A/N: Woohoo! Another chapter! I seriously enjoy writing this. I love Naruto, and writing my own version of the events is too damn fun! Plus, I can put in a far more realistic time frame. No offense Kishi, but the stuff in Naruto takes place so damn rapidly it's like they are impatient for things to happen. Also, more NaruHina fluff! Yay! I feel like a girl saying that, but hey, I like what I like. Onto the story!
Reviewer Response
Alaxbird: Ha, I'll try to keep the chapters comin for ya. Glad at least one person likes my writing.
Rose Tiger: Yeah and neither can Naruto. As you may recall, they were about to do some naughty things :D
Arymed: Thanks! I wanted to write Hiashi as a distant but caring father who only needed a little push to become more affectionate. I hate it when he is written like a complete dick. If you will recall Naruto Shippuden Episode 190 something, when Hinata was kidnapped again Hiashi did everything in his power to get her back. Does that sound like an asshole father to you? Nope, sounds like a good father to me. He also stated that she and Neji were precious to him, so that ends any arguments to the contrary. It's canon people.
Naruhinafanficfan1: Er, thanks?
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"NARUTO!" Hinata bolted upright, throwing the bed sheets off her body.
Based on the faint sunlight that came in through the window, it was early in the morning. Faint sounds of far-off construction filtered through the window as the villagers continue with the rebuilding. The noise echoed slightly around the white hospital room, but its occupants paid it no heed.
"Lady Hinata!" Neji, who had been sitting in one of the room's chairs, sound asleep, had been startled awake by his cousin's yell. He quickly moved to her side as she began to cry, repeating Naruto's name over and over.
"Shh, it's alright Hinata." Neji placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. He recoiled in surprise when she slapped his hand away and glared at him. Hinata had never hit anyone outside of training or the battlefield, and it shocked Neji greatly.
"How can it be alright?!" Hinata sniffed, sobs still wracking her body. She dropped her gaze from Neji, placing her face into her hands. "Naruto is gone…" She choked out, almost as if she didn't believe the words.
Neji smiled at her softly, realizing the cause of her distress. He had been informed by Rokuro that this might be the case, but he had forgotten in the heat of the moment. "Lady Hinata, Naruto is fine. See for yourself."
Hinata's head whipped around at his words, her hair fanning out behind her. Neji pulled back the curtain next to her bed, revealing Naruto. The blonde was hugging his pillow tightly, drooling slightly as he slept. Hinata's heart lifted, and she flew out of her bed.
Neji couldn't get out of the way fast enough, and the Hyuga was bowled over as Hinata forced her way past him. He ended up face down on the tile floor, cursing his method of revelation.
Hinata literally threw herself on Naruto, arms wrapping around his neck. Tears continued to flow down her face as she embraced the blonde, but from the huge smile she wore it was obvious they weren't from sadness any longer.
Naruto had been dreaming peacefully of Hinata feeding him ramen when he was awoken by the need to breathe. He looked down and couldn't help but smile as he saw Hinata's form sprawled on his own. However, he still needed oxygen, and the need for air soon overpowered his desire to hold Hinata.
"Hi…na…ta…" Naruto managed to get out, tapping her shoulder. She looked into his eyes, and upon seeing the blue coloring in his cheeks, loosened her grip on his neck. She giggled as he took a huge breath in, his color slowly returning to normal. As soon as his breathing returned to normal, he grinned at the girl laying on top of him and placed his hands on her lower back.
"Naruto, I'm so glad to see you!" Hinata yelled excitedly, burying her face in his chest as the memory of the genjutsu she had been placed under came back. "They put me under a genjutsu… I thought you had been…" She didn't finish the thought, as the pain she had felt came back to her.
"Hey, it's okay." Naruto said softly. "I'm not going anywhere. I promised that I would protect you, and I can't do that if I'm dead." He grinned at Hinata, and she lifted her face up. That grin always made her heart soar, and instantly all of her sorrows melted away. She smiled at him, then snuggled closer, intent on staying with him for as long as possible.
"It's nice to see you smiling Lady Hinata." Neji said. While he had accepted their relationship and was happy for Hinata, he still felt uneasy about the two of them. He had the utmost respect for Naruto, and knew he loved Hinata just as deeply as she loved him, but he was a pervert, and he had to make sure he didn't take advantage of Hinata. "I'm also glad to see that you are unharmed. Naruto, this is the second time you have saved my cousin's life. I cannot fathom any way to repay you."
