She stares at herself in the mirror, eyeing the tight lavender kimono that hugged her body.

She shouldn't wear this. It looks too flashy.

The kimono itself was gorgeous, don't get her wrong. It felt like her bosom was threatening to bust through, and the fabric felt firm around her waist. Her curves were nicely defined, and she feels very feminine.

She likes this. Alot.

But… maybe she shouldn't. It wasn't her style. Besides, it's only an after party. A surprise party with only her and Naruto...and all of their friends. So yeah, maybe this isn't a good idea.

But then again, she looks so pretty. She hasn't felt this way about herself in a long time. The dress compliments her opal eyes, and her hair as well, since she thinks that it's a weird shade of dark blue. All of these colors don't clash together, and rather fit perfectly.

If she can style her hair in a way that would complete the look all together, then maybe... just maybe…

No.

Is this who we are!?

Hinata scolds herself in the mirror. Why exactly is she dressing up for a small get together with a group of friends? Also, it's taking place in his apartment. Could this really be viewed as a special occasion?

All of their friends would be there, and no doubt Kiba would tease her for dressing up so fancy. Naruto might even question her intentions. And if that were to ever happen...may the Gods be with her.

There's a constant alarm going off inside of her head that she needs to accept her fate. What's the point of moving on if she keeps doing things to impress him? It's like Hanabi said, she's moping around, sad that he doesn't acknowledge the little hints that she drops here and there, because of how dense he is when it comes to her feelings toward him.

Did he even care to at least pick up a hint? If he's truly observant like she said he was, then there's no way that he doesn't know about her feelings.

Worst case scenario is that he knows, and that he didn't want her to feel bad about him rejecting her. Maybe he feels pity for her, and is casually ignoring the elephant in the room by cloaking their relationship with friendship. Maybe he doesn't want to address it. Or maybe-

Maybe she's thinking too much.

But she can't stop thinking about it. If she were to wear this beautiful kimono, who's to say that he wouldn't like it?

She will never know the true depths of his feelings. And maybe this was her fault, for being too much of a coward to convey her once more. But lately, it seems as if she's blaming herself for his ineptitude. In the words of Ino Yamanka, 'There's no use in watering a dead plant.' She has before, but she won't pursue any longer. No more hints, and no more pushing for something that isn't there to begin with.

Hasn't she told herself this before?

She's there for her enjoyment with friends, and that's all.

So no.

She can't wear this. And she won't .

Hinata Hyuga is in control of herself.

She would have to come up with an apology for Ino and Sakura in advance, hopefully they won't be too harsh on her.

Slowly, she begins to strip, marveling at the way the fabric slides off her skin with ease. The kimono itself was very expensive. With rare and exorbitant material, it was elegantly crafted by the finest needlewomen in the village.

Of course she didn't buy it. In fact, most of the dresses in her closet, she never bought at all. Majority of the clothing belonged to her mother, which was then passed down to her. Others were bought over time by clan members who filled in as authority figures when her father wasn't around.

Each of the garments were made from material that was either hard to find or not existing anymore. One would have to be exceptionally wealthy in order to afford such clothing. The Hyuga clan had their connections, so of course their alleged ' heiress' would need such unnecessary clothing.

Once the kimono is completely off, she throws it in the closet and resorts back to her regular clothing. Something more casual and reserved.

Basically her everyday outfit.

And once she's done putting out her sweater and strapping her sandals, she's headed out her bedroom door, out of the compound.

She meets with Kiba at Sakura's apartment.

"Oh come on Hinata! Why aren't you wearing what we told you to wear?!"

"Huh?" Kiba looks towards Hinata, confused. "Did I miss something here? What are you supposed to be wearing?" He stares her down in an overprotective brother way.

Her face automatically reddens from the two pairs of eyes on her, each of them laced with scrutiny.

"I just thought that maybe I shouldn't wear it, Sakura-san. Besides, you're wearing that, are you not?" Hinata points to her casual pink sundress with floral prints.

"Yeah, also it's fucking cold out. You talkin about Hinata but you need to bundle up! This wind ain't no joke." Kiba chimes in.

"You guys I'm aware! That's why I have a coat?! Hellooo?" The pinkett defends herself, crossing her arms.

"Blah blah blah.. anway . Hinata, don't freak out, but we decided you're going to take him out. Just for a lil while, so we can get his apartment ready."

She mentally pauses at his words.

What .

Who decided…

If she's quick enough, she can shut down both of their tenketsu with the press of a finger and make a run for it. Nothings stopping her.

"Um...come again?" she meekly answers.

Kiba smirks at her, "What? You scared or somethin?"

"Kiba-kun, this isn't funny."

"Hey it wasn't my idea! But we kinda need to distract the guy so we can set up his lil party, so this is our best bet" Kiba shrugs.

"But why me!?" She couldn't even fathom why they would choose her. What about Sakura? Or Sai? Or maybe even-

"What do you mean wHy mE" Sakura mocks, leaning against the counter, "why else wouldn't we choose you? There's obviously something going on between you guys that we don't know about!"

"Yeah!" Kiba states matter-of-factly, pointing at her accusingly, "I meant to ask you, I saw you entering his apartment the other day? What's up with that? And what's that bastard doing to you eh?"

Kill me now.

She watches them both give her pointed looks, waiting for an answer.

"I-I swear it's nothing like that! Trust me on this, all we're doing is studying, and nothing more!" She wishes she could disappear from the face of the earth, because apparently the universe loves giving her a hard time.

"Pshhh bullshit! Why were there groceries in your hand huh? That doesn't look like books to me."

"Kiba-kun!"

She could have sworn she looked around before entering Naruto's apartment.

