The Second Date

He came to see her again a week later.

Hinata had just finished teaching the last of her class and rushed home to change, knowing she looked disheveled because she'd finished later than she'd expected.

Her students that day were all beginners and they'd asked more questions at the end of their lesson. Hinata hadn't wanted them to lose their interest in ikebana so she had patiently answered all their questions.

She heard her younger sister's laughter as she walked into the house.

"You do have a point, Hokage-sama!" Hanabi was saying. "I think I agree. My job would be so much easier if I were shinobi."

His husky laughter echoed throughout the living room, causing Hinata's heart to flicker and miss a beat.

"I'm so sorry I'm late!" Hinata said breathlessly as she rushed in.

They both turned to her with a smile. "Nee-chan! The Hokage was just giving me pointers on how to use chakra to climb a tree."

Hinata smiled and looked at her sister with pride.

Hanabi was smiling up at Naruto, her face cheerful. Her long, dark hair was gathered into a loose ponytail, but it was all kept neat under the cover of a blue bandana.

Hanabi's job included climbing up trees to prune unwanted twigs and carefully shaping branches to fit the aesthetics of the Hyuuga gardens. As one of the youngest and the few females in her profession, Hanabi had made a splash when she'd followed in her father's footsteps and made her own debut as a niwashi—a Japanese gardener. But she wasn't merely a gardener, she was an artist, a landscape architect. Her creative eye had built upon the gardens that their Hyuuga ancestors had started, bringing the ancient park into more modern times by updating it to fit the more contemporary style of the day.

Hinata was very proud of her sister, who was now coming to meet her with a hug. Hanabi was dressed in her usual attire, the familiar blue happi and outdoor tabi splattered with dirt.

"Well, I'm headed back to work," she said. "Have fun on your date, Nee-chan!"

She turned to Naruto with a smile and a wink. But she bowed a greeting for him, too. "Hokage-sama."

Then she was off. Naruto came to stand next to Hinata and they watched as Hanabi walked out the entrance, the kanji for garden 庭 on the back of her jacket disappearing behind the door.

"She's adorable," he murmured, and Hinata felt the compliment for her sister in his tone.

Hinata wholeheartedly agreed and nodded.

But a brief flare of dread spread through her before she could stop it, reminding her of comparisons another man had made between her and her sister.

A long time ago.

It disappeared, though, when Naruto leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple, reminding her that she needed to get changed for their date...but she still didn't know where they were heading.

As if reading her thoughts, he laughed.

"I'll wait, Hinata, if you need time to get ready."

"Thank you," she said gratefully.

"Actually, I need time to figure out where to go. I still don't know where to take you," he admitted. "Do you have any ideas? It's been years since I've tried to woo a woman, so I'm extremely rusty."

She blinked at him in startled surprise. "Years?"

He flushed. "Ugh. Forget you heard that."

"Oh, no! Naruto, I'm sorry!" she gasped. "I'm not making fun of you. I just didn't think somebody like you would ever be able to remain single all this time without getting attached to a woman?"

"You'd be surprised how easy it gets, falling into a routine and getting caught up in work," he said. There was a smile on his face, but it was tinged with loneliness. He quickly tried to hide it with a soft laugh. "Anyway, I'm fully admitting that I don't have a plan for tonight. I figured we can wander around aimlessly and find a restaurant that looks good for the both of us."

Hinata closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his waist. It didn't matter now that this was only the third time she'd spent with him. It only mattered that he was lonely—and he was trying to hide it.

She smiled up at him. "Good thing then that I'm here to disrupt this routine you've created, right?"

His eyes widened and his lips finally stretched into a genuine smile—one filled with happiness, she hoped.

"Yes, Hinata. It's definitely a good thing."

In the end, they settled upon a restaurant that was a little farther away from the main parts of Konoha. They made their way up the winding path towards the monument that looked over the village, the Hokage Rock with Naruto's face carved upon it—just finished a couple of years ago.

Naruto had suggested they go to the place and she'd agreed to it immediately after she heard him describe it.

It was a small restaurant built right above the Hokage faces and looked out over the village.

He'd been to it before while he'd been called upon to check on the monument when the masons had asked him to inspect their work. Of course, not knowing anything about masonry, he'd nodded his approval and frowned in concentration when he heard the laborers explain all about the mechanics of working with rock.

Shikamaru had looked at him and shaken his head. "You don't have to pretend you're interested, you know. It's okay for you to dismiss the masons. You're Hokage after all."

"No, Shikamaru," Naruto had murmured under his breath so the masons wouldn't hear. "They still worked hard on it. It's the least I can do to show them their art is appreciated."

Naruto let go of her hand to hold the door open. A glance inside the cozy restaurant showed that only a few patrons were inside. He breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was going according to plan. This way, she would forgive him later for what he was going to do to her next week.

"Hokage-sama!" the manager exclaimed as he walked towards them. Several of the patrons in the restaurant turned their heads in their direction when they heard him.

Hinata noticed their stares. Uncomfortable from the unwanted attention, she flushed and stepped closer to him, hoping his bigger frame would hide her from their curious gazes.

