Just a little something I cooked up whilst listening to the plethora of Michael Jackson songs that have been on the music channels over ther past week. I had forgotten how good his music was until recent events forced me to listen to it again. Written with the intention of showing how his music can apply to anyone- even Ninjas!:P Enjoy!:D

Temari's eyes widened and her mouth hung open in shock as she glared at the boy sitting in front of her.

Shikamaru groaned, knowing instantly that he had said the wrong thing. He was about to turn to his friend for help, but when he surveyed the look on Chouji's face- a large grin- he decided against it.

"I think you've actually rendered her speechless, Nara," Kiba said, his face mimicking Chouji's.

"Temari," Ino said lovingly, placing a hand on the fan wielder's shoulder, "its okay. I know it's hard to take at first, but we've all known Shikamaru since we were kids so we've gotten used to his weird little quirks. Eventually, you'll get used to them too."

"How....h-h-how...?" Temari managed to get out.

"I think we should just give her a minute, guys. She's obviously taking this hard," Ino said to the rest of the group. "Chouji!" she scolded as she observed the robust boy chuckling away to himself, "be a little more understanding! You remember how hard it was for you when Shikamaru told you he didn't actually like barbeque," Ino finished as she poked Chouji in the chest.

"Yea," Chouji said defensively, "but that was like....life or death for our friendship. I didn't think we were going to come through that rough patch. That was really important!"

"This is really important," Temari finally snarled, after regaining her senses.

"It's not really," Shikamaru mumbled.

"Duuuuude," Kiba said glaring at Shikamaru, "you've all ready pissed her off enough. Do you want her to destroy your house?"

Shikamaru was about to reply when Temari interrupted him. She was standing now with her hands on her hips. And she was still glaring at him. Why did he invite these people inside again?

"I'm sorry, Ino but you're wrong! I'm not going to accept this 'quirk' as you put it. This is insanity! How in the hell can you not like Michael Jackson's music?!"

"You'd better answer," Kiba whispered to him, "unless you want 'death by giant supply of LP's' written on your tomb stone," the dog boy finished as he continued shifting through Shikamaru's dad's old supply of records with help from Chouji.

"I just don't..............relate to his music?" Shikamaru tried, feeling that this answer wasn't going to solve anything.

Temari glared at him questioningly. She just wasn't going to let this go, was she?

"Excuse me if I don't relate to songs concerned with turning into zombies or having a rat for a best friend!" Shikamaru rebutted defensively.

After expelling a large amount of air through her nostrils, Temari went back to glaring at him, her hands balled into fists.

"Honey, come sit down," Ino said tugging at the sleeve of Temari's kimono from her position on the floor, "so he doesn't appreciate musical genius when he hears it. Who cares? He's an idiot, darling! We all know how good Michael Jackson is, don't we guys?" she said looking to Kiba and Chouji for help.

"Oh yea, I always loved Thriller. Best album ever if you ask me," Chouji said encouragingly, passing the LP that had started this whole argument into Kiba's lap, as Temari finally sank to the floor again.

"Billie Jean." Kiba reminisced. "I listened to that song at least five times a day when I was younger. Now that I think about it, dude, she's right! How in God's name can you not like these songs?" he said, pushing Shikamaru's shoulder in a friendly manner.

"I just don't. Drop it already," Shikamaru said, glaring at him. As if Temari needed an excuse to start the argument again. In fact, he had a feeling she hadn't finished it yet.

"He defined an era with his music," Temari snarled, "Thriller is the biggest selling album of all time. If the rest of the goddamn world can relate to the music, how can you not?"

Why? Shikamaru thought. Why did he let them start poking through his dad's old LP's? He was just trying to give them something to keep themselves occupied with so that he could hopefully fall asleep without them noticing.

Ino, Chouji and Kiba had come calling just as he and Temari were about to settle down to a good game of shougi. But apparently watching them play wasn't exactly what Ino had in mind when she decided to come bug him. Hinata and Shino were both out on missions, so Kiba was bored. Apparently, Shikamaru was running a drop-in house for unoccupied persons. At least Temari actually had a reason to be here. He could understand if he had to guide a person around Konoha that he couldn't just dump them off anywhere and do whatever he wanted but now he was actually considering shadow binding the crap out of Ino for ever uttering the words, "Oh my God! I looooovvveeee this album!"

Shikamaru sighed. "It's not just his music," he mumbled, eager to get back to falling asleep, "I just don't like music as a whole." There. That should shut her up. There was no way she could complain on behalf of music artists the world over.

"What?" Temari seethed, as Shikamaru literally felt his heart sink. Apparently not.

"I don't like things that make you feel a certain emotion without you allowing them to. Music creates an emotion and then implants it upon you without your permission. It's like being controlled," Shikamaru said with his head against the wall and eyes closed.

"Don't look at me!" He heard Ino say, "I never get his weird thought processes either. Like I said, honey, it's not worth getting annoyed over. If he wants to be a giant weirdo then let him. Trust me. I've been trying to make him more normal for years and nothing has changed."

Shikamaru inwardly rolled his eyes. Silence reigned as all he could hear was Temari's heavy breathing.

"Here, put this one on," he heard Kiba say, "Bad was a pretty good album too."

