It's been ages since I've uploaded anything. One shot yet again. I had a bit of inspiration last night, so I wrote this. Blame boredom. Enjoy.

~[ah]


A long inhale of a cigarette, ashes are tipped out the window lazily. The young man looked up toward the ceiling, watching the wisps of smoke dance against the morning light. His chest bare, his silken hair loose against his face, a pair of black trousers the only article of clothing that was on. Shikamaru sat there, quietly staring at the smoke, every so often giving way to a quick flick of his wrist to rid him of the black ashes of his cigarette. They would fall onto the onlooking street below. He listened to the slight breathing of the girl, rather, woman that now slept in his bed. He didn't have to look to know her every feature of her sleeping face. Her golden waves fanned out across the pillow, her hourglass figure beneath the sheets, the tan broad he had told himself over and over again he wouldn't befriend, fall in love with. A small chuckle left his throat. Look where I am now. Memories of the past week flashed through his head.

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Temari entered the gates, once again the chosen mediator between the two great countries of Konoha and Suna. A smirk snaked its way onto his face, her flattering attributes never a tire on his eyes. She was rough, but very feminine all the same. He could call her one of his only true female friends, Ino not counting, she was almost like a little sister. Temari looked around the inside of the gate area, in search of her guide. Her eyes landed on the lanky boy and she let a smile slip on her face. She walked over, her blond pigtails bouncing with each step, until they met.

"You're like a mutt, you've been trained so well, always waiting." He rolled his eyesand smiled, leading the way to the Hokage's office.

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He took another puff of his cigarette. He was her mutt, trained to never leave her side. Exhale.

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He walked up the familiar steps to his favorite roof top. He always went there for cloud watching ,light reading, or just to get away from it all. He reached the roof top, but something caught his attention. Somebody was already there, a certain boisterous blond female. He walked over to the bench where she was lying down. Noticing the slight change in the lighting, she opened her eyes. She scowled.

"You're blocking the light baka." He said not a word and lied down beside her, arms folded behind his head. Soon her breathing evened as she fell into a light sleep. He watched her face rather than the clouds now.

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He inhaled fresh air. He never understood why Asuma smoked the cigarettes like they were candy. Exhale.

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"You are so troublesome!" He walked briskly, trying to catch up with the blond. Rain was coming down in torrents, plastering hair to their cheeks. She was walking just as fast away from him, in a very angry fashion. At his comment, she whipped around, a glare piercing his gaze.

"I'm troublesome?! You're the idiot who just had to stay home, rather than going to face Lady Tsunade like a man. I had to face her wrath all by myself!" She turned back around walking double the speed she was before. Suddenly she slipped on the fairly wet ground and Shikamaru ran over in an attempt to catch her before she hit the ground. The momentum caused him to slip too, and he hit the ground with a thud, right next to Temari on the muddy ground. He grumbled loudly and rubbed his back when Temari burst out laughing. He looked over, Temari's smiling face lit up the dreary world. They both looked like soggy rats and were covered in dirt. He began laughing and he smiled, Temari's laugh was so infectious. The sun broke through a small bit of the clouds, stopping the rain momentarily. He got up and offered a hand. She grabbed his hand and they headed back to the apartment Temari had rented out. Their smiles lit a path for them through the rain.

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He felt his face heat up slightly. They must have looked like fools, running around in the rain. Exhale.

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Shikamaru stretched his arms, listening to his neck pop. Him and Temari had just finished the paper work for the next Chunnin exam and they had went to eat at Ichiraku's to celebrate. They meet Naruto there, as always eating the building from its foundation. Temari and Shikamaru walked in silence in the darkness of the night.

"Nnnn..."

Shikamaru looked over, hearing the noise from Temari. "What?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow, I finished all the work here."

"I know that."

"Nnn..."

"What woman?"

No answer. He looked at her face, but couldn't see anything in the dark. They continued to walk in silence. Reaching Temari's doorstep, Shikamaru was about to turn around and head home, when Temari caught his hand. In a quiet voice, she asked, "Do you want to come in?" He held a blank face for a moment, dissecting her question in his head. He came up with nothing and just nodded his head and followed her into the apartment. He sat down on the floor, taking in the blank walls and lack of light.

Temari asked politely, "Do you want tea?"

He shook his head, not sure what to make of the situation. She sat down opposite him and an awkward silence settled. Several minutes passed like this. Shikamaru then stood up, announcing, "I guess I'll be going now."

"No."

"..."

A blush ran across her face. She asked quietly, "Do you like me?" His face lit up an impossible red, catching him off guard.

"W-What?"

"You heard what I said."

"I-I don't know."

"Be a man and make up your mind!"

"Uhh...."

"BE A MAN DAMN IT!"

Instead of answering, his anger flared up, and he grabbed Temari shoulders, angrily pressing his mouth against hers. She fought back, her lips pressing equally as hard against his. Soon, the anger erupted into a flurry of passion, a burning fire. Hands searched eagerly across their bodies, clothes laid discarded on the floor, the heat between them searing. Moans and cries of the two interconnected souls echoed through the walls. Shikamaru searched Temari's body, each part sacred and beautiful, while she moaned with pleasure of his soft caress.

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Shikamaru put out the cigarette, now only a small smoking stub. He listened to her breathing. This was the woman he loved, the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. All this time, he was denying his growing attraction toward her, dismissing it as being troublesome. How did she sneak her way into his mind, his head, his heart? He smiled to himself. She wasn't so troublesome after all.

He suddenly felt her soft arms snake around his waist. Her bare chest rose and fell on his back with every breathe, causing him to blush and yelped loudly as his blood directed to other places. Temari noticed the sudden swelling and gave him a seducing smile.

"We're going to have to fix that now, aren't we?"

"..So troublesome...nnnn..."

She licked her lips and smiled, undoing the top button on his pants."My work in Konoha doesn't seem to be done yet, so I guess I can stay a little longer."

Shikamaru smiled mischievously, and helped Temari pull the pants off. They fell back on the bed in a lover's embrace, the morning sun streaming through the window, smiling on their future and their love.