So originally, I wasn't going to continue on with this story. After reading through the first chapter several times though (along with a few requests), I decided to keep it going. I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto franchise.

"Hinata."

"It's okay. You wouldn't have liked what would come after anyway."

A week has passed since Hinata went on that mission with Kiba and Shino and all she could think about was when she ran into Shikamaru the day before. Remembering how they were both lying down on that hill and the way he was watching her as he started to lean in close... Hinata's face turned red at the memory.

"Hinata!"

Startled, Hinata came back to her senses to see Kiba Inuzuka waving his hands frantically in front of her.

"Goodness Hinata. Daydreaming about Naruto again?"

"No!" Not this time... she thought, noticing the wary look her teammate was giving her. Hinata knew she should be focusing on their training but it was difficult when someone she simply saw as a friend tried to kiss her. She watched as Kiba sat down on Akamaru, who slightly whimpered while looking in her direction.

"Just let her be Kiba."

"Don't be so easy on her Shino! We have to make sure our abilities are up to par with everyone else."

"That's what you always say."

Directing her attention to her other teammate, Shino Aburame, Hinata also noticed the way he was getting ready for their training as his insects flew around his figure. Now the only person they were waiting on was her. Focus Hinata. Your teammates are counting on you. "I'm sorry..." she apologized, getting into her fighting stance.

"Save your sorry until after we test out your skills. Right Akamaru?"

"Ruff!"

"Let's go."

-x-

Shikamaru slumped in his seat when he observed the mounds of paperwork he had to complete. Although he agreed to help with the Chunin Exams, he wasn't aware of the amount of work that would follow. "Man this is troublesome," he complained as he brought his face down on the desk.

"Already complaining are you?"

Glancing up, he watched as Temari of The Hidden Sand Village walked over to him and placed more paperwork upon his desk.

"Your village's academy lent us this room for a reason."

Shikamaru took a stack of the paperwork and placed it on the ground right next to the desk. "Why is all this paperwork necessary for the Chunin Exams anyway? Makes no sense..."

"I thought you were a lot smarter than you looked."

As Shikamaru attempted to sort through all the papers, he stopped when he heard the shuffle of a plastic bag right in front of.

"Sorry. I got these on my way here. You want one?"

Looking up from the desk, Shikamaru's eyes widened when he saw a dango being taken out from the bag. At that moment, the memory of his time spent with Hinata came flooding back into his mind. A week has passed since he made an attempt to kiss her and it's been bothering him ever since. He wasn't even sure why he tried to kiss her... let alone what brought him to do that in the first place.

"So you want one or are you just going to keep gawking?"

Realizing that Temari was still waiting for his response, Shikamaru snapped out of his daze. "No thanks."

"Fine. Suit yourself."

Tapping his fingers against the desk, he was beginning to feel restless with the amount of thoughts flooding through his mind. He sighed. Taking a look at the papers before him once more, he stood up. "I need some fresh air."

"Well you better come back soon. I'm not dealing with this on my own."

-x-

On her way home from the Third Training Ground where she practiced her abilities alongside her teammates, Hinata stopped when she felt her stomach rumble. She didn't even realize how hungry she was. Ever since Naruto came back, almost everyone seemed to be honing their skills, especially Kiba who seemed eager than ever to prove himself stronger than he was before. All this training really does take a toll though... Looking around for a place to eat, she stopped when she saw Yakiniku Q just a few shops ahead. Her stomach rumbled once again when she picked up the smell of barbecue wafting through the air. Not wanting to go on without having at least one bite, Hinata made her way into the restaurant. If only I knew I was coming here... I would've asked Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, and Akamaru to come with me, she thought. As she was about to make her way to the closest empty table, she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw that familiar spiky ponytail.

Shikamaru almost spit out his drink when he saw Hinata walk in the Yakiniku Q restaurant. Of all the places in Konohagakure... Although he had a strong urge to just ignore her presence, he knew that wouldn't be a good idea. Seeing that Hinata took notice of Shikamaru as well, he waved his hand in the air to signal her over.

Hinata knew she shouldn't ignore Shikamaru but she still couldn't stop thinking about their time spent together that one day. Oh man... What do I do...? I-I don't know what to do...

I was right. I should just ignore her, he thought again before his body unconsciously rose up. Way to do the complete opposite... Getting up from his table, Shikamaru walked over to Hinata who seemed to be completely out of it. "Hey Hinata."

"Sh-Shikamaru..." Barely able to say his name, Hinata couldn't keep her composure. It was especially difficult now that Shikamaru was standing right in front of her. Before she could say anything else, her stomach growled loudly to which she blushed in response.

"Looks like someone's hungry," Shikamaru joked, trying to ease the situation. "There's an extra spot at my table if you want to sit."

