Completeness is...
"Make sure you get home in one still functioning piece," Temari says to Shikamaru before slamming the door on his face.
The young man feels the waft of air as the door closes and on his ears, its deafening sound. "Tch, troublesome woman," he complains.
Temari hears Shikamaru from behind the door and stops herself from opening it since she knows she'll either hit him on the head or kiss him senseless. Deciding better not to give in to her initial inclination she pushes herself from leaning on the door and makes her way towards the kitchen.
She has already washed the dishes awhile back when Shikamaru was still preparing for his mission upstairs. Looking for something to do, Temari spots a tiny smudge on the wall above the kitchen sink. Simply staring at the smudge at first then proceeds to glaring at it, she pushes the sleeves of her yukata higher and takes a piece of cloth. However upon just one swipe, the dirt is gone. Disappointed, that it didn't pose as a worthy opponent to the cleaning cloth, Temari's eyes sweep the whole kitchen.
"Let's try upstairs," Temari murmurs to herself.
Upon opening the bedroom door, she immediately notices the damp towel on the floor, swearing, "Lazyass!" Temari picks the discarded bath towel and goes to hunt for more used clothing.
After hanging the laundered garments, Temari rubs her hands together. She goes back inside the house, takes the folders piling on the study table and sorts them out.
When she has finished the paperworks, she raises her head to glance at the wall clock and notes that it's almost lunch. She then puts everything away before she leaves the study to go to the kitchen.
At the sink, she washes the rice grains meticulously. Afterwards, with the rice on the rice cooker, she turns the cooker on before she realizes that she has actually cooked for two. Shrugging, she can eat the remaining for dinner.
She still hasn't prepared the dish that will go with the rice. For that, she then decides on preparing something she hasn't done before. Grinning, she takes out her most beloved weapon—her Konoha recipe cookbook, turning pages upon pages looking for something appetizing that involves mackerel. Afterall, mackerel is Shikamaru's favourite fish.
"Too damn complicated!...looks too bland...Aha!" Temari remarks excitedly only to be disappointed. "Wait, I've already done this...hmn this one...add about one half cup water, sugar and the soy sauce...hmn... hmn then add the mackerel fish pieces...I can do this."
Temari's forehead creases in concentration, preparing her meal. Tasting it, she smiles. "Not bad," she mutters, deciding that she would definitely prepare it again later when her picky eater husband returns.
After having her lunch, she changes into something more presentable in order to go out and give her mission report to the Hokage.
On her way to the tower, she meets Ino with Choji.
"Temari!" Ino hollers even when she's still quite a distance away.
Temari stops, swivels around and waits for the couple's approach.
"Temari," Choji mumbles around the chip he's chewing on his mouth.
"Ei Temari, want to join us later? Sakura and I are planning on going to the hot spring. No boys allowed," Ino suggests.
"I can't. I'm busy"
"Shikamaru's away. Come on. It'll be fun!" Ino cajoles.
"No. I'm busy. I have to give these reports to the hokage then—"
"Then you'll go to Yoshino's and offer her some help with her gardening." Ino purses her lips in disappointment.
"Yes."
"Really, Yoshino wouldn't mind us borrowing you for a while afterall—"
"Bye Ino. Bye Choji," Temari interrupts then without waiting for the couples' assent, she pivots around and starts walking towards the Hokage tower.
"You can change your mind!" Ino yells after Temari's departing back.
—o0o—
"Temari here's your reward...That was taken when Shikamaru was around two."
"He looks," a pause, "...adorable," Temari grudgingly admits as she stares at the photograph of a male toddler, his hair already up in a single ponytail and instead of smiling towards the camera the little boy has a bored and almost sleepy expression on his face.
"Yes. My grandchildren will probably look like their father but I wouldn't mind them having blonde hair." Yoshino admits, a pleased inflection to her voice.
Temari grins. "Let's just hope they don't end up as lazy as their father."
"They wouldn't dare! Not you being their mother," Yoshino growls.
"Thank you, Yoshino, but I think we share the same fate. Nara men are after all cursed."
"Who told you that?"
"Shikamaru."
"Is that his way of explaining his laziness?"
"You could say that."
"And you believe him?" Yoshino sounds surprised.
Temari shrugs, then mutters, "Sometimes, I do...He so lazy, he can't even turn off his own alarm. He places it on my side of the bed expecting me to turn it off for him. It's either he's really lazy or he just likes pain first thing in the morning."
Yoshino snorts. "That boy! I expected him to become motivated to wake up early each day now since he's with you."
"So you see Yoshino, I'd much prefer to think that his laziness was inherited from his father than from lack of motivation."
"So what are you planning to do about it?"
"I'm just going to give him daughters. Another Shikamaru in the family would be too much." Temari mock shivers, a smile lurking around her lips.
"With Shikamaru's view on women, your daughters will probably drive him crazy."
"Yes, that's the plan." Temari laughs.
Yoshino chuckles herself, imagining her son carrying two, no, make it three demanding daughters. The picture produced in her mind shows the genius Shikamaru so out of his element, a baby on each arm and another dangling around his neck all clamouring for his attention. Yoshino can't help but laugh at her own vivid imagination, bringing tears of merriment to her eyes, wiping the moisture off, Yoshino queries, "So when is your husband coming back?"
"Four days from now."
"You must be bored!"
Temari shrugs. "It can't be helped..." Temari hesitates before asking, "Mom?"
"Yes?"
"I didn't have a mother growing up...When my time comes, do you think I'll be a good one?"
Yoshino stares at the younger woman then suddenly grunts. "Look at Shikamaru, he grew up with a mother but I can't say he's perfect. In fact he has a lot of short comings."
Temari smiles, but her eyes say that she's still waiting for an answer.
Yoshino grasps one of Temari's hands which were resting on her lap and clasps it. "You'll be alright. My son is maybe the laziest man in Konoha but he can calculate the odds and he can make the best decisions based on them. He wouldn't have married you if he hasn't put his trust on your abilities as a mother to his children."
"I don't want my children to have the same upbringing as mine."
"Then they won't."
"Shikamaru would make a good father."
Yoshino snorts again.
"He'll make a splendid father," Temari argues, defending her husband.
"Stay for dinner then or better yet stay here for the next four days if you want me convinced," Yoshino declares in a waspish tone but there's humour twitching around her lips and reaching her eyes.
"Four days? That long?" Temari raises a brow.
"Yes, that long!" Yoshino grins towards her daughter. It's easy to see that the young woman is lonely without Shikamaru but she's too proud to admit it. And anyway, they both know that there's no real need for Temari to prove to her that Shikamaru would make a good father. It was a just a ploy, a subtle offer for Temari so she gets to stay amongst family without losing face.
"Thank you, mom."
"Anytime dear. Come on, I'll show you more of Shikamaru's pictures."
—o0o—
~3/19.4/30/11AF~
A/N: Hmn I wrote this months ago...after Effie-a's review for Happiness is...
So hopefully you guys also review this ~and my other stories~ since really those comments are my inspiration in writing my next story.