His hand strayed reassuringly to the small of her back and he smiled down at her, which made Hinata forget about being uncomfortable because she suddenly needed to concentrate on trying to breathe. He walked her to the table where the manager was leading them to and she felt the loss of the warmth of his hand on her back.

But the view of Konoha from where they sat was amazing.

"It's so beautiful!" she couldn't help exclaiming as she gazed out of the window. The twinkling lights of the village were cheerful, reminding her so much of why she loved her home.

"Isn't it? Shikamaru reminded me of this place when he heard I was going out on a date."

"Oh, no! You told your advisor about us?"

"Don't worry," he said when he saw the anxiety on her face. "I had to. He's not only an advisor, but he's one of my best friends. He won't tell anyone so we can definitely trust him."

"I see," she said, but she wasn't convinced.

"I had to tell someone, Hinata," he laughed. "Again, I haven't been dating for a couple years, but I finally found somebody I like and I just couldn't keep that information to myself. Shikamaru was the perfect person to talk to because he's smart and in love. What better combination?"

Her face was pink as she accepted her defeat. He was right. It wasn't fair that he would keep their relationship a secret from everyone. If he trusted Shikamaru, then she would, too.

She finally nodded. "Okay, and when you get the chance, Naruto, can you tell him that I said congratulations on his engagement."

He smiled with relief. "I will, Hinata. We can trust him."

Naruto waved a hand at the window, towards the view. "I mean, come on, this was one of the restaurants he recommended. He was on point, wasn't he?"

She smiled. "Yes."

The waiter came to take their order and left to go fill it.

Hinata glanced once more at the view of Konoha then leaned back slightly in her chair to gaze at him. "I take it Shikamaru came here with his fiancee?"

He grinned and his eyes turned mischievous. "Oh? Are we allowed to talk about exes at this stage now?"

"Sorry?" There was confusion on her face.

"This is our second date. I guess this is the part where we divulge our romantic pasts with each other?"

She had to laugh. "Is that how it works? Date number two, we reveal secrets."

"Not sure," he admitted. "But with the way we've started our relationship, I think there's no way we can ever do things the normal way."

Her eyes gleamed in response. Plus, you're Hokage, she thought inwardly. Nothing about all of this was normal.

She snorted with laughter again. "I guess so."

He laughed, too, but then he said, "Temari."

She still had a smile on her face. "Yes?" she asked, startled to hear the name from his lips. Hinata had heard it before, of course. The name had been on the news recently because of her engagement to Shikamaru.

"Temari's my ex-girlfriend."

"Oh," Hinata said. Then it finally sunk in. "Oh!"

He sighed. "Yes. Oh."

"And she's now Shikamaru's bride to be?" Hinata asked, still reeling from this bombshell.

"Yes, I introduced them," he said. He smiled tentatively at her. But then he looked down, tapped nervous fingers on the table, and brought his gaze back up to meet her eyes. "I just wanted to let you know to avoid any confusion, especially now that you and I will be spending lots of time together? Temari and I dated before she became Shikamaru's fiancee."

And they were all still friends and still had good relationships with each other, Hinata realized.

She understood that he was being honest and open with her. Though she knew who Temari was, she hadn't known about her and Naruto dating. He was an extremely private Hokage and any news about the women he'd dated were always rumors. He neither confirmed nor denied them in public. There'd been whispers with Temari, but that had been long ago.

But she realized now that there had been truth to it, after all.

She was thankful he was being honest with her. There was no way she would hold his relationship with Temari against him.

"How did you guys meet?" she asked with a smile and took a sip of the drink that the waiter had placed on their table.

His smile was grateful to her as he reminisced about Temari. "When I was an ANBU op, I had lots of missions in Suna. She was my main contact and the person I worked with the most. We hit it off right away. Then she got transferred to Konoha and it just seemed natural to continue the relationship."

She watched him as he talked fondly about his ex-girlfriend. For some reason, Hinata felt no jealousy. Maybe it was because she didn't really know him just yet.

Or maybe because their romantic relationship had ended long ago and Temari was getting married to Naruto's best friend. But maybe, it was because Naruto seemed really happy talking about Shikamaru and Temari falling in love with each other.

Hinata couldn't be churlish, not when Naruto was being so embarrassingly—and unconsciously—mushy. There was love there, on his face. Love for these people he obviously held in so much affection.

"So how come you guys ended your relationship?" she asked quietly, hoping he wouldn't mind sharing the reason with her.

He actually laughed. "Sometimes, people are better off as friends. I was happy to continue our relationship the way it was, but I think she realized she wanted more from me and I wasn't giving her what she needed. Temari, smart woman, ended the relationship."

Hinata waited.

"I like her, still do, obviously," he said. "But she never managed to move my heart the way you did that night you danced before me. Somehow, it feels different with you."

And she was rewarded with the fierce look Naruto flashed her. It made her toes curl inside her pumps, but she had no answer for him because the staff was carrying platters filled with food to their table, their order finally coming. They ate in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the meal.

But after Naruto flashed her a questioning look, she sighed. Her story didn't have the same happy ending as his.

"I guess it's my turn?" she asked.

He smiled. "Only if you want to."

