SYNOPSIS—
After many complications and Hinata's sudden suggestion, it's agreed that the three stay at her house until sunrise. Memories return and tears are shed, but with Naruto's company, Hinata is able to make it through the night.

DISCLAIMER—
Though I do dearly wish, I do not own NARUTO nor Ed Sheeran and his beautifully crafted lyrics.

CHAPTER NOTE—
I honestly have no idea where I'm going with this.

"You are the earth that I will stand upon
You are the words that I will sing „

—Ed Sheeran

I Quote, "I Love You"
Chapter 4

After throwing in the last box of Hinata's belongings into the trunk of Kiba's car, Naruto gives the ivory-eyed female a look of concern. "Are you sure about this? I can't help, but feel like we're intruding," he worries, his eyebrows drawn in, referring to himself and his unconscious friend in the backseat.

Hinata glances up at the man and gives him a small nod of approval, "Yes, I'm sure. Pinky promise. To be entirely honest, I wouldn't want you to drive home since you had a couple of drinks yourself. I'll say something to Neji later. I was planning on packing up tonight and moving myself out anyway, so you were of a lot of help, Naruto."

Naruto couldn't help, but smile wholeheartedly at Hinata's sincerity. Walking up to his savior, his hand shyly scratches the back of his neck, the other opening the driver's side car door for her, "Well, I'm just returning the favor." The boy teases, his hand now removed from the handle and index finger pointing at his thin lips.

A blush creeps up on Hinata's face at the reminder as she musters an inaudible thank you and frantically hops into the car. She presses her face against the steering wheel, her forehead vigorously rubbing back and forth against the leather; this was her painful, futile attempt at ridding the Embarrassment Monster who somehow always successfully haunts her every time Naruto taunts or teases the poor thing. Naruto could only laugh—his voice deep and thrilling—when he strolled back to the passenger side, slid into the car, buckled his seat belt, and turned back to make sure Kiba was buckled in as well. The boy had a goofy, drunken grin plastered on his face, Naruto noted, and would be sure to remind his friend of that with the click, snap, and flash of a camera and a blackmail-worthy picture saved in his phone's gallery.

"Wow, that's huge." Hinata gawks as she started the car.

"Oh, honey. You haven't even seen it yet and you're marveling at my size."

Hinata pinkens. "Your phone, Naruto. I meant your phone."

"This ol' thing?" Shaking his phone, Naruto flashes a charming smile and slides it back into his—well, Kiba's—jacket pocket. "I guess that would make sense, too."

Hinata tries not to giggle at the sarcastic retort, her eyes glued to the road. Regardless, she liked hearing Naruto talk. It was genuinely lovely in her opinion. It was a voice that had the kind of gentleness that tucked you in bed and stroked your cheek before kissing your forehead goodnight. It's composed of an essence that sings a person a lullaby of sweet serendipity. Her heart harped a beautiful melody and strummed at every little syllable Naruto would enunciate and the whole blood-pumping machine would just sizzle, foam, and flop like a steroid-consuming fish on dry land when those three syllables made out her name.

The June night dragged on, the crescent moon smiling down at the two behind white puffs that splatted the midnight blue sky. Silence eventually spoke louder than the both of them and all that was really audible was the sound of the tires spinning and Kiba's soft snores. At an awkward attempt at breaking the ice, Hinata fumbled through the CD's in Kiba's middle compartment and popped in Ed Sheeran's before softly melting beneath the chords of his acoustic guitar and his heavenly vocals.

Unfamiliar with the soundtrack and seeing that Hinata genuinely enjoyed it, Naruto furrows his brows and concentrates on the lyrics, comprehending them the best he possibly could in hopes that he wouldn't look like a complete goof front of his lady friend:

This is the start of something beautiful
This is the start of something new
You are the one who'd make me lose it all
You are the start of something new

Naruto eyed her, his gaze ever so gentle and heart thundering from a simple glance. The palms of his hands were all sweaty and sticky and he kept feeling the need to wipe them on his pant legs over and over again. He felt incompetent under the presence of the girl, her body radiating this angelic purity. All of the unfamiliar sensations enveloped him like a blanket, this seemingly indescribable feeling. Slowing removing his gaze and returning his eyes to his rather moist palms, he clasps them and holds a small, almost non-visible grin. As if it was a secret to him and him alone.
'This is the start of something beautiful.'

Ten minutes have passed and Naruto Uzumaki was now fast and sound asleep. With her hands still firmly grasping the steering wheel, Hinata's index finger taps to the sound of the music and Naruto's shallow breathing. She had been infatuated with him for so long, it was mind-boggling for him to be in the passenger seat of the car she was driving, his head slightly tilted and built arms crossed over his chest. When she decided to spoil herself and steal a quick glance, she almost immediately regretted it, fully realizing Greed—that devilish fiend—would urge her to pull over and stare at him to her heart's content. Like autumn turned leaves and snow sheets winter's dead grass, it felt like that magic and beauty of a seasonal change just to be beside her high school crush.

