"Oh, I'll take your hand when thunder roars
And I'll hold you close, I'll stay the course"
She can't breathe.
Now that the worst is passed and they are safe she feels herself crumbling.
Naruto's beside her, crooning words that she can barely make out-trying his damndest to soothe her and calm her down-but all she can see is him on the ground.
That baton swinging down on him.
What if…
What if they'd struck his head?
What if…
What if he hadn't managed to push himself free?
What if…
What if she hadn't been there to stop him?
Because yes, she almost lost him...but there was a moment that he had almost lost himself and that was nearly as terrifying. To see him lose control. To see him spiral again...
Her breath catches on each and every one of those thoughts, choking her with the aftermath of what could have happened. She's trying-trying-so hard to focus on what actually happened as opposed to the worst case scenarios, but even the actual is pretty terrifying, so she's a mess.
Naruto keeps looking at her and she can feel his worry.
He's never seen her like this.
She always hid this part of herself from him. Sure, he'd seen her cry before, but not a sobbing mess-not like this. Anytime this happened, she'd hide in the shower so he couldn't see or hear her.
But she can't hide now.
She can't...she can't even breathe.
Because what if?
They're home now, though and that thought helps settle her, just a bit, even as he lets go of her to push into the apartment. It's not until they step through the entryway that she realizes that no...she's not home. This isn't their place anymore. It's his.
Every touch of her has been removed.
That shouldn't even register at the moment, given the circumstances, but somehow it feels like one more physical blow and she sucks in a harsh breath. Naruto is ushering her further into her not home and urging her to sit on his futon.
She does so, dazed, because she still can't quite pull her brain to the here and now.
All she can hear is the thud of flesh on flesh.
All she sees is blood.
What if…
"Hinata, I'm so sorry." Naruto's voice is low and slightly shaky. He pulls her against his chest, as close as he can get her, his hands rubbing down her back in long, soothing strokes. This is not the first time he's 's been doing so on repeat since they slid into her car. Even so, he keeps saying it. "I should've listened to you. I...I don't know what happened. I'm so sorry."
He adjusts his hold on her, his voice edged and tight, breathy and rapid. "Hinata, I didn't mean to hurt them that bad. I don't know what happened. I was just-I wasn't… thinking straight. Or, I don't know...I don't know, I'm just really sorry, babe."
She can't respond because she still can't breathe.
She's trying to focus like Inoichi taught her, hoping...trying...to stave off a full blown panic attack. She doesn't have her medication here and Argus isn't around and...and…
WHAT IF?
She gasps, shuddering violently.
Stop.
Stop it.
She's grasping for some semblance of control and finding none. Her fingers tingle. Her throat tightens. Ohgodohgodohgod.
Large hands increase their pressure on her back. "Hina, please, I promise I won't do anything like that ever again. I'm so sorry. Babe, please-" He sounds like he might cry next.
The distress in his voice finally pulls her head up, because if there's one thing that Hinata can't resist-is helpless against-it's Naruto in need. He looks so anxious. So guilt ridden. It hurts her heart.
She blinks through her tears."Y-you, think that I-I'm m-m-mad?" She can't help the stutter. She's too emotional to be embarrassed about it right now, anyway. She looks at him-chest constricting and pulse pounding-staring at his wounds. She lifts a trembling hand to his face, ghosting over his skin.
He hurt himself.
For her.
To save her.
She exhales a shaky breath, fresh tears blurring her vision.
How far would he go for her?
Too far, a voice whispers in the back of her mind. He loves her.
He loves.
Period.
If there is one thing she has always-always-known is that Naruto loved. With his whole being. He saw the good in people despite the darkness he grew up in. He wanted to do good. He would help anyone that he could help. Ino called him a softie recently, but it was so much more than that. Naruto was unlike anyone else that Hinata had ever known, and it was that desire to help others had nearly...nearly...
"I th-thought you w-were going to-" She chokes, swallowing down another sob. Whatifwhatifwhatif...
"You thought I was gonna lose?" Naruto frowns down at her slightly, his eyes soft on hers. "Babe, it's okay. I'm fine."
He's not fine.
He's bleeding from his hands and face and she can't imagine what his ribs and back look like.
Because he fought back.
For her.
Against those men and against himself.
