Another little instalment for your pleasure. I do believe many romance fans will enjoy this.

On another note, I realized thatI posted this again without finding all of my mistakes. So here is, hopefully, a better version.

She raised her spectacled eyes from the rumpled newspaper to look at the couple on the opposite side of the small desk. Her little lips, brightly coloured with a horribly fake lipstick red, pursed as she frowned in disapproval. She looked at them through beady eyes. Her fat chin wobbled. She was a sore sight.

But she nonetheless seemed like she was the boss around here.

"Two rooms, then?"

The boy, the blonde with rather long hair for a guy, shook his head, a hollow laugh coming from the back of his throat.

"Nah. We don't have that much money." He said, glancing at his female partner. "One room."

The older-looking woman (although she seemed to be very much in denial about her age) deepened her frown. She shook her head.

"I may not like the ruffians and scoundrels who choose to reside in this establishment, but I want no funny business. You two are definitely too young to reside in a single room alone."

The two youngsters glanced, their eyes saying more than the woman could catch.

"But…ma'am…" the girl said in a soft, subdued voice, lowering her eyes, "We have just been married."

"Arranged marriage." The boy said, frowning. "…anyways, we're just taking a long break from the family scene."

The woman was hesitant. Arranged marriages were not uncommon, but she personally did not approve of them. These children looked like they may be of age…

"We don't have all day, miss." The blonde boy said.

The woman grunted, readjusting her fine, gold-lined spectacles. "Fine, have it your way." She reached over to a small panel on the wall were several keys hung. "On the second floor, room 9." She handed the key to them, which both of them reached out for, but finally the boy let the girl have it.

"How many days?" she asked them.

"One night. By tomorrow morning, we'll be gone." The bright-haired boy said pleasantly, taking out a little money for the hotel owner.

She looked at them suspiciously.

"How old are you two?" she asked them, curious, right as they were heading up the stairs.

The boy, for effect, took the girl's hand, helping her climb the steep staircase.

"We're fifteen, ma'am." He smiled.

The two teenagers rushed up the stairs, both hiding shy smiles.

¤¤¤

The room was small, and there was a small futon in the corner. On the side were a small dresser, and a mirror. A carpet ordained the floor. The bathrooms were on the third floor, as a short map indicated on the back of the door. But that was all.

It was small and bare, but cheap and they could easily keep a low profile without being asked too many questions on their identity. Of course, the little act: 'we are a young married couple who's parents are bastards' never failed (at least, almost) and although attracted a little more attention than they needed, it was fine with them.

They weren't really married, of course. In fact, it wasn't even 'like that'. They were partners and friends. They were fighters. They were shinobi.

Strapped under the back of his jacket were the blonde's two blades. And hidden in her heavy hoodie was her faithful scythe.

They took of their excess clothes, and from a small back strapped on Naruto's back they took out some of their necessities. There was silence between them. But that was okay.

It was Naruto, as usual, who broke the silence.

"We had her good, ne?"

Hinata rolled her pale eyes. She had seen suspicion in the old lady's eyes.

"Well…it would be a good idea to avoid her for now. We don't want to be caught alone with her…She might bombard us with questions we don't need…" Hinata said slowly, carefully.

Naruto grinned. "If you're scared of her, we can change inns, ya' know."

"I'm not scared." She said simply.

"Oh really?" Naruto dropped the subject after that comment.

"We could have taken two rooms…" Hinata added, biting her lip.

"But then we wouldn't have money for the bus ride, tomorrow."

"We have henges for that." She said simply, raising her eyebrows.

"Bah. That would be risky. Besides, I'd rather be closer to you. If something happens, I can help you faster." He shrugged. Hinata suppressed a blush.

It had been a while since she had felt the heat rise to her cheeks.

They occupied themselves for another couple of hours, content in the quietness of their room. Naruto cleaned his katana. Hinata read a few scrolls on advanced chakra techniques she had brought along. The air was relaxing in the little room. Then, after a while of this silence, Naruto noted the setting sun out the window.

"So…you hungry, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata looked up, her hands about to form a complicated seal she was hoping to master to aid her Byakugan.

"I…ano…We have the money?"

"I might have extra…enough for ramen, anyways!" Naruto chuckled, rubbing the back of his head as he crouched down in front of her.

He separated her hands and grinned.

"Please Hinata? I don't want to get separated, but who knows when we'll have another chance at ramen…"

Hinata looked at his bright, gorgeous blue eyes for a moment, the corner of her mouth rising slightly.

She nodded.

"Okay."

Naruto, still holding her hands, stood up and dragged her up.

They put on their jackets and went outside, smiling.

¤¤¤

The warm blanket was drawn over her shoulder as she realized there was a rather bad floor draft. She sighed. This place was so cheap…She tried to snuggle into the soft fabric of the mattress, but she did not feel sleepy at all.

