"Probably not to you," Temari accuses, although it is gently, and fondly, and she would truthfully not have Shikamaru any other way. His arm across her shoulder is a warm, comforting weight, unlike anything she's ever really allowed herself in the past.

"Maybe they could save themselves some trouble that way," she told him. "But not everyone wants to avoid trouble. Some people can't survive without it. That's just how they are. They aren't happy unless they have something to be unhappy about."

She paused, considered, and leaned forward to press a soft-mouthed kiss against his lips