I don't own Naruto (OMG! WOW! CRAZY! I SURPRISED YOU ALL DIDN'T I? I ALMOST THOUGHT I OWNED IT TOO!) on to the story...

On my way home, I stopped by the grocery store because I wanted to get some more cocoa mix. We were running low on our supply. I parked my bike under the awning and walked in. That's when my third Secret Santa gift idea hit me.

Food. I would bake Naruto some delicious pastries. After all, a wise man once said the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I grabbed a shopping basket and started loading it up. Flour. I'm pretty sure we're running low on that. Yeast. I need that to make the dough. This ingredient and that ingredient. Soon I had everything I thought I would need. I continued to the checkout line and had made it outside with all my bags when I realized my dilemma. I had ridden my bike. How the hell was I too carry all these grocery bags home and ride my bike at the same time? It was getting dark and the wind had picked up, making icy snowflakes fly into my eyes. It was beginning to get dark and I really didn't have time to take the groceries home and come back for my bike. Plus I was too tired for that many trips. Aw, hell.

I heard the automatic doors open behind me and somebody walked past me. The footsteps stopped.

"Hinata?" I turned around. "I thought it was you! Didn't recognize you at first with your hat on, though."

"Ah, hi, Naruto," I smiled at him and fumbled to keep my groceries from dropping. Naruto looked around.

"Yeah, I was just picking up one or two things that Jiriaya asked me to get. Do you need help carrying those?" Naruto was only carrying one bag, so he took one of mine to alleviate the load I was carrying. "You aren't riding your bike, are you?"

Wow, don't I look like an idiot now.

"Yeahhh. I am. I didn't realize I'd be getting this many groceries…" I trailed off.

"Well, it's your lucky day!" Naruto took the rest of the bags from me. "Grab your bike! I'll drive you home."

"You really don't have to! I don't want to make you go out of your way! Naruto, wait!" I pushed my bike after him.

"Chill, it's okay. I'm not some kidnapper." Naruto stopped and turned around. He looked me in the eyes. "I seriously don't mind."

"Thank you," I stopped protesting under his gaze.

"Don't mention it!" Naruto was at the driver's door of a beat up old Land Rover. "It's the old man's car. He's been letting me use it, but I can't wait to get my own," He rambled on as he set the groceries in the back seat.

"Is this going to fit?" I motioned to my bike.

"We'll make it fit," Naruto chuckled. He opened the trunk and picked up my bike– like it weighed nothing. Heh. That's hot. Great. Now I'm blushing.

After maneuvering the bike about, he shut the trunk and walked around to open up the passenger door. Wow, such chivalry.

"Thank you," I climbed in and he shut the door after me. I watched as Naruto walked around to the driver's side. The icy, winter wind swept his hair back and made his face rosy. In other words, yeah he's flat out adorable. He climbed in and shut the door.

"Man. Arctic out there," he said as he put the key into the ignition. I agreed and tried to think of something clever to say, but whenever I was around Naruto my mind blanked out and I got self-conscious.

The radio turned on automatically when he started the car. A familiar beat met my ears. The crashing of cymbals. We were listening to "This Too Shall Pass" by OK Go. We were listening to a song I put on Naruto's mix CD! On the dashboard lay the empty CD case that I had decorated.

I guess he saw me looking at it because he jestured towards the stereo and said, "Cool music, huh? I got it from someone for the Secret Santa. It's been on replay for the past few days."

"I like it. Who do you think is your Secret Santa?" Oh, I'm a sly, sly girl. I watched him out of the corner of my eye.

Naruto pondered the question for a moment. "I'm not sure," he said. "Maybe it's Suigetsu. He's big into music."

"Yeah, but I can't really see him prettifying a CD case."

"True…"

"...So, Naruto, who are you the Secret Santa for?"

"Can't tell." He tapped the steering wheel and smirked. Naruto? Keeping a secret? What was the world coming to?

"It's just Secret Santa. Not the blueprints to some nuclear weapon," I mumbled. Naruto smiled but didn't say anything.

"Oh, wait a minute," Naruto said as the car stopped.

"What?" I peeled my eyes away from his profile. We were parked in front of Naruto's little, mint colored house.

"I meant to drive you to your house, but we just ended up here," Naruto furrowed his brows. "I just forgot that you didn't live with me. I mean, because you feel like home – what?! No, because I feel so comfortable with you!" Naruto exhaled and scratched the back of his head. "Jesus."

"Uhh. I-I," I stuttered. My brain needs a year to process what he just said.

"Let me just drive you home…heh."
On the way back to my house Naruto asked for directions once, commented on the weather twice and I mentally scratched my head and wondered if 'I just forgot you didn't live with me' was just a slip of the tongue or…like does…

What does that even mean?

When we pulled up to my house, I got the groceries and Naruto got my bicycle out of the back and propped it up on its kickstand.

"Thanks for driving me home. I really appreciate it, Naruto." I scuffed at the ground.

"No problem." Naruto swung the keys around his finger. "I guess I'll see you Monday then?"

"Yep. See you then."

He gave a final wave and then got back in his car.

I walked inside after he left and set the groceries on the kitchen counter. I pulled off my hat and kicked off my boots and began putting the groceries away.

"Who was that boy, Hinata?" My mom walked into the kitchen. My mom had a small frame and a soft voice. Her hair was pulled back in a small bun. She was quiet like me but always pulled together and completely confident. I hope that one day I'd be poised like her.

"Naruto? He's just a friend," I replied.

"Just a friend? Oh," she said. "I was hoping he was your boyfriend or something."

"Mom."

"He was quite dishy."

I wrinkled my nose. The fact that my mom was checking out a boy thirty years younger than her was really disconcerting.

"We're having dinner soon, so go wash up," My mom said, oblivious to the look of revulsion still etched on my face.

I hope that one day my mom would try to be normal...that's too much to ask for isn't it.

In other news I'm incapable of writing cute scenes without adding awkward. Thank you all for reviewing, favoriting, following, and being cool people. Keep up the good work :)