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goldshitter · 7 years

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Dating Temari

Summary: Navigating a relationship, Shikamaru thought, was not unlike undergoing the trials of shinobihood itself. Dangerous and unpredictable, and yet in the end, worth every second.

ao3

Navigating a relationship, Shikamaru thought, was not unlike undergoing the trials of shinobihood itself. Dangerous and unpredictable, and yet in the end, worth every second.

It’d been six months since he had officially started seeing Temari, although they both well knew he had seen her in that light since much earlier. It was not clear at this point who had propositioned who first, although Shikamaru was sure his heart had been blown away since the first time her fan had stirred the winds against him. Temari he was not so sure. Perhaps he had sufficiently impressed her with his wits during their Chuunin Exam, or with his sentimentality in their meetings thereafter. He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that this tough, aggressive woman saw something in him, something worth staying and sticking around for. He supposed the rest was just technicalities.

Dating Temari, he knew, would not always come easy. Not because they had such clashing personalities sometimes, his the pipe smoke drifting lazily in the afternoon sky, hers a torrent of air knocking down village walls, but because of the practicalities, the intricacies that inevitably came with village politics and shinobi tradition. For Temari was the sister to a kage, her blood as royal as shinobi blood could get. And he was a man of Konoha, sworn by duty and the will of many to the advancement of his village. Already, they had clashing priorities. And had they not lived in such progressive, peaceful times, their union could never be.

Shikamaru thought of marriage, and of the next generation. He knew it was too early in their relationship to bring up such matters, but still, he let his thoughts wander. He was with Temari, and so long as she would have him, he planned on having a future, a long and distant one, with her. The future however, brought its own troubles. Already their relationship was made difficult with distance, and duty, and such strains would only increase with marriage. He couldn’t very well give up his position as advisor to live in Suna, could he? But if he was unwilling to leave his home, how could he ask Temari to leave hers? Her job was equally as important as his, her ties just as binding. They could compromise and continue to travel from one place to the next, but he imagined such a lifestyle would be draining on them, especially if they were to have a family.

And speaking of such, what were they to do with a child born of mixed citizenship? Could a child born of two villages even have access to both? What were the policies on this? Were there even documents that existed to specify instructions on such an occurrence? Shikamaru did not imagine that hidden villages were much used to situations like his and Temari’s. Perhaps he would have Naruto write up a writ for cross-village unions once he came into office…

“You have that look in your eyes,” Temari said conversationally, “where you’re overthinking things that you could otherwise easily solve if you could just take a step back.”

“Mm,” Shikamaru muttered distantly, his hand finding its way into Temari’s and staying there, almost as if unbidden. “Where do you want to go for dinner?”

The Suno representative rolled her eyes, but decided not to comment.

“I don’t know, show me around. This is your home after all.”

They walked along, hands swinging slightly, as the mid-morning breeze trailed lightly against hair and skin. They were quiet for a while, Shikamaru’s whirring thoughts against a backdrop of villagers making their unhurried way along this calm and peaceful day. He hoped they wouldn’t run into any familiar faces. Not because he resented his friends, or even their unsubtle teasing, but – and he watched Temari out of the corner of his eyes – he quite enjoyed this quiet moment between them. He watched the sunlight play with Temari’s blonde locks, casting a healthy glow on her skin and lips, which pursed, and –

“Excuse me, young master,” a voice from below grumbled, and Shikamaru uttered a hurried apology as he sidestepped the poor man with his wobbling basket of fruits. He had to let go of Temari’s hand, and by the time they were walking side by side once more, he felt too awkward to reach back for it.

Temari was smirking, he saw, and if he had been a lesser man, he would have tried hard to mask his embarrassment. But Shikamaru Nara was man enough to admit his feelings, especially when the woman of his heart was – Naruto curse her, was she laughing at him?

Temari’s laughter was a silent thing, a slight trembling of her shoulders and the upwards curve of her mouth, her nose crinkled at the tip. It was a cute sight, were it not for the fact that he was still embarrassed at his unsubtle admirations. Still, the sight of her laughter made for the beginnings of mirth in his own chest.

She reached up to brush cool fingers against the hair that had strayed from his ponytail. It was such an unusual gesture from her, akin to his taking her hand in public, but they were adults that had lived through woe and war, and who could blame them for latching onto the things that had gotten them through it all? They weren’t the only ones, Shikamaru thought, catching sight of the couples strolling by. There always seemed to be an increase in romantic pairings after a war, as if life itself was determined to make up for all that death had taken away.

