Shikamaru was not happy at all. This day was one of the biggest drags of his life. First, he woke up too early and had to turn his alarm off. After that he knew that this was going to be a long day. And it was. He was called to Lady Tsunade and she gave him a mission that should have been small but, due to his recent luck, became troublesome. He had to catch a cat. This was the very same cat that he had chased around when he was a gennin and it was a drag back then and it's a drag now. That took him most of the day.

He was on his way home looking forward to just relaxing in his bed and sleeping. He loved to wake up to one of the delicious meals that his mother cooked for him. That was always the highlight of his day. However, he decided to take a detour through the forest as he like the peace and serenity that nature provided. He heard a girl scream. At first, he thought nothing of it, he just thought that it was a stupid girl running through the forest with her friends, but then it intensified. This was definitely not a girl hanging around with her friends.

Shikamaru took off in the direction of the sound. He took the trees to get a better view of where he was going. She screamed again. He took a sharp left and saw Hinata surrounded by rogue ninja. They weren't even from the village. They were edging her closer and closer to a lake. One of them lunged forward. Hinata jumped backwards, too far, and went in.

Shikamaru caught the group of rogue ninja with his shadow possession jutsu and walked them forward. They too fell into the icy pool.

He let them go and ran to the lake. Hinata was treading water. She looked freezing and was soaking from head to toe. Shikamaru walked into the pool and picked her up cradle style. In typical Hinata fashion, she fainted.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. What a drag, he thought. He decided, seeing as his house was closer and his parents were still out, that he should take her there.

He struggled to keep her in his arms whilst opening the front door, but he managed it in the end. He carried her upstairs into his room and, luckily enough, he had left his door open. He stripped her of her wet clothes (mostly) and replaced them with a t-shirt of his own. It drowned the smaller girl. He lay her down on his bed and wrapped her in the covers.

She woke up after about an hour. Shikamaru had fallen asleep at her side. He was knelt on the floor, his head was resting on the bed. Hinata recalled her ordeal beforehand and remembered the men all being caught by his shadows and walked into the lake. He must have brought her here.

"Shikamaru?" she said quietly, nudging him slightly.

He groaned and mumbled something.

"What?"

"It's too early, mum. Not yet. I don't want to get up," he repeated.

Hinata laughed to herself, he was still asleep. "Shikamaru. Wake up."

His eyelids fluttered open. He smiled lazily when he saw her awake. "You're finally in the land of the living are you?" he asked jokingly.

"Yeah. Thanks for looking after me."

"That's all right." He rubbed his eyes with his hands and yawned. When he blinked them open again, he was shocked to see Hinata staring at him.

"What?" he asked confused.

"Nothing."

"Tell me," he pleaded suddenly worried about what she was going to say, but feeling the need to know anyway.

"It's just...um...you look..." He looked at her with curious eyes. "Beautiful," she muttered under her breath hoping he didn't hear her so that she could lie a different answer. She didn't mumble quiet enough.

Shikamaru's eyebrows burrowed. "What?"

"Don't make me say it again."

"Beautiful? Me?"

"Yes."

He looked at her for what, to her, felt like an eternity. He leaned over to her and kissed her. She kissed back instinctively. He pulled away.

"Do you want to get in? It is your bed," Hinata suggested timidly.

Shikamaru smiled. "I would, but I don't trust myself."

"That's okay."

Shikamaru was hesitant at first, but then he gave in. He climbed in bed with the shy Hyuga and kissed her. He pulled her body forward and his hands went up her shirt. He felt the warmth of her smooth skin and traced lines up and down her back. Hinata smiled into the kiss and shuddered.

"SHIKAMARU!"

Both teenagers snapped their focus to the source of the unwelcome sound.

"What do you think you are doing?" Yoshino demanded.

"Next time," he whispered in Hinata's ear. "I'm closing the door."