"I can't believe Ino got married before us." Sakura smiled when Ino began to dance with Sai.

"I had a feeling this would happen," said Hinata, who couldn't help but feel happy at the glowing look her best friend had on.

"Did you?" Sakura bumped her hip against Hinata's. "When are you and Naruto going to tie the knot?"

Hinata blushed and stumbled over her words. "We—we're not going to—I mean I don't really know…"

"Hinata!" Sakura began to laugh. It was adorable when her best friend got all flustered and whatnot. "I was just joking." She looked back at Ino who was being kissed by a smiling Sai. "But it does really make you wonder when you should tie the knot."

"Do you want to marry Sasuke?" Hinata stared at her friend.

"I mean…I don't know…yes?" Sakura began to blush and she pointed to the drinks from across the room. "Let's go have a couple of more drinks!" Sakura grabbed Hinata's wrist and began to drag her across the room. Hinata simply laughed.

Her best friend avoided the question.


"What do you think about marriage?"

Sasuke stopped putting away the dishes and simply stared blankly at his girlfriend. Sakura blushed and began fidgeting, not knowing if she should continue pestering him about the topic or just resume washing dishes.

"Why do you ask?" Sasuke leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well…" Sakura dried her hands and looked everywhere else but him. "I saw how Ino looked so happy yesterday but I couldn't help but feel that I wanted what she got." She hugged Sasuke and leaned against his chest. "She finally found her happiness and I've been wondering if marriage would be so bad after all…"

"Sakura, I don't believe in marriage." He kissed her forehead. "We can simply live together. They can start calling us husband and wife. We don't need the whole ceremony with papers to prove that we love each other."

She bit her lip and nodded after a few seconds of silence.

"Yeah…I-I guess you're right." She smiled and kissed him suddenly. "Let's finish these dishes then watch a movie!" She eagerly began scrubbing away the mess on the dishes as she talked animatedly to him. But he noticed that she was stiff and avoiding eye contact with him.

She was upset and he didn't know how to help her.


"How's father?" Hinata put her cell phone against her ear as she wrote down the last answer to her math homework.

"Oh…he's been…okay." The long pauses her mother made in between caused her to become suspicious. Her mother has never been a good liar after all.

"Mother, are you sure?"

She heard her sigh and the wrinkling of clothes before it settled into silence. "Your father has been coughing a lot. We took him to the doctor and they've been saying that he needs to work less. The stress is catching up to him, they said." She stayed quiet before she began to laugh. "Your father had the funniest look! I think he believes he's still in his 20's."

At that, both women began to laugh.

"So he's been better?" Hinata probed on, not liking the idea that her father might be in pain.

"Yes. He's coughing less now but we're still being careful. It was hard getting him away from his office but it's a working progress."

"I see." Hinata closed her notebook and looked around her empty studio.

"How's Naruto?"

"He's been busy with work but he stops by every once in a while." Hinata sighed. "He looks tired."

"His work is that bad?"

"I supposed so. His job, however, has nothing to do with his career choice." She remembered that long ago he told her he wanted to pursue architecture design. It was a passion of his ever since he was in high school. It was something that caught her off guard but nonetheless listened to his explanations of buildings he wanted to construct. He even showed her blue prints.

"Really? Have you decided what you want to do yet? You're still working at Sakura and Ino's sex shop, right?"

"Yes, I'm still working there. But I don't know about my career yet." Hinata bit her lip. It was a sore topic to bring up. It's also slowly starting to become a stressor in her life. What does she do once she graduates college? Despite the many classes she took and the counseling she had, she couldn't make up her mind. It felt odd seeing all the people in her life knowing where they were heading to. She felt lonely and lost in a world that's moving too quickly and isn't waiting for her to catch up. What if she can't find her dream job? Would she be labeled as a failure?

"Well take your time, sweetie. You have all the time in the world to decide." Hinata thought, did she really? "I have to go. It's almost time for dinner. Your sister said that Neji was cooking so I can't wait to see what he cooked up."

"Brother Neji is there?" Hinata broke out into a smile. "Tell him I said hello. As well as to Hanabi and father. I'll see when I'll be able to visit."

"Please do. Stay safe, my love. Bye."

"Bye." She hung up and placed her head on the table.

"Why is life so complicated?" She massaged her temple. Her phone buzzed and she glanced up to see it's a text message from her boyfriend. Eagerly, she unlocks it and reads the message. She smiled and got up. She turned off the lights and went straight to bed with a smile on her face.

To: My Beautiful Girlfriend

From: The Best Boyfriend Ever (:

Are u free tomorrow? Text me in the morning since I think you're asleep…Goodnight:D


Naruto wiped the sweat from his forehead and bid his coworkers farewell as he left his work early. He walked down the streets of the busy neighborhood. He greeted the store owners and passerbies. He whistled a tune he heard in the radio and turned the corner when he saw it.

Light, blond hair and pale, pale lavender eyes. Skin as white as snow and a delicate face that reminded him of a past he forgot till now. She turned to look at him and she dropped the bag she was holding.

"Naruto, is that you?"

He did the first thing he thought was right.

Run.

He turned around and dashed to the other streets. He bumped into people and yelled out his apologizes but his mind was elsewhere. Why was she back? Why was she here of all places? Somehow he made it to Kiba's apartment. He knocked furiously on his door and didn't care when he dashed inside the apartment when Kiba barely opened the door. He threw his bag and clothes work on the couch and opened the refrigerator. He grabbed the juice box and chugged it all at once.

"What the fuck, Naruto? You come in here like you own the god damn place and you drink my precious apple juice!" Kiba crossed his arms, annoyed beyond belief. "Give me a good reason not to kill you right now."

"She's back," he replied breathlessly. He threw away the carton and squatted down, holding his head in his hands.

After a few seconds of processing what he said, Kiba's eyes widened and his arms went limp on his sides.

"No way…"

"Yes and she saw me!" He stood up and started to pace.

"Of all your exes to see, you managed to see Shion of all people."

"You think I wanted to?" Naruto slapped himself. "Get a hold of yourself, Uzumaki. She's just an ex."

"Yeah," replied Kiba nonchalantly, leaning against the counter in his kitchen "An ex who not only dumped you after she decided to hook up with her ex-boyfriend but who also tried to seek you out after that ex-boyfriend broke up with her. Yup, that ex. Want some tequila?"

Naruto shook his head and Kiba shrugged.

"I'll take a shot for you."

"What do I do?" Naruto gripped his hair. "What if she bothers me?"

"Then tell her to stop." Kiba took two shots before slamming the cup on the counter. "You were in high school when this happened. You're 23 now for Christ sakes. You guys are history. You moved on. Pretty sure she moved on to."

"Yeah, you're right!" Naruto smiled brightly and hit his friend's shoulder. "What would I do without you?"

"Probably be dead in a ditch." They both began to laugh.

"I have nothing to worry about," whispered Naruto.


"So then I told him that I should probably change my identity or somethin'."

Hinata giggled. "Did it bother you that much?"

"Well yeah." He scratched the back of his head and gripped the hand he was holding. "It was like a wave of memories just hit me all at once."

"I understand." Hinata smiled at him. "I've also bumped into some of my exes."

"Really?" He smirked. "They're not that handsome as me, right?" He struck a pose and she laughed.

"No, you beat them all."

"Good." He leaned down and kissed her.

"Naruto?"

He looked up and locked gazes with Shion.