Summary:
As the evening progresses, the moods of the group members change.
Shikamaru has prepared a surprise for Temari, and he gets one in return.
Kankuro and Tenten share a dance and a conversation that ends with going back to him being attractive or not for the women in general.

Chapter 18: Sharing A Secret

Tenten was sitting at the end of the table, her back to the dancers. Lee and Sagan, on both her sides, were chatting merrily, and even Chouji was throwing comments here and there.

Honestly, she felt down in the dumps the moment Atsui announced his birthday and the date — second of August. Tomorrow was the third of August. She knew what this particular date was, and still had let herself forget about the existence of the calendar… She shouldn't have; she didn't have the damn right to forget... It was wrong, and the overwhelming guilt crushed its weight on her because of it.

There was a saying… that the dead could visit a close person's sleep on their first birthday after their death. Another saying claimed they could do that for a few years or until they finished whatever they started and couldn't finish while they were still alive. She hoped — for a long time, she longed — that Neji would visit her, and come into her dream. She wished for a simple conversation with him. She wished to share the pain of her loss of him and see his face clearly once again. It would have been painful, but consoling nonetheless. At the same time, Tenten had been terrified because it was getting harder by the day to call the image of his face or to recreate his voice into her head.

What if Neji decided to go to someone else? He might have more than one unfinished matter…

Lee had tried to convince her that she was the only person he would go to if he were in Neji's place, but she was still anxious. Apart from that, she feared that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep. Tenten resolved that a suitable quantity of alcohol would help with that last thing, so she was in the process of finishing her glass of champagne — it was her second after the glass of wine.

Tenten leaned in her chair and looked around the table, observing her teammates. Ruka and Ameno were talking intently on the other end of the table. Amai was taking an active part in the discussion, while Shee was just passively sitting there and looking at the dance floor. He seemed bored, even though his eyes were lively. The rest of the group was dispersed in the hall, the gardens, or the terraces.

She turned to look over her shoulder: Ino had trapped not-so-bored-looking Shikamaru on the dancefloor with a wide smile; Kurotsuchi, still true to her subtle goal, was dancing with Chojuro, who kept a polite smile on his face; Kankuro had asked Karui to a dance earlier and was now leading her through the steps that she sometimes still messed up. And Temari… She was floating like a mystical vision in blue, falling in step with Darui. Tenten's eyes followed the sand kunoichi. She was a true delight to watch.

The music soon died down, and Ino waved a hand, gesturing that it had been enough. Shikamaru shrugged and headed to the back yard with hands deep in his pockets.

His eyes met Temari's, and his lips' edges curled up. She replied with a wide, unrestrained grin.

Kankuro and Karui approached the table. He took his glass and, without saying a word, went straight to one of the many little terraces around the hall.

Tenten followed him with her eyes. After their conversation in Karui's flat, she felt the need to pull away. Did he also want to leave more air between them? Or was there something else…? She collected the freshly filled glass and got up on her feet. The only way to make sure they would be fine was to talk with him. Taking a small sip from the wine, she headed to where Kankuro was.

She hesitated at the door frame before taking a step out. "Hey," Tenten greeted quietly.

"Hey," he replied.

Of course, he saw her coming. How could he not? However, he had to tighten the grip on himself and pretend he was perfectly fine. Instantly, his whole face changed when a wide grin bloomed over his lips.

"Did you miss me?"

"Oh!" She returned the grin, feeling relief. "So that was why you avoided me?"

He raised an eyebrow, his smile unwavering. "Was I avoiding you?"

"Like the plague," she confided in whispers.

He chuckled and stepped aside to make some space for her. "I wasn't. It turned out Ino and I had quite a lot of common interests."

"Was any of them related to her analysis of your behaviour regarding myself?" She leaned on the rails beside him, her gaze drifting down.

Her knotted — on the nape — hair reflected the lights coming from the hall and drew his gaze. It looked so soft and hinted at something golden. He quickly redirected his thoughts and returned to their chat.

"Surprisingly no." Kankuro shook his head. "Fancy that! The world may not spin only around you."

She took a breath through her teeth, then laughed heartily. "That was a low blow."

"Low blows are needed sometimes. You know... to get to your goals." He sipped his champagne and distractingly swirled the liquid inside the glass.

"Sometimes getting to your goals isn't worth such a blow," she countered calmly, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

"You'll never see me execute one if I am not sure it's worth it."

"Was it worth it now?"

"Did you just smile at it?" He playfully nudged her shoulder with his, gaining yet another smile.

She remained still, looking down at the garden two floors below. Her light expression of merry content never faded.

