A/N: Well, here we are it is finally Hinata's birthday dinner, err date, with Naruto. I hope everyone finds this worth the wait.
Cover art has been added to the story and is by SPLIPKNOT31666 on deviantart.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Naruto was relieved to see that Hinata was not waiting for him when he reached the gates to the Hyuga compound. He was also happy to see the familiar face of Kodi guarding the entrance and waving to him as he approached. "Kodi, it's good to see you man. It seems like every time I come by you are the one manning the gates." As he gets closer he holds out his fist.
Kodi returns the fist bump and smiles. "Well since you have been coming by every day since the party to see Hinata-sama it hardly seems odd that we would see each other too. I have already sent the other guard to the main house to let her know that you have arrived." He looks down at the bouquet in Naruto's hands and back up with a smile. "If you don't mind me saying those flowers are a really nice choice."
Naruto holds up the flowers with a smile. "Yeah, the Yamanaka flower shop really is the best. Can you believe that I got their very last bouquet, man I was lucky to get there when I did." He was about to say something else when the gate began to open and out of instinct he put the flowers behind his back. His breathing stopped as Hinata stepped through the entrance wearing the kimono he had given her at the winter solstice party, but there was something else different about her tonight and all he could seem to do was stand there his mouth agape at the beautiful woman standing there in front of him.
Hinata stood at the open gates her hands nervously clasped together as her Naruto-kun just stood there staring at her studying her face. 'He seems to have noticed what I had done special for tonight. I've never gone out in public like this before, just special occasions for clan business, so I hope he likes what I've done. If not I'll go back and quickly wash my face.' She had added a touch of makeup to her eyelids to accentuate the lavender of her eyes and had put on some lipstick to make her lips look just a little fuller. Tinico-san had come by while she was getting dressed and suggested that she add a little extra surprise for Naruto and by his sudden attention, Tinico-san had been correct.
It took him a moment for his brain to process the difference but once it hit him Naruto had to smile. "I've never seen you with makeup on before Hinata, you look really nice." He thought for a second about what he just said and held out both hands waving them back and forth nervously. "Not that you don't always look nice, because you do, I just meant that the makeup looks really nice… on you…" He stopped talking because she seemed to have just stopped listening and was staring at what he was waving back and forth in front of her face.
Hinata holds up a single shaky finger and gestures. "Are those…"
He looks down at what he had forgotten he was holding behind his back. "Flowers, yeah it seemed right to bring flowers for our date tonight." He holds out the bouquet to her with a large grin taking up most of his face.
Hinata takes the flowers from him, but instead of smiling she just stares off somewhere past Naruto with a look of shock. "Date?"
"Yeah, this was a date tonight, right?" Naruto reaches back and scratches the back of his head nervously. 'Dang that Tenten, she convinced me that this was a date and now Hinata thinks I'm crazy. I should have known better than to think somebody as nice as Hinata would want to go out with me on a date. Okay Naruto, think you are smart enough to get yourself out of this mess.'
Inside his mind Naruto could hear the deep rumbling of derisive laughter, but he was too preoccupied at the moment to start a fight with Kurama.
'Date, Naruto-kun called this a date, I am going on a date with Naruto-kun.' Somewhere deep inside the inner Hinata throws the bouquet high up in the air and begins to dance about happily as she imagines the petals falling all around her like lavender snow. 'My first date ever is with Naruto-kuuuunnnn.' The inner Hinata screams to the heavens in absolute joy.
She blushes lightly and averts her eyes, but does not bow her head because she had promised him that she would stop bowing her head in embarrassment. "Y-Y-Yes Naruto-kun, I would very much like to call this a date. If that is okay with you?"
Relieved that he had not made a total fool of himself, Naruto smiles and holds out an arm. "Then I guess we should get this date started." Once she places a trembling hand on his proffered arm he leads her off into the village.
A short while later as she is still lost in happy thoughts, and the inner Hinata continues dancing amongst the cascading petals, Naruto comes to a complete stop. "Uh Hinata, you never told me where we were having dinner tonight."
