Hinata was walking along the road on Valentines Day.
Nobody would ever give ME valentines... I'm so ugly, antisocial and weak… She thought as she walked over to a Sakura tree, not yet in bloom, and sat down.
I'm so weak I can't even work up the courage to give Naruto-kun the chocolates I worked so hard on last night… Hinata thought sadly as she remembered the reason why she hadn't given him the chocolates in the first place.
~FLASH BACK~
Hinata was looking around the corner, watching Naruto talk with Sakura.
If only I had gotten here sooner… I may have caught Naruto alone. But of course, NOTHING goes MY way. Hinata thought as she noticed Naruto was holding a small red box and a hint blush was placed on his cheeks.
Could that be… a… Valentine? It is probably not for me… Hinata thought sadly as she saw Naruto finally bring the box out of hiding and shove it in front of Sakura's face. Sakura stared at it for a moment, as if not knowing what to do, and on her own cheeks set a light hue of pink.
Hinata couldn't make out what they were saying, but she guessed that Sakura declined, because as Sakura shook her head, Naruto soon had his own head down and shoulders slumped, and slowly walked away from the scene. Sakura watched him off, and soon after started in her own direction heading towards her home.
What in the world was she thinking? Hinata sorrowfully walked away, to nowhere in particular. Who would even have the nerve to reject Naruto-kun… Hinata thought. She knew Naruto liked Sakura, but she wanted to try to give Naruto a Valentine anyway. Yet after what she just saw, she didn't think she had the guts to give Naruto a Valentine when he, indeed and in fact, liked someone else. She slowly walked away to as we see her now.
~FLASH BACK OVER~
Hinata felt as if she wanted to cry. But it was so beautiful out, with smiling faces and couples holding hands, she just didn't feel like ruining the mood of everyone else.
She sat there for a while, thinking that maybe it wasn't worth liking Naruto so much if him liking someone else made her feel so badly inside.
As she sat, she didn't notice that someone was nearby her tree, watching her quietly, with their own Valentine to give to her.
"Hinata-chan… why so glum? It is Valentines Day, after all," the unknown person from the shadows unveiled himself, revealing none other than Shino.
"Ah! Shino-kun… y-you startled me," Hinata said after recovering from the shock that someone was there.
"Well I certainly hope I'm not interrupting anything. You looked deep in thought… something on your mind, Hinata-chan?" Shino questioned.
"Oh… yes, well… I don't exactly f-feel like t-talking about it. B-but if you must know, I-I just couldn't… g-give… Naruto-kun this… th-this… this chocolate," Hinata started tearing up, gesturing to the small package on her lap.
"I see," Shino said while bending over to sit next to Hinata.
They sat in silence, except for Hinata's occasional hiccups and sniffling.
"S-so… Shino-kun… um… have you had a good day?" Hinata asked, to break the silence.
"Considering the circumstances, I've only gotten through half of what I'd planned on doing today," Shino monotonously stated, looking strait ahead, or as though it seemed, for one couldn't see this eyes through his dark sunglasses.
"Well… w-what were you planning on d-doing?" Hinata asked, "If! If you… i-if you don't m-mind m-my asking! I'm sorry… I-I intruded on your personal space, didn't I…?" Hinata finished, fretting over invading Shino's personal bubble. Shino was usually quiet, so Hinata didn't know how he would react by a question inquiring his events in life. She just didn't know him that well.
"Not at all, I do not mind. Actually, part of what I was going to do included you, so… so it wouldn't be right not to know on your part… so…," for once, Shino seemed at a loss of words at this moment. Nothing intelligent could be said, all he needed to do was give her that small box in his pocket… waiting to be opened and enjoyed.
As Hinata looked at Shino, she could almost swear she saw him, the stoic Shino, blushing, of all things. She didn't even know Shino had feelings! Oh, that sounded bad… now Hinata felt bad for thinking that. But, what she was confused about was the fact that she was… included? Included in what? As a wave of confusion swept over her, she just HAD to ask him what it was about.
"Sh-shino-kun… what exactly… am I included in? I-I mean… you said that… th-that I was included in what you were doing today?" Hinata finally asked. Shino looked as if he was jerked out of a train of thought because his head snapped back to look at Hinata. He blushed a little more.
"Oh, well, talking to you was one thing," Shino said, almost unsure to finish his sentence, a very uncharacteristic thing for him to do.
"A-and… the other thing?" Hinata's anxiousness was rising, and a blush started to form across her cheeks.
Silence. For a long while, no one said a thing. Not exactly abnormal for these two, they both regularly cling to calmness, and quietness. But at the moment, both of them desperately wanted to either say something, or have an answer.
"W-Well, Hinata-chan, that is… to say, I… I have something to tell you." Shino stumbled over his words.
Shino-kun stuttered… this has to be something embarrassing for him to do that… I wonder… could this have something to do with Valentines Day…? No, don't even think it. Shino-kun doesn't have time for those things! Just as Hinata was thinking this, Shino started fidgeting in his pockets.
"Hinata-chan… well… what I've been wanting to say was…" Shino paused, as if rethinking what he was about to say, but he gave up and decided to tell her anyway. "I've… really liked you for a long time now, and I… just wanted to tell you… Happy Valentines Day, Hinata-chan," He finished as he took out a small red box with dark red ribbon. "This is for you…," He said as Hinata accepted the box.
As all this was happening, Hinata could not believe her ears.
HE LIKES ME?! Hinata kept screaming those words over and over again in her mind. She accepted the box, and placed it on her lap with the one she was supposed to give to Naruto.
"W-w-wow, Shino-kun… I… I-I had no idea you felt this way! Th-thank you, thank you so much!" again, Hinata was on the verge of tears. Also. Something noticeable was both Shino and Hinata were as red as tomatoes.
"Y-you don't know how h-happy I am right now… but I-I feel bad. I didn't get you a-anything f-for V-v-valentines D-day…" Hinata said as the tears fell.
"Hinata-chan, it is alright. I do not need anything for Valentines Day, please do not cry. All I actually needed was… your opinion. What do you think of me?" Shino finished, reluctant at the last part. He knew she liked Naruto, the idiot, but he wanted to know her thoughts about him.
"Oh… w-well, I… don't know how to explain this but, I… think I may like you too, maybe I just never realized it…," Hinata said as she stared at her lap, blushing all the more. How had she not realized it? How couldn't she have seen Shino was there for her all along? He was always … looking after her, believing in her, so many things he's done for her, and she didn't realize it until now.
"Do you accept my feelings?" Shino said.
Hinata paused for a moment, before saying, "Yes, I do accept your feelings, Shino-kun. Thank you,"
A wave of relief swept over Shino as he heard those words, what he had always wanted to hear.
They sat there for a while, enjoying each other's presence. But, after a while, Hinata noticed it was getting late.
"Oh, my!" Hinata said, while frightfully looking at the sky. "It's getting dark! I must be going, Shino, I-I hope you do not m-mind! Father will get angry if I stay out too late. Goodbye, Shino-kun!"
"Not a problem. Goodb-" but before Shino could finish, Hinata did something very surprising.
"G-g-goodnight Shino-kun! I had a wonderful Valentines Day. Thank you," Hinata said as she scurried off into the distance.
Shino sat there, taken aback. Had Hinata just done what he thought she just did?
He touched his cheek where she kissed him. His face still burned from the contact.
This is definitely the best Valentines Day ever. He thought as he himself got up to walk home.