Author's Notes~
To put this out there this story is inspired from Razzika's My Neighbor is a Spartan, (if you haven't heard of her you should go check out her stuff, its really great) and if it sounds like I'm copying her please tell me. The only thing that sucks more than anything is someone claiming something that's not theirs.
I am not fully including Halo 4 or Halo 5 into this story, this strictly diverging from Halo 3 only hinting to a few things in the current Halo games. There will also be book references so if you don't know them I'll try to give backstory without over detailing it.
This is my first story so please give me criticism and feedback on the little things so I may fix them for futures chapters.
This does story does not belong to me
Thx and I hope you enjoy!
"Thoughts"
"Important Ideas"
"Important Information"
"You're not allergic to cats are you?"
John raised a brow to this questioningly, but shook his head. The small woman sighed happily and turned back to door before unlocking it. The green wooden door, almost blinding in the sun's rays, opened with a slight creak.
A loud mew meet the pair's ears as a large puffy black mass came bustling through the hallway. John, having never seeing a cat before, stared cautiously at the black ball of fur. The Spartan took notice of the white marking on the cat's face that oddly looked like a fish.
"Shi-Shi! Calm down boy, I've only been gone for barely an hour." The woman rolled her eyes teasingly at the cat. Naomi pushed off each boot with her hand, comically hoping from one foot to another after each boot was tossed to the side. With a bounce in her step, Naomi walked down the hallway.
"Shi-Shi?"
Naomi turned around and regarded John with her cool green eyes. "That fur ball," she pointed to the furry mass that was poorly hiding behind the pair of old boots, "is Shi-Shi. He's one of the menaces that live with me."
The cat stared at his owner innocently with wide baby blue eyes and mewed loudly at the call of his name. Naomi chuckled at this and continued sauntering down the short hallway. She turned right into an archway at the end of the hallway.
With long strong strides the Spartan followed her and also took in the décor of Naomi's house. The walls were a soft cream color with picture frames hanging in the entry hall. Happy smiling people stared back at John within the safety of the metal framework and glass. John mesmerized each face, curiosity driving his dark blue eyes to each picture.
One photo, however, caught his attention from the rest. The picture was of Naomi, she looked younger with a blue square cap and a yellow cord resting on her head and a blue gown adorning her body. A large smile that made the woman's eyes crinkle graced her face as she proudly raised a rolled up piece of paper.
A slight crease brought his brows together at the photo. The younger Naomi in the photo looked as if she accomplished something of great importance as she proudly help up the rolled up piece of parchment.
John was drawn away from his musing when the sound of some sort of instrument met his ears, a violin he believed. The music faded into a loud catchy beat and a husky feminine voice sang.
With one last parting glance, the Spartan turned and cleared the distance to the archway with two seamless strides.
John turned the corner and his boots met the hard tile. Naomi had her back to John and stood near a granite counter top opening a small can, two white plates sat near her. The music built up in a throbbing crescendo that had Naomi bouncing on her toes and her mouthing the catchy lyrics.
A warm presence pressed itself into the Spartan's lower leg, John stiffened at the foreign pressure. His Spartan instincts had him rigid, his sharp eyes locking onto a black tail brushing past his boot. He relaxed as a different black cat stalked past him, the short haired feline gracefully sitting down next to Naomi and placing a tiny paw on the woman's leg.
Naomi looked down at the cat and sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes jestingly. The cat only stared at her with calm amber eyes.
"I come home for barely two minutes and you're already begging for your food." Naomi gave the cat a teasing stare. The feline only blinked at her and pawed at her leg once, a silent demand in its eyes.
John stepped further into the kitchen and rested against the opposite facing counter top. His burly arms crossing and resting over his broad chest, the fabric of the shirt strained at the sudden movement. John's intense gaze fell upon Naomi as she scooped out a fishy, smelling, wet brown gelatin substance out of the small can and smeared it on each small plate.
The smell had John scrunch up his nose in disdain before adjusting to the stench.
"Who is this other feline?" John's low gravelly voice had both owner and cat staring at him. The cat's large amber eyes unnerved him a bit, the huge yellow orbs with black slits piercing into him with curious indifference.
"This is Kat." Naomi introduced.
John broke his staring contest with the feline and raised a brow to Naomi.
"Kat?"
Naomi rubbed her free hand behind her head sheepishly. "I know, it's not the most creative name, but it suits her." The woman stuck out her tongue playfully at John before placing both dishes on the floor.
"Meanie," She mumbled under her breath.
