I do not own Naruto and/or its characters.

She visited the greenhouse she spends her lazy afternoons at. Dragging her bronze stool, she sat in front her purple hydrangeas. The stool was cool to touch. It was already five in the afternoon and it was already starting to get unreasonably cold. The desert is known for its bipolar weather after all.

He had given her the seeds as a parting present the last time she went back to Suna. He knew how much she enjoyed gardening and he found it cliché to give her flowers or chocolates.

"Really Shikamaru? Seeds?" She asked with a light chuckle. He walked her to the gate like he always did.

"Geez you troublesome woman." He scoffed. "I know you like it."

"I didn't say I didn't."

She smirked and he rolled his eyes.

"Okay well, have a safe trip back." He said as she took the pack of seeds from him.

"My brothers are going to flip if they found out you gave me seeds as a present." She held them close to her chest like a baby. "Normally you get girls flowers or jewelry."

"Well, you're still head over heels for me, aren't you?"

"Very funny." She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Think of it this way. Those flowers are going to keep blooming for as long as you water them… more than a bouquet could ever do!" Shikamaru smiled and leaned over for a hug. "They won't rot and they won't have to go into your trash can anytime soon."

She recalled the day fondly until she heard the door open.

"What's up sis! Didn't know you were home already." A familiar voice called. It was Kankuro.

"I just got back around an hour ago." She replied. The sight of his brother approaching her made her smile in relief. She did not bother thinking why.

Kankuro dragged his own stool closely beside his sister. The closeness never seemed too much between them. It almost came off as unnatural to not be this near her sister. "Guess what happened two weeks ago!"

"I couldn't even begin to imagine."

"Gaara made breakfast." Kankuro said in such a grim tone it was comical.

Temari did not reply but instead nodded in engagement. This was how they always were. Kankuro had always been the talkative type between the two of them. Regardless of what the topic is, he would keep going and she would simply listen. This gave them refuge and comfort—a little break from being the ever so stoic wind tamer and puppeteer of Suna. Since she began her ambassadorship to Konoha, this became a routine of sorts. Kankuro would update her on whatever she missed.

"And you know what else? Baki-sensei had to dance in one of those little parties for graduating genins. It was priceless Temari. You should've seen it!" Kankuro narrated as he laughed, nearly in tears.

Temari looked at his brother and smiled with all the energy left she has. After a whole week of being suspended up in the air, wondering how to explain what it is that she feels, the weight of what happened finally materialized. It's as if the wire that kept it from crushing her snapped in that instant. Maybe it was the sudden comfort Kankuro brought her. Maybe it was because there was familiarity with the way the wind blows here in Suna. She did not need an explanation. Everything keeping her together just broke open and there is nothing she can do about it.

She finally realized the effort she put into holding back her tears and she realized it too late. Tears began trickle down her cheeks. One, two and then, without warning, she began to sob.

It was nothingness. That was what she has been feeling and enduring for the whole week since he told her he couldn't commit to her anymore. The whole time he had occupied a space in her and when he took that part away, she had a gapping hole to fill. It was like being given candy as a child, only to have it taken away from you because some nasty kid in the neighborhood decided to torment you. She didn't want him to go and she knew she has done nothing at all to make him leave. But he did anyway. And now she does not know what to do.

Kankuro, for a moment, merely stared at his sister. He had felt something was weird about her, he just knew it. Either way he didn't need a reason to be there for her. So he offers his shoulder for her to cry on.

No words were exchanged. In understanding, he wrapped his arms around her as she let all the unsaid words turn to tears.

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