A/N: Well, this chapter is out way later than I had planned, but there was a medical emergency and I have not really sat down in front of the PC to write in weeks. Now that things are getting back to normal I am able to sit down and try to start writing again. I should have the next chapter done by the end of next month as long as things don't go off the rails again.
Well, on with the show.
Naruto looks about the clothing store bored and more than a little uncomfortable because the lingerie section is within easy viewing of the racks of clothing that Hinata is looking through. It takes a lot of self-control to not blush as the thought of what his girlfriend might actually be wearing underneath her outfit comes unbidden to his mind. His eyes cannot stop glancing over at a mannequin bust wearing a black bra with tiny lines of white thread highlighting the floral pattern that runs along the perimeter of the half-cups. The cups themselves seem to be made up of some sort of fine mesh material and he cannot tell if the cups are completely see-through, or if the thing is designed to give the illusion of being a see through mesh. The only way to know for sure would be to get so close that he could not avoid getting caught by somebody.
To distract himself from imagining what Hinata might look like in something so overtly sexy he decides to see if he can go over and help her finally make a decision. The quicker they get done here the less chance he might get caught staring at the mannequin by somebody and be accused of being a pervert. He steps up behind Hinata and looks over her shoulder to take a look at the yukata she is examining. "So how is it going, tenshi?" When she quivers suddenly he wraps his arms around her reassuringly and places one hand on top of the other on her abdomen.
Hinata shivers a little, not from being startled by Naruto suddenly speaking in her ear, but by the feeling of his warm breath on her neck. She can always tell when he is close by the feeling of his presence and the warm aura of his charka, radiating like a miniature sun. Hinata has been watching him for so long that she feels that she could almost track him across the village with her eyes closed by using some sort of sixth sense that she really can't explain. She can tell that he is getting fidgety, not by the sound of movement, but by the way his presence keeps moving about. 'It is so sweet how hard he is trying to be patient with my indecision on what to select.'
When Naruto rests his chin lightly on her shoulder, near the base of her neck, the sensation of the skin-on-skin contact feels almost electrical. To be honest every time their body's come into contact it feels like a circuit has been closed and some sort of energy is now running through that connection and all over her body. Hinata turns her head to look into his eyes expecting to see him look at her mischievously, but instead she sees honest curiosity about what she is doing. It is that honesty of wanting to know what she is doing and wanting to be helpful that brings a smile to her face. 'I feel so lucky every time that he looks at me like that, like everything that I do is as important to him as it is to me as well.' She can't help but reach up and lovingly touch his cheek.
His first thought when Hinata started to turn and look into his eyes was that she was going to be annoyed that he was bothering her while she was busy. That all changed when he looked deeply into her eyes and saw only happiness reflected back at him in her moon-like orbs. On impulse he leans closer and lays a gentle kiss upon her lips, and lets it linger there for a moment to savor the sensation of their connection.
Hinata fights to try and regain control as her body instinctively leans into Naruto's while the moments pass by and their lips remain pressed together. It would be so easy to give in to the desire and kiss him with more intensity, but they are here for her to pick up something for tonight. Reluctantly she turns around places a trembling hand on his chest to push him back and put a little distance between their bodies. "That was very naughty of you, Naruto-kun." She reaches up and traces the whisker marks on one cheek with her fingertips. "Not that I mind, but I should really be focusing on finding something for tonight."
She points to a nearby chair and tries to put on a more serious look without giving into her desire to giggle at him giving her a pouty face. "You need to read over the mission details written in that scroll the Hokage gave you days ago, so why don't you sit down and read while I finish up my shopping? That way when I am finished you will be done reading over the mission details and we will have more time for us." She takes Naruto's hand, leads him over to the chair and gives him a gentle shove. "If you are here doing what you are supposed to be doing, then I will know that you are not up to some mischief while my back is turned."
Hinata cannot help but giggle as Naruto puts his hands up in mock surprise that she would accuse him of being up to some mischief while her back is turned. She playfully puts her hands on her hips and strikes an assertive pose. "Don't make me use my byakugan to keep an eye on you, Uzumaki-san. Besides, if you behave I will buy the first bowl of ramen for lunch tomorrow." She knows that she didn't need to bribe him, but knowing how he will react to an offering of a free bowl of ramen was just too good of a thing to pass up.
