ShikaTema : Waiting For You

Chapter 10 : An Almost Boy Free Night

The air felt cold. Like little needles pricking at the skin available from the revealing, skin-tight dress she wore. She watched Naruto sling an uninvited arm around her escort's shoulder, leaning into him and swaying, as he dragged him with every movement while they walked away. She chuckled inwardly at the fact the nagging boy was probably dreading his decision to go out.

"Temari, let's go already!", Ino moaned in displeasure towards the girl that stood before the group of girls, watching the guys walk away down the street.

"Ah, sorry, coming!", she apologized, as she trotted over to the girls who were headed the opposite direction of the guys.

The group of giggling girls hadn't stopped talking since they dispersed from the guys. Temari felt weirdly out of place. She was always confident no matter the situation. She didn't need anyone's acceptance, because she was her, and she was not going to change for anyone. But something felt off, like she was missing something. She looked back towards the group of guys almost out of site. She noticed Shikamaru turn his head to look back at the same time. They met each other with an awkward smile, then contently brought their undivided attention towards their separate group.

Why did she feel so... off?

Ino noted that Temari was oddly quiet. She was known to at least have some rude comment to add in every once and awhile to the younger girl's stories, but she remained silent for the walk to Ten-Tens.

Ino fell behind the from the rest of the group unnoticed, to walk beside Temari who looked uncomfortable.

"Hey, you okay?", Ino said concerned by the girl's discomfort. She always made sure all of her friends felt welcomed and had a good time. That's how it worked, no one was left out, and the situation would be fixed quickly so their fun could continue.

Temari looked overwhelmed, no one really asked her that question. She was always fine. Even if she wasn't, it was no one's business, but she did feel fine. Just different?

"Yeah. Why do you ask?", she said, oddly shifting her hands to hold behind her back.

"Well, you haven't scorned any of us yet for our dumb life decisions from the stories we are telling, and you haven't spoken a word in general.", Ino answered in a low tone not to grab the attention of the others.

"i-uh, just can't wait to get out of this dress, that's all...", Temari lied, giving her a painful smile.

"Yeah right, you've worn more constricting things than that. I bet you're upset because you are away from lover boy.", Ino guessed with a chesire grin.

Temari blushed. While it wasn't necessarily untrue, she didn't need to admit that, "That's not true. I can go without him. I always do. He has no factor in my life."

"No factor, huh?", Ino raised an all-knowing eyebrow, "What happened to the uptight Temari I know, why are you so soft now?", she noted.

Temari stiffened, shooting Ino an unbelieving wide eye. Soft? Did that dumb Nara boy really make her soft? She had been nicer than usual this trip, even he noted that. She couldn't remember the last time she hit him either. The only decently rude comment she has made lately without a nice phrase following after, was to Kiba, when she said she wasn't available for him. Other than that, sure she gave Shikamaru a decently hard time, but she caught herself starting to end their talks with an appreciative tone.

Was she turning soft? And why was she letting Ino get away with calling her out on it?

Temari's fist balled in fury, and her eyes narrowed, "Soft huh? Tsk. Temari of the sand is NOT soft!", she said more to herself than to Ino. She couldn't help frustration take over. She was always independent, confident, and bold. No one was going to change that, and make her dependent or soft. When she saw that boy next, he was going to pay for making her seem 'soft'.