She didn't really want to, but she felt she owed him a little bit of an admission. "There was a guy once. We dated for a while, but it just didn't end well. Just a few months ago."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Hinata." His eyes were concerned.

He waited for her to continue, but she didn't elaborate further, so he asked, "You won't tell me any more about him? His name?"

"No, I'd rather not. He's well known in Konoha and he's got a powerful family."

He became quiet at that. Hinata feared that he was understanding a lot more than she wanted him to. His jaw was clenched and the expression on his face made her glad she'd kept her ex-boyfriend's name to herself.

"I think that may be a good idea, Hinata. If you tell me his name, I might kill the guy."

She shook her head at him. "No, it was in the past and I'm here with you, so we can maybe start fresh, you and I."

She finally smiled at him. "I just want to say that I much prefer spending time with you."

"I like that," he said with another one of his brilliant smiles.

Hinata did her best to enjoy their date for the rest of the night, but the mention of previous partners made her thoughts drift towards her ex-boyfriend.

He'd been from a very prestigious family, one that her father had known. Hiashi Hyuuga and her ex's father had been in the same business circles and were familiar with each other. When they had realized that their children were adults and might suit each other, each parent had arranged a meeting.

Hinata had met him and had been charmed by his easy manner and urbane demeanor. He was sophisticated, intelligent, and treated her with seemingly unfailing courtesy.

She'd been awestruck by his confidence—and he had a right to be confident because he was the son of a wealthy businessman and heir to a clan with a lot of clout in Konoha.

On their first date, they'd gone to dinner at a very expensive restaurant and had chatted throughout the night. They'd discovered so many similarities between them that it had been easy enough to agree to his request for a second date.

He'd come to pick her up and met her at the Hyuuga gates, and Hinata should have heeded the strange spurt of uneasiness she'd felt when she saw his puzzled gaze flick briefly to her blouse. For some reason, he seemed offended by her conservative button-down shirt.

Instead of asking him about it, she took his offered arm and they walked to the restaurant he'd chosen. Even though she really didn't like sukiyaki that much, he'd already made the reservations without consulting her and there was no way she could ask him to cancel on her account.

On the following date, he picked her up to go shopping. He'd taken her to an unfamiliar shop and proceeded to steer her towards the dresses on the racks. One of the store clerks recognized him and approached him with a smile.

"Hey, you!" she said with a sassy grin and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Hinata wouldn't have minded it, but he'd said nothing even as the other woman flirted openly with him, hands resting on his arm, chest—all right in front of Hinata. The unmistakable air of familiarity was hard to miss between the two.

And again, warning bells should have gone off in her mind, but Hinata had felt intimidated standing in the middle of the shop surrounded by so much luxurious and expensive clothing.

He and the clerk had chosen a dress that was tighter than she'd liked. She'd tried it on at his request and was extremely flattered by the warm gaze he'd flashed her when their eyes had met in the mirror.

"I knew it!" he'd said, his gaze lingering over the neckline that plunged lower than the clothes she normally wore. "I liked this dress as soon as I saw it. I knew you'd look good in it."

And looking back, she knew she should have said no at that time.

He had liked the dress. Hinata hadn't. She'd felt beautiful in the dressing room when it had been just him looking at her, but as soon as they'd stepped out of the store, she'd felt self-conscious and exposed.

Instead of calming her fears, though, he'd watched her fidget uncomfortably and laughed. "Stop it, Hinata. It's just a dress! And you need to get used to wearing this style now that you're going out with me."

He never asked her opinion on anything, she belatedly realized. The one time she'd tried to exert her own wishes, he'd made it seem like she was being unreasonable about her request.

Hinata had been looking forward to a flower competition that one of her students had invited her to attend. He'd smiled at her when she'd brought it up. "Really, Hinata? You'd rather go to some hick village and look at flowers than spend the day with me at the onsen where I'd already made reservations?"

He told her the name of the onsen and Hinata felt small, churlish because she knew how expensive the place was.

But it wouldn't take that long to offer an encouraging word to one of her students, so she persisted.

"It's only for an hour?" she asked hesitantly, sensing his irritation under his pleasant expression. "We can just drop by on the way and I'll just say hi to her before we head to the onsen?"

His smile was still in place, but a brief look of annoyance fluttered over his face. Still, though, it disappeared quickly enough that she doubted whether she'd really seen it.

"You're so sentimental, Hinata!"

But she knew he hadn't meant it as a compliment.

They'd dropped by the flower competition and Hinata found herself lying to her student, making excuses because he'd made it very clear to everyone that he was suffering in silence to be at the event. The bored air he projected prevented everyone from approaching him, made it very clear that he would rather be somewhere else.

Even her student, Kanoa, had smiled in understanding and encouraged her to leave. She'd gripped Hinata's hand, given her an impulsive hug, and whispered, "Don't keep him waiting on my account, Hinata-sensei. I'm just glad you could spare the time to come cheer me on. I'll see you next week in class. Thank you for coming all the way here to see me today!"

Hinata nodded gratefully. She turned around and left without another word because she felt ashamed and guilty.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

He was sly, often couching his "requests'' in such a pleasant voice, always making it seem like it was something nice that she could do for him. But really, he was just imposing his own selfish desires on her.

