Lips of an Angel
Chapter 5: Ramen
"Daddy." Boruto innocently calls Naruto not realizing the impact that word caused in him.
"Daddy?" Naruto whispers taken aback when the small boy in front of him called out to him. Clear, cerulean eyes curiously scrutinized the small, blond boy who smiled at him.
"You came to see me? Did Momma tell you to meet us here? You are not busy with work? Why haven't you visited me before?" he bombards Naruto with questions. Naruto just stands in place staring at his son trying to keep up with Boruto's questions. "Momma told Uncle Kiba and me that I was going to meet you soon, but I didn't know I was meeting you today! This time she didn't lie to me!" He exclaims oblivious to what is happening Boruto happily smiles at his father reaching out to his father, wrapping his little fingers around his father's big hand holding it for the first time. Finally, he was able to meet his father and he was over the moon that he could not hold back his excitement.
Hinata was petrified at what Naruto might do or say to their son. If he told their son, the truth then everything she did to protect her son would be in vain. Boruto is her everything and having him hate her would destroy her completely. The only thing she could do was to pray and hope for Naruto not to reveal the truth. While she was having an internal battle with herself, Naruto watched her intently from the corner of his eyes. He could tell Hinata was becoming distressed over this situation and he hated seeing her in this state. Their eyes met for a moment, but that is all it took for Naruto to see her beg for him not to say anything to their son.
"Yes, I did. Your mother called me last night to tell me you were so anxious to meet me." He lies to his son. "So, we agreed to meet today. Right, Hinata?" Naruto forces a smile towards Hinata and gently squeezes his son's hand in his. Naruto had to lie to his son who he met a few seconds ago but seeing him all excited while holding his hand melted his heart. The problems he had with Hinata were between them and he was going to deal with her later she had so much explaining to do, but not now. "Right, Hinata?" anger was clear in his deep voice as he repeats his last words.
Hinata watched the scene unfold before her with eyes wide in shock. She could not believe Naruto saw through her. After all this time apart Naruto still can read her thoughts with just one glance into her eyes.
"Naruto... I-I-" Hinata stutters nervously. Seeing him after so many years made her nervous and the way he looked at her made her want to run away and hide. She was just not ready to face him. She was terrified of what he would do when he finds the truth about what happened six years ago. "It's true." A honk interrupts them forcing them to glance behind seeing all the cars lined up behind Naruto's car trying to get out of the chaos they just caused.
"Hey! Move the damn car!" A man yells in annoyance sticking his head out of the car as he continues to honk.
"Just give me a sec! I need to talk to her first." Naruto politely smiles at the man hoping he will give him some time to talk to Hinata.
"Then talk to her after you move the damn car! Come on! Get a move on! You're blocking the damn street!" the man complains.
"I have to move the car." Naruto turns to Boruto. "Wait for me here ok? I'll be back in a sec." Boruto nods in understanding letting go of his father's hand.
"Momma and I will be waiting for you here." Boruto says bringing a warm smile to Naruto's face.
"Ummm... actually I have an appointment in a few minutes which I can't miss." Hinata announces rapidly grabbing Boruto's hand while avoiding Naruto's eyes. "Come on Boruto. We must go." she pulls on his hand forcing him to follow her, but he resists against her.
'Boruto. So, she named him Boruto after all.' Naruto snickers while watching Hinata desperately trying to run away from him once again. 'Oh, Hinata this time I am not letting you run away from me.'
"No! I want to stay with Daddy!" Boruto cries pulling his hand from his mother's grip.
"Boruto, please don't start with another tantrum. I have no time to deal with another one of your episodes." Hinata said with a hint of irritation in her voice as she pulls harder on his hand.
"I don't wanna!" the small boy whines shaking his head forcing his hand out of his mother grasp. Seeing the commotion between mother and son, Naruto decides to intervene before it gets out of control.
"How about the three of us get out of here and go out to eat?" Naruto suggests hoping to calm them down and for Hinata to accept his suggestion. At hearing his suggestion Boruto nods rapidly a wide smile spreading on his chubby cheeks. "Besides, you and I still have a pending conversation." Naruto says in a deep voice as he stands next to Hinata.
Hearing his emotionless voice Hinata becomes paralyzed with fear. She knew she was trapped and there was no way she could not run away from him anymore, but she still had a job appointment to attend. 'Why was this happening to me? Why did it have to happen to today of all days?' she lets out a sigh. Today was not her day and now, she was stuck in between deciding if she should stay with Naruto and face him or she could quickly pick up Boruto and dash out from there, and hopefully she could make it to the meeting on time. This job was important for her and she was worried if she was late, she would lose the job Ino helped her get after pulling some strings in her friend's company.
