at her as she yanked him into her. She took both his hand and placed them back on her hips as she gave him the brightest smile he has ever seen in his life that sent an uncontrolled tingling sensation throughout his body.

"You're worse than Ino, you know that?", he said almost breathlessly.

She laughed, "You don't mean that. You enjoy my presence."

She was right. He definitely did, and boy was he grateful for meeting her and having the opportunity to see her goddess-like smile, "you're lucky I do.", he groaned, hiding his true feelings through a grumble.

Temari grinned the biggest smile that seemed to be never ending around him that made his heart throb like it was going to explode.

Not only did she make him dance for another song, he was starting to enjoy it. Slowly forgetting that with each song he was supposed to be acting opposed to the idea of being with her. Opposed to the idea of holding her close, swaying with her, talking and laughing with her. She was supposed to be his enemy, but Temari made him dance for another song. And another. And another. Soon enough, he forgot all about their surroundings and it seemed like all there was to life was her.

As the song faded down before the start of another one, they stood there with unfaltering grins as they both were caught in each other's gleaming stares of enjoyment.