Here's the next chapter. Thanks so much for all your feedback and support. I'm glad you like the story so far. The next chapter should be the last. This story was never supposed to be long. It was orignally going to be a one-shot but I couldn't stop writing.
Inside the Fire
Chapter 3
Shikamaru awoke with a crick in his neck and a string of drool hanging from his lower lip. Groaning, he pulled himself up into a sitting position and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. On the chest of drawers at the side of the bed was a small bowl of fresh fruit and berries all compiled in a neat little bundle. Temari must have noticed that he was unable to get food for himself. He dressed quickly, pulling on the same dirty clothes as yesterday and the day before. Shikamaru was never one to really care for personal hygiene but this was getting beyond ridiculous. He would need to wash them soon if he planned on staying in clothes for the remainder of his stay. Thinking back to where Temari had brought him yesterday, he decided to go to the small watering hole and scrub his clothes once and for all. Standing up, he was surprised to find that he was sturdy on his feet, not falling over like he usually did back at home. He had the bruises to prove it. His head hurt from his ponytail that he had forgotten to take down during the night and he rubbed the back of it gingerly, wincing all the while.
Outside in the main entrance to the Kazekage quarter's, Gaara was seated on the same chair as he had been the night before. He had an apple in one hand and a set of animal skins in the other.
"Temari asked me to tell you that she'll be back at about midday to take you on the, and I quote "super mega-duper Temari style tour".." he said and what made it worse was that he kept on a completely serious face. Even though he knew that he was to meet Temari at midday, Shikamaru couldn't help but chuckle. He didn't know what would be in store for him if it was Temari's idea of "super." Gaara raised a non existent eyebrow and put his apple on the edge of his seat. He took the animal skins fully into both of his hands and held up two colours, one brown and one grey.
"Which of these do you prefer? Temari is usually the one that picks out the decorations but since she's not here..." he trailed off, looking expectantly at Shikamaru. The latter was completely taken aback. Whenever his mother or female friends asked him which item was nicer, he found it much safer to say "Um, I don't know," but he knew this wouldn't be the case with Gaara.
"Uh, the brown one," he said, scratching the back of his head foolishly. Gaara seemed to take his word for it and dropped the animal skin in a pile before picking up his apple again. Seeing that Gaara was not going to ask anymore random questions, Shikamaru sprinted to the exit of the house and didn't look back.
The streets were relatively crowded when Shikamaru walked out into the open air, inhaling sharply causing his eyes to water slightly. There was a smell of spices in the air and Shikamaru had never been happier to have a piece of fruit in his entire life. A group of young children ran up to him, holding a small ball and looking up at him with expectant eyes. Cerulean blue if he was correct. He took the ball in his right hand, not sure what they wanted him to do with it.
"Mister human man?" the youngest of the group asked, a pretty girl with bright red hair and freckles around her nose. "Will you play ball with us?"
The other children continued to look expectant and he glanced at the ball in his hand. Why not? He dropped the ball and kicked it hard down the opposite side of the street, hitting off of one of the market stalls.
"Oops," he said sheepishly, grimacing as the angry sales merchant glared at him. The children laughed and giggled, running to collect the ball. He followed them down the wide street and they led him to a small clearing with markings on the ground. The oldest of the children looked to be about seven and was tall and dark, perfect skin outclassing his clothing. He kicked the ball into a hand made net and the others cheered for their hero.
He didn't know when it started happening, but Shikamaru found himself having fun. Normally, such effort would never be exerted on his behalf but he thought, since no one was around to witness it, it wouldn't be that troublesome. He could just imagine the faces of his friends if they saw him now; playing games like he was a child himself. Shikamaru had always been a child at heart but a large IQ tended to hide that fact. That was why he played Shougi. It took the suspicion away that he was indeed a kid and instead made him seem older. "An old man's game" was what his friends called it.
The children were excellent at the game. Either that, or they were making up the rules as they went along and everything Shikamaru did seemed to be against them. He laughed when they told him he was breathing too loudly and that they deserved a free kick for his lack of good behaviour. He went along with it, only because he was fond of the little ones. They knew how to make him laugh and he knew he would have two children someday. A girl first and then a boy, and he would retire happily knowing that they were fended for.