"I'm sorry Naruto but we can't spend the day with you. I have an important appointment in a few minutes, and I can't miss it." she rapidly glances at her wristwatch. "If you want, I can give you my phone number" Hinata digs out a small notebook from her purse and writes down her number. "Here." she hands him the paper. "Call me so we can set up a date for you and Boruto to hang out."
"No." Naruto stares at the paper in his hand and then looks up at her. "You do not get to decide what's going to happen between us as you did before. This time we're doing things my way." He speaks.
Naruto coldly watches Hinata trying hard to keep herself from falling apart. It bothered him seeing her in a panic state, his heart yearned to pull her into his arm and console her while whispering comforting words into her ear telling her everything was okay and to just forget everything that happened during all these years and start a new life together with Boruto. That was impossible and he knew it because things between him and Hinata were unrepairable. He clears his throat trying to get rid of the lump that formed in his throat. Right now, he just wanted to spend time with his son and that is all that mattered to him at that moment.
"Boruto, do you want to hang out with me for the entire day?" He asks Boruto who in return eyes widen in excitement at hearing his question and rapidly nods his head in agreement. "Are you hungry?" He asks gently holding his son's hand in his and walking him to the car.
Naruto passes Hinata not even sparing a glance towards her. Hinata remained petrified in her spot unable to move or hear anything around her with only one thought running through her mind. 'What the hell just happened?'
"Yeah, I am!" Boruto answers cheerfully as Naruto helps him get in the car.
"Do you like ramen?" He asks and Boruto nods his head in response as Naruto buckles him up. "Then, I'm taking you to a ramen place that your mom and I used to go eat when we were younger." Naruto closes the door and turns to Hinata. "Get in the car." he orders with a cold tone causing her to shiver in fear. He opens the door for her and gestures her to get in the car. "Hurry up. We're holding up the traffic." Without uttering a reply Hinata follows Naruto's orders and gets in the car with her heart beating loudly like drums against her chest. Naruto slams the door shut and heads to the driver's side sliding into his seat he turns to the nervous girl next to him.
"Oh, by the way, don't worry about your job appointment." He turns on the car. "My secretary is going to call you soon to reschedule the appointment." Hinata jerks her head in surprise in his direction and confusion becomes visible in her lavender eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm the person who you were supposed to meet at the café." He smiles at seeing Hinata's shocked expression. "I'm the CEO of the 'Namikaze and Co.' the company you applied to work at." He replies as he puts on his sunglasses and drives out of the city.
~A Few Moments Later~
"Shikamaru, cancel the meeting with the shareholders. Something came up and I won't be able to attend the meeting." Naruto orders his friend via Bluetooth as he drives to their destination.
"Why? Did something happen earlier when we were talking? Wait... Don't tell me you actually killed somebody!" Shikamaru frantically yells through the phone.
"What? Shikamaru, what the hell are you talking about?"
"Earlier I heard you screamed that you killed someone!" Naruto bursts out laughing at hearing his friend's nonsense rambling.
"Man calm down. I didn't kill anyone there was just a small incident, but everything is ok. I'll explain to you what happened tomorrow morning at the office." Naruto waits for his friend's reply.
"So, you're not coming to the office today?"
"No, something more important came up." he says as he glances at the 'something more important' sitting on the passenger seat nervously fidgeting her hands. "Take the rest of the day off. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Fine, I'll see you tomorrow." Shikamaru sighs. "Naruto, please do not cause any problems. Remember you're the CEO of our company and if you cause problems the company's image can be damaged." he warns his unpredictable blond friend.
"I know. I'm not the same careless kid I used to be, so do not worry about anything. Just go home and spend time with Temari and your son. I don't want her at my office chewing my ears off again whining about how I overwork you." This time Naruto sighs just imagining his friend's aggressive wife towering over him releasing her temper on him and pestering him on and on about how he overworks her husband.
"Troublesome woman," Shikamaru mutters once again causing Naruto to burst out laughing.
"Hey, man you're the one who married her, so don't complain." he chuckles hearing his friend complain once again. "Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow." They exchanged a few words before saying goodbye and hanging up.
"Shikamaru and Temari got married?" Hinata asks hoping to break the ice between them, but also because she was curious to know about Shikamaru and Temari.
