Forgotten Thoughts || Shikamaru X Temari

Chapter 3

"This one was supposed to be different." Shikamaru stopped and leapt to the ground. "It'll be dark soon. We should stop to make camp." He swept the back of his hand across his forehead to rid it of the sweat dripping from his face then looked to Temari. Damn she was beautiful. He should have told her more often.

"Yea." She says, following to the ground. Temari's eyes looked Shikamaru up and down from behind, and she was glad he couldn't see her. "How about you set up a tent, and I'll go get firewood?" She ask, looking around the area.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. I got it." He lazily threw his backpack onto the ground and opened it up to grab a scroll. He then performed a small summoning jutsu which revealed the components of the tent. Piece after piece he began to assemble the tent like clockwork. There was no need to think too hard which he never minded because he had done it a bunch of times. After the tent was set up he rolled out the bed and walked over to a nearby tree where he sat down with a groan.

Temari came back about an hour later with wood for a fire and two dead rabbits. "I got everything." She says, laying the rabbits on a piece of material to keep it off the dirt. She started to build a small fire to cook them.

"I was wondering what was taking so long. I got the tent all set up so we are good to go." He stretched from his place at the trunk of the tree and got comfortable again. "I'll take the first watch."

Temari preps the rabbit and starts to cook them. Part of her wanted to tell him to take the first sleeping shift, but she didn't. "Ok. Sounds good." Is all she says.

Shikamaru watched Temari as she prepped the food. It reminded him of old time. He shut his eyes and sighed, relaxing. 'Maybe this mission won't be so bad.' He thought. As he relaxed he felt less tense about being partnered with Temari. "You know this reminds me of the time Choji, Ino- ....." 'Shit. Shikamaru you idiot.' He couldn't stop himself as her name left his mouth.

Temari's eye twitched. Her body tensed and she glared at Shikamaru. Though she quickly hid it and smiled, her voice sickly sweet. "How is Ino? I haven't talked to her in, well I think you know how long." Her voice grew dark.

Shikamaru quickly sat up and gulped. Temari hadn't blown up at him. Even worse she was smiling. That couldn't be a good sign. "I- I- she's.. uh.." He began to sweat more and pulled his collar away from his neck. "She's fine." Way to go Shikamaru. You just dug your own grave.

Temari turns her attention back to the food. "I still can't believe you did that to me." She glared over at him occasionally. "And for someone like her. She's weak, what did you see in her?" Temari held back a lot of what she wanted to say. She was trying not to blow up, it'd only make the mission seem longer. She'd lost to many tears over what had happened already.

"Ino is not weak. Besides, Temari how many times do I have to tell you. I didn't cheat. I didn't see anything in her." Shikamaru finally stood up and began to slowly pace around the camp. "Oh man this is such a drag." He felt like tearing out his hair. How could he have been so stupid? How was it that he had the big mouth in the situation?