Kankuro glanced at her a few times. He felt dreadful and too aware that this kind of friendly, light-hearted demeanour would change once he challenged her. The best he could possibly do at the moment was to enjoy her presence — as long as he could. Until she allowed it.

"As far as I remember," Tenten said quietly, "you tried to challenge me to learn dancing in one of our games."

"True. You said you already could."

She didn't look at him when she whispered, "Invite me to a dance?"

Kankuro bored his look into the side of her face. He didn't say anything but pushed away from the rails and offered her his hand. She took it eagerly, without a trace of hesitation. The sensation her hand had brought over his skin urged him to shiver. Yet he didn't, although his jaw clenched tightly. When she finally lifted her eyes to him, Kankuro tried to smile, half-successfully.

"Hope you won't step on my feet."

"You have the absolute right to hope," she said mockingly.

He briefly bit his lower lip. Her laugh was definitely something he was going to miss a lot. He still couldn't fully understand how exactly he came to care about her so much in such a short time. It was like a mystery...

They passed near their table and left their glasses there before heading further. When they reached an empty spot on the dance floor, Kankuro carefully placed one hand on her shoulder, and the other rested on her waist. He needed a plan to distract her from asking him a question that he wasn't ready to give an answer to. The cogs in his head clicked and clacked until he came up with something suitable in the short time they walked from the terrace to the hall's centre. He just needed a surprising topic. And he already had one.

"What happened to Sasuke Uchiha?"

She gave him an unsure look; her feet moved with the music.

"After the war," he specified.

"He came to Konoha for a while." She shrugged. "Then he disappeared, then came back again. Now he's yet again... somewhere... Maybe only the Hokage knows what he's doing and his whereabouts."

"It sounds like he hasn't really come back," Kankuro noted.

"Nope." She pursed her lips. "Sakura isn't coping with it too well."

Tenten spun around her axis and rounded the man with slow steps.

"Sakura?" He asked when their eyes met again.

She nodded slowly. "She has been in love with him since preschool."

"Oh…" Sympathy appeared on Kankuro's face. "I can imagine that didn't go so well?"

Tenten still couldn't get used to the lack of purple lines crossing his face, impairing his expressions' interpretations. His bare face was much easier to read, apart from being much more pleasant to look at.

"Is it like... you and... Neji?" He asked carefully.

Pink covered her cheeks; her face turned to the side. "N-no. My feelings for him appeared much later. Although, now there are some similarities... Both Sakura and I don't really have them by our sides, but we don't give up; we wait for them."

Sadness crept into Tenten's hazel eyes, and he could swear their rims reddened. But Kankuro pressed his lips tightly, physically stopping the pressing words. It was not the right moment. It was dangerous to start aggravating her now.

"Of course, there are some differences as well," she said hesitantly.

"Like?"

"Like, she braved confessing her love for him, despite his answer. She never doubted her feelings."

"And you did have doubts about yours?"

"Doubts? No." She shook her head. "But I was simply scared he'd never return my affection. I wanted some kind of indication that my love would be reciprocated. Plus, he was a member of a very old and conservative clan. I don't think they would've let him connect with a simple kunoichi like myself." She huffed in derision and looked down in an attempt to hide her distraught face.

Kankuro tilted his head, trying to see her expression, but she kept avoiding him. "You can't seriously think like that for yourself."

"I'm not thinking that of myself," she denied. "Neji's clan thinks that of myself."

"Right..." He squared his shoulders. "So Neji has belonged to a snob clan that doesn't like you because you don't belong to a snob clan yourself?" he summarised.

Tenten eyed him. "When you put it like that... it sounds awful."

"And correct," he added firmly. "Was he a snob, too?"

She opened her mouth to deny, but stopped, sighing instead. "He was... with people he didn't know well."

Kankuro spun her. "So he has been snobbish with you before he got to know you well?"

Tenten gave him a look that lasted for an eternity; at least that was what he felt. "Yes."

"But eventually, he accepted you. And not only that." He paused. "So why do you think his clan wouldn't do the same?"

She averted her face and refused to answer him. Kankuro thought twice before persuading her about it, for he chose to give it a few moments and remained quiet.

When the next piece started, he hummed. "What else? What other differences are there between Sakura and Tenten?"

Tenten's mind focused on his question and pushed the not-fully overwhelming thoughts of Neji to the back of her head. "Our specialisations, obviously." She shrugged, telling him the first thing that came on top of her tongue. "Also, our looks are quite different if you seek something more obvious."

The man snorted in agreement, making her laugh. Sakura was a beautiful woman without any doubt, just not his type.

Tenten leaned closer and mockingly whispered, "She's very pretty and very desirable."

