This chapter was very slow to write…don't you just hate fillers XD? Haha, but sadly it's necessary. I still hope you all enjoy it; review!

Champagne Vs. Whisky

Chapter 3: A Little Too Much in Common

Since the man beside me was supplying the tent and just about everything else, I managed to win the war over who was driving and paying gas money. Even though I had a lonely road to focus on, my thoughts were strangely elsewhere; like the fact that I would be alone with Naruto the entire trip.

It turned out Sasuke wasn't the least bit interested in camping and Sakura's work schedule was set in stone. I remember the phone call from her only this morning that had a trace of malice in it. Sadly, I was beginning to see what Naruto had meant by her attitude.

Speaking of which, he stared out the window while tapping his fingers to the beat of the song currently playing. We had stayed pretty quiet most of the drive due to the sheer awkwardness of being alone. Every once in awhile, the sun would peer from beyond the clouds and give his blonde highlights a glossy luster; I absentmindedly wondered what hair products he used to make it so.

I shook my head and tried distracting my thoughts once again. We had the valid entrance pass thanks to Naruto, who was an avid camper and hiker. We had all the bottled water we could fit in my trunk; sleeping bags, tent, cooking ware, and some simple meals. If need be we could hit the small grocer's store located on the map of the St. Mary's camp ground. But I had made a mental note to camp in style: meaning I wanted the first hand experience of what it was like to camp without the visitor centers, the bathrooms, the restaurants, and the Laundromats surrounding the area.

The radio station we had was pretty good in the manner that it had such a wide variety of genres playing on it. Right now Michael Bublé's newest song, Haven't Met You Yet was serenading my ears. So of course I couldn't help but sing quietly along with it.

"I'm not surprised,
Not everything lasts,
I've broken my heart so many times I stopped keeping track.
Talk myself in,
I talk myself out,
I get all worked up,
Then I let myself down,

I tried so very hard not to lose it;
I came up with a million excuses,
I thought I thought of every possibility,"

It was then I caught Naruto's glance. "You have a dreadfully pretty voice Hinata. Do you really like that guy?"

I blushed and shook my head, turning my eyes back to the road. "No. I think he has a nice voice but I'm not a massive fan either." I was just able to catch the song so that I could sing the title.

"I just haven't met you yet. Mmmmm ..."

What shocked me was during the small break, Naruto took the lead. My gaze lingered on his sun kissed locks and his sparkling blue eyes as he sang loud and clear.

"I might have to wait,
I'll never give up,
I guess it's half timin', and the other half's luck,
Wherever you are,
Whenever it's right,
You'll come outta nowhere and into my life.

And I know that we can be so amazin',
And baby your love is gonna change me,
And now I can see every possibility, mmmmmm...

Somehow I know that it'll all turn out,
You'll make me work so we can work to work it out,
And promise you kid, I'll give so much more than I get, mmmm...
I just haven't met you yet.

They say all's fair
in love and war
But I won't need to fight it,
we'll get it right an',
we'll be united"

When the beautiful instrumental part came into play he sank back in his seat. Turning his head, he smiled at me and offered me to join, so I obliged. Alto and soprano was always a stunning combination.

"and I know that we can be so amazin',
And bein' in your life is gonna change me,
And now I can see every single possibility, mmmmmm"

Both of us decided enough was enough. So we quietly listened to the rest of the song with Michael's sweet voice. After that it switched to a rock song that had a pleasant guitar player in it. Naruto's whisper was barely audible, "Love this song…"

"What's that song?"

He threw me an incredulous look, "It's called Earthquake, by Family Force 5. You don't listen to a lot of rock do you?"

I clicked my tongue in mock reproach. "That's not it at all. For your information, I listen to Dashboard Confessional, Skillet, The Used, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Incubus."

Beside me I heard a whistle, "Anything else?"

I rolled my eyes. "Not really besides ATL. I'm pretty much an oldies fan from head to toe."

"You're kidding right? I am too! What are some of your favorites?" Naruto asked eagerly.

I bit my lip and thought for a second as the sign we had just passed allowed us to speed by ten more miles per hour. "Let's see…The Guess Who. You have got to love them. Rolling Stones. Aerosmith." I tore my eyes from the road to point an accusing finger at my passenger, "The Monkees are classic and every knows it!" he obediently nodded, allowing me to return to my driving. "I feel as if I'm forgetting something…oh well. You?"

