Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Valentine's Day is a day for fair maidens to express their feelings for their one true love. It is also the day a certain shy shinobi vowed to overcome her fear and give Naruto the box of chocolate she spent hours trying to perfect.

Early in the morning, the Hyuuga stood patiently around the corner of Naruto's apartment. She stood there for the hour he took to wake up after his alarm went off and the hour he took to eat breakfast. Hinata also stood without rest for the five seconds Naruto invested in brushing his teeth. At long last, the fox boy turned the handle of his front door.

Hinata's face lit up, "N-N-Naruto-kun!"

"WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY!" the loud boy announced, his voice covering Hinata's squeak. He pranced away, mumbling something about cherry blossoms.

Hinata reached out timidly for his attention, but quickly found herself alone. Or at least, she thought she was alone.

~x~

After recovering form her shock, Hinata set off to find her love again. She found him at the tanning grounds… with Sakura. Hinata hid herself carefully behind a tree. Much to her fear, she saw that the pink hair girl held a bag in her hand.

Could it be chocolate? Hinata gasped, listening to their conversation.

"I thought we came her to train!" exclaimed Sakura.

"But the fair's opened today and I'm tired!" whined Naruto, eying the bag Sakura held.

"Then why can't you go by yourself?" Sakura asked.

"Because that's booorrrinng," Naruto complained.

Sakura sighed, "Oh, fine, but you can't call it a date."

Naruto nodded like and eager puppy. "Okay!"

Naruto and Sakura… at the fair… together? Hinata bit her lip.

~x~

Hinata spent that winter afternoon hiding in bushes and waiting for the perfect moment to give Naruto her chocolate, rubbing her numb fingers to keep a careful grasp around her chocolate. The poor girl wished for Sakura to go to the restroom without Naruto wanting to go to the men's room too or for Sakura to just leave Naruto alone. That wish did not come often.

Around five o'clock, Hinata saw her chance. Sakura spotted Tenten.

"Oi! Tenten-chan!" Sakura started sprinting towards her friend.

Now! thought Hinata, squeezing her eyes. Just walk up to him and say, "Please accept these." When she opened her eyes again, Naruto was gone ! Where did he go? He was only walking here a second ago!

Then she remembered. Teneten = Lee, and Lee + Naruto = Rivals In Love! Hinata scurried to where her friends were.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Sakura-san!" Lee blew her a kiss that Sakura dodged. With his inhuman speed, he ran over to Sakura and took her bad. "Are these for me?"

"No way!" Naruto shouted, grabbing the other side of the bag, "Hands off my chocolate, Bushy Brows!"

"Guys, those aren't-" Sakura started.

"Sakura-san only have feelings for me!" Lee struggled at pulling the bag from Naruto.

"Then why did she go on a date with me?" countered Naruto.

"You promised not to call it a date," Sakura twitched, reaching for her bag but was too late.

"MINE!" both of the boys yelled. The bag ripped apart, and instead of a box of chocolate, a glass bottle fell out of the bag and broke on the floor, its yellow contents spilling all over the ground.

Everyone gasped.

"You guys…" Sakura hissed. "Not only did you not listen to me when I tried to tell you what was in the bag and snatched away my belongings without permission, you also spilled a 10000 yen bottle of medicine I was going to bring to Tsunade-sama's office!"

A loud smack was heard when Sakura's palm met Lee's face. Hinata was about to stand in between Naruto and Sakura's fist when something grabbed her ankle and stopped her movement. She was about to see who was behind her, but got distracted when she heard Naruto's cry and say him clutch his broken nose as red poured from it.

"I'll never be either of your valentines!" spat Sakura, walking away angrily.

Tenten tossed Naruto a tissue and carried away her unconscious teammate. When she want away, Naruto was finally all by himself!

Hinata smiled at her chance. "Naruto-kun!"

He didn't hear her.

"N-Naruto-kun!" she called again, louder.

"Who is it now?' Naruto said in an agitated tone.

Hinata let out a whimper at his attitude.

Naruto took one look at her and walked away. "I don't have time to wait an hour before you finally say something."

Hinata stared, dejected, after her dream Valentine. "Naruto-kun…"

.

.

Hinata sat on a bench with her head buried in her knees. The sound of giggles from couples walking at the fair reminded her of her uneaten chocolate that sat silently by her side. Her tears felt like ice cubes as they fell into her lap. She shivered.

"Hinata-sama."

The Hyuuga girl jerked her head up at the sound of her name. She was met by Neji's sympathetic eyes as he wrapped his scarf around her neck.

"Neji-niisan…" she said, hardly audible.

He looked into the sky. "Do you know where they sell chocolate around here? I'm suddenly craving some," he hinted.

"A-a-actually," Hinata stammered. Neji wasn't Naruto, but at least someone can enjoy her hard work. Hinata offered Neji her decorated box.

"A-are you sure?" Neji glanced at the container, looking uncertain.

Hinata nodded, "P-please t-take it."

Neji took a seat besides her and uncovered her box. Inside, a chocolate covered cookie sat quietly on the base. Neji took the treat and broke it in half.

"Here," he offered it to Hinata.

"E-eh? I-it's for y-you," Hinata waved her hand. Just then her stomach growled.

"Looks like someone skipped lunch." Neji offered the cookie again.

Hinata remembered being to busy stalking Naruto and timidly took the treat, "T-thank you."

The two ate their food silently. When both were done, Hinata stared at her companion.

Neji looked at her confused.

Suddenly, a tear ran down her face.

Quickly, Neji wiped it away. "What's wrong, Hinata-sama?"

Hinata's lip trembled for eight minutes, but she finally said, "T-thank you… f-for b-being so kind t-to m-me t-that you w-would eat ch-chocolate j-just to m-make me f-feel b-better, e-even though you d-don't like s-sweets."

"Well, it wasn't for nothing," he smiled.

It was Hinata's turn to be puzzled.

"Will you be my Valentine?" Neji strapped an all-day pass around her wrist and stood up, gently pulling her hand.

Hinata smiled and let him guild her through the crowds of the fair. Maybe Valentine's Day will be good from now on.

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