Chapter Two

"Show me your village," she asked him, three days later.

Shikamaru sighed. "How troublesome."

By now she was used to his attitude, so she just ignored him. Shikamaru brought her to the scenic-view-point on the cliffs above the great stone heads of past Fire Shadows. He took her to a concert, some strange classical music that sounded alien but strangely comforting. He introduced her to a tradition that involved children, lovingly cut and painted paper lanterns, singing and sweets and when Temari's last day came she was almost sad to leave because there still was more to see. She had never been the one to wallow in homesickness but had, on occasions, felt the draw towards desert and sand. Not during the one week she stayed in Leaf, although the cool mists that covered the ground in the morning and the autumn rains did give her chills. On her last evening, Shikamaru took her out for dinner.

Temari woke up next to him the next day, in her double bed at the place she was staying in.

"Fuck."

"Way to go," he returned, already awake, very close and looking at her with his usual expressionless expression. "This is-"

"Troublesome, I know," she snapped back. "Dammit, dammit, dammit."

"I actually wanted to say unprofessional." His dry comment halted her in her frantic search for her clothes. She glanced up just in time to see a smirk run over his face. His eyes continued to take her in.

"Do you mind?" She demanded, stemming both her fists into her side and glaring at him in return. Naked, he looked even better. His skin was toned and his muscles defined and his hair had been freed from the confinements of its usual ponytail.

"Actually, I don't." He half-shrugged, half-drawled. "We're adults."

"What if I had a boyfriend back home?" Temari demanded, angrier that he was taking this so easily than at what had actually happened. "What if I was engaged?"

"You haven't, and you aren't." Shikamaru stated the words with such certainty that she wanted to punch him.

"How would you know?"

"Observation. And this was a mutual thing, either way."

Speechless, she stared at him, then turned around to grab her underwear. Behind her, she heard him glide from the bed and begin to dress, as well. Temari pulled her dress over her head, slid into her leggings and shoes and made it into the bathroom before Shikamaru. She splashed water into her face, dragged a brush through her hair and slipped out again, and found him sitting on the bed: green vest, dark uniform, his hair in his usual ponytail as if nothing had ever happened.

"So now?"

"Now we're having breakfast, and then I'll see you off."

It didn't seem like he wanted to talk it out. Which suited her just fine. Also, their nightly engagement didn't seem to have had an impact on their conversation. After a short goodbye in the main office from the smiling Godaime and an enthusiastic Naruto Temari found herself at the gates, Shikamaru next to her. She felt the eyes of the guard on her back and shifted her fan to block him out, knowing it didn't matter and that the guards couldn't hear them anyway.

"Have a good trip," Shikamaru said and sunk his hands in his pockets, as casual and aggravating as he had been the past eight days, and Temari decided that she wouldn't let herself be rattled by a man who was three years younger than her and didn't seem to have any difficulties getting over the fact that they'd had sex the night before despite their professional relationship.

"Bye," she told him, adjusted her gear one last time and took off. When she looked back shortly thereafter – after a long inner monologue that led her nowhere – he was still standing there. His hands in his pockets, looking after her.

…

"Temari!"

A voice brought Temari back to reality. She wasn't in Hidden Leaf any longer. Shikamaru, though his voice and glance still were clear in her mind, was a hundred miles away. Apparently she had been standing at the foot of the stairs that led up to the main house, from where she had come from her briefing with Gaara and Kankurou. Her hand still on the railing, she had been staring into space without seeing and hearing anything. Now outside, she could feel Suna's heat creep up on her. Her skin tingled from the warmth she had missed so desperately before. No matter how much she liked the cool forests and green meadows of Hidden Leaf: this was her home. The heat and glare of the sun was what she had grown up with. In her heart, Temari would forever remain a desert child.

The girl – woman, she had to remind herself – that had called her name from far was Matsuri. The young woman was walking towards her in a brisk pace, her hand lifted as in greeting and a smile on her face. Compared to Temari, she was tiny – barely 1.55 meters – and she looked younger than she was. But training with Gaara had given her some of the confidence she had lacked in her youth and she held herself proudly. Temari liked her and wouldn't have minded seeing her as more than a student and friend to Gaara but it wasn't her call.

"Matsuri!" Temari greeted her as well. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks," Matsuri replied, finally reaching her and clasping her hand. "I heard you just returned from Hidden Leaf? I hope everything went well."

"The usual problems." Temari forced herself to smile. It was easier with people who didn't know her as well as her brothers did. "Rain, trees, all that green. I couldn't imagine living there for long."

"It's very different," Matsuri agreed. "I'd like to see it, too, one day."

"Perhaps if Gaara travels there the next time, he'll take you." Matsuri blushed and Temari felt her smile turn real. "You're his apprentice, after all," she added and stopped the stammering girl before she would say anything to embarrass herself even more. Time for a change of topic. "Are you off duty today?"

Matsuri caught herself. "Actually, no, I've got the evening guard shift. Are you free for lunch? Would you like to join me?"

Checking off her schedule in her head, Temari shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry but I've got a meeting with the Council at lunch today." She would have to sit down to go over her notes before the meeting. It was better to discuss some things with Gaara first before notifying the Council so she would have to check which information to omit at first. If there was any way Temari would have avoided briefing the Council entirely but it was a base for democracy that she could understand, even if she disliked it. It was just that reporting back to the Elders and waiting for their approval cost Gaara so much valuable time… She cast away the thought. "But it would be nice to go out once again. You wouldn't mind if the girls joined us?"

Matsuri's face brightened. "How about a movie night? We've hadn't had one in a long time. I know it's one of those things you started that originally came from Hidden Leaf but we always enjoyed it a lot."

For a second, Temari couldn't breathe. "Why not?" She finally said. "What about Friday night? I'll ask the girls."

"Great!" Matsuri glowed. "The last time we had a night like that we didn't watch any movies at all, remember?"

Temari laughed. "Yeah, because Sarai and Mika kept telling us all those old stories we'd already heard three times before."

"Well, it was the first time for me," Matsuri chuckled. "I enjoyed it greatly."

"It's a date, then," Temari said steeling herself, determined to not be depressed. "I'll see you then!"

Matsuri returned the greeting and walked off and Temari sighed. Only two hours left until she had to report to the Council. She'd better get her notes in order.