Reference: The events of the night portion for this chapter as well as chapters 5 and 6 will be occurring almost simultaneously, with Hinata's events for the evening trailing a few hours behind Sasuke's until they next meet.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters depicted.
Chapter Four: Table for Two
"Hinata! Open up we know you're in there" Ino shouted while banging on the door "We're not leaving until we see you sweetie. We're sorry we couldn't come sooner but we're here now please don't shut us out" She adds still banging away.
Hinata recognizes the familiar voice but was embarrassed at the thought of her friend seeing her so unkempt.
"Hinata please, we're your friends, we want to be by your side to help you through this girl" Ten Ten insisted.
Hinata runs to the door bursting it open, she was so appreciative of her friends' compassionate words. She hasn't heard a word of encouragement or kindness in weeks, she embraces them and they both squeeze her back, Hinata immediately starts to break down in their arms and they escort her back inside.
The three women sit on her couch, Ino is combing her hair, and Ten Ten's rubbing a serum under her eyes to get down the swelling as a result of her constant crying.
Hinata has already started to fill them in on what's been happening with her and Sasuke.
"And then he said that he enjoyed it even more knowing I was here crying for him." Both women gasped and stopped what they were doing for a moment looking at Hinata in disbelief.
"He confessed that he slept with someone the same night! You must be joking," Ino says shaking her head in disapproval
"That stupid jerk how could he be so cruel?" Ten Ten angrily voiced as she finished rubbing the eye serum on Hinata.
"Sweetie you're better off without him, these are his true colors Hinata, and he just didn't get the chance to show them until now." Ino charges
"Exactly, it sounds like he was waiting for an opportunity to cheat, how could he overreact and be so brash about cheating on you. He's a bastard Hinata forget him." Ten Ten asserts as she aggressively caps the serum.
As she listens to her friends, a genuine smile forms on her face for the first time in a little over a month. The smile quickly turns into a loud giggle and her friends joined in. The ladies started slinging colorful insults about Sasuke around the room. It made Hinata feel so gleeful to hear the negatives about the man who was causing her so much heartache.
"I'm so glad I have you guys, I think I was about to go insane," Hinata said with the smile still pasted across her face, and her now eyes perky.
"Thank you so much for coming to check on me." She said cheerfully.
Ino finishes brushing her hair and wraps it tidily over her shoulder then moves in front to join Ten Ten.
"That's what friends are for Hinata, we just wish we could have come sooner. We knew that story was bogus, you'd never cheat on Sasuke," Ino says with total confidence in her friend.
Ten Ten inserts "But, to be honest, I wouldn't be against you giving that son of a bitch a taste of his own medicine after what he did."
She looks Hinata straight in her eyes and adds "If he doesn't care about cheating then neither should you."
Ino nods her head affirming what Ten Ten said "He already thinks of you as a cheater, might as well have some fun and clean out the cobwebs." Ino propositions.
Hinata bewildered by Ino's suggestion glared at her and giggled "That would be good huh." She sighs as she lays her head on the couch cushion and contemplates if she would ever be able to sleep with another man. She's been with Sasuke for so long she didn't even remember how to flirt with other men.
"Listen hun there's a new club opening in Leaf tonight, you should come with us," Ino says with hopeful eyes.
"I-I don't know," Hinata mumbled.
"Come on just for a little bit, it's our first night back together. We won't let you stay if you feel too uncomfortable ok." Ten Ten insisted.
Hinata realizes that she hadn't been out socially in over a month, so she actually wants to go out, she knew she would be alone at home tonight anyway since Sasuke would probably not come back until the morning, if at all.
She looks back over to both her friends and said, "Ok I'll come but if I feel uneasy I'm leaving."
"Yes!" they both screamed then hugged Hinata contented with her answer, they celebrated knowing they were going to get her out of her abject mood.
A few hours pass and Hinata feels comforted as she catches up with the two people she could count on. She was grateful for them giving her the ego boost that she needed to comprehend the current state of her marriage. She embraces them again tightly after their hour's long conversation and the ladies leave while promising to pick her up tonight at 9 PM sharp.
