Yeah, I know. You don't have to say it. I don't like taking too long to update, either. I re-wrote this at least six times before I came up with what you see here. It is short, but it turned out kind of nifty. It's so fluffy, you may want to get a lint brush for yourself after you read it. Just remember, we're slow-cooking this baby. It's a romance, too, right? Other things are going to escalate, too, in this chapter.

Anyway, thanks for the patience. Hope you feel it's worth it.

-DiO

"Reincarnation?" I laughed. "Please tell me you're kidding."

"Uh, no, I really wonder sometimes if that isn't what's going on," he replied with a shrug.

I shook my head, not believing that he would bring a silly concept like that up. He looked so serious, so sure he was right. I decided not to argue with him.

"OK," I started. "I don't believe in things like that, but I can't discount it, either. Let's put that one in the 'maybe' pile of theories as we try to come up with something a little more plausible, alright?"

He mutely shrugged again, turning to the sink to wash the dinner dishes. Now I felt bad, and I slumped in my chair, sulking at myself for being such a wet blanket to his thoughts. A yawn struck me full-force, and I stretched along the height of the chair, my arms reaching to the ceiling and my toes did their best to breach through my socks to the cool tile floor beneath. It was almost 11:30, and my body was screaming that it needed a bed.

I ended my stretch when I noticed Naruto's face just an inch from mine, his big blue eyes studying my scrunched up, yawning face. He planted a tiny kiss on the end of my nose and asked, "Sleepy, huh?"

"Yeah," I mumbled. "It's past my bed time, and I have class tomorrow morning. I need to get home."

"No way," he commanded, as he stood straight. " These guys have obvious orders to do something drastic, or else they wouldn't have shown themselves so openly to you. They could hurt you, or...worse. You don't know what their plans are, and here you want to go home, at night, alone?" He stood over me, his hands gripped into hard fists at his sides, his whole body quivering slightly as he was apparently imagining the 'worse' that had come into his mind.

I stood up, forcing him to back away a step, and reached for my coat and bag which were lying in the unoccupied chair next to mine. I could hear his breathing hitch as I swung my coat around my body and slide my arms in the sleeves.

"I have to go home, I have to go to bed. My life has to continue with some kind of normalcy, or else I'll just go crazy with all of this creepiness going on around me. Naruto, I'm...I'm just tired right now." I looked at him expectantly, wanting him to understand.

He came around the table, and took my shoulders gently, holding me to look into his face. The look of true worry and fright that was etched there made my heart almost stop completely. He was still trembling, I could feel the vibrations in his big, warm hands. His eyes bore into mine, speaking to me clearly that his concern was real, that the danger was eminent, and that he would fight me every step of the way if I tried to go.

"I-I can't stay here. How would it look?" I asked in a desperate tone. Truth was, I was frightened that I would want too much if I stayed. I didn't want to appear slutty to him, though the thought of spending the night in any capacity was making my insides gooey.

"Who cares?" He asked firmly. "Nobody knows you're here. The only person who might be worried about it would be Alicia, and she has turned the sexual corner with her boyfriend, so she couldn't really judge you for just staying over-night this one time, now, could she?"

"I don't have my things, what would I sleep in? I need my toothbrush, I..."

"Stop it," he broke me off. "I have extra new toothbrushes in the bathroom. You can have one. You can wear one of my t-shirts to bed if you want. I'll sleep on the couch, you can have the bedroom all to yourself. See?" he smiled broadly. "Completely innocent."

"I can't take your bed!" I blurted out. "You like to spread out, remember? I can't do that to you, I won't. You need your sleep, too. If you're going to make me stay, I'll sleep on the couch, not you. I couldn't sleep if I knew you were uncomfortable in there."

He rolled his eyes and laughed. "You worry about the silliest things, really." He kissed my forehead and lead me out of the kitchen and into the living room.

He went into the bedroom for a moment, as I awkwardly stood there wondering what I was getting myself into. Naruto came back a few moments later, with a plain white pocket t-shirt slung across one arm and a packaged toothbrush in his hand. "Here you go," he smiled at me. " You can change in the bathroom and then I'll tuck you in."

I smiled back as I shrugged my coat off and handed it to him. Now that this was actually happening, I was almost comfortable with the idea of staying with him. I took his bedtime offerings and shuffled off to the bathroom.

Once there, I looked at myself in the massive wall-length mirror over the vanity. Here I was in my gorgeous boyfriend's apartment, and I was almost demanding myself that we keep everything innocent and pure. At times like these, I truly did think that Alicia was right. I sabotaged everything that happens with men.

Though I knew we both wanted more deep down, Naruto was graciously playing the waiting game with me as far as my readiness for sex with him, and I had been trying to just put it out of my mind. Intimacy on that level was something I was terrified of unless it was so casual that there was no mistaking that a relationship was not in the cards. My freshman year of college was full of sex like that. Then, I found it so empty and unsatisfying that I wrote off men altogether. Even now, the thought of immersing myself in such a deep relationship was too scary to contemplate, and before Naruto came in the picture I imagined myself as celibate until death.

