A/N: Sorry this one is coming out so late this month. I had to go out of town for 2 weeks for a job assignment that left me with no free time. Being derailed from writing put me in a bit of a motivational slump while I got everything else I had left on hold back on track. Fortunately I was finally able to get back in front of the laptop and finish this chapter.

COUGH, COUGH, SPUTTER, COUGH,

Naruto has his head down between his knees as he begins to cough from breathing in water. He had fallen asleep in the relaxing warm massage of the shower and had only woken up when his head had slumped backwards into the spray causing him to snore in a nose full of water. Once he has cleared enough of the fluid from his lungs and his coughing fit begins to subside he turns off the water and exits the shower.

Naruto looks about groggily for a clock hoping that he has not been asleep for very long. He has something to look forward to tonight, a relaxing meal with his girlfriend Hyuga Hinata, and he does not want to be late. 'I still wonder sometimes if I am going to wake up hung over in some hotel and all of this has been nothing but the best drunken dream ever. If I ever do then the first thing I am going to do is take a quick shower and then go find Hinata to make this dream a reality.'

In the furo room Hinata is sitting in front a mirror, wrapped in a large fluffy towel, brushing her long hair. She wants to look as perfect as she can for her dinner with Naruto tonight. 'This feels kind of weird. Normally I would be fusing over if I was going to wear my usual outfit or something a little more formal like a kimono to have dinner with Naruto-kun. Knowing that I am going to be wearing the ryokan's yukata over my pajamas is so liberating in one way.' She can instead focus on other things right now, like are they going to talk about the mission or something else tonight, or if the weather will remain nice enough for them to have a romantic walk in the garden after they are done eating?

Satisfied for the moment with her hair, Hinata reaches into her backpack to fish out her pajamas from the bottom. She had bought a new pair just for the mission, something pretty but also conservative in its length and cut. The yukata is pretty, but if one is not careful they do tend to gape open accidentally while sleeping. That is why she always keeps a pair of pajamas handy, to preserve her modesty. When she pulls out the pajamas she is shocked to see a different pair than the one she knew she had packed while in Hanabi's room last night.

'Hanabi, on no, please don't tell me that she…' The small note with her name neatly printed in Hanabi's handwriting falling out of a fold in the material answers everything. As Hinata unfolds the tiny note she feels a knot develop in her stomach as her blood pressure rises quickly. 'I was a fool to leave my backpack unattended in her room this morning while I brushed my teeth.'

Onee-san,

I hope you don't mind, but I fell in love with the new pajamas that you bought for your trip, so much so that I just had to borrow them for myself. I put a pair of my old ones inside as a trade, I hope you like them as much as I did.

Hanabi

P.S. I am pretty sure the juice stains came out.

Hinata rips the note in half as she tries to not cry out in frustration. 'So help me, if she causes me to be embarrassed in front of Naruto-kun not even Kiba will be able to find her body when I am done.'

With a heavy sigh of resignation she unfolds the pajamas that her sister had switch out with her own. 'I knew that I should have packed more than one pair, but she would have probably taken them as well.' As she holds the cotton material up against her chest and looks into the mirror her heart sinks as she looks at the kittens and rainbows design running along the hem of the shirt. What makes matters worse is when she looks down at the tag and sees that it is a size too small for her as well. 'No, a quick death might be too lenient. I will make sure that when I become the next leader of the Hyuga clan I will arrange for her to be married to somebody she will find totally annoying. Maybe Rock Lee, no I would not punish Rock Lee like that, he has a truly good heart and deserves someone special. I will think of somebody suitable for her crimes, perhaps one of Orochimaru's failed experiments.'

Hinata puts on the top and after struggling with the buttons to try and minimize any gaping holes between the buttons she looks at herself in the mirror. She should have known that her little sister's prank would not be so benign. The white cotton material hugs her chest like a second skin, so much so that it is not hard to make out every detail of her breasts underneath. She cannot help but cover the noticeable ring of her areola and the raised bump of her partially erect nipple at its center in embarrassment.

Also, while this top would easily reach Hanabi's belt line, Hinata's more adult figure takes up more of the material leaving a gap that easily shows off quite a bit of her tone stomach, and possibly more if she were to reach upwards suddenly.

