Midnight Confessions
"The table'z pissing me off!" slurred a heavily intoxicated Lee as he broke the offending table in half with his bandaged hand.
"What the fuck, Lee?" yelled Kiba, turning to the short-haired man. "You better pay for that!" Rock Lee seemed to analyze the brunette with crossed eyes for a second, then turned his head and pointed.
"That dog'z pissing me off!" claimed the drunk man again, heading towards a sleeping Akamaru.
The Inuzuka was taken aback by the sudden change of topic and the fact that Lee totally ignored him, but then his anger kicked off again.
"Don't you touch him!" Kiba quickly put his drink aside and proceeded to stop Lee. "Neji, give me a hand over here!" yelled the dog user over the loud chatter. Everyone stopped talking and looked over at the drunk male with curiosity.
"Damn it, Lee, I told you not to… who let him drink?!" demanded to know the now angry Hyuuga, leaving Tenten's side and walking towards Kiba who was struggling with the green-clad ninja.
"Uhm… It was just a tiny shot." Said Chouji timidly, sitting besides Ino. He was holding a bottle of scotch, and was trying to hide it behind his back. The people present glared at him. "He told me he could handle it and I…" continued the eighteen year old plump man with an apologetic tone.
"Damn it, Chouji." Sighed Neji heavily, taking his attention off Chouji and rushing to seize Lee's legs. "Now we need to knock him out." Said the Hyuuga prodigy to Kiba, who nodded.
"Leggo! Leggo!" The dark-haired ninja was kicking wildly, trying to free himself.
"Is that really necessary?" Hinata asked, looking with uncertain eyes at the struggling Lee.
"Oh, it is." The weapon mistress responded calmly, taking a sip from Neji's beer and leaning closer to Hinata. "Three months ago he knocked down a wall at the karaoke bar. He's now banned from the place."
"Fuck!" cried Kiba. Lee had managed to free one arm from the brunette's grip and he shot it upwards, busting the dog master's lower lip open. "Would you put him to sleep already?" demanded Kiba to Neji, but the genius had his hands busy holding Lee's feet in place.
"I can't." His voice was strained with effort.
"Cowardz! I ought ta kick all your butz, you heer me?!" bellowed the drunk jounin, his cheeks flushed.
"I hear you." Sakura said walking calmly towards them, drink in hand.
"My lovely Sakura-chan! Releaze me from theez bonds and I shall love you all night long!"
Neji and Kiba cringed at his choice of words.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I like you better when you're sober, Lee." The pink-haired woman raised a hand and placed two fingers on Lee's neck. She released a current of chakra and watched as Lee's eyes slowly closed, his words dying in his mouth. Suddenly he fell limp on Kiba's and Neji's arms.
"Thank Kami!" Neji breathed gratefully. Tiny particles of sweat had formed on his temple. He looked at three angry-red lines on his forearms, where Lee had managed to scratch him, and dismissed them. "Where can I put him?"
His question was directed to Kiba, who was busy nursing his lip. "On the chair next to the pool table. Sakura, do you mind?"
"Not at all." She replied cheerfully, proceeding to heal the dog master.
"Agh, he's drooling all over my shirt!" Neji yelled from the back of the room. Once he managed to place his teammate on a decent position (one that ensured Lee wasn't going to fall over)he started to wipe the spit from his shoulder. Lee's head fell heavily on his own chest; he had a big smile on his face.
"Neji! Come back already, I'm starting to feel lonely!" Tenten whined from her spot next to Hinata.
"It's been only two minutes." Her boyfriend deadpanned, looking at her with a blank stare.
"So what? I miss you." She pouted and Neji sighed, knowing she was only doing that to embarrass him in front of everyone. He had learned to cope with it.
"Aww, go back to your woman, Hyuuga! It's wrong to make her wait." Ino called, her left arm encircling Chouji's broad shoulders. He was still thin from a recent fight that had demanded him to burn off most of his fat, but was slowly regaining his ideal weight. Right now he was gulping down the last chips on the bowl in front of him.
Neji walked towards them, passing in front of Ino and ignoring her comment. Tenten patted the spot on the couch besides her cheerfully, a big grin on her face. Neji had to wonder if she was starting to get drunk but doubted it; she had only had four beers.
"That's my beer." The long-haired man said as he sat down. He looked at Tenten expectantly, waiting for her to give back his beverage.
"I know." She said in a sing-song voice and took the last gulp from the can, looking at Neji from behind her eyelashes. She threw it away. "Can you bring me another one?" Tenten asked with a sweet smile, a finger playing with a strand of his hair. She was clearly enjoying herself.
Neji glared at her with his white eyes, his right eyebrow twitching. The weapon mistress kissed him in the cheek.
"Please?"
This time the Hyuuga genius growled in defeat. "Fine." He stood up once again and headed for the small fridge against the wall.
