Fic - Be Brave
Title: Be Brave
Fandom: Naruto
Characters: Temari, Shikamaru, Hinata, Naruto
Word Count: 1,349
Pairings: ShikaTema and implied(?) NaruHina
Summary: Temari was a lot of things, but she was not as brave as she's always wanted to be. She could not say the words. She was afraid of the words. And then, there was Hinata, who for all her reputation, was braver than Temari could hope to be.
A/N: A birthday present for the ever-awesome
pictash who's turning XX years old. :p The best age to ever turn, double-mystery-X.
The sun was setting and the shadows were growing longer. Temari sighed and slunk into the familiar room.
She settled comfortably in a worm chair and watched the scenery outside as the sun set. She’d seen the sun set many times before, so it wasn’t anything new. Although that perhaps, was the only thing that wasn’t. She glanced at the unconscious figure and let out a slow sigh.
The girl lay in the bed peacefully: a blue-haired, pale beauty that was appeared so unsuited to the life she’d chosen. Maybe she was unsuited to be a shinobi. Many had said that of the girl. Temari hadn’t believed it much then, and she didn’t believe it much now. Especially when she heard what that girl had done.
“What are you doing?”
Temari would have jumped if she hadn’t recognized his chakra signature a few minutes back. Shikamaru was normally good at guising himself, but he didn’t seem to be trying. “Does it look like I’m doing anything, lazy?” She hadn’t done anything.
Hinata had.
“I didn’t know you were good friends with Hinata.”
Temari didn’t look at him. She couldn’t bring herself to. “We’re not good friends. But I genuinely respect her.” A lot, Temari added in her mind. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
“Tch. It’s a broken leg. Like it really matters.”
“It would heal faster if you listened to the medical people.” She replied softly, a little harshly.
There was a stifling silence, a silence in which Temari wanted to say so many things, but as always happened when she was with him, she could not find the words. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and there was a dry uncomfortable lump in her gut. “I’m sorry about…about your village.”
He didn’t say anything.
Temari recalled the strange girl who’d been clinging to Shikamaru’s arm. Blonde, fraying hair, peculiar glasses, and a thin frame. She’d cluttered around Shikamaru’s side, saying words to him that Temari felt were a little familiar. Her hands always seemed to want to hold his upper arm, as if to reassure him that she was still there. Temari had talked to her in the moments they were fixing up Shikamaru’s leg. She was quiet, demure, pretty enough but not awfully pretty, not involved heavily in dangerous shinobi affairs but involved enough to understand, and certainly not troublesome. She was probably the very girl Shikamaru had been looking for all his life.
And he had her.
Temari looked back at the quiet girl. “What does Naruto think?
She could see Shikamaru eye her briefly out of the corner of his eye.
“About what she said, I mean.” Temari paused, “And sit down will you? It can’t be a good idea for someone with a busted leg to stand so long on crutches.”
He moved slowly to a chair next to her. Almost without thinking, Temari helped him take a seat. She stood, and held the crutches while aiding him in sitting down. It was a subconscious thought, and Temari wanted to take back just as she’d done it.
“He hasn’t said much. He’s in shock. I think the whole concept is a surprise to him. He doesn’t think…He doesn’t know what to think.”
Temari pushed the bangs out of her face, “I think it was amazing. I mean, it was…selfish and selfless at the same time. She told him how she felt and she…she was…It’s brave.”
Shikamaru leant back. She noticed how his eyelids fluttered shut. “Most people think she was stupid.”
“Most people are stupid.”
“You don’t think it was dumb to jump in on a fight she had no chance of winning?”
“I think it would be dumb not to if the man you loved was in danger.” Temari retorted quietly. “She weighed her options and took the only one she could live with. It’s admirable - even more so admirable is that she let out what she was holding. She was ready to die, but she was not going to let everything she knew lie. She was going to go out as Hinata Hyuuga and with her heart in the open. That’s brave and admirable.” She looked briefly at him. “Do you think it was dumb? Would you jump in to save your blonde code-breaker?”
His eyes shot open and his brow furrowed, “Code-breaker?”
Temari held his eyes as long as he could, which really wasn’t for very long, then she darted her gaze back to the window, “Shiho.”
She could feel his eyes on her. “I think it was dumb.” He finally said. “I think it was incredibly stupid.” He continued. “To jump in like that is sure death and utter foolishness.” He sighed. “I…I doubt I would do something like that for Shiho. She’s a nice girl, but…”
Temari scoffed.
He raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“Aren’t you romantic?”
“I’m realistic.”
Temari twitched a little. She looked back at Hinata. “Naruto would.”
“I’m not Naruto.”
“And I’m not Hinata.” Temari added quietly.
This time, his fingers closed around her chin and he turned her face to meet his. “What’s wrong with you?”
Temari stared steadily at him, keeping her cool, not blushing. She definitely wasn’t Hinata.
She wasn’t as brave.
She pulled away. “What makes you think something is wrong?”
