A/N: An update! I'll keep this brief: I've always thought Naruto and Shikamaru had one of the most genuine and supportive friendships ever. (Also, this was written before I knew what happened in The Last and the Naruto wedding arc etc., so deviates from canon slightly but I've since adapted it so it fits better).
When he woke up in the afterglow of last night's activities, his bliss was cut short when he realised his arms were wrapped around a bundle of sheets, and not his girlfriend.
Wait, he thought to himself. Fiancée. Sounds about right.
"Temari?" he groaned, throwing the covers aside and struggling to force his body out of bed.
"Finally awake, sleepyhead?" a familiar voice called from the kitchen.
He appeared in the doorway of the bedroom, hair roughly pulled up into a ponytail, eyes creased with fatigue. "Why are you not in that bed?" he complained, his arm lazily indicating over his shoulder.
She laughed, stirring the pot on the stove. "I'm making breakfast. You might not be much of a morning person, but this is what I'm used to. I spent many early mornings travelling here to see you, so I wouldn't make a fuss," she winked.
"You couldn't just let me wake up with you?" he mumbled, moving towards her.
"I could've, but you'd never learn, would you?" she grinned. "This way, not only do you get out of bed, but you'd never take me for granted."
"I wasn't going to do that anyway," he grumbled, arms encircling her waist as she stood by the stove. He kissed her wild morning hair softly, and felt completely content with her supple curves and strong back pressed against his chest.
"What are you thinking?" she asked quietly, not turning around to look at him.
"That the last twenty-four hours have been perfect," he said earnestly. "You don't regret anything, do you?"
"No, of course not," she reassured him. "I wish we could stay like this forever."
"Me, too."
"Well, it's too bad," she practically sung, breaking out of his embrace and retrieving two bowls from a cupboard. "We've got wedding planning to do!" she smiled brightly, although they both knew she was just as unenthused by the idea as he was.
"Do we have to?"
"Of course we have to," Temari rolled her eyes. "We've had our elders on our backs about this for long enough. Not to mention, you did kind of propose to me last night."
"Ah, that," he nodded. "My bad."
She chuckled. "No. Far from that." She divided the contents of the pot between the bowls and placed a spoon in both. "Breakfast is served, Sleeping Beauty."
"I think we can all agree that you're better suited for that nickname."
"Agree to disagree," she fired back with a sly smile. "Now eat up."
"You realise there's no point in either of us discussing this, since the elders will force their own way anyway?"
"It's the modern age, Shikamaru," Temari rolled her eyes. "Sure, they'll try, but ultimately, we're the ones who live with this decision. If we're going to spend the rest of our lives together, shouldn't we get to decide how it begins?"
She had a point.
"Although," she continued. "The idea of making decisions whilst also trying to fend them off gives me a headache, and we haven't even started yet. If only we knew someone who loved getting involved in our business..."
"No," he said firmly. "No way, Tem."
"Oh, come on, Shikamaru! You know it would make our lives way easier in the long term. We're both so busy as it is."
"In the long term, sure. That's if I live through the short term as it is."
"You're exaggerating..."
"Am I? I barely get a minute of peace anyway. Throw the prospect of wedding planning in there..."
"It's the best option we've got, Shikamaru."
He sighed. There was no winning either way.
"Fine. I'll talk to Ino."
"Ino, you in?"
"Oh, hey, Shikamaru!" the blonde appeared from the back of the shop. "What's up?"
"Uh, I was wondering if...uh...maybe..."
"I have customers sometimes, you know."
"Sorry," he said. "Temari and I just wanted to ask if you...would help us plan our...wedding."
Her face instantly lit up. "Oh, Shikamaru, I thought you'd never ask! I'd love to help. There's just one problem..."
"Oh, if it's too much hassle-"
"Don't be silly! But between you and me, Naruto's planning on proposing to Hinata soon. Sakura and I are helping him pick out a ring."
"What?!" he nearly choked. "Has it even been a good minute since they started dating?" He retraced the timeline in his mind. "They got together during my break with Temari, right?"
She nodded. "I still remember the look on your face when you found out, you'd gone off the grid for that long. It was hilarious. Anyway, you know Naruto, he's an impulsive guy...besides, Hinata's been in love with him before he even knew what love was, and it's not like you and Temari have been together that much longer..."
