"Love doesn't happen to you. It's a choice."
He brought her flowers.
Hinata takes the bouquet-a collection of various white flowers-from his hands with a bemused smile. She can't remember him ever buying her flowers before. Of course, she recalls, they never really had the "dating" stage in their relationship...so she couldn't fault him for that.
She smells them delicately and uses the distraction to hide her face, as well to try and calm her clamoring heartbeat. She should thank him, she thinks, but her mouth feels too dry and her tongue too awkward.
Naruto was always devastatingly attractive to her.
Naruto in a suit-cardiac arrest.
Naruto in a suit with flowers? She wasn't going to survive the night.
Naruto didn't seem to notice her lack of thanks or internal dilemma, instead he immediately switches his attention from her to Argus, crouching to give him some good scritches in his favorite spot. "Hey, buddy. Looks like you missed me." He looks over at Hinata, a teasing smile playing with his mouth."Looks like you-shit."
Hinata's attention was diverted from her flowers. She glances at Argus who is happily thumping his tail still, tongue lolling out of one side of his mouth. "What?" she asks, worriedly. "He what?"
Naruto doesn't respond to her inquiry, instead shaking his head slowly, his blue (so blue) eyes traveling the length of her, lingering in some areas longer than others. When his gaze stops at hers, he lets out a soft whistle. "Damn, Ma."
Oh.
She can feel her blood thrum, flooding her face. She only hopes the make-up hides it from his scrutiny. His gaze wanders again and she shifts a bit, moving the bouquet to one hand while her other lays against the skin above the dress's bustline. Where his eyes lingered even still.
She clears her throat."Staring is rude."
Naruto leans back and gives a helpless gesture with his arms. "How can I not?"
She's flattered...she thinks. It's hard to say because while she sees approval in his eyes, there's something else there too. Perhaps sensing her discomfort, Naruto resumes petting Argus, leaving her free to make her way into the kitchen to fetch a vase.
She uses the time of sorting and trimming the stems to try and calm down. She's already so nervous about this event, and now she'd flustered because Naruto is Naruto .
Naruto's voice pulls her from her stem chopping. "Damn, Argus, are you really gonna let Hina outta the house like that?"
His tone is teasing, but the tiny voice in her head (quieter now than ever before, but still there hisses at her). Was it too much? Had she gone overboard? Or was it too revealing? Maybe she couldn't pull it off, like she thought she could. She wasn't model perfect. Maybe she couldn't do glamorous? Maybe frumpy was, like, her thing . Oh, God, what if it was too low cut? He probably wanted to make a good impression on Mr. Hatake and here she was showing off her cleavage…She turns towards him, feeling her throat tighten anxiously. "Do I look...Should I...Should I change?" If pressed, she could make one of her other dresses work. Maybe with a suit jacket…?
Naruto's on his feet so fast he sways a bit, hands coming up to placate her. He's shaking his head adamantly. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, are fucking shitting me?"
Hinata frowns. No, she is not, in fact, shitting him. She's really very worried, thank you very much.
She watches as Naruto slants his head, his eyes a shade darker than usual as they once more travel over her silhouette. "You're so hot it should be illegal," he tells her, voice low. It makes the flush in her face re-heat. "Are you even allowed outside like that? Is it like, a traffic violation?" he teases.
"Are you sure?" She glances down at her dress then back up at him, playing with her fingers. She wants this night to go well. She doesn't want to be this uncertain, stumbling person...but still, assurance from him goes a long ways.
He laughs and she finds her tension easing somewhat. His laughter and smile had always been like a balm to her nerves in any situation. "You're lucky I know how to fight. I should charge you, going out like that."
"Stoooop," She whines, now truly embarrassed. She resumes trimming the flowers when she sees him slowly stepping out of the entryway. He's moving hesitantly-a little uncertain. Like Argus when he'd first come to live with her. As if unsure of his boundaries.
Hinata glances over at him with a soft smile, wanting him to know that he's welcome.
"Um," He tucks his hands into his pockets, coming up alongside of her. "Do you like them." He gestures with his chin.
She does. Placing them into the vase, carefully, she nods. "They're very beautiful."
He shifts again, rocking a little onto his heels. "They reminded me of those ones on campus. Do you remember?" He asks.
The question isn't one she's expecting so it catches her a bit off guard. She pauses in brushing the trimmed bits off the counter, her thoughts wandering back years ago to when she was hopelessly (helplessly) in love with him and he was so enamored with someone else…
She used to pick him flowers little white flowers and place them into his textbooks. Little 'pick me ups' for the days he struggled, to let him know she was there...was cheering for him. Even if he never saw her as anything more than a friend, she loved him, and wanted to show him.
