4.

Naruto is lazing on the couch, watching football and trying to drown his sorrows in Cheetos and Pepsi.

It's working exceptionally.

He hasn't thought about her once.

Except for the time when he was staring at the DVD player…

…And the time he was flipping through the channels…

…And the time he was getting another Pepsi.

But other than that, not once!

The phone rings in the middle of an amazing break away made by Brett Favre. Naruto glances over at Sasuke, who doesn't look up from The Keeping Christmas Cookbook.

"Well, don't let's both jump up at once." He grumbles, turning down the volume and reaching over to grab the phone.

"Hello?" He asks, watching Favre weave silently across the screen.

"Um, h-hi," comes a quiet voice on the other end. "I-Is S-S-Sasuke there?"

"Yeah, sure, one sec-" Then it hits him. "Wait, is this Hinata?"

"Yes?"

"Hi!" He says. "This is Sasuke."

Of course, this doesn't go over well with the real Sasuke. He finally looks up and graces Naruto with a glare that would kill lesser men.

"H-Hey!" Hinata squeaks on the other end.

"Hi," he says again.

There's a moment of awkward silence, and suddenly Naruto can't contain the laughter bubbling in his stomach. After a couple of seconds, he can hear her laughter too.

"S-Sorry," she says, her words still edged with laughter.

"Oh, no problem." Naruto turns the television off and swings his legs around so he's facing the wall.

"So, I was j-just wondering…" She pauses and he hears her take a shaky breath. "Maybe… w-we could g-get together this Th-Thursday."

Naruto blinks at the wall and doesn't say a word.

"I-I mean!" She says loudly in response to his silence. "If you're b-busy… w-we don't… um…"

"Yeah, Thursday sounds great." He tells her, grabbing a pen and a piece of paper.

Sasuke hasn't stopped staring at him yet.

"Oh!" Hinata sounds surprised, as if she hadn't expected him to say yes. "W-Well… I know this g-great place over o-on E-Eighty-first… It's I-Italian. The Yellow Moon. D-Does 6:30 sound O-OK?"

He tries to imagine her twiddling her fingers, and… and he can actually see it.

He can see every curve of her face, every speckle in her pale eyes, every stray black hair…

"That sounds perfect, Hinata." He grins, relishing her name.

"G-Good." She sounds so relieved. "I-I'll see you then, S-Sasuke."

"…Yeah. See you." There's a light click as she hangs up.

"Naruto." The real Sasuke says blandly from the table. "You can't use my name to play some girl."

"What do you care?" Naruto scowls, feeling the giddiness of five seconds ago fading. "Besides, I'm not playing her."

"As much as we both know you'd love to be me, you aren't."

Silence.

"Tell me, and I won't bug you."

More silence.

Sasuke opens his mouth again, but Naruto beats him to it. "No, I won't tell you for a Scooby Snack."

Sasuke just smirks and goes back to his cookbook.

He doesn't ask Naruto about it again.

--

Apprehension.

Anxiety.

Anticipation.

Asshole.

Hinata covers her mouth with her hand, as if she had actually let the word slip through her lips. She whispers a barely audible apology to the ground, but she knows the man has passed her by. She carefully adjusts her pumps and swipes her too-long bangs out of her eyes.

Too much time talking with Naruto.

Too many swear words!

Hinata takes a deep breath and folds her arms across her chest. She glances up at the restaurant front, the cheerful gold awning fluttering in the winter wind.

The Yellow Moon is perfect.

She knows the owner.

It's a cheerful, crowded restaurant. She's not likely to get harassed, not that Sasuke would do that or anything…

Plus there's an openable window in the women's restroom.

She's all set.

Hinata frowns as she realizes she feels like an army general.

But more than that, she feels stupid.

There's a rush of warm air as the door to the restaurant opens. A happy couple rushes out, the woman pulling a hat over her ears and the man ushering her down the sidewalk with a protective hand at her waist.

She glances after them until they disappear into the stream of people flocking off Broadway.

Then her eyes fly back to the restaurant and she spots another couple following a waitress towards a table in the back. Suddenly she feels more foolish and sick than ever, and turns around. There's no way she can do this, no friggin' way-

Slam.

