Title: There's only 1 issue with dating Shikamaru Nara but its not a small thing – Temari learns Shikamaru has been hiding something from her but, she's not willing to give him up over only 1 thing
AN: M, sorry kids this one's not for you, English, Romance, Drama, Comedy, Shikamaru x Temari, Temari x Shikamaru, some other Cannon couples, smutty
Chapter 1
I guess it was a slow burner after all Temari mused to herself while walking through the streets of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. She was on a guarding/diplomatic mission to the village accompanying her brothers Kankuro and the Kazekage Gaara. Today was a rare day off and she wasn't going to waste it! Turning a corner, she found herself near the main entrance to the village, a site that she was rarely unaccompanied by a certain Shinobi of the Nara clan. A small Hmph escaped her lips as they curled into a smirk thinking about him. Temari had known Shikamaru Nara since childhood. They had gone on several joint village missions together, and even fought together in the Fourth Great Ninja War; but, recently, her feelings towards him had clarified as did his for her. They were more than teammates, more than friends, more than just the beautiful Princess of the Sand and the genius Heir to the Nara Clan. They were in love. Temari felt her cheeks blushing and, for the briefest of moments, she allowed it.
Movement… just over there… by the gate… no further… outside the gate… approaching Temari's gaze fixed on the entrance all she could hear were footsteps approaching and muffled voices but couldn't make out the words or who was speaking. When, like a summoning, there he was. Temari blinked, at least twice, and watched as her boyfriend strode into his village with his teammates and lifelong best friends Ino and Choji. They all appeared a bit road weary but there they were! Temari had been a little bit more than pissed off when she arrived in the Leaf village to find Shikamaru and his team had been sent out on a mission and weren't expected back until after her departure; but, that was the way of things. Shinobi had no choice in how and when they were called upon and Temari understood that. She found her feet moving before her mind could catch up "hey," she shouted "Shikamaru!" He turned and their eyes met. Shikamaru stopped dead in his tracks with some kind of expression caught between bliss and fear. She smiled and his face calmed. When she reached him, she wasn't about to let anything like reason, logic, or etiquette hold her back! Temari wrapped her arms around Shikamaru and buried her face in his mission vest stained with, God knows what, and she didn't care. He smelled like campfire and sweat, and she breathed him in so grateful that he was there, that he was safe, that they were together.
Temari felt his arms around her, protectively embracing her. His head turned ever so slightly to kiss her forehead and whisper "Hey, Temari" in that ever so casual tone. The world stood still for the two for a moment before returning to its regular pace. They released each other and stepped back. Temari greeted the other two shinobi. Choji was his delightful rotund self and Ino gave off her usual surface level contentment. Temari and Ino had never, so to say, hit it off. Ino was competitive and didn't like sharing the dating pool or the battlefield with other women and Temari, for her part, just didn't like the idea of another woman in her man's head! But Ino was dating Sai and that calmed the tension between the two shinobi, at least for the time being.
Shikamaru explained that they had concluding their mission early and we're heading to medical and debriefing. "Medical?" Temari questioned, giving him a quick once over.
"Nothing too serious" Shikamaru said as he shook his head as he dismissed her concerns, "I'll be fine." Temari raised her eyebrow and gave him a look that read, very clearly, that the issue was not going to be dropped.
"Suit yourself" she muttered.
Wanting to stay in her good graces Shikamaru offered "after we're done, we 're going out for BBQ to celebrate the end of out mission, do you want to come too?"
She couldn't even answer before Choji's eyes lit up "Yes! BBQ! We haven't had a decent meal since we hit the road! I'm going to order the extra-large beef plate!"
"Maybe," Temari replied, "I have to check with my brother. Your mission may be over, but mine isn't" ever the responsible shinobi.
Shikamaru nodded, "understood" and he did.
She watched the trio walk away after Shikamaru left her with a brief kiss and a promise to check in on her later. Temari smirked and walked back towards the inn that she was staying at with her brothers. She was even more thrilled that she had insisted that she have her own room on this trip, telling her brothers 'It's not like we're little kids anymore sharing bunk beds!' That was a very good idea.
Back at the Inn, Temari waited for her brothers' business to conclude and then pleaded with Kankuro, "please take the night shift tonight!"
"No!" Kankuro insisted, "I've been on day shift all day, and it's your turn!"
"Fine" Temari admitted defeat "I'll double the time you spend on the shift helping you with maintenance on your puppets when we get back to the Sand. Deal?"
Kankuro looked pleased. He, like all puppet users, lived a solitary life and would appreciate the time and support from his sister, "double the time?"
"Yes, double" she replied.
"Deal." The two Sand shinobi shook on it and Temari was out of the Inn with just enough time to make it to the BBQ restaurant.
The meal was pleasant enough. Choji gorged himself on at least 10 extra-large special beef platters and Ino had brough Sai, much to Temari's relief. Ino could be a bit rough on the edges, especially with her teammates but Sai found a way soften her bluntness and he was so enamored by her that Ino completely lost focus on the rest of them all choosing to dive into his admiration headfirst. It appeared that Ino and Sai only had eyes for each other that night. With the other shinobi at the table distracted Temari and Shikamaru could at least pretend they were alone. Exchanging quick glances and flirtations as they discussed recent missions that were apparently all a drag.
Leaving the restaurant Temari and Shikamaru parted ways with the others who headed for the residential district while they walked towards the Inn. Walking hand in hand was not something they usually engaged in but with the dim light of the moon, most of the shops closed and streets empty they felt comfortable enough to be this close. Temari was aware of the rumors floating out there about her. That she was under some spell or genjutsu and was being secretly kept hostage by another village. Or that the young princess was simply kidnapped. She knew them all as well as she knew there was a thread of truth to them. If not her body, her heart was now in the hands of the genius of the Leaf and she trusted that she, in turn, held his heart in hers.
Upon reaching the street that the Inn was on Temari decided tonight was the night. They lived in a violent world, and no one is promised a tomorrow and for at least right now there was peace, and they were together. He had stopped to kiss her underneath a streetlight pressing her back into the pole as she wriggled her fingers into his hair and twisting the tie out to let his jet back hair tumble out across his shoulders. Temari loved the way he looked with his hair down as much as he complained that it was a 'total drag' and always 'got in the way.' He pulled away and she caught his eyes as his hands moved from her chin to the small of her back, "I have a secret to tell you," she said with a shy smile.
He raised a curious eyebrow, "oh, yeah. What's that?"
Leaning in, Temari whispered in his ear "I got my own room at the Inn." She pulled back to check his expression which left her a bit puzzled. He looked like he was deep in thought; his eyes drifting from hers to peer at the night sky. Typical Shikamaru. Temari knew her boyfriend, knew he needed time to think and process new information, but she was surprised that he needed time to think about her like that. "What?" she asked pulling his attention back to focus.
Shikamaru shook his head "sorry, its just…" he trailed off again "are you sure?" with an uncharacteristic amount of shyness.
Temari removed one of her hands from his hair to grab his chin and pull his focus back to her, "yes," she said with firmness "I'm sure."