Chapter 15 – The confession (2)
Videl was still laughing at the way she had thrown Neji under the bus. She had flown back to the palace, humming to herself all the way. His face had been priceless. After all the times she had failed to extract any sort of expression from him, she had finally managed to get two in one: annoyance and amusement.
She regretted that she had needed to slap him, but she had panicked when she saw the elders approaching before they had decided how they would 'break up' - not that she would admit that to anyone.
To be fair, she had warned Neji to brace himself a second before she had slapped him. Videl chuckled guiltily, hoping he wasn't too mad at her about that.
Landing on the training grounds, she decided to practice her gentle fist forms. Neji still hadn't gotten around to teaching her the Kaiten, but she hoped they had formed a lasting friendship so that she would have many years to learn from him. Well...hopefully they would still be friends. She had no idea what would happen in the future of the Hyuuga clan.
Not long into her warm up, Gohan showed up, looking awkward and adorable. He seemed preoccupied, but was unable to keep it up long in the face of her amusement. He could not help reluctantly returning her smile, even though he was shaking his head at her.
"Gosh, was it really necessary to call him a sleazeball, Videl?" he cringed slightly.
Videl laughed and shrugged her shoulders, smirking at him in challenge. Her amusement faded as she started worrying about what Neji and Hinata were facing right now.
"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I saw the elders coming and it was the first thing I could think of. So what happened?"
Gohan frowned worriedly and looked in the direction where they both knew the Hyuugas were gathered.
"The elders looked pretty mad. And then Hinata told me we'd done enough and told me to come find you. I hope nothing too bad happens."
Videl smiled at how worried he was. He and Hinata had really become close over these last two months. Videl was happy to report that she felt no jealousy. But she still felt the need to tease him.
"Don't worry, Gohan," she rubbed his arm and kissed him on the cheek. "I saw Naruto heading their way as I flew back. I'm sure he'll take care of your girlfriend."
Gohan groaned and palmed his face with his large hand.
"Don't start, Videl. You know it's not like that between me and Hinata."
Videl let out an exuberant laugh. He was so easy to tease. There really was no one in the world like Gohan. And he was all hers. She sidled up to him and gave him a cocky smirk.
"I know. I'm the only one for you," and she smiled more gently knowing that she really did know. "You got that, Mister? Don't make me kick your ass!"
"Got it," Gohan smiled along with her, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her in for a kiss.
Videl stood up on her tiptoes, eager to return his kiss. His hands were so gentle and warm.
"Do you enjoy distracting me?" Videl muttered against his lips. "I was training over here, you know?"
"Oh. Sorry," he released her.
Of course Gohan would call her on her bluff unknowingly. But while she pouted and wanted to kiss him some more, he took up his stance and faced her.
"You and I haven't sparred in a while, Videl," he said, suddenly eager. "Let's see what you've learned."
Videl grinned eagerly, forgetting about kissing him. She took up her usual stance, the one she had often used before beginning her training with Neji.
Gohan frowned in confusion, but did not say a thing.
As she started her attack he remained on defence, the way he usually was with her. The time had long passed when she would demand he attack her back. She knew there was no way she could hold a candle to him.
Her movements seemed to confuse him. They were a blend of the Kame style and the Satan style, and when she managed to get around him, she knicked him on the arm with her gentle fist.
Gohan barely winced when she closed his Tenketsu. He looked at her with a smile, seeming to appreciate the surprise attack.
"You managed to integrate it into your usual style?" he asked in amazement, even as she kept attacking him.
Videl kept him on his toes, confusing him with her erratic mix of styles.
She kept up a relentless attack, letting her muscle memory guide her. Even she did not know what she was going to do from one blow to the next.
The lack of forethought seemed to have a similar effect on him as the Drunken fist style and it slowed his reactions – if only by a fraction.
"Yeah," she confirmed in between strikes. "This is what Neji and I were working on today as a way to end off our training."
She attacked him again, knowing that he was allowing her to try different tactics out on him, but that in reality he was fast enough to stop her. She took advantage of that to solidify her style and practiced on him.
"We only worked on it for an hour but he said I'm a quick enough study to keep going on my own," she admitted, allowing a tinge of pride to enter her voice. "I can't wait to try this out on someone who isn't half-alien."
Gohan laughed at the way she said that and got distracted enough for her to swipe his feet out from under him.
