ameliorate ( v ), to heal or solve a problem.

(oneshot)

8Db

( a m e l i o r a t e )

( i own nothinnngggggg ; o; )

...

Shikamaru hated waking up.

It meant the end of a peaceful time where he floated in a void of nothingness, the beginning of hours of headaches and sweat and tears.

To add to his irritation, it was a horribly, rainy, cold day. He was literally three seconds away from screaming at the heavens to 'shut up with the fucking rain already because I am TRYING TO SLEEP', although that would do nothing but make the rain angrier and rain down harder. He settled for closing his eyes under the warm confines of his duvet and snuggling in deeper- except Shikamaru didn't snuggle. Shikamaru was a man.

He heard a commotion coming from downstairs. His parents were laughing and joking with someone, and there was a very young, feminine voice that rang out from the kitchen. He barely recognised the voice- it was familiar, but his ears were still asleep, dammit.

'Must be Ino to nag me about the mission report,' he thought to himself. At least, that was until he heard huge, pounding, manlier-than-a-man's footsteps pounding up the stairs. That could only be one person- and suddenly, Shikamaru was jolted out of his sleepy reverie and scared for his life.

"HEY, NARA."

Scared. For. His. Life.

''NARA. Why didn't you answer the door?"

The thunder literally opened the door with massive force from her hip as she slammed the door open, and sat on the edge of his bed, jerking his head forward off his pillow.

"Troublesome woman... SOME people like to sleep. Now, if you'd just leave my home, I'd get the perfect nap..."

"Nara, have you SEEN the rain?" She got up, and with dramatic flourish, ripped open the curtains to reveal pouring rain. "It's almost flooded the streets, and I'm not going back there." She turned and crossed her arms.

"Why are you even in Konoha? Your brother's going to have a fit."

"I came here to hang out with my girl-buds."

"You have those?"

"Ouch, Nara." She answered him with a punch to his leg, which sent him wincing and squeaking for his pride. "And yes, in fact, I do. I arranged a hotspring day with Tenten and Hinata. Then the rain started, and I was closest to your house, so I thought I'd annoy you for a while."

"Well, you're the best at it," he said with fake enthusiasm. She punched his other leg, which insured his silence for a while. She looked around, puzzled.

"Why is your room so... so... plain? I'm not sure, I expected something alittle bit more... well, a little bit more Nara."

"And what would you expect a Nara room to look like?"

"Hmm... Blues, dark greens, a few comics left out on your desk, a shogi board somewhere in the corner."

It was true. Shikamaru's room was very, very plain. The walls, desks, shelves, cupboards- everything, was completely white. There was paint chipping in the corner, and that was the only place in the room where the colour broke. There were clothes scattered around the floor, and they were black- but the colour of their clothes and skin were the only things that weren't white.

"It was like this when I moved in, and I could never be bothered to paint it."

She deadpanned at him and then shook her head. "I should never have expected something deeper from you, Nara."

"Me? Deep? Don't even try."

She shook her head and looked towards the window. "Why won't this rain let up already?"

"Because it hates me."

She turned her head to look at him, an incredulous look pasted on her features. "It hates you?"

"Yep." Shikamaru held her gaze, face completely level. "Every force of nature out there is completely intent on ruining my dream of having just one day- one day- where absolutely everything slows down, sighs, and decides that- you know what? I'm going to be really normal today. A cloudy day with a warm sun and a cool, refreshing breeze, a normal, quiet, not too pretty, not too ugly girl- civilian, of course- who'll keep me company forever, and a shady tree with a shogi board underneath. That would be my dream day."

"A civilian, huh?"

"Yup. That way, she'll be able to take care of our kids- one girl, and one boy- while I'm on missions, and won't give me headaches because she won't be too clever., and will cook nice meals."

"You just want her to know 'her place', huh. Stupid chauvinist." She huffed and turned away.

" 'Her place'?"

