Thank you so much for the reviews. I always look forward to reading them.
-7-
Time felt so slow. Each passing second felt like a stretch. Monday had finally arrived, and she was both eager and anxious. Ever since they shared a kiss, Hinata couldn't stop thinking about it. Although it was a simple peck, it still made her feel a warm sensation unlike ever before. Then, after all the gooey feeling left, it was replaced with dread as she realized a few things.
One. Mr. Namikaze was her boss.
Two. She had just gotten out of a 5-year-relationship.
Three. He could do better than her.
She didn't even have her own place, let alone any savings. Everything went to her family, and what little she had left was to either catch a ride or eat something. Not to mention, she still had to pay Kiba back and find her very own place before the lease ended. Things weren't looking promising, and there was a possibility she would need to move back home. She let out a loud sigh. Going home probably would have done some good for her, but there was no way she could find a job that paid good money and support her family where she came from. So, for now, she would have to put herself in the back and focus on her future goals, whatever they may be.
Future goals?
Rolling on her side, she stared outside the bedroom window, thinking about her goals. What were her goals now? Maybe she was being naïve, but if she had to set a goal for herself, she would want to be happy with herself. If she was happy, would everything else fall into place?
Hinata's eyes darted to her bedroom door as she could hear Kiba stomping loudly to her section. She groaned when she realized she hadn't locked her bedroom door. The enraged man didn't even knock! He just slammed the door open, seething a cold glare at her. She didn't know what overcame her, but she jumped from her bed, sending him a nasty glare.
"Why can't you knock!" Hinata exploded.
Kiba was taken aback, but he quickly shook his head. "This is my apartment too! I can go into any room I want to!"
"No, you can't!" She argued.
Balling his fist, Kiba looked at the beige carpet before looking at her. "Why are you doing this to us?" He questioned, anger evident in his voice. "I love you. You love me! Why can't we work through this?"
"I already told you so many times. You leaving me at work without a ride was the last straw." She shouted, swinging her arm. "I've put up with your shit for five years," She held up five fingers, "and I don't know how I could be so blind, but you're not a good man! I did everything for you, but you put me down and even accused my family of leeching off me."
"Because that's what they do!" Kiba barked. "Your father is a man, yet he stays home and expects his wife and daughter to pick up the slack. You're constantly broke because everything you get, you give them!"
Blood drew from the palm of her hands as she dug her finger into her palms. "Papa was in a horrible accident that left him with severe back pains. You already know this! If papa was never in that accident, then everything would have been fine, and I would have been able to leave you sooner!"
"Who is he?"
"Who is she?" Hinata questioned, raising her eyebrow.
Kiba's face turned red as he couldn't believe how childish she was. "Hinata!" He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Give me another chance. I promise you things will be different. I swear."
"No!" She stared deadly into his eyes. "Y-you," Her voice trembled, "you bad mouth my papa too many times, and enough is enough! If you can't respect him, then you won't respect me. Papa is a good man. Do you think he wants to be this way, huh?" She felt the tears swelling up. "Maybe if we had enough money, we would have been able to find a good lawyer and sue the company." She rubbed her eyes. "Papa could get treated and go bac-back to his normal self."
If Hinata adored anyone in the world, it was her papa. He was a courageous man, strong, and loved his family. He was kind, so why did something like that have to happen? She felt foolish for allowing Kiba to tarnish her father's name the way he did.
"I don't want to be with you anymore! Now get out," She said, shooing him. "I have work to get ready for."
Kiba felt like a fish out of water. "B-but—"
"When I move out, let's ignore each other for good," Hinata said, squeezing the door knob. "Don't ever come into my room again without my permission."
He jumped back when she slammed the door in his face.
Her heart was beating fast, and she couldn't believe she had the courage to let Kiba have it. Placing her hand on the top of her chest, she couldn't help but ponder on his words. He still loved her, but maybe his love and hers were two different things.
The love she wanted was something that would be pure, understanding, and togetherness. She wasn't much, but did she deserve anything less? After all, she was caring and loving. Maybe this was something else she could add to her list. Another goal, but until then, she had a lot of working on to do.
Surprisingly, nothing new happened, and work was running smoothly. Work was work. The employees weren't on edge like before with their former manager. Mr. Namikaze had a lasting effect on them; even the grumpiest set of people's hearts was thawing because of the young man.
Speaking of Mr. Namikaze, Hinata hadn't seen him for most of the day. When she came into work, she had received a good morning message from him, and that was it. Many changes needed to happen, so she assumed he had his work cut out for him now.