Hinata, to her credit, didn't blush as deeply as one would have expected when Neji reaffirmed his presence. She simply smiled at her cousin and made no move to get off Naruto. Naruto laughed nervously, uncomfortable with Neji's thanks for doing what he simply thought was his job.
"Hey, it's no problem Neji. Besides," he added, a solemn look crossing his face. "Without Hinata, my life wouldn't really be worth living, so I kinda saved my own life too ya know." His tone was completely serious, and everyone in the room knew he meant it.
Hinata turned crimson at his admission. Did she really mean that much to him? It was Naruto, though, and Hinata had no doubts about the sincerity of his words. Her heart swelled; she had never loved him more than she did at this precise moment. She renewed her tight hold on him, burying her face in his chest. Hinata felt like she could stay in his arms forever, and she wanted to prolong this moment for as long as possible.
Naruto was surprised as Hinata's hold on him tightened once more, but since he could breathe this time he made no move to stop her. Her body pressed against his, and Naruto had a slight struggle to push down his arousal, but otherwise he simply felt his love for the girl in his arms with each heartbeat.
The room remained quiet for several more minutes. Naruto and Hinata simply held each other, and Neji sat in his chair, averting his eyes to give them some privacy. While he would prefer to be outside of the room, Hiashi's orders rang through his head and he stayed put. He let out a sigh of relief however, when his loud companion of several hours barged into the room.
"Yo Neji! I got us the drinks!" Rokuro practically yelled. "Here you- Naruto! Hinata! You guys are finally up!"
The eldest Uzumaki had been in the room all night, along with Neji, and had been chatting away with the Hyuga. The two had already become friends when Rokuro had distracted him two days ago, but they had taken the time to swap stories and laughs throughout the night. Even though the Hyuga was quite proud and proper, he felt at ease around Rokuro in a way that no one else besides Tenten had seen. They shared a bond as elder cousins, and had become fast friends. However, Neji was irritated that he had chosen to be so loud.
"Rokuro." He said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "This is a hospital, so you should keep your voice-"
"Rokuro!" Naruto shouted, drowning out Neji. "Hey, what's up?"
"Nothin much little cuz, just trying to get that stick out of Neji's ass all night." Rokuro responded with an easy grin. Neji simply stared at him, eyes and mouth opened wide in shock. To his eternal mortification, Naruto, Rokuro, and even Hinata all broke out in laughter. He hung his head in shame, while secretly plotting his revenge.
"Haha, so what else is up?" Rokuro let his laughter die, switching into concerned older sibling mode. "Are you guys both feeling okay? Anything bothering you?"
"No, I'm fine." Naruto responded, still grinning at the joke. "What about you Hinata?"
"I'm doing very well." Hinata replied, stifling a giggle as she glanced at her mortified cousin. "Thank you for asking, Rokuro-sensei."
"Now, now Little Hina." Rokuro scolded. "I already told you, I'm no teacher. I just like torturing kids." He added with a grin.
"Hey, I'm no kid!" Naruto pouted. "I'm sixteen and a ninja! That means I'm an adult!" Naruto's pouts earned a giggle from Hinata.
"Oh yeah? You don't qualify as an adult in my eyes until your eighteen and over five foot two, shorty." Rokuro mocked.
"Hey, I'm five foot five! Look, I already reach your shoulder!"
"Yeah, that's because you're standing on your tiptoes idiot!"
The two cousins continued to bicker back and forth, with Naruto trying to make his cousin stand still so they could compare heights, and Rokuro standing on his toes to make himself taller every time Naruto tried. Hinata simply sat on the bed, watching and giggling at their antics. While she still wanted to hold Naruto, she enjoyed watching him get worked up almost as much. The bickering was soon interrupted by Neji, who placed his hands on each Uzumaki's shoulder.
"That's enough!" Neji said sternly. "Now, unless you two quiet down, I will be forced to use my Gentle Fist to do it for me."
Naruto gulped and backed up, while Rokuro simply pouted. "Neji, your no fun when the others are around. Why can't you tell dirty jokes like last night?" The red-head whined.