Ino laughed openly. "You got him on a leash, Tenten! I like you more everyday!" Tenten grinned at the Yamanaka. Neji could be heard cursing under his breath.
"It wasn't easy." Commented the Tenten.
"Here, that deserves a toast." Ino poured tequila on some small cups scattered around the table.
"Hey! You can't open the tequila until we finish the scotch!" Kiba called out to them.
"You can have the scotch, Kiba. But me and my girls are gonna have some good ol' tequila!" Ino chuckled as she poured another glass. "Where did you get scotch anyway?"
"It's been in my mother's room ever since I was a boy, so I thought what the heck! She'll never drink it herself." commented the brunette, ignoring the pink-haired kunoichi telling him to stop talking.
"What if she finds out?" Tenten inquired lazily.
"I try not to think about that." Replied the Inuzuka, pushing the scary thought of his mom letting loose her dogs on him.
"Uh! Give me some of that, Pig! You know I love it!" Sakura said, hurrying to finish patching up Kiba's mouth and scurrying towards the couches.
"Ah! That's much better, thanks!" The tattooed young man said with a grin. "Now I'm ready for a make out session, any volunteers?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
"Akamaru is the only one willing to do that with you, Kiba." Naruto said as he climbed down the stairs.
"You say that but I don't see you making out with anyone." The Inuzuka retorted, crossing his arms.
"I'm not that desperate." The blond nodded to the sleeping ninja. "What happened to Lee?"
"Chouji gave him whiskey." Neji responded accusingly, glaring at Chouji who shrank under his stare. "He went berserk."
"It's not whiskey, its scotch." Corrected Kiba, crossing his arms.
"Same thing." Replied the genius.
"And you knocked him out just for that? Let the boy have some fun!" exclaimed the blond-haired ninja, walking towards the sleeping Lee and poking him on the cheek. The only response he got was a low giggle coming from the taijutsu specialist.
Naruto shook his head sadly, the boy was smashed.
"He broke my table, busted my lip, scratched Neji's arm and seemed really horny! We had to put him down." Kiba said, holding out one finger for each reason.
"You're just a bunch of party-poopers." The blond accused as he headed towards Hinata with a soda can in his right hand. Neji and Kiba followed.
"C'mon, Hinata! It's a toast between us girls. You have to join in." Ino prodded, shoving the glass in the face of the Hyuuga heiress. It was filled up to the rim.
"Ino… I don't really like the taste of it…"
"What?! That's blasphemy, Hinata. It's tequila, the most delicious drink on Earth." The pony-tailed woman said scandalized. "Besides, I already served it just for you…" Ino pouted childishly.
The indigo-haired girl sighed in defeat. You couldn't just say no to those girls.
"Only one shot." The woman conceded, looking suspicious at the amber-colored liquid.
"That's my girl!" Tenten cheered. The boys got to the scene just in time to see them gulp down the alcohol. Hinata was the only one to wrinkle her nose in disgust; a weird chill ran down her body.
All the boys laughed at her reaction, except Neji, who looked alarmed beyond measure. He was about to say something to his cousin but he caught Tenten's warning glare. The Hyuuga hesitated.
"Don't." she said sharply. "I don't like party-poopers. Now come here, I'm getting cold." As she said that she pointed firmly at the cushion next to her.
As always, Neji complied with her demands, but that didn't stop him from glaring momentarily at Ino, saying something about peer pressure under his breath. This earning a new round of laughter around him. Ino, Sakura and Kiba started to tease him some more about who wore the pants in the relationship, topic which made Neji gulp down whiskey directly from the bottle.
Naruto walked up to his place next to Hinata and sat down, grinning at her. Her face was still grimacing.
"I don't think you were made for this." He said happily, handing her the soda can. She took it and thanked him.
"At least I could gulp it all down at once this time." The Hyuuga heiress replied with a smile and a gentle flush. She subconsciously grabbed the hem of her dress and started to play with it. Earlier that evening she had accepted Ino's advice to wear a dress.
"It doesn't have to be too elegant, you know? Make it cute and simple! Remember the light-orange one? He'll love that!" Hinata ignored the last part but did put it on. She had wanted to look good for him that night. Lately he had been paying her way more attention than usual.
Surely enough, Naruto had complimented her when he first saw her. The silk dress had flutter sleeves that reached the middle of her upper arms, a square neckline and a belted waist. It flowed nicely around her body and she loved the feeling of it. Her pupil less eyes traveled to Naruto's clothes.
The Kyuubi container liked to keep it simple, as always; he wore plain jeans and a dark-blue pullover that seemed to be almost too tight on his arms. He looked very good in her opinion, and she had already caught herself twice staring down at his arms and chest, where well defined muscles could be seen over the fabric.
"Yeah, that is a great step for you. It only took you six months." He teased reaching for his fifth beer that night.
