star vessel
From a jealous boyfriend to missions together, honeymoon, overprotective husband, nightmares and reveries. Everything from the moon and back.
Chronological One-Shots / Canon-Compliant / Post-War / After The Last
(Can be an extension read for secret lovers)
Disclaimer: Characters and several scenarios in this work belong to Masashi Kishimoto et al.
entry three
prompt
Naruto and Hinata are thrown into confusion because of a cup ramen. ^^
/ramen/
quick-cooking noodles, typically served in a broth with meat and vegetables
The savory scent of their meat on the sizzling plate was wafting in the atmosphere. Normally, the guys would just cook for their own piece and probably try to cook Naruto out since he's the noobest one out of all of them in terms of yakiniku, but this time was different. They needed him to dish out things about his current state in life. This time, they were generously giving them some of what they already cooked. Ahuh.
Naruto got to be the one to have a relationship among the the boys. Yeah, what a surprising twist of fate. The densest boy got his own girl first. That's why they wanted to know how it was like to be in a relationship.
Needless to say, their victory at the war rendered their missions boring and gave them space for their personal lives. Now's probably their time to make their own moves in making their romance work. Yeah, they were guys and guys weren't supposed to be focused on this mushy stuff after all and that's the shit a common judgmental person would say, but they don't hella' care! If Naruto was lucky enough, maybe they were too.
Just by looking at the blonde's stupid grin and slightly blushing cheeks made them intrigued. Although, Kiba was hiding it behind an irritated reaction.
"Do you know how you look like right now, shit face?" The Inuzuka quipped as he nudged Naruto's arm.
"No, not really." The blonde retorted, not giving them any care as he ate another of his portion—goofy grin not leaving his face.
The other boys shared a look except for the nonchalant Shikamaru who was just observing the event that was unfolding before him.
It was safe to say that Naruto's soul was not in his body ever since they got here to catch-up with each other. He would burst into little chuckles out of nowhere after staring at nothing and it seemed that no one can ever wipe off that cheekiness on his face.
"I can't believe you could look more stupid than you look like before." Sai shaded and Naruto just stared at him cluelessly.
"I don't really know what's up with you, guys."
"What's up with us?!" Kiba animatedly commented. "What's up with us? Really, Naruto! You've been acting like you're out of yourself this whole time. You're acting a lot like Hinata whenever she sees you pass by or something!"
Naruto blushed a little and his attention appeared to be caught now. "R-Really?!"
Shino placed a hand atop Kiba's shoulder. "Enough, Kiba. We must not disclose team secrets."
"Look, Naruto. We're here because of you and Hinata-san."
They glared at Sai for spilling their hidden agenda out in the open. Trust him in saying the appropriate things at the most convenient of times.
Naruto chuckled sheepishly. "Oh, this is actually about us, huh?"
Kiba reacted and tried to deny the situation, which was making Shikamaru sigh in frustration. Because even if Naruto appeared to be dense, he ain't that stupid to believe them after Sai just ratted them all out. Chouji and Shino were just giving him his much needed sympathetic look for support.
It was Lee who came clean. "Actually, Naruto-kun…"
Naruto listened intently to the concerns and curiosity of his friends in the throes of romance, especially that they have no experience of it or whatsoever. They already knew the whirlwind love story the two had in the moon, but it wasn't enough. They wanted knowledge about having a girlfriend. And Naruto figured that this might be their own version of the girls' Girl Talk that Sakura-chan was talking about when she took Hinata away earlier.
"I…" The blonde just rubbed the back of his head habitually. "I don't really know where to start, so I guess you can just ask me questions and I'll see if I can answer them -ttebayo."
In a rush, he was asked by his more interested friends…
"Did you already ask her out on a date?"
"How as it?"
"What was it like?"
The blonde fidgeted a little. "Well…"
Naruto teased as he took a piece of meat in his mouth and his friends waited in anticipation.
