Smoke colored the clear sky making it darker than before, for some reason letting him feel far more comfortable than he should have been.

He has been scared of her ever since she moved to town a year ago. It always looked like she didn't want to be there, with that frown and brows knitting together making her look unapproachable. There was the same look of pure disdain as she watched clouds intently like she would rather fight them than relax. That alone bothered Shikamaru more than it should have. He never understood people like her, guarded and defensive.

Since yesterday he pondered the same question. Of what did this girl reminded him of, it was something weirdly familiar, something he saw every day perhaps.

Daneger's frown deepened for a second.

Wait. He stopped for a minute.

Bothered stare. Pure killing intent radiating from those eyes. Blonde hair and green eyes.

Oh, he knew exactly what she reminded him of. Something surprisingly interesting, something he looks at every day and follows him every night.

To be honest, she was kind of funny, it looked like those clouds offended her whole family or something.

So he smiled.

That was the most he could do. Laughing out loud and Shikamaru never came in tandem after all.

She wouldn't notice such a smile, right?

Wrong, she did and looked at him far more dangerously than before. If something like that was even possible.

"What?" Danger asked.

"Nothing."

"You're the one lying now!" She accused him, getting onto her knees with an angry pout. It was weirdly cute.

"So you admit that you lied."

"Don't change the subject." She was mad now, amazing, why was he pestering the sleeping lion? He didn't how. But it was bothersomely entertaining.

"I'm not doing that."

"You heard me, Nara. What the fuck are you so smiley about." So she was non nonsense type. Shikamaru would never guess from the first glance, he decided while following her to sit up. Eyes that were focused on the clouds now glanced at the stubborn girl.

"Nothing." He still denied it, liking the reactions he got, it was amusing, fooling with her, seeing her losing the cool so easily.

"Just say it!"

"You just remind me of someone." He blurted out. But even if it was fun, it was still dangerous, you shouldn't push enraged wild cats so far after all.

"Oh and who would that be?" Eyebrows softened and eyes confused, she was undoubtedly curious.

"You're not gonna like my answer."

"Shoot."

"My cat."

"Your, what?"

"My cat." Yes, his cat. Well, more of his mother's cat than his.

One dull, rainy day his dad found a small orange kitten, and he brought it home because 'It looked like it was lonely', Yoshino was highly opposed at first but later fell in love with the little demon. Shikamaru was sure that cat hated his guts. She lived in his house for a year rent-free and surely enjoyed rubbing it in his face. If someone paid him every time that thing hurt him physically or emotionally he would be loaded.

"I remind you of a cat," she said incredulously.

Yeah, an evil one at that.

"Yeah, a menace to society."

"Is that implying something?" Her angry expression came back to play.

"No?" He said, trying to keep up that nonchalant persona. To say it was hard would be an understatement. He never wanted to run so badly. But why didn't he? It's not like he hadn't done anything similar before. He was a coward, that was a widely known fact between his friends. So why did he try to act unphased?

He was deadly afraid. it was just a wary feeling. But now he will have a damn good reason. She slapped him. Hard. So hard in fact he thought he could see stars. "What was that for!?" his volume increased in her presence for the first time.

"Your words annoy me!" she retorted as she laid back down, showing only her back.

Why was she so impulsive? He asked himself and lay beside her.

"Yamanaka Ino, does it ring a bell?" She said after the hour of silence. If Temari wasn't so curious about why was that girl bothering her, she would've left his little lazy spot a long time ago. Yes, she would've, that sentence repeated in her mind at least a thousand times a second, trying to make herself believe them.

"What did she do now?" He groaned with a disgusted look.

"By her courageous statement, you need a girlfriend." She smirked, trying to not laugh out loud.

"Why can't she leave me alone?"

"She approached me today like we're long-lost friends or something," she said, amused by his discomfort. He rarely showed much emotion. "She happens to think you and I would make a good couple."

"How did she even come to that conclusion?"

"Beats me."

"You are not my type for sure." The emotion he displayed not long ago vanished in a second now coming back to be bemuseingly plain.

"Same here."

"Your sentences are painfully short, could you at least put some effort into this small talk?" She said, annoyed by him again already, why did she sit here with his boring ass again.

Ah, yes she was curious about the Yamanaka. She wanted to ask about her weird befriending approach.

But why did she leave that curiosity behind to bicker like a child, she didn't know.

"It's a drag. Talking too much is unnecessary."

"You know, I don't disagree." Temari always thought he was nothing but boring, she usually loathed his kind, but now at this moment she couldn't help but find him a little bit of pleasant company.

She will ask about Blondie later.

It looked like she cooled off by now and like her angry minutes were transient, Shikamaru noted, that she needed time to calm down constantly.

"You're wearing makeup." He mindlessly observed. It was enticing, to observe someone so closely, seeing things you wouldn't from afar.

"No shit genius." Her voice sounded recognisingly offended. "Having a problem with that?"

He rolled his eyes, why was she so defensive? It was just a simple observation. "No. It's just that your freckles were visible yesterday when you didn't have any, I thought it was cute."

She was in shock, her jaw dropped and eyes wide as saucers, she visibly blushed.

That was when it hit him. He actually said that. He told the scariest person he ever met that she was cute. Has Shikamaru Nara gone insane? Sure, he was absent-minded quite often but this was beyond insanity. Was he okay? What was happening?

They stared at each other, their expressions mirrored. While sitting stiffly on colorful grass, both bemused.

The early night with shiny stars beginning to appear. Temari looked up at the light twinkling they provided and decided it was enough for today, especially with their last conversation.

"See you tomorrow." She said, carrying her bag and bashful expression.