"Yeah. They got married five years ago and they have a son."
"Wow. I can't believe they got married. I still remember when they used to bicker with each other in college." Hinata smiles remembering the good old times she spent with her friends. "So much have changed."
"What did you expect everything to remain the same after you left?" Naruto sneers at her comment. Hinata opens her mouth to say something but changes her mind deciding it was better not to make conversation with Naruto. She noticed how his jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed at her. Slightly puzzled with Naruto's attitude towards her she averts her eyes from him not bearing his intense gaze on her. That's when a sudden thought clicked in her mind, 'He hates me. This can't be happening I don't want him to hate me. This is one of the reasons why I didn't want to meet him because I knew the moment, I told him the truth he would hate me, and I wouldn't bear it. He is the only man I love, he's my everything and I don't want to lose him once again. I must make things right between us soon for the sake of our son and for us.'
"Naruto, I'm sorry." She apologizes thinking an apology would at least make things easier between them, but she was wrong.
"No... don't you dare apologize." he grits his teeth in anger. "Not now."
"But..."
"I said not now. We'll talk when we're alone." Hinata nods in agreement not wanting to make things more difficult between them.
The rest of the ride was silent between them with her staring out the window, Naruto focused on the road, and occasionally Boruto would ask them some questions.
"We're here." Naruto announces parking the car and turning it off. Hinata looks up at the place a small, humble ramen stand stood before them.
"Ichiraku Ramen? I can't believe it still exists." Hinata says in awe. This small ramen shop has so many memories of them having their dates there eating ramen while conversing with the owner and his daughter, celebrating special occasions, and spending time with their friends. Just thinking about those special moments brought a melancholy feeling in Hinata.
"Ichiraku has become famous over the years. Old man Teuchi opened more ramen stands in different locations of Konoha, but he still manages this one with Ayame's help." he answers.
"Daddy, what is this place?" Boruto asks gazing up at the small stand as Naruto helps him off the car.
"This small place is a special place to daddy called Ichiraku and they sell the best ramen in Konoha." he smiles holding his son's hand and patting his head. "I'm sure you're going to love their ramen. When your mom was pregnant with you, we would come to eat here every day."
"Really?" he turns to his mother wanting to confirm if what his father said was true.
"Yes. I always craved ramen when you were inside my belly." She says as she reaches for his other hand.
"We should head inside before it gets packed." Naruto checks the time on his wristwatch. "It's almost noon which means people would soon take their lunch break." Hinata nods at him and Naruto leads them into the small stand. "Hey, Old man Teuchi!" Naruto loudly greets the owner of the place who stands in the back of the counter cooking ramen.
"Hey, Naruto!" the old man turns to Naruto greeting him with a cheerful smile on his face. "What brings you here? I haven't seen you for a while."
"I've been busy with work." he chuckles while rubbing the back of his neck.
"I was worried about my favorite customer. I thought something bad had happened to you." he then notices Hinata helping Boruto sit on the high stand in front of the counter. "Who is this?" he squints his eyes trying to get a better look at Hinata. He could not pinpoint where he has seen her before. He racked his mind hoping to remember where he has seen her, but it was futile. He could not brush off the familiar feeling she gave off which bothered him. 'I must be getting old.' Feeling his eyes on her, Hinata shyly smiles up at him and slightly bows her head at him.
"It's nice seeing you again, Teuchi-san." Teuchi's eyes widened in surprise when he realizes who it is.
"Hinata? is it really you?" Hinata nods. "I haven't seen you for a long time. You've gotten even more beautiful." he smiles causing Hinata to turn a slight red at his compliment.
"Thank you. It's great to see you again." Hinata replies.
"And who is this handsome, little boy?" The older man asks curiously looking at Boruto who shyly clings to his mother's arm.
"He's my son." Hinata replies looking down at Boruto. "Boruto, say hi." Boruto stays quiet but gives Teuchi a small wave causing the older man to burst out laughing.
"He really is your son he has your shy personality." Teuchi says remembering the first time he met a younger Hinata.
