🌼 PUT A FLOWER IN MY MUSE’S HAIR | not accepting| @konoshade
Mud dirties feet as she wades deeper into the cool water. After her disturbance the silt takes a moment to resettle, tickling against her legs. Even though she has rolled up her pants it is of little use; the fabric is quickly soaked and turns dark. A dart of movement; minnow or some other small fish. She watches the flick of silver and brown bodies with slight interest before paying attention to the river once more.
She is a strong swimmer, but today she is not going to venture to the deepest part where the current runs thick and disarming. As a child it had been all too easy to be swept away by so strong a force, but it only served as further reason to visit these waters as often as she could. Sometimes, with Shikamaru in tow as she does now. They’d held hands and stood strong together against it, chubby-cheeked and knobby kneed.
At this moment she is content merely to feel the lap of water against her thighs and its calm ministration. Distantly, she wishes that Shikamaru was grasping his hand in hers now as well.
❛ Do you want to join? It’s a nice day. ❜ Turning to face him is disastrous for her heart; he is lounging in the sun and gaze half-lidded, watching. The casual splay of his long form is somehow alluring, a fact that she realizes more and more by the day. Gone is the time when she was no longer affected by such things, or aware of his attractiveness. It is awkward to realize that she wishes to do nothing more than kiss the curl of his lips into a wider smile.
Defeated, she averts her gaze to the trees. The forest is lush and alive, teeming with activity. Little escapes her gaze, observant even without Byakugan activated.
❛ No, I think I’d rather stay dry. Don’t want to bother with the mess. ❜ His fingers lazily pick at the grass. Flowers too; the little ones that spring close to the water’s edge and resemble weeds more than bouquet.
Expecting that answer she only raises a brow before turning away again, drifting her fingertips across the water’s surface. She, too, does not think she will go much deeper for now. Already she will have to dry a bit before heading home. There are duties that she will have to perform later, questions that she already will have to answer for her absence. Hinata hadn’t planned for swimming today, nor brought suitable clothing. It simply had struck her fancy, and lately she’d taken it open herself to listen to her gut. Hesitance would no longer belong to her; this she swears.
❛ Y-you’re probably right. It’s already cold with breeze. ❜ As if to prove her point she shivers.
❛ Best to get out then, ❜ he teases, prompting her to settle him with an unimpressed look. In turn, he laughs. Low and heady and oh. Uncharitable thoughts spring with startling swiftness. Breath catches in her lungs, heartbeat in her ears. Perhaps she really has been swept away with the current, for now she feels weightless.
Bravery rises and produces a daring notion, one that she would have followed months before without further thought. They are casual in touch and affection with one another, what has changed so now that makes her awkward? Surely not him; Shikamaru is much the same as ever.
No, it is her.
Resolve to put this silly infatuation behind her has her acting, though. Seeking hard not to give away her thoughts or intentions she moves to the dry bank once more, not daring to glance up at him as she peels off soaked cloth. He has seen her in her underthings before, but there has never been a sense of excitement around him concerning it in the past. Gods, she wants him to desire her, or at least look favorably at her. With that there is no helping flushing crimson, hands suddenly nervous while she frees her ankles from her pooled pants. The sun is warm enough to caress her bare legs with warmth; her face is imbued by the same with her wonderings.
Shikamaru seems to suspect nothing until she plops the mess onto him. ❛ Now you’re wet too. ❜ Her laugh is delighted, barely loud enough to be heard. Her embarrassment is worthwhile the affronted sound Shikamaru makes, eyes narrowing at the betrayal. Shinobi reflexes could have saved him, but doing so would have been too much of a bother. Defeated simply by his lethargy; not too uncommon of an event.
❛ Thanks, ❜ he comments dryly. He bundles it up to toss back at her, not nearly quick enough that she can’t sidestep it. It lands a few a feet behind her, though crumpled. With a sigh she goes to straighten it out as to properly dry; at the least little bit that it can before they must leave.
She hums in cheeky acknowledgement and hesitates for only a moment before sitting down next to him, curling her legs underneath her. Her hoodie is long enough to cover her naked thighs and so she does so, pulling the hem downwards a bit self-consciously. Her flirtation with being brave is now come to an end, it seems. The last ounce she has goes towards leaning against him, naturally slotting herself against him in a motion long-familiar by practice. As much as she doubts and questions herself, she still finds comfort in this old song and dance. If there were the time she’d suggest a nap.
