She wasn't sure when exactly they became more than friends. Shikamaru was never one to go beating around the bush. It was simple, what he wanted, he got it done. There were no games. Hinata was no exception. When he knew he wanted to be around her, he was. It began with the subtle things-being unafraid to invade each other's personal space just a little bit more, making more eye contact, longer touches. Her leaning on him in the hot sun after they had trained together. Her free, laughing expression after he had unknowingly wrapped her in his arms together with Mirai after one of their tickle sessions and the way she hadn't cringed away uncomfortably. The food she prepared and left for him before and after his missions. That feeling in the pit of his stomach when she was away. Coming home to Kurenai's house and seeing her there with Mirai waiting for him and watching the relief flood her face, even it was not for more than a second, before she greeted him. Meeting her eyes just a fleeting moment across the room when they were with the rest of their friends and the tiny smile she gave him before averting her gaze. The pink dusting on her cheeks when he caught her staring at him, or when he had been staring at her.

Hinata realized it as well, but she didn't reject it. She too found herself craving his presence, yet she couldn't figure out just what it was that drew her to him. He was not particularly a gentleman. He was almost a complete opposite of her sunny former crush, with his shadows and his negativity. He complained more than she had ever heard anyone, and yes, he could be extremely lazy. How could a girl like her fall for someone like him?

They even got into the habit of falling asleep next to each other. It started with simple naps during picnics or before they went to their separate clan compounds at Kurenai's house with Mirai in between them in the evening.

One night, they returned to the village at almost the same time. They found themselves wandering in the direction towards Kurenai's house. It never occurred to them that they had unconsciously been seeking each other out until they finally saw each other. Being next to Shikamaru could only be described as releasing a sigh of relief, and Hinata felt it too, in the way his body language and face relaxed when she opened the door to welcome him in. Mirai was long asleep, yet they couldn't bother themselves with returning home just yet.

At first they had just been sitting wearily next to each other asking each other questions about their mission. Her head might've rested on his shoulder for a second. The next thing Hinata knew, she was curled up against his chest. Their jounin vests were off, their hair was down, his arms were around her, her head was tucked under his chin, his nose was buried in her hair-and it felt perfect.

When Hinata realized the position she was in, she froze, her face reddening. But she didn't want to move away. In fact, she felt herself clenching her fingers through his shirt, as if trying to hold him in place.

"This bond with you is getting... troublesome," he breathed in his deep voice.

"I-Is it?" she whispered, her voice caught in her throat. She could feel him stretching his neck backwards so he could look at her, so she turned her face up to him. His eyes were smoldering.

"It is," his nose brushed against hers.

Her eyes narrowed for a fraction before she replied softly, "I resent that-"

"Troublesome," he repeated again gruffly. Her face heated up again as Shikamaru's head dipped lower towards her. He hesitated for a second, before pressing his lips against hers.

She didn't know when or how, but she found herself kissing him back. One of his hands had gone to the back of her neck while both of hers crept towards his chest, gathering his shirt in a fist.

That was their first of many nights together. Somehow spending her nights wrapped up in his arms relaxed her in a way that no hot bath or massage would ever compare. He agreed.

After so many days and nights with him, she couldn't stop herself from catching feelings. He was everywhere. She couldn't get him out of her thoughts, and it wasn't like he was trying to stop anything from happening between them. He actually made an effort to be next to her, which was saying a lot. The ease of saying that he wanted to go be with her was surprising, especially to those who knew him. And although they didn't exactly touch in public or show much affection in front of other people, it was noticeable that something special had blossomed between the two.

And yet, Shikamaru didn't say that he loved anyone. Not his mother, not Mirai, and certainly not her.

Why is it then that she saw it in Kurenai's approving smile as she sat back watching Shikamaru and Hinata take turns to wash dishes or cook dinner.

"You two practically act like a married couple," she had remarked affectionately as she combed her fingers through Mirai's unruly hair. She and Shikamaru had exchanged a quick glance at each other before looking away, Hinata with a heated blush and Shikamaru with what looked like a little smirk.

She saw it in Hanabi's teasing grin, when she said she would be sleeping at Kurenai's house instead of the Hyuuga compound. "Have fun, nee-sama," she giggled, waggling her brows.

"It's not like that, Hanabi-chan!" Hinata had defended with a red face. "I just have trouble sleeping, is all."

"And Shikamaru-san helps you, I get it," Hanabi nodded. She shut the door in her older sister's face with another knowing grin.

Hinata's mouth shut as she pressed her lips into a thin line, shaking her head as she headed off. Well she wasn't wrong.

The carefree, light feeling Hinata had been carrying around her was tangible ever since she and the Nara had started seeing each other. Hanabi wanted to keep it that way, especially since it was so different from the shy, smothered girl Hinata had been when the object of her affections was Naruto.

Or in the wink Ino threw her way after Shikamaru made some excuse to end Team 10's training a little early so that he could walk her back to her compound. "Take good care of him, Hinata!" she crooned happily. Shikamaru only rolled his eyes and muttered something about annoying teammates under his breath. But the irritated expression softened almost immediately after he turned his eyes to her face.

