Hinata has never been much of a dreamer. Even as a child, she lived in the world of practicality and limits.

It's only after she starts dating Naruto that she starts wondering about the 'what ifs' of life and dreaming of more than the here and now. Even so, her dreams were never concrete in her mind-never tangible. She was never sure of herself and never (if she's being honest) sure of when Naruto would eventually realize he had settled and move on. It wasn't like he'd had a choice in the beginning...

She's getting better at recognizing her self worth, and she trusts Naruto, so she knows he's with her because he wants to be...even so, she's tried very hard to keep her expectations grounded.

It starts with a dream.

An actual dream...not some metaphor for the grand scheme of things and her lofty goals.

But a dream.

In which she was very round.

It's so real-the sounds of the birds outside her window, Naruto's soft breath against her nape as he holds her close so that they can both feel the baby kick-that when she wakes up, her hands unconsciously slide down her flat stomach and she can't help the momentary pang of sadness that resounds through her.

One dream turns into two...then three...and then five.

This one was just as real as the others, but instead of a baby, it was her wedding day. Sunlight on an open field, Naruto staring at her with a smile on his face and love in his eyes.

"Forever, Hina."

She blinks at the ceiling for a few minutes, listening to Argus's even breathing from where he rests against her thigh. It takes Hinata a few moments to settle her own fluttery nerves, and when she does, she tried to rationalize.

It's probably because Hanabi had left to go visit Neji and his new baby just a few days prior.

Yes, she thinks, rolling onto her side. That's all it is.

Except, hours later, sitting at her office desk, she can't help but wonder... what if .

It's not like she's never thought about kids before.

She has.

She can even recall that night not too long past when she and Choji were at the Gallery and he'd asked her about it...and then with Naruto in the park while playing fetch with Argus.

Yes, she's thought about kids before.

But thinking about and wanting are two very different things...and she thinks that she may be further on the wanting side of that fence than she's noticed about herself.

Sighing, Hinata pushes her laptop lid shut and gives up on the pretense of working. She's maybe read four actual paragraphs all morning, and could make sense of none of them. Her brain is frazzled with thoughts of Naruto and babies and forever .

She can still hear his voice-low and sincere-say that word to her.

Forever.

She wants that.

With him.

But…

Kids.

She wants that too.

And she doesn't know where Naruto's head is in that area. He made so many contradictory statements that day in the park, it's hard to make heads or tails of whether he actually wants them...or if he's just thought about it.

She supposes that's one of the many things that they still need to sort out between them. As good as things have been, Hinata is aware that they are both still being cautious. She knows a large part of Naruto's hesitation stems from her. He knows her-better than she probably gives him credit for-so there's no way he's not picking up the unease she feels when they get too close to certain topics.

She still worries for Naruto...and about him. Years of experience are hard to shake. She knows that he is better now than he's ever been. And, if she's completely honest, she worries that if they do move forward that they will fall into the same old habits they had before.

What if being with her makes him worse?

What if...what if she never stops worrying so much about him that she loses herself again?

What if...what if...what if…

Hinata glances at Argus on his pad in the corner, working a chew bone that Shino dropped off. He pauses in his crunching to glance up at her, his intelligent eyes inquisitive. "I'm overthinking this, aren't I?"

Tilting his head a bit, Argus gives a soft chuff.

"Yeah," Hinata gives him a soft smile. "That's what I thought, too." Leaning back in her office chair, Hinata stretches her arms over her head. "What do you say we get out of here early today?"

Argus is immediately on his feet, tongue lolling in eager pants.

Her musing that morning made Hinata realize that it'd been some time since she last visited Choji. Grabbing lunch at Akimichi's sounded good. Grabbing her wallet, Hinata dialed the restaurant on her way to the elevator. She'd drop Argus off with Kiba, if Choji was available.

"Hinata," Choji's voice is warm when he answers. "It's been a minute. What are you up to?"

Hinata clears her throat, adjusting Argus's leash in her hand. "I was actually wondering if you and Mei were free for lunch?"

"Mei's out for the day, but if you give me a half hour, I can be."

"Sure," she agrees easily. She has to get Argus to Fang over Fang anyway. "I'll be there in about forty-five minutes?"

"Sounds good."