"I don't see you drinking anything different than beer." Hinata said, opening her non-alcoholic beverage.
"Oh, just you wait! Kiba and I have a pending competition. We just don't want to start too early." The whiskered young man said energetically, placing his lips on the beer can and drinking from it.
"I just hope you don't pass out this time, Naruto-kun." The girl said with mild concern.
"That was just once, Hinata. Don't worry, this time I ate lots of ramen so I can hold it better." He assured, giving her a thumps-up and gulping down the rest of his beer.
Hinata didn't like Naruto's and Kiba's drinking competitions. The blond didn't really drink much, but Kiba loved to. And due to Naruto's competitive nature he never turned down his challenges. The good thing was that they didn't get violent, like Lee did.
"Alright, you girls had your first toast, now it's time for us men!" claimed Kiba, taking out more cups. "And us men celebrate with scotch!"
"Can we do it with tequila? I like that more than- " Chouji started with an unsure smile but was cut off by Kiba's voice.
"C'mon Chouji! Just go with it!"
And so he did. The boys drank unwillingly, not liking the taste at all. Then the girls started to serve tequila for everyone, even Hinata, because, according to Ino:
"We all have to participate in this one." She was an expert to make anyone drink against their will. An hour, seven more toasts, three bags of chips and twenty beers later the main show was about to start.
"I got something especial for you tonight." Proclaimed Kiba loudly, happy that the scotch was finally empty. He took out standard-sized plastic cups, two bottles of vodka, another two of tequila and a new 36-pack of beer. The bottles clanked together ominously as the Inuzuka placed them on the table and everyone stared.
This night was going to be unforgettable, or rather forgettable, after all that liquor.
"I think you over did it this time, Kiba." Neji said, starting to get worried about tonight's outcome. Tenten's eyes were looking hungrily at the new tequila.
"We're going to mix it up." Continued the brunette, ignoring the Hyuuga's comment. Everyone looked at the dog master. "Last one standing wins."
"Wins what? Liver failure?" the Akimichi asked with a frown.
Even though they were shinobi, trained to withstand dangerous levels of different kinds of poison and other substances, Hinata doubted anyone would be standing after all that liquor.
"I'm game!" shouted Tenten rapidly. Neji cursed Kiba mentally as he glared darkly at him.
"Me too!" Followed Sakura excitedly. "What do ya say, Ino? A personal match."
Ino glared at the pink-haired girl. Out of all of the kunoichi in the room, Sakura was the one able to drink more without getting drunk too fast. No other woman had been able to surpass her, excluding Tsunade-sama. But Ino couldn't stand loosing without a fight. She accepted.
"Naruto! Don't you chicken out now; we've got a score to settle." Kiba pointed at the blond, which had a grin on his face.
"Fine." Naruto answered confidently, as he stood up to help Kiba serve.
"Pass." Hinata said immediately. Her male cousin congratulated her silently. She never took part on these events. Besides, she was already starting to feel a little bit tipsy after five tequila shots.
"Me too." The remaining Hyuuga said over the loud chatter of bottles clinking together. Tenten turned to him.
"What? Why?" she asked. There was already some color on her cheeks but she was far from drunk.
"Someone needs to get you home after this mess." The long-haired male answered grumpily, an annoyed look on his face. Tenten thought that was sweet.
"That's why I love you." She affirmed merrily, wrapping her arms around his neck and pecking him on the lips. Hinata smiled at the couple.
"I concur with Neji. I'm fine by just watching." Chouji said. He also had a girlfriend to watch out for.
"Fine, we're more than enough. Here's the first round!" Naruto had already served five cups with mostly beer, followed by a small percentage of tequila and vodka. It wasn't supposed to be consumed with one gulp but they did it anyways, although the girls took much longer to finish their cups. They all grimaced.
"Yuck!" Ino exclaimed, grabbing some chips from the bowl, followed by Tenten and Sakura.
"The first one is always the hardest." Explained Kiba wisely, wiping the excess with his wrist and preparing the next round. He handed the refilled cup to Naruto first, who waited for the rest to have their own. The Kyuubi container's ears were starting to feel warmer but that was about it; the fox's influence helped him cope with the alcohol in his system better than the others.
"Want a taste of it, Hin?" The blond asked with an easy smile, approaching the cup towards the long-haired girl. As soon as the strong smell oozing out of the cup hit her nostrils, she backed away further into the couch.
"Nuh huh." She squealed involuntarily, covering her mouth with her hands. "It stinks!"
Naruto laughed at her reaction.
"Just kiddin'" he said, placing a playful arm around her shoulders and bringing her close to his chest. "I wouldn't let you drink this shit. You can stay with your tequila."
She laughed, her face beating red but she didn't mind that much.