"Yes." She answers quietly.
"Do you remember, when you'd put them in my books?"
She closes her eyes and sighs, very softly. She always wondered if he ever noticed them... He never said anything.
"That was really cute."
For some reason that makes her want to cry a little, so she scrunches her face and pats her cheeks with her cool hands. "Stop trying to embarrass me."
"I'm not." Naruto laughs-which is a total giveaway that yes, yes he was.
He reaches out, fingers curling around her wrist and tugging her hand away from her face. He lowers himself just a bot so they are eye level. "And you look really pretty," he tells her.
She groans, still embarrassed, because not only was she acting like that infatuated college girl, she feels that she fished him for that compliment. Still, it's nice, so she smiles. "Thank you. You actually look really nice, too."
He snorts, giving himself a once over. "What do you mean, actually? You check me out all the time." He wiggles his brows.
She did. She absolutely did. But his head did not need any more swelling. She playfully pushes against him. "I do not."
"Do too," he counters with a knowing smirk. "I see you."
She thinks that statement may be truer now than ever before. She was still having a hard time letting go of some of her insecurities, and there were some issues that she still hadn't shared with him (her emotional breakdown, her anxiety, her almost suicide…) but she was more her than anytime else in her life, and even more so with him.
She nods at him and acknowledges, "Maybe I check you out a little."
His answering grin makes her heart flutter. Before she can get too carried away she grabs her long black coat and says goodbye to Argus. He gives a pitiful little whine, but she assures him that she will be home before he knows it. Even Naruto pets him and tells him that he's a good boy.
"Do you want me to drive?" Hinata asks once they're outside.
"Nah," he says, shaking his head. "It's not far."
"Are you sure?" She glances at her strappy sandals.
"Come on, you want me to piggyback you?" Naruto teases.
"No."
He turns, a playful leer on his face, curling his whisker mark tattoos devilishly. "Wow, I think that's the first time you've ever said no to riding me."
He did not . She exhales her breath abruptly, her eyes wide before they scrunch closed. "Naruto!" Just the words bring the images to her head. Of her astride his hips as he fills her, her palms pressed to his chest, her sweat-damp hair clinging to her shoulders as he grips her, guiding her motions while he groans unspeakable things, his blue eyes almost black in the moment…
She shakes herself loose of the memories, but it's too late, she feels like she's on fire.
When she opens her eyes she finds his not looking directly at her, but more towards her exposed skin and cleavage. Sniffing, she tugs the zipper up and glowers at him.
He looks unashamed.
Shaking her head, she moves to his side, linking her arm through his. She mentally pep talks herself as they walk, focusing on controlling her breathing, yet with each step closer to their destination she can feel her fingers curling tighter, tension snaking into her arms.
When they arrive at the building, Naruto hands his invitation and hers to the doorman. Once inside, he leans a little closer to her, his voice soft and sincere. "Thank you so much for coming with me."
She looks up and him and smiles-it's a little tight, but genuine. "Of course." She still doesn't let go of his arm though. Especially once they enter the main room and she sees the crowd. There was a sea of strangers, milling around, drinking and eating. There was several different screens, showing different news organizations, following the election results.
Breathe .
"There're so many people here." She whispers. She's already regretting this decision...second guessing herself, because surely he'd be better off there without her. She wasn't graceful or articulate and she certainly wasn't the 'funny' one. She was going to humiliate him-
Naruto squeezes her fingers with his free hand. "You voted today, right?" he asks, attempting to distract her. She appreciates him so much in that moment. She exhales and focuses on his face that she loves so much. So much.
She nods, pulling her shoulders back and firming her resolve. "Yes."
"You should've wrote me in." He flashes her a grin, maneuvering them through the throngs of people effortlessly. He always was a force of nature, she muses, watching the confident line of his back as he steps around others.
"You spent months working for Kakashi Hatake and then your trying to steal his show." Hinata pinches the inside of his arm.
"Hey! Just cause you're smoking hot doesn't mean you can just pinch me."
She smirks and pinches him again. For good measure.
"Ow!"
"You're being such a baby, it's not even going to leave a mark." She rubs the spot anyways, soothing it.
He gives her a sideways look. "You don't get to pick how bad you hurt me."
She knows he's teasing her.
She does.
But it cuts right through her.
Naruto, for all of his playful jovialness and sometimes obliviousness isn't an idiot. He sees her expression, even when she tries to hide it. "Let's go nab some food." He redirects.