"Yes Hyuga-sama, right away Hyuga-sama." Naruto quickly pulls out the scroll and overacts his eagerness so much that Hinata has to walk away or give into another fit of laughter. In return, he watches as she turns around and let's himself enjoy the sight of her hips moving as she walks about. After she disappears amongst the racks he looks down to focus on the details of his upcoming mission.
"SNORT…. What?" Naruto's head jerks up and he blinks away at the sleepy fog running through his head. "Oh crap, I fell asleep while reading that scroll." He looks down at the scroll that has almost fallen out of his hands and onto the floor. 'Man, why can't they just get to the point in these things and just say; go here and do this on a certain date.'
"Are you there, Naruto-kun?" Hinata's curious voice cuts through the fog in his brain and Naruto is immediately on his feet trying to see where Hinata's voice is coming from in the store.
"Yeah, where are you, Hinata?" Naruto wanders in the direction of her voice and within moments he is standing at the entrance to the women's changing room. "Are you back there Hinata? I think this is where I heard your voice coming from." He turns his head to the side to focus his senses so that he can discern her location if he is wrong. Just as he is about to lose patience with the haze still clogging his brain and go into Sage Mode so that he can pinpoint Hinata's location exactly, the door to one of the changing rooms opens up and Hinata's head pops out.
Hinata smiles when she sees Naruto standing there still looking a little disoriented. "Did you have a good nap sleepyhead?" Her hand immediately comes up and covers her mouth as she begins to giggle. He had looked so cute and peaceful when she had come back to the changing room that she almost feels guilty for waking him up.
Naruto looks down at the floor in embarrassment. "I was, until somebody woke me up." He looks back up and gives her a great big smile. If anybody else had teased him about falling asleep he would have yelled back at them, but this is Hinata and there is just no way that he could ever yell at that sweet face.
Hinata looks about before gesturing for him to come closer. "I need you to come here and tell me what you think of this outfit. While I was looking for something for tonight I saw this and thought that it might look good on me, but I would like a second opinion." Since she was already here shopping for one thing it just seemed like the perfect chance to do a little extra shopping, especially since her boyfriend was taking a nap. At least the other changing rooms are empty at the moment, or she would have never dared risk asking him to come back here to see her in this outfit.
"O-O-Okay." Naruto looks about nervously to make sure that none of the clerks are looking in his direction, but cannot see either one of them at the moment. 'I hope this is okay, I don't want to get Hinata into any trouble for me being back here in the room. Hinata wouldn't ask if she really didn't need help, so I'll do this quickly and slip back out before anyone figures out where I am.' He knocks politely and waits for her to invite him inside before opening the door.
Hinata cannot help but think about how much Naruto has changed lately. Not too long ago he would have just barged into this room without even pausing after she asked him to come over. 'I've changed too, not long ago I would have fainted the moment he opened that door, maybe even the moment he knocked. Now, I can kiss him without any concern that I am going to faint in his arms.' Even with her growing confidence, she is very nervous right now about his initial reaction to the outfit she is now wearing. As the door begins to open she forces herself to uncross her arms from across her waist and puts them down to her sides. Out of habit, she also looks down at the floor where his feet will appear instead of his face.
Naruto carefully opens the door and can only stand there in stunned silence at what he sees waiting inside the small room with its full length mirror and small bench. Hinata is wearing a light lavender colored, sleeveless kimono-style blouse with vertical lines and a high collar that blocks almost any view of her neck. Tied around her slender waist is a dark purple obi that accentuates her feminine figure perfectly. A pair of dark navy colored shorts finishes out her ensemble. "W-W-Wow."
Hinata looks up with a nervous smile. "So you like this outfit? I thought that I would get something new to wear for the mission." Hinata had felt a little self-conscious earlier wearing her old, sort of baggy, mission clothing when they had visited the cemetery. While looking for something for tonight she decided now was the best time for her to put aside that old persona of hers that wore baggy clothes because of her lack of confidence. She wants to outwardly show everyone that she is a new, more confident Hyuga Hinata.
