Arron and Trexx

Chapter 68

Third person pov

Arron cried for a long time, even after Shikamaru took her home. He held her as she did so, not caring that her tears were soaking into his shirt as she cried. When had she last let it all out like this? She'd had panic attacks, but when was the last time she really just sat down and... cried? He couldn't remember. She'd been holding it all in up until now, letting out small bursts of it at a time. 

"It's okay, Arron." Shikamaru assured her. "You're safe."

"I-I'm scared." She whispered back, her grip on him tightening. He felt her fingers curl around the fabric of his shirt. "I-I'm scared they're come back. Th-Their hands were so cold, a-and I couldn't-" She choked out a sob, and Shikamaru felt his heart rush angrily at her words. Not anger towards her, but towards the ones who'd dared to touch her.

"They're never going to touch you again." He said with sure conviction. "Never."

Arron believed him, but she kept crying anyway.

Arron stayed in the next day, and Shikamaru was given the day off from training. Arron simply wanted to be around Shikamaru today, and that was that. She did want to help the homes, and she did want to expand her reach towards other homes in Konoha. She wanted, almost needed, to help. The idea soothed her. It made her fears and doubts go dormant. Helping was like being with Shikamaru. It had... the same energy, she felt.

Arron rolled over ideas in her head. More things would happen like with the woman and her child. More men would be abusive, and some women too. She couldn't lose her temper every time that happened. She couldn't hunt them like she had the day before, and try to kill them. She had to think of some other way. There had to be another way...

"Noot!" Noot rolled across the floor with Mothball darting after him. Trexx was set up in the corner, leaning against the wall and watching the two as they chased each other about. Arron was sitting on the bed, Shikamaru lying next to her. She was gazing down at him, head cocked to the side as though observing.

"What is it?" He asked, yawning. He was tired. Not that that was anything particularly new, but still, it held true. He felt he could drift off at any moment.

"I love you." Arron told him. He felt his cheeks flame up just a little at her blunt declaration of affection, his heart speeding up. He wanted to scowl at himself. He knew Arron didn't- couldn't- mean it like that. He was just... being a teenager. A teenager who needed to stop, take a breath, and re-center himself before this got out of hand.

"I love you too, Arron." He assured. He wondered if he should warn her of what those words meant, but he decided against it. Because he really did love Arron, and he was sure Arron loved him. Just... maybe not in that way.

They slept soundly that night, but the next day Arron was up and ready to go. Ino was coming to pick her up again, and she seemed ready. Shikamaru couldn't help but feel worried, however. Of course he was. Arron had almost killed a guy just a few days ago, and now she was going back out as though nothing had happened? It didn't sit right with him. He... didn't like it.

Or maybe he was having separation anxiety.

"I'll take good care of her!" Ino assured. "And I won't let her kill anyone. I promise."

Shikamaru mumbled out an "okay," though it was halfhearted. Trexx followed after the two girls tiredly, a bag of money slung over his shoulder as Arron tugged Ino hurriedly down the path, saying something about a roof. Ino just laughed and sped up, beginning to list off a few roofing companies she knew of. Shikamaru watched them go worriedly.

"They'll be alright, son." Shikaku assured. "I think Arron knows she can't do that again. She seemed different today. Less... wound up."

"Yeah..." Shikamaru muttered. "Doesn't mean I have to like it. This whole thing is troublesome." 

"It's good that she's getting out, though, even if it is a drag. It's good that she has an outlet." Shikaku grinned a lazy grin, glancing down at his son. He and Yoshino had been talking, and though they were going to wait until after the chunin exams ended, they were, ultimately, going to put Arron in her own bedroom. It was clear Shikamaru was developing feelings that extended beyond platonic love and care, and Shikaku was pretty sure Arron was too, even if the girl wasn't realizing that.

Arron burst into the roofing companies office like the world was about to end. The man at the desk, the owner, jumped slightly as she raced up to his desk, slamming her hands down on it as though she had something of the highest order. His breath hitched as she looked him dead in the eyes, all seriousness. The world seemed to slow. A shadow loomed behind her.

"...Roof."

A giant sack of cash was dropped on his desk.

~

They replaced the roof with money to spare, so it was only natural that Arron would promote them to put a fresh coat of pain on the house as well. Not to mention one of the roofers was also a handyman, so he fixed the broken sink in the downstairs bathroom, and the garbage disposal. She bought a lawn mower, and somehow managed to find a landscaper to put some rose bushes in. Ino honestly barely had to do anything but lead her to the places she needed to go. The dark-haired girl would take the reigns after this.

"Arron, it's time for your therapy appointment with my dad, remember?" Ino recalled, realizing they needed to be at his office in five minutes, even though it was ten away. She winced a little when Arron turned to her with a withering look that told the blonde she wasn't going anywhere while several strange men were climbing all over the women's house. 

"No time." Arron checked her watch- when had she gotten that again? "Doctor is coming."

"Why's a doctor coming?" Ino blinked.

"Hurt." Arron gestured towards the house. Ino supposed that made sense. The women couldn't much afford medical care, but some had broken bones, and that little boy... Ino shook the thought off. 

"I'll go get him and bring him here, then. Is that okay?" Ino asked. Arron shrugged, not paying any mind to Skronk, who rushed past them in a slither. Ino blanched down at the long, shadowy creature as he rounded the corner of the house. Apparently, he was on watch. Arron didn't like the hired men, but knew they were needed. That didn't mean she wasn't going to loom over them until they were off the premise.

"Okay." Arron agreed slowly, returning a thumbs up one of the roofers gave her. Ino nodded and turned to leave. A man brushed past her in a flourish. Ino almost choked. Who the fuck was that?

"An interior designer was needed?" The man bristled. He was short, with a coonskin hat and long, black hair, and bright red, manicured nails. He wore a tight tube top, and in contrast, bootleg jeans and cowboy boots. He smacked his lips, shifting the large scroll on his back. "I'm here."

"In house." Arron said vaguely, gesturing to it. Trexx shook the back of money. They still had a lot left, much to Ino's astonishment. Apparently Arron got a discount for being a minor, and since it was for a technical non-profit. "Fix."

"You got it, sweetcheeks."

Ino darted off. Yeah, the sooner she could get her father here, the better.