"Maybe I will." She giggled against his chest, ignoring the looks everyone was throwing at them and enjoying the scent of his cologne. Neji looked dumbfounded.
"Naruto! First things first." Kiba urged, referring to his cup. The blond conceded, taking his arm off Hinata but not losing the closeness they had gained. The rest of the girls grinned.
Four more rounds followed, the contents of the bottles quickly dying out. Chouji went upstairs to get more chips and make some popcorn. He was tempted to bring something more to eat for Ino, whose speech was quickly deteriorating and half of what she said could barely be understood.
"Goddammit, I have to pee." Announced Kiba to no one in particular, but loud enough for Chouji upstairs to hear. He stood up abruptly, almost knocking the table over with his knees.
"Maybe you should go with him, Neji." Sakura said, turning her green eyes to the oldest of them all. "So he doesn't have any accidents."
"Yeah right." Scoffed the Hyuuga. "I've already been drooled at. Like hell I'll be peed at."
Tenten immediately began to laugh loudly, and didn't stop for a whole minute. Everyone was looking at her strangely and Neji could already tell that she was beyond drunk. Ino, Sakura and even Naruto got caught by her infectious laughter.
"You look so cute when you're angry, Neji." The weapon master purred, inching closer towards Neji and running a hand through his hair.
"We've already gone through that." Her boyfriend said, bemused. The others were just laughing at him. Tenten threw another fit of hysterics and, without any warning, smashed her lips onto Neji's. Before Neji had time to react, Tenten pulled her head back and started giggling, falling onto Hinata's lap.
"I'm going to make you something to eat before you pass out." Neji said as he stood up and hurried to the stairs, a blush on his face. Just as the older Hyuuga disappeared above the stairs, the remaining participants turned their amused eyes towards the weapons expert, who was still laughing her lungs out as she placed her disoriented gaze on the white ceiling.
"I didn't know you could be this jolly!" chuckled Ino who, although not as drunk as Tenten, was pretty pissed herself.
"I can be whatever the fuck I want!" slurred Tenten happily, getting back into her sitting position with Hinata's help. Said friend immediately took her hand right up to her mouth and looked at her, horrified.
"There's no need to talk like that." Exclaimed the scandalized Hyuuga heiress, supporting Tenten by her shoulders since she was wavering noticeably on the couch.
"Neji's gonna freak out if he hears you talking like that." Sakura reminded, almost soberly, from her seat. She was finishing the last of the chips on the bowl.
"He freaks out 'bout most things. There's nothing weird with that, right Tenten?" The Yamanaka said from her position, not noticing she was talking much louder than necessary.
"Yuh-huh." Grunted the pink-clad kunoichi, not really listening to what was being said around her. "Do you think they have more tequila up there?"
Hinata, Sakura and Naruto awarded Tenten with admiring stares.
"Tenten… we already finished three bottles…" commented Hinata hesitantly, but found her voice being drowned by Ino's own voice.
"There's only one way to find out, neh?" After sharing an imperceptible nod between them, both females sprang to their feet, ready to go to the stairs.
As soon as their legs were fully stretched, the complete effect of that much liquor hit their brains full force. Tenten's eyes rolled behind her skull while Ino lost her balance; if it weren't for Naruto grabbing both of them from behind by their waists, they would have crash right on top of the table.
"Yep. They're done." Said the blond, looking with mild interest at Tenten's unmoving face. Ino was squirming on his other arm, mumbling incoherently. He turned his flushed face to Hinata and Sakura, "I'll take them upstairs to their respective boyfriends. They'll know what to do."
"NO!" the other blond in the room exclaimed, startling Naruto a little. He turned to her with a questioning eyebrow and an aching eardrum.
"You mustn't!" Although having trouble to pronounce that last word, she seemed serious enough for the blond and Sakura to get concerned.
"What?"
"Ino's right, Naruto." Said Sakura, coming from behind and flinging Tenten on her shoulders, while taking Ino's left arm and guiding her away from them. "I'll take them upstairs, you stay here with Hinata."
It might have been his hazy mind playing tricks on him, but he swore he saw the pink-haired kunoichi winking at him conspiratorially.
"But…" Naruto started again, finding it hard to express himself correctly after standing up so rashly.
"No buts. Stay." His teammate flicked her finger on his chest and forced him to fall onto the couch again, almost falling on top of Hinata. The couple watched Sakura leave, while she exchanged whispers with her best friend/rival.
"I just can't understand them at all sometimes." Said the blond, throwing his head backwards and looking at the lamp above. The world seemed to spin around him. He let out a low whistle. A giggle coming from Hinata snapped him from his thoughts.
"Don't tell me you're also gonna start laughing like a maniac." The blond said, turning his head to the girl.
"I'm not." Responded Hinata as firmly as the booze on her system allowed her to. "At least not yet… I hope."
