Suspicion on Faux
He tapped the table using his pen while staring at her picture pinned on their corkboard, itching to remove it. Their department was busy that morning after another killing was heard on the news.
"…Another night entertainer from Konoha's burlesque was found dead. Aika Hikeda…..the name of our latest victim was found dead without a head not far from where she worked"
The newscaster announced, his voice covering the entirety of the room from a flat-screen television hanging on their wall.
Shikamaru rubbed his eyes and stood up from his seat, he was waiting for everyone to hear that news before walking towards the huge corkboard attached to their wall. His hands extended on the picture, lifting the end of it, and pulled to remove Temari as one of their suspects.
"Shikamaru what are you doing?" Neji asked from his seat. The swivel chair that he was seating on squeaked after positioning himself to where Shikamaru was standing.
Everyone in the room stared at him after Neji breaks the busy noises in their department.
"I'm trying to remove her from the list of your so-called suspects" He stated while throwing her picture to the nearest trash, without breaking eye contact with Neji.
"You know you can't do that" Neji points his two fingers at him with furrowed brows, his face was full of confusion. Thinking that Shikamaru might be starting to lose his mind.
"I just did, she's not one of the suspects"
Asuma stared at the two, he never saw the two fight before but this time from the intensity of their tones felt like it will be going to end up like that.
He cleared his throat "Shikamaru, you're right that's a possibility. That she's not the suspect but you need to understand we need something to prove it, like evidence. CCTV? Receipts? Anything" Asuma walked towards him while explaining.
"I have, I'm with her last night and the latest victim was killed last night. I am the evidence; I am the receipt" he confidently responded.
"Are you sure Shikamaru? She might slip from your eyes last night and did the killing, that's possible, right? Probably she told you that she'll get something outside then killed one of the girls from their club? We need physical evidence" Neji firmly stated.
A faint chuckle escaped from Shikamaru's mouth then bit his lower lip while glancing away from the crowd "The only thing slipping away last night was my grip on the sheets while thrusting her on my bed, is that what you want to hear!? Huh?" his voice becoming louder in making that statement.
Jiraya chortled at what he just said "Alright, that's enough. We believe you, my boy. But I have a few questions, did she go outside last night? Or get out of your apartment? Or did you just have sex all night? I'm interested"
Shikamaru rubbed his mouth, trying to hide his emotion as the memory of last night starts to invade his mind. He pulled an envelope from his pocket and dropped it on the table where the corkboard was sitting.
"I know my words are not enough to prove that she's not one of the suspects. Here's a CCTV from my apartment, one from my floor, one from the elevator, and another one from the reception. We didn't leave my apartment…..we're busy all night"
He walked towards his desk after placing the CCTV footage as part of his evidence but before he reached his spot, Kakashi walked to the trash and lifted Temari's picture. Shikamaru half turned after seeing Kakashi pinning her picture again on the corkboard.
"Your words are still enough as part of the evidence. Please do me a favor Shikamaru, write it and give it to me, I'll compile your words as part of the evidence but for now, she's still one of our suspects" Kakashi tapped Temari's picture after pinning it on the board while staring at Shikamaru.
He buried his palms on the curves of his hips and glanced at Neji who was now smirking after Kakashi returned her picture to the corkboard where the list of the suspects was displayed. A bizarre feeling starts stirring inside of him, everyone inside his department starts to feel different and suspicious.
The cushion from his swivel chair touched his back while his hands rested on the handles. Shikamaru glanced at the people inside his department, Neji was staring at the cork board looking at the latest killings, Shino was busy checking all the documents from his desk, Asuma and Jiraya having a conversation, Sakura and Sasuke seems to be whispering at each other. Their eyes seems like they were gazing at him every time he looked away.
His mind brought him back to Kiba's case, the Case of September 14. On the first day of their investigation, the smell of dried blood covered the cabin that Kiba and his lover rented. The balcony was still wet from the rains of last night, the room looked clean and a hint of bleach passed through his nose.
He asked Neji and Kakashi if they smelled a faint smell of bleach but they told him they didn't. It must be a phantom smell that he was experiencing. The crime group collected a small bag of evidence during their first day and handed it to them.
Shikamaru can't help but think how polished Kiba's cabin was like it was cleaned before they arrived.