Kiba and Akamaru are always happy to have Argus for a playdate and today is no exception. Akamaru practically knocks over the front desk in his excitement when they walk in.

"Everything good?" Kiba asks her as she removes Argus's harness.

She nods, tucking a stray strand that slipped from her bun behind her ear. "Yeah, I'm just going to lunch with a friend, so I was wondering-"

"You don't even need to ask." Kiba waves her off.

Hinata watches Argus roll on his back, playfully.

"He's doing really well with you," Kiba comments, hands in his pockets, also watching the dogs.

Hinata slants him a look. "And I'm doing really well with him," she remarks softly. "Which," she adds, "is probably why you chose him for me."

Kiba raises a brow, startled. "I didn't choose him-you did. Well...you chose each other."

Hinata nods, but her eyes are soft on Kiba's averted profile. He likes to play 'tough guy' but Hinata has known him too long for his act to have any effect on her. "Yes, but something tells me that you knew we would be good for one another."

He shrugs, feigning nonchalance.

"Kiba." Hinata reaches out to place her hand on his arm, waiting for him to look at her. When he does, she lets him see the sincerity of her words in her eyes. "Thank you."

He snorts, but she catches the quirk of his lips. He eventually rolls his eyes and shoves her shoulder, telling her to 'get out', but it's loaded with affection. Hinata's only ever had Hanabi, but if she'd ever had a big brother, she thinks she'd want him to be like Kiba.

Choji meets her at the door of Akimichi's, looking relaxed and happy. He grins broadly when she steps out of her car.

"Wow," he says, opening the door. "You look great."

Blushing, Hinata smiles in return, taking in his dark shirt and pants with tailored fit. Choji was built on the larger size and some of his outfits emphasized that. This new look didn't hide his bulk, but drew attention to the fact that he was more solid than flabby. Mei's influence, no doubt, but a good one. "So do you," she replies, honestly.

Choji glances down and chuckles. "Well, I can see my feet now, so that's something."

"Stop," Hinata laughs, shaking her head. Once inside, she follows Choji to a relatively secluded table, but where he can still observe his patrons and be seen by them. Choji was a firm believer in being accessible to his clientele. He wanted a visit to his restaurant to be a pleasant one that left a person stuffed and smiling.

Seated, Hinata smoothed her hands over her lap. "The lights are new," she says, looking around.

Choji nods. "Yeah, I wanted to modernize a few things here before my focus is totally consumed with the other building."

Hinata nods, reaching for her water. "Is that where Mei is?"

It's Choji's turn to nod. "Yes, she's conducting some interviews for waitstaff. Being a former waitress, she has a better idea of what to look for than I do."

It takes a flicker of a moment, and then Hinata gasps. "Oh, my gosh! She's the hot waitress!"

Choji laughs at her fluster. "Did you think I was kidding about that?"

"A little...but...that night wasn't my best…" She gives a brittle shrug, wincing as she recalls what a mess she'd been, and how generous and gentle he had been.

Choji's already shaking his head. "You were going through some serious shit. You don't ever need to feel bad about that." He pauses, tipping his head, to better see her face. "So...things are okay, now?"

Unconsciously her fingers find her bracelet, but she nods, meeting his gaze with a smile. "Yes. Things are...better than okay. I'm good." She informs him.

"And your boyfriend? Things are going okay there, too?"

She thinks about how happy she's been...how close to Naruto she feels. Yes, she's fretting about a future, but now ...now she's happier and more in love than she's ever been. "Uhm, yeah. I mean...better than I could have hoped, really."

"I'm glad for you," he tells her. "I was hoping you'd say that. I don't know the guy, but from our brief encounter, I could see some serious sparks between you two. I'll be rooting for you."

"Thanks." She reaches out, resting her hand over his, giving a gentle squeeze, her grips her fingers and squeezes back, smiling. "That means a lot to me." And it did. Choji had nursed his own heartache and found new love, but he didn't ridicule her for going back to Naruto.

"Well, isn't this cozy."

The voice is smooth, low, and cooly sardonic. It sends a slither of unwelcome unease down Hinata's spine like a snake. She can't help the involuntary shiver that has her fingers tightening on Choji's hand. She doesn't want to look, but her head turns on its own and her light eyes clash with Sasuke's dark and bloodshot ones.