"And you're not?" Kankuro mirrored her shifted mood, letting his tone match hers.

"Well… Not as much, no." She giggled. "Not everyone is attracted to girls like myself." She stuck out her tongue playfully. "Except for you, of course."

He laughed. Still, he couldn't let the opportunity to make her laugh just slide.

"Elaborate," he said with a chuckle.

"We already established your physical reaction earlier. That can count as an attraction, so you're attracted to me. Meaning... you like girls like myself."

His eyes bored into hers for just a fraction of a second. It was a joke based on a true fact. But the way she smiled at him caused a fire to burst in his chest and spread up his neck and face. Suddenly his breath was short, and he felt small beads of sweat break out on his back under the thin shirt. Hadn't she been in such a complicated situation, he would have leaned down and kissed her right there and then. Instead, he pushed down this urge and put out the flames that threatened to swallow his soul.

"Fair enough," he uttered with an almost-there smile.

There was no shift in his expression, but there was something in his eyes that made her cringe and feel... really scared, because she felt wanted. It was flattery in its purest form, and she liked the sensation just before her whole being was drawn into guilt. Tenten had to do something to get both of them out of the upcoming awkward situation. She rushed to pull back — not touching each other right at the moment was the wiser choice.

"You know what? Atsui wants to take us all to a local bar to celebrate his birthday. Let's get you back into your black clothes and makeup and go to the bar. And your hat!" She forced a grin at him. "I really wanna see how many women are going to hit on you for an hour."

Kankuro froze at first, not able to react. He needed a few seconds to assess the meaning of the shadow that had passed over her face. It was fear. Was she scared of him? That was ridiculous, but yet... the fear was there; he was sure he wasn't wrong about it.

Kankuro didn't have much of a choice, so he agreed with a nod and shoved his hands into his pockets.

She nodded in the direction of the table. "Let's go?"

"Sure."

When they got to their group, Kankuro found himself surrounded mainly by chatting women. They started to discuss the organisation for leaving for the bar, the amount of time they would spend there, how much rest they would have, and many other details.

"You won't spend the whole time at the bar alone, right?" Tenten asked him.

"Not if it's up to me," he replied.

The kunoichi's conversation suspiciously died, and they redirected their attention to Kankuro. He usually didn't mind being in the spotlight, but having a few pairs of piercing eyes right about now didn't feel good at all.

"Kankuro and I have a little wager," Tenten explained. "He'll have to spend some of the time in the bar alone, under the predatory eyes of hunting women."

He breathed out, trying hard to ignore the many eyebrows that rose his way.

"I'm not planning on bringing anyone back tonight," he stated. "So I'll need one of you to get me out."

"You're certain that will be necessary?" Tenten mocked him.

"Weird, right?" Temari joined. "I still can't understand why the women like him so much. I've had my share of saving his ass in bars for years." She crossed her arms, chuckling. "I'm skipping it tonight, thank you."

"I'm not sure I understand," Ruka said. "You've been saving him; how? Does he get into some kind of trouble? Fights?"

"Nah, he's a lamb." Temari waved a hand.

Ruka was still puzzled. "Why would he need saving, then?"

Ameno laughed. "There're women that don't understand when a man doesn't want to… be with them in a more intimate setting, let's say. In that case, the man's female friend pretends to be his girlfriend. To get him out of the situation, she saves him."

"Ah, I had to do that once. Though the man wasn't a friend of mine, it was… work. A mission. I had no idea people do it regularly and for fun," she admitted. "Although, it makes sense."

Her hand reflexively pulled a small plate with a sign on it.

"What's that?" Kurotsuchi asked, tilting her chin towards Ruka's hands.

"It's... my name." She looked at her hands with confusion, as if she had just realised what she was doing. "It helps me not to forget."

Ameno patted her back gently without saying anything.

Temari suddenly laughed, remembering a funny story from the recent past, when she last pretended to be Kankuro's girlfriend. She started to tell it aloud, grabbing all the attention. Ruka could take a deep breath and put the plate back under her clothes.

Shikamaru had nodded imperceptibly towards the stairs leading up. Then he went out in the garden, giving Temari time to slip away from her company. A few minutes later, he slank in again and headed towards the covered in blue rug staircase. He climbed, shooting a glance at his teammates over his shoulder. Temari was still there, but she was just turning in his direction.

He didn't react, keeping his pace unchanged, but he couldn't help a very faint, subtle smirk. Earlier, while the kunoichi were dressing up in the kunoichi's changing room, he had succeeded in preparing a little surprise for her… So he reached the last step and moved aside to stand near the wall, waiting.

