I am loving this couple more and more each day. ALSO I have been trying to proof read and re-read my proof reading. I am sorry if there are grammatical errors but I truly am doing the best I can. Please don't complain if you wish to have me keep writing this story. And no, I would prefer not to have a beta. Its just.. too personal? Anyways :] To those of you who read and review and keep me positive THANK YOU. So refreshing to have people compliment your work rather than critically analyze every last detail. MUCH LOVE.
Shikamaru stared at the woman across the table from him. He wasn't sure what exactly prodded him into asking the Hokage's appretice out for drinks as if she were ... Ino or something. Sakura definately wasn't like the women he was used to. Sure, she had a fiery temper and could be unrelentlessly bossy. However Sakura had something they didn't. She was respectful, not boastful. She was subtle, whilst they were... well there wasn't really a word to describe the prideful actions of the females in his life. Sakura was intelligent, her mind sharp and diciplined. She didn't care for frivilous things like nail colour, and clothes shopping. He didn't have to sit and listen to her prattle with gossip about everyone elses personal lives. She was a hard working and dedicated Kunoichi. She took her shinobi status seriously, and respected herself as a woman.
"What are you thinking about, Shikamaru-san?" Her quiet voice asked merrily.
He shook his head and realized he had been daydreaming while staring at her.
"Nothing Haruno-san. Long day." He murmered.
"Ahh, I know the feeling. Well, round of sake on me then?" She said, her eyes shining at the thought of liquor.
Seems like she inherited more than that monsterous strength, he noted dully. He watched her converse happily with the waiter, he was a ordinary man; completely awestruck by the rosette beauty infront of him. She could have ordered his head on a platter and he would have complied.
When the bottle came, she served him and they shot them back like old pros. Normally he wouldn't give into such games. He liked to be in control of his mind at all times, and liquor certaintly didnt offer such privelages...
"So. Why team 7?" Sakura asked, her blunt question snapping him out of yet another daze.
She had taken 8 shots. He was counting, but still her demeanor suggested that she was complteley sober. He looked into her emerald eyes for a split second, and saw nothing but burning curiosity. He would never say so, but when he saw that light in her eyes his body suddenly felt very... alive. He had seen it before in her, a complete desperation for information. She loved to learn and to him; that was well, sexy.
"What do you mean?" He said, stalling so he could prepare his answer.
"Don't use your mind games on me Nara. Speak whatever's on your mind. We are team mates now, and like it or not I will be in your head sooner or later. I will know you, Shikamaru." She said, her eyes turning intense.
It wasn't a question, it wasn't laced with underlying implications. It was a simple admission of the facts. He knew she was right, they would become closer than he wanted. Fighting for your life, as well as your teams would do that to you.
"Tsunade of course. She called me in to help her... stratagize. She laid out your teams profile infront of me, and we looked at all possibilites. It couldn't be another member from the rookie 9. All but yours, and my own team are still functioning as units. We looked at the possibility of perhaps someone older, but that would only cause conflict. Kakashi, Naruto, and you are too headstrong. You trust eachother implicably, and to think of adding someone who outranked you technically... would be like pouring terpentine over and open flame. On the other hand, someone younger would have completely slowed you down. Not to mention the amount of hero-worship the young Shinobi of this village carry for the new Sannin, and the copy cat leader would be a cause for a mess of emotional complications. No, after careful consideration I had the answer. Of course it only took me moments to figure it out, but it didn't stop me from consulting with Tsunade for hours. My team is no longer, with Ino in the interrogation unit with ANBU, and Choji being an embassador in Suna... and Without our captain. I was alone, only being called to help stratagize with the Hokage. Or on the off chance work with you at the hospital. Since I was already familiar with you and your team I agreed to take the position."
He watched her carefully, as she absorbed the information he fed her. Never, had he told the baltant truth to one of his comrades and not gotten back a 'what?' as a notification that his explanations were boring, or a 'Oh Shikamaru-kun! You're SOOO smart!' that one annoyed him more.
"Sounds reasonable, but I wonder Shikamaru... Why? You never seemed to like the Shinobi life. Don't get me wrong, you are an astounding shinobi, brave and intelligent and true to your village and friends. But it seems to me like this would have brought up the perfect oppotunity for you to retire." She had her eyes closed, sipping on another cup of sake.
There it was, her perceptiveness never ceased to amaze him. He sighed, and took his own small cup between two fingers.
"When Asuma died... I changed. I cannot tell you why, or how exactly it happened. All I can tell you is that my only resolve now, is to become more than just a capable shinboi. I want to become someone that my village can be proud of. I was to be a source of security for my friends, and a protector of my comrades."
Her deep emerald orbs glistened with understanding, her face was unreadable other than that. She was chewing on her bottom lip, the way her pearly white teeth grabbed at the soft flesh distracted him momentarily.
"That is very noble of you Shikamaru-san." She said, her voice grave.
She poured another cup for the both of them, and raised hers in a toast, in which he joined.
"To the life, or lack there of, of a Shinobi. To protect, and serve." She whispered.
