"Oh, come on! This is the girl you love we're talking about!" Ino shouted. Shikamaru sighed, staring off in the direction of Suna from atop the Hokage's tower.

"Would you shut up?" He asked, rolling his eyes. "I'm not in love with her."

"Really?" Ino scoffed. "Then why have you been coming up here every day since Kankuro sent you her engagement announcement?" Shikamaru remained silent. "Shika, you obviously love her and sitting here on your lazy ass isn't going to do you any good!"

"What do you want me to do?" Shikamaru demanded, his voice rising in frustration as he jumped to his feet from his place on the ground. The blonde stumbled backward, not expecting the rise she had just gotten out of the laid-back chunin. "Huh, Ino? What? So what if I love her? She obviously doesn't feel the same way, or else she wouldn't be marrying someone else!"

Ino grit her teeth. "Or she is in love with you, but doesn't think you feel the same way because you don't show it!"

Shikamaru just let out an exasperated sigh as he sat back down, his gaze back toward Suna. "Love is such a drag."

The room was white and plush. A red-headed male sat cross-legged on a white suede ottoman, glaring at the blonde woman sifting through a rack full of wedding dresses that she had already tried on.

"You're making a mistake," Gaara commented, his jade eyes burning holes into his sister's back.

"Shut up, Gaara," Temari gritted out, examining the beading on the bodice of a dress.

"Seriously, you're making a mistake," Gaara insisted. "You know this isn't what you want."

Temari glowered at her brother. "If you know what's good for you, you'll shut your mouth."

Gaara narrowed his eyes. "Temari, I know, as well as everyone else, that you love-,"

The blonde slammed her hand down on the counter, causing the owner of the shop to flinch violently. "Gaara, I don't care that you're the most powerful shinobi in the Wind Country. You're still my baby brother, and if you don't shut your mouth, I will put you in the corner!" Gaara blinked, staring at his sister. She sighed, pulling a dress from the rack and setting it on the counter. "This one, please." Gaara just bowed his head, shaking it slowly.

Temari stared into the full-length mirror, stunned by how the prep team had transformed her. Her blonde hair had been pulled out of its usual four ponytails and had been arranged into loose curls that fell over her shoulder. Her bangs had been tamed to fall over to the same side of her face instead of parting in the middle, as usual. They had forgone a veil in favor of a simple silver and diamond tiara that sat atop her head. Her makeup had been done in all natural tones, making her face glow from its own beauty.

What shocked Temari the most, though, was the dress. She had been upset with Gaara when she had picked it out, and hadn't remembered what it had looked like until this moment. With a heart shaped neckline, lace covered bodice, and pieces of fabric that made up the wide, lace straps that set just below her shoulders. The skirt was full length and silky with a slight train that trailed behind her. It wasn't poofy or clingy. Instead, it rippled gently, like water, when she moved.

"Temari, are you re- whoa." She turned to see Kankuro, sans purple face paint, staring at her in shock. "Who are you and what've you done with my sister?"

Temari rolled her eyes. "I'm right here, you moron," she retorted fondly, striding over to him to, in a mother-like fashion, brush away the few stray hairs that had fallen on his forehead.

Kankuro locked eyes with her. "Will you promise me something?" Temari tilted her head, indicating she was listening. "Promise me that you'll only go through with this if it'll make you happy."

Temari closed her eyes for a moment. "I promise," she answered, grabbing her bouquet and allowing her brother to lead her out of the room.

Shikamaru huffed indigently as Ino pushed him inside the gates of the Sand Village. "Are you doing this just to be annoying?" He adjusted the black tie Ino had forced around his neck. This, of course, had been when she had forcibly clothed him in his suit.

"I'm trying to keep you from resigning yourself to a life of loneliness!" Ino screeched, ignoring the curious looks of the sand-nin. The blonde kept up a steady stream of encouraging words as she shoved him to the door of the church.

Shikamaru stood outside the door, cracking it slightly, hearing Gaara's low voice speaking the words, "If anyone objects, speak now or forever hold your peace." The chunin felt a hand on his back. He relaxed at the touch, thinking it to be a gesture of comfort, but this was the wrong move. The door swung fully open and Ino pushed him inside.

The church went silent, everyone turning to look at the new arrival, which had yet out a yell when he had stumbled in. Gaara smirked, closing the book in his hand, no longer feeling a need to have it open. Shikamaru straightened up, his eyes darting around the room, his uneasiness growing. But the chunin knew he needed to make a decision, and if he didn't make it right now, sand-nin would be attacking him in three point seven seconds.

"This is such a drag," he mumbled, scratching the back of his head as he made his way up to the altar. He looked up as he reached his destination, every coherent thought ripped from his mind when he saw Temari, her beautifully stunned gaze piercing him. All felt right with the world as Shikamaru drew himself to full height and stepped on the altar between Temari and her would-be husband. His dark eyes locked with her green ones. "You're troublesome, you know that?"

Temari glared at him, ignoring the bubbly feeling in her chest that had been absent before. "Did you really come all this way just to-," A pair of soft lips pressed against hers, effectively cutting off the rest of her rant. A manicured hand grasped at the strip of material around his neck, yanking him closer for a kiss.

Gaara chuckled, the couple in front of him oblivious to the sound. He turned to the "groom," a smirk on his face. "Thank for doing this."

A cloud of smoke surrounded the man as his jutsu wore off. The veil disappeared, revealing Choji smiling. "Well, if it finally gets those two together, it's worth it."