Surprise_u

Buenos días, tardes o noches. Solo mirando como funciona Tumblr y porque descubrí que hay contendió de mi ship favorito :'> ___♡___ Good morning, good afternoon or good night. I'm just looking here to see how Tumblr works and also because I discovered that there is content of my favorite ship

[hinar3dx]

← Part 11 | Part 12

As it happened, it rained on their wedding day and Shikamaru nearly had an anger-induced heart attack. He couldn’t believe it! Everything had finally come together—they’d gotten their custom made chairs in time, flowers, all invited guests were to attend, the decorations were lovely, the band was a perfect choice, the food had arrived, ready to be served, and the cake was holding exceptionally well.

Naruto rubbed his temple as he watched Shikamaru pace around his bedroom. “How are you actually worse than a bridezilla? I don’t see what the big deal is.”

Shikamaru nearly launched himself at the Uzumaki, but used all his restraint to hold back, taking a deep breath to calm himself. “We picked an outdoor wedding!” He exclaimed, throwing his hands up. “Everything’s ruined.” Honestly, some part of him actually felt like crying a little.

“I don’t think Hinata’s gonna mind, you know,” he pointed out.

It made sense to him logically, but his heart just couldn’t accept the downpour. 

Hinata is meant to have sunshine on her wedding day, dammit!

Suddenly, his mother rushed into his bedroom without knocking, the doors smacking open with one strong shove. “Shikamaru!” She said, eyes wide and full of worry. “Get over to the Hyuuga Estate, now! It’s Hinata!”

His eyes widened and he was rushing out of the bedroom door at full speed, barely registering Naruto standing up with a panic. He dashed outside, not caring that his wedding kimono was getting soaked and clinging to him. He ran faster than he thought was possible, and cursed when he saw Hinata already running toward him, also drenched.

“Hinata, what the hell are you doing?!” He asked, gathering her up into his arms. He took off his haori and put it over her hair, which had been intricately styled and pinned up but was now drooping from the weight of the rain. The Hyuugas resided nearly on the other side of the village, so just what had she been thinking?

She smiled at him warmly, as if they weren’t getting soaked to the bone. “I thought you might be upset about the rain, and stressed out. I was afraid you’d want to postpone it,” she admitted softly. “I don’t want to postpone it, okay?”

He let out an incredulous laugh, cupping her face in his hands, and pressing their foreheads together. “You are absolutely unbelievable, Hinata, and you’re mistaken if you think I wasn’t gonna make you Hinata Nara today.”

Her face turned a pretty red, and they couldn’t stop themselves from laughing, straight from the belly, just holding onto each other.

And it was like that, standing in their dripping clothes, facing each other, hand-in-hand that the ceremony went on. Everything was soaking, and most of the guests, other than their closest friends, hadn’t attended, but neither of them realized—only focused on one another.

Their lips met innocently, Shikamaru wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in close.

“My number zero,” he whispered. Her grip on him tightened, silently expressing her happiness.

[surprise-u]

No se pero me gustó como quedó-

I don't know, but I liked how it turned out-

[mela1738]

clean your friends #cleanyourfriends

[mela1738]

afterschool nap

[poczwartistic]

whiteboard today with @szkicu

[hinar3dx]

← Part 10 | Part 11

Shikamaru exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple as he leaned against the counter of the shop he was currently standing in. “I was told that these custom chairs would be done before the wedding,” he explained slowly, trying to calm himself. “I confirmed it multiple times with you and others. I have all interactions recorded down and signed off.”

The worker smiled tightly, clearly nervous. “W-well, yes. But unfortunately, there was an issue with the wood type you chose. Termites were found in the warehouse, a-and nearly all of it had to be thrown away.”

He looked down at his large folder, everything they had picked out for the wedding threatening to fall out. “Then…is there another wood of similar color and likeness that wasn’t infected?” He asked. “My wedding is only a couple of weeks away, and I—We need those customs chairs!”