"Awe c'mon Kiba! Obviously she doesn't wanna talk about it!" Sakura leans in so only she would hear her next words, "...but you'll tell me, right?"

"Hey!"

"Okay, okay! I'll do it," she tracks back to their original conversation, "I'll take him somewhere for the time being, but where?"

"Just ask him on a ramen date or something, it's an automatic win for the both of you. You hang out with Naruto, and he's getting ramen." Kiba shrugs off.

Somehow in some way, the statement doesn't sit right with her, but she'll let it slide. This time.

"Okay...so what's the party going to be like?" she redirects the conversation.

"Lots and lots of booze! We have some games in mind. Oh and some snacks."

"We told Chouji to take care of the snacks. So we don't have to worry about that." Sakura reassures.

"As long as his fatass doesn't eat all of it."

Hinata momentarily scowls at Kiba for his insult, but he only shrugs it off. She shakes her head at his impudence, "How are you guys getting into his apartment?"

"By picking the lock?" Kiba rolls his eyes, as if she knew these things already. " Duh ."

"Or I can just break it, and he pays for a new door knob. But that option works too" Sakura shrugs.

"How will I know that you guys are finished?"

"I'll just tell Shino to send out one of his bugs. Ya know, they'll find you through your scent or whatever, and once they find you, that's your cue to bring him back."

Okay. So this wasn't a bad idea. It was a well thought out plan, maybe she can work with this.


Three loud knocks penetrated the silence between her and Naruto's door. She shouldn't have agreed to this. But here she is. At his door. Waiting for him to answer.

There was no answer, so she tried again. It's four in the late afternoon, so what is he doing? Couldn't he hear her knocks?

Why is she so worked up anyway? He shouldn't be affecting her like this. At least not anymore.

What about all of the times when they went on ramen dates together, or their study sessions in his apartment? She even sparred with the guy.

So this should be nothing.

Nothing at all.

A walk in the park.

This is what being friends is all about. Hanging out around the village, catching up with each other. It's practically a D-rank mission.

She hears locks unlatching from the other side of the door. And soon enough, a still half asleep, shirtless Naruto stands in the doorway.

Her temperature automatically flares at the sight of him.

The universe is back at it again .

His blond hair is ruffled to one side, and he's rubbing his eyes. His aura is almost zombie-like, and when he finally looks at her with blue hazy eyes, she can see his consciousness slowly resurfacing to his face, the fatigue ebbing away.

At first he just stands there, tired eyes scanning her form from head to toe. As if she wasn't real or something. He's processing her presence, and she's watching the gears slowly turn in his head.

And then, his eyes widened by a fraction, a lazy smile appearing on his lips.

"Good morning, Hinata." His voice is low and thick with rasp, indicating that he just woke up. What a wonderful melody to her ears.

"I-It's actually late afternoon, Naruto-kun...around four-thirty, if I'm not mistaken," she looks to the ground, avoiding his gaze, or rather his chest that her eyes keep violating.

Of course his body is sculpted to the Gods perfection, with sun-kissed skin covering his taut abs. With every little movement he makes, they flex slightly, the afternoon sun making his muscle glistens, and his V-line -

"Seriously? Damn. Well uh, thanks for waking me up, y'know." He lifts his arm and rubs the back of his neck, his bicep visibly flexing. "So um, what brings you here?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to get some ramen?" she states with confidence, trying to keep her eyes off of his body.

"I'm always up for some ramen! Give me like, five minutes okay?"

"I'll be here." She smiles. And then he leaves the door open as he disappears from the entryway, presumably to his bedroom. It was probably his presence making her feel this way, because now she feels the tension releasing, and she's calmer than before.

It wasn't until around ten minutes later when he emerged from his apartment, all freshened up. His usual attire casually thrown on his figure, hiding his gem of a body.

With his hands in his pockets, he smiles at her, and she smiles back. And with that, they left his apartment.

While strolling, they talked about why he was sleeping in.

"That sounds horrible!"

"I promise it wasn't all that bad y'know, I was going through a mini crisis, nothin' to big."

"Yeah, but.." she wanted to be there for him.

"Hinata, it's fine . We all have our moments." He easily shrugs off.

"I know…"

"Oh! I forgot to tell you about what Kakashi-sensei did! Hinata, he basically ruined my entire mood that day."

She's suspicious about his sudden switch of conversation, but nonetheless..."That can never be good."

"I know! But yeah, he denied the proposal! Can you believe that?!"

Yes .

"Ah, well...Naruto-kun.." she definitely saw it coming. And she wanted to tell him that, but being the nice person that she was, her mouth stayed shut.

Was that a bad thing? Not voicing her opinion?

"Awe Hinata ! Don't tell me you're on his side!"

She worrily pulls at the sleeves of her jacket, shielding her hands from the cool air, "I'm sorry…"

"You're literally siding with the enemy? Hinata I can't even look at you right now" he puts a hand on his face and turns to the side dramatically.

"Naruto-kun...it's a national holiday dedicated to ramen."

"And?"

"So...t-that means…"

"What?" he pushes.

"..."

"Ramen is a way of life. Without it, I would be dead! I'm not even kidding. I probably would've died by starvation. Or depression or whatever."

Her ears perk out the sound of the word. "Depression?"

"Yeah, but like totally starvation-"

"What do you mean... by the depression part."

"Awe c'mon Hinata, I wasn't being serious ! I only said that because food at the time, specifically ramen, was a good distraction from all of the other stuff that was happening in my life. Also I needed to eat, because food equals survival, y'know."

They enter Ichiraku's, taking their seats.

"...so every chance I got, I just stuffed my face with ramen. Because um...I guess in those little moments of peace, I forget about my struggles."

A large man appears at the counters with a smile that can be held for generations, "If it isn't my favorite customers!" Teuchi smiles at them, ready to take their orders.

