Shikamaru wondered when being Naruto's messenger was added to his job description. Having to walk all the way to Naruto's house from the Hokage tower and then back to his own house was troublesome. It was already 2AM. He raised one hand to rap sharply with his knuckles, desperate to fall into the comfort of his bed.

It took a few more tries, but eventually the door opened to the familiar, pretty face of Hinata, still glowing with newlywed bliss. "Shikamaru-kun!" Her hair was a little disheveled and her clothes slightly wrinkled, droplets of yawning tears on her lashes, so he could tell she had just gotten up from sleeping. They hadn't spent much time together since they had helped Kurenai raise Mirai through her toddler years, but he still appreciated her as a comrade and a friend.

"Hey, Hinata," he greeted. "Naruto told me to tell you he'd be working late tonight."

"O-oh, I see." Her face fell for a quick second before she straightened. "Well, being hokage must keep him very busy. Would you like to come in?"

He was about to refuse, when he noticed the table was set and prepared with a full meal, although it already seemed to be cold. He doubted Naruto would be able to partake.

"Um, yeah," Shikamaru agreed, forgetting his tiredness. He was too lazy to cook himself anything when he got home anyway.

This was happening way too often for Shikamaru's taste. He yawned as he rubbed his chin, his goatee already resembling his own father's.

Knock knock knock

The door flew open after the sounds of a crying baby grew closer and closer. "Good evening, Shikamaru-kun," she said a little frantically. She was wearing a violet satin robe, her hair thrown up in a haphazard bun.

"Hey, Hinata," he began, eyeing the bawling, infant Boruto in her arms. Ugh. That would be him in a few months with his own child. How troublesome. "Naruto will be late again."

"Again?" Hinata tried to keep her smile from slipping as she bounced the blond-haired baby. He noticed dark circles that contrasted way too sharply under her byakugan eyes. "Okay."

Some practice wouldn't hurt. He sighed. "Let me help you," he said, extending his arms.

Her eyebrows met in the middle of her forehead as she smiled in relief, "Arigatou, Shikamaru-kun." She placed the babe gently into Shikamaru's long arms. She stepped aside, one hand on his back to guide him into her house. "But, please, relax. I'll get you something to eat."

He rocked Boruto awkwardly as she left him. "Ssh," he whispered, wondering when he forgot how long it was since he soothed Mirai as a baby.

"Sorry for the mess," Hinata called apologetically from the kitchen.

Shikamaru glanced around the room as Boruto quieted against his chest. He raised a brow, noting how the house hadn't seemed to be tidied up in a while. It wasn't like her to be unorganized. "It's fine."

"How long has it been since you slept?" he asked when she finally reappeared with a plate of food and a cup of tea.

Her slippers stopped their shuffle abruptly as she looked at him with a startled expression. "Umm," she hummed as she thought, noting how Boruto was sleeping soundly as Shikamaru relaxed on the sofa. She sank slowly beside him, careful not to jostle the two. After a long pause, she sighed. "I haven't, really."

"I see." Shikamaru grunted. "Why don't you go get some sleep? I'll stay here with him while you rest."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "He can be a handful..."

He nodded once. "I'll be fine. Naruto won't be home for a while. Go ahead."

She smiled in relief. "Thank you so much, Shikamaru-kun." The tiredness finally revealed itself on her face, and as if her body responded automatically, she yawned. Hinata rose again and turned towards her room.

"Good night, Shikamaru-kun," she called quietly.

Shikamaru looked at Boruto's soft pink lips parted open in slumber. This isn't so bad.

The door opened first to a mini Naruto. "Uncle," Boruto greeted in his toddler babble.

Shikamaru's head cocked to one side. "Aren't you up a little too late?" he asked.

The door widened and he looked up to see Hinata burping an indigo-haired baby behind her son.

"Boruto," Hinata prompted, her chin lifting towards the bedrooms. "Wait for me in bed. I'll come tuck you in after I talk with Shikamaru-kun."

"'Kay, Kaa-chan." He gave a Shikamaru a Naruto-like grin, whiskers turning up with his chubby cheeks. "Bye bye, uncle," Boruto called, waving one hand and toddling off.

Hinata sighed and turned her attention to the her husband's advisor. "Hi, Shikamaru-kun." Her hand rubbed small circles on her daughter's back, and Himawari responded by gurgling happily.

"Naruto won't be home for a few weeks," he began, his shoulder coming up with an apologetic shrug. "He'll meeting with Sasuke."

Hinata's lips pressed together. She surprised him by saying, "Ah, it's that important that he needs to meet up with Sasuke-kun?"

"Mm."

She nodded finally, her bangs brushing her forehead gently. "Okay."

Shikamaru met Himawari's bright, blue eyes, so like her father's. She responded by smiling as bright as her mother. His lazy expression relaxed to a grin. "If you need help, just let me know," he offered, as his gaze from sky blue eyes turned to opal eyes. "I can barely handle one kid. I can't imagine handling two."

"Thank you," she said softly. "If you want, can you put Boruto to bed? I need to change Himawari's diaper."

He weighed the options of handling a smelly diaper against getting a toddler to go to sleep, and his face scrunched up. "Yeah, no problem." Shikamaru stepped into the house. "Does he like bedtime stories?"

"Hi, Shikamaru-kun."

"Hey, Hinata-"

Her eyes dimmed a bit behind the door. "He's not coming home?"

He sighed. "Yeah."

"I see." Hinata glanced around. "Not even a kage bunshin tonight?"

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head. "No, I guess not."

She inhaled slowly and gave him what looked like a polite smile. "Please, come in, Shikamaru-kun," she said, opening the door.

"Alright," he allowed, following her through the threshold.

They sat at the kitchen table, used to this routine. Her hair had been cropped short, he noticed as she sipped her tea, though she looked as young as she had been the day she married Naruto.

"How's Shikadai-chan?"

"Same as Boruto, I suppose." Shikamaru shrugged. "They're at Ino's house right?"

"Yes, for Inojin-chan's birthday sleepover." She watched him drink his sake slowly. "Did you get to greet him a happy birthday?"

"Yeah, before I left for work."

"Birthday celebrations are harder to keep once we get older, huh," she murmured with the cup against her lip.

Shikamaru winced, remembering the many times Naruto had missed his children's birthdays. "I'm sorry, Hinata," he sighed. "This must be really difficult."

She shrugged one shoulder, but her eyes dropped to the floor. "I've gotten used to it."

"You must be tired of seeing me instead of your husband," Shikamaru deadpanned.

Hinata graced him with a short laugh. "At least there's someone."

Their faces turned serious, his with sincere apology and hers with sadness.

"I can't imagine how Sakura-san must feel," Hinata mumbled.

Shikamaru grunted in response, although he himself was guilty of being away from Temari for long periods of time due to work.

"But thank you, Shikamaru-kun," she continued after a while. "For all your help through all these years."

"It's really not a pain, I promise."

She finally gave him a genuine smile, her eyes lighting up like they used to. "So, shogi?"

He grinned back. "Shogi."

A/N: This is not to bash Naruto in any way for neglecting his fam (but seriously tho wtf). I wanted a reason for Shikamaru and Hinata to talk to each other. Heehee.

P.S. I refuse to watch the Boruto movie, or have anything to do with the Last/Gaiden/NextGen, so.