Arron and Trexx

Chapter 12

We breaking the disclaimer and warning thing bc I'm lazy but hey, at least I did it ten chapters.

caity-devil788 said she'd been thinking of how cool it would be if this were to update, but wouldn't it be cooler if it updated t w i c e-

Third person pov

They sat there for an hour, the only sound being Shikamaru's pencil scratching against his paper. Arron took a few glances up every so often, as though making sure the person sitting next to her was still Shikamaru. Sometimes he'd glance up at her to make sure she wasn't crying or something, or staring at him like she needed something. She never was. Sometimes he'd offer a smile if she caught him looking, to which she'd just stare. It was a little weird but Shikamaru was quickly coming to realize that he really didn't blame her for any of her odd behaviors.

"How're you two doing in here?" Yoshino popped her head in the door, and Arron let out a shriek of fear, almost falling back and out of her chair. Even Shikamaru jumped a bit in surprise, turning to his mother as Arron began to cry. The woman winced. How could she have been so dumb?

"Troublesome woman." Shikamaru muttered, shaking his head as his mother's cheeks turned red with embarrassment. He looked to Arron, his eyebrows raising in silent question as she clutched the fabric near her heart, her eyes wide with fear and surprise. She struggled to get her breathing under control. He hoped she wouldn't have a panic attack. He already didn't know how to deal with this girl.

"Sorry." Yoshino mumbled, stepping back a little as Arron curled back into a ball, her whole body shaking. Yoshino's sudden appearance had spooked her. That was the second scare she'd had that day, save her waking up on their couch. Shikamaru looked down at his paper. He'd been finished a while, and had really just been doodling because he didn't know what else to do.

"We're alright. I finished my homework. It was a drag." Shikamaru put the packet of work away. At least he was caught up now. He was hesitant to let himself get a week behind again, but naps after school were pretty mandatory. Today had been an exception. "Oh, and Arron is twelve just like me."

"She talked?" Yoshino looked surprised, her eyes trailing over to Arron. The girl had also moved and was sitting next to Shikamaru. The woman could see what was happening. She had just been through something traumatic and scarring, and now she was bonding with someone. Shikamaru had not only given her food and water, but he'd been with her since she woke up and he'd stopped Inoichi from taking her away. She was imprinting on him in a way. She was beginning to trust him, and soon she wouldn't be able to part from him.

"Yeah, just one word though. What're we going to do now? It's pretty late." Shikamaru was exhausted. He hadn't gotten his nap and this evening had been pretty emotionally taxing on him. He couldn't imagine what it had been like for Arron. At least tomorrow was Saturday. That was good, he supposed. He wondered what they planned on doing with Arron.

"Well, I guess I should go to bed. Thanks for keeping me company, Arron." Shikamaru awkwardly gathered up up his things, slinging his bag over his shoulder and standing up. Yoshino stepped forward, a warm and motherly smile on her face. Arron peeked up, her eyes still full of panic, fear and caution. She was terrified.

"Come with me, dear. I'll show you where you can sleep and take a bath if you want." Yoshino said softly, approaching the girl. Arron flinched away from her, scrambling to get out of her seat. She squeezed between the wall and the chairs pushed up to the table, scrambling after Shikamaru who'd paused in the doorway. She slid past him, standing so that she was shielded from Yoshino's view. The woman took a deep breath. She'd been right, the girl had bonded with Shikamaru.

"Er... I guess it's in your room?" Shikamaru asked his mother. Yoshino nodded, and Shikamaru nodded back. He began down the hall towards his parents room, Arron trailing close behind. Yoshino waited a few seconds before she followed. She wanted to see what would happen.

"Ah, Arron, Shikamaru." Shikaku tried to smile. "We've got a cot all set up in here for you."

Arron ignored him, staring at the floor and shaking. Her arms were wrapped around her body as though they were her shields. Shikamaru looked up at his dad, and Yoshino sighed. "Come on, dear. It's alright. Nobody will hurt you here."

"You stay here, Arron. Go with my parents. I promise they'll take good care of you. I need to sleep, alright? You do too." He told her, unsure of what to say. Shikaku nodded to the boy as he began to walk again, only Arron followed him. Everyone paused. Well, this wasn't working at all. They couldn't exactly force her.

"Honey, come on." Yoshino coaxed, walking forward. She reached out hesitantly to the girl, who's head snapped up. Tears immediately spilled out, and she let out a whimper, backing up and into Shikamaru, who jumped slightly. He held his arms out a few inches from his sides, unsure of what to do. He looked to Shikaku, who sighed. He could see now. This girl had bonded with Shikamaru.

"Shikamaru, how do you feel about sharing a room with Arron for the night?" Yoshino backed up, but the girl didn't move, staring wide eyed at the woman. She was trying to take her into the room. She'd had couples take her before. She'd been sold to couples before, but not to kids like Shikamaru. Shikamaru was good. He wouldn't let them take her. He wouldn't. He was trustworthy. She could tell.

"Er... yeah, that's fine." He took a small step back, scratching the back of his neck. Arron swallowed heavily, her chest heaving as she turned around, looking up at Shikamaru with large, terrified eyes. He didn't know what to do or say, looking to his parents for help. Shikaku had gone to get the cot, and Yoshino had followed to gather the blankets and pillows.

"My room is just this way. We'll stop by the bathroom, since you haven't been all evening." Shikamaru cleared his throat slightly, turning back around. He felt a small hand grasp the back of his shirt, and his whole body tensed. His hands twitched. What was he supposed to do? Was there something a psychologist would do in response to this? Why was she even touching him if he was afraid to touch anyone?

Shikamaru began to walk, stopping in front of the bathroom only seconds later. He opened the door and he felt Arron let go. He looked to her. She looked like she needed to go in, but like she didn't want to. "I'll wait here. You don't have to close the door all the way, either." He said. That's all it took for her to go in, leaving the door cracked slightly. He turned away from the door.

His mind worked to remember all he'd learned about this sort of stuff. He'd read a book once not that long ago where... was it possible that Arron had bonded with him? It would make sense, he guessed, but how was he supposed to deal with something like that? He'd given her food and water, and he'd stopped Mr. Yamanaka from taking her anywhere. If she was going to bond with anyone and trust anyone, he didn't doubt that it'd be him.

Well, this was troublesome.

He heard the toilet flush, and a moment later the sink turned on. He looked at his sandals. Was there a way to get her to bond with somebody else? It sort of seemed too late for that. Shikamaru was anything but an idiot, but he supposed he could be wrong. Maybe she just trusted him more because they were the same age. That made just as much sense as his bonding theory. Besides, he'd read that in a nonfiction book. They could have made it up.

Shikamaru waited until Arron emerged, her eyes trained on the ground and her body still shaking. She hugged herself again instead of grabbing his shirt. He offered an awkward smile, turning away and walking a few doors down to his room. She scurried after him desperately as though she'd be left behind if she didn't. He told himself he'd have to walk slower if she kept following him around.

"This is my room. You can sit on the bed if you want. I'm just going to get changed in the closet." Shikamaru had always thought his large closet was unnecessary and a total drag, but he was thankful for it now. "I'll be right back." He promised when her eyes filled with fresh fear. She reminded him of an injured deer. And injured deer was a scared deer.

Shikamaru took a deep breath. He had a feeling tonight was going to be a long night.