He was home. After weeks away, shuffling between paper work, advising and strategizing at the office, forced to stay at the nearby area, he was finally able to contemplate the fact that it was over. The sudden rush of work was done and he didn't have a care in the world once again. For the mean time, at least. He'd have to return to his everyday work routine in the morning, he knew. Not that the man was looking forward to it in the least.
The fact was furthest in his mind, though, as he stepped on the house's wooden porch and slid the back door open, immediately greeted by a high pitched exclaim of, "Daddy's home!"
He couldn't help a smile turn his lips at the sound of his little girl's dainty shuffling in the distance. He walked across the empty living room and took a few steps up the stairs when the child with golden brown hair and eyes to match bright with excitement came into view.
"Daddy!" Was her ecstatic welcome as he chuckled a reply.
She took but a few steps towards the edge of the staircase before another figure came into view, one Shikamaru would recognize anywhere.
His daughter, though, was unaware of the blonde's presence until she was caught in her arms and her mother had a nose to her neck, "Gotcha."
Shikami's reaction was a shrieking laughter, given her mother's grasp intentionally tickled her sides. It was loud. Loud enough to cause Shikamaru a headache, had it not been there before. But the frame itself, his wife's rare sign of playfulness and daughter's jollity, was enough for him to overlook the fact.
Temari was only twenty eight years old, still young by many standards, but already she played the roll of a mother as if she'd been involved with it her entire life. And he wouldn't tell her he was right when he'd said she had always had a maternal lace to her, but Shikamaru supposed she already knew. But to go from his brief observation to an actual fact was still surprising to the man. She had a completely different face with the young girl, one he couldn't help feel drawn to as well. It was rare, warm and kind and happy. He supposed that if their roles were to be reversed, Temari would notice the same character change in him. She probably already had, but being the stubborn, capricious couple that hey were, they wouldn't mention or do anything about those facts.
Only once had Shikamaru caught Temari with a fervent look in her eye, after he'd comforted a new born Shikami in the middle of the night, and the woman had been sick with an intense fever.
"Where did you think you were going?" Temari questioned, slightly muffled against Shikami's shoulder and laughter, "You can't go down the stairs by yourself."
"Yes I can!" She insisted, "I can do it myself, you just won't let me."
Temari straightened her posture only slightly to catch a better view of her daughter with an amused smirk on her lips, "I can't help it. I need someone to mess with when your father's not around. It can get pretty boring up here."
Shikami, slightly exasperated by her mother's grasp, struggling with all her might to break loose and seemed just about ready to scream in frustration. Temari could be cruel, but Shikamaru couldn't help smirking himself as his daughter extended a short arm towards her father, "But he is around!" She exclaimed, "He's right there!"
Temari glanced up with a brief flip of the hair which had gotten in the way of her vision, expression unchanging as she leaned her chin against their daughter's head, "Hey."
"Hey yourself."
"Mommy!" Shikami insisted, growing tired of struggling against the half hug, half restraint her mother had her in.
Temari couldn't help a laugh, "Well," she addressed her daughter, letting her loose to rush towards her father's side, "why didn't you say that sooner?"
Shikamaru watched as the girl tugged on his leg, eyes desperate as she said, "Quick, daddy, before she gets me!"
He let out a small laugh, lifting his daughter off the ground as his wife stood up in one swift motion, "God, she makes it sound like I'm some sort of monster."
"Well," Shikamaru began.
"Watch it." His wife warned.
"Daddy," Shikami tugged on her father's shirt until he had driven his full attention back to her, "mommy sais I can't go down the stairs by myself but I really can."
Shikamaru watched as her voice dropped to a loud whisper, as if what she said was a big secret she needed to keep from her mother, and he supposed it was, "I've done it before."
From the corner of his eye, he noted Temari bring her hands to her hips with brows raised. She said nothing though, seeing as though their daughter could swear her secrecy was impeccable.
"How'd you manage that?" Shikamaru asked, honestly curious.
Shikami smiled, bringing a finger up to her lips, "I was extra quiet, and went down on my tippy toes."
"Why?"
She pouted, suddenly guilty, "I was thirsty," she admitted, "but mommy fell asleep and I didn't want to make her wake up to get me juice."
Temari's head swayed to the side, expression slightly softened though clear irritation could still be noted in her every feature. Shikamaru hadn't noticed he was observing her reaction until Shikami tugged on his shirt again.
