After some careful consideration, I have decided to make this chapter and the next chapter longer than usual. The story is dragging on more than I had planned, so to move things along, what would've been three chapters has been condensed into two. I want to get the action started soon, and the best way was to speed things up by increasing the length of the chapters. I may continue to do so throughout the rest of the story, but I need to make sure I can fit it all in. I wanted to update weekly, but if you'd prefer longer chapters instead, I could do that. Just grant me a few extra days to make it possible. It's kind of tough to juggle two stories and update them both on a weekly basis, because I don't always have a whole lot of time to write. My next chapter will be out in a week though, regardless, since I'm already a good part of the way through. This chapter is more fluff, but the one right after is where it will begin to get exciting. On that note, please read and review. Also, excuse any spelling or grammar errors that I may have missed; I was too lazy to proofread it a third time.
Distorted Minds
Chapter 11
After a bit of convincing from Hinata's end, Naruto allowed her to help him clean up his apartment, embarrassed that she had seen what a mess it was in the first place. Hinata didn't mind, however, and was more than happy to help him tackle the daunting job.
"Wow, I can't remember the last time this place was so clean," Naruto murmured as he looked around, admiring their work. "No one really comes over here, so I don't keep up with the cleaning as much as I should," he added.
"You have a very nice apartment hidden underneath all that clutter," Hinata remarked jokingly.
The blond chuckled. "Thanks. I should put in a bit more effort to keep it clean, huh?"
"I'm always happy to help if you need me," she responded sweetly.
'I do need you.' Naruto blinked, surprised at the thought that had just crossed his mind. He stared at his friend, feeling a small blush creep onto his face as he bent down a little closer to her. His intense gaze was causing Hinata's cheeks to turn a light shade of pink as well.
"N-Naruto-kun...?" she meekly murmured with uncertainty. She couldn't seem to tear her lavender eyes away from his blue ones, and she felt her heart flutter.
Hinata's questioning, confused tone snapped Naruto out of whatever daze he had been in. He straightened himself and rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous laugh. "Um, sorry. I just...uh...spaced out. Anyway, what do you want to do?" he asked, trying to change the subject.
Still blushing, the indigo-haired girl felt her heart skip a beat. That was right; she was going to be spending all of her time with Naruto. Alone.
"Hinata? Are you okay?" Naruto asked with concern.
She nodded, trying her hardest to stay calm. "I-I'm fine. And, um...what do you want to do?"
"Well...you should rest after moving around so much. Are you sure that you're not tired?"
"I'm okay," she assured him with a smile. "Really."
Naruto was quiet for a moment, feeling his face heat up as he spoke. "Um...about last night..."
Hinata stared at him, a light blush dusting her cheeks. She tried to speak, but couldn't seem to find the words. Instead all she could was wait for him to continue.
The blond seemed to be having trouble forming his own coherent sentences, at a loss of what he should say. "I, uh...I'm sorry if I over stepped my boundaries. I probably shouldn't have climbed into bed with you, but it's just that...you seemed like you needed it. To be comforted, I mean!" he added quickly with a sheepish smile. "I'm not really good with this type of stuff, and I'm kind of an idiot. But if I do anything that makes you uncomfortable, then just let me know."
"I-it's okay," she assured him as her blush deepened. "You didn't over step any boundaries. What you did for me...well...it did make me feel better," she admitted shyly as she dropped her gaze to the floor. "S-so thank you for that, Naruto-kun. And again, thank you for letting me stay here for now. I...I know that you're not used to living with another person, so if you need some space, I can give it to you."
Naruto smiled. "Actually, it's nice having someone else here, to be honest. It gets really lonely sometimes, so I really enjoy your company."
"Th-thank you," Hinata stammered, flustered by his words.
"Oh, I almost forgot," the jinchuriki started again with realization. "Aren't you supposed to put that medicine on your back twice a day? I helped you apply it last night, but not this morning. We should probably take care of that to make sure you heal correctly."
Minutes later, the two teens stood in the bathroom, Hinata covering her chest with a towel while Naruto gently applied the medicine to hear bare back. He noticed how tense she was, still embarrassed to have him see the unsightly mess. Her face was tilted downwards, bright red as his hand moved across her skin.
