Fragile Hearts: Six
"Alright, what did you do?"
Naruto glanced at the hands that's landed on his desk then slowly lifted his gaze to meet a pair of onyx eyes. "Excuse me?" He watched as the raven-haired man rolled his eyes and sat in one of the seats before his desk. Dropping his pen, the blonde leaned back in his seat and intertwined the fingers.
"Don't play dumb with me Dobe," Sasuke spat glaring at his friend.
The Uzumaki chuckled, "Sasuke I think you've known me long enough to know that I'm not acting."
"Just...what did you do to Hinata?" Something flashed before Naruto's eyes as he stiffened at the sound of her name. Sitting forward in his seat, he picked up his pen once more and tried to read the printed words on the document in front of him. Of course, the Uchiha noticed and was determined to get to the bottom of it. "Naruto-"
"Look Sasuke, I didn't do anything."
"Then why isn't she answering any of my calls? Kiba said she hasn't been to work in a week, and she won't let anyone see her." He explained.
Naruto deadpanned, "and you think I'm the cause of all that?"
"No offense Naruto, but you have a tendency to ruin everything."
The blonde placed a hand over his concealed heart, "ouch, offense taken Uchiha."
"She went home with you after the party. Toneri said she wasn't feeling well." Naruto scoffed which caused Sasuke to narrow his eyes at him. "What?"
Before he could respond, the door opened, and a woman dressed in a blue suit walked inside. "Mr. Uzumaki, the new designs you wanted printed," she said handing him a brown leather portfolio. He took it and watched as the brunette glanced at Sasuke, "Mr. Commissioner."
The Uchiha nodded in response, and she left right after. Naruto smirked while opening the folder, "not even a month into the job and you're already a big shot."
"Shut up," he hissed with a blank expression causing Naruto to laugh.
"Alright, alright...wouldn't want you to arrest me," he chuckled.
"Keep talking and I just might."
"But seriously, I didn't do anything to Hinata. I took her home the day after the party and she basically flipped Kiba off." Naruto said flipping through the pages. "If anything, you should ask Toneri what's wrong."
"Toneri?"
"So, you don't know everything," Naruto smirked in amusement.
The raven-haired man took off his hat and ran a gloved hand through his hair. "I'm this close to strangling you."
"I don't know. I just don't trust him," he explained. The cerulean blue-eyed man sighed and looked down at the paperwork on his desk. "But it's none of my business. Hinata made it pretty clear that she doesn't want to be friends."
Sasuke scoffed, "since when do you give up this easily?"
"Since I lost the woman, I loved to you."
Their eyes met and a small smile graced the Uchiha's face. He placed his hat on his head before standing to his full height. Dusting off his black uniform his eyes never left Naruto's, "you know Naruto, sometimes life gives us second chances."
The blonde scoffed and rolled his eyes, "sometimes I'm not so sure..."
Sasuke started walking out of his office, "try to get through to her would you."
"No promises," he said as the door opened, and his vice president walked in. Sasuke waved a hand before disappearing behind the now closed door. The spiky black-haired man raised an eyebrow at his boss who rolled his eyes, "don't ask."
"I'm not sure I want to know exactly," he replied.
"So Shikamaru, what brings you to my office?"
...
"Hmm," the pale girl hummed holding up two jars of strawberry jam. It always went like that whenever she did her grocery shopping. Her indecisive nature would resurface and cause her to spend the entire day in the supermarket. Though this was her first time being there on a Monday.
Her empty refrigerator and cupboards had driven her to the supermarket at such a late hour. But what else did she expect when she'd spent the last seven days in isolation?
It had been a week. One week since she last spoke to anyone. The constant ringing of her phones drove her to unplug the house phone and turn off her mobile device. Fists pounded against her door, fingers pushed against her doorbell and voices called her name, day and night, until she couldn't hear them anymore.
Concealed in her home, she felt safe from the dangers of the outside world. She was foolish to trust those who swore to protect her...in the end she only had herself to rely on. No one else.
Finally making her choice, she placed one of the jars in the basket she had placed on the polished floor. Her fingers wrapped around the handle as she lifted the growing weight of the carrier. Glancing at her watch Hinata groaned as night drew nearer and she still hadn't decided what she wanted for dinner as yet.
She bit her bottom lip and scurried from the isle she was in and into another. "Pasta it is," she mumbled to herself as she took the packet from the shelf. Throwing it into her basket she made her way to the cashier.
