Dreams
"When I was by myself I was fast asleep, but since you came around I was up for weeks" - X Chris Brown
Temari had always loved Konoha, it had a caring, loving, peaceful atmosphere surrounding it. She enjoyed the graceful sun on her skin, it was different from Suna's harsh sun, as she made her way to Konoha. Temari's endless walk finally came to an end as she saw konoha's proud gates appearing before her. She walked through the gates heading for the Hokage's office. She wasn't that often in konoha but she was there enough to find her way around the village to the Hokage's office, she was Suna's ambassador after all.
"Oi, troublesome." Someone called behind her making a smile appear on her face.
"Well if it isn't lazy ass himself." Temari called back looking over her shoulder with a smirk.
"The one and only." Shikamaru smirked back leaning against a wall in the shade.
"Well are you coming or not?" Temari asked turning to face him with her hands on her hips.
"Why whould I go anywhere with a troublesome woman like you." Shikamaru scoffed raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms.
"You're my escort, aren't you?" Temari smirked confidently walking to the Hokage's office.
"Troublesome woman." Shikamaru sighed pushing himself of the wall walking to her side.
"Oh and by the way, the Hokage's not here" Shikamaru shrugged, his hands in his pockets.
"What! Where the hell is he?!" Temari said irritated stopping dead in her tracks.
"Don't know, he told me he had some business to attend to and ran of leaving all his work for me to do." Shikamaru sighed hopelessly.
"Fantastic, what am I suppose to do now? I'm suppose to have a meeting with him." Temari said glaring at him.
"Well don't glare at me, it's my fualt." Shikamaru said defensively.
"It is your fualt you should've done your job and advised him." Temari said annoyed.
"Troublesome woman always giving me the blame, come on I'll show you the inn you'll be staying in and then we can get something to eat." Shikamaru sighed defeated.
"Fine." Temari said crossing her arms following Shikamaru.
"You haven't changed a bit since the last time I saw you." Temari mused.
She hasn't seen Shikamaru in a while since he was on a mission the last time she was in Konoha and she only comes to Konoha every three to five months.
"Neither have you." Shikamaru shrugged.
"And you're still saying troublesome." Temari sighed shaking her head.
"Yeah, especially when you're around." Shikamaru winked making Temari roll her eyes.
"Temari!" A voice called making Temari turn to Sakura who was behind them.
"Hey Sakura." Temari greeted with a smile while Shikamaru nodded his greeting.
"I haven't seen you in ages." Sakura said dramatically.
"Now you're over exaggerating Sakura it's only been like three months, Shikamaru on the other hand hadn't seen her in ages he hadn't seen her in eight months." Chouji said appearing out of nowhere earning himself a smile from Shikamaru.
"You've been counting?" Temari asked raising an eyebrow at Shikamaru and Chouji who's eyes widened slightly as they looked at each other.
"To troublesome." Shikamaru said answering for them both as Chouji nodded his head munching on his chips.
"But that's my exactly my point, it's been three months!" Sakura gasped joining the conversation again after eyeing Shikamaru and Chouji.
"Hey I heard Sasuke came back to the village, how's that going?" Temari asked Sakura curiously.
"He left again." Sakura said sadly.
"Really, why?" Temari asked not completely surprised.
"He went on a 'journey of redemption' and naturally he had to do it alone." Sakura said her face falling.
"I thought he was over that crap." Temari said rolling her eyes.
"He is incapable of overcoming his crap." Shikamaru snorted softly when Sakura looked down so he won't get smacked by Sakura but he did get smacked by Temari instead.
He groaned softly rubbing his arm and glared at a chuckling Chouji who whispered something to Shikamaru who glared at him in return.
"When will he be back?" Temari asked.
"Don't know he only said I'll see him soon." Sakura sighed.
"Anyway I've got to run, see you guys later." Sakura waved as she walked away.
"You coming Chouji?" Shikamaru asked smiling as they started walking again.
"Sure." Chouji shrugged munching on his chips.
