Aw you guys I'm so sorry for taking long! I've been really busy. But alas here's the next chappy (: And don't worry I'd never stop updating this story! Even if i take long to update i promise I work on it whenever i can.
Just as Shikamaru is about to sit down across Temari placing the two paper cups of coffee in front of him he hesitates slightly. There is a look upon her face that he just cannot pin point at all. She was always hard to read but at the moment his brain finds it impossible. Facial features show signs of anxiety, yet excitement? Troublesome woman…
"Are you spacing out, woman?"
"No." her answer is deadly as venom.
He raises his eyebrow. "I beg to differ."
"Be quiet." And it's followed by a kick to his knee.
"Troublesome..." he mumbles while he rubs his now hurting knee. "So… about the exams. Its months away but since your visiting days will be cut short we'll have to double up on our workload. I blame you for being such a hard laborer. I've got to pay the price as well."
"I don't mind. If you have a problem with that take it up with your Hokage." She was feisty today…
"He'll whine trying to convince me otherwise. Too much trouble. I'll just learn to deal with it."
"Then stop complaining and get to work." He is then presented with a stack of paperwork.
The hand that reaches for her coffee catches his attention, it looks rough from his point of view but he wonders if what you see is really what you get. Pink lips then pucker up slightly to take a sip of the darkened coffee; she always did like to drink the hard stuff, no different from her liquor preferences.
"Well, at least we have time to figure out how to prevent the Mizukage from murdering Kakashi sensei." Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
"Maybe Naruto can send him out for a mission. A long one." Temari shrugs nonchalantly.
Obviously because she's a woman herself she sees no harm, how could she, she thinks just like her. They all do. Well most of them.
Mei Terumi had sought out the attention of the copy ninja. It did not end well. Although Kakashi had rejected her with a smile on his face, the Mizukage saw otherwise. Thus resulting Kakashi in a scary predicament. Thankfully Mei chose not to take it out on the Leaf Village. Still no one wanted to remind the woman of the incident; he supposed Temari's suggestion would be for the best.
Shikamaru looks again at the blonde; her face is passive, very unlike her. By now surely he would have had at least twenty bruises inflicted by her, both physically and mentally. She'd hardly even spoken to him, and when she did it was mostly about work.
The pen in between her fingers stops moving, there she went again, getting lost in her thoughts.
"You've been acting weird." He decides to voice his thoughts out loud.
"How so?" she asks him, surprised written on her face.
"You're not focused as usual."
"I have other things to worry about you know." She shrugs. "I do have a life outside of my duties too. Not just you."
"Like?"
"It's none of your business Shikamaru. Now get back to work." Her tone is far more scarier than when she snaps at him, it's serious, too serious.
That's the end of the conversation for their remaining working hours.
She's treating him like a coworker.
She's hiding her thoughts and pushing him away.
He doesn't like it…
Shikamaru spots the now turned four-year old with crimson eyes that stand out dashing towards him at the speed of light, her mother not far behind. The former lover of his sensei has asked for him to watch Kotori for an hour while she does some errands, he agrees even though he complains.
"The documents have been submitted to Naruto and we're done for the day." Temari creeps up behind him; he'd been waiting for her to come out of the Hokage building, claiming he didn't want to go with her because he needed fresh air after being stuck inside all day.
"Temari!" Kotori gasps like it's her birthday all over again.
"Hey kiddo." Ruffling her little head she smiles down at her. It was that rare smile…
"I want to play! Can Temari come?" Kotori's eyes stare at Shikamaru's with a glossiness full of hope.
"I don't know kid you might want to ask her we've worked all day she must be tired."
"I'm not a lazy bum like you." She glares at him, "Yeah, I'll play with you." As soon as she looks at Kotori she's all smiles again.
"Tch, whatever." His feet initiate the walk. "Let's go."
"Are we going to the park?" Kotori asks following his footsteps.
"Nah too crowded. We can go someplace better."
Continuing his path down the dirt road he hears the little girl hurrying up the woman, but for some reason she never paces next to him, instead her distance is so far it only looks like it's just them two. While it appears that he's strolling by his lonesome self. An act that has been seen too many times before. Shikamaru rids the heavy feeling off his chest as soon as it appears.
"This is your idea of a play area for a child? Are you serious?" Temari raises an annoyed eye brow.
"Of course I am. The place is bigger for her to run around in and most importantly it's quiet. I can finally relax."
He takes a seat near the lake; Temari has left in a huff after a distracted Kotori who's just found a pack of butterflies. Shikamaru, before lying down, takes notice of a line of baby ducks following its mother through the water. At that time he turns back to take a look at the two girls behind him. Temari has captured a butterfly for his goddaughter and is showing it to her as it flutters its wings yet stays in between the palm of her hands. Happy giggles escape from the child and a soft laughter escapes Temari's lips that sound so unlike her yet incredibly soothing to the ear.
