Disclaimer: Not mine. I'm not that lucky.
For Always
Part Three: Happy Times, Happy Questions
True to her word, Tsunade made Hyuga Hiashi realize nothing would stop Hinata from seeing Naruto. He couldn't deny his daughters newfound confidence in herself. It made him proud that she was becoming a strong woman, no longer hiding herself or her opinion. She still stepped lightly around him, but even that was fading quickly. And, as much as he hated to admit it, the boy was turning into an upstanding member of Konoha, no longer looking for trouble and yelling about everything.
After a long chastising conversation with the Fifth Hokage, he 'decided' to allow his daughter to continue seeing the boy. Tsunade almost had to box his ears to let Hinata move in with the former prankster.
-ooo-
Hinata made a quick check of the food simmering in front of her. "Dinner is almost ready Naruto-kun," she announced to the blonde man standing behind her. She threw a glance over her shoulder to her boyfriend. He was leaning in the doorway of the kitchen and watching her every move, silently enjoying the way her body moved. It was an effort of will for him to not come into the kitchen and look at what was cooking, or interrupt Hinata with his loving nuzzling. He had, after all, promised not to enter the room.
Granted, she had seduced the promise out of him, ever so slightly grazing her lips across his own until he caved, but a promise was a promise. At least he could stand here and watch her. He loved watching her lithe body move and she knew it. Hinata took it upon herself to test her lover's honor.
After a few minutes of cooking she had discreetly mentioned how hot it was in there and removed her blouse, leaving only a silken undershirt to cover herself which she flapped a few times to generate a breeze. All this while pointedly ignoring the man in the doorway. She enjoyed the hungry look in his eyes, knowing full well it wasn't the food he wanted. 'Well, maybe just a little bit is for the food,' she amended in her thoughts.
It amused her sometimes at how much she had changed over the months. She had Naruto to thank for it all. "Dinner's done. Would you be so kind as to set the table Naruto-kun?" she asked as she started to put her blouse back on. She giggled as he sighed disappointedly as she did up her buttons. "Sure thing Hina-chan!" 'I was hoping she would have forgotten about her shirt,' he thought to himself.
"That was great," Naruto complimented, patting his stomach. Hinata walked around behind him and snaked her arms around his neck. "Why thank you Naruto-kun," she whispered while nibbling on his ear. "Time to clean up." Naruto kissed her and started to gather up the dishes. They spent the rest of the night holding each other, cuddling in silence. They fell asleep, cradled in each other's arms.
-ooo-
Naruto and Hinata walked through the park arm in arm. "Sure is a nice day out Hina-chan." She murmured in affirmation as she lead him to some shade beneath a tree. Naruto sat against the tree and Hinata sat with her back against him, her head on his chest. He nuzzled her head and breathed in the scent of her hair. "Do you think it's a boy or a girl?" he asked rubbing her swollen belly affectionately. Hinata shrugged. "I don't know. As long as our child is healthy, that's all that matters to me Naruto-kun." Naruto smiled, still reveling in thoughts of fatherhood. "I'm gonna be the best dad in the universe!" Hinata smiled and cuddled closer.
They had a nice nap beneath that tree. Naruto was the first to wake and contented himself with listening to his girlfriends steady breathing. "What time is it?" she asked, coming out of a dream that left her blushing. "It's getting late. I'd say about eight or nine," he answered, running a hand through her silken hair. "As much as I hate the thought of getting up, we should probably head home." His stomach grumbled, changing his thoughts quickly. "Scratch that, we can go by Ichiraku, then home." Hinata could only giggle at his predictability. "I was expecting that. Alright Naruto-kun, lets go get some raman."
-ooo-
Naruto had trouble sleeping that night, unable to clear his mind. He decided to ask Tsunade for advice in the morning. He kissed the back of Hinata's neck and breathed in her scent, the smell of her hair and body long ago topping off his list of favorite things.
"Good night Hina-chan," he whispered quietly. He rubbed her belly where their child was growing. "Good night my child." After a few more minutes, sleep finally took him.
