Chapter One

Shikamaru knocked loudly on the old cottage door. He knew his girlfriend was in meeting, it was really her roommate he was looking for anyways. He could hear the music blasting throughout the house even though he had a sneaky suspicion that she was outside. He walked around the back peering in the windows of the large one story place as he went. Plants of unknown varieties lined the windows and he could see various species of animals on shelves on the inside. He shuddered to himself as he knew them all to be deadly. He had to hand it to Tenten, she had a sweet setup. Large place not only to collect plants and animals of the poisonous kind, but an entire workshop out back where she could not only sharpen and play with her tools …she could make them. He stopped in front of her workbench. Today she was wielding something. Her back was towards him as she slowly cut with the blue flame making a large clanking noise as she had cut a large section off and it landed on top of another metal part already on the ground. For a cool day she wasn't wearing much, Shikamaru noted-a tank top and shorts. He supposed the sweat mixed with ash on her skin gave it away that she probably wasn't cold. She hit the stop button on the nearby CD player and flipped up her wielders face shield. Hand on her hip still holding her torch in an almost intimidating way she wiped off some sweat from her forehead with her other glove.

He waited for her to say something first. She just gave him an expecting look. She knew why he was here- or at least she could figure close enough. Shikamaru never had something to say to Temari's roommate unless he needed to.

"I hear you're making Anbu soon," was all Shikamaru could come up with.

"You suck at small talk," Tenten raised an eyebrow and flipped her shield back down. She raised the level of her flame to damn near singe Shikamaru's eyebrows if he hadn't taken a very large step backwards.

Tenten quirked a smile and threatened to hit play back on the CD player. He observed her doing this very slowly, she was at least trying to give him a chance.

"Wait," Shikamaru sighed.

Tenten took off her wielder's face shield and waited patiently. She removed her gloves and turned off her torch. After Shikamaru still said nothing she invited him inside for tea after rolling her eyes to herself.

After sitting in her breakfast nook and sipping on some rather wonderful green tea, Tenten smiled at him and then politely started talking about her roommate-the only thing they had in common. She stated that she and Temari were getting along fine, and that she tried to make her stays in Konoha as comfortable as possible.

"I'm not complaining about you, nor is she," Shikamaru stated blatantly.

Tenten raised an eyebrow. "Then what?"

Shikamaru rocked back in his seat looking as bored as he possibly could. Tenten took this to mean that he was thinking or didn't know how to spit out what he was trying to say.

"I recommended you for a mission," he sat back up and handed her the scroll from inside his many green vested pockets.

"I'm not interested," Tenten eyed him suspiciously.

"It's an official escort request, I overheard someone say that you weren't feminine enough for the job and I put in a good word for you," he bunny eared the word "feminine" and tried to look bored again instead of trying to pick up on Tenten's reaction.

Tenten read over the escort job carefully then handed him the scroll. "I don't need any favors Shikamaru," she offered with a smile.

"You'd be Temari's brother's official escort. He started to complain about having ugly male escorts. Kakashi nearly Chidoried him to death after that comment and since then, no one has a real interest in the job-no konoichi anyways." Shikamaru couldn't help but smile at the thought of Kankuro nearly dying at team sevens former sensei's hands. Kakashi had looked so utterly offended.

"So how am I supposed to look 'feminine,'" Tenten also bunny eared the word, "when the person I escort wears make-up and plays with dolls," Tenten cracked a smile.

Shikamaru gave a small chuckle. She made a good point.

"So are you going to do it?" Shikamaru cocked his head to the side expectantly.

"No." Tenten said firmly sipping her tea.

Shikamaru frowned. He needed to try a different approach.

"Temari will be there and Ino," he tried using her friends to sweeten the deal.

"Ino is escorting the Kazegake again?" Tenten smiled deviously. The two were practically inseparable while Gaara was in town.

Shikamaru had to admit that he like the paring as well, "He wouldn't have it any other way," he replied with another small smirk putting his hands behind his head.

"Temari was pretty clever setting that one up, or was that you?" Tenten folded her arms across her chest and leaned back in the chair. With her eyelids half open she blandly stated why he was here, "you want me to be Kankuro's escort so that you and Temari can have alone time."

Shikamaru winced at her realization as if she had thrown something at him. He let out a long vocalized groan at how accurate the statement was.

"You are such a dork, I wonder what she sees in you," Tenten looked at him with disappointment.

"You are going to be Anbu soon, eh?" Shikamaru hoped the flattery would win some kind of points.

"How many 'strings' did you have to pull for that one?" the pun was not lost on Shikamaru.

"Yes, Kankuro did mention his interest, and yes I had to finagle some things with the Hokage in order to specifically line you up to be his escort. But I also didn't want any I didn't know at the long dinner. Neither did Temari and I know Ino will appreciate you there too."

"Doesn't your roommate have cousins that could attend this thing?" Tenten asked referring to Shino.

"No one even remotely his age. Kankuro and Shino are spending way too much buddy-buddy time at my place and I can't seem to get their obnoxious asses to leave. Kankuro follows us everywhere and threatens to kill me if I even try to hold Temari's hand." Shikamaru crossed his arms across his chest to show his frustration.

"What about Shino?" Tenten teased.

"Shino knows how to mind his own business," Shikamaru affirmed.

Tenten laughed, "No, I mean what about Shino, since those two are so 'buddy-buddy…'"

Shikamaru gave her a sour face.

"You know damn well neither one is gay the way they both look at you."

"I would hate to break up the boys then," Tenten smiled evily and took another sip of her tea.

"You leave me no choice," Shikamaru got up from the table.

"You aren't stupid enough to threaten me," Tenten remarked.

"Nope, promising," Shikamaru's smirk turned smug. "Ino will be over here with Temari after her meeting to talk you into it." He waved a hand over his head as if to say good bye, or good luck.

"You're bluffing," Tenten's eyes narrowed at the Nara's back.

"Sure," he said walking to the door, "Temari gets off at two, she will be by with Ino then," he couldn't resist stating it again.

"Why, Nara, why?" Tenten said in whimsical pain.

Shikamaru laughed. Then he smirked again. "See you at 5pm tomorrow." Tenten shook her head with a defeated look. "Don't forget to look feminine." His eyes widened as he realized that she was throwing a senbon into the door centimeters away his face. Into the door and not at his head. Whew. He had only escaped her deadly aim because she threw it there on purpose. He knew she didn't miss. He had been wise to leave when he did.

"I AM feminine!" she yelled into the closing door.