"The usual old man! And Hinata will take the same." He usually orders for them both now, since they get the same thing majority of the time.

"Coming right up!"

She's supposed to be happy that he feels so strongly about ramen, he obviously has a deep connection to it. It was his first real meal as a child, so of course he would get attached to it. For some reason, she's a little saddened by the context of the situation.

An orphaned child who had nothing to eat and was forced to make end's meet at such an early age. Nobody helped him. And she couldn't do anything about it.

Stop blaming yourself.

How could she help him, if she was only a child herself?

"Hey, you okay?" Naruto looks at her, a concerned look on his features. "I'm not really mad at you, if you're upset or anything."

"Oh, I'm fine! No need to worry."

She didn't need to give him anything else to worry about, because he needed nothing else to lose sleep over. He doesn't deserve that. Savior of the world, savior of the people. A dreamer. A visionary, who turned reality into a dream . Is that why he couldn't sleep? Because his nightmares reflect reality itself? Or is there something else?

"Hey...how are you doing? Like how are you really doing?" his voice is softer than before, and it concerns her a little.

"How I'm...really doing?"

"Yeah! Y'know...besides missions, have you found anything that's peaked your interest lately? I know it's been a couple of weeks since we last had that conversation, but y'know..um...I'm just checking on you...y'know?"

Cute.

"Hokage-sama has mentioned the increase of refugees coming into Konoha's walls, so for now I was planning on helping out at the shelters for a little while. Also, I might plan on helping Shino-kun at the academy."

"Are you happy now? Then you were before?"

Was she? How many nights had she stayed up watching the stars dance and twinkle with one another, wishing that it was her and a certain blond instead? How many nights had she wasted, wishing she could have done more instead of getting a good night's rest? Would it be ideal to tell him the truth, to tell him that her mind is a large cavern with chambers that lead to nowhere but everywhere?

She could tell him, pour out her feelings for the world to hear. For her world to hear. But unfortunately, Hinata Hyuga is known for telling lies now. It's only for the best, though.

"I've been better than ever." She says, smiling deep into his blue eyes, lost in the dynamic of his irises. Like waves of an ocean, they were intense. And yet, she feels calm when looking into them.

"I hope you're not lying."

He hopes she's not lying...

Wait, he can detect lies, can't he? She's a master manipulator when it comes to chakra anyway, so she doesn't have to worry about getting caught..

"What type of girl do you take me for, Naruto-kun?" she teases him, trying to lighten the mood.

He smirks, shaking his head as he shifts in his seat towards the counter, "the type that lies."

... What?

She looks at him, her smile dropping and eyes widening at his unexpected response. "Naruto-kun-"

"I'm just messing with you!" he puts his hand up defenselfy. "Jeez Hinata, I know you would never lie. It's not in your nature."

Just as she expected, he's messing with her.

Now that, puts a smile on her face. Everyone has their own version of Hinata in their heads, and somehow it's always the same version. Sweet, shy, innocent little Hinata. But who could blame them? That's who she is, who she always was. There's no denying it. But how would everyone react to her alternate side? The side that lies about how she's truly feeling and the side that's made completely out of insecurities. A side that's unknown, and slightly broken. How would they react to that?

She wants to find out.

"Hmm, it sounds like to me that you're assuming things about my character?"

He slightly turns his head in her direction, his gaze still facing forward, but she can see his eyes narrowing, letting her know that he's listening.

"That you know everything about my nature ?"

That definitely got his attention, because now his body is fully tuned in her direction, and he looks more alert, as if he's learning a new jutsu.

He looks into her eyes, and she does everything in her power to not melt right in front of him. "You hiding somethin' from me?"

"No...?"

"Yeah okay. I call bullshit," he impatiently taps his bandaged fingers along the counter, and that's all she could concentrate on, to avoid his piercing gaze, "What you just told me, is like a cryptic code or something. Hearing those words come from your mouth, it just...doesn't sound like you." He sounds like a crazy conspirator deprived from their morning tea.

"Doesn't sound like me?"

"I can see where you're going with this though. I probably have been assuming things about you, but...everytime I hang out with you, I feel like I'm learning more and more about you. Because you used to be so shy and stuff, but you're becoming more open, at least to me. And I'm seeing new sides to you that I didn't see when we were kids."

She meant to catch him at a standstill, not reveal his inner thoughts about her. And now she feels weird for even saying that to him. What possessed her in that moment, to become so bold?

She feels inconsistent with herself.

And yet it feels good to catch him off guard. Because sometimes, a good thing can come out of it, such as him exposing his thoughts about her to her .

She's honestly speechless. Lost for words. A coherent thought cannot be formed.

Thankfully, Teuchi arrived with their ramen just in time, or she would've sat there in awkward silence. "Two miso ramen, for two special customers."

"Thanks old man!"

"Thankyou, Teuchi-san."

After a while, Naruto finished four bowls in total, and she only finished two. They talk about upcoming missions, and Naruto's ramen addiction. She listens to him boasts about being Hokage, and she laughs with him when they reminisce about the stupid things they did as kids. After finishing and paying for their meals, the Uzumaki tells her he's heading back to his apartment.

She panics when he starts to walk away. She needs to keep him a little longer!

"No!"

He stops in his tracks, turning around to face her. He has a startled look on his face, probably from her unusual outburst.

"Uh...what's up?"

Hm . What could possibly be up? A surprise party being held by all of their friends, which is taking a very long time to prepare for, in her opinion.

Think think think!

She needs to distract him for a little while longer, and she's at a dead end for ideas.

"...come with me..to..s..somewhere…"

She looks down, avoiding his gaze. No doubt her face is probably on fire right now, because that's what it feels like.