Instinctively, Gohan backflipped and righted himself where he would usually have allowed her the 'win'.
Seeing him caught of guard like that – even though she was the one who had made him laugh – it irritated her enough to cause her to snap at him.
"I wish you weren't so strong sometimes so I could knock some sense into you," Videl growled at him angrily. "When are you going to quit letting your guard down during a fight?"
Gohan cringed sheepishly and threw her an apologetic look. "I know. I know. I'm sorry."
Videl released her stance and stared at him, feeling bad about how rude and harsh she was being, but unable to stop the sudden swell of emotion.
Usually, she would try to hide her irritation, but for some reason it was getting harder to pretend in front of him.
She tried to reflect on why she was so irritated and couldn't come up with a logical explanation. For once, she let go of her control and just started talking, hoping that she would figure it out as she went along.
"I'm sorry for snapping at you. But I'm serious Gohan," she looked down, avoiding his inquisitive eyes. "Piccolo told me it's a problem most of you Saiyans have in battle, and it's cost you many times. But…I don't want to go through the pain of losing you again."
She looked up at him apologetically, allowing some vulnerability to creep into her expression, and allowing her instincts to guide her into saying what she needed to say.
"Videl…" Gohan reached out to her, both of them realising that she was shaking at the same time.
She shrugged his hand off and glared to the side, still struggling to look at him. As if getting ready to dive into cold water, she squeezed her eyes shut and kept talking.
"I knew you got distracted with me. I thought that was because we were friends. But when you were fighting Hinata, you did it too! You didn't know if she was able to hide her strength or if the gentle fist was somehow especially strong against Saiyans and could have damaged your organs. You let your guard down numerous times and even allowed her to hit you for your own curiosity."
Videl's voice was shaking now. and she was only realising as she was speaking that this had been bothering her ever since the fight with Buu.
"I want you to take every opponent seriously. If you don't, you'll retain that habit of getting distracted and you won't be able to keep your guard up when it really matters."
Gohan approached her carefully, worried that she would shrug him off again.
She felt prickly and raw, but she let him embrace her. Almost instantly, her frazzled nerves were soothed. Gohan was just so warm and earnest. When she was in his arms, it felt like nothing could hurt her. He held her tightly against him and kissed the top of her head.
"I didn't know you felt that way," he murmured soothingly and seriously to her hair as he held her. "I hate that I've been making you worry."
"Who couldn't worry about a giant teddy bear like you?" Videl grumbled angrily into his shoulder, shaking her head while wiping away the beginnings of tears.
"I love that there are so many things in this world that I don't have to worry about when it comes to you. But whenever something dangerous does come, the worry is so much worse. And I hate that I'm not strong enough to help you when that happens. I know that I'll just have to stay up on the lookout and wait for you to come back, no matter how much stronger I get. The least you could do is reassure me that you won't get distracted when it counts."
Gohan drew back and looked down at her. She avoided his eyes again and he gripped her chin to force her to look at him. He was wearing that serious face – the one he only wore when he was prepared for battle.
"I'll do better, Videl. I promise," Gohan reassured her vehemently. "I can't promise not to make you worry ever again. But I swear that if you're waiting for me, I'm going to be doing everything in my power to make it back to you."
He stared at her long enough to drill his meaning into her, and Videl felt herself relaxing.
Gohan was not like Goku. He was not battle-obsessed, and he treasured his relationships more than anything else. He did not make idle promises.
He sensed her calming down and smiled at her tentatively, kissing her cheeks and her eyelids where some traitorous tears had started to form.
"I'm going to work on keeping my guard up. Okay?" he whispered as he kissed down her jawline and pecked her lips soothingly.
Videl melted. She couldn't resist him when he was being so sweet and caring. She smiled at him gently and nodded, before removing all traces of vulnerability.
"You'd better!" she punched him lightly in the shoulder, cringing internally at how unfeminine she was.
Gohan smiled lovingly at her punch as though she was the most perfect creature in the world. And in that moment she felt it. She couldn't help blushing at how much he seemed to like her just the way she was. She hid her shyness by taking a step back and taking up another fighting stance.
Gohan was living up to his promise by wiping the smile off his face and taking up his own stance. The way he was focused on her, she knew that he was remaining on guard even though he knew she had no chance of beating him.
She had never loved him more.
