Hinata sighed as she walked towards the training grounds.

I hate today.

The normally cheerful but shy Hyuuga heiress scuffed her feet along the ground. She tried desperately to ignore all the bright pink, red and white decorations hung all around the village. She kept her eyes fixed on the ground and only looked up when she reached the training grounds. Kiba and Shino weren't there yet. She frowned. It was very rare that Shino wouldn't be here. A couple of minutes later, Kurenai appeared beside her.

"Kurenai-sensei. Gomen, I don't know where Kiba and Shino are."

"That's ok Hinata. I gave them today off. It is Valentine's day after all."

Hinata frowned and nodded. Both Kiba and Shino had girlfriends now. Shino met a genin named Arisha a couple months ago. Within a few weeks they were dating. Kiba was dating a civilian named Kin. She loved dogs and was extremely nice.

"Why don't you go have fun in town?" suggested Kurenai before vanishing. Hinata sighed again before trudging back towards the village. She hated Valentine's Day. Everybody had someone.

Except her.

She didn't feel confident enough to give Naruto anything. If anything she was starting to give up on him.

As she walked through the village she saw all of her friends. Ino and Chouji were at a BBQ restaurant. TenTen was dragging a willing Neji around the weapons store. Temari had given Shikamaru a surprise visit and they were currently laying on a roof, cloud gazing. Hanabi and Konohamaru were running through town holding hands. Sakura and Sasuke were trying to have sex with their clothes on nearby on a park bench. Sasuke had come back after defeating Orochimaru and killing his brother. To everyone's surprise, the first thing he did was ask Sakura to be his girlfriend. Apparently he hadn't forgotten what she had said to him before he left. Everywhere Hinata looked there were happy couples having a great time. She stopped walking and hung her head.

19 years… for 19 years I've been alone.

Hinata was too caught up in her thoughts to realize she had stopped in front of Ichiraku's. Inside sat Naruto trying out Teuchi's Valentine's special he had created.

"Pretty good old man," said Naruto as he slurped up the last of the ramen.

"Hey Naruto. Are you planning on giving anything to a special someone? It is Valentine's Day," asked Ayame.

Naruto laughed and shook his head. "Nah. Never really thought about that since Sakura started dating Sasuke."

"You mean to tell me Sakura is the only girl you've ever liked?"

Naruto frowned. "Yeah I guess."

"What about your ninja friends?"

Naruto thought for a second. "Well the only person I can think of that's single is Hinata," he replied.

"Speaking of Hinata she's been standing outside for awhile now," said Teuchi.

Meanwhile Hinata was overwhelmed with all the decorations and couples. Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes.

I want what they have. Why can't I have it?

"Hey Hinata! Come in and have some ramen," yelled Naruto after he saw it was Hinata. She didn't hear him. She turned and ran back to the training ground where nothing could remind her of what day it was or how lonely she felt.

"That was weird," said Naruto.

"She looked upset," said Ayame. "I wonder why?"

Naruto shrugged.

"Why don't you go after her Naruto?" urged Ayame. "No one should be upset on Valentine's day."

"Yeah why not?" he replied, paying for his ramen then following Hinata.

Hinata got to the grounds then sat and pulled her knees to her chest. She berated herself for letting herself get that upset.

You knew it was going to be like this. Just deal with it. You've done it for all the Valentine's days before this. What's so different now?

Naruto arrived to see her sitting on the ground.

"What are you doing Hinata?"

She jumped inwardly then turned her head slightly to see who it was.

"Oh hey Naruto-kun," she mumbled. She was too depressed to be nervous.

"Cheer up its Valentine's day," said Naruto cheerfully. Hinata hugged her knees tighter.

"I know," she whispered.

Naruto sat down beside her. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head slightly. "Nothing."

Now Naruto frowned. "You can tell me. I don't like seeing a friend upset."

Something inside Hinata snapped and she jumped to her feet.

"That's all I'm ever gonna be to guys is a friend! Just Hinata the friend! I'm not pretty like Ino or smart like Sakura or skilled like TenTen. No wonder I've never had a boyfriend!" she screamed tears streaming down her face.

She's never had a boyfriend? I never knew she felt like this.

"Hinata… I…"

"And all my friends are dating and I see them and happy and all I want is what they have but I can't. I just have to put on a mask that I'm perfectly fine with being alone on Valentine's Day!" she finished before burying her head in her hands and sobbing.

Hinata… a mask? I did that when I was little before I found out about Kyuubi.

Naruto stood up and pulled her into his arms.

"Shh it's ok," he said comfortingly rubbing a hand up and down her back.

I never knew someone else could feel as lonely as I did. Maybe it was possible but Hinata?

After awhile her sobs quieted down. She gently pushed him away.

"Sorry Naruto-kun."

"Hinata… I…" he started trying to explain how he felt the same way.

"You don't have to feel sorry for me," said Hinata smiling a sad little smile.

It tore Naruto's heart to see that smile. Someone as nice as Hinata shouldn't be that sad or lonely.

"I'm used to it," she continued.

"But you shouldn't be!!"

"What?"

"You shouldn't be used to being alone! I'm used to it but you shouldn't be!! You haven't done anything wrong! You're prettier than Ino, you're smarter than Sakura, you're more skilled than TenTen!! Can't you see that?!" yelled Naruto trying desperately to erase the sadness that was surrounding Hinata.

"Naruto-kun… I don't understand."

He stepped closer to her. "I know how it feels to be that alone. It hurts like hell but you don't want anyone else to know. You try to be strong but it's so hard and you fail so many times so you pretend to be happy so no one else can see how broken you feel. You live behind a mask." Hinata nodded.

"You are never alone Hinata." Her eyes widened.

"You can't say that," she protested but desperately wanted to believe it. "You can't promise that. No one can."

Naruto knew. He knew exactly what Hinata had suffered through and he cursed himself for not being able to see another person just like him.

"Hinata you helped me realize I would never be alone through the academy and during the chuunin exams. You always supported and helped me. Now I'm going to help you," he said as he closed the distance between them.

"How?" she whispered. "I want to believe you but…"

He hugged her. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." The next thing she knew his lips were against hers. Before she could react the kiss was over. Naruto looked at her expectantly. She raised her hand to her lips where he had kissed them. She could feel it. She could feel in that kiss the same yearning that she felt when she saw all the couples. She could feel the loneliness she felt.

Tentatively she stood on her toes and touched her lips lightly to his. She separated for a second to confirm her first feelings. Then she smiled and threw herself into his arms.

"Thank you," she whispered. Naruto pulled her into a deep kiss.

"Thank you," he whispered back when they broke apart.

Two lost souls, tired and lonely from their struggles, found each other that day. Though they had met before, they finally realized what had been hidden.

They were two of a kind built perfectly and exactly for each other and they had the rest of their lives to make up for lost time.

AN: Here is a one shot for Valentine's Day. I took my feelings of being single on V Day and magnified them to almost extreme proportions and gave them to Hinata. I am still working on I Can't Watch You Die but I'm stuck right now. I hope to update soon but it depends on what happens with the writing. Hope you like this!!