"How's the pain?" he asked her, his eyes glued to red crisscrosses.
"N-not bad," she replied, then shuddered a bit.
Concerned, Naruto paused. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"
Hinata smiled, glancing over her shoulder to meet his gaze. "No. It felt...nice..." she admitted.
"Really?" He kept up with the light rubbing, spreading the medicine out to cover the entire area. "Heh, I guess I'm better at this than I though."
"I wish Hanabi packed me some looser clothing," the indigo-haired girl murmured. "The tight clothing hurts to put on and take off..."
Naruto grinned, an idea popping into his head as he finished up. "Hang on, I'll be right back." With that, he turned and left the confused girl in the bathroom. He returned moments later, a white t-shirt in his hand. "Wear this. It'll be a lot more comfortable for you."
"Th-thank you," she stammered, shyly taking the article from him as she used her other hand to clutch the towel to her chest. 'Naruto-kun's clothing...'
Naruto tried his best to avoid looking directly at her chest, feeling his face heat up. "No problem. I'll, uh... I'll let you put that on." He quickly exited the bathroom once more, closing the door behind him. 'I've really gotta restrain myself.'
It didn't take long for Hinata to emerge, and when she did, Naruto couldn't help but gape slightly. The shirt was long on Hinata's petite frame, her shorts completely hidden beneath the white fabric. 'So cute', he thought to himself, wide-eyed as he took in the sight before him.
"N-Naruto-kun?" She questioned nervously, tilting her head slightly. "Is everything okay?" She was trying her hardest to keep her composure as well. She was wearing the clothing of the man she loved. A moment later, a sharp jolt of pain shot through her head, causing to her wince.
"Hey, are you alright?" Naruto asked, worried as she began to massage her right temple.
Hinata flashed him a brief smile. "My head's a little sore," she confessed.
"You should lie down for a little while," he told her. "You really need to rest, or you won't recover as quickly." With that, he took her hand and led her to his bedroom. "Take a short nap at least, okay?"
"O-okay," she said, her cheeks rosy as she reluctantly let go of his hand and climbed into his bed. She couldn't deny that the migraine was getting worse, and maybe lying in a dark room would help.
Naruto pulled the blanket up to cover her, his eyes locked with hers as he smiled down at her. "Just rest for as long as you need to. If you need anything, yell for me, okay?"
"Thank you Naruto-kun," she murmured softly, her mind giving into the exhaustion.
Naruto watched as her lavender eyes slowly began to close, the girl emitting a soft content sigh as she allowed herself to drift to sleep. He reached down and gently brushed her bangs off her forehead, checking to make sure that she didn't have a fever. His fingers lingered on her skin for several seconds, even after he confirmed that her temperature seemed to be normal. He finally drew his hand back and exited his room, keeping the door open on his way out.
Naruto made his way to the kitchen and started a pot of water. Cleaning up had woken up his appetite once more and ramen seemed to be his go-to solution every time. As he waited for the water to boil, he looked back towards the direction of his bedroom. From his angle, he was unable to see inside the room very much, even with the door wide open. He knew that she was safe where she was, but that tiny spark of paranoia he'd felt just wouldn't go away.
The blond began to prepare the ramen, though his attention was elsewhere as he mindlessly repeated the same process he'd done countless times. He thought about going back over to peek in on her, but stopped himself. 'Stop being ridiculous. She's fine.' Sighing, he tried to switch his attention back to the ramen, the steam and aroma filling the air.
Fifteen minutes later, three empty bowls rested on the table in front of where Naruto sat. There was still some ramen left in the pot, which he was saving for Hinata once she woke up. He heaved himself up and collected the stack of bowls, placing them in the sink to wash later. He was used to his sink always being piled high with dirty dishes, but this time it had been empty. Naruto looked around, taking in the rest of the apartment that was also usually a complete disaster. He had Hinata to thank for that.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden surge of chakra he sensed, and he jerked his head in the direction of his room, where it had come from. "Hinata!" he yelled with alarm, rushing towards the bedroom. He stopped at the doorway, peering in to see Hinata still sleeping in his bed. To his astonishment, however, her body was cloaked in a churning dark blue chakra, which was more powerful than Naruto remembered. It was exactly like the day he had found her.
