Oh! Look At Me Now!

Shikamaru was a lazy man, there was no getting around it. He didn't like to work, and did his ninjas duties to the extent he needed to. He lived with his parents, they insisted that he live with them until he turned 20, his mother believing he wasn't financially stable yet even though he had been saving since he first became a Chuunin at the age of 13.

He was one year away to being out of the house though and he didn't mind living with his parents, in fact he enjoyed it. He got free meals, free laundry services, and always someone to come home too. One might assume that he had no social life due to his parents still having their sphere of influence upon him. In fact, it was quite the contrary.

He often enjoyed outings with his fellow teammates and friends at the Karaoke bars, random houses, and barbeque restaurant. He spent a lot of time out of the house and his parents did not hold him back. If he wanted to go out at 12 at night, he could, as long as he left quietly.

One of his more recent jobs was also another social hour. The ambassador from Suna was in town and he, as always, was assigned to the task of being her escort. This of course had been going on for many years now and they had become close friends. As time passed, he couldn't deny the feeling that burned in his chest, regarding her as being higher than a friend but as to her feelings, he had no clue. Regardless, he treasured every moment he had with her nowadays. It was only a matter of time before she was married off to another man for political reasons, being the Kazekage's sister.

This particular day, she was meeting him at his house, his parents were out on vacation and he thought it would be better to make lunch so they wouldn't have to spend money. His mother usually cooked but as long as he had a cook book in front of him, he was fine. Unlike his mother however, he enjoyed listening to music while he worked, it made the task seem more relaxing than work. After about 5 minutes of digging around for CD's, he finally found the Frank Sinatra CD he was looking for. After the Karaoke party at the Sand Siblings house, Ino had bought him a Frank Sinatra CD. Anyone who was around when she gave it to him would have thought that Ino was infatuated with him but Shikamaru, and Ino, knew better thank goodness.

Ino loved Shikamaru as a brother and vice versa. Her love of his "dreamy" voice was the same way she loved Sasuke. It was an infatuation with something that wouldn't have any emotion back. Nonetheless, he was still thankful to her for the CD because he did like Frank Sinatra and he also enjoyed seeing his parents make fools of themselves while they danced to it. He only hoped that one day, he would be able to do that with the woman of his dreams which happened to be Temari. He could see it happening… sort of… if she was in a good mood…

He put the CD on and began to work. The songs sifted through and his voice rang out loudly sometimes, other times he just listened to the deep richness of the voice on the CD. Why this kind of music wasn't popular today, he would never know. How could anyone not appreciate the sweet goodness and purity of love that Sinatra portrayed in the schanzy style of his?

He just finished setting the table when his favorite song came on. He wanted to sing it at the Karaoke party at the Sabaku's, now that he looked back on it. But it would have been really, really obvious of his feelings for Temari and Kankuro, for some strange reason, would not have liked that at all. As soon as the intro music finished he came in with Sinatra, his voice nearly matching the CD.

I'm not the guy who cared about love
And I'm not the guy who cared about fortunes and such
I never cared much
Oh, look at me now!

He sighed wistfully as he set the last fork down and grinned as he sung the next stanza.

I never knew the technique of kissing
I never knew the thrill I could get from your touch
I never knew much
Oh, look at me now!

If only he knew what her touch really did feel like! There were several times when their hands had brushed slightly as they walked and that was enough to drive him insane.

I'm a new man better than Casanova at his best
With a new heart and a brand new start
Why I'm so proud I'm bustin my vest

While he didn't show it, he really did care about her. He cared enough to work somewhat hard at being a ninja and he was a jounin now for a good reason, which happened to include the statement she made to him when she left the village before Gaara was captured by the Akastuki.

So I'm the guy who turned out a lover
Yes I'm the guy who laughed at those blue diamond rings
One of those things
Oh, look at me now!

I'm not the guy who cared about love
And I'm not the guy who cared about fortunes and such
I never cared much
Oh, look at me now!

After the refrain, he couldn't help but laugh at himself. How true was that?! He really didn't know much about love or being in love and he didn't even want to bother with it at all. But here he was, head over heels for the most troublesome woman he had ever met and thinking about one of those blue diamond rings! As the music continued in the shout chorus, he stood up singing and gesturing to the air pretending she was there.

And I never knew the technique of kissing
I never knew the thrill I could get form your touch
I never knew much
Oh, look at me now!

As the song ended, he collapsed onto the couch and sighed happily. How sweet it would be if she loved him!

"How sweet that would be, if you loved me Temari." He repeated softly to himself, enjoying the wistful words that came out of his mouth.

"How sweet it would be indeed."

Shikamaru froze at the new voice and turned slowly and then groaned, putting his hands over his eyes. Great. Troublesome Temari just had to let herself in. Now what was he supposed to do? He already admitted he loved her!

He heard her walk over to the couch and she sat down next to him as close as she could.

"Awww… is Shika-kun embarrassed?" She cooed taking his hands off of his face, exposing the blush that felt as though it covered his whole head. In a sad attempt to hide it, he turned his head away from her.

"That's no good, Shika-kun." She purred and he didn't know if his heart could beat any faster or the butterflies in his stomach flip and faster.

He felt her finger rest on the side of his face that was away from her and she slowly pushed his face towards her. When she was facing him, she stroked his cheek and her head tilted towards his ear.

"Do you get thrills from my touch, Shikamaru?" She breathed, her lips grazing his skin just barley.

If Shikamaru was a blunt and foreword person, he would have answered her by grabbing her and snogging her on the couch, right there and then. But because he wasn't that kind of person, he sat there stiffly, his inner self running around like crazy with nowhere to run.

"Aww, is that a… no?" She asked pausing before she breathed the last word in his ear, making sure that her lips lingered on his skin just a bit longer than they needed to.

Shikamaru gulped. She was toying with him and he knew it. The question was: Was she toying with him to toy with him or was she toying with him because she actually liked him?

"Well?" She breathed, her finger slowly trailing down his chest. He gulped again and stiffened as much as he could. If she did one more thing, he really was going to grab her and snog her on the couch, right there and then, whether she liked him or not.

She used her hand to push his face towards hers, which was rather close. She let her fingers slowly slide down from his chin to his neck and was about to open her mouth to say something but she never got the chance because he couldn't hold it in any longer. He grabbed her and pushed her down on the couch as he smashed his lips onto hers. He felt her shock and pressed harder. He felt her give in to him, for once, and for however long they were there for was lost to him.

When he broke away for air, the realization that he really had grabbed her and pushed her down on the couch and that he really had spent five minutes that seemed like an eternity snogging her, her sat up and turned his face from her in another sad attempt to hide the blush on his cheeks.

He was prepared for a beating or for her to laugh at his childishness for even hoping to have a relationship with her. What he did not expect was for her to grab his shirt and yank him down towards her for another snogging session.

When they broke away again, he buried his face in her neck, no longer caring if she thought him to be childish for his yearning for her or if he got a beating.

"You know," she purred and he went through summersaults feeling the vibration from her voice box, "for not knowing 'the technique of kissing' you're pretty good."

He looked up at her surprised and she turned his face so it was above her again. "And you know something? You've got noting to worry about Nara Shikamaru, because I've Got You Under My Skin."