Sunday, June 16th, 2013.

Happy Father's Day!

Thanks for the reviews, as always!

Today is a ShikaTema chapter. 3k+ words of ShikaTema. Be glad.

Obviously, I haven't been updating weekly yet. I don't have the time. My mom's determined to keep us away from the computer whenever she's awake. (She works night shifts so she sleeps in the day really often).

And Friday was torture. I spent 8 straight hours, from 11:30am-7:30pm getting my computer fixed at home with a total of 3 techs over a computer chat thing that techies do. Bless them, they worked hard and fixed my computer's printing problem.

That wasn't even what we called them for, by the way. But because they fixed that problem, we didn't need them to do what we called them for.

Anyway, it was 8 hours spent, awake, bored, and uncomfortable (because I was on my floor upstairs w/o a choice for most of it) and after it was all over and dinner, I only had 1.5 hours to do what a wanted with my computer. For me, that's not really long.

Anyhoos, away from that torture.

Answer to last Qotw: Nothing, really, for once. Just ComicCon next month, and possibly visiting my Grandma in Orange County, whom we visit every year because she's 6 hours away. That's it though. Oh - and watching a lot of short anime, and starting new longer ones. I finished an anime this week, and watched 5cm Per Second just a while ago.

Fun Fact: I don't speak my parents' two native languages, Gikuyu and Swahili. I plan to learn them eventually, though - it's written in stone. Same goes for Spanish because it'd help in the future. And Japanese because I want to. IMO, Japanese comes to me way easier than any language I've tried. Even more so than Turkish (one of the two languages offered at my school because our staff's mostly Turkish) that I had for 1/2 a semester, which was kinda easy.

Recommendation(s): I'm combining them now. They take too much space. I'll do either or both an anime recommendation or book one. This one's an anime, though.
Psycho-Pass: An anime about the future world of Japan, taking place around 2110, I think. (they didn't say the year, but the main character seemed around 20 and was born in 2095. In that future, even being able to measure someone's mental state and their likelihood of future crime is able to be told by machines, called a Psycho-Pass. Everyone must maintain a good Crime Coefficient, Psycho-Pass, and Color Hue or they will be targeted by the government. Believe me, the more you know about that world, the more you won't want to live in it. If it your Crime Coefficient reaches over a certain number, you'll be labeled a criminal and could possibly get killed even if you haven't done anything yet. The main character is Akane, an officer who works for the part of the government that "takes care" of people that could become threats to the society or are threats. However, it's not like she seems and it changes her.

It really is a fantastic anime, with 22 episodes. Really great. And it struck me right in my heart - epic. One of my Top 10 now. The character designer is the same person that created Katekyo Hitman Reborn, for fellow fans out there. So many characters resemble others. One of the bigger bad guys is like a combination of Mukuro, Byakuran, and his own little twist in there. One of the more major characters looks a lot like Hibari, and a bit of Xanxus, though they're nothing alike. Akane herself resembles Haru and Yuni. A girl's name reminds me of another in KHR: (last-name-first-name) Sugawara Shoko - Sasagawa Kyoko. They're nothing alike, though.

And another character reminds me a ton of Kyoya from OHSHC.

Anyway, Psycho-Pass is great and really worth the watch. However, I warn you of some blood and a bit of gore. I watched it this week.

Since it's father's day, Minato's going to do the disclaimer. And so will Iemitsu because he's a father (Tsuna) and his birthday was yesterday.

Iemitsu and Minato: EOC doesn't own Naruto. If she did, she would've given development to more characters. Happy Father's Day! Give you dad and/or father figure a hug or a call or a card or a prayer or something, whether's he's alive, dead, in jail, or you don't consider your actual dad a father and instead someone else is a father to you, or something.

Me: If you wouldn't mind, I recommend a little something to read for Father's Day. It's short and in the Bible. Luke 15. A chapter about a father's unconditional love for his son. This goes for those of you who don't have anyone to think of as "Father", too, whether or not you believe in God or the Bible or are Christian. If you can, just read it. You can find the entire Bible on the internet, too, so you don't have that excuse. Even if you don't believe in God, he's one Father that you'll always have, alright? Just wanted to let that out.

In church today, all the fathers lined up and anyone, mostly kids, who hadn't felt the love of a father before went up and got a hug from all of them. It made me cry. Even more so because I actually knew a couple of the kids.