His gaze flickers to where her hand rests with Choji's. "I guess those rumors of reconciliation aren't true." His lips curl, his smile razor thin and just as likely to cut.

Hinata catches Choji's darkening expression out of the corner of her eye, but she gives him a subtle shake of her head. "Was there something you needed, Sasuke?" Hinata asks, her voice surprisingly even.

"From you?" he sniffs, and Hinata can't tell if it's disdain or if he's high. "Not even on my worst day."

Choji pushes to his feet. "Keep moving, asshole, or this will be."

Sasuke sniffs again, and this time it's clearly disdain, but he walks off. A moment later, across the restaurant there's a bit of a commotion as his entourage seems to realize that he's left.

Choji waits until the entire party is out before resuming his seat. "You know that guy?"

Hinata shrugs, but her fingers are on her bracelet, worrying it into her wrist. "He's, uhm, he's Naruto's best friend." She doesn't know why...she just knows he is , and that his importance to Naruto may eclipse her own. It's a terrifying thought that she doesn't want to dwell on.

Choji leans back, eyes wide. "And he lets him talk to you like that?"

Hinata shrugs. "They have history-"

Choji shakes his head. "That dude is six degrees of messed up. Tell me that he's not around you, for my peace of mind."

He wasn't. Around her, that is.

But Naruto...that was a different story.

And if Naruto had a family…

Hinata takes in a sharp breath.

"Hinata?" Choji gives her a concerned look.

"Sorry. Sorry," she shakes her head. "No, he's not around. Me...not me." She clears her throat and grabs the menu, using it as a shield while she collects her racing thoughts. "What would you recommend today?" she asks, but she doesn't really hear his reply-her thoughts swallowed by the idea of Sasuke being around Naruto and any family that Naruto someday had.

Hinata picks up Argus from Kiba. Argus immediately seems to sense that something is off with her, so she takes him for a little ride and a quick park trip. She's not really dressed for it, in her pantsuit, but it seems to distract her loyal companion and he's more relaxed when she gets him back into the car.

As she does, her phone is ringing. A quick glance at the ID reveals that it's Naruto.

"Hey," he says, his voice slightly raspy.

"Hey," she replies with a familiar flutter in her stomach.

"I was just wondering if you had some time tonight. So we can talk."

Hinata blinks. She thinks about her afternoon and Sasuke seeing her and she wonders...did he say something to Naruto? She's not about to hide her friendships from him, and she hasn't done anything to be ashamed of, but she feels off at the moment, and she's not really in the most productive frame of mind… "Talk?" she repeats dumbly. "Talk about what?"

On the line he laughs a little, easing her tension just a bit. "Babe, we talk all the time. Everyday. I love talking to you. What are you stressing about?"

Wanting kids.

Wanting a future with you.

Wanting more than I think I have the right to want…

She sighs, not saying any of that. "Yes, but we don't specifically state that we're going to talk. That implies there's something specific to be talked about."

"I just meant like, hey come over tonight but let's not watch TV the whole time, so we can hang out and talk. I mean, if you want to come with specific topics, that's fine by me." She can hear his smirk.

Her already frazzled brain stumbles a bit. "No, you're the one-"

"Yeah, yeah, Hyuuga. I get done at nine. Don't forget your note cards." He hangs up and Hinata is left staring at her phone.

Okay. So he wanted to talk.

After she had run into Sasuke.

At lunch with Choji.

And she's been having frequent dreams of being married to him and pregnant.

Oh.

Fabulous.

He's working on his kicks when she pushes into the gym, a little bell announcing her arrival. She's early, but after dropping Argus home, she went back to the office to try and get a few things handled, so her day wasn't a total wash. After an hour, though, she was calling it a day.

Instead of heading back home, she figured it was better to just pull the bandaid off. So here she was.

"Make sure to sign in." Naruto calls to her, but his attention is on the bag.

She makes her way over, watching the play of muscles under his skin. "Working hard or hardly working?"

Naruto's left foot pivots to the sound, his arm coming out quick to steady himself. His kick is off.

She quirks her eyebrow a little at his faulty form. "That last one was a little sloppy, you better not count it."

Naruto leans his sweaty head closer to the bag, a small grin tugging at his lips. "That's funny. You know what else I like really sloppy?"

