Temari was tired from walking. Well, she really was just tired period. She hated doing the stupid basic missions that genins in her village could do. She was one of the elite shin obi, and she knew it. That's why she was so easily promoted to the Suna ambassador. Not to mention that her brother so easily took control of the village.
Right now, though, all she wanted was a tall glass of water with ice cubes and her soft comfy bed with had pillows for support. She dragged herself through the village streets, but to Suna's people, she seemed energized and completely alert. That was one of her best talents: fooling people. She could act completely okay when she was dying on the inside, and she knew it.
That was her greatest weakness, and she knew that as well. If anyone found out about it, it would mean constant questioning, and that would irritate her more than anything. It would be more irritating than Kankuro. And, to her, he was irritating.
She felt hopeless as she entered her corridor in the Kazekage's office building. The three of them just decided to sleep in the same house they grew up in. They didn't have to even invade in each other's space. Though, sometimes, they chose to anyways.
Temari simply sighed. Gaara would probably be entering her personal life through that diary any day now, and when he did, it would be her downfall. Not that Gaara would announce it to the world or anything; it was more that she would no longer be able to keep her secret to herself. She would eventually have to confront it. She finally came to the door that led into her bedroom. It was probably one of the smallest bedrooms on that hall, but that was the way she liked it. It felt cozy and invited, especially the bed.
She leaned her fan against the wall and her dresser and fell into her bed. She easily closed her eyes.
"I never pictured your room to be like this, Temari."
Her eyes opened wide. She knew exactly who was in her room and where exactly he was in her room. Although that shocked her, what shocked her more was that he called her by her name. No insult. No troublesome woman. Just Temari.
She turned to the only dark corner of the room and smiled at him. She loved to smile at him, but if you asked her about it, she would deny it. Smiling could show weakness, and she wasn't weak. "I thought you hated the sand, Nara. So why are you here?" She knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from her lips. His soft lips that she would daydream about, but she would never admit that to anybody. That was, after all, her greatest strength.
"You know exactly why. You've been ignoring me." There was a short pause. Shikamaru didn't want to sound mean and his usual tone came out that way. "If you don't want to be with me, that's fine. I care, but I…I can't explain it. You are the only puzzle I can't solve. You are the person that keeps me alert."
Temari interrupted. She wasn't about to let Shikamaru have the last word. That was not how a dominant woman behaved. She wanted control so she took it from him. "Shut up! You have no clue what it would take. You are a genuis, so they say, but you can't put the pieces together. I love you!" She covered her mouth. The words slipped out, and she lost control. She never lost control.
Shikamaru walked over and sat on her bed. He looked her in the eyes, to make sure she was listening. "You do, huh? Well, I love you back. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. Kankuro came and said you were dying. It was part of Gaara's plan to get me here to see you. To talk to you. To be with you. You are troublesome, don't get me wrong, but I fell for you."
Temari looked back and finally smirked. "I never thought I would say this, but Shikamaru, are we dating?"
Shikamaru simply smiled. He didn't smirk. He actually made the effort to smile. "Yes, and I think I'll thank your brothers for that."