"Well?" Sai pressed as Naruto hold up one finger and drank his water. His friends looked at him with waiting eyes. Like they were hungry customers and he was the meal being cooked.
He laughed at their eagerness. He didn't know they'd be this interested. Honestly, maybe they were all interested even before and it was just him who wasn't into this kind of stuff. Well, not anymore. Not anymore, now that Hinata's with him. "Fine, fine…Well, I asked Hinata for a, uh…"
"Just say it, Naruto!" Kiba impatiently dared.
Naruto didn't know if he should really share this, but he saw nothing bad about it, so he took a deep inhale and told them what he asked Hinata for…
Their mouths all hung open, even Shikamaru who was so chill a while back was so shook. What the…
They all stared at Naruto with their widest eyes ever.
The night was cold, but the moon's light was giving off a different kind of aura Naruto couldn't really identify.
Silently, they were walking side by side. He casted a glance on her and found relief that she was sporting a relieved smile. All he knew was he was feeling both nervous and excited at the same time. He did a lot of preparations for this. He just wanted everything to feel warm and comfortable for her.
"Well, we're here." And he knew it came out a bit anxious.
Naruto invited Hinata up into his apartment for a cup ramen.
Yesterday, he remembered the night Hinata was waiting for him at the foot of his apartment before Toneri showed up. He invited her up back then, but she ran away before he could even convince her.
It's a good thing though, since he just found out that there's a lot he had to do before he can actually let her inside his home. Well, he was just hoping that he and Konohamaru did everything right.
He let her in first, which was a pretty bad idea for he could see a stray foil from the chips he ate few days ago on the floor. Panicking, he immediately and covertly picked the foil up. Hinata turned to him and he chuckled nervously in return.
"There's…I think I gotta' prepare our cup ramen!" He segued as she trailed behind him.
Hinata perused the apartment with bewilderment. She never really expected that she would get the opportunity to visit him in his home, in the place that sheltered him for all his life. She thought how cold and lonely he might have felt all those times.
"Ah! I forgot! I haven't taken our cup ramen out of the bag." Naruto exclaimed and ran a hand over his face. "I'll be right back."
Why was he failing miserably right now?
Hinata just giggled and waved her hands dismissively. "No worries, Naruto-kun. It's all fine."
Embarrassed, he just rubbed the back of his head and dejectedly hurried inside his bedroom. There, he witnessed that his atrocities hadn't really lessened. How could he possibly sleep in here? Some of the stuff from his living room were all piled up atop his bed in a very disorganized way ever.
Well, it's just fine and he would be keeping Hinata away from his bedroom all the time she's here in his apartment.
But now…He must find his cup ramen amidst all this mess first!
On the other hand, Hinata who was patiently waiting for Naruto, stood up as she noticed that the water heater was not turned on.
With careful hands, she plugged the appliance and pushed the button to start heating. She distanced away but her skirt was hooked on one of the cupboard's handle. This action opened the cabinet and she giggled upon what she saw.
Empty cups of ramen were stacked up on each other including used chopsticks. Well, this was no surprise to her after all, since she caught Naruto-kun picked up the stray foil from awhile ago. However, she just decided to keep quiet about it.
She was supposed to do the same for this stack of empty cups as well, but her meticulousness in maintaining strict cleanliness and order got in her way. She threw the trash into the garbage can and figured that maybe Naruto-kun wouldn't notice what she did, however she jumped a little at the sound of crumbling objects.
"Naruto-kun!" Worriedly, she ran after his bedroom and was welcomed by the sight of his boyfriend looking horrified and unwell.
"Hinata! I…This is-"
Her eyes roamed around his bedroom and without thinking, she went in to bring orderliness. She started gathering the stuff up and figuring out how can she clean everything up.
"You shouldn't do this. I mean you don't have to -ttebayo!" Naruto exasperatedly told Hinata while trying to help her pick things up.
"It's okay, Naruto-kun. I'd love to do this. Unless…"
Reluctantly, he allowed her to pick up his mess while watching in awe.
