Nara Shikadai is a reasonable boy. A really reasonable, level headed, smart, strategist boy. Yes, it is. Or at least, this is what everyone thinks about him. Including himself.

So if he analyses something and finds a conclusion, it is because that is the most probable and correct conclusion. And he really analysed this. And the conclusion is: his father doesn't love him.

Well, he maybe, just maybe loves him. But he loves someone else the most. And that is the problem.

He is just like his dad. A spitting image. From his face to his personality to his mannerisms. Mom says that this drives her crazy. His "bothersome" and "what a pain" and neck rubs are just like his father's. His laziness too. His intelligence and strategical mind. So why his dad loves that girl so much?

At first, he was okay to share his dad, she was here before him, after all. But now she was promoted. She is Hokage's bodyguard. She work with dad every day until late. And he brings her home for a midnight tea and a shogi game. And he talks about her non stop.

"Mirai this, Mirai that. She's so smart and brave. And her chakra control is amazing, just like her father." Mirai, Mirai, Mirai… And now, Shikadai hates her. Plain and simple. She stolen his dad.

But he's not a child anymore. He's already a chunnin. He's a shinobi. He can control his emotions. So he did that.

Until the day, he came home after a mission and finds her curled up in the backyard, head in his father chest, taking a nap with him.

With HIS father. In HIS spot. Under their favourite tree. That was HIS place! That was HIS dad.

So he did what he didn't want to do. He lost control.

"THIS IS MY DAD! THIS DADDY IS MINE, NOT YOURS!". He flinched at how childish he sounded. He doesn't even call him "daddy" anymore. Not since he went to the academy.

Shikamaru sits up straight and look at his child, confused. What a hell? Shikadai doesn´t call him "daddy" since he was 6! And why is he screaming like that? Why is he behaving like a child half of his age?

Shikadai's face turned red from embarrassment. "I HATE YOU BOTH!". And he run way, slamming door on the way to his room.

Shikamaru doesn't know what to do. His son never behaved like that. Not even when he was a baby or a toddler. What is going on?

"Sorry, Mirai… I don't know what's up with him…"

Mirai sighed. "For the Konoha's number one strategist, you are a little dumb, Shika-nii-chan"

"I'm…what?" Shikamaru is dumb founded.

"You son is jealous! You spend all day with me, you bring me home for tea and Temari said that you don't stop bragging about me…"

"But… It' true! I'm proud of you!"

"And I'm thankful for that! But he is your son, not me! And he is just a child, to be truthful… He is only 12, after all…"

"I was his age when I lead my first mission…"

"Yes, you were. But your father didn't coddle you like you coddled him. He didn't have time for that. And when he had time, he spent it with you… You told me that. About the shogi games, the naps under the trees, the cloud watching, the deer feeding… You didn't have to share him with someone else…"

"I made a promise and…"

"Oh shut up! I know all of that! But I'm a grown ass woman! I don't need you rocking me to sleep and teaching me how to throw a freaking kunai! I throw them better than you!"

"So…"

"So go ahead and talk to your kid! Tell him that you love him better than me! Tell him how proud you are of his promotion!"

"But he knows that! Doesn't him?" Shikamru sounds uncertain…

"Oh for Kami sake! You are more emotional dumb than Ino and Temari told me!"

"I'm…what?" He's shocked.

"Go! He knows that but he NEEDS to hear that from you! Go! Hug your kid, you pineapple head!"

She smirks when saw him getting up and heading to the house. "Troublesome women of mine…"

Shikamaru stops at his son's room door… Should he knock? How troublesome…

"Dai? Son?" He hesitates.

"Yes…" Shikadai's voice is quiet and sounds broken. Shikamaru's heart clenches. His son is in pain and he didn't even notice that.

He opens the door. Shikadai is curled up in his bed, back to the door, trembling slightly. He sits at his side and pulls the covers to see his son's face. Shikadai tries to hide his face in the pillow.

"Son? Look at me please…" Shikamaru's voice is calm and quiet, just like the voice he used to use when he was trying to calm down his kid when he was a baby. His "Daddy voice" like Temari used to call it.

"No…" Shikadai chokes a sob. "Can you leave me alone please? Just for a bit? I'm sorry, okay?"

Shikamaru sighs. "No, kiddo, I can't leave you alone like that. I'm not mad. At least, not at you…"

Silence fills the room for a minute before Shikamaru can hear his son's shaky breaths. He is trying so hard to get a hold of his emotions. It's painful to watch. Why? He never taught that to him. Yes, he taught him to control his emotions in an exam or in a battle scenario. He used shogi games to teach him that. But not with his parents, in the safety of his room. He always told Shikadai to let out his emotions in this case. Doesn't matter if he was angry, or nervous, or sad. He could and should to cry in his home, in his father shoulder or his mother arms. Temari teased him endlessly, saying that he is raising a cry baby just like him, but Shikamaru knows that she agrees with him. Bottle up emotions are like a volcano, waiting to explode. It's not good for you.

