"Exactly." Yoshino said, finally putting down the needles. "So why don't you go tell him what your father told you when I was giving birth."
Shikaku sighed. "I suppose your right." heaving himself off the chair, he put his hands into his pockets and walked down the hall to the door his son was pacing in front of.
Shikamaru didn't look up until Shikaku stood right in the path of his pacing.
"Save your breath." Shikamaru muttered, putting his fingers to his lips. "Nothing you say will make me feel any better- I feel like I'm going to puke, or pass out, or both."
Shikaku paused, watching Shikamaru bite away at his nails. Feeling his heart swell with nostalgia, he put his hand on his boy's shoulder, just like his father had done to him. He recited the words he had heard when Yoshino was in the hospital.
"Son, you're a man now. That means a lot of things, you have responsibilities, you have lives to lead, you will love and be loved, you will lose and feel loss, and it's a hard path with a beautiful outcome- and now, you're taking the next step. You'll soon be a father, it's a whole other journey that will change your life and shape it." Feeling his throat grow tight, Shikaku put more pressure into his grip. "I know it seems scary now, but if you turn out to be half the father my dad was to me, well, then I think you'll be just fine."
"Dad." Shikamaru clung to his dad like he was a child again.
Shikaku patted his son on the back, swallowing the lump of emotion that had formed in his throat. To him, it seemed like just yesterday he was dropping Shikamaru off at his first day of school, it only felt like a week ago he was carrying him on his shoulders and tucking him in. Shikaku wondered where all that time went- before he even realized it, his little boy had grown up to be a smart, brave, respected young man, a husband, and soon, somebody's father. It was surreal.
"You were so small." Shikaku said, reminiscent. "I remember holding you in my arms for the very first time, thinking to myself there was no way someone so small could ever grow up so fast. Cherish those moments, Shikamaru. I'm so proud of you."
"Dad," Shikamaru took a step back and tried to wipe the stream of tears away from both his eyes. "Come on, are you're trying to make me cry?"
Shikaku pulled Shikamaru in for one last hug before handing him a handkerchief.
"I didn't mean to, here." Shikaku watched Shikamaru take the cloth and clean himself up with it. "There's my brave boy, no more tears, alright? You need to be strong for Temari."
"Yes sir." Shikamaru said taking in a deep breath.
When ever Shikamaru was hurt or scared as a child, his father would always address him as his 'brave boy'. Being called that again brought out strength Shikamaru didn't know he had.
"Well well." Kankuro was the first to speak up as Shikaku and Shikamaru walked back into the waiting room. "Did you pace a trench in the hallway?"
"Pretty much." Shikamaru scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry about that. It's a nervous habit of mine."
"Forget it." Kankuro moved over a seat and invited Shikamaru to come sit next to him and Gaara. "Come take a seat, try to relax."
Shikamaru sat down with a heavy sigh. "I just can't help but wonder how she's doing in there... I know she said she wanted to do this alone, but..." Fixing his eyes on his shoes, he tried to ignore the urge to get up and start pacing again.
"Tell me about it. It's hard for us too, we are her brothers." Kankuro folded his arms. "But Temari doesn't want you to see her in pain- she's a tough girl, but you don't need me to remind you of that."
ShikaTema: Nervous Habits
Start from the beginning