Naruto and Hinata's jaws dropped, and their eyes popped out of their skulls. Neji managed to look embarrassed and furious at the same time, glaring daggers at Rokuro. Rokuro simply grinned, then yelped as he ducked the palm strike directed at him.
"Oh so you wanna spar huh?" Rokuro taunted, dodging each Byakugan directed strike. "Well, race you to the training grounds!" Rokuro disappeared. After several seconds of searching with his Byakugan, Neji took off in hot pursuit of his opponent. Naruto and Hinata simply stared at the empty doorway, still not quite sure what they had heard.
"Did… did he say that Neji cracks dirty jokes?" Naruto asked, still unsure if he had heard correctly. Hinata simply nodded, still dumbfounded by the turn of events. Never in her life had she seen Neji get so flustered, and cracking dirty jokes? Surely Rokuro had been joking. But the embarrassed look on Neji's face said otherwise, and Hinata knew plenty about embarrassment.
Naruto scratched the back of his head, wondering at Neji's newly found personality. He shook it off, turning his thoughts back to Hinata.
"Hey Hinata?" The serious note in his voice made Hinata look at him, instead of trying to figure out if her cousin had ever spied on him with his Byakugan. When Naruto was sure he had her attention he continued his questioning. "Last night, those guys that tried to kidnap you, did you know them?"
"Wait, they tried to kidnap me?" Hinata asked, surprised at the news. Naruto simply looked at her, confused, before he remembered that she had been knocked out until this morning.
Naruto climbed onto the bed, putting his back against the far wall. He spread his legs, and open his arms in an invitation. Hinata obliged, her head still processing the new information and trying to come up with logical scenarios. Her body settled in between Naruto's legs, leaning her back up against his chest and putting her head on his shoulder. Naruto wrapped his arms around her waist gently, pressing her against him. Once they were comfortable, Naruto proceeded to explain what had happened the night before.
Hinata listened to the story calmly, her face a stoic mask. Inside, her emotions were running rampant. Her first reaction was anger at the actions of Shirawaka, then fear and worry as she heard about his transformation, before finally settling on pride and love for him as he described his and Rokuro's success. She was a bit worried about his anger and beating of Sanjo, but she knew he had to let out his emotions every now and then. Even if being angry meant the Nine-Tails came out, then it was okay as long as he didn't get carried away.
Naruto left out one crucial piece of information however. He was still scared of his vision while under the genjutsu. He thought that it was very possible if he were to give in completely to the Nine-Tails, allowing it to run rampant. The very thought of those action terrified him, and he resolved to as the toads if the was a way he could control it. He would master the Nine-Tails, no matter what it took. For his friends, for his family, for his village, and most of all, for Hinata.
"Thank you Naruto." Hinata said softly, her emotions almost overwhelming her. Tears began to fall down her cheeks as she realized that Naruto would stop at nothing to protect her. "Just… thank you."
Naruto smiled at her, then became instantly worried as he felt her tears on his arms. He spun her around so that they were staring into each other's eyes. "Hinata what's wrong? Is this about the Nine-Tails? I promise you, I won't ever let it mmm!" He was cut off as Hinata kissed him. All of Naruto's worry seeped out of him as he felt the depths of her emotions in the kiss. He poured all of his own love, pride, and confidence in her into the kiss. They simply kissed, neither taking it any farther, as their lips conveyed the depths of their emotions.
Eventually, they both broke apart for air, their lips trembling with emotion. Naruto leaned his forehead on Hinata's, and they simply stared into each other's eyes for several moments before they heard a slight knock on the door.
"Sorry guys, but I came here to check up on you." Sakura said apologetically. The kunoichi was standing in the door in her nurse's uniform. She had come a few moments ago to find them kissing, but they were so cute to her that she didn't want to interrupt. To her eternal surprise, Hinata didn't even blush at the interruption. The Hyuga simply twisted around and planted herself firmly back into Naruto's chest.
"That's okay Sakura, we know you're just concerned for your friends." Hinata said happily. "But both of us are fine. Right Naruto?"
Naruto was mildly surprised that she hadn't blushed at being caught in such an intimate position. While he missed how cute it made her look, he knew that it was a habit that she had best grow out of, considering it came from her former low confidence. He turned his attention back to gaping Sakura.