The worker flinched. “We’re looking through all our inventory, I promise!”

He gathered up his things. “I’ll check back in at the end of the day. I need to check this off our list by today at the absolute latest, or I will raise hell.” He left in anger before the worker could say anything else. Once he was outside, he sighed heavily. “Unbelievable.”

“Shika!” He turned to see Hinata running toward him with a smile. “I just came from the Yamanaka Flower Shop.”

“Did Ino manage to secure the flowers we wanted from their merchants?” He asked.

She shook her head, smiling apprehensively. “They couldn’t get lilies of the valley and calla lilies, unfortunately. But I assured her that anything similar they had was fine,” she explained.

He put a hand on his hip. “Fine? Hinata, I won’t accept anything but those lilies!” He exclaimed, walking around her and marching toward Ino’s flower shop. “First our custom chairs, and now the flowers? This is ridiculous!”

Hinata rushed to catch up to him, biting back an amused smile. She wouldn’t mention it aloud, but Shikamaru had turned out to be a bit of a bridezilla. He was very particular about their color scheme, the invitation design, flowers, custom decorations, and all. It was actually quite cute.

“Shika, honey, you know that Ino can’t control what her merchants bring if the seasons don’t call for it,” she reminded him. “We’ll make due. The wedding is still going to be beautiful.”

He slowed to a normal pace and sighed heavily. “This wedding needs to be perfect, Hina. It’s our wedding, and the only one we’ll be getting. It’s gotta be grand.”

She took his hand and brought it up to her cheek, leaning into it. “All I need is for you to be the groom. It doesn’t need to be perfect and grand,” she reminded him.

He looked down at her and then at the large folder he had spent weeks pulling together of all his—their inspiration, and still knew she was right.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” he said quietly. “I even nearly scared the crap out of the worker here at the woodworking place.”

She giggled softly. “You’re excited to marry me. I can’t be mad at that, and you shouldn’t apologize.” Then her smile turned teasing. “But you shouldn’t be so hard on the workers, okay?”

He sighed heavily, trying not to actually pout in public. “All right.” He paused. “But let’s go check on those flowers anyway. I wanna see what Ino says for myself.” She followed after him with a small smile.

He entered the store with a bit more of a push on the door than was standard for him, still obviously a little upset. “Ino, what’s this about the flowers?” He asked, putting the thick folder on the counter. “You gave me your word that getting them would be no issue. I understand that these things happen, but—”

He trailed off when he looked over to see her smug reaction. “Simmer down, loverboy. The flowers are still coming in. I just wanted to cause you some stress,” she admitted happily.

He groaned, as standard when interacting with Ino. “Why, you sicko?”

She shrugged. “I hadn’t in a while. It was either I do it now, or on the wedding day.”

A heavy sigh came from his lips. “I guess I should just count myself lucky that it was now.”

“That’s the spirit!” She pulled out a scroll. “Anyway, here’s the proof of those flowers on their way, just to ease your mind. We’re getting a large batch of all the ones you ordered, and you should count yourself lucky because calla lilies aren’t even in the proper season yet.”

Hinata rubbed Shikamaru’s back as he slumped over the desk in relief. “Thank god.” He flipped through his folder and checked it off. “All right. Now we’re just waiting to confirm the number of guests to give to the caterer, and the chairs.” He nodded to himself and shut the folder. “We’ll see you later, Ino. Thanks again.”

Hinata smiled at Ino. “Thank you so much for all your hard work,” she said, hugging the Yamanaka tightly.

“It’s no problem. And now that Sakura’s back in the village, we can finally go dress shopping.” Hinata had been putting it off while waiting for her friend to return, and Shikamaru was kind of confused on how his fiancée could be such great friends with the woman Naruto used to chase after. But Hinata was a sweet girl, and she just wanted her people to be happy.

“She looked so tired last time I saw her,” Hinata said worriedly. “I hope she’s getting plenty of sleep. Why didn’t Sasuke accompany her back?"

