#when Temari smiles Shikamaru is at a loss for words

[sillysnowden11]

The smile was simple, yet he found more meaning behind it.

Still beautiful in all it's forms, poets could write pages about how her smile could mean a hundred different things.

-Shikamaru about Temari

[bmoresgoddess]

Unity.

The sun shone brightly over the vibrant village of Konohagakure as the prestigious annual Kage Summit was underway. Amidst the grandeur and political discussions, Temari found solace in exploring the local market with her husband, Shikamaru, brothers, and their young son, Shikadai. The village was was decorated with banners and flags, adding to the festive ambiance. Children’s laughter echoed through the streets as they eagerly participated in various games from ringtoss challenges to shuriken throwing contests. And best of all, the bustling market was filled with colorful stalls and the delightful aroma of freshly cooked food, enticing villagers and visitors alike. 

Temari and 5-year-old, Shikadai strolled a few vendors down from where Gaara, Kankuro and Shikamaru were engrossed in conversation. The aroma of roasted chestnuts wafted through the air catching the attention of Shikadai’s hunger senses. His stomach rumbled, his mouth watering in anticipation. He tugged on his mother’s sleeve. 

“Okā-chan! Can we get some roasted chestnuts, please?” he asked softly, his voiced filled with hope. 

Temari smiled down at her son, seeing excitement in his eyes. “Sure, they sound like a perfect treat. We did eat an early breakfast to meet your uncles.” The pair approached the stall, Shikadai barely able to maintain his excitement. 

The merchant was an older gentlemen in his fifties perhaps, with a weathered appearance, a testament to a life of hard work. His salt-and-pepper hair was neatly combed back and his clothes were neat except for the apron he wore. The man was happily serving customers and finishing up an order, when his gaze fell upon Temari. His previous pleasant expression twisted into a scowl, his eyes narrowing. 

"I have nothing for you," he spat. "We don't serve you Sand Scum here."

Temari was taken by the sudden discrimination. For years now, Konoha had good relations with Suna, people like this were nearly unheard of in the village. Shikadai clung tightly to his mother's hand, his innocent eyes filling with confusion and sadness. The surrounding crowd began to murmur, witnessing the shocking display of prejudice.

“How dare you” Temari seethed, “I may be from Suna, but I would risk my life for the Konoha and it’s people. Your ignorance is disgraceful.” The merchant sneered, refusing to back down. 

"Ha! Don't make me laugh" he began, "you village is nothing but trouble, they're responsible for the deaths of innocent people, including my brother. I won't forget or forgive. You will never be a part of this village."

“You know nothing about me or the sacrifices I’ve made for my village and for peace. Your prejudice blinds you and it is your loss to carry such hate.” The exchange of heated words brought the attention of nearby customers, including Shikamaru, Gaara, and Kankuro, who began to hear argument over the chatter of the village. They quickly made their way towards the scene.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” Shikamaru asked after hearing the comments of anger from the merchant. His usually laid-back demeanor was replaced by a flicker of anger, especially knowing that Shikadai had witnessed such an interaction. The arrival of the three, sent whispers among the bystanders. The recognized the Sand Siblings and the position Shikamaru held, which added weight to the gravity of the situation. 

“I’m not serving the likes of you people” he spat. 

Kankuro stepped forward. 

“You better take that back, old man. We are the representatives of Suna, allies of Konoha. Show some respect!”

As the exchanged unfolded, young Shikadai stood by his mother’s side, his eyes taking in the scene with a mix of confusion and concern. At just five years old, he struggled to comprehend the depth of the situation unfolding before him. He clung tightly to his mother’s hand, seeking comfort. The words being thrown back and forth felt heavy and sharp. 

Gaara, a master of diplomacy, approached with a calmness. 

“Enough. The confrontation ends here” he declared. His voice was firm, and carried a sense of authority. 

Kankuro gritted his teeth. “Gaara, he insulted our family. He needs to apologize” he added with a hint of restrained anger. The merchant, however, remained stubborn and unapologetic. 

"We don't need an apology from someone who is blind to their own prejudice” Gaara added. The Kazekage placed a reassuring hand on Shikamaru’s shoulder "Shikamaru, let's not give this merchant any more of our time and energy. You too Kankuro.” Shikamaru, ever the strategist, realized the futility of resorting to violence in front of his young son. 

With great restraint, Kankuro stepped back as well, his frustration simmering beneath the surface. “The Hokage will hear about this” he snapped, his words hanging in the air, a reminder that the merchant’s actions would not go unnoticed. 

As the group left the market, heading for the Nara Compound, the weight of the encounter weighed heavily on the young boy's shoulders. Tears welled up in his eyes, and his small frame trembled with a mix of anger, confusion, and sadness.

“Okā-chan” he choked, "why was he so mean to you and to Uncle Gaara and Kankuro?" His voice quivered, full of frustration and confusion. Shikamaru and Temari exchanged a concerned glance, their hearts aching for their son. Gaara and Kankuro gave a slight nod, stepping away from the conversation to give the trio privacy. 

Shikamaru's voice was gentle but firm as he spoke, trying to make sense of the situation for Shikadai. "Sometimes, people let their fear cloud their judgment," Shikamaru explained softly, his hand gently brushing away Shikadai's tears. "But it doesn't mean they're right or that we should let their words define us. Your mom and uncles are strong, brave, and deserving of respect."

Temari nodded, her voice tender. "You see, Shikadai, some people judge others based on their differences without taking the time to understand or appreciate them. It's important to remember that their words don't reflect who we truly are."

Shikadai sniffled, finding solace in his parents' comforting words. Both of them resting a hand upon his shoulder. 

"I don't like it when people are mean," Shikadai said, his voice still shaky. "I want to be kind like you and protect the people I care about." Shikamaru and Temari smiled through their own mixed emotions, proud of their son's empathy and resilience. As Shikamaru and Temari comforted Shikadai, their embrace was interrupted by Gaara and Kankuro, who approached with open arms and warm smiles. They understood the weight of the situation and the impact it had on their young nephew. Shikadai happy accepted the hugs along with a hand ruffling his dark hair. 

Gaara's soothing voice joined the conversation. "Shikadai, remember that our family carries a powerful heritage," he said, his words laced with a quiet strength. "We come from a village that has endured many hardships, and we've learned to rise above them. Our strength lies not only in our physical abilities but also in our resilience and unity with others.."

Kankuro’s voice also chimed in, his voice filled with a hint of mischief. 

"And hey, Shikadai, let's not forget the amazing pranks we can pull together to teach people a lesson about kindness!" His remark elicited a giggle from Shikadai, lifting the weight of the recent encounter.

With his loved one’s combined words of wisdom, comfort, and a touch of lightheartedness, Shikadai was reminded that he was part of a family that would always have his back. In that moment, as laughter mixed with love and teasing, Shikadai found solace and a renewed sense of hope. Even in the face of adversity, their bond as a family would remain unbreakable. 

A/N: Found this in my drafts, and wasn’t sure if I ever posted it, figured why not finish it :)

[lumiesian]

“ obsessed “

pairing: shikamaru nara x temari nara

warnings: mentions of pregnancy, mentions of weight and weight loss (but NOT disordered, there is NO ED content or implications), mentions of post-partum insecurity, this is pure fluff tbh

word count: 1.3k

summary: her name is temari, and shikamaru is hopelessly in love with her.

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45909754 Wattpad: link coming soon

The woman in the bookstore was quite possibly the most beautiful woman Shikamaru had ever laid his eyes on, hair shining like strands of pure gold in the sunlight, teal eyes emulating the rough waves on a rainy morning, her voice rang loud and clear like a Goddess; powerful and serene. She squatted down in front of the shelf, eyes scanning carefully for something specific. He willed those magnificent teal eyes to look his way- but he was sure he’d die right then and there if they did. The curve of her back had him blushing like a schoolboy and gazing away for a moment, scared to be caught checking the woman out. She wore a pair of athleisure paints and a plain mauve sweatshirt, he could see the way her soft tummy pressed gently against her clothes, and admired the way her arms and chest looked like the ideal place for a nap.

A bookstore clerk approached her, offering his assistance which was graciously accepted, before leading her away to the other side of the bookstore. Shikamaru tailed them carefully hands in his pockets and pretending to check out the ceiling whenever anyone looked his way. The clerk lingered for a moment too long, hand grazing the womans wrist as he gently moved her hand towards the shelf she was looking for. A fire began to form in Shikamaru, spreading its way through his chest. Who on earth would have the absolute audacity to put their hands on a woman like that? When the clerk caught sight of the violent glare Shikamaru had on him his face went pale and he scurried back off to the front desk. The clerk couldn’t have been any older than 15, but that was beside the point, you could never be too careful when it came to kids these days.

“You gonna stare all day long or actually make a move, handsome?” The womans voice broke him out of his thoughts. Her name was Temari, she was the strongest Kunoichi of Sunagakure, beloved sister to the renowned Kazekage and Jinchuruki Gaara, and now, the not-so-secret object of Shikamaru’s affection.

“Huh… I don’t know, I think you're a bit too far out of my league, pretty woman…” Shikamaru grinned, causing the woman to blush lightly and fiddle with the small book in her hand.

“Don’t be silly…” She said, slightly hesitant, shooting him an insecure look only to be met with awestruck eyes. The woman who had been so confident and sure of herself navigating the bookstore just moments ago seemed lost upon receiving such a compliment.

“No, seriously, I think you’re the most beautiful woman to ever walk this earth,” He reassured and she smiled lightly, “Did you see that kid before? He was definitely checking you out!”

“What? No! I’m old!” She laughed. The book in her arms only made Shikamaru furrow his brows; ‘How to Bounce Back: A Guide to Getting back to your Pre-Pregnancy Self’, a ridiculous title praying on new mothers' insecurities. A book that had told the beloved woman in front of him that she somehow wasn’t good enough as-is.

“You are evergreen, my love,” Shikamaru replied, eyes full of love and admiration as he took the book out of her hands and put it back on the shelf, “Never look at that sort of rubbish again.”

“Hey! Sakura recommended that one!” Temari fought, “Y’know she barely gained anything with Sarada? And she’s already lost it all!”

“Pshh sucks for her!” Shikamaru pursed his lips, wrapping an arm around his wife and leading her out of the bookstore and onto the main street of Konoha’s shopping district.

“What do you mean?” The young Mother inquired, arms wrapping around her soft torso as if to shield her body from any prying eyes around the village.

“I love your body how it is right now, it’s soft and warm and beautiful and a constant reminder of the greatest gift I’ve ever received! Why would I rush that reminder away?” Shikamaru stopped in a less busy clearing to place a reassuring hand on the woman's cheek. His eyes shone with genuine honesty, he really did think she was even more beautiful than ever before.

“Because it’s gross and flabby” Temari countered, biting her lip a little and avoiding his gaze. Her boobs and hips ached constantly, she thought her stomach felt like a weird fleshy puddle, and she believed her body was covered in unsightly purple marks as if to rub it in that she’d supposedly passed her metaphorical expiry date.

“Hey! Don’t talk about my wife that way, she grew a human in her body! All on her own! Fuck Hokages and Strongest Ninja bullshit I don't think ANY Shinobi’s strength compares to you- my darling wife, who made Shikadai! That little angel came from you!” His voice was full of so much excitement that Temari couldn't help but brighten up a little and allow a smile to creep onto her face. Shikamaru wrapped an arm around her shoulders and escorted her back the way they’d come.

“Well… I suppose it is true that I did all that…” She pursed her lips a little, head tilting in consideration. The couple approached a popular ice cream place and Shikamaru noted the longing in the eyes of his beloved.

“Hey baby, would you mind if we stopped here? I’ve really been wanting some ice cream but I feel lame going alone,” The man lied, pretending not to notice the way Temari’s face lit up. She looked like a divine angel bathed in the artificial light of the ice cream coolers.

“You’re not lame! Of course, we can get some! Whatever you want!” His wife tried to reassure him, wrapping her arms around his and pulling him towards the ice creams, “I’ll even get one too so you don’t feel bad, so just pick whichever flavours you’d like. We can share!

“Hmm…” Her husband sighed, “I have no clue what flavour I’m in the mood for… do you have any suggestions? You know what I like better than I do myself I reckon!” Shikamaru stretched his arms upwards, yawning, before putting an arm back around his wife.

“I think you’d like the Matcha Green Tea flavour… and the Chocolate!” Temari suggested.

He really was in love with her. Her pink lips were smooth and glossy from her favourite watermelon lip gloss, she got it for $2 at some Ma-and-Pa-type grocery store in Sunagakure and had almost demolished the entire tube- insisting pregnancy made her lips dry. Her glossy lips shone brightly in the afternoon sun, making him wish for nothing more than to kiss her, he figured he was the luckiest man alive because every kiss with her felt exactly like the first. There was none of that ‘relaxing into love’, or ‘getting comfortable’ with the two of them, 5 years after they started dating and it still felt just as passionate and fiery. Shikamaru still got those crazy butterflies when he saw her first thing in the morning, he still pinched himself whenever she came onto him- just to see if it was real, he still thought there was no amount of words in the word to describe her beauty, she was still just as heavenly as the day they met; when he’d nearly fallen over in the exam room bearing witness to her sunkissed skin and golden hair.

“Shika?” His wife questioned, the two of them now sat at a table eating their ice cream and admiring the sunset- well, Temari was admiring the sunset, and Shikamaru wasadmiring her admiring the sunset. And his cheeks flushed pink when her attention shifted to him, “Why’re you pink? Do you have a temperature?”

His wife stretched out a hand and placed it on his forehead gently as he got redder, “N-no…” He stuttered out, earning a confused look from the woman, “You’re just… too pretty…”

“Oh hush!” She laughed brightly again, going a little bit pink herself, “You’re obsessed,” She whispered.

“Mm, you’re right, I am.” He confirmed, giving her that lovestruck look he always did, “I love you, Temari.”

“I love you too,” His wife smiled, her own lovestruck look reminding him once again of what a goddess she truly was. 

God. He loved his wife.

[artfullypoetic]

Temari doesn't feel good during her pregnancy and her health/life is at serious risk.

Thanks for your request! Here's what I came up with

Title: Delicate

Summary: Shikamaru Nara is a genius and he always knew what to do. So why can he only stand frozen in place and helpless when the lives of his wife and unborn child were slipping away? Angsty ShikaTema one-shot.

Disclaimer: I do not own nor did I create Naruto. This was created solely for entertainment purposes.

Rating: T

FF.net Link | AO3 Link - Reviews are greatly appreciated!

Shikamaru Nara’s world had only come crashing down once before, but even then he was as calm as ever, his analytical brain kicking into full gear at the hint of chaos. That day, nothing could have stopped him from coming up with a plan. He was a genius after all; and besides, he didn’t have much of a choice considering the fate of the world was resting on his shoulders. But today, when everything around him began to crumble once again, Shikamaru was completely frozen in place and the level-headed ego he maintained shattered right before his eyes. 

“I don’t understand what you mean,” his voice came out so small and weak that he barely recognized it as his own.

The eyes of the nurse he was speaking to were downturned with sympathy and her voice grave, “Dr. Haruno is doing everything she can but it’s best to prepare for anything.”

His heart pounded so loudly in his ears that he didn’t even hear the nurse slip away, leaving him frozen in shock and alone right outside the door of the hospital’s surgery room. His breath was heavy and ragged and no matter how quickly his mind reeled for answers, his brain struggled to produce any logical lines of thought.

Temari, blood loss, critical condition, the words he heard Sakura bark towards her team of medics haunted him. Just this morning, he and Temari were dancing in their living room to his father’s old music records. He could recall the way she felt in his arms, energetic and cheerful, as she playfully teased him for his name suggestions for their unborn child who they had just learned the existence of two weeks prior. How was it possible that the scene could shatter and slip from his grasp in a matter of minutes? Was the future he saw for his family so delicate?

Suddenly, the image of himself sitting alone in their empty home swiped away the picture of his wife’s bright smile. Abandoned baby books scattered on the floor, a crib that was yet to be built lying in pieces, and worst of all, the deafening silence that wasn’t filled with Temari’s quiet humming. His mouth ran dry and the thought of it all caused his legs to buckle beneath him, sending his body crashing towards the hospital floor.

Hands grasped at the fabric of his clothes to hold him up and he turned to meet the gaze of familiar blue eyes and blond hair. Without a word, Naruto led Shikamaru’s exhausted body towards a row of chairs and gently lowered him into one. When their eyes met again, Naruto could see the physical and mental fatigue that plagued his normally cool and collected friend. Not knowing what else to do, he reached over and gave the Nara man a light squeeze on the shoulder. 

“She’ll be okay,” the blond-haired man whispered reassuringly, “she’s with the best medic in the world.”

Shikamaru could only nod in acknowledgement, not trusting the sounds that may come out of his mouth if he attempted to speak. Minutes felt like hours as the two men sat in silence and the incessant beeping of nearby medical equipment was threatening to drive Shikamaru insane. If it weren’t for Naruto’s comforting hand on his shoulder, he may have already smashed the machines to pieces. 

The sound of doors sliding open made him shoot to his feet so quickly that his vision blurred and his body swayed in protest. But he didn’t care. Stumbling slightly, he appeared before Sakura in an instant and held her by the shoulders, a frantic look in his eyes.

“Sakura, please tell me they’re okay,” his voice broke. Sakura’s steady hands reached out to cover his trembling ones as he released his iron grip on her, a wave of guilt washing over him when he realized his fingers had left red marks on her bare skin.

With a small smile, she replied, “They’re okay.” Shikamaru released the breath he didn’t realize he was holding when her words reached his ears. “But—” his heart dropped. “—we still need to monitor Temari and the baby very carefully. We’ll have to keep them at least overnight.”

Shikamaru swallowed and nodded as Sakura let go of where she held him hands in an effort to comfort him. Once she did so, he allowed his arms to drop limply to his sides and his head hung low. There was a sense of relief that washed over him but a creeping dread threatened to take over and he had to fight with everything he had to keep it at bay. 

As if sensing his conflicting emotions, Sakura reached to squeeze his upper arm before adding, “I will personally look after their care. I’m not leaving the hospital until they can be discharged, I promise.”

His eyes lifted to meet hers and he hoped that the gratitude he felt towards his former classmate was communicated clearly in his gaze. As he reached to squeeze her hand where she held his arm, he whispered “Thank you, Sakura.”

Another hand clapped him on the back.“No more worrying, go see your wife,” Naruto said as he ushered him towards a hospital room. Sakura only smiled and waved them on. Once they reached the door, Naruto gently urged Shikamaru into the room before exiting and closing the door with a soft click. 