Unintentionally, the tip of her finger touched her lip, and she instantly lit up. A part of her felt she was rushing and needed to focus on herself, but the man did bring joy to her. He seemed to have that effect on others too.
While thinking about him, she hadn't realized the group of men in front of her. Not even a second later, she fell on her bottom. Before she could utter an apology, a raven-haired man turned around, looking down at her. Smiling, he extended his hand, helping her off the ground.
"My apologies."
Hinata shook her head. "N-no, I should have watched where I was going."
Suddenly, a few more heads turned around, and Hinata felt uncomfortable. They were all looking at her. Being surrounded by many people made her feel nervous if she didn't know them. Just as she was about to excuse herself, her savior came for her.
"Hinata," Naruto beamed. "Is everything okay?"
Sasuke rubbed the back of his head, letting out a dry sigh. "I accidentally knocked her over."
"You got to watch where you're going, teme," Naruto said, sending him a scold.
Hinata went to speak up, but the raven-haired man frowned. "Dobe,"
"Is this any way to talk in front of your employees?" The pineapple-haired man confronted the two.
Then it dawned on Hinata that these were probably important businessmen. They were dressed from head to toe in their fresh tailored suits and expensive watches, and they all had a rich scent.
Sasuke mumbled something inaudible, and Shikamaru could only guess what he said.
"Hinata, this is Sasuke and Shikamaru," he introduced the two important men. "They came to visit the site to review my findings."
The two both bowed, and Hinata felt flustered. "We apologize for any inconvenience this may have cost you," Sasuke said.
"We hope you can be a little more patient as we get down to the root cause of the issue and fix it," Shikamaru added.
Frantic, Hinata bowed more times than she could count. "T-thank you, and please take your time,"
A small smile formed on Naruto's face once catching her gaze. Hinata noticed, and she turned a different shade of red.
"I'll bring some coffee for you two," Naruto said, facing them. "You're going to need it,"
"I can only imagine," Shikamaru said, shoving his hands into his pocket.
Sasuke nodded, following behind Shikamaru. It was just their luck to get called down here. There was barely anything to do in this section of Konoha, and the drive was a killer. If a day felt like this, how did a week sound? Shikamaru glanced over at Sasuke as he could feel the man seething in annoyance. Well, it's a good thing he listened to his wife, Temari, and got him his own hotel room.
Once the two men were out of sight, and no one else was around, Naruto moved a strand of her hair from her cheek. This man made her feel so many emotions.
"Sorry I didn't respond much today. Today has been hectic," He sighed.
"No, it's fine. I understand. You're responsible for so many people."
Naruto frowned. He tried to balance his work and personal life, but they still somehow overlapped. This year he promised himself that he wouldn't put his personal life on halt to appease his work life. After all, if he were to drop down dead today, they would find someone in a second to replace him.
"Yeah, I know," He scratched his cheek, "but I don't want you to think I'm ignoring you."
He'd look so boyish standing in front of her with his cute pout and bed hair that always seemed to fit his attire.
"Kiba… I told him I didn't want to be with him anymore." Hinata didn't know why she told him that, but she just had to get it off her chest. Maybe it was dwelling in her mind to tell him what had happened this morning. "I… a part of me still loves him, but I don't want to be with someone who treats me like that. I-I realize that his love and my love are two different things and if I could do it all over again, I would want to date someone who shows me sincere and pure love." Sensing she wanted to say more, Naruto remained quiet. "My goals may be silly, but my goal is to be happy within myself. Hopefully, if I am happy with myself, everything will fall into place."
"Naru—" Sasuke stepped back when he spotted the two standing in the hallway. Briefly, he looked over at Naruto and then at the young woman. It seems they were engrossed in their conversation, and he did not want to interfere.
The dobe never spoke much about his interest in women since the incident involving his brother. Whenever he did show interest in a woman, they were the shittest woman he'd ever encountered. The last one destroyed their friend group, and there was a division. Although Naruto didn't talk much about it, he knew the man was hurt. No matter how much he encouraged people, he had his own demons he was fighting.
Looking over them, he walked back to the main office. Hopefully, he wasn't thinking of dating an employee. Although it was fun, there were still consequences that followed behind it.
Once she was done, she glanced at Naruto. "Five years is a long time, and I know feelings are hard to let go, but you've already made up your mind and decided that you want to be happy. I'm happy to hear that."
Hinata bit down on her bottom lip. She looked left and right to make sure no one was watching. It's not like they were doing anything that would make them look bad, and they hadn't established a relationship, but the walls were thin, and they talked.
"I-if you want, I can make that homemade dinner for you," She whispered.