The tightness of the top answers one of the questions that had been on her mind the whole time she had soaked in the furo. The question of whether she was going to wear something underneath her pajamas tonight had kept her mind occupied most of the time she had been soaking. That little voice in her head had suggested to not wear anything underneath, since her pajamas were made of dark silk and would not easily show anything that might be embarrassing. The thought of there only being a thin layer of silk between her body and Naruto's hands was exciting in its naughtiness, especially if he was to 'accidentally' brush up against her body during the night. By the time she had gotten out of the furo and was drying off, her usual shyness had begun to assert itself and she had nearly decided to wear something underneath her pajamas. Now thanks to Hanabi's little prank her modesty kicks in fully, she takes off the shirt and reaches over to find some fresh underclothes to wear.

By now Naruto is nervously pacing back and forth around the main room waiting for Hinata to come out and join him for dinner. He quickly steps into the bathroom to check his hair and his yukata again to make sure that everything is in place. He checks his breath and wonders if maybe he should brush his teeth again. He hopes that there will be at least some kissing tonight, and it wouldn't be good if his breath killed the mood. Just as he picks up his toothbrush he hears the sound of a panel being slid back out of the way. He just tosses the toothbrush towards his backpack, not really caring at the moment whether it lands safely or not, and steps out into the main room.

Hinata, letting out her breath slowly to try and calm her racing heart, inhales sharply when Naruto steps into the room. 'He looks so handsome in that yukata, it somehow makes his blue eyes look even brighter. I think that I might have to buy him one like it for his birthday.'

Naruto can only stare at Hinata in wide-eyed wonder. The white cranes on the blue background accentuate her pale eyes and make them seem to shine as if they were twin moons on a clear night sky. 'Man, the way the corners of her eyes crinkle ever so slightly when she smiles at me is so cute.' He crosses the distance between them in a few slow steps, making sure that nothing disturbs this almost perfect moment, and holds out both his hands.

Hinata, her eyes never breaking contact with Naruto's, feels a nervous tingle surge through her body as she places her small hands into his and is slowly drawn into his embrace. She places her face against his chest and inhales. The scent is a mixture of the familiar Naruto, and the smell of freshly laundered clothes that have been dried in the cool spring air.

Naruto places a cheek on the top of her head and lightly sniffs at Hinata's still slightly damp hair. Normally, when her hair is damp like this it is because they are hugging after completing a sparring match, and her hair smells of fresh sweat and the lingering remains of her shampoo. Now though, her hair does not smell like lavender. "You smell different."

Hinata's hand brushes her hair in concern. She had done some reading lately on fragrances that men find pleasant and bought something new to take along for the trip. Honestly, she thinks guiltily, she had not really expected Naruto to notice the difference, but now she knows better. It is actually exciting to think that he is now noticing such minute details about her these days. "I-I-I picked up something new for the trip." She tilts up her head and looks up at Naruto. "Is it okay, do you not like how it smells? It is supposed to smell like sandalwood and jasmine blossoms."

Naruto makes a face as he considers her question. "I am not sure, I think I need another sniff." He cracks a slight smile as he bends down and sniffs at the hair, right in line with her neck."

Hinata grabs onto his yukata tightly as Naruto's face nuzzles around the same place where his favorite spot to kiss her neck is located. Her body unconsciously responds to this stimulation by arching her neck a little in hopes of coming into contact with his lips. She feels a tingle run down her spine as he begins to speak and the vibrations of his voice stimulates the tiny hairs on her neck.

"It is very nice." Naruto looks down at the nearly healed mark he had left upon her neck a few days earlier and wrestles with the desire to remark his territory. He stops as the memory of his little chat with the Hokage last night flashes through his mind, and makes him reconsider that decision.

FLASHBACK

Tsunade laces her fingers together, leans forward and smiles at him in the most disturbing manner.

Naruto can feel a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face when she raises an eyebrow expectantly. "What? I have ton of paperwork on my desk that I am somehow supposed to get done, and I still haven't finished packing for my mission tomorrow." He closes his eyes for a moment as he tries to recall the contents of his underwear drawer from this morning to remember if he has enough to pack for the trip, or if he will need to do laundry tonight as well. "Just spit it out will you I haven't got all night."