He chuckled, "You named a couple. But you forgot Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin, and The Eagles."

"True." I agreed. "But I also forgot Joanie Jett."

His face lit up, "Oh! Not to mention Cher!

I simply couldn't help myself. I downright snorted at the declaration. "What the hell? Cher?" I continued to snicker as his face turned a fine pink.

"Oh shut up. She was an artist."

"You do know that the majority of her male fans are queers, right?" I was trying my best to hold back my giggles.

I could feel his glare on me, "Well then. I suppose I'm just the exception aren't I?"

It was quiet for awhile. Then I felt a little guilty, "All right, I'm sorry for laughing Naruto. She really did have a great voice. And oh my God, her song Believe was fantastic."

"I think my favorite by her was The Beat Goes On, you know, the one she featured with Sonny?"

"Oh yea!" we both shared a smile and continued talking about other genres of music. For awhile it occupied us and made the thought of a weekend alone together not quite as embarrassing. At least we had some stuff in common.

When we had exhausted everything topic of music, I thought back to the day before yesterday. The question was absolutely burning inside me. "So um, what's the deal with you and Sakura?" I took a fleeting look his way and quickly added, "If you don't mind me asking that is. You just seemed really tense the other night."

Naruto's tanned face had turned fairly sour at the very mention of her name. It took him a moment before he answered, "No, it's not a problem really. She just irritates me is all. We kinda have a romantic past; we dated a couple years back in high school. When she cheated on me with Sasuke, it was a real eye opener." He smiled and reassured me that this wasn't dangerous territory any longer; the hurt had long since past. "Of course it's hard when your first love turns out to be a sham. But I just needed time to get over it and realize how terrible we were for each other. So now we get closer to the present; Sasuke dumps her sorry, possessive ass. And suddenly she turns around and thinks she has a claim on me, after all these years." He rolled his eyes as his expression darkened. "That's what aggravates me about her. She drives off any woman that is interested in me because she's convinced I'm still hers after what she did. So in plain simple English, Sakura's a crazy bitch." He laughed slightly and I looked upon him with sympathy.

"Well. That would explain some things. Such as the fact that she sounded like a serial killer when she found out we were going on this trip alone together."

My comment reminded us of our earlier embarrassment so we were silent for the span of two minutes. The radio started playing a pleasant Stacie Orrico song that seemed to annoy the crap out of the man next to me. I raised an eyebrow at him and giggled slightly.

"What? It's damn chick music."

This made me laugh even harder. "Oh, you poor soul…"

"Alright, you'll want to take this next exit on the right. It'll curve around and take us to the entrance to Glacier National Park." Naruto directed my well rehearsed hands on the steering wheel. We had been on the road a good three and a half hours by now; the sun was at its highest peak.

As we kept trucking down the road, Naruto dug around in his jacket pockets for the entrance pass. The trees grew denser as we drove and the road left the pavement to become an authentic dirt path. For ten minutes the car passed nothing but woods; and then the sun parted through the canopy of leaves. A small office with a gravel filled parking lot could be seen. I pulled in and Naruto instantly hopped out to reserve a site.

A light snow fall began to swirl around the whirring car. I sat back and closed my eyes, relaxing after the taxing drive. Slowly the haze of drowsiness began to descend upon me; and with it came the beginnings of a dream.

Suddenly I felt very restless and wide awake. The room was dark and I had only my sense of touch to guide me. Soft sheets crinkled under my fingers. My toes barely scraped against the blanket I had kicked off of me. My attire of the night was a short nightgown of satin. I rolled onto my side and read the alarm clock: 1:24 am. Leisurely, I sat up in the bed. Was it mine? It sure didn't feel like it.

When I had shifted, a sound suddenly came to my attention behind me; a slow, soft, screech of bed sheets moving. And then it was as if a pair of strong muscular arms materialized out of thin air around my waist.

I'm not going to lie. In my mind I was absolutely frightened. But try as I might, my body wouldn't comply to the commands my brain was sending throughout my nervous system; scream, defend, run! A husky chuckle resounded in my ear, the warm breath making me shiver in anticipation. I mentally berated myself for my reaction. How horribly frustrating it is when your body seems to be a completely separate entity!

"I don't believe I ever told you that you were allowed to leave." A very familiar voice whispered dangerously. In response a bead of sweat ran down my forehead in my exhilarated fear.

"W-what?" I stuttered without abandon.