Comfortably he lies down on the grass, hands behind his head, enjoying the background noise of the outdoors. Closing his eyes he thinks back on how he's just turned twenty-one, remembering to give Kurenai some left over cake that Fuyumi had baked him. It was chocolate, even worst; he really hated sweet things…
"I want this one. And this one." is all he hears.
Tilting his head and popping one eye open, he catches sight of Kotori playing scavenger hunt while Temari sits Indian style protecting her gatherings. Turns out Temari's not that scary when it comes to kids.
The hand clinging onto his chest is removed as he gets up to shower. The drops of water hit his face hard, their freezing cold. A strange act considering the weathers temperatures has increased lately. He washes the soap off his forehead before it reaches his eyes, then stares at the soapy bubbles on his hands. Minutes have passed and he hasn't even noticed. Snapping out of it he goes back to washing his body.
He drops off Fuyumi at the bakery; it's early but not as early as usual. Fuyumi's father has given her a break by opening the shop himself, giving her more time to sleep. After a quick peck from her he strolls down the regular path. Realizing though that it's barely eight and he has nothing to do because work starts until nine, Shikamaru walks wherever his feet take him. To his surprise he ends up in front of an inn, not just any, the one where Temari is staying at.
A grumpy Temari with a scattered ponytail is a sign that she's just woken up; albeit the coffee cup on her hand. Her eye brow raises high in question.
"So… You ready?"
"Do I look like I'm ready?"
"You like fine to me." He shrugs.
"Hardly. I just woke up. What are you doing up so early anyways?"
"I was already up. Might as well."
Temari eyes him suspiciously. "I guess… You can come in if you'd like. I still have to shower though."
"Oh… That's okay, I can wait. You don't take long anyways." He says as he plops himself on her couch.
"Suit yourself." She then disappears as she heads down the corridor towards her shower.
Strangely he doesn't feel awkward at all. It wasn't like he hadn't picked her up before. It had just been awhile that's all…
The day goes by fast as him and Temari spend most of it observing and taking notes of what needs to be set up for the preparation of the Chunin Exams in the spring. They go through the process from the examination room all the way to the forest of death which took too long considering how big it was, much to his slothful attitude. The chilling wind does not make matters better as it makes him want nothing more than the warm cozy bed that awaits him at his home.
The constant bickering of Naruto and Sasuke was giving him a headache. Naruto for spouting stupidities and Sasuke for taunting the Hokage. The day couldn't be over any faster despite the current annoyances, thankfully.
"Do you not know what quiet means?"
"Eh!? I'm your Hokage have some respect!"
The blonde's tornado like loud voice echoes even as he gets farther away as he chases to catch up to his best friend.
"You gonna head home already?"
"Yeah."
"I'll walk you."
"That's not necessary." Temari interjects.
"Come on."
The birds chirp a cheerful tune, his mind racing with thoughts of how much work he's going to have to do once Temari left. The tranquility's atmosphere doesn't last long though.
"Shikamaru?"
Throughout the millions of scenarios his mind had plotted when this moment would arrive; it was certainly not this one.
"Oh… Fuyumi."
The petite woman he calls girlfriend is carrying gray plastic bags which he assumes are his groceries for the week considering his fridge was more than half empty.
"These bags are kind of heavy. Can you help me?"
This soft spoken woman, for the first time since he has known her sees a flash of fear in her eyes. After all, Temari wears hear Sand headband proudly, the identification wasn't hard to make. On to his right is a very annoyed Temari, he's sure it's because she's tired and wants to leave.
He scratches the back of his head with his free hand, "Uh… Fuyumi this is Temari, the Sand Ambassador. Temari, this is Fuyumi.. My girlfriend."
"It's nice to meet you Temari-san." Fuyumi bows slowly, and smiles hesitantly.
"Likewise." The troublesome woman doesn't seem bothered at all.
"Were you going to drop off the ambassador?" Fuyumi asks timidly.
"No. We just happened to be walking the same way." The blonde woman says and smiles, the one she gives when off doing political errands.
Filled up with a knot of guilt in his stomach Shikamaru doesn't know what to do, least of all what to say. Those two-hundred IQ points seemed useless now…
Thankfully, which he was sure it was because the three had been spotted, Ino came bouncing right in.
"Temari! You have to come with us! Let's go get drunk! You know you want to!" Ino pulls Temari away without even letting her say goodbye and drags her by the arm, down the path to their usual bar probably. He's never been so grateful for his former teammate's loud obnoxious voice, but he's sure the act wasn't done for his sake.
"Hey Shikamaru, you gonna join?" Chouji surprises them from behind.
Maybe he could be an ass and abandon Fuyumi for a drunken night with his friends just like he has done so many times, but enough damage has been made in just five minutes already.
"Nah man, think I'm gonna pass. I'm beat."
"Alright buddy." Choji claps his shoulder and smiles at Fuyumi. "See ya."
They wave at he retreats with small fake smiles.
The two of them walk in a stiff silence, Fuyumi looking down the entire time, her hair hiding her face.