Control given, not taken.
Enjoy.
The easiest way to control a simple minded man, she had discovered, was through the secret she held between her legs.
Sex had always been easy for her.
She toyed with men using them as she so pleased, getting what she wanted out of it, no strings attached, a simple primal urge that needed satisfying from time to time. The high quick and easy to manage on her own, the man underneath simply a toy to be played with, and when it was over, she tossed them aside and went about her way, shameless in her desires, lacking interest in the touches that followed after, the ones that created ties.
Why had this felt different?
His touch was that of a lover, but rougher, it had claimed each inch of her skin as his, his touch, eyes that she had felt compelled to stare back at, not avoid, not glare back at to control, she allowed him to seek truth in her own, she wanted him to.
Even rough, he was soft.
The third time had definitely made her purr with each drag of his hand against her body, sparked fire keeping warm, not hot and burning. The man was not simple minded, she almost didn't notice how strategic his moves were, studying her body against her will, she hated to wait, and yet she grew more patient with him, allowing him her time. He had worshiped each scar during the act, a kiss with a fist if she had to describe it poetically, fucking with feeling if she wanted to be blunt.
A fight for control of the other.
The control given willingly, not taken forcefully.
It had been a while since she burned with need rather than want, and she needed him.
"Can we go slower?"
The question past cherry tasting lips, a breathless pant following, voice meek and shaking, as Shiho tried to catch her breath finally with the disconnect of his lips, his new focus, the curve of her thin neck, a bruise already forming from the kiss he had taken from her at her apartment doorway.
"Huh?" His nerves, a rare impatience taking over Shikamaru, a hand hidden under her dress, holding onto the pale leg, ready to claim the delicate skin.
"You're uh" Shiho swallowed, catching her breath, nervous and blushing more than when she had been at her invitation for him to come into her apartment, the third casual date set up by Ino leading to a kiss that had lasted too long, and hands that wandered too far on both their ends "you're just a little rough, Shikamaru" at the statement he stilled, realizing, pulling his touch away from her to look down, he had been thoughtless, caught up in the moment.
"I'm sorry" He towered over her, a shadow over her shaking form, as if she was a rabbit caught under the piecing gaze of a hungry wolf. Predator vs prey, and the rabbit had to remind him to be gentle, to be restrained by the leash at his neck, to act normal like any domestic dog "got caught up in it" he mumbled, inhaling to calm his pant.
"It's fine" her hand to his heaving chest, her attempt at aiding him, to calm him "just a little slower, please" with her plea he nodded and waited for her to lead, waited for her to make every decision.
His moves after, slower, calmer, softer, overthinking every gesture for her sake, so that she would remain untouched in his hands, as if she was glass that needed to be held delicately, carefully. Hands that have killed, meant to now cautiously caress her. Enough to satisfy for the time being, but not enough to fill the need to release the anger, the feelings held within. The true desire to claim another, to hold on for dear life, to keep grounded, clouding his thoughts some days.
She had been an excuse to feel normal, to keep calm when his mind darkened, he had feared her finding out what he really was, so he kept light, indifferent on the outside, taking each given opportunity only when it was given. He didn't fuck, he made love, simple and easy, but it wasn't enough, it wasn't filling, it was a lie.
It had only been temporary relief.
Tuesday, 6:32 AM
Song Suggestion- Arctic Monkeys- Do I Wanna Know?
The morning brought forth with it the rise of the sun, the busied streets of the city beginning their normal commute to work, the morning after troubles following.
The bed was no longer cold, the warming fire beside him would never allow it.
Twenty minutes, he concluded to himself, for twenty minutes he hadn't moved from the quiet task of watching her breath, observing the simple act with great fascination. Laid on her front, hugging a pillow under her head, face hidden, golden hair wild and perfect, just as she had been, his sights set to her back, following the curve of the tanned skin to the bare bottom, skipping past the light bruises formed at her hips, his touch rough, her pleas for more clouding all reasons for him to stop.
Her need for him, his need for her, he still didn't know who had won the battle for control, a tie, he concluded after a moment of thought.
Control given, willingly, she trusted him that much, but even he knew it was temporary with this troublesome woman.
Who had used who, he still couldn't decide.