His breath caught when he took in the sight before him. Temari’s blonde hair was in wild disarray as it splayed on the pillow under her head and her skin was deathly pale. As he approached her, his chest lurched at the way she suddenly looked so frail and delicate, words that he never thought he would use to describe his fiery wife. 

He pulled a chair to the side of her hospital bed and sat, his movements alarmingly robotic due to shock. It wasn’t until he saw the rise and fall of her chest and the beeping of the machine that let him know her heart was beating that he let the turmoil in his brain release in waves of emotion. 

Pressing the back of her limp hand to his forehead, Shikamaru allowed the dam he built to crumble and a flood of tears fell from his eyes before splattering on the bed sheets below. For several minutes, his body racked with sobs as he choked out desperate apologies. The nagging voice in his head taunted him with all his shortcomings. Maybe if he wasn’t so caught up with work as the Hokage’s advisor, he would have noticed something was wrong with her sooner. Maybe if he took the time to read the baby books she brought home, he would have been able to do something rather than wait helplessly as she fought for her and their child’s life. 

It wasn’t until he felt her hand move from where he clutched it to cup his cheek that the criticizing voice began to dissipate. Temari’s tired eyes watched him with a love that he was sure he didn’t deserve even an ounce of. Her hand was so gentle and light where she caressed his skin. Seeing her awake made him feel as if he was a man seeing sunlight for the very first time.

“Hey there, crybaby,” came her voice, heavy with exhaustion.

“Temari,” he breathed, pressing her hand closer to his cheek. He never wanted to let go ever again.

“The baby’s okay,” he added quickly when he watched her other hand shoot to her belly, her tired expression twisting to a bewildered look. At his words, she relaxed but kept a protective hand hovering over her womb.

“Thank god, he’s okay,” she finally said. The tension in her shoulders visibly released as she closed her eyes.

At that, Shikamaru chuckled lightly. “He?”

“Call it mother’s intuition,” their eyes met and a snarky gleam appeared in her forest green eyes. It filled him with joy to see her usual demeanor return.

They sat in silence for a while until the events of the day caught up to Temari and she drifted to sleep. Shikamaru watched her face, peaceful and beautiful, as she rested. He realized then that he had taken her for granted. In the era of peace, he led himself to falsely believe that no harm could come to his little family as long as there were no more wars. But in his haste to keep human enemies at bay, he had forgotten about the most formidable foe of all: death. 

He was no stranger to how quickly such a fate could overcome a person but never in his life could he imagine that Temari, a force of strength and determination, could fall victim to it. But what he learned today was that life is more delicate than he could possibly perceive. And he would never take a moment for granted ever again. 

[wing-ed-thing]

Casually (Kankuro x Reader)

Synopsis: All Kankuro wants to do is ask out the cute florist that comes to deliver flowers to the office, but of course working with your siblings means that you can never get a moment of peace.

Word Count: 1,167

Warnings/Tags: Gender Neutral Reader, Minor Original Characters, Attempt at Humor, Humor, This Fic is Actually Kinda Ridiculous, Fluff, Nervous!Kankuro, Florist!Reader

Notes: I felt in a bit of a goofy mood so here y’all go

Mr. Watanabe sent Mrs. Watanabe a bouquet of flowers every week like clockwork. Where Mr. Watanabe got the money to be able to shell out for weekly flowers, Kankuro didn’t know. After all, not many floral species grew naturally in the deserts of Sunagakure, meaning that the bouquets were grown for a high price in the village green house or they were imported. And with Mrs. Watanabe working as a secretary and Mr. Watanabe working part time in daycare, the large, vibrant vase of flowers served as an unspoken mystery for Kankuro to walk by at least twice a day.

But he had no complaints. Not when you were there, because twice a week you would bring Mrs. Watanabe her flowers. You checked your card, you had her sign, and oftentimes you would chat with her by her desk during slow periods at the Kazekage office. And Kankuro was sure that at the very least, he had held the door open for you once before pretending to be busy nearby. He had a hard time admitting, even to himself, that he felt flustered by a florist. That Kankuro, bodyguard and right hand to the Kazekage, had a difficult time talking to the local florist.

“Another beautiful selection, Mrs. Watanabe!” Your voice cut through Kankuro’s thoughts. He never spent too much time on the first floor before, but for the past few months he had offered to run paperwork whenever he had the chance. You lightly kicked open the door, a vibrant group of flowers hiding your face. Kankuro looked up from the paperwork that he was discussing with the secretary as you made your way over. You placed the vase on the counter.

“Those are very nice,” Kankuro said, inwardly kicking himself the moment the words left his lips. He tuned out Mrs. Watanabe who raved about the colors in the background. You smiled at the petals before turning your attention to him. Kankuro leaned against the counter in an attempt to look casual.

“Right? I got a whole bunch of seeds from the Land of Water for a really great price. They’re just so different and gorgeous.” Kankuro didn’t know how to respond. He never engaged in flower discourse before. You motioned to him, eyes lingering to the corner of your vision. “And you are Mr…” Your forehead scrunched up the slightest bit.

“Kankuro,” he provided quickly, “Just Kankuro. And you are…” You offered him your name, although he already knew it. You smiled, but centered your attention on Mrs. Watanabe as you provided her her card and the receipt to sign. When you glanced back at him, you did so expectantly. Kankuro scratched at the back of his neck through his hood. “Hey, um, if you ever have some free time—”

“Kankuro!” Temari burst through the stairwell door, her reading glasses on and a few manilla envelopes in her arms. “Did you ever end up processing that paperwork that was supposed to go to the Leaf? They keep sending me letters about how they haven’t gotten their copy of the files and I swear I’m going to shoot down the next Hokage bird that comes to my window.” He held up the small stack of papers in his hands.

“It’s right here. We’re going to get it by the date that we told them we’d get it, so tell Shikamaru to…” he trailed off, subtly glancing your way before clearing his throat. “Tell Shikamaru to wait.” Temari groaned.

“You’re no help. I swear I have to do everything around here!” You could still hear her frustrated grunts as she retreated back up the stairs. You turned back to Kankuro.

“You were saying?” You blinked at him and Kankuro had to take a moment to process what it was that you said.

“Oh, yeah!” Kankuro almost jumped back as he shook his head. Out of all the missions he ran, all of the times he risked his life for his country, he had never felt as flustered as he did. He kicked himself, trying to channel his usual, self-proclaimed, charming cockiness. “Uh—” He leaned back against the counter, extra casual this time. —“So if you’re free at some point this week…”

But before he could get the second half of his sentence out, the doors burst open and a flurry of sand spilled across the floor. Gaara trudged in, robes dusty and slightly tattered. Kankuro immediately rushed to his brother’s side only to be stopped short by Gaara’s halting palm.

“Mrs. Watanabe,” Gaara spoke in his usual gravelly voice. Mrs. Watanabe hummed, perking up behind her desk. Gaara trudged towards the stairwell. “Please cancel all of my appointments today. I wish to be in my office undisturbed.” She scribbled a few things in her book before holding up a thumb with a wrinkled smile.  

“What happened to you?” Kankuro asked and Gaara stood still.

“The sand and I got into a disagreement.”

And without another word he disappeared, leaving a large, suspiciously Gaara-sized pile of sand behind. Kankuro let out a sigh, knowing that he would have to add checking in on his brother to the list of things he had to do before the end of the work day. He ran his hands over his face, careful as to not smudge his face paint. You cleared your throat behind him and Kankuro turned to your concerned, dumbfounded expression.

“Does he do that—”

—“all the time.” Kankuro nodded and you took a sharp breath inward. A pause overtook the front office as you studied the sand slowly drift across the floor, the front doors still wide open.

“Whelp, um… Mrs. Watanabe, you have a great day.” You began to collect your things. Kankuro found himself at a loss as he stood alone in the middle of the entryway. You motioned to him, forehead crinkled again as you thought. “And you were trying to tell me something, but I actually have a few more flowers to run—” Kankuro tried not to look disappointed.

“Oh, uh, yeah. For sure…” He considered joining his brother in a bit of midday sulking. Maybe the next time around he could approach asking you out more like a mission. Maybe he wouldn’t get so uncharacteristically flustered—

—“So why don’t you just tell me at dinner tonight.” You maneuvered past him with a smile with your pen pointed in your hand. “That is, if you’re free tonight. Because if you are, you can just meet me at the flower shop.” Kankuro shook himself out of his shock.

“Yeah, that sounds great!” he said with nothing to lean on this time to look casual. He stuck a hand in his pocket as you left through the open doors. Kankuro gave a slight wave with his other. Mrs. Watanabe glanced up from her work over the glasses that sat on the tip of her nose.

“Do you even know where the flower shop is?”

Kankuro shook his head, still a bit dazed.

Notes: Despite the silliness I think I kept everyone in character...?

Thank you to all who liked, reblogged, followed and otherwise supported. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.

@brokennerdalert​

[moonofiron]

Shikatema are always going to be my OTP. I think Shikamaru has truckloads of smooth beast™ potential/energy. And, Temari is a raging goddess who will only let Shikamaru tame her.

Set in post-Shippuden and pre-Boruto-verse.

Clearly, I really really dig intimacy, small underrated gestures, and a lot of eye contact during sex and that's kinda what made me write this one.

Anime: Naruto Shippuden

Characters: Nara Shikamaru x Temari

Genre: angst, fluff, flirting, smut, fingering, raw sex, explicit sexual content 🥵

Rating: M

Word Count: 3,013

Synopsis: Temari wants to learn Shogi.

Minors, dni, otherwise 10 years of bad luck.

Temari and Shikamaru had their backs against the wall of the Hokage's compound. They'd just come out of a meeting and Shikamaru wanted to smoke before they went out for lunch.

Who was he kidding. It wasn't so much about itching for a cigarette than it was about calming himself down. When it came to Temari, he could hardly think straight. He wanted to pull her into a kiss every time she said a simple hi. Her lips were hypnotising, like two soft clouds that were finally in his reach. Even the way she moved made his breath falter. The conviction with which she spoke made him want to slide his fingers inside her till she was babbling nonsense, till the only thing she said with that much conviction was his name. The bravery with which she fought made him want to kiss her toes, calves, knees; the devotee in him on full display under her. He wanted to feel the flesh of her hips in his palms. He wanted to feel her breath on his chest. He wanted -

"Ne, Shikamaru, why do you like Shogi so much?"

Shikamaru snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Temari dumbly before answering.

"Uh.. yeah..no, I just enjoy it a lot."

"You're always making reference to Shogi pieces and moves in strategy meetings."

"Hmm." He flicked his cigarette. "Let's go."

"What are you doing after lunch?"

"Nothing, just going to go back home and rest."

"Will you teach me Shogi?"

Shikamaru looked at Temari and sucked in air through his teeth. His mind was back to picturing her on his bed. It was back to undressing her, licking the smooth flesh of her neck, biting her cherry-seed nipples.

"Oi? I'm asking you something, Shikamaru? Where's your mind today?"

"Oh, we can play, sure." Shikamaru had an absolutely unreadable expression on his face. Temari looked at him funny and then pulled out the board game.

"Let's play now."

"Uhh.. you've been carrying this around? Tsk, mendukse."

"Please, I really want to learn how to play."

After a pause, she mumbled, "I think the kids at the orphanage will enjoy the game."

"What orphanage?" Shikamaru frowned.

"Nothing, I spend time with the kids at the orphanage back home. I play with them and teach them basic taijutsu and ninjutsu for self-defence. But, we're quickly running out of things to do. So, I thought Shogi would be a nice addition."

"Hmm. Let's go eat first."

They rounded up to a local teppenyaki. Shikamaru was eerily quiet at lunch. Temari felt uncomfortable but the food was so delicious that she let the discomfort go. She ate up quickly and waited for Shikamaru to finish, eager to learn Shogi. Every now and then she noticed him looking at her intently. She wiped her face frequently, thinking she may have something on her face.

She noticed how meticulously Shikamaru ate. He wrapped his long and lean fingers around the food delicately, almost as if he was making love to each and every bite. Temari felt a warmth spreading in her belly when Shikamaru lightly licked his fore-finger, middle-finger, and thumb once he was done. His thin, moist tongue darted out and his lips made the soft sound of a kiss as he took his fingers out of his mouth. His eyes didn't leave hers.

Temari realised a bit too late, her lips parted and eyes glistening, that he was aware of her gaze following his fingers. He had a lopsided grin plastered on his face and it infuriated Temari. She got up abruptly and excused herself to go the washroom.

Shikamaru wasn't blind to the affect he had on Temari. His lack of action was more about him not being able to figure out his feelings for her. He'd seen the way an apricot-blush rose to her cheeks whenever he did or said anything mildly suggestive.

He'd heard her low gasps and breathy sighs everytime he brushed against her accidentally. The way her body tensed against his sent him into a frenzy. He loved the way she softened around him when they were alone but hardened when they were with others. And honestly, he'd caught her looking at his lips way too many times. He knew she hated the smile he gave her in such moments. She fumed and her ears moved from the stress in her jaw as she clenched her teeth.

When Temari returned, the bill had been paid and Shikamaru was waiting for her outside.

"Let's go and teach you Shogi, hmm?"

"Umm, yeah. Thank you," she beamed. Shikamaru felt as if something had kicked him in his guts when she smiled like that. Oh, to have her smile like that always. To wake up to that smile. To be able to kiss the edges of that smile. To be -

"How far is your home?"

"What?"

"How far is it?"

"It's a quick 15-minute walk, love." Shikamaru knew he had faltered and felt a hammering in the back of his head.

"-What?"

"What?"

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing! I just said it's a 15-minute walk...lovely in this weather."

"Hmm." Temari was too flustered to pay attention to Shikamaru lightly patting his shoulder for the excellent recovery.

They walked in silence till Shikamaru suddenly slowed down his pace. Temari stopped and turned around, already a few steps ahead of him. Her eyes widened. Shikamaru looked absolutely stunning in the soft sunlight. He was running his hands through his loose hair as he held hair-tie between his teeth. When he caught her looking at him, he held his hair in place and looked right back at her.

"Keep walking straight... unless you want to help?" He winked at her and smiled.

Almost as if she'd lost control of her body, Temari found herself holding the other end of his hair-tie between her teeth. Shikamaru's eyes widened and he grabbed her waist, his hair fell around his face like a glorious mane. His mouth pulled back the hair-tie from hers and spat it out. He immediately crashed his lips on hers, his hands dug into her plump waist as he kissed her hard. Temari, eager and equally enthusiastic, licked and bit his lower lip, making him groan softly. He shuddered as he felt her hands running through his hair and then as suddenly as Temari had caught his hair-tie between her teeth, she let go of him.

She covered her face with her hands as she came to her senses.

"Shikamaru, sorry, I'm so sorry. I'm so so so sorry. I didn't mean..."

"Hey...hey hey... it's alright, hey, look at me." He held her shoulders.

"I'm so embarrassed, I'm really really sorry."

Shikamaru moved closer but she flinched away.

He sighed heavily.

"Temari, stay still. And, move your hands away from your face."

When she didn't budge, Shikamaru spoke in a whisper.

"Please."

When she did, Shikamaru held her face in his hands and gently kissed her lips.

"It's okay. I'd do it again," he murmured against her chin and he sweetly pecked her lips. "And again." He briefly sucked on her lower lip. "And, again."

Temari's heart beat loudly against the quiet of the evening. He moved back, held her hand, and slowly started walking back to his house. A small smile played on his lips the entire time. His grip on her hand was hard and Temari felt as if a million baby sparrows had taken flight inside of her.

When they reached his place, Shikamaru didn't waste a single second. He closed the door, put the shogi board on the shelf, and pushed Temari against the door all in one move. He pressed his body against hers and kissed her deeply, hungrily.

Temari's shallow moans came alive as she felt his hands running all over her body. He had already undone her kimono and unhooked her bra. He'd thrown it somewhere behind him, almost as if he were angry at it. She felt the waistband of her panties dig into the right side of her waist as he pulled the other side, tearing them off. They snapped right off in his grip and she was stark naked in a matter of seconds. She gasped at the slight pain and at his urgency. She panted and struggled to speak, too aware of everywhere his hands touched her.

"Shika...Shikamaru...but, the...shogi.. please."

"Fuck shogi," Shikamaru growled in her ear as he felt her hands deftly removing his pants. He rubbed her slightly moist and throbbing clit. He pushed two of his fingers inside of her to pull out the slick he wanted to smear all over her pussy and his cock. She whimpered softly and bit his neck, bruises quickly blooming on his pale skin.

He fingered her relentlessly and when he felt her clenching around his fingers, he pulled his hand back. The loss of his palm's warmth made her shudder. He removed his jacket and t-shirt. His warm cock rubbed against her as he hitched her up on his arms and she wrapped her legs around his slender waist. He dug his hands in her ass and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Fuck."

Shikamaru breathed hard and he thrust into Temari in one quick motion, eliciting an obscenely loud moan from her.

She threw her head back and hit it hard on the door. "Ouch," she giggled.

"Shit, are you alright, Temari?" a pained expression crossed his face.

"Hmm," she couldn't stop giggling.

He was still throbbing inside her and she was still giggling, making Shikamaru's heart flutter. He kissed her lips again. He giggled with her, against her mouth, until their child-like giggles morphed into moans and pants as Shikamaru fucked Temari in a steady pace. Her tensed and tight body started loosening up slowly and then all at once as she gushed around him silently. He pulled his face back from the crook of her neck without breaking his stride too look at her in her most vulnerable moments. She looked gorgeous than ever before, and Shikamaru felt his balls tighten at the way Temari's lips repeated his name in a whisper and in quick successions, like a chant.

"Fuck Temari, you're... making... me.. lose it," Shikamaru grunted in between thrusts. That earned him a sweet coo from Temari; it made him want to go faster and harder but his hands pained. He carried her inside to his room, and sat on the edge of his bed.

Still impaled on his cock, Temari saw Shikamaru's face in the dim light. He looked like a hungry beast, his hair a lovely mess and stuck to his neck and his face. His forehead glinted with a thin layer of sweat and his lips were parted as he inhaled her. His cheeks were decorated with a rose hue she'd never seen on him before. Temari took a strand of his hair stuck to his lip and tucked it behind his ear. Her fingers lightly circled his nipples, making the hair on his arms and neck stand.

He looked so stunning that she felt herself shrinking in front of him. Before she could turn her face away from his gaze, Shikamaru started moving inside her with such gentle and slow strokes that she felt another wave of an orgasm building steadily.

"You're so gorgeous on me, Temari." She blushed at the soft but obscene remark.

"Still shy, are we?" Shikamaru smirked as moved inside her. He didn't let her eyes go as he licked her nipples and then softly bit them. When he pulled his face back to kiss her lips, Temari's face changed to an expression that he couldn't decipher. She looked forlorn.

