The day had finally come. The best day of her life. No, the day her life finally began. Because today, finally, (after how many years) the Naruto Uzumaki had asked her on a date!

Oh, it had involved a lot of stammering and some nudging from his team, but he had come up to her outside their training ground, head tilted at that adorable angle, and asked if she wanted to grab dinner with him.

Of course, she had said yes.

Once she had recovered from her faint. But the sight of Naruto staring down at her with concern in his sky blue eyes- looking at her!-

Oh, she still had butterflies in her stomach at the memory.

"Um, Hinata?"

Oh, Naruto was looking at her! He was perched on the edge of his stool, staring at her with a look of delightful embarrassment.

"Y-yes, Naruto-san?"

"Um… ah. This is embarrassing." Naruto grinned at her and scratched the back of his head, "But Sakura said that you had had a crush on me for a while? Like ever since the Academy?"

Her heart began to beat so quickly, Hinata was sure it would escape the cage of her ribs and fly off into the bright blue sky- as bright as Naruto's eyes. But she had promised herself that she wouldn't faint on this date, no matter how red her face became.

Bringing her fingers together, she nodded hesitantly. "Y-yes, Naruto-san."

"And you were like super into me, right? Like watching me all the time and stuff?"

Oh- if he only knew. He was the only light point in her life during those dark days of her childhood. When tensions threatened to tear apart her orderly life, all she had to do was close her eyes and think of Naruto. Naruto who had the sun in his heart and the sky in his eyes. Naruto who never gave up, never cried, never was weak. Naruto-

Oh, one day she would explain to him how important he was to her. She would spend every day of her life proving how essential he was, how perfect he was.

"U-u-uh, yes, Naruto-kun."

Oh, her daring! To use that suffix without being invited. But they were on a date. Naruto was asking her deep questions. Soon she would find the words to explain what hope he had always brought to her.

"Right…" Naruto glanced down at his clasped hands. He suddenly seemed shy and vulnerable. Hinata wished she had the courage to reach out and take his hands in hers, promise that no matter what was troubling him, she would use all her influence and skill to drive it away- just as he had driven away the shadows from her days.

"Hey Hinata. Did you ever notice how I was failing all my classes in the Academy?"

"W-what?"

Suddenly, the blue eyes were no longer open and friendly.

"What about how the villagers usually over-charged me for basic necessities?"

"Th-they did?"

"Yeah. They did." His voice had become cool and reserved. "They also routinely ignored me, shunned me, sold me defective products, made sure I was the least prepared and most likely to die when I graduated."

It was as if her cheerful and glorious Naruto was replaced by a stranger who stared at her from behind hard eyes. Hinata could only squeak miserably and shake her head.

"Kami, Hinata! Did you at least notice that half the time I didn't have a lunch at the Academy? Or that when I did, it was a ramen cup? Since that was the only thing I knew how to make and could get for a decent price? Sasuke freaked out when he found out. Started ranting about nutritional deficiencies and no wonder I couldn't stay awake in class." A fond smile crossed his face and Hinata began to hope that her Naruto had returned. But a second later, it was gone.

"I was lonely Hinata. So lonely and so desperate for attention. Do you have any idea what one friend would have done? Just knowing that you- kami, you didn't even have to care. Just had to notice me." He buried his head in his hands and rubbed at his eyes.

"I-I- do notice you Naruto-kun." Barely believing her daring, she reached out to touch his shoulder, but hesitated before she made contact.

"See, that's the thing. I don't think you do." Naruto straightened with a sigh. "Because I talked about this a lot with Sakura. Like, in the Academy, she had a crush on Sasuke. But it wasn't really on Sasuke. It was on "The Last Uchiha" who was cool and daring and good at everything. Then she actually got to know him and found out that he's super awkward, neurotic, and overbearing. She still likes him, but it's him, you know? Not some image she had."

"I like you, Naruto." Hinata insisted stoutly. This wasn't how the day was supposed to go! Hinata had had the day all mapped out. Naruto would learn about her home situation- draw it out with kind and gentle words, then come up with a solution that would solve all the problems.

"Do you?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." She insisted, "You're kind and brave and never give up. I-I admire your optimism so much, Naruto-kun! You are the one who inspired me to be a better person!" She felt breathless after that confession. But instead of looking awestruck and in love, a pained look flickered across his face.

"Yeah. That… just sounds like the main character of any dime store novel." Naruto sighed and stood up- hands shoved in his pockets. "Look. Hinata- if this ideal me gave you the strength to improve yourself. I'm glad. Honestly. But please don't confuse me for him. I can't live up to that ideal and wouldn't want to disappoint you when I didn't."

"N-naruto?"

"Look- I'm not even saying that we might not work." Naruto cracked his neck and then looked directly at her. It was as if he was the one possessing the byakugan- able to see through her in a heartbeat. "But I want to date someone who wants the real me. So if you think you can do that, let me know."

He turned away and Hinata's world shattered into a thousand pieces.

Later

It still made him happy that the door to his apartment swung open with a touch. No kicking the warped wood open and yanking it shut. Nope, this door even had oiled hinges.

But it was the two people curled up on the couch that really brought a smile to his face. Sakura looked up from her treatise on some insanely complicated political deal with concern.

"How did it go?" She pulled her leg from Sasuke's lap, where he had been bent over it- memorizing muscle groups and tekensu points in preparation for his upcoming medic test. Naruto flopped down in the open spot she left and pulled his two team mates into a hug.

"I love you guys."

Sakura immediately wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. "I'm so sorry, Naruto."

Sasuke still wouldn't be considered the best hugger by any standard, but he relaxed slightly against Naruto. "She didn't notice?"

"No."

"Tch." Sasuke wrapped a stiff arm around him too. "You don't need her. You've got us."

And if that wasn't the truth, Naruto didn't know what was.

A/N: Inspired by Suzululu4moe's comment about Hinata. Set in an AU of my "A Chance to Say Yes" AU, because I have big plans for Hinata that don't involve this conversation.

Honestly, I don't know why everyone likes Hinata so much- her obsession with Naruto is pretty unhealthy.