There was no changing what had happened.
Only moving forward.
Trying.
She nods, letting go of the sting and smiling up at him. "I'm going to tell Jiraiya." She wouldn't...she could barely tolerate the man, but still, it was an effective threat.
Naruto's shoulders sag drastically. "Hina!"
The table was laid out with finger foods and 'delicacies'. There wasn't much that looked appealing, but she hadn't eaten all day, so she lets go of Naruto to grab herself a plate.
"This food's so tiny," Naruto whispers.
"It's called Hors D'oeuvres. It's supposed to small."
"What's that Spanish thing?" Naruto asks, walking through the table line, grabbing random things with his usual infectious enthusiasm.
She searches the table for whatever he's talking about, but finding no Spanish thing, she glances at him. "What?"
"The Spanish thing. Small plates. Tippy something."
"Tapas." She corrects gently.
"Tapas. Yeah. You're so smart, Hina." His grin is unabashedly proud.
He was always so good at building her up.
She shakes her head. "Uhm, why do you ask?"
"Oh yeah. Are those, like, the same thing?"
Hinata shrugs, because, honestly, she has no idea. "I don't know, honestly."
He, too, shrugs, letting the topic slide off.
He shoves a few small bits into his mouth. "Oh my god, these are delish." He chews a couple times, before picking up another one. "Hey, don't eat that one." He snags her wrist quickly, holding one that was the same as the piece he had just eaten.
She quirks a brow at him.
"It's a crab cake." He glances at his plate before picking one that he thought would be a suitable substitution. "I'll trade you this mini quiche looking thingy."
She can't help but smile and it stretches her lips wide. She adores him. "My hero."
He flushes a bit before tossing his head back, swallowing a mouthful of crabby goodness. "Shut your butt."
So romantic. She giggles, turning away.
Suddenly he's very close to her, his head ducked beside her shoulder. Like he's using her as a shield. "Fuck. Quick, make a break for it."
"What?" She blinks, confused.
Her confusion only lasts a moment before she hears a loud voice approaching.
"Hey! I was yelling for you." Konohamaru pushes towards them from the crowd. Hinata recognizes him from the couple of encounters they'd had. She inclines her head in greeting, but Konohamaru is only interested in Naruto.
Naruto sighs heavily, glaring at Hinata as she giggles at his discomfort, before he snaps his fingers. "Hey- wait, you're one of those boujee assholes, right?"
"Naruto." Hinata swings her head towards him, frowning. There was blunt, and then there was Naruto.
Naruto gestures to Konohamaru's coordinating pocket square, defensively.
She sighs. Fair point.
Konohamaru for his part looks completely unoffended, instead, nodding quickly. "Yes. You've stated this before."
"Right, right. Would you happen to know the difference between Hors D'oeuvres and Tapas?"
"Of course." Konohamaru smiles a little smugly.
Naruto tips his head triumphantly at Hinata. "Did you hear that, Hina? Of course ."
She fights the laugh in her throat. "Of course." She reaches over to pinch him.
"Hors D'oeuvres translates to 'outside the works' meaning outside of the main meal. Usually one bite. Tapas are actually a meal, but can be consisting of hors d'oeuvres, in Spanish would be called 'entremése' so-"
"Wow," Naruto interrupts, nodding. "I too am hors d'oeuvres then."
Konohamaru laughs a little at the joke. Hinata doesn't find it as amusing, though. Self-deprecation was an old and familiar Naruto defense. Meaning his lack of job was bothering him. She wants to say something to him, but not in front of Konohamaru.
"I was actually looking for you to ask you something." Konohamaru continues, unbothered by Naruto's side-tracking. He was probably used to it after working with him for weeks. "Will you buy me a drink at the bar?"
"Wow, that's so flattering. Really, so sweet? But I brought a date." Naruto says, as he wraps his free arm around Hinata.
That suits her just fine. She settles against him, appreciating the warmth. He smells nice.
Konohamaru makes a face. "Come on."
Naruto shakes his head, mouth pressing into a firm line. "Fuck, no."
"But can you just-"
Naruto makes a face back before deftly maneuvering them away.
When they were more or less alone again, she decides to speak up. "You shouldn't say things like that."
"Huh?" He blinks down at her.
"About your job."
"Oh, you got my nifty little French joke." He smirks.
"I'm serious." She presses, looking into his eyes, earnestly. "You have a job that you like. You don't have to degrade yourself or make jokes or make excuses-
He cuts her off, attempting for casual. "So, hors d'oeuvres is just one bite foods. The possibilities are endless. Tic-tacs? One bite. Pizza rolls? One bite."
