A/N: It's been a long wait (uni, assessments, the usual) - I hope it's worth it! A nod to B99 for some much-needed inspiration.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

"So," he began when their food arrived at their chosen restaurant for lunch. "Tonight..."

"Before you get any ideas, Nara, I should let you know that the girls invited me to catch up over dinner," she smiled half-heartedly. As he opened his mouth to interject, she added, "No, I can't cancel on it. Ino emailed me a little while ago and I promised her I'd be there."

"Typical," he grumbled. "I'll bet she did it on purpose, just to annoy me."

"Oh, she definitely did. Pretty sure she mentioned it in said email."

"Let me guess, something along the lines of: 'Can't let Shikamaru have you all to himself, can we?'"

She chuckled. "Pretty much word-for-word."

"Next time, you're pretending your arrival date is a week later than it actually is."

"A week?" she raised an eyebrow. "That's a long time for you to...have your way with me," she teased.

He rolled his eyes. "Have I ever gotten my way when it comes to you?"

"What do you know, Shikamaru Nara has learnt a thing or two," she grinned. "But if 'your way' was to have me, then yes."

He smiled at her wordplay, looking at her with such love in his eyes that Temari's face flushed in embarrassment.

"Don't mistake 'having' me for 'owning' me, though," she said quickly, trying to recover from the way his eyes caught her off-guard. "I think you're smart enough not to confuse the two."

"I wouldn't dare," he smirked.

"Congratulations!"

Streamers and balloons were flying as the lights flicked on and the Konoha gang appeared in front of her, grinning stupidly.

"What's all this?" Temari laughed.

"We're celebrating your engagement!" Ino practically sung. "Who would've thought Shikamaru of all people would propose?" Then, the man in question emerged from behind the sofa.

"You told them?" Temari raised an eyebrow.

"They were gonna find out sooner or later," Shikamaru shrugged. "Both the Konoha and Suna councils were likely to make announcements once we'd finalised some more details. Besides, once Ino knew, it spread like wildfire."

"So you were in on this little stunt?"

"Did I know it was happening? Yes. Did I know exactly what Ino had in mind? No. But there was no stopping her either way."

"Shikamaru Nara, soon-to-be bachelor no more. How does it feel to have the rest of your single life stripped away from you?" Kiba teased, messing up his friend's ponytail in jest.

"Kiba, always a charmer," Temari rolled her eyes, though she looked expectantly at Shikamaru.

"Well, considering I was the one to propose, it wasn't so much stripped away from me as it was me volunteering to be married," Shikamaru replied smoothly.

"Oooh, tell us the story!" Sakura cooed. "How did you propose to Temari-san?"

Yeah, how did you propose, lazy ass? Temari thought to herself, intrigued to see how just far he was willing to go with this elaborate cover-up.

"Uh, I think we'd rather keep that to ours-"

"Go on, Shikamaru. Tell them. You have my blessing." This should be interesting.

Anxiety flashed in his eyes as he quickly generated some fictionalised tale in his head. "Well, I took her to the top of the Hokage Rock."

"Aw, man!" Naruto huffed. "You couldn't have waited until my face was on it, first?"

"Naruto, you only recently became a jonin," Shikamaru shut him down. "It's gonna be a good few years before your stone face makes it into anyone's proposal story."

"But I practically set you guys up!" he complained. "Guess I'll just have to settle for being best man at your wedding."

Both Temari's and Choji's eyes bugged a little at the sheer audacity of him.

"Anyway," Shikamaru continued. "The sun was setting over the village, and it just felt right."

"Wow," Ino said sarcastically. "Spare us all the juicy details, Shikamaru."

"What else do you want me to say?" he grumbled. "There was a soft breeze blowing, and her eyes were like emeralds in the orange glow of the sky, and I got down on one knee and professed my undying love for her?"

"It would've been a start," Ino nodded.

"Troublesome," he muttered.

"Wait, is that actually what happened?" Sakura asked, looking pointedly at Temari for confirmation.