-ooo-
Tsunade heard a knock at the door. She groaned at the noise, nursing a hangover. "Come in," she said loud enough for whoever was outside to hear. It was still too loud. She groaned again as none other than Uzumaki Naruto, loudmouth and braggart extraordinaire of Konohagakure, walked into her office. She got her aspirin ready.
"Am I disturbing you Hokage-sama?" he asked quietly. Her jaw hit the floor. Who was this standing before her? Was it actually Naruto? And if it was, did he actually ask for something, politely? "I must be drunk, unconscious or delusional, none of which sound very appealing right now. Well, a few drinks wouldn't hurt." She realized he was waiting for an answer. She decided to let it go. "Uh, no. What's on your mind Naruto-kun?" He took a breath. "I need some advice. It's about Hina-chan." She kept her expression neutral. "And what about Hinata-chan?" Naruto took another breath to steady himself. "I want to ask her to marry me." Tsunade gritted her teeth. "Naruto, if this is one of your pranks, I will kill you." He looked her in the eye, a bit off balance. "I'm not joking. I want her to marry me. Naruto didn't know how long they stood there till Tsunade finally broke the silence. "So, when are you going to propose?" she asked smiling. "That's why I need some advice. I mean, how should I ask her? WHERE should I ask her? What if she says no…?" He said the last in barley a whisper. Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto who faced the dreaded missing nins of the Mist. Naruto who charged through the chuunin exams. Naruto who overcame the genius of the Hyuga clan. Naruto who faced Gaara of the Sand and Shukaku. Naruto who went into every challenge with relish and unwavering confidence. Naruto was actually afraid. Tsunade put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Listen up, cause I'm only going to say this once…"
-ooo-
Two days later Naruto stood by Hinata as the maitre d went through his list. "Ah, Uzumaki. Yes your table is this way." Tsunade had pulled a few strings to get him a reservation at one of the fanciest restaurants in Konoha. She also sent him to an upscale men's ware shop to get a good suit. She was footing for both bills.
The suit he wore was black with a crimson vest and tie. Hinata was wearing a stunning silk-of-silver gown that complimented her figure nicely, accessorized with a matching hand bag, silvery elbow length gloves, a pair of silver and diamond earrings, and a silver necklace with a sapphire pendant. He noticed a lot of stares pointed in their direction, but most where in awe of the radiant figure Hinata made. He rarely got glares anymore. His efforts to save Konoha months earlier had not gone unnoticed this time. It was no longer a rarity to get a friendly greeting from a random passerby now.
Partway into their dinner Naruto excused himself and went to the bathroom. "Alright Uzumaki," he told his reflection. "You're gonna go out there and ask Hina-chan to marry you!" Charged by his little pep talk he returned to his date. He waited for the violinist to finish a piece by Mozart before standing and tapping on his water glass sending a chime throughout the restaurant. Everyone looked his way.
"Sorry for the interruption everyone," he began politely. "I'll try to make this quick and let you all get back to your dinner. As I'm sure most of you know, I am Uzumaki Naruto and this beautiful woman accompanying me is Hyuga Hinata." There were a few murmurs. He reached into his pocket as he continued. "I've loved this woman for quite some time now and I don't know what I would do without her. In fact, I might not be standing here if it wasn't for her. She is also carrying my child, whom I cannot wait to hold in my arms." Hinata blushed and shifted nervously. "Hina-chan, I have something to ask you." He pulled his hand out of his pocket and kneeled before her. "Hyuga Hinata, will you marry me?" He held up a diamond ring that sparkled like a star in the candlelit restaurant. Hinata gasped as tears fell down her face. "Yes Naruto-kun!" she fell into his arms. "Yes I'll marry you!" He returned her embrace with tears of his own as the crowd clapped happily.
End part 3
A/N: Four more chapters are on the way! I have the story finished, but I have to type it up on the PC. Send reviews and tell me what you think so far. The ones I've received so far are very encouraging. Thanks for the support! I hope you like what follows.