"I thought you might die! I was so scared. And they hit you with that, th-that thing. And-and there were more of them than you! And...and...then..." She can't finish because all she can see is Naruto's rage and the blood splattering on the ground. She's run out of air again. Instead, she grabs onto his hoodie, fisting the material, burying her face into his chest where she can hear his heartbeat.
Confirmation that what if didn't happen.
He was alive.
He wasn't lost to himself.
He was here.
He was here.
She can feel his tension a moment before his arms circle around her, holding her. She closes her eyes, listens to his hammering heart while she tries to regain some composure.
Breathe.
In.
Four seconds.
Out.
Four seconds.
She does this for awhile, the flow of her tears slowing but not stopping. She kind of feels like she wants to throw up.
Breathe.
In...Out...In...Out...
"Hina." Naruto's voice is low near her ear. "Babe. Calm down okay?"
She presses her face deeper into his sternum. She never wanted him to see this part of her. She knows that he's probably worried and confused, but she can't pretend to be okay right this moment, so he's just going to have to deal with it.
He does, but not for long. "Baby, for reals. I'm okay. It's over." He tries again. "Hinata." He grabs her arms, lifting her away from him, gently. "Look at me. I'm fine."
Streaks of blood mar his tan skin, his eyes are shiny and glassy, his lips tight.
"You don't look fine." She sniffles.
Naruto gives her a look. "Ouch, babe."
Unintentionally, though, he has given her something else to focus on. She gives his face a more critical once over. "Some of those scrapes are kind of deep," she murmurs. "We should clean them out."
"Alright." He agrees easily, as if thankful for anything other than her tears. "Just gotta find the peroxide. I know it's around here… somewhere…?"
"Should be under the sink. Unless you got rid of that too." She winces a bit at her own unguarded comment, but she's too emotionally drained to watch what she says. She didn't even realize how much it would hurt to be back in this apartment. She pushes her roiling emotions (all of them) aside in favor of focusing on taking care of him.
Naruto gives her a lingering look before he decides she's stable enough for him to go fetch the peroxide. When he's out of sight she wipes her hands over her face, doing her best to mop up the mess she knows that she must look like. She takes a few more steadying breaths, managing to settle herself a little more.
She has a 'to do' at the moment, and Hinata has always functioned better with a task.
Besides, taking care of Naruto was like second nature to her.
She glances up when he returns, bottle in one hand and a roll of toilet paper in the other. She frowns at the two-ply. "Do you have cotton balls?"
He shakes his head. "Nah, I don't wear nail polish."
"What?" She shakes her head a bit at that and the simplicity of his reply. "You know, that's not the only purpose for cotton balls."
"Oh, yeah." He nods at her. "What's that stuff you put on your face?" He makes a little circular motion near his nose.
She can feel a slight smile pull at her lips. He's trying to distract her. "Toner," she supplies, reaching for the bottle.
Toilet paper isn't the most ideal material for swabbing a wound, but she'll make due. She wads it into a little lump and carefully pours on the peroxide, before recapping it and setting down on the floor by her feet.
She grabs his hand gently, doing her best not to aggravate his wounds before she even starts. "This is going to sting." She warns him, looking from his eyes to the gouges between his knuckles and over the back of his hand.
He rolls his eyes at her. Clearly too tough to be bothered by her warning. "I know that," he begins, only to immediately jerk back with a sharp: "Ow!" She tightens her grip marginally.
His breath hisses between his teeth. "What the hell is in that? Gasoline? Vodka?"
Hinata tugs his hand back closer to her, adjusting her hold. She eyes him in mock seriousness. "Don't be a baby."
"I'm not being a baby." He grumbles, his lower lip jutting out ever so slightly. "I think that shits expired."
"It doesn't expire. Now sit still." She tightens her fingers-both in warning and in comfort. She manages not to burst into fresh tears as she cleanses his knuckles but she can feel her lips trembling and chin puckering every now and again. "Other one." She reaches forward, her palm open.
Instead of complying, something dark flickers over Naruto's face and he's abruptly reaching for her forearm.
She winces, not wanting him to touch her throbbing wrist. "Wait-"
He doesn't, but when he grabs her it's only to push her jacket sleeve up, exposing raw, red skin, shining bright with irritation, already darkening into bruises around the prominent part of her bones.