She merely smirked in satisfaction and tapped the side of her nose twice.

There was a universal sigh of frustration as Shikamaru and Temari exchanged amused glances.

"Well, I for one am nothing but happy for you two!" Lee cried. "A wonderful union of our two villages. The springtime of youth continues!"

"Don't remind us. We still have so many logistics to sort out."

"Save that for another time," Tenten smiled. "Tonight, we drink!"

This can't end well, the couple thought in unison.

She stirred, and it didn't take her more than a second to realise that she was not alone.

A pair of strong arms were around her, thus she turned around to face their owner slowly and cautiously.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that they were both fully clothed; although he had 'PROPERTY OF TEMARI' written in red permanent marker across his forehead, which elicited a chuckle from her.

He awoke at the light vibrations her laugh made.

"Morning," she whispered.

"Too loud," he groaned. "Shhh." Suddenly, his eyes popped open as the reality of the situation occurred to him and he immediately sat up.

"Argh!" he winced, clutching his temple. "God, how much did I drink last night?"

"Your face was like a tomato," she laughed. "But that's about it for my memory."

He blinked a few times and scanned the room and themselves. "Well, by the looks of it, nothing beyond sleep happened in here."

"And we're all grateful for it," Kiba interrupted, letting the door swing open and hit the wall on his way into the room.

"Kiba, what are you doing here?" Shikamaru grumbled. "Get out!"

"Hey, I would show some hospitality, if I were you!" he fired right back. "I'm the poor soul who had to put both of your drunken asses to bed."

"Who'd've thought you'd be the one to make the sacrifice?" Temari mused.

"I'm the unsung hero of Konoha," Kiba proclaimed. "Anyway, after that, I was exhausted, so I just crashed on Ino's sofa."

"When did everyone else leave?"

"About two in the morning." He paused and eyed Shikamaru curiously.

"What?" The man in question asked irritably.

"Nothing," Kiba snickered. "I'm gonna head home now. See you lovers later."

"Ugh," Temari groaned in disgust at the word, flopping back onto the pillow.

"What she said," Shikamaru said, proceeding to throw a pillow in Kiba's direction, which he blocked with the closing door.

"Thanks for taking me home, Nara," she smiled, although on this occasion, there was something off about it. It seemed as though she had been desperately trying to suppress her signature smirk since the morning.

"Tem," he said emphatically. "You've been acting weird all day."

"Have I?" she wondered out loud, putting a finger to her chin dramatically. "I didn't realise."

"Could you stop being so damn troublesome for once and just tell me?" he grumbled.

"It's probably better if you come in," she suggested, a hint of amusement in her voice. "I'll make some tea."

As soon as he shut the door, she was on him.

Her mouth moved feverishly over his, and he'd be damned if he said he minded at all. His hands snaked around her waist; her fingers clawed at his hair, eventually tugging it out of its ponytail so that dark locks fell over his shoulders and entangled themselves in her own. He gasped for air against her lips.

"What about the tea-"

"Fuck the tea."

She grabbed him by the collar and steered them both into the bedroom, lips still connected. He didn't plan on letting her have her way so easily, however; in a second, he'd spun her around so her back was against the wall, practically knocking her into it in the height of his lust. She was caught between his arms, moving to his rhythm, bending to his will. She loved it when he took control. Not that she'd let it stay that way.

"Shikamaru."

"Mm."

"Look to your right."

He was confused. Opening his eyes, he slowly craned his neck and found himself staring straight into a full-length mirror. He still had Temari pressed up against the wall, but here, he observed his own reflection, and his arms fell to his sides as he crept closer to the glass, jaw dropping at the sight of himself.

"Temari," he whispered, hands coming up to touch his face. "Has this been on my forehead the whole day?!"

She couldn't help but snicker. "Maaaybe."

"You," he exhaled lowly, almost as if he were angry, but his mouth broke into a grin before he could even pretend to be a little mad. He chuckled to himself. "That explains why people were giving me odd looks when we were walking back."