"How's it going in Suna?" Chouji asked.
"It's good I'm just bored with all the paper work I have to do, there is absolutely no exiting missions." Temari sighed frustrated.
"It can't be that bad." Chouji said optimistically.
"If I was Shikamaru it wouldn't be that bad." Temari said smirking at Shikamaru.
"Troublesome woman I would throw myself out the window if I had to do paperwork." Shikamaru said rolling his eyes.
"And yet here you are still very much alive." Temari replied smiling.
"Troublesome woman." Shikamaru said.
"Lazy ass." Temari said grinning at him.
"Hey Chouji and Shika-sensei, who's this? Is this your girlfriend Shika-sensei?" A little girl with black hair and red eyes asked appearing out of nowhere.
"We're not dating." Temari replied bluntly.
"Sure you are blondie." The little girl said waving Temari off.
"This is not going to end well." Shikamaru sighed as Chouji nodded his agreement.
"Excuse me." Temari said glaring at the little girl who remained unaffected by her glare while Shikamaru just looked like he wanted to bang his head against the nearest wall.
"Mirai this is Temari, she is a friend from Suna and I am her escort." Shikamaru explained slowly and carefully to Mirai.
"How old are you kid, 4?" Temari asked annoyed.
"I'm 6, how old are you, 40?" Mirai asked glaring at Temari, both Chouji and Shikamaru flinched at that question.
Shit. Why do troublesome things always happen to me? Shikamaru asked himself numerous times.
"I'm going to kill you, you little brat!" Temari exclaimed lunging for Mirai.
"Shadow possesion jutsu!" Shikamaru stated as he quickly made the handseals and trapped Temari.
"You bastard." Temari snarled at Shikamaru while Mirai laughed at her.
If looks could kill... Chouji and Shikamaru shivered simultaneously.
"Uhmmm, let's go get ice cream Mirai." Chouji said awkwardly and kind of afraid of Temari taking Mirai's hand and leading her away from Temari.
"Calm down Temari." Shikamaru said as he started walking for the inn she will be staying at while Temari mimicked him.
"Do not tell me to calm down." Temari replied threateningly at Shikamaru.
"The least you can do is walk without your hands in your pockets, I don't have pockets." Temari said defeated yet irritated.
"My bad." Shikamaru said amused and removed his hands from his pockets.
"You can remove your jutsu know." Temari sighed.
"Are you calm yet?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes." Temari said feeling anything but calm but he released his jutsu anyway.
"Dammit Temari!" Shikamaru groaned clutching his head where Temari whacked him.
"You deserved it lazy ass, who was that kid?" Temari asked.
"That's Mirai Sarutobi, she's Asuma and Kuranai's kid." Shikamaru said looking at the sky.
"Oh, that's why she looks so odly familiar." Temari mused.
"Yeah." Shikamaru said.
"Well here we are." Shikamaru said as they walked into the reception area.
"Hey, I'm Subako no Temari..." Temari said to the receptionist.
"Hey, here are your keys, have a lovely day." The receptionist replied with a smile giving Temari her keyed after finding her name on the list.
"I'm first going to take a shower, you can wait in my room if you like but you can leave." Temari said turning to Shikamaru.
"Lead the way, I'll wait." Shikamaru said beckoning for Temari to go before him as they took the stairs to the second floor and found the room on the end of the hallway on their right.
"Make yourself comfortable, I won't be long." Temari said as she stored her stuff in the bedroom and left for the bathroom.
Shikamaru dragged himself to the living room and collapsed on the the couch, it was soft and was a warm velvet colour. He examined the room while he waited for Temari, it was a sleek elegant apartment with red coloured furniture, wooden floors and light brown walls. It had some plants standing in corners. The kitchen was linked to the living room with dark colours staining it. The bedroom was on the kitchens left and the bathroom on its right. Shikamaru quickly got bored and drifted of to sleep...
When Shikamaru opened his eyes he found himself under a tree in a grassy open field overlooking Konoha. He looked around and saw Temari standing at the edge of the cliff with her back to him.