Ino shrugged. “Something about a huge fight, and him having to remain behind to go undercover or something,” she replied, waving her hand dismissively. Then, she leaned in closer. “But apparently she wanted to get officially married and start a family but he wasn’t really into the idea. It led to a fight, and she decided to stop wasting her time. She told me they only kissed once, and he seemed to be disinterested after. She wasn’t really feeling the fireworks either.”

She frowned, sad for her friend. “I hope she’s okay.”

Ino nodded. “Honestly, I think she feels better. I think she needed a solid answer from a Sasuke who was no longer obsessed with revenge. She can move on now.”

“I guess that’s good, then. May she find happiness.” Ino hugged her again before Shikamaru led her out of the small flower shop by the small of her back.

He could only hold it in until they were down the street. “What if she and Naruto suddenly decided to go out?” He asked curiously, trying to be nonchalant.

She seemed to think for a moment. “I would be happy for them, but I don’t think it’ll happen. Naruto only sees her as a sister, and he won’t cross lines that he drew,” she replied.

He put an arm over her shoulder, pulling her close to his side. “Good. Because you’re mine, and I won’t let anyone else have you.”

She giggled. “No one could take me from you. And no one could take you from me either.”

God, he couldn’t wait to marry her.

[hinar3dx]

← Part 9 | Part 10

Shikamaru stood in front of Kakashi and Naruto during another long study session. They were taking a break after it was becoming clear that he was close to beating Naruto with one of the books.

“I hear congratulations are in order,” Kakashi suddenly said, leaning back in a chair with his smutty book open.

Shikamaru smiled to himself. “Thank you. We’ve already started on the wedding planning.” As soon as Hiashi had accepted his marriage proposal, he immediately began planning. Breaking the news to his mom with Hinata by his side was its own ordeal. He had never heard his mother scream so happily and basically manhandle his bride-to-be into a tight hug.

One second, Hinata was next to him, and the next, his mother literally picked her up and pulled her into a hug.

“Damn, you’re strong,” was the only thing that left his mouth. Hinata’s expression was priceless, however, and made him laugh. The Hyuuga—soon to be Nara—squeaked, her face full of shock and colored that pretty red she wore so well. “Ma, you’re gonna break my wife.”

His mother, Yoshino, gave him a teasing smile. “You’re not even married yet!”

His eyes drifted to his girl as his mother finally put her down. “She is, in my heart. That’s what matters.”

Hinata’s face went soft.

Yoshino chuckled. “Who knew my son was capable of such romantic words?” Her voice was full of warmth and happiness. “As much as I liked Temari, you two only ever bickered. It was funny to watch, but I think Hinata suits you more. You’re the type who needs to sit in silence that isn’t only granted by anger,” she explained. “Hinata, honey…take care of my son.”

Hinata held his mother’s hand when the older woman grabbed it. “I promise we’ll take care of each other, Mother,” she replied. Yoshino’s eyes lit up, as though Hinata had passed some unspoken test only his mother was privy to.

Since then, Hinata had been regularly visiting his mother and even making time to go visit his father’s resting place, often cleaning the stone, and silently praying for him. Hinata knew what it was like to lose someone dearly, as she still carried the weight of Neji’s on her shoulder.

And, now, sitting across from Naruto, he could see that same weight on the blonde’s shoulders. It was a weight his wife and one of his best friends would carry together—something he could only support with his will, and nothing that could ever hold them together.

Naruto smiled, averting his eyes and choosing to look down at his notes. “Congratulations,” he said. It was sad, but also sincere. “Remember: no making her cry. I’m still one of the strongest shinobi in the world, and me and Kurama will kick your ass to the moon. He adores her.”

He laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He had no plans to make her cry anything but happy tears. “I’ll even report to you myself for that ass beating. My girl deserves nothing but happiness.”

Naruto’s eyes widened just a bit when he called Hinata by such a possessive petname. “Oh, I bet she loves that.”

