Work Text:
Snow flurries brushed past the shop windows of the New Leaf Bakery as young girls laughed and rushed past with shopping bags. It seemed as if the whole town was aglow with the ardor of Valentine’s Day. Hinata pursed her lips as she turned to the long list of orders she had yet to fulfill. There never seemed to be enough time in the day.
Hinata’s disappointment was obvious. She had never had a Valentine before. No one ever gave her flowers or chocolates. She was too old now for mandatory little cards with cheap lollipops taped to the back. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been so bad if she didn’t consider love a priority. There were plenty of girls who didn’t care a single bit about finding a significant other. For Hinata, however, she ached for the warm embrace of someone who loved her. She wanted tender forehead kisses and tokens of affection and everything else that the old romances spoke of. And she of course wanted to share it all with one boy in particular: Naruto Uzumaki.
Her heart shattered when he bounded into the shop the week previous, a bright grin on his face. He greeted her warmly and ordered one box of a dozen assorted chocolates—a safe and popular choice. She promised him his order would be finished within three days. She couldn’t procrastinate much longer.
As she made Naruto’s order, she wondered what kind of girl he would give them to. I bet she’s pretty, Hinata thought. I’m sure she’s nice. She swallowed back her anxiety, her overwhelming grief, and powered through her work.
Kurenai’s heart broke for her young employee. She watched as Naruto stepped into the shop that afternoon, greeting them yet again with that same warm smile. Hinata could hardly look him in the eyes as she handed him his order, wrapped perfectly with a big red bow.
“Thanks, Hinata!” Naruto grinned. He turned the box over in his hands, chuckling under hi breath. “I bet these are going to make a special someone very happy!”
Hinata nodded, murmured, “I’m sure they will.” She watched Naruto turn on his heels then, wave goodbye over his shoulder, and exit the shop. She clutched her hands to her chest, her grief overwhelming, and tried to remain composed. A few moments passed. A gentle hand rested on her shoulder. Hinata gasped, looking up to find Kurenai’s soft, reassuring smile.
“You know” she said, “If you ever wanted to confess your feelings for someone, Hinata, now would the best time to do it.”
“Y-You think so?” Hinata asked.
Kurenai nodded, then tapped one of the chocolate boxes on display. “And I know the best way to do it” she replied.
The thought of using the shop for her own personal gains felt wrong. After all, Hinata was there to service others, not herself. Kurenai, however, encouraged her to use anything at her disposal. Just because Hinata was an employee did not mean that she should miss out on the opportunities presented before her. And really, if anyone deserved a happy ending, it was shy, sweet Hinata.
Hinata stayed up all night scouring the cookbooks and testing out different recipes. She wanted Naruto’s chocolates to be unique, hoping it would set her apart from anyone else who may have given him candies this year. She was overly aware of the time constraints she had set on herself—after all, Valentine’s Day was tomorrow—but if anything, that only motivated her further.
It was daybreak when she finally finished, carefully packaging an assortment of chocolates that she was finally proud of. In the process, she had also managed to perfect a technique she had always struggled with. At least if her confession failed her, she had that small triumph to fall back on.
Kurenai was shocked to find Hinata still there when she arrived for work that morning. She had expected her employee to stay for at least a few hours, but not until dawn. Her dedication was truly something to behold. “You better get a move on” Kurenai said softly, slipping her apron on and patting Hinata tenderly on the back.
“I’ll be back soon” Hinata replied, removing her own apron in the process. She brushed the flour off her shirt, suddenly self-conscious that she looked terrible. What would Naruto think if she approached him like this? She feared she wouldn’t have time to shower and change.
Kurenai, however, shook her head and hung Hinata’s apron up on the rack. “Don’t worry about it” she replied. She licked her thumb and began wiping away a smear of chocolate on the girl’s cheek. “Take today off. You’ve worked hard enough.”
“A-are you sure?!” Hinata asked, taken aback. Kurenai simply nodded and sent her on her way.
Hinata trembled as she raced down the street toward Naruto’s apartment. She prayed to at least keep her hands steady enough to drop the box. How cruel it would be to watch all of her hard work splatter on the ground and mean nothing! She hugged the chocolates to her chest just to be safe.
And then there it was: Naruto’s apartment. She idled in front of the door, wondering if she ought to knock or just leave her gift on the welcome mat. Would Naruto even be awake by now? She didn’t take him as an early riser. And what if he wasn’t awake, and she knocked anyway? Hinata hated to think of the foul mood that might put him in, and then he wouldn’t even want the chocolates anyway. After a few moments of deliberation, Hinata decided her best course of action would be to just ring the doorbell and leave them on the mat. Perhaps she could even remove the note with her name on it so that he never had to know it was her, but at the same time the thought of crediting her work as anonymous didn’t sit well with her. She would hate for someone else to claim her hard work.
Chewing her lower lip, Hinata knelt down and carefully placed the box in front of the door. She turned it this way and that, ensuring it was straight, and then she heard the lock click on the other side. She was paralyzed.
“Hinata?” a voice called. Hinata’s head snapped up and there he was, sleep-drunk and smiling.
“N-Naruto!” Hinata stammered, jumping to her feet. She poked her index fingers together and dropped her eyes to the ground. “I-I was just…I mean…”
Naruto smirked as he knelt down and scooped the box up in his hands. “You really didn’t have to do this, you know” he laughed.
“I-I’m sorry!” Hinata blurted. She could feel her face turning bright red. This was a disaster.
“No, no, don’t apologize!” Naruto assured her. “I really appreciate it. I just hate to see you go to the trouble, after you’ve been working so hard to provide for everyone else.” Despite his words, Naruto leaned back inside his apartment to set the box of chocolates on the table. She heard rustling as he did so. “I mean, you deserve to be treated well, too, you know?” he grinned.
Hinata opened her mouth and then closed it again, trying to formulate the right response. Before she could say anything, however, Naruto extended a box out to her, red and heart-shaped. She recognized it immediately as one from the bakery. The one that she had packaged for him. It looked just as it had when Naruto picked it up save for a small card tucked into the ribbon. On it, a cartoon fox and a little gray cat snuggled up close to one another with hearts circling their heads.
“N-Naruto…I don’t understand, I—” Hinata stammered. There was no way this was happening.
Naruto quickly interrupted her, flashing an award-winning smile, as he exclaimed, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Hinata!”
Hinata’s heart soared. She took the box of chocolates carefully, hesitantly, as if this was an illusion and the thing would disappear the moment she touched it. But it didn’t, and neither did Naruto. An incredulous little laugh bubbled up from deep within her chest as Naruto then took her hand and tugged her forward.
“You better come inside—you’ll freeze standing out there like that” he said. “Besides, I’m gonna need someone to help me eat all of this chocolate!” Hinata’s face burned as he pulled her close and slowly shut the door behind them, reveling in the warmth of his embrace and the happy beat of his heart.