Naruto can only silently nod for a moment while his brain finishes processing the image of the woman standing there nervously waiting for his reply. 'Every time I see her I can't image her being anymore beautiful, and then she goes and does something to prove me wrong again. She makes getting out of bed each day more important than lying there snuggled up comfortably hoping for a few more minutes of rest.' Finally, he is able to find his voice. "You look amazing, Hinata-tenshi. That kimono really makes the color of your eyes more… noticeable." That really isn't the right word, but his brain is a little too busy right now to come up with a better word.
Seeing his reaction, and hearing his complement, Hinata cannot help but happily twirl about to show off the whole outfit. "I was thinking about switching out my ninja sandals for these boots." As she comes out of her spin she reaches down and picks up a pair of black boots that look like they would almost come up to her knees. "With these I might not have to get all the way up on my tiptoes to give you a kiss."
Naruto gives a little pout. "But I like it when you get on your tiptoes. I think it is kind of cute." He holds up one hand to about her current head-height and then gives a little smirk.
Hinata, a little disappointment showing on her face clutches at the boots. "So you want me to put them back on the shelf?"
Naruto can tell by the look in her eyes that Hinata has already decided that she likes the boots and just wants some affirmation, so he shakes his head vigorously. "Heck no, I think you will look amazing in those boots. I would be an idiot if I were to say I didn't want to see you wearing them, tenshi." He flickers his eyebrows a couple times mischievously. "Would you like some help putting those boots on, Hinata?"
Hinata smirks back, enjoying the sudden thrill of possibly getting caught with Naruto lingering a little longer here inside the women's changing room. If people weren't already talking about them, then that surely would get the gossip flowing. Is that a good thing really? Father already gives her a strange look each time she announces that she is meeting Naruto during the day, and it's gotten worse ever since Naruto confessed what happened with those girls.
One look at Naruto's smiling face though and her hesitation takes a back seat, for the moment at least, as that little voice in her mind suddenly suggests an idea. "Okay, but I need to put these stockings on first." Hinata takes a deep breath to steady her nerves, hoping that the prank that has just come to her mind will not look stupid to Naruto, or worse she could freak out halfway through and faint. How would they explain that to everyone?
Hinata turns and places one foot on the bench as she reaches down to slowly pull the stocking up her leg with nervous fingers. She takes her time and caresses her leg to ensure every wrinkle is smoothed away and the material hugs her flesh like a second skin. She hazards a glance over to see if this display is having any effect on her boyfriend, and her heart nearly skips a beat when she sees the look on his face.
Naruto's brain feels like it is about to explode and then start gushing out his nose. Part of him wants to fall on his knees so that he can lean in closer and watch her put on the next one in minute detail. 'I might not be able to survive watching her put on the other stocking, but I don't think I really care.' Another part of him wants to peel that stocking back off her leg and run his hands up her flesh to see if they are as smooth as they look. How can anything look like it is made of pale, flesh colored silk, but Hinata seems to have managed that somehow. Maybe she is using some sort of genjutsu on him right now to enhance how beautiful her legs look. Until today he had only been able to get a glimpse of her feet when she had taken off her sandals. 'That was the day we decided to go into the forest outside the village to do some practice and we had taken a break beside a stream. She was so nervous that she didn't even roll up her pants legs. I don't know why she was trying to hide them, because she has amazing legs.'
Once she has put on the other stocking, and he has seen her legs with and without stockings on, Naruto comes to an important decision. 'She definitely needs to wear those things if she is going to wear that outfit, besides the fact that I might get to see her put them on again. They will conceal from other guys what they had better not be looking at in the first place. That is if they want to be able to chew solid food ever again.'
"T-T-Those look great on you, Hinata." As Naruto is about to berate himself for acting like a stuttering fool he catches a glimpse of something extra in Hinata's smile. He realizes that she put those stockings on like that on purpose. She is trying to get him… excited.
'THE VIXEN IS BEING QUITE SUCCESSFUL ISN'T SHE KIT?' Kurama's deep rumbling laughter erupts and reverberates throughout Naruto's body.