When Temari set foot on the same last step, her body froze. She needed a fraction of a second to recognise the feeling of Shikamaru's shadow possession. She hadn't felt it in years, but the memory of him making her move and mirroring his own movements had carved deeply not only into her brain but into her body memory as well.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed, annoyed.

"Tying the score," he said nonchalantly and headed down the hallway.

The woman didn't have a choice but to walk beside him.

"You didn't really think that a light touch on your bare knee would be enough, right?" he calmly asked. "Turning into Lee and feeling my bare chest is on a different level."

Temari shivered. She really wanted to look at him, but the shadowy fetters by which he held her bound wouldn't allow it.

"Have you planned this, or are you just playing it by ear?"

Shikamaru chuckled. That was enough of an answer.

"So it's planned," she concluded.

He remained silent when they passed by a few doors; then they stopped in front of a two-winged one without any sign on it.

"Shikamaru," she warned quietly. "Your technique is limited in time," she reminded him.

"I'm well aware; thank you. But for what I've planned, the time will be more than enough." His voice was slightly strained.

The only thing Temari could do was frown.

"Relax," he whispered a bit roughly. "You may actually enjoy it," Shikamaru added before pushing the door open and entering the room with her in tow, repeating his every move.

Temari felt her cheeks starting to burn. She wouldn't admit it at this point, but when Shikamaru stood up to take control, that really made her feel dizzy and excited — tension appeared in her lower abdomen.

They stepped in, and Temari's jaw dropped. It was gloomy… And she couldn't see much at first because the man turned them both to close the doors. Only then did she have the chance to take a good look at what was there. To her left, there were a few gas lamps, whose flames danced on the floor. The shadows were prominent, exactly as Shikamaru would have wanted them to be as a shinobi who manipulated them. And there, in the circle of the lamps, was a big mirror; there was one more in front of the opposite wall.

"What—"

The man hushed her.

Her face burned, and her jaw clenched before she snapped at him. "Nara Shikamaru! You'll stop shushing me right now! This is extremely disrespectful!"

He let out a low laugh and turned his head to her, so she could turn hers and finally look at him.

"You're well aware of what I feel for you; it has nothing to do with disrespect. You know it."

And just like that, the whole irritation was gone, immediately replaced by warmth.

Shikamaru leaned closer, whispering, "I shushed you, because for once, I want you to relax and let go of the control. Can you do that? Trust me?"

Temari wanted to nod, but that was impossible. So she settled for a quietly exhaled yes.

He moved, and she did, too. Taking a few steps forward, she reached the left mirror. Once in front of it, her body turned to face the flawless surface. When Temari peered into it, the realisation dawned on her: Shikamaru had positioned the mirrors in such a way that they could see each other's reflections. But there were no sources of light around Shikamaru's mirror. And why did he put so much effort into this setting when he could just make her turn to him and watch her? That wasn't it... He wanted her to be able to see both him and herself. What was his twisted mind's plan?

Opposite to her raising anxiety, anticipation shook her body, and she felt the signs of arousal in her lower abdomen.

Shikamaru's shadow demanded she lift up her right hand and slowly push the dress's strap off her left shoulder. Teal eyes opened wide, drifting to his reflection. And even though she felt more alert, her excitement only grew.

"Straight to the point, eh?" she quietly commented, filling up the silence.

He only gave her an almost-there smile.

Temari's left hand repeated the movement, baring her right shoulder. The woman took a raspy breath, unwillingly helping the fabric slide further down around her torso and pool around her waist. Temari's face blushed, but she didn't look down. She stood, staring at her own almost-exposed upper body; only a thin, lacey piece of cloth separated her from the full nakedness.

She met his eyes in the mirror; they were serious, dark, and intense. But there was a hint of a wicked smile on his lips. He was taking pleasure not only in her bare form but also in her lack of control and embarrassment. Temari felt her discomfort, curiosity, and excitement, wrestling for dominance. She pushed them down, suppressing all of them, and bit her lip, awaiting his next move with anticipation.

"I've imagined you... too many times for my own good," he confessed quietly. His breathing had laboured, and his voice had become hoarse. "But you... are more beautiful… than each of my fantasies."

Temari smiled. That... All of that wasn't just for his own enjoyment; it was for both of them. She could receive the same pleasure from looking at him and observing his reactions as he did from watching hers. Their eyes met again; longing gazes seared through the reflections, bringing shivers to both of them.

Her hand moved under his command; her fingers slid on the side of her neck. Slowly, very slowly. The breath hitched in her throat. The tip of her pointer finger skittered over one of her collarbones, then skipped to the other one, repeating the movement. At this point, she could safely bet that Shikamaru had a thing for her collarbones — added to what he was doing now, the collarbones were the first part of her he had touched when she challenged him in the forest.

