Chapter 14 – it's now or never

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

"speaking"

'thinking'

"Kurama speaking"

Naruto frantically paced back and forth in the living room of their apartment, waiting for Hinata to finish her bath. He took her to their apartment after he practically kidnapped her from the desert.

He was planning to talk to her the minute they entered the apartment but he chickened out the last second and told her to freshen up first before they talk.

"What was happening to you? Your whole body was trembling, it's just your mate!" Kurama growled at him.

"I know that! But what if she loves me but doesn't want to have a relationship with me? Ero-sennin once said that sometimes women love you but do not want to be with you" he answered with a fearful voice.

"You idiot! Do you think that she will sacrifice her life for you if she doesn't want to be with you? Where the hell is your brain kit?" honestly Kurama was greatly disturbed about how stupid this boy was. He was able to figure out his feelings, that was a great improvement. But apparently, even if he was a hero now and women just throw themselves at him, he still does not think of himself as deserving.

"Listen Kit, I want you to remember her exact words when she fought Pain. That alone will tell you how much she wants to be with you."

Naruto took his time to remember her words before his face broke into a smile. His doubt now gone.

"Thanks, Kurama! I don't know what I'd do without you." He told him with a thumbs up.

"About time you admit that! Now go and claim your mate! I want to see your pups running around the village and pulling pranks!" he teased earning a dark blush from Naruto.

"Shut up! We're not doing that… yet. We'll just talk."

"Whatever. Just go!"

Hinata emerged from the room. He immediately catches her lavender scent. He looked up to her and met her beautiful eyes. 'ok… It's now or never'

He took her hand and motioned her to sit on the couch with him. Once they were sitting comfortably. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze as he knows that his sudden seriousness is making her uneasy.

"Hinata, do you remember that night we encountered the white-haired ninja?" he asked as Hinata just gave him a small nod. She was getting nervous, Naruto was rarely serious.

A small part of her wants to hold onto hope that Naruto wants to tell her something that will change their status from friends to something more after that "She got a boyfriend" statement. But, a big part of her told her not to hold into that because she will only get hurt, and he loves Sakura.

"Oh, so you remember so we're good now right? I mean, ya'know?" he trailed off… not really sure if he should just outright say it.

"I'm not following Naruto-kun. Did I get you upset or something for us not to be good?" she asked, terribly confused. From what she can remember, they fought the bad guys, and then the leader, sort of, landed a blow on her head, and then she passed out and woke up in the hospital.

He sighed before answering, well, he was a straightforward person after all. Subtlety was never really a part of Uzumaki Naruto.

"Before you lost consciousness, I told you I love you" he whispered as he leaned on her and kissed her. It was just a chaste kiss, but to him, it felt like the time has stopped and let him enjoy the feeling of her soft lips on his. She tastes like cherry and mint, he noted.

After the kiss he looked at her red face, he can tell that she was shocked by his sudden action. He expected her to either yell at him or faint or kiss him again. What he did not expect was for her put a hand on her mouth as she giggles.

"Why are you laughing Hinata?" he asked, confused.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I guess I dozed off after taking a shower. I was dreaming again. Or am I in a genjutsu?" she did a couple of hand sighs to dispel a genjutsu.

"Not a genjutsu? So, I was dreaming? Oh, Hinata! You need to stop dreaming about this"

Naruto just sat there, mouth agape. Hinata doesn't believe him. He captured her face with both of his hands and lock their gaze.

"Hinata! You're not dreaming! It's true, I love you and you said you're glad that I do because you love me too!" he told her with a grin.

He watched as her eyes grew wide, her lips parted. He can feel the heat grows on her cheeks.

"Oh" was her only intelligent reply. Still trying to process what Naruto said.

"B-but you love Sakura-chan and she's your girlfriend, right?" she asked breathlessly.

"What? Sakura-chan?! No! she's not my girlfriend, how can you say that?!" he asked.

"Kiba-kun says that she confessed to you and a Hyuga branch member said that you introduced her to your father as your girlfriend during the war."

"No! She only confessed because she thought that it will stop me from going after Sasuke and I rejected her ya'know, and I only told my father that to pissed her off. She was just like a sister to me, I mean I thought I love her for so long but now I understand that what I feel for her is not that kind of love. That the one I really love was you. I'm sorry if it took me so long to realize this" he frantically explained, as he silently curses Kiba and that Hyuga who told her that.

"Oh, so… you love me?" she asked with disbelief and small tears coming out of her eyes.

"Yes, I do… Damn, Hinata… Do you not realize? I am happiest when I'm with you. I've been craving your attention, I always pick a fight with the guys because I was jealous. I felt unimaginable rage and loss when I thought that Pain killed you! I never told anyone but, I was willing to break the seal and free Kurama that time, just because I thought that you're gone, and with you gone, everyone should be too. And then just a week ago when I thought that you… I felt weak, I can't even move my legs. I love you so much that it hurts you know." He explained, his tears rolling on his cheeks too. He was opening himself to her, letting his emotions and love reach her.

"Oh, I'm sorry Naruto-kun! I-I love you too... I love you... I love you…" she declared as she gently kisses his tears away.

After a few seconds, he planted a soft kiss on her lips, letting it linger. Hinata just practically melted in his arms, not even attempting to pull away. Her eyes closed and she let out soft moans, her hands lightly gripping his shirt.

Naruto deepened the kiss with more passion, his fingers on her nape to pull her closer. He softly pushed her down to the couch. His kisses trailing down to her jaw and neck, savoring the sweetness of her soft skin.

He was aware of the stiffness between his legs, his pants now felt too tight.

"Naruto-kun" she murmured, running her fingers through his hair as the blonde continued to gently kiss and suck on her neck.

He felt her froze, he stopped what he's doing and looked at her face. She looked down on her thighs and his face instantly became red in embarrassment. 'She might have felt my arousal on her thighs. Oh, Kami! This is embarrassing'

"Sorry, um… we should probably stop" he suggested, half-heartedly, and grabbed a small pillow to cover his aroused member.

"Yeah" she answered with a small nod as they sit properly. Naruto just scratched the back of his neck and asked the question that he really wanted to ask from the beginning.

"So, Hinata? Just to be clear… You're my girlfriend now right, um… since you let me kiss you and you love me too, right?" he asked, his cheeks dusted with pink. He heard her giggle before answering.

"Yes, Naruto-kun, I would love to be your girlfriend! And yes I love you too!"