"Not officially, but we were heading in that direction for years."
"Aha! So you admit it!" Ino grinned wickedly. "I knew there was something between you two when you were just 'escorting' her."
Shit. Well, nothing to lose, now.
"There wasn't!" he insisted. "Well, even if there was, it's not like either of us knew it at the time."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," she said breezily, unconvinced. "Shikamaru Nara, king of the Slow Burn."
"Forget it, I'm leaving-"
"No! Wait! I'll help you."
"Once you've finished picking out the ring for Hinata?"
She rolled her eyes. "How are you so smart yet so stupid? If he's proposing, that means a wedding is on the cards. Which means they're totally gonna still your thunder, idiot."
"But Temari and I were engaged first-"
"It's Naruto, Shikamaru. If life was fair and people were rational, of course you guys would be front page news. But that guy's credited with ending a war. The news of his engagement will almost definitely break the internet, not that the internet's particularly advanced yet anyway."
He sighed. "You're right."
"Damn straight I am. Seriously though, I would be honoured to be your wedding planner. Just say the word and I'll be there with an organiser and a megaphone."
He smiled. "Thanks, Ino."
"So Naruto beat you to it, huh?" the Sixth smirked as his trusty assistant walked in.
"Don't remind me," Shikamaru grumbled, placing a pile of documents on the Hokage's desk. "It's all the village seems to be talking about these days."
"Can you blame them?" Kakashi shrugged. "But don't worry about him. Just focus on your own nuptials."
"I wish I could, but there's not really much point until this particular bout of wedding fever blows over. He saved the world, after all."
"Shikamaru," the Hokage addressed him sternly. "His wedding might be showy and subject to a lot of attention, but if anything, yours is the more important. Your marriage to Temari-san will solidify the peace between our two villages; villages that were once at war with each other. Now that's something for the headlines."
He groaned. "There's a part of me that wishes it weren't such a political affair. It's so troublesome, figuring out the logistics and the paperwork."
"Surely the elders are handling most of the formalities?"
"Yeah, but Temari and I have to rein them in from time to time, read the fine print, all of that. Checking they're not legally binding us to this, that or the other."
"Well, it will all be worth it in the end."
"Yeah," he nodded. She's worth it.
Once the sex started, it never really seemed to stop.
That's what Shikamaru realised after that night's particularly athletic session; they were both aware that their time together was limited until she had to go back to Suna and tend to some wedding business on that end, so more often than not, they found themselves tangled up together. Mostly in private, occasionally in not-so-private when the urge overcame them; they came pretty close to being caught sneaking out of the men's bathroom of the Hokage Residence together, but luckily Shikamaru had the sense to distract his colleague with an "urgent request from the Hokage" while Temari slipped away and returned ten minutes later, casually "bumping into" them.
He was kind of amazed his colleague didn't catch on; if it had been the Hokage, Shikamaru almost definitely wouldn't have heard the end of it for weeks.
"What are you thinking about?" Temari asked him, her head resting on his chest, fingers playing with the strands of hair lying across his collarbone.
The corners of his mouth turned up. It was a question that indicated a genuine curiosity, something he didn't need to exercise when it came to her emotions, since her eyes gave them away in an instant. "I'm wondering what to wear to Naruto's wedding."
"It's Hinata's wedding too, you know," she frowned. "I'm not all that close with the girl, but I feel bad for her; everyone's leaving her out of her own big day."
He couldn't help but smile at the compassion and hard-as-nails morality, traits that often caught him off guard but made him fall all the harder for her. "Sorry. I'm closer with Naruto, so it was an instinct. But it's as much Hinata's wedding as it is his."
"Mm. Glad you agree. Because if we get to the altar and some geezer announces us as 'Mr and Mrs Shikamaru Nara', I'm gonna divorce you and this village so hard," she chuckled. He could feel the way her breath hitched as she laughed, the vibrations that transferred from her chest to his.
"I love you," he said simply. Happily.
"I love you, too." She pressed her lips to the hollow of his jaw for a brief moment, then returned her head to his chest. "So, your wedding outfit?"