He nodded proudly.

Kakashi had already closed his book, and was watching the interaction with interest. “I’m glad you two can still get along.”

“I just want my friends to be happy!” Naruto declared. Even at the cost of his own.

“Well, then…” Kakashi leaned forward, his chin resting on his hand. “You’ll be happy to hear that Sakura is returning to the village.”

They both tilted their heads curiously. “What about Sasuke?” Naruto asked.

There was a smile in his tone, even if they couldn’t see it. “Apparently, her and Sasuke didn’t work out. So…maybe you’ll have a chance,” he pointed out, knowing of the Uzumaki’s old crush on the girl.

Naruto made a face and shook his head instantly. “Nah, she’s more like a sister. Besides, who wants to be a consolation prize?”

Shikamaru laughed. “Agreed. Besides, we’re all young. There’s no rush.” He tapped on the books. “And you need to focus.” Naruto groaned, letting his head fall against the desk with a loud thud.

There was a knock on the door before it opened. It was Hinata, holding a large, tiered bento box. “I hope I’m not interrupting,” she greeted.

Shikamaru pulled her in. “Never.”

“I brought you all lunch. It’s difficult to study on an empty stomach.” She put it on the desk.

Naruto all but launched for the box. “Thanks, Hinata! Your food is the best!”

She laughed softly. “Once our new home is built, you’re welcome to come over for dinner any time. You, too, Kakashi-sensei,” she offered.

Her fiancé groaned. “He’ll never leave!”

The Uzumaki’s smile turned smug. “I might as well move in,” he teased, waggling his brows.

The teasing went on longer than he’d like, with even Kakashi chiming in about how he’d liked to join them for dinner every night along with Naruto. It was annoying, but Hinata’s laughter made him accept that that might possibly have to become his new normal. If it made her happy to entertain guests every night, then he’d happily do it.

[wildflowertips]

credit

bonus:

[leiandroid]

naruto baseball au and yap

JERSEY NUMBER, FIELDING POSITION and BATTING ORDER below

#1 PITCHER (P) - NARUTO (ace) ace of the team, star pitcher uzumaki naruto. famous for his rasengan, rasenshuriken, and whatever ridiculous names he comes up with. but really, he's good at pitches with remarkable spin: curveball, forkball, changeups, screwballs, and his signature knuckleball characterised by its unpredictability. #2 CATCHER (C) - SHIKAMARU genius catcher and strategist. treats the game like a chessboard and players as his moving pieces. he tried to resist naruto's naming conventions for pitches but naruto is as stubborn as an ox so... yes naruto, you can throw your rasenshuriken. #8 FIRST BASE (1B) - NEJI receives the most throws and so has excellent reaction time for catching and scooping up balls that come his way #3 SECOND BASE (2B) - SASUKE keystone (see lee) #5 THIRD BASE (3B) - CHOJI a strong throwing arm that can make easy throws to first and home bases to stop advances and get outs. #6 SHORTSTOP (SS) - LEE sasuke and lee have surprising synergy as the keystone combo with speed and sharp reflexes on their side to help make double plays and keep the attacking team at bay. lee's speed, stamina, and quick reactions makes him the perfect shortstop which is the most taxing position on the field. #4 LEFT FIELD (LF) - SHINO (team captain) another fantastic strategist. shino and shikamaru are instrumental in drafting games and reading other teams. has good spatial sense to be able to get into position to catch balls headed into the outfield. has a good enough throwing arm to send the ball back to base. #7 CENTER FIELD (CF) - KIBA extremely athletic and covers a lot of ground with a powerful throwing arm. he can throw balls out from the outfield and reach the basemen with ease. lacks the precision needed for pitching but is a valuable asset in the outfield. #9 RIGHT FIELD (RF) - SAI the chillest position, this position is more like psychological warfare. his unnerving demeanour and trashtalk meant to ragebait the attacking team into making mistakes.

