I love these two so much… They were the only couple I was really sure was going to be canon before the reveal. I'd say it was obvious, but I know there are still some diehard ShikaIno fans out there, so I'll just say instead… that the parallel between Shikamaru/Temari and Shikaku/Yoshino was just too strong for Kishi to be going in any other direction.

I was a little conflicted to see the NaruHina wedding animated, though. On the one hand, I kind of loved that Shikamaru had flipped things around so that he was the more comfortable one… but I'd also kind of expected Temari to be the one really driving that relationship from day one. And no one can sense conflicted emotions like a plot bunny. So here we are.

The First Step

Temari wasn't sure what she was doing, sitting in this café, absentmindedly twirling the straw in her drink. Well, she supposed she couldn't claim total ignorance. She had an idea…

This was what happened when Kankuro had too much time on his hands. The recent Chunin Exams had come to their abrupt end, the faction seeking to overthrow Gaara had been calmed, and things in Suna were returning to normal. So mind-numbingly normal that the elder of her two younger brothers had jumped headfirst into a new source of entertainment. Carefully crafted comments insinuating that her relationship with a certain Leaf shinobi was not quite as innocent or professional as it could be.

To be honest, the comments had started almost a full year ago, and to this day, Temari wasn't sure if he kept after her because he honestly suspected something was going on… or just because he knew it drove her crazy. Kankuro was an adult, a respected village official, and, in many ways, her best friend. But he was also her little brother. And some of his more childish antics ensured that she never forgot this. She could only be glad Gaara remained apparently oblivious. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what his input on her personal relationships would be.

Kankuro knew all the right buttons to push… And so here she was, sitting in a café with something to prove, having accepted the first date invitation from the first wannabe Casanova who'd passed her way.

Temari had found that men fell into two categories when it came to powerful women. There were the ones who were intimidated by her… And then there were the ones who decided, for some reason, that every tough exterior must be covering up a soft side. The ones in this category seemed to view those walls as a personal challenge. In the right light, this could be seen as romantic… Temari had always thought it was a little demeaning. As a result, she had turned down more date invitations than she cared to count. And she was starting to remember why. Damn Kankuro and his ability to cloud her judgment, she thought, well aware that her own pride was really to blame.

At first, the boy sitting across from her now, smooth-talking away, had seemed to fall somewhere comfortably in between her two categories. He had seemed unassuming but far more relaxed in her presence than the cowardly ones usually were. They'd exchanged quite lengthy greetings before he'd invited her out, not too insistent or overbearing. She'd actually felt good about saying yes. Like she wasn't out here for the sole purpose of desperately trying to prove that that damn, troublesome Leaf shinobi had absolutely not, under any circumstances, stolen her heart.

She realized now that everything about the boy sitting across from her was too unassuming. So casual as to be practiced. Temari would admit, she'd started falling for it. The boy appeared honestly unaware of how attractive he was. Though he was supporting most of the conversation, he didn't sound like he was desperate to impress her. Now she wondered just how many women he'd lured into his bed with this feigned oblivion. And probably women who were used to being respected, too.

He became decidedly… disgruntled when Temari finally, firmly declined his offer to turn this into anything more. She was ready to put this ill-thought-out date behind her before it was even half over. She did not feel particularly guilty, even if quite a bit of the blame for today's little escapade did rest on her own shoulders. She returned home, ignored Kankuro's obvious smirks, and threw herself back into her work.

…

Except… Not three weeks later, she found herself in the presence of a genuine exception to those two categories of hers.

She hated to say that watching him sent her mind into a frenzy. Was it all psychological, she wondered? When had she started thinking seriously about boys anyway? Certainly not until after her own Chunin Exams, she was loathe to admit. So what did that suggest? Had she subconsciously set her standards so that no one would be able to meet them but one Shikamaru Nara?

He turned now from where he was feeding his deer, feeling her eyes on him no doubt. He brought a hand up to the back of his neck in a rare moment of self-consciousness. "Uh, are you sure there wasn't anything you wanted to do?"