Naruto felt cheery, and he almost did a backflip. He hadn't had a home cook meal in ages, not to mention this beautiful creature would be cooking for him. Sasuke and Shikamaru will have to eat alone.
"Yes. Are you going to work overtime tonight? I can give you a ride."
"If you don't mind," She closed her eyes tightly when Naruto rubbed the top of her head.
It was on impulse, and he quickly drew it back in fear someone might see. He ran his finger through his hair, then nodded. "Message me when you're done for tonight."
Hinata nodded. "Have a nice day," Her big dewy eyes darted to his lips, then his eyes. She blushed when she realized what she had done.
Naruto would have kissed her but being in the open like this was an easy way to get spotted.
"U- I'm leaving!" Hinata quickly swirled around, leaving the man alone. How embarrassing!
The apartment began to smell of different flavors that were hard to ignore. Naruto's stomach growled as the scent became unbearable. His eyes focused on the young girl swaying left to right, cooking. She hadn't said a word of what it was, and he wasn't a picky eater! Naruto ate anything. He was a gluttonous creature, and he might be able to put Luffy to shame.
Tapping his fingers against the table, he couldn't stop thinking. It was apparent he was attracted to her. Still, she had just gotten out of a relationship… a five-year relationship. There was no way she would want to hop right into a relationship, especially if some of her still loved her ex.
He didn't expect to grow an attachment to her, but that night she cried in her car made him eager to know who this woman was. When he told her to break up with her boyfriend, it was from a place of concern, but he didn't expect her to listen. No one ever did, not even his brother, when it came to his own relationship. But she did! Then the office visit happened, which made him curious to know more about her. Why did she doubt herself and her potential? Why didn't she find herself to be attractive? So, she left him with more questions, and he found herself thinking about her late at night.
Was she crying again? Did he say something mean to her?
Thoughts like these he hated because his brother did the same thing. He obsessed over a girl, which led to his demise.
Seeing how broken his family was… he wouldn't allow the same thing to happen to him. A curse had plagued his father's side of the family, and he vowed it would end with him. He was now the big brother, and he had to do everything right to show his younger siblings that they should always love themselves, but he sometimes felt like a hypocrite.
Naruto snapped out of his thoughts when he felt someone's hand on his forehead.
"I've been calling out to you. Are you okay?"
He let out a chuckle before nodding. "I was just so lost in waiting for you to feed me. I didn't hear you."
"Well, wait no more; I present you a home-cooked meal," She laughed. Naruto looked down at the plate in front of him, then at Hinata. "Egg fried rice with crabmeat tobiko!" She beamed.
The hot steam from the food traveled to his nose and somehow pumped his heart with warmth. "They are going to be so jealous," He grinned, taking out his phone. Naruto took a few pictures before sending them to his group chat with Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Gaara, then to his family group chats. Then he posted it on his social media feed, captioning: It's been a long since I've had a homecooked meal. He was genuinely excited, and that was his mistake.
His cell phone went hot from his group chat with the boys to his family group chat and the comment section. As soon as he pressed send, his phone went off every second. Hinata's eyes widened, and she almost laughed when his phone rang nonstop.
"You're really popular, huh, Naruto?"
"I didn't expect them to freak out like that," Naruto said, putting the phone on silent. He had already caught a brief glimpse of his mother's text message, and of course, it had to do something about grandbabies. He would deal with them some other time.
Hinata sat on the opposite side of Naruto, watching him like a hawk as he pulled apart the chopsticks. Catching her eyes, he grinned before shouting, "Itadakimasu!"
He couldn't remember the last time he had a home cook meal. Because of work, he didn't get to spend much time with his family, but when he did, his mother made sure to pack him many side dishes. He knew how to make omelets and rice, but anything else spelled a house fire.
Naruto patted his stomach after eating three full plates of Hinata's wonderful cooking. "Thank you for the meal, Hinata!" He beamed with joy. "I bet you used to cook a lot for your family, huh?"
"Yes," She responded. "I've always been fond of cooking. I usually watch cooking shows and try new recipes if I have the funds to do it."
"You've never considered attending culinary school or being a chef?"
Hinata laughed, but it was a nervous one. "My family is poor, so they could only afford to send one child away," She mumbled. "Hanabi is brilliant and wants to be a doctor. I would rather her attend college since she knows what she wants in life."
She looked up when he placed his hand on top of hers. "You better not say you're not deserving or smart." He wore a scold. "Decisions need to be made, and you chose the path you believed would be beneficial. There's nothing wrong with that. I would do the same thing for my siblings if I was in your shoes, but don't bring yourself down."