Alright, time for ShikaTema! Read on!


Chapter 30: Troublesome Revelations


Shikamaru POV

I can't believe this. How did this happen?

Actually, I knew exactly how it happened.

Exactly how Temari and I ended up in my room, playing shogi – rested and out of the hospital.

Here's how it happened:

Apparently, for the first 2 days in the hospital, I was unconscious. Completely.

Totally out.

Like a light.

From the moment I feel a sleep on her supple thighs.

... Forget I said that.

Anyway.

I woke up the evening of the 3rd day of the hospital.

During those 3 days, while I was asleep, my parents visited the hospital room that I somehow shared with Temari.

Why did we share it? Dunno. Guess our injuries were similar enough or something, so we'd stay for the same length of time, more or less. I don't know how hospitals work that out.

Regardless, during the visits, my parents became acquainted with Temari and decided they liked her. (The girl was only out for a couple hours, damn her.)

So I woke to quite the surprise that evening of the third day to find my father and Temari chatting it up like best buds without a care in the world.

Even worse? Temari's smart, so she kept up with most of what my dad said. She's also familiar with politics –hello, daughter of the late Kazekage, here- so she kept up with my dad's political talks, too.

Then, when they noticed I was awake, they turned and said hi like I didn't just see one of the weirdest sights of my life.

My dad talked with me for a bit, and all that, and made a ridiculous comment as he left, saying, "Nice catch there, son. Perfect for a Nara like you," in my ear.

At the door, he chuckled at my reddening and mortified face saying, aloud this time, "Your mother would've said worse," and left.

Just like that.


Because of the events that transpired in the hospital, it was only natural that the moment Temari and I were discharged that mother would invite her and her brothers over for dinner, as well as Matsuri and Baki if they wished.

(By the way, we were in that hospital for 2 more days. It's been 2 more days since we got out.)

Fortunately or unfortunately, Kankuro had to go do God-knows-what with Baki, so those two were out. Gaara couldn't leave the hospital yet, and Matsuri wanted to stay with him. Gaara wanted her to stay, as well. Temari thinks something is going on between those two. I don't really care but I can't imagine Gaara of all people liking a girl or anything like that. That's just me.

Mom invited Chouji and Ino if they wanted to come, but Ino was too heartbroken at the Yamanaka manor because of what happened to Sai last night(1) - not that the adults knew that. The Konoha 12, as Iruka-sensei called it, as well as our beloved friends from the Sand, knew what happened. And all of our sensei, too. The parents weren't told yet. It was likely that they didn't know who Sai was in the first place.

So as far as our parents knew, Ino was really depressed and they didn't want to bother her.

Chouji, after learning it was just going to be him, Temari and I, backed out with some lame excuse. I don't know why – it almost seemed like an Ino-like, move: to get Temari and I alone.

Which is moot because my parents would still be here.

So it was just the four of us.

Mom cooked my favorite, mackerel and kelp(2), and kept up conversation at the dinner table.

Not that she needed to – Temari was there.

She asked Temari a lot of questions – "How old are you?" "When's your birthday?" "Had any boyfriends?" "How much younger are your brothers and your friend to you?" "What's your favorite time of the year in Suna?" "What do you think of my son? Would you date him?"

The last one made me choke on my mackerel, and my dad gave me a glass of cold milk to wash it down.

"17." "August 23rd." "A couple here and there." "Kankuro's a year younger than me, Matsuri's two years younger, and Gaara's three." "Spring or Fall – they may be short, but it warms up after winter and isn't scorching hot quite yet; or in Fall's case, it cools down after summer for winter, but isn't cold yet. And it's windy – I like windy seasons." "He's a smartass; lazy; and an unmotivated beanpole, but admirable I guess when he pulls through. No – I'm not into kids who are younger than me and smartasses piss me off."

I have to admit, though – I was blushing as she answered the last question, though for some reason, a little ticked at the last part of it. I was also a little irked when she mentioned boyfriends, too. But why? She's seventeen, and I'll admit she's quite pretty, so… it's no wonder she's had boyfriends. Why am I… angry then?

Maybe I was a bit jealous but the modest amount of male pride I do have –not everyone could have egos like Sasuke's and Neji's– wouldn't allow me to admit that.