Very smooth, Hinata.

"To where?" he frowns.

She's suffocating on her own words, trying to form an idea out of thin air. He's towering over her, looking down into her eyes, and she feels smaller than she already is.

"To the store?" she squeaks out, although questioning herself in the process.

"It seems like you wanna spend the entire day with me, Hyuga."

"Maybe." she shuffles her feet, acting like a shy little kid. She looks at him again, surprised to see a bemused expression on him, almost as if she said something foreign, out of this world...

"Oh, well.."

"Please come with me!" She boldly grabs on the sleeve of his jacket, pulling him in the direction towards the outlet stores.

He chuckles at her unusual behavior, "I guess I don't have a choice huh?"

She smiles at him as she lets go of his jacket, hiding her hands in her sleeves.

Stumbling upon a convenience store, Hinata guides him straight towards the arts and crafts aisle.

"So what are you getting from the store?"

"I need some more yarn for this present I'm making."

"For what occasion?"

"His birthday."

"His?" Naruto's nose scrunches up in confusion, eyes narrowing, "I could've sworn Kiba's birthday happened earlier in the year, y'know."

"Well um, this isn't for Kiba."

"Well I vividly remember Shino's birthday being in January! For um...reasons."

"It's not for him either."

When she doesn't see Naruto walking by her side anymore, she turns around to see him trailing slowly behind her. He seems to be deep in thought.

"...do I know him?"

"O-of course! You guys are basically the same p-person, afterall..."

Once they enter the aisle, her eyes immediately start to hunt for a royal red. Rainbows of yarn fill the shelves as she looks for the right skein.

"Um, why are we looking at strings again?"

"We're looking for yarn, Naruto-kun. I'm making something that he could wear in the winter."

"When are you going to give it to him?"

"During the rinne festival," she says absentmindedly, concentrating on the balls of yarn before her. He bends down to her level, trying to find what she's looking for.

"His birthday is around the rinne festival?"

Realizing the mistake in what she just said, she finally looks at him.

"Ah, n-no, but...um...I thought it would be an appropriate time."

"Okaaay, so why are you getting it now?"

"Naruto-kun...it takes a lot of time to craft a special gift...and I want it to be perfect."

Naruto straightens up and huffs, crossing his arms. "Are you not gonna tell me who this guy is?"

"You know him already, Naruto-kun."

"Then tell me who he is, since he's so special to you!"

"No!"

His golden eyebrows raise at her response and he looks shocked, to say the least. "Huh?! What do you mea- okay , okay… is he like...a friend?"

"Yes! He's a very good friend. That's all we've ever been…" she mutters underneath her breath.

"Why do you sound sad about it?" His eyes narrow in on her.

"I-Im not sad at all!" Hinata defends. She's not even sure why he's so upset about it, did he not hear the 'friend' part? She thinks he's acting just like her teammates, who act like her overprotective brothers. "In fact, I'm very happy that we're just friends!"

"Oh. Well I'm sure he'll like the gift, Hinata! Anything from you is great y'know," and just like that, he's back to his usual, sunny self.

You say that now…

But when the time comes, what will he truly think of her? Will her gift still be great ? Because when that day comes, when it finally happens, she might regret everything.

Rejection .

The feeling is so strong that she can feel it seep through her bones, intoxicate her blood. A feeling she never wants to experience, and hopefully, never will.

Because everything little she does carries a burden so heavy that her shoulders will soon give out. She can feel it now- her arms dropping, her hands shaking, her knees giving out as her body hits the floor. Her voice will tremble, and her soul will ache.

The sound of her heart shattering will echo amongst villages. And she will struggle to put the pieces back together. She will pick them up, each of the shards cutting deep within her fingers. The exuded blood being a delicate reminder,

Her heart will never heal, if she doesn't have any glue.

"Yes, I hope you're right, Naruto-kun."

"That's because I am! What color are you looking for?"

She was about to respond until she felt something crawling on her arm. Freaking out, she shakes her arm frantically, the tickling sensation making her skin crawl.

"Are you okay?!" Naruto scurries over to her, trying to grab her arm.

A tiny black beetle escapes her sleeve, and flies aways into the air, making her grimace in dissatisfaction.

"Was that Shino's bug? Are they keeping tabs on you!?"

She wants to facepalm at his response, but she understands his confusion. "Y-you know what? I kind of want to leave now, aha...ha." She grabs his arm, frantically rushing him out the store.

"Where are we-"

"To your apartment!"

"I thought you wanted-"

"No, no, Naruto-kun! I-I can always buy it later! Let's just-"

He abruptly stops in the middle of the street, and Hinata jerks forward into his body.

Ouch?

She looks up, confused as to why he stopped walking, only to be met with a tight expression.

"Hinata, what's wrong?"

"Nothing! I told you I'm-"

"Why are we rushing to get to my place? Was the bug thing embarrassing for you? I promise you nobody saw it but me! And I'm positive that it was your teammates, I don't think any differently of you y'know."

That's very touching. And in that moment, if she actually gave a damn, it could've touched her heart.

But right now, she's holding up everyone's time, and she's under a lot of pressure.

"Naruto-kun," she grabs his hand, squeezing her hold around it. He looks at her, seemingly surprised at her gesture. "I'm not worried about that."

And then she's back to pulling him, speed walking in the direction to his apartment. As soon as they approached his door, he stopped her once again. "Naruto-kun please-"

"Something's off."

?

She couldn't sense any chakra coming inside the apartment. Everyone made sure to mask their chakra so their presence would remain unknown, so what is he talking about?

"W-what do you mean?" she tries to smile.

"I don't know, but I can feel it...you know what? Stay out here, I'll be right back."

Actually, that'll work.