Naruto suppresses his natural reaction to yell back at the irritating kyubi and instead focuses all his attention on his surprisingly sneaky girlfriend. "So… you want to play, is that it Hyuga-sama?" After their recent confessions things had changed, in a positive way, for their relationship. Hinata has become even more confident when talking with him, so much so that she is able to sometimes tease him back when he tries to make her blush. She has gained so much more confidence lately that they have started teasing each other to see who will be the first to give in and ask to be kissed. 'It's the first game that I have ever played that losing is just as good as winning.' The only thing is that he never hesitates when she has asked for a kiss. What would happen if he ever hesitated to see if she would become more insistent, or even beg for him to give her a kiss. Does he really have enough self-control to try something like that, or does he even dare to risk losing a chance to taste those lips. 'I better not mention this thought to Hinata, because she might just do it to me and drive me absolutely crazy.'
Hinata, seeing that he has figured out her plan to tease him a little, knows that things are about to get interesting, maybe too interesting for the confined public place they are currently occupying. She smirks as she replies to his question. "Perhaps, but I should warn you that I plan on playing to win this time." What, why did she just say that? She knows better than to issue a challenge like that to Uzumaki Naruto, but some inner part of her just couldn't resist.
The subject of her holding back in the early days of their training together had been a topic of discussion between them until after Hiashi's visit. After her father had scolded them, their practice bouts against each other had gone to the next level, so much so that they had been asked to take some of their A and S ranked type jutsu practices outside the family training ground to give the landscape a chance to grow back. Hinata has to force herself to not think about what they did during a break in their training the other day beside the stream, or how she ran out of cover-up that night to hide the marks Naruto had left upon her neck and collarbone. She had apologized when she showed up a little late for dinner that evening, and wore her mission gear and hitai-ate around her neck. Hanabi had not been fooled and had teased her terribly later that night when they were alone together in her room. 'She is just jealous that nobody is kissing her, that's all.'
Naruto's smile takes on an also feral-like glee. "Good, I was planning on playing a little dirty." Before she can react to his statement he uses his elbow to close the door and then steps closer to Hinata, placing his hands on her hips
Hinata cannot help but quiver at his sudden close proximity, and the natural subconscious fear of entrapment in a small room with an obvious predator. Her hands touch his chest instinctively to push him away, but instead of pushing she clutches tightly at his jacket as his lips begin to descend. She lets out a little gasp as his mouth diverts away from her lips and his cheek brushes her own as his lips are now perched near her ear.
Naruto's first instinct is to nip at her delicate, bejeweled earlobe, but instead he lets out a puff of warm breath before lowering Hinata down to the bench in the changing room. "Now, let me help you with that boot." He kneels down at Hinata's feet and stares deeply into her eyes with a playful grin on his face as he picks up the boot with one hand, while the other cups her heel. As Naruto places the opening of the boot at the base of her foot he slowly slides the hand up from her heel, up the back of her calf, and lets it rests at the crook behind her knee.
The feeling of his strong hand slowly working its way up her calf is indescribable, so much so that her toes curl and uncurl uncontrollably. 'I am so happy these toe-less stockings go up to my mid-thigh. If his hand was to rub against the unprotected flesh behind my knee right now I might just faint, or worse I might lose my self-control and do or say kami knows what in response.' Seeing him smile victoriously at her reaction to his touch helps Hinata regain some of her control as he finishes sliding the boot into place. She tries to focus on the need to slow down her breathing as a way to distract her attention away from the tingling sensation coming from the back of her knee and running up to the base of her spine.
Naruto looks up at Hinata with an innocent smile. "You know, this is the first time that I have looked at your toes this closely." He lifts her foot up closer to his face, so close that Hinata can feel the warmth of his breath dance along her flesh.
"Don't look." Hinata self-consciously curls the toes of her now quivering foot, as if trying to hide them from Naruto, just in case he was to find some imperfection. 'I wish I knew that we were going to be doing something like this today so that I could have given myself a pedicure.' She is so thankful at this moment that she had washed up before going to the Hokage's office this morning. Otherwise she would be terrified at this moment that her feet might smell and gross out her boyfriend.
"Oh, don't be that way tenshi." Naruto takes a single finger and strokes it gently along the back of her toes causing them to start wiggling uncontrollably. "Now that's better." He leans down and brushes the tip of his index finger inside the little divot between the big toe and the second toe.
