It was revealed over dinner – in between several bites of the freshly cooked meal Temari had prepared for herself and her husband just after returning from a meeting with Kakashi in regards of affairs with Suna and her brother, the Kazekage.
She was never one to make such a deal over any news she was tasked with delivering, no matter how big or small; so, of course, when she nonchalantly spilled the beans while chowing down on her dinner, her husband was understandably taken off guard. Perhaps she could have chosen a better time – maybe during the evening, while her head rested against his chest; or even in the morning, while they both enjoyed a cup of tea – let alone better words to use – the way his mouth hung agape let her know that using the words I'm pregnant – by the way, can you pass me the salt? wasn't the best way possible to reveal your pregnancy to your husband.
To have broken the news in a more romantic, tender way just wasn't Temari's style, however.
So there she sat – poking at the remnants of the meal upon her plate with her fork, gathering up whatever she could unto the ends before sticking them into her mouth; completely unphased by her husband's reaction. She would steal a glance from behind her bangs every now and again, only to discover that he was still exactly how she had left him - eyes wide, jaw dropped, and hand dangling rather awkwardly near his mouth, the fork he once held within it now free from his grip and resting amongst the food on his plate. He hadn't moved in what seemed like an eternity – which, in reality, had only been a minute and a half – as she awaited some sort of verbal response; however, she was beginning to lose hope. Leave it to her husband to freeze up and send her mind guessing as to what he was feeling, exactly.
Nonetheless, she continued eating, even as the sound of chair legs being pushed against the wooden floor hit her ears. Shikamaru was finally moving – and Temari could only assume what he was up to.
Yet, as she continued to munch of what little was left of her dinner, she was taken by surprise at the sound of knees hitting the wood floor, and the sensation of her husband's face burying itself against her lap. The fabric of her kimono tightened around her waist as the young man took tufts in each hand, fisting them as he buried his face further against her lap. Bits of warm moisture began to seep through the fabric, dampening her skin and sending her mind in a flurry as she set her fork down beside her plate.
Was he...?
"When did you find out?" he sniffled, voice muffled against the kimono's fabric.
Her hand found its way atop his head, rubbing the hair pulled in a tight tie at the crown of his head soothingly. She allowed herself a slight smile. "Just this morning."
Brown met teal as Shikamaru peeked up at his wife from his position upon her lap. She had been right – his eyes were red and slightly puffy, with tears pooling at the edges of his eyelids.
"You're going to be a father, crybaby."
And with those words in his head, Shikamaru's eyes narrowed as he smiled up at Temari, allowing the excess tears to spill over. His arms wound around his wife's waist, and he buried his face against her lap once more.
A/N: And here is the second installment of this collection I've gathered. I want to thank everyone so far for their reviews and requests! I can confirm a oneshot with Shikadai will be coming next. If you have any more requests, send them my way! Please be sure to review and let me know what you thought about this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed - see you next time!