Supple lips nipped my ear lightly and to my horror, I actually moaned at the action. This caused another chuckle to escape from my captor. "Maybe I'm not finished with you yet Hina-chan." His coarse hands teasingly glided up the fabric of my nightgown and my breath hitched. Then they finally rested on my breasts. I blushed fiercely as butterfly kisses were placed down my jaw and neck; and finally his teeth gently tore off the straps of my gown. "Hina. Look at me." I shifted mechanically turned at his simple command. When my eyes fluttered open—

A loud knock on the window startled me and I looked over to see Naruto wishing with all his might to be let back in the warm car. I rubbed my eyes and complied while exerting a large yawn. He looked at me with…I suppose it was concern. "You want me to drive to the site? You look exhausted Hinata."

"No, I'm fine. Where to?" I smiled half heartedly while still trying to catch my breath; both from Naruto and the dream.

The wind was almost unbearable as the afternoon wore on. Currently Naruto and I were pitching the tent, with only one stake left to go.

"You got it?" Naruto asked.

I nodded, "Yea, hand me the hammer please." When I made sure it was secure I stepped back and admired our work. "Ok, sleeping bag time."

The look he gave me told me I was downright nuts. "You want to go to bed this early in the day?"

My grin broadened slowly but surely, "No. I just like having everything ready." That being said, I grabbed my designated sleeping bag from the car and dove into the tent.

I heard his jovial laugh behind me and looked to see his broad smile pop in between the flaps. "Alright, alright. Move over will ya?" He threw the sleeping bag on the ground next to me and then proceeded to throw his pillow at me. I shrieked and spun around to face him.

"You'll pay for that." I hissed playfully as I reached for my own pillow. A torrent of blows ensued from the two of us, as well as an immense amount of giggling.

Surprisingly the cushions didn't tear; but after a few minutes Naruto was trapped beneath me, surrendering, "Uncle! Uncle! You've beat me." he mocked death and I thought it was safe to release my weapon. Naruto cracked an eyelid open to see my panting form and he smiled. "You, Miss Hyuuga, are an expert at pillow fights."

I smirked back, "You're not so bad yourself Uzumaki."

For a moment we were glowing with the sheer silliness of our game. But as I stared into his deep blue eyes, I became more aware of the situation I had put us in. My legs were straddling his waist from my attack position; apparently our dilemma had registered in his mind as well. His eyes widened and he gulped audibly. Meanwhile all I could do was blush and climb off clumsily, muttering unintelligible apologies.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence Naruto cleared his throat, "What time is it Hinata?"

"About five o'clock." I answered as I quickly glanced at my watch.

"Hm." He sat up and furrowed his brows in thought. "Well it's kinda too late to start any serious recreational activity and it's way too early for dinner. So what do you wanna do?"

My eyes trailed the material of the tent around us as ideas spun in my head. Finally I just picked one, "Let's just go for a walk. I can grab my camera and everything."

His eyes were kind as he nodded. "Sounds good to me."

My camera flashed at the magnificent aspen tree in front of me. Just the mere shape of the trunk and branches was beautiful. The evening rays of sun danced across the ground while I looked at the scenery through the lens of my camera.

"Pfft. Tourists…" Naruto scuffed in the snow beside me and I glowered at him while I took a snap of his scoffing form.

"What are you implying my good man?" I asked with a hint of shrewdness.

He stared sideways at me then smirked playfully, "Don't you think it would be to your advantage to put that damn camera down for a minute? That way you can actually look at what you're taking pictures of."

His lips widened into a full smile when I squinted at him in a mock challenge. Shaking his head, his gaze returned to what bits of sky could be seen through the dense pine and aspen forest. The light that caught his eyes made them seem a more vivid cerulean color than the deepest sapphire I had grown accustomed to. I was dazed by those eyes that surged like the ocean waves. It took me a moment to realize he was looking back at me questioningly.

"Something wrong?"

Slowly I shook my head, "I was just thinking." He raised an eyebrow as if encouraging me to continue. Too bad my thoughts were a bit too embarrassing to share with a near stranger. I took a different route instead, "Why doesn't Sasuke like camping? He should've come. And Sakura…well I suppose it's not too much of a shame for you, now is it?" I laughed as he rolled his eyes.