When they left Hinata felt somewhat embarrassed as she looked at how disheveled her house was. She begins to start tidying up and hated that the house fell into such disarray. The hours ticked away and by the time she was done mopping she noticed that it was already 6 PM she quickly thought about making dinner for Sasuke then the realization hit her that Sasuke's hunger was no longer her concern.
She freshens up, quickly picks out an outfit, and starts getting dressed. She puts on a sexy black shimmering dress that stopped at her mid-thighs. It hugged her body and had a deep cut revealing only the tops of her voluptuous breasts. She applies a little makeup not too much to cover her natural features completely. She was ready to go and starts to spray some perfume when a loud horn sounded outside her house.
"I'm coming" she softly shouts grabbing her purse and running out of the room, while the horn still toots in the background.
"Hinata you look damn good, every guy will be ogling you tonight," Ten Ten blurts out as soon as she enters the car. Hinata blushes at her friend's remarks, as Ino speeds off to the club.
They get to their destination and just as Ten Ten had predicted, Hinata has the attention of every man she walked by, all of them turning their heads to follow her much to the displeasure of their significant others. She feels sexy and sought after again, it made her feel so good.
A half an hour later they get to their destination and just as Ten Ten had predicted, Hinata has the attention of every man she walked by, all of them turning their heads to follow her much to the displeasure of their significant others. She feels sexy and sought after again, it made her feel so good.
She enjoys her night out while refusing every man that got the courage to ask for her number or offer her a drink. She was still married and she wasn't planning on cheating like Sasuke.
She rocks back and forth dancing with her friends, having the time of her life.
Suddenly she notices the icy stares from some of the patrons. She hears a woman whisper to her friend "Isn't that the wife who cheated on that tycoon, Sasuke?"
Her friend snickered back "Yup, look at her, grinding all over the place, she must be looking for another lover."
Hinata's night of peace starts to end as she begins noticing the stares from all around that bore into her. She felt absolutely sick "Guys I-I need to get going." She stammers to Ino and Ten Ten.
"What? Come on it's only been a couple of hours have some more fun with us," Ino proposed while holding Hinata's hand and dancing.
"You guys can stay I'll call a taxi, really I-I don't want you to leave because of me ok." She said while faintly smiling and hugging both her friends goodbye.
She exits the club and feels a well-need rush of fresh air, she was beginning to suffocate with all those people watching her so fixedly. She takes out her phone to call a taxi but it's dead, the rain was starting to drizzle, and the taxi station was a 15-minute walk away.
She sighs while contemplating if she should wait for her friends or start walking. She didn't want to feel everyone's glares again so she uses her purse to cover her head and begins trekking.
She walks in the rain for 10 minutes then it begins to pour, she was starting to get soaked. She sees a sign for a lounge ahead and decides to wait out the rain there.
The first thing she sees when she entered was the large bar. As she uses a cloth from her purse to pat herself dry she thinks to herself 'I'll just get a quick drink while I wait.'
The ambiance here was much more soothing, no one was paying attention to anyone else, everyone was minding their own business. It was lit in a way that made the room a bit dark but still feel warm and tranquil. She sits at the bar and orders her favorite drink.
She relaxes into her seat and starts to browse the room admiring all the décor, as she glances around rating the pieces from best to worst, she notices deep ocean blue eyes staring back at her. She turns her head around quickly due to the shock of seeing the one person who was again paying too much attention to her.
'It must be one of those snobs just ready to call me all types of horrible things.' She winced as she thought about the person staring her down.
Ten minutes go by and she sips her drink finishing it, and thanks the bartender who then places another glass of her beverage back in front of her.
"U-um I'm sorry I only ordered one." She says confusedly
"Oh sorry miss it was ordered for you by that gentleman over there." The bartender replies while pointing in the direction of the sapphire-eyed man.
"Oh, thank you." She smiles and nods at the bartender. She was about to turn to tell the kind man thanks when she sees him pulling out the chair beside her.
"I hope you enjoy your drink." He says while smiling softly at her and sitting down.