“Now you just look pensive,” Temari said, her own hand trailing down his side to pick up his slightly clammy hand. She entwined her fingers with his, and grounded him with their steadiness and stability.

“I was just wondering,” he said, sure to curse his own straightforwardness later, “what your brothers think about us dating?”

She stopped walking, and Shikamaru was scared for a second that she might let go of his hand.

Temari frowned. “What does it matter what Gaara and Kankorou think of us? Does it matter that much to you?”

“Ah…” Shikamaru rubbed his forehead. He knew he could have phrased that better. “I mean, what do they think of their sister being with a guy from another village?”

Now it was Temari’s turn to look at him. Her expression had softened, and she started walking again, albeit slower.

“They… would be unhappier if that guy weren’t you. They quite like you, you know. They trust you. Even if only because Naruto trusts you. It’s not them you have to be worried about, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Who should I be worried about?”

Temari grimaced.

“The village elders. You know what they’re like. Mired in tradition and rules, and what has been must always be, nevermind the shifting of the winds and the progression of time.” Temari looked at Shikamaru, and there was hesitation in her voice. “They think I’m treading dangerous waters here, being with someone we have been at war with, even if we are now at peace and are on excellent terms. But to be honest, I think they’re just resentful that a sibling of the Kage, a woman nevertheless, is ignoring their generous advice and taking her private matters into her own hands.”

“They don’t think I’m good enough for you,” he said mildly, but there was no bitterness, no resentment to his voice. Even he knew that he was no Uchiha, no Hyuuga.

“That would be putting it too kindly in their favour.” Temari shook her head. “You see, it’s not my well-being and happiness they’re worried about, it’s always the clan’s. They would have me married to a guy twice my age if it meant their sense of tradition and honour could be preserved. Nowhere in their books do they specify my choice, my decision in my own affairs.”

“What about our children?” Shikamaru blurted, not really thinking clearly, because Temari had just said her choice, she had chosen him, he was hers, she was his…

Temari turned red. “Our – our children?”

Oh, bother. “I mean, if we do decide to have them. You know. What do your elders think about that?”

“That,” Temari said, avoiding his eyes, “is a conversation I have yet to have, and will with luck never have, with them.”

Shikamaru took that as a sign that this line of conversation was over. They had reached the end of the road now, the gates of the village looming overhead. They turned around, and resumed walking in the direction they had come from.

“What about you, what do your friends make of us?”

Shikamaru hummed, suddenly itching for a cigarette in his hands, just to fiddle with. “They’re good, apart from the incessant teasing and the knowing glances. You probably know more since you hang out with them.” He wanted to, but refrained from asking whether she had heard anything about him from his friends while he was not there. “Just friends being good friends, you know.”

Temari smiled wryly, but her tone came out more wistful than she probably meant it to. “I didn’t, but now I think I do.”

Shikamaru turned to her, but if there was any trace of sadness in her, it was already gone.

She increased their pace now, clearly steering him towards a direction he was not sure she was even familiar with.

“You asked me what I wanted for dinner earlier, but why wait? I’m hungry already. Take me somewhere good, Shikamaru.”

“So long as it’s not ramen,” he said dryly, and she laughed. It seemed their future Hokage’s famous ties with food were not lost even on Temari.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, living like this. He could get used to being by Temari’s side in Suno and Konoha, so long as he didn’t have to completely give up one or the other. He thought it was the same for Temari. They knew, and respected each other well enough to not have to force the other into choosing between their homes and their lovers. And who said dual citizenship was such a bad thing? Perhaps he could take up residence in both Suno and Konoha, the former in his wife’s name, and Temari could be inducted into the Nara clan as well as her own. Their children, if they had any, would be well-traversed people, used to making the trip between their homes. It would be unusual, for sure, but he could get used to it. He only hoped Temari would be alright with it as well.

“Hey, Shikamaru?” He tilted his head in her direction. “What are you thinking about now?”

“Nothing much. How would you like to eat some taiyaki? There’s this newly opened shop just down this way…”

Temari squeezed his hand.

“I would like that very much, thank you.”

#shikatema #shikatem #naruto #my writing #shikamaru x temari

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