A/N: Reading back these chapters as I upload them makes me cringe a little. I wrote them all so long ago it's like seeing the story for the first time all over again...there are so many ways this could be improved but for a first fic, it'll do. There are now other - probably better - ShikaTema stories on my profile for those of you getting bored of this one! And quite a few more in the works ^-^ I can never get enough of this pairing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

"You didn't have to walk with me to my apartment, Nara," Temari mused as they strolled leisurely together in the dimly lit streets.

"It's good for me," Shikamaru said lazily. "The fresh air and exercise is sobering me right up. It may be my twentieth birthday, but my mom will still have a go at me if turn up on the doorstep half-drunk."

"Tch," she chuckled. "You always complain about how troublesome she is, but maybe you're the troublesome one after all."

"Maybe."

"So, how have things been work-wise?" she asked. "Busy?"

"No more than usual," he answered. "By which I mean, of course."

"No time for dating then, I suppose?" she teased.

He loved how she made him feel so at ease discussing anything, even the prospect of seeing other people. "Not just any random person, that's for sure," he played into it. "I don't have the time to get to know someone all over again. Perhaps it'd work if we could just skip those introductory stages and start somewhere in the middle."

She smiled, then sighed. "About that comment you made earlier…"

"Mm?"

"To the man at the bar…"

"When I told him not to touch you?"

"Well-"

"Sorry if I was being overprotective," he apologised. "I know you can take on pretty much anyone, whether they're a shinobi or not. In fact, I should know; you're always the one saving me. But this situation just threw me, for whatever reason."

"Actually, I was impressed," Temari smirked. "That was quick thinking on your part. Not to mention, we made a great team as he squirmed in your shadow control whilst I rendered him impotent."

Shikamaru laughed, then looked at her curiously. "So, what's the problem?"

"It's just that…when he asked if you were my boyfriend, and you-"

"Heard that, did you?" he interrupted quickly, chuckling to himself to cover his embarrassment. "Don't worry, I was only joking. I wanted to rile him up."

"Makes sense," Temari nodded. "Maybe dropping the 'L' bomb would've really messed with his masculine superiority complex."

"It usually does," Shikamaru murmured.

"What was that?" she asked, unable to make out what he'd said.

"Nothing," he replied as they reached the front of her apartment. "Thanks for coming tonight, Tem."

That simple contraction of her name made her heart melt every time. Not that she'd ever let him know that. So she chuckled and said, "Don't thank me. Thank your odd but endearing cohort of friends."

He smiled. "Even so, it took you three days to get here. It means a lot that you'd go to all that trouble just to be here for my birthday." Then he teased, "Are you sure you're not still in love with me?" as he leaned next to her door.

Her eyes widened in surprise, then she quickly looked away and crossed her arms indignantly. "In your dreams, Nara. Maybe you're not that sober after all."

"I'm happy to beat you at shogi right now if that proves I am one hundred percent sober."

She rolled her eyes at him and took out her key. Unlocking the door, she said, "That reminds me. Come in; I haven't given you your gift yet."

Is she hearing the innuendo? he wondered as his gaze followed her slender figure in that cocktail dress. He walked in after her.

She switched on the light as he stood in the hallway. "Wait here."

He complied, leaning against the wall of this familiar space. Everything was much barer than it used to be. "I thought you were selling this place when you moved back to Suna?" he called.

"I was going to," she replied, the sound of her rummaging through drawers and cupboards echoing throughout the empty rooms. "But I decided to rent it out from time to time instead. That way I still have a place to stay here in case I need one, but I make a little pocket money the rest of the time."

"So the last tenants just moved out?"

"About a week ago," she answered. "Ah!"

She returned to the hallway with a small envelope. "I was worried they'd thrown it out," she laughed. "I hid it in the sugar jar in the kitchen."

"Why didn't you just take it with you when you went back to Suna?"

"I forgot I had it," she explained. "I actually bought your gift a while back, when we were still dating. It was going to be a very late present for your promotion to jonin, but we broke up before I remembered to give it to you." She handed him the envelope.

"Better late than never," he grinned, opening it to find two tickets for a hot air balloon ride.

"The ultimate cloud-watching experience," she chuckled. "Granted, you'll have to stand, but I can't imagine you'll get a better view of either land or sky any other way."

"Thank you, Tem," he smiled. "Really, it's perfect."

She quickly added, "You don't have to take me, by the way. Ask one of your friends or your mom. It comes with a picnic, which I think Choji will appreciate."

He smirked. "Scared of heights?"

"As if," she snorted. "I'm heading back to Suna tomorrow, so even if I wanted the pleasure of accompanying you, I probably wouldn't be around anyway."

He looked down at the tickets and scratched the back of his neck, the way he often did when confused or disappointed. "Maybe next time you're in Konoha, then."

"Are you really so desperate to be suspended in a basket with me?" she laughed. "Wow. Even Choji won't do. Maybe you're still in love with me."

Without thinking, he pulled her towards him with his hands on her waist and kissed her, hard. At first she was shocked, but soon reciprocated, hooking her arms around his neck. They were pressed against the wall of the hallway, lips moving against each other with burning desire.

Shikamaru was the first to interrupt, breaking briefly to rest his forehead on hers. "I am," he breathed, eyes closed.

"What?" she murmured.

"I am," he repeated. "I am so in love with you, Tem."

His lips brushed with hers again, but only momentarily. "You and I…this probably isn't a good idea," she mumbled.

He stepped away from her. "You're probably right." He avoided her eyes, trying to suppress the anguish in them. "You usually are."

"I don't want to be," she said sadly. "I just can't let Gaara throw away his chance at a happy relationship for what I want."

He smiled a little. "What you want?"

"Shut up, Nara."

He sighed. "We'll find a way, Tem."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's iron out the details tomorrow morning."

"What's happening then?"

"We're going hot-air ballooning," he smirked, then leaned in to press his lips softly against hers once more. "I'll pick you up at seven."