"Y-Yes thank y-you" She was stuttering tonight and she hates feeling so nervous.
He gave her a tender smile and says "No problem."
She looks at the bold man as he orders another drink for himself, 'He's so handsome,' she says inwardly as she observes the him, taking in his features. He had a rugged jawline that gave him a naturally strong manly look, his blond hair complemented his dazzling blue eyes so well, she looked at them from the side and felt like she could easily get lost in them. She unintentionally starts licking her lips, when the man turns his gaze towards her.
She bows her head back down to her drink swiftly, it was obvious and he was flattered by her admiring his appearance. He was looking down at her as he towered in comparison and he saw how big and beautiful the exposed bits of her knolls were. He turned his head forward not wanting to get carried away by his thoughts.
"So what's an attractive woman like you doing here all alone?" He asked interestedly while swirling his glass.
"Well I was just on my way home, I'm waiting for the rain to let up. Thank you again," She bit down on her lip embarrassed, 'why did I say thanks again?' she was so nervous she wanted to slap herself.
"It's still no problem blue beauty," He says as he caresses a lock of her dark blue hair that was covering part of her face, moving it over her ear.
The act made her heart leap "What are you doing here all alone? You don't look too bad yourself you know." She asked cheekily.
"Well I'm here to drown my sorrows," he says as he turns and gives her a faint grin with his eyes closed.
Minutes before Hinata had entered the lounge.
Naruto was busy drinking and scrolling through his timeline when he saw a video of Sasuke and a pink-haired woman giving him oral. He knew who he was based on different articles which appeared almost daily weeks ago regarding their marriage. He looked up from his phone conveniently as she was entering.
Naruto felt like fate brought his gaze to Hinata as it seemed he was the only one in the room to notice.
"Ohh I'm sorry by the way, my name is Naruto Uzumaki, nice to meet you," he said as he holds out his hand
"I'm Hinata Uc- Hyuga, Hinata Hyuga, it's nice to meet you Naruto." She responds and turns to shakes his hand
She takes a good look at Naruto, and then it came back she remembered seeing him in one of the social media posts. His parents' second memorial was coming up. She questioned herself 'was that today?'
She knew who he was, he was one of the most revered businessmen in town, and he had several companies under his umbrella that were directly established to develop the city. Unlike Sasuke's where most profits came from dealings with companies such as the Akatsuki and Otsutsuki performing major takeovers and bankrupting several businesses in a bid to create a monopoly in their sector.
She sinks back in the bar stool, looking at the man as he drinks his liquor.
"You know you don't have to make it so obvious," Naruto says while he sips and glances over at her.
"I'm sorry your parents... I'm sorry" She whispered not wanting to say anything insensitive.
"Yeah me too." He said with a dismayed look.
"I'm sorry about your situation too, I hope your marriage can survive the turmoil it's facing." He adds with the same look on his face.
She puts her head down placing her lips on her glass and nods slowly.
"You know If you want to talk I can be a listening ear, since we're both here alone why don't we keep each other company," he chuckled while scratching the back of his head "What do you say blue beauty?"
When he calls her that again her face starts to burn, she tilts her head down to hide the redness she knew would soon appear and says "O-ok, that sounds good."
He came close and asked in a friendly whisper "Maybe we should get a private booth, right?" Not noticing the effect he was already having on her.
She could feel his breath on her skin and it sent chills down her neck and spine, she inhales slowly calming her heartbeat. "S-sure t-that's fine w-with me," she says and bit her bottom lip again.
Naruto gets up and pulls out her chair giving her his hand to help her off the high stool. They walk into the booth and he calls over the bartender and orders another round of drinks for the two of them.
They talk for almost two hours drinking along the way, sharing jokes, and enjoying each other's presence as neither was in any hurry to leave. They weren't flirting at all but the occasional looks they gave each other suggested that they were definitely being drawn into each other.
Hinata taps her fingers after divulging all her recent marital issues to Naruto, in much more detail than any news article could ever provide. She recounted it indifferently, not shedding a single tear as she talked. Her eyes were devoid of emotion as she waits for Naruto's feedback.