BATTING ORDER

LEADOFF - KIBA - fast on his feet, high on base average, and good base steals. with good batting prowess he makes it to first base often securing a play for the team 2 SPOT - SHINO - consistent hitter with great bat control often advancing kiba on the diamond 3 HOLE - SASUKE - best batter on the team with great reflexes and precision, able to hit wild pitches reliably CLEAN UP - CHOJI - power hitter that has a high homerun count and able to bring his team home 5 POSITION - NEJI - a good hitter with good reflexes, the clean up for the clean up, any missed opportunities with choji, neji can reliably clean up afterwards SPOT 6 - NARUTO - enthusiastic hitter that can range from powerful hits to popflys that get himself out :( SPOT 7 - SHIKAMARU - consistent hitter, not remarkable but reliable BATTING 8 - LEE - absolutely awful at batting but is good at bunting, his speed makes up for the bad plays 9 PLAYER - SAI - consistent hitter that sets the bases back up for the top of the lineup

i have some extra random bs to do with other characters and their roles but i might be drawing those next instead of yapping more hehe

[hinar3dx]

← Part 8 | Part 9

She was waiting outside for him in the early morning. It was foggy, and the sun was hidden behind clouds. He could tell it was going to be rainy all day, and he wondered if it was a good idea to have this conversation in such dreary weather. She deserved the sun.

But her smiling face convinced him otherwise. She didn’t want ‘picture perfect’, she just wanted honesty and sincerity—things he had always been with her.

“Good morning,” she greeted.

He took her hand. “Morning.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead, smiling at the way she got a little shy. He never thought of himself as being a kisser, but he couldn’t stop himself. Rather than finding all of this courting tedious or troublesome, he was having fun. He liked how this made him around her.

“How did you sleep?” He asked as they began walking to the Hokage Tower.

“Honestly, I was a bit too nervous to sleep much,” she admitted with a soft laugh. He squeezed her hand. “But I’m okay. Seeing you just…gives me a burst of energy.”

Shikamaru turned his head away to cover his red cheeks. She managed to say the cutest things with her soft, sincere voice so easily. “I’m sorry if I made you nervous. I just wanted to do this right.”

She waited patiently for him to continue.

“I thought a lot about my place in the village, as a Clan Head, and as the Hokage’s Advisor, and about you, and my family,” he began softly, watching as the sun still hid behind the clouds. “I thought about what number you were at…”

She slowly came to a stop, looking up at him with guarded, but hopeful eyes. “Where do I stand with you?”

He grabbed her other hand, too, holding them both as he looked down at her. “You’re not my number one, Hinata…” Her eyes filled with tears, and she nodded slowly—accepting his decision. “Because you’re my number zero.”

Her eyes widened and the tears that had gathered from sadness now fell with happiness. “Z-zero?”

He nodded. “You come before everything else, no matter what. I would give up my position as Clan Head to be with you, and I would hand the Hokage my resignation if it would please you. I could do other things, I don’t care what they are…as long as I can care for you, and be your husband.” His face had never felt hotter admitting these things to her, or saying them out loud, but he wouldn’t look away from her.

She deserved someone who didn’t shy away from his own feelings, and who wasn’t afraid to express his love.

She wiped her face and pressed herself against him, hugging him tightly. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I love you, Shika.”

He wrapped his arms around her, a hand on the back of her head. “Marry me, Hinata. I’ll spend the rest of our lives proving just how much I love you.”

She could only nod her head against him, the lump in her throat preventing her from speaking. But her hold on him tightened, clutching to his flak jacket.

He smiled against her hair, feeling a stinging in his own eyes. He never thought he would have this. He thought, after Temari married someone else, the best he was going to get was hopefully peacefully co-existing with another person in a shared home, and eventually having a kid or two. 

Now, however, this was perfect.

This was everything he never realized he truly wanted. Hinata was everything he didn’t realize he truly wanted. And she wanted him, too. He thanked the heavens above that she wanted him, too.