They sparred together long enough for them to sense the Hyuuga's returning. They paused in their fight and felt everyone's ki approaching.
Hideki and Hiashi were walking separately from Neij and Naruto. Hinata seemed to have remained behind in the clearing. Everyone seemed to be in one piece, except that Neji's ki was slightly weakened.
Neji and Naruto headed over to them, with Naruto supporting Neji's weight around his shoulders. Videl moved forward worriedly to assist her trainer.
"What happened?" she asked, helping Naruto to carry Neji over to Gohan. But Neji just grimaced, while Naruto shook his head at her, glaring at the elders.
As the elders passed by, Hiashi ignored them and Hideki glanced at them through narrowed eyes. However, neither Gohan nor Videl felt guilty about the way they had deceived him, so he continued walking with barely a huff.
As soon as the elders had entered the palace, Neji allowed himself to slump to the ground ungracefully and started rubbing at his temples.
"Those bastards used the cursed seal on him because he refused to marry Hinata," Naruto answered Videl's question now that the elders were out of the way.
Both she and Gohan had been made aware of the cursed seal and the way it was used to keep the branch family in line.
"Hinata beat the crap out of Old man Hideki and faced them both down by herself!"
The pride in Naruto's voice was so obvious that Videl couldn't help smiling in amusement. Even Neji, in his delicate state, cracked a smile.
"Not by herself," Neji contradicted weakly, as he looked at her and Gohan. "Naruto supported her play."
"I just gave her a little back-up," Naruto waved his hand dismissively as he continued to enthuse about Hinata.
"She would have been fine on her own. Did you see that fire in her eyes?" he chuckled appreciatively. "I don't think she needed my help at all."
"Then why did you offer to marry her?" Neji countered, exhaling in annoyance.
Gohan and Videl looked to them both in confusion, expecting someone to clarify. But neither of them was being forthcoming.
"You did WHAT?" Videl shouted, making Naruto back up a bit defensively.
He look a little embarrassed, but there was definitely an undercurrent of pleasure beneath it all. Videl looked to Neji, wanting some clue as to whether the blonde and the heiress had discussed this beforehand. The way Neji was looking at Naruto so hopelessly made her think not.
"What did she say?" Gohan asked much more calmly than Videl, holding her back with his hand on her shoulder.
"She…uh…she…" Naruto started with a frown, simultaneously holding his elbow with one hand and grasping his chin with the other. "She said she'd do it, I guess. It's not like she had any better options, ya know!" he waved his hands excitedly, seeming to panic. "They were gonna stick her with some old guy with no teeth, I just know it!"
Videl could not believe this guy. Didn't he know how Hinata would take this? That she would be beating herself up with guilt? Honestly! Videl had so much respect for Hinata, but she had no idea what the Hyuuga girl saw in Naruto. Sure, he was honest and devoted and kind of sweet occasionally. But he could be so dense!
"You idiot!" she shouted at him, and Naruto immediately glared at her. "Please tell me you at least spoke to her about it afterwards?"
Naruto looked shocked, as though he had never contemplated doing so and was now realising that he should have. He looked at her curiously, ignoring her furious expression and resembling someone who was afraid they were in trouble.
"Come on, Videl. Ease up a bit," Gohan chuckled nervously, though it was clear that even he thought Naruto was being oblivious.
Gohan came to stand behind her and placed both his hands on her shoulders to calm her. It kind of worked, but Videl was still so annoyed that all she could do was shake her head at the blonde.
"You think she expected me to talk to her?" Naruto asked Videl nervously, staring at her intently with all their usual hostility forgotten.
Neji sighed and put his head between his knees as if this conversation was making his headache worse. Videl could not blame him.
"Yes!" Videl groaned. "You've been waiting for this chance for months! And now that the perfect opportunity arises, you're letting it slip through your fingers. What are you doing?"
Naruto looked like a lost puppy. He kept looking at her like she was supposed to tell him what to do now. Videl nearly laughed at how he suddenly cared about her opinion. But she was too frustrated with him. All she could do was stare at him in annoyed disbelief.
Beside her, she could feel Gohan shaking his head in disapproval. Whether at her exclamations or at Naruto's actions, she had no idea.
"I think you should go speak to her, Naruto," Gohan added reasonably. "Tell her how you feel."
