Title: Tales of A Single Father: Shikamaru
Summary: We always hear about the single mother's raising their children in this cold, indifferent world. But about the single fathers? Well Shikamaru has two growing troublesome daughters, but a beautiful blonde down the hall just may be the answer to his prayers. Or maybe not... ShikaTema
Author: Bibliophile Nincompoop
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When you become senile, you won't know it.
~Bill Crosby
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Chapter Two: The Woman in Apartment 5c
"Daddy." A small voice whispered from the side of the bed. A small chubby finger poked his forehead, repeatedly. The voice whispered again, but a little more aggravated. "Daddy. Kaiko wants cereal."
"Make Sora get you some." Shikamaru grumbled, burrying his face in his pillow.
The girl stomped her foot and pouted, "But she's sleeping! She told Kaiko to come bug you." He answered by snoring. "Daddy! Wake up!"
"Kaiko, it's winter break. Let me sleep in, till at least noon." Shikamaru looked at his daughter, his eyes half-lidded.
Her chubby fingers forced his eyes open, "The sun is up daddy, so get up."
Shikamaru found himself standing up, he must have looked like a zombie. Shuffling his feet and moaning with each step, mouth still hanging agape. He pulled a bowl down from the cupboard, along with the box of Lucky Charms. He filled it and set it on the table.
"Daddy, you're forgetting somefin'." Kaiko frowned.
Shikamaru shook his head, "Hn?"
"It's white and it goes in Kaiko's cereal." She rolled her eyes as if to say 'duh'.
Shikamaru shuffled back to the fridge, getting the milk and pouring in the bowl. He just left the jug on the table and went to collapse back in his warm inviting nirvana of a bed. He glanced at the clock on his night stand and groaned. Six in the morning, she can't be my child.
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"You make to much noise!" Shouted a broken English voice. "You tell dem' to stop!"
Shikamaru looked up at his alarm, the red numbers read that it was eleven thirty. Of course the dragon lady across the hall had to ruin the last thirty minutes of his sleep. Shikamaru rolled out of bed, stumbling to the front door. It felt like the longest walk of his life to reach the living room. Kaiko and Sora were already at the door standing on the dinning table chairs, listening and watching the ruckus and drama occurring outside.
"What's going on?" He groaned, his onyx eyes still adjusting to the bright afternoon sun.
"Someone is moving into the empty apartment." Sora said, excitedly. "Ms. Chu is having a field day."
Shikamaru poked his head out in to the bustling hallway, curiosity getting the best of him. Burly men with disgruntled faces lifted furniture and boxes up the five flights of the stairs and into the corner apartment. One right after the other, the smell of sweaty armpits was becoming prevalent. Any regular man would say that is the smell of hard work, Shikamaru would say that it was just flat out gross. But what caught his attention was the four tufts of blonde hair, which by the curvy figure, he presumed was a woman. That or a very attractive transvestite, he was hoping for the first one. The woman was trying, and obviously failing, to reason with Ms. Chu.
"Ma'am I understand that these men are making noise. That's generally what happens when a person is moving into a new home." The blonde sighed, holding her forehead in her palm. The old hag had been tormenting her since she opened the door to her new apartment, she was regretting moving here with every passing second. "I'm sorry, but they will be done within a few hours. And then-"
"No. You make dem' stop now." Ms. Chu thick accent demanded, as she wiggled he small pointer finger in the much taller woman's face. "Or I get landlord and he evict you!"
"I've just started to move in, the landlord understands this." The blonde held on to her resolve, her patience was only hanging on by a single thread. "Now would you please-"
"You go to cheap motel." She shooed the younger woman, "They take you. You go now, take stinky men with you."
The woman's temp flared, "Now listen here! I am paying three thousand a month for this rinky dink apartment, in a city I'd rather get the hell out of, I at least deserve to have decent neighbors! But I think the apartment manager should be paying me, for dealing with an annoying, pestering, aggravating, and plain out bitchy old woman like you! Now I am moving into the shack of an apartment, whether you like it or not! So leave me the hell alone!"
"You parents no raise you right." Ms. Chu scowled at the fuming girl. "No respect for you elders. No respect."
The blonde growled, storming down the stair well. "Oh go into your cave you old bat."
Kaiko and Sora boisterous laugher resonated down the halls, they immediately liked the woman who was going to be their new neighbor. They stopped promptly, when Ms. Chu snapped her head in their direction, her narrow eyes sent a cold shiver down Shikamaru's spine.
"No respect." She grumbled, she turned to a moving man before stalking back into her home. "You smell like pig."
"That lady sure is brave." The eldest daughter snickered as they went back into the apartment. "Not even you stand up to Ms. Chu, dad."
"The dragon lady is scary." Shikamaru paused. "But that new girl might be scarier, just like grandma."
"Kaiko thinks she's pretty." She smiled, batting her big warm Carmel eyes up at her father. "Right daddy?"
"I uh, sure." He said lamely, mentally scolding himself.
Kaiko whispered something into her sister's ear, and Sora beamed nodding her head furiously. They bounced in their chairs like most girls do when they get overly excited, flailing their arms in front of their face and giggling uncontrollably. Shikamaru peered at his girls from their narrow kitchen, Neither of them can possibly be my children. He shook his head clear, fixing himself a bowl of cereal.
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Ok, it's 1:11 and I was at the beach today and when I got home.... well I forgot to post. So here I am posting this, sorry. Chapter three is done and will be posted when I wake up tomorrow, so around noon :D