Victims of Love

They said love was a condition…

In which the happiness of another is essential to one's own happiness.

And they were a victim to it.

(…could never escape.)

She panted. Air burned her lungs.

Sandy blonde tresses were plastered to her face. Her teal eyes closed tightly, her head tilted up to the ceiling, teeth clamping down on a swollen lip.

She set the pace, he only followed.

She rocked her pelvis against his. The feeling of him inside her, there, present, with her. Complete.

She moaned as he bucked up inside her. Thighs on either side of his hips trembled and tensed with pleasure. She pressed her knees into the mattress, supporting her weight. Pushing up ever so slightly and then, falling, pressing her pelvis down, feeling her muscles tense.

(…feeling him tremble beneath her.)

Strong fingers found her round hips, digging into them in pleasurable anticipation. Pushing her in the way he wanted. He needed.

"Temari…"

(…and he knew she needed it too.)

A gasp escaped bruised lips as he pushed her down on him. She could feel her muscles tense, clamping around him. Her breaths were ragged. She threw her head back, her back arched, her body lifting.

He held her secure, keeping her from falling.

(…he would always hold her.)

It slipped out of her lips, melting into the darkness, crushing the illusion.

"I love you…"

Proving she was a victim.

o

…you play with fire, it's gonna burn you.

o

She held her arms around her knees, tucking it under her chin, as she stared at the moonlight on the wall.

She gently rubbed her naked thigh, letting out a strained breath. Tears stung the back of her eyes. They would never fall.

The first time wasn't supposed to happen.

(…neither was the second, third…)

They had awoken the next morning shouting at each other, blaming the other for it.

They had agreed that it was a spur of the moment. It was the adrenalin from the mission. It just felt like passion. It would never happen again. It meant nothing.

(…neither of them believed it.)

o

…it's got me caught up in a web and my heart's the prey.

o

Her back grazed the wall as his hands fell to her thighs.

She gasped as he pushed her impossibly close to his body.

She aggressively grappled at his clothes, pushing the Jounin vest off his shoulders, and tugging at his shirt insistently. He pulled at her obi desperately, growling lowly when it refused to give way.

He hooked his arms around her thighs and pulled her up, pressing her harder against the wall, holding all her weight. She wrapped her legs around his waist, groaning when his arousal rubbed against her inner thigh.

His mouth ran across her shoulders, displayed from the yukata that was now hanging around her elbows, barely covering her chest. He placed open mouthed kisses across her collarbone, breathing hotly.

"Shikamaru…" she moaned, looking down at his face.

He slowly pulled his lips from her chest and looked her in the eye, his expression serious, full of begging and concern. She met his gaze, holding it.

Teal into obsidian.

"Do you really want to throw your heart away?" His voice broke. She knew what he meant. She knew what they were doing. She knew what she was doing to him.

(…she knew what she was doing to herself.)

But she didn't want it to stop. She didn't want to think. She just wanted silence in her mind for a few moments. She wanted the pain to go away.

(…if only for a moment.)

She hurriedly crushed her lips on his. Rolling her hips slowly, trying to convey the message. He received it, harshly pulling her yukata open.

His mouth engulfed her breast and her mouth opened in a silent scream of ecstasy.

o

…you can't decide it.

o

She had come back to him again.

They had agreed that they wouldn't. But they did.

(…and it could never be reversed.)

Unlike the first time, they awoke (on the floor this time) and said nothing. Just longing stares and meaningful touches.

They understood that it should never happen again. They were only making it harder for themselves. It meant nothing.

(…then why did it feel like more?)

o

…and here we are now, same situation.

o

His mind was screaming.

(…his heart was too.)

Her arms locked around his neck tightly, keeping him close. He wanted to pull away, to stop.

(…but he needed to stay.)

He panted across her neck, settling by her pulse. She whimpered and titled her head. Her neck was begging for his attention. Against all logic he found himself sucking on the flesh, kissing downwards.

Longing to make her whimper his name like she did.

With one hand he opened her robe, watching it pool around her figure. She hissed as the cool air grasped her body. She pulled him closer, pressing him against her. He slipped his hands around her lower back, thumb on her hips. His tongue toyed with her breast.

Her whimpers became moans as he enclosed the peak of her breast between his lips. Savouring her reaction and how it fed his passion. He lightly bit and she cried out.

(…oh god, she was begging.)

His hands hooked around the top of her underwear, slowly dragging them down her perfect legs. Every inch they moved the loud screaming in his mind grew louder until he felt as if he couldn't even think. He stopped, her underwear around her knees, and spoke, staring into her eyes again.

"Are you really going to throw your heart away?"

Her eyes widened. She looked into his eyes, searching for answers, reasons. The answer was obvious, to her, and him. She knew what was logical. She knew what she was supposed to say.

"Yes."

(…but she ignored it.)

o

…you're running away cause it just happened again and you just want it to end.

o

Temari had awoken before him and mulled over their conversation.

Mostly what she had said.

Her mind screamed at her. Her heart throbbed. She had made a mistake. Her answer was a spur of the moment. She was not going to just throw her heart away to a leaf shinobi. Their lands were on bad terms, not at war, just awkward and tense. When she walked through Konoha civilians would stare at her judgementally and gossip to their friends about her.

She couldn't do this to herself. How could she keep coming back to this… this…

She shook her head vigorously.

(…trying to hold back the tears.)

He had awoken shortly after and she told him they had to stop.

After many words they broke into a fight.

Yelling and screaming, hitting the exposed nerves and feelings, trying their hardest to do damage to the other.

Without him being aware he told her to never come back to him, to leave him alone. He didn't care about her, it was always just bad timing. She was always there at a bad time. And when she was this would happen. She glared, her fists shaking. She agreed and slammed the door. She didn't need him at all.

