Title: Tales of A Single Father: Shikamaru
Summary: We always hear about the single mother's raising their children in this 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.
Author: Bibliophile Nincompoop
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"Big sisters are the crab grass in the lawn of life."
~Charles M. Schulz
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Chapter Six: Oh, Brothers!
Temari did end up yelling at Shikamaru that day, and it was loud enough to have Ms. Chu come scorn them with her broken English. The Naras ate at her apartment that night, their first home cooked meal in two years. The next couple of weeks were the same, Temari took the kids to school, and took them home. They'd do homework and do girly activities; painting nail, doing each other's hair, etc. And every night they'd switch off and on where they ate. One night it was Temari's and then the next would be take out at Shikamaru's. On weekends, they would go out to a movie and ice cream. They seemed like a happy family, even though the blonde woman and flaxen haired man weren't a couple.
Both the adults had grown closer as well, though not as far as both of them wished it to be. When the girls went to bed they'd stay up for hours talking and playing shogi, they knew practically all there was to know about one another.
Well that's until two men showed up.
"Temari!" Screamed a deep whiney voice down the hall, everyone on the fifth floor stuck their nosey heads out their doors to see a large brunette crawling up the stair and out into the hallway. A redhead followed him, his face completely stoic.
Shikamaru stared at the two walking in his direction, Those can't be her brothers... can they?
The blonde appeared into the hallway, wearing a pair of blue and white flannel p.j. bottoms and a white sports bra. The brunette ran up to her picking her up in his massive arms and spun her around, they both exploded into laughed.
Ms. Chu appeared in front on the younger man, glaring down at the blonde and brunette, "That's it, I get manager, he get rid of you."
The redhead bowed respectfully at the much shorter woman, "Tôi rất tiếc, chúng tôi sẽ cố gắng để được yên tĩnh." (I am very sorry, we will try to be quiet.)
The woman gasped and smiled, and returned back into her home. "Good boy."
Temari let go of the taller man and hugged the other, "I am so glad you decided to major in foreign languages."
A small cough sounded from across the hall, the Nara family watched the reunion with attentive eyes. The two younger girls analyzed the men, while Shikamaru's were trying to stay away from Temari's revealed flat stomach.
"You must be Kankuro." Sora pointed to the tallest man, then to the redhead. "And you're Gaara."
"What makes you think that?" Gaara kneeled in front of the girl, a small smile turning up his lips.
Sora tapped her chin, looking for the words Temari described them with. "Well Kankuro is the loud obnoxious one, while Gaara is the quiet and polite one."
Kankuro's face contorted into an exasperated frown his eyebrow twitching, glaring at his sister who just laughed at him.
The smallest girl giggled, "Kaiko likes Kankuro, he's funny."
The brunette perked up, grinning idiotically. Gaara mumbled under his breath, which Shikamaru caught Funny looking. The redhead took notice to the other man, "I'm assuming you are Shikamaru, I am Gaara and that is Kankuro."
"Nice to meet you both." Shikamaru said formally.
"Our sister has told us much of you and your family." The redhead glanced at his sister who was staring at Kankuro and himself with her motherly gaze.
The obsidian haired man scratched the back of his head, realizing his hair was down. "Only the good I hope."
"Boys come inside," Temari told her brothers. She looked at her neighbor and informed him, "Shikamaru, dinner is at six."
He nodded.
Kankuro and Gaara automatically began to scan her apartment, observing her new life style. They noted that the sunflower yellow on all the walls and the white trimmings and accesories, that her kitchen was dainty but cozy, and her room was a complete mess.
The brunette chuckled, "This is a far way from a mansion in stuffed shirt land."
Temari sighed, "I don't have the income to afford my old life style, plus I think this fits me more suitably."
"Born into a world of diamonds and riches," Gaara mused. "but chooses the life of a commoner. You always did like to be different."
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"Hey dad?" Sora spoke to her father.
"Hn?"
She paused for a moment scanning her brain, "Does Gaara look familiar? I know I've seen him before."
Shikamaru stopped mid-step, now that he thought of it, he felt that he had seen all three of them somewhere before. But he just couldn't place where.
Sora thought out loud, "Sabaku... Sabaku... Sabaku..."
"Miss. Temari is a princess." Kaiko smiled. "It says so it in Kaiko's book."
Shikamaru and Sora both looked into the children's book Temari had given Kaiko to reveal a picture of a disgruntled redhead prince carrying a teddy bear, a rowdy brunette prince throwing his crown in the air, and a grinning blonde princess with all to familiar jade eyes.
"The Royal Family." Shikamaru said shakily.
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Author's Note:
I'm sorry about the Vietnamese, if it's not correct please give me the right translation, I asked a friend for the translation. I only speak two languages, English and Spanish, what do you expect from an American? But I plan on learning Italian :D
A short chapter, a very short chapter. But it reveals yet another twist into my plot.