Hinata was officially sick of street food. She enjoyed all the fun flavors and not having to cook all the time, but she just wanted something basic and clean-tasting. She convinced Hidan to book a room with a kitchenette and surveyed what kitchenware they had before going shopping.
"This is easier." Hidan held up a prepackaged meal.
"It doesn't taste better." Hinata waved her hand to tell him to put it back.
"Debatable." Hidan dropped it back in its area.
"Put it back properly." Hinata corrected it on the shelf. He rolled his eyes. "You liked my cooking before."
Hidan stopped to think. "Oh, when I was hiding in your room."
Hinata hoped people took that as her hiding her boyfriend in her room from her strict parents… well, what else would they take it as? It would be a leap to think she was hiding a prison runaway. She needed to stop trying to think about their situation logically. It was just making her feel like she was insane. "I promise that I can make something better than these prepackaged meals."
Hidan frowned at her basket. "I don't like carrots." Hinata paused to give him a look. He looked off to the side instead of continuing to complain. It was like shopping with an oversized toddler.
Hinata collected more vegetables to prove a point as Hidan trailed behind her to the checkout.
"Is there any meat in this?" Hidan looked at the bowl suspiciously.
Hinata didn't answer him as she dug into her own bowl. It wasn't the best thing she could make, and she was frustrated cooking in the tiny kitchen with a dull knife and a cutting board that couldn't hold a whole carrot. The sauce was store-bought, but it was still good. It was nice to have a vegetable that wasn't fried for once in weeks.
Hidan poked at it for another moment before he started shoving it into his mouth as usual. There was never a question of whether he was going to eat it. Hinata had never seen him not finish something, even if he complained the whole time. What she didn't know was if he was going to complain about her cooking on principle because she made him eat vegetables even if he didn't hate it. Was his pride strong enough to lie to her? That was the true test here.
"It's good." Hidan finally admitted after finishing off his bowl.
Hinata covered her mouth to hide her smile. "There isn't any meat in it."
"The mushrooms are kinda meat," Hidan grumbled. "They're kinda fleshy."
"I can cook meat, too, if you won't complain about my vegetables." Hinata giggled at the side-eye he gave her.
"No, thank you. I'm married." Hinata repeated automatically, looking over her shoulder for her 'husband,' but he wasn't in sight. That happened. He would disappear for a bit and come back. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what for. As long as it wasn't something that didn't get them in trouble, she didn't really need to know.
The guy leaned further toward her. "You're not wearing a ring."
Hinata blinked at him. She wasn't. That was a valid argument, but it wasn't something she had come across before. Did men always drop it when she said she had a husband? No, but it was usually because they didn't care, and they didn't seem to think she would care if they pushed enough, but not wearing a ring did make it look like she was open to that kind of thing. "I forgot it." She turned her hand.
"Sure, you did." He commented.
Hinata gave the bartender a look that expressed her exasperation. This happened almost every night. She knew she was a certain type of pretty, but something about putting her in a bar setting made her cat nip to any non-regular that walked in.
Was it because she still dressed like a children's schoolteacher? Was it because she didn't look like she belonged? Was it because she wasn't drinking? Because she didn't seem interested in dancing? What was the appeal?
"Let's get going, sweetheart." Hidan appeared, tossing his arm around her shoulder.
"You smell like sake." Hinata pulled back.
Hidan looked offended. "I had two drinks."
"Did you spill them on yourself?" Hinata countered.
"You're her husband?" Oh, he didn't leave?
"Yeah," Hidan answered.
"You should tell your wife to remember her ring." He waved his hand.
"Why the fuck would that matter?" Hidan face twisted in confusion and irritation.
Hinata tugged on Hidan. "Let's go." Maybe a ring would help her problem, but she doubted it.
"What's his problem?" Hidan wondered as they headed out the door. "You want a ring?"
"I don't need a ring," Hinata told him as she pulled her coat closer. She was getting a little too used to the lingering smell of cigarette smoke in it.
Hidan wrapped an arm around her. "I'm going to get you a ring."
"You don't listen." Hinata turned her head up to him.
Hidan lowered his head to kiss her. He tasted like sake. Not her favorite. "I fucking heard you. You said you don't need one. I'm getting you one anyway."
Hinata giggled at his pout. "You shouldn't drink." She would admit he didn't drink much. He was a decent-sized guy, but he was a lightweight and knew it. Two shots would make him more than tipsy, and it also made him more clingy than normal. Not that she was complaining.
"I didn't buy the drinks," Hidan grumbled, laying his head on her neck.
Hinata flushed and patted his head. "Let's get you home."
Hidan knelt down to look into the pawn shop case. Wedding rings were so boring.
Hinata came down beside him and titled her head up to him with a particularly cute smile. "You're taking this very seriously."
"Pick out a ring," Hidan muttered.
"You're meant to pick it out." Hinata teased.
"You're not going to like what I pick out," Hidan told her.
"That's probably true." Hinata turned her smile into the case. "Are you getting one?"
"What do I need one for?" Hidan followed her eyes into the case.
"Same reason I do. It keeps you from getting hit on as much." Hinata folded her arms in her lap. "In theory."
"I don't think flashing a ring is going to make the type of women I avoid run. Homewrecking whores will be homewrecking whores." Hidan ignored the pierce of Hinata's lips at his language. He was right.
"Then why are we here?" Hinata lifted her head to see the next row.
Hidan was actually curious about what she would pick out. Most women liked big rocks, didn't they? "Because I need people to know you're taken."
Hinata's nose scrunched. "Don't lie."
Hidan wasn't admitting to anything. He didn't want guys crawling all over her, but he also knew that she wasn't going to go running off on him for some bar creep.
Hinata hummed, seeing the row of class rings. Did people buy people's old class rings? Didn't they have the year and place where they graduated? What are the odds someone could find the right school, year, and size in a pawn shop? "When I was in school, I always hoped I would get a boys' class ring."
Hidan knew there was one boy she was talking about. "Whatever happened to that guy from school."
Hinata tilted her head to the side, and her expression fell. "He went on to chase his dreams like he always said he would. I had to stop checking up on him."
"I didn't graduate." Hidan looked at the bands and then pointed at the case. "Do black ones count."
Hinata nodded. "I don't think it matters. I don't like traditional rings anyway. I wonder if I can find one to match. I don't like gold on my skin tone."
Hidan stood up to find someone to open the case while Hinata kept looking with a pleasant little smile on her face. Ugh. She really shouldn't look so content doing this. She couldn't be so comfortable doing this. What was the point that was going to be too much if this was it?
Hinata's face lit up, and she tapped her finger on the glass as she found a ring she wanted to try, turning to smile at him.
Damn it. Cute.
Kakazu rolled his eyes. "You two are disgusting."
Hidan's eyebrows knit together as he looked at the black band that he was surprisingly proud of. "Fuck off."
Hinata giggled and folded her hands together in her lap, rubbing her thumb on the band she picked out. She didn't know why Hidan thought Kakuzu would care. The rings really meant nothing. They were already telling people they were married to keep people from asking too many questions.
But it made her smile to look at just because Hidan took it so seriously the moment she brought it up. His impulsiveness getting to him again. His dedication to things that weren't murder could be really cute.