He cocked his head at her in confusion.

"Please..." Temari mumbled.

"Please what, babe?"

"Please, don't stop."

"Oh, you like that, huhn?" he spoke against her breasts. His lips on her soft and plump flesh made her arch her back and thrust her breasts into his face.

"Sugoi kirei, Temari," he whispered, making her nipples harden against his tongue again. She could feel him smiling against her flesh and her face felt hot. She clenched around his cock.

"Are you going to cum around me again, baby?" he mumbled against her breasts, as if his voice dictated their rise and dip.

She noticed Shikamaru was warming up with his usage of endearments, too. To hear him address her like this was unbearable. It sounded so sweet and so intimate, she felt like his voice would tear her apart.

She moved her hips with him, matching his rhythm.

"Such a good girl, moving on me like that, hmm?" he asked her tenderly.

At this, she gasped and breathed out in a rush, "Shikamaru I'm cumming."

"Yeah, love?" he increased his pace as she pressed her thighs around him.

He felt her loosening up and felt her cum coating his inner thighs. He never ceased to move in and out of her as she spasmed around him. She buried her face in his neck and grunted his name in his ear as she came around him.

His balls, now moist with sweat and her cum, slightly tightened against her ass. He felt himself losing control and he quickly pulled out and laid Temari on her back.

Shikamaru stroked his cock lightly as he eyed Temari spread out on the bed. He couldn't help himself and he dove right in. He kissed her face and neck. He nibbled at her slender shoulders and plump breasts. He licked her tight waist and bit the baby-flesh around her navel. His calloused hands never left her body and Temari's hands never left his hair. He kissed her thighs and calves and knees till he was sure he hadn't missed a single spot on her.

When Temari pulled his face close to hers to take him in a kiss, he propped himself on his elbow, spooning her.

"Let me look at you." He turned her face towards his and hitched her leg on his arm. He slowly started entering her, stretching her out and letting her ease around him, too. When Temari closed her eyes, he stopped, making her frown and gasp. Her eyes flew open.

"Look at me, Temari."

Temari swallowed as she looked deep into Shikamaru's eyes. She felt his cock moving all the way inside her and the burning intensity with which he looked at her made her buck. She held his eyes, too.

"This is unbearable. Please," she whispered.

Shikamaru was now moving inside her with hard thrusts, punctuated by their conversation. They were both whispering raspily to each other.

"What's unbearable?"

"The way you're making me look at you."

"Why?"

"I don't know, it's too much."

"Don't you dare look away, Temari."

Temari bit her lip and nodded.

"You'll look at me, and only me, when I fuck you."

"Hai."

"You'll look at me when I make love to you."

"Hmm."

"You'll look at me when you cum around me."

"Hai."

"You'll look at me when I fill you up."

Her eyes widened and she involuntarily arched her back.

"Ha...hai," she said

Shikamaru bit his lip and smiled at her as he increased his pace.

He held her jaw with the same hand Temari's leg was hitched on, spreading her legs as much as possible. She felt full and stretched and Shikamaru couldn't take how tight she felt.

Her green eyes, slightly teared up because of the pleasure she felt as he fucked her, started rolling back. The moment that happened, he hardened his grip on her jaw and increased his pace. He wanted her to gush around him. He wanted her to make a mess of his clean sheets. He wanted her to coat his cock with her orgasm. When she opened her mouth to make up for not being able to throw her head or roll her eyes back, Shikamaru let her suck and bite on his fingers until she came. Her orgasm stayed with her like a thunderstorm that refuses to leave in time. She bucked against Shikamaru violently as he held her down, fucking her in small and quick thrusts, observing her every move and reaction to him overstimulating her. It was getting unbearable for him to control himself, too. He couldn't believe how goddess-like she looked in her most private moments. God, he could get used to a sight like that.

"Gaman dekinai, Temari," he spoke hoarsely and started to pull out only to feel Temari's hand on his wrist. The intense focus that painted his face morphed into mild confusion. Temari clenched around his twitching and strained cock.

"Let me look at you when you fill me up."

"Fuck, you're going to be the death of me, baby."

He thrust back inside her and pulled her hair hard. He started fucking her again. He frowned in focus but his eyes were soft as they looked into Temari's. A drop of sweat made its way from the tip of his nose to her cheek. The loud slaps of his balls against her clit drowned out everything else for both of them. It only took him a few thrusts before he came inside her, bucking wildly but maintaining his gaze with hers nonethless. The way he groaned, the way his eyebrows moved, the way his earrings shivered with him, everything about him as he filled her up made Temari's heart take flight to her mouth. He collapsed beside her and she felt the soreness in her thighs rising up slowly. His short breaths against her back were ticklish and when she laughed, he joined her.

She tackled and rolled above him the moment he calmed down. As his limp and spent cock rested against her ass, she traced his face with a finger.

"Come here." He made her lie down on him so her face was buried in his neck.

"So, the first thing about Shogi is that it's played on a 9x9 board, that is, 81 squares," he spoke with a smile in his voice while tracing mindless circles on Temari's back.

[getyouasenju]

Dragging It In.

Part 3/3 to the “Dragging” series

Part 1 “Dragging Along”

Part 2 “Dragging Away”

Warnings: some small spoilers, curse words, some suggestive themes, angst, (maybe some spelling errors I’m sorry!).

Word Count: 3.7k

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹

“(Y/N)”

I could hear my name being called from my slumber. I felt sore all over, my head was throbbing and my throat was entirely too dry to function. Being a shinobi I was no stranger to the scratchy unbelievably tightly tucked sheets and the sterile smell. I was in a hospital for what ever reason. I hear my name being softly called again. Forcing my sore eyes open I see my pink haired friend peering over my bed. Scrunching my eyes in reaction the sudden change of lighting caused a searing pain in my head. Crossing her arms and glaring at me, Sakura spoke sarcastically, “It hurts doesn’t it? That’s what happens when you leave a head injury untreated after a mission”. My eyes widen and I stared at her cheekily. She smiled sweetly back at me... too sweet for the friend I know. I didn’t even get a chance to brace myself before she struck me.

“CHA!”

I hiss and grab my now stinging shoulder. “God damn it Sakura, I’m in a hospital bed for fucks sake! Do you strike all your patients?” She crossed her arms and smiled at me, “Only the ones I’m best friends with that promise to see me in the morning to get checked out and then never show up! I mean come on (Y/N), how hard of a hit did you take on that mission to have to put you out of commission like this?” I thought back to the rainy mission and sighed, rubbing my shoulder I looked at my friend “Not that hard... only hard enough to lose consciousness..” grinning I laughed nervously as she started balling her fist again.

“Hey! you can’t hit me again, I have a head injury Sakura- god!” I cried out bracing myself this time. “That shoulder looks pretty fine to me!” Sakura replies brushing some of her hair out of her face. “Not-uh it’s pretty bruised now if you ask me.” I whined back, praying she doesn’t strike again. Can I get a new nurse that isn’t my worried friend? “That’s why you have two shoulders!” I paled as my eyes widened. “Sakura, please!” She quickly put one hand on her hip, the other pointing at me “Don’t Sakura me! You could’ve done some real damage (Y/N)! and don’t think I don’t see that your ring is missing!” So all of our friends are just gonna get dragged into this mess huh? .... Maybe I should just simply pass out again.

Between our bickering the door croaked open and in walks the shadow man. Sakura whips around placing her hands on her hips. “Excuse me Shikamaru, It’s not visitors hours yet, you just can’t waltz in here anytime you like, fiancé’s included!” I scoffed laying back and tugging the blankets further up my body. Didn’t just mention she noticed the missing ring? I already told him I didn’t want to speak with him... and he still smelled like cigarettes! This was a hospital, he’s gonna give someone an asthma attack. I turned my head to fully examine the Nara. He looked as bad as I felt, dark circles an unbuttoned vest and a loosened ponytail. As he should!

Sighing deeply while still holding the door handle, Shikamaru looks at Sakura pleading with his eyes. Taking her hands off her hips, Sakura looks at me then back at Shikamaru, I could see the gears turning in her head. Crossing her arms and sighing, “Just this once Nara! I’ll be back later (Y/N), I’ll bring an ice pack for that shoulder!” She laughs while giving my hand a friendly squeeze. Giving me her signature smile, she departs waving at Shikamaru on the way out.

As he watches her close the door, he turns to the right and grabs the chair in the corner. The sound of the dragging was highly irritating and I rolled my eyes as I fought the urge to pull the blankets over my head and just ignore the man. He pulls the chair to my bedside and sits down trying to make eye contact with me andI was refusing to give it to him. Sighing again he leaned back in the chair. 

“You had some head injuries, you should be fine but you should’ve went to the hospital immediately after that mission, and that fall made it worse.” He sounded strained. I just nodded at him, thinking back to the mission and how outnumbered my team was. “You know, I was terrified when you went down like that.” He let out a shaky sigh putting his hands together in his lap. “Why didn’t you go in (Y/N)- god” He drags his hands down his face, “Are you doing this to spite me? Not going to be seen, then going and asking for a dangerous mission. Are you trying to get yourself killed?” I sat up straight in my bed and finally made the eye contact that he was searching for. 

“I went home first because I missed you, I hadn’t seen you in over a fucking month!” letting out a humorless laugh I continued, “I didn’t avoid being seen to spite you, I went home first instead of being seen because you’re my first priority- but apparently I wasn’t yours.” Asking for that mission though was just a tad bit spiteful though, but I’m in no position to admit to that! By the end of my rant I wanted him out, I was tempted to hit the call button. I could feel the anger in the air from both of us. He broke the silence first. “You should trust me, you know nothing would ever happen between Temari and I, I’m with you, I’ve been with you for the last four fucking years!” I was livid, trust him? I do fucking trust him!

“I trust you Shikamaru, you don’t trust me because if you trusted me, you would’ve told me why you went to see her and you wouldn’t of left without making things right with me first.” He reaches for my hand, but I snatched it away shoving it under the blankets, he looked so crestfallen. He opens and closes his mouth several times before scooting his chair closer to my bed.

“Please give me your hand, (Y/N). Please don’t make me beg.”

I was hesitant, I didn’t know if I wanted to be touched by him at the moment but, he looked determined and I was nervous. I pulled my hand from under the blanket and he quickly reached for it. Grabbing my smaller hand in his larger calloused one, he let out a content sigh slowly rubbing circles on the back of my hand, moving almost impossibly slower when grazing over the bare left ring finger. “What do I have to do to get this ring back where it belongs.”

“Shikamaru I question your IQ everyday, don’t play stupid with me.”

I slowly start to retract my hand but his grip on me tightens ever so slightly. “I already have a head injury, can you stop making my brain hurt more? Either tell me why you ran to her side or let me and my hand go. Now.” I groaned out, I was getting annoyed, and fast. When was Sakura coming back with that ice pack again? The pain in my shoulder was dull now, but boy can that girl pack a punch and Shikamaru might as well be punching me in my brain right now.

When he suddenly let go of my hand, my heart started to race. Was he going to leave again? If he left me again then I knew for sure that we just weren’t meant to be. I laid back, I just wanted to curl into a ball and disappear. More so, I want him to stop dragging this out. I opened my mouth to dismiss him when he suddenly spoke “Rasa”.

...Rasa, the fourth Kazekage. Also the father of the sand siblings, but what about him. I was just outright confused now. “Shikamaru, can you elaborate?” He straightened up looking for that eye contact again, this time I granted it to him. “It was the anniversary of Rasa’s death” grabbing for my hand again he continued. “Temari is here on the account of business between the leaf and the sand. This is the first time she wasn’t with Gaara and Kankuro during this time.” he sighed deeply. 

“He wasn’t always the best father but he was all they had, not being with her siblings for this affected her deeply. She’s the eldest and her siblings mean everything to her, they always have, she wants them to be able to depend on her. I’m the person she’s closest to in the leaf, so she called me.” he finished. Now I was even more confused. Why didn’t he just say that? “So you left me without explanation for what? You couldn’t just say this to me?”.

“I didn’t think you would understand.” I was baffled. He thought of all people that I wouldn’t understand. “You didn’t think I would understand, or is it that you didn’t want me to understand, Shikamaru.” I snatch my hand back again, this time for good. “I watched you mourn for your father after the war. You held it together on the field but I saw what it did to you after!” I rushed the words out so fast I felt like I was running out of breath but I went on, “I held Yoshino as she cried, I saw what it did to her, how it drained her, how it almost ruined her!” My head was throbbing again but I wasn’t done yet. “Tell me Shikamaru, did you run into my parents on the way here? how about someone from my clan, some siblings of mine? Please tell me they came to see me in my time of need Shikamaru!” I let out a pitiful laugh, “It’d be a miracle if you did, considering they’re all six feet under.” I let my shoulders drop as I leaned back staring straight ahead of me. There had to be more to it than this.

In a small voice I whispered to him, “You don’t think I have it in my heart to let someone who has experienced a loss have some comfort?”. I wanted to cry, more importantly I wanted him gone, at least my head did. He said nothing, but he doesn’t get to sit at my bedside in silence after this. I spoke again, still looking straight ahead, “Get out Shikamaru. You have my permission to leave this time, I won’t be mad. You’re giving me a migraine,” He still doesn’t move, so I whip my head around, I was tired. “Why are you pretending to fight so hard for us? Just admit you’re not as in love with me as you think you are”. I could hear my own heartbeat as I looked at Shikamaru. “It’s okay If you’re in love with Temari, I’ll be fine Shika. You can let me go.” If I had to let him go for his happiness, I was okay with that. He finally snaps his eyes me.

“I’m not in love with Temari, (Y/N).” How can he sit here and be so fucking vague with me? I felt not only emotionally exposed but physically as well with the tiny hospital gown. I wrap my arms around myself since I was the only comfort I’ve had these past few days. “There’s something there , I just wish you would be honest with me. If you’re not happy with me, then just let me go.” I was speaking as softly as I could, trying best to keep my voice from shaking. What kind of person did he think I was if he thought I lacked that much sympathy? I was a shinobi, but I wasn’t heartless. I at the very least expected him to know that.

“Temari will always have a spot in my heart,”

There it was, I didn’t want to hear anymore of it. when I said let me go, I didn’t mean give me a speech to verbally break my heart, he could easily just leave the room. Did he think I was going to listen to his confessions? wrong! I reach my hand out for the call button, if Sakura wasn’t coming back anytime soon, then someone else needed to come and rescue me, immediately. I felt his warm hand gently grab mine. “no more running, no more arguing, no more beating around the bush. Just you and I.” he sighed as he looked right into my eyes. He stands up and nudges me, signaling for me to scoot over giving him a spot on the bed. I felt conflicted, I really did love this man. We’ve shared our love and our lives for four years, but even before that I loved him. He could sense my hesitation and smoothes my hair down gently with his hand while gently nudging me over again. I give into the raven haired man and slowly slid to the right side of the bed making sure my IV’s were out of his way, the motion causing the back of my gown to open a bit to which I quickly pulled closed.

“It’s nothing I haven’t seen before” He smirked at me. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks as I ball the blanket in my hands. This isn’t the time for cheeky jokes! I was flustered and honestly feeling pretty vulnerable. His chuckle wasn’t helping the situation too much either. How dare he joke with me at a time like this! My shoulder was still throbbing but that didn’t stop me from attempting to smack the man. I winced as my hand hit something hard and glared at Shikamaru. Looking at me warily, he pulled out the pack of cigarettes and rubbed the back of his neck “You know I smoke when I’m stressed.” I remember when he picked up the nasty habit, and then I remembered why he did. I felt immediately guilty for contributing to that... but still the smell of cigarettes was just so gross. 

He leans back, slowly starting to snake his arm around my waist while watching my facial expressions for a reaction. When he saw me make no attempt to remove him, he sighed and pulled my body into his. “I missed you.” he quietly tells me... funny how he misses me, but me missing him is what got us into this entire situation. I decide to keep my thoughts to myself and train my eyes on the corner of the blanket I was currently picking at. I could feel him staring at me. 

“I remember when Asuma died.” My breath caught in my throat and I immediately dropped the blanket I was picking at. I didn’t know where this was going, but I knew it was going to be a painful ride. I felt him tilt his head as he continued, “I held it in for a long time. It took my father to pull it out of me.” I knew the story, I wasn’t too close with Shikamaru at the time, but a bond between a student and their sensei is strong. I didn’t have to know them, to know that. “Point of the story is I didn’t feel comfort in anyone... so I held it in, I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. I didn’t want anyone to coddle me, not even Temari and at that point in time, I was in love with her. I think I’ve only ever cried twice in my life in front of an audience.” He let out a sigh. By now I was fully looking up at him with curious eyes.

“When my father died in the war, I wanted to do the same. I held that pain in for my comrades, I didn’t want my fathers, nor Ino’s, deaths to be in vain.” He takes his other hand and grips my chin continuing on. “When the war was over I didn’t want to face it, but I had you. If it weren’t for you and Naruto, I don’t know how my mother would’ve made it another day.” He starts to smile a bit at me, “and suddenly I wanted to be coddled. I wanted you to hold me, to talk to me, to force me to eat when I didn’t want to, to be there when I slept and when I woke. I found comfort in you, and I still do.” He was stroking my cheek by now. “You made me realize that sometimes, It’s okay to coddle those in need. That sometimes even the strongest shinobi need a hug, need to shed some tears or just simply need some comfort. So, yes I went to comfort Temari but that was it, I finally understood how to give what you give me everyday.” 

He moved me almost impossibly closer to him “I was a fool to think the most comforting woman in the world wouldn’t understand grief when she has had a handful of it herself.” By the end of his speech my head injury was long forgotten, I had an aching heart. “I can’t believe I let the most important person in my life down. The person who gives me the most security asked for just a bit of it and I refused it to give it to her like an idiot.”

“Please hear me when I say this, there was a time in my life where I thought Temari and I were meant to be, but I know there is a lifetime where you and I belong together. You are it for me, nothing happened.” He tilted my head, searching my face for a reaction when the first tear ran down my face. Shikamaru was taken back and seemed a little panicky at the sight of me crying. I’d have to be heartless to not shed a tear for that confession, this man was everything I’ve ever wanted and I’d be lost- I’d been lost without him.

I reach arms up and around his neck as he brushes the tears from my eyes. “Shikamaru please don’t scare me like that ever again, I won’t make it to the wedding day if I die of a heart attack.” Burying my face into his shoulder, I ignore the smell of cigarettes. I could feel him release a breath of air at my proclamation, squeezing me tighter in return. Suddenly he’s pushing me off and scrambling off the bed, but I didn’t understand. I thought we were making up and there he goes running off again! “Shika, didn’t I just tell you not to scare me again? Hey! get back over here!” I told him slightly out of breath from the change in position and pouting.

