Fragile Hearts: Eleven

The sky was dark and the stars had already taken their places in the endless hue. Hinata unbuckled her seat belt as Naruto exited the car and walked around to open her door. Throughout the entire car ride neither spoke, leaving nothing but tension and unsaid words hanging in the atmosphere. As soon as his hand tightened around the handle of the door she took a deep breath and turned to face him as the door opened.

Hands clenching her purse as she stared up at the sharp lines of his facial features. His blue eyes seemed a few shades deeper resembling the ocean at night. Naruto held his arm out to her and she took it without hesitation.

"Thank you," she whispered once she was out and he closed the door. The blonde smiled and nodded before looking down at their joint hands. Hinata noticed too and quickly retracted her hand, however Naruto was relentless. He once again cocked his elbow out to her and waited until she took it. "You are the oddest creature." She said once they started walking.

Naruto chuckled and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "yes and you are repeating yourself."

She blushed crimson from the embarrassment and looked ahead. They were met by a man at the door who held a brief conversation with her counterpart before ushering them to a table. The Hyūga had already inferred that they were at a restaurant, but what surprised her was the dance floor in the middle of the extravagant place. It was pretty rare to find a dance floor in Japanese restaurant, so she was a bit taken aback.

"Thank you," Naruto said dismissing the man once they were seated then turned his attention to his date. "So?"

Hinata nodded in approval while looking around at the other people there seated at different tables. "It's nice."

"Yes!" Naruto whisper yelled with a grin causing her to chuckle. "Well go on, order anything you'd like." She watched as he picked up his menu before doing the same. There was the sound of low music playing the in background and the soft buzz of chatter all around them. She smiled behind the barrier her menu created, enchanted with the atmosphere of the place. Naruto had definitely outdone himself.

"So..." The blonde started after they'd both ordered. "How was your day?"

Hinata looked away from his piercing gaze, "it was...o-okay."

"Come on Hinata, I deserve better than that," he pouted.

She glanced at him before looking away almost instantly, "t-there was nothing unusual about my day."

"Alright."

She bit her bottom lip nervously, contemplating whether or not she should inquire about his day. "H-how was yours?"

Naruto seemed to light up at the question, "it was okay I guess. I couldn't find a file."

The pale girl arched her eyebrows, "a file?"

He nodded and sighed, "I need it for a presentation on Monday, but I can't seem to find it...maybe I really did misplace it like Shikamaru said." Hinata laughed as she watched him across the table from her. Eyebrows furrowed and blue eyes searching the restaurant as though it had the answer hidden somewhere. "What?" He smiled when he heard her laughter.

She shook her head and placed a hand over her mouth, "it's nothing."

"Come on, tell me," He pressed.

She giggled before removing her hand, "I-it's just...your face..."

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, "my face?"

Hinata rolled her eyes playfully before brushing off the question. "Forget it."

"At least I made you laugh. So that's a point for me."

Hinata arched her eyebrows and gaped at him, "we're keeping scores now?" He nodded and she picked up her glass of water, "and what does the winner get?"

"Whatever he or she wants?"

"T-that's a bit too open..."

Naruto shrugged, "what do you suggest?"

"W-well, if I win...I want..." She trailed off thinking of a fitting prize. "I can't think of anything," she admitted placing both hands on her cheeks.

The Uzumaki laughed, "okay, if I win I want you..." He glanced at the dance floor in the middle of the dimly lit restaurant. "...to dance with me."

Hinata groaned, "I hate dancing."

"Well that's too bad," he smiled.

"Fine, but you won't win," she retorted narrowing her eyes at him.

Naruto smirked, "we'll see by the end of tonight." She nodded and smiled at their silly game, she knew deep down that he would win, but still it was worth the try.

Glancing back at him she froze as he stared at her with a lopsided smile on his face. Her cheeks heated up and she looked away flustered. After a few seconds she looked back, but he was still staring. Hinata groaned and unfolded a napkin that was on the table and held it up before her. "Stop s-staring at me."

Naruto chuckled, "why? You're so pretty, it's hard not to." He tried grabbing the napkin but she moved it out of his reach.

"I-It's embarrassing."

"Okay fine, I'll stop," he smiled.

Hinata lowered the napkin slowly only to find him still staring at her. "Liar," she muttered holding the napkin up again.

Naruto laughed, "what? It's not my fault you're beautiful."

Hinata blushed crimson but lowered the napkin quickly and pointed a slender finger his way. "You laughed!" The Uzumaki quickly stopped laughing acknowledging his mistake. The pale girl smirked, "so that's one point each."

"Beginner's luck," was all he said in response.

...

By the time their order arrived the scores were two to four, with Naruto leading and they were in a deep discussion about Sasuke's pending wedding.

"How did you and Sasuke-san become friends?" Hinata asked picking up her chopsticks.

Naruto shrugged, "I guess we were just...always friends. I met him when we were at a very young age." She nodded and took a bite out of the Tonkatsu she ordered. "What about you and Kiba?"