Next, her hand ran between her breasts, fiddling with the lace. She expected him to brave through and make her touch them. He didn't, even though his eyes were staring right at the soft mounds of flesh, still covered in the delicate fabric.

"Shikamaru…" She was surprised by the sound of her own voice — all husky and rough, her throat completely dry.

He didn't answer. In the same moment, the door cracked open for a brief moment and shut right away with a forceful thud. Temari screwed her eyes, and her body tensed up.

"Don't you worry," Shikamaru said. "He would die rather than give our secret away."

Temari frantically looked at his face and assessed his expression — he was calm and smiling. She wasn't given much time to think that over as her hand slid down to her stomach, making her bite her lip.

"What's up?" Lee asked, his curiosity increasing by the second. "What's in there?"

He reached for the door knob, but a big hand lay on his chest.

"Not a lavatory," said the other man firmly.

Lee raised his bushy eyebrows and attempted to reach the handle again. The hand on his chest gently but decisively pushed back and successfully kept him in place, away from the door. Chouji shook his head, making it clear that no one would be allowed to enter. Lee assessed his teammate's face. He had rarely seen such determination on it. It wasn't worth it to take on an argument for something like that. After all, Lee didn't really need to know what was inside, even though his curiosity burned brightly. In the end, he just shrugged, turned, and walked away.

Chouji, who was still at the door, squeezed his eyes briefly, trying to assimilate what he just saw: Temari, with half of her dress removed. And Shikamaru… Shikamaru, damn it!

Shikamaru was many things, but a man who practised a one-night stand with teammates, he certainly was not. Especially leaving a formal dinner and hiding here... just to be alone with any woman? No.

And Temari? She wasn't the type to let any man take advantage of her.

So, following the logic, there was something going on between them. It was about time for Shikamaru to set his eyes on someone in particular, but... Temari? So the saying "a heart wanted what a heart wanted" would have turned out to be true? Right?

A smile settled on his wide face as he nodded to himself.

"Hey, Chouji! Are you coming?" Lee shouted, pointing at another door. He had found the lavatories.

Chouji shook his head and headed towards his teammate; in the meantime, the smile didn't waver from his lips.

The kunoichi's amber eyes bored into his. She felt genuinely intrigued by the wide grin on his face. He hadn't stopped smiling since returning to the table.

She couldn't hold the question in: "Ok, what happened?"

"I just found out something that made me happy," he simply replied.

"It should be something great. As I look at you, I get the feeling that the edges of your mouth will meet on your nape," she noted, amused.

Chouji just shook his head and laughed.

"Let's see," Karui started. "You and Lee disappear upstairs; you come back with an overly happy smile afterwards. So, that may indicate—"

The man's wide-eyed look of pure terror made her choke and burst into a laughing fit. Even though she wanted to stop, she couldn't. Especially when Chouji's face started to redden and twist in a maidenlike expression. Plus, she was more than tipsy, and everything was funnier than usual. Lastly, she was home, and she could relax, letting the loose ends flow around.

"What are you implying?" The man asked, almost hurt.

"I tried to joke," she informed him. "Obviously, the joke was unsuccessful."

"You tried to say that I've had sex with my friend and teammate Lee," he hissed, leaning towards her.

Karui glared at him. "I didn't try. I said it. As a joke. Although, even if it were true, I don't see a particular problem with it."

Chouji frowned; irritation was clearly taking over his face. "You don't see a problem if I've had sex with Lee?"

She leaned closer to him. "Nope. Why would I have a problem with something like that?" she asked quietly.

"Because I thought that you—" he said, shutting himself up and biting his lip.

Karui placed her elbows on the table. "You thought that I was what?"

He averted his face and huffed, mumbling, "Forget it. I've made a mistake and reached the wrong conclusion."

She looked at him with amusement. Chouji thought she was interested in him too. She already knew he liked her; he practically told her right there in her kitchen. And while the alcohol in her system had suppressed her bashful phase, his anxiety and discomfort were still at their peak. But honestly, it was really fun to push his buttons; however, he deserved some small reward for coping with her behaviour. There was no reason to doubt that he would accept it.

Karui pulled back and got on her feet. She placed her hand on his shoulder, making him flinch, and leaned in. Her lips were just beside his ear when she whispered, "You were not wrong. I like you too."

He froze, not daring to look at her; intense redness crept up his neck, spreading on his face. The little hair over his neck rose up, and his hands trembled. Karui liked his reaction and impulsively decided to take one step further; she playfully gave his ear a brief lick. Chouji jolted and almost fell to the floor from his chair.

