Dancing in the rain was a foreign concept to Shikamaru. He hated the attention pulled from dancing, and the cold wetness from the rain was always annoying. Adding the two together sounded like a nightmare.
Until, however, in the first June he spent living with Temari. It was one of the first times she had experienced a true rainy season, living in a desert limited that. She had spent the whole day sitting on the porch, staring into the dark clouds as the rain poured.
Shikamaru watched from the window, seeing her hold out her hand and feeling the droplets on her fingers. If he squinted, he could see the soft smile on her face that usually came when she was remembering something special.
The cold breeze had goosebumps all over Shikamaru's arms, even with his layering of clothes. Despite that, he took a leap of faith and opened the backdoor, sitting at Temari's side.
He waited patiently, knowing Temari would speak up soon. He didn't want to try speaking with his chattering teeth. He truly hated the cold.
"When they were kids... Kankuro and Gaara used to stare at the rain whenever it came... they were so fascinated by it, it soothed them when nothing else could."
Shikamaru let out a small laugh. Temari's memories of those two were always so innocent and sweet, a perk of being an older sister. She saw the good, the bad, and then the beauty of them both throughout their lives. Now that they were together, he could see it too.
They sat in a comfortable silence, small speckles of rain attacking Shikamaru's feet as it came down. It wasn't too hard, not enough to block the view of the trees, but it was hard enough to make puddles ans mud.
"I remember... just before the one tails took over Gaara's mind... I took them outside. They were so happy, feeling the rain on their skin for the first time. I sat undercover, until Kankuro came and pulled me out. We danced until the rain stopped."
Her eyes sunk slightly, her dearest memories were sometimes painful. Knowing how grown her brothers are, and that she'll never get to experience that again as they drift off onto their own lives. But her smile persisted.
Shikamaru gently grabbed her hand, staring out into the forest with her as another silence settled in. He ran his thumb over her knuckles, leaning onto her shoulder as he sunk into his own thoughts.
Dancing wasn't something he'd ever do, willingly going into the pouring rain wasn't something he'd do either. And yet...
Shikamaru stood up suddenly, discarding the blanket draped around his body and pulling Temari up. He stepped out into the weather, tensing at the feeling of rain drenching his clothes. Temari followed, her eyes wide and her brows furrowed in confusion. Shikamaru pulled her out further.
Blades of grass stuck to his feet, the ground sinking slightly when he took a step. He felt his toes slowly going numb when the wind picked up.
When they had ample space, Shikamaru pulled Temari into a hug, resting his head on her shoulder as he adjusted to the new feelings. His clothes clung to his body tightly, sticking to Temari's as she returned the hug and pulled him closer.
Bare foot on wet grass.
Tight clothes on wet skin.
A soft kiss pressed to wet hair.
Temari smiled, gently rocking her body and his to simulate a dance. Shikamaru relaxed with the movement, leaning into her to sap up the rest of the warmth in her skin. Her body held heat much better than his did.
Her hands slowly pulled his arms off, entwining their fingers and moving to a more pronounced movement. It wasn't too much, barely a waltz. Temari wasn't a dancer either, it seemed.
Shikamaru moved with her, tripping over his own feet while keeping their eyes locked. Temari smiled wider at his gaze, her bangs laying flat and sticking to her forehead, almost hiding her eyebrows furrowing. Her face was always so expressive.
A heat rose to Shikamaru's face, making the rain more bareable. They slowly spun together, Temari raising his arm and letting him twirl before pulling him close to dip him. Shikamaru gripped her shoulders tightly at the unexpected move, yelping when she pulled him up and lifted him, spinning around while errupting with laughter.
When Shikamaru's feet met the ground again, he joined her, holding onto her arms to support himself.
Temari pressed a kiss to his lips, all of her joy melting into it. Shikamaru reciprocated insantly.
Maybe dancing in the rain wasn't that bad afterall.