Chapter Text
Nara Shikamaru was getting up at dawn every day for the last week. Shikaku wouldn’t have known had it not been for the fact he’s been having to work until the early morning for the last two weeks.
Waking up at dawn and leaving the house shouldn’t be a cause for concern if it wasn’t a Nara that was doing so. Everyone knew the Nara’s were lazy and waking up early was a no go. They wouldn’t wake up until they absolutely had to. And Shikamaru always complained whenever he woke up before his alarm.
Shikaku decided to just observe his son and for two weeks he still woke up at dawn and left the house. Even on days he has missions he gets up early and after a hour or so he comes back and goes to sleep until it’s time to leave for his mission. On days he didn’t have missions Shikamaru typically slept as long as he could and stay home and he did after he left for an hour or so at dawn and then came back.
“Have you noticed anything different with shikamaru” Shikaku inquires to his wife one evening while they’re getting into bed.
“Not anything different than normal” Yoshino shrugs rubbing face cream on her face and glancing at her husband through the vanity mirror, “why?”
“For the last month he’s been getting up at dawn and leaving the house” Shikaku states brows furrowed, “on mission days or on a day off”
“Shikamaru!? What’s he been doing?” Yoshino questions turning around toward her husband eyes wide.
“That’s the question” He sighs.
“I don’t suppose you’re just going to ask him outright are you?” She says more than asks, getting up and walking over to her side of the bed.
“Do you think he’d answer straight” he raises an eyebrow
“He’s a Nara so I suppose not” Yoshino smiles softly
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Shikaku tries at first to follow his son. He finds it troublesome and tiring to wake up so early. Plus he’s been out of the field for quite a while his tracking skills are a bit rusty and he loses his son two days in a row. So he instead catches up on sleep and regroups.
“So Shikamaru wakes at dawn everyday” Shikaku says to his friends one day while working.
“Eh? Shikamaru?” Chouza says surprised and shikaku nods.
“What’s he doing? Training?” Inoichi inquires, “Ino surely isn’t getting up that early”
“Neither is chouji”
“Haven’t figured that out just yet” he says with a shrug, “any ideas”
Inoichi and Chouza look at one another before looking back at Shikaku and saying, “there’s a girl”
“A girl? You think?” He asks, honestly that never crossed his mind.
“What else would motivate a teen boy much less a Nara to wake up at dawn consistently” chouza says and shikaku hums. Well his son is 17 so surely girls must be in his radar.
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“I’m not sure there’s a girl” shikaku says to his friends the next day as they sit down for a break with the bakery treats Inoichi brought in.
“Really?” Inoichi asks and Shikaku thinks back to dinner last night.
During dinner shikaku listens to his son explain what a drag it is that’s he’s having to proctor the chunin exams.
“Are there any interesting kunoichis lately” Shikaku inquires trying to sound nonchalant.
“Nah, you know the ones from rookie 9, but the ones who’ve been made genin and chunin recently are all so troublesome, they all think it’s a game being a shinobi” Shikamaru says irritatedly.
“So none that have caught you eye” he asks
“There’s one who I think could make it to chunin if she’d get over her boy craze she’s worst than ino and Sakura were over sasuke” he says shaking his head.
“Ah well they both turned out fine so I’m sure she will too” Shikaku murmurs.
“He said other than rookie nine they’re all so troublesome” Shikaku says,
“Well maybe it’s a civilian girl” Chouza says grabbing an eclair.
He hadn’t thought of that as a possibility. But why would a civilian girl be waking up at dawn?
“Say where’d you get these” shikaku questions, “Yoshino would enjoy them”
“Oh there’s a bakery in town called Kura Chans, Ino actually introduced me to it,” a inoichi smiles, “the worker is a very lovely girl if not a bit loud, she and ino seem to get along though”
So Shikaku stops by the bakery on his way home hoping to get some eclairs for his wife.
“Welcome!” Is yelled the minute he steps in. The bakery is bright, warm, and smells like fresh bread.
“Hi what can I get for you” a young girl smiles brightly and shikaku is almost struck by how happy she looks and how sparkly her eyes are.
“My friend brought eclairs in to work today and I was hoping I can get some for my wife” he says and the girl grins wider eyes lighting up.
“That’s so sweet of you” she gushes, “we do have a few left, I’ll box them up for you”
Shikaku pretends not to notice the girl constantly sneak glances at him. It’s amusing, wondering what about him is intriguing her.
“Are you Shika-kun’s dad?” She inquires and shikaku is momentarily perplexed, how does she know his son? From Ino?
“I am” he says
“I knew it! You two look so much alike” she giggles softly, “shika kun is really kind, you’ve raised a good son”
“Thank you, I’ll be sure to tell his mother,” shikaku smiles, “how do you know him if you don’t mind me asking”
“Oh! One morning I saw him through the window he was just staring inside so I told him to come in apparently he just had finished a mission so early in the morning and I always give shinobi their first order free so I gave him some breakfast” she says, “and he came by another time but he said he tried coming in the evening and well I only work the mornings but yeah that’s how we met! And you know for the last month he’s been on missions super early so he comes by and hangs out or we eat breakfast sometimes before he has to go meet his team”
That’s a lot of information to process and while this girl is kind she seemingly talks a lot. But he’s very amused at the fact his son willingly gets up early everyday clearly just to see this woman.
“Well here you are Nara san, I hope your wife enjoys them” she smiles handing him the box.
“Thank you” Shikaku smiles turning to leave but he notices the look on the blondes face.
“Was there something you wanted to ask?” He inquires
“Ah just does Shikamaru have a favorite dish?..I-I wanted to make him a bento for his next mission as a thanks for keeping me company in the morning” she says cheeks tinting pink as she nervously rubs at the back of her head.
“That’s very kind of you” shikaku says softly, “he likes mackerel and sukonbu”
The blonde positively lights up and thanks shikaku.
When shikamaru returns home shikaku watches the shock and slight worry on Shikamarus face upon seeing the bakery box on the dinner table.
“I think Shika-kun” Shikaku grins when his son flushes, “that you’ll find she feels the same”
With that he heads to bed.
When his son awkwardly mentions a few days later that he’ll be bringing a dinner guest, Yoshino and Shikaku get to watch their son fall in love.