Oh...so he was in that mood. The let's see how pervy we can get until Hinata's face ignites like a match. She narrows her eyes at him.

He laughs, completely unbothered by her glare. "What are you doing here so early?"

She shrugs, but it's tight.

"You miss me and can't stand to be away from me?" he encourages.

Well, yeah. But she's not saying that.

Natural pushes off the hanging bag and walks off the mat to her. "I hate to disappoint you," he tells her, slinging an arm around her, pulling her into a side hug. "But this place is kinda boring."

"You're sweaty." She wrinkles her nose, but she's not really bothered by it.

"Ya."

"And I've been here before." She reminds him gently. She doesn't need excitement to stick around. Too many others in his life had been like that-needing him to perform. To be exciting for them, to be worth their time. She wasn't like that. They could literally watch paint dry and she would be happy just to be with him.

"True." He presses a kiss to her temple and she can feel her blush. "Alright, I'll stop messing around and let's see if I can get some shit done now. Maybe we can bounce a little early."

"Naruto." She glances around at the patrons.

"I won't bail if people are still here." He promises. "Friday isn't a booming evening. People usually go out, ya'know."

There was only a couple people in the gym, anyways. It wouldn't be hard to clean the parts that weren't being used.

He made his way over behind the desk, grabbing a spray bottle and rag.

"I'll help." Hinata offers, reaching out toward his hand which he evades.

"Nah. You don't wanna ruin your sexy clothes."

Her cheeks are well and truly red now. She can feel her chest flush too. "These are my work clothes."

He stares at her and his eyes are so blue . "I know what I said." His knuckles brush her cheek and she closes her eyes. She loves him so much.

He steps away and squirts the bag he'd been using.

"That stuff smells lethal."

Naruto nods with a shrug. "It's gotta be. Ringworm is a bitch for wrestlers. Or any of that kinda shit you don't wanna get rolling around the mat."

Hinata understood that. She wasn't sure what Sensei used, but she imagined it was equally potent.

"I mean, s'not like you'd know," Naruto continues. "I've never seen you rolling on the ground." He meant, in light teasing.

Hinata slants him a look, tucking her loose hair behind her ear. She can't help the flirty way her voice comes out, but since it's intentional, she's not bothered. "Yes you have."

Naruto stalls, grabbing the bag dramatically. His eyes are wide and his mouth slightly parted. "Daaaaaaaamn, Hinata, why you do me like that?"

She loves that she can affect him like he can her, but even so, he's so much more vocal than she is. "Stop," she giggles softly.

"Me stop? It's you. You're doing it!"

She shakes her head. "Back to work."

His gaze travels over her and it's all sorts of inappropriate. "Mmmmm. Yes ma'am."

She turns away before he can see her bite her lip. Behind her, Naruto works on the mat next.

"So tell me about your day." Naruto prompts.

Hinata tenses. "Just work. Nothing special." She doesn't want to bring Sasuke up unless she has to. It's such a sensitive subject with Naruto.

"Yeah, sure. Don't hit me with that same old, same old B.S."

"What about you?" Hinata deflects, sitting down on a pile of mats that he had just added to.

"I worked till two at Teuchi's last night, and then I did an open till close today, so I can have off tomorrow." He winks at her, reaching for the broom.

He's been working so hard to save up for their date. A date that she was more than willing to split, but he was not having that. "That's a lot," she says quietly, worry seeping into her tone.

"I have my fight coming up." Naruto interjects, sweeping quickly. "Muay Thai."

"Are you nervous?"

He looks over at her. "Nah."

She was.

How could she not be.

As skilled as he was, it was still the love of her life getting into a ring with another fighter, whose goal was to take him out.

"You know I got it in the bag." He's trying to ease her mind and she adores him for it.

She smiles at him and nods.

He sweeps up the little pile of dust into the pan. "I'll be right back. Gotta get some water for this."

Hinata watches him walk away and rubs her lips together. He's being so responsible and trying so hard. It makes her ache with pride and with longing.

She blinks her eyes when she hears the bell and Naruto's voice. There's another voice that she doesn't recognize, then Naruto's again. Then there's a bang as a bucket hits the floor and Naruto's voice is harsher.

Hinata's on her way in the next moment.