I had put myself in an upright position watching as he frantically searched through his pockets with his back to me. Sighing in relief as he finally found what he was looking for, he quickly turned back to me and dropped to his knee. My ring! “(Y/N), please don’t ever make me take this ring back again, I don’t know if my heart could take it. Will you please be my fiancée again?” He was proposing to me again! I quickly nod my head shoving my bare ring finger in the cloud gazing man’s face as he returned it back to its rightful spot and we sealed it with a kiss. A knock at the door separated us.

Sakura came in pushing a cart, “Just coming by to change (Y/N)’s IV dressing!” Shikamaru takes a step back, taking a seat in the chair by my bedside as Sakura moves in close. Gently grabbing my hand, she started changing the IV dressing, of course it was the left one. I could feel her smirking at my hand. “That’s a nice ring there (Y/N), is it new!?” the medical genius teased me snickering. She knew we would make up. I couldn’t help but laugh with her. “Yeah, Shikamaru just gave it to me, isn’t it cute?” I joked back. letting out a complete and full laugh now, the pink haired woman agreed while Shikamaru face palmed. “Who knew you’d be able to get two proposals out of this lazy one!” Shikamaru was full on groaning at this point.

Another knock on the door lead to a huge bouquet with some legs poking out from under it! Ino! “I didn’t know which arrangement you’d like best so I decided to bring you all of them!” Ino was the sweetest girl and I was grateful that Shikamaru had brought us together. “Here Shikamaru, hold these!” Ino drops the bouquet into the Nara’s lap and moved to hug Sakura and then me. Another loud groan was released from the shadow man. “Was all of this really necessary Ino? (Y/N) is getting discharged tomorrow.” Shikamaru complains holding onto the heavy arrangements.

“Get used to looking at arrangements Shika! You’ll get your fair share when we’re planning our wedding.” I smirk and wink at my fiancé dearest as the two women shriek and join hands. “You’re starting the wedding planning?!” Sakura says dreamily as I nod, “Yep, want to start my lifetime with that one soon”. I reply smirking at my soon to be husband. “About time! I’m on flower duty!” Ino proclaims. I just nod my head in agreement, stuck in a staring contest with Shikamaru.

“How troublesome... you two are going to turn my girlfriend into a bridezilla.” He smirks and lets out his typical sigh.

“Not-uh, I’m not your girlfriend Shikamaru, I’m your fiancée, remember?” Using his own line on him I giggled. We smiled so hard at each other that I swore my cheeks were going to cave in.

“How about a spring wedding?!” Sakura shrieks, “With roses!” Ino excitedly adds.

I was so grateful for everyone in that room, and I couldn’t wait to drag Shikamaru back into our home where we belonged, together.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹

The Final part of the “Dragging” series guys! I’m still new and learning so Imma just apologize If you hated it lolll. Not sure if I’ll do anything else with this series, I might do a different series! feel free to message me!

Until Next Time! xxo (▰∀◕)ﾉ

[misssunflowersandsangria]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Naruto Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Nara Shikamaru/Temari Characters: Nara Shikamaru, Temari (Naruto), Yamanaka Ino, Sai (Naruto), Akimichi Chouji, Karui (Naruto), Nara Clan Additional Tags: Mafia AU, Romance, Eventual Smut, BAMF Nara Shikamaru, Explicit Language, Smut

Hello deers!  I absolutely love Mafia AU's so I got inspired to write one for ShikaTema.  It gets pretty steamy from the beginning and this theme will pretty much carry through the whole story.  Still, I hope that you enjoy it!

I’m going to be updating this post as I add new chapters. :D

Summary:

Money, power, and women were all at Shikamaru's fingertips as the head of the Nara Crime Family. He had all that he could wish for as he ruled his empire with an iron fist. An encounter with a troublesome blonde was enough for him to risk it all on one night.

Chapter 1:  Opening Move

Chapter 2:  Queen’s Gambit

Chapter 3:  Luck

Chapter 4: Castling

Chapter 5: Protecting the Queen

Chapter 6: Deflection

Chapter 7: En Passant

Chapter 8: Capture 

Chapter 9: Checkmate

*

**

Shikamaru’s midnight eyes surveyed the crash of sweaty bodies moving and pulsating to a heavy beat. He took a long drag of his cigarette overwhelmed by the sheer number of people and heavy bass. It wasn’t often that he made the trek out here.  Typically depending on his associates to check on their businesses.  His father told him though that it was important for the king to be seen by his people.  

For so long his family had to operate in the shadows.  That was no longer the case.  The Naras, Akimichis, and Yamanakas ruled this area.  Government officials, police officers, “powerful” people were all on their payroll.  Very few things happened in this city without them knowing.  Everyone knew who they were and they no longer tried to hide it.  

When he was younger he’d complained constantly that this was a drag. He never wanted to become the head of the Nara crime family.  It wasn’t his choice, it was his destiny.  Still, he grew into the role and had accomplished more than they’d ever dreamed. Their empire was now strong and vast. Power and money were his.  And yet there was an emptiness in his chest. 

He didn’t delight in the benefits of being an infamous crime boss. The club was far too loud. The women who threw themselves at him were too troublesome.  A lot of strings and losses came with power. And it was all becoming far too tiresome. 

His eyes continued to scan the room before they fell upon one person in the crowd. His heart began to beat wildly and an excited shiver ran through him. From where he stood he could tell she was a striking blonde but there was something different.  Like a beacon drawing him in. A feeling unlike he’d ever experienced before. 

He studied her for a while.  She was clearly a good worker never taking a minute to rest between drinks.  He typically didn’t involve himself in the day to day operations of their various businesses. He trusted his associates to do thorough background checks and to hire the best. Once he got a name he’d have to check through her file. 

Shikamaru became increasingly frustrated as she flirted and smiled at the club patrons.  They didn’t deserve her attention especially when all of his was on her. His hands clutched painfully around the balcony railing as he tried to keep his anger in check. 

Shikamaru called his security detail over.

“The blonde bartender, bring her to my office.”

“Yes sir.” 

Shikamaru continued to stare as she gazed up towards him with a confused glare. Part of him hoped that when they met she would bore him like the rest. She’d be good for a quick fuck and then he could send her on her way. The intellectual side of him knew that wouldn’t be the case. 

Temari took a deep breath as she followed the large man down the dimly lit hall.  

She’d only started working at the club for a few weeks now.  It was an easy enough job.  She was able to make a pretty decent amount of money, especially from tips.  It was amazing how easily these men opened up their wallets when a pretty girl smiled at them.  

She couldn’t imagine what she had done in such a short time to gain the interests of the Nara clan head. 

When she applied for the job she had already been well aware of who actually owned it.  Their family owned everything in this town. She wasn’t worried though.  What interest could they have in a regular bartender?  As far as she knew it was just a popular club with lines out the door on most nights.  It was a veritable pot of gold.  She needed the money for herself and her brothers. So whatever reason that Nara had for summoning her she knew that she needed to play nice. 

This was despite her natural inclinations.  She had to remain calm and quiet lest she enrages the infamous mob boss.  Their reign and crimes had been known far and wide and she didn’t want to be a victim of his anger. 

The room was small but well furnished.  Despite the fear in her bones it was warm and inviting.  

Temari looked up, finding him sitting in a large chair with a cigarette pressed between his lips.  She’d never known what he actually looked like but he was undeniably handsome.  Sharp features with a hint of darkness around him.  His hair was pulled back away from his face as his deep eyes studied her. The expensive well-fitting suit framed him perfectly. He seemed to be younger than her but his eyes held a lifetime of painful memories.   

The Nara wasn’t what she expected at all.  She’d imagine some sort of large overweight cartoonish figure that wore an obnoxious outfit.  This dark and dangerous man was like something out of her fantasy.

A delighted shiver ran through her. Unlike the fear she had experienced before there was a tinge of excitement and want.  

He placed his cigarette down in favor of leaning forward to stare at her, his chin resting against steepled fingers.  She could see dark swirls of a tattoo peeking from beneath the shirt cuffs. 

 “Your name?”  Even his cool voice was making her wet. 

“Temari, sir.”  Surprising her he grinned.  

“I have enough yes men in my life.  You are allowed to speak freely here, on my honor you will not be harmed for anything you say.”

“You mean your honor as a criminal-”  She bit her lip feeling her stomach drop.  Her father always told her that her mouth would get her in trouble. 

Surprising her yet again he chuckled in response.  “I have no shame in what I do or what my family has done.  Criminal might be an overestimation.  Your elected officials, police officers, those who are meant to uphold the law.  They are all under my command, so who is the greater criminal?  The one who knows the crimes that they commit or the ones that believe themselves to be above them?”

“I doubt that you came here to discuss ethics.”

He smirked at the response, this interaction so different from what he was familiar with.  He strode over, his shadow falling over her.  “Are you not afraid of me?”

There was now hardly any space between them and the once warm room felt far too hot. He was too close and she could smell the cigarette on his breath. “If you were going to kill me, it would have been done already.”  She replied breathlessly but instantly regretted it.  

Despite his promise, she knew that she should still watch her words. The self-preservation part of her was too slow to stop her mouth. Or perhaps she was becoming drunk off his intoxicating scent of pine trees and smoke. She took a deep inhale wanting to commit the smell to memory. 

“You’re sharp.”  Temari breathed a sigh of relief that he seemed to be amused by her.

“You have to be growing up the way that I did.  If you don’t mind, I am on the clock and the time that I am wasting here I could be making money.”  She needed to get away.  This devastatingly attractive man was doing something to her and she wouldn’t be able to take care of it till she got home. 

“How much do you typically make a night here?”

“On a good night $300.”

He pulled out a stack of bills from his pocket before placing it in her hand. “Here, there’s at least a grand.  Is it enough to stop you from trying to leave?”

Despite needing the money her arms crossed.  “I’m not some hired whore.”

“I never said that you were.  Seeing that I am technically your boss, I am just paying you for any lost wages.”  

“Do you always have something to say?”  

His lips curved into a grin.  “My mother always told me that my mouth would get me in trouble.”  For some reason imagining that this larger than life man had a nagging mother made him seem...normal.  

“So, why am I here?”  She prayed that it was for the same reason that she wanted. 

“I don’t quite know myself.  I saw you there and something just made me want to meet you.”  His fingers casually trailed over the length of her throat along to her shoulder.  Traveling over the skin her dress left exposed. Goosebumps erupted where his hands moved. He’d barely touched her and she was already soaked. 

“Why?”  She breathed as his hand came to take a possessive grip on her waist.  “I’m no one.”

“I highly doubt that.  Even speaking with you for just 5 minutes has shown me that you are really something quite special and I've learned to read people quite well.”  He replied as his face buried itself into her hair as he took a deep breath.  She smelled like an ocean breeze and it was disorienting.  

“Do you do this to all the women who work for you?”  Temari demanded trying to keep her wits about her.  

“Jealous?”  He asked as his fingers trailed beneath the hem of her dress.

“Of course not.”  She replied sharply trying to fight back a moan at his warm hands traveled to grab the swell of her ass. 

“Good, because you’re wrong.  This is the first time someone has ever interested me in this way.”  Flutters erupted in her stomach at the idea that she could have captured the attention of someone in his position.  

Taking her own chance, her hands moved up his chest to cross behind his head, her fingers playing with the stray hairs at his neck. Lust and want were pushing her. How long had it been since anyone had made her feel this way? Had anyone even come close? 

“So what now…”

His lips traced along her throat as he pulled her flush against his chest delighting in her gasp of shock.  She was surprised to feel how hard he was and had to still her hips from moving against him.  

“It’s up to you.”  His voice was hot and desperate against her skin.  “Because of the position that I am in I don't get to imagine tomorrows.  So all I ask is just for one night.”

“Just a night”  She panted as he continued to layer kisses along her skin from her shoulder towards her exposed cleavage.  

His tongue and lips left a wet trail along her skin.  

“That’s all.  No strings, no expectations, just us.  Whatever your conditions are is fine.  I need to fuck you and It’s pretty obvious that you want me too.”  She felt his smug smile between her breasts.  His thumbs rubbed the tight nubs.  She held her breath as his hands massaged and manipulated her sensitive tits. 

In spite of herself, she couldn’t help the moan that fell from her lips.  

“Fuck, you don’t know what that sound does to me Trouble.”

“More, please.”  She begged thoughtlessly and his hands made quick work of pulling her dress down below her tits.

“You’re so fucking beautiful.”  He breathed before his mouth descended over her.  She cried out as he bit and sucked at her heavy chest. She arched up chasing that delicious feeling. 

Despite what she actually wanted she managed to ground out. “Wait.”

Shikamaru immediately released her, taking a step back. “Sorry, Temari-”

She shook her head before pulling him back. “No trust me that was perfect and I do want you.”  At the admission, he returned to worshiping her heavy mounds.  

She had to bite back a moan to get her point out. “But if this is really just going to be a one-night thing let’s make it interesting.”  

“How so?”  

“Let’s go out, get something to eat.”  Temari couldn’t believe what she was asking for. Yes, a quick fuck would be more than enough. For whatever reason though, she didn’t want the night to end. 

He was in shock and just a bit of awe at the situation.  Most women easily spread their legs if he showed any interest. Why did he relish in challenges?  Why was he entertaining the idea? 

“I don’t just go out or go on dates.  I’m not a good man. I could easily take what I want from you.  Why can’t I?”  He groaned against her flushed chest. 

“You tell me.  You seem to have an answer for everything. Here’s what I think. When I asked you to wait you did.  You’re a criminal but you’re not a monster.”  She told him with a soft smile with her fingers in his hair. That smile could bring him to his knees. 

“You think much too highly of me. Trouble.”  He replied taking deep inhales in her hair. 

“I don’t think that I do.” 

“A date.” 

If he was right and they did only have one night together Temari was going to make it last.  

“That's what I want to do.  And you said that any of my conditions were fine with you.  Maybe get to know each other just a little bit first.”  

His finger slowly grazed her face before drawing her gaze back up.  It was like those teal eyes could see right through him.  “You might not like what you find.”

“Let me be the judge of that.”  He met the challenge in her eyes with his own steely glare.  She was so damn troublesome and it would be much easier to find some other willing woman to help him get off.  That person wouldn’t be Temari though. 

“Fine Trouble if that’s what you want.  We will go out but if you think that this silly attempt at keeping me from what I want is going to stop me you’re mistaken.”

She made a show of fixing her dress before drawing him into a kiss.  His lips were hot and demanding against hers but she responded in kind. Aggressive and lustful, her tongue slid against his. She felt him walk them back. Her back hitting the door so he could put his full weight against her.  

Shikamaru very rarely kissed his conquests. Fucking could be emotionless and raw. Kissing felt far too intimate. Kissing Temari though he couldn’t help but crave.  She was so soft and pliant against him.  It had been so long since he’d had anything so sweet. 

“Are you just used to getting what you want immediately?”  She teased him, her lips still against his.  He hiked her leg around his waist grounding his erection against her overheated pussy. 

“Most people know better than to push me.”  He groaned, taking quick bites along her neck. His cock was already so hard in his pants and this troublesome blonde was only making it worse. 

“Don’t be a cry baby about it. Maybe waiting will make it that much sweeter.” 

“I can’t imagine your pussy being any sweeter than it already is.”  He replied with a grin as his fingers moved up her thigh and towards her wet cunt teasing her hard clit.  Wanting to draw out those sweet cries from her.  

“We don’t have to go out to eat. I can eat your pussy right here.” 

She pulled him back into a demanding kiss. It wasn’t a bad idea but she’d already made her move. “Fuck, your mouth won’t get you in trouble. That tongue will.”  She cried, throwing her head back. 

His thumb rubbed against her kiss swollen lips. “And that’s exactly where I’ll expect it to be later on tonight.” 

“Come on, let’s go.”  After a few more heated kisses Temari was able to pull back wanting to see her request through. Needing just a little space. This man was far too disarming. 

“Well you’ve sucked my tits and felt me up, I think that I deserve a first name Nara.” 

He threw his jacket over her shoulders before leading her back down that dimly lit hallway. His arm wrapped protectively around her waist. 

“It’s Shikamaru.” 

“Shikamaru.” She repeated back and the sound of his name on her lips sent a shudder through him. 

This Temari was dangerous. He knew that she couldn’t actually physically hurt him but the damage could be much worse. Still, when she looked at him with that all too charming grin and excitement in her teal eyes he couldn’t help but want to take the risk.

Once they reached the streets she stopped him to pull him into another kiss. It was far more gentle than the lust-fueled ones that they’d shared.  A genuine smile crossed his lips when she looked up at him. 

“Be careful, a date with me can be quite a drag.”

*

**

I was going to write this and keep it to myself but I loved it too much and I hope that you do too!!  I have another story for Sai/Ino and one in the works for Chouji/Karui that will all happen in this same universe. It's going to go fast because I have no patience or energy for a slow burn. There will be some twists and turns though!  Thanks for reading!  Love, love you all!

Update: I have a Stalemate/ShikaTema playlist on spotify but is there a way to share it but it’s not associated with my personal account?  Hmmm either way if I decide to share it I’ll add a link here.

[sagemoderocklee]

im assuming you meant to ask this to me, or I hope I’m assuming correctly!

this is a really hard one, because choosing just one line I’ve written that I can’t stop thinking about is not easy. i feel like, as a writer, i’ve grown a lot over the years, and in growing i feel like i’m more often very amazed at the things that my brain manages to come up with lmao i think i would have so many lines from TAoL (and Alliance, tbh) for this answer but it’s such a long piece now i can’t imagine trying to go through that lol i’ll just drop a few of my fave lines/exchanges, and try not to go to crazy lol

two lines i really love from i never knew how traumatic the words 'i' and 'you' could be when you put 'love' between us (the title of this is also something im really proud of):

He’d kept it short, afraid that if he’d spent any longer on it he would break and the lie would come spilling from him like his guts.

--

“I wish it were as easy as words,” Lee said quietly, swallowing back emotion that tasted like blood. “I have only truly been in love the one time, you see.”

I could pick a shit ton of lines from ‘if wanting were enough i’d take you by the hand’ (tw for suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and past character death):

Sometimes he hates Gaara for making him smile, for making him feel anything besides miserable. He fears the burgeoning love in his heart as much as he hates it. What right does Gaara have to make him forget the pain from the loss of his sensei? What right does Lee have to love when Gai has died and will never love again?

---

“If I were going to,” he says quietly, “your sand could not stop me.”

Gaara’s gourd rattles. “Is that so?”

“All it takes is Eight Gates,” Lee points out. “I could turn to ash and blow away on the wind. Your sand could not stop that.”