Naruto blushed and turned on Gohan as though he wanted to start shouting at him. Then he seemed to remember that Gohan was not a perverted playboy and had done nothing to warrant being shouted at.
And then he just looked down and started shuffling his toes, suddenly shy that everyone here knew how he felt.
"I can tell her later, ya know," Naruto muttered reluctantly, looking scared. "We have the whole boat ride home. And we're gonna get married. It's not like she can avoid me. There's lots of time."
Videl laughed with cruel incredulity and Naruto glared at her. But Videl had lost her patience with his obstinance. She approached him, placing both hands on his shoulders and really focused on him, trying to burn some sense into him with her seriousness. His blue eyes met hers and they were wary.
"Naruto, think about what you're saying," she implored slowly, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Instead of telling Hinata you love her and giving her the choice to marry you; you decide it's best to entrap her into a marriage and delay telling her how you feel. Don't you think that's only going to make her resent you before you even get a chance to confess? Do you really think that's a great way to start a marriage?"
Naruto, who had looked like he was about to shout at her, suddenly clammed up and blanched. His eyes widened as he looked at her and heard what she was saying. Videl nodded along with sardonic encouragement as she waited for his thoughts to catch up to her words.
It took longer than she had expected for him to realise what an idiot he had been.
"Shit! You're right!" he eventually cried, and gripped his hair in frustration. "I gotta go talk to Hinata!"
Videl exhaled in frustrated relief. Geez, she could not believe that this was the guy Hinata wanted.
Naruto looked at all three of them, trying to settle his mind and find his direction. His eyes settled on her as though she was his lifeline.
"Thanks," he cried urgently and wildly.
To Videl's surprise, he picked her up and spun her around once before he seemed to realise that he was being too familiar for their fledgling bond.
He put her down suddenly, as if only just remembering that the two of them could barely stand each other. Surprisingly, he also threw Gohan an apologetic glance over her shoulder.
Videl was amused by his forwardness, but patted his back kindly, trying not to laugh at him. She would leave the teasing for later, after everything worked out. Without ceremony, Naruto left the three of them behind and disappeared.
Gohan and Neji both looked at her in wide-eyed disbelief. She pressed her lips together trying not to laugh.
"Videl, you do know that Hinata would never resent him, right?" Gohan asked in confusion.
Neji frowned as he nodded in agreement, before clutching his head again.
"Yeah, I know that," Videl chuckled mischievously. "But he doesn't."
Naruto was both grateful and resentful towards Videl for her blunt words. Why did she have to go and say that?
He had been feeling guiltily triumphant about finding a way to help Hinata and be with her at the same time. Now he was rushing back to the clearing where he had left Hinata, sensing her energy there, and becoming more nervous as he approached. He hoped he was not too late.
He hated that Videl was right. Although Hinata had never been the type of person with a resentful temper, she had sighed quite heavily when she had accepted his offer of marriage.
Hinata had seemed reluctant to agree, but when she did all his doubts had fallen away.
Naruto was only just realising that just because they were getting married did not mean he would necessarily be with Hinata. They might just end up in a marriage for show, with Hinata quietly seething on the inside about how he had trapped her.
Crap! And he had trapped her. He hadn't meant to force her, but in some ways he was taking her choices away just as the elders had been trying to do.
Naruto had wanted to help, but he had never considered that she possibly had her own solution to her clan drama. She had asked for time to find herself a suitable match, and Naruto had disregarded that. Perhaps she had a husband in mind for herself and Naruto had ruined it (although he tried hard not to think of that). Perhaps she actually had been trying to stage a coup to improve the Hyuuga and Naruto had messed with her momentum. Perhaps she now resented him for getting involved.
And then he had just left her there without considering talking to her afterwards. What an idiot he was!
He approached her energy slowly and could feel that she was frazzled. He caught sight of her through the trees practicing her rotation on the surface of the river.
His breath caught in his throat at her grace and beauty. His palms started sweating, wondering whether this was a good idea after all?
Hinata was so kind and gentle and beautiful. And he was clumsy and stupid and raw. Why did he ever think she would want to marry him? Of course she would be mad that he had forced her. She must be so disappointed that she wouldn't be able to choose someone like Sasuke – a rich, pretty-boy from a distinguished clan.
Naruto shook his head, trying to clear the image of Sasuke and Hinata together. It was bad enough that he had been so jealous of Gohan; he could not afford to go down the rabbit hole of his Sasuke inferiority issues.