"What are you doing?" Shikamaru asked Temari boredly.
"What do you think I'm doing." Temari said cryptically and uncharacteristically emotionless.
"Troublesome woman I'm not a mind reader." Shikamaru said growing suspicious of her unusual behaviour.
"Everything happens for a reason. The daily tragedies and misfortunes are all meaningful events, leading towards an ineffable event in time." Temari said almost mechanically.
"What's that suppose to mean?" Shikamaru asked standing up and walking to her.
"What do you think it means?" Temari said repeating herself.
"It doesn't matter what I think, what are you thinking." Shikamaru said standing right behind her.
"It's okay if you forget me..." Temari said out of the blue.
"Why whould I forget you?" Shikamaru asked an unwanted answer tugging at the back of his mind.
"You know why." Temari replied cryptically confirming his suspicion.
"I don't want to lose you." Shikamaru said softly.
"I don't want to be lost." Temari said sadly.
Shikamaru was caught completely of guard and did not expect what was about to happen next. So when Temari leaned forward falling of the cliff like a rag doll he was too slow to react and catch her, he reached for her but it was already too late and she was already pummelling to the ground beneath.
"Temari!" Shikamaru screamed as he dived after her without thinking it through and what he would do when he caught up to her, he took a page out of Naruto's playbook.
Shikamaru quickly realised he responded to late and there was no way he could get to her in time.
"Temari, grab my hand!" Shikamaru called desperately to a lifeless Temari as they both fell closer to the earth beneath them.
Shikamaru cursed inwardly as he realised he and Temari was about to crash into the earth below and he was not about to abandon Temari but in the end he could not reach her in time and they where seconds from the ground.
Shikamaru's eyes shot opened as he sat straight up gasping for air.
"Are you alright?" Temari asked worryingly looking up from her paperwork.
"I'm fine." Shikamaru sighed staring at Temari who sat at the kitchen table paperwork surrounding her.
"Why didn't you wake me up?" Shikamaru asked.
"Becuase you looked so peaceful and relaxed so I didn't want to wake you up." Temari shrugged.
"What time is it?" Shikamaru asked disorientated.
"About supper time." Temari smiled.
"Let's go get something to eat then, troublesome woman." Shikamaru said smiling a little as he got up.
Temari left her paperwork just like that and stood up and left the apartment with Shikamaru as they made there way through the streets of Konoha towards the food district.
"What where you dreaming about?" Temari asked curiously.
"I'm not completely sure." Shikamaru said not lying but not telling her the complete truth.
"Interesting." Temari said in thought.
"Extremely." Shikamaru said sarcastically.
"Must've been an unpleasant dream, you started trashing before you woke up." Temari mused.
"But you still didn't wake me up?" Shikamaru said with a raised eyebrow.
"Hey you could've been a rough sleeper for all I know." Temari said defensively.
"From all the years you've known me where I ever a rough sleeper and besides I'm too lazy for that." Shikamaru said bluntly.
"People change." Temari shrugged as Shikamaru rolled his eyes.
"Hey Temari, Shikamaru!" Ino waved from the barbecue place as she saw them pass buy.
"Oh, hey Ino!" Temari called suddenly going in the restaurant dragging Shikamaru behind her.
"Troublesome woman." Shikamaru groaned.
The whole group was sitting at a table with Lee, Neji, Tenten, Ino, Sai and Sakura on one side and Shino, Hinata, Kiba and Chouji on the other side. Shikamaru sat next to Chouji while Temari sat next to him.
"I didn't know you where in town..." Ino said baffled.
"Well you do know." Temari shrugged.
"Temari, what a youthful surprise!" Lee shouted.
"Damn, he's still doing that?" Temari groaned.
"Always." Tenten said laughing.
"Hey Shikamaru where's Naruto? He's suppose to be doing some paperwork I need." Sai asked Shikamaru who froze.
"Didn't you say your going to do it Shikamaru?" Neji asked with a smirk.