Soon enough, he grew tired and he guessed that it was from his lack of exercise. He was fit but he had never actually tried to be. The occasional sparring matches between him and his father gave him a well toned body but he didn't really know how. He bade farewell to the children who had nicknamed him "Shika," only because it was easier to pronounce. He made his way to the small pool that Temari had taken him to and stripped down to his underwear. Dipping his clothes into the water, he started scrubbing at them to the best of his ability and was relatively happy when he realised he had gotten all the dirt out. The only problem was that his only clothes were wet and he needed to get back to the Kazekage's quarters in a few minutes. Looking around, he couldn't find anything that would cover his body until he got to the rendez vous point so shrugged on his wet clothes. Temari would probably berate him for it later.
He walked back down the now familiar street and was only mildly surprised when people started waving at him. He would have preferred to blend in but with his ponytail sticking up on his head like a pineapple and the obvious human clothes, he thought that it would be impossible. Temari was standing at the entrance to the house holding something in her hands. Shikamaru didn't know why but after not seeing her for the whole morning, her appearance meant that much more. He noticed how her curves turned like sand dunes, beautiful shapes in her body. Her eyes were bright and alert, a side affect of being on patrol all morning. Her clothing was a bright yellow but it wasn't an eyesore due to the background. She would have blended in with everyone else if she wasn't so beautiful.
"There you are lazy bones," she said, smiling at him all the while. "I was wondering if I'd have to go and find you." He smirked back at her.
"Thanks for the breakfast," he said and she seemed slightly startled with the change of subject. He put his hands in his pockets and looked at what was in her hands. As if on cue, she looked down herself and realised that his clothes were wet.
"Shikamaru!" she said and his name sounded different coming from her mouth. It almost rolled off. "You'll get sick with wet clothes on and that's the last thing you need. Luckily, Tenten didn't listen to me yesterday and made you a new set of clothes. They're a bit... Sunagakurey so you mightn't like them."
She held up the clothes in her hands and showed him each. It was made from the same material as Temari's clothes and he guessed that Tenten's job was to weave the royal families clothing. It had an elaborate pattern on the front; a circle with a diagonal line through it and it was surrounded by what looked like forestry. The detail was perfect and every patch represented something about him.
"I hope you don't mind, but I picked out the pattern. I saw the symbol in your bag when we were in the forest and I thought it looked pretty," she said, trying to remain casual. Shikamaru felt a lump in his throat. She didn't know that the symbol was actually his clans symbol, something very important to every Nara. The forestry on the front looked exactly like the Nara's compound, completely covered in trees and green and even though it was completely filled with life, Temari's present seemed to turn it into desert. His clans colours looked like they belonged in her hands.
"They're beautiful... Thank you," he said, taking them from her to admire them up close. She seemed satisfied with his answer and stopped examining his expression like it meant something. Why should she care what he thought of them? They were clothes and he should be grateful. But she couldn't will her mind to think those thoughts and actually mean them.
"Gaara wants to talk to me for a minute. Would you mind waiting here?" she asked, already half way back into the house. He shook his head, continuing to admire his clothes and he quickly changed into them, hoping no one was looking at him as he did so. Inside the house, he could hear Temari speak and then he could hear Gaara's lower, more defined voice.
"You know it is true Temari, don't deny it," he said and he sounded annoyed. Temari's retort was a little less composed.
"You lie! It's not true. I would never and you know it," she bit out and Shikamaru could almost imagine her angry expression.
"You've softened up since the Nara came around. You are a Kunoichi. You are meant to be made of steel." Shikamaru froze. Temari was in trouble for being nice to him. Her reputation seemed to be one of anger and violence so then why did she get all nice around him? His father's words echoed in his head before he could stop them. Even the most troublesome woman will show a soft side to the man she loves. Shikamaru swallowed.. Hard
Now he was just over exaggerating. He and Temari had known each other for all of what? Two days? He was just being foolish. He always thought that his old man was going senile anyway so this just further proved his point. When he got back home, he would make sure his father was carted off to some institution for the mentally unstable. And then, just like that, Shikamaru realised he would miss this place. What with its desert planes, warm climate and friendly atmosphere (although he largely expected that that was due to a humans appearance and not for his own sake). And if truth was to be told, he would miss Temari. He wouldn't forget her, that much was for sure.