Since he was so subtle about it, it had taken her longer to realize what was happening. She was glad, though, that she'd been able to end their relationship before things had gotten much deeper.

The last straw that broke her was when he'd started comparing her to other women.

"Oh, you're beautiful, Hinata. Don't get me wrong. That's always going to be true," he said and his voice conveyed enough of his sincerity.

"Don't you feel sometimes, though, that you want to become more interesting and exciting? Change the way you currently are? Your family's so different! Your cousin Haruhi, for one. She's got such a flirty attitude to life. But I guess being quiet is your thing."

But then he'd laughed it off and hugged her—yet all the while, the hurt had lingered in her heart.

Was it really necessary to say those words and compare her to Haruhi?

On meeting her younger sister, he'd told her, "Sure, silence is golden, but once in a while, it's nice to see you act more like your sister. She's a firecracker. I love that Hanabi sparkles."

But this was a compliment for her baby sister and Hinata agreed with him; she loved that Hanabi sparkled, too. Just, she hadn't known what to say to his backhanded insult to her personality.

She hadn't known what to do and had fallen back on her customary silence.

"You're so frigid, like an ice queen almost," he'd said, his tone teasing.

The smile on his face bordered on being an insulting smirk, which made Hinata itch to slap it off, but her own unnaturally violent thought had shocked her and made her doubt herself.

Something told her she should have responded and fought for herself, but he'd only been teasing, right? He'd meant it all in fun…?

But his comments made her regret how much she lacked the personality that he liked, that she was not the kind of woman who was impressive enough to make him less bored with her.

Over the weeks of dating, he'd escalated, a slow progression into inflicting this cycle of hurt and self-doubt about herself. She'd hardly realized it for what it was, but the fear and the anxiety she felt before meeting him became so hard to bear that she'd lost her enthusiasm for their dates.

Hanabi had noticed and had finally forced her to confront the truth.

That night, Hinata had been waiting for him to pick her up just as Hanabi had been coming in from finishing work.

She saw her older sister's anxious face and asked, "Nee-chan, where are you guys going tonight for your date?"

"Oh, we're going to Kabuki," Hinata answered distractedly.

Hanabi screwed her face up into a frown then glanced at the clock. "That's a couple of hours long, which means you'll be home really late tonight. He knows you've got an early day tomorrow, right?"

He didn't, because Hinata hadn't told him. She gave her sister a noncommittal answer.

Her younger sister laid a hand on her arm. "You okay, Nee-chan?"

And seeing the concern and love in Hanabi's eyes had made Hinata finally realize how destructive he was for her self esteem. She'd ended up bawling her eyes out and spilling her anxiety to her younger sister.

Hanabi had been livid on her behalf. "You shouldn't have to feel bad when you're with a guy! I'm going to break him when he comes! Let me get the sharpest shears I have!"

Hinata shrieked with laughter and horror, recognizing the joke. But she was heartened and strengthened by Hanabi's desire to help her.

"No, Hanabi, but thank you. I'm going to end it tonight."

"Yes, you should!"

Hanabi leaned in and hugged her older sister, wiping away the tears off Hinata's cheeks. "Nee-chan, there's somebody wonderful and amazing waiting for you. You don't have to be with this jerk right now."

Hinata squeezed her sister and nodded. "Thank you, Hanabi."

Hanabi only tightened her arms around Hinata. "And if you need help telling Father, I'll be there and we can talk to him together."

Because their relationship had been partly a political and business arrangement as much as anything.

That night, Hiashi looked at his daughters and accepted Hinata's calm declaration of their breakup. "Okay, my love. If this is what you want, I'll respect your decision. I just want to know you're okay."

"Now, I am."

He smiled. "I'm glad."

Hinata had met her date at the gates, armed with the love and support of her family. When he'd raised a hand to beckon her to his side, she'd shaken her head.

"I'm sorry," she said.

His eyes had darkened with anger, the voice cool and sharp when he demanded, "Hinata, stop dilly-dallying and hurry up. We still have kabuki to go to."

"I'm not going."

He saw her obstinate stance, the fists bunched at her side, the return to her own more conservative clothing and recognized that this was the final time they were meeting each other.

His jaw clenched, but the smooth expression on his face soon returned. "Oh? Are you dumping me, then?"

"Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

She looked at him and flinched at the scorn on his face, but it was made worse by the mocking smile and the intentionally hurtful tone in his pleasant voice.

"This is the first time that I'm getting dumped by a girl like you."

Hinata held her breath and braced herself for the insults to come. She wasn't disappointed.

He still had the amused expression on his face as he swept her a disparaging look that started from her head and ended at her pumps.

"Shy, quiet, bland. Lacking any kind of spark to captivate a man. Honestly, Hinata, you're just so boring I don't know why I even bothered with you, but my father insisted I go out with you. If it wasn't for him and his business partnership with your dad, I don't think I would ever have asked you out on a date. Seriously, when we were together, I had to work so hard to get you to say anything interesting."

He laughed. "I guess I should thank you for saving me the bother of dumping you."