Fine.
He doesn't want to talk about it.
She's not going to press.
"Mini corn dogs." He continues, leaving his arm around her as they stroll a bit. "Honestly does the criteria just depend on what you can fit in your mouth? What if you have a way bigger mouth?"
She snorts. "You have a big mouth."
"Hinata. So rude." He bends closer, his breath teasing the hair at her temple. "Especially when I know exactly what fits in your mouth…"
He's done it again.
She can practically taste the salt of him on her tongue.
Feel the firm, but gentle grip of his fingers twisted in her hair.
Hear his whispered: So good, Hina...
She flushes from her toes to her hairline and twists the skin of his arm as best she can.
"Ow!" He jumps, pulling his arm away.
"You deserved that one." She sniffs popping her last piece of food in her mouth to eliminate the remembered flavor.
"I'm gonna pinch you back."
She slants him an inquisitive smirk. "Oh, are you?"
"Believe it. You're not gonna know what hit you." Naruto takes her empty plate and slides it under his own. "Constant vigilance, Hyuuga." He wraps his arm around her again, letting it slide over her back. If he feels her tremble, he doesn't say anything. "You'll be in steady state of terror." His hand wanders lower and her breath catches. "Always wondering when I will - strike." He grabs her round backside and she almost squeals.
It's so childish and inappropriate...and funny.
It breaks the tension she was feeling, even if her gaze scans the area furtively. Just in case. "Naruto!" She knows her face is flame red beneath her foundation.
"Please don't Bagua me." He presses his hand together in a prayer, under his chin.
"No promises." She narrows her eyes in warning.
"Hashtag: worth it."
She rolls her eyes.
They're quiet for a moment and she takes the time to steady herself. She's coping well enough, not becoming overwhelmed. Of course, Naruto is taking up most of her attention-which she suspects is probably on purpose so she doesn't haul ass out of there, but it's nice, to be with him.
"Want to play a game?" His question pulls her attention round again. He still looks far too smug for her liking.
"Is this you trying to grab my ass again?" She folds her arms, then relaxes them when she sees the way his eyes follow the way the motion raises her bust.
"No, no. I'll do that later." He vows, giving her a little wink.
Promise? She blows out a breath. "Incorrigible."
"What's that game that Ino always plays? Know what I'm talking about?"
She blinks, confused. Then it dawns on her-from waaaaay back. "That, really old game? When she worked at that flower shop?"
"Yeah. I think so?"
"Where we guess people's professions?"
He snaps his fingers. "That's the one."
She remembers that game. She was terrible at it. But it was a fun way to pass the time when she was uncomfortable. "Well, okay, I guess." She tucks an errant curl behind her ears, her gaze floating over the crowd. "Do you want to pick someone?"
Naruto hums a bit, also surveying the people, tapping his hands. "Alright. Alright. What about that old guy over there?"
She's short, so it's hard for her to make out where he's looking. She stretches her neck. Finally seeing the 'old guy' in question. She scans his suit, trimmed beard and coiffed hair. Something professional... "Hmm, a doctor?"
"Wrong. He's a lawyer." Naruto smirks knowingly..
"That's a good guess." She concedes. "And your evidence?"
"His gaudy lapels." Naruto gestures, inconspicuously, to his own neck. "Doctors have some humility at least. Faced with the raw truths of life and death!" He's very dramatic in his explanation, making her giggle behind her hand."And..." He adds in a conspiratorial whisper, "I know him. He works for the campaign."
She drops her hand, eyes widening. "You cheater!"
Naruto dips his head, completely unashamed.
"I can't believe you."
He gives her a little wink and her heart trips over itself.
"I get to pick this time." She says in order to refocus. She allows her gaze to trail over the crowd, trying to pick a trickier target. A flash of bright color in a sea of blond and brown catches her eye. "That guy."
Naruto follows her line of sight, but he shrugs-not quite sure where she's looking. "Which one?"
"The redhead."
"Hinata, there's a lot of redheads, how am I -oh, well, yeah, shit. Nevermind, that's really red." He laughs a little, glancing at her.
"Told you." She smirks.
"Okay, you can go first."
She studies her 'mark' and tilts her head. There's something about him. It's like a jingle of memory in the back of her head. He's an attractive man with pale skin and that obscenely red hair. She can almost place him, but not quite."Now that I think about it, he actually looks familiar. Like I've seen him before," she murmurs to Naruto.
"Yeah." He nods in agreement. "Yeah. I know exactly what you mean."