The blond slowly made his way over to Hinata, noticing that she was frowning slightly in her sleep. Her hands clutched at the blanket, her breath hitching. Worried, Naruto reached to take hold of her shoulders to try to shake her awake, hoping to wake here up from whatever nightmare she seemed to be having. He let out a surprised gasp when Hinata's eyes suddenly opened, her hands grabbing his wrists to halt his movements. For a moment, Naruto stared at her, wide-eyed and speechless as the girl held his gaze. Her lavender eyes looked a few shades darker than normal, and they held an iciness to them that stunned the jinchuriki. Seconds later, the chakra dissipated and Hinata released her grip on his wrists, her arms falling back down on the bed as her eyes closed once more.
Naruto gaped at Hinata in shock for a moment, stunned and unsure of what to make of the situation. He then snapped out of his daze and reached down to give her a light shake. "Hinata? Can you hear me?"
The indigo-haired girl moaned softly, her eyes slowly fluttering open. "Mmm...Naruto-kun?" she asked sleepily, gazing up at him.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the beside her. "It looked like you were having a nightmare." He noticed that her eyes had returned to their pale lilac shade.
"I...I don't know..." she murmured. "It might've been a nightmare but..." Hinata paused for a moment to sit up, her eyes locking with his. "Can...can I ask you a few questions, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto nodded, his heart skipping a beat. "Yeah, sure."
She hesitated briefly before continuing. "Y-you were the one who found me, right? I...I can't remember anything. I have no idea how I got out of that place. All I remember is that I blacked out...and then I woke up in the hospital. Did you notice anything suspicious in the area where you found me?"
"No. To be honest, I didn't really look around," he admitted. "I saw you, and that was all I cared about at the time. I didn't notice anything about the area."
Hinata was quiet for a moment. "There was no one else around?"
Naruto shook his head. "Nope. Just you."
"Then how did I...?" The indigo-haired girl sighed, perplexed. "I don't get it..."
"Maybe someone from the facility decided to help you escape," he suggested.
She was quiet for a moment, considering the possibility. "I doubt it."
Naruto couldn't deny that the idea seemed rather implausible. Suppose someone had decided to break Hinata out of that place and killed the rest of the workers. Why would they have gone through all that trouble, just to leave her alone in the woods like that. Not only that, but with four of her captors still very much alive and at large, they probably would've intervened or at least attempted to recapture her during that time. It just didn't sound like a reasonable possibility.
"Naruto-kun," she said softly, regaining his attention by meeting his gaze once more. "Am I here only because my father was worried about them finding me? Or is there another reason?" The thought kept nagging at her.
The blond smiled reassuringly, taking her hand into his. "No. You're here because we all wanted to make sure that you're somewhere safe. We don't want them to find you, but if they do, I'll stop them in their tracks. You're safe with me." He hated lying to her, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that her own father suspected her to be responsible for the killings. "I made some ramen. Do you want any, or would you rather go back to sleep?"
"Ramen sounds good," she replied, though she still seemed a bit uneasy. "I don't want to fall asleep again."
"Why not? Is something wrong?" he asked with concern.
Hinata flashed him a brief smile and shook her head. "No. It must've just been a nightmare."
Unlike the previous day, she managed to eat a full bowl of ramen, despite feeling on edge. She knew that Naruto would worry if she wasn't eating enough, so she forced herself to finish.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun. It was very good," she complimented him.
"Heh, thanks. Too bad that's as far as my cooking skills go," he remarked with a sheepish smile. "Otherwise I'd make you something other than ramen..."
Hinata's blushed lightly. "I-I could teach you. I-if you're ever interested," she quickly added.
"Really? Are you sure you want to try? The last time I tried to make something other than ramen, I accidentally started a small fire," he laughed with embarrassment.
"Don't worry, I won't let that happen," she replied sweetly.
