BK: Thanks for the love guys. I love your reviews. Again, this story is for RiverDarkness, who requested this pairing. Without it, this story would have probably never came to be!

BK

There was something obviously wrong about the air around the two usually calm and collected shinobis. Genma Shiranui would not look at Hinata Hyugga who tried her best to make the situation normal.

It was a dark night with the moon hanging low. Hinata prodded the flaming fire in front of them to keep it going. There wasn't a sound in the night except for the constant crackles of the fire. Hinata couldn't exactly face Genma.

Akamaru, a nin-dog who knew humans well enough to practically read any human situation, felt a little conflicted as he watched the two shinobis that had to stay up guarding for the night. His partner Kiba had knocked out for the night and Akamaru knew that no matter how much of a light sleeper his owner was, this night Kiba would not bother to wake. Kiba was too tired from all the heavy lifting building the new farm houses in the outskirts of the town and too tired from lack of sleep.

After all, Hinata and Genma were up holding the ground safe tonight. Nothing would happen.

To everyone around them, Hinata and Genma were merely partners. The were just shinobis that got put into the same groups consecutively and had jobs that correlate. Naturally they would become friends. But to Akamaru who had a talent for sensing things, the nin-dog could tell that Genma and Hinata had something more. Something deeper. Something more meaningful.

It wasn't on this particular night that Akamaru had a feeling that Genma was in love with Hinata. As a frequent companion of Hinata, Akamaru had seen Genma fall in love with the quiet, polite, and modest beautiful girl. It didn't take a genius to understand that Genma was ensnared.

As soon as the war was over and people went back to restoring the village, making the days peaceful, happy, and full of content. Naruto was proclaimed Hokage and along with that, Kiba was placed with Hana, his veterinarian sister, to help raise the new pups and preparing himself to become the next leader of the Inuzuka clan. Of course that left a lot of time for Akamaru to sit around so when Hinata read Akamaru's feelings and offered to have him follow her around the village, Akamaru pounced on her and followed tail much to Kiba's annoyance.

So it was then that Akamaru saw how the calm, collected, and above all, the very casual shinobi Genma fell in love with his beautiful and quiet teammate Hinata.

Hinata had just started teaching the new Chunnins their foundational skills. She helped with the promotion of Genins to Chunnins. She was the perfect person for the job. She had a soft, smooth voice that made the nervous Chunnins calm down after their vigorous tests and she had a way about her that motivated people naturally to do their best. Maybe it was her pale, creamy colored eyes that calmed people down, or maybe the way she touched their hand lightly to signal that she was there for them, but mostly, Akamaru knew that it was the way Hinata spoke that ultimately soothed and drew people to her.

And that was when Genma noticed her too.

Hinata was speaking to Konohamaru who barely scraped the Chunnin test. He failed again though his loud mouthed partner Moegi was promoted. Hinata felt she should console him even though it wasn't her job to do so. Genma was nearby filing the papers that Moegi had passed the Chunnin Exam when Hinata pulled Konohamaru aside as Moegi left the room to celebrate her success.

"Konohamaru-kun... I know you let Moegi have the scroll."

Konohamaru stopped in his tracks as the door closed and he turned to face Hinata. Genma, who was quietly shuffling papers slowed his movements. There was something a little special in Hinata's voice as she spoke. Akamaru who was laying down on the rug noticed Genma was staring at Hinata the whole day as she congratulated people. Hinata was beautiful, but she was also mystically spiritual and full. Looking at her gave people a sense of fulfillment. She didn't look like some newly grown girl from a war, she seemed mature and completed. She had told Naruto she loved him just a few weeks back so that she held no regrets.

It was pretty far spread news. Of course, Genma would have known, but it didn't stop him from occasionally looking at his new partner.

"I didn't give her the scroll! I saved her." Konohamaru replied immediately. His tone sounded conflicted and incoherent.