Gaara is suddenly close, closer than he’s ever been. He’s been in Lee’s personal space before—far too many times and not quite enough—but not like this. He is crowding him, hot and vicious and desperate and afraid. 

from Deadweight:

“Does it make it easier? Keeping me at arm's length?”

“No.”

“Then don't,” Gaara murmured, leaning close.

this line from Thirteen Strokes is definitely a recent line that im just like overwhelmed by:

Everything was love in the chaitya. The one and only time he'd stepped foot in it as a child, he'd seen the word carved into a stone monument at the back, and traced its curling letters with fingers so tiny they fit into the grooves. It was the only time, as a child, that he'd fit perfectly into love.

this one isn’t like a line of dialogue so much as an exchange that i laugh about any time i remember it. i don’t consider myself particularly skilled with comedy, but sometimes im funny:

“Oh. Uh. Right. So we're getting a nanny.”

“No shit,” Kankurō said with a laugh. “Do I gotta be on my best behavior?” He batted his lashes and blew a kiss to Temari, snickering to himself.

Temari raised an eyebrow. “Absolutely. I won't have you scaring off the person looking after my baby with your sexual wiles.”

Shikamaru snorted, quickly hiding his face in his hands.

“I doubt Kankurō will be able to seduce the nanny,” Gaara said casually, his gaze sliding from Temari to Kankurō.

“Hey!” Kankurō threw a pillow at Gaara's head, which his sand promptly blocked. “I wouldn't do somethin' like that, but if I wanted to there is absolutely no way I couldn't seduce your nanny.”

“Oh, well, then I'll be sure to warn Lee about you,” Temari said with a stifled laugh.

Kankurō's mouth fell open. “Lee? As in Rock Lee? Bowl-cut? Green suit? That Lee?”

-Absolution, Part I

anyways, this went on much longer than i planned lol and a lot of those lines/fics were not super happy so i wanted to end on a happier note (not that Absolution itself is happy so much as that exchange is just really fantastic in my, completely biased, opinion)

[innocent-dumpling]

You're The Reason

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Fandom: Naruto Relationship: ShikaTema A03 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23253157 Summary:

Temari hears that there were fatalities on a recent mission that Shikamaru was on. With his safety remaining unconfirmed how will she react? "Why couldn’t he be lazy like he always wants to be? Just this once.

----- How many weeks had passed since she last saw him? Three or four at least. Sighing heavily, Temari gently rakes her fingertips through her hair, combing thick golden locks into her final ponytail; stormy aquamarine orbs narrow as the blonde jerks it tight with a hair elastic. The frustration was undeniable, here she was in Shikamaru's village and he was nowhere to be seen. Initially, she mused to herself that he must’ve been slacking off somewhere; but the strategist preferred complaining head-on in recent years. Instead, she heard through the grapevine that the newly appointed Hokage had requested his assistance; according to her comrades, he was on an S Class mission as the strategic lead.

“I thought he would be back in time to attend the ambassador summit,” Temari grumbles under her breath; weathered alabaster hands gripping the bathroom vanity as she gazed deeply into the mirror. Taking a deep breath, the kunoichi’s eyes remained fixed on her visage; a small part of her couldn’t help but feel something wasn’t right, usually, she would at least see him wandering around the village after hours. But this time, not a trace; it was highly peculiar. I could just go past his home to see if he’s back. That wouldn’t be odd, would it? She wanders silently, pushing away from the vanity and walking out of the room. There was no doubt that their relationship had become somewhat more complicated since the war had drawn to a close; initially, the pair were comrades as they always had been. He would say something clever or lazy and she poked fun at him, plain and simple; his reactions were always fatigued yet amused despite her comments nearly always being at his expense. As time went on, she slowly found herself trying to avoid spending longer with him than necessary; a feeble attempt to silence the strange flutter in her chest. But nothing she did seemed to deter him from seeking out her company, he even invited her on a date shortly after the conclusion of the war; a shockingly bold move that took her by surprise at the time. Unfortunately, despite the date going quite well, nothing had come of it since due to their hectic schedules; which was irritating to say the least. Fingertips trace across the cold glass window as the kunoichi walks into the main section of her hotel room, peering outside onto the balcony; the calming sound of the rain washing over her as she gazed out into the distance. A kind smile teases at the corners of her lips as she watches locals race through the streets trying to stay out of the wet weather. The gentle rattle of the door handle unlocking immediately seizes her attention, causing the blonde to turn and come face to face with her dripping wet brother; Kankuro. Something wasn’t right, his usually jolly expression is masked by nervous energy, the likes of which she hadn’t seen in quite some time. His eyes momentarily lock with hers before looking elsewhere; “You know how there was that rumour that the fire nation had an S Class mission in operation?” he notes, peeling off his jacket and dropping it in a moist pool at his feet. “Yes, of course I know about that,” Temari states matter-of-factly; arms plaiting across her chest as she looks back at him unsurely. “Where are you going with this?” she urges, heart palpitating as her gaze remains fixed on his visage, Nothing is a secret for very long in this village. “Well, apparently it was focused on hunting down a few of those white Zetsu’s that were missed during the war somehow. I just saw medics rushing to the gate about fifteen minutes ago. There were casualties on that mission,” he blurts out, anxiety building as he spoke. “You don’t think there’s an army of white Zetsu still, do you? I don’t think we could handle another army like that just yet.” In that moment, it felt as if time itself stopped. Her breathing becomes haggard as she struggles to process the information that had just been disclosed and what it might mean. Without even thinking twice about it, Temari find herself rushing out of the hotel room, her shoulder brushing past her sibling’s as she made her way outside. The icy rain showers down upon her, drenching her form as bare feet slammed against the ground; mud squelching between her toes and flicking up her legs as she tried her best to remain somewhat level headed. There was no doubt that her priorities differed to that of both her brothers, that had always been the case. But hearing Kankuro state that news in such a casual and egoistical manner was perturbing. That’s all Kankuro was worried about when lives were lost? After the immense number of deaths they had witnessed during the war, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed; Did he really feel so unphased at the loss of life? Sure, there were moments where death barely phased her too, she was numb to it for the larger part of her life. But now, she actively wanted to prevent it; even if it was an unavoidable danger in her line of work. Rain whips across her form in waves as she rushes onwards, determined to get to the location in question with haste; she needed to know he was alright, waiting around twiddling her thumbs was not an option. After all the time that has elapsed, how has it come to this? Temari wonders to herself. There was so much left unsaid between them that it ached to think about, had she missed the opportunity to thank him for helping bring down her walls? Or to tell him that he was the first shinobi she truly respected outside of Suna? Heck, she’d even go as far as to admit that he was irreplaceable. The thought of losing him was enough to make her mind spiral and her heart physically ache; it was simply not an option. Countless opportunities had presented themselves over the years for her to admit how she felt, yet the roadblock remained the same; her pride. It all seemed so ridiculous now. Hot tears sting at her eyes, threatening to race down her cheeks as she presses onwards, trying her best to recall the fastest route to her destination. “Why did he have to go on this mission?” she whispers, her voice cracking as the words tumble from her lips; “Why couldn’t he be lazy like he always wants to be? Just this once.” The sand-nin’s feet come to a halt as she comes face to face with the front gate of the village. Several medics rush from shinobi to shinobi, offering aid to the injured and promptly leading them away under umbrellas. But it is the eerie presence of the two large black body bags laying on the side of the road next to guards that is particularly disconcerting; who were they? How did such a thing even happen? So many questions required answers. Slowly walking forward, the blonde’s trembling stormy gaze flicked from face to face as she walked through the small gathering; the metallic stench of blood stinging at her nostrils. Rain droplets roll down Temari’s cheeks as her chest grows tighter and tighter with every face she gazes upon that fails to be his; it had been years since she felt such a pang of anxiety course through her for a reason other than her or her family’s safety. He was important, invaluable even; why had it taken so long for her to see that? Fists clenched at her sides, her nails dig into her weathered palms; the sting serving as a gentle reminder to focus on the task at hand. Head throbbing, the blonde’s eyes locked on the body bags in the distance; If he’s not here, then does that mean that he’s gone? Her heart aches as she slowly approaches the guards standing with the body bags; her eyes void of emotion as she parts her lips, unable to bring herself to find the words required to garner her answer from the shinobi guarding the dead. Taking a deep breath she straightens her posture, “Do you have the names of the dead?” she asks, her voice cracking as she stares down at the body bags. Death was part of their daily life, it was a painful reality; thick lashes flutter closed as she waits for their answer, the stench of death and stale cigarettes clinging to the air as she waited in silence. Eyes flick open as the unmistakable scent wafts through the air, seizing the jonin’s attention in a heartbeat. Shikamaru’s solemn form crouches out of the rain, quietly smoking under a small rooftop off to the side of the entryway; completely negated of any and all emotions. Relief washes over the kunoichi as she slowly makes her way over to the strategist’s position low to the ground. I don’t think I’ve ever been so relieved to smell that stench, Temari notes silently; her lips curving upwards ever so gently as she approaches him and promptly crouches beside him. Temari presses her head back against the wall of the building behind them; not once in her life had she ever been at such a loss for words as she was in that very moment. Part of her wanted to pummel him for accepting what was clearly a fool’s mission, but she wouldn’t; not right now. There was no doubt that he is in pain, blood-stained bandages are messily wrapped down one of his arms and up to his fingertips; his exposed chest littered with grazes and deep lacerations. What happened to you? You’re not usually one to get into close combat, she wonders silently. “You’re a mess,” Shikamaru whispers hoarsely, a slightly amused tone lingering as he draws his cigarette from his lips; exhaling heavily in the opposite direction. His dark orbs fix on his poorly bandaged hand as he clenches and unclenches his fist; a groan slipping from between his lips as he averts his gaze in annoyance. “Like you can talk,” Temari quips, bright eyes flicking in his direction as she speaks. “You should go to the hospital and allow a medic to examine your hand if it’s bothering you. Don’t be stubborn, it doesn’t make you a hero if you deny treatment,” she states bluntly, leaning forward on her knees as she reached forward to try and seize his hand to inspect it; He bandaged that himself didn’t he? It’s been done so untidily. He quickly retracts his arm, still averting her gaze. “We failed the mission,” he mutters softly, lifting his cigarette to his lips once more as he rises to his feet and leans back against the wall; his unoccupied hand sliding into his pants pocket and fiddling with his lighter absent-mindedly. “Those two defied my orders and went against the plan we had set in place. God knows where those dozen White Zetsu are now too, it’s a fucking disaster.” Exhaling heavily, the blonde rises to her feet and snatches the cigarette from his fingers, promptly hurling it into the rain. “You don’t need to focus on any of that right now, just focus on looking after yourself. Can’t you see how worried you made me? I ran here in this downpour, fearing you might be seriously hurt or worse you idiot!” Temari snaps, her free hand seizing his chin as she meet his gaze directly; her lips quivering ever so slightly as she looks up at him. “Look, I get it. You lost two comrades. It’s painful, but that’s the nature of our profession, especially on high-level missions. You of all people understand that better than anyone,” she states bluntly, turning away. I don’t care if this is harsh right now. He’s a responsible person; he needs to snap out of this. Temari’s words were harsh, the bodies of his comrades hadn’t even been buried yet, but he couldn’t deny she had a point. How many times was he going to fall into the same repetitive cycle of grievance over the actions of others when that wasn’t within his control? What an exhausting way to live. A sigh absentmindedly slips from his lips, tired dark eyes drifting back to the blonde; No one ever said that the life of a shinobi was without sacrifice or risk. They all knew this from day one. “I didn’t ask you to worry about me. I didn’t ask you to do anything,” Shikamaru retorts, shaking free of her grasp; his gaze dropping down to her mud-coated feet. Did she really run here barefoot out of concern? The concept was baffling to say the least. Azure eyes narrow, brows furrowing as his words echo through her mind; Is he trying to be cruel? Does he still not get it at all or does he just not care? “Worrying about the person I love isn’t a choice Shikamaru! Why would anyone want to feel like this?” the sand-nin fires back defensively, her face reddening as pent up frustration bubbles to the surface; Crap! I shouldn’t have said that! Trying to act unphased, she crosses her arms under her chest; heart racing as anxiety envelops her senses. Controlling her temper was never a strong suit of hers; she had never disclosed something so private during an outburst before, it was mortifying. The strategist stares at the blonde in disbelief, their eyes locked with one another. Since when? How did I miss this? He wonders, dark orbs softening as he averts his gaze; warmness radiating his chest. He was happy, there was no way he could deny it; after years of silently admiring the domineering woman here she was owning up to her own feelings. As always she was the gutsier one of the two, if it was up to him who knows when or if he would’ve even admitted to feeling anything. The silence between the pair is excruciating, in the novels she had read the answer from the other party in these situations came swiftly. But this was reality, and he sure as hell wasn’t the romantic type. “Nothing to say? Of course you don’t,” Temari fumes; promptly turning on her heel and her arms up in the air, storming off into the rain, “Whatever! I shouldn’t have even bothered!” A chill races down the sand-nin’s spine as rain trickles down her cheeks; she picks up her pace, desperate to leave his sight as soon as possible and bring an end to their interaction. It was difficult to pinpoint exactly what she expected from him, all she knew was it hurt; perhaps this was heartbreak. I have made a complete fool of myself. Now who’s the idiot? Shikamaru’s chest tightens as he watches the blonde storm off. He knew she wasn’t indestructible, but witnessing her like this was difficult. Beneath her fierce outer shell Temari had a kind heart; he knew that. It was never something he even questioned the presence of, despite the fact that the kunoichi would never willingly show that side of her without cause. Without even thinking, he takes a few steps forward, dark orbs fixed intently on her figure as she disappears around the corner. What am I doing? He wonders, absentmindedly stepping out into the rain and pausing for a moment; mind abuzz as earlier declaration echoes through his mind. A wet calloused hand slips across his forehead, proceeding to slip through his slicked hair; “Damn it!” Mud splashes up and over his shoes as he trudges forward, slowly picking up his pace to a sprint as he pursues her. Given his keen eye for detail, it was perplexing that something as large as her feelings towards him had gone unnoticed. How did he drop the ball? Was he too busy looking at everyone else’s lives, that he hardly spent a moment thinking introspectively; or truly taking note of how those around him acted in his presence? God she’s troublesome, Shikamaru notes exasperatedly as he finally caught sight of her blonde pigtails; mud drenched shoes drawing to a halt, “You didn’t have to storm off like that!" Temari stops dead in her tracks, her heart pounding wildly as she gazes stubbornly down at her soiled bare feet; this was not the outcome that she had expected. “What could you possibly have to say right now?” she replies bluntly, eyes narrowing as she crosses her arms under her chest. If he followed me just to say more insensitive things I will lose it, the kunoichi notes silently. “Were you joking around or did you really mean it?” Shikamaru demands, his voice stern as he closes the space between them; “and don’t give me a sarcastic answer.” A cold hand reaches out and gently grips Temari’s shoulder, dark oculars softening as he feels his heart thump violently in silent anticipation. “You’re an absolute idiot!” she fires back, stormy eyes welling with tears of complete and utter frustration as she turns to face him; Does he really think so little of me? Their faces hover inches apart, his hot breath caressing her cheeks as she stares back at him; irked beyond belief despite her accelerating heart rate. He can be so insensitive! Did he follow me just to annoy me further? “You didn’t answer my question,” the strategist notes, eyes narrowing as he retracts his hand. The blonde had countless telltale signs when she was nervous, the most common being avoiding repeating whatever the source was and firing insults; openly displaying a sign of weakness was incredibly uncommon given her stubborn nature. Exactly as expected, he muses to himself, his lips curving upwards a fraction in amusement. “Don’t!” she orders, poking his chest warningly as soon as she spots a smile forming; “Stop assuming you know everything. You clearly don’t!” It hurt, seeing him look at her like that, most likely knowing exactly what was on her mind; where was this power of observation when she was waiting for him to ask her out again for months? Did he honestly not realise how she felt about him until she vocalised it out loud earlier? Either way, he didn’t want to drop the subject. Twisting her lips, Temari takes a deep breath and presses onwards; “I’m not like Ino, Sakura or any of those other girls you grew up with. I don’t let people in. It’s not something I ever wanted to do after my mother died. I didn’t want to suffer like that again.” Remaining silent for a few short moments, the blonde slowly retracts her hand only for him to grip it gently; his fingertips brushing across her skin. She stares down at their hands, a nervous flutter swirling in her stomach as heat rose in her cheeks; icy rain droplets rolling down her face as she struggles to maintain what remains of her composure. “Without even trying, you cracked that wall I put up. I let you get close to me, and you’re the reason that I’ve slowly let others in too,” she explains, eyes softening as she looks away; “You’re important. You’re not allowed to die; I can’t lose you.” The gentle patter of rain fills the air as silence befalls the pair; exhaling heavily Shikamaru reaches forward, brushing a thumb across both her cheeks as he lifts her head to meet his gaze directly once more. A simple verification of her feelings was all he was truly seeking, but she offered him more than that; instead, she opened herself up, exposing herself in a manner of which he had never seen. Although she hadn’t said it in so many words, he knew what she was trying to say. Seeing her unravel emotionally before him was an unforeseen occurrence, and yet he couldn’t help but lose himself in his thoughts as he looked deep into her eyes; Damn, she really is beautiful. Trembling stormy orbs search his big brown eyes, his thumbs gently brushing across her cheeks as he looks down at her; a content expression printed across his handsome face. Without thinking she swiftly leans forward, capturing his lips with her own; her tongue greedily meeting his and asserting her dominance. Her arms lace around his neck as she presses up against his chest. She had played out this exact moment countless times in her mind over the years, but nothing she imagined came close to capturing just how exhilarating it would be. Brows furrow as his pent up frustration overflows, Shikamaru peels her saturated kimono exposing her upper back and shoulders, the next target on his list. Calloused fingertips trail down her neck and sides, settling firmly on her hips; gripping them roughly. “You’re the most troublesome woman I’ve ever met,” he declares, breaking their kiss and lifting her up to his hips; the blonde’s legs coiling around him without hesitation as she looks down at him, dishevelled and breathless; most likely silently searching for a witty remark to fight back with, “But I love you too.” Temari gazes down at him, a kind smile teasing at the corners of her full lips as she leans closer once more; her lips hovering above his teasingly. Thick lashes flutter downwards, her tongue tracing across her teeth as the taste of cigarettes lingers in her mouth. She slowly traces one hand forward, stroking the side of his neck tentatively; “We should probably stop, or we’re going to be spotted and someone might misunderstand,” she whispers unconvincingly. It had all happened so quickly, it was difficult to even process what had occurred. Part of her felt foolish for accepting that it was reality so easily, but after years of suppressing how she felt, it couldn’t be helped. The shadow user raises a brow, a mischievous expression slipping across his visage. “It’s raining, nobody is going to look for us for the first time in months. I don’t care what anyone thinks, I’m not even close to being done here,” he murmurs, promptly seizing her lips and pressing her back up against the rough bricks of a nearby building. A sated whimper escapes her as a triumphant smirk settles across the sand-nin’s lips, her lover playfully nipping at her collarbone as she withers against him. For once in her life she was simply going to submit to happiness, no questions asked.

