Prompt: 'You're really short and cute and you buy a cup of black coffee every morning but you make weird faces as you sip it and you never finish your drink are you trying to look mature or something' AU

Authors: LovelyLori (First half/ Hinata) and unfitpuzzle (Second half/ Naruto). We hope you enjoy!

Title: Scalding hot and bitter (Part 1/2)

Description: Hinata didn't think she fit in there, Naruto was sure she didn't need to.


She didn't belong here. The Sharingan Café wasn't really what she'd picture a café to look like; with its mahogany brick walls and grunge-esque furnishing. Even the patrons here looked like they were a part of the decorations. Vibrant tattoos, packs of cigarettes poking out of their back pockets, ripped jeans and face piercings - a massive contrast to Hinata's crème cashmere cardigan, pastel pink pumpkin shorts and frilly stockings.

What on Earth was she doing here?

Well of course, she was here to get a small cup of hot chocolate and a warm cinnamon bun. Autumn did call for warm treats and hot drinks with whipped cream swirled on the top – everyone knows that! But did this place even carry sugar packets? She could have sworn she saw a guy eat a few raw coffee beans.

"Are you gonna stand in the door way all day or what?" A very tall and large man inquired, slightly annoyed that she was in the way. Two or three heads turned her way before dismissing the situation as unimportant, and Hinata's face flushed from embarrassment.

"I – I'm so sorry!"

The man only grunted before Hinata stepped off to the side and he exited the café. There was no turning back now; people had already acknowledged her presence. She didn't want to think about everyone talking about her if she left after standing in the doorway like a moron for three whole minutes.

Hinata shifted into line and was mesmerized by the cute barista working the register. Her breath shortened, taking in the sight of his bright blue eyes and unkempt golden locks. She noticed his unique whiskers that adorned his cheeks and wondered if they were birthmarks or tattoos.

She wouldn't have put it past him if they were tattoos; he seemed to be a part of that edgy rocker scene too, with his ear piercings and insane fox tattoo on that toned bicep of his. Okay, okay – so she may have also been checking him out a little. Cut her some slack – he was cute.

He broke her out of her trance when his husky voice sliced through the low chatter of the customers scattered about the café. She might have died if he was talking to her, but he wasn't. He was talking to a very pretty blonde who wasn't afraid of showing off her gorgeous curves.

"Heeeeey, Temari!" He beamed. "Long time no see. Where've you been at?"

"Here and there. Why do you ask? Don't you know curiosity killed the cat?" Her voice was very womanly, and almost even sultry. Hinata couldn't tell if she was flirting or if that was just her normal voice. Did Hinata ever sound sultry and flirtatious? She made a mental note to ask Kiba later.

"Hey, I'm just making conversation here. Nothing wrong with that, is there?" A smirk played upon his lips, and Hinata felt like she was melting.

Temari waved him off. "Hurry up and take my order Naruto. Your supervisor's gonna have a fit if you're not doing your job."

So Naruto was his name. Now she was able to put a name to the face that would forever be on her mind.

Naruto gave a snort. "Screw Sasuke!" Then he leaned in closer to the woman, cupping his right hand to his mouth and whispering, "But don't tell him I said that, I need this job."

The blonde laughed. "Just get me a cup of coffee – black."

"Sure, one black coffee coming up."

Now Hinata was feeling a bit nervous. All she wanted was a hot chocolate and a cinnamon bun. Was that too childish? She definitely didn't want to come off that way to the cutest guy she had ever laid eyes on. How embarrassing would that be? Who even drinks hot chocolate anymore!?

"And what can I get you cutie?" Naruto asked, patiently waiting for her response. The blonde woman was nowhere in sight now, and it was just her and the cute blond boy face to face. How long was she in her thoughts for that she hadn't noticed when she left? Wait a second, Hinata just realized that he called her "cutie."

Her cheeks reddened slightly, and she walked closer to the counter, occupying the spot that Temari was once standing in. "Uh, I'll just have a… a black coffee." She said, unable to stop the words from coming out of her mouth.

The skeptical look that Naruto threw her way hadn't gone unnoticed. "A black coffee?" He asked, and Hinata nodded. "That's it?"

"Um, yes."

"No milk or sugar?"

Hinata didn't quite like his tone. "Yes." She said firmly, scowling. Unbeknownst to her, Hinata's scowl looked more like a childish pout. "I'd like a black coffee."

"Woah, woah." Naruto chuckled as he put his hands up in defense. "I gottcha, a black coffee it is then."

It didn't take him long to make it, and after she paid for her drink, Hinata sat down at one of the empty tables to enjoy her dark beverage. She placed her lips on the small opening on the lid and took a sip before quickly wrenching her mouth from it.

It was absolutely bitter, and it burned her tongue. The slogan for the Sharingan Café was wrong! "The best brew the eye can see" her foot! She wanted to toss the whole thing out but she couldn't as Naruto's eyes never left her. A hint of red colored her cheeks and she looked away from him, slowly sipping her horrible tasting coffee.