Nodding her head once, Hinata followed as Shikamaru led her to the table he was sitting at when she took notice of him. Once they sat down, Hinata stared at nothing but her clasped hands which were placed on her lap. Trying to remain calm, she listened as Shikamaru requested more meat. She found it sort-of ridiculous that she was acting like this... especially since Shikamaru did nothing extreme... well except try to kiss her... fully aware of her crush towards Naruto. Not able to hold it in any longer, Hinata was just about ready to ask when Shikamaru spoke.

"Look. I'm sorry about the other day. I don't know what came over me," Shikamaru admitted. In all honesty, he wasn't even fully sure why he tried to kiss Hinata in the first place. It can't be just because I thought she was cute... can it? Looking over at the Hyuga who was finally looking back at him, he shrugged. "But yeah. You think you can try to forget it ever happened? Easier said than done but..."

"S-Sure..." Hinata replied, knowing deep down that it'll be difficult for her to forget. At the time, she already knew hanging out with just Shikamaru would be a major thing for her. One on one time with a boy other than Naruto, she remembered thinking to herself. Now he was asking her to just forget that he almost tried to kiss her. As much as she wanted to forget, she knew deep down that it would linger in the back of her mind.

"Alright." Bringing a piece of meat to his lips, he wondered whether Hinata could even forget that what happened between them even happened. Shikamaru knew that he certainly couldn't. Although he was the one that said they should forget, he knew that it would be difficult. He knew that she was majorly interested in Naruto... but he still attempted to kiss her anyway. At this point, Shikamaru not only wanted to forget... but he also wanted to know what led him to do that. "So how was your mission?"

Hinata ate several pieces of meat before responding. She almost forgot why she was even there in the first place. "We had to escort a council member to the Hidden Grass Village. They were here in the Hidden Leaf Village for negotiations. Not sure what kind though..."

"Politics right," Shikamaru commented. He took another few bites of barbecue before going on. "Well at least you're not stuck here filling out paperwork. Such a drag honestly."

"Oh yeah. How's planning for the Chunin Exams? You're working with Temari-san right?"

"Could be better. Temari... she's something else alright."

Hinata continued to eat her barbecue as her nerves began to slowly cool down. "So how's Ino-chan, Choji-kun, and Asuma-sensei?"

Shikamaru was surprised to see that Hinata still wanted to keep a conversation going. "The usual. Ino still loves to complain, Choji still loves to eat, and Asuma... I'm pretty sure you know how he's doing."

A small smile came across Hinata's face. "I'm glad Kurenai-sensei and Asuma-sensei are happy together."

"They deserve it. Like you." Realizing what he just said, Shikamaru peered over at Hinata who instantly turned red. Way to go idiot.

Just when I thought I've calmed down... Hinata thought as she ate her last few pieces of barbecue.

Finishing up his food, Shikamaru looked over at Hinata's plate which was completely empty. "Hey-"

"Thank you... for inviting me to sit with you," Hinata interrupted. She took out some money and placed it on the table before standing up.

Taking the money that Hinata just placed on the table, he held it out back to her. "Keep it. I'll pay."

"O-Oh no there's no need-"

"Don't worry about it."

Looking at Shikamaru who didn't seem like he'll take no for an answer, Hinata bowed her head to him. "Thank you Shikamaru-kun."

Before Hinata had the chance to leave without him, he outstretched his hand and touched her arm. He quickly moved it away once he realized what he did. "Let me walk you home. It's getting pretty late out."

Don't turn red... don't turn red... Hinata repeated to herself when she felt his hand graze her arm. And now he's asking to walk me home. Just like last time... She gave a Shikamaru a small nod in response to his offer.

Shikamaru sighed in relief. That could've been a lot worse...

-x-

Walking with Shikamaru didn't help her to forget that day which still hung in the air between them. It certainly didn't help that there were still a few transparent clouds out in the sky. Hinata was relieved to see the sun's light finally beginning to disappear when she felt her cheeks burn hot at the memories that kept constantly bombarding her mind. Maybe if I think of Naruto-kun, it'll keep my mind off Shikamaru-kun...

As Shikamaru was walking alongside Hinata who didn't seem like she wanted to talk, he took the time to figure out why he tried to kiss her that one day. Maybe it was because of the mood...

Still not able to stop thinking of Shikamaru, she decided to just give in. There was no way she could stop thinking about him... not unless she stopped avoiding him altogether. Hinata peered over at Shikamaru who seemed to be deep in thought. "Shikamaru-kun."

Shikamaru stopped his train of thought when he heard his name escape from Hinata's lips. "Hm?"

"Sorry if this seems out of nowhere... H-How are you?" Realizing how stupid her question was, she averted her gaze away from Shikamaru.

He laughed. "I already told you the answer to this. Chunin Exams... That's-" Shikamaru stopped when he realized that he was supposed to go back and help Temari finish the paperwork a few hours ago. He was too caught up with the barbecue and Hinata to even realize... "Looks like this is where we depart." He began to rub the back of his head in frustration. "Sorry Hinata. I offered to walk you home but I just remembered I have to go back and finish up some work."

