Professor Yuhi was one of the few people that never made Hinata feel like she was a bother. In fact, she was probably the person that Hinata looked up to the most. She had taken a liking to Hinata as well.

She offered advice and guidance and an ear when Hinata needed it. Hinata was always worried about doing the right thing and where the lines of right and wrong were.

"It's easy to 'know' right from wrong when everything is smooth and clear, and going your way," Kurenai had told her. "But let everything go to shit, and then see how difficult it becomes to distinguish between the two."

He's going to hate her.

She's going to lose him.

Those thoughts run on repeat in her head in a near consistent loop.

She can't sleep.

She eats until she vomits.

Old habits and all that.

She takes her medication as often as is 'safe'. It helps settle her nerves but does nothing for the aching sadness she feels.

She clings to Naruto.

It's pathetic.

She can't help it.

When he realizes what she's done…

She's waiting for the 'all clear' from Shikamaru. It's moving quickly, he assures her, despite it feeling like these past few days have stretched forever. In fact, they have a court date. The closer it gets the more Hinata's anxiety ratchets up.

Every sound jumps her.

She wants to tell Naruto about Jiraiya, but she's not sure if that's smart. She's not sure how well he will cope with grief in addition to his stress. Stress he has that he doesn't need, she reminds herself. Stress that she is partially responsible for. Even so, she doesn't want to trigger a relapse. He managed to pull himself up from his last spiral on his own, and she was so proud of that, but he was still cooped up and he was still tense-and although he was pretending that he was okay-she knows him and she knows he's lying.

For her.

Because he loves her.

Will he love you when he learns the truth?

She can't quite shut up the little voice in her mind.

When it gets loud, she curls against Naruto, leaning into his warmth.

Let him love me now, she thinks. So she can have something to hold onto when he doesn't.

Ino calls her, and can tell something is up, but Hinata can't talk to her about it. She can barely think about it. It's almost over, she can hear Shikamaru in her head, and although she knows he's referring to their case and trial, a part of her is terrified that it will be the end of her and Naruto.

She tries to mentally pep talk herself. That if he leaves her-then that's his right. But he would be safe and that was what her goal was. His future. She wanted to give him that. Whatever he did with it, was up to him. If her heart was the price of his freedom-she'd pay it, a hundred times.

She tells herself this, but that doesn't stop the tears from soaking her pillow at night. Doesn't stop her from crawling across his lap and trying to press herself into his skin...to hold him. To hold on.

She loves him so damn much.

She hopes he knows that.

When the time comes and he learns everything-she hopes he knows that much at least.

And Naruto...he's so good to her. He's softer now than he's ever been. Holding her-letting her be as clingy and as needy as she wants. He's doing whatever he can to take care of her, as is evident by his suggestion that she take a bath before their dinner arrives.

She's sprawled out against him, with her arms around his neck, like some sort of clinging vine. She resists the idea of leaving this position, her arms curling a bit tighter. A bath does sound nice though. "Come with me," she breathes against his skin.

"I would," he says, and she can hear his negative answer before he voices it. "You know I'd love to. But I should stay out here, to hear for the food. You know?" He runs his fingers through her hair, a couple times, letting his fingers massage her scalp.

She's seen him do the same thing to Argus when a particularly loud explosion on the tv startles him.

She's almost amused by it.

She wonders if Naruto wants her to bathe so she can relax or so he can get a break from her. She really should let him have some breathing room, she considers, reluctantly. "I won't be long, okay."

He smiles, and nods. "See you when you get wrinkly." He waves her off down the hall.

Inside her little bathroom, she runs the hot water.. She dumps in some salts and climbs in-welcoming the way her legs begin to tingle and pinken at the hot-scalding-water. She curls her knees up, wrapping her arms around her shins before pressing her forehead against her knees.

The tears come almost immediately.

Large, fat droplets, plopping into her frothing bathwater.

Her shoulders shake and she presses her lips as tightly together as she can, so not a sound escapes. She doubts that Naruto would even hear her over the water but she doesn't want to add to his worry.

He's already worried about her.