While in the check out line her eyes wondered over towards the glass doors where she noticed that the sun had already set, and the night sky was creeping in. She groaned and wished the woman before her didn't have so many items to cash. Then finally, after what seemed like forever, she was out the glass doors of the supermarket with a bag in each hand.
Hinata sighed as she walked along the sidewalk on her way to the bus stop. Public transportation would be torture at that hour of the day due to all the adults returning from work. She'd be lucky if she got a seat, which made her sad because of the heavy bags she was carrying.
"Serves me right for not doing this on Saturday," she scolded herself. "I could have just-"
"You okay?" A male voice interjected causing the Hyūga to jump slightly. Turning her head quickly she was a bit relieved to see the blonde from the party. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said amusement dripping from his voice.
"It's...okay," she said softly. A small smile graced his lips as he looked away and placed a hand on the stirring wheel of his car. Naruto's hair glowed in the darkening sky, it was almost like the last ray of sunshine left in a world of growing gloom...in that case, it was her world.
"Um..." He started before opening his car door and getting out. "Do you," he pointed to her bags, "need any help?"
Hinata's lavender eyes roamed from his immaculate, black, dress shirt with a white vest to the cemented pavement they stood on. Naruto didn't wait for her to respond, he slowly took one of the bags from her, all the while watching her reaction. But Hinata was too tired to protest, in all honesty she didn't want to have to lug two heavy bags onto public transportation, the hassle would probably kill her.
The blonde opened the door to the backseat and placed both bags inside. Slamming it shut, he ran around to the passenger's side and opened the door for her. She suppressed a smile as she followed his league and slid into the passenger's seat. He closed the door, and she fastened her seatbelt, it wasn't long before Naruto was behind the wheel, and they were moving.
"Thank you," she said into the awkward silence. She glanced at him then back at her hands fiddling with her oversized sweater. Naruto didn't look at her, he merely grinned feeling accomplished by hearing those words from her. "Uh...you have a n-nice car."
"Oh...thanks," he responded.
The midnight blue haired girl tried to continue their conversation. She didn't know why, but there was just something different about Naruto...he wasn't anything like Kiba or Sasuke. And maybe that's what fascinated her the most. She was more comfortable around him having not gone through any traumatic stress the night before. In her much sober state, she could appreciate his kindness.
"I'm sorry about...t-the other day. I-I was going through some...stuff."
"It's okay, it was wrong of me to push you like that anyway." He said stopping at a red light.
Hinata nodded and looked out the window. "I think Sasuke-san has a car similar to this one," she said.
Naruto chuckled lightly catching her attention, "yeah, I uh..." He rubbed the back of his neck, ruffling the blonde hair at the nape. "I got him a discount on it for his promotion-I mean I'd have given it to him, but he'd never accept it."
The pale girl looked at the stop sign before them seeming impressed. "Wow...t-that's...a-a lot of money."
The blonde laughed catching her by surprise, she looked at him and he tapped his thumbs against the wheel. "Well, let's just say I have...connections. So, it didn't cost much."
She furrowed her eyebrows, his words floating around in her head. Nepotism. She thought of possible occupations that Naruto could be doing. Judging by his car, clothes, and house, she could tell that he was well off. Though his personality didn't strike her as one of a criminals...but given the many movies she'd watched, they were always charming. But Sasuke was the Commissioner General, he wouldn't be friends with a-
"Hinata," his voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
"Huh?" She responded looking around. She noticed that they were in front of her apartment complex and Naruto was standing before her opened door with her bags.
"We're here." Unbuckling her seatbelt, she got out of the car and looked at the complex. Lights were on in many of the apartments, giving it a bright glow. A light wind blew lifting the end of her ponytail, she grimaced as it blew in her face.
Naruto stood gazing at her, he knew that she was beautiful, but seeing her clad in skinny jeans and an oversized sweater with her hair in a messy ponytail, proved that she didn't have to try to look good. "Uh...Naruto-san."
Naruto perked up at the sound of his name. "Hmm?" He then realized that she was reaching out for her bags. "No, it's okay, I'll carry them."
"Really I-it's okay. I've got it," she pressed.
"No, just let me help you Hinata," he said backing up a bit in order to get the bags out of her reach.
She frowned and approached him, reaching out again, "I-I think you've done enough."
"Well, I disagree," he said putting both bags behind him so that she was almost pressed against him. Almost.