"Hey, would you look at that? This is my neighborhood!" Naruto, now awake, chirps, drawing Hinata out of her little trance and making her realize that she needed to pull into a driveway two houses to their left. "See that apartment complex right around the corner? I'm room 301! Oh, maybe I won't have to be a burden to you; I can just have Kiba crash at my place." He rummages through his pocket before hanging his head in dejection, "Oh, wait. These aren't my pants."

His female companion giggles at his adorable little conundrum, "Naruto, I said it's fine. You two can just stay here for the night and I encourage breakfast if you'd like. It's summer vacation, right?" Soon, Hinata had pulled into her house and pulled out her own keys from her pocket to open the garage, the pallid door creaking up slowly to the click of the button. Once in and situated, Hinata had turned off the ignition and pulled out Kiba's keys, trusting them over to Naruto.

"Welcome to my home." Hinata said professionally, as if filming for an episode of MTV Cribs.

Naruto laughs at this and clicks the seat belt off. Hinata was already exiting the car and flipping on a switch, jokingly hollering, "Let there be light!" before fumbling to open her door and close the garage's at the same time. Naruto exited the vehicle as well, unbuckling Kiba out of the car and gently draping his heavy arm over his shoulder. "Can you get the light on your way in?" Hinata requested as she entered her home, the first room she encountered being a hallway that led to the dining room.
It was just as she remembered it.

A bathroom rests precisely to the left of her and if she kept walking, the dining room table and the chandelier hanging above it would be staring right back at her. To the left held the kitchen and located five steps forward was the beautiful living room table with all its furniture and carpeted glory. The cherry-oak stairs sit rather close to the dining room, the second floor holding around five rooms: her's, her parent's, a bathroom, a guest bedroom, and her mother's office.

"Are you okay, Hinata?" a voice calls out from behind her.

She had not realized that she was already sitting in one of the corner ash-black love seats in her living room. Kiba was already laid down and sleeping soundly on the matching couch just to the right of her. Naruto stood hovering over her, a box in his hand and a comforting smile directed in her direction. "Where do you want me to put these?"

"Oh, my God! I'm so sorry. I should have helped; you really didn't have to carry all the boxes in here!" Hinata panics, making sure her voice was quiet enough not to wake Kiba. Naruto just waved it off and grinned, informing her that a simple thank you would have been more than enough and that he had closed and locked the door just as she asked.

"Not bad," Naruto whistles at the house, throwing his head up and around to admire its size. Laughing, Hinata clues him in on the fact that this was originally the house her parents had bought and her uncle had been kindly maintaining it for her. As much as he wanted to hear more about her parents and where they happen to be now and why she had been staying with Neji until graduation, Naruto decided it was best not to pry. Some people weren't as open as him and he learned to accept that.

Keeping that in mind, Naruto continues to listen to what information he did receive and studies the house in envy.'I guess you can't expect anything less out of a Hyuga home.'

The champagne walls contrasted beautifully with the dark furniture of the room, the television plastered to the wall directly in front of the sleeping Kiba for entertainment purposes. All three couches—the couch Kiba occupied, the love seat by Hinata, and Naruto sitting on the last remaining one—aligned along the corner of the room with a long, glass table standing right in the center of the room. Below the television rests a fireplace.

"Thank you for telling me." Naruto says out of the blue.

"Why are you thanking me? You really have no reason to." Hinata quietly laughs in confusion. She watches as Naruto props one of his legs up on the couch and hugs it against his chest, his chin resting atop his knee. It came to her realization that it had been so long since someone, aside from family, to give her their full and undivided attention and look genuinely interested. Her voice trails off as she faces the reality and embarrassment of having the boy of your dreams actually in your house and listen to you ramble on and on about personal matters.

Naruto shakes his head and holds a faint, exhausted grin, "Plenty reason to." More than anyone, Naruto knew firsthand how difficult it can be to talk about family. The biggest homes aren't always necessarily the warmest. He knew that. Hinata subtle expressions and lowered gaze signaled that. It was clear to him that there was nothing he could really do in regards to things that had happened in Hinata's past other than showing her gratitude for facing them with him just as she was doing now.

Stretching, Hinata decides not to question him further and stands up from her corner chair, grabbing one of her boxes with Naruto following her actions. "Well, I'll be taking these upstairs. I can show you the guest room if you'd like to sleep there."