[notquitejiraiya]

Chess [28] - {ShikaTema AU}

Hey, hi, hello. I’m here, I’m alive, and I’m stuck inside my house like every other poor soul on the planet. So what excuses did I have to not finish off Chapter 28? Absolutely none.

This is possibly the dumbest chapter of this fic yet, but I figured everybody was probably in need of something a bit more lighthearted right now so...

I hope that everyone is doing ok, and give my absolute best to you all! You can do it - keep safe please :))

[READ/COMMENT ON AO3]

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Shikamaru pulled one of Kankuro’s hoodies over his messy hair with a grimace, and wiped the remaining sweat off his brow. “Are you sure I should be wearing this?” He felt dirty, and not just because of what the two of them had just done—again—that had actually been far less reckless than the first occasion, thank you very much.

But it didn’t feel right at all to be wearing this while his own jumper dried. “Not sure I’m totally comfortable with this, Tem. Don’t you have anything that doesn’t belong to your brothers?”

Pushing her own hair from her eyes, Temari raised her eyebrows. “You might’ve noticed that I’m a woman, and so I don’t exactly go out of my way to own many men’s clothes.”

He shoved his hands into the big pocket in the centre of the black hoodie and rolled his eyes to the back of his head. The Temari he knew best was back in the room, and even through her undeniably rose-tinted glasses she had to admit it was absolutely huge on him. It did look ridiculous. Maybe, now she thought about it, it was a little weird for him to wear that.

She jumped off the bed and toward her wardrobe. “You know what? You’re skinny…” Frantically she sifted through the bottom of the unit and pulled out a lavender sweatshirt. “So you’ll probably fit in this one. Take that off.” 

“Christ,” he mumbled, pulling it over his head and dropping it on the bed. “Quickly though, woman, I’m freezing.”

Temari shook her head as she threw the jumper at him. She watched intently as he put it on, and his torso disappeared from view once more. Blinking herself out of her stare, she saw how his eyebrows had raised.

“You aren’t subtle, are you?”

“Excuse me,” she spat. “You didn’t have to come up here!”

A smile spread across his expression. “I basically did,” he scoffed, sitting back down on her bed. “You begged me to stay.”

“And you listened. Could’ve ignored me.” Temari squinted at him, sarky as anything, and her hips swayed as she walked out of the door. She thought about putting some trousers on before she braved the hallway, but something in her wanted the satisfaction of his jaw dropping as she sauntered out, and while she couldn’t see it, the clearing of his throat told her enough. “Back in a minute.”

“W-where are you going?” he stuttered.

“Just put some trousers on.”

“Wow—hypocritical woman.”

“This is my house!”

She slammed the bathroom door with a giggle and scurried over to the sink. Immediately her reflection caught her, and her gut felt empty. What was she doing? Why had she done that—again? Last time it was him, and she’d kept some of her dignity knowing that, but this time it was entirely on her. The smudged eyeliner, the patches of missing foundation, and the mess that sat atop her head: all of it screamed mistake.

But she could not, for the life of her, stop smiling.

With a simple flick of the wrist the tap was on, and she wiped away the mess on her face, slapping her cheeks a couple of times to remind herself how real this was. She tore a brush through the messy hair and let it all fall how it wanted, perfectly aware that she didn’t have the necessary equipment at hand to tame it. Not once did she think about the fact that, as of yet, the man currently perched in her bedroom would’ve seen her in every state after she stepped out of that door, but the nervous smile on her face remained. Temari cared so much what he thought of her, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt that when she walked out of the bathroom she would be met with the same grateful and somehow unenthusiastic eyes. And she knew that behind that look was a great deal more care than he could visually express. But he didn’t need to. She knew.

Temari slapped her cheeks once again and rubbed her eyes, when she suddenly heard muffled shout followed by a loud click.

Her heart sunk, and her stomach flipped.

The door.

That meant one of two things: either he’d gone, which given his general manner was a possibility but a slim one, or someone was home. The latter meant hoping and praying with her whole being that she had shut her bedroom door behind her, Shikamaru had heard and thus hidden himself away, and—most importantly of all—it wasn’t Kankuro.

Without a moment to spare, Temari flushed the toilet and threw open the bathroom door, looking around, only to find Gaara stood in the doorway of her bedroom up the hall, a somewhat disgruntled look on his face. He turned to her, astonished, and shook his head.

Oh, thank God. Gaara.

“Gaara…” she repeated out loud, barefoot and easing towards him.

“Temari,” he replied. He beckoned her closer, and she obeyed regretfully, her head hanging slightly, and every ounce of pride she’d felt as she looked in the mirror a moment ago had gone. When she was finally close enough, he pulled her into a massive hug and buried his face in her neck.

She frowned, and peered over his shoulder into her room. A lump of black hair peered over the edge of the bed and immediately ducked down.

Thank god, she thought, sighing with relief as she caressed her brothers back slightly.

“Whats the matter?” she whispered. “Was it your date?”

Gaara didn’t seem as though he was going to cry or anything, he just felt floppy in her arms. “Yes,” he mumbled. “He was utterly bonkers.”

Shikamaru was spying again and frowned. He started miming spirals around his head, and Temari mouthed a stern ‘shut up’ before forcing her attention back to Gaara. “Was it that bad?”

“Not at all, and I suppose that’s the problem,” sighed Gaara. “I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting, but part way through eating I started worrying, because this man was properly strange and yet there I was; totally up for it.”

“Been there,” she chuckled. This, unsurprisingly, earned an eye-roll from her hidden companion.

“But really,” said Gaara, “it felt so wrong for me to feel suited to someone like that; somebody so loud and so extroverted. He was so lively, so cheery, and he was constantly talking—I barely even got a word in.”

Temari pulled away from their hug, giving Shikamaru a subtle glare as she did. “Sounds a bit self absorbed if you ask me.”

“No, not at all!” he insisted, slightly bashful. “Whenever I did speak he looked at me like what I was saying could not have been anymore important. It felt…” Gaara paused and looked into her room. “It felt easy, you know?”

“Good!” She smiled, genuinely happy that her brother had found somebody who showed promise in caring about him in the right way. “Well, I’m glad you had a great date.”

He nodded. “You, too.”

Temari scrunched up her face. “What do you mean?”

“With Shikamaru,” Gaara clarified. He crossed his arms and sighed. “That is where you went today, isn’t it?”

She had nothing to say for herself except trying, “Um…no?”

“You can come out, Shikamaru, if that is you,” Gaara sighed, and gave his sister a sombre smile. “You gave it a good go, but I knew as soon as I saw the jumper on the bed.”

With an awkward shuffle, Shikamaru got to his knees, but he daren’t stand up. Temari was glad for this unexpected awkwardness, but only in that moment did she realise that lack of trousers on her legs, and thus how what Shikamaru was doing it made the situation somehow more awkward.

The silence was unbearable, and as Gaara looked from her to Shikamaru, awkwardly rubbing his neck as he always seemed to be, Temari couldn’t bear it. She started to awkwardly chuckle and leant against the doorway. “It isn’t what it looks like.”

“Temari,” warned Gaara, “I’d argue it’s exactly what it looks like.”

“Hey, man.”

Temari’s eyes shot to Shikamaru, giving him a ‘shut-your-damn-mouth’ look, but he didn’t seem capable of paying any attention to it. The awkwardness had failed, and the oddly carefree bluntness was shining through. 

“Shikamaru,” he smiled, holding out his hand across the bed. “It’s nice to finally meet you, you know, not over a phone.”

Gaara walked deeper into the room, leant over and shook his hand giving a sort of polite grunt in response. Meanwhile Temari stood on the sidelines, feeling undoubtedly like an idiot and by no means ready to be made an example of by her younger sibling.

“I’m assuming,” Gaara said, “that, like my sister, you are in fact not wearing trousers.”

Shikamaru’s mouth fell agape, and he spent the next ten seconds wrestling with his hair to get it up into a ponytail. “Well, erm…”

“Yes, okay, I thought as much.”

Temari hated the fact she couldn’t see Gaara’s face, but she knew if it was bad when he turned around she would probably cry. That wasn’t exactly something she wanted to do right now. Sure, in front of Shikamaru there had been the odd tear this evening alone, but no full on guilty sobbing, and that’s what she could feel brewing.

But then she saw Shikamaru looking at her and start biting his lip. He could see she was embarrassed, couldn’t he? He could tell she was uncomfortable, for sure, almost as uncomfortable as he appeared to be. Something was happening to his eyes that terrified her, and she new before he even moved that she was going to be powerless to this man’s stupidity all over again.

As he started to stand up she felt her eyes widening, and she almost ran towards him to get him to stop, but she was frozen solid.

And so there he was, just standing there at the far end of her bedroom in her purple jumper—which somehow still looked too big for him—and his boxers, arms crossed over his chest at the loss of pockets. How in any part of his mind was this a solution? How could he possibly think this could make anything better? What was worse was that Temari could see the ticking behind his tired eyes as he clearly scanned his own brain for a reason why he’d done this. He even opened his mouth to speak at one point, but a mere squeak came out, and Temari almost choked.

Suddenly Gaara’s shoulders started to quiver, and Temari felt herself creeping forward. “What?” she queried, grabbing a pair of joggers off her floor. “Gaara, what?”

He almost squeaked as he started speaking, and only then did she register it was a laugh. “I come home to find my sister and her boyfriend mid way through fornicating—”

She winced. “Oh, Gaara, any word but that one please.”

“Boyfriend or fornicating?”

“Both!”

Gaara cleared his throat and tried to calm down a little, but Temari could now see him chewing the inside of his cheek. “But then he shakes my hand and stands up whilst he has no trousers on, as if he has absolutely no shame.”

“Oh, man,” Shikamaru grimaced. “I can promise you I am utterly full of shame.”

“For what? Being with my sister?”

At this point Temari could see what was happening, and thought it best it ended right now. “Shikamaru…”

“No, no, not at all, mate,” he pandered. “I, um, we’re not actually…together. That wouldn’t be right, I just…we didn’t even, um—I just…” His eyes fluttered to the radiator on which his jeans were. “My clothes got wet, while we were out, so Tem—I mean Temari said I could borrow something?”

Temari sat down on her bed and rubbed her eyes. “Shikamaru, don’t bother. He’s a lawyer.”

“Fuck.”

At this point, Gaara somehow still seemed amused—happy even. Clearly he wasn’t quite impressed with the situation, but he didn’t look angry. This—the game of guilt he was playing with Shikamaru—was just one of his twisted interviews he liked to give people, thinking they were funny.

“Look, man, I’m sorry,” pleased Shikamaru. “I didn’t mean to offend anybody, ok? God this is just such a pain, I’m sorry, man.”

Gaara frowned. “Why?”

“Shikamaru, stop grovelling,” Temari sighed. “He’s not mad at you, he’s just being an asshole.”

“Excuse me, dear sister?”

“Come on, you know you are,” she groaned, punching him gently in the gut before looking back at Shikamaru’s worried expression. “Relax. He does this.”

Shikamaru hardly looked at ease, but he nodded and frowned slightly. “Can you pass me my jeans so I can pretend I didn’t just meet your brother in my underwear?”

“Don’t bother,” Gaara chuckled. “Would you mind if I had a word with my sister, however?”

His eyes shifted to Temari who nodded precariously. “Sure.” He sad back down behind the bed, sinking down into what she would only assume was a puddle of inconsolable embarrassment—that’s how she’d feel in his shoes—as Gaara dragged her into the hallway.

“What were you thinking?” he whispered at her, shutting the door.

Temari groaned and rubbed her eyes. “I know, I know—I’m shameful, you don’t need to tell me.”

“No, I didn’t mean doing him again.” Gaara blushed, as if he actually felt awkward. “I meant bringing him back here.”

“What?”

“What if Kankuro was here?”

“But he’s not,” she retorted. “I knew you were both out, I’m not stupid.”

“To be honest with you, Temari,” Gaara sighed, “I feel really bad for that man.”

“You’re not mad at him?”

“Mad at him? For what?”

“I don’t know, for sleeping with your sister?”

Gaara shook his head, chuckling. “No, what you guys do isn’t my business,” he said, calmly and matter-of-factly. “However, he didn’t deserve to have to meet me in his pants.”

“You say that to me like I had any idea this would happen.”

“Would you have liked to meet his sister in your bra?”

“He doesn’t have a sister.”

“Mother, then.”

Temari rolled her eyes. “That’s completely different, Gaara.”

“How is it different?” he shot back. “I apologise if I seemed harsh on him, I was merely trying to lighten the mood, but it seemed clear to me that he wanted to make a good impression.”

“You think?” she laughed. “Why would he want to do that?”

Her brother frowned and stepped back from her. “I would think because he cares about you, and he wants to stick around?”

She deflated her stiff shoulders and leant against the wall. “As if.”

“He could have left by now, Temari, but he’s waiting patiently in that room.”

“He’s just too awkward to leave, Gaara. Who wouldn’t want to after that?”

There was a slight gentle knock from inside her room, and the door creaked open the slightest crack to reveal Shikamaru in all his lanky glory, hands safely in pockets of his jeans—thank god he’d clothed himself—biting on his lip. “I’m sorry I fucked up. This really isn’t how I wanted to meet you, man,” Shikamaru sighed. “And I’m sorry, Tem, that this is how I am. I don’t know what to do in the moment without a plan.”

Temari closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She slowly reached out and tugged on his pretty purple sleeve slightly. “It’s fine. You need a smoke?”

He nodded, leaning against the threshold. “If you want me to go home, I can. Either of you, that is.”

“Nonsense,” interjected Gaara, before Temari could even get a word in. “There’s a huge window in my room that opens out a great deal. Just sit by that—no need to go out into the cold then.”

Shikamaru nodded. “Thanks, man,” he said, fishing a cigarette from his pocket and placing it between his lips. “You really don’t have to.”

“I repeat: nonsense. Just shut it when you’re done.” Gaara smiled softly and point in the direction of his bedroom.

As Shikamaru raised a hand in recognition, Temari engulfed her little brother in a huge hug, squeezing so tight Gaara was unsure she’d ever let go. She kissed his forehead and ruffled his hair a little bit with a big grin. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much for not being mad at him.”

Gaara shrugged and elbowed her. “We all know I’m the cool brother,” he joked, and stepped back towards the stairs. “Besides, he is pretty attractive, I cannot blame you. Keep hold of him.”

“We aren’t together Gaara,” she groaned, rolling her eyes.

“Nobody is buying that.”

“Shut up.”

She looked over toward him, perched on the windowsill and exhaling a drastic amount of smoke out into the night air. Even now he had his jeans back on, she couldn’t expel the picture of him stood stiffly without them, staring awkwardly at her brother, and she started to chuckle as she heard Gaara patter down the stairs.

“Are you seriously laughing at me?” she heard him muttered. His dark eyes shot her way, half-open with the slightest mischievous glimmer, and she immediately giggled. “You are. What a bitch.”

Temari’s eyes widened. “Wow, brave move from the man who thought that was a good move!” She shuffled into Gaara’s bedroom, feeling the cold of his wooden floors hit her toes and work its way up her bare legs. As she moved closer she slipped on the joggers in her hands before reaching out to him. “Gimme.”

“Give you what? My hand?”

She blushed. “The cigarette, idiot.” He held it out and she snatched it, perching herself beside him. “That really was,” she said between tokes, “the most stupid I’ve ever seen you.”

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck. “I’d argue but let’s be real here, I haven’t got a leg to stand on, have I?” She shook her head and he immediately began to chuckle. “I think I know why I did it.”

“No…” Temari exhaled and handed it back to him, shaking her head. “There cannot be any real cognitive thought gone into that. I refuse to believe it.”

The laugh he had barely dwindled as he puffed on the cigarette and tapped the ash outside. “Sadly, yeah.” His eyes focused in on her and pulled the corners of his mouth up into a massive great big smile. “You looked so embarrassed, you know?”

She cocked her head at him. “Why does that mean you do that?” She was doing an awful job of containing her giggles. “Surely then you keep your legs very much hidden behind the bed?”

“Yeah, right,” he chuckled, blushing. “You’re completely right, but apparently my brain went awol and decided I needed to make myself as embarrassed as you looked.” He took a long drag and hung his head, shaking it as he laughed out the smoke. “As if that would have actually made you feel any better.”

“You wanted to be embarrassed?” she laughed. “Are you ill?”

“I don’t know—you tell me!” He dropped the dying cigarette out the window into the rain after one final puff. “Forget it.”

“I can’t do that.”

“No, ‘course you bloody can’t.”

Temari giggled, unable to focus on anything but his eyes and how genuinely happy they were. If he had really stood up to try and embarrass himself—so that the two of them were then ‘in it together’ if you will—then that was the most ridiculous and sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her. And, frankly, she wasn’t sure how to process that. She wouldn’t have done that—the thought wouldn’t even have crossed her mind! But her mind wasn’t like Shikamaru’s. It was far less complex, and obviously far less daft at times, and perhaps, she thought, even a little more selfish.

She stepped a closer to him, the tips of her toes touching his, and she looked up at him. Her eyes were narrow, her lips pouted slightly. “Shikamaru,” she said.

“Tem?”

“I’m not gonna lie, I am not so good a person that I would meet your family in my underwear to make you feel less of an idiot.” She raised her eyebrows. “Partially because it doesn’t work, but also I’m just not up for it, alright?”

He smirked. “I totally understand.”

“I will wear clothes that belong to me and cover what needs to be covered.”

“And I’m sure they will be very grateful.”

She could feel his hand encroaching on the small of her back, and she wriggled a little closer into his grip, resting her head on his chest. Her arms weaved round his torso as her mouth settled into a smile. “Thank you, though,” she told him. “For not wanting me to feel alone.”

Shikamaru shook his head with a smile, and buried his face in her hair. “You always stop me feeling alone. It’s the least I could fail to do.”

The two of them laughed softly, Shikamaru pressing a kiss on the top of her head as his eyes opened to the room of a stranger. He held her closed to him and felt all the warmer despite his wet trousers with her sweetly giggling with him.

When a figure appeared in the doorway with a mug of tea in his hands and a wide, proud smile, Shikamaru noticed only one of those things. And, with it, he proudly pressed an even more sincere kiss onto the woman’s forehead as she pried herself away from him. He looked down into his favourite colour, that miraculous shade of so many different hues amalgamated into the perfect shade, and smiled.

