Disclaimer: Naruto doesn't belong to me.
Hinata placed the book she's been reading for the past hour in the shelf before looking at the time on the clock closer to where she was sitting. She was supposed to wait for Naruto in one of the halls by the school entrance. It was Friday and he had suggested they go to the cinnamon bun places he's mentioned.
Her father had agreed to that, even agreed when she said they were going from school. It looked like he was serious about the conversation they've had where he said he would be giving her more liberty.
Hinata's heart skipped a beat when he father mentioned her running away from Ko. She had hoped that it wouldn't be a conversation, but she also knew that her father wouldn't just let it go. So he chose dinner time to bring up the subject.
"Ko's been with you since you were a little girl and this is the first time he's lost sight of you." Her father had said on the table over breakfast the day after hanging out with Naruto.
She was about to speak and find some kind of explanation when he lifted a hand silencing her.
She gulped.
"He's told me that the young man hasn't behaved indecently with you." He continued speaking. "Make sure it stays that way."
Hinata furrowed her eyebrows in confusion not really knowing where he was getting at.
"I'm going to give you a little more liberty. As long as you keep following the rules and not go past your curfew." He said and the girl's confusion obviously increased. "And I still want you to keep me informed whenever Ko isn't with you."
Hinata couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Would he really? Was he really saying this?
"Do not make me regret my decision, Hinata." Were his final words before Hanabi gasped as he went back to eating his dinner, knowing that his younger daughter was about to complain.
"What about me?" She asked looking between her father and older sister. "You can trust me too."
"Eat your dinner, Hanabi." He said making the girl pout.
Hinata just stared at her father wondering where all this came from. Did he really mean it?
Was he just testing her?
"Don't question it, Hinata." He said noticing her long stare knowing that she was overthinking it. "You're seventeen. It's time I allow you more liberty. You've never broken my trust before ad you will be a university student next year. Just don't forget who you are."
Hanabi smirked looking at her sister as she brought her cup of tea to her lips to hide it. Hinata knew that her sister was thinking about when she sneaked out with Naruto.
"Thank you, father." Hinata said pointedly ignoring her sister's look.
Her father nodded.
So he hadn't objected when she said that Ko didn't need to pick her up from school since she'll be going with Naruto. She did notice that her father was still a little hesitant at first when she said that but also agreed since it was his idea, after all.
Naruto should be done with his last class. She thought turning to grab her school bag so she could leave when she heard voice talking about her on the other side of the huge shelf.
She paused.
"He's been going after that Hyuuga princess." A girl scoffed with an edge to her tone. "What the hell does he see in her?"
Me?
Are they talking about Naruto? He is the only person she really befriended here.
"She's beautiful." A different voice said.
"She's not even his type." A different girl said making Hinata furrow her eyebrows "He's just gonna sleep with her and move on. Just watch."
Hinata's chest clenched uncomfortably as she heard them talk. Her heartbeat picked and the unwelcome feeling increasing putting pressure to her chest.
They didn't even know her. So why were they talking about her in such manner? What did she do to them?
"No need to worry. He's gonna get bored sooner or later."
"I'm not worried." The first girl chuckled. "The meek girl won't do anything for him. She is nothing like him. That anti-social bitch hasn't even stepped foot in the lunch room yet." She stated and Hinata heard them shifting around.
"I mean, he's been going less to the lunch room too." One of them said. "He might like her. Like I said, she is a beautiful girl."
"There's no way. Naruto-kun isn't into that kind of girl." The other one said. "Let's go. We don't want to be late for gym class."
Well they did confirm that they were really talking about him, even though she guessed it already.
Hinata leaned against the huge shelf not moving as she heard their retreating footsteps. She placed a hand over her chest still feeling that heavy discomfort. Her eyes lowered to the ground as she let her whole weight rest against the shelf.
Her thoughts were swirling around.
After his last class of the week, Naruto was busy hurriedly shoving his things in his school when Shikamaru approached him.
"Yo, Naruto. We're all gonna meet up to Choji's place. Are you coming?" He asked and Naruto shook his head zipping his bag up.
"Can't." The blond said turning to face his friend. "I promised Hinata to take her to that place that sells cinnamon buns."
The brunette tilted his fiend with lips slightly upturned in a teasing manner, not even surprised at this point.
"Hinata, again?" Shikamaru smirked lazily moving to lean against the desk.
Naruto snorted at his friend's tone and shrugged.
"Yes, again. What about it?"
The Nara boy shrugged shoving his hands in his pocket with a small yawn. "You like this girl."
It wasn't a question. He was stating what he knew was fact. He sees her often because they had geography class together but she always kept to herself. What he knew of her, he knew because of Naruto's rambling about her.