Hinata covers her mouth in embarrassment and stares apologetically at Naruto. "I am so sorry Naruto-kun, I am so used to following you to Ichiraku's that I forgot that we were eating someplace different tonight. I hope you don't mind I got us reservations at Yakiniku Q tonight. I thought that it would be fun to be able talk while we cook what we want to eat on the grill."
"Yakiniku Q does sound like fun and I can't remember the last time I ate there. I know that it was before they had to rebuild after Pain destroyed the place." They both stop and stare at each other painfully for a moment for different reasons.
For Naruto this was one of those memories that he has never been able to suppress and even now he still wakes up some nights screaming from the nightmares that started after the attack. The nightmare always starts the same; he is laying pinned to the ground by Pain's chakra rods and he can see that it is almost over and Pain is about to take him away when a dark-haired blur steps between him and his fate.
Every time no matter how much he begs and pleads she just won't run away and save herself. Why, why was it her of all people who jumped in the way to try and save him. The only person at the academy that had not laughed at him or called him stupid has thrown herself headlong into danger for the boy nobody loved. Each time the dream ends the same with Hinata looking at him smiling, as if dying for him made her happy, and then the next moment her battered and bleeding body is being thrown up into the air by Pain. He wakes up screaming her name just as Pain stabs her through the chest. It was because of these nightmares that he has been afraid to even share a tent with someone else while on missions. To protect them and to make sure no one knows the truth.
Afterwards he is too terrified to go back to sleep and if he is lucky dawn is fast approaching so that he can go to the training grounds or sneak out of the village and train till exhaustion overtakes him. Other times when the night is still young, or when he is on a mission, he will sit and focus inward to talk with Kurama to chat and sometimes argue over different topics. Just thinking about the nightmare and looking at her at this moment sends a pain through his chest as if he was the one being stabbed. 'I always loose the ones I am closest too. It has been that way since the day I was born and will probably keep happening till I loose someone so close to me that it will be too much to bear and I will just die too.'
For Hinata, Pain's attack is a much different source of hurt. She had been happy to throw herself in the way to save her Naruto-kun and will do so again if her life can in any way be exchanged to save the one she loves. What hurt then and still continues to be a source of pain and confusion is that he has never acknowledged her confession of love. Not a day has gone by since she woke up, and learned that he was still alive and now a hero to the entire village, that she did not wonder why he had never said anything about her confession. She knew that he had loved Sakura and being such a kind person did not want to hurt her by telling her the truth so he has avoided acknowledging her confession. It was his kindness that made her first fall in love with him, and to now love him even more. Though sometimes she has wished that Pain had killed her, and then she would not have to feel the awful ache in her heart when she thinks about him holding someone else in his arms.
Naruto is the one who finally breaks the painful silence that had befallen them both. "I guess we should be going." They walk the rest of the way to the restaurant side by side in silence.
When they enter the restaurant the owner who seems to have been waiting for them quickly comes over and bows. "Hyuga-sama your private room is ready. If you and..." He looks over and his surprised expression shows that he also recognizes her guest. "Uzumaki-san will follow me I will personally show you to your room." He bows again and gestures for the couple to follow. As he walks away the both of them share a secret smile at the owner's surprise.
Naruto acts like he does not remember that this man is one of the villagers that had beaten him severely once after he had been caught stealing food. It was an act of desperation on his part as a child when his monthly stipend had run out and it was days before the next payment came so he could buy something to eat, so in desperation he had resorted to theft. He knew that some of the shop owners had overcharged him for groceries and that is why his money ran out too quickly, but he just adapted and kept moving forward. Besides nobody would have believed him, or come to his defense, had he said anything about being overcharged. What did help was sometimes, when his money would be running low, that he would hear a knock at his door and find a big box full of different flavors of ramen sitting there, no note or anything just ramen. He still wonders who that person could have been.
They are led to a private room in the back that has a single charcoal grill in the center of a circular table with seating enough for six guests. The smell of smoke and cooked food perfumes the room and Naruto can feel his stomach begin to rumble.
The owner rubs his hands together and smiles. "Can I interest either of you in some sake tonight?"
Hinata and Naruto look at each other for a moment and she shakes her head. "No, I think that I will have some fresh tea. How about you Naruto, would you like some sake?"
