"Ma," I shouted, rapping my knuckles against the door. Stepping back the door was flung open to reveal a short angry woman with flour smudged across her cheeks.
"Well come on then help your mother, I'm baking bread," she said with a sigh of defeat, grabbing my ear. I grimaced but stayed silent, any noise of resistance and she'd dig her nails into the flesh. The smell of bread brought back the memories of when I used to do this as a child every sunday morning. I was glad now that dad had turned the business over to a cousin and had started up a bakery. He seemed happier now.
"Hows the bakery going?" I asked, retrieving another bowl. It may have been six years since I last made bread but the recipe was ingrained in my memory. "It's good, your father had to hire some one to run the counter while he baked. He's managed to gain a reputation. I'm glad you haven't forgotten how to do it," she said gruffly, pounding her small fists into the dough with vigor.
"So you dumped the blonde then?" She asked, trying her hand at small talk. I shrugged, "yeah i guess, she was too troublesome in the end." Ma nodded smiling, it was no secret that she despised Temari.
"And who are you dating now?" She asked. I stopped for a second to stare at her, earning a hit to the knuckles with a wooden spoon.
"Jeez ma," i muttered, "I found a nice girl at the bar, her name is Hinata." Ma smiled at me approving, pinching my cheek with a flour covered hand.
"Good, now go take the bread to your father."
I opened the door with a foot, juggling my helmet, bag and keys. I jumped in shock when the helmet and bag left my hands.
"How was the trip home?" Shikamaru asked, face covered in flour.
"It was good, my family is doing well. What is with all this flour?" I asked wiping it from his face before kissing him.
"Been baking bread," he muttered returning to the kitchen. I followed curious to see how he was doing, only to be assaulted by the smell of fresh bread.
"I went back home as well, ma roped me in to baking bread with her, my parents own a bakery. I thought i'd make dinner for once." I walked over to the kitchen bench jumping up on it to watch him cook.
"you'll make the perfect housewife one day Shikamaru," I teased, tapping the tip of his nose. He looked at me with his usual semi permanent frown, rolled his eyes and then chose to ignore me. Sniffing the air, I recognised what he was cooking.
"pizza and garlic bread, is that all you know how to make?" I asked having never seen him cook anything else but burnt toast.
"I can make pretzels and almost any baked goods, my mother taught me. Every Sunday morning I'd get up at four to bake bread all day, every other day it was cakes, slices, buns, danish's, pizza buns and pastry sticks," he said, opening the fridge to reveal a three layer cheese cake.
"when did you go to school? Seems like you spent all day baking,"I said awestruck by his talents.
"Home schooled. My mother was a teacher once upon a time, but she left when I started. Three months into prep and I was already doing grade 4 work. I'm a bit of a genius or so the doctor's say, so troublesome." He sighed kneading the bread dough.
"enough about me, how's your parents?" he asked diverting the conversation away from his childhood.
"My mother died when I was a child, but my father is doing well. He retires in a week, passing the family business onto my cousin. My sister is dating a nice guy, a bit dorky but she likes him a lot. She converted my room into a beauty pallor," I said sourly, "but it doesn't matter anymore, they're happy and that makes me happy." he turned smiling softly at me.
"you are a very kind woman Hinata," he whispered, pulling me close.
"No. I'm not."
