Nara Aya

Aya Nara Part 2

She huddled under the big oak tree, her knees hugged to her chest and her eyes wide open despite the lack of anything to be seen. The thick mist hid everything that was even slightly further from where her extended arm reached.

She didn’t know how long she’d been trapped in this strange yet familiar place; sometimes it felt like she’d just arrived, others like she’d spent an eternity there.

She’d roamed the forest endlessly, getting lost countless times as she looked for a way out, but she always ended up under this oak. She’d shouted, trying desperately to make herself be heard, to find help, but she’d never received a response.

And so she sat under the tree and waited. Something told her that someone would come looking for her, that he’d find her even in this strange place. He wouldn’t give up until he found her, she knew… but just who was he?

She wracked her brain for an answer, for that whisper that so often eluded her…

Shikaku…

But the name was gone before she could actually grasp it, stolen by the mists that curled closer and closer to her, the feeling of them warm and comforting, but still hated. For the mist was a thief, and her the thing it stole, and she hated it even as it comforted her.

Desperate, she tried to remember, but it was like trying to hold air with her hands. Her memories seemed to have vanished long ago, stolen away by the mists.

Most of the time, she didn’t even remember her own name.

She clenched her eyes shut and tried anyway, a sense of urgency filling her, telling her that there was something important she’d forgotten…

A child’s laugh echoed in her head and her eyes shot open with a gasp. But the forest was silent yet again, the mists curling closer to her feet and the cover of the branches suddenly feeling suffocating.

A sob tore from her throat; had she imagined that light happy laugh? Was she finally going crazy? She felt like she’d lost so many things… her memories being only the most recent. Would her sanity be next?

She hugged her knees tighter against her chest, pushing away from the mist that hung all around, curling and caressing and stealing, and prayed for someone, anyone, to help her.

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The mist was gone.

Well, not really gone. It was more as if it had retreated, leaving the forest bare to her eyes and her mind clearer than it had been in a long time. But it was there, hanging on the edge of her awareness, obscuring the edges of the forest but not creeping past its borders.

Something had changed, something important, although she couldn’t for the life of her figure out what it was.

She wondered through the forest again, this time much less scared but still wary of the lurking mist. Her memories trickled in slowly: people, places… but she still couldn’t remember how she ended up in the forest, or how to leave it for that matter.

The forest wasn’t endless. She’d known that already, of course, that it couldn’t be, but now she knew. However, beyond it there was only the mist with its false comfort and deceiving warmth and, as much as she wanted to leave this place, she refused to lose herself again. She’d wait a little more.

When she tried to remember, nothing came to her mind but the weak echo of a child’s sobbing and a sense of fear and urgency that pushed her to wander through the forest in search of its source.

Until something changed again.

She could tell she wasn’t alone anymore long before he came across her and so she waited.

The man was familiar. He had tanned skin, light green eyes and ash-blond hair, spiky at the top with the rest gathered in a ponytail. His features were strong, hard and well-defined. His clothes were familiar too, a standard jōnin uniform under a red haori.

A name came to the front of her mind and she spoke it aloud.

“Inoichi-kun?”

The blonde’s eyes widened in surprise and then… he banished. Completely. As if he’d never been there. As if it had been nothing but her imagination. Even his presence, which she had sensed so clearly before, had simply disappeared.

She almost didn’t notice, because right then she was assaulted by so many memories

Slowly, still staring at the place where the man had been, she stood up.

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After the mind-walker’s visit, finding the edge of the forest was easy. She knew this place, knew it better than anyone else, and she finally knew why it had seemed so familiar. But she felt weak and her trek through the towering trees frustratingly slow.

Whenever she stopped and leaned against a tree, sat on a stump or next to a small pond, she’d close her eyes and try to centre herself. Put some order to her thoughts and memories and gather her strength to continue.

And then she’d hear something.

The first few times she snapped her eyes open and stumbled up from the fallen trunk he’d been resting against. But as much as she looked and listened no other sounds reached her.

It was when she stopped reacting to them, when she just ignored them and let the sounds wash over her, that they started to make some sense instead of simply vanish like half-dreamed words.

A young voice, soft but loud at the same time, slightly familiar but not enough to place.

‘don’t know… she got so angry… does it all the time…’

‘should ignore her… it’s not right, tell sensei… a serious matter, Naruto…’

Answered another voice, young too, and much more familiar, almost painfully so.

Other times, it was the voice of a woman, older than her, serious and a bit annoyed, the kind that hid concern and pity.

‘no changes, I see. Her vitals are the same… Shizune, has her brain activity spiked like… before? I want… recorded…’

‘back again… brought you flowers… Yamanaka… Naruto couldn’t come today… His sensei was planning some hellish training… So troublesome. Anyway, there’s not… to tell… can’t stand it anymore… Ino and Choji are…’

That familiar young voice reached her the most wherever she was resting in her little forest and she’d stay quiet and still at its coming, her eyes closed as all her focus went to the words being poured out for her. It was the voice that kept her company most often when she felt weak and almost unable to continue.