She watches him step besides her, fishing for his keys from his pocket. Unlocking it, he twists the knob, slowly opening the door to his place. The inside is pitch black.

"The fu-"


"Surprise!"

The lights turn on and his apartment is fully decorated; orange balloons were scattered everywhere, a happy birthday banner stretched across his wall, orange and white hanging swirls dangled from his ceiling.

Everyone was there, except for his very best friend. But Konoha 11 plus Sai was enough to put a smile on his whiskered face, enough to make his blue eyes light up the room more than it already was. Orange cone party hats sat on everyone's head, and when Naruto turned around to look at her, he seemed to be surprised that she was wearing one too.

"Happy birthday Naruto!"

"Big 19!"

"The power of youth has only just begun!"

"Woah! All of this for me? You guuuys.." He looks bashful, and Hinata couldn't get enough of it. It fills her with joy to see him like this, when everyone is wishing him another year for being alive. Another year of being everyone's sun.

To see him so happy, makes her happy. She's grateful to be his friend.

Once they are both fully inside his apartment, she joins the circle on congratulating him for his 19th. She suddenly realizes how she is the only 18 year old in the group, making her the youngest member of Konoha 11. She feels really young, and a little out of place.

Everyone is mingling with one another, and she stands there watching.

Ino walks up to her, scrutinizing her outfit choice, "Hinata, I thought we agreed to a kimono?"

"...I-I forgot."

"Mhm, sure you did" Ino sighs, "But whatever you're comfortable with."

Ino then drags her to the couch with Sakura and Tenten, where they indulge in conversation.

Two hours passed by and after three drinking games, everyone finally settled down. Everyone's tipsy except for her, and maybe Shikamaru. She limits herself to only two drinks tonight. She'd be damned if she were tipsy in front of Naruto. There's no telling of what she'd babble about. Probably something emotional, since she's an emotional drunk.

"No Akamuru?" She overhears Naruto, who's sitting around the table with Kiba, Shino, and Shikamru. Chouji and Lee left early. The remaining boys were playing some type of card game.

"Why the hell would I invite him? He's chillin' at home with Hana."

"He's literally a part of you," she hears Naruto say, throwing a card onto the table, "it's like you're missing your other half, y'know."

"And what's he gonna do if he were here? Just witness all of us get drunk?"

"You saying he hasn't before?"

" Tch . Who knows..." Kiba shrugs, eyeing the card Naruto just threw down. "Aye! You cheattin' or something!?"

"Fuck you coming at me for?" Hinata winces at his vulgar language, "If anything, it's Shikamaru! He's the one with weird tactics up his sleeve."

"You can't be serious." Shikamaru sighs, dragging a hand along his face. "It's Uno, who cheats in Uno?"

"Obviously you guys!" Kiba says frantically, "I haven't won a single game yet, and I destroy everyone at this game."

"The only thing you 'destroy' are my brain cells," the Nara says smirking to himself, throwing out the last card in his hand. "And with that, Uno out ."

"Cheater!" Kiba yells at him. Shikamaru only responds by taking a swig of his drink.

She smiles to herself at Kiba's bantering. She's certain that most of them were drunk now. Especially Naruto, he seems to be a feisty drunk. At first, everyone played. But then it gradually lowered to four people.

Honestly, she was shocked by how the shadow user wasn't even drunk yet. Sure, he seems relaxed. Though she could've sworn he participated in the first two drinking games.

She directs her focus back to the girls conversation. She's leaning on Ino, her head on her shoulder. She tries to figure out what's going on.

"...the other day I got into an argument with Sai about this," the Yamanka shakes her head in disappointment, taking a shot from her drink, "I swear, you'd think he'd know a more than other men because he reads magazines...to help him better understand, but he only made the situation worse!"

"What did he do?" The weapon mistress is unusually engaged in this conversation, Hinata notes.

"That's the thing, he didn't do anything . Agh! I just wanna mess him up sometimes."

"Look, Ino, you have to treat a dog like you treat a woman," Kiba interjects from the coffee table, including himself in the conversation. Okay, Hinata thinks, that's definitely the alcohol talking.

All of the girls turn around to look at him. Ino and Sakura with their brows raised, and Tenten staring at him in utter confusion.

"Go on." Ino prods, crossing her arms.

"...No," Kiba says calmly, but warily, looking back at his cards, "I sense I've made a mistake of some kind."

"Look, Kiba. This is an A and B conversation," Ino gestures to the girls and then herself, " and I need you to see your way out of it."

"Hey get it?" Naruto says excitedly, "She said see, and the letter c-"

"Naruto shut the hell up, we know already," Sakura balls her hand in a fist. Naruto only cowers in what seems to be fear, hiding behind the cards in his hands.

Kiba rolls his eyes, taking another sip from his drink, "Woah woah woah , he didn't ask for the sass, ladies!"

"Hinata come get your teammate!"

"Sorry Ino-san, I'm headed to the restroom!"

She needs a break from all of the commotion, and makes her way towards the bathroom. As she walks down the hall, however, she stops. There on the wall, was a picture that she's never seen before. She's unsure whether or not if the picture is new, or if it's been there this entire time and she just never bothered to pay it any mind.

Inside the frame were a picture of his parents. Lord Fourth, whom Naruto was an exact replica of, and a woman with long red hair and violet eyes. They were smiling, and looked like any other happy couple in Konoha.

Although now that she inspects the picture a little more closely, Naruto seems to take after his mother. He has her exact face, though has his father's characteristics such as hair and eye color.

She's still unsure about his whiskers though.

She immediately feels him behind her, and he's really close, like that one time in his kitchen. She feels hot all over, flames erupting in her insides.