"No, tea sounds good." After the owner bows and leaves, Naruto gestures to a cushion and waits till Hinata is seated before taking a seat right beside her.
"You could have gotten sake if you had wanted Naruto-kun."
"Nah, I don't need sake to help me enjoy an evening with you Hinata." He gives her a genuinely happy smile and then looks down at the menu trying to find something to satisfy the growing pains in his stomach.
Smiling at how romantic his words sounded she stares down at the menu for a moment before gathering her courage to speak. "Funny, I was thinking exactly the same thing."
Naruto's reply was interrupted when the waitress picked that moment to show up to deliver their tea and take their order. Hinata ordered pork with vegetables while Naruto ordered the beef and pork platter and after a glance at Hinata he quietly added vegetables. After the waitress left he looked over to Hinata with a grin. "See I kept that promise I made the other day about trying to eat better and ordered something healthy along with my pile of meat, and before you ask, yes I plan on eating the vegetables too, not just order them. I will grill them after some of the meat and hopefully it will add some flavor to help the taste." He sticks out his tongue and shivers dramatically.
Hinata giggles at his antics. "Good we can't have the future Hokage suffering from malnutrition. It would not be good protocol to have a foreign dignitary come for a visit and find you with your head down on your desk asleep."
"Yeah, my face stuck to some treaty because of the drool." Naruto tilts his head with eyes closed and his tongue partially sticking out. She starts giggling again and he raises his cup to her. "To you Hinata, may all you birthday wishes come true."
"Thank you Naruto-kun." She raises her cup and returns his toast. 'They have Naruto-kun, almost everyone and one day I will have them all, one day I will be by your side forever.' She hides the blush that comes to her face behind her teacup as she takes a long slow drink.
For nearly an hour the two talk and share stories about their lives, some of them good others not so happy, but they each sit and listen. She told him of her mother and the happy memories she had of a kind woman with a gentle voice, a warm soft hug, and who always smelled like fresh flowers.
He shared with her the time he met his mother when he was trying to learn how to control Kurama's chakra. To finally know what her voice sounded like and find out that her personality was so much like his own was such a great gift they left for him, that and to know that they had loved him.
Naruto cocks his head to the side contemplating. "You know, now that I am thinking about her I realize something for the first time."
Hinata reaches down with her chopsticks and picks up a mushroom and when she turns back to Naruto he has his face inches from her own. She is frozen in shock as his bright blues eyes peer deeply into her own searching for something. She can feel her face go warm from a tremendous blush as her heart starts to race like a fleeing rabbit. 'He is so close. Is he going to kiss me? Oh no, I am going to faint, I can feel it coming and I can't seem to stop it. Please no, not now, I don't want to faint now.'
"Hinata." His voice sends a jolt through her body snatching her out of the enclosing darkness. "I just remembered something else about my mom. Her eye color was a shade of violet that was close to your own lavender colored eyes." He leans back with a happy smile his eyes clouded with the memory of meeting his mother. "Her hair was long and straight like yours, but it was bright red and came down to her waist." He rubs the back of his head and chuckles. "That's weird how until tonight when I was talking about her that I had never noticed the similarities before."
'There have been so many things I wish you had noticed before Natuto-kun.' She thought about how all those years when she had been too shy to say something to him that she had wished that he would have just looked over and said hello. 'Though the times that he had noticed me I was so nervous that I had fainted, so the fault wasn't his really. If only I had been stronger back then I wonder how things would be different for us now.'
Something inside of her that has been growing stronger since they have been spending so much time together lately asserts itself and takes hold of her heart. 'It's my birthday and my one wish is to be strong enough to tell him again that I love him. I have to tell him, but I don't know if it is too soon for him. I just don't know if I can handle anything short of hearing him say those words back.' She takes a deep breath sits up straight and looks him in the eyes trying not to let her gaze falter. "Naruro, I..."