"Ow…" Hinata sits on the ground, her eyes stinging.

She feels like an ill-tempered five-year-old.

Her hair is ruined, her back hurts, and now she's close to tears.

How could it get any worse?

"Hinata? God, I'm sorry. Oh, Jesus, are you OK?"

She looks up and Sasuke's staring back down at her, his blue eyes dark with concern.

Hinata blinks rapidly and takes his outstretched hand. "Y-Yes, I'm f-fine. It was m-my fault a-anyway…"

"No, it wasn't. I should have been looking… You look great, by the way."

"Um, thanks." She dusts off her skirt.

He's smiling now, so confident in himself and in her. His face is so sincere, and she can't help but feel comforted.

She can't help but swallow her tears.

"Here." He pulls the door open.

Hinata shoots him a shy smile, and steps into the warm glow of The Yellow Moon.

Maybe she won't need her escape plan after all.

--

Naruto becomes nervous only after the two of them have been seated and he's left staring at her.

She immediately picks up the menu, peering over the top with her pale, pale eyes.

"The l-lasagna is g-great." She whispers.

He lifts his menu, but not before he can see the twist of her fingers.

"How do you do that?"

She glances up, startled. "Hmm?"

"How do you do that thing? With your fingers?"

"Oh!" She blushes and looks down at her hands. "Um. W-Well… Y-You just… s-sort of twist th-them, I g-guess. Um… like this." She untangles her digits and in a quick, fleshy flash, they're twisted up again.

"Like this?" Naruto props his elbows on the table and tries to mimic her movements.

She shakes her head and laughs.

Not condescending.

Not snide.

Her face just lights up and she reaches over, hesitant, and takes his hand in hers. Her slender fingers swiftly arrange his into the same strange configuration as hers were seconds before. "L-Like this."

He looks up at her and lifts an eyebrow. "Why do you do it?"

The pink of her face turns red and her hands are quickly back in her lap. She takes a deep, shaky breath, but when she looks up, her gaze is anything but feeble. "In c-case you haven't n-noticed, I'm not exactly a c-confident person, Sasuke."

At the mention of his name (or lack thereof), Naruto's hands fall limp and he laughs awkwardly. "Right. Sorry."

She smiles at him with earnest understanding. "No, i-it's fine." She looks around, discards the menu, and leans in close. "I-I probably sh-shouldn't be t-t-telling you this, b-but this is only my f-fifth first d-date."

He must look alarmed, because Hinata hurriedly waves her hands. "I-I mean, I've b-been in a lot of l-long t-term relationships and… there's w-work, too."

"What do you do for a living?" He can't wait to be off this tangent.

"Well, I-I'm a fashion d-designer."

"That's pretty awesome."

She bites her lip. "Thanks, b-but I've always w-wanted to b-be a writer. It's s-sort of this d-d-dream I have…"

He smiles at her. "That's pretty awesome too."

Hinata grins, a new confidence apparent on her face.

"Have you two decided on what you'd like?" asks the short, red-headed waitress. She taps her pen on her notepad and regards them expectantly.

Naruto blinks, realizing he has barely looked over the menu at all. Hinata looks over at him and his mind races. "I'll have the lasagna and the house merlot, thanks."

The waitress glances at Hinata, who just smiles and hands her the menu. "A-A Chianti, please."

"Nice choice," the red-head remarks, raising her eye brows in Naruto's direction.

Naruto stares bemusedly at Hinata. "Aren't you- Aren't you going to get anything?"

She just twiddles with her hair and smiles.

He sighs. "So… how long have you wanted to be a writer?"

"Oh…" She considers it for a bit. "P-Probably since I-I was in h-high school, I suppose."

"So, lemme guess." He leans back in his chair. "You were the quiet writer type, who all the English teachers loved. You probably made the school newspaper famous for four years."

She looks pleased; her cheeks turn red and she rubs her lips together. "I-I wish. I w-was more the g-girl who was t-taking all the AP classes b-because her f-f-father made her. I-I only ever s-sent in an a-article o-once, and i-it was anonymous. M-My family… w-wouldn't have liked it i-it if they knew I-I was writing." She takes a sip of the Chianti that was just placed in front of her. "A-And it's whom all the English t-teachers loved, S-Sasuke."