"Stop, that… tickles." Hinata jerks her foot away and curls both of her feet protectively underneath the bench as she struggles to restrain the spasms of arousal trying to take control of her body. She glares down at Naruto, who is smiling because he knows she didn't jerk away because it tickled. "That was a dirty play, Naruto-kun."
Naruto shrugs innocently and reaches down for her other foot. 'Good, by the time I get the other boot on she will be begging for a kiss.' He reaches over to grab the other boot, but is stopped short when she lifts her foot out of his grasp and places it upon his chest.
Hinata, knowing that she needs to take control over the situation again, grabs at the first thought that comes to her mind. 'This might be a bad idea and is probably going to backfire on me, but he did seem to get really excited when he was watching me put these stockings on a minute ago. Let's see how he reacts to this little twist.' Hinata moves her leg over and kicks the boot out of his hands. "You know, I should compare the new boots against my old sandals. Take off this stocking for me, and put one of my old sandals on this foot."
"What…" Naruto is so thankful right now that he is kneeling down, because there is no way that he could stand straight up at this moment. 'Oh crap, I wasn't expecting her to ask me to do this, I was kind of hoping to do this some time, but not now… not someplace where we could get in trouble if I can't… you know… stop myself.' He swallows hard and tries to steady his breathing to something less like a panting dog.
"I'm sorry, is that too much to ask Naruto-kun?" She asks as sweetly as her trembling body will let her without stuttering. "Maybe you should go back to your chair and wait since this is too much for me to ask. I can decide on my own if I look better in this outfit with these boots or not." Hinata presses her foot against his chest and presses lightly as if trying to force him to leave. 'There, make him leave before you both make a terrible mistake.'
"No!" Naruto says so suddenly that both of them are a little surprised by the sound. They both look back towards the door in fear that somebody might have heard and come running to see if everything is okay. 'I am going to lose so badly this time.' He thinks to himself as he turns back to face Hinata, but when he sees the beginnings of a victorious smile on Hinata's face that sense of impending defeat is washed away and he becomes even more determined not to lose. Naruto is somehow able to muster a smile that shows more confidence than he is truly feeling. "It's okay Hinata, I am more than happy to help you out." His inner voice begins to scream that he is being a fool and that he has already lost by giving in to her obvious trap instead of running away. She gave him a chance to walk away, but he was too stubborn to seize that opportunity. Now he has to think of something quick, but what could he possibly do to pull out a victory. 'Wait…'
Hinata's danger sense goes berserk as he places a hand on either side of the stocking and begins rolling it down with the palms of his hands. It is what he is doing with his fingers that sends her body nearly over the edge. He takes his fingertips and slides them down her now exposed flesh as his palms continue to roll down the stocking. He is slightly changing his fingertip's angle randomly, so that they are going down in a slight scissor-like motion. Hinata's body begins to surrender to the sensation, and her whole body tries to straighten out like a board as she struggles to maintain control. Her muscles lock tight with her fingers and toes curling almost painfully as she inhales deeply through her nose. She closes her eyes and turns her face towards the ceiling, while saying a silent prayer that she won't make a sound that will draw unwanted attention when her resolve finally breaks. 'If I make a sound right now everyone in this store will hear me and somebody will come to investigate why I am screaming. I am so glad that I hung my jacket over their hidden camera behind the mirror before I asked Naruto-kun to come back here, who knows who might have been watching what we are doing otherwise.'
Naruto is too busy being amazed at her reaction to think about celebrating his impending victory, especially when his eyes wander down her body and takes in the amazing beauty that is Hyuga Hinata. He looks down to see that as her body stiffens her foot is stretching out as well and is slowly sliding its way up his inner thigh. Seeing her tiny, painted toes tantalizingly close to a painfully sensitive part of his body is nearly overwhelming. As the thought of how that might feel to lean in just a little to make contact crosses his mind he has to close his eyes to the sight and fight to regain control before he literally explodes.
With a near simultaneous gasp they both open their eyes and look at the other and say, "Truce." Hinata grabs the back of his head, as he places his hands on her waist, and they pull each other into a lust filled kiss.