"Ino picked up a copy of today's paper when she went to buy us breakfast. I read it while you were still sleeping," she said. "They made the engagement announcement."

"So you thought you'd leave this little notice on my forehead for all to see, in case word hadn't already gotten out," he rolled his eyes.

"Exactly. Last night's antics worked out quite nicely." She moved towards him again, sliding her arms around his torso.

She turned to look at the two of them, entwined, standing in front of the mirror. He followed suit. "Do you think we make a good couple?" she wondered.

"That's a loaded question."

"Well, you're the genius."

He looked at their reflections, which stared back at him with equal curiosity. "I think we look good together," he surmised. "Otherwise Naruto wouldn't have had his suspicions all those years ago."

"But are we actually good together?" she reiterated. "The world thinks we're getting married soon. They'll accept it as if it were old news, welcome the idea of our villages being bound in matrimony. But in truth, we're very different people, and though I know this is all just a cover, what that really means is we're stalling our actual wedding. It's as if we've made that commitment already...but are we really ready for it? Has it occurred to you that maybe you'll miss out on something else?"

"Tem," he said sternly. "You've seen my forehead. Hell, you were probably the one who wrote it. I know you'd have probably kicked my ass all the way to Suna had I done the same to you, but honestly...I don't care. Everyone knowing I was somehow lucky enough to be yours...sounds good to me."

"So if I had a last name, you'd be willing to take it?" she hypothesised, eyes lighting up in anticipation of his reaction.

He immediately looked uncomfortable. "Well, uh, that's different..." he mumbled. Suddenly, he remembered something. "Hey, what were you saying about not taking my name?" He stopped in his tracks. "Ah...I see."

"A double standard, is it not?" she winked. "Like I said. Forget it."

"But Tem-"

"No buts."

He slid out of her grasp and flopped onto the bed in frustration. "You're impossible."

"You're unbelievable," she retorted. "How can you expect me to throw away my lineage, my individuality, in favour of people referring to me as your wife? When you wouldn't even do the same for me?"

"You didn't have surname to begin with. I'm not asking you to throw away anything, but to add something instead."

"I don't have a surname because I'm of Kazekage blood. Everyone knows our family and our history in Sunagakure," she explained. "The fact that everyone knows who I am without a surname at all indicates my status."

"...and you're worried a surname will tell people you're a commoner?"

"You know that's not what I mean."

"It's exactly what you mean. Taking my surname reduces you from royalty to a regular villager. It's not like you'll be leading one of Konoha's most renowned and valued clans with me, or anything."

"Ha!" she scoffed. "Co-leader would be sugarcoating it, to say the least. I'll just be the Head's nameless housewife, making him dinner and doing his laundry so he can get a good night's sleep, ready for a big clan meeting the next day."

"Is that really how you feel?" he said quietly, sitting up to look her plain the eye. "Do you really think the clan would treat you that way? More importantly, do you think that's what I want or expect of you?"

She sighed and bit her lip. "You know how some of the older generations are. No matter how hard I might try, there will inevitably be people who see me as Mrs Nara, not Temari."

"Who cares about them?" he said defiantly. "We've come this far, created this elaborate ruse, in order to be together. And honestly, it sounds like you're rethinking it entirely."

"Shikamaru Nara," she said lowly. "Don't you dare believe for even a second that that's the case. You might think I'm being stubborn, or petty, but did you ever consider how hard it might be for me? I've grown up my whole life in the shadow of my father and my brothers. If I wasn't the Kazekage's daughter, I was the Kazekage's sister; if I wasn't the Kazekage's sister, I was the future Kazekage generator. Only existing to serve the men in my life and produce the next generation of Sunan leaders. And even now, being pseudo-engaged to you, I'm the one expected to leave my home; I'm the one having to ingratiate myself with a new clan, to fit into a foreign village. To me, taking your surname is like sacrificing the last piece of my identity."