With the Exams over, Temari was back in Konoha on her regular old ambassador duties. Really, she'd already passed along all the information and paperwork needed for this trip. But, perhaps knowing her guide didn't have any other responsibilities that day, had decided not to set off immediately. And so she had ended up on the Nara clan's land, watching Shikamaru tend to the deer. Suna didn't have anything like them. They were quiet, regal-looking creatures. Somehow, they suited the laid-back atmosphere the Nara's provided perfectly. (She had come to learn that Shikamaru's laziness was an inherited trait.)

"I've seen the village," she told him, affecting disinterest as best she could. Temari was used to boys trying to impress her. She couldn't help feeling like she was the player in this situation.

His smirk sent a thrill racing to her very core. It wasn't often that Shikamaru rose to a challenge. "Oh, you think so?"

He took off through the trees then, in a way she had only seen him move when his life was in danger. Testing her, perhaps? She followed, of course, perplexed at his actions. To the best of her knowledge, Shikamaru had never cared enough to try to impress anyone. She didn't let herself stop to think about what that might mean—that she was apparently his exception too.

As she followed him through the woods—the distance they were traveling would have made her suspicious had she been with anyone else—Temari couldn't help reflecting on that exception. Shikamaru had never tried anything with her, but he didn't seem terribly intimidated by her either. Nothing about him was feigned. She never had to worry that he was just pretending to be casual and aloof, trying to pique her interest. And there was something… relaxing about someone who was so relaxed around her.

When they finally came to a stop, she was not ashamed to say her guide had succeeded in impressing her. The sight took her breath away.

The trees thinned out to a range of low mountains. They were standing at the backside of one where a series of waterfalls flowed down into little pools that formed steps almost all the way down, ending in the little creek before them now. It was beautiful. The sort of scene she'd only ever seen in paintings and storybooks, having grown up in the desert. The effect was evident in her expression, and Shikamaru was only quietly smug.

"This is actually our border with the Hidden Waterfall, but this side of it is still technically ours." He shrugged in his usual simple manner, as if this amazing sight he'd gone out of his way to show her wasn't a big deal, and stepped over the creek. She followed his lead, letting him lead her back towards the Leaf Village in a roundabout way.

"I should show you Suna sometime," she said as they fell into an unhurried pace. "Most people don't think so, but the desert can be beautiful too."

"Sure," he agreed easily. "If I ever get there…"

They hadn't really discussed how one-sided this arrangement was. But then… Shikamaru wasn't an ambassador; he was just her guide. He had no reason to visit the Sand, unless a mission took him there.

This thought was disheartening, so she brushed it away. She smirked at him, trying to regain the air he was used to from her. "If you could find the time off, that is. It would probably take you six days to make the journey."

He scoffed at her exaggeration but knew responding wouldn't be worth the trouble it caused. Sure enough, she softened again a moment later.

"Well, when you get there, I'll show you the Great Steps. They lead all the way up through the outer wall. There's a spot, not quite at the top, where you can see the whole village but still feel like a part of it, you know? When the sun sets, it turns the entire village golden."

She cut herself off, a little flustered by her own wistful rambling, but Shikamaru just smiled. "That sounds really nice. I'd like that."

Luckily, she didn't have to scramble to find an appropriate, totally platonic answer. A second later, he led her out of the trees again and she was stunned to find they stood atop one of the great stone faces overlooking the village. Had she really been that distracted? She hadn't thought the incline had been that steep. But she could see why this was the next step on her tour. Honestly, Temari had always thought the stone faces themselves were a little tacky, but she could see the beauty of being able to see the village in its entirety—similar to the view she'd just been describing to him. She really hated to say her next words.

"Thank you for today. But I really should get going soon. It's a long journey, and my brothers will be expecting me back."

"Oh, right, of course." Shikamaru looked as if he'd forgotten they were still on a schedule. The recognition made her heart twinge uncomfortably. This, too, she pushed to the back of her mind as they started making their way back down.