"Yeah, we're okay Sakura! Can we leave the hospital soon?" Naruto asked curiously. He was hungry, and some Ichiraku ramen would really hit the spot. But he knew better than to try sneaking past Sakura. Or at least doing so while she was standing in the doorway.
Sakura shook her head, shaking off the surprise she had felt at Hinata's actions. The pink haired medic looked at her clipboard, frowning as she read the last page of Naruto's medical report. She slowly reached behind her back, pressing a special button on a pager given to all the nurses at the hospital.
"In a bit Naruto, you guys should relax here for a while." The girl had a smile on her face, and she slowly pulled the door behind her shut. "Why don't you tell me what happened while you're here?"
"Oh man Sakura, you're not gonna believe it! Hinata and I were training with Rokuro, then we went home…" Naruto began his story, babbling animatedly while waving his arms about. Hinata merely leaned back on his chest contentedly, allowing him to tell the story since she had been unconscious for most of it.
This last thought caused Hinata to frown slightly. She had been taken out of action in moments, doing nothing at all to contribute. This depressed her, and some of her self-confidence faded away. Her inability to see through the genjutsu had caused her to become a burden, and she once again had to rely on Naruto to save her. She felt weak and vunerable all of a sudden, and shifted uncomfortably in Naruto's embrace. Hinata blushed furiously, her position in Naruto's lap becoming apparent to her, and she quickly stood up.
Naruto halted his story, wondering why Hinata was standing up so suddenly. When she flashed him a quick smile, he became very worried. He could tell that she was hurting, and that she was attempting to hide it behind a smile. He knew, because he was a master at hiding pain behind a grin, and he grasped her hand as she tried to move away.
"Hinata, what's wrong?" Naruto asked, the tenderness and concern in his voice obvious.
"It's n-nothing Na-Naruto." She stammered, her old habit returning with her dip in confidence. "I-I j-just want t-to get something t-to dr-drink."
"Hinata, please talk to me." Naruto pleaded. Hinata hesitated, before Sakura grabbed her and pulled her over to the door.
"Actually, that's a great idea Hianta. Can you go grab us some water while I talk to Naruto?" Sakura asked, clearly hiding something. Hinata, suspicious of Sakura's motives, paused for a moment. However, her polite nature reasserted itself, and she nodded her agreement before moving out the door.
"Hey!" Naruto said loudly. "Sakura, I wanted to talk to Hinata about something!"
"You can talk to her later Naruto. Right now I need to tell you something."
Naruto recoiled a bit, surprised by Sakura's actions. The pinkette was fidgeting with something behind her back, and she wouldn't meet his gaze. To Naruto, she appeared to be acting the exact same way she had when they had met in the Land of Iron. His eyes narrowed, curious and cautious at the same time.
"Okay Sakura, what is it? And why did you make Hinata go get us something to drink, instead of doing it yourself. You're a nurse here after all. Can't you talk to me with her around?"
Sakura sighed to herself. There was going to be no easy way to do this, and Hinata certainly didn't want to be around when it happened. "Well Naruto, I really hate to do this when Hinata is so close by, but I need to get this off my chest." Sakura walked closer to Naruto, bending over to him and grabbing his hands in hers.
"Your vaccinations aren't up to date, so you need a shot."
Naruto's eyes popped out of his head at the unexpected words. He started to struggle, but Sakura quickly pinned his arms to his side and straddled him, trapping him between her and the bed. Even with her immense strength, she struggled to hold the blonde down. As she pinned him, several medical ninja crashed through the windows, not bothering to open them. They all pulled out tranquilizer guns, taking aim at Naruto.
Naruto screamed and trashed as dozens of needles pierced his upper right arm, injecting the sleep-inducing drug into his body. Sakura was thrown off him, crashing into the wall on the opposite side of the room. Naruto tore the needles out of his body, but it was a futile effort. His mind began to haze over, and his eye lids drooped before he found himself unconscious.
Hinata had been walking back to her and Naruto's room when she heard his terrified scream. She instantly dropped the tray she had been carrying, sprinting the rest of the way to the hospital room. Her Byakugan activated, and she gsaped at what she saw. Naruto was surrounded by people whose chakra she couldn't recognize, Sakura was lying up against the wall, and Naruto was knocked out. She sped up, thinking that he was in trouble, and was determined to rescue him.