She was there for about an hour, and she wasn't even halfway done with her drink. She made sure that Naruto was tending to another customer before she tossed the hellish drink and left, not allowing herself to be anymore humiliated than she already was.

But, every single day after that she found herself at Sharingan Café ordering that stupid black coffee; always sitting at her usual spot near the cash register and wondering why she chose to do this to herself as she sipped that bitter and scalding hot coffee.


The ding of the door alerted Naruto of a new customer, looking up from replenishing the coffee bean dispenser the whiskered blond saw a familiar curtain of blue tinted black hair make its way into the line.

Wracking his memory he tried to place a name to the woman, remembering it as Hinata- he had found that out one day when she came in with a tall brunette sporting what looked to be triangle tattoos on each cheek. She wasn't paying him any mind and that was the name he called to get her attention.

Hinata.

He remembered thinking that the named matched her somehow, "a place in the sun". It fit the sweet and kind disposition she gave off- what didn't fit the bill however was the black coffee she insisted on ordering every time she came into the café.

He had to admit he was initially shocked when she first came into Sharingan Café, not many people who entered the shop wore frilly stockings- it was kind of funny. So when it came her time to order he half expected her to buy something really cliché like a pumpkin spice latte or something, but then she went and did the unexpected- she had ordered a black coffee and never stopped ordering them since.

Now despite people's opinions Naruto was no idiot especially when it came to people. He knew that Hinata didn't really like the naturally bitter taste of the rich black beans, why she persisted in ordering the damn thing (even when he suggested something sweeter like French vanilla) was beyond him.

Maybe it had something to do with that brunette guy.

The tattooed blond frowned. He didn't know why but he didn't like that thought one bit. She shouldn't have to change herself for any one at all, she was perfectly fine already. Straightening out his thoughts he quickly served the other people in line so that he could get to the person he really wanted to see. A Cheshire grin stretched across his face as he held in a chuckle, he had a plan.

Feigning nonchalance Naruto's cerulean eyes laid themselves upon Hinata's pearly gaze as he asked what would she like to order- he didn't' know why he did though, he already knew the answer.

"Coffee," She replied. "Just black- nothing else."

Nodding his head in understanding he turned around to prepare what she had asked for, but this time with a little something "extra". Chuckling to himself he made sure to check if she was looking (she wasn't) before he added two shots of cream and two and a half packets of sugar.

If she drank the whole thing without throwing it out like she always did then what he suspected about her trying to impress some guy would be true and he would definitely have to talk to her about it.

Casually handing her the tampered coffee Naruto recited a dry "Enjoy your drink", watching as she curiously checked it.

"Um…" she voiced, still standing in line.

Dammit had he been caught? He was sure he had been so careful. Deciding to lie till the end Naruto faked a confused expression. "Yes?" he asked, making sure to level his tone, whenever he lied his voice had a habit of going up an octave.

"It's just that… does the coffee normally look this colour?"

Sheepishly scratching the back of his neck the blond cracked an unsure grin. "Um, that's how it usually looks but if you don't want it I can jus-"

"NO!" she abruptly yelled, her face reddening only seconds after she realized what she had just done . "I mean thank you… I'll just be over…there."

Bowing the dark haired woman quickly shuffled towards her usual table, the one closest to the cash register. Good, that would make it easier for him to observe her without being too obvious.

For one whole hour Naruto worked his shift and watched Hinata from the side of his eye, taking in even the most miniscule of facial expressions. Like how her lips curled at the first taste of her "black" coffee, or how her eyebrows dipped in wonderment as she held the cup up in curiosity, probably wondering why it tasted so different. When she finally finished Naruto scrambled to make it look as if he wasn't just watching her so intently, acting indifferent when she practically skipped up to him smiling.

Meeting his gaze one time then looking away, the blond barista found himself staring as she bit her lip in nervousness before beginning to speak.

"I just wanted to tell you that the coffee tastes really good today, what did you do to it?"

Grinning from ear to ear, he leaned against the table, raising an eyebrow in question at the woman before him. "Good yeah? What do you mean by that?"

Finding amusement in the way her eyes widened he crossed his arms waiting for a response.

"I mean… it's not as bitter. I like this brew way better."

"That's because it's not black coffee." He laughed. "I know you don't really like it so I put sugar and cream in it this time. It was so funny ya know, you didn't suspect a thing!

Bursting out in laughter Naruto only stopped when he heard a series of sniffles coming from the direction of Hinata. Opening his eyes he looked perplexedly towards her only to find her shoulders slumped in embarrassment as her bangs hid her face from his view.

An instant feeling of shame overwhelmed him as he leapt across the counter to comfort her, his mind shouting a series of obscenities.

Shamelessly he pulled her in for a hug as he patted the top of her head. "It's ok there's no need to be embarrassed." He whispered. "You're too good for that guy anyway."