A tall, thin redhead is glowering at Naruto when she approaches and Naruto is glowering right back. There's something familiar about the redhead and it sets off warning bells in Hinata's mind. She quickly steps to Naruto's side, linking her arm through his.

She catches the pause in the air...the stillness.

The redhead and Naruto sense it next.

The patrons were moving towards the counter.

Six against one were not favorable odds in any fight, Hinata thought. She watched the redhead make the same judgement turning sharply on his heel and swiftly leaving.

There was an awkward lull, after the abrupt departure. Naruto laughs a little to fill the silence. "Wow, them Mormons are something. Missionaries must be wylin' after that play, am I right?"

The guys laugh a little and head back to their stations, one of them donning a hoodie to head out.

"Hey, lemme know if you need a spot!" Naruto turns to called over to the guy at the weight bench. Hinata doesn't let go of him, her gaze on the front door, her mind working to filter out where she knew that man from.

"Told you this place was real boring." naruto wraps an arm around her, squeezing her against his side affectionately-reassuringly.

She gives him a look.

"Side eyeing me?" Naruto blew out a breath. "Well, Sassy Pants, why don't you go sit down while I-" He toes the bucket.

Picking up the 'Wet Floor' sign, Hinata follows him, ignoring the way he rolls his eyes at her. She hops onto the mats to wait, watching as he quickly clears the floor.

"Like my sweet skills?" Naruto asks her.

Hinata nods slowly, taking in the sheen. "I didn't even know that you knew how to clean." She hadn't meant it as an insult, but she hears his sucked in breath and silently curses herself.

He quickly rolls over the comment with his usual humor. "Psssht. I keep my place spotless baby, you should see it."

She tips her head. She will.

The tension from the redhead slowly leaves and the rest of the evening is fairly smooth and actually kind of nice. Easy talking and hanging out while Naruto cleans the parts of the gym. Once everyone is gone, all that remains is a trash run. Despite Naruto telling her she didn't have to join him, Hinata follows him out into the back alley.

Naruto struggles with the trash for a moment, before pausing, long enough to ask her, "Whoa, sexy, is that a new scarf?"

Sexy?

Her?

She feels her face flame again. She pulls up the knit and hides her blush. "Yes."

Once the trash was locked up, he turns to her. "You already know what I want."

She rolls her eyes, smiling. He always inspected her knitting and each and every time he made a big show of how amazing and impressive it was. It was endearing and it made her feel proud and happy and...in love. "Throw the trash away first, silly," she tells him, smiling.

He does.

"I always thought it was weird, locking up trash." Naruto comments.

"If you don't lock it, other people will fill it before you can."

"I know, I know." He nods. "It's just real inconvenient."

Hinata shrugs at that, because true or not, it was what it was.

"Plus the neighborhoods getting bad over here. Don't want nothing weird turning up in your garbage that you can't explain." He swings the trash bag back for some momentum, tossing it in and then slamming the lid shut. "Yeah, that little in and out place across the street, the one with the Chinese couple-"

"They're from Taiwan." Hinata corrects, softly.

"Oh yeah. You're so smart, babe." He beams over at her, locking the bar back up. "Anyways, that place got all busted up a couple days back. Like guys gotta work that hard to get overpriced chips?"

"They had that ramen you like." Hinata comments, feeling a twinge for the hard working people that had their business attacked.

"Sure did." Naruto frowns ruefully. "Anyways, they already got cameras up and everything now."

"Can't be too careful." Hinata moves next to him, grabbing his hand in hers.

Naruto squeezes her hand reassuringly. "Yeah. But I betcha they wished they had those before hand, huh?"

She could well imagine, but if they had cameras that meant they were protecting something. So..."But they're open?"

Naruto nods with a semi-smile. "Yup, didn't even miss one day. Dedication."

She eyes him, watching his reaction. "Do you wanna stop and get some ramen?"

Naruto hesitates, but eventually shakes his head: no. "I can't. My Muay Thai fight. Gotta make weigh in again or my girls gon' be mad at me."

She scoffs, unamused. "That's not why I was mad." She was (is) mad because he's constantly punishing himself to maintain a weight class that he's not suited for. She's mad because his coach, for all of his apparent favoritism, can't seem to get it through his pervy skull that Naruto is not meant to shred that much weight and still be healthy in the long-term.

