I'm back! I'm sorry, I have no excuse for the looonng wait besides...incredibly terrible writer's block...Ugh no excuse I know, but I haven't given up on you yet, story/readers/reviewers!

I've been working hard the past couple days to get this done, so I hope you enjoy it! I've been in a romantic mood lately, so I'm sorry if it's out of character or really cheesy.. I tried my best :)

"Hinata?"

"Hai, Naruto-kun?"

"...Nevermind." How could he ask her? How could he look her in the eye and ask, 'when did you start hurting yourself? Please stop, okay?' His tan fingers ran through his hair, sliding down from the back to the side of his neck. Slumping forward in exasperation, Naruto watched Hinata water the numerous assortment of plants scattered around his apartment. They had continued seeing one another after the attack on Konoha, simply because neither could find a good reason to stay away from each other.

It was a strange dejavu situation where the village was once again undergoing reconstruction. Sasuke had been subdued, currently under the watchful eyes of Sakura and the Hokage. He was forced to contribute to the reconstruction of his home village, as obvious punishment for destroying it. While Sasuke brooded during the laborious work, Naruto felt a huge relief off of his shoulders and he could focus more of his attention and thoughts and time with the Hyuuga heiress.

Hinata, to Naruto's slight relief, had reverted even further to her old self, blushing and stuttering more often than Naruto had heard in months. While thinking she was inexplicably cute when she demonstrated these familiar traits, it was worrisome to him that she didn't seem to realize these traits weren't new. Her memory was skewed, especially concerning him, and for reasons he could only guess, her self-harm habits hadn't ceased. They had certainly gotten immensely better, but while they lingered, Naruto could only worry in silence until he could think of a way to confront her about it. Recently he had been trying to bring the subject up, but he didn't want to seem insensitive, or cause her to cry or damage herself any more. And he knew he didn't always have the best way with words.

His mind whirring, Naruto let out a sigh. Hinata placed the small, empty watering can on the counter; she knelt on her knees next to him in front of the short kitchen table. Delicately, she placed a hand on his shoulder, running her fingers back and forth against the soft fabric of his light blue tee shirt. It was a nice color on him; it brought out the hue in his eyes. The hue that met her gaze now.

"Can...can we talk?"

They sat on his wood paneled floor across from one another. Naruto sat up and crossed his legs in front of him, his palms pressing into his thighs. Hinata sat with her legs folded beneath her, a perfect lady with impeccable posture; she insisted she was only comfortable that way. "What were you going to ask me, Naruto-kun?" She spoke with such a casual, familiar tone that he should have been eased of all tension, yet his heart hammered against his chest in anxiety. He licked his lips as he stared her straight in the eye. "What was your first memory of me, Hina-chan?"

She looked a bit taken aback, her pale face turning pallid. "A-ano... I don't know Naruto-kun...Maybe..." she drifted off, her eyes glazed over searching for something very far away. There was silence for a moment. Naruto didn't mind waiting.

"I remember...something to do with a swing." She spoke cautiously, but Naruto was intrigued. A swing?

"Like a playground swing?" He inquired. How long ago must that have been? Years, of course. He hadn't been near a playground in ages. Maybe academy days, but Naruto hardly recalled a memory in his own mind linking a swing to Hinata.

"M-maybe not!" she retreated. "M-maybe it had to do with potatoes..Yes, w-when you came to Konoha last spring! And you carried my bags.."

Naruto visibly wilted. He had been close, but he wouldn't give up.

"Naruto-kun, why do you ask?" Hinata was forcing herself to be calm. The question had riled up her insides something fierce. She squirmed and fidgeted under Naruto's gaze and she had the urge to stop speaking already, to hold her tongue and repress any further image that appeared in her mind's eye.

He didn't answer her. "Can you...can you remember what I looked like as a kid? Before the potatoes, I mean?" There was a hint of humor in his voice; Hinata instantly blushed but shook her head. When she looked down into her lap, Naruto took her face in his hands, sliding his thumbs down her warmed cheeks.

"Hina-chan if you feel too sad or upset, just...just know that I'm right here and we can take it slow. I want to help you. I just want you to smile okay?"