"Yes." Shikamaru said bluntly.
"Oh well done lazy ass, in the end he ended up falling asleep on my couch." Temari laughed.
"That's very unyouthful indeed!" Lee exclaimed.
"Wait, you two are dating?" Kiba asked stunned.
"No Kiba we are not dating." Temari said irritated.
"Could've fooled me." Neji smirked.
"You're a pain in the ass, Neji." Shikamaru said groaning while Temari glared at him.
"Well you and Tenten fool us everyday." Ino laughed.
"Wait, you two aren't dating?" Temari asked stunned quoting Kiba.
"No, and why am I being dragged into this I did absolutely nothing wrong." Tenten asked crossing her arms.
"Oh Tenten honey." Sakura laughed at her.
"Come to think of it Neji..." Shikamaru smirked evily as Neji glared at him suspiciously.
"Didn't you say something about planning to..." Was all Shikamaru could say before Neji jumped up and put a hand over Shikamaru's mouth to cut of his sentence.
"If you say another word I will cut of your tongue." Neji whispered threateningly to Shikamaru nobody heard what he said except Temari but they still raised an eyebrow at his actions.
Neji retreated to his seat as Shikamaru struggled to contain his laughter and Neji continued glaring at him.
"What was that all about?" Temari asked Shikamaru softly.
"I'll tell you later." Shikamaru replied softly looking at a glaring Neji.
Everyone joked around teasing one another while they ate the food that arrived. It started getting late and the sun had already disappeared.
"It was great seeing you all again, but I should be going now." Temari said as she got up receiving a few aaww's.
"I'll walk you home." Shikamaru said as he stood up after her receiving some stares.
"I still think their dating." Kiba said nonchalantly after he saw Shikamaru and Temari leave the restaurant.
"I heard that!" Temari said annoyed sticking her head back in the restaurant slamming her hands togheter sending a mini controlled wind at Kiba's head resulting in his face hitting right into his food.
"Don't you think you overdid it a bit?" Shikamaru asked with a sweat drop as everyone laughed at Kiba's twitching face full of food.
"Not at all." Temari grinned as they left.
"Troublesome woman." Shikamaru chuckled.
"I know you love me." Temari said grinning at Shikamaru who blushed slightly and looked away.
"When are you leaving?" Shikamaru asked solemnly changing the subject.
"Don't know I was suppose to leave once my meeting with Naruto was finished, but he's not here, now is he?" Temari shrugged.
"You should come more often." Shikamaru said looking away.
"Out of all the villages, I come to this one the most and you could come visit Suna too." Temari said rolling her eyes.
"Probably." Shikamaru shrugged.
"Are you planning to get your own gennin squad?" Temari asked thinking of Mirai.
"Yes, as soon as Mirai graduate." Shikamaru said confirming Temari's thoughts.
"Isn't it too troublesome." Temari laughed knowing the answer.
"Nah, I promised Asuma." Shikamaru shrugged.
"Do you really have no idea where Naruto is?" Temari asked.
"No idea." Shikamaru sighed.
"Come to think of it, what was that back at the restaurant?" Temari mused.
"Oh, I was sorting missions the other day and Naruto wanted to assign Neji a mission but he declined becuase he wants to ask Tenten to be his girlfriend and was planning some sort of thing for her." Shikamaru smirked.
"I knew it!" Temari exclaimed triumphantly.
"Troublesome woman keep it down, you're going to burst my eardrum." Shikamaru said rubbing his ear.
"What mission was it?" Temari asked curiously.
"It's an undercover mission in the village hidden in the clouds." Shikamaru shrugged.
"But isn't it a little obvious if Neji goes becuase he has huge white eyes." Temari asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, we just pretended to give it to him becuase we knew he was planing something but he refused to tell us." Shikamaru smirked.
"Aaahhh sneaky, aren't we?" Temari said laughing.
"As always." Shikamaru winked.
"What the hell!?" Temari exclaimed as she saw smoke and occasional flames rising from the inn she was staying at.