"Uh..." he had to think fast, since the thought hadn't actually crossed his mind at all. "You know me, something simple. Just a black suit over a shirt, maybe a smart turtleneck if it gets chilly."
"What an elaborate train of thought," she mused mockingly.
"Well, it's not like I have many options as a guy," he defended himself. "Tell me what you're going to wear. I'm sure it'll be much more interesting."
She propped herself up on her elbows and smirked at him. "You'll have to wait and see," she said seductively.
"Seriously?" he queried, frustrated. "Don't tease me, woman."
"Careful what you wish for," she practically purred, then added, "My foreplay game is pretty strong."
"That'd be an understatement."
"Hey, Shikamaru," a familiar voice sounded as the door opened.
He looked up from his desk. "Naruto? What are you doing here?"
"I have a favour to ask."
Immediately Shikamaru groaned. He reached into his pocket and muttered, "Alright, fine, but this is all the cash I've got on me and you'd better treat me to ramen next time we eat out-"
"No, no, that's not what I meant," Naruto said hastily. "Man, Shikamaru, do I really borrow money off you that often?"
"It's not borrowing if you spend it and don't pay it back," Shikamaru sighed.
"Heh...sorry about that. I promise, when my mission wages come in this month, you'll get your cut!"
"You say that every time."
"Well, hopefully what I'm about to ask will repay some of the debt," Naruto grinned. "How do you feel about being my best man?"
At last, Shikamaru's head shot up from his paperwork. "What?"
"I want you to be my best man."
"Eh? Why me?"
"We're close friends, aren't we? And I trust you."
"It's because Sasuke won't be around, right?"
"Even if he was, I don't think he'd be all that willing. Too sappy."
"And I'm your guy for 'sappy'?"
"Do you want to be my best man or what?"
He finally broke into a smile. "Of course, Naruto, it'd be an honour."
"Great! I'll count on you, then." With a sly smirk on his face, the blonde added, "By the way, should I book another room at the inn for Temari or will she be staying with you?"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "She has her own apartment here, you know, since she comes for business regularly."
"Not because it means you have a place where you can't disturb anyone...?"
"What? No, you pervert! Tch, just get out of my office."
"Shikamaru! You made it," Choji grinned.
"Is that surprising?"
"You're not exactly known for being on time, you know."
"I'm on time when it counts," Shikamaru shrugged, which was true. He was never late to mission checkpoints; he was never late in coming up with a crucial battle strategy; and he was never late when greeting Temari at the gates. Except for that one time, he thought to himself, and she nagged at me about it for months.
"Where's Temari?" Choji asked, as if reading his mind. "I thought she'd be with you."
"She's staying with her brothers while they're in Konoha for the wedding, so she'll arrive with them."
"I see. Have you two figured out when your big day's gonna be?"
"Not really. We don't even know if it'll be here or in Suna."
"Suna?!" Choji exclaimed. "You're not gonna make all of us travel out there, are you?"
"Considering she'll probably be moving here permanently and leaving behind her friends and family, it's the least we could do, don't you think?"
"Wow. The prospect of getting married in a land full of sand, and the word 'troublesome' doesn't even come up once? You really have grown up, Shikamaru."
"Well, some things are worth the trouble," he shrugged.
He struggled to refrain from looking at his watch every ten minutes. Where is she? he thought, already dreading an entire evening of mingling with people he didn't really know or care about. Sure, all of his friends were there, but he could hang out with them whenever he wanted, whereas every moment with her fell through the hourglass and they only had so many grains left before she had to go back.
Damn. She really did have him on a leash.
He found himself staring at a group of guests taking photos, realising he had no idea who they were. Were they villagers? Shinobi? Whatever the case, none of their faces rung a bell in his mind at all. That bothered him. Hell, does Naruto even know who these people are? he wondered. It's possible, I guess. He's the village hero, after all.
For the first time he let his mind wander to his own wedding, and how he envisioned it - not the elders, not his friends, not his mother, not even Temari. If it were entirely up to him, what would he want?
Just the two of us, he mused. That'd do quite nicely. But Mom would lose her mind.
The thought of it amused him.
"What are you smiling about?"