“I love you,” he spoke gently against her silky locks.

[apazwtsn]

drew this frame from Due Spicci in my style but i mixed cartoon Zero and real Zero :)

(⬇️this guy in case you don't know)

[hinar3dx]

← Part 7 | Part 8

After the first time, Shikamaru found every opportunity to kiss her. When they said hello, when they parted ways, when he found her waiting for him to get off work again, and when they said goodbye for the day. It was like he couldn’t get enough of her soft lips. It was strange. Kissing someone never really mattered to him. He never even thought about kissing Temari now that he thought about it. He felt attracted to her, but it was on a different level than Hinata. He didn’t get to see Temari nearly as much, usually only exchanging letters with her, but writing letters usually felt more intimate.

Holding Hinata’s hand, kissing her, seeing her blushing face, and her smiles, even her scent…he was beginning to wonder if he had truly liked Temari to begin with.

They were leaning against the wall of the Hyuuga Estate, something they began doing recently to talk more before she eventually had to go inside. He felt comfortable enough to actually ask her about these things, because she never judged him or took offense.

“Did you ever feel this way with Naruto?” He eventually asked, his voice soft and almost hesitant. She always provided insight, but part of him felt reluctant to hear her answer.

“What way?” She asked, looking over at him curiously.

He rubbed the back of his neck, a tell that he was a bit stressed about the subject. “I was just thinking that whatever I had once felt for Temari feels different from this,” he explained, gesturing between the two of them. “I enjoy our conversations, but I also enjoy kissing until we can’t breathe. I didn’t think about kissing her,” he admitted, his own face slightly red.

She took a few moments to think about it before nodding. “Naruto had always seemed unattainable to me. It felt almost… disrespectful to think about doing such an intimate act. There was a time when I thought he was going to kiss me, but he pulled back. I remember my heart pounding and being relieved that he hadn’t.”

He smiled. “I’m actually kinda happy that we were each other’s first kiss,” he said, clearing his throat.

She laughed softly. “Me, too. I was curious about how you felt about Temari. Ino told me you were heartbroken when she was getting married to someone else.”

“I was. Temari made the most sense. We kept in constant contact through letters, but now… not only do you feel more logical, I want it to be you. I want you to be my girlfriend.”

She smiled sheepishly. “I thought I already was,” she admitted.

“Then, if you’re okay with it, I’d like to ask your father for your hand in marriage.” He looked at her, reaching up and putting a gentle hand on her cheek.

She nodded. “But can you be sure that I’ll be your number one?” She asked, voice quiet and meek. She was afraid that she would still come second.

He didn’t know how to properly say how he felt. He couldn’t find the correct words, and it was important that he did. Hinata deserved nothing but his all. Not having the words wasn’t his all.

He stroked her cheek with the back of his index finger. “I can’t find the words to explain to you right now. I want to be with you, that’s never going to change. Can I…have some time to find the proper words?”

She looked deep into his eyes, and eventually nodded. She knew how much it bothered him to not have the most well thought out answer to any question he was asked, especially one he hadn’t been able to answer previously. She could wait.

“Let’s meet tomorrow morning before I head into the office. I won’t be able to focus all day if I don’t start my day with seeing you,” he said. It was so casual, but Hinata’s face went red at just how romantic that was.

He leaned down and smiled against her lips when she met him in the middle, more confident in their displays of affection.

[hinar3dx]

← Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 →

A few days later, Shikamaru was once again walking her home after she waited for him to get off of work. She had been waiting for him lately, and his chest felt warm every time he saw her there from that first time on. She never went up to his office, choosing instead to wait on the bench at the front of the building. He wouldn’t have minded her joining him in his office, but he liked that she respected his job and boundaries.

The first time he saw her waiting there, she was reading a book, and it was then that he discovered the way the sunset looked on her. He thought he maybe enjoyed it more than seeing the clouds drift across the sky.