Dammit! Temari thought as she started running to the inn with Shikamaru close behind her, she could not let her things burn and especially not her precious fan. Temari ran trough the blockade and firemen trying to stop her, no one was going to keep her from preventing her fan to burn.
"Temari wait!" Shikamaru yelled at her trying to grab her arm and keep her from running in the burning building but he didn't get a good grip on her and she simply shrugged him off.
"What the hell happened here?!" Shikamaru asked the receptionist who was freaking out next to him.
"Some idiot knocked over some candles in his room and started a huge wild fire!" The receptionist said panicked.
"Which room?" Shikamaru asked urgently.
"Room 27." The receptionist replied.
Dammit, that's right next to Temari's room, it's where the flames and damage is the worse, Shikamaru scowled to himself running after Temari. Even though there Shinobi a fire could still be extremely dangerous...
Temari dashed threw the raging fire emanating from the room next to hers kicking open her door, there was no time to search for her keys and unlocking the door, she rushed into the room and immediately grabbed the paperwork who was mercilessly untouched by the scorching flames. She stuffed the paperwork in her ninja pouch she was wearing and dashed for her room. She coughed from all the smoke as she ran in her room, the smoke was overwhelming and it made her eyes tear and restricted her breathing making her slightly lightheaded.
She grabbed her fan from the closet and quickly fastened it to her red sash and grabbed all her clothes and stuffed them into her back and just as she turned to leave the building a piece of the roof fell and hit her head rendering her unconscious before she could even hit the ground. Shikamaru finally entered the room and looked around franticly. He saw the papers on the table where cleared meaning Temari must still be in her room. Shikamaru dashed to Temari's room his eyes starting to tear from the smoke. He looked franticly around for Temari and found her unconscious on the ground with a bulk over her body.
"Temari!" Shikamaru yelled but received no response from her unconscious body.
Shikamaru dashed to her side checking her pulse, relieved to feel her strong heartbeat. He removed the bulk off of her and picked her up bridal style and placed her bag on her stomach. He ran and avoided obstacles as he tried to leave the floor never mind the bloody inn. As he took his next step the floor caved in beneath him, he quickly jumped back avoiding the fall, it wasn't that he couldn't have survived it but he was worried about Temari getting hurt. He looked around for a way out because he would not make it if he had to jump that distance with Temari and her huge ass fan in his arms.
There was no way out from what he could tell so he went back into Temari's room. He found a way out through the window, but it was not large enough for both of them to fit. He ducked and dodged through the stuff on the floor and the roof pieces falling. He finally reached the window and out the million ideas he was thinking of he had too choose one plan in a second or he and Temari will burn alive.
He knew out of the million of plans he had, this one was probably the most idiotic one of all but sometimes if you don't want to get burned alive you just had to take a page out of Naruto's playbook. He sighed and quickly took action as he threw Temari and her bag out of the window first and dived after her as soon as she was out of the window. And as he feared she was too far for him too reach once he jumped out the window. He cursed and made himself as straight as possible with his head closest to the gound too catch up to Temari's falling body. The ground was getting closer and closer, making Shikamaru shiver at the horrible memory of his all too familiar dream.
Shikamaru finally caught up to her and grabbed Temari's arm pulling her up and over his shoulder as he channelled chakra to his feet and free hand. He moved his body so he could cling on to the wall with his hand and feet. Shikamaru caught the wall but that did not stop there fall it only slowed them down. When the ground came up underneath them they where slow enough for Shikamaru to land safely on his feet. He repositioned Temari so he was carrying her bridal style again as he walked to his apartment, picking up Temari's bag as he passed it...
Temari had no idea where she was and had no way of founding out because all she could see was endless blackness. She turned around she looked straight into her fathers cold eyes, turning her body to ice.
"Temari, where were you when I needed you the most?" Her father asked her coldly.
"Away, doing your selfish wishes." Temari scoffed crossing her arms.