She looks at him quickly. "Are you just teasing me?"
"No. No! Honestly. Really. I could totally be wrong but I think I know him from somewhere."
"Really?" She turns back towards the other man. "Where from?"
"I think… I think he beat the shit out of Sasuke one time." Naruto lit up, smiling at an old, old memory.
Well, then Hinata liked him already.
No, wait.
That was mean.
She glances up at Naruto, watching his smile spread. "Are you being serious?"
He laughs. "Yes, dead serious. Okay, so we used to go to the skate park, on that pier, near Chelsea. Same place that I broke my arm, twice in a row, doing the same trick. Have I ever told you about that?"
She nods, because yes, he had. He told her countless stories and she mentally catalogued each one before tucking them into her heart for safe keeping.
"Anyways -during a different time Sasuke was running his mouth, about something. I don't even remember what, but running his mouth-as fucking usual."
Hinata nods a little. Yes, that was usual.
Stop it.
She had really tried to like Sasuke, because he was important to Naruto (for God only knows what reason) but no matter how much she tried she could never get past his perverse pleasure in hurting the one person she loved above all others.
She never would, now.
Not after the pills.
The bathtub…
She shudders, forcefully pushing those thoughts away, listening to Naruto instead.
"...And then, this kid, like way younger than us, like out of nowhere, sucker punches him right in the face."
"Seriously?" Hinata glances once more at the redhead.
"Yeah. That happened a lot actually. But anyways, this tiny, scrawny kid, beats the living fuck out of him. Like for real, thrashed him. My arm is broken at the time, and I still try and jump in and like pull this feral kid off him. I swear, he was high on PCP or like...something."
"Really?" Her eyes go wide.
He shrugs like it's an everyday thing to have to pull a wild junkie off a friend. But then again, that probably was an everyday thing for him back then. She frowns a bit at that thought.
"Okay, make your guess quick," he urges her.
Wait-what? "Quick?"
He nods. "Cause we're gonna go find out."
No.
She does not want to do that.
She's holding it together right now.
Being surrounded by people was hard enough….striking up a conversation with a complete stranger? She can feel the bile roll in her stomach.
Naruto rubs her arms. "Don't worry, I'll do the talking. Promise. I just wanna see if I'm right."
Hinata exhales slowly. She could walk over there and stand. Right? She wasn't that much of a failure that she couldn't pull that off. "Okay." She holds onto him as they start forward. "I still think I've seen him somewhere. Maybe on CNN. Maybe a reporter?"
"Good guess. He is dressed nice, but not overly nice. Like he put effort into looking normal." He turns a look on her. "But for the love of god please don't watch CNN. They're corporate shills."
She huffs a little breath. "What am I supposed to watch? Fox?"
"Ew, Hinata, what is wrong with you?" Naruto sticks his tongue out like he tasted something bad. "No actually, I prefer podcasts now. Less opinions. More news. And it's only like twenty minutes. Plus if anything crazy happens, like breaking news throughout the day, your phone tells you anyways."
Hinata's neck aches with how she's looking up at him. She's actually surprised. "Wow, that's actually… really interesting. I didn't know you were… into that." It was a but disconcerting, but she also liked it-liked learning something new about the person she'd been with for years.
"I'm full of surprises. Maybe you should hang out with me more. I'll show you my favorite ones after." He suggests.
"Okay."
Naruto tosses their plates into a trash before approaching the redhead "Hey," he says by way of greeting. " I'm Naruto Uzumaki."
"Gaara Sabaku." The redhead's voice is a lower pitch than Naruto's but not quite as smooth, Hinata notices. He holds his hand out towards Naruto.
"This is my gir-" Naruto coughs through the introduction. "Friend. Hinata Hyuuga."
Hinata forces a polite smile onto her face and shakes Gaara's hand as well, despite her trepidation. His grip is firm but not harsh.
"Sorry to bother you, but I was just wondering if I knew you from somewhere?" Naruto continues.
Gaara clears his throat. "I'm a representative from Brooklyn. I wasn't up for re-election this year but I wanted to show my support for the other Democrat running. We are neighbors, after all."
"Oh, congrats, Congressmen, but I was actually thinking, from before that. Like, middle school, high school maybe? Maybe that skate park, on the pier in Manhattan. You know the one?" Naruto presses.
"Pier 62?"
"Yes!" Naruto points in triumph. "That's the one."
Gaara studies Naruto for a moment. "I do recognize you, actually. Less tattoos back then, correct?"