"Yep." Naruto nodded grabbing his friend's arm and started pulling him along as he left the classroom. "Let's go. I don't want to make her wait."
Shikamaru rolled his eyes trying to pull his arm from Naruto tight grip.
"Why don't you bring her instead?" Shikamaru asked pulling his arm away and started walking beside him.
He almost chuckled at the face Naruto made before looking at him as if he's lost his mind.
"I don't think so." Was his answer.
"Why not?"
Naruto shoved his own hands in his pockets looking ahead of the long hallway they were at. "Because she's very shy, and I don't want some of you to scare her off."
Shikamaru chuckled. "Seriously?"
"Yes, seriously." He nodded quickly knowing damn well what he was talking about and so did Shikamaru. "I'm serious about her, okay?"
The brunette boy sighed before nodding in understanding. "The others are going to meet her at some point."
"At some point." Naruto nodded. "Just not now."
"So, you're not coming today." He stated and Naruto sighed.
"Maybe later tonight. After taking Hinata home."
"Okay, okay." Shikamaru held his hands up with a smirk. "But I thought it was bros before hoes, though."
Naruto turned to look at him with a displeased expression.
"She's not a hoe." Naruto snapped giving his friend an unamused look.
"Sorry." He chuckled putting his hands up in defense. "You know what I mean."
Naruto's glare instantly disappeared being replaced with a smile when he looked at the end of hallway.
Shikamaru followed his gaze and almost snickered as he saw the Hyuuga girl leaning against the wall at the end of the wall holding her lavender bag strap in her hands in front of her. She was staring at her feet and had not noticed them until Naruto practically started running toward her.
Shikamaru shook his head as Naruto called out her name. The girl had barely had time to look up before she was engulfed in Naruto's arms who hugged her tightly easily lifting her off her feet.
"Sorry I'm late, Hinata." He smiled down at the blushing girl in his arms. "Did you wait long?"
She shook her head with a small smile of her own as he slowly put her down. "Um, no."
Naruto pointed at the boy approaching them having taken his time to get to her, unlike his friend. "You know Shikamaru, right?"
She nodded looking at the brown-haired man greeting him quietly.
"H-Hello." She greeted feeling her shyness resurface even more.
"So, you're the one who's been taking all his attention?" Shikamaru asked with a small wave of his hand.
Me? She thought looking between the two boys.
"We barely see this idiot anymore. Not even in school." Shikamaru said giving his friend a lazy smile. "He's always in the library now, which is very surprising."
"You're just a hater." Naruto scoffed pointedly looking away from the boy.
"We're not complaining though." The brunette said to her with a shrug. "Because he is kind of high maintenance, isn't he?"
"Oh no. Not really." She smiled lightly.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her, obviously in disbelief.
"You're just too nice. But you know he's troublesome." Shikamaru said taking a step away from them. "Anyways. Gotta go."
"Yeah. I'll see you later." Naruto smiled rudely waving him off, earning an eye-roll from his friend.
Shikamaru turned to Hinata adjusting the strap of his backpack.
"It was nice officially meeting you, Hinata." He said.
"You too, Shikamaru." With that he turned and left.
As soon as he got out of their sight, Naruto turned to her with his usual crooked grin to see that she was already looking at him with slightly furrowed eyebrows looking deep in thought.
"Are you okay, Hinata?" He asked and she blinked as if snapped out of a daze before nodding quickly.
"Y-Yes. I was just thinking." She said straightening up.
Naruto tilted his head before nodding at her with his grin.
"Ready to go?"
"Hai." She nodded with a smile of her own.
He grabbed her hand to link her arm around his as they started walking. Hinata blushed but still held onto his arm as they walked out of the school. The walk to his car wasn't long since he never parked as she had noticed.
Her eyes glanced at her hand that was holding onto his arm and bit her lip lightly.
"The meek girl won't do anything for him. He's gonna get bored of her. She is nothing like him."
Her eyes moved to the ground as they kept walking. She didn't know why this pressure in her chest won't leave her and why she just felt like going home and go to bed. She knew that Naruto wasn't obliged to stay her friend and he if he didn't want to talk to her anymore, he could stop.
She knew he could.
But why did the thought only increase her discomfort?
"We're here." Naruto's voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see that they stopped in front of his car. "What's on your mind that's got you so distracted?" He chuckled.
"Oh, n-nothing. Sorry. I was just thinking about something." She released her hold when they reached his car and she walked around it to the passenger side.
She got in when he unlocked it and dropped her bag at her feet before waiting as he got in too.
