She had always watched him from afar.

Always. From his scruffy blond hair to the way he squinted his eyes in confusion. From his favorite type of ramen to the strange fasination he held of the color orange. From his impatient attitude to the terrible way he performed his jutsu. She'd memorized everything about him, both good and bad.

She knew how he felt when the others teased him, and she wished she had the confidence to stand up for him herself. She wished so much, and yet she knew it would never help. She was small and weak and she knew nobody would care if she spoke up.

Hyuuga Hinata was just the shy girl with the rather large obsession over the boy, Uzumaki Naruto.

Standing and watching was all she did.

Nobody ever noticed her in return. Not even Naruto. It was almost enough to break her heart.

"Did you see that dunce? He painted on the walls again..."

"Ugh, how stupid. He needs to grow up..."

"Don't count on it..."

So many insults were always spitted in his direction. Each one tore at Hinata, causing her to feel dreadful for not being able to stand up and defend the one she admired the most. She wanted to yell back so much, it hurt. But despite it all, she knew she couldn't...

She could only watch from afar.

Oh, how she longed for him to turn around and notice her back; to watch her as she had watched him. They were so very different. Hinata was quiet, pale-faced, dark-haired, and always poked her index fingers in nervousness. Naruto was loud, tan-skinned, brightly colored and always seemed to have a large grin on his whiskered face.

But they were also very much the same. Hinata had grown up in a life where the most was always expected. She had been born the heir to the household, and she had been criticized as a weakling ever since. Naruto had grown up shunned by an entire village, always made fun of and never before cared for.

They were both so different, and yet so much alike.

But still Hinata could never bring up the nerves to speak with him. His whiskered cheeks were always pulled into a grin, and while she wanted that grin to face her, she knew it would never be the case.

Hinata was quiet, and he would never notice her. While he strove for attention, she backed away from it.

They were too much different.

But the strangest thing had happened. Just once, Hinata had been surprised to see Naruto glance back at her. He'd looked in her eyes, and he'd done the unthinkable.

He had smiled.

No, not a grin. Not a cheery, tooth-filled grin.

A real smile. Gentle, and heart-warming.

Hinata had felt herself faint.

That had only been the start. From that day on, Naruto's attention would turn on her, and that same smile would cover his face. Each time was a new amazement, and Hinata cherished those tiny smiles.

And then the day had come when he had walked up to her. A bright blush on his face and his hand rubbing the back of his neck, he had bit his bottom lip in nervousness, nearly drawing blood.

Hinata had only stared down at the ground, embarrassed to be standing before him.

"So, um... Hinata-chan, would you like to go to Ichiraku's with me? It's got great ramen, and..." He'd blushed a darker color, and Hinata hadn't quite known what to say. Her pale eyes had moved up to his face instantly, and she had stared in shock.

"Hinata-chan?"

She'd only been able to nod her answer, smiling as best as she could.

Naruto had finally noticed her.

She had wanted to cry.

[[to read the other side of the story, visit my one-shot, His Love---