Disclaimer: Naruto = Kishimoto Masashi.
Italics- dreams... That came true.
Edited o8/11/o9
In Dreams and Fantasies
In worlds of dreams and fantasies, Hinata wanders... She floats... She flies...
Like any other girl would, Hinata dreamed of her knight in shining armor, her prince charming, her far, faraway castle, and her happily ever after...
These were dreams that made her not want to wake up...
In her dreams, she wasn't the shy kunoichi that her teammates had to protect all the time.
In her dreams, she wasn't the weak heiress to a powerful-ruling clan that still had yet to prove herself worthy.
In her dreams, she had him and he loved her whole-heartedly.
In her dreams, he loved her. More than anything. More than being the Hokage.
- -
"Hinata?" Uzumaki Naruto called the dreamer's attention.
"N-Naruto-kun?"
"Oi, what's the matter? You're all flushed again!"
"I-I'm okay... I guess."
"What do you mean 'you guess'?"
"What I m-mean is, I'm really okay!"
"...You see those stars?" he pointed to the sugar-sprinkled sky with a smile.
"Yes."
"Do you know that stars carry the wishes and dreams of many people? They carry wishes, dreams, and promises."
"I see."
"Hinata, I want you to be my star. I want you to carry my dreams with you. Can you do that for me?" he told her so kindly.
"N-Nani? B-But those are your dreams! Shouldn't you bring them with you all the time?"
"Yes, they're my dreams, but I want you to hold onto them for a while. It'll only take just a little of your time."
"Why me, Naruto-kun?" she asked him curiously.
"Because you're my star, Hinata!" he said with a wide smile. Her blush deepened even more.
- -
In her dreams, he was there. And he trusted her...
In her dreams, he was standing right beside her, and he didn't dare to leave her.
In her dreams, he loved her. He loved her more than anything and everything.
- -
"Do you see that star?" Naruto pointed to that big and bright star right above the small green apartment.
"Yes..."
"Remember that star, okay? It's going to be our own star."
"Our own star...?"
"Yes. Our own star."
"Naruto-kun, why do we have a star of our own?"
"Well... Because Sasuke and Sakura have one. And so does Neji and Ten Ten. And Shikamaru and Temari. And Kakashi-sensei and--"
"Okay, okay... It's okay. I get what you mean."
"But you know, Hinata, our star is much more special than theirs. You know why?"
"No. Why is that?"
"Because our star shines the brightest. See?"
"Oh... You're right!"
"And our star's much easier to locate. It's just above where I live. See again?"
"Y-Yes!"
"That star is ours. I'll love you 'til that star falls from the sky."
"If it falls... Then it'll fall on top of you," she said with a giggle.
"Yes, that's true. If it does fall, I'll just put it back in the sky. Better yet, I'll make sure that it never falls from the sky ever."
"Is that a promise?"
"I swear it to our star."
- -
In her dreams, they flew...
In her dreams, they stayed together.
In her dreams, it was only him and her. And their precious little girl...
- -
"Ah! Akari, no! Don't wake your father!"
Footsteps...
And the bedroom door swung open. The little girl in a pink robe, blond pigtails bouncing, leaped onto her parents' bed and jumped at her father.
"Papa!"
Silence...
"YAH!!"
Two strong arms engulfed the little girl in an embrace. A blond head had just risen from his bed. It was at that time Hinata reached their room.
"Akari..."
"Mama, papa is already awake!"
"It's because you woke him up."
"Papa, I had this bad dream last night."
"Bad dream? What is it?" he asked his daughter as he lifted her and placed her on his lap.
"There was a huge puppy! With nine tails! He was bigger than this!" The little girl spread her arms across. Her father listened, smiling. "And the puppy was even stronger than Tsunade-obaa-san!"
Her mother giggled.
"Papa, you can beat that puppy, right?"
"I'll beat that puppy for you, Akari!"
"Yay! Then, can I keep it?" the little girl asked excitedly.
"Akari!" her mother scolded, much to her disappointment.
"But, Mama!"
"Hai, Akari! You can keep the puppy with nine tails. Anything for my daughter."
"You two, enough of that puppy with nine tails. It's time for breakfast."
"Aww... Okay, mama. Come on, papa! Let's eat!"
"Okay, Akari."
- -
In her dreams, there was no pain.
In her dreams, he was still there...
Even though...
- -
"M-Mama, where is papa going?"
"Akari, papa has a mission to complete."
"When will he come home?"
"...I don't know, Akari..."
"But papa will still come home, right? Right, mama?"
"Yes, Akari. Papa will come home soon."
"This is because of Sakuya's papa..." the little girl fought the salty tears that formed in her eyes.
"Akari, you shouldn't blame your friend."
"B-But Sakuya is an Uchiha! Didn't uncle try to kill papa before?!"
"But Sakuya is your friend..."
"Papa and uncle are friends, too, right, mama? But how come Sakuya's papa also tried to kill papa?"
"...Because..."
- -
. . .
"Mama?"
Hinata raised her head from the table. She fell asleep again. She fell asleep at the dinner table, waiting.
"Akari? Why aren't you asleep yet?" she asked her daughter, rubbing her eyes to wipe off the sleep that clung onto her heavily.
"Papa's home," the blond little girl said candidly, carrying with her a stuffed dog with nine fluffy tails sewn onto it.
And their front door opened.
"I'm home," the voice said. He was breathless but content. He was finally home.
Hinata smiled. She ran straight into her husband's arms. "Welcome home."
In reality, her dreams weren't just dreams. Her dreams were real.
In worlds of dreams and fantasies, Hinata continued to wander...
Because her dreams and reality...
Are just the same.