Hinata remained numbed, frozen in silence and didn't say anything in her defense.

He finally turned around and left, which made her breathe out a sigh of relief.

It was over, finally over.

But she heard another mocking laugh, and his parting shot was the most hurtful. "Do yourself a favor and just give up on relationships. You're going to bore everybody with your dull personality, Hinata. I mean, why would any man ever choose to be with someone like you?"

She clenched her fists, trying to guard against his words but she forced herself to watch him walk away.

Shy, quiet, bland.

Lacking any kind of spark to captivate a man.

She never told Naruto any of that while they ate their dinner, but a flutter of unease from her memories suddenly made her lose her appetite. She glanced down at the food and blinked, trying to forget the past and focus only on the present.

Hinata found her hand suddenly gripped in his. She looked up into Naruto's eyes. The irises of his eyes were dark with concern, a pucker of apprehension between his brows as he sensed her disquiet.

"If you're not enjoying the food, do you want to go somewhere else? I'm Hokage so we could use my pull to get into another restaurant? Anywhere you want, Hinata. We don't have to stay here if it's not your thing."

His smile was uncertain, but his eyes never left her face.

Hinata's heart melted again, forgetting all about her ex.

Naruto was here and he was so determined to please her. She was buoyed by that small smile he flashed her.

She smiled at him with apology. He didn't deserve this. She mentally slapped herself for making him feel bad.

"No, I'm sorry, Naruto," she said as she squeezed his fingers back. "I love this place and we both chose it. I was just thinking about stuff."

"Yes, I know," he said. "I'm sorry I brought up the topic of exes. It obviously wasn't the best thing to do."

Hinata shook her head. "No, I appreciate your honesty and being upfront about Temari and Shikamaru. It would make everything less awkward if I ever run into them."

"Okay, I'm glad. But I'm sorry that I forced you to remember some obviously bad memories about your ex."

She blinked at him, at the earnest and comforting expression on his face, and remembered that he was different. Very different from that other man.

Hinata finally smiled at him, the quiet but joyful one that came so naturally to her.

He beamed back at her, his smile filled with relief.

But his hand lingered and slowly released her fingers as he brought it back to his plate.

Still, he continued gazing at her, the corners of his lips tilted up.

Hinata remembered again the night they'd first met, when he'd made her feel beautiful. That she had managed to captivate him for one night. That this man, the most powerful in all of Konoha, had found something in her—quiet Hinata—that was interesting enough to compel him to seek her out.

Again, as before, she felt herself falling deeper under Naruto's spell, the warmth of him surrounded her as she forgot about her ex-boyfriend and the quiet pain she'd suffered under his control.

Naruto walked her home and in accordance with her wishes to avoid the crowded areas where he might get recognized, they took the quiet streets back to the Hyuuga compound. He didn't mind because the meandering path to her home meant he could spend more time with her.

Hinata wanted to go slow, to fall into this relationship in small steps. But on this second date, Naruto was suddenly reminded of the night they'd met each other, when she'd danced in front of him under the guise of her geisha mask and he'd found her sneaking out of the window. And after that, when he'd made love to her so completely at his godfather's place.

He glanced down at her and fought the urge to kiss her, to devour her mouth. It was so hard not to ask her to come home with him.

Again.

Slow, he reminded himself.

Hinata wanted to take this relationship slow.

He sighed inwardly. He hated that word.

But he continued smiling at her as he listened to her pleasant voice. Hinata was talking about her students, most of them older women, who shared the same love she had for flowers. He adored the fond way she talked about them, the way her eyes crinkled as she described the joy her students discovered when a particular flower arrangement evoked a beauty or a message they wanted to convey.

"You know, they sound a lot like they mother you," he said.

She laughed. "Yeah, that's about right. They're more like mothers than students."

They finally got to the gates of her home and stopped.

Time to say goodbye.

Despite her brief trip down her bitter memories, Hinata had enjoyed her second date with the Hokage, who was so sweet and charming—and seemed to be genuinely curious about her.

He didn't pressure her to come to his place again.

And Hinata was torn about it. On the one hand, she appreciated his consideration for her feelings, for her wish to take things slowly. On the other, she was honest enough to admit that she loved the incredibly sexy and intimate moments they'd shared the first night she'd met him.

She wanted more of them.

But they were in front of the Hyuuga gates.

It was time to say goodbye.

However, she found she suddenly didn't want to go inside.

With a slight flush on her cheeks, she looked him in the eyes and quietly asked, "Naruto, before, you said 'one night together was not enough.' Did you mean it? Because—"

He suddenly frowned, which made her stop midway her speech and flinch in embarrassment because maybe she'd miscalculated and maybe he didn't want to have sex with her again.

Instead of answering, however, he grabbed her hand and started pulling her away from the gates of her home.

His steps quickened but he looked down at her, a question in his eyes. "Are we done with going slow, then? I took you back to your place because this was my way of showing you that I'll try to hold on to my promise."

She let herself be pulled because she was glad he'd understood her desire, but she was also glad the night hid her flaming face. "Okay, then."

He laughed and stepped up his pace.

