[ShikaTema] Serendipity

Chapter 6: Family

"Inoichi was told by his daughter, Ino, that you are trying to confess your feelings for Temari. Is that true?" Facial expression of Shikaku hadn't changed. It remained on him as if he was against of all what Shikamaru was trying to do.

Geez. Ino told him? "It's a drag but yeah. I like her so much I wanna marry her. It's just that... I don't know how to tell her," he looked away, then scratched the back of his head. Shikamaru couldn't believe he's saying things like this in front of his father. It embarrassed him so much, but there's nothing he could do now but to 'mentally' ask for his help.

Upon hearing his son's reply, he smiled. Shikaku didn't expect his son had finally realised his feelings. To the cruelest kunoichi and best wind user of the world, on top of that. He placed his right hand on his son's back, patting in gently. "Good work," somehow, Shikaku expected it would come to his son soon.

He planned to ask Shikaku what his father meant by it, but he refused to. Shikaku would probably say 'you'll understand soon' so he never dared to ask.

"In order to marry someone, you have to confess your feelings to her first. To confess, you have to be true to yourself, to your feelings and to the person you're going to confess to, who'd be Temari of Suna," he looked at Shikamaru, straight. "What made you like her?"

"It's...," it took him a few seconds before answering. "I don't know. There was this one moment she and her brothers saved our asses out from the grip of the Sound Four. I looked up to her strength, but most of all, when I saw the way she smiled at me... It's, I... I can't explain, there's something in me that was struck by it. Women are scary, but when I'm around her..."

"You feel safe?" Continued his father. "That's what you like about her. Her smile, her strength, the way she treats you is different from the others even if she's mostly cold and rough around people. What made you love her, then?"

The next question made Shikamaru draw a bit of distance between him and from where his father was standing. "...I don't know. One day, I woke up. My heart, mind and soul saying I love her. Whenever I see her, I just...lose it."

"Shikamaru, you have to fight your fear. You have to tell her, even if it returns rejection. I know that would hurt, but the important thing is you've told her. Don't expect anything in return. Just tell her what you feel...before it's too late."

'Maaaan,' thought the male. 'I don't have the slightest idea how to do that,' he continued. The male stood from his bed, mind flying off somewhere. He had his hands inside his pockets like the usual, his eyes half-lidded. Shikamaru was a bit sleepy; it tired him off from overthinking his feelings for the Princess of Suna.

He headed towards the bathroom to wash his face and wake-up from the seemingly dream he was having. Definitely, I'm a bit weary. I just have to wipe this out. Shikamaru tilted the door knob open, surprised that the lights were on. He went closer to the sink to get enough water to splash on his face when something rather unfortunate happened.

Temari just slid the cover off from having shower, Shikamaru standing in front of her. Both facial expressions were surprised, words were trapped in the middle of their throats. The two of them didn't know what to tell each other, but a loud scream of "Kyaaa!" and "Gyaaah!" in unison.

The screams reached the ears of Yoshino and Shikaku, which made them immediately run towards where the two were. "What's wrong?!" Exclaimed the mother in worry. As they arrived, the only image they saw were Temari sitting on the floor while the towel was covering the front part of her body, while Shikamaru was facing away, head downcast, eyes widened in surprise, face was beetroot red.