"Yeah Hinata, what is it?" He studies her curiously because he could tell by her body language that she was stressed about something. Even though she was looking at him he could see that she was struggling to hold her gaze steady while her hands were close to her chest the index fingers touching nervously. 'Something is really bothering her all of a sudden, maybe I should not have said that she kind of looks like my mom. I might have just ruined the whole date by saying that and she is trying to find a nice way to say that was not the right thing to say to a girl. Aww man, why do I always screw these things up? I need to apologize fast so she won't have to find a way not to hurt my feelings.'
"Naruto, I..."
"Hinata. I..."
WOOF!
Both of them turn in shock towards the door after hearing a loud bark outside their private room.
"You are right Akumaru that does smell like Hinata's scent and Naruto's too. Ino said they were going out for her birthday." The unmistakable voice of Kiba could be clearly heard outside the door. The door swings partially open and a pair of heads stick their way inside; one human and the other his faithful companion. "Hey guys how's it going?" Kiba's slightly slurred speech, half closed eyes, and goofy grin at seeing them are evidence that he has been drinking.
"Hey Kiba what are the two of you doing back there?" Ino's voice can be heard clearly yelling from somewhere down the hall.
Kiba's head pulls out of the doorway and he makes a loud shushing sound before he loudly announces. "I found Hinata and Naruto back here in the private room." He sticks his head back in for a moment before pulling it back out. "Having dinner."
The sound of footsteps can now be clearly heard coming closer. "Of course they are having dinner it is a restaurant and they are out for her birthday. Geez, how much did you drink before we came over here to eat?"
The door swings open as he shrugs. "I don't remember." His eyes widen suddenly and he turns to look back into the room. "Wait that's right it is your birthday Hinata. Shino and I came by earlier today to wish you a happy birthday, but the guard said that you had already left to go train with Naruto." He points a finger at Naruto. "We have not been seeing much of Hinata lately since she has been training with you all the time. Are you trying to take Hinata away from us?"
"No, Hinata is helping me in my preparations to become the next Hokage. I would never take her away from you guys, you are a team." The outrage that Kiba would accuse him of something so selfish and mean is evident in his voice.
Kiba pulls up his sleeve and gesture with a fist. "What, you don't think Hinata is good enough to take?"
Naruto not being one to back down from a challenge stands up and faces Kiba. "I think Hinata is great and anybody would be lucky to take her, but if you want to fight I will give you one, you mutt."
Hinata her face glowing red like the charcoal embers in the grill looks at Naruto in shock and then down to her hands that are clutching and unclutching the material of her new kimono. She just keeps playing Naruto's words about 'taking her' over and over in her head and her blush somehow keeps getting brighter. It took every bit of her will power just to stay conscious by pinching herself each time she clutches at her kimono.
Ino and Tenten both look into the room and grin like schoolgirls at hearing Naruto's proclamation and Hinata's obvious shock. Shino in the meantime steps between the two boys. "The two of you should stop. This is Hinata's birthday and I don't think she would like for the two of you to ruin it with a fight."
Both boys turn and when they see Hinata with her head down they both think that she is crying and bow deeply and apologize together. "I am sorry Hinata if I ruined your birthday, please forgive me."
Ino being a nosy gossip pushes her way into the room grabbing Kiba and takes a seat beside Hinata. "Are you okay Hinata? I'm sorry but you know how Kiba can be sometimes. I'll get Kiba out of here and we will leave the two of you alone."
"It's okay, Kiba was right. I was being selfish; we have celebrated our birthdays together since we became a team with Kurenai-sensei. Why don't all of you join us for my birthday dinner with Naruto-kun." She looks up and gives that generous, selfless smile that makes everyone in the room want to do whatever they could to make her happy, even if they know she really wants something totally different on the inside.
Shino steps further into the room. "Okay Hinata, if that is what you really want."
She gives him her best fake happy smile. "Having all of you here with us tonight makes me happy. You are all my friends and one should be with those they care about when celebrating."
They all sit down around the table and the conversations are slow to restart and were awkward until Naruto snaps his finger and smiles. "You guys showing up was actually perfect." Everyone looks at him confused since it was obvious that he was unhappy with their intrusion when they first sat down. "It is time for the birthday cake and singing. I have heard Kiba try to sing before and that howling he calls singing should be able to drown me out enough that nobody will notice how bad I sing." They all laugh until Naruto gets up and walks to the corner of the room. Everyone looks at each other and shrugs when he pulls out a scroll and lays it onto the floor. He places his hands on the scroll and there is the familiar sound and smoke of something being summoned out of the scroll. He takes a few moments before he stands up and turns around with a cake and nineteen lit candles. He begins to sing the happy birthday song and the others quickly join in and sing, even Akumaru.