He exhaled slowly. "I understand, Tem. Really, I do. But the way I see it...your name would show your bonds by both blood and marriage. Like you said, everyone knows who you are by 'Temari' alone. You wouldn't be swapping your affiliation. You'd be extending it."

She leaned against the wall in defeat. "I guess I can't really picture you with the moniker 'Shikamaru of the Sand'," she half-laughed.

"It sounds pretty badass, though," he grinned. "Way cooler than just 'Shikamaru Nara'."

"We could try and get it to stick, if you moved to Suna."

"You know I would, if I could," he reminded her. "I'll always be sorry about that."

"Don't be. I make my own choices, and I live with them," she said firmly. "It doesn't mean I won't miss Suna, but hey, my brother's the Kazekage. That's a pretty good excuse to visit if any."

"Kankuro will be less than pleased to hear that."

"Kankuro used to stick gum in my hair and throw boogers at me. If he expects me to travel three days for him after all that childhood trauma, he's an even bigger narcissist than I thought," she chuckled.

"Gum and boogers still seem a lot less traumatising than a bloodthirsty jinchuriki."

"So Gaara made some mistakes. He's a cacti-whisperer now, and you can bet I'll walk thousands of miles to see that because it's fucking adorable."

The thought of Suna's Fifth Kazekage tending to a windowsill of plants did amuse Shikamaru to no end. Temari sighed against the wall, closing her eyes in reflection.

"I love them both."

"I know."

"I love you, too."

"I know."

"Being fake-engaged is exhausting."

"Would being real-engaged help?"

She opened her eyes in confusion, only to find him down on one knee in front of her.

"W-where did that come from?" she whispered as her shocked gaze fell upon the ring in his hand.

"My pocket," he smirked.

"W-when...?"

"When did I put it in there? Before I left to greet you at the gate. When did I get it? During my trip to Suna."

She stood there, speechless.

"Ideally, I wouldn't have this branding on my forehead, but in a way it's foreshadowing everything I want to say...I know we're not on top of the Hokage Rock, and there's no soft breeze blowing, but I'll have a go at professing my undying love for you. Maybe not as dramatic as that, but I've never been a flashy guy..." he prattled on nervously. "Our relationship has always been something that just happened, without all the pomp and circumstance, something that was ours and ours only. I know for a fact that if I'd pulled some grand, romantic gesture out of my ass, you'd have met it with cynicism and mockery, and I'd probably agree with your reaction. We're not grand, romantic people. I can't call upon some life-changing epiphany that led me to this moment...it just happened, as is often the way with us. It felt right. It feels right when we talk about work when we're 'on a date'; it feels right when we argue about stupid things because you're stubborn and I'm lazy. When you talk about the things you love, your eyes become all soft and wistful. They do that when you're thinking about Suna, about your brothers, and I hope they do that when you think about me. Because I'm seriously, hopelessly, troublesomely in love with you - and even if that's not a word, it is one now, because that's all this genius can think of to describe the way he feels about you. You're difficult and beautiful and inexplicable, but you're worth every second, Tem...every three-day trip to see you, every early morning to greet you, every late night to eat with you. I wouldn't give up the chance to pull out your hair ties for the world," he snickered.

"You were so damn poetic up until then," she smiled, half-laughing, half-crying. Tears of happiness and disbelief streamed down her face as she added, "Way to kill the mood with your dumb humour, Nara."

"Sorry," he offered in jest. "It's kind of a package deal." He held the ring towards her, breath catching her throat as her attention was drawn to the simple, yet utterly perfect piece of jewellery.

"Marry me, Tem," he whispered.

"No 'will you', Nara?" she chuckled, though she barely managed to choke it out. "That's lazy, even for you."

"I'm being assertive. Isn't that what you like?" he grinned.

"You're not being assertive, you're just being an ass."

"An ass that loves you with every lazy bone in his body. So, Temari of the Sand, will you marry me?"

"Is that even a question?"

"Is that even a yes?"

She rolled her eyes, but then they settled into something soft and wistful. "If it's you, Shikamaru Nara, then of course it's a yes."