Shikamaru entered the room, his son sat down on the bed, dressed in his pajamas, Shikamaru could see clearly the few patches of bruises on his hand.
He frowned and looked up at his son - his green eyes staring at the wall of the room.
"So I have heard, you got into a fight in school." Shikamaru looked at the ground, the wooden floor spelt nothing.
"Uh huh." He replied in a grunt. "I only did it out of self defence."
Shikamaru shifted uneasily in his seat. "I understand, I once did something like that."
"You too?" Shikadai arched an eyebrow. "But isn't that really troublesome…"
"Indeed it was troublesome," the older man scratched the back of his hand.
"That's so not like you, old man." Shikadai smirked and leaned back, as he lay down, his smirk faded and his lips thinned into a line.
"I know," Shikamaru nodded in agreement. "It was not like something I would do," he said softly. "But I did it anyway."
His mind floated back to the bar restaurant, when he almost got into a fight with a silver-haired man, over no one but her.
Shikadai nodded emotionlessly. "Well, so what do you want to talk about?" Hi son's voice pushed him back to reality.
"Erm…" His fingers shifted as he played with them. "I know that you're upset, that…"
"I wasn't upset," he pouted, and turned his back towards his father.
Shikamaru smiled at himself, this was what Temari would do when she used to get mad at him...well at least when she still bothered to get mad at him, that is.
"Son," he bit his lip a little. "I...eh, damn this is troublesome. I am sorry for not being there for you when you needed me," he said it in the most straightforward way he could think of. "I didn't know what is the right thing to do…"
Shikadai turned back at him, staring at him with confused green eyes. "I knew I am probably one of the worst dads you can possibly have."
"Yes you are," Shikadai snapped, his arms folding in front of his chest. "Mom used to tell me that you are always here, taking care of me and her, but as I went to school, I don't remember seeing you as much."
"I had a lot of work, you know," Shikamaru scratched his head again. "Especially now that the Corporation has grown so immensely, I couldn't just leave everything…"
"I understand you have responsibilities, dad." Shikadai sat up, looking at him with his shining green eyes. "But as much as you have responsibilities as the boss of your company, you also have responsibilities here as a father, as a husband."
"Do you hate me Shikadai?"
"I understand," Shikadai said softly. "But the thing is if you can be here for more time, it would be great."
"I know," he stared down gloomily. "Your mom must hate me." He ruffled his hair through his head.
"She should," Shikadai shrugged. "But when it comes to stuff like this, she is pretty troublesome."
Shikamaru smiled painfully at his son. "Right."
"You better go and cheer mom up now, before she blows." Shikadai half pushed his father out of his room. "Before she kills you."
Shikamaru flashed his son one last smile.
His smile faded as he walked towards the kitchen, Temari was leaning at the refridgerator.
"Temari," he said, she did not turn around.
He moved forward, and another step forward.
He stood next to her, she could feel his breath, warm and hasty on her neck.
"Temari, we need to talk."
Temari looked up and glared at him, her emerald green eyes were filled with anger and sadness.
"Talk then." Temari folded her arms in front of her chest.
"I am sorry," he said, his hand on her shoulder.
She pushed it off, and moved a step away from him. "I don't need your apology."
"No, you do, so does Shikadai," he said, walking up to her again. He held her by the shoulders.
Temari said nothing, she only looked away from his face.
"Temari, I want you to know that I love you." He said. "Troublesome as it is, you are the only one that I love."
"How can you love someone without caring about them?" Temari brushed his hand off her shoulder.
She stared at him deadly in the eye, filled with confusion and sadness.
"You are not the Nara Shikamaru I married." Temari said coldly. "The Nara Shikamaru I married was lazy, always complaining, a heck of a crybaby, but he cared, he cared about people around him … he was loving, caring, not this workaholic robot I see right now."
"Temari...I," he took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. "I... I worked hard, so that I could provide for you, and for Shikadai."
"You are supposed to be smart, aren't you? You know how to delegate work don't you?"
"I couldn't trust them entirely, especially when the company is making such important business decisions." Shikamaru knocked his fist onto the wall. "I always thought you wanted me to work hard and take things seriously."
"Where were you for all the important moments? Where were you when Shikadai won the district champion for shogi? Where were you for Shikadai's last birthday? Where were you for our last anniversary? Working. That was all that is on your mind. Work, work, work - you are not the Shikamaru I know."
Shikamaru found himself speechless, as his wife huffed, her face red with anger.
"I… all I wanted was for you to be here for Shikadai, for our family." Temari sighed exasperatedly. "If you're talking about money, I get a lot of dividends from my shares in Suna Corporation."
She looked at him. "You don't have to carry everything on your shoulders."
Shikamaru sighed softly. "Why are we doing this?"
"Because you've changed, so have I." Temari said softly, heartbrokenly. "We will never be the same again."
"Temari," he raised his hand towards her, only to have her duck out of his grasp and headed to the room.
He followed her, and waited outside the locked door of their room.
"Temari."
No answer. All he could hear was opening and closing of cupboards.
Almost ten minutes, he waited.
The gruelling feeling burned inside him, now he kind of understood how Temari waited for him at home, not being able to see him.
She lived this life for years - how could she not hate him?
She opened the door, dressed in a black mid-sleeve dress and heels, her face was painted with light makeup, in her hand clutched a black purse.
"I am going out." She said, ignoring her husband who stood there, puzzled.
"Where are you going?" He felt like he was clinging onto a log in a cold drifting sea, and she was his only way to survival, he stared at her in desperation.
"It doesn't matter," she snapped. "The curry is almost done, just put it on the rice."
She slammed the door behind her, as Shikamaru stared at the door hollowly.
The sound of the door closing echoed in his mind, conking him in his head.
"What's wrong?" A wild haired Shikadai rushe downstairs, his book still in his hand.
"Everything." Shikamaru sighed, as he pressed his face onto his palm. "Everything."
Author's note:
Well, please try to brace yourself, you guys know me :3 An itch to write another chapter (hopefully your hears are still strong enough)
Side note: Did anyone see the new Naruto shippuden episode today: Shikamaru and Temari as kids are absolutely adorable, I just wish they could stop making these throw back fillers and get to the Shikamaru hiden already :D
Anyway, enjoy!
V.S.V xoxo