(…then why did her heart feel like it was dying?)

o

…now you're thinking of the things you thought you wanted to say but when you open up your mouth they don't come out that way.

o

He sat on the windowsill, one foot up and one hanging.

His forehead pressed against the glass of the window. The rain that streamed down the windows was blurry in front of his eyes and made patterns on the walls around him.

It was dark; he didn't bother with switching on any lights. He had been sitting there for hours on end, staring out the window into the distance, trying to think. But most of the time, it was not to think, but to empty his mind. His friends had been over continuously, coming to check up on him. They tried to coax him out of his apartment. He never moved or replied.

All he did was sit there with his forehead against the window pane and feel the cold.

(…just like his heart.)

He wanted cry.

But if he did, it would remind him of her.

(…crybaby.)

He had fucked up. He didn't mean it. It just slipped out. He was angry.

But now she was gone. He couldn't even see her again. Inhale her scent one last time. Or, even have the luxury of hearing her laugh… everything was just taken away from him. He wanted to die. He had never felt so pathetic in his life.

He just wanted to cry. He could feel the tears welling up.

They never fell from his eyes.

He stopped breathing.

He stopped moving.

His heart stopped.

All for a moment as he stared at her, standing in his doorway, soaked in rain. Her chest heaved, her breaths short, ragged and broken. Her clothes hung to her frame, her hair matted to her face, falling out of her ponytails. His heart swelled painfully. He stirred and she spoke.

"I never listen."

With his heart hurting from relief he rushed towards her. They gripped onto each other like they were their lifelines. He crushed his lips onto hers, desperately proving to himself that she was real. Desperately trying to reassure himself that everything was ok, desperately trying to convey and feel… love. Her hands rose to his head and she held his cheeks, returning the kiss, equally as desperate.

Water ran down their cheeks and mingled on their lips, then between their tongues. It was salty.

(…they were tears.)

o

…you can change, but you'll always come back for more.

o

He kept on gasping.

He thrust into her passionately and uncontrollably. He had missed her so much. He needed her. It wasn't a want anymore. He couldn't understand it at all. He was being more aggressive than he wished. But he would have time to make love to her tenderly afterwards.

She writhed underneath him, her right hand holding onto the headboard, trying to stop her from hitting her head from their aggressive pace. Between gasps and whimpers she would pull his head forwards and he would willingly kiss her.

The pain in her heart that she had felt for the last month was gone. She didn't understand. She knew this would dull it. But it was gone.

She lost track of her thoughts for a moment as he hit her sweet spot. She felt her body wracked with shivers and trembles. She moaned loudly. He hit it again, repeatedly, craving her reaction.

She lost track of all her thought.

She screamed in ecstasy.

She closed around him and his mind slipped. He swore loudly. They fell into the void, complete euphoria, oblivion. Her body was hot, sweat slicked her chest. As she came down she was vaguely aware of weight on her chest, but she paid it no mind. She only cared about the feeling of him inside of her, the feeling of utter completeness. Like he was the only thing she needed in the world at that moment.

And once again, it slipped from her lips, like it had happened the first, second and third time.

"I love you…"

o

...everybody's hurt somebody before.

…everybody's been hurt by somebody before.

o

Temari sighed deeply.

She wished she knew what was going on. If she had a clue maybe she could just figure out what to do. She didn't have the heart to confront it.

Normally she would be the first to figure out any problem. But with this… it was different.

Temari slowly edged off the bed and began searching for her clothes. If she could just get away before he woke up… it would be better that way, for both of them. But, she wasn't sure how long she could stay away.

"You better not be leaving, Temari." Shikamaru stated firmly. Temari winced slightly. She turned around to look at him, sitting on the edge of the bed in his boxers.

"What if I am?" She asked softly. Whatever happened she would always have her pride.

"If you are, I am going to stop you." He answered in a determined manner. The moonlight profiled his face, showing his hard eyes, full of determination.

"Shikamaru…" she begged. "Don't make this hard for yourself. You have the chance to be with another woman, please just take it." Even though she knew that it would tear her heart apart.

"Woman," he growled. He got up angrily and stood in front of her, glaring. "I have been thinking about this for the past month. Since when do I think about things for that long that aren't job related? I have thought about this at lunch with my team. I have thought about this at my meetings. God, I have thought about this whilst watching clouds!"

Temari chuckled at him. She abruptly stopped at his expression, hard and serious. "It's not even funny." His one hand grabbed hers. She let out a pained whimper.

"Shikamaru…"

Shikamaru tugged on her hand sharply so she shut up. "Temari, now listen to me." He placed his finger under her chin and forced her to look him in the eye. "There is no other woman I would rather be with than you." Her heart thumped in her chest.

"Our villages…" she began, looking away from him. He forced her to look at him again.

"We'll make it work. As troublesome as it may be, we'll make it work." Temari couldn't fight back the smile of utter happiness that crept on her face. She had never felt so hopeful, happy and so grateful, and another feeling, so strong that it hurt. Was it love? "Since, some things are worth the trouble." He smiled back at her.

She pushed him onto the bed gently. He pulled her onto him.

Like he promised, he would be tender with her this time.

Just like they needed.

o

…don't try to fight it.

o

FIN

It's a game and we're all just victims of love.

A/N: Phew! *blush*

Yes, this was my first lemon and M rated fic. So please, if you can give me tips on how to improve, do so.

If nobody really understood everything about this story don't hesitate to PM me and ask! I do know it's a tad confusing.

And this uses song lyrics from "Victims of Love" by Good Charlotte.

Please review, I have worked VERY hard on this, and there is no better reward then someone enjoying it and telling you.

So if you review, you're awesome.

-Ze