She can see his eyes narrow-can see the guilt in his expression. She doesn't like that look on his face, so she tips her head, trying to catch his gaze. "Naruto." He doesn't seem to register her voice. "Naruto," she tries again, pulling her arm away. She reaches up to cup his cheeks, careful of his injuries. "Hey, I'm okay." she whispers, finally catching his eyes. "Okay?"
He doesn't say anything.
He doesn't have to.
She can see it in his expression.
She sighs, softly. "Let's finish cleaning you up."
Naruto stays silent, but he doesn't argue or try to pull away again. Instead he watches her intently as she wipes his skin. When she's satisfied that she's gotten the worst of his hands cleaned up she reaches up to hold his shoulders, guiding him closer so that she can study the lacerations on his face. She cleans those, too, careful not to rub too hard.
"Can I check your back?" She asks quietly, wadding the toilet paper and tossing it onto the floor beside the bottle.
Pushing to his feet, he shrugs his sweatshirt off along with his undershirt, revealing toned, flexing, muscles. She doesn't oggle him (too much) but glances over his skin to make sure she didn't miss any injuries.
He resumes his seated position, but facing away from her-his back bent near her hands. She can see where the baton/rod thing struck him. The skin is already discolored and there's swelling happening in that area. She bites her lip to keep from making any noise and closes her eyes.
Things could have been so much worse.
She exhales, regaining her focus.
She is supposed to be helping Naruto.
"Does it hurt?" She presses her fingertips tentatively to his skin-close to the injury but not directly on it. Naruto inhales a sharp breath, his posture straightening away from her.
"Sorry." She whispers quickly, snatching her hand back.
"It's okay." He assures her, slowly relaxing again.
Hinata stares at the swelling and knows that by tomorrow it's going to look a hundred times worse. She swallows thickly. "I...I don't know what to put on it."
He turns towards her quickly, still holding his shirt and sweatshirt. He shakes his head. "It doesn't need anything. Don't worry about it babe."
She can't help the tears that prick at her eyes when she looks at him. He's hurt-clearly so-and he's trying his best to reassure her. It breaks her heart in entirely different ways.
"Hey…" He leans forward, wrapping his arm around her again and in doing so reveals the inside of his arm. "It's fine. I'm fine, you're 's fi-"
Hinata snatches his arm without thinking, her gaze drawn to the scarred lines decorating his skin. Hidden by a new tattoo, but she knew his body better than anyone. Those scars were new...well, newer than his other ones.
She feels like she's been kicked in the gut.
Naruto's already speaking. "Okay, before you get really mad, I'm sorry I got another tattoo after you told me not to, but-"
At this, her head snaps up and she hisses a breath out between her teeth. "You think I care about the tattoo?" Her gaze leaves his to wander over the faded cuts again. In her chest her heart trembles. "There's so many of them." She whispers, her thumb dragging along his skin. She blinks the tears back, but her vision is still blurry when she asks, "Why would you do that?"
"Um, I was, kind of, going through a hard time, for a little bit." He tries to explain, awkward and choppy.
She sniffles, nodding, but still..."Why didn't you tell me?"
Naruto rubs the back of his hair, his eyes flicking away from her. He looks like he's trying to navigate his own thoughts for a moment, and she gives him that time. When he finally answers the words shatter her.
"You… weren't… answering my phone calls."
Of course.
She had been his support for so long...and then she wasn't. And because she was too busy falling apart and unable to even help herself, she hadn't been there when he had really needed her and so...
She'd failed him.
How pathetic.
Naruto is shaking his head and for a moment she wonders if she spoke her thoughts aloud. "No. No babe. I know why you left. Really, I do. Okay? This shit's on me."
He doesn't though. Not really. She's never told him.
He is trying to peer into her eyes, his words coming a little faster. "Alright. So when you left, I kind of… didn't have a good time. But, I got my act together. I got sober- uh." He pauses.
Hinata winces.
Oh.
"Cause, I kinda started drinking again. Rough time and all." He clarifies, though he didn't need to. He clears his throat. "But, totally sober now. One hundred percent; I promise." He takes a deep breath. "I had to sell the furniture for rent. I started taking my medication. I went on a lot of walks so I wouldn't try and ki-… um… never mind."
She bites her lip.
Oh, God.
He had wanted to…
Oh.
No.
Her fault.
It was all her fault.
