Title: Tales of A Single Father: Shikamaru
Summary: We always hear about the single mother's raising their children in this cold, 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. Or maybe not... ShikaTema
Author: Bibliophile Nincompoop
--
One father is more than a hundred Schoolemasters.
~George Herbert
--
Chapter One: Getting to Know the Naras
When you're a single parent, taking care of two growing girls it can get... troublesome.
My wife died four years ago, while giving birth to our daughter Kaiko. At first I wasn't able to even roll out of bed. I remember so many mornings just lying in bed, my girls snuggled up on either side of me, just crying and moping the days away. It wasn't until Sora, my eldest, set us in our places. She was always high-strung like her mother, a temper to boot. Soon we got into regular schedules, I'd take the Sora to school, come home clean up our breakfast mess, watch t.v. with Kaiko, make us a simple lunch (usually spaghetti O's or cup-a-noodles), pick up Sora, go to the park, cook dinner (when I mean cook I mean order take out), and tucked the girls in bed after their showers. I like routines. But when I checked my bank account I realized, I needed to get a job.
I went over to the local high school and interviewed for their World History teacher's position, and naturally I got it. But soon my students where harassing me knowing if I did after school tutoring, if they could retake tests after school, even if they could persuade me to raise their grade after school. My girls spent many a days sitting on the curb waiting for me to pick them up. Just like today, for example.
-----
Shikamaru pulled up in front of the elementary school, where both Sora and Kaiko went to school. His nearly broken down Toyota Celica was puttering, only hanging on by the super glue and gum that pieced her together. He quickly saw his girls, and they weren't happy.
Kaiko crawled over the seats and into the back and Sora sat up front, staring out her window and making it obvious she wasn't speaking with him. "I'm sorry girls, the principal had an urgent meeting about one of my students. Trust me I didn't want to go."
"Whatever." Sora muttered.
"Sora is mad daddy." Kaiko whispered into her father's ear, as if it were a big secret.
"I know honey." Shikamaru sighed starting up the engine. He looked at Sora again, and it shocked him how much she looked like him. The same long face, same dark eyes, same black hair. And Kaiko, well Kaiko was Kaiko, a strange little alien who always kept him on his toes. She spoke in third person, had his black hair, and with huge chocolate brown eyes just like his late wife.
They were silent the rest of the way home.
They lived in an apartment building, on the fifth floor. Sora and Kaiko loved riding in the elevator, Shikamaru hated walking up the stairs when the elevator broke. Which was often. It was a big change from living in their own home, but with one income and especially that of a teacher's income, they resorted to living here. It wasn't all that bad, except for Ms. Chu who lived across the hall. She was a little Vietnamese woman, who's husband had passed ten years ago, she had no children or grandchildren, and made it a nasty habit of bugging everyone on the fifth floor. There were only six rooms on the fifth floor, five were occupied and one was vacant. He felt sorry for the poor sap who had to move next door to that woman.
Once inside their apartment, Sora sat down and began to do her homework and Kaiko plopped herself on the couch and began to watch The Upside Down Show. Shikamaru looked through the yellow pages, searching for their next meal.
"Chinese or Pizza?" He asked the girls.
The bouncy girl on the couch raised her hand, as if to be called on. "Kaiko wants Chinese."
"Sora?" Shikamaru looked to his eldest.
"I don't care." She muttered, her dark hair covered the side of her face.
"Chinese it is." He picked up the phone and dialed the number, "Hi, I want a large container of- Yes, it's Shikamaru. Yeah the girls are fine. No I haven't found a woman yet. Ok, yeah the usual, ok thanks."
"It's sad that Mrs. Fong remembers you." Sora said with distaste, "But she's right maybe you do need to find a girlfriend."
"I don't think so." Shikamaru sat across from his daughter pulling out the homework assignments he had to grade. "It's hard enough pleasing you two, let alone a woman."
Sora left the table, "I just wish mom was here."
Shikamaru sighed, "So do I."
The delivery boy was at the door within twenty minutes and ten minutes after that they were eating. They usually spoke about their days during dinner, but Sora was in a foul mood. So for now it stayed silent except for the overeager munching thanks to Kaiko.
"Dad..." Sora started to say, but shook her head. "nevermind."
"No, what is it?" He is never really insistent, in fact, he is extremely lazy. But he couldn't be that way with them, they were his life.
"I don't want to talk about it." Sora blushed looking away from him.
"Is it a-" Shikamaru cleared his throat, fear taking a hold of him. "boy."
Sora's blush spread throughout her entire face, "I'm not hungry anymore." She stormed off to her room as fast as humanly possible.
She's ten years old! She's not supposed to like boys! Is she? How long has she? No! I'm not ready for this yet, soon she'll be dating, holding hands, kissing, and then... Shikamaru's face blanched.
He knocked on Sora's door, "Sor? Can I come in?"
"What do you want?" She grumbled, still embarrassed about her father reading her like a book.
"I think it's time we uh had a talk." Shikamaru began to sweat, he felt so uncomfortable. "About boys and girls, and... sex."
Sora's eyes went as big as saucers, "EW! Dad!" She grabbed her pillow and hit him with it, "Get out! Get out, get out, get out!" He ran from the room, and rested on the door. "I can't believe you actually tried to have 'the talk' with me!"
Shikamaru sighed banging his head against the wall, So troublesome.
------
Author's Note:
Ok, I am alive. But for my other stories, I've found I lost my muse. And Naruto is getting a bit boring for me. But this is something new and different, I just wanted to try it out. It won't be a long series, I have chapter two written up and I'll post it tonight. I am still writing Learning to Love, but A Thousand Year War is definitely on hiatus.
Sorry guys. :'(