"Well you know how it goes; when you have the ability to go do something often, the novelty just wears off. Sasuke just thinks it's a pain in the ass now to sleep on the ground when he has a perfectly good bed." Naruto chuckled at a far off memory. Silence reigned between us. I grappled for a topic but it was difficult. I barely knew this man and suddenly I was alone with him for the entire weekend. Lucky for me, Naruto was more outgoing than I could ever be, no matter how hard I tried to loosen up. As we walked he smiled, "So tell me, what's it like in that horrible Pennsylvania that made your sister send you here of all places?"

I blinked in surprise. "Well, I have a very busy life. I own my own office space where my sister and I work as wedding planners," I giggled and added, "My cousin is our receptionist. If it weren't for his girlfriend, you would have to wonder about that man sometimes."

Naruto's guttural laugh that I had become so acquainted with sounded, "I don't know, it could be a cover. But wow; a business woman friends with a bartender. Talk about opposite sides of the spectrum! What's it like there?"

"It's…" I paused to study him, "Why do you want to know such silly stuff?"

He shrugged, "I told you I'm a curious person. Besides, we have the weekend together; we might as well get to know each other."

I pursed my lips and nodded, then looked up to the tree tops in thought. "It's difficult to explain. Living in Harrisburg used to be special; it was the thrill of being fresh out of college and starting my own business, you know? But now I have such a pattern…I decided that I'm glad Hanabi made me do this. Back home I just feel so empty, but here I feel refreshed. You probably think I sound ridiculous." I couldn't bring myself to look at him; instead I focused on the snowflakes that drifted in the dusk.

"No. I think it's perfectly normal for someone to feel that way after awhile. When was the last time you took a vacation?"

I tentatively glanced at him, "I've never taken leave in the ten years I've been working."

All he did was stare; then he burst out laughing, "Wow, no offense Hinata, but you need a life."

My face burned with humiliation and I retorted, "What about you, huh? What have you done with your life right smack in the middle of Montana?"

He sobered quickly enough and turned thoughtful. "I randomly picked Whitefish as a place to live. After my parents died back in good old Japan, I just took a map of the US and threw a dart. I needed a fresh start, away from all the memories. I was sixteen when my godfather flew over here with me to check out the place. With my inheritance we bought that very same house and I was enrolled in high school here." He stopped to survey our darkening surroundings, "We should probably turn back now."

I had the urge to touch his shoulder as some form of comfort, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. So I simply agreed, and we made our long trek back to the campsite. All the way, I was berating my lash of bad temper, and where it had gotten me.

As night fell, the crickets began to serenade us around the campfire. I sat on a secure log on the opposite side of Naruto as I skewered a hotdog. We had brought a vast assortment of vegetables, fruit, and meat to roast over the fire; and of course, how could we not forget the 'oh so cliché' marshmallows?

We enjoyed our meal in peaceful silence, taking to heart all the sounds of nature about us. The warm crackle of the fire filled my body like nothing ever had. The trees creaked and branches danced with each other in the strengthening wind. Animals scurried to their burrows and dens to hide from their nocturnal enemies. And through all that, the crickets kept up their relentless song. I took a deep breath of the rapidly chilling air and glowed with the crisp feeling of my lungs drawing in the sweet mountain fragrance. There was just something about a sparkle of a fresh snow fall, the looming rock in the distance, and the ancient trees embracing us that calmed me.

"What's on your mind?" Naruto's deep voice sounded across the flames.

I looked up into his eyes, gleaming from the firelight, "It's really beautiful out here. I never could have imagined the extent of splendor there is in just one view of a mountain."

He smiled slightly, "Yes it is…" his eyes traced the flickering flames, but it looked as if his mind was elsewhere.

"So, Naruto. What do you do for fun when you're off work?" my attempt at distracting him was pretty lame, but I had to try right?

His eyes darted to make contact with mine, "Well, I go trail riding with Akira on the weekends usually. Let's see…" he leaned back on his log and stared intently at the stars, "On occasion I read, but mind you that's pretty rare. I don't know…I go hiking, camping, skiing…" he looked as if he were at a complete loss for words.

I urged him to continue, "What about when you're at home and can't do that stuff?"

He exhaled loudly, "I play with my dogs and create new recipes for work. That's kinda it, hehe…boring huh?"

I shook my head, "No way. That's more than I do back home. All I do when I'm off work is cook, clean, and play with my cat."

"…Dude…" following his exasperate look, I giggled and extended my hands toward the fire to warm them. "…So, have you always lived in the states?"

