Shikamaru and Temari are two of my favorite characters in Naruto. I like them both as individuals and as a couple. This is my first try to write a ShikaTema fanfic and I really hope you'll like it.

Shikamaru couldn't believe that Ino had talked him into going out on the dance floor. Actually, he couldn't believe that she talked him into going to this club in the first place. He liked going out with his friends to get a couple of beers, at a bar, not at a crowded club that played too loud music. He didn't even like dancing. Ino, on the other hand, liked to dance and suprisingly even Choji had some good moves. But Shikamaru preferred to just sit down, drink his beer and try to have a conversation.

Now he was on his way to the bar, or rather pushing his way to the bar. This place was too damn crowded. What a drag. One more beer and then he was going to call it a night. He finally reached the bar, and it seemed to be even more crowded than on the dance floor. How was that even possible?

He managed to get the bartenders attention and ordered a beer. Someone bumped into him, but it didn't bother him that much. What happened after did bother him. He got his beer and was just about to turn around and leave the bar when someone stepped on him. And the person didn't just step on him, she stood on his foot - with razor sharp heels. And it hurt like hell.

"Hey, you're standing on my foot," Shikamaru said and tried to make himself heard over the loud music while he also tried to make the person get off his foot.

A woman slowly turned around, clearly annoyed that he interrupted her conversion with who ever it was, and eyed him up and down. She had teal eyes and her blond hair was pulled back into four ponytails. One look at her and Shikamaru knew she was trouble.

"You know, this place is kind of crowded," she said. "So if you don't want someone to step on you you should watch where you put your feet."

"It's not like I want someone to step on me, especially not with heels like that."

"Then watch where you put your feet," she said and turned back to her friend.

Shikamaru sighed and with a slight limp he walked to a currently free table close to where Ino and Choji where dancing. He sat down and drank his beer. His foot was hurting and he wished he was already home, lying in his bed.

Choji left the dance floor and sat down next to him. When Ino joined them a short while after they where finally leaving the club.

"What happened to your foot?" Choji asked when he noticed that Shikamaru was limping.

"Some woman stepped on me with her high heels," Shikamaru said and glanced at the heels Ino was wearing. "And she made it sound like it was my fault."

"That's rude," Choji said.

"Poor Shikamaru," Ino said. "But other than that you had at least a little fun, right?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Can we go somewhere and eat before we get home," Choji asked. "I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry, Choji," Ino complained. "You should really start thinking about your weight. I've told you that so many times already."

"Like you, you mean? You're too skinny."

"Sai thinks I'm beautiful," Ino said and looked away.

Sai was her on-and-off boyfriend. He was an extremly talented artist but he lacked any kind of social skills. That's why they where on and off and for the moment they where off. But they would get back together again. They always did.

At least she wasn't obsessing over Sasuke anymore. Ino had had a crush on him for as long as Shikamaru had known her. He didn't really like the guy and never understood what was so special about him. Sakura, Ino's best friend, had also been obsessing over Sasuke, and it almost cost them their friendship. Sasuke on the other hand, didn't care about any of them. Or so it seemed anyway, because in the end Sakura was the one who won his heart. Ino met Sai and the girls became close friends again.

Ino and Choji where still bickering and Shikamaru sighed.

"Choji is Choji and you are who you are, so can we just leave it like that?"

They stopped bickering. They got their food and later, when Shikamaru was finally home in his apartment he lay down on his bed and he was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Shikamaru woke up to the annoying sound of the alarm. He was to tired to turn it off. Why did he set the alarm, anyway? It was Saturday. Then he realized it wasn't the alarm, it was his phone ringing.

It was Choji telling him to get up and meet him for lunch. He agreed, and sighed when Choji informed him that it was lunch time already. He got dressed and took a walk to the pizza place where he was meeting Choji. He was sitting at one of the tables outside, already trying to decide what to order. Shikamaru sat down on the other side of the table.

His attention was immediately caught by a woman with her blond her pulled back into four ponytails. She was wearing sunglasses and looked bored. Her legs were crossed under the table and her foot moved to a beat only she could hear. Two guys came up to the table and sat down next to her.

"Whar are you looking at?"Choji wondered.

"Nothing," Shikamaru answered and turned his gaze to the pizza menu.

He ordered the same pizza as he always did. He knew he liked it. Why order something he wasn't sure he would like?

While they were waiting for their pizzas Shikamarus eyes turned in the direction of the blond woman again. The two men looked like they could be relatives to her. One of them had a tattoo on his forehead. Why would anyone want a tattoo on their forehead?

Shikamaru quickly turnes his attention to the waitress who arrived with their pizzas. He didn't want to get caught staring. He wasn't even interested. He didn't want to run into that woman and her high heals again.