He turns to her. "Hey, why don't we-"

Whatever he was about to say is cut off by a high pitched shriek.

"Help!"

They both stop dead in their tracks. Hinata tightens her grip on him, her gaze scanning their surroundings. She's felt on edge since the redhead in the gym and this sends her nerves straight to the very edge.

Just a couple feet away from where she and Naruto currently stood was a mini side street. One that connected to the backs of the buildings, where the garbage was stored.

A woman, tall and thin with a thick top bun, steps out of that area halfway-her features mostly obscured by the building's shadows. "Help! He took my purse!"

I's immediate.

Someone needed help.

Naruto's already moving.

Hinata clamps her hand down on his. She recognizes the woman now. And the redhead. Naruto's first fight night. Before she can say or do anything Naruto has pulled himself free of her grip-ignoring her plea for him to stop.

"Wait!" She reaches for him, but her fingers close only on air.

He's off and running.

Naruto is rushing headlong into a trap-she can feel it. And with all things Naruto-his safety comes before her own, so she sucks in a ragged breath and follows at a less break-neck speed.

He's jumped immediately. They use a rod on him-like a police baton-but Hinata's willing to wager her annual salary not one of them are law enforcement. Which, of course reminds her that she should be calling them. Her fingers have only just curled around her phone when she's being shoved into a wall, her back hitting with enough force to knock the wind out of her and the tall woman is sneering down at her, her forearm pressing with significant force against Hinata's throat, making it hard to breathe.

"No you don't," the woman says, voice hard.

The redhead from before grips her wrist hard, squeezing until she feels like her bones are cracking, forcing her to let go of her phone. It drops down and he stomps on it. He keeps her wrist in his hand, shaking his head in warning when she tugs in resistance.

"You're dumber than you look." Another voice says and Hinata's wide gaze flicks to where Naruto is pinned against the damp pavement.

Yahiko.

He stands over Naruto with an air of smug superiority.

"Which is saying something." He finishes with a laughing sneer.

Naruto grimaces against the ground. "I work with what I got."

"That's funny." Yahiko sniffs, stepping closer to Naruto's face. "You think you're real funny huh?"

"I've been known to crack one here and there."

Yahiko lets out a dark, humorless laugh. "I've been trying to get a hold of you."

"You want my number or something. Lemme let you down easy, but, uh," Naruto squints up from under the deepening of pressure from the two men on top of him. "I'm taken."

Yahiko's humor evaporates. "You think this is a joke? The old man ain't around to protect you anymore."

"Are you mad me? Feels like your mad at me?"

Hinata wants to tell him to stop talking because she can see the tick forming in Yahiko's jaw but she can barely draw breath thanks to the forearm crushing her larynx.

"You think you can waltz right in here, start scalping money out of the fighting pool? Just cause the old man has connections doesn't mean that we can just let you fuck up a good thing we all had running."

"Don't pretend I kicked your lights out just 'cause I'm Daddy's favorite." Naruto smiles.

Yahiko's eyes darken and the tick goes full throttle. "Listen. I'm gonna fuck you up. Teach you some manners. Then when I'm done… who knows. Maybe... I'll fuck your girl up." He turns towards Hinata.

Naruto's eyes follow, finally seeing Hinata pinned against the alley wall. His image becomes blurry because her vision is fading in and out-her breath thin and shaky. Hinata wonders briefly if the woman even realizes how hard she's leaning her arm on her neck…

She can't breathe.

Yahiko stands up, gesturing towards Hinata. "Give her a little taste of Brooklyn. Know what I mean?"

Naruto's whole body goes still.

It's almost unnatural.

Hinata blinks, trying to stay awake. She tries centering-conserving her energy-controlling her breaths. Because when there is an opening (and there always is, she can here Sensei's voice in her head) she will take it.

Naruto's voice, when he speaks, is calm. Far too calm. Almost...serene. "That; was the wrong thing to say."

Then he moves.

Hinata can barely follow in his wake. He ground himself into the ground-blood marking a path as he tore open his own skin to get free.

To protect her.

He was hurting himself to protect her.

He takes out the men holding him with almost comical ease. He punches from the ground with enough force to knock out one of the brutes. He takes the other out with equally brutal efficiency, choking him down to bounce his head off the concrete.