"I'm sorry about this. I'm not really used to having anyone else around the house and I've only invited Shikamaru and the gang with me up here ever since. That's why…Anyway, I tried to clean things up, believe me!"
Smiling softly, she affirmed, "It's okay Naruto-kun. I know that it can be really difficult to organize things sometimes, especially if you're so hardworking on your trainings."
He rubbed his hand at back of his head embarrassedly. "Well, if you would put it like that."
One by one, Hinata managed to sort Naruto's things out while he helped a little. He picked up the stray trash and kept it in a bag for his disposal later on. In no time, his bedroom was clear—his bed was free of any objects and his things were all properly stuffed in his wardrobe and atop his desk.
"I tasked Konohamaru to pick the garbage out and organize a little while I repair some fixtures, but that little kid…" Naruto sighed and recalled. "Well, I have fixed some broken stuff way way back. I think a lot of months ago or maybe even a year. I was thinking that I could invite someone else…"
"Someone else?" Hinata was just plain curious on who could be that person Naruto-kun would be preparing and fixing stuff for. Oh, maybe Tsunade-sama for she might scold him. Perhaps, the Sandaime and his siblings?
Carefreely, he answered. "Well, yeah, someone! Actually that someone is-"
Naruto stopped and Hinata looked at his blank expression that made him look like he was figuring something out or have figured something out.
Someone…That someone is…
He couldn't believe himself!
It's actually Hinata!
He thought that maybe she would drop by his home or perhaps he could invite her up. Why would he invite her way back then anyway? Yeah, that's because they were super close after the war and…
He gulped dryly as his heart began pounding in his chest.
Even back then, Hinata was running around his mind and…How could he be so stupid?!
Suddenly, he was brought back into reality as he felt something warm on his forehead.
"Are you okay, Naruto-kun? You're quite flushed." She asked, while her hand was atop his forehead.
He slightly jumped along the beat of his heart and gently grabbed her hand away from his head, holding her by the wrist.
He was supposed to say something cool or funny or incredibly stupid to change the topic, but he was caught by her slight blush, the way the light outside illuminated her beautiful face and damn her eyes! In a snap, his mind turned blank.
Hinata just stared frozen. She didn't know what was happening, but she was no power over it. Looking at Naruto-kun's half-lidded eyes and his very odd and manly expression which she just witnessed for the first time made her a bit weak to the circumstances.
He was inching towards her and she could see him breathing through his lips. She was stepping backwards a little and he noticed that she was pulling him.
They were getting closer and closer until, with the tip of his toe, he felt the foot of his bed.
His bed?
Panicking, he pulled away from her and she sat on his bed due to loss of balance. This wasn't supposed to happen! This was not a part of his plans!
She was puzzled at first but as soon as she realized where they're at and what they were about to do, she hid her eyes from him.
Both of them, alone in a small dark room with a comfy looking bed and pretty cold atmosphere.
"This is…" He hesitated.
"T-That's…" She muttered.
For a while, they remained quiet as they both tried composing themselves.
"I…I think the water is ready." Naruto managed to say and Hinata agreed. She went out of the room first and he made sure that he closed his bedroom door shut. That damn room was feeding him evil thoughts and tempting him to do things he never planned to do to Hinata. Now, he must bear the suffering of having her in his room and-
Shit!
What was happening to him? Looks like the couch was an even better option for him to sleep in tonight.
They ate ramen avoiding each other's gazes and feeling embarrassed and cautious. Naruto accidentally saw his face through his metal spoon and god, was he red.
It's just the ramen…but not.
This made him curious and he snuck a glance at Hinata. Was she blushing like usual too, just like him right now? Was she shying away too?
However, she was rather was looking more comfortable than him.
She moved and tried to get her glass of water. He tried to help her, but as soon as the he touched her hand, his heart jumped which made him pull away all too sudden.
He looked at her again and she returned the gaze. The moment they met each other's eyes, they swiftly turned their heads away.
