When logic fails ...

Unexpected Synchronization

Temari paused her steps as she stepped outside. Her gaze swept searching through the darkness before she spotted him. Shikamaru stood a little way off the path in the shadow of the darkness, leaning against a tree with his hands buried deep in his pockets. His gaze was directed straight at her, and even from a distance, Temari noticed how tense he was. But the nervousness also noticeably constricted her own chest, as she didn't know exactly how this evening would unfold.

She slid her hands into the pockets of her coat, partly to protect them from the cool wind and partly to conceal her own nervousness. She gave him a deep look and slowly moved towards him. The grin simply wouldn't leave her lips, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it.

"It... it's nice... I mean... that you had time," Shikamaru stammered, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck, a shy smile gracing his lips. After all, he still didn't know exactly what Ino had written to her. He would have loved to at least skim the chat, but he had left his phone upstairs in his haste. Turning back was not an option for him, however, as Ino would then overwhelm him with countless pieces of advice again. His plan was clear: he had to keep a low profile at least until he knew exactly what Ino had written to her.

Temari looked down self-consciously and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Um... yeah. Tenten has been asleep for a while, and since I couldn't sleep, your idea of a walk came at just the right time... Fresh air is supposed to help with things like that..."

Finally, his posture seemed to relax a little. The worst-case scenario had not occurred; at least Ino hadn't written her a love confession. With a slight nod, he pointed toward the park. "Well, then come on. Let's stretch our legs a bit," he suggested.

They walked slowly side-by-side with a certain distance between them, in silence. The stillness that prevailed between them, however, grew heavier with every step. Both sensed that something unspoken lay between them. Only a few streetlights were burning in the park, and the stars twinkled above them.

Shikamaru kept glancing sideways at her, studying her silhouette in the soft glow of the lamp. He searched desperately for an opening, for a sentence that wouldn't seem completely out of place, but the longer he thought about it, the less suitable his ideas seemed. It was the middle of the night, and he was walking alone with her through the park, a situation he had never expected. It had never come to anything like this in any of his imaginings, and now he was walking beside her, and every attempt to say something dissolved the moment he conceived it.

Temari unexpectedly stopped her steps. She simply stood still, raised her gaze slightly, and looked deep into his eyes. A smile had crept back onto her lips. It was the same smile she had given him at the door, unexpectedly soft and somehow vulnerable. This sight immediately made his heart beat a little faster, and his throat suddenly felt dry. The green of her eyes bored right into his.

Since Shikamaru said nothing, Temari eventually broke her gaze and lifted it to the sky, before saying in a calm voice: "Beautiful, clear night tonight... isn't it?"

Shikamaru swallowed hard, hoping his voice wouldn't fail. "Mmh," however, was all he managed to produce. Another brief pause followed, in which only the rustling of leaves above them could be heard.

"I wouldn't have thought you were still awake at this hour," she finally said, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Yeah, me neither," he replied. "But Ino has a very engaging personality... and since it's her last evening here..."

Ino's name suddenly felt like a cold gust of wind to Temari. She pressed her lips together and stared stubbornly straight ahead into the darkness. This was it; she finally needed clarity, and she would only get it if she addressed it directly. That little fear that Ino might really be his steady girlfriend wouldn't let go of her. Temari took another deep breath, her hands pressed into tight fists inside her coat pockets. "And she really is just a friend, and not your girlfriend?" she whispered softly into the silence.