"But your smile saved me." she said abruptly then fell silent, quivering in his hands.

Naruto gave the brightest, truest smile he could, his whiskers on his cheeks curving into perfect arcs. Her frown faltered as his forehead lightly bumped hers.

"Okay, okay." He scooted closer to her in an excited tone. "What about you? Do you remember what you looked like as a kid? What were you like? What about Hanabi? Or Kiba and Shino?"

She nodded hesitantly after each person. Hinata had been a quiet child, reserved and gentle as she still was. Hanabi couldn't be more opposite. She was rash, but strong and determined. The daughter her father had wanted. A true Hyuuga. Naruto brushed her hair from her face. She leaned into his touch. But she was a sister Hinata loved dearly, for they looked after one another. Naruto gave a smile at that. Her father, she recalled, hadn't talked about her mother much during her childhood, but more frequently referenced her now to Hinata. Hyuuga Hiashi would now even voice a likeness or two Hinata shared with her mother, which pleased her greatly.

She had met Kiba and Shino officially when she was assigned to Team 8. Before that, she had seen them around at the academy. But Kiba had been such a loud boy that he frightened Hinata a bit and Shino had been so quiet, as Hinata had been, that they were both too shy to start any conversation. Besides, Hinata was much more of an observer than a talker. Watching in the shadows. Never gathering the courage to say what she wished she could.

Naruto changed the subject, "Do - do you remember the chuunin exams?"

Hinata raised a hand to her heart and kept it there, her whole figure saddening.

"You're alright," he said. He took her in his arms. "Hina-chan, you're alright."

"I-I know." she said, but didn't look at him.

"I cheered you on then." Naruto blurted out after having rested his chin on top on her head.

"Y-you did," Hinata said.

"Hai," Naruto confirmed.

"I cheered you on too."

Naruto was caught off guard and looked at Hinata with wide eyes.

"Even though you were up against Kiba, my teammate. I- I knew it was wrong, but I cheered you on in my head. In my heart, I suppose."

'So...' Naruto thought. 'Even then...'

"And when I went up against Neji-nii-san, all I could think about was you." Hinata spoke slowly and softly. "I wanted to make you proud. I - I wanted you to admire me in some way, like I admired you...e-even if it only made you look at me... even if it only made you see me."

Naruto reached over and gently caught the tears that had begun to run down her face. As more fell Naruto kissed her cheeks where her tears ran, catching them before cascading further down her beautiful face.

"I do see you," He whispered as he gently kissed the tears from her jawline and chin, and down her neck. He rested his face in the crook between her neck and shoulder. Kami, she smelled nice. As he took a breath, Hinata felt a strange warmth pulse through her whole body from the pit of her stomach to the erratically beating heart within her chest. She let out a soft moan filled with pleasure and the yearn for more.

She ran her fingers freely through his golden hair. Then down to the base of his neck she clung, staring eyes wide straight up but not even seeing the ceiling above them. She knew things were confusing. She didn't fully understand her relationship with Naruto, but something inside her couldn't bear to let him go. Naruto resumed kissing her neck and brought her down slowly to the floor. Hinata's lips met Naruto's cheeks, savoring the taste of his skin as she led her kisses down to his mouth.

Regardless of the fogged logic and hidden memories, she knew she was thinking clearly when she realized she wanted him. So she couldn't go through with anything further until she knew.

"Naruto-kun, if I asked, I trust you would tell me."

"Ne, 'Nata?"

"I want to know what you've been hiding from me. I mean, what I've been hiding from myself."

Naruto stopped, propped himself on his elbows, and looked down at her underneath him. As much as he had wanted to continue, the curious look in Hinata's eyes spoke to him. He should had known this was coming. If he didn't bring it up, she would, of course. And without the truth revealed, nothing further could happen between them. And lying to Hinata and hiding things from her was not Naruto's preferred style. Though he still hesitated before he settled down to lay next to her and said, "Okay…" He described, holding her hands, what happened with Pein. A long story without too much gory detail. But enough to make her understand. Enough for her body to physically recall the memories. Hinata lay next to him, her blood running cold, as if it were seeping from her body. She listened, intently, but he could tell she was in pain.