Or in the quizzical look on Kiba's face when he caught Shikamaru's scent on her sweater. "If he makes you happy, Hinata," he had shrugged when Hinata tried to stammer out an explanation. He had been a little aggressive with Shikamaru after that, but only because he was a tad overprotective over his teammate's heart.

Why did she see it in the loving expression on Yoshino's face when she came over to Shikamaru's house? It would flicker when she caught them lounging on the couch together or playing shogi. "You bring out something in that lazy son of mine," she snorted when she and Hinata were mixing herbs in the Nara kitchen. When Yoshino had learned that Hinata was adept at making medicinal salves, she took her under her wing and taught her a secret or two. Hinata watched the normally hard expression on the Nara matriarch smooth out as Yoshino glanced at her son who was sleeping on the couch in the living room. She chuckled, "It may be hard to tell, but when a Nara man loves you, you'll know." Hinata met her eyes with as Yoshino gave her a sad smile. "That boy is exactly like his father."

Most of all, why did she feel it when she press her face against his chest, listening to the lub-dub of his heart? Or when he breathed her name, his lips against her ear? It was there in the fire in his fingertips and the fluttering of his lashes against her skin. In the soothing timber of his voice when he spoke to her, in the way his body automatically angled toward her whenever they were out together with their friends. In the rare smile he reserved for her. In the way he would make an effort to see her after a long day working when she knew he'd prefer to just go to sleep. In the way he constantly made her feel like she wasn't too troublesome and that she was worth the amount of attention he gave her.

Did she dare call his feeling for her love, when he himself never acknowledged it?

Ino told her he had practically confessed to his own teammates while they were eating their routine after-mission yakiniku.

"I was like, 'You love her!'" Ino breathed as she arranged the flowers in a bouquet Hinata was preparing. "My chopsticks almost fell out of my hands. And then Shikamaru, being Shikamaru, just shrugged away from me with a scowl on his damned face. 'Don't you, Shikamaru?' I asked. But he was all, 'God, Ino, I don't know,' you know, all annoyed and everything."

Hinata's face was red and all she could do was listen.

"'Obviously, you do!' I said," Ino rambled on. "'I've never seen you give any female that type of attention ever.'" Suddenly she took Hinata's hands. "But you know, Hinata, this here's the best part!" Her blue eyes shone and her voice dropped to an excited whisper. "And then he was like, 'I don't know okay? Like, love, whatever-I don't know about that crap. All I know is that I like being around her. I like when she's around me. I like talking to her. I like being next to her. It's uncomfortable when I can't see her, if I don't know she's okay. I feel...good when I'm around her. I feel happy? And content? And I want her to be around me for a long time. With me, I guess.'"

Ino paused for dramatic effect. "And then I said, 'Obviously you do.' And then I winked at Chouji, cuz Chouji always understands me, but Shikamaru just ignored us after that. Plus, he stares at you, like, all the time and he doesn't even notice it! Actions speak louder than words, after all. So, see, Hinata?" Ino said excitedly with an almost blinding smile, "That idiot totally loves you!"

He loves me? she thought to herself now as she was wrapped in his arms. She kept her eyes on their hands as she slid her slender fingers through his long ones.

"I can practically hear what you're thinking," a low voice rumbled suddenly in her ear.

"S-Sorry," she squeaked, burying her face in the palms of her hands and cursing his genius. "I just-"

"Troublesome thoughts," he sighed as he pulled her closer to him.

She stilled. "Y-yeah," she agreed, though the crack in her voice betrayed her.

He paused. Then he sighed again.

Her breath caught in her throat as she started to apologize. She knew he hated talking about... this. "S-Shikamaru-" Suddenly she felt a a small force like strong vines reach up and encircle her wrists and ankles. in a matter of seconds she was flipped over onto her back and she was face to face with the man who was previously laying beside her.

Damn him and his shadow jutsu.

Her face reddened as he smirked down at her. As fun as it was using his shadow techniques in bed, now was not the time. Her face turned down in a pout. "Shikamaru-kun!"

He ignored her, leaning forward to trail his nose against her cheek and down towards her chin. She felt him murmur against her neck, "But if I had to describe what love is-it would be you."

She squeezed her eyes shut, her heart brimming with emotion, as she felt his nose brush up her neck. She felt guilty at once. "You don't need to-"

His lips found hers, and interrupting her he said, "I know I don't have to say it."

Nara black met Hyuuga white. He lifted his hand to move the indigo strands of hair away from her face, moving his thumb along her cheek as he watched her expression. Hinata's eyebrows met in the middle of her forehead, her cheeks pink, her bottom lip tucked in a tiny bite. Her lashes were wet.

"You have become an important part of my life." Shikamaru leaned down to press his forehead against hers, releasing his shadow jutsu slowly, allowing her arms to relax around his neck. "And I want it to stay that way. If that's alright with you."

Hinata let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as she laughed shakily, reaching up to thread her fingers with the back of his long hair. "Yes," she whispered, answering his smile with one of her own.

"After all, I just don't know what I'd do..." Shikamaru continued, his breath mingling with hers as their lips met again, "without these troublesome bonds."

Fin.

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing, everyone! Even though it's not SasuHina :) Also, I don't know why my double hyphens aren't showing up. -_-