It truly had been too long since he'd be satisfied, as if he'd been recovering from a bad habit and she had been the fix to start the hunger again, to make him crave her like the first drag of a cigarette. Obsessive type, she had called it, his distraction had simply taken his interest, that was all. Right? One night with her had done its trick. No need to overthink it, not that he hadn't been running down the paths attempting to figure out what to do from here, from a fall this great, but one he couldn't bring himself to regret, no, he would rather get shot again than regret this. He took this punishment with his head held high, the devil was a temptress and he was tempted to keep returning for more, to suffer under her own hungry gaze.
Was it purposeful or just a happy coincidence?
Something stronger than fear, but what was it?
A scar trailing down her side caught his attention next, thin and faint, barely seen, years old, he figured a knife had gotten to the flesh at some point. Wondering now what the feeling would be like under his fingers, a light touch required to inspect it. As he moved his hand, just barely grazing the end of the scar, her whole body froze quickly, as if he had startled her, tense as she spoke, the devil returning to her voice.
"Don't touch me" the command, he didn't hesitate to lift the fingers off her, hovering over the skin, but slow in understanding why the defense had made itself know. The facade, the mask slipped over her, was this it? Was this what he had noticed after the first time? A puzzle he wanted to figure out. He hummed, as it the low vibration of his voice could soothe her as he spoke.
"So we can fuck, but I can't touch you outside of that?" He muttered, wondering out loud, his hand returning to his chest, eyes remaining to the hourglass as she shifted, the fire sparked "What kind of philosophy is that anyways?"
"Touch is for lovers" she turned her head glaring back at him, teals ever so bright, their shade still like any other he had ever seen in the world, unnatural and intriguing, he couldn't look away even if he was forced to "which we are not" with her firm statement, forbidding him to argue on the matter, she turned back to hiding her gaze away from him, a irritated sigh following in her explanation "we are two people who simply had a itch to scratch, that is all"
"Four times" he scoffed, putting his hand to his chest, absently rubbing the sore spot.
"It was a demanding itch" she huffed back with a subtle tense in her shoulders, he could imagine the furrow of her brows, annoyed with him.
"A itch you begged for me to scratch" he smirked when her head turned back to him, catching the glare with a quick indifferent shrug, sharing in the secret.
"I do not beg" she stubbornly argued, useless in her lie.
"But you did" he hummed knowingly, keeping her honest, sparked anger turning to him, just like he knew it would, effort enough to get her to come to him, since he could not come to her.
"You better take that one to your grave, Nara" a threat he stupidly ignored.
"Truce, remember" arrogance, she moved to silence it, to keep her secret, her nude body above his in the same moment he finished speaking, towering above to look down at him, one hand at his chest clawed and prepared, his own hands already at the hips straddling his waist, missing the feel of her under his cold fingers, she was always warm, holding what had been his during the night, the rising sun coming to take away the shadows that had once held her, only leaving behind bruised memories on their skin.
Two predators fighting for dominance.
The sight of her, intoxicating, even more so when he could bask in her beauty during the light of day, but it was short lived. Outside of the room they did not belong, so he took every moment now as if it would be their last, even the troublesome ones.
"Piss me off enough and you'll see how fast that truce goes out the door" fearless under the heat, burning beautifully as it should, he settled with a check on the board and grinned up to her, calm against the storm.
"Does this mean we can go for five?" His question met with that sharp inhale, his press against her, his member responding to the banter, her body already wet and waiting for him.
"You are a hard man to please" she let out her breath, contemplating behind her narrowed gaze, keeping off him, teasing his advance, grinning slightly as he spoke.
"I am a motivated man, and you are a woman who begs" the calm keeping her focus, the truth, always stronger than a lie "I see two paths here, Temari" her name, rolling from his tongue low and soothing, compelling her to listen, the taste still lingering as the hunger grew at the sight of her, her gaze narrowed softly, curious "you can either lay back and let me take you, or" he lifted his hips just enough to speak for himself, she bit her lip "you can do the work from right here" the clawed fingers dragged down his chest as she lowered closer to him.
"What would you prefer?' She hummed close, but just out of reach.
"The former" a taste of the divine, so close.
"Hungry?" The simple part of her lips, soft and pink, his focus on them.
"Very" a whisper, distracted when she flashed a smirk down to him, trouble.
"Make me coffee and I'll think about it" she remained in her spot, hovering, mirth behind her teals at her tease.
"Now I feel used" he sighed, his options given and she choose her own instead, an amusing back and forth battle for the control.
"You'll feel used later" the hum in her voice, stilling his thoughts, she lowered past him, speaking against his ear, nipping it with her teeth, like the nightmare, feeling the tense muscles under her fingers as she dragged them down his body, agreeing with his decision "when I have your tongue between my legs" he swallowed, her final hit, just like her kick, his name stilling all thoughts before he died, this woman and her need to fight back "Shikamaru"
He'd brag to hell when he died, all about how he tasted heaven without even passing its gates.
"Now that is motivation" suddenly out of breath, match point hers, and he took his loss with a sigh, already planning ahead for the next round.
What he didn't see was the way the teals followed him out the door, gaze open and content, hiding the soft grin and her laugh in the dark grey pillow.
A stomp of heels, early morning, the lack of coffee already giving her a headache after her final shot last night. Ino groaned as she passed level five of her apartment stairs and headed to six. One more, she told herself, one more and she could sleep off some of last nights decisions, she would have stayed, pressed against Sai like she had been, but she was needed elsewhere, she needed to prepare for today, to aid her best friend, her twin as she always called him.
Her thoughts aching, still a lightweight, yet better than Sai had been, two shots in and he was blushing with her, both laughing after the talk, the one that opened doors, the one that led her to now call him hers. The touches after more amazing than she could have imagined since she first laid eyes on him.
She grinned for a moment, feeling mushy and light in one go, stilling when she heard the yapping bark of a small yorkie, her downstairs neighbor's dog Cece, behind the bark a woman.
"Ino, good morning dear" her neighbor, the one who lived under Shikamaru, Mrs. Nina Kusi. A flamboyant middle aged woman, she worked for herself and her dog, very loud, her dog just as much. Her morning walk right on time, seven on the dot.
"Good morning, Mrs. Kusi" she resisted the urge to groan, faking a cheerful voice to keep suspicions down.
"Are you just getting in?" nosey, the woman always was.
"Something like that" she gave a tight smile, outwardly bright, inwardly forced. The pale woman chuckled knowingly before grabbing her dog in her hands, brushing away her dyed black hair.
"Dear, tell Shikamaru not to make so much noise, will you?" the annoyed statement met with Cece barking "he was stomping around all night long" Mrs. Kusi tutted, holding her dog close "Cece and I barley got any sleep with it"
"But he's" she paused and only nodded, cautious now with the new knowledge "don't worry Mrs. Kusi, I'll set him straight" she gave a firm nod as Mrs. Kusi waved behind her.
Her mission, be ready by noon, wait for him at the destination he had planned out. Did something unexpected happened? Did he get attacked? Who had been in his apartment? Why had he returned to his apartment? That wasn't the plan.
Her mind worked with the possibilities, each question forcing her to jog up the steps before she turned to his door, hers standing right behind her. Her gun hidden in her apartment, but she forgot in the worry, eyes trained to the seven one on his door. With a short sigh, one to calm her nerves, she reached and finished the turn on the knob.
Ready now to witness what secret stood behind the door.
With the turn of the door, Shikamaru stilled the coffee at his lips, focus returning from his thoughtful gaze out the blinds. The blonde who entered, the heels giving her away, the reminder that he wasn't supposed to meet up with Ino until noon, wanting to keep her safe in the process of his attempt to have a conversation alone with the Mistress of Suna. Shikamaru let out a sigh, so much for secrets, taking a sip from the mug, it began.
One, a shocked gasp.
Two, her handbag dropped from her shoulder to the floor.
Three, she squealed, and he swore his ears started bleeding.
"What the hell happened!?" Ino screeched, standing frozen in her shock "Shikamaru!" blue eyes wide and searching quickly to find him, his look back calm as he set his mug down.
"Morning Ino" he called out evenly, calm, leaning against the counter on his folded arms.
"What the fuck happened?!" she gestured wildly to the room. Taking a look now in the daylight, it wasn't pretty. A pillow torn, feathers floating around the floor, his armchair flipped, the shougi game somehow had managed to remain intact on the table. The broken vase he had side stepped on his way to the kitchen. The bullet holes and stray throwing knives to his counter, wall, and couch only noticed when she waved a wild hand to him, like a mime silently gesturing out a comical scene, he knew his apartment would be in ruins after last night, he just didn't expect Ino to look ruined herself at the sight.
"I can explain" he took a breath, thought it through for a fraction of a second, something else distracting him, the golden blonde walking down the hall, in his button up, he almost pitched himself to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, the woman truly had no limits "but it really is a drag to get into it"
She was as unpredictable as a gust of wind.
"Have fun explaining this mess" Temari stepped out, unconcerned, glancing at Ino in passing "good morning Blondie" it took a moment for Ino to process the events, staring open mouthed at Temari, her walk leading her to his side, her promised mug of coffee already in her hands.
"What is she doing here?" Ino gapped at them, turning from one to the other, trying to make some sense of the scene "why is the vase broken? why are you shirtless, why is she naked, what the hell happened?" Words spilling out faster than he could comprehend, coffee working slower, his distraction taking half his focus when she glanced at him expectantly.
It would really be to much trouble to explain, to much trouble to lie.
"It is exactly what it looks like" he glanced past his next sip, keeping calm in Ino's panic.
"You're not supposed to think with your dick, idiot" a horrible attempt at whispering, she waved her hands and slapped them to side, blues wide. Temari raised a brow, eyes narrowed and looking from Ino to him.
"I didn't" his voice dropping to a mumble at the end "at first" beside him a sigh.
"Do you make it a habit to yell at him every morning?" Temari set her cup down to the counter, her focus now on Ino as the two matched each other in putting this hands on their hips, sizing the other up.
"Do you make it a habit to be naked when meeting someone for the first time?" Ino shot back, fixated in glaring back as unfazed as she could under the unimpressed teals.
"This is not naked" Temari stated plainly, as if it was obvious, stepping towards Ino, fingers working on the buttons she pulled the shirt off and let it drop on the floor with a smirk "this is naked" Ino's eyes dropped, a widen of the blues at the shameless gesture, a subtle blush following. A perfect distraction indeed, even his eyes fell back to watching the hourglass in her amusement.
"Did you guys fight or have sex?" Ino asked awkwardly, looking away from her to Shikamaru.
"Both" they replied in unison.
"In what order?" Ino mumbled to herself, peeking back at the other woman for a second before tensing further, blushing more and looking away.
"We should uh" taking a moment to look away, relief in being behind the counter, he rubbed his neck and focused on the teals turning back to him "probably get ready then"
"Fine" Temari grabbed the coffee from the counter, taking his look away with a knowing smirk before turning "but I'm not getting handcuffed again add that to the truce, Nara" she called back, moving past a quiet Ino, stepping around the broken vase pieces and down the hall, feeling the bright blues glaring back at him.
"Ino" he started calmly, eyes set down the hallway "you are not allowed to judge me for this"
"Was it any good at least?" they both watched her sway down the hall, every angle of the sun beautiful as he had confessed once. Shikamaru gave Ino a pointed look, eyes speaking through the breif exchange, she huffed and crossed her arms "stupid question, she looks like she could ruin you"
"I think she did" he hummed and took a sip. It hadn't been the plan, it was the unexpected, a breath of fresh air, if he wanted to sound like some dead poet.
A click of heels and a drawn out Sunian accent.
"Dear gods, she killed the man"
He knew that voice.
"Good morning, Sen" he called out to the dirty blonde, three women in his apartment, and each more troublesome than the next. Sen looked around the mess for a second before she turned to Shikamaru, lips pursed in thought, holding a bag at her side.
"Nara, you are still alive?" She lowered her sunglasses and raised a brow at him, humming as if debating whether the new discovery was worth her anger or her praise, she finished with a sigh, acceptance "you are a stubborn man, if you run towards the fire like this, you are bound to get burned, but at least you're not dead" she tsked at him, scolding, and turned to Ino with a grin when she noticed her "Blondie" Ino furrowed her brows at her given nickname "I see you are still in the dress from yesterday, must have had a good night with your lover, yes?"
A pause, Shikamaru glanced at Ino, leaning his chin against his palm.
"Lover?" His eyes narrowed, her blush instant and guilty, body tense and suddenly awkward, the same reaction she got talking about her crush, Sai.
"You don't get to judge me for this" Ino hissed, confessing quickly under her breath, feeling his quiet gaze to her side and her fury peaking "Who is she anyways, and why does she know I wore this yesterday?" her confidence returned, forcing a irritated look to Sen, a sly grin returned by the dirty blonde.
"Ino this is Sen she's been spying on us for the past few months" simple explanation met with Ino tightening her grip on her crossed arms, uncomfortable. Sen looked him up and down past the sunglasses as she shook her head.
"Idiot" she scoffed as she turned and made her way down the hallway, leaving him with Ino.
"Suna women are mean" Ino muttered, leaning beside him on the counter, he blew out a breath in agreement.
"You know" Shikamaru ventured quietly, already knowing the answer from the stubborn childhood friend "you can still back out, Ino"
"Twin connection, Shika" she huffed, annoyed at his further worry "I am not letting you do this alone" she looked severely to him "do we trust her?"
"For now" he sighed "we have common ground, and our interests are aligned, but she won't make today easy for any of us, and neither will Tsuande"
"Sounds like a drag doesn't it?" He smirked, setting his cup down.
"I'll meet you at headquarters then" he walked with her to the door "be prepared for the backup plan if things go south and we can't convince Tsunade to withdraw"
"Try not to get distracted, again" Ino nudged his shoulder with a teasing smirk.
"That woman does not take no for a answer" he scoffed, amused with her.
"Go us for getting laid" she raised a hand, he groaned and lifted his to accept the high five.
"Maybe we do have a twin connection" he gave the thought a amusing moment to play out in his head as he shut the door behind Ino, turning back to head towards his distraction, his true mission.
The bitter aftertaste of coffee, a wrinkle in her nose at his lack of sugar, but she drank anyways, still feeling the taste in the back of her throat of the scotch they had shared.
The deal they had made.
She had felt that gaze at her back, all twenty minutes of it, she had counted, wondering briefly what he had come to conclusion with before he braved that touch. Touch was meant for people that held ties to one another, she had no ties to him, only mutual understanding, similar goals in mind. To make sure Gaara was not killed, to ensure war did not start, to get rid of Orochimaru, to work together just long enough to stop everything, if not Fire, then he could do for now. Her secrets still hidden. The sex just ink to a contract, insurance that she could trust him for the time being, the fighting in between just a habit hard to break, something about arguing with him was like a breath of fresh air, the marks just reminders that he was not giving up.
Touch was for lovers and he could not be one to her.
The goosebumps at the memory of his cold fingers sent a shiver down her spine, caution, reminded that he was not a simple minded man.
The fourth time she had been compelled, lost in her observation, in her distraction, laying her chin on her folded arms, teals shining with the lights of the late morning city atmosphere, eyes narrowed and glaring, like a predator readying to strike her prey. Her gaze turning curious as she let herself wander down his body, settling momentarily on the rise and fall of his chest as he slept, even and calm. An arm thrown over his closed eyes, another at his side, a man who knew more than he needed to, dangerous, but he was far from simple minded, his actions proved that much, her body tensed at the memory and she moved.
When she settled above him, a hand ready to break their deal with a simple grip to his throat, to silence secrets, the arm over his eyes moved to still her, instinct. Teals met the dark gaze. How to escape, she had wondered during the silent stare down, before leaning down pressing her lips to his, pleading for another fight, he had accepted without a moment to think. He had laid her bare before him, just as she had him, she had given him the idea. The moments after, neither spoke, the fight was silent, even their breathing feared to make noise until the end.
She used to hate the quiet, but his was different.
Who had been more dangerous still remained undetermined.
"Interesting" she mumbled behind the lip of the cup, sipping when she finally heard it. The hum of judgment behind her, she almost groaned when she realized who had shown up, seven already she guessed.
"You seem brighter" the statement met with a sigh as Temari turned back to her, a subtle narrow of her eyes, forced, but Sen had always been one to read into her gestures, the close family ties between the shadows of Suna "he must have been good to you"
"Your observation was accurate, that's all" her firm words failing to change the stoic hazel glare back, wanting more details about her absence last night, the mission completed and she had vanished, a afterthought that Kankuro would be angry with her later "he was selfless and I was in need" Temari shrugged, brushing away her questions, setting the cup down on the dresser and reaching for the bag at Sen's side.
"You should be more careful, he fights back" she handed her a bag over, lowering her gaze down her body and the hazel gaze widening "my gods he fights back" Sen moved to circle her, trailed a finger at her hips, teals narrowed annoyingly, before Sen glanced up with a grin, sly "who won?"
"We drew at a tie" she admitted begrudgingly, a snort from Sen as she straightened hands at her hips.
"You do not tie" amused by her admission.
"Shut up" Temari glanced back over to Sen, her taunting already settling.
"Do we trust him?" She asked quietly.
"For now" Temari muttered, glancing to the bag and grabbing something from one of the sides, a pill bottle "his loyalties are to be questioned today, I'll see how far he'll get before he gives in, if he gives in" they exchanged a knowing look, Sen edging on worry as Temari took one of the bitter tasting green pills with the coffee "I must see this through, it might work" hope, it had been why she offered herself for the mission, to be used as his weapon for his revenge.
"I hope to see you soon" Sen set a hand to her cheek, brushing a thumb across the blushed skin with a fond grin "you know where to find us"
"Go now Feather, and do not speak about this" her implication serious, the secrets to remain between the two.
"Of course, Mistress" she bowed her head as she turned to the door and stood in his way, glaring at Shikamaru and pointing a finger into his chest "if she gets hurt, I will kill you myself Nara" with the threat, she knocked her shoulder into Shikamaru as she passed down the hall.
"Honestly, what is wrong with that woman?" He muttered glaring annoyingly down the hall, but quickly pushing it off with a sigh as he paused at the doorway to lean an arm against it, sights set on her.
"Our whole purpose for existing, serve and protect, that is what our elites do" with a sigh, she explained, her dress from last night folded neatly on the bed "and Sen is motherly in nature, even trained it is a hard emotion to subdue, especially in women" looking back to him, his arms crossed now, thoughtful behind his stare back to her, thought his eyes didn't meet hers.
"Your training seems based on nothing, but primal instincts" he commented.
"I could spend the rest of the morning talking your ear off about it, but it'll be pointless" she shrugged, eyes narrowed slightly, he still hadn't moved from his quiet observation "You don't understand unless you've been through the training Suna puts you through"
"Still don't understand the Suna reference" he stated, head tilting to one side, eyes still down.
"I'm sure if you stop staring at my ass you'll get it eventually" calling him out, her body having been his main focus, half of her wondered if he had even listened to a word she said.
"You said no touching, nothing about looking" he shrugged, his gaze meeting hers in the silence.
"Well you did make me coffee" she hummed, contemplating, remaining in her spot.
"You can beg for it again" he suggested and her anger sparked.
"I do not beg" a step closer.
"But you do" another step.
"That was last night" she stepped closer, he hadn't moved, but she could see just the slight narrow in his eyes, focused.
"Technically it was past midnight, so it was this morning" she could just the the outline of a smirk growing.
"You are a dangerously arrogant man" she huffed, glaring up at him.
"And you, a dangerous troublesome woman" not even skipping a beat in the challenge, her chest heaved once sharp, his gaze never leaving hers, she now stood in front of him.
The banter simply a warm up.
"Shower, now" A blunt demand, needs that called to be met that very instant and he was already towering over her, obeying mindlessly as their lips met.
A new match.
The door shut and the steaming shower began, knowing outside the room neither belonged.
To come back from the living, to openly say he was ready for this was a drag. He'd played every way possible the day could go, each scenario just as troublesome as the next.
The moment he stepped out the car he knew everything would change, so he took the moment, the quiet one, the routine he'd come to know, he still found it strange how easy, yet challenging, it was to talk to this woman.
"Can I ask you something?" His distraction was simply his interest, after this she would no longer be what he had pushed in the back of his mind, something stronger than fear "why do you wear your hair like that?" He expected sarcasm, even a disregard to his genuine curiosity, still reminded of the picture she had once shown in the traditional covering silks, the hair she wore then the same strange look she copied now. Four tuffs, bangs in front, framing her sharp and feminine features like a lion's mane, regal and proud as she was.
"The wind" she stated simply, no mocking in sight, she was genuine as she spoke, glancing at him "back home, many women wear their hair up and away, if they are not covered, helps protect themselves from the winds that blow in the desert"
"Fashion and purpose" he hummed at the new knowledge, whether it was just facts about a city hidden behind impenetrable walls or her speaking so freely now he couldn't figure it out.
"Why do you wear yours up?" With her turn, she leaned against her palm on the middle console, curious.
"Clan traditions" he shrugged, simply copying years of traditions, same as her "I'm sure you read all about that in our agency files" he glanced over to her a smile already growing.
