A/N It's not long, but it's something.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, but my OC. Period.
"Why can't we just love each other and judge people by the cars they drive?" – Ellen Degeneres
It's always the women in Shikamaru Nara's life that can give him massive headaches that can last for days. They are always the more 'troublesome' aspect of his life.
Be it his own mother, or his teammate Ino, or even his then-companion now wife, Temari.
To him women are aggressive, always demanding and he even dares to admit it, scary creatures.
Not to say that he's sexist or anything, it's a man's job to respect women after all. Though that also doesn't mean he actively seeks their help. He generally tries to come up with a solution on his own, which is why it's very embarrassing to have a woman help him. Not to even talk about when he has to fight on in battle. He avoids entanglement with women as much as he can.
A few years ago he would've done everything in his abilities to avoid marriage and everything that has to do with married life. But now…If only his younger self could see him now.
Married…with children.
Well, more like child. He sincerely hopes that his old man wasn't lying when he said women make men better men than they were before.
It seemed to be working for Naruto at least. Never in all his life had Shikamaru seen him so…calm and mature. It almost unnerved him.
"Mina-chan! Come to Tou-chan!" An excited Naruto grinned as he crouched down to his daughter's height and opened his arms wide, expecting Minako, clad in a toad onesie, to walk her first steps into them. She had been in the process of learning the art of standing when her overly doting father interrupted.
Only to receive an unamused look in return as she promptly plopped down on her bottom and resumed watching the television –Konoha has become very technologically advanced lately-, completely ignoring her father.
Who in return blanched and whined to his wife, "Hinata! Mina-chan's being mean!"
…Okay maybe 'mature' is a too strong of a word for now. But he'll get there one day. Just not today.
Shikamaru sighed heavily in his spot on the couch at the Uzumaki residence, where he was lounging with his former teammate and best buddy Chouji while his noticeably pregnant wife was mingling with the other women in the kitchen. Kiba would've been here too, but he was on a special date with his girlfriend, Tamaki. Why a dog-lover and a cat-lover decided to become each other's lovers, he'll never understand.
It was January again.
The birthday of one special little girl named Minako.
Shikamaru says 'special' because he has honestly never in his life seen a child like her before.
From what little he has seen of her throughout the year, he can safely say that Minako wasn't your usual child. With parents like hers it's of course expected that their child be more extraordinary than ordinary. But nothing about Minako is ordinary, but a little too extraordinary.
And after constantly watching over little Mirai, he would know.
She doesn't even resemble her parents all that much either. Personality wise.
Unlike when Mirai was a baby –always cheerful and friendly- Minako is quiet, reserved, but has streaks of mischievousness. She absolutely loathes being picked up by anyone, even Hinata, unless she has to.
Which in turn made Naruto constantly pick her up and he wouldn't even flinch when she bit him. Hard.
(Shikamaru can still see many bite-marks on Naruto's forearms and the fact that they have preserved to this day, says a lot about Minako's teeth strength.)
Naruto loves his daughter. That's simply a fact. Shikamaru could see that Minako has his father wrapped around her chubby, little finger, and –somehow, someway- she was aware of that, but chose not to act upon it. Shikamaru concluded, from what he saw just now, that Naruto was desperate to show his daughter that he was there for her. And always will be if he had any say about it.
Even though Shikamaru wants to help Naruto achieve his childhood dream of becoming Hokage, he knew what came with the position. His old man used to be the clan head and now he is a clan head himself as well and knows how hard it is to separate career and family. But he'll do what he can to help.
She didn't seem to harbor any ill will towards anyone, but she wasn't exactly attached to her parents' hip either. Not like Mirai was.
She was just too aware of what's going on. The look in her eyes, it's as if she knows everything about everyone. What makes them tick, what makes them happy, what do they like etc.
Like how careful she is around Shino's bugs or how her little nose would scrunch up at the sight of Kakashi-sensei's book or how she made sure not to accidentally crawl over Akamaru's tail or how she always made sure to eat faster than usual when uncle Choji's visiting.