She looked up at him, her lavender orbs drowning in his cerulean blue ones. And for a moment they just stayed like that, gazing at each other. "You-" Hinata was cut off by the sound of groceries hitting the pavement. Naruto's eyes widened and he turned quickly, lifting what was left of the plastic bag in his right hand, he stared down at the items on the ground.
"Dammit," he muttered as Hinata crouched down to pick them up. "I'm so sorry," he said crouching also.
"It's fine," she said picking up her packet of Pasta.
"No offense Naruto, but you have a tendency to ruin everything."
Sasuke's words echoed in his head as he watched Hinata. He sighed and looked away, "it's my fault."
"Not exactly, I-I mean if I had taken the bus...this would have happened anyway." Hinata shrugged.
"Are you just saying that to make me feel better?" He asked helping her.
Hinata smiled slightly, "no." They managed to gather everything and make it up to her apartment. "T-thanks."
"No problem," he said rocking back on his heels.
Hinata leaned against the door, both looking around in awkward silence. "Uh..."
"Yes?" He asked eager for conversation.
"D-do you want to come in? F-for coffee...or something?" She asked mentally screaming at herself for her inability to put together a coherent sentence.
Naruto smiled down at her, "I'd love to come inside...for coffee, or something." She blushed and stepped to the side to let him in.
Closing the door, she watched his every move. It had been a while since she last let a male into her home, usually only Kiba would visit, never Sasuke. But Naruto, with his daunting height made everything seem small.
He left his shoes by the door and sat cautiously on the white couch. Hinata passed him to head into the kitchen where her groceries waited on the counter to be put away. "D-do you like black coffee or...?" She trailed off once she saw him tugging on his white tie, using one hand he removed the article of clothing. "...sweetened," she finished breathlessly.
"Black," he answered unaware of her eyes on him.
"Okay," Hinata muttered exiting the room. She took several deep breaths as she filled the electric kettle, it was beyond her as to why she was so shaken up by his simple action. Leaning against the counter she waited impatiently for the water to boil.
"You have a nice house," she heard Naruto call.
"Thank you," she replied, though she was sure he didn't hear her.
It wasn't long before she was sitting across from a certain blonde with two cups of coffee on the table. At first they drank in complete silence, until Naruto finally spoke up. "You like action movies," he stated looking at her collection. She shrugged in response, "come on, talk to me."
"A-about what?" She asked sitting back in the armchair, mug in hand.
Now it was Naruto's turn to shrug, "let's play twenty questions."
The midnight blue haired girl smiled, trying to contain her laughter. "W-what are we? In high school?"
The Uzumaki smiled while sitting forward, "no, but I'd like to get to know you better Hinata." His blue eyes pierced through her, folding her legs on the softness of the furniture she curled her toes as she took a sip of her coffee.
Naruto was unsure if she'd reply until she finally said, "alright, who's starting?"
He grinned, "I'll start." She nodded, his eyes never leaving her. "How old are you?"
She made a quizzical face, "of all questions."
"What?" He chuckled, "it is a question."
"I'm twenty-four," she deadpanned.
Naruto smiled, "what a coincidence, so am I."
Hinata looked at him with a lopsided smile, "I can't believe I'm doing this," she whispered.
"Believe it." He laughed, "your turn."
"W-what's your job description?"
Naruto leaned back into the softness of the couch. "Right to the point," he mused. "Well..." He looked at her, "I work at a car company."
"Car company?" She arched an eyebrow.
He looked around her small living room, "yeah. UMC. Short for Uzumaki Motor corporation...I'm the current owner."
Hinata's eyes widened, she never imagined he'd be the owner of a car company. Naruto looked so...simple. She mentally apologized for thinking that he was involved in illegal activities. "Wow."
He took another drink of his coffee and changed the subject, "how do you know Sasuke?"
"W-we were...I wouldn't say friends...I-in college."
Naruto looked at her television, "college eh? I never went."
"W-why not?"
He shook his head, "that's a story for another day."
Hinata nodded, respecting his privacy, "why do you try so hard...to be my f-friend?"
He thought of that question for a long while before answering. "Because... I think that you've been through some stuff. I don't know what...but I want to make it better...to make you better."
She frowned, "Kiba-kun has tried."
He smiled while pinning her down with his burning gaze. Hinata sat frozen in her seat, her lavender eyes locked with his, until he spoke, and the weight of his words came crashing down on her already shattered world filling her with both hope and fear. Striping her of all her defenses, leaving her completely vulnerable and at his mercy.
"I'm not Kiba."
Fragile Hearts | A NaruHina Story
©Infinite_Writer01™2016
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