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Hinata wrapped herself into the soft black blanket and even cuddled it against her face. There was a sweet scent that lingered on it that she couldn't help herself from inhaling the scent a few times. For some reason, it made her feel warm and cozy inside, almost as if she was being protected.
A soft smile made its way to her lips as she was genuinely happy to smell such a scent. Was this a new dryer sheet? Laundry detergent? Cologne?
As she indulged herself in the mystery blanket, she had failed to realize someone was watching her in amusement. It went on for some time until she heard someone clear their throat. Her eyes snapped open. Something was off. This blanket was not hers… and this room—
"I'm glad the blanket was to your liking, Hinata."
Her entire face turned redder than a tomato when she heard the known voice. She tried to remember yesterday's events, but everything was choppy. The room became deadly quiet and Hinata wanted to disappear right there, so she did the only thing she could do in this situation; she covered her entire body with the blanket.
Unprofessional! That word screamed in her mind. Why was she here with her boss? What happened last night? Was this a hotel? She almost gasped. Did they have sex? That would not be a good look! Not at all!
Naruto covered his mouth as he tried to stifle his laugh. "Would you like some coffee, Hinata?"
Every muscle in her body tensed up. How could he remain calm? Wait, did he laugh?
Slowly, she moved the blanket away from her, and she gazed over at the taller man by the door. "I am sorry. This is so unprofessional of me, and you must believe me! I would never do something like this. My—" She ranted on.
Once she was done, Naruto smiled. "If you're thinking we "did that", then I can put your nerves to rest we did not." Her eyes widened. "You were drunk and begged me not to take you home."
Hinata was relieved to hear she didn't do that, but that wouldn't put her mind to ease. She was in the same room as her manager. Anyone would say this was unprofessional. "But still! I got drunk in front of you, and I can only imagine the things I said. It's unprofessional."
"You're right, but I would not be able to sleep knowing you did not want to go home. If anything were to happen, then I would feel responsible." Naruto said, his smile never ceasing. "Would you like something to eat? Water? Coffee? Come on."
Shakenly, Hinata left the sanctuary of the bed and slowly walk toward Naruto. Passing the dresser, she noticed a black picture frame on the dresser. On it, there was Naruto, who looked no older than seventeen, and another red hair figure.
"If you want, I can give you the day off."
"No, sir! I'm fine." She reassured him. This was beyond embarrassing. How could she allow such a thing to happen?
His apartment wasn't as huge as she expected it to be, but it was amazing to look at. It was clean, high-tech, and nice enough for a single person or a couple to live in. Speaking of couple, she sighed unintentionally. Was that pink hair girl still there? Did she spend another night?
"Do you like omelets?" Naruto asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Yes," She whispered.
Smiling, he pulled out a chair for her at a small circular table that had two mugs of coffee already on it. "I figured you may be hungry, so I made you some."
Hinata's face turned red at the kind gesture. "You didn't have to do that, sir! It's okay, honestly."
"I already made it," He smiled. "It's no problem, Hinata. Take a seat."
Slowly, she tiptoed her way to the table and sat down on the nice comfortable patted chair. The fresh scent of the hazelnut coffee made its way toward her and enticed her every tastebud. Coffee is what she needed at this moment.
Naruto slid the omelet onto the orange plate in front of her, and she bowed slightly. "Thank you."
"It's no problem. Do you want some ketchup?"
Hinata looked at him as if he was a Godsend. Kiba had never once offered to cook her anything, even after countless times asking. She nodded slowly.
Naruto grabbed a bottle of ketchup and began to write something on the yellow omelet. She glanced at him once she saw the message.
Smile.
It was hard to do something like that because of what she was currently experiencing, but somehow seeing that little message did put a smile on her face.
"There we go," He beamed. "Enjoy."
Naruto took the seat on the opposite side and took out his phone. He had been receiving nonstop messages from the group chat he was in with the company's director and other management teams. There were going to be a lot of meetings today as always.
Occasionally, he would sip on the coffee as he read the incoming messages from the different people.
Shikamaru N.: You got this!
Gaara S.: Good luck with that.
Sasuke U.: He's going to need more than luck with that site.
Gaara S.: Weren't you supposed to be the one to go to that site instead? ^
Shikamaru N.: Hm.
Sasuke U.: No comments.
The corner of his lips tugged up which Hinata noticed, and she couldn't help but be fascinated by him. She couldn't think of one time she had seen a frown on this man's face. He was always smiling, encouraging her to smile as well.
Surprisingly, he was a good cook too. Naruto glanced at her briefly because it was quiet, and their eyes instantly connected. She quickly looked down at the half-eaten omelet.
"I'm not the best cook, but I hope you like it."
"It's good," She responded in a soft tone.
"I'm glad you like it. Would you like me to drop you home to change your clothes?"
