Note from the Author: … I'm thinking this is pretty self-explanatory.

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Temari didn't get depressed very often. In fact, she was much more often found angry – because the three most important people in her life were total snots.

Gaara was … well, Gaara was Gaara. He was quiet to the point of arrogance – a silence that said: "You're too below me for me to be bothered with answering you."

And Kankurou – Kankurou was a pest. He bullied younger children until she caught him in the act and shooed him away. And, though she was a year older than him, he had no respect for her.

Nara Shikamaru – she would never be able to explain why she'd fallen in love with him. Maybe it had been the strange carelessness with which he performed every task he was ever given – or maybe it was the bored way he grabbed her hand, as if to say, "You're worth the extra move."

But today, everything was a little different. Today was Temari's birthday. And of course, not one of those people had remembered.

With Gaara, it was to be expected. He didn't particularly care for anyone but himself.

With Kankurou, she was usually awarded an obnoxiously high-frequency whistle and a shouted, "Happy birthday!" accompanied by the punches that every birthday seemed to come equipped with – and which Kankurou relished, because it was the only day of the year she allowed him to hit her without her hitting back.

Shikamaru was lazy. She hadn't known what to expect on their first birthdays together. Certainly, she hadn't been expecting no reaction at all. He had come to retrieve her from the inn as he always did when she was in Konoha (she had made a point of taking a delivery mission for just this occasion), but hadn't mentioned anything – not even a mumbled well-wishing.

So today, Temari was thoroughly dejected. She sank moodily into the Nara's sofa, crossing her arms over her chest.

Shikamaru returned from the kitchen, gingerly carrying two steaming cups of tea. "Something on your mind?" he murmured, setting them on the table.

She sank to her knees before her tea, bringing her hands together in a silent appreciation and shaking her head. "I'll be okay."

"You're upset."

"What do you know?" she snapped, looking huffily away.

His eyes rolled, and she could practically hear him thinking, She's so troublesome. "You'll feel better if you talk about it."

Her hands slammed on the tabletop as she leaned forward, glaring through the steam of her tea at him. "Isn't it kind of an important day?"

He nodded, fishing in his pocket and pulling out a small box. "Happy birthday." He grumbled, sliding it toward her.

She blinked down at it, blushing in her shame. "Sorry, Shikamaru – I didn't mean -"

"It's fine." He cut her off nonchalantly, not wanting to put up with the apology. "I wouldn't have bothered making you tea if it wasn't your birthday, you know."

She stared blankly at the cups, fingering the package.. Why didn't I think of that?

"You gonna open it?"

She smiled widely, ripping off the paper, and in a moment, found her mouth hanging open. Pulling out the small object, she sent a scathing look at her boyfriend. "A shogi piece." She shook her head in disbelief. "You got me a shogi piece."

He lifted one shoulder in a shrug.

"Why couldn't you buy me something a little more romantic?"

"That was the most romantic thing I could think of."

"And you're a genius." Her eyebrow shot up. "How is this romantic?"

He smirked lightly, sipping at his scalding tea. "Because you're the only puzzle I can't solve."

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Note from the Author: You're OOC, Shikamaru! :knocks him out with a shovel: Yep. Just a random "It's Temari's birthday!" one-shot. :shrug: