ShikaTema 7: to shut them up.
A kiss challenge.
Temari of the Sand was not a quiet woman.
Shikamaru knew this for a fact. Years spent in her presence and he had found very little could settle her once she began her endless ranting about the exams they worked together on, a mix of her usual comments to his sluggish behavior and her need to perfect every little detail. She prided in her work, in never making mistakes, in annoying him from time to time and pointing out little details he got wrong by having her distract him.
Between the taunting and scolding, he had found only a few ways to calm her down during those moments. He wondered what else could quiet her.
Searching the Konoha library for the required books and scrolls needed during next months exams, he had managed to grow irritated to her insisting need to counter every opinion he had for the written part of the exams. Every part.
Troublesome this woman was.
"Why can't we just do things my way for once?" he called over his shoulder back to her, frustration settling in after her first rant about his idea was shot down faster than a target by a kunai.
Temari had been faced away, open book in hand and another on the table during her speech. Her fingers gripped the book she had been reading, slamming it shut audibly in the barren library, and turning to face him. Shikamaru could feel that burning teal gaze at the back of his head, but he wasn't a amateur when it came to the woman's glaring look.
"You mean the easy way" she drew out with a huff, setting the book to the table and placing her other hand to her cocked hip "seriously Nara, how long are you going to keep at this lazy habit of yours?" He sighed as she went on, glancing back halfheartedly "every single time we are paired up for these exams I always end up dragging you through the damn work" his brow furrowed at the accusation.
"Now that's not fair" he muttered a little louder, rolling his eyes back to the shelf he had been looking at, forgetting momentarily what he had been looking for as she continued.
"It's true" she stated firmly, pushed away from the table to get closer to him, to make sure his attention was on her and not those books he'd been glaring at since she began the initial rant "you've got to learn that you can't just let these genin breeze through life"
"It's been working well for us so far" with his mention another scoff left her, unconvinced. He turned to face her now, the book he'd been looking for in his left hand "why would we make it harder?" With his question a raised brow, playing cool on the outside, just noticing how close she had gotten, a lean away from touching chests.
"Harder?" Temari lifted her chin up to him, nearly a head taller than her and she still managed to intimidate him well enough. Granting she was probably the most terrifying kunoichi he'd ever met, she was still a friend, a beautiful woman, troublesome when those lines blurred during his lazily look down to her "there is nothing hard about these exams" she seemed to be getting closer, and strangely quieter in her tone, as if she was careful to keep her voice controlled in a public library, but the fire in her eyes spoke another truth "the questions are so easy a child could do them" and she began, the final level to her endless fight back, nothing to stop her now.
His observation took over. Even with her brows furrowed and glaring up, he managed to take her flash of anger calmly, braving the storm that she was. The way her mouth worked each word out, each one said properly, each curl of her lip taken into his memory, wondering.
Wondering.
It happened quick for him.
The idea that made way when she put that finger to his chest to make her point. A move that failed to sway him back, too engrossed in what he saw to hear the rambling rant coming from those lips. There were no exits to this, no way to talk her out of it, no way to shut her up.
Unless.
Risky, but with great reward if he succeeded. A curiosity he'd always wanted to try out. He'd always wanted to do it, did she ever think about it? Would she knock him out for this?
Guess he'd have to find out.
"And another thing" she went on, ready to spill all her thoughts out in a single breath. Shikamaru raised his hand to grab her wrist, move one to keep her from fighting him as he leaned forward into her, prepared for anything. Bringing his lips to hers, quick in taking the next word out of her mouth, effectively shutting her up.
He figured by the first few seconds she'd pull back and hit him for his boldness, when those seconds passed, he saw a path where she'd fight his step towards her by pushing him back, but he hadn't expected the sound.
A moan and step towards him, wanting to be closer. Feeling the flex of her wrist relax and loosen her tight fist, falling into him, his hesitant arm wrapping around her waist as if to hold her body from falling entirely. The book he had, dropped to the floor. Not that either noticed, each focused on the others harder press, perfecting their positions and pushing into each other more and more. A hesitant hand to his vest, settling, fingers curling against rough material, aiding in another feverish press towards the other.
The library around them stuck in a silent suspense when they forcefully pulled apart.
"You talk too much" a breathy whisper, his initial unease to the plan, gone. A moment he took to stare down at the blushing mess before him, showing he'd went down the right path, success.
Never mind.
"I'm still not done talking" she managed to whisper back, just as out of breath as he was. Even blushing and breathless the woman always found her voice. His plan had only half worked, maybe he'd have to try again to get the full affects.
A short pull at the side of his lips, trailing his gaze up from the reddened lips, parted to take in air quieter now, passing her blushed cheeks, his dark eyes darting between the widened teals, that intriguing shade so vibrant and bright in her stare back up to him.
Beautiful as she was troublesome, a perfect balance.
"Later" he suggested, focused on continuing his current task, taking her silent nod in agreement with his lips returning to hers.
At least he knew another way to shut her up now.