"Yeah." Naruto grins, nodding. He's so proud of himself, being right. Hinata gives him a soft smile and shakes her head.
Gaara shifts, but his face remains carefully neutral. "I probably owe you an apology-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey man. No need for that." Naruto interrupts quickly. "Unless it's for those sick tricks. I was just telling Hinata about that board you had. It was custom right? With that crazy badger on it?"
"Oh, that thing." Gaara sounds almost embarrassed but his expression is still that same unaffected neutral.
"Naruto!"
Hinata jumps a bit at the new voice, her fingers twisting along her bracelet.
A silver haired man pushes into their group. Hinata recognizes him as Kakashi Hatake from his flyers and advertisements, but they really did not do the man justice. He's tall and handsome-almost ridiculously handsome, actually. Hinata blinks a bit, startled by both his sudden appearance, and by how close he was to Naruto-invading his space like they were old friends.
"Good to see you! Did you just get here?" Naruto asks, brows raised. "To your own event?"
Kakashi purses his lips. "Good to see you, too," he deflects. " And Mr. Sabaku! Nice to see you as well."
Gaara replies in kind before excusing himself when he's called over by another group.
"Hey, Kakashi, my friend and I were just playing this game where we try and guess people's professions. Now hold on, hold on." Naruto rubs his thumb and forefinger against his chin, theatrically, pretending to study Kakashi. "I'm getting... 'The Bronx's new representative' vibes."
Kakashi laughs a little, eyes closing. "Hey, we'll see in a couple hours, now won't we." He moves to go mingle himself before pointing to Naruto again. "I'm still awaiting my invite."
"I promise, I'll text you." Naruto laughs.
Hinata has no idea what the exchange is about and she's only half paying attention-trying not to feel overwhelmed by the situation or hurt by the lack of introduction. She knows, realistically, Naruto was probably trying to keep her from being uncomfortable, but she couldn't help but wonder if it was because he didn't want her to humiliate him.
You know better than that. She tells herself. She lifts her chin.
Kakashi has barely taken a step away from the group before Shikamaru Nara appears at their side. "Naruto. What the hell, I was planning on introducing Gaara and Kakashi. You totally stole my brownie points."
"What?" Naruto blinks. "That was totally an accident. Do you know Gaara too?"
"He's my fiancé's brother." Shikamaru lazily gestures to the woman next to him.
"Temari Sabaku." She introduces herself, unbothered by Shikamaru's lack of manners. She's taller than Ino, but her hair is more gold than platinum blond, Hinata notes. Her eyes are greener, too and her skin more tan.
"Congrats man. I didn't even know you were getting married." Naruto tips his head. "Mazel tov."
"I'm not Jewish." Shikamaru rolls his eyes.
"What? Really. I totally thought you were Jewish." Naruto looks over to Hinata for backup. "Didn't you think he was Jewish?" he whispers quietly.
She shakes her head, letting him down gently. He looks so genuinely confused it makes her lips twitch in sympathy.
"Is it because I'm a lawyer?" Shikamaru raises an eyebrow.
"No!" Naruto quickly denies.
"Whatever. Do you want a drink?" Shikamaru turns his attention to his own fiancé. "Naruto, lets go get them a drink."
Hinata tenses slightly when Naruto steps back, away from her, but she feigns a calm she doesn't feel.
"Same thing, right?" He asks her.
She nods with a smile. "Yes, thank you."
Hinata watches him as he makes his way towards the back of the room and the bar. She tries not to squirm when she feels Temari's eyes on her. "So," she clears her throat. "You're getting married?"
Temari nods with a faint smile. "It took awhile, but I finally wore him down." Her gaze wanders to Hinata's hand then to her face. "You?"
"Hm?" Hinata blinks. "Oh, uhm, no." She shakes her head, but feels the warmth that the idea surges into her. "Not yet," she amends.
"Well, when you do, make sure you plan as much as you can in advance because all the last minute crap can really wear on you. Actually, just elope. It'll save you money and a headache."
Hinata thinks about Naruto's vision of a large, gaudy wedding. Eloping has it's appeal to her, but she'd give him whatever he wanted-when the time was right.
She smiles at Temari. "Thanks for the advice."
Hinata turns towards the bar, catching sight of Naruto and Shikamaru talking.
She turns back to Temari. She could try, right? To be social. To be the initiator of conversation. "So, uhm, how d-did you two meet?"
Temari blinks, and then smiles a smile that reveals stories to be told.
Over the next few minutes Temari fills HInata in on her and Shikamaru. Right up until he joins them again. Sans Naruto.
Hinata looks around worriedly.