There was a knock at the door, and Naruto rose from his seat to answer it. To his surprise, Ino was standing outside, holding an umbrella over her head and clutching a bag with her other hand.
"Hey, Naruto! Is Hinata here?" Without waiting for a response, she looked past him to see her dark-haired friend seated at the kitchen table. "Hinata! So you are here."
Hinata smiled. "Hello, Ino."
"Hi, Ino," Naruto said as he stepped aside to allow her to enter. "What brings you here?"
"Well, I heard that Hinata was staying here for a little while, so I figured I'd stop by and drop a few things off," Ino remarked with excitement as she strode over towards Hinata. "I can't stay because I have to meet up with Sakura, but I'm so glad that you're doing well." With that, she set the bag on the table and gave Hinata a quick embrace. "Anyway, I hope you like this stuff, and I'll see you guys later. Bye!"
Naruto and Hinata stared after her with confusion as Ino left the apartment, then exchanged baffled expressions.
"Well...that was weird," Naruto muttered as he closed the door. "So, what's in the bag anyway?"
"Let's see..." Hinata mused as she began to pull out the contents of the bag. "Clothing of some sort?" She pulled out a sleeveless white dress, as well as an assortment of blouses, skirts, and shorts. "Oh, wow... Ino didn't have to go through all that trouble. I'll have to thank her for this when I see her next. She ran off before I could." Compared to what her sister had given her, these outfits seemed to be a bit more to her liking.
"What's this?" Naruto pulled out the last items from the bag, holding the two articles up for them to see. It didn't take long for them to realize that he was actually holding up a black, lacy bra and a matching pair of panties. "Uh..." He felt his face turn red, but when he looked at Hinata, her blush was ten times more prominent than his. "Heh, Ino has a good sense of humor," he joked, trying to make light of the situation. "Anyway..." He put the lingerie back in the bag and moved it into the living room to get it out of the way. "Want to teach me how to cook something right now?"
Grateful that he was changing the subject, Hinata's blush began to fade a bit. "Okay. What do you want to learn?"
"Hm...how about a dessert or something?" he suggested. He loved ramen, but he also had a bit of a sweet tooth.
"Alright, you'll get your first lesson in baking," she commented. "Now let's see what you have for ingredients. You mentioned that a lot of your stuff expired, so let's make sure we have everything we need."
Surprisingly, Naruto actually had everything necessary to make the cake that they'd decided on. By some miracle he even had eggs that hadn't gone bad yet. Thirty minutes later, with a bit of a mess on the counter from Naruto's clumsy attempt, the cake was baking in the oven.
"It smells good," he remarked, then looked over at Hinata, whom was whipping up a bowl of frosting. "Can I try?"
Hinata moved aside to allow him to stir, amused by how much he was getting into it. "You're doing great, Naruto-kun. I'm impressed."
He snickered. "Me too. I haven't burned the place down, so that's a bonus." He looked over at her, his blue eyes locking with her pale lavender ones. "Thanks for being so patient with me, Hinata. Even when I wasn't paying attention and almost added the eggs without actually cracking them first."
"You're new at this, so don't worry. You'll get the hang of it the more you do it," she remarked warmly. "Just keep trying."
The rain began to pick up, beating heavily against the roof of Naruto's apartment. "Damn, it's really coming down," he mused. "Looks like we're definitely going to have to spend today inside. But honestly, I'm having a great time just being here with you."
Hinata blushed, her heart skipping a beat. "R-really?"
"I...I really like having you around," he said, his own cheeks heating up as he dropped his gaze. "I know the circumstances aren't the best, but..." His eyes met hers once more. "I can't remember the last time I felt this happy. And it's because of you."
Hinata stared at him with shock, her face turning even redder. "Me? B-but I didn't do anything."
Naruto moved closer to her, staring down at his much shorter friend. "You came back." His words rendered the girl speechless, and he chuckled with amusement. "Anyway, let's finish up in here and go do something else."
