Hey guys, sorry this chapter has taken such a while to post, but I hope (if anyone is still reading) that you enjoy it nonetheless. As always, reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated, and I don't own Naruto. Now, onwards…

…...

Temari,

So I hear you saw me with those other girls. Yeah, I feel pretty shit about that. Well, anyway, I'm not good at all this pansy shit, but here goes nothing. I really meant what I said. And those girls? I won't say they're nothing, cos that's fucking disrespectful, but they don't mean the same to me as you. Let's just say, girls like you don't like guys like me, and I get that. So, here's the really fucking pansy-ish bit. I do what I do cos my heart tells me to do it.

I might have wondered if someone had written the note for Hidan. After all, it wasn't like the guy I knew. But then I saw the final line, and I knew it was Hidan's work.

Oh yeah, not just a fucking pretty face.

…...

If there was one thing I really admired about Hidan, more than his gorgeous looks or his 'colourful' vocabulary, it was that he was the only guy I knew who could be so arrogant, so cocky, and yet so likeable at the same time. Really, I couldn't get him out of my head.

And as I glanced at that note again, the thought of Hidan being all 'pansy-ish' when he wrote it made my heart pound. Because if I thought he was attractive before, I had no doubt that Hidan would look even cuter when trying to defend his manly ego.

I crumpled the paper into my palm, making sure to hide it from my brothers. If either one of them found it, well, life may not be worth living. I laughed a little at that. Even that thought couldn't bring my mood down; I was high on Hidan. And that was making me feel rather dizzy.

I wondered what to do then. After all, I couldn't just crawl into bed. It was only four in the evening. But what could I do? My stomach was doing flips and my head felt so messed up I thought I might faint.

Abruptly, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I glanced down at the text;

Out with Pain and the guys. Gaara's with me.

Kuro ;)

I smiled gently. It seemed those guys were really bringing my brothers out of their shells, and for some reason, with them, I knew my brothers were safe. Really. Every one of those guys was intimidating.

I replied to the text quickly, sliding my phone back into my pocket. And then I did it. I took a deep breath and walked across the street.

The house would be empty, I reasoned, but if there was even the slightest chance that Hidan could be in there, I would take it. It was as I walked across to the house that I realised I was wearing no makeup, and my hair was probably a mess, as always. I considered sprinting back to primp myself up, but then Hidan was standing in the doorframe.

It seemed I needn't have worried about my appearance as I took in that of Hidan. He'd removed his shirt (meaning I had to gaze idiotically at his face so as not to go bright red if I looked as his bare chest), and stood in his black jeans, one hand braced against the doorframe as the other clutched a bowl of cereal, his hair sticking up in several directions.

'Four in the evening and you're eating breakfast cereal?' I questioned, 'You're weird, Hidan.'

He pouted for a moment, before raising an eyebrow and smirking, 'I'm stood here, looking pretty hot, if I say so myself, and all you can think about is the bowl of cereal in my hand.' He leaned towards me, voice dropping to a whisper; 'I'd say you were the freaking weird one, Temari.'

He twisted his pendant around his long fingers. 'So, what did you want?'

'Uh…well,' I blushed profusely, unable to figure out what to say. I groaned internally. What did I want? No matter what I said, I decided it would probably sound weird or stalkerish, so I settled for a simple; 'Just wanted to see how you were doing.'

'Heh' came the reply. Heh? What was I supposed to say to that? That could mean anything! Like 'Heh-I love you' or 'Hey-you're such a crazy stalker aren't you?'

Then Hidan moved his hand away from the door and gestured vaguely for me to enter. For some reason, I just stood there like an idiot, until Hidan laughed, walked towards me, put his hand on the small of my back and shoved me forwards (quite harshly, I might add). It probably would have hurt, if it weren't for the fact I was feeling rather faint at the prospect at being alone in a house with Hidan.

I took a seat awkwardly on a huge black sofa, holding in a sigh as Hidan sat down several seats away from me. Well that was it; I'd barely said a word and I'd already freaked him out. Smooth Temari, real smooth.

'So…' I ventured, before letting my voice trail off. Usually, when you do that, someone at least attempts to start a conversation. But oh no, not Hidan. Pretty boy just sat there and stared at me with those eyes of his.

After at least eight minutes, (not that I resorted to counting due to my extreme feeling of awkwardness or anything) of just sitting in the silence, Hidan finally decided to speak.

'I'm getting a tattoo' he said blankly.

Well, it was random but it was something. 'Really,' I began, 'You never struck me as the type'.

'Yeah, well,' he countered, and even without looking at him, I knew he was pouting like a kid again, 'Did you ever consider that I might not be the type?'

I snickered then, turning to look at him. 'Why on earth would you get a tattoo if you didn't want one? Seems a little pointless'.

Hidan sighed , a deep, long sigh, before raising an eyebrow at me. 'Jeez, for a smart girl you really don't think do you?' I think he noticed my slightly shocked expression then, because his face softened a little, and his voice was more of a whisper when he spoke again. 'Maybe I don't really have a choice'.

I bit my lip. Where was cocky, arrogant Hidan? The Hidan with me was quiet, tense, and the way he sat he seemed to look ashamed. What was it about this tattoo?

'Why do you have to get it?' I asked, trying not to sound too pushy. 'What's so important about it?'

'All the guys have one, 'kay? It's like a…stamp. A trademark. So everyone knows we're friends. Brothers. People don't give us shit when they know who we are.' He exhaled deeply. 'I don't have one up to now because I never felt the need for one'.

'Right' I nodded, but Hidan was off again.

'My parents were really against them, so I never got one. Didn't wanna piss them off any more than I already did. But now, we're here, so the guys kinda expect me to get one'. I could hear him gnawing his lip ring. 'What do you think?'

'Well,' I began, desperately trying to sound cool, 'Seems to me that it's not so much a trademark as a target. You get a tattoo, and everyone will know who you are, yeah, but that also means they'll drag you into their problems. You'll get caught up in trouble, Hidan'.

He laughed weakly. 'Worried about me, eh?' But then he just sighed again. 'But seriously, if they kick me out of the group for this, I'm blaming you, Temari-chan'.

And then he snickered like he always does, gave me his signature smirk and came to sit with me on the sofa, and I knew he wasn't mad at me.

'Thanks, seriously,' he breathed, and I noticed he was quite close to me. 'I think I might just follow your crappy advice'.

Crappy? I was about to argue, but I knew that was just Hidan. So I just settled for 'Promise?'

He nodded. 'Promise, Temari-chan. A promise sealed with a freaking kiss'.

…...

It may seem obvious to write this, but I have to, just to keep assuring myself that what happened really did happen.

Yeah. Hidan kissed me.