Naruto took a deep breath and nervously started to approach Hinata. This energy sensing was interesting. He could feel her agitation, even though she looked so calm on the outside.
He should have known when she hadn't followed them that she was angry. He had foolishly thought that she was angry with the elders and just needed some space. He hadn't contemplated that maybe she was angry with him too.
It couldn't be that bad right? She had accepted him after all. She wouldn't have done that if she didn't want to. Naruto knew that much about how strong-willed Hinata could be.
Feeling extremely sensitive and more than a little vulnerable, he made his presence known to her, trying hard not to appear too sheepish.
"Hey, Hinata," he called out. "You got a minute?"
Hinata froze when she heard his voice. She turned to look up at him and paused her movements, observing him warily like he was some kind of unpredictable wild animal. He supposed he deserved that after the way he had blindsided her.
"I'll be right there, Naruto-kun," she replied softly.
Her gentle voice sounded aloof. The sound went right through him, causing an aching pain in his chest. Her eyes, usually so warm and attentive, were cautious and uncertain.
She was out of breath but she took a deep lungful of air to calm herself. When she exhaled it came out in another sigh. Naruto cringed internally. Boy, he was in for it now. He stuck his hands into his pockets to hide his sweaty palms, and rocked back on his feet as he waited for her.
Hinata did not look happy. She was wearing her Hyuuga mask – the cool expression he had come to recognise as the one she wore when she was trying to hide her turbulent emotions.
How had they become so close that he could recognise that mask? Was it just the last two months spent together? Or had he been subtly paying attention to her for years? He honestly had no idea how long he had been in love with her, and he probably would never have noticed if Gohan had not pointed it out.
Hinata finished up with some slow movements to warm down, and controlled her breathing before she left the surface of the river and approached him. She had long stopped being that awkward girl who fidgeted with her fingers, but right now it looked like she was resisting the urge.
Some of her long, dark hair had fallen over her shoulders and Naruto watched, mesmerised, as she pulled at the strands nervously. He suddenly felt shy and intimidated by this gorgeous woman in front of him and forgot how he was going to start apologising.
Her cheeks were flushed and he was not sure whether it was due to the exercise or the embarrassment.
She wouldn't look at him and Naruto wished she would. She had avoided his eyes since they were children and he hadn't realised until now how much he had been enjoying the recent eye contact. When she looked at him, it was like she could root him to the spot with the way she could stare into his soul. He resisted the urge to reach for her and make her look at him.
"I wanted to train after…after everything," Hinata started talking to the earth, and he was surprised that she was still willing to talk to him. "I was prepared for a fight with the elders and when things ended peacefully I still had a lot of pent up energy."
Naruto knew what she meant. He felt like he was about to shoot off into the sky with all the nervous energy he was holding inside, even though he knew that they were riled up for different reasons.
"Yeah…uh…I guess that didn't go how you thought it would, huh?" Naruto chuckled nervously, and slanted his eyes to the side as he scratched his cheek. She didn't say anything.
They stood in an awkward silence as the seconds ticked by, and Naruto could feel Kurama growling with irritation inside him as the silence continued. Naruto felt a nudge from his tummy – Kurama telling him to get on with it.
"Hinata, I – "
"Naruto-kun, you shouldn't – "
They spoke at the same time and they both cringed. Damn. Could this get any more awkward?
Naruto needed time to work up the nerve to confess, and she sounded like she at least knew where her sentence was going, so he asked her to go first.
"Naruto-kun, I feel terrible that you got dragged into our clan's problems," Hinata started, looking up at him as she seemed to find her strength. She was holding onto her left arm and covering her stomach with her right, as though she were trying to hide. "You didn't – you don't have to marry me. You shouldn't have to sacrifice your happiness and your future just to help me. I – I won't hold you to anything that happened today."
Naruto wasn't sure what to say. He got distracted by the determination in her lilac eyes as she spoke and was momentarily floating on air as she gave him her full attention. There it was – full on paralysis. She had so much power over him and she wasn't even aware of it. It wasn't just the Byakugan, it was Hinata. It felt like she could see everything inside him and wouldn't change a thing.
Eventually he heard what she was actually saying and realised that she was feeling as guilty as he was. She was trying to let him off the hook.