She never cried. This was discovered when Kurenai-sensei had jokingly asked them if they'd been having enough sleep with the constant crying. Naruto had been confused and looked towards his wife, who nodded politely at the question, asked her what Kurenai had meant.
Needless to say Naruto had been very adamant to take her to the hospital, and was constantly bugging Tsunade to check her over no matter how many times Tsunade said she was fine, which made her hit him over the head for being an annoying brat.
But let it not be said that she has not inherited the troublemaking tendencies her father had.
Shikamaru will forever chuckle when thinking back to the time Naruto and Hinata were visiting the Hyuga compound, Minako in a stroller. People had been staring at them, of course. Naruto and Hinata have grown accustomed to that and were content in ignoring them, but it seems little Minako had other plans as she stuck her tongue out –nice and wide- at them.
Hinata was very embarrassed, apologizing while Naruto was laughing and praising her. Clan elders where not amused.
Currently on her spot on the floor, she crawled over to the couch –the very couch he was sitting on- and Shikamaru –tuning out the chatters of his friends- watched with intrigue at how she tried to pull her body up to the empty space next to him, putting her entire weight on just her arms.
He was not there when Mirai took her first step nor was he there when she spoke her first word (courtesy of the 4th Great Shinobi War), so this was a new experience for him as a witness as well.
Gripping the couch like a life-line, -she was obviously on a mission to sit on the couch- she tried with all her might, but it seems the strength has left from her arms as she let go.
Minako stumbled and fell down on her bottom. Shikamaru watched, wanting to know what she'll do next, but seems like she knows when she sees a lost cause and promptly started to crawl back to the carpet –where she previously sat- when Naruto appeared, halting her and picked her up from her arms and firmly placed her back in front of the couch. He himself taking a place behind her.
"Come on Minako! You were doing so good! Try again!" He smiled encouragingly at her. He had been observing her alongside Shikamaru. He was always watching her, never wanting to miss any moment where his daughter achieved something, so that he could smile and praise her with words he himself wished were said to him a long time ago.
Minako let out a huff as she crossed her arms and glared at the couch but didn't move.
Naruto's smile faded a little. He picked her up and turned her around to face him, "That's it? You're giving up 'cause you failed just once?" He stared into her eyes with so much passion Shikamaru could swear she was gapping inside.
"Failing at something doesn't mean you should give up Mina-chan. If you can't do it once, then try again and again 'ttebayo!" He pinched her whiskered cheek gently, as if to chide her for being so silly.
Minako had a contemplative look on her face as she looked up at her father.
A moment passed before Minako turned around towards the couch and with the same determined sparkle in her eyes that could only be found in Naruto's own, she climbed that couch.
Shikamaru smiled into his drink as he took a sip, letting Naruto throwing his shrieking –probably with fright- daughter into the air fade into the background.
Though sometimes it feels like Minako is an unsolvable puzzle, she'll always do something a bit strange and unexpected, that clears the mist that surrounds her just a little bit.
"OW! Mina-chan, you bit me!"
Naruto put her gently back on the couch and nursed his arm, "Man, I wish Sakura was here right now instead of travelling with the Teme!"
Shikamaru and Choji snickered at his expense, when Hinata emerged from the kitchen, whipping her hands on her apron, "Naruto-kun, I think it's time to put Minako-chan to bed."
As if to confirm her mother's thoughts, Minako let out a huge yawn and let herself be picked up by Hinata.
Hinata smiled softly at her daughter, "Say bye-bye, Minako-chan."
All she did was let out another yawn.
Giggling at her, Hinata kissed Naruto's cheek (and he in turn kissed both hers and his daughter's) and walked towards Minako's nursery and Minako leant over her mother's shoulders, she waved half-heartedly at them.
Smiling at her and also waving, Shikamaru looked towards Naruto, finding an enormous amount of affection behind the sky-blue eyes. He also sneaked a look at his own wife from over his shoulder, to find her talking and giggling while softly caressing their baby-bump.
…maybe this married life wouldn't be so terribly bad after all.