Only within those few weeks did he know her better than Kiba in five years.
"I don't think school is for me. I always hated it," She smiled. "Besides, I can watch videos and teach myself that way."
"Nowadays, you learn a lot by watching videos than going to school anyway," He laughed.
"I learned to fix a pipe by watching a Youtube video," Hinata smiled. "It was a simple fix and saved us a lot of money too."
"Ah, see. I would have never thought to watch a video." Naruto admitted.
The room turned quiet all of a sudden. Having Naruto's hand on top of hers was comforting.
Naruto grabbed her smaller hand, gently swiping his thumb against her skin. With each stroke, she felt a shooting sensation within her. How did they even get this far? It just started off as a car ride. In the eyes of society, this type of behavior would be unacceptable. They had already crossed so many boundaries.
"What are you thinking about, Hinata?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.
"You're not going to get in trouble because of me, right? I would hate for you to lose your job. Everyone here likes you."
He was taken aback by the sudden question. Having a relationship/contact with an employee in his position would be frowned upon, and he would most likely be disciplined. He didn't think much about it, especially with Hinata's feelings. If anyone were to find out, she would most likely receive a lot of backlash herself.
"I'm sorry. I didn't consider your feelings or reputation," He mumbled, drawing his hand back. Sasuke was good at getting away with messing around, but life hated him so much that he knew he would most likely be the one to get caught. It's not like it would affect him if he were to get fired, but Hinata would receive backlash if they found out who the mystery woman was.
When he removed his hand, Hinata felt hers go cold. That's right. He was her manager. He was up there, and she was at the bottom. How scandalous…
But what about her happiness?
Even if she had known him for a while, he did help her in many ways.
Her heart still had some Kiba in it, and just getting out of this relationship was a lot, but now that she had a taste of what another man would be like, she didn't want to turn back.
If Naruto didn't mind, she was willing to…
Naruto picked up her hand again, planting a kiss on her index finger. "Is it wrong I still want to know more about you? I don't mind if you don't," His blue eyes stared into her lavender ones. "If you want me to act like this never happened, I'm willing to do that, but—"
"But it did happen, and I can't ignore it like it never did," She whispered. Hinata looked down at the table, then at Naruto. "You're kind to me, but there's so much I need to work on. It would be unfair to you because of my feelings," there was a sudden silence. "I've never been selfish, but when I'm with you, I find myself questioning the woman you'll find. The one that'll make you happy, and I get this bad feeling in my stomach." She sighed softly. "We're from two different worlds—"
Naruto listened attentively as she spoke, but he lost focus as he stared at her lips. Another woman? He had known many women and was asked out countless times, but he didn't want them. They didn't lure his heart as Hinata did.
Maybe this was a puppy crush on her, but that wasn't to say he didn't like her. He did like her and wanted to know more about her.
"I want to learn more about you and possibly take it slow." She finished.
That last sentence is all he needed to know.
"Of course, Hinata. I'm willing to go step by step with you."
Hinata was surprised as she expected him to turn away from her. A faint smile made it to her lips, and she lowered her head to hide from Naruto. It felt as if her happy meter had just increased by twenty points.
Her eyes suddenly widened when Naruto squatted in front of her.
"Why are you trying to hide that beautiful smile from me?"
She felt over the moon when he planted a kiss on her lips. Pulling back, he stared at her face, which had turned completely red. "I hope this is considered taking it slow," He grinned.
Hinata gently placed her hands on the side of his face, smashing her lips against his. Surprised by her sudden action, Naruto fell backward, causing Hinata to fall right on top of him.
Naruto had wrapped one of his arms around her waist for support, which made Hinata feel the prickling sensation throughout her body. Staring into each other's eyes, their lips tugged upward before they burst into laughter. Eventually, the laughter died down, leaving them staring longingly at each other.
"I- I should probably leave now," Hinata mumbled. "Ah, I'll wash up the dishes—"
"You don't have to do that, Hinata. I'll take you home,"
"But it's so late," She frowned. "You've already given me countless rides."
"There's no way I'm going to let you catch a cab so late in the night when I can give you a ride," Naruto said, shocked she would even suggest a thing.
"But—"
Naruto pinched her nose playfully. "I have a car, Hinata. It's not an inconvenience to drop you home. I'll even be your personal chauffeur," He grinned, then it quickly faded when he saw her eyes watered.
Kiba always made it seem as if it was an inconvenience to pick her up. Even on his off days, he made her feel terrible for picking her up, but those were days she didn't have any money to catch a bus. So, why did Naruto make it seem easy as pie? Wasn't she an inconvenience?