John softly huffed at the name, mirth in his hard blue eyes.
The black fluffy mass known as Shi-Shi came around the corner to Naomi, his baby blues landing on the white dish had the cat sprinting. Naomi walked over the hyper active cat toward John, her green eyes meeting his hard blues.
"I'll show you around the house."
OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
"And this is your room accompanied with a large king size bed, desk, and dresser." Naomi stepped into the spacious and somewhat dusty room. John shadowed her and took in the musty smelling room. The bed had no sheets and the yellow paint on the wall was chipping at some points at the corners.
Naomi looked around the room, her face was scrunched up. "Man I really let this room go after Tony left."
With a blink of her eyes she turned to face John and smiled. "Want any help moving your belongings in here?"
"I don't have any belongings." Except for the metals and plaques he received after his return to Earth.
"Oh." Naomi tilted her head curiously, but decided not to implore further. "Are those your only clothes?" she pointed to what he wore.
"Yes."
"Looks like you need to go shopping private," she teasingly poked his chest. John huffed a chuckle through his nose and crossed his arms, still taking in his room.
Naomi also looked around the room, a seriousness taking over her gentle features. "Do you want any help shopping John?"
John sighed and though he didn't want to admit it, he felt a bit embarrassed. "To be honest, I've never been shopping before." John explained. "Your assistance would be greatly appreciated if you came along."
"Okay. I'll be glad to come along." Naomi skipped over to the doorway, humming a tune to herself.
John watched her leave with strained amusement. She defiantly is something different compared to the UNSC women he has met, but it was a welcomed different. This woman was kind enough to invite and insist him to stay with her until his own house was built. Kindness and generosity was something John wasn't expecting from Naomi, but he was pleasantly surprised at the woman's giving nature. Hopefully his home will be built soon. He didn't want to wear out his welcome-
"You little ass-muncher! You tore up the toilet paper again?!"
John jerked up from his thoughts at the sudden shouting. Walking out of his room and stopping in the middle of the living room his eyes met Shi-Shi's frightened baby blues. His large fluffy form hiding under a chair with his tail tucked under him.
An annoyed Naomi stormed out of her room, arms full of torn up toilet paper. She gave the 'Ass-muncher' a scathing glare that could melt steel. Shi-Shi only meowed quietly as Kat came to sit next to him, uninterested amber eyes meeting John's gaze.
John looked away from the feline's stare and watched Naomi open a shelf door after she deposited the torn paper into the trashcan. A small clear bottle with a nozzle and trigger was clasped in the woman's hands as she turned to look at Shi-Shi.
Shi-Shi didn't need a warning as he bolted away from the peeved human as she squeezed the trigger and squirted the cat in the ass. Shi-Shi only ran faster.
Naomi huffed and placed the squirt bottle back onto the shelf. John noticed the woman wore a thin jacket over her tank top and a pair of yellow sunglasses rested atop her head. "Little shit head. No treats for him tonight," she mumbled under her breath.
John gave the woman a curious look, tilting his head. Naomi turned and looked at John before clapping her heads together, a mischievous smile splitting across her face. "You ready Chief?"
John nodded almost hesitantly, her impish grin giving him a surge of energy. Her grin prompted a challenge from him. "Challenge accepted."
"Okie then, let's gets a move on."
Both walked toward the hallway, but Naomi stopped halfway. She turned her head to John, "Let's take your 'beast' because my itty bitty Nissan won't be able to contain us plus all your clothes."
John hummed his agreement and both continued to the door.
"I hope us shopping together will help you loosen up around me, I don't bite Chief." Naomi said softly as she locked the front door.
John sighed through his nose softly. He does need to 'loosen up'. Before imploring on the topic further he was distracted as Naomi cartwheeled over the lawn to his truck, a playful grin plastered over her face. She landed a bit wobbly, but still made it to her intended target.
Naomi turned her head only to laugh at John's bewildered expression. She gave a few more chuckles then turned serious. "John can I please play music on the ride to Walmart?"
A smirk pulled at John's lips. "You can." A teasing glint in his eyes made Naomi sigh dramatically.
"Ugh. Fine. May I please play music on the ride to Walmart?"
"Yes, you may Naomi."
Naomi opened the door and climbed in. "Thanks mom!" she remarked.
John opened his door and sat down as well, the smirk splitting into a small grin. "You're welcome daughter." He joked back.
Naomi roared in laughter, her snorting made John relax his tense body. A rumbling chuckle left his broad chest. John was surprised at the unfamiliar gravelly sound.