Said Kunoichi stormed out of the house, almost knocking Shikamaru over in the process as he tried to make it look like he was doing something other than eavesdrop. She turned on him, eyes still fierce from her recent argument but they softened when she saw him trying to catch his balance once more. Her hands found their way to her hips and she cocked them to the side.
"Gaara asked me to inform you that we will be dining with him today," she spat and it sounded like venom. She obviously didn't want to go and he couldn't really bring himself to want to either.
"Do we have to go?" he asked, a pleading look on his face. After one glance at him, Temari fell around laughing. He didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused at the way she clutched her sides because he knew that it was at his expense.
"What?" he asked, unable to keep the frustration from his voice. Her hair was bobbing up and down as she continued her fit of laughter.
"It's just.. It's just," she said, trying to catch her breath, "Gaara is the Kazekage. You can't just refuse to have dinner with him," and she hiccuped as if to add an emphasis. He rolled his eyes. Troublesome woman...
"Oh fine then," he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, "When?
She continued to look at his like he had grown two heads and her right eye started twitching. She was trying not to laugh again and her attempt alone made him laugh. He couldn't help it.
"What's so funny?" Her eye stopped twitching.
"Well, when the Kazekage asks you to dinner, you shouldn't expect a warning. You go. End of story," she said, beginning to walk towards the large building at the far side of the city. People moved out of her way simply as she walked, head held high in all its beautiful glory. The occasional passerby bowed or waved. When they arrived, the first thing Shikamaru noticed was that the whole building looked much more grand than he had ever seen it. All the walls looked re-sanded and there were linens and cloths hanging from them. Inside the main dining room where Gaara usually held his meetings was the brown animal skin that Shikamaru had picked out this morning lying over the large wooden table. On top was a golden bowl filled with an assortment of food, all glistening with deliciousness. Shikamaru could feel his mouth watering at the prospect of eating whatever was prepared for them. His stomach moaned heavily and Temari sent him a smirk.
A maid came over to them with her hair tied in a bun and an apron wrapped around her petite waist. She showed them to their seat and Shikamaru and Temari ended up sitting next to each other. Gaara entered the chamber soon after, a long billowy cloak trailing behind him as the maids out of his way. Three things happened at the same time that suddenly made Shikamaru feel uncomfortable. Gaara sent a glare Temari's way, her eyes widened and she dropped her head to stare at her plate as if it was the most interesting thing in the room. It was obvious that they were communicating silently but Shikamaru shrugged it off. No doubt that whatever it was, Temari would tell him later anyway. She played with her fork idly, not looking up when the maid re-entered the room with trays upon trays of delicious, mouth watering food. Gaara nodded and they began eating.
The silence in the room was deafening.
Shikamaru didn't look up to see if Temari was still pointedly ignoring everyone. Gaara didn't seem like the type to talk at the dinner table but Shikamaru couldn't help but wonder why he invited him here in the first place. Just when he thought that the dinner would be spent in complete silence, Gaara dropped his fork on the plate and Temari looked up.
"Are you enjoying your meal Nara?" asked Gaara, a blank gaze on his face. Shikamaru nodded because for some reason, words wouldn't come. Temari seemingly noticed that she had been quiet and took the opportunity to talk.
"It's elk," she said as she glanced at the man beside her. There knees touched a little and she forcefully pulled it away. She regretted the action after she had done it but if Shikamaru noticed, he didn't show it. That was officially the end of the conversation. The others at the table continued eating, filling their mouths at every opportunity so they wouldn't be called on to talk. Gaara seemed to be the only one at ease. Temari continued to fidget which was completely unlike her. Normally, she was this domineering deity that you wouldn't dare cross. Shikamaru couldn't help but wonder why she was nice to him. From what he heard, Temari rarely spoke to civilians.