"Bathroom," Shikamaru says, flatly.
Hinata catches his eye and frowns a bit. Was Shikamaru glowering at her? Before she can feel too uncomfortable about it, Temari resumes her wedding talk. A few minutes later Naruto rejoins them, handing her a glass of red wine.
"Thank you." Hinata smiles in relief, taking a little sip. Don't gulp.
"You didn't get a drink?" Shikamaru asks, noticing Naruto's empty hands.
Naruto chuckles a little, awkwardly. "I don't drink."
Shikamaru snorts. "Ha. Yeah right. I distinctly remember you drunk at-"
Nope.
They were not doing this.
No one was going to have a rehash and bash Naruto session while she was around.
Her own discomfort aside, she wasn't about to have stories of drunken Naruto told like he was the butt of some joke. She cuts the conversation short, her chin tilted up and jaw set. "Temari, what were you saying about your wedding venue?"
She can feel Naruto's gaze on her profile-can feel his questions. She turns towards him, her eyes soft. "It's in a hotel." Hinata tells him slipping her arm back into his as they listened to Temari tell them a little about her wedding details and giving Hinata some more tips for random things.
Conversation was easy after that, but after a little bit Temari wanted to go see Gaara, so she and Shikamaru excused themselves.
"Let's leave now." Naruto says once they were on their own again.
Hinata glances at the televisions. "The votes aren't even counted yet."
He shrugs easily enough. "Yeah? The votes are gonna be the same if we're here or not."
She frowns at him. "You shouldn't just skip out like that."
"I don't work for him no more." He ruffles the back of his hair messing up his comb job.
Hinata bites her lip. She really wants to go, but this is his night and she will stay as long as he wants. "Are you sure? You're having so much fun."
He shrugs again. "You know what would be more fun?" Naruto asks, already moving her towards where their coats were. "If we grabbed some take out and went back to your place for some Netflix with Argus."
Oh. That idea she liked.
She liked it so much.
Still... "Are you sure?"
"One hundred and ten percent, Hyuuga." He squeezes her shoulder with one warm hand.
Relief makes her a little goofy. She follows him out.
The air was a little chillier than when they'd arrived and even more so as opposed to the stuffy room. Immediately Naruto slips his coat of and places it over her shoulders.
"Naruto, it's too cold." She shakes her head, even as she embraces the warmth and the scent of him.
"I'll be fine. It's not too far."
"Let's just take a cab." She tries to persuade him.
Naruto shakes his head. "I'll be fine."
So stubborn.
"But, but- my feet hurt." She changes tactics, knowing that he couldn't, or wouldn't, ignore her plight. Besides it's not entirely untrue. The straps were attractive, but the bottoms were thin and not meant for support and her feet were sore.
"You aren't even wearing heels." Naruto smirks at her. "Piggyback."
"No."
"Come on." He wiggles his eyebrows.
"No. Naruto, I'm serious."
He ignores her, crouching low, letting his arms move out to his sides, making room for her. He casts her an expecting glance over his shoulder. She huffs, before hitching up her dress a little. Her feet did hurt…
She wasn't just using it as an excuse to get closer to him.
Lies.
You, Hinata Hyuuga, are a dirty liar. Now mount up!
Her breath shakes when Naruto's hands grip her thighs. She feels his thumb slide over the material of her dress it for a moment and she has to bite her lip to keep from gasping. Even so, she finds herself leaning forward. "Sorry," she whispers.
"Jeez, Hinata, Argus probably weighs more than you. Plus, I'm super buff now. I can punt guys three times your size." He hikes her up higher and her bottom lip is recaptured by her teeth.
Oh.
She curls her arms tighter, resting her face against the crook of his neck-breathing him in.
They stop at a little twenty-four hour dive for some burgers and fries. It's clean and the line isn't long this late at night. She's not complaining. Appetizers did not fill her up.
"Pinky promise you won't tell." Naruto reaches out his finger for hers as they wait in line.
She holds up her pinky finger readily. "Yes, but next time you have to get a salad. Jiraiya already put in your fight weight, so you can't go too far over it." She reminds him. She doesn't want him to have to resort to anything drastic in order to cut before his next fight.
"I know, I know. I promise." He smiles at her. "Wait, double pinky promise."
"Why double?" She asks, already moving her other pinky next to his.
"Because I'm gonna get cheese fries."
She can't help the laugh that bubbles out of her. It feels good-to be this happy.
With him.
They get their to-go bags that Naruto carries. She insists that she can walk the one block to her apartment complex.