When her eyes slip closed she can better focus on the bird-song surrounding them and the click of summer cicadas. Annoying to some, but soothing to her. Earlier she’d taken note of their lumbering bodies perched upon trees, insistent in the attention they called. Stinkbugs too, to her eternal displeasure. Many a school day had been ruined by the accidental squishing of them.
Further consideration of the scenery is interrupted by the sensation of fingers upon her. Steady, calloused and warm. It speaks of her distraction that she had not even taken notice of him shifting or reaching upwards, even with the slow movements indicative to him. She turns to him to watch his hand lower, brushing hair back from shoulder and neck. Hopefully, he does not take her telltale shiver as anything more then simple chills or her natural bashfulness rearing its head.
In a daze, in a dream, she reaches upwards to brush her fingers against the petals now nestled behind the shell of her ear. She is overcome by the silly and ludicrous urge to kiss him fully on the mouth, under the soft crinkle of his eyes as he regards her, but she does neither.
Coward that she is, she settles for wrapping arms around him and burrowing her face underneath his jaw. It is only natural when he wraps around her in turn.
he groans the second he sees her & temari motions for him to follow —– even the high temperatures won’t stop her from dragging him on a walk. it’s become a custom when he visits, even if he would prefer to relax in the cooler air of her home.
since he’s arrived he’s been whining, complaining about the heat the second he entered the village ( & the land, she’s sure ). it’s one of the warmest days in recent months, & it only makes his complaints worse. it bears down on them, sun overhead is past its highest.
the moment they leave she offers shikamaru a small fan. one from her own collection that she keeps on her when she knows to expect him. she has her own, lightly fanning her face for a small breeze despite being accustomed to the heat. he’s less enthusiastic, calling it a drag. it doesn’t take long for it to wear on her, & she concedes to his requests for a break.
she stands her over - sized fan up in the sand, facing away from the afternoon sun. it allows for little shade, but enough to give them a cooler spot to sit & relax. shikamaru is quick to lie down, head in her lap as she reclines with her back to her weapon. the smaller one is still in hand, & as she looks down at him she grimaces, waving it at his face.
❝ you’re kind of gross, ❞ she grumbles, eyes closing with a sigh. ❝ even for it being this hot, that can’t be normal. ❞
it elicits little response beyond a grumble of his own as he wipes his brow. she sighs again, heavier this time, & allows herself to enjoy the silence as his complaints stop. the longer they rest in the shade, the more comfortable it grows.
a hand soon comes to rest on his chest, putting the fan down. her thumb gently rubs over the fabric of his shirt. temari silently judges the weight of the fabric he wears knowing full well the kind of heat he’d be subjected to, but she doesn’t bring it up. instead she relaxes more, settling into her spot & allowing a peaceful smile to reach her lips. her calm stare moves between the horizon & shikamaru’s half - dazed expression seemingly fixed on the open sky.
she’s content to stay like this for little under an hour. the sun doesn’t seem to have moved an inch above them. eventually her hand pats his chest, calling for his attention. the apparent startle makes her laugh & she leans to place a gentle, slow kiss upon his lips.
❝ we should probably head back, ❞ she smirks & kisses him again, this time quick. ❝ before you faint, because there’s no way i’ll carry you back. ❞
Falls clearly makes itself known in Konohagakure with a persistent chill, earlier this year than last. Already, the trees have begun to don their autumn plumage; red and gold like fire. Hinata always thought it had been rather fitting since the great village resided in Fire country. As she grew older she had learned with some chagrin that it was not a phenomena uniquely belonging to the Land of Fire.
The breeze today is cool as it has been for weeks now, curling in long tendrils that ruffle her short hair wildly. Impatiently, she smooths it down again and draws up the hood of her warm coat. The downy fur inside of her sleeves is a familiar comfort to cling to, and so she does. Running her fingers through the softness does little to ease the flush slowly spreading across her cheeks, or the incredulous and gaped-toothed gape of her mouth.
❛ B-but, I’ve never had! I’-I’ve ne-never, ❜ she wishes to be anywhere but this yard, burning under the scrutiny of suddenly intense gazes. She doesn’t want to admit that she’s never been kissed before! That she had been saving the special occasion for Naruto (someday! It would happen!). It seems their entire class has turned out to see her complete and utter embarrassment; catching the laughing eyes of a few is enough to send her burrowing further into her clothing. Baggy so that she can almost swim inside of it, but even this can’t soothe her rankled nerves. If only they would stop looking!