Hinata frowned. Despite this being an opportunity to break away from Shikamaru and keep her mind off of him, there was a part of her that wanted to stick around. "I can go with you if that's okay... I don't mind."

Shikamaru pondered over this for a moment before responding. Here he thought Hinata would go off, happy that she wouldn't have to see him and be reminded of that day. He certainly would've left if he were in her shoes. "Well okay. Don't worry. It won't take long." He pointed at the academy building which wasn't too far from where they were at. "All the work's being done at the academy building."

"Academy building? Were you assigned to work there?"

"No. I broke into one of the rooms without permission."

"What...?"

"Kidding. Me and Temari were provided a room to work in. Breaking in would've been too much of a hassle." It didn't take long for the two to reach the building. Barely any lights out at this hour, Shikamaru had a feeling Temari was long gone. She's going to be so pissed at me. Reaching into his front pocket, he took out two keys that opened the main door and the room he was using to complete his work in.

"It's so dark in here..." Hinata pointed out as she followed Shikamaru inside the building. Never in her life had she been inside the academy building during this time. It was interesting to see how different it was at night compared to during the day. She made sure to watch each step she took as Shikamaru slowly made his way to wherever the room was.

"The room's not far from the main door. Just have to go through this hallway," he told her. "I'll have to admit though, it's pretty dumb of me to not turn on the lights. Can't see a thing..." As soon as he reached the door, he quickly opened it so that he could turn on the room's light. As his gaze swept over the room, he noticed that everything was the same as where he'd left it. "Figures."

"Were you supposed to meet Temari-san here?" Looking around the room, Hinata noticed the mess of papers that were on top of the desk. The room itself was pretty simple with a few chairs, a small table, and the desk that contained all of Shikamaru's paperwork.

"I was... a few hours ago," Shikamaru confessed as he made his way over to the desk and began sorting through all the papers. "I guess Temari was serious when she said she wouldn't deal with this on her own.

"Oh. I hope I didn't hold you back..."

"Don't worry. You didn't." Sorta. As he continued to sort through each paper so that they were in order of relevance, Shikamaru finally registered the situation he was in. He directed his attention to Hinata who seemed to be observing the room. "You really don't have to stay if you don't want to."

Hinata looked back at Shikamaru. He's right. Why was she staying here when earlier that day, she was still in disarray about his kissing attempt? Even Hinata didn't know the answer.

Hearing no response, Shikamaru presumed she didn't want to leave him behind. If she really doesn't want to go, then I won't force her. However, that only made him question her even more than he already did. "...Well like I said, this won't take long."

Hinata watched as Shikamaru continued to sort through the papers, taking note of the look of stress on his face. "Shikamaru-kun..." she began, not sure where she was going with this. "Why do you do what you do?"

Shikamaru stopped. "What do you mean?"

"...Well, you would always refer to situations as 'troublesome.' However, you still continue to do what needs to be done."

"I still call situations troublesome at times," he admitted. "But there are times when certain situations need to be dealt with. My dad always encouraged me to do what's best."

"Similar to what I learned from Naruto... He always encouraged me to do my best with the choices I make for myself."

"Well, I agree."

For someone who came off as lazy, he was pretty dedicated when it came to what needed to be done. Hinata couldn't help but smile at that. She always knew Shikamaru was always more than what his laid-back personality made him out to be. Like a transparent cloud... as he referred to her. Noticing that one of the papers from his desk flew off and landed on the ground right behind him, she went to go retrieve it. "Shikamaru-kun, one of your papers fell..."

"Hinata, wait! Watch out for-" Too late, he realized as she tripped over the stack of paperwork he placed on the ground earlier that day. Within seconds, Shikamaru stopped what he was doing to refrain Hinata from falling but in the end, she still fell... landing right on top of him.

"Oh! I-I'm so sorry... um... I-I didn't mean..." completely flustered by the situation, Hinata covered her hands with her face.

Before Shikamaru could get Hinata to move off him, he couldn't help but admire her in this moment. In some way or another, they were both similar in that they were determined to do what's right and fight for it. The only difference is that she isn't lazy. But that was a detail he couldn't help but admire in her.

Hinata looked between her fingers to see Shikamaru looking right at her. She was surprised to see that he wasn't asking her to get off him right away... or that he wasn't even attempting to move her off himself. Hinata was even more surprised that she allowed herself to stay in that position. I don't understand... Slowly removing her hands from her face, Hinata looked up at Shikamaru who now seemed to be laying transparent before her.

Now he knew why he tried to kiss Hinata that night. The answer was obvious to a point where he even mentioned it. But it wasn't until this moment where he figured out why he grew some fondness towards her. "Hinata..."

"What is going on?!"

Thanks again for reading! Don't forget to favorite/follow if you're lowkey shipping Shikamaru and Hinata (like me lol).

tsuginomai