"He was my first male friend in high school," she answered. "He acts like my big brother most times though."

Naruto arched an eyebrow, "brother? That's not the relationship I interpreted between you two."

Hinata watched as he ate his Ramen, contemplating his comment. "W-what did you interpret?"

"At first I thought you two were dating," he said causing Hinata to choke on her Udon. His eyes widened before he picked up the glass of water on the table and held it at her lips. "Drink slowly."

Hinata fanned her burning cheeks once he moved the glass, still taking in what Naruto had said to her. "What? D-dating?"

"Well it's clear that he has feelings for you," he said with a straight face.

The Hyūga scoffed, "t-that's not possible. Kiba-kun is just a really close friend."

Naruto pulled his lips into a thin line as he stared at her. Eyebrows furrowed he faced her with a sad expression, though it seemed to mirror the pity he felt for both of them. Are you that blind that you can't see when someone likes you? Though those word never left his mouth.

"Right," was his only response.

An awkward silence took over the air that surrounded them just then causing Hinata to squirm in her seat. They continued eating until the silence became unbearable. "You said y-you didn't go to college. Why?"

The blonde looked down at the red table cover before answering her question. "Well...there was no point in me going. My godfather...he decided that I should just work for him until I..." He shrugged, "...made something of myself."

"No point in you going?"

"Ah, yeah. I was somewhat of a troublemaker in high school—well all my life, but still...I doubt any college would accept me with my record. Plus I was never the brightest crayon in the pack so..." Hinata nodded, understanding what he was saying. "My godfather retired two years ago and I've been running the company ever since, even changed the name."

"W-where is he now?" She asked afraid to hear the answer.

Naruto's lips turned upwards into a smile for a moment before he spoke. "He decided to move to Osaka and write books."

"Oh."

The Uzumaki nodded and placed his chopsticks down, "well I've told you about myself, now it's your turn." She winced and waited for him to ask. "Did you always want to work at a pet shop?"

She shook her head, "no."

"What changed?"

"I-I studied business management in college...but I just..." Her fingers dropped her chopsticks in order to scratch her arm nervously as she sieved through her memories. She didn't want him to know too much. "...had a change of heart."

Naruto nodded and suddenly the music in the background grew louder, giving him the courage to ask her a few more questions before she closed up completely. "How do you know Toneri?"

Hinata stiffened in her seat, every time she heard his name she became a rock. Cold and motionless. But this time she decided to press on, "c-college."

Her counterpart nodded, "you guys were good friends?"

She smiled but this time it was bitter sweet, "you could say that."

"Hinata..." She glanced at him, "why do you get so scared whoever you see him?"

Hinata's eyes widened, she never expected Naruto to notice. "I-I don't."

He frowned, "then what happened that night at the party?"

Her hands clenched the end of her dress to keep their shaking to a minimum. "Naruto-kun."

"Hinata."

"P-please," she whispered desperate to get away. Their evening was going so well...why spoil it by bringing up the past? Such a waste.

Naruto sighed and ran a hand over his face. There was a moment of silence as Hinata tried to keep her tears at bay. He noticed unfortunately and searched his mind for a way to lighten the mood a bit.

"Hey, I won."

"W-what?" Her voice was raw with emotions.

"Our game, I won."

Hinata watched as he got to his feet, "oh."

"May I have this dance?" He asked with a hand out stretched. She shook her head and opened her mouth to decline his offer, however he cut her off, "we had a deal."

Looking away and biting her bottom lip she took his hand and got up. The Hyūga walked on shaky legs onto the scarcely populated dance floor, Naruto never letting go of her hand. They stopped a good distance from others and he pulled her in front of him. It was a slow song so she was compelled to place a hand on his shoulder and another in his hand as he pulled her close.

"I can't dance," she whispered once they were close. His scent seeming to have numbed her senses.

Naruto chuckled, "it's okay." She gasped as his hand tightened around the small of her waist and she was lifted off her feet slightly.

"N-Naruto-kun—"

"Shh," he hushed her softly. Hinata held onto him tightly as her feet were now on his. "Problem solved."

Hinata chuckled but didn't respond, she wanted to tell him that he was crazy...but she couldn't. Maybe it was because she liked his crazy behaviour, it always seemed to cheer her up. She felt his hand tighten around hers but she didn't look up at him. How could she face him? He wanted to get to know her, but she just wasn't ready. She'd never be ready.

"I'm sorry," she heard him say, but again she didn't respond. Naruto sighed and continued, "I always seem to upset you...sorry. I'm an idiot, which you probably already know. But I just—" Naruto was cut off by Hinata resting her head against his chest.

He was shocked and so he stopped moving. "It's okay," Hinata whispered close to tears. She still didn't face him, she wouldn't let him see her cry again, but her tears wanted freedom.

Naruto started moving once more, he took a chance and placed the hand he was holding around his neck. The Hyūga didn't object and so they let the music engulf them, washing away what little heartache it could.

Fragile Hearts | A NaruHina Story
©Infinite_Writer01™2016
Thank you for reading!