On the next day, there was new evidence collected from Kiba's room. The hair from his lover and the sand from Gaara, a grain of sand from Suna. The two siblings were captured after collecting all the pieces of evidence. They were captured at the border of Konoha, attempting to escape the security group leading back to their village.
Did I miss something?
A few questions start running through his mind as he felt like the people inside his department seems to lead the cases according to what they liked and not what it supposed to be. Or was he just wrong about his assessment because his doubt starts to shake his analysis.
He went home to his apartment that night with a heavy feeling restraining his back. His feet halted in front of his door, a gentle smile drawn on his face after thinking that Temari was still in his apartment, safe and sound. That's the only thing he looked forward to every day, going home and being greeted by the person he loved and cherished the most.
A sweet smell of citrus and lavender roamed around his apartment, his clothes were all prepared inside his wardrobe, and food was placed on his kitchen table all covered in steam.
"You're home" Temari greeted him and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.
"I am—I'm home" he stuttered. It never crossed his mind to settle and build a family, a home not until he met her. His cold and empty apartment before was now filled with warm things and live plants. After going home with her, he was sure this is all he wanted in his life.
"I hope you're not allergic to flowers. I snatched one of the vases you made and put roses and lavenders on it"
He glanced at the flowers that were placed on the vase he made last year which he thought was the ugliest one, now it looks like a gem in his eyes.
"Those were beautiful" he grabs her waist before she loosens her arms around his shoulder.
"I got bored so I cleaned your house. Are you hungry? I prepared our dinner" she slides away his arms from her waist and leads him to the table.
Shikamaru was still clueless about how to act or how to reciprocate her service. What she did was too much for him…..Is this how it feels to be a husband?
They shared their dinner that night. He kept on kissing the back of her hand and thanking the heavens that fate led her feet to his apartment. Temari gazes at him wearing a smile but her eyes slowly shift to become heavy. The burden of her revenge pins her soul after seeing him so happy that night.
Temari shakes her head and cleared her throat before making a statement.
"I called my apartment. They told me that they were trying to fix the lock of my door and it was just a mistake because they thought my apartment was the one who requested to change the knob" she chuckled "It was all a misunderstanding. I'm safe there, they assured me. I can go back to my apartment tomorrow morning"
Shikamaru's smile dropped so fast after hearing her words.
"No…No, you can stay here. I can -"
"Shikamaru, I don't want to become your burden. Focus on your job…yourself. I can handle myself"
"You're not….you're not a burden and will never be. I cannot focus on anything whenever I feel that you're in trouble or not safe. Stay here please, I can protect you" he begged
"You know I can protect myself too, Shikamaru" her voice becomes louder after saying her lies "You don't have to protect me. Do you want to get yourself in trouble!?"
"The serial killer is still out there Temari for Christ's sake! And I would never forgive myself if I saw your face in one of the news labeling you as the killer's latest victim!"
"And what will you do? Huh? If I ever get caught? Fight the killer with what? With a fucking kitchen knife?"
"YES! Don't make me challenge my strength because you know damn well that I'm willing to die for you…I would die for you!"
His last statement leaves her jaw on the floor. Temari gripped her hands tightly, thinking that he is willing to take a slash and stab from the night scythe just to save her. But was he willing to take a bullet from her gun?
Temari stood up trying to gasp for air after she felt her lungs becoming shallow. She's trying to breathe to avoid any possible attacks as her lips slowly become dry. Shikamaru pounded the dining table lightly, he wasn't able to avoid the words that escaped from his mouth but felt relieved by saying them. He stood up and walked to her, gliding his arms and embracing her from behind.
"I'm sorry…. Follow my breathing, breathe….please…I'm sorry" he said while Temari was struggling to catch her breath.
A few drops of tears draw down her cheeks as her breathing starts to become normal. She turned around to face him and gazed at his sunken face. Her head was buried in his chest where she felt secure.
Shikamaru didn't have any choice but to accept her decision. His arms that wrapped around her torso tightened and prayed to the heavens that no one will ever harm or stole her away from him.
A/N: Following my draft, I guess this will be 15-16 chapters long.
I might be on a little Hiatus after this fic so I'll try to wrap this up by next weekend.
BTW, if you've seen my works ending with the word "END" that means that the story has ended and there's no sequel or alternate ending that will be followed, it's done. Butttttt if there's nothing indicated at the end, that means I'm going to upload a sequel (a separate fic/part of a series) to it or an alternate ending.