Naruto was finding it hard to breathe and so was Hinata. The air felt so thick for certain reasons and it was making him nervous and fidgety.
"I-I, uh…" Naruto started out noticing that they're both done eating. "I guess we should check out something on…TV?"
"Yes, sure." Hinata agreed with a smile, while Naruto threw their empty ramen cups in the bin.
They sat on the floor together with him chuckling really awkwardly. He also kept in mind to maintain enough distance between them or else his couch would no longer be the best option to sleep in.
They turned on the TV, but it seemed as though none of them were comfortable to watch anything.
As if knowing what each other felt, they both met one another's eyes. This distance between them was bothering as they wanted to close that space.
Naruto released a tensed sigh and scolded himself for being such a wimp! He was definitely acting not like himself. Yeah, it was all because of Hinata's presence, but he should man up and make the most out of this time they have for each other. It's enough that she discovered his rubbish scattered all over, now he must make amends for how he destroyed everything.
Finding his resolve, he slid close to her side and wrapped an arm around her, still avoiding her gaze as he was still feeling shy about everything. Yes, he was shy. He might seem confident for always, and he was still even during the past few days. But for those days, the both of them were surrounded by a lot of people and the actual time they got to spend alone with each other was this moment.
He was just feeling everything now. Like, it's getting even more real that it's just the two of them. And he couldn't believe this for the world, that he finally found someone to spend time with inside his home. It's not just someone, it's Hinata—the woman whom, out of his stupidity and heartaches, he wanted to be with in every second of his life and that, he was sure of.
Hinata rested her head on his shoulder with a breath of relief. It was warm and comfortable to be with Naruto-kun like this and she felt more joy when he pressed his cheek atop her head.
They remained still for a while, actively enjoying how it felt to be in each other's arms while passively watching the random show on the television.
However, Hinata's eyes landed on the things hidden under the TV stand by accident. She gulped lightly and stiffened knowing that she must control her reflex, successfully she managed to talk herself out of it and loosed up.
"You've seen it haven't you?" Naruto asked carefully.
Hinata nodded softly. She couldn't lie. Looking up at him, he kind of picked up what she's been wanting to do.
"Do you wanna, uh… clean stuff here?" He muttered, unsure.
"Yes, Naruto-kun! It would be an honor for me. Thank you very much! I mean… if you're going to let me do so." He just didn't know how much Hinata loved organizing and cleaning things up and doing this for Naruto-kun made it even more special.
Naruto sighed and giggled. Seeing the delight in her eyes, he playfully responded. "It should be me who should be thanking you dattebayo!"
"Oh, sorry. I was just too overjoyed." Sure, she was brimming with excitement.
Yes, the Hyugas were always known for their order, but everyone in the compound knew that no one could top their Hinata-sama in maintaining orderliness even in the tiniest of detail. Her eyes were not only sharp in battle but also keen in disarrays and untidiness. And nope, she was not doing all of these things out of obligation. Much to everyone's shock, she was rather having a lot of fun.
Hinata was aware that she couldn't help it when something's not properly arranged or if something's cluttered. She felt like she was relieving stress whenever she tidied something up. It felt like an accomplishment. It felt like she actually channeled everything negative and cleaned it out of herself somehow.
"Cleaning it is, if Hinata says so…" Naruto happily announced. Though he wasn't originally interested in cleaning at all, somehow it felt exciting to do it with Hinata. "I've got to prove that you can't defeat me in this cleaning mission -ttebayo!"
Hinata laughed at Naruto-kun's playful jab and teased, "As long as there's no Kage Bunshin, please."
Heartily, they basked in the comfort each of them naturally gave each other.
Naruto knew that this apartment won't feel the same again now that she set foot into this place and left her own mark in each corner she managed to arrange. It seemed like Hinata wiped away the tears of loneliness and solitude he spent in his home with every step she took.
That's what she was doing for him all this time.