Naruto nods. Having double of what Hinata had in her hands, he paces behind her, his strides powerful and fast. By the time Hinata had opened and entered her own room, she dropped the boxes and gawked. It was almost identical to her room back at her uncle's. She ran to her closet: it was filled with brand new outfits. She sprinted to her desk: make-up and sketch books stacked to the brim. On top of her dresser laid two boxes, both topped with closed envelopes. The first one read:

Dad and I had a feeling you were going to escape the wretched tower at midnight, princess.
Just. . . don't go all independent on me, okay? I'll be here for you. Always.
Don't be too quick on finding your prince and make sure to visit, you hear!
Ha-ha, I already miss you, Hinata.
. . .I love you. Be safe, sis.
—Neji

Hinata noticed the little, microscopic droplets on the letter and held it close to her chest. 'It's not like I'm moving to the other side of the world, silly.' She muses, fighting back her own tears. In the box, she found a stuffed animal resembling a ball-shaped bunny. Its eyes were puny black dots, the obese fella' nothing bigger than a circle Hinata's hands could make. The other object in there was a small can of pepper spray, a note attached to it saying in capital letters: YOU'LL NEED THIS.

She had practically died from laughter by then.

Her eyes now darted to the other pink box. The letter atop this one read:

Hinata, darling.
I know things have been hard these past several years, but just know that I never regretted taking you in.
You are such a sweet child, my dear. That must have been my doing.
I have and will continue to treasure you like my own daughter no matter how old you get and no one will ever be as lucky as me on that matter.
I love you so much. Don't forget about your old man Hizashi, okay?
And most importantly, never forget your value.
I know I won't.

Sniffles and quiet sobs escaped the touched girl. "Uncle Hizashi..." Hinata whimpered, tears now falling helplessly down her face. Inside this box held a photo album, all containing pictures of Hinata from the times where her mother cradled her infant body in the hospital to the nine-year-old Hinata under the sun in her baby blue summer dress eating an ice cream cone and to this day, a photo that had been taken with her uncle Hizashi and Neji in front of the Hyuga Mansion that morning.

"Aren't you darling in that picture?" Naruto whispers from behind her, pointing at the photograph of her losing her first tooth, her bloody smile still radiant as she held the floss-tied specimen high up in the air (it was still apparently connected to the doorknob of her bedroom door). He grins a toothy grin as Hinata tells him to hush, his sleeve-covered hands now making their way up to her cheeks as he gently wiped the tears away. With a quick peck on the forehead, Naruto gives Hinata a big bear-hug as a way of comforting her, forgetting that with his strength and her stature, she was more than suffocating in his embrace.

After feeling the light taps on his back, the blue-eyed body builder finally released the frail woman, embarrassed chortles exhaling through his crescent-shaped mouth. "Sorry," he musters, a hint of red tinting his California tan skin.

Hinata, charmed, almost immediately accepts the apology, "It's fine. I know you were just trying to make me feel better." Her orbs dance back and forth from the floor to Naruto's smitten face. Once repeating this about fourteen more times, Hinata finally decides to add onto her sentiment, "Why don't I show you the guest room now?"

A smile answers her question. "I'd love that."

Hinata, after chatting it up with Naruto for hours and hours on end, had suggested that the two finally go to bed. Naruto awed in the process and clung to her arm like a child. "No, mommy! Don't leave me!"

Laughing, Hinata tried to shake off the hand as well as shake off the unneeded memory. Apparently, the discomfort was clear to Naruto. "Oh, if you're really that tired, I'll let you go." he says honestly, feeling guilty for keeping her up this long. 'You idiot! Why'd you have to go and have her make an expression like that?' A short 'ugh' is mustered under his breath before he pulls a hand out of the covers and reaches for his phone on the bedside table to his left, clicking on the button to the side and reading the digital 3:25 am that flashed luminescently in front of him.

"No, it's fine," Hinata yawns, her eyes half-lidded and sleepy, "What do you want to do?"

There were a number of things Naruto could name off, especially since it was three in the morning and his moral conscience was slipping into a deep slumber. He gulps, again realizing just how good Hinata looked in her tight, little black dress and how jaw-dropping it would be to have those shapely legs splayed and spread in front of him. Gulp number two is swallowed down as he resists the urge to get aroused, his hands back underneath the sheets and clenching for dear life. 'What would you say if I said I wanted to feel the heat of my own breath bounce back onto my lips after strategically placing them on the neglected parts of your skin?' His corrupted mind aches for an answer, but refrains asking,'or if I told you I simply want to press my ear firmly against your chest and see if my existence has any effect on your heartbeat like yours does mine?'

"How about 20 questions?" Naruto quickly croaks, a pubescent crack in his voice loud and clear for his own embarrassed ears to hear.

Too tired to tease, Hinata nods and starts off with her first question, "Let me think. Um, are you gonna to start living alone, too?"

Naruto laughs a little, figuring Hinata would ask an innocent question like that. Despite knowing this, Naruto decides to take it several steps further. "I have for a while now. It's a blessing and a curse." Now, his eyes hold a devilish twinkle, "So, my turn. How old were you when you had your first boyfriend?"

