Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews, I very much appreciate them. Having read them I thought I would take the time to share with you some of my perspectives. First off I agree Shikamaru does blush an awful lot and he and Temari are moving much faster in their relationship than would be expected. But I do have my reasons. When Shikamaru is in the hospital he basically confesses to Temari that he thought he knew what being a shinobi was, but that he was unprepared for the reality. Shikamaru is an interesting character at this age as he represents someone with vast knowledge and intelligence, but who is still lacking in experience. Keep in mind this is the first time he has ever had genuine romantic feelings for a girl. The fact that the feelings are being returned and by a girl like Temari I think excuses the occasional blush and quickening of the heart. As he gains experience he will not react as strongly, he will not blush as easily when he is say, 18. If you think about it in the series he is now 15 and still has had virtually no physical contact with the girl he cares for. So far as we know they have yet to kiss, hold hands or even hug. By comparison Naruto is constantly hugging or otherwise touching Hinata. So of course his reactions are different than what we see in the anime or manga. Just remember he is 13 and trying to understand what it means to be in love with someone.

As for them moving fast I agree they are. But I would point out that they are both shinobi, which means the rules are very different for them. As will be stated in a later chapter they both understand that death can come at any time and so time is precious. My second favorite couple is Naruto and Hinata and while I love her devotion in one aspect I find her actions difficult to understand. Naruto has come close to death more than once. Given that she should come to realize she is not guaranteed to have unlimited opportunities to share her feelings with him. (Any of you who have read my other story already know my thoughts on this.) Shikamaru and Temari both know their lives could end at any time and that knowledge spurs them to find what happiness they can. Also it is much easier to take your time when you see the person every day. When you only have a few days or a week with someone, time with them becomes even more precious.

Those are my thoughts. Please continue to let me know what you think, and as always please enjoy!

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Her eyes were closed as her lips melted into his. She could feel his strong hands run up and down her back she loved the feel of him responding to her, the feel of his desire for her. She had been a little scared and a little nervous. This was the first time she had ever kissed a boy and the thought she would do it wrong had panicked her. But oh, she wasn't doing it wrong, not by the way he was kissing her back.

They didn't stop. His lips never left hers, they just kept kissing. Somehow they ended up lying half on, half off the couch. She was still on top. His hands stroked her neck and she was amazed that they could be so strong and so gentle all at once. Her own hands explored, searched, they began to move to…

"Hey Temari is there anything to eat!" A loud shout from somewhere down the hall broke the spell. Her eyes burst open; they both started and ended up on the floor. He was staring at her in surprise and she was sure she had the same look.

"I think Kankuro is home." He said.

"I swear I will kill him."

"So do you think the rules of hospitality and his bet will keep him from punching me?" He sounded amused by the idea of her brother finding them in their current state.

She stood up. "Let's not find out." She took his hand. "Come on." She led him out the other entrance to the parlor. The first thing to cross her mind was how to sneak back over to the stairs and get him to her room. But she quickly rejected that idea. She was not ready to invite him to her room. And even if she were they had a very firm rule that no guests were allowed to stay overnight. She took him instead down a different hallway.

"Do you always rush the boys you're kissing out of the house?"

She glared at him. "You are the only boy I have ever kissed, now shut the hell up."

"Really, well you are the only girl I have ever kissed."

Hearing him say that sent a thrill through her heart. I'm his first! "So you and Ino…"

"No."

A joyous smile covered her face. "You are never kissing anyone else." He laughed and the two of them continued running down the hall hand in hand.

They got out of the house by a side entrance and then hurried over to the gate.

"I'm sorry we got interrupted, but I will see you tomorrow." He simply nodded. "Good night." She turned to hurry back before Kankuro looked out a window. But Shikamaru had not let go of her hand. "Shikamaru I need to…"

He leaned in and kissed her. It was short but passionate. When he finished she could only look at him speechless. "Good night Temari." With that he walked away.

She stayed rooted to the spot watching him go until she could no longer see him. Then smiling to herself she half walked half skipped back to the front door, suddenly not caring in the least what Kankuro might say.

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It was dark out and he was in a strange city but he had no real trouble finding his way back to the Inn. Going back to his suite all he could think about was her.

"How was your date?" He jumped at the sound of Ino's voice. He'd been about to unlock his door. She was standing in the hall outside her own open door. Naturally their suites were across from each other.

"Have you been staying up all this time waiting for me?"

She smiled. "It's only 10:30 Shikamaru and it's not as if I had anything better to do. So how was your date?"

"I wouldn't call it a date Ino, Temari just made dinner for me."