Not that I let that show.

I think.

My mom was giving me a weird look that Ino gives me sometimes, when Temari is ever brought up in a conversation. And with Ino around, it's a common occurrence.

Dad is giving me a similar look, the kind Chouji tries not to show when, again, Temari are brought up in a conversation.

Temari seemed to be oblivious, though, thank God.


After dinner, Temari insisted we play shogi, and my mom insisted it happen in my room of all places.

My dad and I have a room in the house we play shogi in. But nooo. It must be my bedroom.

Why? I dunno. She's a woman. Women are complicated. And you don't say "no" to Mom.

As she closed the door –locking it– she said, "Have fun!"

Then, I understood. My mom's setting us up.

If Temari realized this as well, she didn't show it.

She moved the shogi board between us on the floor. "Are we gonna play or what?"

I complied, sighing. Might as well have fun, right? Troublesome women...


In the end, we played 3 long games and I won all of them.

Duh – I've only ever lost to my dad. That guy is unbeatable, I swear.

But – Temari was-... is definitely my most formidable player, aside from my dad.

She was the 2nd best player I've ever had, almost as good as me. 1st is Dad, of course.

But the weird thing was, aside from being a great player, she seemed to almost be used to my playing style.

She was able to thwart a few or my more basic, early moves, as if she knew them already, or was familiar with them. Asuma can't even do that. Bu then again, he might just be bad at playing. Compared to me at least.

She also lasted longer than anyone ever had against me without winning, all the while playing like she'd done it -against me- thousands of times.

Not to mention, when I played her, it felt like I'd done this before. It was vaguely familiar to me.

In result of our strange familiarity with each other, the 3 games we played lasted twice as long as they did with anybody else that was decent. Mostly just Sakura and my dad. Sakura wasn't all that good because she didn't play much, but she's smart, so she was still pretty good for a beginner. I already said that my dad has always beat me.

We didn't know each other all that well, and I've never played shogi with her before. So how did she do it? Why was this hapenning?

So, I asked.

Her answer?

"I dunno. Maybe while we were training I got used to your fighting and strategic style and subconsciously applied it while playing you? Who knows. Maybe you're rubbing off on me or something."

It almost felt like she was hiding something from me. But whatever the case, I didn't really buy that excuse. I don't have a better one, but I just couldn't believe it for some reason.

So for a little while, after the games, we just laid on the floor, telling each other bits and pieces of our lives for God-knows-why.

I told her about growing up with Ino and Chouji, and ditching academy classes with Kiba, Naruto, and Chouji.

She told me about the days before Gaara's change, and how good Matsuri's cookies are.

We laid there for about an hour, telling each other about ourselves and felt completely comfortable with it.

I grew more comfortable with her, and enjoyed it.

A lot. Way more than I should've.

I even smiled and laughed a lot. Not that I never do that, but talking with her for that short hour was just so much fun...

I also realized then, I enjoyed all the time we spent together before, even while training.

And that maybe… just maybe I was growing feelings for her.

Somehow.

Or maybe I already started.

But the point is, I have a crush, whether I admit it or not.

FML. Her of all people… she's the most troublesome girl I know!

And even if it was just hormones that made me think I had a crush on her, I really do care about Temari, even though she's a bitch sometimes.

Proof?

The mountain of relief I felt when I saw that she was okay when I woke up in the hospital.

The desperate thought in the back of my head while we were fighting Tayuya to make sure Temari stays safe.

The fact that I think of her as a good friend, somewhere in my head.

Or heart.

Whatever.

It's in my being somewhere.


Anyway.

After that wonderful hour of talking to each other, I yawned loudly and took a look at the time.

It was 12:13. Pretty damn late.

Not to mention, judging by the lack of light coming from under my door, and the silence in the rest of the house, my parents had already retired for the night.

"Well. I guess that means you're staying the night, then," I commented.

"It's fine, I could get home on my own," She said, standing up, popping her back in the process. "Damn, that felt good."

"It's dangerous for a teenage girl to walk home alone at this time of the night, and your apartment is close to the, uh… less desirable parts of the village. You're not as familiar here as you are in Suna, I doubt you have your key, and Kankuro may not be home for all you know. And if he was, he'd definitely be asleep."