Shikamaru, friend that he is, senses her discomfort. He reaches a hand out to rest on her elbow, clutching at the fabric there and pulling her a bit closer. She squeaks, in both surprise and a bit of trepidation — she didn’t expect him to go along with the dare so willingly! — but finds that with some relief he only pulls her closer to whisper into her ear. It is instinctive to relax a bit in his grip, even if these circumstances are…not what she wants. They have known each other for long enough now that she trusts him, whatever plan he’s about to give her. He always has a plan. Most times, they are good.
❛ We don’t have to do this, Hinata. It’s dumb, ❜ he confides in her. They stand close enough that a few oohs emerge from the crowd, interspersed with some giggling and sounds that are suspiciously familiar to barking. Oh, where are all the adults? Hinata feels as if she’s about to faint. Despite the weather that says she should be feeling otherwise, waves of dizzying heat crush her in great drags. ❛ I’ll tell them I don’t want to do it. They won’t blame you then. ❜
Oh, she takes it back. She very much hates his plan. Boys are sweet but dumb.
As much as she would love to accept such an offer, she knows that she cannot. She ceases the poke of her forefingers together to look shyly up at him, shaking her head no. ❛ T-thank you, ❜ sincerely, deeply, ❛ Bu-but I have to start being b-brave. F-for him. ❜ A quick shift of her eyes and she manages to find Naruto’s familiar tuft of bright blonde hair, gleaming vibrantly in the sun. If possible, her cheeks flush an even deeper maroon. ❛ And. And I can’t d-d-do that to y-you. ❜
He has enough tact not to ask who in front of an audience, and it is likely that he already knows. Shikamaru is so dreadfully observant, though Hinata hasn’t breathed a word of her crush. Or, at least, not many…only a few.
Before she can lose her nerve, consciousness, and lunch, Hinata rises on her toes to press a kiss against Shikamaru’s unsuspecting mouth. In her head she counts down the seconds for the dare: one, two, three, four, five… before pulling away. This time, she can’t even attempt to meet her friend’s eyes. She’s fairly sure he’s sending her an expression some mix of gobsmacked and alarmed, but she doesn’t have the chance to see it before she passes out.
" say, sensei. what does your face look like under the mask? " ( series 1. before the entire kakashi - mask team 7 debacle. )
there’s a chuckle in his chest, & an all too amused smile settles in. ah! someone with sense; it would be more of a surprise if it were anyone but shikamaru. the kid is smarter than most, & more direct. but that seems to play a part here. while his own students spend days chasing him around, coaxing him into elaborate plots ( that he is more than happy to oblige & foil ), they never realized the simple option to begin with.
with one finger he tugs the edge of the mask down, enough to reveal his nose & the outline of his upper lip. while not the whole face, he imagines it’s enough to sate curiosity. he winks. ❝ just don’t tell anyone. ❞
as near as shikamaru can figure, the declaration – proposition? could it be called that? if not for the mood of the room ( in this case, street; he halts their pace to turn to her, brow quirked ), he might have laughed at himself for wording it that way, even silently – in any case, it’s blatantly clear before he says even a single damn thing that he isn’t interested.
outside of sparring for the sake of training, a battle right now served no purpose other than satisfying her own curiosity; more than that, he’s less than enthused about a break from their assigned task ( coordinating for the chuunin exams ) that isn’t actually a break at all. shikamaru scoffs, fingers idly shifting in his pockets between coins and narrows his eyes, head canting. she’s not wrong, and he can admit to that much — his confusion lies more in why she cares that much. heart of the competition, suppose.
another thing among countless others that he never had much of a drive in.
❛ geeze. two years later, and you’re still hung up on that? give it a rest. we got work to do, and i’m not breaking from that just to get into something more tiring. ❜
❝ you let me win. did you really think i would be fine with that? ❞
the jounin narrows her eyes in return. a hand on her hip, she holds her head too proudly. & this was a case of pride, her young confidence wounded because of their fight. she believed she could win, & when shikamaru had her trapped, he gave up. insult to injury, leaving a bruised ego & hollow sense of winning. part of her doubts she could out ever maneuver or plan, but she would never deny being competitive.
❝ there wouldn’t be a better time considering why i’m here, don’t you think? ❞ a brow raises. the disinterest in his voice irks her, a source of annoyance ever since they met. he hasn’t changed a bit ----- & she isn’t sure that’s good. ❝ being beaten by a girl couldn’t possibly feel worse than someone letting you win. ❞