Naruto carelessly threw his bag on the backseat. "So, I have to take you home before sunset again?" He asked grabbing his seatbelt.
"Yes." She nodded.
"Your father is so difficult." He sighed placing a light hand on the steering wheel while glancing at her. "Put your seatbelt on."
"Ko isn't here today." She remarked pulling on her seatbelt to put it on.
He sighed looking through the rearview. "I guess the old man's trying."
He really was. She agreed as she thought about their conversation last week once more.
"So, what were you thinking about that's got you distracted?" He asked looking at her. "I thought Hyuugas were all about self-control." He added teasingly.
"N-Nothing important." She said looking down at her fingers playing them.
She could not possibly tell him. He didn't owe her anything.
Right?
Her breath hitched when she felt his long fingers grab a hold of her chin to turn her head so she would look at him. Her lavender orbs met his blue ones and their warmth almost almost pushed her to tell him.
Almost.
She would have if she held as much courage as Temari did. But she was Hinata.
"Come on, tell me." He said with a grin leaning over the armrest and closer to her.
"It's r-really nothing. I'm just thinking about university applications."
He stared at her for a few second making her fidget in her seat.
"You're the worst liar ever." He chuckled. "Fine. I won't insist this time. But you better be more convincing next time." He said slightly turning her head to the side to press his lips to her cheek and her breath hitched again.
His hand opened to press against the side of her face as his lips left her cheek to press lower against her jaw.
"You should only ever be smiling, you know." He said in a low voice and Hinata's eyes briefly closed as his warm breath fan against her skin. "And blushing for me." He smiled pulling back to see her indeed red face making him laugh.
He pulled back placing her hair behind her ear.
He kissed her cheek one more time before completely pulling back to start the car.
"Remember that ramen place told you about?" Naruto asked looking at her enjoying her cinnamon buns with sparkling eyes.
She looked up from her pastries nodding in response since her mouth was full. He had never seen her enjoy any kind of food so much. They often ate lunch together in some corner of the library or outdoor around the school property. And he knew for a fact that she loved food.
But he's never seen her like this. She was practically dancing in her seat at this moment.
"Do you want to go tonight?" He asked when she was still waiting for him to say more.
She swallowed shaking her head. "I have a curfew, Naruto."
"Or you can sneak out again." He suggested mischievously eyeing her.
"No." Was her immediate response.
"I will sneak in again to help you out." He then said.
She shook her head.
"Why not?" He almost pouted.
"I have to stay home."
"Or-"
"No." She giggled before he could continue knowing that he was just going to persist.
"Ooorr I can come by and we just stay put." He continued nonetheless making her freeze in her seat.
"W-what?"
Alone? In her room? With him?
"He's just gonna sleep with her and move on. Just watch." She looked at him as the girl's words came to mind. Again she knew that she might have no reason to think that but she couldn't help it.
Why would someone like him want to hang out with someone like her all the time?
"No." She said taking a bite of her bun. "No." She repeated more under her breath.
As if he didn't hear her, he beamed. "Great! I'll come around 9. Is that time okay?"
"I-I said no." She protested but he continued ignoring her.
"Then it's settled. Just make sure to leave your balcony door open."
"Naruto." She slightly frowned.
"Unless you agree to go to Ichiraku's with me." He smirked reaching over to place a warm hand on top of hers.
Hinata's body heat as the feeling of his warm skin on her, washing over her like hot lava. She could never get used to this. She should be, knowing how comfortable he's managed to get her around him and how much she started to expect light touches from him.
Touches she surprisingly didn't mind. It also surprises her how much she didn't mind his lack of consideration for personal space. She must have gotten used to it.
As for Ichiraku, she wanted to go, she really did. Especially since he's told her that he grew up going to that place every time he would sneak out of the ambassador manor and that's how his father would always be able to find him.
But it also made her anxious. Anything could happen and her father could find out.
"Okay, okay. Fine." He pouted and dramatically dropped his head on the table. "You're mean. All I want is to spend time with you and you are rejecting me. You're cruel, Hyuuga."
"Naruto." She softly called and he looked back at her with a small smile.
"How about tomorrow?" He asked looking at her.
"I'll ask my father." Was her response and he grinned nodding.
"Great!"
Speaking of her father, there was one question her father kept bringing without her being able to give him an answer.
She looked at him before speaking.
"Are you going to take office after your father?" She asked and he tilted his head to the side.
"That's the plan." He stated before smirking at her with twinkling eyes. "Hiashi told you to ask me that, didn't he?"
She blushed at his question because he was right. It didn't hold much importance to her if he did or not, but her father cared.
"Well tell him I am taking office, so he better be very nice to me." He said.
Enjoy!