But once, just once, she heard another voice. It was low and raspy, almost a whisper in a voice apparently emotionless yet wrecked by feelings so deep and sincere.

‘Wake up. You’re there, I know… I know… Come back to us… Aya…’

Finally, she arrived.

The border was covered in that familiar mist, obscuring everything past it, and she stared for a second.

It was thick, yet also strangely wispy, with an unnatural greenish hue, curling and reaching out as if trying to caress.

She’d thought it a thief, a falsely kind one with its warmth and comfort, yet she knew better now.

The mist was her guardian, her protection. Its warmth and comfort were real and the memories weren’t stolen, but tucked safely away were they couldn’t be damaged. Not even by her.

She was still a bit wary, not knowing all the facts, what exactly had made the mists trap her in this forest, but her mind was made up and she knew she was right about the mists.

And then there were the owners of those voices that brought her solace when she was at her lowest… They were waiting for her.

For them… She would do anything for them….

She would even brave the mists.

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When her eyes opened, she was forced to close them again as the light pierced through them like thousands of small needles.

Carefully, she opened them again, slowly this time, and let them adjust. The sun was already high in the sky, but there was someone asleep in her room, his head resting on her bed and one of her hands in his slightly bigger ones.

He looked older than she remembered, but she would recognise him always, no matter what he looked.

That was her son. Her little Shikamaru.

Impatient but not wanting to wake him up, she tried to move a hand to caress his unruly black hair held in a high ponytail, but her muscles wouldn’t cooperate, they were too weak, and she only managed an imperceptible flexing of a finger.

Suddenly, the young boy stirred, obviously starting to wake up. He straightened himself slowly and let out a loud yawn.

She saw him turn to the window and frown in annoyance. As the boy once more yawned, she tried again to reach out for him to rid him of his frown, but again her weakened body didn’t cooperate and she managed to flex the fingers of her hand a little more.

The young boy went rigid at that, staring at their joined hands intently, barely breathing. Slowly, his face rose to hers and their eyes met; green and brown.

“Mum.” Muttered Shikamaru, his eyes filling with tears.

Aya smiled warmly at him.

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Shikaku sat before his desk and pretended to read the file in front of him. He wasn’t sure he was being all that successful but there wasn’t really anyone there to berate him for it anyway.

He’d spent the last three days holed up in his office supposedly working, but instead finding his mind wandering. The nights he spent in the hospital, watching over his family even if they didn’t realise it.

His family that seemed so close and yet so far. A family that he loved more than he’d ever thought he could love before that day thirteen years ago…

Shikaku had been on his way back from a mission when he found the tracks of a deer. As a Nara, of course, an opportunity to find and maybe add new blood to the herd had been too good to pass up, so he’d followed them.

As a shinobi, he had seen a lot of strange things and knew of even more, but even so he had not expected to find what he did.

The deer was in fact a girl, a sweet thing of black hair and lonely green eyes that could turn into a deer at will.

She’d been skittish at first, afraid of Shikaku and her own shadow, but had soon grown to trust him as Shikaku visited each time his missions took him close to her forest and brought her gifts as she tended to his wounds.

He’d even given her a name, since she couldn’t remember hers. Aya, which meant ‘angel who knows magic’.

Most fitting, he thought, for a kind and beautiful girl who could turn into a deer and perform some miracles.

It became a routine, their meetings, until the day he asked her to come with him.

“What? You want me to… go with you? To your home?” she’d asked with wide disbelieving eyes.

“Yes, please, Aya, come with me. You’ll be cared for in Konoha, we can see each other more often and I’m sure you’ll love the herd of deer my family take care of. You’ll love Konoha.”

“But, Shikaku, a girl with no past and memory in a shinobi village…”

“I’ll vouch for you.” Had sworn Shikaku. “Don’t worry about that, I’ll take care of everything. Just… will you come?”

A knock on the door shook him out of his memories and made him slouch further on his seat and sigh, a hand running over his face.

‘If it’s Inoichi ‘needing another copy of an old and obsolete report’ again, I’m going to sick his own wife and daughter on him.’ he thought.

Unfortunately, none of the other options where much better: Anko asking him to ‘invite her to dango’, Choza bringing him more food or even Ibiki asking for ‘assistance with one of the more stubborn prisoners’.

He knew they were worried, but their worry reeked too much of pity for his tastes.

He wouldn’t be able to take it much longer.

Another knock on the door, this one sounding more impatient.

“Come in.” called out Shikaku.

