He felt something nudging against him as he slept, he cursed as he opened his eyes.
"Hey," her voice was raspy and seductive; he pulled her in close for a kiss on the lips.
She allowed him, as he wrapped his arms around her, she comfortably snaked herself into the space between his arm and shoulder.
"What did you wake me up for?" He complained with a yawn, a glance at the digital clock reminded him that it was four in the morning.
"You need to go to work tomorrow," she said. "So do I."
"Right," Shikamaru pressed his hand against his forehead and ran his hand through his dark, shoulder-length hair. "What a drag."
Temari chuckled softly, as she pinched his face lightly. "As much as I hate it," she said. "This is the best chance for you to leave, or else the paparazzi would be here in no time."
He muttered illegible words as he tightened his embrace around her naked shoulders. "I thought you don't care."
"Well, we don't have to be that showy, don't we?" She pressed a kiss on his cheek. "On a side note, you look great with your hair down."
Ending her comment with a bite on her lips, he could not resist but to press his lips against hers.
He hated it when she pulled away, pressing one last kiss on his chin.
"Come on now, don't be a baby," she smiled as he sighed softly.
He stood up from the bed and stretched his naked self. Temari put on a night robe around her toned body and waited for him to get dressed.
She walked with him through the hallways and to her front door.
He turned around and smiled at her. "You can manage?"
"Speak for yourself," she stuck out her tongue. "Good luck handling the reporters tomorrow, and when that advertisement comes out."
He sucked his teeth, as he pulled her closer to him. "I should hate you for what you did to me," he joked. "How troublesome."
Temari winked at him. "Come on now, your parents are probably going to wake up soon."
Shikamaru looked back at her when he left the door. She leaned against the doorframe with a smirk on her face.
"Call me?" He said with the gesture next to his face.
Temari chuckled and titled her head. "Maybe." She said as she slowly closed the door.
Shikamaru sighed as he pressed the button at the elevator lobby.
It is going to be a long, long day.
He decided to put on his disguise – shades, a trench coat and a mask, he almost looked like a maniac when he entered the building, under the close surveillance of the reporters.
He sighed in relief as he finally sat himself down at his desk – almost at the same moment, his co-workers stared at him and whispered among themselves.
Surely they would not gossip about him all loud and about, after all, he is their chairman's son.
He sighed softly as he checked his phone for the first time since last night.
As expected his messenger app had exploded.
In particular, in the group between himself, Ino and Chouji, aptly named 'Ino-shika-cho' – Ino had bombarded him with hundreds of message.
He sighed softly as he typed.
Shikamaru: too long didn't read – what's up?
Almost in a split second, she replied, just as he expected.
Ino: WHAT'S UP? YOU ARE ALL OVER THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH TEMARI AT THE BEACH? WHY IS SHE HOLDING YOUR ARM?
Chouji: I didn't notice lol
Ino: SHUT UP! ANSWER ME SHIKAMARU!
Shikamaru: busy at work, ttyl
He shook his head and turned his phone to silent mode, before checking one last thing.
No message from Temari.
Temari opened her eyes, after the relentless ringing of her doorbell; she walked towards the door and opened it for her manager.
"I have expected that to happen," sighed Tenten as she walked inside. "But it's so not like you, not showing up on time for the car – we thought you are sick or something."
Temari shook her head. "I am fine," she replied as she walked towards the table. "You want coffee?"
"Compared to that I would need an explanation to Hidan, or rather, his manager." Tenten sat down and rubbed her forehead. "They are pretty pissed off by that publicity stunt you pulled yesterday … saying that it is bad for Hidan's career or stuff…"
"That is if he had one," Temari arched an eyebrow and took her cup of coffee from the coffee machine. "If he is so bad he needs to rely on me to get his career back on track, god bless him then."
Tenten laughed dryly. "Anyway, the Hyuga Corporation wants to arrange a meeting with you."