The remainder of the afternoon flew by quickly as the two teens enjoyed each other's company, until night approached. Naruto found himself waiting longingly as Hinata showered, his mind racing with several frenzied thoughts. He was still perplexed about the incident earlier with Hinata's sudden rise in chakra, and the power he'd felt behind it. It was similar to the time when he'd found her, but this time he was in a much closer proximity and able to sense it at a higher level. His thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly heard the shower turn off. Moments later, he was in the bathroom with his shy friend, once again carefully applying the medicine to her injured back.
"Does it hurt at all?" Naruto asked, making sure his touches remained gentle.
"No, not really" Hinata told him, clutching her towel in front of her chest. She had thought ahead and brought in a pair of shorts with her, as well as a clean shirt that Naruto had lent her. Her tense muscles slowly relaxed as Naruto continued to massage the cool cream into her skin.
Naruto smiled. "That's good. Your back looks better now than it did this morning. I don't know what's in this medicine but it seems to be working awesome."
The blond left the bathroom to allow her to finish dressing, gathering a clean set of clothing for himself. Hinata had looked no less embarrassed about her welts than she had the past two times, shamefully avoiding his gaze. Naruto wished she would realize that it truly didn't bother him to see her like that.
Hinata emerged from the bathroom, wearing the white t-shirt he had given her. The shirt nearly came down to her knees, much too large for her petite frame. Naruto was unable to get over just how adorable she looked in his clothes and it took everything in him not to pull her into his arms and ravage her. Instead, he went to take a shower of his own, trying desperately to ignore the dirty thoughts in his head. He washed himself, then turned on the cold water for a few moments to take the edge off the burning desire that was slowly taking over him. Once he was out of the shower, he clumsily pulled on a pair of green boxers with orange toads on them, followed by black sweatpants. An orange t-shirt donned his muscular torso, and he discarded his laundry into the hamper before exiting the bathroom.
Hinata was in the kitchen, and she turned to look at him with a smile. "Naruto-kun, would you like some tea?"
"Sure," he answered with a cheeky grin of his own. "Since it's getting late, do you just want to sit down and watch a movie with me?"
"O-okay," she murmured with a light blush, carefully pouring water into two teacups. She inadvertently shivered as a chill ran through her body, which Naruto noticed.
"Are you cold?" he asked her.
Hinata's blush darkened slightly. "A little bit," she admitted. "Don't worry, I'll be-" She went quiet as Naruto fetched his black jacket and proceeded to put it on her. Stunned, all she could do was stand there as he zipped it up.
"You look better in that than I do," he quipped. "Feel any warmer?"
Hinata could only nod, her heart pounding in her chest. She rolled the sleeves up a bit, since they were much too long on her, unaware of Naruto's lingering stares.
Once they were seated comfortably on the couch, Naruto nonchalantly switched on one movie in particular. "I've been wanting to see this movie for awhile, but it might scare you. Would you rather watch something else?" He hated anything involving ghosts, but this film steered away from the supernatural themes.
"N-no, that's fine," Hinata lied. She had never been good with horror movies, but Naruto seemed rather excited about it. "I don't mind."
However, it wasn't long before the indigo-haired girl began to slowly inch closer to him, fearfully averting her eyes from the frightening scenes. Naruto smiled at her cuteness and put an arm around her reassuringly. "I can shut this off if it's scaring you," he remarked gently.
"I-it's okay," she replied, determined to show him that she could handle watching a mere movie.
In the end, Hinata was cuddled close to Naruto's body, watching the film with a sideways glance. Every so often she'd look away from the television and hide her face near his chest. She continued to refuse his offer of shutting it off, earning a laugh from the blond.
"You don't have to pretend, Hinata-chan," he told her. "I can change the channel."
She shook her head. "It's almost over, so I can manage-" She stopped mid-sentence and buried her face in his chest from a jump scare in the movie.
"You're adorable," Naruto chuckled, holding her close. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he was glad that he had chosen this film. He felt rather guilty for picking something that would scare her, but it had given him an opportunity to comfort her. It was the oldest trick in the book, yet it proved to be working as his terrified friend continued to cuddle against him.
Hinata was bright red, mortified that she couldn't handle something as simple as a movie. She felt Naruto's strong arms around her, and she nearly fainted from the closeness.