The woman stifled her laughter and patted his shoulder sympathetically. Before she caused more concussions, she thoughtfully went off a few feet away to talk with a local shinobi, who greeted her from afar with a wave.

Chouji remained in the same body position for a while, fighting with strong waves of emotion flowing freely through his body. Wild thoughts made his mind dizzy, taking him on the great winds of happiness. He knew that she wasn't indifferent; he had felt it. But he didn't even hope for such a confession. The blush that had spread over his ears and neck burned his skin. It was scary and new… And wonderful… But he didn't know what to say or do. Unfortunately, his damn best friend was too busy to be asked…

When the formal part of the evening was coming to an end, the mission group started gathering near their table.

Chouji looked around for Ino and Shikamatu. The former grinned at him and came closer.

"We're going to a bar!" she exclaimed, grabbing his massive hand and hanging on it like a child to its mother.

"I don't feel like drinking more," he said.

"Then don't!" Ino grinned. "Be the sober mind of the group."

"I think I'll skip," Lee said, stretching his back. A loud crack made him groan. "I need sleep. Sitting here's a hundred times more exhausting than training."

Chouji frantically searched Ino's eyes. His face was worried and a bit flushed. She narrowed her blue eyes in suspicion and focus, entering his head unannounced.

"What," she said almost threateningly, "do you know?"

"What're you talking about?" He tried to deflect her attack, but they both knew it was a useless effort.

"Shikamaru." That was the only thing she said.

"Temari?" was the only thing he asked.

She was quiet for a couple of seconds before uttering, "Yes."

"We need to make Lee come to the bar," Chouji stated worryingly. "He shares a room with Shikamaru."

"Relax; I'm on it. Just stay put and come along." Ino chuckled, and the sound resonated into the man's head. "And Chouji... Please sneak up and leave him a note. I'm far from welcome in his head right now." Ino laughed while withdrawing from his mind.

After downing the remaining contents of her glass, Ino turned to Lee and hooked a hand around his arm with a grin.

"Nope, you're coming. We need sober people with us, the drunkheads. You can't possibly abandon us in such a situation, right?"

Lee winced at the thought of him abandoning his teammates.

Chouji laughed merrily and hurried to excuse himself, saying that he needed to visit the lavatories.

Ino had struck the right string with Lee. She knew it the moment his eyes shifted to her with a new glow of determination.

"I'll accompany you, of course," he said firmly, then looked around in confusion. "But where's Shikamaru?"

"Ah, he was summoned for a private conversation," she lied through her teeth.

He shrugged — he didn't have any reason not to believe her. "Alright." Lee looked at Tenten, his face twisted in a sad grimace. "Although, I thought she would want to go to bed early today."

"People deal with grief differently, you know. Plus, I'm sure she'll be in bed no later than midnight. It's still early."

He nodded slowly, his eyes drifting down. "You're right." An awkward pause appeared before he continued, "I'm not going to bother her with reminders... But I'll be there for her if she needs me."

"You're a good friend, Lee. She'll need you tonight," Ino patted his arm; she knew what her mother expected tonight, trembling like a leaf.

"Let's go!" Atsui announced and led the group to the exit.

According to the patched-up plan, they were going back to the dressing rooms for a quick change, then heading to that infamous bar. Samui was going to reserve a table or two and wait for them there.

Her fingers caressed the flesh around her own breasts. Slowly. Sensually. Her breathing laboured, turning into soft pants, and her lips parted to ease the access of air to her lungs. Occasional shivers shook her shoulders under Shikamaru's unwavering gaze. His eyes soaked up every involuntary motion and every emotion-driven mimic on her face, hungry for more.

A quiet, single tap on the door snapped both their heads at it, their bodies ready to move. Shikamaru prepared to release the shadow binding in an instant. But nothing came after. No one opened or even knocked again.

Shikamaru sighed and withdrew his shadow; it shrank back, letting Temari free from its grip.

Her hands remained in the same places he left them, still trembling. Her face changed as if she had been contemplating and finally made a decision. She turned to him with a frighteningly blank expression. Lifting her hand, she curled her pointer finger in a gesture, demanding that he come closer. He kept his own face calm and obliged to her mute request. His eyes never left hers while he put one foot in front of the other until he stopped before her.

Temari didn't return the top of her dress to its place and covered her body. She left it pooled around her waist, giving him quite a sight of her barely-covered breasts. Since he was already in her intimate physical space, she took his hand and slowly, almost ceremoniously, laid it under her left costal arch. Shikamaru's gaze followed her movement. Goosebumps rose from the sensation of his fingers finally touching her; she exhaled with relief.