This time, he brought her to his apartment, not Jiraiya's place. It was messier than the house his godfather had left him, but only because Naruto lived here. Still, it was clean enough.

He quickly ushered her to his bedroom, denying her a tour of his place, so she missed truly seeing what his apartment was like. But she forgot all about that because he was kissing her while his hands were undoing the buttons of her blouse.

"Hinata, will you stay with me until the morning?" he whispered against her neck.

She nodded. She thought she heard him sigh with relief, but that couldn't be...because he was already kissing his way down her throat. Her shirt slowly fell to the bedroom floor and she stood before him as he continued brushing kisses over her skin. Hinata reached behind her to unzip her skirt, and it joined her shirt as she waited for him in her bra and panties.

He stripped down to his underwear and instead of pulling her toward the bed, he took her hand and steered her towards the window, which was uncovered by the curtains spread wide open.

"I want to show you something," he murmured as they stood before it.

They looked out into the night, at the spectacular view of the village from the height of his apartment.

Hinata gasped and walked away from the glass, turning to face him to avoid being in the public view in only her underwear.

Naruto laughed. "No, don't worry, Hinata. Nobody can see us from the outside. There's a secret jutsu that protects us from prying eyes. It's an extra precaution because I'm Hokage."

She breathed a relieved sigh and smiled back at him. Still, she raised a questioning brow, wondering what he wanted to show her.

For an answer, he came up behind her, kissed her on her shoulder as he brought his warm hands to her back, to the clasp of her bra. He unhooked it and her bra slithered down her arms. She sighed as she felt his fingers now skimming over her tummy, at the garters of her panties. His fingers flicked briefly underneath her underwear but he slowly slid them down. She shimmied her legs, making him chuckle softly and press a kiss on her head.

She looked up at him, completely naked, but still unsure of what she was supposed to be seeing.

"It's not the view outside, Hinata," he said, voice low and husky, making her shiver even as she continued meeting his eyes.

"It's the view here in this room, inside," he murmured as he slowly turned her around so that her back was to his stomach. She faced the window and she suddenly saw the two of them reflected so clearly on the glass.

They made a lovely picture, she admitted honestly, keeping her gaze above her collarbone, and meeting his eyes through their reflections. She couldn't look at herself so naked while he was still wearing his underwear.

But then his smile turned mischievous just before he leaned down and proceeded to strip off his boxer briefs, and then made her gasp when she felt the heat of him pressing at her back.

She closed her eyes.

God, she didn't want to look, but part of her wanted to so desperately because from her quick glance at their reflection, they looked so sensual and so like the romantic paintings she loved seeing in art museums—of lovers entwined in each other's arms, of bodies voluptuously writhing against each other.

"Open your eyes and see what I see, Hinata."

But she kept her eyes closed and shook her head.

He chuckled then leaned forward to kiss her on her shoulder, sliding his lips slowly over her sensitive skin. Hinata moaned and pressed herself more closely into him.

Then Naruto brought his hands to her hips and guided them both, walking backward. He sat on the bed and settled her on his lap, both of them still facing the window. Hinata had an idea of what he wanted to do to her while she resolutely kept her eyes closed. She could feel his hard thighs warm underneath hers, the tight planes of his stomach at her back, and him still hard against her butt.

Sure enough, he spread her thighs and steered her hands to the spot between her legs, used her own fingers to touch herself. His fingers urging hers to slide inside. She gasped at the sensation.

His voice was teasing. "This could be even more fun if you open your eyes, Hinata."

Again, she shook her head and kept her eyes closed tight. His soft laughter reverberated throughout his body, and she felt it through hers. But she could feel everything. She could feel him helping her, encouraging her to play, coaxing her towards pleasure, even as he kissed the skin on her neck, then the sensitive skin right behind her ear. She pressed her lips together to try to mask her whimper.

"Hinata, should I stop?"

"No!" she breathed out hoarsely. "Please don't! I like it, but I just don't think I can watch us this way. This time, anyway."

"So there's going to be a next time?" he asked, a teasing laugh matching the flicker of his finger inside her.

"I'm considering it!" she gasped, torn between laughter and a moan.

"Good enough. Sounds like a promise to me." His voice whispered against her shoulder, mouth pressed once more to her skin.

When she was sure he wouldn't be looking at her, she opened her eyes briefly and saw their reflection on the glass. They looked wonderful together—but the picture they made was also erotic. His blond head bent to kiss her, her dark hair against his tanned skin. He was flushed, his skin, his body just as heated as hers. She was flushed, her eyes half-lidded. Then her gaze fixed on their joined fingers right at her core, him still using her fingers to give herself pleasure. With her spread thighs over his, hanging over each side of his, she could see herself clearly, both their fingers busy working.

And then he suddenly looked up and met her eyes on the glass still reflecting their images. He snared her gaze with the intensity of his, the heated glance destroyed her composure, just as one of his fingers suddenly penetrated deeper than hers, causing her to stiffen in surprise and jerk back against him, a high-pitched wail leaving her.

It was impossible. There was no way she could hold on and keep her eyes open.

She closed her eyes again to hide from him, tried to close her legs but couldn't, gave a mewling whimper, and then a cry for him to ease the ache.

