It had been a week and a half since Shikamaru had visited his mother. His team had been deployed on their mission and had been en route to Suna for the last three days. He'd never worked with these two shinobi before, however it made sense as he'd never been asked to lead the transport of medical materials before either. Under normal conditions he never would have been requested in the first place, but Suna had never asked for medicine with deer antler velvet in them before, and the weather conditions on the road to the village were typically hazardous for such fragile supplies. With his knowledge of storage procedures and correct usage he was the best stand in for a medic since neither Tsunade or Sakura could leave the village at this time, and he was the diplomat for the leaf in much the same way as Temari.

He also suspected that that spitfire sister of the Kazekage may have demanded him as well. She wasn't the type to live on without an answer, and he owed her one. That was a top priority. Even though the thought of it knotted his stomach up, he planned to speak to her alone as soon as he had the opportunity.

He called out to his teammates walking just ahead of him. The wind was picking up. Previous experience travelling in this desert told him changes in wind speed were never a good sign. "We need to pick up the pace. I can see the gates of the village ahead and I think a sand storm is coming on." The two nin ahead sprang into full blown sprints while they adjusted masks over their faces.

The wind was gaining dangerous speed and sand had begun to spin into vortexes and whip around like a flag rippling in the breeze. In the distance, they could make out the shape of the sand shinobi guard who had begun to open the village gates for them. Shikamaru felt relieved that they wouldn't be stuck in this mess for long.

Once they made it to the gate, the guard lead them into an underground bunker attached to the border wall. It didn't surprise Shikamaru, but his teammates hadn't expected it. They were lucky enough to have never experienced a Suna sand storm before, evidently. Multiple underground hideaways were built along the wall for the purpose of keeping their shinobi safe while patrolling the border. He recalled Temari was the one who told him that.

"Glad you made it here just in time. These storms can last for hours, and they are brutal one-hundred percent of the time. You guys are the shinobi here with medical supplies, right?" asked the guard

"Yes, and thank you. Who do we report to first, given the circumstances?" Shikamaru questioned, looking through a medium-sized peephole at the raging sand outside.

"Normally, I would say the hospital, but the building isn't accessible through the tunnels at this time. Typically, when medical supplies are needed for an emergency, they are red-flagged and brought in through a separate gate. I would just report to the Kazekage or his assistant. I can send someone to guide you to the building."

"That would be appreciated, thanks."

The sand shinobi summoned another ninja into the room and gave him directions. Soon the three leaf shinobi and single sand nin were making their way through a long, dimly lit passageway made exclusively of grainy sand. It made Shikamaru question the structural integrity of the tunnels, but he knew they had existed for decades without collapsing. When he was last here for ambassadorial purposes, he asked Temari if they'd collapse and kill him. She laughed and gave him a history lesson. He'd be seeing her soon. His stomach flip flopped inside him.

The tunnels were almost completely black, which intrigued him. The last and only time he'd been down here there were lights lining the walls, but they seemed absent this time.

"Isn't there usually some type of lighting down here? I'm straining my eyes," he asked, attempting to distract himself from his anxieties.

"The sandstorms have knocked out the power. We've had quite a few over the last week. More than we usually do. Don't worry though, I could get us through here blindfolded. The lantern is for you guys," he chuckles lightly.

"I see."

All four shinobi walk in peaceable silence until they reach a set of stairs leading up to a door in the ceiling. "This is it. Once you are through, just follow the hall to the first door on the left. Either the Kazekage or his assistant will be through that door."

Shikamaru thanked the man and lead his team up the stairs. He was relieved to see the Kazekage's building was well lit with candles aflame adjacent to the walls. Once he made it to the door on the left, he swallowed hard, knowing who the assistant would likely be. He raised a closed fist to the wood and knocked softly three times. Some rustling was heard and a too-feminine-to-be-Temari voice called out, "come in!"

Once his team and himself had crossed the threshold, a mousy looking woman greeted them and introduced herself as Amai Shiawase, Gaara's "helper". She stuttered at that last word. This wasn't her usual position he assumed, feeling both lucky and uneasy considering Temari typically held this position when she wasn't on a diplomat mission.

"We are here to hand over the medical supplies. One of your shinobi on guard instructed us to come here first. It doesn't seem like there was any other choice really anyway," Shikamaru stated.

"Ah, yes. I'm sorry about the storm. You may be stuck here for quite a while. Maybe days. Typically, you'd be sent home tomorrow, but these storms have been even more unpredictable than normal, and this is the second one in the last twelve hours. We can make accommodations for your squad, no problem. Sending word to your village about your delay may be a challenge unfortunately."

The woman and Shikamaru exchanged mission details and the cargo for rooming arrangements for his squad and a mission success report. They were permitted to wait out the current storm in the Kazekage building until the current sandstorm broke, then they would head for a specific inn. When asked how much longer she expected the storm to take, they were disappointed to hear it would likely be hours.