"What for?" She arched an eyebrow. Despite representing the brands under the rather large enterprise, all the commercial dealings were dealt with by her manager, never had she been asked to meet the company representatives.
"Consider it a social thing, its not exactly a meeting, but more like a ball."
"A ball?"
"Yes," said Tenten. "They are holding an anniversary ball, and they wanted to invite you as their guest."
"I assume that a lot of people would be going," she said as she sipped from her coffee.
Tenten nodded in affirmation. "It is going to be a great party, but we need to finish the task we have now – two casting calls, and one commercial shoot."
Temari smiled to herself as she put down her coffee. "Alright then."
His phone rang as he dropped himself onto his bed; he reluctantly turned around and picked up the device.
The name on his phone made him smile.
"Hello?" He said softly, as he heard a soft laugh on the end of the phone.
"Come downstairs," he could imagine her smiling through the phone.
"Now?"
"I am waiting, and I am tired," her pout came into mind, as he took his phone and stumbled down the stairs.
Opening the front door, he saw her leaning against the car, smiling at him as he came forward.
"I thought you wanted to keep it secret," he said in a hushed voice as he led her into the garden in front of his house. "What if the paparazzi followed you?"
"I had my brother drive my car, I drove his – so they are chasing him as he coursed through the city." Temari blinked. "You want to keep it secret as well?"
"Well, you know what they say about romance in the limelight."
Temari blinked thoughtfully. "I see your point," she smiled. "And I agree."
"So we are going to keep it low?" He asked with an arched eyebrow.
"Yes, let's keep it this way," she smiled at him.
He shrugged and smiled at her. "Why did you come here?"
She stuck out her tongue. "I felt like seeing you."
Struck by her sudden childishness, he burst out laughing, as Temari frown.
"What's so funny?"
"You are cute." He commented, causing her face to flash like a glaring red tomato.
"Sh-shut up," she said, brushing him off her.
Shikamaru stopped laughing and stared at her. "I appreciate it, but someone like you…"
"I know it's bad for me to come around, causing troublesome this and that…" She rolled her eyes. Suddenly, he flipped her around and pecked on her lips quickly.
His eyebrow rose as he smirked. "So apparently the only way to shut you up is this, huh?"
Temari's face was roaring red, as she covered her mouth. "You just have to embarrass me like this!" She hissed, raising her hand in an attempt to smack him.
He gently held her wri , and smiled at her.
"I was going to say," he said softly. "That someone like you deserves a proper date, not sneaky meetings like this, although I don't mind."
Temari calmed down a little, the glaring red of her face fading into an attractive shade of pink.
"Oh-okay." She said, turning her head away from him.
Shikamaru patted her gently on the head, blinking as he smiled.
"So, when will you be free?" He asked her.
Temari tapped the side of her head, pouting as she think. "I am not sure, I will text you about it?"
"Sure," he smiled and held her hand, leading her back to her car. "You should get some rest."
"I will, so should you," she smiled. "Got to climb up the corporate ladder, don't you?"
"Troublesome," he smiled as he opened the door.
Temari turned around, and without him noticing, she cupped his face with both of her hands and pressed a kiss onto his lips.
Stunned, Shikamaru shuddered. Temari smirked as she slipped into the driver's seat of her car.
"What was that for?"
Temari started the engine and turned her head, facing towards him.
"That's for you sneaking up and kissing me like that just now," she said with a smirk.
"Troublesome…" Before he could finish his sentence, she drove off.
He stared as the car disappeared before he entered the house.
He waited, and waited.
His phone finally blinked.
Home, good night x
At that moment, he sighed softly.
Finally he could get some good sleep.
Author's note:
Long-awaited update (I hope)! I am hoping that I can continue this story for quite some chapters ... hopefully, they are not repetitive - it will mostly be smut between them (and humour - I promised myself to write something funny hahaha)
Anyway, enjoy! Thanks for the love as always xoxo
V.S.V