Naruto frowned at her. She knew that breaking their arrangement was likely to lose her any bargaining power she had gained within her clan. Without a solid match, the elders would feel free to make arrangements on her behalf again. Who knew who she would end up with if that was the case?
He really thought about it. Did Naruto want to be free of his promise to marry her? Not at all. But more than that, he didn't want her to end up with anyone but him. Perhaps he was being selfish. Perhaps he needed to offer her a way out too.
"Hinata, I don't want to back out and I hope you don't either," he started, feeling self-conscious and working up his nerve. "I didn't just offer to marry you because I love you and want to help you. I still think it's the best outcome for everyone. But if you – "
"What did you say?" Hinata gasped and her eyes had widened.
Huh? Naruto pondered her expression. Why did she seem so much more alert and rigid than before? She was blinking more than he had ever seen her blink before. Naruto frowned in confusion and repeated himself.
"I said I think getting married is the best outcome for everyone. But I still wanna give you the chance – "
"No," she interrupted quietly and awkwardly. "Before that?"
"Before that…?" Naruto asked, unnerved by her quiet interruption.
Then he realised what she meant! He had been working up the nerve to let her out of the arrangement, and that seemed to have overcome his nerves to confess his feelings. He had done it quite unceremoniously and totally by accident. Crap!
She was looking anywhere but at him, and Naruto realised he couldn't run anymore. He knew he was being too serious to be romantic, but he needed to just come out and say it. He straightened up, determined.
"Hinata. I love you."
She looked right at him after he said it and he could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks and ears. He couldn't believe he had just said that.
Her eyes widened even further and she gaped at him as the moments ticked by. Naruto started to get nervous again as her silence continued. Oh no! No, no, no, no, no.
Naruto did not know what to do. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Was it such a horrifying idea to her? He had no idea what he should do! Should he make light of it and pretend it was all a joke? Or should he lean into it and demand a response from her.
"Look, I know this has been a long and confusing day for you," Naruto chuckled awkwardly and decided to do a mix of both. "I just came to say I don't want to back out of this. I think it could be great, being married to you. I think we could make a great team, ya know? But you tried to let me off the hook and I think I should offer you the same chance. I want you to know you can back out any time you want once we're back home."
Her face finally showed some movement at his words. Her gaping mouth finally closed and she looked…sad? Disappointed? Naruto wasn't sure and his heart was breaking. He decided to push her a bit more, just to get some sense of closure from her. Any tiny reaction would be great right about now, even if it was a final rejection.
"But I hope you don't. Back out, I mean," he added courageously. "I know I'm not good enough for you. But isn't it better to be married to someone who loves you rather than a stranger?"
Tears suddenly started pooling in her eyes and Naruto panicked. Was it such a terrible idea, the thought of being married to him? Was it horrifying enough to drive her to tears?
"Of course, it would be better to marry you," Hinata finally spoke, although her voice was shaky and sounded raw. "But I don't think we are thinking about the same type of love, Naruto-kun. I never wanted to be married to someone who loves me only as a friend, or who loves me the same way they love ramen and sweets. I wanted to marry someone who was in love with me."
Oh! Naruto thought. That was where the confusion was. She thought that he meant he loved her the way he loved everyone in the village. Like the way she had meant it when she said she loved him during Pein's attack! He couldn't blame her for thinking that. And he couldn't blame her for wanting more out of a marriage. Here was the moment of truth.
"That's exactly what I meant, Hinata." Naruto approached her slowly, giving her time to back up if he was making her nervous. But she didn't. "I'm in love with you. I think you're amazing and pretty and really strong, and I think about you all the time."
She looked gobsmacked again. But Naruto, tired of the confusing conversation and wanting to get it all out in the open, did not give her time to react.
"I think I'm being pretty selfish. I saw an opportunity to get what I want and help you out at the same time and I jumped at it."
He looked at her hands, ashamed of what he had done, and tentatively reached out for the one that was holding onto her arm. She let him take her hand and he breathed a sigh of relief that she didn't seem angry at least.
"But I know now that I was taking your choices away and I'm really sorry about that, ya know? I was kinda hoping that if we got married you could learn to love me back. But if you really don't want to marry me, I'll let you go."
Hinata had tears in her eyes again, but this time there was a tiny smile at the corner of her mouth. Naruto felt a little hopeful lilt in his heart. She squeezed his hand tighter and closed the distance between them. She reached out to place her warm hand on his cheek. Naruto closed his eyes at the feel of her.