Hinata's hands slide up underneath the edges of his hitai-ate and slide it off his head to give her fingers full access to his golden hair. She takes a firm hold and presses him tightly against her lips. Her legs curl around and she tucks her heels tightly behind his thighs. 'What am I doing? Why won't my body listen and do what I am trying to tell it to do, instead it is doing what it wants? We… we… need to… stop… b-b-b-before… we… c-c-can't, before I...'
Naruto's left hand slides around her waist and cups the small of her back, while his right slides down to caress the side of her left thigh. His fingers find the edge of her shorts and then slowly work their way up the outside of her thigh towards the waistband. 'Oh crap… what am I doing… she is probably going… going to slap me so… hard, but… so soft… warm… Hinata… Hinata so… warm. No, I… not… we… WE… not… place good… stop… we should, before...' His fingers find the waistband and curl around the material. His hand begins to tremble as his brain is now engaged in a struggle against his loins for the control of his body. These two halves are fighting on whether to let go of the shorts, or to begin tugging at the material.
Hinata and Naruto pause to finally take a breath and she gasps as she leans back a little. "We…" pant, pant "we should stop, before…" pant, pant.
Naruto has to take a few panting breaths as well before he can speak. "I know…" pant, pant "we shouldn't be doing something …" pant, pant "like this here …" pant, pant "we might get... caught." Naruto leans in and places his forehead against hers before brushing his quivering lips upon Hinata's and gives her a slow, tender kiss.
They kiss a couple more times tenderly; fearful of losing control again, before Hinata places her trembling hands upon Naruto's chest to signal that she needs to take a break. Naruto places his left hand on the wall while his right slowly extricates itself down her leg and to his side. It is at this moment when they both realize that Naruto is kneeling between Hinata's open legs, and that her heels are still tucked behind his thighs. With this realization they increase their distance, and Naruto moves backwards to end up sitting down on his rump, while Hinata closes her legs quickly and places her hands on her lap with her knees turned slightly to the side.
Naruto is the first one to find their voice. "I-I-I am sorry Hinata." He looks down at his fidgeting fingers and realizes that his whole body is trembling from a surge of adrenaline along with other potent hormones. "I got..." deep breath and exhale "a little carried away." He wonders that if they had been somewhere more private would things have gotten really out of their control. That thought scares him more than the possibility of somebody walking in and catching them in the act. Is she ready, is HE ready, hell are THEY ready for that next step. 'I can still be a dumb kid some of the time, and Hinata well she's a really important person in her clan and all, so maybe… awe hell I don't know.' Mentally he buries his face in his hands to try and sort out all the shoulds and should nots whirling through his brain right now.
"It's okay, Naruto-kun." Hinata looks over at her boyfriend guiltily. "I am just as responsible." She slides down to her knees in front of Naruto on the floor. As he looks up into her eyes they reach out and touch the other's face tenderly. They slowly wrap their arms around each other and just hold each other in a gentle embrace. She knows that if he had asked, that she would have willingly surrendered herself to him in this little room. It's not where she has imagined her first time, and deep down she is relieved that they were both able to regain control of their passions. Maybe soon that dream of being taken in his arms in their marital bed, surrounded by candles and flowers, will come true. She would be lying if she said that she is not feeling a little disappointed to have to wait, but relief is the dominant emotion right now. 'I need to finish up here quickly before someone else comes into the changing area and Naruto is trapped.'
"If you will just follow me ladies I will show you to a couple of empty dressing rooms." The sound of one of the clerks talking just outside breaks their tender moment like an explosion going off in the room.
"Ino, I can't wait to see you in that blue outfit. I think it will match your eyes beautifully." Tenten's voice can be heard coming down the hallway.
Hinata rises up and quietly backs away from Naruto while pressing a single finger to her lips. Naruto nods and reaches down to find his missing hitai-ate and to try to tie it back onto his forehead quickly, and hopefully the right side up. The two of them slow their breathing, trying to not make any sounds that would draw the attention of two veteran kunoichi like Tenten and Ino. That is when Naruto's sweaty hands lose their grip on the smooth metal of the hitai-ate.