Naomi pointed at him, a gleeful expression meeting his amused one. "I made you laugh! Yes, score one for 'Omi." Naomi quickly fist pumped to herself before fastening her seatbelt on.
John raised a brow at Naomi's playful behavior. A small shake of his head had Naomi fall into another fit of giggles.
OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Parking into a free spot, John listened as Naomi sang the last lyrics of Everybody (Backstreet's Back) by the Backstreet Boys. John watched Naomi with inquisitive amusement, his eyes glued as she shook her head wildly and bounced in her seat with the beat.
When the music died down Naomi grabbed her phone and opened up the car door, humming happily to herself before shutting the door and skipping down the parking lot toward Walmart. John got out of the truck as well and locked the doors before following the dancing Naomi. He heard faint music coming out of her phone speakers. A higher pitch male's voice sang the phrase 'Beat it' over and over again.
John watched, stunned as Naomi twirled and jumped and spun gracefully, her hair falling out of its sloppy bun. She landed on a curb and kicked above her head, energy rolling off her in waves. She spun on her foot and looked at John, her green eyes full of vigor and a tinge of embarrassment. Coughing, she recomposed herself before trotting over to his side.
"Sorry about that," she said bashfully, a light blush darkening her cheeks "I guess I got a little carried away."
John smirked at her. "I didn't notice."
Naomi elbowed him playfully. "Alright funny guy, hardy har har."
John rumbled a small chuckle as they both traversed the crosswalk.
"Are you a dancer?" John asked.
Naomi hummed in acknowledgment. "Yeah, I work at a local dance studio in the town."
John nodded. "What type of dance do you instruct?"
Naomi rolled her shoulders and placed her hands on her hips. "Waltz, Salsa, Hip Hop, Belly Dancing, Tango, Mambo, Cha Cha. Almost everything we have to offer except for the 'official' Latin dances, that's my coworker's, Sydney's, thing."
John looked at Naomi, surprise in his dark blue eyes. "That's quite impressive Naomi."
The pair walked past the automatic doors and Naomi grabbed a cart. "Yeah, I guess. Dancing is my life." A gleam softened her green eyes. "The passion, the rhythm, the fire on the floor is something I live for."
John nodded along. "Its impressive and something that is truly admirable."
Naomi ducked her head at the sudden praise. "Thanks. That's really sweet of you John."
Naomi padded John's bicep in thanks. The warm touch had John's tense shoulders relax and loosen.
Both walked in silence as they strolled over to the clothes section of Walmart. Several pairs of eyes watched the duo make their way to men's clothes section. The people in the store hardly noticed Naomi as they gawked at the six foot ten inch man walking calmly behind her. Their stares made Naomi's blood boil as many women and men scrunched up their noses at John's scars.
The woman stopped and looked back at the several pairs of staring eyes, ice in her voice. "Why don't ya'll take a picture? I'm sure it will last longer!"
The ogling stares dropped immediately at her biting comment and Naomi nodded with satisfaction. John sighed through his nose quietly and he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Naomi you needn't do that."
"Well I did anyway. These jackasses should know better as to mind their own damn business, a bunch of judgmental pricks." Naomi huffed.
John placed a large gentle hand on Naomi's slim shoulder. The younger woman stopped and looked back at John, green meeting blue. "I can handle them Naomi. I am use to these kinds of stares. No need to defend me."
A warm smile had Naomi calming down. "Sorry. You're my friend and I hate it when people don't treat someone who has been through hell and back with respect."
John's smile grew large, his teeth showing. "You're a good friend Naomi. Thank you for looking out for me, but you must let me handle this on my own."
Naomi nodded reluctantly and turned to continue pushing the cart. "Alright where to start first…"
Her sighed and parked the cart near the underwear section. "Might as well get this out of the way," a deep blush darker her cheeks. "Um, what kind of underwear do you wear?"
John chuckled. "I can do this part on my own Naomi."
Naomi deflated with relief. "Okay, thank god."
She watched John walk a couple more paces before yelling out, "Make sure you pick out multiple pairs!"
She watched as his response was a thumb up. Naomi barked a laugh and looked down to the t-shirt and pants section. 'He seems more of an athletic guy, sooo a bunch of athletic tees and shorts. Some casual wear as well as some fancy suits and ties.' She looked back at John as he walked back over. 'Maybe get him some shoes too.'
"Found everything you liked?"