"I don't need to learn to love you, Naruto-kun," she whispered softly to him. "I've been in love with you for longer than I can remember."
Naruto whipped his head down to look at her and felt his eyes widen. Could it be? She loved him back? And always had? He peered into her eyes uncertainly. It was almost impossible to believe.
She was staring at him so gently that he was paralysed again. Slowly, as if he was under a spell, he leaned in to tuck her hair behind her ear as he digested her words. She smiled up at him, her cheeks rosy. He had never seen her smile so freely or her eyes sparkle so much. She looked radiant.
Her eyes were full of love – displaying the truth of her words for him to see. Had she always looked at him like that and he was only noticing it now? Or had she been hiding it and was now allowing him to see because she felt secure in his feelings? Either way, Naruto did not doubt her words.
"That's really…really good to know, ya know?"
Naruto felt a smile tugging at his face and his relief relaxed the last of the tension inside him. He rested his forehead against hers and just breathed her in. He heard her giggle with relief as well and he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer, knowing that he was not going to let go of her ever again.
Naruto was revelling at the feel of her in his arms and he was caught completely by surprise when he felt her soft lips press hesitantly against his.
He almost pulled away instinctively, and his eyes flew open in surprise. But she was so warm and it felt so good that he leaned into it, closing his eyes once more to savour the taste and feel of her.
Naruto had, to his shame, had his fair share of kisses – whether by accident or by the enemy's battle strategy – but he had never felt this way before. He felt sort of tingly and on edge. He wanted to savour this sweet moment at the same time that he wanted to pull her closer for a more heated kiss. He was both calm and excited at the same time. He could feel Hinata's adoration through her lips.
When she pulled back, her nose and cheeks were dusted with a light pink blush and she wore a shy smile. Naruto felt frozen in time, wishing he could take a picture of her face with his eyes. His heart was fluttering with excitement. He could not believe she loved him too!
So, you finally noticed, huh kid? Kurama rolled his eyes from inside Naruto. Tch. Took you long enough.
Oi, idiot fox! You knew about this all along, didn't you? Naruto scolded internally, grumpy that Kurama had noticed his internal struggle these last few weeks and had not said anything.
Everyone knows about it, you brat! Kurama chuckled. Your friends shake their heads at you behind your back. Even the other tailed beasts get together and make fun of you for not noticing.
What?! Naruto was truly shocked. Had it really been that obvious that Hinata loved him? It hadn't been to him. But then, he'd spent most of his life believing no one would ever love him. Perhaps he had just been ignorant of the signs. He had thought there was something familiar in the way Videl looked at Gohan. But…
Is that why you said Hinata already looked at me that way?
Duh. Should you really be talking to me right now? Kurama retreated from his consciousness.
Naruto emerged and paid attention to the woman in front of him. Her hands were pressed against his chest due to the way he was holding her so tightly against him.
She was smiling patiently like she already knew what he had just been up to and was waiting politely for him to finish talking to Kurama. What a wonderful person she was!
But then he remembered Kurama's comments about the others making fun of him.
"Hey, hey, Hinata!" Naruto narrowed his eyes at her. "If you loved me for so long, why didn't you ever say something? I've been tearing my hair out over here, ya know?"
Naruto wanted to fold his arms grumpily, but he didn't want to let go of her. So he settled for leaning back a bit so he could glare down at her. She had the nerve to giggle.
"I did say something, Naruto-kun," Hinata shook her head with a self-deprecating expression. "During the fight with Pein. I just assumed you never heard me."
Naruto frowned at her, but started rubbing her back and stroking the area where Pein had pierced right through her. He squeezed her even tighter to him as he remembered how distraught he had felt when he thought she was dead. Had he loved her even then?
"I heard you," Naruto groaned at his own stupidity. "I just thought you meant…how did you put it…? I thought that you loved me as a friend or the way a person loves ramen and sweets."
"Oh," she said mildly, and a light clicked in her mind as she finally realised why he had not responded to her confession.
For his part, he could not believe that he had missed the opportunity back then! Damn, he really was an idiot! He groaned regretfully at all the time he had wasted, and she chuckled at his expression. He narrowed his eyes at her playfully, unable to resist her laughter.