The blond laughed. "Are you smashed yet, Hinata?" He placed an arm around her shoulders over the edge of the couch, regaining the position they had during the past half-hour. Naruto just realized how much he missed that posture, as his arms screamed in protest when they felt her absence.
"No!" she replied, almost indignantly, accommodating into his arm. A Hyuuga shouldn't reach that extent of inebriation. "Are you?"
The blond placed his blue eyes on top of hers, smiled widely and said, "If you should know… .buzzed." In that moment he let out a high chuckle that could almost be considered giggle, making Hinata release a laugh of her own. He enclosed his arm around her, making the young heiress get closer to him. This time there wasn't anyone in the room to make her feel self-conscious about her proximity to him, so she stayed next to his chest obediently.
"Does that mean I beat you at your own game?"
"What'cha mean? You didn't drink anything!" The blond exclaimed, turning his face towards her.
"It's the most I've drank in my entire life!" replied the sulking teen, casting a frown upon Naruto.
"And I couldn't be prouder!" barked the blond, while tightening his arm around her, this time making their cheeks press against each other. Hinata smiled with him, placing her right hand gently on top of his chest. His half-lidded eyes looked at her intently; just when Hinata thought he was going to keep staring at her like that for the rest of the night, his lips opened.
"You're all red, Hin." Stated the blond dizzily. Effectively, the girl's cheeks were shinning red.
"T-That's…" Naruto knitted his eyebrows together comically, at her revived stutter. The girl took a steadying breath to regain her composure. "That's because you're so close to me, Naruto-kun."
She meant it as a half-confession, but given that Naruto was unable to use his brain's full analytic capacity at the time, he took her comment in a different way. His blond eyebrows shot upwards while his eyes looked away, crestfallen.
"Sorry... I… wasn't thinking." He said in a low tone, retreating his lean yet powerful arm and scooting further from her. They were both painfully aware of the empty and cold sensation around their bodies. The Hyuuga watched woefully as the blond retreated and became prisoner of his own thoughts. She tried to say something that could help their now awkward situation but nothing appropriate came to mind.
Biting her lip, she turned her gaze towards the table, thinking that she must be the stupidest woman in all the country for making him feel like that, when in reality she just wanted him to keep getting closer. Her gaze travelled the disorganized table just to spot something that caught her attention; an idea blossomed in her mind.
Taking the marker they had previously used to write their names on their respective cups, Hinata uncapped it with her slender fingers.
"Naruto-kun…" the blond heard her say. Forgetting his own self-hatred for a moment, the whiskered man turned his head slowly with a curious look. He was surprised when a blurred object approached him fast. The familiar smell of alcohol-based marker hit his nostrils, followed by a gentle stroke on top of his nose.
"What…" He started to ask, but then caught Hinata giggling like mad and pointing to his nose with a manicured finger.
Naruto, barely understanding the situation, crossed his eyes just to see a blue stroke of marker covering the tip of his nose. Opening and closing his mouth, he slowly realized just what his Hyuuga friend had started.
"Oh… So that's how it is." He said mischievously, mouth slowly morphing into a lopsided grin.
"It was just an impulse, Naruto-kun." Hinata tried to justify her actions, while controlling the laugh threatening to come out of her lips.
Naruto wasn't one to forgive a prank played on him: simple or not, anyone who dared prank him deserved something much bigger. Without a warning he dashed towards the indigo-haired beauty, snatching the marker from her hand and pinning her under his own body. Even in his drunk state, his reflexes and coordination skills were still top notch.
Hinata drew a startled gasp as she felt herself being immobilized. Naruto had one big hand holding both of her wrists against the couch, right on top of her head. The blond's hips were pressed against hers, making it impossible to use her legs to break away from him. Even in their compromising position, she couldn't help but to feel giggles climbing to her chest.
"N-Naruto-kun, what are you doing?" she exclaimed, looking with uncertain eyes at her captor. Her breath was labored.
Naruto ignored her question, grinning to himself and licking his lower lip playfully. "Hinata, you don't know what you have just awakened."
"Naruto-kun?" The Hyuuga tried again, cocking her head and starting to feel nervous at the sight of his hungry eyes.
Slowly Naruto began nodding, his grin widening. "I got it." He said finally, eyes travelling to her middle purposefully.
Naruto then did something that made Hinata freeze in shock. Actually they both froze, not knowing how this was going to end.
A cold wave of air reached Hinata's now exposed belly. The blond forced him eyes to stray away from her perfect skin, fearing she might think he was having perverted thoughts. Naruto recovered faster, and seized Hinata with his eyes.
"Naruto-kun." Called Hinata once more, her voice wavering nervously. Noticing that the humor still remained in Hinata's eyes, the blond decided to continue with his plan.
"Hey, you started it." Naruto claimed innocently, bringing his right hand down along with the marker. Just as Hinata's smooth skin was starting to shiver in anticipation, his hand stopped and hovered teasingly on top of her stomach.