The lead medical ninja pulled out the requested syringe, preparing to plunge it into Naruto's arm, when Hinata leapt into the room. In a flash, she had disabled enough of each of the "enemy" shinobi's chakra points to make each one unconscious.
Hinata took a deep breath in, before letting out a victorious cry. She had saved Naruto and Sakura, all by herself! She failed to notice the fact that the "enemy" were shinobi from her own village, or that Sakura was completely unharmed. Still, her self-confidence soared.
Sakura sat up, opening her eyes to the strangest sight she had ever seen. Hinata was cheering, Naruto was unconscious, and all of her back up was lying on the floor, also unconscious. She quickly stood up, grabbing the fallen needle. Ignoring Hinata's questions, she quickly strode over to Naruto and injected him with the vaccine. His eyes snapped open, and he looked at her with hurt and betrayal before promptly passing out again. She ignored the look, slumping to the ground, exhausted.
At that moment, a tired but smiling Neji and grinning Rokuro chose that moment to enter the hospital room. Both had had an intense spar, and neither could move without much difficulty. Two pairs of eyes, one red and one white, widened in shock at the state of the room.
Recovering his voice first, Neji directed his question to the only occupant that seemed to be awake, and cheering at the fact. "Lady Hinata, WHAT is going on?!"
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Naruto and Hinata walked slowly through the village, heading towards Naruto's apartment. They were both quite tired, neither having fully recovered from the training yesterday or the events of last night, but the two young shinobi were happy to be with each other. Both Naruto and Hinata's discussions and confessions earlier that day had deepened their love, and they walked hand in hand.
After their little mishap in the hospital, they had been discharged by a grumbling Sakura. Surprisingly, she hadn't hit Naruto for his troubles during the shot, but the blonde was positive he was going to pay for it later.
Hinata had been crestfallen when she had realized she had stopped several Leaf medical ninja, but took pride in the fact they were all at least chuunin level, even if they were on her side. This gave her back some of the confidence she had displayed earlier, though not all of it.
Both Naruto and Hinata were looking forward to a day of rest, even if it was going to be quite short, considering it was already three in the afternoon. However, they planned on spending the day together, and that made the time seem so much better to them.
They mounted the steps to Naruto's apartment, having already eaten at Ichiraku's. Naruto inserted his key into the lock, unlocking the door and pulling it open. The pair jumped backward in surprise at the loud shout that greeted them.
"SURPRISE!" The yell came from eleven throats. All of their friends had gathered in Naruto's apartment, waiting for him and Hinata to return. All of the faces were smiling, and they all laughed as Naruto fell on his butt in surprise, taking Hinata with him.
Naruto stood up, bewildered at the presence of his friends. His mouth, disconnected from his conscious thoughts, shouted out the first thing that came to mind.
"What the hell are you guys doing in my apartment?!" His yell was met with a gloved fist as Sakura smashed him into the wall opposite his door. Hinata ran over to see if he was okay while the rest of the group simply backed away from Sakura slightly.
"You idiot!" She ranted as Hinata helped Naruto to his feet. "We came here to throw you a party! You know, for saving the village and Hinata?"
"But how did you get into my apartment?" Naruto asked, worried that they had been able to break into his apartment so easily. A small shiver passed through the girl under his arm who was helping support him. Naruto looked at her in disbelief. "Hinata, did you tell them where my spare key was?" He asked, a slightly hurt tone in his voice.
Hinata nodded shyly, blushing at the question. Sakura had approached her while Naruto was still asleep from his shot, asking about his spare key. Hinata had been puzzled until the kunoichi explained her idea, the Hyuga nodding violently in acceptance. She still felt guilty about revealing its hiding place though.
"Ha, that old trick?" Sakura scoffed. "Naruto, hiding your key in a fake rock only works if there are a lot of rocks around, not when there's just one sitting right in front of your door."
Naruto's jaw dropped, and Hinata giggled slightly at his expression. He looked down at her with hurt in his eyes for the second time in as many minutes, and she immediately hugged him closer to her.