Hinata blinked and then she moved closer to him touching his clenched hands. Konohamaru had grown by now. If he stood straight, his eyes reached Hinata's nose. Hinata bent down a little, creating an intimate space and she gave him the lightest of smiles.

"I know. I believe you. That's why I know that next year, you'll become a Chunnin... and then the year after that, you'll become a Jonin... And before I know it, you'll be the next Hokage just like your forefathers and Naruto-kun. And if you stay a Genin... well, Naruto became Hokage even without promoting to all those titles."

Konohamaru furrowed his eyebrows and pulled out his hand from Hinata's light grasp. He folded them across his chest and challenged her with a slightly more controlled and sated voice.

"You're just saying it to make me feel better. You don't mean it."

Hinata looked down and then she opened her hands, showing them to Konohamaru. It was the hand that Hinata had touched Naruto's cheek with during the war, bringing him back to reality. With the same gesture, Hinata touched Konohamaru's cheek and she smiled with conviction.

"I mean it... you know why? Because your nindo is my nindo. You nindo is Naruto-kun's nindo. You have the Will of Fire within you and you carry your family's dreams within your name. And look where it's brought you, look where it's brought us. I know that you can do it."

Konohamaru stared into Hinata's eyes and his arms fell as he touched Hinata's own hand with his. They were warm to the touch. Konohamaru stared long into her eyes and Hinata didn't budge. Finally, with a faint blush, Konohamaru smiled and held Hinata's held as it rested between them.

"Thanks Hinata. God damn... Naruto's a lucky bastard."

Then with a quick peck on Hinata's cheek, he ran out the door before Hinata could say anything. Genma chuckled and Hinata blinked holding her kissed cheek with the hand that Konohamaru held. She faced Genma who had never really laughed before her and she gave him a slight smile.

Just a slight smile.

But it was all that took to ensnare the handsome Genma Shiranui's thoughts... Because Hinata never gave that shy, embarrassed smile of being kissed to anyone else other than him.

Akamaru sat there looking at the two people he considered his best friends after Kiba. He had spent most of his time with either Hinata or Genma. Shino was busy with his clan and he had things to look over. So in the dark of night with only the fire for music, Akamaru whimpered a little as the two favorite people that Akamaru loved didn't talk to each other. Akamaru remembered when Genma would purposely move close to Hinata's back when she carried heavy stacks of paper in case she fell so that he could catch her. Genma had something special for Hinata, Akamaru just wasn't sure if Hinata felt the same way for him.

After all, even after Genma told Hinata he was attracted to her after asking her out on dates, touching her hand innocently, catching her by the waist, talking to her quietly on different subjects, she still wasn't in love with him.

And he always asked her the same question that made her blush every single time, "Give me a kiss... Hinata?"

A blunt request, breathy with air, and with Hinata's naked name with no honorifics. Akamaru had an inkling Genma liked the way she blushed for him. But Hinata never gave him a kiss.

Genma sighed into the cold night air and Hinata jumped, a little jolted by the sudden action. All of a sudden, Akamaru lifted his head. Something more than sulking was going to happen.

Hinata gathered her courage and she turned to face Genma. With a pink face and nervous eyes, she placed her hands between her legs for warmth and comfort before meeting Genma's eyes for the first time that week.

"I'm sorry Shiranui-san."

There was a silence as Genma stared at her creamy eyes and he sighed yet again, shaking his head.

"Don't apologize. Never apologize to me."

His voice was low and consolidated. And it also had a bite to it, but it was more towards himself. He was mad at himself. He looked at her with those burning amber eyes and then placed his hands onto her legs, effectively moving closer to her.

"Why are you apologizing anyways? You didn't do anything wrong." Genma continued softly, staring at her now that she directed her opal eyes towards him.

Hinata blinked and she watched as Genma looked downwards as they sat on the huge log, decidedly now unable to look at those pale all-knowing eyes. So they both couldn't really look at each other in the eyes. She felt she had to say sorry.