Eventually, the movie ended, making way for a comedy to begin soon after. As the minutes ticked by, the two teenagers began to drift off into sleep, no longer paying attention to the television.
Three hours passed before Naruto groggily woke up to discover a random television series playing and Hinata asleep on the couch beside him. It was nearly one in the morning. He switched off the TV, then carefully gathered the sleeping girl into his arms, and began to make his way to the bedroom. Hinata snuggled against his chest and clutched onto his shirt as he carried her. She continued to cling to him even as he attempted to place her in his bed, not wanting to let him go.
"Naruto-kun," she murmured in her sleep.
'Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it.' Once again, Naruto chose to ignore the nagging voice in his head and climbed in beside her. This wouldn't be like the previous night; he would take special precautions to ensure that. He just had to wait a little while for Hinata to loosen her grip on his shirt before he could slip away, as he didn't want to wake her by forcing her away from him. Not that he wanted to. Yet just like the night before, he had fallen back to sleep before he could separate himself from her, with his arm around Hinata's shoulders.
The next morning
Naruto groaned softly, beginning to stir awake as daylight subtly peeked through the shades in the bedroom. He yawned, though his eyes remained closed as he continued to lie there, resting on his left side. However, it wasn't long before he realized that something wasn't quite right. He could feel something against his back, and his eyes slowly opened to adjust to the light that was beginning to illuminate the room. His head turned back slightly, and he discovered that Hinata's body was pressed into him, her chest squishing against his back. Her arm was draped over his waist, hugging him in her sleep. Naruto's face turned a bright shade of red, unsure of what to do. Hinata had fallen asleep still wearing his black jacket that was much too large for her. Her small form felt nice against his solid body, and he couldn't help but blissfully enjoy the closeness.
"Mmm..." Hinata snuggled against him, still asleep. The arm around him loosened a bit, and her hand rested on his hip, right at the waistband of the blond's sweatpants.
Naruto's blue eyes widened, her delicate hand touching the tanned skin between his pants and where his orange shirt had ridden up. Her touch sent a shiver of delight through his spine, and the fact that her breasts were pressed against him made it even more intense. Her finger brushed over his hip, dipping slightly down the waistband of his sweatpants. Naruto held his breath as her finger rested on that area for a moment, before sliding out and moving back over his hip. He let out a small sigh of relief, though he couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of disappointment at the same time. 'Stop being a perv!' he scolded himself.
Hinata snuggled into him even more, her cheek resting against his back. The blond closed his eyes, relishing the way she hugged him in her sleep. He had never experienced such intimacy, and the longer it continued, the more he desperately wanted it. He knew he should get out of the bed, but his body wouldn't allow him to. His heart skipped a beat when her hand suddenly began to travel once more, this time resting directly on the crotch of his pants. 'Oh, shit!' Almost immediately, he felt himself harden beneath her touch, sending him into panic mode. 'Crap, this isn't good! I don't want to wake her up, but I have to get her to stop before-' His thought was cut off as she gently squeezed the area and he almost yelled out in surprise. He fidgeted, eyes wide, attempting to carefully pull himself free from her grasp.
"Naruto-kun..." she breathed softly, causing his blush to increase even further. Her body shifted slightly, making her chest squishing against his back more noticeable.
'Fuck fuck fuck fuck!' Naruto's heart was racing and he could feel his member throbbing needfully under Hinata's touch, and he let out a small groan. He gasped when she squeezed again, and he clenched his eyes shut in an attempt to try to block out those feelings. The task quickly proved to be impossible. Naruto wondered what she was dreaming about, but another squeeze interrupted his thoughts. If he didn't get out of this situation soon, it could become a serious problem. However, before he could even begin to think of a plan, Hinata's grip on him suddenly loosened, and she rolled away from him onto her other side. Naruto sat up and looked down at her with surprise, before quickly but subtly getting out of the bed to hurry to the bathroom.