“You work at a florist,” said Gaara from the doorway. “Can I be a pain and ask you to put aside four litres of soil for me on Monday?”

Temari’s head turned to shush her brother, but Shikamaru’s eyes didn’t move an inch, and over the woman’s squabbles he said a loud, “Yeah, man—no worries.”

“Shikamaru, don’t. He’s just trying to interfere.”

Shikamaru shrugged and rubbed the small of her back. Time slowed, almost to a halt, as she looked back at him and frowned. Every little wrinkle around her skeptical eyes, the frustrated smirk worming its way onto her lips, it all pointed him in the direction of some overwhelming—and really quite terrifying—feeling.

Oh, fuck, he realised as she starting laughing again, squeezing his hands once and turning away. Holy fuck.

“Are you coming downstairs with us then?” Temari teased, strolling out of the room, and looking back at him when he didn’t move. “You alright?”

He nodded feebly and tucked his hand back in his pocket to grab the familiar cardboard carton. “Fine. I’ll be down in a sec.”

Temari nodded and sauntered off with a smile, but Gaara hung back, and the eyes of both men locked for a second. “You sure everything is ok?” asked the redhead calmly. “You look  a it shaken all of a sudden.”

The flame of Shikamaru’s cheap, plastic illuminated his face for a moment as they stared. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but Shikamaru didn’t know what to say. He felt far too flooded with emotions to reply, but it was weird not to. “Yeah, I’m sound,” he smiled, raising his hand in a little salute. “Don’t worry about me.”

“She can be a bit of a handful,” observed Gaara, “but it’s worth it.”

“You don’t have to tell me that,” he chuckled.

Gaara nodded. “She’s the best sister in the world.”

Shikamaru smiled. “I’ll be down in a sec, mate.”

“She cares a lot about you, Shikamaru,” he told him, a hint of warning in his voice. “I’m sure you feel similarly.” Before he could reply, Gaara nodded. “I know, don’t worry. I’ve been where you are—it’s hard to know how to feel.”

The unlit cigarette between Shikamaru’s fingertips shuddered. “It was,” he mumbled, “but now I don’t know…”

Gaara smiled and took a sip of his tea. “I didn’t say this, and I’m not encouraging you, but you are allowed to feel it.”

Before then Shikamaru might’ve asked what ‘it’ was, or shrugged his shoulders at the man, but he didn’t need to do that any more. Instead he smiled and lit his cigarette, nodding at the kind-hearted soul in the doorway, because he did know, and he did feel it. There was no reason to fear or deny it anymore.

There was no chance in hell he was going to be able to tell her or anyone, and it terrified him to his very core. There wasn’t some sudden extra warmth in his heart, or an overwhelming sense that his life was never going to be the same. It was just suddenly there, at the forefront of his mind, impossible to ignore. He hated it, and he never wanted it to change.

He loved her—with every part of his being he loved her, more than he’d ever loved anything. And now he felt it, he physically couldn’t stop feeling it.

But, as his brain always did, it focused in on the most pressing detail of this new situation. He would have to stop, for one of the millions of reasons it wasn’t right. Worse than that, was the fact that he couldn’t even imagine how he’d do that.

[sillysnowden11]

He’s uneasy around her a lot lately.

The soft turn of her lips as she speaks, his eyes fixated on listening to the gesture rather than her words. When she turns to look at him fully he only gives a shrug and keeps his eyes forward, bored, uninterested, tired, one would think, yet as soon as she’s taken her attention elsewhere his eyes return to look at the curve of her half smile again.

The shining gleam in her teal eyes when something catches her attention, this time a vendor shouting out the specials from his cart. He brings it upon himself to ask her if they should try it, she nods and they both end up seated on the steps sharing lunch and talking about work.

The way he steals glances at her while they play shogi. Her attempts to win futile, but as she stated once before she would never stop until she beats him. She still hasn’t, but her childish huffs and pouts at her losses seem to only fuel her to keep getting better, she almost beat him this time. His eyes set on the absent focus of her lips as she bit down before cornering him into a check he barely manages to escape from. He almost felt bad to see her give him that burning glare rather than her smug smirk.

The way her thin eyebrows knit comically while she’s focused reading a report in one hand and hesitantly attempting to bite at her dango stick in the other. Failing herself in getting it into her mouth without making a mess. He mumbles something about her being troublesome and offers a napkin, which she takes while calling him a crybaby behind her rosey blush.

The way she stands beside his teammate Ino, who had seen the pair and stolen Temari’s arm in hers to whisper about the latest gossip in Konoha. They gasp and chat among each other, some secrets he doesn’t care to much about. Sai looking from his girlfriend over to Shikamaru and asking what he thinks they are talking about. He shrugs and says something about women liking to gossip about nonsense all the time, listening absently to the tone of her hushed voice.

The breeze shifting her golden bangs from her Sand headband as she gazes out into the rooftops of the village. A sudden reminder of the time she called the wind her friend, sounding like she was confessing a embarrassing secret. He looks and stops himself from speaking keeping his focus on a cloud drifting by.

Watching her leave is the most unease he feels after her stay in the village. She throws her last taunt at him, some joke about him being lazy, another slip of her infamous name, troublesome woman. That last laugh enough to keep her at the forefront of his thoughts for a few months before she returns again.

As her silhouette grows smaller in her departure, he half turns to head back home only finding himself stuck in place. She looks back, she never did before. No words are spoken but that scary beautiful smile makes way and he’s frozen in his own shadow, caught staring.

Thinking to himself, why was he so uneasy around her?

[ssa25]

Day 17: Secret Relationship (Sasuhina Month 2019)

@sasuhinamonth

Rated: T

Winter night. Casual restaurant. Almost everyone was there. Almost.

They were seated towards the deep end of the establishment, near a fireplace. Everyone had a drink in their hands. Spirits were high as Christmas was almost upon them. They all had plans for Christmas eve, so it was decided that they would gather for their usual bimonthly dinner.

Hinata looked around the table and caught Tenten's eyes. Both gave a bittersweet smile to each other. Neji's death had affected everyone. But it was the two of them along with Lee, who were hurt the most.

He was their closest friend. But he was her brother, her cousin to be precise. Though, she felt closer to him than any other member of her family. He knew her and took care of her like a brother would. She adored him so much. It was the biggest loss of her life, she didn't even remember herself being so devastated for her mother's death when she was 5.

If only she hadn't requested Neji to pick Hanabi up from the airport that fateful evening almost two years back. It was her job. She should have gone. She should have been in his place.

She was distraught with sorrow and guilt. She craved solace, and she found it in the most unexpected of places. She knew that Neji would have disapproved of her choice, of her actions. But now, now she felt like she was in control of herself. She had let herself go for a while there, but now things were back to being just the way were before the tragedy. Save for a few.

Like how Lee, who always had a soft spot for Sakura, now stayed put by Tenten's side. It was nice to have someone to lean onto, she thought to herself.

"Look who's back!!", Naruto came in with his loud raspy voice echoing through the restaurant and garnering unpleasant looks from other patrons.

"I hope it's the server. I'm starving.", Chouji muttered beside her. Karui, his girlfriend, patted his shoulder to console him.

"Stop making a ruckus Naruto, it's embarrassing.", Sakura reprimanded him.

"But… It's Sasuke!!", he replied.

Hinata's head snapped up to see the dark figure approaching behind Naruto. Sakura's gasp was heard loud and clear, as she got up from her seat and threw herself onto Sasuke.

He hugged her back lightly, before pulling away and looking in her direction.

Her hands were shaking, so she put her glass of virgin mojito down, and got up from her seat, just like everyone else, to greet him. What was he doing back in the city? He was not supposed to be back for another year or two. This was too soon. Inwardly she wished she had something alcoholic coursing through her veins, to calm down the nerves.

He took his own sweet time getting to her, as if he knew the trepidation coursing through her, and he wanted to torture her with it.

When he finally came in front of her, she wasn't able to look above his chest, the intensity in his eyes were too much for her. She was assaulted by the scent of lime and leather, his signature aftershave, the essence of which made her weak in the knees. Engulfed by his arms, she felt his nose grazr her neck, as he inhaled deeply. As if she was his choice of drug.

"Hey.", he said low enough just for her to hear, before chuckling. "Relax, you're trembling."

She was wrapped tight by him, so she knew he could feel the shiver run down her spine as his words hit her ears. He could probably even hear the loud thrum of heartbeat, he had to have, because it echoed in her own ears. Her eyes peeked over his shoulder, thanks to her four inch heels. She felt a little relieved to know that no one in the room doubted their intimate hug. Except for Sakura. She was the only one who kept staring at them in uneasiness.

--

Dinner was done and dusted. Most of them coupled or grouped up to go back home. It was just past midnight and almost everyone was tired or drunk or both.

Just as Shikamaru and Temari headed off to their porsche, she heard Sakura offer Sasuke a lift home in her red convertible.

"I could drop you off at your old place, if you want."

"I'm not leasing it anymore.", Sasuke replied. "My things are at the hotel. I'll take a cab there."

"I could drive you there too… I don't mind it at all", she offered again.

"No thanks."

Hinata felt awkward and uncomfortable listening to their conversation. Sakura's supplicating insistence, Sasuke's cold denial of it all. Guilt rose in the form of bile up her throat, but she tamped it down.

"I've to go. It's getting late.", she said to Naruto who was standing beside her.

"Uh.. Okay. Text me once you reach home safely.", Naruto reminded her good naturedly.

She nodded and said her goodbye.

Getting inside her hybrid Yaris, she quickly switched on the heating. Her fingers are numb and she hates herself for forgetting her gloves. It takes a good minute for the heated draft to dispel warmth in the car. Ignition on, she put her car in reverse, when the passenger door opens up, and the familiar figure of Sasuke enters her car nonchalantly.

He breathes in as he settles in his seat. "Nice car. But I think I liked the old one better.", he comments tauntingly.

She knows why he says it. And it makes her flush in embarrassment.

"W- What are you doing here?", she asks him warily.

"I've missed you. "

He reaches out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She suppresses a whimper as his fingers trail down her neck.

"Y-You came back earlier than you'd suggested."

"Hn. Your birthday is in a week."

His thumb rubs against her soft lips as he asks her the question she has heard from him more times than she would like to admit.

"So, your place or mine?"

--

He took her right against her door first. Her nails felt chipped, as she had tried to involuntarily claw at the wood, to keep herself from falling into a heap on the floor.

"I like your heels.", he whispered in her ears as he picked her up to take her to the bedroom. She hated herself for not being able to deny him, for being a bad friend to Sakura, for giving up on Naruto who was much more aware of her now, and for moaning his best friend's name in abandon.

One last time. She tried to promise herself as she came for the second time. One last time.

xxx

Note: September is here, and I am nowhere close to covering as many prompts as I had imagined. So I will randomly choose prompts from the list that pick my fancy.

[daraanna]

Mirror

The fic is inspired by beautiful song preformed by father and dauther Grzegorz and Patrycja Markowski 

the translation of the lyric is part of my works but I still recomended to listen to this song because in my opinion it is beautiful...

____________________________________________________________

Between one dream and the other

Time has your face

She was not sure how long she was sitting here. Certainly, it has been a long time since the sunset. Still, she could not find the strength to get up and go home. The surroundings of the trees and the wind make her feel a little bit better. She knew that her parents would worry about her. Although one part of her wanted to come back, the other told her to run somewhere far away ...

Though I would prefer the heart

I have your eyes

Only a week, seven days separated her from the wedding. She looked at the simple ring on her finger. She was so sure when Boruto proposed to her two years ago. Now she started to freak out.

I carry in them everyday

Since first day She started to think about her parents. Conversations at dinner, soft smiles, moments when they looked into each other's eyes, and the world around them disappeared. This everyday

Your uncommonness ..................... Between one dream and the other

Time has your face

It was 11 pm  o’clock when his wife entered the living room saying she could not find Sarada.

"She isn’t at the hokage office, nor with Boruto ... Her friends don’t know where she went," the pink-haired woman added.

Sasuke slowly got up from the couch and walked to her.

“I can go find her ...” he replied, however, did not calm down Sakura.

“It is not in her style to disappear like that without a word ... “she replied looking at him, worried “ I will go too.”

He sighed looking at her. He knew that look, much better than he wanted.

„Hn. You know well that she can look after herself" he said, grabbing her hand. She looked at irritated and surprised. He knew exactly what she wanted to tell him.

"I will find her," he added, squeezing her hand lightly. "You should rest after work ..."

"But ..." she began, but he interrupted her poking her forehead.

“I see that you are barely standing ... It will not take long” he smirked seeing his wife's reaction.

You bring me to life

You give the wind to my wings

It did not take long for him to find her. He was not the sensor type and the presence of many people did not make it easier for him, but he knew his daughter's chakra well and quickly sensed it around the training fields. It did not surprise him. It was one of her favorite places. But to his surprise, he did not find her in any of the best places for individual training. Searching through the fields, he reached the forest that once belonged to the Uchiha complex. His daughter was sitting on a tree branch near the stone tablets, the only remnants of the Naka temple.

You usually ask for more

I'd like to know

Moment  later he sit beside her. For a long moment they sat in silence looking at the stars.

“ How did you know you could marry mom?”

Her question surprised him. He didn’t know what to say.

"Do you have any doubts about Boruto?" He asked after a moment.

"No about Boruto, about myself," she said more quietly, pulling off her glasses to wipe her eyes. "I've hurt him so many times, because of my stupidity, he almost died in fight with Kawaki. What if I become Hokage? What if I will get focused on  work so much again that I do not notice the dangers ..? I-if”her voice broke when the first tear flowed over her cheek  “If this time I will not make it on time ... And ...”

You are a story

I know from my life

 Sasuke sighed, extending his right hand towards his daughter. He gently embraced her and pulled her to him. At the beginning the young Uchiha stayed motionless, and then a moment later returned  the gesture.. A small sob reached his ears. He remembered events of the previous war. Even for the veterans of the Fourth Great War, the invasion of the Otsutsuki clan and associated activities of Kara were shocking. The fifth war was a slaughter in the strictest sense of that word. When the Kaguya’s clan came to the Earth to "clean the orchard from weeds" it did not matter if you were a shinobi or a civilian.

"You know very well that no one could have foreseen it ..." he began, but his words were not his strong point. Sakura was definitely more suited to such conversations. She could reach both him and Sarada, no matter how much they hide their feelings.

Run wherever you like

Do not be afraid, fly

When the world calls you

 Not many people knew about her problems. For a long time she managed to hide it even to her parents. However, no matter how well she was convincing the world that she was doing great, she was not able to run away from herself in the end. She felt guilty and stress almost every night until her mother took her on therapy. Despite this, the images of the battle of Konoha continued to haunt her. When the Hokage was sent away by Kawaki, Kami knows where, Shikamaru-sama appointed her as commander. Despite the opposition of the Consul elders at that time, she was the only person with knowledge of the current military strength of the village, the exact construction of shelters and evacuation routes. Then she practically was an adviser to the Seventh. (Legally a consul made her a secretary). She knew almost all critical and secret information about Konoha. The only thing she lacked was the experience.. A defence plan was made in 15 minutes, and an evacuation of civilians began an hour later.

Run wherever you like

I'll be there

  It did not take 30 minutes to Kara to get under the walls of the village. A village deprived of its two strongest shinobi. A village run by a naive 16-year-old.

This battle had no right to succeed, and yet many considered it a success. Hundreds of thousands of civilians were evacuated. Material losses did not exceed the assumptions. The Shinobi who were fighting this battle knew that their chances were not great. And yet, when she was asking them to put their lives in the defense of Leaf, she had no idea what she was asking them for. 10 482. The number of  people who died fighting against all thirty members and the supporter of Kara. Jouins and Chunins, the elite of the village ... The people she knew, whom she trusted ... Who trusted her ... Sixth, Fifth, aunt Temari, uncle Sai, Konohamaru-sensei and many others. There was a moment when she remembered the names of even those she did not met during their lifetime. There was a moment when she sincerely regretted that she survived.

Do not be afraid, fly

You will not be alone

 It took her a long time to deal with the trauma. Too long. For three years, her private life did not exist. First, long months of treatment and rehabilitation, and then shed completely devoted to work. Her relationship with her friends suffered greatly. She broke up with Boruto in a roughly, cruel way. Even then she realized that the blond did not deserve such treatment. The truth was that he was the one who fought for them to the end.

“ I do not deserve him” she finally said “ It's all I did ...”

 You are like a mirror to me

I make sense from reflections

Involuntarily he sighed at her words.

"You know very well that nothing you've done can match up with my mistakes ..." he began.

"You know very well that I did not survive anything that could be equal to what you survived ... It's not an auction ..." she replied.

“Hn” he sighed “Pain is not an objective value. In my opinion, mini-dope does not deserve you.

“Dad!”

“What? Your guilty have nothing to do with your relationshipwith Boruto. I do not understand why you are connecting it “ there was no reaction to this from his daughter.

I'm looking at you

I want it or not

“Four years takes me to understand that I love your mother “ after a good ten minutes he came to the conclusion that he must speak “ However, after everything I did, I felt that I would not deserve to go back to Konoha, to have friends, to be loved ... And I left. The next two years it took me to understand that love can’t be deserved or repaid. Love just existe and takes many different forms.

 An undiscovered planet

From which you can see the home

 She looked at Dad. Despite the fact that she did not remember him to speaking so many words at once, it could not be denied that his speech was moving, but ...

“And the wedding does not change anything ... It's just a legal statement of something that already exists "he added after a moment.

"It does not make me any less nervous," she said, looking at her hands.

"Believe me, there are more confusing things in life than marriage."

“For  example?”

“Children.”

 A whisper of the phone

On a restless night

 For a moment she thought she was overhearing. Was her father just saying that she was the most stressful thing that had ever happened to him?

“Tch. What was that supposed to mean !? "she asked, irritated.

“You know ... Sometimes when you thinks you knows everything about life, a small stranger appears, all red wrinkled and unable to do anything but scream. And suddenly you realize that you didn’t love anyone so much in life. No one has ever needed you so much and you have never wanted to protect anyone so much from all dangers " her father replied” And the worst part is that you has no idea what to do, although you would like to help as much as you can. .. Although Sakura knew from the beginning how to take care of you, at least that's how it looked like” Run wherever you like

Do not be afraid, fly

When the world calls you

“ I think you get a little soft ...“he heard his daughter laugh.

“Hn. Do not tell Sakura ... "he replied, looking at her.

"I think mom already knows," she replied, wiping the rest of her tears with a handkerchief.