"Naruto!"

There was a husky chuckle against her temple. "Hinata, you really won't open your eyes?"

"No," she groaned even as she felt him spread her thighs with his when he widened the space between his legs. She felt like exploding. She was breathless, unable to settle and calm down. The uncertainty of being balanced atop him made her feel like she was going to fall, but his body was steady against hers, continuing to support her and anchor her while his arms braced against her thighs. Mercifully, his fingers brought her close, touching that part where she knew would make her burst. She did and tautened against him, his fingers still steadily working inside even as her body spasmed.

It felt good, but she wanted more, she wanted something that would completely fill her.

"Naruto, I need more," she begged, clamping around his fingers, then pressed her mouth against his neck when she turned her head to kiss him there. Another moan made her rip her hands away from his and made her clutch at his thighs, at his neck, at whatever she could grasp because she could no longer think.

"Please."

"You're still on the pill, right?" he whispered.

"Mmmhmm," she mumbled, recalling their first night, afterward, when she'd admitted to him shyly that she always was.

"Then this is what you want," he breathed against her skin.

And he lifted her, closed the space between his thighs but kept hers wide open as he positioned her over him, and then slowly lowered her over his erection that was eagerly straining upward to meet her.

Groaning, she slowly slid down on him. When he was finally completely embedded inside her, Hinata was breathing hard from the feeling of fullness.

"Hinata, look at us. Look how beautiful you are. Look how much all this loving was meant for you and me."

Unable to resist the sensual spell he was pulling her under, Hinata finally did as he asked, but she didn't look at him at his face. She brought her eyes lower, saw him joined to her. He gripped her hips and guided her upward and then let her slide down again, pulled her hips down once more while he raised his pelvis so she could take him in deeper. But her senses were overwhelmed and she felt her eyelids drifting close once more.

She felt him watching her as she peaked, the pleasure coursing through her body as she burned and euphoria flooded her. Knowing he was watching her made everything unbearably carnal. There was no way to hide, to stop her reaction, to show her vulnerability as she crested, as the helpless cry left her lips.

When she came back, she tried to move, to give him pleasure, too, but it was difficult to do because her feet couldn't touch the floor. She placed her hands on his thighs to find leverage so she could lift herself up, but she felt the muscles of his thighs flex and his hands tightened around her.

"Naruto, let me move."

"No, I've got you, Hinata."

His breath was hot against her skin, his strong hands gripped her waist and lifted her up and down on him once more.

And while she drowned in bliss, this position gave him all the advantage.

No fair, she thought, just as another whimper left her because her own body was no longer hers. He was in command and she could only let him manipulate her while she stroked up and down, at first slowly and then more quickly over him, and she felt the tightening in her that meant she was close.

But he was cursing.

And then she suddenly found herself lifted up, placed on the bed on her knees and elbows. She glanced in surprise behind her, at Naruto, one hand gripping her hip as the other guided himself inside her once more.

A surge of sensual fire coursed through her again as he steadily pumped inside her in sure, long strokes. He leaned in close to her ear. "Sorry, Hinata! Did you come? I want to do it thi—"

"Yes, yes!" she cried. "Anything, Naruto! Everything!"

And was rewarded when his stroking quickened, his hands dug into her skin for leverage, his body nudging insistently inside her, until she felt again the heat overwhelm her body that she had to press her face into the mattress to muffle herself because it was impossible to keep the sounds of ecstasy from bursting out of her.

She heard his harsh breathing just as his bucking became wilder and uncontrolled. She raised her hips, clamped her muscles around him, causing him to groan, jerk and shudder, until he fell atop her in heavy, delicious exhaustion.

"Hinata." Her name on his lips ended on a sigh.

He shifted on the bed to take his weight off so she could sprawl on top of him. "Did I ever tell you that I love our 'awkward gropings'?"

She didn't answer him beyond an embarrassed chuckle.

It was the strangeness of waking up in an unfamiliar bed that roused her just before dawn.

If sex with him was intimate, this was even more so, Hinata thought as she gazed at Naruto's face. There was such a sweetness to his expression while he slept. So, too, was the vulnerability he would never ever show her when he was awake. He was defenseless right now and whatever happened when a person was asleep was the truth.

She was content to watch him. The early morning light was breaking through the windows, the curtains wide open because he hadn't wanted to close them last night.

She hoped he wouldn't wake up as she continued to stare at him, unable to tear her gaze at the face resting beside her on his bed.

His eyes were closed, and those incredibly long lashes rested on his cheeks and twitched when something in his dreams bothered him.

Her mouth flicked up into a smile seeing the dried toothpaste on the corner of his lips he'd missed wiping off last night.

Hinata yawned quietly and felt drowsy again. Her last thought was that Naruto, when awake, was such a mischievous devil, but in his sleep, he had the face of a cherubic little boy.

She was still smiling at the thought when she fell once more into slumber.

A couple of hours later, she felt him wake up when his steady snoring abruptly stopped. A second later, he pulled her body closer to his and then breathed in her scent. His arms were heavy across her midriff, but she liked the feeling of them laying on her skin.

