ShikaTema : Waiting For You

Chapter 16 : What He Got Himself Into

Shikamaru's head bobbed up and down in struggle to stay awake. His eyelids felt heavy as bricks, with their weight increasing with the minutes of the late night ticking by. The escape his eyes found by finally closing when he would rub his tired eyes would put him under a sleeping spell. The spell would promptly be broken when his head would rush toward his desk with a falling sensation, causing him to jolt awake. After many failed efforts of trying to keep his energy levels up, his head gave in, hitting the desk that acted as his pillow for the night.

Shikamaru fell into a deep slumber. He was miraculously in his backyard. His medium-height grass surrounded his body while he laid lazily on top of it. He was at peace, he had no recollection of work or reality. His given situation felt right, but something was missing. His napping eyes frowned. What could be missing? He looked to his left feeling a sudden warmth appear next to him. He had everything he needed now. The girl showed him her beautiful, rare smile. It gleamed with love and care, surrounding his insides with Suna like warmth. He couldn't help his own smile when he was met with soft teal eyes that gleamed with tenderness for him.

His concentration on the girl was disrupted when a tapping noise sounded, but he couldn't find the source of the tapping. The girl next to him giggled, pulling a hand up to her lips with the action. He couldn't figure out where it was coming from or why she was laughing. The girl's crystal teal eyes rolled in amusement at his confusion. She propped herself up on her forearm and leaned over his face still with her grin flowing love through their air. She brought her index finger up and tapped the middle of his forehead three times. He blinked confusedly in response, it matched the beat of the tapping noise. She chuckled again at him finally realizing it, and repeated her three taps once more, then leaned down to gently whisper in his ear, "Nara, wake up."

Shikamaru shot awake in panic. He was back in his office and his hands were crumpling a file he was reviewing before he dozed off. The tapping didn't stop though. He jumped again in his seat at the frightening rhythm of three taps. His scared heart beat calmed when identifying the noise maker, which was a messenger bird tapping on his window behind him. He sighed in relief, finally realizing what the suspicious sound was.

He pushed open his window with a struggling effort since his body was limp from exhaustion. Allowing the bird entry, he took the message carried by the bird. His eyes were still sagging with fatigue, until he realized where the letter was coming from. His eyes opened with a small rush of energy, blinking rapidly in attempts to focus. He sat excitedly at his desk, peeling open the two files and shoving them to the side. His eyes connected on her written words that he had been waiting eagerly for.

"Nara.", She started her bland letter in response, which made him instantly snicker.

Who knew his last name could be such an insult?

"Thanks for informing me of the torture I have to prepare myself for. Two months from now should give me enough time to ready my arsenal of retorts to your idiotic words you'll constantly be spewing out of that lazy mouth of yours. These files need a lot of work, so it's not my fault if it's troublesome for you.

On the same note... my trip back to Suna was good...

I hope you're not missing me already, crybaby. You'll get to be around me for three full months. Get used to the peace you're experiencing now while you have it.

Tem."

"Hope I'm not missing you already, huh?", He smiled dumbly to himself, leaning back in his chair with a huge, giddy smile plastered across his face. He reread the spitfire's words over repeatedly, while his eyes were still draining. Slowly, his eyes inched their way lower, and lower, as he stared dumbly at his new favorite paper. Soon enough he couldn't find the will to hold his eyes open, allowing his self to fall into another dream.

The lifting sun poked through his uncovered windows. Shining to meet with every corner of his office, and leaving no room for shadows to linger. His eyes groggily opened at the rude awakening when his door was opened with a thud followed from Naruto adding a stack to his room.

Shikamaru lifted his tired gaze towards his also tired friend, "Did you stay here all night too?", Naruto asked.

Shikamaru nodded then stretched his arms over his head, "I was going over these files and then Temari sent the-", Shikamaru's eyes shot wide when the letter wasn't in front of him. How could he have lost the letter! He looked frantically around his desk, sifting through the sprawled-out mess of papers.

Naruto burst out laughing at his friends worrying.

Shikamaru shot him a glare. This was serious he needed that letter, "What's so funny?"

Naruto went to take his leave with a wave goodbye, as he walked towards the exit of his office, "There's a paper stuck to your cheek."

Shikamaru's eyes widened. He brought a hand to his cheek which met with the feeling of a paper. He huffed in annoyance, pulling the paper from his face which was indeed the letter, "What a drag.", he groaned.

Shikamaru took an early lunch break since he was rarely eating and hadn't eaten at all last night. He brought the two files with him and a pen. He found himself laying on his favorite grassy hill after he grabbed food on his way. He remembered his time with Temari on the hill, when he helped her with her paperwork and she was actually nice for once. He missed their little pattern they created, that oddly enough made their work more tolerable.

Shikamaru closed his eyes for a moment to find peace. His mind had been so cluttered with black and white papers. His mind raced between thoughts. He found himself unable to stop thinking of that troublesome woman that burned her existence into his mind. The one that kept his life on edge. He hoped things would change when she returned. His feelings for her were too overwhelming at this point. He didn't like the extra effort his heart was throwing at him. He wanted to talk to her, banter with her, joke and pester her. He couldn't wait until she came back, and part of him was hoping she would stay.

He knew it was a lot to ask, especially since they weren't even dating.

He sighed, noting his mind was too scattered to actually get any relaxation at this point. He pulled out his pen and revised her revising. He looked over her reviews for the file they shared. His attention was glued to the first page where she left a sticky note to emphasize her dislike for a certain section he thought he 'fixed'. He couldn't hold back his burst of laughter when he read her snide comment.

The yellow, sticky square covering his work had an arrow pointed to a paragraph she completely ripped to shreds, "What are you, a complete idiot?"

He found it completely hilarious that she went through the effort to emphasize her irritation with his work.

Finishing his part of revising, he stared at the blue puff of clouds floating above him. There was no breeze today, but it felt cooler than usual. It felt lonely. Like he needed the sun to warm him up, or a certain person to share his quiet company with. This was supposed to be his secluded space of peace and yet, all he wanted to do was share it with her.

He sent off his letter then laid himself in the grass with force, staring blankly at the sky.

What did he get himself into with this girl?