A/N: Alright, so...

I just recently got my grubbly little paws on Naurto Shipuuden 73 - 90, and I saw the whole Asuma death arc. Ok, I don't cry easily and I cried. I cried. I cried more for Shikamaru because let's face it I think I'm in love with him! Ok, not seriously, but you get what I mean. My heart actually hurt when he was in pain. So, so sore.

Anyway... so, after Shikamaru let it go... I felt that he probably hasn't completely because after he did kill Hidan he had to look after Asuma's kid and I think he also has to come to terms with that, and he needed comfort from someone after letting his grief loose and I thought Temari was perfect for it. I can actually see something along these lines happening... Temari is so emotionally scarred herself that she is perfect to try and comfort him. I'm not sure if it's just me. But I know that the picture of Shikamaru and Temari (Shikamaru Shipuuden picture, OH YES) that Shikamaru THOUGHT of just screamed that he has a thing for her.

So enjoy, I worked my ass off to get this done before I lost the idea.

Let It Out

"Let it out" was what his father told him.

"Let out all the sadness, fear and anger that's building up inside you."

"Ino!"

"Hey, Sakura, what's the rush?"

"No rush, I was just wondering if you knew where Shikamaru was. I need to speak with him about some deer antlers for my soldier pill recipe."

"Oh, so it was antlers you used?"

"Wipe that smile off your face Ino. It's my recipe. And back to the point, have you seen Shikamaru around?"

"Honestly, no. I was looking for him too, I haven't seen him since we got back from our mission… he said he wasn't going to follow us… and it's been three days since then, I was a bit concerned. We've all been hit really hard with Asuma-sensei's… Asuma…"

"Are you ok, Ino?"

"I'm fine; anyway, I went to his house to see if his parents knew where he was. They said that they haven't seen him since three days ago."

"You mean he just up and left without telling anyone, that's really out of character for him."

"Tell me about it, and I thought we were close."

"Did his parents know where he went?"

"Nope, and if they did, they didn't tell me. Although, it was kinda weird, but Shikaku-san said he was sure Shikamaru would return home soon."

"Oh… I'll ask Shikaku about the antlers then, thanks anyway Ino."

"Yeah, yeah, now stop bothering me; I have a flower shop to run."

"Whatever, Ino-pig."

"Forehead."

x. .X. .x

Temari's eyes opened quickly. She sat upright in her bed hastily, listening carefully. She sensed another presence nearby. She carefully avoided the bedside table as she threw her legs over the side of her bed. The clock read that it was two in the morning.

"Who the hell would be at the door at this hour? Are they insane?" Temari muttered to herself darkly. She slowly got out of bed to answer the door; it was obvious that neither Kankurou nor Gaara would answer the door.

The Suna jounin walked to her bedroom door and caught her reflection in her mirror. Those cuts on her collarbone from battle were still there. Temari stood and stared at her reflection for another moment, her grey tank top clung to her frame due to another hot Suna night, where as her very dark violet sleeping pants hung loosely from her hips. She groaned unhappily as she grabbed her dressing gown and threw it on before ripping her door open and making her way down the stairs.

"Oi! It's two in the freaking morning, go away!" Temari shouted to the person on the other side of her front door. She didn't worry about her shouting volume, her home was big and her brother's rooms were far away, they wouldn't be able to hear her.

There was no response from the other end. Temari growled moodily and grabbed the front door and pulled it open, readying her best glare.

But instead of glaring, she gasped.

"Shikamaru? What are you doing here?" Temari asked as she opened the door wider. She took a step outside, the wind whipped at her gown. "It's two in the morning… and you're in Suna!"

Before her stood Shikamaru Nara, looking worse for wear, not in appearance… but something in his eyes made Temari's heart hurt with sympathy. Shikamaru stood almost hunched over looking up from his dipped chin to her.

"What's happened? You can't just come over any old time… and why are you not in your own village?!" Temari question further, trying to get some answers.

"Can't you just let me in?" Shikamaru asked softly.

Temari stared at him awhile, noting his expression, body posture, things that would give her some sort of clue as to why he was here. She stared at him for another moment before another gust of wind whipped at their clothes. She slowly opened the door wider so he could come inside. In any normal circumstances she would have slammed the door in his face, but his expression… just took hold of her heart. He looked in pain.

"Alright…" She allowed him in and shut the door quietly after he had entered. Temari lead him into the lounge, not bothering with switching on any lights – the moon was very bright and gave off enough light to see clearly – and removed her dressing gown, dumping it on the floor.