He peered at her face — she had bitten her lower lip; the look in her eyes was soft, but somehow… worried.

Shikamaru caressed her skin. "What are you trying to tell me?" he asked in whispers.

She didn't answer but shut her eyes. Her hand grasped his firmly, and while she tried to ignore the clamminess of her palm, she still moved their hands lower. Soon, their limbs sank under the fabric around her waist.

Shikamaru focused on the sensation of her — her skin was soft, warm, and flawless... Until the tips of his fingers found something different — a prominent, rough scar.

Temari pulled the dress further down, so the damaged skin was on full display.

"I should've told you sooner," she whispered, her tone regretful. "I couldn't bring myself to go through it right away... But it's not fair to leave you in a state of ignorance. Not now, when everything looks so… serious… and real."

She brushed his hand gently before fully retracting it from her stomach. Shikamaru finally lowered his eyes to see the source of her anxiety. The scar was pale; the injury was old, he reasoned. It was thwarted, lying on the left side of her low abdomen, less than two inches in length. It didn't look like a surgical incision, though marks of stitching could be seen. If she had been stitched up, there should have been a medic there. And the medics were able to smooth out scars and make them almost invisible. So if she had chosen to keep it, the event must have been very important — a reminder. Shikamaru was ready to bet that the event she had gotten the scar into was terrible enough. Maybe he was a bit ahead of himself, but he could guess that this rough line probably represented a milestone in her life.

Shikamaru traced the rugged surface with a tender expression on his face when she dreaded disgust.

"Tell me… Share your fears with me," he pleaded, glancing into her eyes. "Let me take a part of your pain."

She took a raspy breath and spoke so quietly that he had to read the words on her lips rather than hear them.

"It happened shortly after I became sexually active. It turned out that the person I picked out for my partner then, with the Council's blessing, wasn't... careful."

Shikamaru could tell she was struggling to press the next words out; Temari was biting her lip and looking at the floor.

"So, he got you pregnant?" He whispered the most logical suggestion he could muster; his voice was dripping with sadness.

"He… did. And I wasn't aware at the very beginning because my menstruation had never been regular. But… My condition resulted in sudden sickness during a mission, which almost cost me my life. I was wounded in the stomach and ended up in a hospital. When I woke up, the doctor who performed my surgery explained that I had been pregnant for about eight or nine weeks. The kunai that wounded me killed…" She pressed her lips together after the last word hitched in her throat.

"It's alright," Shikamaru consoled, caressing her bare shoulder.

"They had to remove my left ovary and patch up my uterus. That... considerably decreases the chances of me having… kids."

His voice remained calm and soft. "Decreases? It's not final then?"

"Decreases to the extent of infertility, in the worst-case scenario," she uttered.

Shikamaru leaned in and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes, relishing in the warm feeling that radiated from him.

"If I haven't been wounded, I was going to check on my health anyway and discover the pregnancy then. And since the courting was kind of officially approved, the Council was going to force me into marrying that person. I wouldn't be allowed to have an abortion." Sobs shook her shoulders, and bitter tears rolled down her face, leaving glittering traces in their tracks. "I broke up with him as I insisted on returning to my shinobi's duties. I told them that I wanted to serve my village first, doing missions, before I settled down to give Suna an heir. He was against it at first. Then I offered him to wait for me another six-seven years. He gave it a thought and decided he'd go for another potential wife instead." She paused. "He was never informed about my pregnancy. I'm sure the doctor and his staff, as well as Baki, will take this to their graves."

"Do your brothers know about that?"

"God, no… They can be overly protective about me, especially when I was younger."

Shikamaru enveloped her with his arms and pressed her even closer. She rested her head on his shoulder and cradled her face against the side of his neck.

"Why are you telling me all of that now?"

It sounded like a stupid question, but Temari knew better. This man was a lot of things and a lot of things he wasn't; "stupid" fell into the latter category. She decided to just play along and say it aloud as if he didn't already know.

"Because you need to know. You want to share your life with me, but I'm coming with luggage. It's not fair to you if I keep this to myself. It's an important factor in the decision-making process about whether it is worth it to make a family with me."

"I've made up my mind, Temari," he said in her ear.

"Entering into a marriage with me may mean you won't have any children, Shikamaru," she emphasised. "You are about to become Nara's next head. Are you ready to face your clan's expectations, knowing well that you may not give them an heir? I'm not sure I can bear this burden."

He sighed, pushing her face gently closer to his skin. "You've made the rightful choice telling me this," he started with a serious tone. "You've thought about how having no children can affect me." He kissed her head. "Thank you."