Unconsciously, she looked at the clothes she was wearing. Going home was not an option, but she did need to take a shower and a change of clothes.
"Yes. Um, I do apologize if I am tardy today."
"I told you you could take the day off," Naruto said, flashing her a grin.
As much as a day off sounded enticing, she could not. She had a goal set in mind, and there was no way she could lose any money. A few hours late were fine rather than missing the entire day.
"No, it's fine. It usually takes 45 minutes to make it to work by foot, but I'll make sure to make up time missed."
Naruto's eyes widened which left Hinata confused at his sudden expression. Did she say something wrong?
"You've been walking to work this entire time?" He was astonished.
"It depends. I don't have that much money to pay my bus card, but once I get paid then I'll be able to catch the bus."
"Were you going to walk at night too?"
"Y-yes, but you've been kind to me by dropping me home, so I do appreciate you for going out of your way for me."
Naruto was still in shock, but he did not press the matter any further. "I can always wait for you while you get ready. There's no need to walk today." He suggested.
Showing up to work with her boss was out of the question. She could already imagine the rumors that would spread if anyone was to see her.
"No, that's fine!"
Naruto pressed his lips together but nodded. "Be careful."
"Thank you."
"Hinata, sweetie. How have you been? I haven't heard from you in a while." Hinata bit down on her lip as she tried to hold the tears that were begging to be released. Hearing her mother's voice over the phone triggered her, and she wanted nothing more than to cuddle her mother.
"Hinata?"
"Everything is fine," She finally replied. "How's Hanabi and papa?"
"Hanabi is doing fine! Do you believe she's the top 1 in her class?" She could feel her mother's smile radiating off the phone. "Papa, he's doing fine." Her voice softened. "He's going to be okay."
A single teardrop escaped from her eye, but she quickly wiped it away. "Please let me know if there's anything you need."
"You've done so much for us already, Hinata. Besides, you know how stubborn your father is. He hates taking your money."
"But if you need help, you let me know." Hinata frowned. "Mama, you can be just as stubborn as papa."
"Oh, hush," Her mother scolded. "You have your own life to live, and you've already given up so much because of us."
"I'll give you my life if I could!" She shouted. "I don't want anything to happen to you or Papa, or Hanabi! I love you all so much." Her heart was trembling as the worst-case scenario came to mind. What if she was to lose her papa or mama, or Hanabi? Life would surely be devastating.
"I'm sorry we've put you through so much Hinata." Hikari's voice came out in a faint whisper. "It isn't your job to help us like this. It should be the other way around."
"Mama! I'll do it all over again if I can! I don't hate you." She chewed down on her bottom lips to hold back her cries.
"When are you going to visit us? How's Kiba?"
The sun beamed directly on Hinata, and she gazed at the sun momentarily. "Soon, and… Kiba he's fine."
"I'm so glad to hear that. You know, he's a nice boy. You're probably at work, so I don't want to interrupt you so take care and make sure you eat."
Hinata nodded. "Yes, mama! And don't forget to let me know if you need any help. I love you."
"You're such a good child, Hinata. We love you too. Take care."
When the phone disconnected, Hinata lowered her head. Sometimes she wished she was rich this way her family wouldn't have to worry. They would all be taken care of, and she wouldn't have to be so far away from them.
"Maybe I should plan a trip home. It'll probably stop me from thinking about Kiba so much." She continued to walk down the sidewalk until her work building came into view. Her face turned red as this morning's event played back in her mind. How foolish could she be to jeopardize her job! "He probably thinks I'm crazy and unprofessional." She mumbled. "I can't lose this job."
Tenten watched as Hinata typed away on the computer. Her eyes were glued to the screen and her cheeks were slightly red.
"Hinata," Tenten called out. "I was going to stay to do some overtime tonight. Maybe we can go for some food after work?"
The young girl glance to her side and smiled. "We can do that, Tenten. It's been a long time since we've spent time together." As much as Hinata did not want to do that, it would have been better to stay away from her new executive manager. She had crossed the line too many times, and this would be better for her and him.
Tenten was ecstatic that Hinata had finally agreed to spend time together. It had been long overdue, plus the girl looked like she needed some girl time. Cheerful, Tenten ranted on about a new chicken spot not too far from the job. Hinata made a mental note not to take a sip of any alcohol.
The 4'O clock meeting had finally ended, and Naruto took in a deep breath. There was meeting after meeting which was becoming a nuisance. Didn't anyone know how to do their job? It seems his site wasn't the only one that had shitty managers. He knew most companies weren't perfect, but why did they wait so long after all the complaints? He groaned loudly at the next meeting due within fifteen minutes. It was a meeting with the payroll department and the CEO.
He glanced over the time on his keyboard then he looked at the closed door. His mind wandered to the young woman, Hinata. Did she come in yet? How was she today? Sighing, he looked at their business messenger and typed in her name. It showed she was available.