Temari plopped onto the couch and watched Shikamaru slowly make his way into the lounge as well. His mind seemed to be on overdrive, she had seen it only a few times. She could identify it when he never really focused on anything and just seemed almost lifeless.

"Sit." Temari instructed using her pointer finger to demonstrate. It took a few moments but gradually Shikamaru sat down next to her. He said nothing and Temari accepted it for a few moments, giving her enough time to study him again.

"So, why are you here?" Temari asked. She was a tiny bit annoyed with the silence. "Not only here, as in Suna, but also here as in my living room at two in the morning."

Shikamaru remained silent for a few more seconds, seemingly planning on what to say. He tried to speak, the words dying on his tongue, he tried to produce the words but all that came out was silence.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Asuma-sensei passed away," he choked out, avoiding looking at her.

Temari felt like she was just hit with an emotional brick. He came all this way, a three day journey to tell her that? Did he want her to say something? Something comforting? Something realistic? She didn't know what to do or say, she was never good with emotions, trying to avoid them at all costs. Being raised with a brother and a psychopath her entire life had taken a large part of her emotional being. She was perhaps the worst person he could have come to.

"Asuma… oh no…" Temari managed to whisper. She felt awkward and crushed. She knew the man, quite fondly actually. She had, on occasion, played shougi with him while Shikamaru was her guide. He was a nice man, really down to earth, charming and funny. He often teased Shikamaru jokingly about his "catch" whenever he saw her and Shikamaru together. "Asuma-sensei…"

"The Akatsuki got him, murdered." Shikamaru whispered again furiously.

"Those bastards…" Temari replied aggressively, feeling hatred bubble to the surface.

Suddenly it hit her like a truck. Asuma… Shikamaru's sensei. His friend. His captain. He was dead. Shikamaru's mentor was dead.

Temari looked at him hurriedly. She studied his face, his eyes. Her heart throbbed painfully at Shikamaru silence. She tried to think of what to do. But nothing came to her. She had never felt so useless in her life.

Trying to console him (and herself) she gently placed her hand on his knee reassuringly as she tried to avoid looking at him. Then, going against what she thought he'd do, he turned and looked at her. The evident tears on his face leaked from his eyes and dripped off his chin. She let out a soft gasp. She scanned his face, wishing it would give her a clue on what he wanted her to do.

"You're crying…" she murmured numbly.

Shikamaru didn't break the eye lock they had; her eyes were so filled with pain, worry and sympathy, such an alien look from her. "You probably think I'm a stupid crybaby, don't you?" Shikamaru asked. You could almost hear the tears in his voice.

Temari took a deep breath, trying to find a way to say how she felt, fighting against the natural urge to suppress all her emotions.

"No," she said firmly. Shikamaru was taken aback, a few tears dripping from his face as he moved. "In fact… I'm just honored that… I'm the first person you came to… to truly break down," Temari murmured gently.

Shikamaru felt his heart skip a beat. She had read him like an open book. She was the only person, aside from his parents, who could do that.

So he did what he had wanted to do for little less than a week now.

He truly, truly broke down.

He grabbed her waist and pulled her into him and held onto her firmly. He buried his face into her breasts and cried. His tears escaping without any control, his body shook with loud sobs. He tried to hold her closer, like she was the only source of comfort left in the world. Temari felt shocked at first when he grabbed her but it passed and made way to awkwardness… and a feeling she couldn't describe at all…

All she knew is that the only thing she wanted to do was make this man feel better.

Temari slowly wrapped her arms around him and pressed him closer. Her hand found the top of his head. She pressed her cheek against the top of his head and tried to ease his pain. "Let it all out. Let it all out, Shikamaru," she whispered to him.

His sobs increased and he held her even closer than before, his tears kept flowing as he pressed he face deeper into her breasts. The sobs kept wracking his body, never ending. He felt like he couldn't breathe anymore. An anguished scream escaped him as he cried. Temari just began to stroke his hair and hold him closer, trying her hardest to ease the pain.

"He-he's dead… I was so-so use-use-less…" he chocked.

"Let it out," Temari repeated quietly. She felt several sharp stings from her chest. His tears were falling into her wounds. She didn't care.

"And I'm scared." He sobbed. "So, so scared." He sobbed again. "I have to look after Asuma's baby. I'm not ready for it." Temari stroked his back gently. His grip on her torso only tightened. "I have to be the adult in his life, and I'm scared!" He almost screamed. The tears had completely soaked the top of her tank top. She didn't care.

