-::-
Curiosity killed the cat.
-::-
He didn't bother to smile back, as the corner of her lips twitched awkwardly upwards as her eyes met his. She noticed this, and instantly, her smile fell. Her eyes began to droop drearily, but she didn't break eye contact. Her eyes confused him.
How can her eyes hold so much emotion? The mere thought of those opaque eyes made him shudder — it baffled him.
He was brave enough to not tear his eyes away from hers. He was kind enough to lift his hand in acknowledgment, his lips parting to greet her with a "hey". He was persistent enough to give her a small smile once he saw her eyes lit up in newfound happiness.
He was curious enough to stay a little later at the baby shower and help her clean up.
-::-
Glancing at his wristwatch, he huffed impatiently — where was she? Shikamaru wasn't one of those kinds of guys who would wait around for a girl. He looked back up to the sky, gazing at the various shapes the clouds passing by.
And yet here he was, waiting for the arrival of a female.
He wasn't able to spend a waking moment without thinking about those eyes of hers. It perplexed him. All Hyuga's he has known before had the same cold, lifeless eyes. Hers were different.
At one glance, it would look as if there was no color, no backdrop — nothing. But if you waited long enough, maybe until she smiled, you would see the colors burst forth. Vivid and vibrant — so vibrant her eyes seemed to have etched themselves into the back of his mind.
Was that he wanted to make her smile? To see the colors come forth? He forced himself to think it was this; that he was simply intrigued and interested as to what secrets those eyes of hers held. Nothing more, nothing less.
Although he couldn't explain why he had smiled, once he heard a soft voice — her voice — say his name. Turning to face her, he met those challenging eyes of hers again. She sat beside him on the grass, leaving a decent amount of space in between them, and looked up at the sky with him.
It was a daily thing — cloud watching. For them, at least. Unknowingly, they had made it into a routine. Shikamaru usually hated routines. But this particular one wasn't as annoying. Hinata didn't talk as much as the others, but when she did, it was surprisingly pleasant to listen to.
He pondered, listening to the small hum of her voice as she voiced her opinions on the cloud's shape, and a thought had come to his mind. He was suddenly very aware of how good she smelt, and how soft her hands had looked.
He was also very aware of the space between them. Without it, would anything change? He tested it; closing the gap between him and Hinata. This evoked no major response from her, but a small surprised 'eep!' — But nothing else. It seemed as if she was already accustomed to the lazy male's presence. It didn't change much, he concluded.
Although, he was curious as to why he suddenly felt the warmth rush to his face, and why he sensed that his heart was about to leap out of his chest due to its erratic beating. He wasn't sure why he suddenly had the urge to hold her hand.
Curious, and daring enough to try, he did.
-::-
Usually, it was Shikamaru who found things out quickly. But this time, that wasn't the case. He stared back, unfazed and unconvinced, at his friend. He shook his head at the blonde, and said a very harsh, "No." He watched silently as her blue eyes narrowed at him.
"You're in love with her Shikamaru." He was shocked at how sure she sounded, and how she worded it as a statement. She gave him no room for rebuttal.
"I'm not Ino — or at least, I can't be." He forced himself to say. Giving out a frustrated sigh, Ino stared her friend down. He had got it bad; not being able to get the mere image of her smile out his mind. She tried once more, to convince him that he was, indeed, in love with Hinata.
He had known all along of course. He just didn't want to believe it. The blonde female looked at her friend as he finally let himself embrace his feelings for the Hyuga. She watched as he put his head into hands, finally aware that the one thing he feared would happen — happened.
He yearned to hear her laugh, to watch her eyes come to life. He wanted to be the cause of her happiness — be the highlight in her life.
And when he realized he wanted all of these things, he was finally honest with himself. "I'm scared," he said, his voice barely above a shaky whisper. Ino looked at her friend with patient eyes, as his shoulders began to tremble.
She left him alone, to stew in his thoughts, and to finally cry it out for once.
Eyes puffy and red, he thought.
Did she feel the same way? For some reason, just thinking about it made him feel a certain pang in his chest; a gut wrenching pain. But then again, thinking about it made his insides feel happy — as if he had just won another shogi game.
Not knowing what to do, he thought and cried.
And through it all, he was curious.
Can he become the reason for her smile?
-::-
His breath quickened, and he began to sweat. A knot formed in his stomach, and he felt nauseous. He was waiting again.
But this time, he was patient. He wouldn't mind if she was late, or actually, if she didn't show up at all. Yeah, it would be better if she doesn't show up. Or maybe if he left, he can finally escape the trap her eyes have put him in.
Fully sure of his decision, he turned until —
He saw the very thing he was trying to run away from. He found himself swimming in her pearlescent eyes again, trying not to drown in her vibrant colors — with no success. He gulped, and suddenly began to question himself.
No one had made him question himself more than this woman had done for the past 3 months.
He heard her say his name, with her soft voice, concern evident in the way she had spoken. She asked him if he was alright, and stepped a bit closer to him.
If he had control of his legs he would have backed away, but it seems as if his feet were rooted firmly into the ground. It looks like he couldn't get away from her this time.
He gulped again, and dared to speak her name. "Hinata?" Her eyes looked up at him, colors threatening to take him over and control him. He couldn't run away this time, and he looked back into her eyes, a certain feeling of bliss washing over him as he felt her colors warm him up.
"It has come to certain realization that —" Shikamaru stopped instantly, a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks. She was giving him a warm, inviting smile. Colors burst forth once more. Persistent and brave, he tried it again, surrendering himself to her.
"I think I maybe — well maybe not maybe, maybe I don't think I —" Tripping over his words, he felt himself get nervous with each passing second. He decided he would have to avoid her gaze in order to do this.
Shutting his eyes tight, he began for the final time. "I know, that I am possibly madly in love with you, Hinata." He felt the knot in his stomach unravel, and his breathing go back to normal. His body felt cooler, but there was still the warmth in his cheeks that refused to disappear, and was accompanied by the out of control beating of his heart.
There was a silence, but he waited calmly for her answer. He kept his eyes shut.
Until, that is, he felt her soft hands grab his. Blinking a few times, he looked down at her, flustered. She engulfed his entire being whole with that smile, those eyes, and a small touch. Never before has he ever thought a woman can have such a hold on him.
"I-I think that I l-love you," She mumbled, fidgeting under his gaze. She didn't break eye contact, she didn't stop smiling, and she didn't pull her hand away. He was now aware that she was just as nervous as him — her heart must be beating as fast as his, since her cheeks were as red as his.
He was never surer in his life. He loved her.
But there once thing that was eating away at him.
Curiosity.
Out of pure curiosity, he wondered how her lips would feel against his.
-::-
They felt pretty damn good.
-::-