He stared at her while he quickly took his shot. She was a very interesting woman indeed. She sighed after he 10th drink and reached up toward her hair. He had found it very strange that in the past year she had taken to wearing it up in a bun, letting strands fall loosley around her face. Even stranger was the bangs that cut straight across her face, just touching her eyebrows. The exact spot where her Hitai-ate should be placed. He was one to talk, he never wore his on his forhead, save the war...
"Ouch."
He watched in facination as she pulled the hair pins out of her head, and let her hair fall. In landed in silky tresses, falling longer than he thought. Her hair brushed her thy's, settling in shimmering waves around her toned body. He used to think her hair was bright fushia, but now on closer inspection he found that is was a very light pink. It was just the startling fact that anyone could posses such a unique haircolour. She opened her eyes, and looked at him quizically. Before giggling.
"And here I am, so embarassed of my own oggling this afternoon." She whispered.
He arched a brow, yea he had caught her gazing at him in his apartment. It wasn't like he was oblivious to his affect on women. He knew he was handsome, not overly but enough to at least find a pretty wife.
"You aren't used to it by now?" He asked, suddenly intrigued.
She blushed then, very strange for such a elite shinobi. Her poker face wasn't very good, or maybe she was just comfortable around a team mate.
"What are you talking about?" She huffed.
He laughed aloud at this, leaning closer he stared inton her eyes seriously.
"Don't tell me that you, Haruno Sakura, the greatest medic nin of our generation; not to metion a new Sannin, are telling me that you have no Idea the affect you have on the male population?" He breathed sarcastically.
She squirmed under his gaze, her beautiful orbs suddenly fixated themselves on the ground. her hands pulled at the hem of her shirt. He realized then his mistake, that damned Uchiha. He had broken her confidence as a woman long ago, and she had never let herself be claimed by another. His harmless flirting was bound to throw her into a tormented place of guilt and unbridled anxiety at the the thought of moving on from such an obsessing love.
"I'm sorry Haruno-san. I have been very insensitive. Please forgive me, and lets drop this." He murmered, unaware that she had stopped her fidgeting.
"No." She whispered.
He paled, she wasn't going to forgive him? But he had only-
"NO. You can say that all you want. I do not care. That man doesnt NOT own me. If you want to say im beautiful than DO IT, if I want to flirt; kami-sama im GOING TO!" She cried suddenly.
He was more than just a little suprised. The woman... she was never going to let him figure her out.
"You are beautiful, Haruno-san." He said gently.
She stopped, her face turning tomato red. She stared at him, and he stared right back. Amusement flickered in her eyes before she burst out laughing. The sound of her peals of laughter were so warm and inviting; he found himself joining in. At the end of their little outburst, she was pushing tears off her cheeks, and he was grinning at her lazily.
"Arrigatou, Nara-san-"
"Please, drop the proper shit." He muttered darkly.
"I-um. Shikamaru-kun?" She said, unsure if that was what he wanted.
Oh, he hadn't realized how attractive her voice was. Especially when it was his name on her lips. Damn sake to hell.
"Yes?" He answered despite himself, keeping his eyes closed as to keep her innocent expression from imprinting itself into his mind.
He suddenly felt a warm hand against his cheek; his eyes snapped open only to see her leaning over the table, smiling warmly and caressing his cheek.
"I truly think you are not only a wonderful shinobi, but an inredible person. Thank you so much Shikamaru-kun. It had been a long time since I have had such a real conversation. And thank you for that attempt to make me feel better."
Silly woman, he was telling the truth.
"Troublesome." He mumbled.
She giggled, before kissing his forhead quickly. He felt his cheeks burn, and thanked Kami for the dimly lit bar they sat in.
"Well, we have training at 6 am. Whats say I walk you home Harun- Sakura-chan." He said carefully.
She nodded, and to his great suprised slammed back the rest of the bottle of sake. Smiling at him deviously. He shook his head and chuckled. What a strange woman.
They walked in silence, now and again making comments on how strange it was to be on the same team now. Sakura finally sighed and pointed to a building close to them.
"Thats me." She said glumly.
He knew what was behind that sudden sadness, alot had been lost in the war.. alot of families. Alot of parents.
"Ahh." He sighed.
They walked to the door of the apartment. Silent as she stuck the key in the lock and opened the door. She turned to him, one hand braced against the door, one unconsiouly at her chest.
"Arrigatou, really Shikamaru-kun. You have no idea how much tonight meant to me." She smiled.
Such a silly thank you. He was her team mate.
"Ne, get used to it Sakura-chan. You know, I never understood how that Uchiha bastard could treat you the way he did. Any man would be lucky to have a woman like you. Ill show you how a gentleman can treat a lady." Unabashed by his own actions, he leaned down and pecked her lightly on the cheek.
DAMN SAKE TO HELL.
She stared at him before slowly shrinkng back into her apartment.
"G-goonight, Shikamaru-kun." She breathed before dissapearing from him.
He would never forget the look of wonder in those beautiful eyes, not until the day he died. He realized the situation he was in now, and it seemed at though he would have to start planning. She wans't like the girls he knew, she was so absolutely, heart breakingly, different. She was one to KEEP. After tonight he was sure, he would definately try for her affections. And Shikamaru Nara never tried for anything. This was going to be interesting.
