Konoha University had an annual sweet's day and valentine's day. Every 7th of February a Sweet's Day is held, this is an event where the students can give baked cookies, brownies, or anything sweet to the person they appreciate, a subtle way to confess. Mostly, girls are the ones who's giving sweets, giving them to someone they're interested in. After a week, Valentine's Day is held. This day is for the couple who successfully becomes official after sweet's day, it's becoming more like a culture on the campus. One week difference is enough to court and date each other and gave their sweetest yes on Valentine's Day.
In one of the school laboratories, Temari and Shikamaru are doing their project. They were lab partners since the semester starts. They have known each other since their first year as they shared a lot of subjects together.
"Shikamaru!"
"Hmm?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"What is it?" He responded while figuring out the solution to their group project.
"It's not something about the project" She bite her lower lip and crossed her arms.
He looked at her with a cocked brow "What is this about now?"
"No, forget it. It's embarrassing" she sways her hands in the air to disregard what she said earlier.
"Woman! Just spill it!"
She sighs, heavily "Okay just don't laugh! Promise me!"
"Uhm, Yeah" He snorted
"About tomorrow"
"Sweet's day? And?"
"I actually wanted to give someone like a Dango or cookies, do you think that'll be a good idea?" she runs her finger to her lips and down to her chin without breaking eye contact with him.
He tried to hide his smile and a smirk appeared on his lips "Uhm, yeah. That'll do"
Who are you trying to confess? Me? he said in his mind.
"Really?" A bright smile appeared on her face and her eyes were sparkling when Shikamaru confirmed.
"Yeah, I mean anyone will be happy if they received sweets but I suggest cookies with chocolate chips" It's not a suggestion, it's a demand. At this point, he was sure that she was talking about him. All that bickering and exchanging of harsh words really formed a good sexual tension between them. Not to forget about the sweet nicknames they had like troublesome, crybaby, lazy, and cruel bitch.
"Wow, that's specific. Well, I trust you Nara, and your brain"
"Who's this unfortunate man you're giving sweets to?"
"I cannot tell you now idiot! You'll know it by tomorrow"
"Do I know him?"
"Yessss! You know him sooo well" She smiled playfully at him which he mirrored with a flirty smile.
"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow woman!"
"Bye lazy ass!"
They both waved goodbye to each other. He walked out of the room and felt like his feet wanted to dance, he was sooo full of energy, and a smile did not fade on his face.
He wakes up earlier than his alarm. He runs into the bathroom to prepare himself for that day. He ironed his uniform twice, last night and this morning just to make sure that there were no flaws, not a speck. He sprayed cologne, the expensive one which was gifted to him by his father. He grabbed his breakfast munching every bit of it. His mother and father saw the glow in him that morning. After he prepared, he swayed his way out of his home and catch a ride to school.
He goddam waited for this perfect moment. Temari is going to confess to me!
The time seems so slow in the morning, he attended his first and second subjects before having lunch. He approached his friends on the bench outside the cafeteria. Naruto, Neji, Sasuke, Sai, Choji, Kiba, and Shino were sitting in their usual spot.
"Where are the girls at!?" Kiba frustratedly said he was waiting for his sweets.
They observed a lot of girls approaching Sasuke and giving him sweets, he even received sweets from other schools.
"Man! You're so lucky!" Naruto said, he was envious of how many his sweets are. It almost couldn't fit his bag.
"Hey, did Hinata give you some sweets?" Neji asked
"Yeah, this one" He raised it and bite the brownie. He loved what Hinata gave to him "It's so sweettt! A wifey material right there"
Shikamaru actually received sweets from Kin, Tayuya, and Shiho but he's waiting for a specific someone. His mind was wandering, he looked at the clouds and thought about her.
"Hey, is that Temari?" Choji said
He immediately looked to where Choji is pointing, it almost broke his neck. Suddenly everything was in slow motion, he saw her walking towards their spot. The wind swayed her golden hair while she projects her sweetest smile.
She's so fucking beautiful!
He stands up and put his hands in his pockets. His feet unconsciously walked towards her and a beautiful smile appeared on his face.
"Finally, I've been wai-" He stopped when Temari continued to walk past him.
Eh?
His throat constricts and he cannot spill a word. A sudden pain in his gut was emerging, he was stunned. He turned his head around to see who she gave sweets to. His jaw dropped when he saw who it was.
