Title: Excuses, Excuses

Style: Oneshot

Characters: Shikamaru, Yoshino, Shikaku, and an OC that's supposed to be Shikamaru's aunt XD

Hands shoved in pockets, a horrible slumped posture, a high ponytail, and lazy eyes, Shikamaru made his way home after a day of training with his teammates and sensei. Asuma had asked the boy to come over and play Shogi, but the boy had declined the offer, stating that his mum had invited her sister for lunch, and Shikamaru absolutely had to be there- no matter how much he didn't want to be.

So with a heavy sigh, and a dread he could not help feeling he made his way home.

He turned the corner that lead to his house. Right then and there, he felt it. That dread he felt when going home intensified. Being the genius he is, it didn't take him long to understand that his mother was on the prowl. But what for? He didn't have the slightest idea.

His hand rested on the gate. He was having an internal battle, debating whether he should just get through with it, or take Asuma up on that offer. The latter seemed very tempting, but he figured that postponing whatever angered his mum would only make it harder to deal with later. He'd be tired and not in the mood for such trifles. Not that he wasn't in the mood for that sort of stuff all the time.

With a heavy heart, he pushed open the gate and closed the distance between him and the front door. Turning the knob slowly, it took an instant for his mother to come from the kitchen, to the entrance area, a hand on her hip. Shikamaru pressed his lips shut, not daring to mutter his favourite word, had he said 'troublesome' he would not hear the end of it.

Exasperated, Shikamaru almost pleaded, "what is it now?"

"I don't know, Shikamaru. Why don't you go up to your room and tell me?"

There was a very thin line between sarcasm, and sarcasm-with-hostility. Nara Yoshino had adopted the latter in her tone.

Shikamaru closed his eyes in effort to hide his rolling eyes. He walked passed his mother and trudged up the stairs and slid open the door to his room. Everything looked normal, just as he left it. So what was the problem?

"Oh..."

Just as he left it. That was exactly it. He forgot to make his bed.

Failing to realise that his mother was hot on his heels. He turned around and walked right into her.

"Well?" she said her eyes narrowing, as her son took a few tentative steps back.

A flash of a memory appeared before his eyes as he had used a simple and truthful excuse he had told his mother: "I forgot to make it, sorry," that didn't go down too well.

"Uh... I forgot to make it, sorry." Shikamaru shrugged. It couldn't hurt telling the truth, right?

"Forgot to make it, eh?" Yoshino repeated.

Shikamaru gave her a shrug and a nod together, then immediately regretted it when his mother's features became calm. That was never a good sign.

"Oh... well. I guess I'm going to forget making you breakfast, lunch, dinner, for the whole week, Shikamaru. Sorry." Yoshino turned on her heel and left his room.

That day, he had spat out the word 'fuck' instead of 'troublesome'. Fortunately for him, his mother was out of earshot.

"I- uh- woke up really early, like... at five! So I thought I would go feed the deer a bit... then... I'd go back to sleep, right? I changed into some clothes, because it was too cold for pyjamas. And then- I lost track of time when I was in the forest. And... when I came back, see, Ino and Chouji were passing by, and then they told me to come with them, because we had to all go training. I told them to wait, so I can go back and do my bed. But mum, you know Ino! She didn't let me, and said we'd be late! So she dragged me and... I just came back! Honest!"

Sometimes genii were a tad bit stupid.

"Yoshino... why is Shikamaru not on the table with us?" Yoshino's sister asked as she poured a helping of soup into her bowl, and peeked through the doorway to the kitchen at Shikamaru..

"It seems that I forgot he would be joining us today, and only made enough food for you, Shikaku, and I." Yoshino smiled with a mock-innocent shrug as she too helped herself to some soup.

Shikaku simply looked devastated for his son as he drank the soup, peering into the kitchen catching glimpses of his son struggling with a skillet and the stove.

Women are so troublesome...

The thought rang in two minds. One from the kitchen, the other from the dining room table.

Author's Note: Just a little idea that's been nagging in my mind for a while, XD