"I'm so sorry Blu you've had to deal with so much, you must be devastated." He said while thinking that Sasuke didn't deserve the love she had for him.
"I was until recently, but I'm fine now don't worry my marriage ended over a month ago, it's just not official yet," She replies with a sincere smirk.
"Hey remind me to knock his face in if I ever see him ok" Naruto responds in a stern but friendly tone but he was dead serious.
She laughs covering her mouth her eyes brightening from his casual threat. She reaches for another drink taking a sip and then says "It's your turn Naruto, any horrible relationships? I know it can't top mine,"
Naruto didn't waste time he quickly recounts his worst relationship experience.
"Well, a few years ago my ex-fiancé ran off on me without saying a word. She treated me terribly for most of the relationship but I guess my stupidity made me blind to it. She was toxic, and everything had to always be about her you know. If it wasn't for my friends Shikamaru and Lee I might have continued to blame myself. It hurt when she left at first but after a while, I realized I'd be lucky if I never see her again."
He exhales and then chuckles he never thought he would ever tell anyone outside his small circle about his ex-girlfriend.
She looks at him with a wide gaze "Wow, that was quick, seems like you had that all wrapped up with a bow on top" she says as she holds her head and laughs.
"Could you help me condense my story? It would really help," she smiles and he gave her a friendly smirk, nodding his head as she made fun of his story composition. The two laugh together quietly not wanting to draw too much attention to themselves.
However, it was already too late. People already snapped pictures of the two and social media was on fire with the hashtag HinataxNaruto.
Another hour passed as the pair continued drinking, and talking about random topics. Naruto notices Hinata's eyes were starting to droop.
"Hey, Blu you ok?" He asked concernedly while admiring how cute she looks when sleepy.
"I-I'm just a little tired, just give me a sec," she responds looking at him with a wide smile on her face, then rests her head on the table.
"Looks like you've had enough of me Blu, let me take you home, what's your address?" He asks as he moves over to help her up.
"Blu?" he called but all he heard was the soft inhale and exhale of the gorgeous woman beside him.
He sighs softly as he admires her face, 'she's even looked gorgeous when she's fast asleep.' Naruto sees a stray tear starting to make its way down her cheek and he instinctively uses his thumb to wipe it away.
"Ahh man, what do I do?" he says while rubbing his face. He thinks to use her phone to get a contact who could help him to her address but her phone wouldn't turn on. He couldn't just leave her there after knowing everything she was going through.
Based on their conversations he could tell that she didn't know about the new video of Sasuke and his mistress yet, and he wanted to be her shoulder to lean on when she found out. He smoothly lifts her from the booth placing her comfortably in his arms.
"I guess you're coming home with me Blu," he says as he carries Hinata to his car.
When he gets home he wisely brings her to the bed in his guestroom, he lays her down and carefully removes her heels then tucks her feet under the covers and leaves after saying "good night Blu."
Hinata opens her eyes, she was pretending to be asleep. She woke up when she was in his car but she was tired of returning to her lonely chamber, so she gladly went with her new friend.
She lays in the bed looking at the ceiling she could still feel the gentle touch of Naruto's hands on her body. He handled her like she was a delicate flower, the thought of him carrying her in his arms out of the lounge, all the way here made her cheeks flush.
She sighed loudly wanting to scream with elation but didn't want Naruto to know she was awake yet. She lays in the bed squeezing the pillow thinking about everything Sasuke has done to her, she inhales the scent of the vanilla-infused pillow and contemplates Ino and Ten Ten's suggestions.
Hope you enjoyed the read!
No Sakura is not his ex if your wondering.
Thanks again everyone for all your detailed comments, I really love reading them all. I know some of you have concerns about but trust me, all will be revealed soon, I'm trying to make sure everything is said when it should be. There's still lots more drama to come, as well as some smut 😉.
A/N: I want to get the next chapter up soon but based on my schedule the rest of this week is completely out, but early next week I should be able to use a couple hours to edit and proofread so please bear with me.