Naruto isn't quite sure what to say to that.

"Well, w-what do you d-do for a l-living?"

"I'm a reporter for The New York Herald." He says it without thinking.

"Oh, really?" Her eyes grow brighter than ever. "D-Do you… Do you happen to know a N-Naruto Uzumaki?"

Shit.

"Um…" Naruto glances around, searching for inspiration. "Naruto Uzumaki? Is he from accounting?"

Hinata's face falls just a notch, but she quickly regains her composure. "N-No, but th-that's fine. S-So what do you d-do at The Herald?"

Naruto racks his brain.

What on earth does Sasuke write about again?

"I do pieces on world news."

"Oh, r-right!" Hinata exclaims. "I r-remember reading one o-of your a-articles! It was excellent!"

Naruto smirks. "Thanks."

"W-Well, I think I c-can pinpoint w-what you were l-like when you were in high s-school." She smiles mischievously.

"Really?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Y-Yes. You m-must have been a c-complete athlete. You p-probably played s-soccer… maybe basketball."

Naruto runs a hand through his hair and grins. "You're wrong about me too! A few of my friends and I were going to try out for basketball, but then I got my first camera." Here Hinata nods in understanding. "I was addicted. So instead of playing once or twice a season on B-squad, I took pictures of all the sports for the town newspaper."

"That's really cool, Sasuke." She says happily.

"Hey, you didn't stutter." He smiles wider when she turns a darker shade of red. "So, do you come here often?"

She gives him a look: a slow, tentative smile. Does she know he's kidding? "Um…"

"I mean," he laughs, "do you eat here a lot?"

She gives him the same look again. This time she's messing with him back. "Does i-it look like I e-eat a lot?"

He rolls his eyes. "Totally."

She stares at him, mouth half open in an odd smile. Then she reaches over and slaps the back of her hand against his forearm. "S-Sasuke, you jerk!"

"Wow." He rubs the spot in mock pain. "The very first date and you're already beating me up. And verbally harassing me."

For a second, Naruto thinks he's gone too far. Hinata's shoulders hunch up and her mouth moves as she thinks of something to say. Then she murmurs, "I h-hate to think of w-what the s-second date will b-be like."

He laughs, stunned for a moment. "I don't want to think of it, either!"

She bites her lip. "B-But you will… w-won't you?"

"What?"

"You'll th-think a-about… about a s-second date."

Naruto's confused. "Of course."

Her relief is just about tangible for a split second, then her embarrassment washes off of her in waves. "U-Um… OK. G-Good."

The silence that follows is… heavy. All Naruto can hear is laughter and the tinkling of glasses. Somewhere on the other side of the room the staff sings a birthday song to a probably flustered patron. "So, S-Sasuke, when i-is your b-birthday?"

He's surprised by the question. He has to literally bite his tongue to keep him from saying October. "…July. July 23rd." He rubs the back of his head, standing his golden hair straight up. "What about you?"

Hinata touches her own hair. It's flat iron straight and the color of India ink. "D-December 27th."

"Really? That's cool. I mean, it's so close to Christmas."

"Y-Yeah, well, i-it's not so c-cool when your f-f-father refuses to get you b-birthday gifts b-because it's s-so close t-t-to the year's m-major holiday…" She traces the rim of her wine glass using her finger. Her voice is light, but it can't mask the bitterness underneath. "That's… n-not so f-fun."

"Oh." Naruto looks away. "I'm sorry."

"N-No!" She waves her hands again. "It's f-fine! Really, I-I'm u-used to it. In a month it'll b-be over, then it w-won't m-matter. Seriously, it's fine."

Naruto squints, his brow furrowing. "It should matter. It's your birthday."

"Yes, well…" Hinata's hold on her hair tightens. "C-Christmas."

"So it isn't your favorite holiday?"

She wrinkles her nose. "N-Not at all. I… I almost h-hate it."

Naruto shakes his head. "Why? I mean, besides the birthday thing. I mean, it's Christmas. The feeling of it is the best."