"Kushina Uzumaki, was her name," his voice is deeper than usual, and she can see his shadow on the wall completely engulfing hers.

"They used to call her the red habanero because she would beat up her bullies, also because of her red hair, but little did they know, she had a heart full of gold. She was the sweetest person ever, y'know."

He sounds in awe when speaking of his mother, and her smile became bigger the more he spoke about her.

She toys with a loc of her hair, feeling a little nervous, "She sounds like an amazing person."

"Yeah?"

"Yes." She looks at the woman in the picture some more, analyzing her soft, porcelain features. "She's very beautiful."

She hears Naruto move beside her, his deep chuckles resonating comfort in her ears. She shly turns to look at him. He's really pretty. "She would've liked you. Aside from me and my dad, you're the third person to call her beautiful, y'know."

Unsure of what to say, she can only smile at him, and avert her attention back to the picture.

"By the way, what are you doing over here? Why aren't you with everyone else?"

"Oh...I was going to use the restroom, until I came across this picture."

"Out of all the times you've been here, you're just now seeing it?" he says shockingly.

She giggles at him, "I'm just as shocked as you are, Naruto-kun."

He smiles at her some more, and then looks at the picture on his wall. Momentarily, she forgot that it wasn't just her and Naruto here, and turned her head to gaze at the living room. They were all still there. The guys were playing cards without him, and the girls were still sitting on the couch. All of them seemed to be immersed in their own conversations.

"I don't want this night to end," Naruto quietly says into the stillness of the air, "...it feels good to have other people around. It makes me feel..happy."

She nods her head. "All good things come to an end, unfortunately."

"I hate that, y'know."

She's surprised by his choice of words. What's even more surprising is that their friends seem to not care that they're alone, talking in his hallway.

"'Hate' is a strong word, Naruto-kun."

"I know."

And that's all she needed to hear. He didn't need to explain himself further, because she knows the feeling is mutual. Not the feeling of hate, but the feeling of loneliness.

"What are you doing here?" she nudges him softly in his shoulder, "You're supposed to be having a good time, challenging someone to a drinking game. You are the birthday boy."

"You looked a little lost, so I was just checking on you."

She always looks lost, and so many people mention it to her. To hear those words coming from his mouth...it makes her feel weird. Almost a little sad, even.

But then again, he noticed that she wasn't in the living room. He was concerned for her wellbeing, and this makes her feel happy.

"Oh...well then thank you, for checking up on me."

"Yeah…" His eyes linger on hers for a little while longer, and she's mesmerized. She watches the way his eyes leave her own, trailing down to her neck, then to her exposed collarbones that are lightly unhidden from the collar of her shirt.

A hot sensation forms in her stomach. She feels aware of everything around them, including herself.

Shamelessly, his eyes trail all over her and then upwards, his gaze lingering at her neck, until he looks her in the eyes again. "...I'm gonna go back."

"Y-yeah." she shyly looks down, her cheeks burning from the sudden uneasiness she felt between them.


"I'm sorry Hinata, but I need to get to the hospital. Ya know, night shifts and all that"

Sakura stands in the doorway, fastening her coat.

Sure she did.

Or was this just another one of her tactics to get them alone together. Hinata isn't sure whether to be upset or pleased.

Everyone left except for them three. A drunk Naruto remained collapsed on the floor while Hinata and Sakura cleaned up the place.

"Welp, I'm headed out now! See ya tomorrow!" and then she's out the door, leaving Hinata in her misery.

She would've been content if Naruto wasn't drunk, but he is. And he just so happens to be a hassle to deal with.

"Sakuraaa?"

"Sakura-san isn't here anymore, Naruto-kun."

He groggily turns his head and glances at the Hyuga, a lopsided smile stretching his whiskered features.

He looks so cute. All woozy.

"Oh... Hinata. "

And-

Just the way that he says her name forms butterflies in her stomach, the fluttering sensation ticking her insides. The way he is looking at her in general is enough to make her question her entire sanity.

He was making things hard for her, as usual. And in this moment all she wants to do is cower under his gaze, even if he's the one on the floor, looking up at her.

It's not fair. Hell, it was never fair to begin with.

"Um...yes, it's me. Do you think you can stand on your own? So I can help you over to your bed?"

He mumbles something indistinguishable that she couldn't hear.

"Can you repeat that, Naruto-kun?"

"I'm tired..."

Hinata deeply sighs. Who knew it would be this hard to move a drunk Naruto into bed? She thought he would be more compliant than Shino or Kiba at their worst. Apparently she was wrong.

"I know, can you stand on your own?"

"..where...s...Sakura-chan?"

"She left, Naruto-kun. To the hospital. Remember?"

"...you said that, y'knooow."

?

This was far too mentally draining for her. If only he'd listen to her so she can leave, and continue on with her life. It's like she was internally bound to him, and she couldn't find the key to the shackles.

It's not like she was mad at him, he's drunk. Not in the right state of mind. She needs to help him in whatever way she can. The sooner she gets him to bed, the sooner she can lay on her own.

She crouches down and lifts his muscular arm over her shoulder. He's kind of heavy. "Okay, let's stand up now."

"Mhmm."

Slowly, she rises with him, making sure that he doesn't trip over his feet.

Together, they walk down the hall, with Naruto's stumbling threatening to drag both of them to the floor. Nevertheless, they prevailed. Each step was carefully slow and guided. As soon as they reached his bedroom, Naruto plops on the floor, his limbs sprawled out like a starfish.

She smiles at his antics, observing him for a little bit. He's kind of like a child. Only a tall and muscular child that is practically a God.

That sounds about right. Hinata wishes she can observe him forever, but she needs to get him into bed, and hurry back to her own home.