Her voice was low and teasing as usual, but when she came into his line of sight, it took more than he expected to retain his usual, unaffected composure.
"Who said I was smiling?" he countered, trying his best not to let the blood colour his cheeks. Or flow to other areas, for that matter.
She was in a white collared tunic and a purple skirt; it was simple, modest, nothing particularly flashy, but it was something else.
It was beyond beautiful.
"Don't men go to wedding receptions to meet the friends of the bride?" she smirked, eyes flicking over to the guests he still hadn't identified.
"Tch, that's not it," he retorted quickly. She of all people would remember his lack of interest in any female specimen until he met her. Sure, she was joking, but how could she even suggest that he was thinking about anyone other than her? Especially when she was looking like that? He sighed. "What a drag. Let's go over there."
He grabbed her hand and led her to a more secluded part of the reception area.
"W-wait!" she stuttered as he did so. She seemed unsure of herself when he didn't let go of her hand after they were somewhat alone. "Shikamaru," she whispered. "This is a public place."
"So?" he challenged. "Everyone knows we're a couple. What's the point in hiding it?"
She blushed furiously. "The point is I don't like PDA."
He lowered his head a little to get in close, so that their foreheads were almost touching. "Are you ashamed of me, Temari?" he said dramatically. "Are you embarrassed by me?"
"Yes, you idiot!" she hissed, but there was no malice in her voice. He could tell she simply wasn't used to this kind of attention in front of others.
"That's unfortunate," he murmured, leaning in more. Their lips were almost touching. "You know, since we're about to spend the rest of our lives together and all of that."
"Shikamaru, wai-"
He didn't let her finish her sentence. Although she let him finish his kiss.
"Sorry," he smiled, pulling away. "I don't think I've ever seen you nervous before. It's...dare I say it...adorable."
"Shut up," she grumbled, moving in this time, bent on proving him wrong.
"Gladly."
"When I first met Naruto, I thought he was an idiot."
A strong start: Shikamaru had already gotten a laugh out of the audience as he stood, fairly composed, with his best man's speech in hand. Sure, he knew that he was ultimately Sasuke's stand-in, but he also knew that Naruto truly valued their friendship, and so he would try his damned hardest not to mess up his big day.
"…but I was an idiot too back then, so needless to say, we were fast friends." He looked straight at the blond goofball to his left who grinned back at him.
"Unlike me, however, Naruto was ambitious: since the Academy, he's been claiming he would become the Hokage, and while none of us believed him at first, he's surprised us many times over the years. Seeing him go from strength to strength, watching him overcome every obstacle in his path – it motivated me to change my own lazy ways. So I set my sights on something even greater, even more valuable than Hokage: the Hokage's assistant."
Cue more laughter. Shikamaru added, "I'm happy to report that it's been almost three years since I beat him in the dream job race."
"While he didn't win in that respect, he somehow managed to one-up me and expedite the marital process, making him and Hinata the first from our Academy class to get married." He waited for the chuckles to subside, then more seriously said, "But truthfully, I could not be more honoured to stand beside him today as his best man. It seems the days of skipping or sleeping through Iruka-sensei's lessons are long gone, and it's time we became responsible leaders like our fathers before us. However," he paused, his eyes flickering to a different blonde with fierce teal eyes, "They say that behind every great man is an even greater woman; and I know that no matter what happens from here, Naruto will enjoy every success and happiness, because now he has someone to share it with." He turned to the bride, "Hinata, I know your dream has always been to be by Naruto's side; you've waited a long time for this day, but now you have the rest of your lives to spend together. That's why I've decided to give you a honeymoon as a wedding gift, to celebrate your new married life. I only have one last request...take care of him, because nine times out of ten, we men have no clue what's best for us," his eyes focused in on his fiancée, "...and all it takes is a smile to remind us that it's you. To Naruto and Hinata," he smiled, raising his glass.
"Cheers," Temari mouthed, the corners of her mouth upturned.
As the sun went down and the evening brought music, laughter and fond memories to the fore, Temari made her way onto the dance floor and tapped on a certain someone's shoulder.
"Well, that was quite a speech," she smirked.