He's still talking though, drawing her away from her thoughts. She blinks, rapidly, trying to focus on his words, because he is saying them so earnestly. "But then I got the job working for Kakashi. You started talking to me again. Things got better, ya'know?"
He starts rubbing her back again. She leans closer.
"I know we went through a lot of shit. But we're good now. Right?" He asks her.
She can't really formulate a complete thought at the moment, so she stares up at him.
"Hinata." He sighs her name. "You leaving me was the absolute, worst thing that has ever happened to me to date. Which is kind of saying a lot, cause I've been through some shit. But, this past year, has really changed me. And, as bad as everything was, I think, it was for the better."
Hadn't Hanabi said something like that?
That Hinata needed to let Naruto fail so that he could learn to succeed on his own?
Maybe...maybe that was what had happened?
Naruto nudges her closer still. His large hands stroke along her back. "I can finally be the guy that you need me to be. I know I fucked up tonight, and I'll probably fuck up again at some point, cause I'm me, ya'know? But, I want to be there for you, the way you are for me. I want to be with you, whatever you want. I love you. I just want to be the guy that you want to be with. Like, forever, ya'know. Whatever you want. I just wanna be with you."
He reaches up to wipe away her tears with his thumb.
There's that word again.
"Forever?" She whispers.
He nods. "Yeah."
She leans back in close, resting her cheek against his collarbone. Naruto sighs against her, leaning his head on her hair. They sit that way for several long minutes while Hinata processes what he's told her. She still feels guilty-and ashamed-but she can't change what had happened, and he will always blame himself if she doesn't reveal some of the darker truths about herself.
She couldn't be a coward forever.
"I have something to show you, too." She says, breaking their silence, sitting up and pulling away from him.
Naruto opens his mouth, but closes it, simply gazing at her expectantly.
Hinata rises to her feet slowly, before she loses her nerve. Naruto moves to follow but she shakes her head, gently urging him back down.
Taking a breath, Hinata drops her coat and scarf before working the tiny buttons of her blouse. She can feel her face heating up, so she turns away from him, showing him her back as she shrugs free of her shirt, leaving only her bra on. She unclasps it so that he can view her ink, unobstructed.
"What is that thing called? A sucky-something." Naruto asks quietly behind her.
She sits back down on the futon, pulling her curtain of hair to one side, over her shoulder. "A lotus." She corrects softly.
"Wow, I was way off." He chuckles lowly.
She takes a cautious peek at him from over her shoulder. "You were probably thinking of succulent."
"I was. You're so smart babe." He laughs again, his gaze leaving hers to travel the ink lines of her tattoo. "But, it's a lotus."
"Mmhmm."
"It's beautiful."
It is. She knows it is. "Sai drew it."
"Huh," Naruto hums. "Guess he's good for something."
She frowns just a bit. "Naruto."
"Why did you pick a lotus?" He deflects. Then, lower, "Can I touch it."
She nods, sighing when his warm fingertips glide over her skin. It takes her a moment to recall that he'd asked her a question, distracted as she was by his touch. "Something Guy-Sensei told me."
She thinks about why he called her that.
She thinks about the struggles she has faced...and the ones she's still facing.
She thinks about the flaws that she is about to reveal to Naruto-the one person that she always, always, wanted to impress, and she feels afraid...but he deserves honesty, so she continues. "The truth is that I haven't been okay either." She inhales a sharp breath.
Naruto moves, his hand wrapping around her closest arm, rubbing across the bone with his thumb. "What do you mean, baby?" His tone is subdued-curious, but quiet.
She swallows against her own self doubt, and her instinctive desire to close up and forget that she'd opened this can of worms. She pushes through the anxiety clutching at her...the tiny voice telling her that if she reveals her secrets that he won't love her anymore. "I haven't been okay at all," she tells him. "I've had, a really rough time. I'm seeing a therapist, and I'm trying to work through things, and I have been. I think. I've been getting better, but-" But she still has work to do.
She pauses, looking away from him, because this is so much harder than she thought it would be. And she had thought it would be pretty damn hard.
Naruto bends his head a bit, his breath fanning her when he speaks. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I was so scared," she confesses. "Of what you'd think of me when you found out I wasn't perfect. Or totally fine. Or, less than what you thought." Her voice cracks and she swallows.
"That's weird." Naruto rubs her arm.
She feels that word almost like a physical blow. How many people had called her weird or odd in her life? How many people dismissed her as the weirdo or strange girl. She closes her eyes against the sting of it.