…

It wasn't until after the war that Temari was able to freely admit to herself that she was unquestionably in love with Shikamaru Nara. Immediately after, in fact.

Word had gotten out that the fighting was over, and civilians had flocked to the battlefield to check on loved ones, with total disregard to the possibility that those rumors might be untrue. She watched as a woman who could only be Shikamaru's mother came charging through the crowd. She moved with the confidence of someone who was used to the earth itself parting for her if she so demanded.

Temari watched as the woman seemed to run out of steam. Soon it was unclear who was supporting the other. Only then did Temari remember that Shikamaru's father had been among the fallen. The sight of Yoshino simultaneously clinging to the son who'd been spared while first feeling the loss of the husband who had not brought tears to her own eyes, and she turned away with a sudden urgency to find her own ragged little family.

But not before she saw the first tears fall from Shikamaru's eyes. His usual simplicity felt somehow magnified in this hellish landscape. The battle was won, and a crowd's worth of people was not reason enough to maintain any sort of tough façade, despite what any shinobi code might decree. And it was then that she truly realized she loved him.

…

But she wouldn't get a chance to tell him until much later. Or rather, the butterflied returned with a vengeance upon this realization. She couldn't make sense of this and kept her inner turmoil to herself. Temari had broken a few hearts in her day. She had never felt particularly bad about rejecting others. But now, when it came to someone who mattered… How did other girls deal with the pressure of being on the other end of this equation on a regular basis?

To her surprise, Shikamaru was the one to work up the courage first. Temari liked to do things on her own terms. Needless to say, she was something of a wreck during her time as his wedding date. But could anyone really blame her? It was the first time her feelings were on display for all of their friends and family to see… and judge. Oh, god, what had she agreed to?

The ceremony had come to an end and the dancing had just begun when she pulled him roughly to an empty table. He sighed and raised his eyebrows at her but didn't complain. She doubted he was much one for dancing anyway. He watched as she reflexively, futilely ducked down behind the decorations to hide her face. She wondered vaguely if she was hurting his feelings by being so obviously reluctant to be seen with him. But this worry was eclipsed by the sudden fury she felt. She couldn't stand that he wasn't the flustered one here. The anger freed her a bit. She straightened up stubbornly.

Her date was watching her all the while, probably trying to puzzle out what was going through her head. She knew her face was still quite flushed. In a very reasonably tone of voice, he asked, "Can I get you some water?"

He was right to ask. She was liable to bite his head off if he made any assumptions. She nodded stiffly. When he returned, he set the glass down very gingerly before her.

They relaxed slowly, watching the other couples dancing and letting their minds wander. No one came over to try and engage them more in the party. Temari was still exuding a certain… aura. And then it happened.

Shikamaru turned back to her, a tiny smile playing on his lips, mind clearly on other things. "Hey, you know what I just realized?"

"That if you turn down my proposal, you'll regret it for the rest of your life?" The words were out before she had time to think them through. She watched as they sank in. Finally, Shikamaru was the one sputtering incoherently. A jolt of panic gripped her. There was still time to play this off as a joke, right? But Shikamaru found his words first.

"I think I'm supposed to be the one who proposes." …Fuck it. It was all or nothing now.

"Well, then, you'd better get to it before I do."

Shikamaru stared at her, dumbfounded, for another long moment. Then, very abruptly, he stood. And dragged his chair out of the way. And got down on one knee.

Perhaps during another person's wedding wasn't the most… respectful time to propose to someone. Indeed, both of her brothers looked a little horrified. But Naruto's cheers were among the loudest, so Temari figured it was perfectly okay to throw herself into her new fiancé's arms. This proposal was their mutual agreement to live their lives free of regrets. This was the first step.

Review please!

I don't own Naruto.

I just realized, this will be my first ShikaTema fic. I've written two Temari-centric pieces in the past, but they were both aimed at addressing her relationship with her brothers. Well, it's about time I fixed that… Thank you for reading!