He turned and grinned when teal eyes met his own; gently he held her by the waist and pulled her into him as she let her right hand rest lightly on his shoulder. Connecting their free hands, he led them in a slow waltz. "I was inspired," he said simply. "Oh, I'm having this dance, by the way."
"I figured," she chuckled. "You didn't tell me you had moves, Nara."
"I don't," he shrugged. "Ino's ballroom dance partner bailed on her just before a big competition when we were seven. My mom forced me into stepping in, you know, pulling the 'family friends' card and all that."
"Wow, that was noble of you. Did you win?"
"Of course not," he laughed. "I was seven; I dreaded nothing more than twirling a girl on a dance floor in front of a huge crowd of people. I just felt bad for Ino...she worked really hard for that competition, only for her original partner to take off and for her replacement to be the most disinterested, unrhythmic person in the universe."
"...yet here you are, nearly three times that age, twirling a girl on a dance floor in front of what appears to be the entire village," Temari mused, nodding her head slightly towards the rest of the guests seated at their tables. "And you're not so bad, Nara," she added, smiling to herself.
"Eh?"
"As a dancer and as a person. Maybe you found your rhythm with age, but you've always had a good heart. I've always admired that about you."
"I could say the same for you, Tem."
She shook her head. "Don't you remember? There was once a time when I nearly destroyed your village. I can't even reconcile who I am now with who I used to be. I've still got a long way to go but honestly...it scares me. Being here, in Konoha, knowing what I did before. What people think of me. If they can ever truly forgive me-"
"Temari," he said lowly. "You need to stop blaming yourself. What happened in the past wasn't done out of hatred; it was out of love, for your brother. Your desire to stand with him, defend him, protect him at all costs. Everything you ever do is always for someone else, or with someone else's best interests in mind. You're the most selfless person I know, Tem - and that alone means the rest of Konoha will love you as much as I do."
When she didn't react, he quickly back-pedalled. "Uh, that's not to say you're not your own person, because you are, and your independence is another thing I've always admired you for-"
She buried her face in his shoulder. "Shut up."
"Tem?" he whispered. "Are you crying?"
"N-no..." she said, though her voice cracked as she hid her telltale eyes. When she regained her composure, she looked up and muttered, "Damn it, Nara, you're a smoother talker than Lord Sixth."
He laughed at that. "We'll see. With any luck, my vows will have the whole room in tears."
That caught her attention. "Have you thought about them already?"
"I haven't written them, per se. But I have a few ideas knocking about in my head."
Damn. Who'd've thought Shikamaru Nara would be the romantic in a relationship?
She looked around the room, observing the sheer number of guests and how it overwhelmed her. She knew the spotlight wasn't on her in this case, and she felt better knowing there was an abundance of people around them on the floor, but she knew this wasn't them. It was a big and beautiful wedding, just not the one she wanted for herself and Shikamaru. As the music transitioned into a slow, romantic ballad, she hooked her arms around his neck and leaned her head against his collarbone.
"I'm sorry, Shikamaru. Because of the politics of our marriage, you'll have to endure a lot of pomp and circumstance...you'll be talking to a lot of ancient idiots, forced to invite people you don't know or care about, probably bothered with a million troublesome questions from Ino and both councils. Considering you didn't think you'd ever get married, I'm sorry you can't even have the kind of wedding you probably wanted."
He sighed. "I've never really been sure of what I wanted. But if there's anything I'm certain I want now, it's you, Tem. Any wedding where I get to marry you at the end of it is pretty much perfect, if you ask me."
"You need to stop doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Undoing me."
"But I can keep doing you?"
That made her laugh out loud; only he could make her feel every possible emotion on the spectrum in the space of five minutes. "Yes, Shikamaru. Do me all you want."
"Jeez, woman, you don't have to be so crude."
She smacked him playfully on the ear.
"Alright, alright, I deserved that."
Looking at him, the way he was looking at her, made her feel so happy she almost didn't want to admit it. She never knew she could be on the receiving end of such love, such loyalty, and the very thought dusted her cheeks with a faint blush.
"Thanks for loving me, Shikamaru," she smiled quietly.
He could tell she really, truly meant it, so he simply kissed her hair and held her close to him.