"Wow, I threw you a kitchen joke line and you didn't take it. Maybe you're not such a sexist bastard after all," she smirked.

"Hey! Do you mind? The sexist bastard is sitting right here."

She paid no attention and carried staring outside the window. "It's getting pretty bad out there," she noted.

"I think there'll be thunder soon." Shikamaru said, hiding under the covers.

"Th-thunder? Oh."

"Yup."

An awkward silence ensued, although neither knew why- it wasn't often both of them had nothing to say to the other.

A crash and a flash in the room broke the silence, and Shikamaru's bed jolted slightly. "Oh. I was right," he muttered.

"Huh?"

"Thunder."

"O-oh."

The lights suddenly flickered off, and Temari visibly jumped this time. She squeaked and ducked down, no longer on his bed.

"... Temari? Why're you being so wei-" he was interrupted by another flash of thunder, and when she jumped again, he realised.

Suddenly, he groaned. "Dear God, I'm actually doing this, aren't I?" He massaged the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Listen. I know that maybe some... ahem. Physical contact... could... calm you down. So, I'm going to close my eyes, and count to five, and offer you this space and I'll hold you for a while. If not, then we'll pretend that this never happened, at all, and you can go downstairs and my rents will offer you some hot chocolate. Okay?"

He could literally hear Temari bristle, and mentally facepalmed. He closed his eyes, and began.

"One... two..."

The only thing he could hear was his erratic heartbeat pounding in his ears.

"Three... four... " still silence, and he was about to give up, until he heard rustling beside him. She was lying stiff, next to him, until the thunder boomed again and she quickly curled up and clutched his shirt, burying her head into his chest.

"Shh . There, there. It's okay, you're safe."

"No, I'm not safe. I'm vulnerable, and weak, and I'm not like Temari anymore. I'm not what everyone knows- the hard-hearted woman with the iron fist."

"I think," he began thoughtfully. "I think you're still Temari. Maybe more than ever. You're completely letting go of everything you know, and you're just raw Temari. You're more Temari than ever."

She responded by headbutting him lightly. "You idiot. If you tell ANYONE that this happened... ever... I will pull your genitals out through your nose. You know that, right?"

He chuckled. "I know that."

There was another silence, filled by the rain. This wasn't an awkward silence, it was a mellow one that they both indulged in for a while.

Shikamaru smiled, a smile evident in his voice. "You know, this is all wrong."

"Wrong?" Temari questioned.

"Mhmmm. Completely. I... I shouldn't be so comfortable in telling you my deepest desires. My so-called 'dream day'? Only Chouji knows that, and I've known him for my entire life. I... I shouldn't be... I shouldn't be falling for you, okay?"

A small gasp was all that answered, but he continued, because if he stopped to let her talk he'd never get his thoughts out.

"For a start, you're beautiful, which is all wrong. You're a ninja... and you're very, very smart. Your brothers know killing techniques that could eat me alive, starting from the inside, and leave no trace whatsoever. I shouldn't be so ready to stand up to them. I shouldn't feel so calm while my heart's beating a thousand times per minute. I shouldn't be feeling more at peace right now than ever in my life. I... I shouldn't be telling you this, either. You're strange. You're the most hotheaded woman I know, yet you calm me down so immensely."

"Baka no Shika-kun," she said, but she was smiling. He could tell.

"I know," he replied.

"See? You can be deep. I knew it."

He just smirked and held her close for a little while longer.

SHAMELESS FLUFF. SHAMELESS, I TELL YOU. Wow. I just finished a whole tub of hartley's squeezy raspberry jam- which, by-the-way, is totally teh shizz, and maybe all the sugar went to the writing part of my brain.

I honestly didn't know how this would turn out... I just.. went with it, i guess. that's about all there is to it. I went with it, and this is what my brain farted out for you, my dear readers.

Enjoy.

Reviews would be absolutely wonderful, durhurrr.~

much love,

aurometalsaurus xo