Naruto keeps talking, his fingers smoothing her goosebumps. "Because I don't think there's anything that you could tell me that could make me think anything less than you being the most perfect woman I've ever met."
Oh.
She tucks her chin, a blush coloring her face.
"And, I want to let you know, that I'm better now," he tells her in that earnest, honest way of his. "I know I couldn't be there for you in the past. And I'm really sorry for that, ya'know. If I could change that, I would. There's a lot of things I wish I could change between you and me, believe it. But, I can't. I can only do better now. Be here for you now. And I want to." He pauses, searching her expression. "I want to be the person for you, as you are for me. Ya'know? We can be that persons for each other. Am I making sense?" He licks his lips, his gaze uncertain.
She wants to wipe away any of his doubt. "Yes." She places her hand on his knee.
"Is, uh, is that maybe, something that you might want too?" He clears his throat.
That's all she's ever wanted. For years. "Yes." She adjusts herself so that she can look into his eyes. "Like partners."
"Hell yeah!" He smiles in relief. "We were the best partners in college, it was like for- four- what's the word called, like showing what's gonna happen in the future?"
Her lips quirk. "Foreshadowing?"
"Yeah, that. God, you're so smart, babe."
She blushes again, looking down at the ground. His praise always flustered her. "We did a lot of projects together, didn't we?" she murmurs. She had volunteered at any chance to partner up with him. Most often that led to her doing ninety percent of the work on her own but she got to spend time with him, so she counted it as a win.
"We were the best." Naruto affirms.
It's a lie, but it's a nice lie. She smiles a bit.
"You were so shy." He presses forward a bit, pressing a soft kiss to the back of her shoulder blade.
"Past tense?" She shivers.
"You're way better now." Naruto argues, his breath causing another tremble.
She was. But she still wasn't as outgoing as the women that Naruto had dated in college, or obsessed over in college, or even: "I'm still not 'Ayame singing karaoke'."
Naruto stiffens, affronted. "Baby you have a freaking tattoo! That's badass. You took out a girl in a street fight. We don't have to do stupid stuff like karaoke for you to be totally awesome." He pulls her closer. "Plus, are you for reals gonna throw the one friend date I've had that wasn't with you, in like five years? It was just Ayame, she's like, my cousin or something."
Hinata rolls her eyes at him, but she couldn't hide her rosy cheeks and her little smile.
"Nah, you're the one." He's so sure. "Forever." He leans forward more, kissing her cheek over her shoulder.
There's that word again.
The one that causes her pulse to skitter like a pebble skipping across a lake.
She exhales it, shakily. "Forever?"
"Baby, I done already told you!" He gives her a playful little shake. He pulls back, ever so slightly, and takes a deep breath. She can feel the rise and fall of his chest against her back. "You know how we were the best class partners?" He asks her.
She nods, still not disputing the obvious lie.
"I kinda think that we'd be the best partners in everything."
She nods because she does too. Always has.
"But I think we should have cooler names for each other."
"What?" Okay, that one confused her. Did he mean like cutesy pet names? It wasn't something that they'd ever done before, and she can't say that she finds the idea all that favorable, but she's willing to try if that's what he wants.
"Like calling you my girlfriend is kind of lame, ya'know."
She frowns. Okay, but she likes being called his girl...so...
He keeps going. "We should have cooler ones. Like I was thinking some up, and maybe I could call you something different. Like more badass, to fit your new personality. Know what I'm talking about?"
She thinks about the idea of nicknames and can't really think of any that she finds altogether appealing, plus, if she's not his 'girlfriend' then what does he want to call her? Fuck-buddy was so out. Especially since they weren't...currently, at any rate. "No."
Naruto rolls his eyes slightly at her obliviousness. "Work with me, babe. I was thinking for you, I could call you… my wife."
Not what she was expecting. At all. She can feel herself kind of go numb. She looks at him, wide eyed. "Naruto," she warns. She can't take jokes right now. She's still too emotional.
She was in luck though, cause he wasn't.
He fidgets a bit, his hand going into his pocket, even as he speaks. "Don't worry, it comes with a cool new name for me, too."
Everything in her freezes when she sees the box come out. She can't breathe again, but for entirely different reasons than before. She blinks, and then blinks again.
