Author's Note: Make sure you check out Chapter 20 if you haven't read it already. I'm doing a double update and I know those can be finicky sometimes so I don't want you to miss a new chapter. That being said, please enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-one

Naruto and Hinata walked up to the hostess stand arm in arm.

"Excuse me, we'd like a table for two please," Naruto said.

"There might be a small wait," the hostess said, still writing on the pad of paper in front of her. "Can I get your - " the hostess looked up from her writing in the middle of the sentence and stopped speaking, her eyes going wide.

"Uzumaki-sama!" she exclaimed before seeing Hinata on his arm. "Hyuga-sama!" she exclaimed again. "We're a bit busy at the moment, but I will find something for you two right away!"

"That's okay," Naruto tried to reassure the young woman that she didn't need to go out of her way, but he looked sideways at Hinata to gauge her feelings on the matter. Maybe she would rather be seated than wait?

"Yes, please don't trouble yourself. We don't mind waiting," the Hyuga said with a disarming smile.

"Oh, it's no trouble. I'm sure the owner would be very unhappy if he knew we made the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan head and the Savior of the shinobi world wait for a table! I'll just go talk with the staff and see what I can do."

She turned and walked away quickly, before either Naruto or Hinata could protest. Naruto closed his eyes for a moment and fretted. If the hostess was making this big of a deal then it was likely the other staff members would do the same. And that would make it more likely for them and the other patrons to talk about him being here with Hinata. Which would then make it that much more likely that Sasuke would hear about it.

He pushed those worries to the side, however, when he looked down and saw his beautiful "date" worrying her lip over making the hostess anxious. Now he knew what she felt like having people fall all over themselves just because of her social status. And knowing what a quiet, kind person she was he also knew she must be uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, Hinata. If I'd been thinking I would have made reservations for tonight. I've never really come here in the evening so I didn't even think about there being a crowd for dinner."

Naruto was worried about the rest of their date. They had to get through dinner and he also wanted to explain his feelings to her. But so far on their date she had fainted (twice), headbutted him, been talked about like she was some groupie, and now felt guilty about someone going out of their way for them. But maybe that was just getting all the bad luck out of the way so that the rest of the date could go well!

Right?

He took a deep breath in through his nose and let it out slowly, trying to calm his racing heart. He prayed that Hinata was too focused on everything going on around them to notice how terrified he was. He was glad he put on extra deodorant because he was sure he'd be sweating through his shirt right now.

Hinata reached down to squeeze his hand and smiled serenely up at him. "It's alright, Naruto-kun. I really don't mind waiting. I just feel bad that the staff feels like they need to go out of their way. I don't like to trouble anyone." She released his hand just as quickly as she'd grabbed it, but the Uzumaki lamented the lost touch. Thankfully she placed her arm back around his. He felt good having her on his arm. She was gentle and beautiful and so, so considerate of everyone.

As she looked away from him in the direction the young hostess had gone, he felt her stiffen beside him. It was slight, but she was too close to be able to hide it from him. He looked in the same direction and saw more than a few of the tables looking at them and talking animatedly to one another. Oh. Was she uncomfortable being seen with him? Was she worried about word getting back to Sasuke? Or maybe she did hear what those people had been saying on their walk to the restaurant and was upset that there would possibly be more gossip of that nature?

He panicked for a moment when he felt her slipping her arm out of his.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I shouldn't have been so bold. Now people are going to be talking about us and I know you don't want them to think we're on a date or anything."

Naruto remembered his words from the other day and winced. She wasn't worried about what they might say about her. She was worried about what they might say about him. He wanted to tell her that he'd love for this to be a real date. That he'd love to be a couple and would yell it to the world if they were.

But it wasn't time for that. They couldn't have the kind of talk that he wanted to have while they were standing in the front of the restaurant. He at least wanted whatever privacy a booth would provide when he confessed and was shot down - however nice he imagined she would be about it.

No, instead he reached for the arm she'd removed from his with his other hand and draped it back through his. He wasn't ready to just grab her hand, but he didn't want to lose the contact they'd established.

"But Naruto-kun - "

Hinata started to protest, but he cut her off with a warm smile. "It's fine, Hinata. They can say or think whatever they want about what we're doing here tonight. I'm just happy you're here with me."

When her face flushed red, Naruto couldn't help the relief and pride that swelled up in him. He still affected her! Hah! Maybe there was hope for this night after all. As he considered for the first time that things might go alright his thoughts were interrupted by the hostess.

"Uzumaki-sama, Hyuga-sama, please come with me! We were able to secure a private booth near the back so you two can enjoy your meal with some privacy."

Naruto felt Hinata's body stiffen for a brief second at the waitress's words. Did she think the hostess was implying something? Was the hostess implying something? Was Hinata just nervous? Maybe she wasn't looking forward to passing all the people who were already staring and talking. Or maybe she was worried those people would see the two of them sliding into a private booth and would spread rumors that the two of them were on some scandalous date? They wouldn't exactly be wrong…

"Great, a private booth means it'll be easier to talk! That's good, right? A lot of my meals at Ichiraku get interrupted with requests for autographs and random things like that. But I want tonight to be just us."

He wanted to get her mind off of everyone else and to try to focus on enjoying herself. More preferably enjoying herself with him.

"Ah, yes, a private booth is nice. Though I don't want you to turn anyone away for my sake. I don't intend to demand all of your attention so you are free to speak to whomever."

"I only want to speak with you."

Wide lavender eyes looked up at him in shock and he worried that he might have given himself away, but luckily they had just reached the table so Naruto busied himself helping Hinata into her seat before sliding in across from her.

"Your waiter will be with you shortly. We very much hope you will enjoy your time with us this evening," the hostess said before bowing and going back towards her stand up front.

Naruto looked across the table and gulped. They were finally here. And soon it would be time. He could only hope everything from here on out would go smoothly.

Our internet is back on so hopefully I won't have an issue again. Either way, we're close to the end! Just a few more chapters to go!