She looks around, observing his room. His full size bed has a blue comforter, and he has a nice view from his window. He has some furniture, like a dresser here and a desk there, and he basically has clutter everywhere. The ' No Ramen, No Life ' poster really adds flavor to the room.

She bends down and pulls at his arms, urging him to stand up. He pulls on her arms, almost tipping her over him. Almost. Eventually, she succeeds in pulling him up, and helps him over to his bed.

"Hinata, I'm sooo hot."

Yeah.

Wait no-

"...you want to take your sweater off?"

"My shirt tooo."

Her palms are sweaty, heart starts pounding in her ribcage, ready to bust at minute. That was not the answer she was expecting.

"Y-you can take your...own shirt off, Naruto-kun."

He's sitting on the edge of his bed now, and she's wedged between his thighs (which isn't her fault, since he closed his legs in an attempt to trap her, ultimately succeeding). The position is far too intimate in her eyes, and she's probably as red as a tomato now.

He's looking up at her, waiting for her next move.

She reaches out a shaky hand to his zipper, and slowly begins to unzip his orange, stained sweater. His blue eyes are keen, staring at her intently. It feels like laser beams are being burned through her face, so she tries hard to avoid his eyes, concentrating on the sweater.

Even though she was internally and physically burning, she needed to play it cool, come off as casual.

"Naruto-kun." she says softly, snapping him from whatever daze he was in.

"Yeah?"

For some reason, she feels hot in her oversized jacket, but she doesn't want to take it off. In fact, she's too scared to take it off.

She knows nothing is going to happen, but-

"You have to cooperate with me here. Lift your arms up."

He raises his arms high above his head, a goofy smile on his face.

Hinata giggles at his playfulness, "Not like that, silly. Extend your arms out towards me."

And he does just that, each arm extending to her sides. She takes off his left sleeve, following his right.

"Staay with mee."

Three little words. That was all it took for her face to burn a crimson red. Three little words...such large significance. And yet, he doesn't understand the words coming out of his mouth. He doesn't know the depth of those words, or the impact that it has on her mental state.

"A-and do what?"

She's met with the silence of the room. He doesn't respond, only his eyes burning holes into hers.

He looks tired, she notes. He hasn't a clue what's going on here, not a thought behind those cerulean blue eyes. Not to mention the rapid blinking of his eyelids, forcing himself to stay awake. She needs to leave now.

"Naruto-kun, I have to get home."

She's not sure if she's imagining the feel of his thighs tightening around her legs.

"But whyyy?

"W-well, for one it's late" The words quietly come out.

"Hmm…Is 'daddy' worried about you?" he lazily smirks, the tone of his voice dropping dangerously low. He takes a loc of midnight hair in his fingers, messing with it as if it were her own.

"..."

"Then you're staying with me."

"Wha-"

In a flash, he grabs her arm, pulling her down with him. He's spooning her, and she feels warm all over.

She can feel his arms circling around the lower half of her body, his hands feeling her sides, stomach, and abdomen.

He pulls their bodies closer together, squeezing her tighter to prevent her from moving, the little gap between them disappearing. Her ass is pressed against his pelvis, and she's gone haywire.

He buries his nose at the nape of her neck, taking in the smell of her midnight tresses.

"...you're strong. They shouldn't..worry... about yooou, y'know," his words slur out, his hot breath making the little hairs rise tall against her neck.

"W-wait-"

He cuts her off, his bandaged thumb rubbing circles in the dip of her waist, while his arm pulls her body in his own even closer than before, if that was even possible. "You smell.. really good " his face falls further into the crevice of her neck, his nose leaving a trail of sparks every time the tip of his nose makes contact with her skin.

She wants him to stop, but it feels so good. The way he is touching her, sending her to the moon and back. She can even feel heat pooling in her core. Which definitely isn't a good sign.

"... Hina ," he squeezes her tightly, and she feels something pressing in her rear..

And Gods-

She doesn't even want to leave anymore. He's feeling her, touching her, making her feel so good. His voice sounds in her ear and she wants him to utter nonsense in her ear forever, just to hear him speak.

The heat radiating off of their bodies was suffocating.

She can feel his heavy breaths against her neck, the smell of alcohol lingering in the air.

She relishes the feeling of her body pressed against his, closing her eyes, sighing in defeat. She likes this. She wants to stay like this.

His hands are under her shirt, snaking up her waist. His fingers are gliding up soft flesh, leaving a trail of sparks on her body until he stops at the hem of her bra.

"You...are…"

"..Hm?.."

"such a good friend to me."

Everything stops, and she's frozen in his arms, frozen in time. He's still touching her, his hands dangerously close to feeling her breast.

No.

No .

This needs to stop.

She tries to free herself out of his tight grip but manages to fail altogether. "Stop moving."

"Naruto-kun, please stop-"

"Whyyy?" his hands move back down to her waist. Wrapping his arms around her entirely, he presses her figure against him some more.

"Please, please let me go." Her breathing becomes erratic, and her heart rate quickens at a lethal pace. She feels trapped, she is trapped. She needs to get out.

She shouldn't be doing this. They shouldn't be doing this.

She activates her bloodline, hitting a point in his left arm. He jerks away from her body at the sensation. As soon as she was free, she was already out of his bedroom door, trying to catch her breath.


She stepped out of his apartment, making sure to lock his door. The bitterness of the October breeze hits her face instantly, stinging each pore on her skin. Dark vast skies looked down upon her, and she stared back into the abyss with empty lavender eyes as she walked the lonely streets of Konoha.

There were no stars tonight. One of the few things that comforted her soul when nothing else could, it wasn't there. Konoha nights without stars was like springtime with no flowers, winter without snow. It felt incomplete. Not real. Artificial. As if the Gods themselves were rushing to perfect the night sky, and leaving out the one important detail that ignited this dark world.