It was a slow, calm, cold afternoon in Ichiraku with a few regular customers enjoying their meals. Meanwhile, he was behind the counter listening to his daughter excitedly talk about her class trip to Suna when suddenly Naruto's loud greeting followed by a laugh interrupted them. As usual, he turned with a warm smile to greet his favorite customer when he noticed a pretty girl shyly holding onto Naruto's arm with a small smile on her pretty face. Naruto introduced her as his girlfriend which caught him by surprise, but he was happy for him. As he prepared their orders, he kept his attention on them. He noticed Hinata was shy, soft-spoken in contrast to the loud-mouthed, hyperactive, blond. They were an odd couple but seeing how Hinata brought out another side of Naruto he never saw before intrigued him. He saw the way Naruto blushed when Hinata smiled at him or when she said something funny, he would laugh wholeheartedly. The boy was in love and seeing how Naruto radiated with happiness around Hinata made him feel happy for the boy and it brought a warm smile to his face. Even if the young couple had different personalities and were kind of odd, he thought they complemented each other.
"He's OUR son." Naruto chimes in correcting Hinata causing her to almost fall from her seat when she hears his outburst.
"Naruto!" she chokes out.
"What? He's your son?" Teuchi asks in disbelief. He knew Naruto and Hinata were expecting a baby, but sadly Hinata lost the baby in a tragic accident six years ago. Now, this new piece of information caught him off guard. Taking a closer look at the small boy sitting in front of him he finally noticed the blond hair, blue eyes, and whiskers on the boy's cheeks. There was no mistake this kid is Naruto's child. He is his spitting image. It was like seeing Naruto as a child all over again.
"Yeah. Anyways, old man we are ready to order." Naruto changes the conversation wanting to avoid giving the man an explanation that even he did not know.
Teuchi noticed Naruto changing the conversation and he got the hint that Naruto did not want to explain the situation. He totally understood besides he wasn't one to interfere in his customers' personal lives.
"Oh right. Would you like the usual?" He asks tightening the apron around his waist.
"You know it!" Naruto grins while giving him a thumbs up. 'I can't believe he's a father when he still acts like a child.' he shakes his head at the thought.
"Then it would be a large miso Chasu ramen with extra chasu." Teuchi then turns to Hinata and Boruto. "And what about you two?"
"We will have the same." Hinata answers politely.
"Alright! Three large miso Chasu ramen with extra chasu coming right up!" Teuchi repeats the order with enthusiasm and gets to work.
"Where's Ayame-chan?" Hinata asks not seeing the pretty, cheerful, browned haired girl. It was unusual not seeing her in the ramen shop helping her father.
"Oh, Ayame went to the grocery store to buy some ingredients I forgot to buy this morning." he chuckles embarrassed rubbing the back of his head.
"You're becoming old, Pops." Naruto grins joking with Teuchi who shoots him a death glare. "I just hope you do not forget how to cook ramen."
"Don't say that. Even if I get old, I will never forget how to cook ramen." He points the ladle at Naruto who in return chuckles.
"You better not forget. Do you want your favorite customer to die of hunger?" Naruto exaggerates crossing his arms in front of his chest. Teuchi laughs wholeheartedly at the young man's exaggerated expressions.
As both men continued to cheerfully chat Hinata quietly observed Naruto from the corner of her eye. She just could not take her eyes off the handsome blond man sitting next to Boruto laughing at something Teuchi said. She saw how his clear, blue eyes soften every time Boruto told him something and he would smile at him with the warmest smile she'd ever seen. The scene warmed her seeing her son happily spend time with his father and it made her smile, but guilt tugged in her heart knowing she was the who prevented them from being a family. Because of her, her son grew up without a father. She deprived her own son of having a beautiful and normal life with his father because of her selfishness. When she decided to leave Konoha she thought she was doing the best for her son, but she was wrong. Now seeing them together pained her knowing she was the one who ruined their lives.
TO BE CONTINUED
I hope you all liked this chapter. I apologize for not updating soon, I was having writer's block which was hard for me to continue writing. I know all of you want the drama to already start, but I just wanted to write a chapter of them hanging out as a family before the drama starts.
Rida-sama, Thank you so much for your reviews. I really love reading them and I hope you continue to read this story and to leave amazing reviews. Thank you!
OHRange12, having them meet at the meeting was my first option, but I decided to change it in order for Naruto to meet his son in a dramatic way. Thank you for your review.
IceBlue13, the confrontation will come soon! Just wait for a bit. Hehe! Thank you for your review.
zxrifz24, I hoped you liked this chapter! Thank you for your review.
AvatarUzumaki, I still don't know what he would do especially after holding in his anger for so long. No, it is not weird for you to want Naruto to take custody of his son. I'm keeping that option in mind because I want more drama, but I also feel bad for Boruto to have his parents fighting over him. I'll decide later as the story progresses if I would use that option. Thank you for your review!