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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Dad, you're someone to look up to no matter how tall I've grown.

~Author Unknown

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Chapter Three: Knock at the Door

The Nara family sat there eating overly greasy pizza. Shikamaru tried to catch up on grading the first semester finals, waiting of course till the last weekend before school started. It had been an easy three weeks, Sora eventually forgot about Shikamaru wanting to have 'the talk'. Ms. Chu had stopped her bellyaching about the new girl in the building. Everything had been relatively quiet and calm, till now. Sora was trying to steal the remote from her little sister. Kaiko of course was struggling to watch The Backyardigans, not realizing the volume was gradually rising on the t.v. as they fought for the remote control.

"Kaiko!" Sora yelled, "It's too loud! Turn it off!"

"Daddy! Sora is yelling at Kaiko!" The little girl whined with a shrill voice.

The older girl glared at her father, "Tell her to turn it down! Dad! Are you listening!"

Kaiko began to wail, the floodgates broke down her chubby face, "She hit Kaiko!"

"I did not!" Sora screamed back, "You liar!"

"Kaiko's not a liar! Liar!"

"Shut up!" Shikamaru slammed his chair into the wall behind him, and yanking the remote from the girl's death grip and quickly shutting the t.v off. "There!"

Both his girls sat in silence before him, their heads hung low in fear and disappointment. Their father never yelled.

"Kaiko is sorry daddy." Kaiko sniffled.

Sora just looked at her lap and murmured, "Me too."

"I'm just stressed. I uh--" A few swift knocks at the door stopped him mid-sentence. Oh boy neighbors complaining about the noise. Just what I need.

He sighed before he opened the door, "Yes Ms. Chu, I know the noise, I'm sorry but..."

The sight of a concerned beautiful blonde in the doorway startled him. The first thing that caught him where her alluring and seductive teal eyes, they looked as if they belonged to a lioness. The face of an angel, the girl from yesterday.

"I take that as an insult on the highest possible level." She chuckled lightly. Her voice flowed out like a steady river, smooth and beautiful. "I heard the big commotion and wanted to see if you guys needed any help. So are you guy alright?"

Sora noticed her father's speechlessness, and smiled at the fact. "Yes ma'am. We were getting on our father's last nerve."

The blonde in the doorway smiled at Shikamaru, "Well if you need anything, I'm the one who moved in down the hall." She pointed her frail finger the the corner apartment.

All he was able to say was, "Ok." As he watched her walk off. So smooth.

"Dad, you're way out of practice." Sora mocked, biting into her pepperoni pizza.

"Daddy silly." Kaiko giggled. "Kaiko go get the pretty lady."

Shikamaru snapped into his senses, "What? Huh? Kaiko, no!"

The pigtailed girl skipped down the hall, knocking on the open door. Soon the blonde was in front of the little girl, she squatted down and Kaiko whispered something into her ear.

"If your father doesn't mind it." She smiled prettily. But on the inside was a different matter. Ugh! I can't believe men! Sending his adorable daughter to invite me to dinner, while his wife is probably out somewhere. What nerve!

Kaiko screamed down the hall, "Daddy! Can the pretty lady eat pizza with us!?"

Shikamaru poked his head out of the door, "Yeah sure."

You could at least act a little excited asshole. The blonde cocked an eyebrow at him, but proceeding to be dragged down to their apartment my the little girl. As soon as they entered, she instantly knew that no adult woman lived here. Take out boxes laid sprawled out all over the kitchen counters, and overflowed the trash can. It smelled of cigarettes and greasy pizza. Clothes littered the living room floor along with children's books and newspapers. If she could see the bedrooms, she was sure they would be in much more disarray.

"I'm sorry about the mess, we skipped Sunday cleaning last week." The tall obsidian haired man scratched the back of his head, and then offered it to her. "I'm Shikamaru Nara, I teach over at Konoha High School."

"Temari Sabaku, columnist for the Sunan Times, or should I say I was." She took his hand and shook it firmly. She looked over at the two girls who were giggling together.