Once there, they are greeted by a very happy Argus.
"Argus!" Naruto yells, excited.
Argus immediately steps back, lowering his head, his gaze wary.
"Shit." Naruto glances at HInata guiltily, dropping the boxes onto the counter. "Argus. I'm sorry. I'll be quieter," he murmurs slowly approaching him.
Hinata fetches Argus's vest and returns to them. Naruto's doing his best to soothe but the moment Hinata kneels next to him he presses his head into her chest. She strokes him in slow motions, humming soothing words. "It's okay, now. Shhh."
"I feel so bad." Naruto says, rubbing his hands against his thighs.
"He'll be okay." Hinata pets Argus for another minute before latching the vest on him and giving him a little kiss between the ears.
It only took a few minutes before Argus was back at Naruto's feet, accepting all the pets that Naruto offered.
"See," Hinata beams. "All better." She watches them for another moment, her heart full and lighter than it has been in a long time. This was different than their park dates. This was...cozier.
Like family.
She clears her throat. "I think I'm going to change. I don't want to ruin my dress."
"Okay." Naruto nods, hands still working Argus's ears.
Hinata touches the shimmering fabric, wistful. Although there were tense moments, tonight she felt a little like a princess. "It's so pretty though. I don't know when I'm going to wear it again." .
"It is pretty." Naruto agrees, a little offhandedly.
She bites her lip. "It's the nicest thing I own."
"You look pretty in everything you wear. But you could probably wear it to one of those Michelin star restaurants," he adds. Then makes a face.
"Thinks so?" She questions. That gives her an idea.
"Course. They're all in Manhattan, though. Ehk."
"There's one in the Harlem." She suggests, quietly.
"That's not… the worst." Naruto concedes, though he's still making a face.
Okay. So he wasn't picking up on subtle.
That was okay.
She could be more assertive.
Right?
"Maybe…w-we… could go… sometime?" She asks, hating the way her voice breaks a bit.
Naruto swings his head towards her, sitting up straighter on the loveseat. "You want to go on a date with me?" His eyes are wide.
Hinata meets those wide eyes, nodding.
"A real date?" he clarifies.
She lowers her lashes, then raises her eyes again. "Yes."
He licks his lips, drawing her attention to them and her own lips tingle a bit.
"You want to go on a date with me?" he repeats it, like he can't believe it.
Or maybe...maybe he didn't want to? She shifts her bracelet around, before meeting his eyes again. She wasn't going to back out. She nods.
Naruto swallows a couple of times. "That would be… awesome." He bit his lip.
Yes!
Hinata smiles, before turning away, a little embarrassed. "I'm going to go change now," she mutters.
In her bedroom she presses her hands to her face and squeals-just a little-and shimmies.
A date.
A real date.
Oh. My. God.
She breathes deeply.
Okay.
Calm down.
You've seen the boy naked already.
Not helping with the calm.
She pinches herself-just to be sure. Then, she grabs a long sleeve tee and some comfy joggers before slipping into the bathroom to wash her face and take her hair down.
When she returns to the living room Naruto is still petting Argus and the TV isn't even on.
"Did you pick anything good?" She asks, sliding onto the seat beside him.
"My bad." Naruto chuckles a little breathlessly. "I was too busy with my main man."
Argus rests his head on Hinata's lap, staring at her adoringly. The feeling is mutual, so she scratches him.
She feels so damn happy in that moment that they can watch mold grow for all she cares. "Well, we can watch whatever. Someone from work told me Russian Doll was pretty good. Or-"
"Can I kiss you?" Naruto interrupts her.
She snaps her head towards him so fast she sees double for a split second. He's looking at her so openly-so earnestly. She swallows and whispers, "Now?"
Naruto rolls his eyes a bit, because he's used to her. "You're beautiful."
Hinata stares at him, looks into his blue eyes and falls...all over again. All new.
And being all new, she doesn't want him to feel like she's allowing him to be with her. She wants-no, she needs -him to know that it's a choice that she's actively making.
Them.
Together.
Not him pursuing her.
But choosing one another.
Instead of answering his question she leans in and pushes up, tasting his slightly parted lips with her own. She keeps it soft-light-giving him a chance to pull back if he needs to. He doesn't. He tips his chin down, pressing against her more firmly.
She sighs, leaning back, her lips trailing slowly against his-lingering over the bottom pout of his. She feels a bit dazed but not half as dazed as he looks. She smiles a little. "Your food's going to get cold."
He blinks at her before nodding dumbly, but she catches him glancing at her.
She grins, biting a fry.
What a great day.