John nodded and placed four packages of underwear in the cart. Naomi picked up one package and read the label. "Eight pairs in one pack, nice. So you have 32 pairs of briefs, very nice."
Naomi turned the cart and move along to the shirt section. "Let's do athletic tees first, then casual wear. Do you know what you want?"
John shook his head. "No I do not."
"Alright then, let's park it right here and go find some shirts." With a bounce in her step, Naomi stepped over to the Under Armor isle. "Do you know your size?"
"No I do not."
"Bend down boy." Naomi jokingly teased.
A small smirk crossed John's lips as he knelt for Naomi to read the tag.
"Holy shit you're an XXXL? Damn John I know you're huge, but I didn't know you were that huge."
John stood up and looked down at the small woman with a playful grin. "There seems to be a lot you don't know about me."
"Yeah, no shit."
Naomi searched through the shelves for his size and found a black, grey, white, green, blue, orange, yellow, and brown Under Armor tees. She held them up to his chest and decided on which looked good on John. With a few nods she tossed a couple of black, grey, white, green, and blue Under Armor shirts into the cart. Her nose scrunched up at the orange, yellow, and brown shirts. The colors didn't go well with his pale physique.
"Alright onto the casual shirts," Naomi scooted the cart over to the shirts. "Alright ooh let's see what flannel looks on you."
She grabbed a couple of XXXL flannel button ups and made her way back over to john. "Let's see if you're a part of the flapjack bloodline." She said teasingly.
"Flapjack?" John asked curiously. His head tilted to the side, both brows furrowed together.
Naomi decided John looked rather cute like that. Mentally shaking the thought away, she explained what a flapjack is. "It's pancakes that manly lumberjacks eat."
"Oh." Said John, he looked down for a moment before looking back at Naomi, his brows still scrunched together. "What are pancakes and lumberjacks?"
Naomi almost choked on her spit at this. Coughing she looked back at John with surprise. "Well, um, a pancake is thin cake batter that is fried and turned in a pan that you eat for breakfast. And a lumberjack is a guy who cuts down trees, like Paul Bunyan."
"Who is Paul Bunyan?"
Naomi took the button up shirts off their hangers and handed them to John. "Paul Bunyan- put these on- is a giant lumberjack in American folklore. He cuts down huge trees with his trusty blue ox Babe."
John nodded as he slid on the soft fabric, the checker board style of the flannel pressed tightly against his chest and arms.
Naomi nodded at the dark red flannel and let her eyes roam over John's chest and arms. "He's got some big arms, they look pretty nice."
Mentally slapping herself she looked away, a pink blush staining her cheeks. "That looks pretty good on you Mr. Chief."
John nodded as he took off the button up. He handed the shirt to Naomi who accepted it with a quiet thank you. She put it back on the hanger and grabbed a few more in a bigger size.
John frowned. "Why are you grabbing bigger sizes?" he asked in a childlike way.
Naomi turned to him. "It's a cotton material so when you wash it and dry it, it'll shrink. With more washings and drying it will make it shrink even more."
John nodded and saved this information for later. They moved on to polos, V-necks, and regular solid colored shirts. Humming to herself, Naomi discarded polos as they looked too 'preppy' on John and discarded V-necks as they just looked weird on him.
She picked out many different types of solid shirts and several tank tops for John. Secretly the woman grabbed a tank with a print of a smiling sun with sunglasses holding up a cold beer. Naomi giggled to herself as she grabbed a few more with funny prints on them, like one with a beagle puppy looking up with big innocent eyes with bold words underneath saying "My bite is worse than my bark."
Hiding them underneath the shirt stash in the cart, she continued on waiting for John to be finished in the fitting stalls. She dumped a ton of shorts and pants in his arms and told him to go try them before she began her tank tops with prints quest.
Naomi looked over at the heftier woman behind the counter to the men's fitting stalls. She remembered asking for a stall card for John and the older woman's blank expression on giving her the card. Naomi wanted to burst into tearful laughter at the woman's grey eyes almost popped out of her skull when she saw John. The older woman watched her friend step into the stall with a deep blush staining her cheeks and turned to Naomi to give her a wink.
Naomi shook her head at the funny memory. As she waited, Naomi heard a catchy beat erupt out of the speakers in Walmart. Bonnie Tyler's Holding Out for a Hero played in the store and made Naomi bounce in her place. She closed her eyes and softly sang along with Tyler's powerful vocals.