Unlike the other times, there was no way a cold shower was going to help him cool off. He had to relieve the pressure, and there was only one way to do it. Naruto turned on the shower and stripped his clothes off, leaving them on the floor in a pile. While he waited for the water to heat up, he grabbed hold of his aching manhood and began to stroke it up and down. He couldn't help himself, the memory of Hinata's body sensually pressing up against his still very prominent in his mind. Moments later, he stood under the hot spray, his eyes closed in ecstasy as he continued to pleasure himself. His breathing grew more rapid, as images of his shy friend raced through his head. This continued for a few minutes, his mind fixated on Hinata. He felt himself getting close, and he remembered the way she had moaned his name in her sleep, which was exactly what he needed to send him over the edge.
Panting heavily, Naruto leaned against the shower wall as the water completely washed away the remnants of his climax. He turned off the faucet as his breathing began to slow back down. He couldn't take it anymore; he had to tell her how he felt. If he didn't he would surely go insane sooner than later. It had been two years since Hinata had confessed her love to him, and he had never given her an answer. He wondered if she still felt the same way, or if she had given up on his hopeless obliviousness.
'Shit, I didn't bring a towel or any clothes in here with me!' Naruto realized. However, to his surprise, he noticed a towel hanging up on the rack, as well as a his mission clothes. Hinata must've left them for him after she had finished doing the laundry. The jinchuriki felt a warmth in his heart as a smile spread across his face. This was what it felt like to be cared by someone.
After drying off, Naruto pulled on his boxers and orange pants, followed by his white t-shirt. Hinata had fallen asleep in his black jacket, and the rest of his gear was in the kitchen. Kakashi had requested that although Naruto would be staying in the village to protect Hinata, he must still treat it like a mission. It was better to be prepared in the event of an attack, especially if they left his apartment. Regardless, Naruto didn't want to keep the poor girl cooped up inside like a prisoner. She had already gone through that once and he was not going to force her to do it again.
When Naruto emerged from the bathroom, he noticed that Hinata was in the kitchen, starting some water to make tea. She had gotten dressed as well, donning one of the outfits that Ino had brought her. Hinata wore a lilac-colored short-sleeved shirt, the fitted material clinging nicely to her curves, as well as a flowing white skirt that ended at her knees. The sight of her took the breath right out of Naruto, completely captivating him.
The indigo-haired girl turned and looked at him, a beautiful smile on her rosy lips. "Good morning, Naruto-kun." Judging by calmness, she evidently had no idea about what had happened earlier.
"Morning, Hinata," he replied, a light blush on his face as he approached her. "Did you sleep okay?"
She nodded. "I slept really well, actually. How about you?"
"Oh, uh, yeah! I slept like a rock," Naruto remarked with a laugh.
"Would you like any tea?" she questioned, opening up a cabinet to retrieve the teacups. When he didn't respond, she looked over at him, her lavender eyes locking with his blue ones. "Naruto-kun?"
The blond stared at her, his heart pounding rapidly once more. He couldn't let himself back out it; it was now or never. "Hinata...when you fought Pain, and told me how you felt about me...I never gave you an answer."
Taken aback by the abruptness of his words, Hinata's face turned bright red as she remembered her bold confession, thoroughly embarrassed. "Oh, um...i-it's okay, N-Naruto-kun. You didn't have t-to give me one," she stammered nervously as she dropped her gaze. "I-I just wanted to, um...tell you. Besides, I know you're in love with Sakura," she added, trying to hide the hurt she was feeling.
"Hinata."
She looked up once more, only to find herself backed up against the wall with Naruto's body only inches from hers. Blushing profusely, she remained silent as her crush peered down at her. He had his hands pressed against the wall either side of her, boxing her in as he felt the last of his hesitation melt away.
He smiled. "I do love Sakura as a friend, or even like a sister. But...I'm in love with you, Hinata." With that, he gently cupped her face with both hands and bent down to bring his lips to hers.
Hinata was wide-eyed as he kissed her, stunned by his words. However, she soon relaxed as she gave in to his advances, closing her eyes with a soft moan. Naruto savored the way her warm, rosy lips felt against his, and he wrapped an arm around her waist to draw her closer. His other hand found its way behind her head, his fingers feeling the silkiness of her hair. Hinata clutched onto his shirt, afraid she was going to faint at any moment.
