Naruto sat cross-legged in a chair in his kitchen, watching intently as Hinata flipped pancakes with an ease he had only seen on cooking shows. It was early morning, far too early for the sunlight to be beaming in on a winter day, but still, there was a glow that surrounded her as she bounced around his tiny kitchen.

His brow furrowed as he studied her movements. From the effortless flick of her wrist, as she held the spatula in her slender hand, to the concentration she held as she transferred the fluffy contents of the pan to a plate, he couldn't help but gawk at her. He was in complete awe of the woman he was about to call his wife.

Hinata was so good at everything she did, but her cooking? Naruto was absolutely obsessed with everything she made for him. He had to stop himself from licking the plate clean. He knew if he wasn't careful he was quickly going to lose the toned body he'd manage to acquire through years of training, but he couldn't help himself. She made each dish especially for him and with so much love he wouldn't dare turn away a single bite.

"Naruto-Kun?"

"Hmm?"

A flushed Hinata turned to look at him, "You're embarrassing me."

"What!? How?"

She gave him a pointed look that made him chuckle, "Okay, I get it," He mumbled as he placed his hand upon his neck, "I'm sorry, you're just so..." He laughed bashfully and could feel the heat rise to his face.

"I'm so what?"

"So domestic. I love that you know how to cook. You're so good at it."

"Please stop," She pleaded, putting her spatula down. She tightened the strings of the frilly apron she was wearing once more before transferring the pancakes to a serving dish, clearly trying to ignore Naruto and his almost too cute compliments.

"I can't help it. When you do things like this...you just really look like a wife."

The plate Hinata was carrying clattered against the table in front of him, making Naruto jump back.
"I-I'm sorry!" She exclaimed, placing her hand on his forearm, "I just...I can't believe..." Hinata covered her reddened face with her hands, making Naruto want to press his lips to her forehead. She was so unbearably endearing it made his heart ache.

"Can't believe what?"

"That I'm going to be your wife," She managed to choke out.

"Hina, you're acting so shy," He muttered, gently peeling her hands away from her face. He stood up and took her into his embrace, "You're making me feel a little shy too."

"I can't help it," She said into his chest.

"You've been doing so well, I thought shy Hinata was a thing of the past," She glared at him, which made him burst out laughing, "Sorry. I know it's a big thing to take in. I almost don't believe it myself. I mean Kakashi-sensei and Shikamaru also couldn't-"

Hinata's head snapped up, "They know?"

"Of course they know, I had to tell them yesterday when they started telling me that our wedding would probably take months to plan. I told Kakashi-sensei to start planning because we were going to be married by spring."

"Spring!?"

"Y-you don't think a spring wedding is a good idea?"

Hinata unwrapped herself from Naruto's embrace, "Naruto, you haven't even spoken to my father yet."

"I know, I was going to as soon as he came back."

Clearly trying to compose herself, Hinata took a breath and managed to ask, "And what are you going to tell him what? That you want to get married in the next few months?"

"I thought you were excited to get married, Hinata."

"Naruto-Kun, of course, I am. But we...we didn't even talk about this."

"You said that when I was ready to ask you'd be ready to answer," He responded, confusion etched upon his face.

"I-I know and I did. I just...I didn't think it would be that soon. And that we were, um, telling people."

"Well, I don't think Kakashi-sensei and Shikamaru really count. They're not going to tell anyone, you know?"

"Yes, I know."

"But?"

Hinata shook her head, "I-I don't know. It's just that..." She pulled a seat out and sat down. Naruto followed promptly and reached for her hand across the table, trying to settle her nerves. He felt a jumble of nerves in the pit of his stomach. He should've known this was far too good to be true.

"Are you not ready? I know I always rush into everything headfirst, so sometimes I don't take anything else into consideration...but, you know, I guess that has to change now."

She looked up at him wordlessly, tears gathering in her eyes.

"I didn't think, I'm sorry. Please don't cry," He pleaded, "We can get married whenever you want, I'm sorry I didn't talk to you first, Hinata."

"Naruto-kun, I know what I said to you. I've been waiting for this day forever, I want to marry you. I'd marry you right now if I could," She laughed through her tears, "I think I'm just overwhelmed because, I mean, you came home last night and proposed with no warning! And now you want us to get married in a few months?"

"I know, I know. It's crazy."

She nodded, "Insane. But is it even crazier that I'm ready?"

"Yes. But that's probably why I want to marry you," He admitted.

"When do you want to get married exactly?"

He absentmindedly wiped her cheeks as he answered, "April?"

"O-oh. Our...dating anniversary?"

Naruto confirmed her guess with an "Mhmm," as he brushed her hair back.

It looked as if it all made sense to her now, the rush, the insistence on spring. He wanted it to fall on a special day for them. He knew it would mean as much to her as it did to him.

"Naruto, you need to speak to my father first. The sooner the better."