"Now what should I draw?" The blond asked out loud, ripping his eyes away from his childhood friend's perfect skin and placing them on her fearful eyes.
"Naruto-kun, please." The young kunoichi tried again, feeling extremely embarrassed that her body was being exposed to such extent.
"Hinata, you forget I was the best prankster when I was a child. I ought to teach you a lesson… Oh! I know!" his eyes lit as an idea crossed his mind. Hinata, too nervous to ask what it was he was going to draw, watched intently as he lowered the blue marker onto her middle.
As soon as the marker made contact with her skin, an uncontrollable giggle escaped her chest, along with a jerk of her whole body. She started screaming his name for him to stop.
"Hin! Stay still! Otherwise you'll ruin it!" The blond said with a grin, pressing his hips against her to make her stay still, careful not to harm her in any way. It was really hard for him to ignore the contact his body was making with hers. He was sure he wouldn't be able to place himself on top of her like this if he were sober, but somehow it was easier to push his worrying thoughts aside with that much booze in his system.
He continued to work with a small frown of concentration; once he was finished, he put the marker aside.
"Done!" he exclaimed, looking back at Hinata who was still giggling and struggling against his tormentor, there was a heavy blush on her cheeks. "Ain't it a beauty?" He brought Hinata to a sitting position so she could view his work.
Hinata, forgetting the utter violation of her personal space, focused on the blue traces around her stomach.
It was a spiral, starting very near her delicious bellybutton and enlarging as it travelled in a whirlwind around her skin, getting larger with every circle. She pushed the sensation of Naruto's crotch on top of her waist aside to analyze the drawing better.
"Ah! It looks like yours." She exclaimed happily, offering a smile to the blond. The blond returned the smile immediately.
"Lesson learned?" he asked joyfully, untangling his hands from hers and releasing his grip. Hinata repositioned on the couch, analyzing the drawing one last time and pulling her shirt on top of her belly again. Her face was glowing red with embarrassment, but her heart fluttered with happiness knowing Naruto was again enjoying himself.
She cleared her throat. "I'll try to be more careful next time." The girl conceded, looking up at him while biting her smiling lips.
Naruto, noticing how close they had come to be, stopped laughing and rested his eyes on her full lips. 'Shit.' Was Naruto last thought before leaning towards her and closing the gap between their faces.
The long-haired kunoichi blinked twice at the new sensation spreading around her face. His lips glided above hers gently before finding the perfect spot to rest. Just when Hinata registered what had happened, the Uzumaki pulled away.
Hinata, although flustered beyond measure, was shocked to see his remorseful eyes glancing back at her.
"Why…" The girl started to say in a whisper, but Naruto interjected.
"I'm so sorry." The blond confessed dejectedly, lowering his eyes and starting to back away. "I couldn't help myself, I…"
Hinata frowned. She didn't have time to tell him not to feel sorry because this time it was her own lips that pushed against his. Naruto was caught off guard. Unlike the first time, her lips were firmly placed on top of his, and she had pressed her body against his, determined not to let him go this time. The Byakugan user hoped that with her sudden surge of courage and her body language she could make Naruto finally understand. She wanted him closer to her, she wanted him whole.
The blond finally succumbed to the feeling and closed his eyes. He angled his face so they could deepen the kiss. Hinata could feel his light breathing on her cheek and almost fainted at how delicious their kiss felt. Desperate to have her even closer yet, Naruto placed his hands on her waist and pulled her towards him right on top of his lap, without taking his mind off the kiss.
Hinata placed a hand on his shoulder and backed away an inch as her eyelids fluttered open, taking in the sight of his azure eyes slowly opening and gazing at her longingly. The young woman breathed deeply before speaking his name,
"Naruto-kun," the girl started while looking down on him, wanting to share her feelings with him.
But the Uzumaki started to shake his head curtly from side to side, not wanting to waste any second. "Later." He breathed huskily, straining his neck upwards and capturing her lips again. The Hyuuga seemed to accept his proposal; she snaked both her arms around his shoulders and started to play with his golden spikes while she enjoyed the feeling of his tongue against hers.
They were too engrossed on their kiss to notice they were both smiling. They also didn't notice Neji gasping from the bottom of the stairs, recovering from the shock, and striding furiously towards them.
"Take your hands off her this instant!" seethed the jounin lividly, snapping Naruto's hands away from Hinata's lower waist.
Both Naruto and Hinata jolted away from each other, with equally red faces. Hinata fell back on the couch while Neji seized the blond by the collar of his sweater.
"I ought to pierce your liver for touching her like that." The prideful Hyuuga hissed, Byakugan already blaring in his face.
"I didn't mean to disrespect her." Naruto claimed, raising his palms in front of him.