The door opened, but nobody came in. Shikaku sighed, irritated but taking care not to show it.

“Shikaku-sama.”

The Head of the Nara Clan raised his head at Ibiki’s unusually formal address, which clearly meant he either had something very important to say or they had company.

Or both apparently.

Next to Ibiki stood a young teen dressed in the uniform of the messengers from the medical staff and behind them Anko and his colleagues stood looking over their shoulders.

“Shikaku-sama, I bring a message from Tsunade-sama. Nara-sama is awake as off this morning at-”

Not bothering to listen anymore and carefully keeping his face blank, the Jōnin Commander stood up and strode towards the door.

If someone noticed how his hands trembled as he put on his deerskin vest, nobody said anything.

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Shikamaru didn’t look away from his mother for a second, just as she hadn’t stopped looking at him since she’d woken. He was still afraid that this was all a dream and he would wake up any moment to find her still in a coma.

A strong presence made him look up for a second, only to find his father standing there, still as a statue and with eyes fixed on his mother. His mother that still hadn’t noticed him.

“Dad.” He greeted him for her benefit.

Aya followed his gaze to the man on the door and took a deep breath.

“Shikaku.” She whispered.

The sound of his name coming from her lips was enough to break whatever spell had fallen on his father as he, slowly, step by step, approached the bed.

The Jōnin Commander sat on the edge of it and reached a hand out towards her cheek, as if checking everything was real, that she was solid and wasn’t about to disappear before their very eyes.

Shikamaru understood the feeling all too well.

When his father finally touched her cheek, his face changed and for a brief second he thought he saw anguish and relief and a boundless emotion before it was all hidden behind a strong face. Despite that, his eyes remained suspiciously shiny.

Shikamaru understood then that he was trying to remain strong for them.

“Aya.”

The whisper of her name came out rough, his voice full of emotion, wrecked by it.

His mother smiled softly, sweetly, and tried to raise a hand to his face, but she didn’t have the strength yet. Shikaku gently took her small hand and pressed it to his cheek, not without first placing a kiss on her palm.

For the first time in years, Shikamaru saw both of his parents together, saw the love that shined in their eyes, the devotion that Shikaku’s conveyed and time hadn’t lessened.

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When Tsunade entered the hospital room, she noticed the small Nara family immediately. The only acknowledgement to her presence was a slight tensing of Shikaku’s back that only a trained shinobi would notice.

The recently sworn-in Hokage took advantage of that to study the scene. Both men were obviously hovering over the small woman on the bed; not that she was that surprised over it under the circumstances they were in.

Shikamaru seemed livelier than she remembered seeing him before, hand glued to his mother’s and lips curved up in what looked to be an unconscious and genuine reaction.

Shikaku was harder to read, but the mix of relief and love he exuded whilst looking at the younger woman was unmistakable. He looked tired too, which wasn’t strange in a Nara, but this time she knew it was genuine sleeplessness ―she knew better than anyone what went on with her patients and so she knew Shikaku had visited this room every night since the surgery.

Lastly, the Nara woman looked tired too, but it was probably due to her body not being accustomed to being awake yet. Her eyes continuously alternated between looking at her son and her husband with an expression that even Tsunade herself could not describe as anything but cute.

Shaking her head to rid it of such ridiculous thoughts, Tsunade cleared her throat to make her presence known. When those piercing green eyes ―such an unexpected and unusual shade of green― were directed at her, she saw a flash of innocent wide blue eyes in her mind.

For some reason, this woman’s eyes, so different and foreign, reminded her painfully of the little brat.

Tsunade introduced herself before starting the check-up under two hawk-eyed Nara stares. Once finised, she calmly explained her findings.

It would take a while for the Nara Lady ―Aya, as she had insisted she be called― to recover completely. She would need physical therapy to build up her muscles again without straining herself and they would need to monitor her energy levels carefully, but there didn’t seem to be any long-lasting effects from her years-long coma.

When asked about her own experience, Aya revealed she’d had short snippets of conscience and hazy memories, but even when she could hear some of what went on around her she’d been unable to completely surface, like something was pushing her back to sleep.

What Tsunade didn’t know ―couldn’t know― was that it was Aya’s own energy, her magic, that kept her under until the danger had passed after the surgery.

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When night came, Shikaku managed to get their son to go home and get some rest, under the supervision of his cousin Suzaku and on the condition that he stay the night in the hospital. Not that Shikaku had any intention to do otherwise from the beginning.

For the first time since Aya awakened, the couple were left alone.

Shikaku hovered next to her bed, looking so far out of his depth that Aya couldn’t help but smile.

It was a tired smile, but so genuine that something in Shikaku just loosened at the sight.

“Well, aren’t you going to lay down with me?” she asked softly.

When he hesitated, she decided to take matters into her own hands and started to push herself up with some effort.