Before she even knew it, she felt something wet glide down her cheeks. And then she felt another one, and one after that, until she realized it was her own tears streaming down her face. Because the stars are not here to comfort her. Why aren't they here to comfort her? Where the hell are the stars. Why aren't they here to tell her it'll all be okay .

Cold nights are an escape, an outlet when she needs to find inner peace. This was the one thing she needed to get away from the chaos of her mind, where disastrous thoughts roamed freely creating collisions in her head, forming mean headaches.

That was the one thing. Cold, ruthless nights. When the harsh wind would touch her skin and she would be able to focus on that instead of her thoughts. When puffy red eyes could look up to the stars and seek out infinite constellations, making her forget time itself, only for a little while. It was a good distraction. A happy distraction.

That is what she was supposed to feel. Happiness.

But now, as she drags herself down the footsteps of his apartment, she feels herself shaking, her esteem crumbling. Because whatever the hell just occurred in his apartment was never supposed to happen. She was supposed to make sure that he was alright, care for him, and put him to bed. She was supposed to do just that.

Not indulge in his warmth, in such safe and strong arms, poisoning her heart with false hope.

The worst part of all of this was that she missed it. The feeling of him.

In those moments she felt safe, happy, and wanted . Like she usually feels with him, except for maybe the wanted part, but the feelings were even more intensified, flowing though her entire nervous system. She felt everything in that moment that she always dreamed of feeling, only for it to be shut down and liquidated into nothingness by eight little words.

'You...are such a good friend to me.'

Why? She thought, as rivulets of tears ran down her face.

Why did he say that?

She was so weak. So, so weak. A thousand pep talks of encouragement was not enough anymore. Words of empowerment gone down the drain.

What was she wishing for? What was she hoping for him to say? He's drunk, she's not. He's unaware, she is aware. Maybe it wasn't his fault for touching her in ways that made her heart burn, her body yearn for more. But then again-

It's unfair.

It was so unfair.

Her vision is blurry as she begins her path to the compound, each step filled with dread and sorrows.

And then, out of the millions of thoughts that were soaring, the most dangerous stopped, freezing her entire mind.

What if he...knows.

He has to know.

He's never been this assertive with her, or maybe he has, she couldn't tell anymore. Lately, he's been a little touchy, and it's been bothering her so much. She looked over his actions and brushed them off as if they were crumbs on her shirt, when really all this time it could've been something more. A stain that refused to fade. No- it was something more.

He's definitely messing with her, and she didn't know what to do.

The smallest actions affect her greatly and she loses her cool each time. He probably sees that, and continues such blatant actions. The way she allows him to play with her emotions as if she were some used toy. When he sometimes touches her, whether on her shoulders or the nip of her back, she always imagined that he did this for a reason . Because he's never been this touchy with her before, only recently.

She frowns, her mouth tightening, her jaw clenching. Bitterness.

She feels bitter now, a vile taste left on her tongue that not even the sleeve of her shirt can get rid of. And that's when her sadness seeps into anger, and she feels her hands balling into fists. She doesn't know if she's trembling from the cold or the anger, because now her entire body is shaking, and it's getting harder to concentrate. Her mind became pandemonium.

And it was all because of him.

He was unknowingly- no, knowingly plucking the strings of her heart, pulling at it, tugging it. Destroying the patterns in the kindest way that he can. Whatever the hell he was doing, it was working. And he must've been doing it with a needle too. Because it hurt so much that she could feel the sharp points puncturing her heart's arteries and veins and whatever the hell else that makes up a heart.

She could turn around and give him a piece of her mind, yell at him at the top of her lungs and shout the most vulgar of words that she could come up with from her small, dainty mouth.

But she can't.

So she stops walking, sulking in her cowardliness.

Because she's tired, cold, and miserable. It also wasn't in her nature to shout. To be so... unlady -like. Hyuga principles, not hers.

But Sakura and Ino shout, and they are the definition of what a woman should be. Strong, powerful, and fierce. They shout for the world to hear, making their voices known, deafening the words of their enemies. She on the other hand preferred to not draw attention to herself, only whispering the faintest of words from her heart.

Maybe if she was like them, she could be enough for him. But she wasn't, and she never will be.

How many times has she told herself before that she was done chasing him? A billion times over. And maybe this time, she will stick to her word. And if she doesn't...who's to say she won't?

She looks to the sky again only to be met with emptiness. A mere reflection of her soul.

And while she stares into the blank night sky with her soles planted in the bare earth beneath her, the wind roars in her face, telling her to run. If she can't yell with her words, she'll yell with her body.

And that's what she did.

She ran, as fast as her ninja skills let her. Now, the wind was yelling in her face. Her thoughts were clashing with one another. She was making her body known to the world.

She's running to only the Gods knows where. Because she can't show up to the compound like this. Red swollen eyes and a runny nose and tear stained cheeks and stinking of alcohol. Maybe they would be asleep around this time. But she knows that will never be the case. Let something happen to their 'princess' and all hell would break loose. Never will they let their precious byakugan get into the hands of a foreigner.

Damn it all.

Here's to the princess that never became the queen.

Her feet clash against the walls and rooftops, and like a bullet, her body ricochets through whatever buildings come in her path.

Here's to the lover that will never receive love.

You were never mine.

She kept going, faster and faster, her figure zipping through the air at a speed that if one were to blink, they could miss her. She was waiting for something, anything to stop her. A sign from the universe that would halt her movements. Yet that moment never came. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as he forged her way through the heart of Konoha. She let her body take authority, let herself be known to no one but Hinata Hyuga, to the darkness of the world.

May she find peace, in finding herself.

Because only a lost soul can search for lost stars.