“You’re acting strange.” He said simply. “If anyone should be acting strange I would think it was the one whose village was blown to bits.”
“I’m fine.” She lied.
He looked skeptical, but dismissed it, “I need a cigarette.” He groaned, and leant his head back.
“Druggie.” She whispered quietly. The sun was almost completely hidden now, “I can get you some if you like.”
She started to stand, but he stopped her with a hand on her knee. “No, it’s fine. Stay here.”
She looked at his fingers, curled along her bare knee. His fingers were cold. “Shikamaru?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you love that girl?”
He didn’t answer immediately. “What girl?”
“The code-breaker.” Saying her name hurt Temari’s teeth. It hurt her essence.
“What makes you ask that?”
“Well you’re dating her, aren’t you?”
He closed his eyes again, and moved both his hands to support his head, “No.”
“You’re not?”
“No.”
Temari stared at her hands. “Why not?”
He cracked an eye momentarily to look at her. “You sound like you want me to.”
“She seems to be everything you once told me you wanted.”
“It usually ends up that the things one wants change with time.”
Temari looked back out the window. “Oh.”
If Hinata could do it, why couldn’t she?
“Shikamaru?”
“Yeah.”
Her tongue was sticky again. She always hated that she’d never been any good with words. “I love you.”
And there. It was out.
Out in the air.
His eyes flickered open slowly, and he turned his head to look at her. “Okay.”
Her eyes snapped back to the window in shame. That was what she’d been afraid of. She’d said how she felt to the lazy, younger shinobi, and all the genius said was ‘okay’.
“You know, I said it was stupid what Hinata did.” He said slowly. “I meant it. I think it’s really stupid. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it for the one I loved. That doesn’t change the fact that I don’t condone it.”
“Lucky her.” Temari muttered somewhat dryly.
“I love you, too.” He blushed brightly. “Tch, don’t make me say it again.”
The sun had now set entirely, blanketing the world in darkness. Without her knowledge, she found that their hands had linked together. She hadn’t moved all the way, and neither had he; they’d both moved, and now they were holding hands. Temari closed her eyes and hoped Hinata had a speedy recovery.
The girl was brave, and wonderful, and amazing. She was admirable.
Shikamaru coughed lightly. “He loves her, you know. He’s just thick-headed and hasn’t realized until now. Now he just needs to figure out what he wants to do.”
“It’s lovely.” Temari smiles. “Kind of like a fairy tale.”
Shikamaru’s lip twitched. “Kind of.”
Hinata was the bravest girl Temari had ever met.
Fandom: Naruto
Characters: Temari, Shikamaru, Hinata, Naruto
Word Count: 1,349
Pairings: ShikaTema and implied(?) NaruHina
Summary: Temari was a lot of things, but she was not as brave as she's always wanted to be. She could not say the words. She was afraid of the words. And then, there was Hinata, who for all her reputation, was braver than Temari could hope to be.
A/N: A birthday present for the ever-awesome
pictash who's turning XX years old. :p The best age to ever turn, double-mystery-X.
The sun was setting and the shadows were growing longer. Temari sighed and slunk into the familiar room.
She settled comfortably in a worm chair and watched the scenery outside as the sun set. She’d seen the sun set many times before, so it wasn’t anything new. Although that perhaps, was the only thing that wasn’t. She glanced at the unconscious figure and let out a slow sigh.
The girl lay in the bed peacefully: a blue-haired, pale beauty that was appeared so unsuited to the life she’d chosen. Maybe she was unsuited to be a shinobi. Many had said that of the girl. Temari hadn’t believed it much then, and she didn’t believe it much now. Especially when she heard what that girl had done.
“What are you doing?”
Temari would have jumped if she hadn’t recognized his chakra signature a few minutes back. Shikamaru was normally good at guising himself, but he didn’t seem to be trying. “Does it look like I’m doing anything, lazy?” She hadn’t done anything.
Hinata had.
“I didn’t know you were good friends with Hinata.”
Temari didn’t look at him. She couldn’t bring herself to. “We’re not good friends. But I genuinely respect her.” A lot, Temari added in her mind. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
“Tch. It’s a broken leg. Like it really matters.”
“It would heal faster if you listened to the medical people.” She replied softly, a little harshly.
There was a stifling silence, a silence in which Temari wanted to say so many things, but as always happened when she was with him, she could not find the words. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and there was a dry uncomfortable lump in her gut. “I’m sorry about…about your village.”
He didn’t say anything.
Temari recalled the strange girl who’d been clinging to Shikamaru’s arm. Blonde, fraying hair, peculiar glasses, and a thin frame. She’d cluttered around Shikamaru’s side, saying words to him that Temari felt were a little familiar. Her hands always seemed to want to hold his upper arm, as if to reassure him that she was still there. Temari had talked to her in the moments they were fixing up Shikamaru’s leg. She was quiet, demure, pretty enough but not awfully pretty, not involved heavily in dangerous shinobi affairs but involved enough to understand, and certainly not troublesome. She was probably the very girl Shikamaru had been looking for all his life.