"Really Naruto? Did you really think any of us couldn't figure that out in a couple of minutes?" Kiba scoffed, amazed by the blonde's stupidity. "Any idiot would have known it was in the rock. I mean, there's just one rock sitting in the middle of the hall!"
"Oh just shut up Kiba." Ino interjected. "Alright Naruto's an idiot and we all know where his spare key is, can we start this party now?"
"Yes! We must all let our youth shine as we go through the youthful actions of partying!" Lee's eyes burned as he said this, bringing his fist up and clenching it in front of his face. "Guy-sensei told me that a party was an excellent idea, and that we should let the flames of youth-" Lee was cut off by a smack from Tenten.
"We get it Lee." She murmured irritably. Turning to Naruto and Hinata, she smiled at the couple. "What he was trying to say was that all of our sensei thought that this was a good idea, so they helped set it up. Now come on, let's have some fun!"
"Hell yes!" Rokuro roared, and everyone snickered at the red-heads enthusiasm. He was so similar to Naruto in some ways that everyone couldn't help but like him. The Uzumaki clan had a strange charisma, and apparently Naruto wasn't the only one to get it. "Come on, I bought the sake for this! Can't let it go to waste."
Naruto and Hinata simply smiled, overjoyed that their friends cared about them enough to throw a party, simply because they were both okay. Neither offered any resistance as Sakura grabbed their arms and dragged them inside. Everything in the world seemed to be perfect, and they couldn't be happier.
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Naruto flopped onto his bed, sighing in contentment. The party had long since been over, but it had been great. They simply sat around, talking, drinking and eating, having a wonderful time with each other. Naruto grinned and giggled as he recalled some of the antics during the party.
"What's so funny?" a soft voice asked.
Naruto turned his head to see Hinata standing in the doorway to his bathroom, one of his shirts covering her body. Neji had grudgingly agreed to allow her to spend the night, with Rokuro's assistance in their arguments. He had warned Naruto in an aside, but the blonde had heard it all before and simply reminded Neji that he had promised not to take advantage of her.
Not that she would mind if he did.
"I was just thinking about what happened with Akamaru" Naruto's grinned widened as he recalled the memory.
Hinata giggled, which slowly turned into a full laugh as she too remembered what had happened. She walked forward, trying to stifle her laughter, but it only served to make her laugh harder. She fell on the bed, clutching her sides as Naruto joined her. After several minutes they finally calmed down enough to speak.
"We shouldn't laugh at Kiba." Hinata giggled. "He got hurt when he tried that."
Naruto chuckled, still trying to bring his laughter under control. "I know, but seeing Akamaru's face… and when Kiba hit the wall…" Naruto burst into a fit of giggles, which in turn caused Hinata to start laughing as well. They calmed down much faster this time, as their eyes met and they lost themselves in each other's gaze.
Naruto couldn't believe his luck. Not for the first time, he felt unworthy of Hinata. She was beautiful, graceful, intelligent, and strong. He had no idea why she chose him out of all the people she could have had, but he certainly wasn't going to complain. He loved spending time with her, loved talking with her; just being in her presence was intoxicating to him. He understood her, and she understood him, in a way that no one else ever had before or ever would again.
Hinata felt the exact same way. For years she had admired Naruto and had a crush on him, and even though they been seeing each other for a month, and dating for the past two weeks, she still felt like it was a dream. For so long she had been chasing after him, wanting to be with him, and now she finally had him. She could hardly believe her luck.
The couple smiled at on another before leaning in for a soft, chaste kiss. Neither of them had the energy to take things further, and they settled for simply cuddling in bed. Naruto wrapped his arm around Hinata's waist, pulling her close to him. They touched foreheads, not exchanging words. They simply conveyed their feelings for each other through their eyes, not even breaking their gaze as both their eye-lids drooped as the night wore on. Eventually, sleep claimed them, and although it was peaceful for her, the same could not be said for Naruto.
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A/N: Whoo! Another chapter! I'm so exhausted right now I can't feel my face! Whoo! Ha, in all seriousness, I didn't get more than two hours last night, but I felt like writing today and I owed you guys another chapter. Also, I hope Neji doesn't seem too OOC, but I felt like there's no way he's actually that stoic on the inside. He has a side to him that nobody sees, and I like to think it could be funny to have my OC bring that out. Review please!