Feeling her pull away, Naruto looked down as Hinata's tear stricken face (God he felt so guilty) looked up at him in bewilderment.

"What guy?" she inquired her face tilting off to the side.

Distancing himself from her the tattooed barista timidly laughed, "Ya know that brunette guy you always come here with. He has triangle tattoos on either side of his face."

"Kiba?!"

"Yeah him! You're drinking your coffee like that to impress him right? Make it seem like you're mature or something like that. I've seen a lot of girls come in here and do that before so I thought that you might… ya know… Even though I don't see why you're doing that though- there's nothing wrong with you and you seem perfectly fine to me! Any guy would be lucky for you to like them in that way…" He rambled on and on panicked that she might file a complaint to Sasuke or something. He didn't want to deal with that guy at all!

"Wait…" she stopped him, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "You think that I like Kiba?"

"I mean, yeah…?" He confirmed, now unsure of himself.

The sudden sound of laughter filled his ears as Hinata started crying for a different reason, she clutched at her shirt as Naruto struggled to get her to sit down at a nearby table, afraid that he might've broken her or something.

"Um., are you… ok?" he queried looking at her in puzzlement. Looking back at it now, his plan probably wasn't such a good idea.

"Yeah…" she assured him in between giggles. "It's just that you've got it all wrong I don't like Kiba, we're like siblings to each-other that would feel weird."

Scratching his head in mystification the blond raised an eyebrow. "But it doesn't make any sense. Why drink your coffee like that if you're not trying to impress anybody? You like tormenting yourself or something?"

Frantically she waved her hands in front of her has she shook her head. "No! Nothing like that I mean you're not wrong I was trying to impress somebody…" she sheepishly admitted, her expression resembling that of a child who had just been caught.

"Then who?"

At this question however she instantly clammed up. The need to know however was biting at him so he continued to pester her for an answer. Making sure nobody was in the store Naruto walked over to the entrance and turned the sign around to say "Sorry we're closed." ensuring that nobody interrupted their conversation.

Unprofessionally he sat down at Hinata's table, leaning in to hear her answer. "Who?" he asked again.

"No-one."

"Who?"

"Don't you have a shift to work or something?"

"My shift is over in 5 minutes and if someone enters the store I'll hear them. Who?"

Shaking her head she got up to leave, as Naruto raced to block her way, he wouldn't let her get away that easily. "Who?!"

"You!" she squealed, promptly covering her mouth in horror.

"Me?" he echoed, his eyes widening in surprise. She liked him? But she was way out of his league! "Are you serious?"

"Um, yeah?"

"Wow…" He scratched the back of his neck, a nervous tick. He had never known someone as good looking as her to ever be into someone like him. He was a pierced, tattooed, blond who worked at a café and looked like a delinquent, if anything he scared girls away.

"Is…" He looked down meeting the pearly gaze of his admirer. He decided then that he really liked her eyes. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No!" He denied profusely shaking his head in disagreement. "It's a great thing. In fact I kind of think you're cute yourself…" he confessed the tips of his ears reddening in embarrassment.

"You do?" her hopeful smile causing him to grin in response.

"Sure, in fact come here tomorrow! I don't think it would be right for us to start on this foot. Let's start over!"

Extending his hand Naruto waited for her to clasp it in agreement the anticipation killing him. Her face contorted in consideration before she grasped his hand, the whiskered blond letting out a sigh of relief.

"Alright from this day forward I'll definitely prove myself to you!"

Just then the ding of the door alerted both of them to the entrance of a customer, sighing Naruto rolled his eyes. "Hey buddy, don't you see that the door's closed? There's a sign there for a reason ya know!"

"Don't 'buddy' me!" Sasuke's voice growled in annoyance causing Naruto to jump. Dammit, he was in trouble.

"Who the hell said you could close the store? Because I sure as hell don't remember giving you permission!"

"Come on Sasuke! Don't be like that, you're embarrassing me!"

Pausing his dark haired friend raised an eyebrow finally noticing the scared woman behind him. "What you two doing the hanky panky or something? In the store Naruto?! God!"

"Sasuke!"

Forcing a smile Naruto quickly ushered Hinata out the store before Sasuke could embarrass him anymore. What was worse was the fact he knew that bastard was doing it on purpose!

"I'm sorry about that." He apologized laughing awkwardly to cover up his bruised ego.

"It's ok. I have to go anyways."

"Wait!" he shouted, "Are you going to come back?"

Smiling in what Naruto thought was a really enticing manner; he opalescent eyes sparkled in the sunlight. Scratch that Naruto loved her eyes. "Of course I am. You still have to prove yourself remember?"

Playfully grinning he yelled back an excited "Of course!" before he waved her off to where ever she was going.

Chuckling to himself Naruto entered the café ready for the berating Sasuke was bound to give him for fooling around on his shift. He didn't really care though.

That girl… she was really something wasn't she?