The silver light flickered in the room from the small window, a combination of starlight and streetlamp light.

"You sleepin', Hinata…?" Naruto mumbled from his side.

She sighed.

"No."

She turned around, facing him. There was little space between their faces and bodies, and Hinata could feel his warmth from her side of the futon.

This wasn't the first time they had slept this close together. This situation was not unusual for them, and they had long ago decided that they would sleep easier on the bed then on the floor with a blanket (or a couch or chair, when they were fortunate and could afford a slightly more luxurious establishment).

They had long ago gotten over the timidity that engulfed them whenever they stayed in such close contact.

"Me neither."

She smiled, her eyes looking into his tired ones.

She moved her hand from under the blanket and touched his cheek gently.

"You are tired. Sleep."

He smiled, his eyes closing, obviously enjoying the feeling of her hand on the side of his face.

"I can't. I just keep thinking about this morning…I mean…"

She frowned.

"…We did what we had to do…" he opened his eyes, and their gazes connected. "I feel guilty."

The eyes she knew so well, by now. They spoke often with their eyes, in their fights. When they were in a bad situation, they knew how to act with nothing but a glance in the other's eyes…

She laced her arms around his lean neck and drew him closer to her. Their foreheads met, and he awkwardly took her in his own arms, too.

"I know…" her voice was soft, but warm. "I know the feeling…I know that what we do is hard…The family was responsible for terrible crimes, Naruto. Crimes not only against the Akatsuki, but against the people of this village. Innocents…We…"

She blinked, and Naruto saw her tears.

"The little boys …It was necessary…That's all, Naruto-kun…It was…"

"Yeah…" Naruto added, lamely. He saw her lower lip quiver a little, but saw her resolutely keep her tears in.

For some reason, he couldn't take his gaze off her lips. His hand crept up from her waist to her face and he touched her mouth.

Hinata's eyes widened, the small tears being blinked away.

She could feel a heat in her stomach, and something locked away within her resurfaced. She was terrified, but couldn't move, something else taking hold of her.

"N-Naruto-k-kun?" her voice barely rose above a whisper, her blush somewhat visible in the soft light.

She tried to look away from the boy she had loved a long time ago. She had had to suppress her feelings for him during this long-term mission. So she had allowed herself to forget…even if in the darkest parts of her minds she knew that she secretly hoped he would look at her in the way he was looking at her now…

Their gazes accidentally crossed, and his eyes showed fear. They were wide and questioning. Yet…

Her heart sped up as he moved even closer to her. She saw him half-shut his eyelids. And then his lips gently met hers.

He was warm.

Then, before Hinata could properly register and enjoy it, the kiss was over and Naruto quickly moved away.

He started rambling, afraid.

"I'm so sorry! I…I…I didn't mean it I swear it was like, I dunno…" his hand went to his mouth and his eyes were wide.

Hinata blinked, and looked at the ceiling, rolling on her back.

She couldn't believe it. Her wildest dream had just come true, and there he was, apologizing.

"I'm sorry, Hinata-chan…I didn't mean to hurt you…I…"

"You didn't hurt me." She said, her voice a lot colder than she wanted it to be.

Naruto edged closer to her.

"Hinata, look at me, please, say something…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…I didn't mean…I…I don't want you to hate me, Hinata!"

Hinata shut her eyes, and put her hand over her mouth.

Naruto realized something was very wrong.

She sat up, the sheets sliding off her quietly. She was looking down, and especially not at him. Naruto couldn't believe how stupid he was. He had had the best friend he could ever hope for. Years of loneliness in Konoha had left him desperate for a true friend, and now that he had someone, he had gone and fucked it up.

What was he thinking? She wasn't interested in him. Honestly, she was a fucking princess! He was the Kyuubi brat! He looked at her, and she refused to look at him.

For some reason, he wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to make her happy…He had always hated it when girls cried. But this was way worse than Sakura's loud sobbing.

Hinata's dark hair hid her face from him.

"Hinata-chan?" he said in a soft voice. He was almost afraid of her. He didn't want to hear her say it. He was so afraid of her refusing to be his friend. He was shaking, he was so scared.

"N..a…" she couldn't say his name, "Was…"

In fact, her voice wasn't responding at all.

They sat there, in the dark. He was looking at her long, soft hair shine in the bleak light, and then his eyes followed her bare shoulder down to her slender arms. The sleeveless shirt she was wearing was slightly too small, his eyes traced the lines of her figure.

He snapped out of it quickly. He realized that he had been checking out Hinata…That…That was…

Well, she was really pretty.

Forgetting where he was, he whacked the side of his head in frustration.

Hinata looked at him sharply, jerked by the sudden movement.

Naruto tried to smile, and tried to look sheepish.