That seemed to do the trick, because he broke the distance that separated them, a worried frown on his face.

“What do you think you are doing, woman? You can’t be moving around!”

She loved when he called her woman in that chastising voice. It made her feel loved and cared for. Safe.

“I just thought since you wouldn’t lay down with me, I would come to you instead.” She said as she let herself be kindly pushed back down.

The man huffed at her, his lips pressing together for a moment before he seemed to make a choice. Carefully, he moved her a bit to the side on the hospital bed and settled himself next to her.

He held himself so tense, so still, as if afraid that she’d break if he moved a little wrong, and Aya slowly placed a hand on his chest, right over his harshly beating heart.

“You know, Tsunade-sama will surely not be happy with us tomorrow, but right now I don’t care. I just want you to hold me for a little while.”

As if her words were magic, Shikaku started to relax and held her closer, still oh so carefully but also more firmly.

Aya felt her body relax bonelessly against him, the feeling of safety strengthening as he buried his head in her dark hair and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, a sigh leaving her lips as he finally relaxed.

“Tell me what all has changed?” she requested after a few minutes of silence, her voice small and quiet.

And so Shikaku spoke. Aya fell asleep to her husband’s calm voice and spent the night in his arms for the first time in years.

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The next morning, as soon as visiting hours started, Shikamaru came in. He did so unexpectedly accompanied.

Naruto was a sweet child ―loud and brash, sure, but also kind and caring. Aya took to him instantly.

Shikamaru seemed happy enough about it, telling her how it was thanks to him that Tsunade had come back to the village and healed her.

The blond child had been quiet embarrassed by the recount, but he’d seemed near tears when Aya had warmly and sincerely thanked him. When he changed the topic to how he’d like to try her cookies again, Aya promised herself to keep him well fed and cared for, no matter the council’s protests.

Their visit was interrupted by the arrival of the Yamanaka and Akimichi families, both being close to the small family due to their heads being teammates.

“Aya-obasan!” shouted Ino, whilst Choji made a much quieter entrance in front of his parents.

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Shikaku knew better than most how trapped and unsafe she felt right then, knowing her better than he did himself. After five years that must’ve been as a blink to her and her last memory being of getting attacked in the forest with their child, she wanted to go home where she felt safer.

He couldn’t erase all that she’d gone through, but that at least he could give her, so as soon as it was possible to do so, he arranged to have her moved back to the Nara compound, to their shared home where she would lack for nothing, not even the feeling of safety.

It was upon arriving back at the compound, that she finally asked about a small detail she’d noticed before they left the hospital.

“What’s with the new rugged look?” she asked curiously as Shikaku settled her in the middle of the big bed, placing a small pale hand on the battered looking deer skin vest.

Shikaku froze at her question, just barely a second, but enough that she ―she who knew him inside and out, better than anyone ever did― noticed.

The shinobi took a seat next to her, carefully so as not to jostle the bed and consequently her.

“It’s made out of the skin of the deer that Shikamaru said saved his life as a child.”

Aya understood. She remembered the gentle female deer they’d been playing with before they were attacked. The female had nuzzled her child out of the way of an assailant, saving his life at the expense of hers.

She ran a hand down the length of the parched deer skin that had seen better days and understood why her husband wore it. It was a memento, to honour the loss of one of the pack, in more ways than one.

After all, when it came to their beloved deers, nothing goes to waste could very well have been the Nara family motto.

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Aya met Asuma-sensei the very same day she was released from the hospital, the man having shown up to give his regards and also to drag her slippery child back to training.

When she thanked him for teaching her lovely children, the jonin went completely red at her warm smile and sparkling green eyes.

Shikaku found himself endlessly amused by his son’s sensei.

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All the hesitations Shikaku had held on their first night in the hospital ―or more accurately, the first night she could remember― seemed to come back to him on their first night back at their home.

Shikaku treated her as if he were made of glass, whilst she just wanted him to lay down and cuddle her so she would feel safe enough to sleep.

The awkwardness seemed to abate somewhat when Shikamaru very firmly and unashamedly climbed into the bed next to her, stating he was sleeping right there. He very obviously didn’t want to part with her and refused to think of it as childish ―not that Aya thought it was so, with everything that had happened.

Whilst Shikamary wrapped her hands around her middle and Aya carded her fingers through the wild hair he’d inherited from both her and his father, Shikaku just settled on the edge of the bed and watched over them for most of the night.

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The next few weeks were hard for Aya, who was used to being an independent woman and doing things at her own pace.

Between physical therapy and her family’s ―the whole Nara family’s―pampering of her, she was finding it hard to regain that independence.