"Dai… come here…" He lifts his son of the bed and places him in his lap, like he was half of his age. "talk to me, kiddo. Talk with daddy."

Shikadai is trembling and cringes at his dad's words. "I'm not 5, you know?"

"I know, but you are my kid and you are in pain. I want to know what's up. So, talk"

"It's nothing… It's stupid." Shikadai hides his face in his father chest. He inhales his familiar scent, relishing at his warm embrace. He feels…safe. And calm. And at home… He'll never admit that, especially in front of his friends, but he would crawl in his parent's bed and sleep in his father's arms until the Chunnin Exams. Then, he stopped doing that. He is a chunnin after all, not a kid anymore, so that is off limits. But he misses it SO much! He still has nightmares sometimes. And his jutsu is worthless when is dark. And he can sleep with a light on anymore… Oh, he hates this "grown up ninja" thing. But dad is all about teaching the next generation and not being a kid forever… So he has to suck it up and sleep alone and pretend that is not dark in his room…

He is so caught up in his line of thought that he jumps when Shikamaru speaks "It's important if it makes you feel like that…"

"It's… You don't have time to me! And you are always working or with Mirai! And I can go to you anymore or sleep with you or hug you! And is so dark in here and I'm scared but I shouldn't be! And you don't love me because I'm not all grown up and strong like her! You don't love me anymore". He ends his rambling breathless and breaks down in heavy sobs, soaking his father's shirt with tears.

"Wow, wow, kid… Calm down, please. Just calm down, okay? Take deep breaths, just like me. Okay? Come on, like me. That's it, little fawn, breath with daddy". Shikamaru rubs soothing circles in his child back and breaths deeply, trying to coax him to do the same.

"Come on, little fawn, hush… Breath, just breath…" Shikadai starts to calm down. That childish nickname works like a charm. Just his father calls him that. Just when they are alone, not even when his mother is around. That's what his father whispered in his hear right before his exam "good luck, little fawn!" and just after he was promoted "good job, little fawn". And that made him beam with pride.

Feeling his kid calming down, Shikamaru starts to talk again, never stopping the soothing circles in Shikadai's back.

"Kid, I know you miss me. And I know that you are a little jealous. But you are my pride and joy! The love of my life! I don't love anyone like I love you! I would kill and die just for you, son. And it'll never change! Look at me, little fawn" Shikadai takes a shaky breathe and looks at his father's eyes. "You'll always be my favourite person in the whole world. My shogi partner, my napping buddy. And you'll be my baby. So you can always come to me if you are sad or scared. You can always sleep with me when is to dark and lonely in here. Or you can call me if you don't want to come to my bed. It's okay. Yes, you grew up and you are independent and strong. You are an awesome shinobi and I can't be more proud of you. But it's okay to feel scared sometimes. And it's okay to come to your dad when you feel so. Remember what my father taught me about being angry and sad?"

"To let it all out? That he would pick up the pieces for you…" Shikadai answers quietly.

"And what did I tell you about that?" Shikamaru smiles.

"That you'll always be there to pick up the pieces for me…" Shikadai smiles, finally. He feels stupid for his behave but on the other hand… He feels more assured now. He believes in his father's words. He is to lazy to lie.

"Yup, that's it, kiddo!" Shikamaru ruffles his son's hair and rests his head on top of Shikadai's. "Better now?"

"Yes…" Shikadai whispers. "I'm… I'm sorry… Really, really sorry."

"It's okay, that was why I tell you not to hide what you feel. But it's okay, don't think about that anymore."

"And Mirai? She's mad at me…"

"No, she is fine. She understood you. Actually, she knocked some senses in your dad's head… Luckily your mother wasn't here… She would knock me with her fan, instead" Shikamaru laughs.

"And me… Bothersome…" Shikadai giggles.

"Yeah, troublesome woman…" Shikamaru smiles to his kid.

Shikadais yawns and curls up against his father chest. "Are you tired, son?"

"Hum,hum…" Shikadai's eyes are half lidded.

"Take a nap, you need it" Shikamaru prepares to lay his son in the bed, but the kid fists his shirt.

"Can you…can you stay with me, daddy?" Shikadai hesitates..

"I wouldn't go anywhere, little fawn. Anywhere…" Shikamaru lays down with his son in his chest already asleep.

Yes, maybe his son is growing up. Maybe he's almost a teenager. And maybe, just maybe he is raising a cry baby just like him. But it's okay. It's okay to cry in the safety of a loved one's arms. And maybe it's okay to let him be a kid just a little longer… The times are changed. They live in peace now. So it's okay to let them be kids longer that the previous generation… Just a little bit longer…