"Oi, Hinata. Are you laughing at me?"
Hinata smiled and shook her head as she sighed against his chest and rested her head on his shoulder. Naruto tightened his arms around her, still in disbelief that she was here in his arms.
"No, Naruto-kun. I'm just so happy, and now everything painful suddenly seems light and amusing."
Naruto immediately softened and agreed with her. He knew exactly what she meant. His chest felt so much lighter and even the day seemed brighter. He cupped her cheek and leaned down for another kiss, still amazed that he was now allowed to do this with her.
She hummed happily against his mouth and the sound sent a thrill through him. He had no idea when he woke up this morning that this was how his day would go. He pulled back and kissed the corners of her lips and her cheeks and her nose, making her giggle.
"I still want to give you an out, Hinata," he peered down into her loving lilac eyes as she rested her head back on his shoulder. "I love you and I want to help you, but I don't want to force you."
Hinata stroked his cheek comfortingly and Naruto leaned into her touch.
"How could I say no to getting everything I ever wanted?" Hinata asked so seriously that it made Naruto blush. "The only reason I hesitated was because I didn't want to force you. Are you sure, Naruto-kun? Just because we love each other doesn't mean we have to get married right now. We can always find another way to deal with my clan if you want to take things slower?"
Naruto grinned down at her determinedly.
"I've never been the type to do things slowly, Hinata. You know this. I never go back on my word. I was ready to go all in from the moment I knew how I felt about you."
Hinata smiled shyly up at him and nodded. And that was it. They were going to get married. He was going to marry Hinata Hyuuga. Naruto was almost in disbelief at his luck.
"In that case I'm surprised you waited so long to propose," Hinata teased with a giggle.
Naruto laughed at how comfortable she was becoming around him.
"I probably would've done it sooner if I wasn't wasting all my energy trying not to kill that pervert ex-boyfriend of yours," Naruto teased back, tickling her slightly.
Hinata jerked away from his tickling hands and reluctantly let out a tiny peal of laughter that sounded like a little bell. It went straight to his heart.
"Gohan-kun was never my boyfriend!" Hinata giggled, while still trying to set the record straight. "And he's not a pervert, Naruto-kun. He's actually really nice and a good friend. I'm sure you would like him if you spent some more time with him. We can go train with them if you like."
Naruto immediately started shaking his head and narrowed his eyes at her.
"No way. I don't think I can handle having him close to you right now. I'm still too mad at him. I can't help it. Even though I know he did nothing wrong, I can't just erase all these jealous feelings I've been having."
Her eyes widened in wonder.
"It's hard to believe that you were having such strong feelings about Gohan-kun and me and I didn't realise it."
Hinata seemed flabbergasted at the idea that he could care enough about her to be jealous. Naruto was determined to remind her of his feelings as often as possible. She really had not suspected how he felt about her at all. Well, that was because they had spent so little time together since he had realised he had feelings for her. Naruto was about to rectify that.
"Besides, I'm not wasting my last day here getting to know him when I could be spending it with you. Let's go somewhere so I can take you on a date and propose properly. Where do you want to go? The city? The beach?"
Hinata flushed with pleasure and embarrassment. "A-anywhere is fine, Naruto-kun."
"No way," Naruto disagreed and frowned in thought. "Just anywhere isn't good enough for you."
He stroked his chin as he mused, knowing that he would have to link to someone's energy if he was going to take her somewhere far from Fire Mountain.
"Well, Hanabi's in West City so we can go straight to her and tell her the good news and find a place to go from there. Luckily she's already gotten used to calling me big brother!" He chuckled, and then his eyes lit up. "I know! The West City botanical gardens. It's beautiful. I went there for a meeting with your dad and Hideki. You'd love it! You like flowers, right?"
Hinata surprised him by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a leisurely kiss that made his insides tingle. Naruto was surprised by her boldness, but took full advantage of it as he kissed her back.
"That is very romantic, Naruto-kun," Hinata smiled shyly, looking happier than he had seen her in months. "And you thought you'd be a terrible boyfriend."
Naruto held her tightly, no longer needing to come up with an excuse to do so, and placed two fingers on his forehead.
"Not boyfriend…I'm your fiancé, Hinata," Naruto grinned with mock severity, "Fi-an-cé! And don't you forget it!"
Hinata's giggles echoed around the clearing as the two of them disappeared.