If not for training, which she made him resume a couple of days after her return home, Shikamaru would be glued to her side all day. He still slept with them, for which Aya found herself strangely grateful. Not only because her husband’s behaviour worried her, but also because it was great to feel wanted and loved by her child when he had grown so much without her. It was hard to accept that he wasn’t a little boy anymore.

With Shikaku’s heavy gaze and her family’s well-meaning worry, she hardly had a second of solitude to even think and process how much had changed in what felt like no more than a few hours of sleep to her. Even the deer herd trailed her the few times she got to visit them!

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The small Nara family sat on the dining room with Naruto, the table laden with delicious food, some looking foreign.

When Aya had asked Shikamaru to invite Naruto over for family dinner, Shikamaru had been elated. It wasn’t easy to tale, with his Nara genes, but he was.

The blond had been star-struck over the food, though he also looked wary of her husband. Which was silly, because if he ruffled a hair of the blond’s head wrong, he’d get his wife’s ire. Not that he would either way, since said blond had earned his regard and gratefulness and was also merely a child. It wasn’t well known, but Nara loved children.

The night passed in a flurry of conversation, with Naruto telling her all about his dream of becoming Hokage and how he’d got to be a genin. Shikamaru intervened often and it was a relief to see him look so lively with a friend. But Shikaku didn’t miss how Aya’s eyes narrowed at some of the things the blond let slip out. His wife was more observant than many gave her credit for.

When the night finished, Aya tried to get Naruto to stay the night, citing how late it was and that no child should be wandering the streets so late, no matter if they were genin. The blond resisted, though Shikaku could tell it was forced and he’d have enjoyed what would’ve probably been his first ever sleepover.

“I’ll make sure to have more of those cookies you like when you come for dinner next week.” Fretted Aya as she insisted the blond get one of Shikamaru’s jackets.

“Next week?” asked the blonde, suddenly mystified.

“Of course, you’re coming, aren’t you? I won’t accept a no for an answer barring an out-of-town mission.”

And that was how Naruto ended up attending weekly family dinners at the Nara household. Which he’d attend even more happily once he got over his wariness of Shikaku and realised he was truly welcome.

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It took her a bit more effort than she would be happy to admit to, but Aya managed to ditch her clan babysitter sometime around midday. She took the chance to go shopping at the market.

After around an hour of looking around and buying some groceries, she came upon a genin team. More exactly, her favourite blond’s ―no sorry Inoichi― genin team.

Upon spotting her, the blond made a beeline for her only to end up ―much to her amusement and annoyance― berating her for carrying weight when she wasn’t supposed to. She was only carrying a couple bags, for goodness’ sake!

Of course, the boy’s jonin-sensei had to agree with him, and they made their way to the Nara compound amongst Naruto’s chatter, Kakashi’s amused gaze and two more children’s confused stares. She didn’t get to carry any bags.

They were greeted back home by a pacing and worried Shikamaru, whose relief was palpable upon spotting them. It took a while for Aya to calm him down.

“I wouldn’t have worried if I’d known Naruto was with you.” Replied Shikamaru in the end.

At that, Naruto became red. Aya thought it was very sweet.

At the end of the day, Naruto’s team got an invitation to dinner ―not on family dinner night, though― to the Nara household: after watching their interactions, Aya planned an intervention. And what better intervention than having her husband, the Jonin Commander, have a talk with Kakashi?

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When Shikamaru’s team finally got another mission out of town, Shikaku culdn’t help but being grateful for his own work hours, something he never thought he’d think. But he was, since it meant he rarely got sent out on missions and Aya wouldn’t be all alone.

Kami knew she already worried enough as it was.

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For the first time since she woke up from her coma, Shikaku and Aya were home alone.

And yet she’d rarely felt so lonely.

Shikaku was constantly tip-toeing around her, so much so that he didn’t even sleep in their bed anymore. She’d know; she’d spent an entire night awake waiting for him, much to Tsunade’s annoyance when she visited for her routine check-up.

Aya now worried his feelings for her had changed.

Sometimes, when he looked at her with that loving gaze, it seemed silly to think that. Others, like when he would avoid her eyes with a dark shadow on his face or when he’d stop mid-sentence and change the topic, she was reminded that it had been five years for him and it could take much less time for someone’s feelings to change.

In the darkness of night, when she laid alone in their too big bed, she wondered if, maybe, he’d found someone else to give his love to in that time.

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The sound of several people reached her ears and Aya smiled a little from where she was laying the final touches on the food.

Wishing for a bit of normalcy and something that would distract her from Shikaku’s sometimes distant behaviour, she’d organized a team dinner like they used to have before her coma.

Placing the last of the cold desserts on the table, Aya wiped her hands and took off the apron before walking out of the kitchen to greet their guests.

The Akimichi and Yamanaka couples were her husband’s age, but they had always gotten along, their families being so closely allied. And since their children were out on the same mission as Shikamaru, she thought they could all use the time to get up to date.