The next Temari saw completely surprised her, her fathers eyes widened slightly as blood trickled out his mouth and blood dripping on the floor from a wound that opened on his back. Temari was completely confused and taken aback as she uncrossed her arms.
"Temari?" A voice said behind her.
"Kankurou, what is this?" Temari asked as she spun around looking at Kankurou who was behind her.
"Where were you when I needed you the most?" Kankurou asked sadly.
Temari didn't reply she only stared at him shocked remembering just how useless she was when Kankurou was busy dying. History was repeating itself except this time Sakura was not here to help as Kankurou sunk to the ground as Temari rushed to help him.
"Temari, where were you when I needed you the most?" Gaara said next to her making her stop dead in her tracks turning her head to look at her youngest brother.
"Gaara." Temari said softly her eyes widening as she realised the pattern of her dream.
And just as she expected, Gaara's eyes rolled to the back of his head as his lifeless body fell to the ground. It pained Temari to see her family being killed one by one right before her. She stared at Gaara as she waited for the dream to end, all the people she loved is already dead on the floor infront of her.
"Temari..." A voice said behind her.
Her eyes shot up widening in horror, this can't be happening, he hasn't died yet...
"No this can't be right." Temari said shaking her head in denial, this can't be a prediction, it's only a dream.
"But it is, you just haven't seen it yet." Shikamaru said with a hard tone behind her...
Temari's eyes shot open as she gasped and sat up looking around her totally disorientated.
"Look who finally woke up." Shikamaru said looking over his shoulder, cooking...
"You can cook?" Temari asked surprised forgetting completely about her dream.
"You finally wake up from a blow to the head and the first thing you ask is if I can cook? Yes Temari, I can cook, I live alone and if I don't make myself some food I will starve to death." Shikamaru answered amused.
"Fine, what happened?" Temari asked rolling her eyes but still curious about the answer.
"Well as the troublesome woman that you are, you ran straight into a burning building then got knocked out by a bulk that fell from the roof IN the burning building." Shikamaru said nonchalant and it all came back to her.
"Where's my fan!" Temari exclaimed alarmed standing up but sat back down because of a sudden piercing headache.
"Calm down your fan, as well as all your paper work and clothes, is fine. Everything is in my bedroom except your clothes I threw them all in the wash because they smell like smoke." Shikamaru shrugged.
"Thank you." Temari said softly out of relieve.
"It's okay troublesome woman but try not to run into a burning building next time." Shikamaru replied.
"I won't as long as important paperwork and my fan isn't in that building." Temari shrugged sitting cross legged on the couch watching Shikamaru cook.
"How long was I out?" Temari asked.
"About three hours." Shikamaru replied.
"What! I was out that long?" Temari said stunned.
"Yeah, this should help with your headache." Shikamaru said handing her some soup as he sat next to her.
"Thanks." Temari said taking the soup from Shikamaru and started eating it.
"Dammit it's hot!" Temari scowled burning her tong from the soup.
"Careful, it's hot." Shikamaru smirked.
"Gee, thanks." Temari said sarcastically glaring at Shikamaru.
"You're welcome." Shikamaru replied smiling at her from amusement.
"How did the inn burn down anyway?" Temari asked blowing on her soup before eating this time.
"The guy who stayed next to you bumped over some candles and caused a fire." Shikamaru shrugged.
"Idiot." Temari said rolling her eyes.
"Do you have something I can sleep in?" Temari asked Shikamaru.
"What's wrong with your clothes?" Shikamaru asked back with a raised eyebrow.
"They're either wet or smell like smoke genius." Temari said bluntly.
"Right." Shikamaru said as he stood up and walked to his room.
Temari was still sitting on the couch eating her soup waiting for some clothes she could wear after showering. Temari felt slightly like an idiot, she was an excellent Shinobi if she do say so her shelve, but she got knocked out by a bloody bulk that fell from the roof. She could not believe she was that careless that sort of mistake could cost her her life. It almost did, but luckily Shikamaru was there to save her ass.