He sighed. It was not easy for him, too, that Sarada was growing up. It was not enough that he lost half of her childhood. Now he was supposed to watch her get married with a mini-dope... He was so nice kid when he was his pupil and what grew out of him? However, as long as his daughter is happy, there was nothing left for him to support them both.

 Run wherever you like

I'll be there

 “Arigatou papa” after a long moment she break the silence.

“Hn. Sarada ... “she heard his voice. When she turned in his direction, she saw that he was connecting his forehead to hers “No matter what happens, your mother and I will love you and as long as we have enough strength, we will support you”

It's hard to describe what she felt at this moment, she thought she would cry again, this time with happiness.

Do not be afraid, fly

You will not be alone

“We should go home, mom probably gets worried” she was still slightly flushed.

“True, if he calls Naruto, we will have a problem “ the older Uchiha sighed, hopping down from the tree.

“Hn? Seventh?”

“You know dope is already an expert in searching for me”

“Dad ...”

“Hn. We should not let Sakura wait " he replied slowly, heading towards theirs house. Sarada could not help smiling. A lot of people thought her dad was a cold person, the truth was completely different. Not everything is as it seems to us, sometimes it's enough to look a little deeper or ask another person for help to see true. After all, we do not have to deal with everything alone.

 Do not be afraid, fly!

______________________________________________________

I hope I didn’t make charakters to OOC, and didn’t make to much grammar and vocabulary mistakes...

And that you like it...

[shikastemari]

— light; nara family. ࿐ྂ。

written for Shikamaru Week 2019 | days 03 and 06

words | 1602

rating | T

a/n | my last fic for shikamaru week and i`m really proud of this one. i wanna thank @shikanaradai​ for the plot, cause it was her idea. also, would like to thank @shikamarubase​ for being the host of this amazing week, hope you got happy with the result!! and to the all amazing people in naragakure discord server, i hope this is only the beginning! <3

beta | @deviswriting​ <3 thank you for the best partner i could`ve asked for!!

masterlist in bio

The first time, it was an accident.

Temari wasn’t supposed to be in Konoha, but Gaara always liked to give her the diplomatic missions. It was a good excuse to see his face, so imagine how disappointed she was when he wasn’t at the meeting. When asked, no one knew where her boyfriend was, or even why he wasn’t working today.

Kakashi was the one who apparently knew, but also didn’t say anything.

Walking around the village, it didn’t take much time until she reached Ino’s flower shop. It was unusually closed, especially at this hour of the day. She walked through the streets, thinking about going to Shikamaru’s house but, on a second thought she wondered if their relationship had reached that level of intimacy. Until Naruto appeared in front of her.

“It’s Asuma’s death anniversary.” It was all he said, before shrugging and leaving the Suna girl behind. After that there wasn’t much needed to be said.Pressing her lips in a thin line, Temari resumed her walking, but this time she had a destination in mind. Her feet drove her until she reached his favorite spot.

There he was.

Lying with  the grass on his back, staring at the clouds. There was a lighter in his hands, which he opened and closed more times that she could count. His gaze was locked on the sky above him.

Temari pondered her options. She could go away, let him be, or she could go there and risk doing something wrong. Fighting every reasonable judgement in her mind, she went for the later.

There was no ‘hi’, or any greetings at all. She just laid next to him, without touching, only existing next to each other. Right beside her, she could hear the clicks of him fiddling with his lighter.

She fixed her eyes on the clouds. Temari was never able to understand his fascination over them, but she couldn’t deny that it was relaxing. After staring at them for so long, at some point, it was easy to believe they’re the ones moving, not them. She closed her eyes, taking in the nice breeze.

The blond girl didn’t know exactly when she heard her boyfriend stand up. The horizon was already painted in orange. He looked down at her and the tears in the corner of his eyes didn’t go unnoticed by her, but she didn’t comment on them. Taking a deep breath, Shikamaru offered his hand to help her to get up, which she took without thinking twice. Even when she was on her feet again, he didn’t let go of her.

They walked in silence. Temari just followed his lead. Shikamaru only stopped when both arrived at Konoha’s cemetery. By the corner of her eyes, she saw his lower lip tremble before he bite it.

Shikamaru let go of her hand and walked closer to his sensei’s grave. Temari kept a safe distance between the both of them and stopped when he leaned down at his sensei’s grave. He muttered a few words that she couldn’t hear and left the lighter there.

As he stood up, her boyfriend took a deep breath before turning back to her and grabbing her hand once again.

-

The next time, it wasn’t an accident.

Temari arrived in Konoha by morning. The sky was clear of any clouds today, but somehow she knew he would still be there. This time, when she laid next to him, he grabbed her hand right away, intertwining their fingers while he opened and closed the lighter until the sunset.

They stopped at the cemetery once more. Shikamaru left the lighter on his sensei’s grave once again, and they left.

Shikamaru didn’t bear the weight in his shoulders this time.

-

When Shikadai was born, it was the first year Temari didn’t spend the anniversary with him.

She felt terrible about it, but there was no way she could lay down in the grass with a baby. Shikadai would probably cry, taking all the attention of his father from this important day.

The clock seemed to mock her, with its endless spinning. When it hit 6pm, the orange rays were piercing through the window. Mentally, she retraced the path through his - no, their spot - to the cemetery. He was probably there now, bending down and putting the lighter there, one more time.

Shikadai slept. She remembered all the times she heard Ino and Sakura complain about how their kids would take so long to sleep. Sleeping was never a problem to her kid.

‘Sleep when your kid does’, said every parenting book ever. But she couldn’t, not when he still wasn’t home yet.

It didn’t take long. Shikamaru opened the door carefully, his gaze meeting her’s as soon as he entered their bedroom. There wasn’t sadness or hurt… he just looked tired.

Her husband kicked his shoes and crawled into the bed with her. Taking a deep breath, Temari let herself to rest, knowing he was there next to her. Suddenly, two arms wrapped around her and pulled her closer. Shikamaru smelled like grass in a rainy day and cigarettes.

They dozened off in that position.

-

“It’s that day again, isn’t it?”

Shikadai’s voice took her from her distracted thoughts. As growing up, at that particular day, Temari would ask for someone to take care of her son while she could keep her tradition with Shikamaru. The first year, Kankuro babysitted him. The next one, it was Gaara.

Didn’t take much time until she was asking for her Konoha’s friends.

“Yes, love. Can you stay at Boruto’s for the day?” Temari asked her son, who just nodded in response.

When Shikamaru appeared in the kitchen, the lighter in hands, she could read the question on his pretty face.

You coming?

Temari moved to Shikadai, placing a kiss on his forehead, while Shikamaru came closer, offering his son his fist. With a soft smile, Shikadai accepted it.

They did the same thing as always. Laid in the grass while watching the clouds, waiting until the sunset, then going to the cemetery.

The sorrow she used to witness in a younger Shikamaru wasn’t there anymore. Temari could tell he missed him, but it didn’t crush him anymore. The man next to her learned how to deal with the losses he had dealt with during his lifetime and turned it into his strength and for that, she couldn’t love him more.

When they got home, Shikadai was asleep in his bedroom. It was unusually early for him, but she didn’t argue. Temari joined her husband on their bed. Shikamaru pulled her closer and she rested her head on his chest, falling asleep.

At the middle of the night, they heard a gentle knock on the door. Temari sat up straight, alarmed, thinking about something could have happened to her son, when her husband’s miniature popped his head in their room.

“Is papa asleep?” His sleepy voice came out from the gap.

“No.” Shikamaru replied behind her and she made a gesture for him to come in.

“Can I turn the lights on?” Shikadai asked and Temari frowned.

“Sure, but why?”

She heard some steps and she had to blink a few times before her sight could adjust to the new light in the room. Taking a good look at Shikadai, Temari’s frown deepened.

“Is everything okay, Shikadai?”

“Yes.” He said, his cheeks a bit red. He bypassed their bed, stopping at Shikamaru’s side, who was now sitting on the bed, his frown mirroring hers.

“So, I saw this in one store and I thought you could like it.”

Shikadai looked at the ground and stretched his arms to offer his father a little gift. Shikamaru grabbed the tiny package, inspecting it. He ripped it, finding a blue lighter, with a white cloud in the back.

Temari swallowed hard, trying to keep away the tears from falling. One good look at her husband’s face and she knew he was doing the same.

“Thanks, Dai. It’s a really good gift, but you shouldn’t have spent your mo-”

“It’s fine.” Shikadai interrupted, shrugging. He scratched the back of his head, looking at the door. His instinct was probably telling him to run away from two emotional parents. “It costed almost nothing anyway. Also, I was wondering… If it’s not too troublesome, can you get home early tomorrow so we can play shogi?”

“I can certainly try.” Shikamaru smiled.

“Okay. So..” Shikadai started walking away from the bed, his little hand looking for the light switch once again. “Good night, mom, dad.”

“Night.” Both of his parent answered in unison.

Then, the whole room got dark again and all they heard was the noise of the door getting closed.

Temari laid again and by Shikamaru’s movements, she could tell he did the same. When Shikamaru brightened the room with his new gift, his features seemed something near angelic.

“It’s fun.” He commented while he put out the fire, the whole room being swallowed by dark once again.

“What?”

“My light just gave me light.” He lighted it up once again, making the enormous grin on his face visible.

Temari smiled. This time, she didn’t wait for Shikamaru to pull her closer, she tucked in next to his body while he was still playing with the lighter, as it brightened the whole room.

“Shika?”

“Hm?”

“If you burn this bed, this fire will be the last one you’ll see in a while.”

The whole room went dark for one last time.

[thegizka]

Growing Into It (fic)

Shikamaru experiments with facial hair, but not everyone is a fan.

Written for Shikamaru Week 2019 Day 2:  Growth

Read it on Ao3.

“Whoa.”  Ino stopped in the doorway, pure surprise on her face.  “What’s with your face?”

Typical Ino.  She didn’t pull any punches.

“What do you mean, what’s with my face?  It’s the same as it always is.”

“You’re saying you usually look like the wrong end of a raccoon?”

“Ha ha,” he laughed without mirth.

“I think he looks fine,” Chouji said, pushing past their startled teammate.

“No offense Chouji, but you’re not exactly what I’d call a fashion icon.”

“You said my goatee looks great!”

“A little bit of facial hair goes a long way.  Besides, you have the right face shape for it.  Shikamaru’s is too thin for a beard.”

“You’re just overreacting because it took you by surprise,” Shikamaru grumbled.  He really didn’t care whether Ino approved of his beard or not, but he knew she was determined to voice her opinion whether he cared or not.

“It’s weird,” she returned matter-of-factly.  “Temari, you agree, right?”

Shikamaru’s fiancée had just entered the room, drawn by the sound of their friends arriving.

“Are we talking about his face?  Yeah, it’s weird.”  She shot Shikamaru a devious smirk.  She knew she was only adding fuel to Ino’s fire, but she was always ready to see him get roasted.  He just rolled his eyes in return.

“See?  Temari agrees with me.  It’s ugly.”

“Just because something’s weird doesn’t mean it’s ugly.  I mean, look at Sai.”

“Hey!”  She bristled.  “At least Sai has the common sense not to grow dumb facial hair!”

“Be nice,” Temari chided, smacking the back of his head.

“Wait, why am I being yelled at?  I was saying Sai’s not ugly.”

“But you did say he was weird.”  Ino was glaring at him with the full force of her fury, which seemed incredibly unfair considering she had called her husband weird on several occasions.

“Come on, Ino.  You know Shikamaru didn’t mean anything mean by it.”  Chouji smiled at her appeasingly, always ready to try and smooth over an uncomfortable situation.  It was a shame he had such stubborn teammates whose conversations usually included an argument of some sort.

“He does have a habit of saying dumb things,” Temari added, giving her fiancé a pointed look.  He wasn’t getting out of this situation unscathed.  Why were the women in his life so troublesome?

“I’m sorry,” he said, barely sincere enough to not sound rude.  “I like Sai.  He’s a great guy.  And he’s not as weird as he used to be.”

She continued glaring at him.  Was it a half-hearted apology?  Perhaps, but it was truthful.  They had spent years complaining at each other and working on the same team, so much so that they knew exactly how each other thought.  Of course Ino understood that he didn’t really mean to throw shade at her husband, and he knew she wasn’t actually that offended.  Arguing was simply a habit, the language of two siblings who simultaneously drove each other crazy and were fiercely protective of each other.

Eventually she rolled her eyes and let it go.  “Temari, since you’re the sensible one in this relationship, shall we get to work planning your wedding, since that’s what I was invited over here to do?”

“Sounds wonderful.  Where do you want to start?”

Shikamaru gave Chouji a helpless glance as they took seats around the table, Ino dumping binders and folders of papers and ideas in front of them.  Having recently gotten married herself, she was full of suggestions and insights to help them arrange their big day.  When Shikamaru and Temari had finally decided to get married, neither had been particularly interested in all of the details of the ceremony and reception, but as the reality of their decision and commitment to each other set in, Temari had gotten really invested.  Ino was eager to help her work out the details, which was a relief to both of them as Shikamaru rarely had any strong opinions on the matter.  He liked to invite Chouji to these planning meetings to help provide some relief from the women’s intensity.

As usually happened, the men stuck around for the first half hour or so, contributing a few opinions or simply their token approval before finding a reason to drift away and let the women work out the particulars.  Today they ended up out on the porch, sprawled across the steps sharing some of Chouji’s snacks.

“So the beard,” Shikamaru began.  “It’s not that bad, is it?”

“I think it looks fine.  Maybe a little sparse in parts, but you just started growing it, right?  I’m sure it’ll fill out in a few more weeks.”

He grunted, absentmindedly scratching his cheek.  It was kind of weird to find hair where he had once shaved, but he didn’t mind not having to get out his razor in the mornings.  It meant more time he could spend lying in bed mentally preparing for the day.

“Are you growing a beard because Asuma had one?”

Chouji’s question was a little unexpected while at the same time exactly what he had expected.  Sometimes his best friend could see right to the root of things faster than he could think through them.  Shikamaru shrugged, letting out a long breath and leaning back on his elbows.  They sat in silence for a moment, letting the weight of their sensei’s memory sit with them.

“That might be part of it.  But I guess I also wanted to feel...older?  I dunno.  All of our friends are getting married, and now so am I, but sometimes it feels like we only just graduated from the academy.  I know I still have a lot to learn and figure out, but there are also people looking to me to teach them and offer advice.  It’s just weird.”

“I think it’s always going to be like that, though.”  Chouji munched on a potato chip before offering his friend the bag.  “I mean, there will always be things that we’ll have to learn, right?  And really, we are still pretty young.  But that just means we still have people we can ask for advice, and then pass that on to the people who ask us.  It’s the Will of Fire, right?”

“Yeah.”  Shikamaru let the silence stretch again.  Logically he understood exactly what Chouji was saying, but he still felt strangely stuck between youth and maturity.  Was he really old enough to get married?  Of course he was committed to Temari and determined to spend the rest of his life with her, but some days it felt like he could barely take care of himself.  Was he ready to be responsible for her happiness, too?

“Your dad had a goatee, too.”

He glanced at Chouji, but his friend seemed focused on the clouds and his snacks.  They had never said much about Shikaku’s death.  The war hadn’t offered much of a chance to process the loss, leaving Shikamaru hollow and aching as he found himself navigating his daily routine without the familiar presence of his father.  Suddenly he was the head of his clan, responsible for their medical research, the forest with its deer, and the general well-being of his extended family, to say nothing of his duties in the Hokage’s office.  He hadn’t realized the extent of his father’s responsibilities until they crashed down upon his shoulders.  There was an emptiness where Shikaku had once been, and somehow he was supposed to fill it.  It was another thing making him feel too young and too old at the same time.

“I bet you’d look alright with one,” Chouji continued, gently pulling Shikamaru up from the depths of his thoughts.  “Plus we’d kind of match!”

“It’s an idea.  Pass me another chip, will you?”

“Look at them, out here stuffing their faces while we’ve been working hard.  Weddings don’t plan themselves, you know!”

He dropped his head back, giving him an upside down view of Ino and Temari standing in the doorway pretending to be annoyed.

“You could have called us if you needed us.”

“Well we’re done for today, so I’m heading home.”  Ino brushed her long hair back over her shoulder in a semi-dismissive gesture.

“I suppose I’d better get home, too.”  Chouji stood, and with a sigh, the final member of Team Ten followed suit.  “See you later, Shikamaru.  Bye, Temari.”

They exchanged goodbyes, Ino throwing in a last pointed comment at her friend’s beard as she went.  He couldn’t stop a smile from quirking his lips after he closed the door behind her.  They hadn’t outgrown their bickering, and at this point, he wasn’t sure they ever would.

“So, what did you decide today?” he asked Temari, settling onto the couch beside her.

“Well, we mostly talked about flowers-”

“Didn’t you talk about flowers last time?”

She shot him a you’re-absolutely-clueless look with her sharp teal eyes.  “Those were flowers for the ceremony.  Today we discussed flowers for the reception.”

“We need more flowers?  Are you sure this isn’t just a plot for Ino to generate more business?”

“Do you want to hear what we decided or not?” she demanded.  He held up his hands in surrender and allowed her to proceed unhindered.  He cared less about what she actually said than how she looked recounting the plans.  She tried to hide it, but she was actually really excited about their wedding, and he loved watching her joy shining through her usually controlled expressions.  It was so genuine that his heart swelled with love, and he couldn’t help but lean in to kiss her cheek.

“Oh!” she jerked away from him with a surprised gasp.

“What?” he asked, suddenly on alert.  But the next moment she was laughing.

“I’m sorry,” she giggled.  “It’s your beard!  I’m not used to it yet.  It caught me by surprise.”  She cupped his face and kissed him through a few residual giggles.  When she pulled away, she had a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“It is a little weird,” she stressed, giggling again.  He rolled his eyes before pulling her back to him.

The next time Ino stopped by to discuss the wedding, several weeks had passed.  Shikamaru’s beard had started filling out, but after staring longer than he’d like to admit in the mirror, he saw what she had meant about it looking weird.  He also remembered Chouji’s subtle suggestion of the goatee.

When Ino saw him, she froze in the doorway, but she couldn’t summon any words to ridicule him this time.  He knew what she was thinking.  He had been struck by the similarity, too.  He definitely looked younger and didn’t bear the same battle scars, but he was undoubtedly Shikaku’s son.  He had nearly shaved the goatee because of it, feeling the weight of his father’s legacy, but he also was that legacy.  He was carrying Shikaku’s lessons and responsibilities forward while making them his own.

He saw these thoughts pass through Ino’s mind.  She knew what it meant to carry a father’s legacy.  She met his eyes and smiled.  “Much better.”

“Whatever.”