She looked at me oddly. "How'd you know I didn't have my key?"

I shrugged. "Lack of jingling sounds or the sight of them while in the hospital and here, and I just had a feeling, is all."

She frowned. "Well, you're right. I gave my key to the blacksmith yesterday because I bent it. Crap…"

She looked to the floor for a moment and then jumped on my bed. "Guess I'm staying here, then. Got any extra blankets?"

"In my parents' room. Why?" I replied from my private bathroom, as I changed out of my clothes and into the shirt I wear to sleep, leaving my boxers. If she sees me in my boxers, I don't care. They're just like shorts, so whatever.

"I'm gonna sleep on the couch, duh."

"No, you're not." I stepped out of the bathroom, tossing my old clothes into the clothes basket in the corner of my room.

"Where then? And why not?"

"Here, I guess. A guest shouldn't have to sleep on the couch. And I don't feel like sleeping on the couch either because that requires going downstairs and I don't want to. Not to mention, the extra blankets are in my parents' room and they're sleeping."

"So we're sleeping here together then?"

My face warmed, and I turned the other way. "Guess so," I muttered.

I went back to my closet, throwing a shirt and a pair of shorts at Temari.

"One of my dad's old shirts and one of my shorts. You can wear them to bed. I don't know of the shorts will fit you though."

She took them, walking toward the bathroom to change. "Thanks."

"Yeah."

Before I closed my closet, I took out an extra pillow I had, fluffed it, and placed it beside mine as I climbed into bed.

Of course, I remembered to take my hair out of its ponytail.

It's a kind of small bed, but I think we'll both fit.

When Temari came out of the bathroom, I had to hide my surprise at her appearance. She looks so-…!

"Where can I place these?" She said, talking about her own clothes, folded and resting in her hands.

The shirt was baggy on her, the short sleeves almost reaching half-way to her elbow, and the hem of the shirt reached to her thighs.

The shorts were a bit tight, and almost reached her knees.

Best of all, her hair was down.

All in all, one way or another, she looked hot.

Somehow.

I do have hormones, you know… and they're running thoughts through my head that make me think this is puberty's punishment.

I averted my eyes from her figure, trying to keep my face from looking like a tomato.

"You can put them on my desk over there," I said.

Afterward, as she walked toward the bed, she said. "The shirts big, but that's good because I to where large shirts when I sleep. And the shorts are a little tight around the thighs, but they're fine. Who knew your size is close to mine?" She laughed.

"Y-yeah… who knew…" I turned off the lights from the switch near my head.


As we laid in the darkness, both of us still wide awake, a thought popped into my head and I pulled an Ino.

Or a Naruto.

Still works.

"Have you ever slept with anyone before?" I blurted, turning red immediately. Thank God it's dark in here!

She turned to me, giving me a weird look.

Well, I heard her turn to me, and I felt the look burning into my back. I wasn't facing her.

"… I sound like Ino, don't I?" I was absolutely mortified – that wasn't supposed to come out! And WHY would I ask that?!

"Yeah, you do. But yes, I have. Once."

My eyes widened, and I turned on my side to face her as well.

"Really?"

"Yeah. He was my boyfriend at the time, and the only one I could've ever honestly liked. Or had the possibility of 'loving', as Matsuri would say. It's still true though."

I gave her a look that said, "keep going".

She sighed. "The two of us were really stressed out, and I asked him. He's the modest type, so there's no way he could've come up with something so forward. He accepted, though, and we were each other's first. I was 16 at the time, and he was nearing 18.

"Though we still cared about each other afterward, even more so because of what happened, that night helped us realize we just didn't feel for each other like a couple should: romantically. We were honestly just really close, and kind of intimate friends. So mutually, on good terms, we decided to break up and stay friends. Not to mention, while we were together, he was actually in love with someone else. They'd been friends since they were like 8, or something."

"What?! He dated you while actually being into somebody else?!" What the hell?!

"Yeah. I wasn't angry though. I would've normally, don't get me wrong. Her parents tried to get her into an arranged marriage with some (mostly older) rich guys –how old fashioned of them, right?– and unfortunately, because he wasn't rich, her parents never considered him an option. They're kinda controlling, too. She wasn't allowed to date anyone that wasn't a suitor they picked. And most of her friends had to belong to a well-known or wealthy family, those controlling bastards. He was one of the only friends she picked herself, and one of the closest, aside from one of her girlfriends."