"Do you… remember any of it?" She shrugged her shoulders once but said "It's not clear, but it's not that I don't remember it."

Then he held her to him. Apologizing in her ear, he waited for Hinata to stop trembling before he continued.

"Hinata, you told me that you loved me. You told me you weren't afraid to…stand up for me. Even when your own life was at stake. I'd never heard anyone say something like that to me. And then you fought Pein. Hinata you were amazing. I told you to stop, but you wouldn't. I didn't want you to get hurt. But, you wouldn't give up, because that was your nindo, you said. Just like mine…"

Momentarily, Hinata began to breathe fast and shallow, as if suffocating on the air she breathed. Naruto slid open a window and a breeze carried in. The crisp clear air encouraged Naruto and Hinata both to take a few good breaths. He rejoined her on the floor, their hands clasping together and fingers entwining. Even as she composed herself, Hinata's tightening grip did not loosen.

"I remember flying" she said, her voice hitching in her throat. Her tone then resorted to a strained whisper. "Flying so high in the air. Dancing. Twirling. I wished you were with me."

That was something he obviously hadn't known. Naruto stared at her, dumbfounded. Taking a breath, she asked him patiently to continue. He swallowed, and told her about how he couldn't face her.

"There's no excuse." He said. "But my thoughts were all jumbled up and nothing made sense. I didn't know what to make of someone who told me that they had always watched over me, admired me, loved me. No one had ever wanted me, no one was there for me when I needed someone. Or at least, that's what I thought. And I was so confused, and I had Sasuke-teme and the Atasuki bugging around. I couldn't…I didn't…"

Hinata looked at their joined hands as he spoke. White knuckles, pink and tan skin overlapping each other. Blending together. She closed her eyes and willed herself not to provoke harm to herself. Battle plans. Rescue mission. The red swirl on the back of his jacket. The memories were coming back because she wasn't resisting or repressing them anymore.

"Okay. I-it's okay. It was nothing…really. Y-you don't have to w-worry or…"

"No, Hinata." He said firmly, though it pained him to say it. "No, but, I was a complete idiot. It was really shitty to do, to just avoid you like that. You should call me Naruto-teme!"

"Naruto-kun…"

"I just…and when I came back, two frikkin' years later, I was still oblivious. And you didn't know me. And that's exactly what I deserved."

They lay in each other's arms for a while. Naruto couldn't say much else. Hinata still cried, her fingers flexing now and then. When he found his voice, Naruto said, "I think…that's a lot for today. You wanna go for a walk? Get ice cream or something?"

Hinata laughed lightly and nodded into his chest.

Walking down the moonlit dirt path back into town, the two kept the same laid back pace, hand in hand. As the light of the shops and venders still open at this time of night lit up their faces and adjusted their eyes, Hinata said, "In you apartment, it hurt here." She gestured to her heart. "But only here. And I guess, these too." Her fingers touched the swollen, red skin under her eyes. "But I didn't do it." She said, looking at him with a smile. She meant that she had gone through the memories. She hadn't hurt herself at all. Not physically anyway. She was getting braver.

Naruto returned her smile a little sadly. He knew they had made progress. And what was amazing was Hinata was on-board with it. She wanted to dispel the barrier that had been put up between them. The one that made her...not right. The one that made her attempt to see through a fog. But he couldn't help his stomach churning with guilt as these thoughts left him heartsick. The simple thought that he had hurt her, enough to make her want to hurt herself, left him in more pain than when she had rejected his confession before Sasuke's attack.

'Just like Sasuke-teme, I guess I'm serving my own punishment.'

I'm thinking one more chapter after this...
Because I honestly don't know how long I can drag this out otherwise And Naruto and Hinata seem to really just want to get together already! (And get in each other's pants! XD)

Plus, I like ending on even numbered chapters :D

Please review! They make me so happy! Reviews also ENCOURAGE ME TO WRITE FASTER AND LENGTHIER CHAPTERS because I still get emails for reviews, and then they remind me that I should be writing!

So I hope it is not too long before we meet again! (Not as long as the previous wait, good gosh) Toodles~