Doing Better

The first day of war had seen many lives lost. Ones that had families and hopes. Ones that had failed futures.

And on that battlefield of death, questions were asked (can we sacrifice the few to save the many?) and questions were answered (we must).

In the tumult of raw emotion, lines were drawn, and lines were inevitably crossed.

But none of that mattered. Not now. Not at as Temari shoved Shikamaru through the flap of his tent and demanded that he remind her what it feels like to be alive.

Her fists in his hair, her teeth biting at his lips, demanding a response.

And despite his shock, despite the knowledge that this little exchange couldn't end well, Shikamaru was certain about one thing: he was scared.

Scared of losing another precious person, scared of breaking under the pressure, scared of making the wrong move, and so, when Temari offered such a blissful distraction, he accepted it whole-heartedly.

Before she could even grasp his decision to accept her ministrations, he was taking control.

Their clothes were forgotten in some nameless corner.

Skin was marred by teeth, nails and desperate grips.

Again and again this occurred until the routine was so engrained that neither realized how predictable they'd become.

But as with before, such worldly concerns didn't matter. It was forming a connection with someone else that was most important.

And as they lay on his cot in the aftermath of their exertions, fingers ghosting and breaths painting memories over the other's skin, they came to understand.

As Temari slept curled into Shikamaru's chest, clutching at him like a life support, he realized that she needed someone to wrest the control from her every once in awhile. To make her feel feminine and protected. She'd never let anyone else see, but she was so tired.

Caught in the silence broken only by their passionate moans, gasps and groans, Temari too came to learn about her partner. For all his claims of laziness, it was only a half-truth. To be perfectly honest, Shikamaru was actually a pure-blooded hedonist.

Whatever brought him pleasure, that's what he'd be doing.

Granted, that was usually cloud watching, but he had other vices as well. Crafting elaborate schemes, that was a specialty of his. And when he saw them come to fruition, the shot of satisfaction that would course through his system made all of his trouble worth it. Just for that victory, be it physical or psychological.

Being the only one to sense Shikamaru's pleasure, that was one of Temari's thrills. The brief flash of feeling would glint across his eyes and she'd know that that night would be intense.

He'd come to her, dark and predatory, those beloved shadows twisting around his feet, as he engaged in his most favored pleasure: consuming her.

He'd pin her to the wall, and as she lost her breath in surprise, his lips would swoop in for the kill, further depriving her of blessed oxygen and making her almost light-headedly giddy.

Then he'd be hoisting her up, furtively wrapping her legs around his waist and supporting her weight with his fingers dug into her hips.

As he'd begin to grind against her heat, she'd tangle her fingers in his hair, angling his head toward her neck. And when he rubbed a particularly sweet spot, she'd moan, losing the last bit of air remaining in her lungs, only to suck it all back in again as he bit down on the tender column of her throat, possessively drawing her attention back to his actions.

Not long after and they'd be on the floor, clothing optional. He'd be crouching over her, shielding her from the rest of the world while simultaneously proclaiming that, in this regard, his energy was boundless.

He'd smirk, as if to say, See, you love this.

And she'd tip her chin up at him, as if to say, You could do better.

And better he would do.

Better when they eloped.

Better when they had their first child, a surprise to all.

Better when they got married for real, a surprise to none.

And better forever after.

For anyone who's read my fics before, any knows how many haven't been updated in months, I'm so sorry. But, in my defense, it's senior year and college applications have taken priority these last few months. But all of my affairs are now in order and I really felt in a ShikaTema mode.

I hope you enjoyed.

REVIEWS ARE LOVE!