Luckily for them, the wind had settled to a breeze in only an hour. Still, few brave souls were out and about when they left the building. Just like the residents of Suna, Shikamaru knew more was coming. He hurried his team along, making it to the inn just before the wind began to pick up again. Each nin received their own room and went their separate ways.

Strolling down the hall to his room, Shikamaru became aware of something he was very familiar with: Temari's chakra signature. He slowed his steps. He knew exactly where she was….in his damn room!

He huffed. This was going to be far more than just a drag, he was scared. Stopping in front of the door, he took a moment to collect his rolling emotions before reaching a sweaty palm toward the door knob.

To his surprise his fingers never made it. The door swung open and smaller, paler digits took hold of his shirt collar and yanked him inside.

"I should beat your ass," came a hushed and irritated voice. "You don't get to just vanish on me like that. What the fuck is wrong with you?" Her cheeks were flushed red with quiet ferocity, hand still grasping the neck of his shirt. He stood stiff as a board, waiting for the well-deserved slap he would surely receive. Instead, she let him go and ambled to a chair in the corner of the room, plopping down hard, like all the fire within had been extinguished to be replaced with exhaustion.

"You know, it's been how long? Two months? And no contact? That's a bitch move, Nara."

Yep, her feelings were hurt. He knew they would be, but he didn't expect her foundation to be this cracked. For the umpteenth time this month, he felt guilt welling up deep within his chest.

"I'm sorry. I really am. Nothing but sorry," he gushed, looking downward to avoid the pair of blue eyes burning holes into his body with their blazing intensity.

"Why then? Why didn't you write me? If you didn't want to continue with…whatever we had, why couldn't you just tell me? I'd rather be left with answers then questions!" she barked, voice cracking under the weight of her own emotions.

Shikamaru's head shot up and forward. He thought she'd perceive him as a coward, not think he didn't want her. He was so stupid about women. That's what his mom meant when she told him to accept a punch if Temari looked at herself differently. He had made her doubt herself.

"Punch me. I'm sorry I made you think less of yourself. Just do it." He braced himself, waiting.

The blonde clenched both fists tightly, a look of surprise evident in her eyes. "What? I don't think less of myself. You're an idiot if you don't want me. Good luck finding someone better." She lurched to her feet, crossing the room in no more than four strides, before taking hold of the door knob.

Quickly, he clasped his own hand over hers to prevent her departure.

"You're mistaken and I word my feelings like shit. I'm sorry, again. Don't leave, please."

She took in his pleading gaze and relaxed her grip on the door. "How am I mistaken?" she asks, tone barely audible. He swallows hard. Here was his chance to explain.

"I do want you. I don't want anyone else, just you. I'm just…nervous." Indeed, he was. She followed his shifty gaze from the floor to the ceiling to the door and finally, to her. He exhaled sharply.

"What are you nervous about?" Her tone was soft and curious; her inner turmoil had been lifted for the moment.

"Well…where we left off…I…um…" He scratched at the back of his head and avoided her uncharacteristically patient gaze. An eyebrow of hers quirked upward, surprised.

"You could have told me it was too soon, if that's what you're saying…I would have understood."

"No. It wasn't too soon, I was just...caught off guard." He paused to take in a deep breath. "You know, I've come to realize I suck at interpreting my own emotions, and I feel awkward, and I thought I had it all together and knew what I was doing, but I didn't and I ran away from you because when I'm screwing up you always let me know, but I didn't want to hear you tell me I was being a crybaby. Not that time," he rambled. She considered what he was saying and understood exactly what he was telling her.

"I only do that when you need to be strong for the sake of other people. You can't quit when life gets hard, and I will always remind you of that, but you can be vulnerable too. Sometimes you need to be allowed to recharge in order to keep going, and I'm sorry if I made you feel like you can't tell me when you feel anxious." She gazed downward at her own feet so he couldn't see the relieved smile plastered on her face. "Don't ever avoid me like that again though. That pissed me the fuck off," she huffed.

Shikamaru closed the distance between himself and the sand kunoichi and encircled two arms around her in a tight hug. "I won't," he promised with a sigh. Temari's own arms mimicked his, wrapping around his midsection while she buried her face in his chest.

She reels back after a moment. "You smell horrific," her nose crinkles in disgust and she backs away one step. He chuckles. "Sorry. You kind of ambushed me. I really just got here…How'd you know to be here?" he inquires, amused now that the worst of their reunion was behind them.

"I made the arrangements and then the storm picked up. I would have been here even if I didn't want to see you."

"Ouch. So, you might be sparing my feelings right now?"

Temari snorted, teasingly leaving his question unanswered and as quick as a flash, exited the room, calling out to him as she walked away, "why don't you clean yourself up and meet me in the dining area in a bit?"

She was gone before he could reply, but he felt inexplicably fortunate the outcome of their reunion was pleasant. He closed the door and gathered the materials for a shower, looking forward to spending some time with her after spending all that time away from her engulfed in his anxiety.

AN: Sorry it took so long to write this chapter. College puts a damper on your free time :P

Taking votes on my next lemon one-shot, NaruHina or another SasuSaku?