"Here you go." Shikamaru said throwing a bundle of clothes at Temari who cached it as he returned from his room.
"Thank you." Temari said singing the last word slightly.
Temari slurped the last of her soup and handed the bowl to Shikamaru as she passed him taking the clothes Shikamaru gave her and headed for the bathroom.
"Do I look like your personal maid, troublesome woman." Shikamaru said glaring at Temari's back as he sat on the couch again groaning.
"Maybe, but you do make a bloody good one. Hey, maid where the hell is your bathroom?" Temari asked peeking her head in the living room.
"Go find it yourself. Troublesome woman." Shikamaru scoffed irritably standing up to wash Temari's bowl.
"I take it back, your a useless slave." Temari glared at Shikamaru then turned to search for the bathroom.
"Oh now I'm a slave, well that escalated fast." Shikamaru called sarcastically to Temari.
"Hell yeah and by the way I found the bloody bathroom without your help, lazy ass." She called back closing the door and running the shower as she peeled out of her clothes.
Temari cleared her mind as she stood under the stream of relaxing warm water. The water was gloriously relaxing as she could feel the stress leaving her body. She could've stood in the shower for hours but she had to get out eventually because Shikamaru still had to shower and if she didn't get out soon he would have no warm water, so she regrettingly got out.
She dried herself of with the towel next to the shower and got dressed. She kept her underwear on and pulled Shikamaru's shirt over her head tugging it down. The shirt was hopelessly to big for her and she could practically wear the shirt as a dress. It was a warm night so she decided to only wear the shirt since it covered everything. Temari took her clothes in a bundle and left the bathroom to throw the rest of her clothes in the washing machine.
"I'm done." Temari said as she walked past Shikamaru.
"I can see that." Shikamaru said as his eyes strayed to her legs and damn did she look good in his shirt.
"Oi, my face is up here." Temari said annoyed as she turned to glare at him.
"I'm aware of that." Shikamaru said bluntly as he looked up at her annoyed face.
She rolled her eyes and turned back again to go to where she thought the washing machine was as Shikamaru's eyes strayed back down again as soon as she turned her back to him.
"The washing machine is the other way, next to the kitchen." Shikamaru called lazily to Temari who tensed up.
"Ugh, stupid small apartment and stop looking at my ass!" Temari exclaimed in frustration glaring at Shikamaru.
"Then you should get some pants." Shikamaru replied bluntly.
"No." Temari said slowly glaring at him as she spun around trotting to where Shikamaru said the washing machine was, annoyed at not having a come back.
"Don't break the floor on the way there, it's troublesome to fix a floor." Shikamaru chuckled at a now fuming Temari.
"The floor won't be the only thing I break!" She exclaimed irritated as she found a broom and aimed it at Shikamaru's head who barely avoided it as he rolled of the couch falling on the floor.
"Damn troublesome woman." Shikamaru sighed tilting his head back to see Temari glaring at him as she passed him heading for his room.
"Oh sure just take MY bed and leave me on the cold floor." Shikamaru said sarcastically rolling his eyes, but in the end he would've let her take his bed anyway.
"You can sleep in damn snow for all I care." Temari scoffed.
"Goodnight troublesome woman." Shikamaru called boredly standing up to take a shower.
"Goodnight lazy ass, don't let hypothermia bite your ass on the way to dreamland." Temari called back making Shikamaru smile slightly as he headed to the bathroom and after a few minutes of silence Temari drifted of to sleep.
Temari opened her eyes and found herself in the familiar black abyss again. Temari looked around her and found that her dream had began where it ended. She didn't like this one but as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"This is just a bad dream..." Temari said to herself as she exhaled.
"Is that really what you believe?" Shikamaru asked sounding amused.
"Yes." Temari said stubbornly.
"Of course you do." Shikamaru said not sounding convinced. "If this is all just a bad dream then turn around."
"Why? I can do just what I want, this is my dream after all." Temari said crossing her arms, she didn't want to turn around because she really did not want to see Shikamaru die.