"You were snogging my cousin, the future Hyuuga clan leader!" Neji continued to yell like a possessed man, his knuckles growing white like his vest.
"Neji-niisan! It wasn't his fault, I was the one who started-"
"Nonononono!" Came Sakura's voice from behind them, an annoyed look on her face. "You weren't supposed to come down here, Neji."
Chouji hurried behind her, concerned at what the jounin might do to Naruto.
"I can't let Hinata-sama's body be desecrated by this… this…"
"What are you trying to call me, man?" It was Naruto's turn to get angry at Neji's tone and implications. He was the only one out of his group that didn't need to fear Neji, as he was the strongest of his friends.
"Don't try to turn this on me." Warned Neji, clenching his teeth together. "You still have much explaining to do."
"There's nothing to explain!" Chouji intervened, untangling Neji's hands from Naruto's clothes. "You saw it coming, Neji. We all did."
"I didn't foresee something that inappropriate." bristled the older Hyuuga, crossing his arms in front of his chest grumpily.
"That was my decision." Hinata stepped up, placing herself between Neji and Naruto. "You shouldn't be concerned with what I do."
"You're the future of the Hyuuga clan AND my cousin! How am I supposed to ignore the way he was touching you?" Neji threw a dirty look to Naruto, who hurried to defend himself.
"Hey! You make it sound like I was touching her in a bad way!" The blond was speaking louder than he should be. It was then that they all remembered that he probably wasn't as sober as they thought, and that idea put everyone on edge. They didn't know what the Uzumaki could do once provoked in his inebriated state, but they knew it could turn really ugly. "I wasn't… Right?"
To everyone's surprise, Naruto's heated face transformed into one of concern as he looked at Hinata for some kind of assurance that he didn't disrespect her. The girl felt a smile settled on her face. The Hyuuga heiress decided to answer Naruto and calm Neji down at the same time.
"Neji-nii, Naruto-kun is your friend. You know he wouldn't think of harming me in any way, don't you?"
Neji didn't answer immediately, and he refused to meet Naruto's eyes with his. "Yes." The Hyuuga prodigy replied grumpily.
"So you very well know he won't let anything happen to me, just like you wouldn't." Hinata continued in her calming tone. The other Hyuuga crossed his arms and grunted his reply with a nod of his head. Suddenly he felt judged by all his friends who were looking at him expectantly.
He sighed.
"My apologies." He said in an uncharacteristic subdued voice, pupil less eyes searching Naruto's. "But I still think that, given your inebriated state, you shouldn't succumb to any passionate actions."
Even in his foggy mind, the Uzumaki thought that what the older boy was saying made sense. He was relieved that Neji didn't get to see just how Naruto drew a picture on Hinata's middle.
"Maybe you're right." He turned to look at Hinata. "We may have rushed this."
"Nonsense." Sakura stepped up hurriedly. "You should've kissed ages ago."
"That's none of our business, Sakura." Chouji said. "Everyone goes to their own pace."
Hinata was starting to feel uncomfortable about her friends talking about her relationship with Naruto so openly, with him next to her.
"Hey what happened? Where are the others?"
Kiba came walking down the stairs, almost tripping with the last step, but finally able to make it to the group.
"In the kitchen table, passed out probably." The blue-eyed Uzumaki replied. "Were you in the bathroom all this time?"
"Yeah, I fell asleep for a bit." Kiba answered sheepishly. "Why? What did I miss?"
"Nothing important. And even if we tell you it's not like you'll remember tomorrow morning." Neji said sagely. After that they all agreed it was time to get the hell out of Kiba's, before something else might happen. Sakura sent Kiba to his room, he complied but fell over a pile of magazines he had by the side of his bed and fell asleep right then and there. The pink-haired girl said she would take Lee to his house, while Chouji and Neji took care of their respective girlfriends. Tenten was dead to the world, but Ino had still life in her but made Chouji carry her bridal style to her house while she sang Konoha's hymn.
Hinata said she would stay with Naruto, to which Neji could only frown upon. Of course he wanted to protest but knew that Hinata was being firm about it. He left with a warning glance sent to the Kyuubi container.
"Walk you home?" Naruto offered, his cheeks slightly flushed. It was almost midnight.
"How about I walk you home?" The girl retorted with a laugh. Even in his drunken state, Naruto still acted like a gentleman.
"That doesn't sound right." The blond countered, but he let himself get carried away by Hinata holding into his arm towards his apartment.
"Trust me, is the right thing to do. We wouldn't want anyone take advantage of you in the dark streets, Naruto-kun."
"Hmm, I'm not so sure." The blond mused. "I'll let you take advantage of me." He looked into her eyes firmly. Hinata bit her lip. She would gladly throw herself into his arms again but she felt Neji's Byakuugan still on them.