A soft click emanated from the stall door as John quietly made his way to Naomi. His calm blue eyes watched as Naomi's face scrunched up as she mouthed words he could barely hear. John deposited the card to the older woman with a rumbling graveled 'Thank you' before heading over to Naomi. As he approached he heard his friend singing along with the music coming from store's speakers.
"Up where the mountains meet the heavens above,
Out where the lightning splits the sea,
I would swear that there's someone somewhere,
Watching me"
John listened with rapid attention at the powerful vocals coming from both the singer and Naomi.
"Through the wind and the chill and the rain,
And the storm and the flood,
I can feel his approach,
Like a fire in my blood"
John coughed and had Naomi jumping in her spot. With quick reflexes, Naomi turned to look at John. "Hey John, have anything you like?"
John held up the three cargo shorts, five athletic shorts, six pairs of pants, and two dress slacks. "These I did find well suited for me. The others were…"
"Not your type?" Naomi filled in.
"Certainly not." John remarked. His lips pursed together as his sharp hearing heard the footfalls of someone behind him.
"Naomi is that you!" A voice higher in pitch and louder than a frag grenade, shouted behind John.
John rubbed his left ear, a faint ringing blocking out the annoying noise that was the other woman's voice. Naomi moved around John to see a slim woman with straight blonde hair and a face caked in makeup.
"Natalie?" Naomi asked. Her voice quivered in irritation and her body language clearly read to John that this was the last person Naomi wanted to converse with.
"Yup!" Natalie said in a chipper voice. Her orange-like skin and her layered face made John frown internally. He would stay out of this unless Naomi needed backup.
Natalie pounced on Naomi in a hug which Naomi returned reluctantly. With a fake smile, Naomi backed away at arm's length and indulged the other female. Natalie seemed content on rattling on about whatever it was she thought interesting, Naomi could care less. "Drake dumped you? That's awful."
Natalie nodded along with Naomi's feigned pity. "Yeah, I really thought he was the one you know? Well anyway, it was good seeing you Naomi." Natalie turned to leave, but her large bright blue eyes gawked at the large man standing behind Naomi.
"But before I go," Natalie started slowly and huskily. "Introduce me to your handsome friend over here 'Omi."
Naomi groaned mentally and rolled her eyes as she spun to face John. John looked back at Naomi. His hard blue eyes looked slightly annoyed at this new prospect of conversation.
"This," Naomi started, "is John Chief. John this is Natalie Richards."
John nodded at the small slim woman, a tight smile pulling his face.
"So John," Natalie started slowly, "Are you with anyone currently?"
John's keen eyes watched the sharp signals Naomi gave him. 'Danger' and 'Move cautiously' were signaled twice and nodding to Naomi, John looked back to the pompous woman. "I am not currently with anyone, but I am not interested in being with anyone at the moment."
"Oh." Natalie said disappointedly. "Well I work at the local gym, so if you want to stop by please come visit." The slim woman grabbed a piece of paper and pen from her pink snakeskin purse and scribbled down something on it. "Here is my number if you change your mind and you want to get some takeout sometime."
John grabbed the small piece of parchment that was offered and said a quiet 'Thank you'.
"No need to say thank you Johnny." Natalie said huskily. The slim woman flashed her unnaturally white at John in a coy smile before leaving the pair.
Naomi sighed and walked back over to cart before resting her head on the bar. "I really hate that woman."
John rumbled his agreement and turned to Naomi curiously. "Where did you learn those hand signals?"
Naomi stood up and looked at John. "My dad was in the UNSC, he was a Master Sargent Major before a Covenant Ship Master sliced off half of his left leg with an energy sword."
"My apologizes, I didn't realize-"
"It's fine. You didn't know. Besides he learned a lot of cool hand signals that he shared with us when me and my sibling were kids." Naomi waved off his apology with a smile.
John nodded and looked down toward the next section. "Where to next?"
Naomi pushed the cart ahead. "Dress shirts, ties, and sleep wears for you Chief."
John nodded slowly as he eyed full cart. "Will we be able to fit all these articles of clothes in the cart?"
Naomi laughed. "Silly boy, don't underestimate the ability of a woman shopping and the capacity of her cart.
OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Alright chapter two complete! Sorry for the wait, I was kinda being a freak about helping out my with everything for the past couple of weeks.
Anyway, please comment! Feedback is needed if I am to improve! Also sorry for this chapter being super long, I got a little carried away.
Also Shi-Shi is pronounced She-She, and if your curious as too why the name the story will explain later on.
Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it and are hungry for more!
3 ArtistofThought xoxoxoxoxoxoxo