When the food was done, the maids pranced inside and took away the empty dishes only to be replaced by dessert. It was a wonder how they remained cold. This was a desert for pete's sake. Again, the silence stretched out and Shikamaru began counting the seconds before it ended. All to slowly, they finished what they were eating which was made of a variety of citrus fruits. Gaara stood and beckoned for Temari and Shikamaru to follow. They did as instructed and the Kazekage raised his hands in silent prayer before his eyes rolled back in his head and he stood very still. Temari closed her eyes and folded her hands in front of her as though this was a normal occurrence. Shikamaru was about to ask her what was going on before Gaara abruptly jerked awake and his eyes returned to their usual blank selves. He bowed once and gestured for them to leave. In the back of the dining room, two double doors swung open to reveal a balcony of sorts right outside. It looked over most of the city and a cool air swept through. The night had settled in and there were faints sounds coming from the distance. Temari grabbed Shikamaru's hand and dragged him out to the balcony where the stars were high in the sky, little pin holes in the curtain of night.
"It is beautiful," she said, raising her hand to point at the sky. Shikamaru agreed silently and joined her as she leaned against the wrought iron. Her dress billowed slightly in the breeze but she looked completely comfortable.
"What was that about?" he asked, folding his hands out in front of him as he too leaned on the gate. She sighed, seemingly as if she hoped he wouldn't bring it up.
"Gaara was thanking Kami for the food," she said as though it was completely obvious. He shook his head and buried his hands in his pockets to try and get some heat back into them. He could feel the goosebumps on his skin already rising in the cool night air that only Sunagakure could offer.
"That's not what I meant. You acted really strange when Gaara looked at you at the start of dinner," he pointed out, leaving out the part about the deadly glare and her completely silent attitude during the evening. He wasn't in the mood to think and the thing about Temari was that she usually made him. She shrugged once and leaned further into the balcony.
"I can't tell you until later tonight. Can you wait that long?" she asked and from the sound of her voice, she was hoping that he could. He gave a curt nod and she visibly relaxed.
"Good and I have something I want to show you," she said and abruptly grabbed his hand and jumped from the balcony with a screaming Shikamaru in tow. They landed very easily and quietly on the surface beneath, the sand still warm from the day of scorching heat. A few more hours and it would be freezing.
They ran along the usual main street that was completely empty except for the stray straggler. All the lights in the houses were on but no one seemed to be home. Letting that fact slide for now, Shikamaru tugged on his hand and Temari stopped.
"Where are we going?" he asked, huffing slightly at the lack of information he had received since the dinner. She rolled her eyes, clearly seeing his impatience.
"It's a surprise silly," she said and promptly pulled him into a sprint. There was a faint glow coming from the area where they came to a stop, silhouetted by a group of tall trees. Temari pushed her way through, using a finger to beckon Shikamaru to follow her. He did as he was silently told, helping her through the brambles of leaves. They emerged in a huge clearing, hundreds of people gathered around in a circle. In the center was a small fire, barely reaching his knees. Shikamaru's brows furrowed at this new piece of information, trying to understand what the hell was going on.
"This is called a Tirji. This is a form of entertainment for the people of Sunagakure," she told him in a hushed voice and he barely heard her. He was too busy trying to fathom what was so great about that fire. A few of the people that were gathered around the fire turned to look at the new addition to their numbers and some applauded at Temari. She bowed slightly and dropped Shikamaru's hand.
"Try to get in front of the crowd. I want you to be able to see what's going on," she told him and he nodded before setting off. Temari disappeared in the opposite direction and he barely saw her blond hair bounce as the crowd moved aside for her. Slipping through most of the people, Shikamaru managed to get to the very front of the crowd and stared at the fire with a complete sense of let down. The fire didn't do anything amazing like he expected. At the north of the clearing, which was where Shikamaru stood and had a full view, was a small stage of sorts made from wood.
The voices of the people soon hushed and Shikamaru looked around the area for the source of what could make hundreds of people quieten down. He would sure use it when he got home to Konoha.
And then, out of the shadows that were cast by the fire, two beautiful women emerged wearing rich golden clothing, their dark brown hair and eyes glowing. Shikamaru recognised the first as Tenten, her hair let down from its buns. The other was definitely a well looked after girl. She had the same colour hair as Tenten but was slightly shorter. Her eyes weren't as dark but they still glowed in the firelight. And then, music started and Shikamaru couldn't find where it originated. It was low at first, basic drums like the dripping of water. Bum Bum Bum Bum echoed around the clearing. The girls started dancing, slow and rhythmic, waving their hands slightly and curling them every so often. It was purely sensual, everything about them screaming passion. The fire flickered slightly in response, little orange and yellow flames spreading out.