It's fucking Neji!?
Shikamaru did not move a single inch, he was frozen. Temari walked her way out after she hand the sweet chocolate chip cookies to Neji. She looked at Shikamaru and gave him a smile when she passed him.
"Thank you for your suggestion cry baby!"
He went to their next class where his friends, Neji, and him shared the same subject. His arms were crossed in his chest without expressing any emotions, hiding the pain while Neji is biting the chocolate chip cookies that Temari baked.
That's my goddam cookies!
"Hey Neji, can I have some?" Naruto asked and Neji handed a piece of cookie to him. Temari baked 20 pieces of chocolate chip cookies. The aroma of the cookies wrapped around the room.
Naruto bites and was amazed at how good the cookies were "Man! These cookies were awesome! Kiba you want one?"
Kiba, Choji, Shino, and Sai grabbed one cookie and Neji happily shared it with them.
And he's sharing it with everyone!? Look at him, sharing my cookies!
"Shikamaru, you don't want some? C'mon man grab one!" Naruto pushed a cookie on his cheeks.
"No!" he said with an angry stare.
"Hey! What's your problem!?"
After his class, he storms out and walked to the laboratory room where he and Temari always meet for their group project. He stomps his book at the table in the laboratory. His brows were furrowed and his hands were in a tight grip.
"Hey! What the heck?" Temari was startled when he heard the loud bang of his books at the table.
He did not say a single thing. He opens his book and started reading the set of questions for their group project.
"What's your problem Nara?" she walked in front of him both hands buried on her side waist.
Still, he didn't answer.
"Someone is in the bad mood? What? you didn't receive any sweets?"
He grabbed a red velvet cookie and bite it in front of her, just to prove she was wrong.
She chuckles "Okay, did someone reject you?"
He rolled his eyes and continue to write his notes, ignoring her again.
"That seems a yes. Sorry about it Nara, don't worry you'll definitely find a new girl, you know"
He was trying to hide his emotions, her words cut sharply he felt it in every cell of his body. He walked away and move to a new spot, near the window.
"Oh common! Don't be such a crybaby! Okay, enough of it. I'll try not to ask more about it. Let's just talk about my lovelife"
Are you fucking serious!?
He immediately turns his gaze to her, sharply and tightly. His arms crossed in his chest with a smirk playfully displayed on his lips.
"Yeah! Let's talk about it Temari!?"
It was her first time hearing her name, not the usual Woman, cruel bitch, or troublesome he usually spills but she knows he was in a bad mood so she didn't mind.
"I thought you said someone I know sooo well!"
"Yeah! I mean, Neji is the president of the student council and you're his secretary, right? You're like buddies"
"Why him!?"
"Why not? Well, first of all, he's smart"
I am smart!?
"He's doing a lot of work as a president in this school"
I did all the fucking work for this school, I'm his secretary!
"For the record, he smells good"
Have you sniffed me? I wore the expensive one here hello!?
"And he's a mature and very organized person"
I—I can work with that!
His arms are now at his waist, his breath becomes heavy like he was panting.
"Can you arrange for me to have a like, date with him?"
"NO!"
She rolled her eyes and grabbed her books "Right! Thanks! I can do it myself anyways! Hey! I put the answers to our group project questions, just grab them from the shelves. Bye!"
Days passed, Temari went on a date with Neji a couple of times. Shikamaru tried to move on and shake everything away but he fails. Some part of him regrets not confessing to her, he had all the chance before but his ego was so big and his cowardness consumes him.
Would you say yes if I asked you?
No, probably not. You liked Neji.
But I mean, did you ever feel something for me?
Just a little?
Because if there's even a tiny chance, I'll work my way up to make it big
Soooo big that you'll even forget him
His tiny voice swimming around his brain all day and all night, he cannot accept the fact that someone other than him is being with her.
Temari entered the laboratory room. For days, he kept on ignoring her and Temari felt it. It's not his usual to stay quiet, he's always the first one to throw comments which leads them to banter and bicker in their shared time. Sometimes, Temari initiated a conversation but he always gave her a dry and cold response.
"How's your date?" He said without looking at her, his eyes focus on the book he was reading.