They were nearing the gate of her home, and he was about to pull her into his arms to finally kiss her, when he left out a soft grunt as she pushed him against the concrete wall that surrounded the Hyuuga property, her hand smacking the wall beside his head. She was much shorter than him, so seeing her struggle trying to make such a dominating move was cuter than sexy.

Her face was bright red, but there was a fiery determination in her eyes.

“What are you doing?” He asked, biting back a smile. He couldn’t resist licking his lips to prepare, just in case she actually went for what he thought she was going to.

“I’m…wooing you,” she explained, leaning closer as she watched him wet his lips. Her face was getting redder by the second, clearly out of her comfort zone but her determination persisted. “Ino said you like this kind of thing.”

He groaned. Damn Ino. “What kind of thing, exactly?”

“Um, she said you like it when,” she cleared her throat, “You like assertive women who make the first move and…and establish dominance.”

He couldn’t hold back his laughter, letting his forehead lean down against hers. “When are you going to learn she’s just trying to mess with me using you?” He chuckled, looking down into her eyes. “Though, I can’t fully deny that I’m really enjoying this.”

Her expression then turned mortified. “Oh, my God!” She exclaimed softly, realizing what she was doing. He couldn’t hold back his smirk. “This is so embarrassing…”

He pulled back slightly to cup her face in his hands, forcing her gently to look up at him. “Like I said, I can’t really deny the side of me that enjoys that side of you.” He leaned down, keeping her still as he pressed his lips to her.

In the end, he thought he should probably thank Ino after all.

As requested: tagging @whoseafraidofliloleme

[hinar3dx]

← Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 →

It was smooth sailing after that. They saw each other at least once a day, usually having a meal and then going for a walk. It was nice to have someone to see every day, and having many different conversations with someone as quiet and as smart. She didn’t talk needlessly to fill in any silences, and she could keep up with him when he was in the mood to discuss things such as politics, shogi games, and official advisor duties.

He found himself wondering why the hell he hadn’t pursued her much sooner.

After one of their evening walks, he turned to her just as they made it to the Hyuga Estate. “I was thinking,” he began. She looked up at him curiously. “We should kiss.”

Her eyes went wide and she covered her cheeks to hide the blush, but she couldn’t cover her ears at the same time. It was cute, really, seeing the blush go all the way down her neck. “Excuse me?” She finally managed to squeak out.

For as much as Hinata Hyuga had matured and grown into herself, there were still occasions where she looked much like the shy girl who used to follow Naruto around. It made him happy to see that war and losing Neji hadn’t completely stripped her of that childlike innocence.

“You’re not interested?” He asked.

She shook her head. “It’s not that,” she said hurriedly. “Um, but are you?”

He nodded. “I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t. Truthfully, I’ve been thinking about it for a few days now. I thought about just going for it, you know, trying to be somewhat romantic. But then I thought, ‘Maybe that’s actually not romantic’? It’s only really romantic if you wanted to kiss me, too. It’s creepy and violating if you don’t,” he explained, looking around at the trees swaying with the breeze.

Hinata giggled—a soft, pleased sound. “Then how about this? I give you permission to kiss me when you feel the time is right.”

He thought about that for a moment before eventually nodding. “Deal.” He held his hand out for her to shake. Her hands were small and delicate, but also had a light trace of callouses that exposed her shinobi background. He remembered often seeing her late in the evening hitting the training post to ensure her hits were strong and direct, often leaving them stained with her blood.

If there was something he could count on with Hinata, it was her determination to give it her all.

Even with the risk of pain.

[rabiesshaverr]

The end of Due spicci

[bandaalarga]

Zero e Sarah e Secco

[hinar3dx]

Logically Pt. 5

Shikamaru waited for Hinata to come out of the Hyuga Estate, standing nervously with a hand-picked flower and the velvet case that held the bracelet. This felt weird. He’d had plenty of women angry at him, but never Hinata.