Wow… that's gotta suck.

"So, to try and get over her, he tried dating me. We knew each other briefly, but we grew close, like we said, during our relationship. But in the end, he couldn't get over her, and when we broke up, I helped him try to win her -as well as her parents- over.

"Even though he tried to forget her when we started dating, he kept up the art business he started before we got together, slowly growing bigger and bigger as time passed. When we broke up, I gave money to fund some projects and helped him grow even more. Being the Kazekage's daughter has its perks.

"So the money aspect of winning her parents over was starting to solve itself. I knew, in years to come, that'd he'd be a rich motherf**ker. I pointed that out to her parents. No, I didn't use those words, but similar ones.

"During all that, I tried pushing her to him, because I knew she returned his feelings this whole time. It was obvious. She didn't like me much, of course, at the beginning –I dated that guy she loved, come on– but we became friends. Now they're happily engaged, I'm still friends with both of them, and I got a letter inviting Baki, Matsuri, my brothers and I to their wedding in January. Matsuri's close to the bride, too. And though my brothers weren't fond of him at first, they learned to tolerate him at least by time he and his, now, fiancée. We still talk and to each other pretty often, and Matsuri demands a girl's night once every a few months with her."

"Wow…" was all I could say. Quite the story there...

"We were together for five months. Their names are Jentama Hiroto, and Kiyomoto Anya, last-name-first-name format. Those close to Hiroto call him Hiro, like me.

"Today, I still don't regret that night. I don't think he does, either. Sounds like something out of some romance, doesn't it?"

I didn't reply.

This is too much to bother denying, but I'll admit this story made me jealous over that Hiroto. Especially that she never regretted that night she had with him.

Then she yawned and pulled me toward her.

"Wh-what are y-you d-d-doing?" I stuttered, my face heating up immensely. Thank God it's dark!

"I'm sleepy and you're a warm mass that will continue generating heat until you die. Get over here."

In the end, we ended up curled against each other – she was facing my chest with her left arm thrown over my waist, and I faced the top of her head, which she told me to put an arm around and pull her closer to me.

Flustered, I asked why.

She sleepily replied. I doubt she would have given such a straight answer if she wasn't so tired. "I'm the oldest so… I held everybody... and had… to be the stronger one… for them… and have only been held… in a way I liked… by… Hiro… since... Mom... died…"

I had to admit the reason had me almost smiling sadly. She just wants to be held… that's so-… cute, but sad, too.

So I complied with her request, pushing her close to me while she subconsciously buried her head between my neck and chest, and I placed my right arm behind her back and head. I absentmindedly played with her hair as she fell asleep.

"'Night… Shika…"

"'Night, 'Mari," I whispered. I felt her smile against my collarbone after I said that. I don't know why I did, but it felt right. Good, even. Maybe I'll start calling her that… you know, when it's just us…

Soon after, her breathing softened and evened, and I knew she was asleep.

I felt myself struggling to stay awake, so I decided to stop fighting it and sleep.

I buried my head into my pillow against her hair and couldn't help but inhale deeply.

I almost wanted to laugh at what her hair smelled like.

Pineapples. Should've known. She also smells… kind of exotic.

That didn't make a lot of sense, but I didn't care – I was on the verge of sleep anyway.

But before I did fall asleep, I had one thought.

I like you, Temari.


(1): Sai's operation performed by Jiraiya happened that night. I tried to make sure I told you what happened on what day. If you have any questions and are confused about something, just ask.
(2): That really is his favorite food. That's definitely something Shika and I
don't have in common - I hate fish, and am not a fan of seaweed. I doubt kelp smells or tastes much better.

I made sure to get across that Temari is not the typical girl, and went through some stuff growing up. Like not being held before or something. Yeah, she had underage sex and I don't condone that, but I wanted to emphasize that she's not the conventional teen.

She's different, and tough, but weak sometimes, too.

That story was another something my sis and I came up with.

Question of the Week: Short anime recommendations?

Bye!

Love ya'll!

-Cherry

YOU CAN STILL SEND ME BIRTHDAY IDEAS, YOU KNOW. AND IF YOU WANT, COUPLES YOU WANT TO SEE MORE OF.