Naruto N.: Hey. How are|
He erased the message. It seemed inappropriate to worry about an employee the way he was. Shrugging his shoulders, he exited her chatbox and left his office to grab some coffee from the break room.
The employees greeted him as he made his way down the hall and to the break room.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Namikaze," Some of the coworkers bowed.
"Hello!" He greeted excitingly. His warm smile made both the female and male workers blush as they gawked at him. He was like a sun that entered the room and made all the darkness vanquish.
Making his way into the break room, he spotted the coffee pot full of coffee.
"Why do they have a coffee pot instead of a coffee machine?" He said to himself. He took a mental note of that. As he was about to grab the coffee handle, his hand grabbed a smaller hand. It was soft, squishy… he glanced at the person, and their eyes widened. He quickly released his hand and bowed apologetically.
"I'm sorry."
Hinata's face turned red, and she shook her head. "It's okay! I should have been observant. Um, you go first."
"That's fine. You go ahead." He gestured to her to make some coffee.
It became silent between the two, and Hinata quickly went to pour some coffee. Right now, she was praying he wouldn't ask her anything. Naruto noticed how stiff the woman became when she spotted him, so he made sure there was a gap between the two. He couldn't blame her; besides, they were two strangers who he just so happened to give a ride home.
"Have a nice day Mr. Namikaze," She bowed before rushing out of the breakroom.
"At least she made it to work safely."
The night's air wrapped itself around Hinata's hair as she gazed out the open window. As soon as 9'O clock hit, she rushed out of the department along with Tenten. She didn't want to risk bumping into him as she expected he would have been waiting for her.
"I'm so glad you decided to hang out with me, Hinata." Tenten beamed. "There's so much we need to catch up on."
Closing her eyes, Hinata embraced the night's breeze and nodded. "Yeah."
The new chicken shack was bustling with people. They were loud and energetic as some of them had just gotten off from work and wanted to drink their life away. Tenten shifted in the chair to get into a more comfortable position before she decided to talk Hinata's ears off.
A plate of fried chicken was placed in between them, and the young waitress placed a bottle of sake next to Tenten.
"Hinata, are you sure you don't want any?" Tenten inquired, pouring a small glass of sake.
"I drank too much last night," She responded.
"Oh, did you?" Tenten hummed. "Did you go with Kiba?" She tilted her head back and drank the sake with one gulp.
"No," Hinata mumbled, grabbing a chicken leg.
"Hinata, you know I'm not one to pry into people's lives, but I've been a little worried about you. You don't seem like your normal self." She drank another shot. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"
Hinata bit into the fried chicken and shook her head. "Everything is fine!" She tried to put on a reassuring smile, but Tenten saw right through it.
"Is everything going okay with Kiba?" She remained quiet, and Tenten finally understood. She was right. Hinata's attitude had to be because of Kiba. Now that she understood, she didn't want to pry any further. Hinata would tell her when she was ready.
"You'll be fine," she said, sliding some white napkins to her. "We're young and vibrant. Are you sure you don't want to drink with me?"
Taking the white napkins, she dabbed the tears that squeezed out. The green bottle of sake was tempting. She just wanted to feel loose and free from him.
Smiling deviously, Tenten grabbed an empty shot glass and filled it with sake. "Just one sip." She held the glass in front of Hinata. "You know you want to."
"Can I stay with you… if I—"
"I have no problem with that," Tenten grinned. "Let's drink."
And so, she did. They ate, laughed, talked about work, and anything else they could think of while being intoxicated. Hinata felt happy. She was happy she didn't cry; happy she didn't get to talk about Kiba. The room was spinning, and she swayed left to right as she tried to conceal her laughter. Was Tenten even saying anything?
"Hinata, you're such a lightweight." That was the last thing she heard Tenten say before she blacked out.
Hinata wrapped her arms around the handsome man's neck and deepened their kiss. Everything about it was so sloppy, but she didn't care. The way his tongue intertwined with hers made her most intimate place throb.
"N-Naruto," She panted as she slid her soft finger down his chest.
There was a hungry look in his eyes that ravished her entire body. He picked her up, and threw her on the bed—
Tenten drunkenly stared at Hinata who was giggling and twisting all on the top of her bed. The girl grabbed the pillow and wrapped herself tightly around it.
Swaying left and right, Tenten stared at her oddly. Even during the car ride home, Hinata was giggling and speaking gibberish all while tossing and turning. The driver had a fun time laughing because of Hinata.
Eventually, Hinata stopped tossing and turning. There was a warm smile plastered on her lips, and she whispered, "N-Naruto,"
"Manto?" Tenten hiccupped. Her body was beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol. She tried to regain her balance, but she couldn't. She ended up falling face-first on the edge of her bed.
There was just no escaping him.
AN: Thank you so much for the reviews!