I could have him tonight, it would be so easy, so natural, I thought to myself. Whether I would allow myself to open up to him that way was another story. Sex, no matter how much part of me wanted it, was a high wall to climb over.

As I changed to his t-shirt, I coached myself into trying if that's what he wanted. I felt that maybe I could be ready if things turned out favorably. As I brushed my teeth and my hair, I strengthened my resolve to try to give myself over to the passion I knew I had, and to show Naruto a night he would never forget if he wanted it.

I opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom. The bedroom was still dark and quiet, so I figured Naruto must be in the living room. I crept into the large space and found him lounged on the couch wearing only pajama bottoms and watching television with the sound low. I looked at the tv, trying to keep my eyes on it instead of seeing his reaction to me walking in the room with bare legs and no bra. I felt myself blush deeply, and at that moment I really wished that I had a better handle on my nervous system. I eased my eyes over to his, trying to keep them off his torso. Wow, I was so glad he liked to work out at that moment. Thoughts of drawing his perfect form as he posed nude just for me made me feel fluttery in places I didn't know could flutter.

I stood before him, my hands entwined behind my back and the ball of my foot twisting back and forth on the hardwood floor. "I'm ready," I said quietly, smiling shyly. In my mind the statement was as loaded as it sounded.

I almost laughed as he suddenly jumped from the couch, simultaneously turning off the tv and throwing the remote onto the coffee table. He walked toward the bedroom, holding his hand out to me. I could tell by the look on his face that he was fighting to control the lust in his eyes so that he wouldn't scare me. It was too late, though. I was terrified, more of myself than him, though.

I took his warm hand and blushed anew. Part of me was wondering if this was really going to happen, or whether I would back out. I walked with him to the sprawling bed, and he pulled back the covers, revealing black cotton sheets.

"How many pillows do you want?" he asked as he started tugging them away from the head of the bed.

"Um, just two," I answered softly.

He kept two pillows on each side and plopped the rest in a stack on the floor near the nightstand. He then flung the stuffed fox on top of the pillow tower.

The sleepiness that I had felt before at dinner had vanished into thin air. All that remained was nervous anticipation. Naruto motioned for me to get into the far side of the bed, and I did so carefully, trying not to let my panties show under the long t-shirt that hiked up as I lifted my legs. When both of us were laying on our respective sides of the bed, Naruto pulled the covers up and we rested them on our chests, each clinging to the sheets like uncertain lifelines.

After we had both been laying with our eyes glued to the ceiling for a few minutes, Naruto finally spoke up, asking, "Would...um...would it be ok if I held you for a little while? It might help us both relax before I go out to the living room. I don't know about you, but I'm a little wound up right now."

I tried to keep my breathing even, though my insides felt like a carnival ride. "Sure," I finally answered. "I-I'd really like that."

I rolled toward him and scooted over until I could lay my head on his chest. I put my arm around his waist and snuggled in as close as I could. He put his arms around me, hugging me tight and planting his cheek into the top of my head.

I sighed heavily, drinking in his warmth and his scent. "This is nice," I stated, feeling overly obvious, but it was the only words that could form in my brain at that moment.

"Yeah," he replied as he gave me another tight squeeze. He started lightly trailing his fingers up and down my arm, making me feel relaxed to the point of jelly. I lay there with my eyes shut relishing the feeling of him touching me when I heard him whisper, "Hinata."

"Hmmm?" I answered sleepily as I looked up at him. He surprised me by kissing me gently, raising butterflies in my stomach and harsher urges farther south. We were both deepening the kiss second by second, and my brain was in complete overload.

He broke the kiss and brushed the stray hair out of my face, gazing deeply into my desire-softened eyes. His gaze was almost too intimate for me to be comfortable with, but I was determined not to look away from him. I wanted him to really see me then, though the honest reason why escaped me. My soul just needed that connection, the one I had been willfully depriving myself of for so long.

As if he heard my thoughts, he smiled faintly and put his hand on my face, brushing the apple of my cheek with his thumb. "There's nothing more beautiful in heaven or earth than you are right now," he announced softly. "Your soul shines in your eyes like a beacon, leading me to salvation. It's like it's always been there, waiting just for me."

"Wow," was all I could come up with. I felt hopelessly inarticulate after a line like that. Who says stuff like that these days, anyway? It was like a Victorian-era love declaration, painfully desperate in its romanticism of the moment. Forever the sap, I appropriately nearly swooned in response. I probably should have been embarrassed, but couldn't manage to find my ego in order to feel anything beyond blind love for the man laying with me.

He snickered at my reaction to his words. "Did you like that, babe?" he asked. His hand continued stroking my face gently.

"Well, sure," I answered, blushing. "As long as no one's looking, I don't know what woman wouldn't. I'd say you hit that one out of the park, in grand John Keats style, I'd say."

He laughed heartily at that. "Keats?" he queried. "Hmm. I was going for Song of Solomon, but I suppose Keats will do, if you prefer him."