"This isn't your dream Temari, it's reality." Shikamaru said nonchalantly.
"If it's reality then way is Gaara and Kankurou dead, my father I can understand." Temari said narrowing her eyes.
"Can't you see Temari? They did die, they just got their life back in the end." Shikamaru said like it's obvious.
"Then why are you here? You didn't die, now did you?" Temari asked tired of this nonsense.
"No I didn't, but I am going to die." Shikamaru said as he shrugged.
"When?" Temari asked her eyes widening.
"Look at me." Shikamaru said seriously in a low voice.
"Answer me first." Temari replied.
"Dammit Temari, look at me!" Shikamaru yelled surprising Temari, she has never heard him yell before.
She turned around slowly looking at the ground as she turned her head first and after her whole body faced Shikamaru she finally looked up flinching at the sight of him. She wanted to give into the urge of looking away but she forced herself to keep her eyes on him, she wanted to be able to react immediately if something happened. She was amazed that he was still able to speak never the less stand, he was completely covered in nasty bruises and gashes where his blood oozed out. His hair was dishevelled and it looked like it took all of his energy just to keep himself up as he looked at the ground.
"What happened?" Temari asked softly as she gasped.
"It was a perfect storm..." Shikamaru mused chuckling out of amusement but soon started gagging on the blood that was now starting to drip out his mouth.
"What?" Temari frowned walking to Shikamaru but Shikamaru stepped back causing him much pain.
Temari stopped walking to him not wanting to cause him more pain, but it pained her to just look as he bled out falling on one knee not being able to keep himself up anymore. Temari took a step towards him but stopped when he snapped his head up glaring at her, warning her to stop.
"It was one of those stormy nights where everything that could go wrong would go wrong, but ultimately that begs the question of where you were when I needed you the most? Shikamaru asked his glare turning into a look of pain giving Temari the chance to walk calmly to his side and help him.
"I don't know Shikamaru." Temari said sadly in a soft voice as she sat on her feet and knees behind him putting her hands on his shoulder pulling him back gently so he can lay down using her legs as a cushion.
"You killed me Temari." Shikamaru said hurt cutting at his tone, as soon as the words left his mouth it felt like someone punched Temari in the gut.
"No." Temari gasped in horror and when she looked down at Shikamaru she could see the light leaving his eyes.
"Shikamaru please don't die, stay with me." Temari said desperately placing her hand on his cheek.
"To late for that now." Shikamaru said barely audible as his last breath left him leaving Temari staring in his lifeless eyes tears threatening her eyes...
"No!" Temari screamed as she shot up in her bed gasping for air as she hung her head with wide shocked eyes.
"What's wrong?!" Shikamaru asked alerted as he stormed into the room minutes later shirtless looking around.
"It's nothing, just a bad dream." Temari sad softly closing her eyes and taking a deep breath feeling better at seeing Shikamaru alive.
"Want to tell me about it?" Shikamaru said crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame.
"No." Temari said shaking her head as Shikamaru turned to leave.
"Shikamaru?" Temari called him back.
"What is it?" Shikamaru asked as he turned to look at her.
"Please stay." Temari said barely audible looking down at her lap.
"Sure." Shikamaru said as he walked over to her.
"Are you really not going to tell me what had unsettled you that much?" Shikamaru asked as he made himself comfortable on his bed.
"Are you really not going to get a shirt?" Temari teased poking him in the rubs.
"I'll get a shirt if you get pants." Shikamaru shrugged.
"Too troublesome, now shut the hell up, I'm trying to sleep." Temari mocked Shikamaru as she turned her back on him.
"Okay then, sweet dreams." Shikamaru said with a smile mocking her.
She backhanded him from where she was laying smacking the wind out of his lungs but he only laughed at her.
"Shut up and stay on your side, there's a lot of prying eyes in this village." Temari said glaring at him.
"Yeah, yeah." Shikamaru said shrugging her of but after a couple of minutes she was fast asleep again, Shikamaru's presence made her feel better because she could see that he was in fact alive.