Shikamaru had become so entranced that he barely registered the new arrival. The beat picked up and the fire flickered a little more, moving in strange patterns around the people. None of them seemed as amazed as Shikamaru but they definitely were entertained. The newest arrival walked onto the stage and the other girls continued their slow movement, eyes closing in response to the new person. And then there was Temari and she was the only one that Shikamaru could focus on. Her hair was down, cascading in light curls to the middle of her back. Her hair seemed to grow in the few days he knew her. She was wearing forest green clothing, covering her chest and thighs. Her mid riff was completely exposed and her body was the colour of the sand beneath her feet. The forest colours suited her more than the desert did, standing out in stark contrast to her skin. The beat became faster and faster and her hips swayed in time with each sound. Her hands began forming the same motion as the girls behind her but Shikamaru couldn't see if they were still doing it. His eyes were trained on the Suna Princess before him. She opened her eyes slowly and they were glowing a sky blue as they found him standing in the crowd. She smiled slightly at him and he vaguely wondered if his mouth was hanging open or if that was just his imagination.
And then she did something that made his body grow rigid. She opened her mouth and screamed but it wasn't an actual scream. It was like she was singing with chords but no words and that made it all the more passionate. The flames in the fire flew at least twenty feet high in reaction to the sound of the goddess singing but Shikamaru wasn't so sure it could actually be called singing. It was far better than anything he had ever heard. The flames began taking on shapes and he was able to distinguish most. First was an eagle, then an hour glass and then sign of his clan. He blinked a few times but it was gone when he looked up again. Temari threw her head back as the beat continued and the people closed their eyes in anticipation. Shikamaru was too stunned to do such a thing.
The flames died down a little before they exploded, encasing everyone in fire. Shikamaru could see the flames on his skin but it didn't hurt in the slightest. He couldn't see anyone else except for Temari and it didn't matter.
Right then, he didn't want to see anyone else.
She walked through the fire to him, her hips still moving to the rhythm. Her eyes were open and she moved slowly closing the distance between them. Her lips met his, sensually at first and then passionately as though nothing else mattered. He clung to her like she was his life line and she equally wrapped herself around him. Just as thing were progressing towards intimate, the flames died and Temari was no longer in his arms. Instead, she was standing at the stage, the same place she had been when the fire had started. Everyone seemed to be returning from a daze and most were smiling.
Shikamaru was confused. Had no one else seen what he had seen? Had no one else witnessed or felt the curves of their princess. Judging by the expressions on a few others, he guessed not. The beat stopped and so did the dancers. Temari moved to the middle of the stage and bowed as everyone applauded. Shikamaru was too stunned to do such a thing. The people began to disperse leaving only a few as the others made their way home. Temari practically danced over to him with a huge smile on her face.
"So what did you think?" she asked and he wondered why she was acting so casual after they had kissed. Or maybe he was wrong.
"It was amazing but.. What was that thing with the fire? What did it do?" he asked and he had to try his hardest to keep from sounding desperate to know. She smiled warmly at him once more.
"It shows you your hearts greatest desire. It only works for a short time but it's still nice to know what your heart longs for," she told him but frowned when she saw his expression. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as though he had just been told that his dog had died and he was trying to come to terms with it.
"What's wrong?" she asked as her hand reached out and touched his elbow. He jerked away immediately, his eyes wide. Temari seemed startled.
"What's wrong Shikamaru?" she repeated, concern now etched into her teal eyes, "What did you see in the flame?" He turned around and walked away leaving a completely confused and slightly hurt Temari behind. She barely heard him when he whispered into the darkness.
"I saw the most troublesome thing in the world."
Hopefully, that wasn't too hard to follow. I don't really know how it sounds to a third party. As always, thanks for reading and please review to tell me what you thought or if it was completely lame.. The next chapter should be up soon. Thanks again!