All of a sudden my attention was absorbed by a log that was slowly crumbling into ash. I spoke slowly and deliberately, "No. When I was little, my entire family lived in Japan. As the years went by, most of my cousins moved to various countries in Europe. After my mother and uncle died, my father thought it would be a good idea to follow everyone else's example and start over. So, he moved my orphaned cousin, my sister, and me to Virginia where he had a branch of his company stationed at. All of us kids moved to Pennsylvania for college and never really left…" my lips half heartedly tugged upward.

The only reply I got was a knowing look and a tender smile.

On a blistery Saturday morning, I felt completely silly as I walked out of the tent. I was completely wrapped for the cold from head to toe, under Naruto's orders. What made me feel even more ridiculous was that I had goggles and a bright fuchsia pink woolen beanie on top of my head, which was not my color. But as Naruto came back from the car dressed in almost the same attire and carrying skiing equipment, I nearly fainted from utter fear.

"Y-you're not serious, right?" I warily eyed the skis, wishing with all hope that I could chuck them over a cliff.

His tall frame looked down upon me with amusement, "Judging by your expression, I'm guessing you're a rookie."

Still fixated on the gear, I replied stiffly "Besides that, I do not like anything that doesn't have a proper…steering system…"

Naruto absolutely scoffed at my notion. "Ok Hinata, whatever you say. You know, a horse can't be 'steered'. They tend to have a mind of their own; yet you do perfectly fine on one."

"But you can if the horse senses you're calm and you are experienced. Cars are good. Bicycles are acceptable. Carriages, trains, boats, and planes are fine. But not skis; I would kill myself on them."

"You do realize that's what the poles are for right; the turning part of the sport?" Now the bastard was just patronizing me. I smacked him on the shoulder as he busted out into laughter.

"I know that, genius." I spat.

He became serious once more. "You don't have to be scared of heights or anything like that okay? I'll teach you." his blue eyes traced the path of the rising sun, "Now c'mon, we need to make that hill top in an hour."

Looking down the slope was horrifying; especially considering how Naruto had told me this was the smallest one in the area. But after safety tips and strapping me in, he showed me how you use the traction of the poles to push you forward and change directions. It was nerve wracking to say the least. For my last lesson, Naruto took to the slopes to show me how it was done first hand. I locked my jaw as I saw him push off the edge and let gravity do the rest.

To my astonishment, the man looked graceful as he glided down the valley of snow. He made it look so effortless…my stomach ached with jealousy and nausea. As he came to the bottom, he turned back and waved me to follow. I internally sneered; as if that was going to coax me down this mound of death!

"Hinata! It's not that bad!" he called up to me.

I closed my eyes against the scene. Slowly but surely, I convinced myself to move toward the rim. This trip was supposed to be about new experiences. Why not conquer some fears while I'm at it?

The whipping wind made me open my eyes and I was transfixed at how fast I was moving. It took a few moments before my brain registered that I needed to use the poles before I lost balance. It was scary, thrilling, and…wonderful. And it was over before I knew it. I found myself in front of a beaming teacher, proud of his student.

I returned his smile, "Race you back up?"

"As I told you, you had nothing to fear Hinata." He just loved rubbing it in. I stopped my rearranging of the car contents to whirl back at him and give him my famous glare.

"Pass me the poles." Following our skis, I gently placed the poles on top and shut the hatch. Déjà vu seemed to hit me as I walked to an identical fire from last nights. "I think I'll turn in early. After all, I'm driving tomorrow."

I heard snow and a random twig crunch behind me, "Sounds like a good idea." He put the fire out and everything turned pitch black as we adjusted to the star light.

My fingers skimmed the periphery of the tent for the opening when another set of fingers met mine. Startled, I spun around only to find Naruto. How silly of me to think it could be anyone else! I could barely make out his expression, but I could see the gleam in his eyes from the moonlight. I was also painfully aware that I was a breath away from being flush against his body. My mind started to wander in hardly ethical places.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." came his sheepish whisper.

That husky tone did strange things to me. It tickled my brain, as if I was supposed to remember something. But I just couldn't put two and two together. "I-it's not a problem Naruto. Let's get some sleep."

That night I had the same dream. The dream of the mysterious voice that held me like no one I ever knew had…

I'm sorry it took me so long to update XD I was banging my head against the wall trying to finish this god awful filler! I decided not to include sexual tension in this chapter…I probably would have killed myself trying to finish haha! But school is out, summer is here :D and I can dedicate my time to my stories! Even though this chapter was short I hope you still liked it!