"Naruto-kun... do you like me?" her question made him stop in his tracks. Hinata halted with him, holding her breath for an answer. She then shook her head quickly. "You know what? Don't answer that, you're drunk and in no-"
"I want to answer that." The blond said as he started moving again. "In fact, I'm glad you asked, 'cause otherwise I couldn't have found the courage to tell you myself."
Hinata waited expectantly for him to continue. Naruto could tell she was nervous, since her hands were gripping his upper arm in anticipation. The blond took a deep breath to clear his hazy thoughts.
"I like Sakura, I like Ino, I like Tsunade, Chouji, Neji… I like all of my friends." The blond started, looking at the sky. "I like you too, you've done things for me no one else could. See Hinata, it's not matter of liking you or not, because you're more than a precious person to me. I, um…" He gulped, ready to drop the bomb. "I'm in love with you… been for quite a while."
He noticed Hinata didn't respond. Her head was bent downwards and her hair was obscuring her eyes. The blond felt uneasy but he couldn't stop now.
"I don't know when it started exactly, but when I found out what it was it was too late to go back… I've never felt this way about anyone else before and it scares me sometimes, but when I see you it just fades away in a flash and my heart quickens and my throat tightens and I try so hard to cover it." The blond stopped for breath. He was talking very quickly and hadn't noticed. He wanted to say so much more, but Hinata sniffed just beside him and wrapped him up in a hug.
He was a nervous wreck right now but managed to pull his arms around her. He waited patiently until she gave an answer.
"We're both fools then, Naruto-kun." Hinata said into his chest. "Because I've been trying for so many years to tell you how I feel about you but I was too much of a coward."
Naruto was rendered speechless. He didn't once think Hinata would reciprocate his feelings. "You mean you also… wait, years?!" The words come out of his mouth in confusion. Hinata reels backwards so she can look at him in the eye, but they never break their embrace. Despite the tears of joy threatening to fall from her eyes, she giggled at his widened eyes.
"Since I first saw you, back at the Academy." The young woman confessed with a heavy blush. "When I tried to confess or even talk to you I would-"
"Faint." Naruto finished for her in a hushed tone, realization finally hitting him like a kick of the Legendary Slug Sannin.
"And stutter." The girl said, agreeing with him.
Oh he must have been an idiot! No wonder everyone called him that. The incredible blushing just before she fell over, her hushed voice and struggle to get her words out… was that all part of it too? But they were just kids when it started! Why didn't he saw it in the years they spent together? It was inconceivable.
Or was it? He had been so convinced no one could ever love a demon, he ruled out the possibility of someone caring for him in that way and shut everyone out. Even when he gained friends along the way, he was still convinced they would leave him someday. Who could love a demon? Who could love an orphan? What did he possibly have to offer when he had nothing since the start?
"Are you okay?" Hinata's voice shook him out of his reverie. His eyes were dazed and his mouth was hanging open. He closed it quickly.
"Yes, I'm… I still can't believe it. That you… Me…" He tried to made sense to his words but it was proving difficult. He felt a headache starting to form behind his left eye.
"Let's get you home." She said gently, taking his hand and guiding him under the lightened streets. She should've waited for him to sober up before confessing to him. He was shocked, and she was as well.
Naruto was still going over her words when they reached his apartment door. "Keys." Hinata demanded, extending a waiting hand. Naruto pocketed them immediately and handed them to her obediently.
"We still need to talk." Naruto urged stubbornly, after Hinata tried to usher him into his room.
"Not today. Tomorrow, if you remember…" she added the last part sadly.
"Of course I'll remember!" The blond retorted loudly, insulted at the implication. "How could I forget?"
Hinata blushed. "Fine. Tomorrow."
"At lunch."
"All right." Hinata smiled. "Let me guess, Ichiraku's?"
"You got it." The blond grinned.
"It's a date, then." The indigo-haired heiress said while biting her lower lip. A mental struggle issued in her brain before she decided to get on her tip-toes and peck him on the lips. They both wore identical blushes. She had been gone for five minutes and Naruto's face and ears were still glowing red.
'Damn.' Naruto thought giddily. When did they switch personalities? He couldn't show shyness now that he had confessed to the Hyuuga beauty. Not after all the courage it had consumed. Well, he'd have to be more assertive tomorrow.
He made it his personal goal to make her blush as much as possible tomorrow evening.
He wondered if old man Teuchi would let him get some candles in the restaurant, and a few petals scattered around the stools. But for that to be possible they'd have to have the place all for themselves. It shouldn't be too hard to convince Teuchi; he was his best customer after all…
Naruto set his alarm clock at 8:00 o'clock in the morning. He was sure to be badly hung-over at that time but he had a Hyuuga to impress.
I had this one sitting on my desk for six months, well most of it, I just had to figure out how to end it and how to name it. The two things I'm worst at.
Happy New Year Everyone!
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Paty