Naruto eventually broke the kiss, and he looked down at the red-faced girl. "I'm sorry...but I couldn't help myself," he told her, his voice husky. "I've never felt this way about anyone before. Every time I'm with you, all I can think about is how happy you make me feel. You haven't even been here for forty-eight hours, but the time I've spent with you is the best I've ever had." He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly. "I'm a big idiot for not realizing it sooner."
Hinata continued to stare up at him, speechless as her mind tried to comprehend what was going on. Naruto had told her that he loved her, and then kissed her. This had to be a dream. "I...I love you, too," she finally murmured, her eyes brimming with tears. If this really was a dream, she hoped that she would never wake up.
The blond smiled and leaned down to kiss her again, this time more passionately. He couldn't get enough of the sweetness of her lips, finding them completely intoxicating. His fingers entwined with her long indigo locks, while his other arm remained around her waist as he held her close.
Hinata felt herself grow light-headed, and she feebly attempted to break the kiss. Naruto couldn't seem to stop, however, and he continued to dominate her lips with his.
"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata mewled weakly as he moved down to kiss her neck. If this kept up, she would surely faint.
Naruto held tight onto her fragile form, his body towering over hers as he continued to kiss her. Moments later, her knees gave away, and he quickly swept her up into his arms before she could collapse to the floor. It was then that he noticed her eyes were closed, a prominent blush on her otherwise peaceful face.
"Guess I went a little overboard," he remarked with a laugh as he gazed down at the unconscious girl. He carefully placed her on the couch, then went back into the kitchen. He collected his ninja tools, as well as his frog wallet from the counter. Since they had been stuck inside the previous day, he decided that he would take her out to breakfast. The rain had stopped, warm sunlight beginning to seep through the dissipating clouds.
Naruto put his forehead protector on, then turned to see Hinata slowly sitting up on the couch.
Hinata blinked with confusion for a moment as her eyes met his. "Naruto-kun? What just happened?"
He made his way towards the living room, a bit surprised. "Whoa, you woke up faster than I expected. And I'm pretty sure you know what happened," he added, snickering.
She blushed feverishly all over again, thoroughly embarrassed. "S-sorry. I tried to warn you..."
"Don't be sorry. It's cute," he remarked with a grin, before pausing for a moment. "So, I'm not sure how this works, but based on everything that just happened, is it safe to assume that you might be interested in being my girlfriend?" He sat down beside her, amused by her flustered expression.
Her face turned a deeper shade of red, speechless as she stared at the blond that she had always loved. 'I'm dreaming,' she thought to herself. Naruto actually wanted her to be his girlfriend. She regained her composure, and managed a slight nod as she forced the words out. "Y-yes. I would love to be your girlfriend."
Naruto matched her smile and leaned towards her to plant a soft kiss on her lips, his hand resting against the back of her head. Hinata returned his kiss, trying to control her nerves so she wouldn't faint again. Moments later, there was an audible growl, and Naruto broke the kiss as he laughed with embarrassment. "Uh, I guess I'm hungrier than I thought. Anyway, now that you're up, want to go get some breakfast? Since we couldn't go anywhere yesterday... And it's really nice out today."
Her blush began to fade and she nodded with delight. "Okay." She got off the couch and put on a pair of white sandals that Ino had brought her, while Naruto slipped his own sandals on.
Naruto locked the door behind them, then led Hinata towards the street, her hand enclosed in his larger one. "Don't worry, we're not getting ramen. That will be later."
Hinata smiled up at him sweetly. "I'll go anywhere that you want to go, Naruto-kun."
'Damn, she's so cute!' He gave her delicate hand a light squeeze. "Well, there's this new place that opened up a few weeks ago. Want to try it out?"
"Oh, I think I know the place that you're talking about," she mused. "I heard the food is amazing."
"Then it's settled," he replied jovially as he tugged her along.
That ends this fluffy chapter, and I hope you're ready for a bit of action in the one I will be posting next week. Sorry, but I had to officially get them together and didn't want to drag it out even further. Please review and the next chapter will be updated in exactly one week. Maybe even a day or two early if I get enough reviews ;)