Naruto lifts the lid, revealing a simple, elegant band. "I asked Ino for some help with it," he tells her.
Hinata tucks that bit of info away for later. Like when she's cornered her best friend. But for now, she simply stares-dumbstruck. She blinks once more. You know, just to be sure.
"Oh shit, I forgot." Naruto moves to slide off the futon top his knee, but Hinata stops him, reaching out and plucking the box from his hands, cradling it protectively in her own.
"You bought this for me?" She whispers, reverently. He wanted to be with her. For real. Forever.
"Yeah, of course it's for you, baby."
"You, want to… marry me?" It was so far beyond her wildest hopes and dreams. Even the ones she'd been having lately.
"Yeah. Did I not make it obvious? Oh fuck! I didn't say the 'will you marry me?' line! I'm ruining the whole thing. I'm sorry. I didn't plan it like this. I was gonna do it after dinner tomorrow, but I kind of ruined that by getting all fucked up. I'm sorry, I know you wanted to wear your dress again. But if you give me a little bit of time, I can try and save up for it again."
He wanted to marry her.
Her.
Weird. Shy. Dark. Hinata.
She can feel the tears, but makes no attempt to stop them.
Naruto stiffens at the sound of her sniffing. "Baby! Hinata. If-if you hate it or don't want it, like we can just pretend this never happened. I'm so sorry. I probably should've asked you what you actually wanted. I know I just jump to conclusions and shit and I get carried away, I'm really sorry-"
She shakes her head quickly, wanting to remove that notion from his head immediately. "I love it."
Naruto pauses. "Yeah?"
"I love it so much." She takes a shuddering breath, wiping her tears away. She's cried so much tonight for so many different reasons.
"I tried to match your bracelet. Ino knew the place. She forcibly brought herself along."
Hinata glances at the box. Of course Ino would take him there. Ino was the only person that knew why her bracelet meant so much to her and the milestone it signified. This moment was another milestone. It only made sense that her ring match.
"Can I put it on?" She asks, hesitantly...still afraid that maybe this was actually a dream.
"Baby, yeah, it's yours." He smirks at her, rubbing her arm again.
Mine.
She plucks the ring out, carefully sliding it onto her finger. She holds her hand out, watching the play of light on the metal. "It's a little big," she muses. But still perfect.
"I can get it resized." Naruto comments. "Sorry, I should've known you'd have tiny fingers."
She laughs a little. She's not even sure why. She's just so happy.
Naruto fidgets again. "Um, it's okay if you don't-"
That thought had no place in his head. Hinata spins in place, pressing her mouth to his in a fevered, hurried, kiss. She slides fluidly, hands on his shoulders, moving so that her legs slip around his waist. She keeps right on kissing him, tracing his lips with her tongue.
She feels his surprise, but he recovers quickly. His hands move to cradle her hips as he pushes against her-kissing her with equal ferocity. The taste of him was just as she remembered...just as she loved. And she wanted more.
She sighs into his mouth when his hands creep into her hair, letting the pieces run through his fingers, gently placing them on her neck. He works his lips against hers at a slower pace, taking her frantic edge and turning into something deeper. He holds her close, lingering, sucking on her tongue. She melts against him for a moment before pushing back, shrugging her unclasped bra off.
She sighs, leaning forward so that her soft breasts were pressed to his hard chest. She can feel him, growing harder beneath her, and she rolls her hips in response. His resulting gasp has her feeling flushed and wanton. She's startled out of the motion a moment later when he stands, hoisting her in his arms.
"Sorry," He breathes into her. He strides purposefully, making his way to the bedroom.
He turns slightly, in a different direction than she was expecting, and drops her lightly onto his low (very low) mattress. She gives a startled shriek at the unexpectedness of it and he laughs at her.
"Sorry," he murmurs-very clearly not. "I didn't mean to - ow!"
She glowers up at him playfully, her fingers poised for another pinch.
"Sassy." Naruto leans forward to nip at her cheek, his teeth grazing her skin.
He's playful and teasing, but what she wants is him. She shoves him back a bit, and maneuvers her legs, twisting around so that he's the one beneath her. She wastes no time-save a moment of enjoyment at his startled and turned-on expression-before she kisses her way down his throat, her hand curling into his pants-seeking.
"Holy shit!" He exhales abruptly.
