"I hate it when he calls me 'babe'," Sakura admitted. "It makes me cringe a little."
"Really? I'd probably melt if Sai ever called me that," Ino said dreamily. "I love the whole idea of a guy giving you a cute name."
"It's not even cute, though, it's embarrassing. Hardly unique."
"It's better than being likened to various types of food," Karui muttered.
"Hey, they're all my favourite foods," Choji said defensively. "It's a compliment."
"At least he has some kind of name for you. Ever since he told me I was beautiful when we first met, Sai hasn't come up with any terms of endearment, isn't that right, honey?" she looked pointedly at her husband sitting across the table from her.
"I think using your actual name is a term of endearment," Sai reasoned. "Your name is the best way to describe you, Ino. Why would I settle for anything else?"
She rolled her eyes. "What about you, Temari? Do you and Shikamaru have pet names for each other?"
The question seemed to catch them both off guard, as Temari's head snapped up from her bowl of ramen and her eyes connected with her boyfriend's opposite her. They shared a blank look which intrigued their friends around them.
"Not really," Temari shrugged. "I'd probably vomit if he tried anything cutesy or cliché on me."
"Or she'd punch me through a wall. Both of those scenarios I'd rather avoid."
"Fair enough," Sakura nodded. "You two don't seem like the lovey-dovey type anyway."
"We're not," Temari affirmed.
"You two seem very happy with the way things are, though," Hinata said shyly.
"We are," Shikamaru replied matter-of-factly; he couldn't help but smile at his girlfriend who sat there stoically eating her meal.
The conversation moved onto other topics; work, moving houses, genin teams. They often caught up over meals like this; it seemed as though time was flying, and somehow they had all found happy relationships. Happy in different ways, of course.
"Pass the sauce, Shikamaru."
"Get it yourself, Tem. You can totally reach it from there."
"Just pass it, lazy ass."
"Troublesome woman."
"Crybaby."
Without another word, he sighed and handed her the sauce which she received without gratitude. The two continued eating while their friends merely looked on, puzzled.
So this is love, huh?