The older one stood up, "I'm Sora and this is my sister Kaiko, I'm in fifth grade and Kaiko is in preschool."

"Hey!" Kaiko whined, "Kaiko wanted to say that."

"She speaks in third person." Sora sat back down to finish eating.

"I noticed." Temari chuckled to herself, sitting down in the empty chair next to Shikamaru's pile of papers. She snagged a piece of pizza and nibbled on it.

Shikamaru sat down, continuing to grade the papers. Their was a deadpan silence in the room and both of his girls were quite angry with their father's unsociable disposition. Sora kicked him in the shin, causing him verbally announce his pain.

"Ow! Sora, why did you do that?" He rubbed his shin, glaring at his daughter.

Sora yawned stretching her arms, "Oh I am so tired, aren't you tired Kaiko?"

"No, Kaiko no tired." She looked at her sister's scrunched up face, catching the hint. "Oh yes! Kaiko very tired. Night daddy."

Both of them ran of hurriedly into the hallway, hidden from the adult's view.

"But girls it's only six thirty." Shikamaru sighed rubbing his temples. "I'm sorry about my girls, they think that I need a girlfriend."

Temari smiled, realizing the young girls scheme. "It's alright, I don't mind. I got free pizza out of it."

"You're welcome." He added.

"Does Sora attend Konoha Elementary?" Temari asked, not really sure if she even cared for the answer. She just wanted to make small talk so that this situation wasn't even more uncomfortable.

Shikamaru cleared his throat nodding, "Yes, and Kaiko goes the new preschool program there too."

"Oh." She smiled, "I am teaching english there, for the rest of the semester."

"I thought you said you were a columnist?" He pried.

"I am. It's just..." Temari paused looked for the right way to say it. "the opinion of someone who is almost thirty and doesn't have a husband and or any children, doesn't quite appeal to the needs of the housewife trapped in suburbia."

"I see." He muttered, but began to smirk. "Almost thirty?"

"A woman never reveals her true age." She stated matter-of-factly. "Why? Do I look older?"

Shikamaru shook his head, "Just a little shocked you're 'almost thirty'. I wouldn't think that you're older than me."

"How old are you?" She asked a bit stunned. The man didn't look old, in fact he looked young. But she figured him older since Sora was ten... unless he started early in the baby making.

"A man never reveals his age, especially if he is younger than the woman present." He pondered for a moment, "Unless they like cougars."

The blonde growled, "I'm not old enough to be a cougar!" Temari thought for a moment, Plus I'd have to be attracted to you, in order to even be remotely cougar-ish.

"Whatever you say." He smirked, continuing to grade the tests.

Errr, what an infuriating man! Calling me old to my face! To MY face! I'll show him who is old. She paused her scrutiny, standing up in the process. Why would I need to show him that I'm young. Maybe I just need to pick a fight with Ms. Chu again to blow off some steam. "I have to finish unpacking the last of my boxes, thank you for dinner once again."

"If you need anything, just ask." Shikamaru stated, he didn't really mean it. For all he knew, she was that grubby neighbor who leched on everything you owned. Coming over constantly asking for flour, sugar, their dinner. But it was just a proper thing to do, his mom had beat that into at a young age. He had the lumps to prove it.

She nodded in understanding. "Will do. You do the same." Temari walked over to the fridge and scribbled her number on the paper saying I.C.E. "Only for emergencies, and dates aren't what I consider emergencies."

The taller man rolled his eyes, she sure was full of herself, cocky or confident, either way it was irritating and interesting. "I'll make sure the girls know that."

"Bye." She said walking out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

"Bye." Shikamaru murmured looking at the door. It was strange, to say the least. He hadn't thought about women or dating since his wife died. But this woman, kindled that dormant candle. His thoughts were interrupted my a few giggles resonating for the hallway. "You girls are in so much trouble."

He ran after them and they screamed and giggled in delight.

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Author's Note:

It's slowly moving along, like a turtle.