Then the sound of his alarm clock pierced the room. He kissed her first on the back of her head then he turned over and slammed a hand on the clock resting on his nightstand. But he was back again to hugging her a second later.

"You can sleep in if you want, Hinata, but I have to go to work," he whispered against her skin as he kissed her on the shoulders first and then turned her over to face him.

She shook her head, surprised to see those blue eyes so clear and alert this early in the morning. "No, I'll get up with you."

He grinned at her. "Then good morning, Hinata."

"Good morning, Naruto."

They smiled at each other, surprised at how natural it felt, no awkwardness between the two of them as they lay on the bed staring at each other—naked.

She laughed and hugged him. "Do you usually eat breakfast?"

He nodded. "Just a quick one. Toast and coffee."

She smiled. "Okay, I can make that while you get ready."

He grinned eagerly at her. "Really?"

"Of course."

While he jumped in the shower, she found the coffee and the bread in his kitchen—and nothing else. The cupboards were bare but the rest of the kitchen was surprisingly tidy. The stove was spotless and clean, the refrigerator empty. He probably didn't cook for himself.

She frowned, though, as she made coffee. How the hell did he stay so fit if he didn't cook for himself?

After getting dressed, he came to join her in the kitchen and took a sip of the coffee she handed him. He made a face. "Black."

"The best."

"Or the worst," he replied. Then he reached for his cream and sugar and dumped spoonfuls of both into his mug.

She laughed and shook her head. They walked to the dining table where she'd laid the toast for him.

"You know, I could get used to this," he said as he bit into the bread. "I wouldn't mind it if you spent more time here with me in the mornings."

Hinata blinked rapidly then shook her head. She smiled uncertainly at him, not sure what he was trying to tell her.

He grinned at her confusion. "Can you stay here? Forever?"

She frowned slightly, still not understanding. "You're not serious." She tilted her head, not sure whether he was teasing her again. "Because it sounds like an invitation to move in with you?"

He didn't respond, only kept smiling at her, letting the suggestion hang in the air.

Hinata's heart started pounding. "Naruto? You're only joking, right?"

Again, silence and a smile that never wavered.

"What happened to taking things slow?!"

"It's just a suggestion, Hinata," he finally said. "I'm not pressuring you, but I'd love it if you think of this place as your own, too."

"Naruto…" she said slowly, but she was still feeling a little bit of shock. She thought this was meant to be a one-time thing, this waking up at his place and sharing coffee over breakfast.

She was flattered, but a little bit scared at the pace they were moving. It seemed so fast. She wanted him to think it over more carefully, so she smiled and said, "You barely know me. We've had two dates. Don't you think we're moving a little fast? How do you know I'm not a serial killer?"

He laughed at that. But he became serious as he quietly chewed his toast. "You know, for some reason, I feel like two dates with you is enough? You fit me so perfectly that I can imagine doing this with you for the rest of my life?"

Her heart dropped, and she suddenly found herself tongue-tied again because that was not what she was expecting him to say. This...this sounded almost like...

But Naruto shook his head quickly, waved a flustered hand in the air, and laughed—as if he'd just realized what he said.

"Wait, it's not what you think. I just meant it would be nice to spend more time with you."

Hinata quietly let out a breath of relief and nodded gratefully.

He smiled again. "No pressure, Hinata. I promised you we'd go slow."

She broke away from the intensity of his gaze, looked down at her mug then took a sip of her coffee again, reassured to hear his words because she was suddenly confused about what she wanted from him. She wanted to say yes, but her heart still hesitated, fearing the depths of Naruto's feelings.

It was just too much too soon.

The plan was to go slow, to take baby steps...

Slow.

That's how they were supposed to do it, right? That's how relationships were supposed to go, a gradual progression into becoming a couple, of learning about each other...right?

Not this almost obsessive need to be with him all the time. Not this tugging in her heart that made her want to say yes to his suggestion of waking up to him every morning.

But Hinata wanted to give him the chance to change his mind, to discover if she was truly what he wanted—because she knew that she was just not the kind of woman who could capture a man's interest for long.

Slow.

Hinata was starting to hate that word.

Because somehow, slow was getting in the way of what she really wanted.

Shikamaru was waiting for him at the Hokage office. As soon as Naruto walked in, his advisor launched into a detailed account of the Raikage's actions on the border with Kiri.

Without missing a beat, Naruto responded with, "So they increased the number of shinobi on patrol in the area?"

"Yes, and Kiri's not happy. To them, it looks like an escalation of armed troops."

They plunged straight into work but Naruto felt his attention wandering, thinking about Hinata and what she was doing today.

This morning had been a wonderful break from his normal routine, when he'd often wake up all alone in his bed and then groan to himself, trying not to fall apart thinking about the pressures of responsibilities and the weight of running a country.

The warmth of Hinata next to him had eased the burden, maybe even obliterated it because he'd felt instead a lightness in his being as her hand had gently caressed his cheek when he'd opened his eyes to her smiling face.

She was lovely. And he couldn't get enough of her.

No pressure, he'd told her. But really, all he wanted to do was lock her up in his place and keep her there so she wouldn't be away from his side again.