That caught her by surprise. "When you said you were having dinner with her I thought you meant at a restaurant. She cooked for you back at her place?"

"At her family home, yes."

"Uh-huh, and was anyone else there?"

"No."

"So you had dinner all alone with her at her place, that is pretty much the definition of a date. So how was it?"

"Fine."

She quirked an eyebrow, "Just fine?"

He rolled his eyes at her. "It was just dinner Ino."

"Uh-huh," she walked over to him. "I am going to just make three little observations. First you're walking around with your Chunin vest unzipped; you have never done that since you got the thing. Second you're wearing your hair down. I've known you your whole life and I have seen you with your hair down exactly twice. Once during the shower incident when we were seven." They both shuddered. "And once when I saw you at the baths."

He looked at her in shock. "You were peeping on me!"

"Hey! Don't get all proud, we were ten and it was on a dare from Sakura."

"Pervert."

"Whatever! Anyway, my third observation," she took two fingers and swiped them across his lips.

"Hey!"

She displayed her finger tips to him. "This isn't your usual shade." He could feel her eyes literally boring into his skull. "So care to add anything?"

"No, I think I'll stick with, 'just dinner.'"

She smiled at him. "You do know I could always use one of my jutsus to just see for myself."

He smiled back. "You do know I still have that picture of you and Chouji at camp."

"You wouldn't!"

"Try me."

"Fine, good night Shikamaru."

"Good night Ino."

XXXXXXXXXX

"You're humming again."

"Am I?" She looked over to her brother. "I hadn't noticed."

"So just what the hell happened last night?" Kankuro asked.

"We had dinner." She continued making the oatmeal.

"You just had dinner? You send all the servants home and practically push me and Gaara out the door and you expect me to believe that's all that happened?"

"So what happened to that girl who was in your room the other day? I noticed her clothes were a bit of a mess when she left."

He was blushing for all he was worth. "Nothing."

"Well what a coincidence, nothing happened with me and Shikamaru either."

"I would like to have a talk with him." Gaara said quietly.

Both his siblings looked at him in surprise. "Why?" Temari asked warily.

"He is obviously having a strong influence on you and I think I should know him a bit better."

She couldn't help it, she felt fear. "Gaara, please don't feel you have to act like the protective brother. I can deal with Kankuro, but I am afraid that you really will scare him off."

He looked directly at his sister. "If just talking to me does that then is he even worth your effort?"

"I will decide who is worth it."

"I still wish to talk to him. We have spoken a bit both before the finals of the exams and at his home. But I believe I should have a longer talk with him, in private."

"Are you going to threaten him?"

"I am merely going to speak with him about certain realities."

That was his way of saying yes. Gaara was always extremely polite (except when he was overcome by bloodlust) he could be courteous even as he crushed the life from someone's body. "Just what do you plan to say to him? That if he breaks my heart you will kill him?"

"I will merely inform him that it would not be wise to cause you any harm."

She looked at her younger brother and all the old terrors came rushing back to her. He had gotten so much better since the fight with Naruto, she had begun to actually relax and even joke around him. But you could not spend most of your life terrified of a person and simply forget, even if you forgave. "Gaara I want a promise from you. I know how you detest liars so I know you would never break a promise. Promise me that whatever happens, even if he does break my heart, that you will not hurt him."

"I have no wish to harm him Temari, however if it should become necessary I would."

"Gaara, if I really truly feel he needs to be hurt I will do it myself. But whatever happens, I want you to leave him alone."

He looked at his sister and it was clear he did not understand. "Why?"

She looked at him sadly. "Because I know going into this that things might end up that way. Not because he wants to hurt me, but because of the circumstances. Relationships are hard." She gave Kankuro a glance. "Real relationships are hard even for normal people. We are shinobi and death and pain are our lot. I am not some naïve little girl who thinks every romance ends happily. I understand that things may not work out with him no matter how much I want them to. Hell, given my life so far I should probably expect that."

"If you believe that then why are you seeing him?"

"Because there is a chance that we could be happy. I know it would be hard and I know there is no guarantee but if there is even the chance things could work between us it's worth the risk."

"I do not understand."

"I know." It broke her heart. "Gaara I beg you, promise me."

"Do you love him Temari?" Kankuro gaped at them.

She looked utterly miserable. "Yes," she answered in a small voice.

"Does he love you?"

She looked down at her feet. "I don't know."

There was silence then, the only sound was the oatmeal cooking on the stove.

"I give you my solemn word that whatever happens I shall cause Nara Shikamaru no harm."

She smiled and on a sudden impulse leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

She finished cooking breakfast and put it in the bowls. She was no longer humming.