Temari shifted from foot to foot. "Hey."
"Hey," said Shikamaru, never looking up from his work. Kakashi had sent seventeen letters about the new situation, and he was on the sixth.
"I was told by Ino about... about this," Temari said haltingly. "And I, uh... I just wanted to say that..."
Shikamaru continued working. "You can back out if you want."
"Back out?"
He wrote in his journal and folded the letter away. "I'm crippled. I understand if you wish to leave me."
She stepped forward.
He looked up.
She slapped him. The mark reddened immediately.
He smiled again, this time with content gratitude, and took her hand. "Thanks."
"Never tell me to back out again," she whispered. "Or I'll kick your ass into a brand new shape."
"You like it fine the shape it's in."
A/N: A bit from my own life which I thought were remarkably ShikaTema in its tone. It's fine, my fiance was just trying to be strong; Temari's words were my own, and that WAS his retort.