He immediately straightened when the gate opened, looking over at her. She avoided his eyes as she stepped closer, shutting the gate behind her, keeping her hands behind her back.

He cleared his throat. “Um, I’m—”

She looked up at him, eyes sad. “I’m sorry, Shikamaru. I shouldn’t have done that to you. It was unbecoming.” He paused at her apology. He followed her hand as she presented a velvet box to him, suspiciously in the same color of the gift he got her. “I know gifts can’t make up for it, but I still wanted to get you something as an apology.”

She opened it to reveal the exact bracelet he had gotten her, and he couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it. Seeing her confused expression, he presented her with the velvet box he had been carrying around half the day. Her eyes widened when he opened it and she, too, began to laugh.

“Seriously, Hinata, I told you to woo me, but you’re doing it as though I were a woman,” he laughed, exchanging boxes with her. “You brought me flowers and jewelry. I wonder what you’ll try next.”

Her face went red. “Well, I’m not sure! Ino assured me you’d love something like this.”

He sighed heavily. He knew that girl was going to mess with him somehow.

“I guess we’ll just consider these…” His face went a little red at what he was about to say, but he promised he was going to give it his all for the woman standing in front of him, “We’ll consider them couples’ bracelets.”

Her eyes went a little wide before she burst out into giggles, covering her mouth gracefully the way an Heiress would—or former one. “Couples’ bracelets, it is.” She held her wrist out, waiting for him to put it on her.

He pulled it out of the case and clumsily put it on her. He couldn’t quite get the clasp right, and he kept losing his grip on it, but she just patiently waited for him without making fun of him. It was strange. He was used to other women in his life constantly getting on him for any little thing, teasing him whenever possible.

When he glanced up at her face, he saw her smiling with very soft eyes. They were focused on his hands fiddling with it, but her gaze was fond. Like she appreciated every bit of effort he was putting into just putting this bracelet on her.

He had always liked that about Hinata.

When he finally got it, he adjusted it until the clasp was on the inside of her wrist and the diamonds were shining brightly for anyone to see.

“Now give me your wrist.” He held it out to her, looking away with his face feeling strangely hot. She was much more efficient, and got it on his wrist in less than three seconds. But he could tell the care she put into it, by fixing it right on his wrist, and making sure it wasn’t twisted anywhere. “There.”

He looked down at their wrists, and smiled to himself. “We may succeed yet,” he said.

She smiled at him shyly. “Thank you for giving me another chance.”

“I should be thanking you. I didn’t realize I was being so insensitive,” he assured her. “And I talked to Naruto. I guess he gave his blessing.”

She nodded again. “He wouldn’t stand in the way.” She sounded so sure that he believed it, too. And he had seen it first hand, when he had his conversation with Naruto. But…

“Can I ask what really happened between you guys?” He was really damn curious.

“The love Naruto and I have for each other is strong and present, but I’ve lived my whole life in every position but first to those around me. With my husband, I wanted to be first,” she admitted. “And, even with Naruto, I was never always first. Sakura was, and then Sasuke, and then the village, and then it would be me.” She shook her head. “I can’t live like that.”

“And you think I would put you first?” He asked.

“I’m still trying to figure that out. Would you put me first, Shikamaru?” She asked, looking into his eyes, expect nothing but still carrying that hope she always did. Despite everything.

He hesitated for a moment, truly thinking about it. “I want to try,” he eventually settled on.

She accepted that easily. “Then I’ll try, too.”

He bit the inside of his cheek and stepped closer to her. Then, he pulled her into a hug. “No matter how this all ends, I guess I just wanna say that you’re worth being someone’s number one.”

Her eyes widened over his shoulder as her arms slowly wrapped around him, tears welling at his comforting words. Shikamaru wasn’t the kind to comfort softly, nor was he the kind to tell a lie for emotions. She could trust his words to be true.

“Thank you,” she whispered. 

Please, let it be you…

Let it be me.

They silently pleaded.