He doesn't need to see her fracturing.

She's not breaking-she won't. Not yet, anyway.

She might when he leaves her, but that's...that's not something she can control right now, so she lets that thought roll down her cheeks into the tub as well. After a few minutes she twists the tap and closes her eyes, leaning back, allowing the water to close over her entirely. She lays there, eyes closed, submerged, for long moments, purposefully disengaging her mind-blanking her thoughts. It's a technique that Inoichi had taught her, and it was one that worked better than most.

However, her tranquility is broken when she can hear the faint rumble of Argus growling in the hallway. She pushes up and out of the tub, quickly toweling herself off. She doubts that Argus is growling at Naruto-he adores him-but something has upset him. Maybe the delivery guy was there? Argus was usually pretty good about that, but she was usually with him.

She opens the door ready to soothe her worried companion but realizes almost immediately realizes that Argus isn't so much upset as he is defensive. He's put himself in front of the door she was behind.

That's when she hears it.

A voice that taunts her in her sleep-however infrequent that is.

"What's she going to do without you? She might need to look around for a new man to protect her. I hear a lot of people are headed to Brooklyn these days. Better real estate."

Yahiko.

Hinata tenses up.

"My girl's good here. Thanks though," Naruto replies, his voice surprisingly even-considering.

"Well see." Yahiko winks.

"Well, if that's all you came to say-"

"Get. Out." Hinata bites out each syllable. Argus is still growling beside her. He's a former military dog. She knows the hand signals that will send him over the loveseat to tear out Yahiko's throat.

She's tempted.

More tempted than anything.

A murderer is in her living room threatening her beloved.

Instead, she gives the signal to 'hold' and steps forward. She can feel Naruto's eyes on her, but she's looking only at Yahiko. The man that tried to ruin him. "Right now, or I'm calling the police." Or releasing her dog. She's undecided, really.

Yahiko has the audacity to smirk at her, but she sees the edge to it. The hatred in it. That's fine. She hates him right back.

"Cold, Miss Priss. Chill a little. Just got finished talking." he steps towards the door, with a biting smile aimed at Naruto. "See you tomorrow."

Naruto slams the door behind him, locking the dead bolt. His chest is heaving.

The moment the lock is turned Hinata's knees turn to jelly. She rushes to Naruto's side."H -how did he get in here? W-what did he do?" She scans him for injuries. "What...what-what did he say to you?" God, she hadn't stuttered that much in years . She's rattled.

Naruto looks like she feels. "I don't know," he says, voice raspy. Winded. He turns to face her. "How do they know where you live?"

Hinata's mouth snaps shut.

She doesn't know how to answer that, not really. He'll hear it all tomorrow...but right now-he's already on edge. Yahiko has him shook. She doesn't want him to do anything that could jeopardize things and if she tells him that they know where she lives because they've been following her-she knows he will do something.

Her non-answer is answer enough though and she can see him work through something in his mind. "Okay." He says, quietly. He doesn't argue with her.

Hinata blinks at him, searching.

He stares right back. He's a little guarded and hurt, but he's not pushing her away.

They both jump the next instant when there's a knock at the door. Naruto turns around to quickly check the fish eye peephole. "It's just the food." He tells her, clearing his throat.

She nods, letting him know it's okay to open. She glances at Argus, who is still tense, but she tells him it's okay. He relaxes his stance, trotting to her side. She rubs his ears as Naruto thanks the delivery guy.

"Did you pick which movie you wanted?" Naruto asks, moving around her. He sounds...different. He's pretending to be fine.

For her.

It's always for her.

He does so much for her.

Which is why she'd do anything for him.

She fiddles with her bracelet around her wrist a few times before swallowing. "You can pick."

He shakes his head. "Nah, I want you to pick."

Hinata bites her bottom lip because she wants to cry again. He's so good to her.

She loves him so much.

And he's going to hate her.

Naruto senses her distress and drops the bag of food on the table. He walks to her and pulls her into a hug. "It's okay." He promises her.

She nods into his chest but it's a lie.

She knows it's a lie.

Because she's the liar.