Hinata is delightfully surprised to see that it is not really a cake but a giant plate size cinnamon roll with extra red icing spelling out 'Happy Birthday Hinata.' She reaches out and grabs Naruto's hand as he sits down beside her and can only mouth the words 'Thank you' because she is so overcome with emotion at the moment to talk properly.
Ino looks at the cinnamon roll confused and then over to Shino who nods in approval. "Naruto, where in the world did you get something like this for her birthday?"
Naruto looks up with a big grin. "Well, there is this bakery that Hinata stops by from time to time to buy cinnamon rolls. Well, I went in the other morning and told them I wanted something special for Hinata's birthday and the owner said that he had something perfect in mind and did not even charge me for the roll. He wanted me to wish you a happy birthday from him and his family."
They divide the cinnamon roll into six sections and the mood in the room brightens as they begin to talk about recent missions. Ino lets everyone in on some hot gossip from a reliable source in Suna that things might be a little more serious between Temari and Shikamaru than he is letting everyone know about. It seems a certain sister of the Kazekage has been getting private hawk messages from the leaf village and each time they say she spends the next couple of days walking around with a big smile on her face. Naruto jokes that he will save the information for the perfect moment to distract Shikamaru in shogi and maybe he will finally win a game. Everyone, except Hinata, just laughs at him and tells him that he is just dreaming.
Kiba reaches into his jacket and pulls out a small box and hands it to Hinata. "I almost forgot to give you the birthday gift I bought. I hope you like them, the dealer said it was the best he had in stock." She opens the box and pulls out a set of brand new shuriken.
After that she gets a gardening book on medicinal flowers from Ino, a brand new summoning scroll from Tenten and a silver hair pin from Shino. She thanks each on them in turn and then everyone's attention falls onto Naruto.
Ino is the first to ask. "How about you Naruto, didn't you get Hinata something for her birthday?"
Naruto looks at Ino and then to Hinata. "Yeah, I was just waiting for the right moment to give it to her, that's all."
Kiba sensing the chance for mischief laughs at Naruto. "What's the matter runt, are you afraid you got her a bad gift and are too scared to man up?"
Before Naruto can object Ino slaps Kiba in the back of the head. "That will be enough of your nonsense for tonight. Hinata would be happy if Naruto gave her a handful of coupons for free ramen. If he wants to give her the gift privately that is his choice." She nods at Naruto, but is secretly hoping that Kiba's taunt will be a good enough prod to force Naruto to give it to Hinata now so she can see what he bought. She also hopes that he really didn't screw up and buy something as lame as coupons for ramen.
Naruto laughs as Kiba rubs the knot forming on the back of his head. "Thanks Ino-san, but I think now is as good a time as any." He reaches into his kimono and pulls out a small box and holds it out to Hinata.
Hinata stares at the small box with nervous excitement. She has spent every night since the party wondering what could possibly be inside the small box. Now that the moment she has been waiting days for has finally come her fingers for some reason decide to stop working. She struggles with the bow and then the paper till finally a small hinged box is revealed.
Kiba sniffs and furrows his brow. "Whatever he got her is really small."
Ino taps her lips with a finger in thought. "That looks like a jewelry box."
Tenten leans in to try and get a better look. "Yeah, that would be about the right size box for a…"
"Ring." Shino finishes her sentence.
Kiba sneers at Shino's suggestion. "A ring, why the hell would he get Hinata a ring for her birthday?"
Ino and Tenten their eyes wide open and their mouths agape look at each other with the same thoughts going through their mind. 'He wanted to be alone to propose to Hinata. I can't believe I am going to see the knucklehead propose to Hinata, will she say yes? Will she stay conscious long enough to say yes?' They both turn to watch as Hinata slowly opens the small box their heart fluttering with excitement.
