A/N: Wrapping up ShikaTema Week 2017 with a ShikaTemaDai modern AU! I hope you've enjoyed this one-shot series as much as I've enjoyed writing for these prompts. Thank you for fangirling over this pairing with me. Of course, there's plenty more ShikaTema content on my profile, with more to come (my FF account is basically year-round ShikaTema Week). As always, it means so much when people tell me they're enjoying my work or just want to have a conversation - I'm all ears, so come say hi! I'll see you in the next fic ^_~
"Still up?"
Ready to turn in for the night after a long evening of paperwork, Shikamaru walked into his bedroom to find his wife thinking long and hard about what to pack for their week away.
"I just don't want to forget anything," she mumbled, attempting to sort through the mess she'd compiled on the floor of potential suitcase contents.
"Relax, Tem. It's just seven days."
"But we'll be so far from home and he's so young and this is our first trip as a family-"
"Shh," he murmured, sitting down beside her on their bed and wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. Instinctively she laid her head in the crevice of his neck, where it slotted in perfectly. "We've organised this to the T. There's nothing to worry about."
She took his free hand in her own. "I hope you're right, genius."
He shrugged. "I just like to plan."
"But there are some things we can't plan for. What if he hates it? What if it's a traumatic experience for him and he's a nervous flyer for the rest of his life?!"
"If he's inherited anything from me, Tem, it's the ability to sleep through just about anything. If he's not annoyingly excited about the whole thing, I imagine he'll just use the time to nap instead."
"But it's so long-"
He interrupted her by taking her chin in his fingers and raising her lips to meet his. It was moments like this that made him see just how much she cared for their son, and in turn it reminded him of just how much he cared for her. She was being troublesome as usual, creating problems that didn't exist in the first place, but he wouldn't have it any other way. Her love was all or nothing, and he could never take it for granted.
When she pulled away, she muttered, "Stop trying to distract me. If we forget our passports tomorrow, it's on you." Her tone was stern, but the corners of her mouth edged upwards into a smile.
"Just trying to take your mind off of things."
"I'm worrying for three these days. Try harder."
He didn't hesitate to comply.
"Every time."
"Try taking your earrings out before you go through security for a change."
"Not a chance. These were a gift from Asuma. Besides, you'd think their technology would be sophisticated enough to distinguish earrings from a bomb."
"Shikamaru!" Temari hissed. "You can't say things like that here. We're in an airport, for God's sake."
"Sorry," he mumbled apologetically. "I'm just not a fan of being felt up by a stranger for trying to honour the memory of my late sensei."
"You didn't seem to mind it last night," she smirked.
"Emphasis on 'stranger', Tem." He covered Shikadai's ears and whispered, "If it were you, I'd put up with it all day everyday."
She rolled her eyes. "Men."
Shikamaru merely grinned at her. "Shikadai, look!" he said with an uncharacteristic enthusiasm that parenthood seemed to bring out in him. Temari found it fascinating that the laziest, most apathetic person she'd ever met had suddenly became interested in everything now that he had a mini-me to show the world to. "You see that thing taking off into the sky? That's an aeroplane. Aer-o-plane."
Shikadai was enthralled by the sight, eyes wide and bright as if it were Christmas morning, the vivid teal of his irises reflected clearly in the expansive windows like the surface of still water. Shikamaru carried him closer to the glass so that the one-year-old could press his nose up against it and gaze in awe at the sheer number of aircraft dotted around the tarmac. Temari followed suit, standing beside her husband and their child, staring out at the dozens of jets arriving and departing. When she noticed the way her family was mirrored in the pane, she couldn't help but smile and realise how lucky she was, and how excited she was that this would be the first adventure of many together.
"What are you thinking?" he murmured.
She wouldn't tell him. He already knew.
"I'm thinking that there was a perfume in duty free I might splurge on."
"Let me take him."
Temari leaned in as Shikamaru transferred their son to her. He inhaled deeply.
"Mm."
"What?"
"You smell really good."
She chuckled. "I'm glad you like it. I'll be wearing it a lot."
"I look forward to it," he grinned. "Especially at the end of a long, tiring day..."
"Shikamaru," she muttered. "You're insatiable."
"You should take it as a compliment."
"How we've managed to keep it at only one kid so far is beyond me..."
There was a resounding chime over the PSA system. "Flight 80124X to London is now boarding. Passengers aboard this flight should proceed to gate 36B."
"That's us. Let's go."
As they shuffled into their seats, the woman sitting across from them smiled when she saw Shikadai's bright green eyes staring at them; he struggled in Temari's arms, waving a chubby forearm at the new face he wanted to meet.
"Slow down, kid," Temari chuckled. "Sorry," she said to the her. "He's a curious one. I think he gets it from his dad."
"No, no, I was just about to comment on how cute he is," the woman smiled. "How old is he?"
"One year," Temari replied. "You can hold him, if you'd like. He's really good with people."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. If anything I think it'd calm him down. Seems he really wants to say hello." Temari shuffled out from her seat in the aisle and put Shikadai gently into the woman's arms. Immediately, Shikadai stopped fussing and put his tiny hands on her face, wanting to explore this foreign skin and smell.
"I think he likes you," Temari grinned. "He's gonna forget who his mom is, if he's not careful."
"Oh, not a chance," the woman responded. "My sister recently had a baby, and boy does that little girl hate me!"
"I'm sure that's not true."
"No, if I so much as come near to her cot, she'll start bawling. So this is a pleasant surprise."
"In fact, I think he's fallen asleep," Temari nodded towards her son, whose eyes were now closed and resting against the woman's shoulder. "That's another thing he gets from his dad."
"These are all good traits, mind you," Shikamaru interjected.
"Definitely. I always get a little worried when I'm sitting near a baby on a flight, but this guy seems very cooperative," the woman beamed.
"Well, this is great news. If he starts screaming while everyone's sleeping, I'll just pass him to you," Temari laughed.
As the aircraft reached cruising altitude and the seatbelt sign had been switched off, Shikamaru carefully unbuckled his son, raising the armrest between their seats so he could place Shikadai on his lap and offer him a better view of the world outside.
The toddler's face lit up with excitement and wonder as he leaned forward and placed a hand against the glass. A distinguishable map had disappeared beneath layers of fluffy white clouds that looked so soft and voluminous, Shikadai seemed to complain that he couldn't touch them.
"This flight is just an excuse for you to show him your favourite activity, isn't it?" Temari rolled her eyes, but nonetheless she smiled at the picture of her two boys admiring the clouds together.
"What can I say?" her husband grinned. "It's addictive."
Shikadai tapped on the window, then knocked it with a little more fervour before his father stopped him in his tracks.
"No, Shikadai," he said sternly. "The glass is there for a reason. We can look outside, and see how pretty it is, but we also don't hurt ourselves. Planes can fly, Shikadai, but you and I can't."
"I think an open window would lead to a serious cabin decompression issue, also," Temari muttered under her breath, returning to her book.
"Look through the glass all you want, kid," Shikamaru encouraged. "It's our portal to the skies."
He said that as if Shikadai wasn't already attached to the glass, and he'd probably stay that way for the duration of the flight.