His fingers slowly caressed her hair. "Let me take responsibility and decide what I want to do with my life. I was never too prone to having kids in the first place. I'm sorry, but most of us were brats as kids. I don't expect anything different from my own child." He chuckled, making her shift slightly so she could see part of his face. "When I think about it, I was never too willing to get married to such a troublesome woman, but... here I stand, confident in my choice nonetheless."

"So you say you've never really wanted kids, but you think that may change?" Temari summarised.

"I'm saying that if I don't have kids, I likely wouldn't want any. I didn't want to get married to you before I got to know you well." He pressed his forehead on her head and whispered, "I want to marry you, not your uterus, Temari."

She gasped and let out a short laugh. "Sadly, my uterus is a part of me." Temari sounded bitter.

"Exactly." He nodded into her hair. "Your uterus is just a part of you." Shikamaru lifted her chin with his fingers and pecked her lips. "It's just a part, not the other way around; you're not just a part of it."

"Shikamaru," she breathed out in a slight irritation.

"Even if you were completely intact, with no injuries whatsoever, or if you've never gotten pregnant and ended up wounded before we got married... even then, no one in the entire world could've guaranteed either of us that you wouldn't get injured and lose your ability to have children after our wedding. And lose our child on a mission," he reasoned.

A heavy sigh left her lungs. "I know that. But in this case, we will start in other—"

"Temari, stop!" he interrupted quietly. "I'm not backing off. If you want to have me, I still want to marry you. I'm capable of dealing with all complications that may or may not come with it."

She pulled back and sought his dark eyes, looking for traces of repulsion, doubt, or something that would justify her letting him go; she found only sympathy, tenderness, and raw affection that squeezed her heart in a deathgrip, leaving her breathless. Temari's chest rose; tingling warmth spread in waves in her body. Her lips tugged in a smile. She caressed his cheek, lightly pressing fingertips on his lips. While nibbling her nose in the crook of his neck in one of the greatest signs of affection she had ever displayed, she sensed him huff. Temari peered at him — he was smiling.

He understood...

"We should go back," he murmured, gripping her tighter. His hands slid down her body, and he picked up the dress to return it to its original place. Temari helped him with the straps, melting in the sensation his fingertips caused over her skin. "You look ravishing in blue, by the way," he complimented.

"You are not half-bad yourself," she replied, pulling back so she could childishly stick her tongue out at him. "And I must say that I was impressed by your creativity."

"Oh, oh, full compliment! That's rare!"

She chuckled, turning to the door. Her hand slipped down, tangling their fingers together. The sense of his calloused skin sent delicious goosebumps up her arm.

Seeing him use his brain for something different than shogi, politics, and planning missions was both natural and exciting. Natural because if he could create a very complicated plan covering most, if not all, possible outcomes, he surely could create something not half bad for his personal life. Exciting because it was Temari to witness it... No one else.

And, honestly, she didn't even want to ask how he managed to arrange the room, the mirrors, the candles... And in such a short time? How did he justify the need for those items? Temrai shook her head and squeezed his hand.

They stopped before the door, and he reached for the knob. His movement stilled, and his eyes turned down. Temari followed his gaze; her eyebrows rose. Shikamaru reluctantly released her hand and bent down to pick up the white napkin, barely visible, stuck in the crack under the door. Flapping it open, he fixed on a very familiar, scribbled handwriting.

"It's from Chouji," he informed while his eyes skittered over the letters.

She lifted on her tiptoe, trying to peer in. "What's inside?"

"He apologises that he saw us. He says he's really happy for us and promises that he'll keep our secret."

"Kind guy, isn't he?" Temari chuckled.

"He is, indeed."

"That's all? Is there something else?" She tried to peek in again.

"They are going to a bar." He sighed and started reading aloud, "Shikamaru, I'm so sorry I burst in like that. I'm so happy for you two! She's the most suitable woman for your lazy—"

"Now, you just made that up!" She interrupted him.

He grinned. "You got me. Anyway, the group's going to be in a bar called 'Pillar In The Clouds'. They've asked about where we were, but Ino convinced them we've been called to an urgent meeting."

"Right," Temari said.

"Lee was going to see us as well, but Chouji stopped him. They've taken him to the bar and will keep him there as long as they can. That's it."

"I guess we are going to a bar, then?" She raised an eyebrow.

"That's the plan." He nodded and reached for her hand. Very slowly, while keeping his eyes on hers, he kissed the top of her hand. "Ladies first," he said with a light bow, gesturing for her to leave the hall.

Temari gave him a smile and slipped out.

He waited for a few minutes and followed her.

Thank you, jtoo!