As he heard a low beat kick in, it occurred to Shikamaru that he didn't know this song. Ah, there it was. The "hee hee." It was Michael Jackson. Exactly what they needed. Fuel for the fire.

"This is actually my favourite song of his," Temari said, sounding happier, "I remember dancing around my room to this when I was younger," she said wistfully. "Oh shut up!" she snapped at Shikamaru who had raised his eyebrows.

"I didn't say a word," he smirked, hands in the air.

After giving him what she obviously deemed to be a long enough glare, Temari turned away and started clicking her fingers to the beat of the music.

"Go on girl!" both her and Ino sang simultaneously. They then both looked at each other laughing.

"I'd forgotten how good this song was!" Ino sang joyfully.

"Hey pretty baby with the high heels on," Kiba sang as he stood up from the floor, "you give me fever like I've never, ever known. You're just a product of loveliness. I like the groove of your walk, your talk, your dress," he continued as he began to attempt to moonwalk across Shikamaru's living room floor.

"Wow, dog boy, you got some moves," Temari interjected, laughing.

"I feel your fever, from miles around. I'll pick you up in my car and we'll paint the town. Just kiss me baby, and tell me twice, that you're the one for me," Kiba sang as he continued dancing around the room, finally stopping to offer Temari his hand.

Laughing Temari stood up and started to dance with him.

"I'll show you how to do a moonwalk, amateur," she said, poking Kiba in the chest, who moved out of the way to give her room.

"The way you make me feel!" Temari, Ino, Kiba and Chouji sang together.

This song wasn't actually that bad, Shikamaru noticed. It was less disco-y than anything else he had ever heard by Michael Jackson. More upbeat.

He could definitely see that Temari liked it. She was laughing and smiling and moonwalking all over the place. He chuckled at her. She was nice when she was happy. And prettier. Well, she was always pretty, but when she smiled her whole face lit up. Still smiling, Shikamaru leant his head against the wall again and listened to the music.

I like the feelin' you're givin' me,

Just hold me baby and I'm in ecstasy.

Oh I'll be workin' from nine to five,

To buy you things to keep you by my side.

Drifting his eyes over the room, he saw Ino and Chouji still singing along and Kiba butchering whatever Michael Jackson moves he was trying to imitate. But his eyes kept drifting back to Temari. It was like she was this giant light that blocked out everything else in the room, except herself. He was attempting to keep his eyes off of her hips, which she was swaying from side to side, and failing miserably. She was like music for him, Shikamaru admitted to himself. She made him feel things he didn't understand. Or want to feel.

Temari turned and smiled at him. "Oh look, Mister Cry-baby finally likes a song. Don't try and deny it Nara," she said gleefully, "you're smiling and everything!"

Shikamaru couldn't help but shudder. He didn't like it when she smiled at him like that. Well, it wasn't that he didn't like it, but just that it made something in his stomach erupt. He almost felt queasy. But he wanted her to keep smiling at him. It was a good queasy, he realised.

Attempting to bring himself back to normality, he stood up and walked outside onto the porch for a cigarette. He stood there for a few moments, exhaling and inhaling and gazing at the miserable weather. Where were the clouds when you needed them?

"Hey!"

He heard Temari's voice come from the hall.

"What are you doing out here?" she said, placing her hand on his shoulder. He shuddered.

"Oh come on!" she said shaking his shoulder, when he didn't reply. "Just admit you like the stupid song!" Temari sang at him, "or do you really hate it that much when I'm right?" she said poking him.

Shikamaru batted her hand away. "Fine," he grumbled, though with a small smirk on his face, "I liked the damn song."

Temari proceeded to do a small victory dance.

Shikamaru couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, okay, that's enough. I said I liked the song. You didn't beat me in shougi," he chided.

Giving him a sardonic look, she smacked him on the back of the head. "Don't get cocky, leaf loser," she said, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and throwing it out into the rain.

Before he had a chance to protest, she interrupted him. "So....come on, what was it? This song more relatable than the others?" she chided.

Turning to look at her; her face flushed from dancing, eyes brightened by the similar coloured rain and hair fuzzed out slightly by the humidity, he smiled weakly.

"Yea," he said bracing himself. "There's this girl that drives me crazy as well."

"Oh really?" she said turning to face him.

He nodded. "Unfortunately for me, I have no song writing skills to tell her with," he said jokingly.

"Well, it's a good thing then," Temari said, pushing Shikamaru back against the wall and pressing herself up against him, "that you, Nara Shikamaru, are completely transparent."

Shikamaru barely had time to think before Temari was pressing her lips against his. It was a heavy kiss filled with all the humidity of the rain and mist. He felt like he couldn't breathe.

As she pulled back, he still had his eyes closed. "You never give me a chance to answer, troublesome woman," he breathed.

She smirked. "It's not the talking function of your mouth that I'm interested in, Nara," she chuckled, pressing her lips to his again.

"OH MY GOD!" He heard Ino shriek. He groaned as Temari pulled back again.

"Don't look so downhearted," she smirked, "Ain't nobody's business but mine and my baby's," she sang against his mouth.

Shikamaru chuckled a little. So maybe Michael Jackson songs weren't all that bad after all. And well, if playing them more often meant he would see Temari smile like that again......maybe he could learn to live with them.