When the box finally opens Hinata's eyes go wide with shock and reaches one trembling hand up to cover her mouth. Her eyes dart from the box to Naruto and back and he just watches her reaction with desperate hope that she will truly like the gift he bought at the jewelry store.
Naruto swallows hard as tears begin to fall from her eyes. "Boy, I really hope that is a good sign."
"Naruto-kun, I really just don't know what to say." Hinata's voice is trembling so badly that everyone in the room has to struggle to hear her words.
"Can you just tell me if you like the gift?" Naruto was starting to believe that her reaction was positive and that Shizune had been right when she said it was perfect after he selected this to give Hinata for her birthday.
"No Naruto-kun I don't like it." She reaches over and wrap her arms around Narutothe two of them share a happy embrace. "I love this gift."
Ino and Tenten could no longer contain their curiosity and come around to look over Hinata's shoulder to see what had made the usually shy girl so obviously happy. At first they were disappointed that the box did not contain an engagement ring, but once that was over both girls looked down at Naruto with a pleased smile.
Inside the jewelry box was a pair of small earrings, each in the shape of a flower. The six petals of the flower were gemstones alternating between blue topaz and lavender jade with a center made of a small diamond. The lavender of jade was a perfect match for Hinata's eyes and everyone would later comment that the blue of the topaz was a flawless match for Naruto's eyes.
Ino and Tenten helped Hinata put on the earrings since her hands were still trembling and they were afraid that if Naruto started touching her around her face and neck that she just might faint dead away.
Ino whispers into Hinata's ear. "I wanted to let you know that your makeup looks great. I bet Naruto was speechless when he first saw you tonight."
"Yes, he was." Hinata smiles at the happy memory.
"I thought he made a good choice with the flowers." Tenten mentions as she and Ino share a wink.
"Y-Y-Yes, I was so shocked when he gave them to me and said that they were for our date." The happiness at saying that word was obviously written across her face as she looked over at Naruto who was talking with the boys. Lost in her happiness she completely missed her two friends sharing a victorious smirk with each other.
While the girls were helping Hinata, Shino comes over and places a hand on Naruto's shoulder, and with more emotion than Kiba had ever seen his friend and teammate ever use, he congratulates Naruto on a perfect gift for Hinata. Kiba happily slaps Naruto on the back and even Akumaru gives a happy bark.
Afterwards the girls somehow talk Hinata into taking one shot of sake to celebrate the night. They all laugh at the face she makes from her first sip of alcohol, but she just takes Ino's advice and just downs the rest in one quick swallow. Her coughing and tear filled eyes elicit another round of laughter.
While laughing Naruto looks over and sees Shino whispering something into Tenten's ear. Her head raises up just a bit and Naruto follows her gaze to Kiba, whose cheeks are red from a little too much sake, begins to twitch. Naruto looks back over and notices that one of Shino's fingers is moving rhythmically. He looks back at Kiba, trying not to be obvious that he is staring, and sees the boy's lip curl as his head pitches to the side. Kiba raises up a hand and furiously begins scratching behind his ear like a dog.
Ino and Hinata stop their conversation and stare at Kiba as he starts cursing. "Damn, something just bit me."
Naruto cannot pass up such an opportunity. "What's the matter mutt, is it time for another flea bath?" That was all everyone else needs and the room erupts in raucous laughter.
Kiba's angry retort was cut short by a loving peck on the cheek from Ino. "If you are a good boy I might help you with that bath later." Kiba's blush colors his face an even brighter red as the whole room, except Hinata who just covers her mouth in shock, let out a loud teasing "Wheeeeeewww!"
A little while later everyone begins to leave in pairs. Ino gives Hinata a nudge and points towards the figures of Tenten and Shino walking away together, their heads bent towards each other lost in some conversation. The two girls grab each other's hands and share a hopeful smile for their friend.
The temperature had dropped while they were having dinner and as Naruto and Hinata were walking back to the Hyuga compound Naruto looks over to her with a gentle smile. "You look cold Hinata, would you like me to put my arm around your shoulders?" Seeing the surprised look on her face he quickly adds. "You know to help keep you warm."