"But... I... when Naruto-kun tried to kiss me... I didn't stop him."

Genma furrowed his eyebrows and coaxed out Hinata's cold hands and held them in his own. His thumb brushed against her knuckles and the little touches sent sensations throughout her body. Even the faintest touch scorched her. She had never been in the presence of a man except for him, and even then she had no idea what to do besides being polite.

"That doesn't matter. I've been asking you for a kiss all year. You didn't even kiss me until I won that bet saying that I could guess your ring size. And even then, Sasuke caught us."

Hinata's hands gripped his hard in response to his statement and Genma looked up at her with solemn eyes. Hinata brought his hands up to her lips and pressed her lips onto them. The chaste touch of her soft lips sent him on fire in the cold night. She blushed furiously and with a shaky voice she stuttered out a sentence.

"G-genma... when Naruto tried to kiss me... I – I thought of you. I wanted to kiss you. I wanted to kiss you and taste your sweet, minty breath."

She was fully red in the face and she hid it horribly behind their connected hands. Genma slowly smiled and he closed in on her, bringing his arms around her, letting Hinata rest her hands on his Jonin vest.

"You don't have to apologize... so long as I know that you care for me."

Hinata felt her face warm even more and she buried her face against his neck, clutching his vest. Her next words were muffled against his neck and her warm breath tickled his skin, but he heard her. And Akamaru's attentive ears heard her as well.

"I felt... guilty. I... don't know why."

Genma hugged Hinata tightly and took in her scent. She smelled like lavender, clean and cool like the night. His hand touched her silky hair and he threw away his senbon towards the fire, watching it burn in the flames. Genma should have known it by now. What this intense feeling was running and pumping throughout his body.

It was love. It was the need to claim her and tell her that she belonged to him and that he belonged to her.

"Hinata..."

Hinata moved closer, straddling her legs around him as he held her tight, "Hmmm?"

Genma slid his hands around her waist and felt the smooth skin of her back crevice. It was soft and flat, running like silk beneath his hands.

"You don't have to apologize to me ever... and please... don't call me with an honorific."

Hinata shifted and she looked at him. He was serious. The calm, collected, laid back, and above all casual Genma Shiranui was being serious.

"Say my name," Genma whispered to her.

Hinata blushed. Requesting for a kiss was something outrageous... but it was just something physical. Asking her to say his full name without any honorifics was... it made her nervous and shy. It was something special. Only special people could ever say anyone's whole name when the person told them they could. It was something more than physical. It was a immaterial, ethereal, something you couldn't touch. And it belonged to her. Genma allowed her to own his name by being able to say it.

She stared at him and he stared back. She parted her mouth but nothing came out. She felt like a little girl again who fell in love. She couldn't even speak.

Genma brushed Hinata's full lips with the back of his finger, "Say my name... Hinata."

Hinata shivered. She never got used to him using her naked name. He was closing in on her. He was waiting for her to reciprocate his feelings. He knew what her feelings were even if she didn't know them herself.

"Hinata..."

Hinata's eyes felt heavy as he neared her.

"Genma... Genma Shiranui."

They were so close. Her sentence turned into breath as it graced his lips. They were millimeters apart. Genma could finally taste those lips. Those lips that once showed him a special smile.

Bark! Bark! Bark!

Hinata yelped in surprise at the sudden noise and then pushed Genma away immediately. He fell off the log and into the ground creating a cloud of dust. Hinata then gasped and maneuvered around the log to help Genma. Akamaru barked happily now that the two had made up with each other.

Genma rose, sitting upright and looked at Hinata, who was beet red in the face but no longer full of nervousness or want. He lost the moment. With a whip of his head, Genma glared at Akamaru.

Akamaru seemed to be laughing with pants.

Ahaha! Gotcha' Genma Shiranui!

BK

BK: Love? Ahaha! I think you should be catching some routine that I made by now.