Hinata shakes her head too, a tiny, meek side-to-side motion. "C-Christmas is… d-depressing. T-To me, at least. A-All it really was t-t-to my family w-was a c-contest: who h-had the biggest bash… who w-was invited… w-what you g-got for s-someone else… It was terrible."

"Oh."

"B-But anyway… what a-about your f-f-family? How was C-Christmas for you?"

Naruto leans back in his seat, thinking. "I… love Christmas. It's definitely my favorite holiday." He smiles. "I mean, the snow, the family. I know that sounds weird and sappy, but it's true, you know? I just really, really like Christmas."

She smiles at him. "Your p-parents must have b-been really good at m-making it h-h-happy for you."

He frowns a little bit. "Actually… my parents are dead. They died when I was two."

"Oh, my god!" Her jaw drops, and Naruto feel strangely guilty. "Sasuke, I am so sorry." Her hand finds his on the table, and she gives it a squeeze.

"It was a fire."

"Sasuke, I am…" She shakes her head, as if keeping bad thoughts at bay. "I am so sorry."

"It's all ri-"

"Lovers' Lasagna?"

The voice of the waitress interrupts them, and Hinata withdraws her hand. Naruto blinks. "Excuse me?"

"Lovers' Lasagna." She places the dish in front of him.

Oh.

My.

God.

It's huge.

"Damn." He whispers, and Hinata laughs softly.

The piece of lasagna is a square, at least seven inches on all sides. "I…I…" Naruto splutters, staring at it.

"We're s-supposed to sh-sh-share." Hinata says, a smile evident in her voice.

Naruto looks up at her. "You planned this."

Hinata blushes scarlet. "N-Not really… I j-just always k-kind of wanted a guy to o-order 'Lover's L-Lasagna' f-for me."

Naruto shakes his head. "You're terrible."

"I-I'm not!" She cries and lifts her fork halfway across the table.

They eat steadily, talking and laughing until the lasagna is reduced to a neat 2 x 2 square. The two lean back, completely satisfied.

"Wow," Naruto says, staring up at the ceiling. "I'm stuffed."

"M-Me too," Hinata sighs. "I-It's a shame, t-too; their ice c-cream sundaes are amazing."

"Ice cream sundaes?" He laughs. "What are you, eight?"

"Oh, d-don't flatter me…" Hinata waves her napkin out of her lap, a white flag of cheerful surrender.

"So!" The waitress is back again, and she glances between the two of them. "How was it?"

Naruto looks closely at Hinata. She's pink, but he doesn't think she's so embarrassed anymore. "Great." He says, grinning at her. "Really great."

She looks at each of them once more. "Well," She takes out her notepad. "I'm glad. Can I get you some dessert or coffee tonight?"

"Um," Naruto looks over at Hinata, but she shakes her head. "I-I'm fine, th-thanks."

"All right. I'll take the check."

"O-Oh!" She says, holding up her hands. "Y-You don't have to-"

"It's fine, Hinata." He laughs, and the waitress hands it to him.

"Um… thanks," She says softly, ten minutes later as they stand outside of The Yellow Moon, just about ready to part ways. "F-For tonight, I mean."

"No problem." He smiles at her, shoving his hands farther into the pockets of his thick brown coat. She licks her lips, and after a moment of awkward silence, Naruto turns to go.

"A-Ah, Sasuke, w-wait!" She scurries after him. "I j-just want to… um… thank you. A-Again. F-For b-being patient, I mean, with me. Um, I know I'm v-very shy, and i-it takes me… a while to, um, g-get warmed up t-to people, b-but I r-really… I-I really-"

Naruto cuts her off with a kiss.

A kiss.

Even he can barely believe it.

"For being so shy," He says. "You sure talk a lot."

"W-W-Well!" She stammers.

"Meet me tomorrow?" He asks, backing away from her again. His hands fall back into his pockets. "At the Starbucks. What time do you get off work?"

"Uh…" She looks dazed and skittish at the same time, if that were possible. "6:15."

"Great." He grins at her, and she smiles hazily back at him. "See you then."

He turns his back to her, but not before he can hear a barely audible. "OK, Sasuke. OK."

--

hhyuga100:

Away.

rmnluver99:

Away.

--