Shikaku stood there greeting them, dressed in black with the clan symbol etched on the back of his clothes, looking casual like he only did at home. She took a moment to admire his strong profile wistfully before walking towards them slowly and greeting their guests.

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The dinner went smoothly, with the families sharing stories that had Aya laughing at the absurdity of some of their children’s shenanigans.

When time for dessert arrived, Shikaku insisted on bringing it out himself so Aya wouldn’t have to stand and after dinner, Inoichi insisted the men clean up. Whilst Shikaku, Inoichi and Choza were busy cleaning the dishes and seemingly arguing about something, the women walked to the sitting room and soon Chika ―Ino’s mother― and Junko―Choji’s mom― laid onto Aya.

“Aya-chan, is everything alright?” asked Chika trying to be tactful.

Aya looked at her questioningly.

“Between you and Shikaku. I’m married to a mind-reader, I couldn’t help noticing there seems to be some tension between the two of you.”

Aya hesistated, but Chika and Junko had been good friends of his since she’d started to live in Konoha.

“I… I’m not sure.”

Both women stared at her with patience and understanding.

“I thought it was. Or at least that it would be. Things were complicated with me being just out of the hospital and so much time having passed, but now…” she stopped and took a deep breathe. “I don’t know.”

“What’s the matter?” asked Junko softly.

“Just… Lately, Shikaku has been… distant. I don’t know what I did wrong, but-”

“Aya, I’m sure it’s nothing you did.” Interrupted Junko carefully.

“I… I’ don’t know. I’m not sure of anything right now. It’s like there’s this space between us, this barrier that I can’t break through, and Shikaku… I just…”

Aya stopped herself from saying more and took another deep breathe, feeling her eyes tear up and barely holding herself together. She wasn’t going to break down now. Tonight was supposed to be light and fun.

But the look Chika and – were giving her made it hard to hold onto her control.

“I’m sure he just needs time. Everything will be alright between you, Aya. I’ve never known anyone else who loves each other as deeply as you do.” Said Junko.

Aya wasn’t so sure of that anymore and Chika seemed to see it.

“Please, Aya, the man is still head over heels. What you need to do is talk to him and set him straight.” Chika told her, the no-nonsense woman very firm in her words. “You know better than us how Nara men are.”

The Nara Head let out a small giggle, but her beautiful green eyes still held sadness in them when the men returned and she avoided Shikaku’s gaze, afraid of finding that her friends had been wrong about them.

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Later that same night, after their guests had left, Aya stood on the threshold of the dining room and looked at Shikaku. The man was slouched on the couch, seeming without a care, but there was a tension to his posture that belied his countenance. Hesitant, she slowly stepped up to him and took his hand, bigger and calloused, in her before tugging a little.

Shikaku, still tense, looked questioningly at her.

“Come to bed?” she asked after a second where her words failed her.

Shikaku’s hand jerked a little in her hold before he squeezed her hand softly and then let go.

“I’m going to stay up a little longer.”

Her spirits fell at his words and she nodded, turning around and walking to the door. But before she could take the last step into the corridor, she paused, took a deep breath to gather her courage, and turned.

“Have I done something wrong?”

Shikaku looked startled at her question. Good, it wasn’t often she managed to take the genius off his guard. Though she’d probably be able to enjoy the fact more if not for the situation it took place in.

The man stared hard at her, searching, and Aya almost looked away at the intensity of his gaze, feeling the need to explain what she knew he already understood.

“You won’t speak to me like you used to; or touch me. You don’t even sleep in our bed. Hell, you won’t even look at me.” She muttered, her eyes filling with tears against her wishes and her heart speeding up with each word that left her lips. “Is there someone else? Is that it? Is that what you’re so afraid of? That I’ll flip or something because you’ve found someone else? Because I won’t. I’d understand, Shikaku; five years is a long time to spend waiting for someone you thought long gone. It’s okay. I just need to know so I can-”

That snapped him out of his stupor.

“Stop.” He said in a low harsh voice. “Don’t say another word.”

“Shikaku, really, I…”

“Don’t.” then his voice softened, as did his eyes. “I’ve made a big mess of things, haven’t I?”

She swallowed.

“What do you mean?”

“There is no one else.”

Silence reigned for a few seconds, settling between them like a blanket and slowly dampening her senses.

“Then why…”

“I wanted to give you space.” Said Shikaku, slowly stepping forward. “To let you heal and deal with everything. I didn’t want you to feel pressured into anything and I certainly never wanted to make you feel that you’d done anything wrong.”

He took the final step that separated them and wrapped her up in his strong arms, her head fitting right beneath his chin.

“There is no one else.” Shikaku whispered in her ear. “There was never no one else. And there will never be no one else. I’m yours, even if someday you don’t want me to be anymore.”