"I did" she grinned proudly at her own knowledge, brows quickly furrowing "though I don't understand the concept of why they call you legacies, children of former agents, sure you're the next generation of peacekeepers, but are you forced to choose this path?" He shook his head.
"We do have a choice in those matters, but most of us pick this path, because it's expected of us" he glanced over to her "Since the time of shinobi, way back during the start of the second war, it's always been like that. Ino and I personally have legacies going back sixteen generations"
"That wasn't in the files" with the surprise lingering on her face, he quickly crushed it.
"Level one" He just caught sight of her eye roll and groan, the one place Kankuro couldn't get into, where all the secrets of Fire hid "What about your elites?" surprised when she leaned against the seat and spoke, unexpected that she would explain it.
"I'm sure Sasori told you all about them, The Scorpion, probably boosted how he used to be there leader" she gave him a look, he only glanced back with a nod before focusing on the road again "The shadows were created to serve and protect the Lord, his elites that do anything commanded of them" she sighed "but Kankuro and I were not trained like others before us, we were taught to not fear Lord Rasa, He" he felt the pause, even if it had lasted half a second, she was speaking about Baki "made sure that Wind had us, it's our whole purpose, to protect Gaara and Suna"
"Keep the hourglass moving" he added.
"The balance of powers" she hummed in agreement, looking out the window quietly after that.
The burden she carried, the one he knew would crush nations if allowed to pass the borders.
He hated suits.
Tuxedoes aside, regular suits with ties and to many buttons came at a close second at the moment, both a drag to layer and wear. His glare pointed down to the black tie at his neck, unable to fix the knot right, already a minute into the effort needed to fix it as he stood at the closed truck of his car parked in the parking deck by headquarters.
"How is it" he could practically hear the irritation in her voice, imagining her eye twitching, lips curling at his slow pace "that you can take me on in a fight, almost win, and still can't tie a tie, Nara" he rolled his eyes with a huff, now hearing the tap of a black combat boot.
"I don't like ties" he muttered, glancing up, proving his point that she did look annoyed with him, arms crossed over a clean white shirt, black leather jacket, and black jeans, glaring and impatient, perfect plan set it place. He was almost amused when she fell for the trap.
"Then why wear them?" she slapped his hand away, moving to fix it herself, his hands dropped and to the back of his belt. If he had known this was how he could catch her the first time, he would have done it sooner.
"Because I knew it would bother you, you seem to like things neat and organized" he smirked and snapped a cuff over her wrists, her hands frozen on the tie "and I didn't want to have a fight putting these on" he shrugged innocently "Standard protocol, Princess"
"You have a kink for handcuffs, don't you?" She looked at him, annoyed, half of her wanting to slip out of them in that moment the other half forcing herself to trust, to not use the cuffs and choke the smirk off his face.
"These are my agents, my people, and I don't want anyone getting hurt" a pause in his voice "you or them"
"Like these could stop me" she snarked with a test of the cuffs, jerking them apart to test the strength, tight and troublesome as he would say.
"You and I both know you'll just get out of them" he sighed and began moving to the entrance of the parking deck "but timing is everything, so don't be troublesome until then" troublesome she called it.
"Should have just shot you" she muttered, perfectly irritated now.
"Truce" his reminder met with a roll of her eyes as he led them inside, the one place she had avoided since she crossed the borders four months ago, since discovering what the leader of the agency wanted to do to Wind.
The walk into headquarters was exactly as he expected, a shocking experience for everyone around them except the two who had entered, two souls meant to be dead and lost, now alive.
The agents around the main lobby kept at their tasks, some shuffling beside partners heading out to mission, others carrying stacks of files, his presence into the room noted only when a pair stopped and gasped, the ghost of their leader shocking them, with the pair came another than another, soon the whole room watched his calm walk down the lobby, focused, indifferent, attempting not to groan and tell them to stop staring.
The woman beside him, once again walked proud, each stomp of her boot commanding the attention of open lobby, head held high, hair like a lion shifting and framing her cold look. Even in chains she looked freer than anyone around them, and for some reason the first thought was admiration towards her fearless confidence, he quickly crushed it by a stoic look, keeping unchanged.
Passing a pair of familiar faces, one with wraps still around his nose, the other with a sling at his arm, both gawking back to him as he gave Izumo and Kotetsu a glance in acknowledgement, their eyes turning next to the blonde when she turned to look at them.