Hinata cleaning his home must be trivial for some, but to him, it was a reminder of how she also put him in order in times when he was all messed up and couldn't pick himself up together.
It was her. Only her.
And Hinata felt honored to do all of this. Naruto-kun letting her clean his place meant that he was open to revealing his vulnerabilities, even if, at first, he thought he was embarrassing himself in front of her.
Although she had a feeling that this was not the way Naruto-kun planned everything to turn out, she's happy that he opened the doors of his home for her, and that was more than enough.
"You what?!" Sakura-chan and Ino-chan reacted boisterously with their faces red and extreme facial expression.
"Wait, Hinata." Tenten-chan interjected and it looked like she could not believe what she just heard. "So, if we heard it right, Naruto invited you into his apartment for ramen?"
The girls decided to meet at a dessert shop just to get Hinata spill the tea about her relationship with Naruto. Ha! They thought that the boys were doing just the same when they invited Naruto out for a yakiniku at the same time.
They expected Hinata to dish out about what she felt and if guys really have the capacity to be romantic. Because those shinobis, even though they're great at battle, they're idiots in love. However, what they got was an even more unbelievable and shocking revelation.
Hinata blushed and squirmed as if she really didn't know how to answer the question. "Uh, yeah…Actually, Naruto-kun did."
The other girls got their mouths hanging open.
"Chaaaaa! Hinata!" Her aggravated pink-haired friend squeezed her shoulders, though her face was full of concern and annoyance at the same time. "Tell me! Tell me what that idiot Naruto did to you!"
On one hand, Hinata was confused as to why Sakura-chan acted in such a manner. Until, Ino-chan placed a hand on her shoulder, eliciting a brief sigh. "Hey, Sakura! Would calm down a bit? I don't think Hinata understands what you're talking about."
Sakura-chan seemed to finally get what was told of her. "I'm sorry about that, Hinata. I guess, I overreacted a little."
Hinata was still immensely puzzled. She didn't know what they're talking about. What's wrong about Naruto-kun inviting her up for a cup ramen in his apartment?
"You see, Hinata. If a guy invites for a ramen in his apartment…" Tenten started but found it hard to continue.
Ino slightly shook her head in exasperation. "Listen, while inside Naruto's apartment, do you, uh, feel like the air was kinda' heavy?"
Sakura seemed to pick up on the pace and added, "Like you're breathing the same air and you…find it a bit hard to breathe. Like you want to be beside him, literally, like you want to be closer?"
The shy girl's face was gradually turning red as she could put a check mark on all of the items they told her.
"Well…" Hinata whispered sounding hesitant.
Tenten took in an inhale of bravery and put everything in a straightforward manner. "Hinata, if a guy invites for a ramen in his apartment, it means that he wanted to get a chance to be intimate with you. Physically."
The pale-eyed girl just stared at them blankly with her stern yet contemplative face as if trying to digest everything in. Now, she recalled that Hanabi reminded her that ramen also meant another kind of thing for men. She didn't know it back then, but now…
Her face turned full-blown red and dismissed her friends' notion in panic while she waved her hands in disagreement animatedly. "N-No! Th-that's- Naruto-kun and I did nothing like that!"
"Accepting the invitation meant that you wanted the same too, Hinata." The girls replied worriedly.
"B-But…" Hinata recalled her stay at Naruto-kun's apartment. Everything felt alright and fun for her. Well, except from that time inside his bedroom. Well, that was just unplanned, and she could tell it from Naruto-kun's unlikely behavior afterwards.
"It's a thing, believe us. Imagine a man and a woman, both attracted to each other, stuck in one small apartment as they sip a hot bowl of ramen that's making the air a lot thicker and warmer. There's just you and him and that silence and it was making the both of you feel nervous and at the same time, the longing you feel for each other is getting stronger."
Ino said as a matter-of-factly.
Well, Hinata could say that something like that happened, but she was well-aware that it was just an accident. Perhaps, that's why Naruto-kun was avoiding her gaze while they ate ramen. He must be… She shook the thought away. She shouldn't be thinking of these things!