Aya silently wept.

HPNHPNHPNHPN

The next morning, Aya woke up feeling safe and warm in a familiar pair of strong arms.

Her eyes opened to the sight of a hard muscled chest and she slowly looked up at her husband’s peaceful face. Lifting a hand, she run a finger over his relaxed brow, down his strong nose and his slowly curving lips. His lips parted and perfect white teeth nipped playfully at the tip of her finger.

“I was sleeping.”

“You weren’t.” she retorted knowledgeably.

“I wasn’t.” he admitted opening his eyes to meet her green ones.

“You were watching me. Do you know how creepy that is?” she played.

“Not if it’s a husband watching his beautiful young wife sleeping peacefully.”

Aya felt a small blush rise up to her cheeks and swatted his chest softly.

“Charmer.”

“Not at all.” He answered with a smirk.

She reached up and kissed him to wipe the slightly smug look off his face.

Slowly, his hands wrapped around her shoulders, before wandering downwards over her back and deepening the kiss.

She moaned and settled her hands back on his chest. Shikaku rolled them over so he laid above her, his weight held on one arm whilst the other caressed her side, his fingers skimming over the scar where she’d once been stabbed.

The Nara leaned back, breaking the kiss and staring into her eyes with soft black eyes.

“Please.” She whimpered.

And Shikaku kissed her, swallowing up all her pleas.

HPNHPNHPNHPN

Things slowly but steadily returned to some semblance of normalcy.

At least until family dinner arrived and neither Shikamaru nor Naruto showed up. Shikamaru was a given, due to him being out on a mission, but Naruto hadn’t told them anything about leaving on a mission, so Aya sent Shikaku to check.

When the Nara Lord saw that Kakashi’s team hadn’t been sent out on any missions, he went looking for the wayward blonde.

He found him easily at the first place he decided to look: his old rickety apartment. What took a while was making him understand that he was family and that even if Shikamaru, or even Aya, weren’t home, he would still be welcome and expected for dinner at least once a week.

HPNHPNHPNHPN

When Shikaku told Aya of Naruto’s living conditions, he already knew the result. And so he helped her plot.

Aya started by preparing food for Naruto to bring over to training so he and his team would have something homemade.

His jonin-sensei was delighted at her cooking.

HPNHPNHPNHPN

A knock on his door made him look up and leave the folder he had been perusing back on the table.

“Yes?”

The door opened and Anko stood there, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet like a too hyped-up child.

“Boss, you have a visit!” she exclaimed before moving to the side and letting his visit come into sight.

And there she stood, his beautiful wife, with her long black hair looking almost as wild as a Nara’s, her impossibly bright green eyes and a warm smile on her lips.

Shikaku felt breathless for a second, wondering how one could feel such love for another person, before worry stole over his mind.

“Aya, is something wrong? Did something happen?”

She shook her head, warm smile unwavering, and he absently noticed over her shoulder that his underlings were unabashedly listening in.

“No, not at all. You just forgot your meal at home and I thought I’d bring it over.” She said, shyly lifting up the bundle in her arms.

Shikaku relaxed at her words, a small smile settling on his face at remembering the reason he’d been late out of home for work and why he had forgotten lunch.

“Come in, please.” He said waving Anko away and standing up to close the door behind his wife.

A few hand gestures ensured they had privacy from his overly prying comrades and he could devote his whole attention to his lovely woman.

“I hope you packed enough for two.” He said as he took the food and placed it on the desk.

“Oh, are you that hungry?” teased Aya.

Shikaku picked her up and threw her over his shoulder playfully, bringing her over to his chair.

“Alright, woman, you asked for it.”

HPNHPNHPNHPN

When Shikamaru got back from his mission, without a scratch on him, he came back to a wide spread of food at home. Aya had gone all out and prepared all his favourites.

And if she cuddled him a little more than a boy his age would like, well, he wasn’t really complaining and there was no one to see it.

HPNHPNHPNHPN

They were in a clearing of the Nara forest, with a couple deer grazing around, when Shikaku found them one afternoon. He stood silently and watched them, leaning against a tree.

“Not much of what I may teach you might be useful to you as a shinobi,” was saying Aya to a raptly listening Shikamaru. “but there is one particular thing I feel you will find a use for. Stand back.”

Shikamaru did so, standing ten steps from his mother.

“Alright, take a kunai out.” again Shikamaru obeyed. “Now, attack me.”

But at this, Shikamaru hesitated. Shikaku understood how he felt, having been in his place once when he was younger, but he also knew that Shikamaru needed this. Not only to learn Aya’s own art, but to remember that she was actually a strong woman who knew how to defend herself.

The fact that she could didn’t mean that she’d need to as long as he had a say over it.