"It's fun, I learned a lot of things from Neji"
"Good for you"
"He's a very calculated person, I cannot throw jokes at him"
"Hmm"
"But I'm trying to know him more"
He tried to brush off the topic and change it. He didn't want to know more about it. They start discussing their group project and finalizing their paper. Once they're done, they start packing their stuff.
"Shikamaru"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks"
"For?"
"For helping me with everything, with Neji and with this paper"
He just smiled at her "Yeah, no worries"
"You seem quiet lately"
"Am I?"
"I miss you"
"Huh?" He looked at Temari and saw her eyes, genuinely sad.
"I miss the old you, the old us. If there's anything you need just tell me"
"Ofcourse, I'm sorry if you felt that way" He cannot say no to those eyes. Damn! Stop giving me that look!
On Valentine's Day, the boys gathered in their usual spot outside the cafeteria.
"Hey, Naruto! I heard that you and Hinata are together now?" Kiba asked
"Yeah! It's fun to be with her ya know. I'm glad she said yes"
"Congrats dude!" Kiba high-fives him
"Just don't break her heart Naruto, I'm going to kill you if you did" Neji warned him
"Yeah! I know"
"Be a good boyfriend to her! I'm watching you and your moves"
"Hey! What do you know about being a good boyfriend!? Are you an expert or something, you're not even taken to know how to" He teased him in an attempt to roast him.
"Who said I am not taken?"
The boys gasps in unison. Shikamaru felt a sharp stab in his heart, stomach, brain, and neck! There's no way this is happening! He wanted to cry right on the spot.
"So, you're telling me, you and Temari are together now?" Kiba asked
Neji smiled "Hmm, it's Tenten actually"
The boys are shocked about his revelation, they didn't know he was hiding this kind of information.
"Neji! You're such a playboy!" Naruto said
"Wait! Wait! Wait! I thought you were dating Temari?" Shikamaru asked, immediately standing up from his seat.
"I did"
"Then why the hell did you end up with Tenten!?"
"At first, but she noticed something between me and Tenten. She actually the one who encouraged and helped me to get her"
"You fucking dick!" He walked out of his seat and run to find Temari. It's now or never! He's going to confess to her.
He walked to the laboratory room, her classes, the cafeteria, and the library but she was not there. He keeps on texting her but no response. Frustrated, his mind starts running some information on where she could be. He remembered that she mentioned a bridge before, the school bridge where she usually wanted to think and read her favorite book. He tried to find where that bridge is, he follows the river beside their school and there she is, under the cherry blossom at the end of the bridge. He walked behind the cherry blossom tree, he looked at her from behind and she was reading a novel.
"A romance novel huh?"
She turned her head around and found Shikamaru, she cocked an eyebrow in response to his silly question.
"Fiction. Hey! What are you doing in my spot!?"
"You didn't tell me about him?"
She turned away immediately and her face was emotionless, hiding her expressions to any possible way.
"So, you've heard?"
"Of course, I shared lunch with them. And you helped him with his girl? Are you out of your mind?"
"Can you please stop mocking me?"
"You're ridiculous"
"Are you done?"
"No, I'm not done. I actually wanted to tell you something so listen carefully"
"If this is some kind of teasing conversation you are free to leave Nara"
"Woman! Just listen"
She placed her book on her bag and crossed her arms "I'm all ears, now start"
"You're the most troublesome woman I know"
She rolled her eyes and was about to leave but Shikamaru grabbed her both arms, he makes sure that her eyes focused on his.
"Wait! Just listen! I hate your harsh words and spunky attitude. But you know what I really hate the most? All of those things made me love you"
She was surprised by his confession, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.
"You made me a better person Temari, I hope you know that. I don't care if you reject me now but I'll still ask you this"
He pulled away, released his grip from her shoulder, and walked back enough to give her a good view.
"Temari, will you be my girlfriend?"
He doesn't care about the answer, he's still wanted to take the risk. It's better to risk than regret it for the rest of his life. She grabbed his collar and wrapped her hands around his shoulder. The next thing he knew she kissed him softly and he kissed back passionately.
"I'm sorry if I haven't figured it out too soon. I'm so stupid" she said
"No"
She stares into his eyes, still with her arms around his shoulder and neck.
"Is that mean, you said yes to my question?"
She nodded in response, they both laughed and giggled under their breath.
Then they sealed it with a kiss.