Yahiko reacts too slow. He goes after Naruto without the skill and finesse of a trained fighter, instead using his larger size and street fighting tactics. His mistake, Hinata thought. Naruto lived the streets. Naruto tossed the other man around like he was nothing, attacking with a terrifying vengeance. His fists hitting again and again.

Blood sprays into the air and it is hard to tell where it was coming from, because Naruto's hands are open and bleeding-the piercings on the other man's face tearing into his skin.

"Shit." The redhead's grip on her wrist loosened.

The arm across her throat lets up a fraction as it becomes clear that the others are no match for Naruto.

It's her opening. She wrenches her wrist free-ignoring the way her skin burns.

Hinata strikes, quick and hard, to her attacker's throat. The other woman chokes, gasping. Hinata wastes no time, gripping her by her ears and pulling down, raising her knee. She catches the woman in the chin, sending her careening into the wall and then onto the ground.

The redhead makes a half hearted attempt to grab her, but Hinata is already rushing at Naruto.

Please, she thinks, don't let her be too late.

She's terrified.

There's so much blood.

What if...what if he killed him?

"Naruto!" She tries to yell but her voice is cracking from having her throat crushed. She moves closer, avoiding his back swing. "Naruto! Please! Come on. Stop! Please, please stop! Let's go!" He didn't stop. Hinata grasped onto his arm, narrowly avoiding an elbow to the face. "Stop! Naruto!"

He blinks a couple of times, his breathing harsh. He looks over his shoulder at her like he's just now realizing that she's there.

"Let's go." She whispers, tugging him up. They need to go. What if there were more of them?

Naruto isn't done yet though. The redhead stood where Hinata had evaded him, apparently debating his loyalty. Naruto steps out of Hinata's grasp and rounds on the thinner man. He kicks him in the chest, sending him into a trash pile-causing rats to skitter out from beneath the dark bags.

Naruto seems to get even angrier at the sight of the rodents. His rage is an almost tangible thing and Hinata can feel her hairs on her neck lift. She does not want this for him. Ever again.

"Naruto. Please. Let's go. Please." She's begging him.

He shakes her off, moving towards where Yahiko lay. He crouches down, patting the other man down. "Last time I got a thousand for fucking you up." He informs the groaning lump of bloody mess he had left behind. He snakes a brown trifold from the other man's pants. "Next time, you can schedule me through my manager."

"Naruto, please..." Hinata pleads.

He stands, turning towards her to grab her arms. It's like he's trying to search her for injuries, but she's not sure what he will do when he sees her bruised throat and probably fractured wrist, so she evades.

"We need to go, " she tells him, voice still low to hide the cracking. "Please."

He touches her hair, for a second, nodding.

Finally.

She hurries them along. The moment he took the wallet they lost any credibility with the police. She can't call them. It's time to go.

She still wasn't sure how many others there may be.

She grabs his bleeding hand, tugging him out of the alley way.

The woman that she'd knocked down is sitting up now, but she's against the wall, holding her throat and coughing.

Naruto gives Hinata a look. "Damn babe, you do that?"

Hinata can't look at him. She's a hair's breadth away from a panic attack. She needs to get them away from here.

Away.

That's all she wants.

Away.

"Babe, I knocked a guy out from the clench. Did you see that shit?"

"Stop." Hinata chokes out. She doesn't want to see it in her head again. She just wants...away.

It's a feeling that's dangerously close to the night she OD'd on sleeping pills so she's trying very hard to be rational and focus on the task at hand-which is leaving.

Her hand was clamps down on his tight-anchoring herself.

Focus on Naruto.

Naruto.

If she focuses on him then she can move.

She ignores the tears poking out the edges of her eyes.

"Okay." He concedes immediately, finally seeing how worked up she is. His thumb rubs against her hand and they hurriedly make their way to her car. "Okay."

She can barely hold her keys. Her wrist aches so much.

Naruto reaches over and slips the key into the ignition. He takes her shaking for nerves (he's not entirely wrong) and brushes his thumb against her cheek. "We're okay, Hina."

She nods, swallowing against her painful throat. She just wants to get away from there, get to his place, and make sure that he is okay.

She looks at his skinned face and feels the tears threaten again. "Okay. We're okay." She nods, putting her car into gear and driving away.

She hopes that's not a lie.