“Shikamaru,” called the woman with a slight smile. “don’t worry. Just come at me as if you were going to attack me.”

His son nodded a bit more surely and prepared his stance before launching himself forward.

Immediately, Aya raised her right hand in front of herself and pointed it at Shikamaru before snapping her fingers.

Shikamaru’s dominant hand was thrown back and the kunai went flying into a tree.

The boy stood there, blinking between his mother and the tree as if trying to make out how it had happened.

He reckoned he must have looked very similar the first time Aya showed him that move. His wife didn’t have many memories of her years before he found her, but she still retained some of the tricks she must have learnt then.

“Now this is what I call a disarming spell.” Aya explained. “If enough energy is put behind it, it will even throw the objective away. It’s useful enough, I think, that it’d get you a few seconds reprieve against an unsuspecting opponent, but it only works against armed people. Now, come here.”

Both Aya and Shikamaru took a seat on the floor, one in front of the other, and the woman held her hand out with a closed flower bud held in her palm.

“Now let’s see how much you remember of what I taught you.”

Shikamaru took the flower in his hand and covered it with the other before closing his eyes. When he opened them again and uncovered the bud, it wasn’t a bud any longer, but a fully flowered forget-me-not.

Aya smiled radiantly at the young Nara Heir’s success. She’d taught Shikamaru that trick when he was a small child in order to help him focus.

“I’ve been practicing.” Admitted the young boy.

“Good. Just remember that you can’t teach this to your friends. As much as I’d like for you all to be safer, the needed mix of spiritual and physical energy would kill them. It is only because you are my son that you can use it in such a proportion.”

“I remember, mum, don’t worry; I won’t teach it to anyone.”

“Right. I had to make sure.” She said with a sheepish smile.

And with that, Aya proceeded to teach Shikamaru the disarming spell.

HPNHPNHPNHPN

Aya was doing well with her physical therapy, according to Tsunade, which meant she was doing really well as the older woman was known to be very hard to please. She was even getting back into the habit of sparring when it happened.

Aya fainted.

HPNHPNHPNHPN

Aya came to slowly. She was lying on something soft and her head hurt.

“…wrong with her?”

She moaned softly at the pain and the voices stopped. A warm slender hand settled on her forehead and a warmth inundated her. She opened her eyes slowly and couldn’t hold in a flinch at the soft green glow of the Iryojutsu.

The hand retreated and she blinked a couple times as Tsunade and Shikaku came into focus.

“What happened?” she groaned, trying to sit up only for Shikaku to stop her.

“Don’t. you hit your head pretty hard when you fell.”

“I fell?”

“Fainted, really.” Corrected Tsunade.

Aya sighed.

“What’s wrong with her?” asked Shikaku, his hand coming up to grasp hers.

“Well, nothing’s wrong, per se.”

Shikaku frowned, whilst Aya just looked confused. This time, it was Tsunade who sighed before getting serious.

“Congratulations, you’re pregnant.”

For a second, nothing was heard in the room. Then, Aya brought a hand to her lips.

“What?” she sobbed.

Shikaku had gone very still next to her, his body tense.

“No.” he said. “She can’t.”

Aya stared at him, confused. She didn’t understand his reaction. It was nothing like he’d reacted when they discovered she was pregnant with Shikamaru. Nara loved children and they already had one; he shouldn’t look so scared.

“Shikaku?”

“Shikaku.” Muttered Tsunade, a note of understanding in her voice.

“Your scan must be wrong; she can’t be pregnant.”

“Shikaku.” Called Aya again, scared by the fear in his voice.

The man took a deep breath.

“Tsunade-sama, could you give us a moment?”

The Godaime looked between them for a moment before nodding, vacating her seat and leaving the room.

Neither said anything as Shikaku helped her sit up, placing a couple pillows behind her, and taking her hand in his own warmer ones.

“When you were attacked,” began Shikaku. “the medics healed your stomach wound. They said you wouldn’t be able to carry another child and, if you did, you’d probably have trouble carrying or during delivery. Aya, if you’re really pregnant, you… you could die.”

Aya placed her other hand over his and squeezed them, her eyes soft but determined.

“Does that mean you’re not happy we’re having another child?”

Shikaku took a shuddering breath and closed his eyes a moment before opening them again and fixing them on her own green ones, torn between fear and happiness.

“I’m happy. I am. I just can’t lose you again, Aya.”

She swallowed at the look of pure agony in his eyes and reached a hand out to him.

“I know.” She said in a soft voice. “I know, Shikaku, but this is our baby; our child. I can’t-”

“I know.” Interrupted this time Shikaku.

Silence settled between them for a few minutes as they stared each other in the eyes, a silent conversation only they could understand.

“We won’t tell anyone. Not yet. At least not until we’re sure it won’t go wrong, alright?”

Shikaku simply nodded.