And he had her.
Temari looked back at the quiet girl. “What does Naruto think?
She could see Shikamaru eye her briefly out of the corner of his eye.
“About what she said, I mean.” Temari paused, “And sit down will you? It can’t be a good idea for someone with a busted leg to stand so long on crutches.”
He moved slowly to a chair next to her. Almost without thinking, Temari helped him take a seat. She stood, and held the crutches while aiding him in sitting down. It was a subconscious thought, and Temari wanted to take back just as she’d done it.
“He hasn’t said much. He’s in shock. I think the whole concept is a surprise to him. He doesn’t think…He doesn’t know what to think.”
Temari pushed the bangs out of her face, “I think it was amazing. I mean, it was…selfish and selfless at the same time. She told him how she felt and she…she was…It’s brave.”
Shikamaru leant back. She noticed how his eyelids fluttered shut. “Most people think she was stupid.”
“Most people are stupid.”
“You don’t think it was dumb to jump in on a fight she had no chance of winning?”
“I think it would be dumb not to if the man you loved was in danger.” Temari retorted quietly. “She weighed her options and took the only one she could live with. It’s admirable - even more so admirable is that she let out what she was holding. She was ready to die, but she was not going to let everything she knew lie. She was going to go out as Hinata Hyuuga and with her heart in the open. That’s brave and admirable.” She looked briefly at him. “Do you think it was dumb? Would you jump in to save your blonde code-breaker?”
His eyes shot open and his brow furrowed, “Code-breaker?”
Temari held his eyes as long as he could, which really wasn’t for very long, then she darted her gaze back to the window, “Shiho.”
She could feel his eyes on her. “I think it was dumb.” He finally said. “I think it was incredibly stupid.” He continued. “To jump in like that is sure death and utter foolishness.” He sighed. “I…I doubt I would do something like that for Shiho. She’s a nice girl, but…”
Temari scoffed.
He raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“Aren’t you romantic?”
“I’m realistic.”
Temari twitched a little. She looked back at Hinata. “Naruto would.”
“I’m not Naruto.”
“And I’m not Hinata.” Temari added quietly.
This time, his fingers closed around her chin and he turned her face to meet his. “What’s wrong with you?”
Temari stared steadily at him, keeping her cool, not blushing. She definitely wasn’t Hinata.
She wasn’t as brave.
She pulled away. “What makes you think something is wrong?”
“You’re acting strange.” He said simply. “If anyone should be acting strange I would think it was the one whose village was blown to bits.”
“I’m fine.” She lied.
He looked skeptical, but dismissed it, “I need a cigarette.” He groaned, and leant his head back.
“Druggie.” She whispered quietly. The sun was almost completely hidden now, “I can get you some if you like.”
She started to stand, but he stopped her with a hand on her knee. “No, it’s fine. Stay here.”
She looked at his fingers, curled along her bare knee. His fingers were cold. “Shikamaru?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you love that girl?”
He didn’t answer immediately. “What girl?”
“The code-breaker.” Saying her name hurt Temari’s teeth. It hurt her essence.
“What makes you ask that?”
“Well you’re dating her, aren’t you?”
He closed his eyes again, and moved both his hands to support his head, “No.”
“You’re not?”
“No.”
Temari stared at her hands. “Why not?”
He cracked an eye momentarily to look at her. “You sound like you want me to.”
“She seems to be everything you once told me you wanted.”
“It usually ends up that the things one wants change with time.”
Temari looked back out the window. “Oh.”
If Hinata could do it, why couldn’t she?
“Shikamaru?”
“Yeah.”
Her tongue was sticky again. She always hated that she’d never been any good with words. “I love you.”
And there. It was out.
Out in the air.
His eyes flickered open slowly, and he turned his head to look at her. “Okay.”
Her eyes snapped back to the window in shame. That was what she’d been afraid of. She’d said how she felt to the lazy, younger shinobi, and all the genius said was ‘okay’.
“You know, I said it was stupid what Hinata did.” He said slowly. “I meant it. I think it’s really stupid. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it for the one I loved. That doesn’t change the fact that I don’t condone it.”
“Lucky her.” Temari muttered somewhat dryly.
“I love you, too.” He blushed brightly. “Tch, don’t make me say it again.”
The sun had now set entirely, blanketing the world in darkness. Without her knowledge, she found that their hands had linked together. She hadn’t moved all the way, and neither had he; they’d both moved, and now they were holding hands. Temari closed her eyes and hoped Hinata had a speedy recovery.
The girl was brave, and wonderful, and amazing. She was admirable.
Shikamaru coughed lightly. “He loves her, you know. He’s just thick-headed and hasn’t realized until now. Now he just needs to figure out what he wants to do.”
“It’s lovely.” Temari smiles. “Kind of like a fairy tale.”
Shikamaru’s lip twitched. “Kind of.”
Hinata was the bravest girl Temari had ever met.