Sakura, noticing that Hinata was in a deep thought and a little bit too embarrassed already, tried to save her head from this very mind-boggling topic. "Well, we have nothing to worry about, anyway. Naruto was too dense to know what that idiom even means and I'm sure that he won't do anything that would make Hinata uncomfortable."
"Well, it's true. He kept on saying your name on missions even before the two of you got together." Ino inadvertently opened up which garnered her a surprised look from Hinata and a cautious one from Tenten and Sakura.
Guess, it was a story for another time
"Inviting a girl up for a ramen is kind of a special technique guys use, Naruto."
"Technique? A jutsu?" The blonde innocently asked.
"Well, I guess, something like that." Chouji quipped in efforts to make him comprehend what the phrase really meant.
Kiba chugged his beer and explained as calmly as possible. "Listen, you. When you invite a girl for a ramen into your apartment it means that you want to have a chance to touch her."
"Touch?" Naruto then asked with wide and clueless eyes as the guys nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, just like the ones in your sensei's perverted books." Kiba answered nonchalantly.
"Hey!" Naruto reacted incredulously. He just couldn't believe this. "What're you even talking about? I won't do such things to Hinata!"
"Really?" Sai commented in a teasing manner.
"Ha! I'm not that kind of man dattebayo!"
"Let's see how long you can hold into you word, Naruto!" The Inuzuka mocked.
"Don't ever question my nindou!"
Sai began his litany.
"So! Even if there's just the two of you and the room felt too small that it's very difficult to breathe. Even if, you're trying to avoid her gaze because you know that you can't remove your eyes from her. You wanted to be close to her so badly that you feel anxious and scared because you're not acting like yourself. What if you can't wipe her away from your mind and you still have her lingering into your head while forcing yourself to sleep? Wha-"
Sai was then halted by the wiser Shikamaru, who knew and witnessed Naruto's current distress over the matter. He knew how deep Naruto feel to rock bottom when Hinata "rejected" him during their moon mission. Definitely, he knew how Naruto was taking everything about his girlfriend very seriously.
"It's…I-I didn't…What if Hinata found it uncomfortable? What if I really messed us up? I can't afford to… What if she wouldn't like to see me anymore after what happened?" Oh, his sweet and innocent Hinata! What had he done?
"Wow, you're making it sound like something really happened there." Kiba snorted.
On one hand, Shino threw his reckless mouthed teammate a glare. "Just keep calm, Naruto. Raised as a Hyuga, I'm sure that Hinata isn't also aware of street-phrases like that."
"That's right, Naruto-kun! Hinata-san has always been understanding. Knowing you, you always have the best intention at heart, and I know that she also knows that." Lee brightly assured the worrying blonde.
He better come clean and resolve this as soon as possible before anyone could ever tell her first. Naruto thought while tapping his foot restlessly.
And the guys thought they would be able to gather some piece of advice from Naruto, but in the end they figured that his relationship was still a team effort.
Some decorations from the Rinne Festival were still in-tact and it seemed as if the festivities weren't even done yet as the villagers were now starting to prepare for their New Year's celebration. They said that this year's going to be the biggest one thus far as this was the year when the village fully recovered from the fragments from the war. However, a few days back, devastating debris from the moon wounded their Konoha again.
Still, the citizens were still determined to make this year the best one!
Naruto was walking along the village with a faraway look. He felt like he still had a dilemma that he wanted to solve, but he also didn't want to disturb Hinata's girl talk. However, once he'd see her, he'll immediately clear things up.
"Naruto-kun?"
That soft voice! Hinata!
And although he was waiting for her all day long, he didn't know why he was frozen and afraid to meet her eyes.
"Are you alright, Naruto-kun?" She asked as she circled around to face him.
Naruto took in a deep breath and look at the right side of the sky up above while rubbing the back of his head. "Ah, Hinata. Hey, yeah! Of course, I am."
Damn it! He better stop acting this silly.
