COLLECTION NOTES (2014):

This is a collection of individual standalone short fics. The first few marks my very first attempt at writing Naruto 8 years ago, spawned by my love for ShikaTema, so a lot of them were experimental as I felt my way around. You're very welcome to read and laugh at my progression (sometimes I cringe), but if you find the beginning chapters not your cup of tea and prefer something a bit more recent, then perhaps you could read backwards and see if that works better for you. :)

That said, the collection as a whole is always marked as complete. Warnings, rating, and relevant notes are posted per story. The rating will stay within T - anything higher would get posted separately. I don't have any update schedule, but I'll try my best to add something new once in a while. Thank you, to all those who have taken the time to review/fave/alert through the years. You're a big reason why I'm still here adding more ShikaTema whenever I can!

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Summary: Somehow, Temari had become a defining presence in his life. (Rating: G)

Defining Moments

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He never had to turn around to know it was her. Not because barely anyone ever visited him here, but because he had become familiar with the fall of her footsteps against the grass as she approached him and carefully placed her fan on the ground.

He never had to open his eyes to know that she had settled down next to him and leaned back on the grass as she so often did. She had a certain way of positioning herself next to him that forced him to feel her presence. He felt it in the way her elbows barely touched his, close enough to sense the heat of her skin but far enough to make him notice the minimal gap between them.

He never greeted her but then she had never greeted him either. If there was to be a conversation between them, it often started somewhere in the middle rather than from a cursory hello.

Sometimes he would already be sleeping when she came, but she never tried to wake him. Other times, he fell asleep while she was there, and when he woke up, she wouldn't be there. But most of the time, he could feel her by his side even before he had fully regained his consciousness. And he would catch her studying the clouds up above as his eyes slowly cracked open. The image sometimes left such a strong imprint in his mind that he found himself imagining she was next to him every time he woke up, even when she wasn't. Moments like those, he thought, were particularly defining. It made him notice with more clarity, the pressing ache in his chest that lingered long after she had gone.

Shikamaru had never asked her why she came by, and she had never offered the information. But somewhere along the way, he had stopped wondering. It didn't really matter why she was there. It only mattered that she was.

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Reviews are greatly appreciated! Thank you. :)

Written: April 30th, 2006 (325 Words)