"Shit" Izumo slid behind Kotetsu, both backing up a step.
"Hi boys" Temari flashed a grin as she passed them, both men leaning away fearfully at the innocent gesture.
"Glad to see they haven't forgotten you" ignoring her amusement to the two, keeping on his set path to his people, his friends and family, the few he was truly close to.
"I'm still insulted you only sent those two to try and protect that pompous man, Haku, his wife took forever to get there" with the mention, his shoulder tensed, reminded suddenly of what this woman had done, who she had killed, who she had touched. How dangerous she truly was, and all he had on her was a pair of cuffs, and a loose grip on her arm.
"I don't have to be close to kill someone"
"Priorities were different at the time" he glared ahead, the task at hand his new focus, forced, why was he suddenly irritated with her, was he? No. No, he couldn't be.
She had only been his for the night.
She no longer belonged to anyone, but herself.
A goddess of chaos, a weapon to be used.
"You underestimated me" all knowing, his glare tightened, but he refused to give her the satisfaction in seeing anything but indifference.
"My mistake was assuming" as he kept even, her side eye towards him slowly narrowed, suspicions now.
"At least your man enough to admit it" her comment ignored, she glanced back, faking disinterest in the observation "so where are you taking me?"
"Protocol states that you have to be interrogated" he muttered, making a right, hall empty.
"By torture?" She looked at him with a smirk, he glanced once and groaned.
"My team just needs to talk to you, no one is going to hurt you" he muttered, his grip tightened for a second.
"That's boring" she huffed.
"Unlike you, we don't have to hurt people to get information out of them" his comment met with a roll of her eyes.
"I'm a woman Nara, I can take pain better than you can, physical or mental" and her words were just enough to remind him, nothing was easy with her, she liked to mess with people "thought you'd have figured that one out last night" a jab at him.
"That was last night" she took his cold response with a tight glare, his tone changed, the reserved one he needed as a agent, his mask.
Lies.
"Now I feel used" she drew out with a mocking hurt look, sarcastic in her tone "are you a fuck them then take them to jail kinda guy?"
"Like you said, we both had a itch to scratch" perfectly irate at the sight of her lips curling into a smirk, that cruel grin, trouble.
"Did I hurt your feelings, crybaby?" She taunted further, with a pout to force the reaction she wanted. He stopped, her step already turned to face him and looking up, his gaze down to hers, both seeking truth in the other, standing in the middle of the four way hall.
"You're going to make today a living hell for me aren't you?" His statement met with that smile, a flash of perfectly blinding teeth framed by the reddened lips.
"And I will enjoy every second of it" her eyes wandered, biting her lip, looking from his hard glare to the lips she had claimed not even a couple hours ago "including this one" her head tilted, teals turning to her right, her focus set and he turned to see who had stopped to look at the two, trouble, that is all this foreign woman was to him. Standing at a distance Shiho had stopped alongside her lab tech staring back at him, her hand at her mouth, shocked as the others around her, during the exchange, he didn't notice the cuffed hands moving to grab his loose tie.
"You see, Nara" the devil's voice, she wrapped her fingers around the tie, tugging just enough to sway him a step forward, closer, purposeful as Shiho was watching, and he was still stiff and uncomfortable in moving his stare away quickly enough. Another reason, she wanted to turn his move against him, his move that had her in cuffs, Temari began to fix the crooked knot as she spoke "Sen is very thorough when I give her a task" he now looked to Temari, her grin gone, eyes sharp and holding him as she tightened the knot "it is how I become so prepared" forced, he gripped her arms and pulled back, keeping his eyes down to the floor, pulling her alongside him as he moved down the hall, doing his best to ignore her "I'm curious though why did you leave the poor little thing, she's cute in a simple kind of way"
"None of your business" a low growl in his voice, protective, she basked in it, the reaction she caused, almost as satisfying as having his tongue between her legs.
"Hit a nerve there?"
No reply.
"Fine, I won't pester you about it, you'll just tell me eventually" she smirked when his gaze met hers, his own fire sparked behind his words.
"No, I will not" his grip tightened on her arm, her smile only grew more.
"Don't start lying to me now, Shikamaru" she declared the match her win, the stoic anger, the reminder of who she was made way "I was just beginning to trust you"
The calm he had once, gone right before his eyes.
Even now, he could not bring himself to regret it.