"Uh, the Old Testament isn't really high on my reading list, so I really wouldn't know," I answered, puzzled that he would even be thinking of the Bible at that particular moment.

"Trust me, that King Solomon was one horny boy," he smirked. "He really was quite the smooth-talker. Though, I think I did miss the mark, I haven't read it in years."

I rolled my eyes. "I'll take your word for it, now be romantic yourself and kiss me."

I suddenly witnessed his eyes darken with pure lust and he smiled at me greedily as he rolled on top of me to kiss me again. His mouth embraced mine, enveloping me in the moist warmth that seemed to claim my entire being, not just in the kiss. I allowed myself to get lost in the desire we were feeling and it took me a moment to notice when he stopped and was still as if he was listening to a sound I supposed only he could hear.

Fear was on his face when he quickly rolled to the edge of the bed and reached under the top of the nightstand and pulled out a handgun in it's holster. He glanced at me worriedly and said quickly, "They're trying to pick the lock on the door. Hide wherever you can and I'll do my best to scare them off."

I had stopped breathing when I saw the gun in his hand. I could only shake my head negatively as he stalked to the bedroom entrance, the gun held expertly in his hands. I could hear the light scratching of metal in the lock of the door by this time, and it made my brain lock up even more. It was all happening too fast, weren't we just kissing a second ago? How had it come to this in such a short time? "N-na-naruto, don't!" I almost screamed, trying to be quiet but also trying to be as emphatic as possible.

He looked back at me with determination and growled, "Hinata, get low and hide NOW!" This new force in his speech woke me from my fearful daze and I jumped out of the bed and crawled under it, hoping the bedding would conceal me enough to keep me safe.

There were a few seconds of quiet as Naruto slunk out farther into his apartment and then shots went off in rapid succession, making me jump and cringe and cover my ears. I couldn't scream as I heard two more shots farther out, probably in the hallway of the building. Then there was faint yelling and a commotion outside in the street. Next, I heard a car's tires squeal down the block and then there was blessed, yet horrifying silence. It was over, but was Naruto alright?

I could not make myself move. I tried, I mentally pushed at myself to get my limbs to allow me to squirm myself out from under the bed, but at that moment I couldn't even make myself open my eyes. I had to see what happened to Naruto, but the fear response paralysis just would not wear off.

A moment later I heard the rapid padding of bare feet on the hard wood of the bedroom and then Naruto tentatively called my name. Even then, I couldn't answer him, I couldn't look out from under the bed to reassure him that I was alright. His voice became tainted with panic as he ran first to the closet and then the bathroom as he continued his search for me. Then I heard him huff out a frustrated sigh as he realized my location and knelt next to me while lifting the blanket away from my side of the bed.

"Hey," he whispered gently. "It's ok now, they're gone. You can come out." He took me by the arm and pulled me from my hiding place gently but firmly and took me into his arms. Finally, I began to be able to move on my own, and my body fell into his lap and I let out a low sob. All the tension came off of me as I cried in his arms, and he held me tight there in the floor, rocking me like a frightened child and rubbing my back in an attempt to comfort me.

Within minutes, a police siren grew louder down on the street and stopped in front of Naruto's building. "I have to go talk to them, you just wait here," he told me, and he untangled himself from my embrace and went back out into the apartment. I heard a knock at the door and then voices. The police interview lasted quite a long time, and eventually I grew weary of the floor and crawled back into the bed in an attempt to get warm. I looked at the clock. It was 1:30 in the morning.

Though I kept waiting for an officer to come for me to give a statement, one never came. After an eternity of waiting, the door finally closed, and Naruto came to the bed and flopped himself in it.

I looked at him worriedly. "They didn't want to ask me anything?" I asked. "That's weird."

"We'll go down to the station tomorrow after classes and you can give your statement. I talked them into letting you alone since you didn't actually see anything, anyway." He settled into the blanket and wrapped his arms around me, a sour look shrouding his face.

"What's wrong? You aren't hurt are you? You aren't in trouble with the police or anything, right?" I couldn't hide my concern. He was just in a gun fight, for heaven's sake.

"Nah, I'm fine, babe. Nobody shot me and the police were really nice about it. I'm just pissed because they had to confiscate my gun for the case. I like that gun, too." He nearly stuck his bottom lip out to pout about his lost firearm.

I just stared at him, unbelief written in neon letters on my forehead. After all that happened, the stupid gun was what he seemed to be upset about.

"Don't worry, I got one of the sons-of-bitches in the shoulder. They won't be back any time soon, believe me. I don't think they were expecting to be met at the door by someone like me. We should be safe for a little while, at least." He sighed again, snuggling me closer and he closed his eyes, ending the rundown on the situation.

"O-ok," I spoke quietly, and I laid my head on his chest, thinking I'd never get to sleep after a night like that one. It was the last thought I had until the alarm went off.

Yeah, tense. Next, we go clubbing, more intrigue, and maybe something yummy. Also, in an effort to crack my writer's block, I started another story, since I've effectively stopped "Need". I'll be publishing it very soon, if not today or tomorrow. Hope you check it out. : )