"Oi, Hinata," he said worriedly. "Why are you crying?"
"You can be honest," She choked on her tears. "I don't want to be a burden with car rides."
"The only inconvenience is I would want you to sleep here, not there," He frowned. He sat up on the floor, plopping Hinata on his lap. Naruto gently wiped the tears from her eyes and caressed her back. "I don't know everything that happened in your relationship with him, but those are things you don't have to worry about." He spoke in a serious tone. "There are days I may not be able to drop you home, but just let me know, and I'll arrange a ride for you. Things like that aren't a big deal, and it'll never be."
Hinata sniffled and nodded as Naruto glared at her. He knew she was about to say something negative.
"Does he not have a job?" Naruto questioned. "You've been together for five years. Why don't you have your car? Are you afraid of driving?" He tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to…."
She began to play with her index fingers by poking them together. "Kiba has a job. He's a veterinarian." She mumbled.
Naruto was astonished to hear that. He honestly thought she would say he was a bum who didn't have a job. So, now he had more questions.
"Kiba taught me how to drive, but I never got a car…." Hinata went quiet. How would Naruto react if she told him what she did with her money? Would he also call her father a leech-like Kiba did? That would probably cause her to view him in another light, and there was no way she could continue this…
"You can tell me, Hinata," Naruto said, rubbing her arm. "I want to know more about you, and I feel this is important."
"My family is poor and depends on me. Papa was in a serious accident which left him with severe backpains. He can barely stand up for long periods because of it. He hates when I send them money, but they'll lose everything they have if I don't. Papa can be stubborn, but I can't watch them go homeless." She said, looking into his eyes. Now, his response will prove everything.
Naruto remained silent for a while, and Hinata was feeling dread. She couldn't read his facial expression.
"A veterinarian in Konoha makes almost thirty to forty an hour, and you're telling me he complains about giving you rides? He knows you're the breadwinner for your family, right? Wait, does he make you pay half the rent or other bills?" Hinata's silence confirmed it. "And you've been doing this for five years?" Naruto almost threw her up in the air in frustration.
"Y-you don't think papa is a leech?"
"Why would I? He was in an accident that cost him his livelihood. Backpains are serious, which can cause disabilities."
Hinata nodded. "Yes! He doesn't like it when I send him money, but it's hard for him to work for so long, and being a fisherman is a lot of work."
"Was it a work-related accident?"
"Yes," she said, looking down. "But we didn't have a good lawyer to sue the company. They didn't settle or pay my father's hospital bills. That's why Hanabi wants to become a doctor. This way, she'll be able to treat us when we're sick."
Now everything was starting to make sense.
"That must have been hard on your family. I can only imagine how your father must feel since he was the original breadwinner in the family."
"He gets mad, so I just send my money to mama." She sighed. "She hates it too but working full-time in a grocery store isn't going to help. Hanabi is still in school, so there are things she needs."
"Either your ex has some serious debts, or he's a greedy asshole," Naruto said aloud.
"Kiba shouldn't have any debts since he works for his family,"
"You're killing me, Hinata," Naruto said, shaking his head upon learning the new information.
He wrapped his arms around her, and just like that, he stood up, picking her up along the way until he had her tucked under his arm.
"Nar—"
"You're staying here tonight," he said, walking into the bedroom. "I'll drop you off to change in the morning," he said, reading her thoughts.
He dropped her on top of the bed, leaving her to rummage through his dresser. Once spotting the oversized black T-shirt, he gave it to her.
"I have towels in the bathroom you can use and an extra toothbrush. You can take a shower while I wash up the dishes."
Before she could utter a word, he had already left her. She thought about his words, "you're killing me, Hinata." Was it that big of a deal?
That night, Hinata slept comfortably on the bed, especially since she had the black blanket to keep her company. Naruto opted to sleep on the sofa.
The blonde was reading through his messages, and he couldn't help but smile upon reading them.
Mama: A homecooked meal that's not store-bought? Who is she, and when should I be expecting my first grandbaby?
Papa: Please hurry up and give her some grandchildren, Naruto. You know how impatient your mother can get.
Menma: I almost spat out my drink when I saw that picture.
Naruko: Because we all know Naru-chan can't cook. He almost burnt the house down!
Group chat with the guys:
Sasuke: So, you left us for a woman?
Gaara: You make it seems as if he's cheating on you.
Shikamaru: …
Sasuke: We had dinner plans.
Gaara: Sus.
Shikamaru: ^
Naruto placed the back of his hand on top of his forehead, staring at the ceiling. It had been a long time since he felt like this.
-Review-
