Title: Therapy

Author: Jakia

Ships: NaruHina, ShikaTema, NejiTen

When Naruto and Hinata fight (which doesn't happen very often), they garden. Since usually the only thing they argue about is the kids, they make a point not to fight in front of them. They send the usual gardeners home for the day, Naruto starts on the left, Hinata on the right, and they garden.

Any anger and aggression they have they take out on the weeds and the dirt and sometimes the tulips. It's very therapeutic, and it allows them to enjoy a common hobby they usually don't have time for. By the time they get to the center, all their anger is forgotten and they both are asking one another for forgiveness.

In the end, Hinata goes a little less strict on the kids during training and Naruto limits his over-indulgent spoiling to just once a week. All is happy once more at the Uzumaki residence.

When Shikamaru and Temari fight (which happens more often than you'd think for such a happily-married couple), they get really nasty. Vicious, hateful words are spit out. Shikamaru can count on both hands and a couple of toes how many vases have been smashed over his head. They'll argue over anything and everything.

Every argument they've ever had has always ended in sex, so it's sort of bittersweet when they argue now, because they know by the time they're finished they'll be in bed, sweaty and exhausted and remembering why they put up with one another in the first place. It's very therapeutic in a way, because it a nice release from a lot of pent-up emotions, and it allows them to enjoy something they don't always have time for.

So when Temari complains that Shikamaru hasn't done the dishes yet, Shikamaru gives her a wide, toothy grin before commenting that, well, maybe he would get around to doing the dishes if she didn't dirty so damn many of them. And when she goes to throw the plate at his head, he's quick to dodge it, smiling the entire time.

When Neji and Tenten fight (which happens about once a month whether they want it to or not), they spar. Neji just doesn't talk much period, and Tenten has always been a passive-aggressive person anyway, so this works out to their advantage. It allows them time to train when they usually would be too busy to.

When Tenten manages to land a kunai in his back, she accuses him coldly: "Who was that blonde woman you were talking to the other day?"

Neji grunts, pulls the kunai out, and hits her square in the chest. "A woman from my department." He pulls a kunai of his own at and throws it at her, only for her to block it professionally. "What were you and Hinata-sama giggling about yesterday?"

She smiles widely before kicking him in the stomach. "I'm pregnant."

He drops his stance, his kunai, even his byakugan, lying on the ground like a beaten puppy.

"With twins, actually." She kicks him again. "Tsk, if you aren't going to even dodge then this isn't going to be much fun for me at all."

"We don't need to be doing this then!" He shouts, mildly freaked out that they were sparring in the first place. He wonders if this means they'll have to start arguing like normal couples do. He hopes not because he's a terrible conversationalist and doesn't know how to bring these things up with her unless he's properly armed. Sparring with Tenten is something like therapy because he can say so much more with a few well-aimed jabs than he can with a million words.

She smiles softly before laying in the grass next to him. "Sure we do. You're just not allowed to hit me in or anywhere around the stomach area." She kisses his forehead lovingly. "And you really need to get better at dodging."

Well, whatever works.