Surprise_u

He scoffed. He should’ve known Ino would play a role in this. “Of course she did.”

“Get anything you’d like, Shika. My treat.”

He shook his head. “Absolutely not. I draw the line there. My mom would kick my ass if she found out I let you pay for our date.” There was very little he was afraid of, but his mother was at the top of that short list.

“Then how else do you expect me to woo you?” She asked curiously, softly as though muttering to herself.

He grinned, happy that she was taking it seriously. “We’ll learn more about each other in—”

“Hinata?” The Hyuuga looked over and saw Tenten with a takeout bag. Hinata smiled at her friend and stood, hugging her. “I haven’t seen you in forever!”

“We saw each other just a few days ago,” she laughed.

“What are you doing here with Shikamaru?” She asked, smiling at the Nara.

“We’re on a date,” he replied, sipping his water.

Tenten’s brows nearly collided with her hairline. “A…date?” Hinata nodded. “I didn’t know you two were like that.” Shikamaru shrugged. Tenten looked at Hinata curiously. “D-does Naruto know?”

Hinata’s smile became slightly tight, uncomfortable with the question. “He’s busy with his studies, so I haven’t seen him in a few days but we have plans to meet tomorrow.”

“I’m planning on telling him myself, man to man and all that,” Shikamaru added. “I’m seeing him later today to help Kakashi-sensei train him politically.”

Tenten finally smiled, relaxing. “Good luck then. And, Hinata, I’m happy for you. I hope it all works out.” She hugged the Hyuuga again.

Hinata looked nervous after sitting back down, avoiding eye contact. She fiddled with the menu, looking down at it but not really reading the words.

Shikamaru raised a brow. “Do you not want me to tell him?” He asked, resting his chin on the palm of his hand with a slight tilt of his head.

“It’s not…really that,” she admitted quietly.

“Look, if you think there’s still a chance there for you, then I’m not gonna get in the way. But if you’re only thinking about waiting for him because that’s what you’re used to, then you need to move on,” he said bluntly.

Hinata’s eyes turned on him sharply. “Excuse me?” She asked, her voice gentle but with an edge.

“I heard about it. He loves you, but he’s too focused on being Hokage right now to truly focus on you. If you want to wait, then more power to you, but you really should move—” He spluttered as his drink was splashed in his face. He rubbed his eyes, looking at her with disbelief. She placed the cup down angrily, stood up, and left the cafe.

He took a napkin and wiped his face and neck down, wondering if, logically, his clothes could dry in his walk back to the Hokage Tower in time. Obviously not.

He looked out the window, watching Hinata’s retreating form with a small smile. She wasn’t as meek as he thought she was. He liked it. Maybe he was destined to like women who bullied him even a little. He sighed heavily and stood up, bowing to the owner with an apology.

“Did you break up with her, or something, Shikamaru?” The man asked with amusement.

“I was just honest about—”

“Ah, there’s your mistake,” the man interrupted with a laugh. “Your kind of honesty is rough on the ears, y’know. Better go buy her a gift and grovel, because she’s a real beauty. You’re not gonna do any better, buddy.”

Shikamaru frowned, and opened his mouth to argue when he realized he was right. He probably couldn’t do any better, especially right now. Hinata was the prettiest to come out of his generation, had a high standing in society, powerful on the battlefield, and wouldn’t simply just stand there and let someone insult her (even if someone didn’t meant it that way).

“Any ideas then?” He asked the older man, looking for some guidance.

“Well, women like jewelry, so maybe that,” the man suggested. “I know my wife always calms down when I get her something from the jeweler. Also a nice kiss.”

Shikamaru sighed. “Kissing isn’t an option, so I guess whatever I choose from the jeweler is gonna have to be big enough to make up for that.”

“That’s the spirit! Good luck, kid.”