Naruto's eyes scanned the memorial stone, searching for one name, and one name only.
He could almost hear his own heart breaking when it found it.
Hyūga Hinata.
He placed the bouquet of white roses he brought in front of the monument as tears started to stream down his face. He had to find something else to focus on.
He noticed the top of the monument was covered in snow, and without a second thought wiped the snow away. He was glad to have the distraction.
The snow didn't surprise or bother him… it was only two days after Christmas. Snow was only to be expected.
Naruto didn't want to run from his feelings, so he found her name again and gently traced it with his finger.
"Hey Hinata…I remembered your birthday…" He whispered.
Naruto's self-pity than faded into anger at himself.
"You… you died for me and all I can give you now are these stupid roses!" He shouted, pressing his forehead to the top of the monument. He knew deep down, however, that getting mad at himself wouldn't bring Hinata back.
Nothing would.
"One day you'll see me in heaven, where we'll never have to say goodbye." He promised, with a bittersweet smile.
He turned his back to the monument, and realized there was something he forgot to say.
"Happy birthday, Hinata."
Suddenly everything went black.
He felt someone gently shacking him, and heard a voice he recognized extremely well calling his name.
He opened his eyes to see a pair of worried violet eyes staring at him.
There was Hinata, laying in their bad and looking at him with a worried expression.
"Just a bad dream" He sighed thankfully.
"Just a bad dream" Hinata repeated at him, trying to reassure her husband.
He leaned over to her side of the bad and gave her a surprisingly long kiss.
"What was that for?" Hinata asked, with a slight blush.
"Just for being here" Naruto answered. "Now lets go back to sleep."