The next thing he knew was that she ended the call.
Holding it in his hand, he searched for the next step.
She said she would kill herself – not the first time he heard that threat from her, but this time, there was a certain calmness in her voice that sent a chill down his spine.
He pondered. Should he go find her?
But what about Temari? He turned around and stared at the door.
He promised her.
He promised not to hurt her.
What would she think?
He blinked for once, and turned around.
Knock knock.
She opened the door, arching an eyebrow.
"I need you Temari." He said, softly.
Temari stared at him, her mouth gaping. "What?"
"Listen," he reachd out for her hand. "Ino just called me. She said she is going to kill herself or some thing, and she wants to see me."
Temari looked back at him, giving him a nod. "And what do you want to do?"
"I am not sure, I just want to make sure you don't have any hard feeling about this, if I go and meet her. If you want to, you can come with me." She could feel his grip tightened around her hand.
What if she said no?
He tried to think of a backup plan as a surge of warmth emerged from his hand, going striahgt to his chest.
She clasped her other hand onto his, and gave him a reassuring smile. "If it makes you feel more comfortable, I can go with you. You can talk to her alone if it needs to be."
He nodded as he held her hand up, pressing his lips onto it for a brief moment. "Thanks." He muttered as he gently let go. "Then let's grab your stuff and go."
"Do you know where she is?" Temari asked as she sat next to him, driving around.
"I am not sure, but she would probably be there." His eyes thinned into a line. "Take a left there and drive straight."
Temari obliged and drove. "What is wrong with her?"
"It's probably her depression."
"What kind of depression?"
"I am not sure either," Shikamaru said, staring out of the window. "It's nothing new."
A few turns here and there, and they arrived at a posh-looking residential building. "She used to live here."
"What about her husband? Does Sai know about this?"
"I texted Chouji just now to find Sai, just in case." He turned to the door. "Do you want to go up?"
"This is your luggage, you are the only who can deal with it." Temari blinked and smiled at him. "I will wait here for you."
He returned the warm smile as he reached up and storked her cheek. "Be right back."
He walked up to the roof – she was sitting there, on the edge of the building. A few beer bottles littered around her, he saw her shivering, her crying sobs audible as he approached.
"You said you want to talk to me," he said, stopping at five feet away from her, as she turned around, her blue eyes bloodshot, her lips whimpering.
"I am a monster, Shikamaru." She said softly. "I killed it, the child, our child. This very day a few years ago, I did it."
"I thought you said you wasn't sure." He said, in a gentle voice. He felt his heart ached a little – she was talking about a life, a life that was related to him.
"I wasn't entirely, but I was pretty sure," she buried her face in her hands. "I still dream of it, bloody, staring at me."
"It's in the past," he said. "You have to let go."
"How could I?" Her head shot up, her face covered with tears. "Sai was talking to me the other day, he said he wanted to have a child with me, he said… he said it would have beautiful eyes just like me."
Shikamaru stood there silently.
"I didn't even tell him, about what happened before." She rubbed her face, staring sadly at him. "How can I tell him?"
"You have to, that's the only way," he said. "Troublesome as it is, you can't hide it from him forever. Your marriage cannot sustain itself on lies."
"Shikamaru, what if Sai decides to leave me?" She said, her eyes darting around. "Who will love me? Will you love me?"
She stared at him hysterically, straight into his dark obsidian eyes.
She leapt down and seized him by the shoulders, grinning hysterically. "You will, wouldn't you? You will love me, like you always have."
Shikamaru brushed her off with his uninjured hand, and patted on her shoulder.
"Listen Ino." Shikamaru took a deep breath. "Sai married Ino, the entire Yamanka Ino on that day, not just your pretty face. If he doesn't understand that, he doesn't deserve to call himself your husband."
He smiled at her, who looked visibly stunned at his words. "As for me, Ino, I have loved you in the past, to the best that I could; but now, I have found someone. Someone who understands me, someone that reciprocates the love I have for her."
Ino shook her head in disbelief. "But how?"
"Love cannot be measured in time, or distance," he laughed a little. "I don't know, it is troublesome, but that's the way it is – I love her and she loves me."
Ino crouched down and he followed. "I am sure she is the one, I was stupid, I made a million mistakes – but someone who loves you truly would forgive you, she would knock some sense into you and help you up, before walking with you."
He patted her gently on the shoulder. "Don't have anymore silly thoughts."
Shikamaru stayed with Ino until Chouji arrived with Sai.
The pale faced man, approached his wife and pulled the blonde woman into a tight embrace.
Shikamaru found himself smiling as he saw her returning the hug, from the way her lips moved he could read the three words he once longed.
I love you. She said to him, as he helped her on his feet.
Shikamaru smiled and patted Chouji on the back.
He returned to the car and opened the door.
"Sorry, it took longer than I thought." He smiled at Temari, only to realize that she was holding onto her phone, tears rolling down her face.
"What's wrong?" He held his hand to touch her hand, she caught it and pulled him close, her arms wrapping around his neck.
"I heard you," she smiled as she buried her eyes onto his shoulder.
Shikamaru peered over her shoulder and saw that on the screen of her phone, was his name, and an ongoing call.
He must have called her by accident.
Given how quiet it was up there and how loud they spoke, she must have heard everything.
"I see you, finally." She grinned widely, as she stared deeply into his dark obsidian eyes with her tearful emerald eyes. "I see you."
Shikamaru returned a smile and pulled her in, gently brushing her lips with his.
"Crybaby," he muttered. "How troublesome."
She grinned and pressed her lips onto his, their tongues entwined, lips locked until both of them were out of breath.
"Too bad you are injured, we could have done much more…" Temari smirked suggestively, her finger travelling down to his chest and drawing circles.
"You do know you have a talent for dirty talk," he smirked back. "Let's just go back."
"And do what?" She arched an eyebrow coupled with a suggestive smile.
"Get married, have kids and die together, how does that sound?" He shook his head with a smirk.
"Let's just sleep," Temari laughed as she placed her hands onto the steering wheel. "For the time being."
"Sounds like a plan," Shikamaru shrugged and leaned back.
His dark hair cascaded across his face and on his shoulder, as he leaned against the headboard of the bed.
She leaned on his right side, dressed in a black bra; he lovingly stroked with the limited movement of his left hand, the scars that scattered across her body – they were of different shades of colour, indicating how old they are.
His other hand rested around her waist, gently clinging on the curve.
"Good thing I waited huh?" Temari smirked and pinched him lightly on the cheek.
He pulled her hand down to his lips and pressed lightly on it.
Temari closed her eyes contently, as Shikamaru stared up at the ceiling.
Finally this time.
You didn't mess up.
Finally.
Oh, one more thing.
Although alcohol, cigarettes and paperwork did not numb him the way he thought they would, ultimately, they led to her.
She who bore the scars, she who waited, she who could heal him.
She who loves him, she who he loves.
Thank god for alcohol.
He pressed a kiss onto the sleeping woman's forehead, which smiled in her sleep.
Gently he lied down, with her sleeping soundly in his arms.
He closed his eyes, enveloped by the calmness and warmth she was emitting.
Perhaps they would have a happy ending, after all.
Author's note:
Here it is! This is the near final chapter, if not the last (depends on whether you guys still want another chapter.)
I hope you enjoy this journey of ACP :3 I did not plan this story in the way it is now, but often I just go along with what I think at that moment and so here you go!
Thank you for all the love you have given to this story, I hope you enjoy this and the other stories I created. :D
Love,
V.S.V xoxo