'Another birthday wish has come true. Naruto walking me home with his arm around me.' She nods as he takes the gifts she was carrying and adds them to his free hand while his arm wraps around her shoulders. She snuggles as close as she dares and holds her flowers protectively close so the cold air will not damage them too much. The feeling of him around her protectively and the perfume of the flowers puts Hinata in a dreamlike state. The two walk in silence not daring to say a word that might spoil this perfect moment.
As they reach the main gate Kodi just opens the gate without a word to the young couple and silently closes the gate behind them with a smile. It was not until they came to a stop at the entrance to the main house that Hinata even became aware of her surroundings. It was with a heavy heart that Hinata looks up into his eyes knowing it was almost time for them to part for the night, but at least she knew she would see him tomorrow morning for more studying and afternoon training.
"Well I guess this is where I have to say goodnight." He actually feels disappointed that it was time for her to go home after having such a great day together. He knew tomorrow was another day, but for the first time he could remember he really was not looking forward to the next day. Tomorrow now held the chance of being worse than today. It was such a change from the way he grew up wanting today to end so tomorrow could come and hopefully bring something better. Now he stands there looking at Hinata, her eyes reflecting the moonlight, and wonders how tomorrow could bring anything better than what he had experienced today.
She steps out of his embrace and turns around to look at him one last time before going inside.
"I am glad that you liked the earrings. When I saw the lavender jade petals I thought of you and knew that was the perfect gift." Feeling nervous he rubs the back of his head.
"I thought that the petals matching both of our eyes were so perfect. I don't think that you could have gotten me anything more wonderful." She takes a step closer. 'It's time to be bold like Kurenai-sensei said.' Hinata reaches out a hand and gently grasps the front of his kimono and pulls him down till their lips touch. The feeling of his warm soft lips against hers is like an explosion going off inside her body releasing millions of butterflies that lightly brush every nerve ending with their wings.
Hinata opens her eyes and sees that his own are wide open and staring back at her in shock. She lets out a little 'eep' in shock at what she had just done and before he can say a word she grabs her stuff out of his weakened grasp and runs into her home.
She leans against the closed door her head down trying to calm her racing heartbeat. "I can't believe that I just grabbed Naruto-kun and kissed him without permission." She touches her lips with a shaking hand. "My lips are still tingling from where ours touched." She closes her eyes and relives that moment again while she can still feel his lips upon her own.
Suddenly she notices the presence of someone else nearby and she opens her eyes slowly in fear that it is her father and he has heard her confession. Standing there is Hanabi with both of her hands covering her mouth in shock and her byakugan activated eyes wide open.
The two sisters stare at each other's crimson face before Hinata finally breaks the silence. "You little rat, you were spying on me and Naruto! You were watching while we… You are so dead!" The veins around her eyes bulge as she activates her own byakugan and a pair of blue lion's heads made of chakra form around her palms.
Hanabi knew she was in real trouble the moment Hinata did not add 'kun' behind Naruto's name and the lion fist only confirmed that fact. She also knew there was no place she could hide from those eyes so she started running and planned to keep running from her sister hoping that Hinata would calm down or run out of anger, or chakra, before too long.
JUST OUTSIDE THE DOOR
When their lips touched Naruto felt like a paper bomb had gone off inside his chest. His body froze in shock and his limbs refused to respond to his desires. He had wanted to reach out and pull her closer so that he could feel the softness her lips against his own more intensely. His body suddenly ached to wrap its arms protectively around her and keep her all for himself, but all he could do was stand there and gaze upon her face and watch as her eyes fluttered underneath their lids. Just as he felt that he could regain control of himself and draw her into a deeper kiss her eyes had opened and they stared deeply into each other. He saw for a moment something he never seen before in her perfect eyes, he saw bliss, then it was replaced with shock and she was gone.
He had watched the door for a time in fear, and hope, that it would open and she would rush back into his arms, but it did not and he began a slow, confused walk back through the gate and home. He stopped at some point, breathed into his palm and sniffed. "Well, at least my breath doesn't stink."
He did not remember the walk home or even changing for bed. He just stared at the ceiling for a long time before he spoke again with a voice filled with heartbreak and shame. "Was the kiss that bad?"