A/N: This is my entry for the November DateMe contest. My first Shikahina... so, be nice? haha.
Disclaimer: Naruto series and characters don't belong to me, but Masashi Kishimoto.
Title: Myriad of Autumn
Author: aFlawedDesign
Rating: PG ( K+ )
Challenge: Falling for You
Pairing: ShikaHina
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Stifling a yawn, the young shinobi blinked away the lure of sleep that seemed to always accompany him. It wasn't like Shikamaru minded all that much, though. Being half-asleep was countless times better than being wide awake and on edge. The constant rush of adrenaline and the erratic thumping in his chest on missions were less than the ideal circumstance he would conjure for himself. Thus, lying under the serene, blue sky was a nice reminder of how nice life could be sometimes.
The wispy clouds of mid-day floated by sluggishly, barely moving fast enough for anyone to realize that they were moving at all. Such nice weather was rare this late in fall. Usually the skies greyed alongside the reddening and yellowing of leaves. He would treasure it as long as it lasted.
The shadow nin relaxed back against the soft prickle of green grass beneath him. He let his lids droop down as he caved to the captivating call of slumber. But he groaned when there was a ruffle of the blades of grass and footsteps. "What is it now, Chouji?" he grumbled, not even bothering to open his eyes.
"Not Chouji" was the curt reply Shikamaru received before he cracked his eyes opened. Dark eyes peered upward to see Hinata crouch down beside him. "Will you train with me?" she asked.
"Where's your team?"
"Kiba's helping his mom with something and Shino is doing something for Hokage-sama."
Hearing her explanation and the lack of a stutter, he sat upright and gave a vague nod. Before he knew it, Hinata had grabbed his hands and pulled him halfway up. There was a little whine on his part as he commanded his legs to stand him up. "This is troublesome…"
"You a-always say that." Her lavender eyes narrowed slightly while her lips formed a grudging pout. Every time he implied that time with her was troublesome was like a direct blow to her self-esteem, which, as far as she was concerned, was fragile enough as is. "I c-can find someone else," she offered meekly and took a step back. Inwardly, she hoped he'd reconsider.
"Sorry," he muttered, "let's train."
"Okay," she complied with a content smile, "Taijutsu?"
Shikamaru nodded, a half-smile etched across his features. Then, with half-lidded eyes, he got into his battle stance. Hinata mirrored his own movements, but with the grace and finesse of a Hyuuga heiress. Her bloodline was activated a mere second later as the crunch of dried leaves could be heard from under her feet.
The indigo-haired girl bit down on her bottom lip anxiously for a brief moment before she dashed forward. The long strands of her hair whipped in the cool breeze. When she was as little as a step away from him, her palm shot out with unexpected ferocity. Shikamaru sidestepped to his right and dodged the strike aimed for his middle. In return, he kicked his leg out.
The kunoichi squeaked as she pushed off the ground and leapt back, avoiding his kick by a hair's width. Unfortunately for her, she landed awkwardly and stumbled back a few feet. Her opponent took the advantage and propelled himself forward, throwing jabs and strikes relentlessly. Shikamaru knew from all his times training with her that she would not appreciate it if he went easy on her. So, he let loose an onslaught of attacks as she tilted her torso, sidestepped, and did whatever she could to avoid being hit.
With every evasion, her hair danced in the air. It distracted him momentarily. Shikamaru rather liked how the sheen strands rippled. Still, he was aware enough to gasp and lean to avoid the fist that barely missed his head.
"My head?" he cried incredulously, looking wide-eyed at her.
"You w-weren't paying attention," she countered. Her expression was one of a deep resolve. It was something people rarely expected of the sweet, quiet Hinata. "Don't go easy on me."
"Fine, fine," he sighed and reclaimed his stance.
Anyone watching the small clearing could see the brilliant display of talent and skill. Each ninja fought and danced together in the intricate and fluid steps. They would attack and dodge, and attack and dodge… Breaths were coming in short, tired gasps for both. Occasionally, one or the other would land a hit. It was then followed by ragged but appreciative smiles.
A good chunk of time had passed. The sun was setting, blanketing the horizon in an orange glow. Hinata could feel her knees growing weak. Shikamaru threw his left hand out, catching her shoulder and sending her stumbling until her back hit the rough bark of a tree. She hissed and grabbed the throbbing patch of skin. Out of the corners of her eyes, she could see him coming in, poised to deliver the finishing blow. Her eyes winced as her body braced for the impending pain.
There was a thunderous crash and she cracked her eyes open in amazement to see his fist beside her head, on the tree. Lilac eyes widened at the beauty beheld to them. Amidst the setting sun, vibrantly coloured red, orange, and yellow leaves meandered down. They swayed every which way as the two ninja stood in the rain of colours.
Hinata had never seen so many leaves fall at once and with a charm that only autumn brought. Her cheeks tinted a soft pink as she looked away from the falling leaves and up to his face. "Does your hand hurt?"
Shikamaru gave her a slow nod. "Boy does it ever," he hissed. He pulled it off the bark, surveying the minor scratches, and then he decided it was worth it to see her reaction to the leaves falling and her blush. "Why do you keep insisting we train like this?"
Shyly, Hinata looked back to the falling foliage while her fingers found each other. "You kn-know."
He quirked a brow and leaned forward, face an inch from hers. It caused her cheeks to flare. "Troublesome…"
"It's not tr-troublesome!" She already could feel her eyes grow wet and she averted her gaze to the brightly cover ground. Her voice came quietly as she asked him the same question she had asked so many times. "Do you really think we'll be good godparents...? I m-mean, their child won't have a f-father. Without Asuma-sensei, Kurenai might ask for our help and I d-don't want to screw up their son."
He listened patiently as she continued. "Wh-what if I can't protect him?" she asked, looking up as tears started paths down her hot cheeks.
The lazy ninja sighed again and resisted the urge to express how troublesome she was being. "It's because you force me to train every other day that I know taijutsu." He eased down slightly to match her height and level of sight. "Don't forget, the kid has Kurenai to protect him. Then there's me."
Hinata pouted and turned her face to look away from his. "You're going to turn him into a lazy ninja."
When she clarified her source of anxiety, Shikamaru shrugged. "You're probably right," he answered with a yawn. But before she could further press on the topic, he snaked his arms around her slim waist as she yelped. "I'll teach him shouji and you can teach him Taijutsu," he stated with a subtle upturn of his lips, "we'll protect him together. Fine with you?"
The girl couldn't resist the flame of her face as she allowed him to pull her closer. Hinata relented and wrapped her arms around him, melting into his embrace. "Thank you, Shika-kun," she whispered against the skin of his neck before pulling back to plant a gentle kiss upon his cheek.
He grinned, but she couldn't see. "Besides, from what I've gathered, you like lazy ninja."