"But daddy, you can't tell." She whispered again, "It would make mommy mad, and mommy's scary when she's mad."
Shikamaru felt nothing but empathy towards his daughter as he nodded, "Alright," he told her after mock deliberation, "but if she figures it out I can't have your back, Shikami."
His daughter nodded, head lolling towards his shoulder, "Okay."
She was suddenly exhausted. Temari had allowed her to stay awake after her curfew to greet her father after he'd returned, but since her purpose had been fulfilled, the night quickly caught up with her.
Shikamaru glanced up to see his wife tilting her head towards Shikami's bedroom with a hand on her wrist. He nodded, but before he could take a step, his daughter spoke again, eyes closed, "Daddy?"
Shikamaru hummed a response, prompting her to continue.
"Do you think mommy figured it out?"
Shikamaru glanced towards his wife, who held the bridge of her nose and sighed.
"I didn't want to make her mad." Shikami continued, guilt dripping off her every word, "I was just really thirsty..."
Temari's hands and shoulders dropped with a brief exhale, then she looked up, clearly sensing Shikamaru's eyes asking for a response. She couldn't help a snort and small shake of her head as she returned to her office, murmuring incomprehensible things to herself.
He looked back down to his half conscious daughter, "No, I don't think she did. But perhaps you should tell her." Feeling his daughter slightly stiffen, he chuckled, "She won't be as mad as you think."
Shikami looked ready to question his judgment, but too tired to begin, she simply nodded as her father carried her towards her bedroom, and slowly set her down on the bed which overflowed with all sorts of stuffed animals.
"Good night, daddy." She managed with slurred words.
"Night." With a brief glance back down towards his daughter, Shikamaru exited.
Temari had returned her attention to the various paperwork on her desk as Shikamaru tucked in their daughter, the way the little girl had made him promise he'd do when he returned. She noted when her husband leaned against her doorframe, but paid no mind to it while organizing a few files due the following day.
"Our daughter, the rebel." Shikamaru said with a slight chuckle.
Temari tapped a few papers over the desk before turning towards him with a light scowl, "That's not exactly a habit I want her developing."
Shikamaru snorted and walked deeper into the room until he was leaning against the desk they both spent too much time with, "She's four, Temari." He told her, "And she just didn't want to wake you. Her rebellion was quite noble, if you consider it."
Temari shook her head but said nothing, turning back to organizing the papers on the desk.
They remained in thoughtful silence for what felt like many minutes, until Shikamaru spoke again, "You know, I always knew she would take after like you."
Temari scoffed with a challenged smirk on her lips and turned her attention back towards her husband, "Really? Because I'm sure I recall mentions of a father figure getting into a lot of trouble in his younger years all the while the mother was strictly well behaved."
Shikamaru shrugged, "May be so, but that attitude of hers pays to grow into a very familiar one."
Temari snorted and rested her chin on her hand, "I don't think I would mind that." She told him, "After all, two is better than one."
"Jesus." Shikamaru muttered at the thought.
Temari let out a small laugh and straightened her posture to catch a better glance at her husband against the dim light her lamp provided. Shikamaru met her half way and kissed her lightly before a smile of his own curved his lips.
Fickle woman.
"Welcome home, Nara."
A/N: I have no idea what drove me to even write this, I mean, family affairs aren't my thing in the slightest, but it was one of those things that kind of kept biting at me until I actually typed it down. And to be honest, it was fun (idontknowwhy).
I always thought Temari, deep down, would be maternal because of her brothers and all. And I also vaguely recall her being delighted in talking to Moegi, if I'm not mistaken, and calling her sweetie and what not. So my random guess is that she would lighten up if only a little by being graced with a daughter. As for Shikamaru, I'd say he's not very hard to picture as a father.
And the daughter herself, I did consider making her take after her father more ('cause I've read a few stories where father-daughter bonding is freaking sleeping and I'm not sure why that seems so cute), but just imagine a hyperactive little midget as their kid for a minute. I mean, maybe when she grows up, she'll change, but for the mean time it not only sounds fun to me, but funny in the aspect of questioning where her energy came from.
Also, anyone know why literally everyone pictures Shikamaru having a daughter as a first born? (including me...?)
Anyhow, that's enough of a rant. Let me know how to improve, I love reviews~ Also, if you've got a good prompt, I'd be happy to write your idea (: I'm a multi-shipper and eager to write.