Chapter Text
"Parties can be a bit of a drag," Shikamaru shrugged appearing at her side, dressed to impress Temari couldn't help letting her eyes wander over him. She knew just under that pristine white shirt he still had fresh scars from the war. She's sat with him in the medical tents, run her fingers over the barely healing wounds as he slept. Memories Temari couldn't let go of.
Dragging her eyes back to meet those chocolate deer's eye, the hint of a smirk "Everything is a drag to you" she teased back finishing the last of the drink in her hand. Shikamaru glanced around, surveying the massing of people in the Nara Estate.
With the end of the war, the re-established peace treaty between the Sand and the Leaf. Wel all the nation's peace treaties were properly being formed and established now. They had Naruto to thank for that.
It was her and Shikamaru to thank for the quick movements of peace and trade between Sand and Leaf. Those treaties however came with excessive parties. Nara Estate here in the Leaf normally fell to the designated spot for them when in the fire country.
His flash, beautiful estate.
"Want to go somewhere quieter?" Shikamaru's voice took her from her thoughts, realising he'd stepped up closer to her. Almost a part of her went to distance herself, rarely were men this close unless she was beating them into the ground. Yet with him, she'd let him as close as he wanted. Not that she'd voice that to him.
"You aren't trying to get me into bed are you Shikamaru?" she narrowed her eyes at him with a teasing smirk. Shikamaru coughs at his drink barely managing to keep his composure. "No- No, nothing like that I mean unless- No. There is um, the forest. It's our um family thing with the deer" Shikamaru rambled stumbling over the words in front of her pointedly glancing the other way.
Temari giggled reaching out a palm flat to his chest. Creasing the gentle thin fabric. Under it, she felt the toning muscles of his chest. Firm and almost tense at their proximity.
"Where did you have in mind Shikamaru?" she asked once more. Shikamaru stared back at her, brown to green. He loved those deep green eyes of her, exotic and wild.
"It's a surprise" his shoulders rolled back, keeping his eyes with her as he spoke. Tentative smirk hanging at the corners of his lips. He placed down his drink at the nearby shift, collecting hers to place next to it. With a hand he motions for her to follow him, snaking past the crowds of people the covered the Estate's home and grounds.
Before she realised Temari had grabbed a hold of his hand. Together the pair sneaked away between towering trees into the shadowy forest, sparks of light that filtered thru the gaps between the treetop.
The clatter of hooves and rustling of leaves made her stop almost dramatically pulling Shikamaru back with her. "The deer Tem, don't worry" Shikamaru had that laughing tone to his voice, Temari shot him back a glare. Of course, it was the deer, the silly deer she wasn't yet used to hearing. For all the days and nights she had spent here over the course of her time travelling the two villages the deer had still been a rare occurrence she wasn't yet used to.
Shikamaru pulled at her arm, "Tem" he called gently getting her scowling attention. A last glance back at the stag before her Temari turned her back to it. Not that it felt like a safe decision but Shikamaru seemed to trust the animals without ever a doubt. She trusted him, so she could maybe trust the deer as well.
"Where are we going Shikamaru?" she asked him weaving among the trees that tightened up drastically. "Almost there" Shikamaru answered her casually. He let go of her hand, jumping over a large root that formed a sort of cliff. To her surprise, as she followed him down Shikamaru caught her down, keeping a straight face as he did. Temari stared back at him the smile growing over her face. He was always so many steps ahead in whatever crazed plan he was next onto.
From around him Temari spotted a cabin within the woods made of fine wood and highly decorated with imagery of the deer and shadow work. Sliding from his arms Temari came face to face with the tranquil scenery of the secluded hideaway. The cabin that faced a small lake fed from a waterfall from a river that must have threaded the woodland.
"You like it?" Shikamaru coughed getting back her attention "This place is beautiful. Like an Oasis." she replied easier taking slow steps investigating her surroundings.
"Mm, it's a special place of my clan. Weddings, Funerals, you name it" he slipped into step behind her a few strides slower. Temari hung on his words, funeral. It wasn't long since the war, since the sacrifice his father made. She was a part of the more public funeral, she was there to hold him in her arms as he grieved. When Shikamaru broke down he came down hard. He'd spent the first few days in the hospital bed refusing to eat and barely sleeping till she'd gotten sick of his shit forcefully making him eat. Once the public funerals began was when he let out the emotion that had bottled up. Temari had been right there ready for it.
By the cabin Temari's eyes stilled, resting on a large headstone lined with names. It didn't take a genius to work out the names belonged to the family members. Shikaku's being the most recently carved into the fine stone. "He'll be remembered for generations, you will have made him proud Shikamaru" she leaned back on her feet slowly turning to face the young man she knew was right behind her.
Depths of sorrow in his eyes, his father's name hadn't been mentioned again after he put himself back together once more. She knew it hurt him too much to voice his name. "Do you really think that?" he blinked holding onto his breath as he asked. "I don't think your father could ask for a better son, you're the Hokage's right hand." she placed her hands on her hips giving him a firm glance.
Shikamaru returned a subtle smile in response to his silent way of a thank you for that reassurance he found himself seeking in moments of vulnerability.
Shifting his eyes back to her, he fiddled with the fabrics of his pocket. "What is it Shikamaru?" she prodded ascending the short steps into the cabin. "This place isn't just for remember the dead. It's for the future as well" he hesitated behind her barely managing to gather himself together. "Thinking about the future is all" he replied standing at the foot of the stairs. "Scheming then" Temari supplied with a smirk over her shoulder.
Shikamaru jumped the stars coming up behind her. standing over her with gentle fingers sliding along the thin sides of her dress. In the lonesome quiet of the mysterious cabin within the woods, Temari leaned back against his body threading her fingers along the fine hairs of his chest. Up to the neatly tied back hair above his head.