"About the other night…" Naruto faced her and asked, "Do Sakura-chan and others…"
Hinata just nodded in affirmation, while Naruto exhaled in frustration and slumped his shoulders.
"Believe me! I just knew what it really means, and I just want to tell you that I won't do anything that will make you uncomfortable and…" He turned his focus on the ground wearing his embarrassed and childish pout. "I hope you're not disappointed about it."
Slowly, he shifted his eyes on her. Hinata could see how Naruto-kun's face was blushing and how terribly embarrassed he was. It was very unlikely for him to act all shy, but the boyishness in his expression made her feel bubbly on the inside.
She giggled free-spiritedly at the thought, which made him wonder.
"It's okay, Naruto-kun! I'm not upset or anything. I believe in you."
His grin finally returned to his features as he chuckled. Well, maybe he could not invite Hinata any longer to his home after what happened, but he still he had her and she wasn't upset, that's the most important.
It had been days since they had gotten together, but every second, every minute and every hour that makes every day count now for Naruto
They continued the day and walked together after a satisfying bowl of ramen at Ichiraku's. Passing by at the nearby playground, he remembered that this was where that Toneri almost got Hinata away from him the night prior their moon mission.
His face dropped at the sight and she noticed it for sure.
Hinata tapped Naruto's shoulder which prompted him to look at her. "Hmmm…I was thinking…Maybe we could watch the feature film together…Uh, in your home, I guess."
He just stared at her with wide eyes. How could he process this? How could he process this when there's just too much going on?
She blushes and waved her hands dismissively and explained. "Nah-ah, I-I mean I'm not it's not like that. It's okay, if you don't want to! I mean, I think maybe Naruto-kun was lonely being alone there and that's something that's really saddens me for a long time, and I figured maybe I could accompany you for a while…and..."
Naruto tried to asses all the stirring emotions he was having. First, he was excited, yet he was really nervous as hell, after all the information the guys implanted into his head. Well, he told Kiba off that no one should dare question his nindou! And he really meant it, he really meant what he said, that he wasn't that kind of man.
The other night, his cleaning mission with Hinata was fun and the moment when they were so close together rand were in each other's arms was the most comfortable he had been with ever. He wouldn't waste an opportunity like that just because of bad thoughts.
Most especially, what Hinata said was true. He was happy rather they were happy together and that fact warmed his heart all over.
"If you say so," Naruto responded coyly as he took Hinata's hand in his and they both started walking together.
He glanced down at her and beamed his childishly mischievous smile. She softly laughed in return at his playfulness and he sealed everything by planting a kiss on her forehead.
"Remember that night when you were waiting at the foot of my apartment?"
Hinata blushed and hastily turned her face away in embarrassment. Th-That was the time when she almost confessed to Naruto-kun but thought that his affections already belong to someone else and that was also the time when Naruto-kun…
"Hmmm…I was thinking…" With pinched eyes and a grin, he was sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "I was thinking that maybe you're still up for a cup ramen in my room?"
"…"
Naruto waved his
"Uh…I…uh, Na-Naruto-kun…" She hid her hands behind her, trying to conceal her long-avoided habit of fiddling.
"Geee…" He chuckled. "I get it. I get it, if you don't wanna-"
"No!" She exclaimed then tried to clarify. "I-I just can't put things into words but…I think I'd go. I'd go later, Naruto-kun!"
"I…Where to start? Oh no! There's a lot in there -ttebayo!" He deeply inhaled as he brushed his hand through his hair. "I guess, I better ask Konohamaru for help or…or…"
"Naruto-kun that's…" She tried to appease his overjoyed boyfriend, until she realized how much this mattered to him. "I remember that I promised to hang out with Hanabi at home this afternoon. If you want, Naruto-kun, we can meet later."
"Yeah! That would be perfect!" He agreed as if it was a bright idea. "I'll pick you up at the corner near your street."
She nodded her head in agreement. before they headed their own paths and separate.