"You're allowed to be." Now it felt natural, she couldn't explain how she felt, but it was like she just knew what to say to him. It was like she could feel his pain, so much so that her heart was hurting. She just wanted that hurt to go away. She pressed his head into her chest.

"He's dead… I couldn't do anything!" Shikamaru screamed. Temari felt as if she wanted to cry. No. No, she couldn't. How could she still be strong for him in his weak moment if she cried? She could not cry. She was being strong for his sake. "I'm pathetic!"

"Shikamaru! You are not pathetic!" She snapped harshly. His head was in her hands as she repeated it again to his face, tying to make him understand. "Don't you even dare say that again! You are not pathetic!" Temari carefully laid his head on her chest again. "Just cry Shikamaru, nobody is judging you. I'm just here to help you, ok?"

He just nodded weakly and continued to cry, holding onto Temari like she was his lifeline. He wailed involuntarily often and kept on muttering how scared he felt and lots of things about Asuma.

He cried for ten more minutes before he quieted down, his crying reduced to whimpers, sobs and sniffles. Temari had held him the entire time.

He slowly lifted his head from her chest and looked up at her, somewhat ashamed. Temari suddenly felt the atmosphere invaded with awkwardness.

"Do… do you feel better?" Temari asked nervously. Shikamaru avoided the question and sat up straight trying to come to terms with what just happened.

"Men don't cry." He muttered quietly. He harshy rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. Temari glanced at him and calculated what to say next. She straightened up and prepared to speak her mind.

"I have news for you Shikamaru. Men do cry, and men who think they shouldn't are the weakest of all. Bottling up your emotions just lead to more pain and that pain will rip your heart in two. Crying isn't a bad thing, it's just a release valve… letting all the pain and hurt out." Shikamaru blinked in a small amount of shock. His tears dripped from his chin and stained his cheeks. "Of course… I'm the worst person to tell you this… I haven't cried since I was a little girl…"

Her expression was morbid... it looked as if she was lost and had no hope left. Shikamaru had never seen her like this before. All he wanted to do was to remove that look and the undoubtable pain that she felt. His brain planned and calculated, trying to make sense of this situation. For the first time in his life he couldn't think of what to do next.

He gently placed his hand behind her head and pulled her head forwards. He crushed their lips together, kissing her tenderly. Temari responded, their lips moved together perfectly, slid across each other perfectly, meshed perfectly.

His heart was still throbbing quickly and painfully with an unknown emotion. It seemed to gnaw at his senses, at his mind, at his thoughts.

Suddenly Temari pushed him away and placed her hands in front of her. Her expression looked pained. "Nara, don't."

"Don't?" He questioned. "Why?" A stab of rejection hit his heart, made it hurt in a way that no weapon could manage.

"Please, don't just do that because you need comfort or you think you had to!" Temari shouted. "I want you to do it because you want to!"

Shikamaru looked into her teal eyes for a moment. "Temari… I wouldn't have come all the way here if I didn't want to…"

He didn't wait for a response he just kissed her again, although he knew he had muffled a small gasp. It took a few moments but then Temari responded, happily. Her hands slipped behind his head, pulling him closer. Shikamaru kissed her deeply, drawing out the kiss. Their tongues mingled together, slowly caressing each other, tasting each other, savouring each other. Temari moaned quietly. Shikamaru pushed her down onto the couch seats and continued to kiss her deeply.

x. .X. .x

"Just to let you know…" Shikamaru stated as he stood in Temari's doorway. "Last night meant something to me. It wasn't just a… one shot thing."

"I know," Temari replied as she leaned against her front door.

"Good, otherwise… yeah, that would have been… troublesome…" Shikamaru commented sheepishly. Temari chuckled lightly. "I should get back…"

Temari frowned slightly. "Yeah, you should… people will start getting worried, and the Hokage won't be pleased."

"Oh yeah. Great." Shikamaru sighed and dropped his shoulders. "I'll see you soon, I promise."

"You'd better." Temari grinned at him before giving him a long kiss and grinning again.

He grinned in return and slowly began his walk back home, taking time to wave to Temari before he disappeared into the horizon.

The pain he felt for losing Asuma would never truly disappear, and he never expected it to. But maybe he could find some way he could numb that pain. Rather someone.

And he had found that one person.

That's why he went to her,

Because she was the only person, in the world,

That he wanted to comfort him.

A/N:So it's all done, and I don't know what else to say really.

But please review, it just makes my day and makes me happy. Oh yeah, and it makes me feel like there are alot more ShikaTema fans out there in the world. And that, my friends, is a fantastic feeling!

So I guess the review bribe is...

Review if you love ShikaTema! Or me! or Both!