Chapter Four: Decorum
Hyuuga Hiashi.
Naruto should probably be more intimidated. The head of the Hyuuga house is sitting opposite him, watching him through lidded eyes and Naruto just keeps his head bowed, wondering how long this is going to take.
It is eerily quiet. Hiashi hasn't spoken yet, and all Naruto can hear is the wailing of the wind through bare trees and the rustle of fine material as Hiashi replenishes his cup of sake.
"Naruto-san."
"Yeah?" Naruto says, perhaps a little too quickly given the circumstances. " -Hiashi-sama."
Hiashi makes a vaguely disapproving noise deep in his throat. "I trust you have found my house comfortable."
"Uh, yes sir." Naruto lies. They both know the last three months have been deliberately uncomfortable for the young blond, but protocol must be observed. "Thank you for letting me stay here."
Hiashi nods a little. "I am glad to hear it. And you will likely be glad to hear that you are now allowed to see my daughter. I will, of course, ask that you behave appropriately – "
"So I get to see Hinata-chan?" Naruto looks up and he is grinning – but at Hiashi's look he bows his head again and clears his throat. "I er, mean Hinata-sama. Sorry."
Hiashi's cup hits the floor with a little more force than intended. "I don't like this, you know." He says, his voice tight. "If I may speak honestly, you are everything a Hyuuga should not be. You are loud and obnoxious and irresponsible, and I can only hope you grow up before I have to leave my clan in your hands."
Naruto almost snaps, but he takes Neji's advice and bites his tongue. He watches Hiashi bring more sake to his lips.
"Until I say so you will be my daughter's main bodyguard and nothing more. Neji will act as a chaperone. Try not to do anything that gives me reason to throw you out. You may go."
"Arigatou gozaimasu." [1] Naruto touches his forehead to the mat in respect, mostly just to placate his inner-Neji. Then he stands, straightens his clothes and walks out silently with his head bowed.
But he can't help, once he's almost gone and out of Hiashi's hair for at least a while, turning at the last second to leave his future father-in-law with a cheeky "Ja ne, Otou-san!" [2]
Silence hangs in the air like broken glass.
Naruto doesn't want to speak or even move – he knows he'll only do the wrong thing and it will sting. Hinata is sitting barely five metres away. She doesn't know he's there, watching her with a lump the size of a small boulder in his throat. She should, really. But, he supposes, she is concentrating...
This is the first time he has been able to see her, properly, in so long. He doesn't want to stuff up and do something inappropriate, but -
"... Naruto-kun?"
Her voice is tentative, soft, so unsure. She hasn't turned, but she can see him.
"Uh, yeah." He grins. "Hey Hinata-chan – I mean," He bows a little. "Hinata-sama."
She smiles, just to herself. "Please, you don't have to call me that."
"'Cept in front of your dad, right?" He just keeps grinning, and Hinata is lost to his smile.
"Yes." She says, her cheeks tinged with the lightest of flushes. "Definitely in front of Father."
She is aware of every movement he makes. She stops breathing for a split second when he steps forward, towards her – she can't speak, say it isn't appropriate for him to be this close, for them to be in a room together, alone; how could she say something like that? Her pulse beats in her ears and she's certain for one paranoid moment that her father is watching and he'll be angry and blame Naruto-kun for –
"What're you doing?" He asks.
He's leaning over her. She can feel his breath on her neck.
"I – I'm just..."
"What're you writing?"
"Just – Nothing. It's nothing." She manages to say, despite his intimate proximity. She can smell him – like sweat and something sweet and crisp.
He shrugs.
She doesn't raise her head. His hands are on her desk. They're callused, thick and strong. They're the hands of a man, but also a boy – she notes with little surprise that he's a nail-biter.
"So." He stretches his arms, picking an interesting patch of wall to look at. "When're you doing your medic training next?"
She should be at the hospital, with Shizune-sama. She should be studying and healing, but instead she's here.
She's with Naruto-kun, out in the open where everyone can see.
It is a Date.
They both know it, and neither really knows how to act.
She can barely look at him.
He can't shut up.
" – so then I jump in, right, and Bakasuke's just standing there like an idiot and I –"
She listens, smiling quietly, taking comfort in his stories. This is where she has wanted to be ever since she met him, just by his side, sharing his warmth. He is like a breath of fresh air – all her worries about their engagement suddenly mean nothing in his presence.
She wishes her father knew and understood her feelings. She is certain, more than ever, that marrying Naruto-kun is the best for her, the best for the Hyuuga family as a whole. For once, possibly the first time in her life, she is happy to be her father's heir. The Hyuugas have been in the dark too long.
They need shaking up.
And, in this boy, Hyuuga Hinata finds the strength to do it.
"Hey, Hinata-chan."
They are sitting outside, eating ice creams despite the cold. The sun is shining today, and it makes last night's snow shine back as it melts, coating the park with liquid diamond.
Next to her, Naruto is smiling – but it isn't his usual fox-grin-definitely-hiding-something smile. This one is almost serious, just a gentle curve to his lips, a contented type of smile.
"Yes?" She looks up at him even though she doesn't need to.
"Why don't you talk? I kinda wanted to get to know you today, but you just let me go on and on and on and – damn, if Neji was here he would've kicked my ass into shutting up to let you have a go. And told me off for calling you Hinata-chan." He grins apologetically.
"I- I don't mind if you call me Hinata-chan." She smiles back, a weak copy of his fox-grin. "And you- your stories – they're interesting, and... I don't mind listening. I like listening."
Naruto sighs. "I want to know stuff about you. If, you know, we're going to go through with this wedding thing... I don't know you at all, and Neji won't tell me anything, really."
She barely glances in his direction. "There's... Not really much to tell..." Her voice is soft, barely audible. "I'm just... I apologise."
"For what?"
She tries to swallow the build up of fear and nervousness that paralyses her vocal chords. "I.. I'm... very nervous..."
He is suddenly close again. "Me too." He admits in a whisper.
[1] "Thank you very much." Most of you should know this... But yeah. It's polite, and not something Naruto would usually say.
[2] Basically, "Later, Dad!"
Finally, we have Naruto-Hinata interaction! Phew, I hope it turned out ok – I'm a great combination of hung over, sick and drugged, so don't be surprised if I 'upload this chapter with new content' when I re-read it and my feverish brain realises it isn't, in fact, very good. Again, thank you for the reviews – without them, this chapter would be a lot later I'm sure. I'm going off to die now.