His reaction causes her lips to curl up in a pleased smirk. She's always been timid in the bedroom. Uncertain and anxious, and while she is still some of those things-she isn't right now.
Naruto wanted to marry her.
He was hers.
She was his.
She wanted every bit of that.
Every bit of him.
She felt...possessive.
It was new and thrilling and it made her want to have him calling out her name.
His breathing was growing harsher-faster-as she works her hand against his hardness, stroking along his rigid length in slow, hard, pulls.
Naruto groans something that she can't quite hear out, pushing his head back into the pillow as his hips buck against her.
"Hm?" Hinata hums against his neck. Her hum turns to a moan when he manages to unbutton her pants and curves his hands against her backside, cupping her and groaning.
Hinata pushes away, only long enough to shake herself free of her remaining clothes. She wants, wants, wants, to feel his skin against hers. To have him as close as possible. To show him how much she loves him.
Naruto pants her name when she crawls back over him. Her hands press against his defined pectorals as she grounds down on him, letting him feel how damp and ready she is. He's so hard against her that it steals her breath.
"Ready?" She asks him, low and aching.
He makes a sound that is vaguely like an affirmative blended with a low whine. She smiles-sop very pleased that she's managed to reduce him to this state. She slides forward a bit, adjusting herself so that when she settles back, it's with him buried deep-so deep-inside.
"Oh, my Jesus, fuck!" The words sound torn from his throat. His fingers tighten on her hips spasmodically.
Hinata exhales-full and needy. She arches her back, pulling her thighs tight so that they are flush against the outside of his. Naruto makes another satisfying sound. She can't help but tease a bit. She lifts herself in a slow glide before smoothing back down, again, and again. Faster each time. His mouth parts, hanging open a little stunned. It fills her with satisfaction. "You okay, baby?"
He shakes his head no, but his hands flex on her skin, pulling her down when she moves up.
Her own fingers slip down his chest and over his flat stomach, feeling his abs contracting at her touch. He's so unbelievably responsive. She tosses her hair over her shoulder, rolling her hips, taking as much of him as she can-as fast as she can.
She rides him hard.
He's so deep.
She moans his name.
"Fuck, Hinata." He gasps helplessly.
It's euphoric, watching him reduced to a mass of sensation and pleasure. She almost wishes that the lights were on so that she could see his expression better. She wants to see him come undone.
His fingers tighten and his back arches a bit. He groans low. "I'm gonna cum."
She wants him to. She wants him to fill her up. She's not quite brave enough to say that, so she settles on: "Okay."
He chokes on air, biting his lip. "Hina," his teeth grind together. She moves faster. She wants it. "Hinata." Her name sounds like a prayer. He gasps a broke: "Fuck." And then he gives in.
She slows her thrusts but deepens them, savoring the way he grips her...the way his head is tossed back, the hard lines of him bent and coiled for her-only her-as he comes.
She sighs, pleased and content, when he leans forward, laying against his chest as he slips from her body. She tucks herself to his side, kissing his chest where his heart still hammers.
She's not upset that she didn't come. It wasn't about that for her. She just wants to feel close to him. She's satisfied, but she knows that he won't be until she is completely so she can't help but tease him. "You did good."
"Shhh," he huffs, grumpily. "Give me five minutes. I'll rock you like a hurricane." He vows.
She kisses along his jaw, down the strong line of his chin. She recalls his brief obsession with old eighties hair bands and rock and roll in college. "Like Scorpions?"
"Better than Scorpions." He promises breathlessly.
"Better than Scorpions?" She blinks owlishly, her lips arched. "Well, then, you've got four minutes, fifty-nine seconds and counting, mister."
It wasn't five minutes.
It was closer to fifteen.
Naruto shifts against her. "My turn," he whispers against the shell of her ear before, rolling to his knees.
He spreads her thighs wide, sliding his hands along her sensitive skin. He's rock hard already and he pushes inside easily due to her arousal and his release. They both groan at the sensation. His thrusts are slow and measured and so, so, deep.
This time they both reach their peak, but the climb is slower.
When they are finished, Naruto smiles at her, his hand stroking her bare skin. His smile is the most beautiful she's seen in a very long time-maybe ever. It makes her feel giddy and happy and like they can take on anything that life wants to throw at them. Because it was true. They could make it on their own, but it was better together. Together was a choice and not a necessity and that...that made all the difference.