Hinata blushes. "Never had one."

"Really?!" Naruto screams out in astonishment and more in disbelief, "No fucking way! You're shitting me. I honestly cannot believe that." He quickly covers his mouth, realizing how unpleasant it was of him to curse so blatantly in front of a girl like Hinata and praying that his voice hadn't stirred up his friend downstairs. Still, it truly was unbelievable for Naruto and strangely, it made him a tad happy. Well, maybe more than just a tad. "Okay, then let me ask you this. How old were you when you had your first kiss?"

Hinata was a bit scrambled, even flattered, by Naruto's reaction, but maintains an unfazed facade. "It's my turn to ask, Naruto."

"Oh, yeah. My bad. Go ahead, ha-ha."

Feeling more awake, Hinata shifts a bit in the bed to get more comfortable and smiles devilishly before holding a finger under his chin, scratching at it gently, "How old wereyou when you had your first kiss?"

"Oh, this is so not fair!" Naruto pouts angrily, despite his rather loud laughter that echoed through the room.
The minx smirks, loving that she had the upper hand, "That's how the game works, Na-ru-to!" She enunciates, allowing his name to dance on her tongue.

"Ugh, I want new rules." The childish teen huffs. One stares intently while the other evades the hot gaze, silence overwhelming both of the children—one more than the other. After getting angrily glared at for not getting an answer, Naruto yells out a 'fine!' and starts to explain his story. "I was twelve when I had my first kiss with..."

"With?"

"...ke."

"Who?"

"...uke."

"Uke?"

"SASUKE! I HAD MY FIRST KISS WITH SASUKE, OKAY!?"

After revealing one of his most traumatizing memories, Naruto slams his face into his pillow, which was his fail attempt to mute Hinata who was laughing hysterically in front of him. She had moved from sitting at the foot of the bed to rolling all the way to the right side of Naruto, her small feet kicking about as she crossed her arms over her tightening stomach. Out of anger, Naruto tried to attack her, but Hinata had quickly slipped under the blankets along with him and tucked herself in; it seemed as if her laughter wasn't going to subside anytime soon.

Naruto, seeing that her defenses were futile, tugged at the blanket and finally caught a hold of her, his hands wrapped around her waist and her body now sitting on top of him. Hair covered her beautiful face and Naruto found it a shame. He brushed away her hair and took a good look at her face. Her nose twitched adorably at his touch, her lips chapped from the laughing fit, and her breaths panted were loud and heavy. "Now answer me, Hinata." He groans deeply, breathing harder for no apparent reason and finding it very necessary to say her name the way he did. "Who did you have your first kiss with and how old were you when you did?"

"Eighteen." Hinata stutters sheepishly, her eyes no longer able to focus on Naruto.

Naruto makes her. Frankly, he wanted to skip all this talk and just hold her in his arms in the most innocent sense. Okay, the last part of the previous sentence may ring false. Still, he wanted to embrace her until he was nothing, but dust and bones and fallen teeth and nothing like this cheeky boy that simply yearned affection from a beautiful girl. And upon realizing this, he knows now that impatience would have gotten him nowhere. So, removing a hand away from her waist, he cups her cheek and focuses her eyes on his, "Then, how old are you now?"

She shakes her head. "You didn't ask that."

"Fine, who was it?"

"...You."

Naruto blinks, his grip on her waist loosening and his callused fingers drawing circles on her back. It was music to his ears. That one dangerously pleasing syllable ignited a flame that burned somewhere Naruto was afraid would never extinguish. Perhaps it was a boy named 'Yuu' and he was being painfully conceited. Or, perhaps not (He prayed desperately for the latter). He smirks to himself. 'Just a little more,' he reminds himself, 'gain her affection just like this.' His eyes dance back to Hinata, "Really?"

Hinata shivers, "Why. . .are you staring at me like that?"

"Why areyou staring at me like that?"

"Are we still playing 20 Questions?"

"Why do you look so good right now? Why do you always look so good?"

"Naruto, what's poking my leg. . ."

"Do you really want to know?"
"I-Is that?"

"What does it feel like, Hinata?"

"D-Don't say my name like that, Naruto. Why do you keep doing this to me?"

"Don't say your name like what, Hinata? What am I doing?"

"Y-You keep making me feel so vulnerable and f-feminine and, I don't know, I—"

"Hinata?"

"Y-Yes?"

"20 Questions are up."

And with that, Naruto crashes his lips hard against Hinata's. Gasps and mewls squeeze out of Hinata's throat in shock; this was absolute music to Naruto's ears. 4 am left her with a pleasant surprise, rest suddenly sounding not all that important anymore.'I'm never going to get any sleep.' She muses before pushing her body and lips further against his, unaware of the love stuck grin that tugged her mouth at this thought (as well as Naruto's, of course), and leaving them absolutely no room for questions.