"You said you talked to him didn't you?"

"Y-yes. He seemed to sense that you were going to ask him for my hand already."

"Oh. Well, being discreet isn't my best quality is it?"

Hinata smiled, sniffling slightly, "He was waiting for you to come to talk to him. Father, he...he said he was not opposed to us being wed."

"You mentioned that yesterday," He said, interlacing his fingers in hers, "So...what about your position in the clan? Would getting married to me change anything?"

"Father made it clear that I would no longer be heir, that title would go to Hanabi instead."

Naruto tried his best to remain neutral, but could feel his eye twitch as he said, "Just because you're marrying outside of the clan?"

"Naruto...I never wanted to be the heir," She said as firmly as he had ever heard from her, "I don't want you to get worked up over something that wasn't meant for me. I decided long ago what my path would be, thanks to you."

"Me?"

She nodded, "You've always given me the courage I've needed to go after what I want."

He leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers, her words making his mind race, "Hinata," He mumbled as she took another breath, "Even though you may not technically be a princess after we marry, you'll always be one to me."

"Naruto, please," She laughed, "You're so ridiculous."

"I mean it."

"I know you do, Naruto-Kun," Hinata ran a hand through his hair, as she tended to do to reassure him. He planted a kiss on her forehead before his lips met hers briefly.

Hinata cleared her throat "Just one more thing..."

"What's that?"

"Father...he...he..." She couldn't get the words out. Naruto suddenly had flashbacks to a young Hinata struggling to say hello to him and turning bright red whenever he looked at her.

"Hinata, come on, you know you can tell me anything,"

"Father asked that I sleep in my own bed until the wedding."

The words came tumbling out in a jumble as if she said them all without taking a breath.

"He asked that you sleep in your—" It took Naruto a second to comprehend, but when he did, he gasped loudly, "Oh, god, he knows!?"

Hinata nodded wordlessly, unable to meet his eyes.

"Was he...was he mad?"

"No, he didn't appear to be."

Naruto groaned and buried his face in his hands, "He thinks I'm a pervert, doesn't he?"

"Naruto, you're not a pervert."

"I am."

She huffed, "I guess that makes me one too, then."

He peered at her and couldn't help but laugh, "Just a pair of perverts that are about to be together forever."

Hinata blushed so furiously Naruto thought she was about to faint, but she giggled and leaned into him instead.

He nudged her, "So, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know."

As much as he hated to say it, he knew he had to, "Maybe we shouldn't...you know...have sex until we get married."

Her head snapped up, "I can still come over, I just have to go back home in the evening."

"That's fine, but I still think we should wait."

"Because of what my father said?"

"I can't look him in the eye and know that we're doing what we're doing behind his back," He admitted.

Another sigh escaped her lips, "I understand."

"It'll only be a few months. It's going to fly by. And...we can still...do other things?"

She raised an eyebrow, "If we're going to wait, Naruto-kun, why tempt each other?"

"Just looking at you is tempting enough."

Hinata shook her head to hide her smile, "Alright, let me at least serve us breakfast and then we can continue talking."

Naruto watched as she got up from the table to finish grabbing the syrup and fruits she had cut up to garnish the pancakes. She placed two on a plate in front of him, and offered him the bowl with the strawberries first. He took one between his fingers and brought it to her lips.

Hinata smoothly moved her head away and instead directed the fruit into his own mouth, "Nice try," she said laughingly.

Naruto, in between chewing, argued, "They're your favorite. I was just being nice."

"Right," she said knowingly, "Didn't we just agree we shouldn't tempt each other?"

"Me feeding you gets you off, eh?"

"Eat your pancakes, Naruto," Hinata said, suddenly interested in getting more syrup from the counter.

He didn't need to be told twice, he dug in as soon as he poured the sweet syrup on top, "I don't usually have sweets for breakfast. I like that you have a sweet tooth."

"I'll remind you of that when we have cinnamon rolls for breakfast next time."

The pair indulged in the fluffy treat, the sugar surely fueling their giddiness. They sat in the kitchen for what felt like hours, finally recounting what they had been up to while they had been apart.

As Hinata excitedly told Naruto about her visit with Kurenai, Naruto suggested to the kunoichi that they offer to babysit Mirai just as a practice run for when it would be their turn. She pointedly reminded him that while they could return Mirai to her mother, they wouldn't get a break from their own children.

"Let a guy dream," He said.

"It seems that's all you do, Naruto-Kun."

"That's because it feels like I'm living in a daydream. The possibilities are endless for once. Can you blame me for thinking out loud?"

Naruto felt his jaw clench as he grinned, and he realized he'd been smiling and laughing for the better part of the morning at his bride-to-be and her cute jokes and playful sarcasm. She was so funny, so very intriguing. Everything he had never known he had wanted.

"Like a daydream," She whispered, taking a sip from her mug, "I couldn't have said it better."