Her lip quivered, and she tried to say something again: "The…w-what we did…me…it…you…" her voice died slowly.

Naruto looked at her, his face showing a mixture of fear and hope.

"Was…it…really…that bad?" she said, hesitating.

"Huh?" Naruto asked blankly.

Hinata gulped again. This…this could be her chance. She didn't…she wanted to set things right…but she wanted a chance too.

She realized with a start that she still loved him.

She spoke before her brain could stop her. "Would you do it again if you could?" she managed to say quickly. She sucked in a long, shuddering breath.

"If I…" Naruto echoed, but his throat closed up. He couldn't answer this. Was this a trap question? Was she giving him a chance? A chance at what? He gulped.

She looked at him, and their eyes met. Shiny little tears were wetting her cheeks.

He was suddenly overcome by the same feeling he had felt earlier…when he had kissed her.

He blushed.

"I would kiss you if you…let me."

He didn't even realize the words at left his mouth until he saw the way she reacted.

She jumped him. Well, she jumped towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck again. He tumbled off the futon, completely taken aback.

But she was in his arms. Automatically he held her close on top of him as they lied on the floor.

His heart was beating faster than ever. He had never felt like this: it was like adrenaline. It was like the feeling of walking on water, of mastering a new technique, it was like reaching the top of a mountain and it was like…it was like kissing Hinata again.

And before either of them really knew what was happening, their mouths connected again. His arms wrapped around her back, and hers were in his unruly hair. He moved so that he was on top of her, and they kissed again.

Her thumb rubbed his smooth cheek, and his whisker marks were just visible. They were now kissing with their mouths open. Hinata could barely register a memory that surfaced.

In that memory, she was eleven, and Sakura and Ino were whispering about something called 'French kissing'.

But the memory was gone as soon as it surfaced. His tongue was exploring her mouth, and her mind and thoughts were put on hold.

A little noise in the back of her throat not unlike a moan escaped her.

Then Naruto slowed down the pace of their snogging and with a chaste kiss on her forehead, he sat up next to her, blushing profusely. He had let something take over him again.

She propped herself up on one of her elbows, and her free hand moved her hair from her eyes. Then she touched her lips.

And she smiled. She smiled so broadly that it took Naruto by surprise. He had never seen that smile before. His heart skipped a beat.

She sat up properly, a hand covering the bottom half of her face as her eyes looked up at his innocently.

Well, 'innocently'.

"Hmm…was that okay?" Naruto asked suddenly.

They were both blushing incredibly.

"A-ano…Ah…"

Because her voice wasn't cooperating so she nodded vigorously, her two hands still in front of her mouth.

They both looked at the futon (whose cover had been rather strewn about) and blushed again. There was something different between them now. And more things still had to be said and heard, but they could reach each other's eyes, and actions spoke louder than words.

"So…sleep?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah. Sleep." She bit her lip as she repressed a smile.

"Um…"

"Yeah."

Hinata got up and replaced the blanket on the bed before she actually slipped under the covers. She fluffed her pillow and placed her head on it, before looking at Naruto, who was staring at her as if she was the most amazing thing in the world. Hinata fought back another blush.

Naruto bit the inside of his cheek without actually breaking the skin.

He was trying not to laugh. All of a sudden, he was the happiest boy, kid, teen, man, whatever in the world!

He let out a happy cheer as he jumped on the mattress. His previous troubles were gone, and all he could think about was the thin pale-eyed girl he was starting to fall in love with. Or maybe he was already in love with her and hadn't realized it yet.

Hinata looked at him and saw a pair of bright blue eyes that were shining in the dark from a couple of shed tears.

"Naruto-kun?" she asked him in concern.

Naruto kissed her on the forehead and settled down next to her under the warm covers.

"Ya' know, it's not that girly to cry when you're happy!" he replied cheerfully.

Hinata smiled, her heart lifted.

It was one of those smiles again. Naruto kissed her on the lips again, and Hinata threw her arms around his neck. She was just as eager as he was, Naruto realized. He felt her smile softly into the kiss.

"Whatever happened to 'sleep'?" she giggled as they separated for air.

"Mmm…?" he kissed her nose, "Later…" She tried to roll her eyes. But he was smothering her with kisses.

"'Ruto-kun!" she pushed him away gently.

"Mmh…Hina-chan…" he pulled her close and they rested there, in each other's arms. His chin rested over her head, and with his hand he played with her hair.

Naruto rubbed her back slowly, feeling drowsy. But as he kissed Hinata's forehead one last time that night, he realized that he was never going to let go.

Hinata smiled happily, her eyes closed.

Some moments later, the two fifteen year olds fell asleep there, in that position.

Later the next day, when the two teens met up with their mentors, Itachi and Kisame, on the border of the Earth Country, Kisame took one look at the two and said:

"Gods. Took you two long enough, brats."