Naruto pauses to keep himself from falling into old habits and calling her granny. "Lady Tsunade, something seems to be on your mind." He clears his throat and adjusts his collar. "Would you mind sharing what you find to be so funny?" Naruto sighs in defeat as Tsunade's smile becomes a victorious smirk as she rests her chin on her hands.

"Well, since you seem to be in such a hurry tonight I will skip being delicate and just be blunt." Tsunade's eyes narrow just a little as she hears Naruto mumble something about her only being delicate with a sake bottle. "The other day, during a recent council meeting, imagine my surprise when I look over and see that Hinata has a hematoma." She had actually planned on being nicer about the whole thing, but his little comment could not go unpunished.

Hearing Hinata's name Naruto gives his full attention to the Hokage. "A what, is it serious?" He can feel a cold, nervous sweat begin to cover his body as his mind begins to race on what he should do, and if he might need to cancel going on the mission to make sure that Hinata gets the proper medical attention she needs. He looks over to the side and sees that Shizune, who is staring at him wide-eyed while holding up a small stack of files to cover her mouth. 'Man, this must be really bad if Shizune is staring at me like that.'

Tsunade nods and lets out a long breath as if she is trying to get her emotions under control. She even gives Shizune a warning glance before she continues speaking. "It usually is a sign of something serious when I see a hematoma like the one I saw on Hinata."

Naruto walks over and places both hands on the Hokage's desk. "Is there anything I can do?" When he sees Shizune turn her back and look out the window, Naruto can feel his heart sink while his mind races to think about what other options there might be to save Hinata if it is beyond even Tsunade's medical skill.

"Oh, I think you have done enough already." Tsunade leans back and rubs the corners of her mouth thoughtfully.

"Are you saying that the hema-whatever that Hinata has is my fault?" Naruto's covers his face with his hands, wondering if he took their last sparing match too far and Hinata was more injured that she acted. He should have held back a little bit more, even though he had promised to push her to her limits in order to help her get even stronger.

"If it wasn't you then I am sure that I am going to have to put somebody into custody for their own protection." Tsunade glances over at Shizune who has sunk down to her knees. "Actually, I have been wondering if I was going to have to do the same for you, and send you on some long term mission after Hyuga Hiashi finds out about those love bites on Hinata's neck."

Naruto's brain feels like it is about to overload. At first he was wondering who he might have to beat the crap out of for hurting Hinata, but then when the Hokage said that old man Hiashi might be looking for him instead, his thoughts became so jumbled that he did not register the words 'love bites' at first. After a few moments the pieces of their conversation fall into place and Naruto's face becomes a red inferno of embarrassment and anger. "You said Hinata has a hema-whatever, what the hell does that have to do with a…"

Tsunade places both of her hands flat on her desk and leans forward as far as she can towards an increasingly red Naruto. "Hickey, love bite, whatever you want to call it, is a type of hematoma or a bruise if you prefer. It usually occurs when someone…"

"I know how a hickey is made." Naruto slams down a fist on the desk in frustration.

"Obviously." Tsunade struggles to maintain her composure as Shizune, now nearly crumpled on the floor, begins to laugh out loud. "Honestly though, I did not ask you to come in here so that I could make you feel uncomfortable, I…"

"Well, you have failed completely at doing that, granny." Naruto turns his back on Tsunade to hide the look of shame on his face. 'Sometimes that woman gets on my last nerve, what the hell did I ever do to her to deserve this kind of treatment?'

Tsunade lets out a little chuckle. "I guess I did fail to do that, but what I wanted to do is give you a little friendly advice." She waits as Naruto turns around just enough to look at her out of the corner of his eye. "I completely understand the desire to leave a mark, and even the unexpected giving of such little bites; kami knows that I have seen plenty decorating Shizune's neck lately."

Tsunade and Naruto both share a little smirk as Shizune's laughter abruptly ceases as she lets out an embarrassed gasp and pulls her collar a little tighter around her neck. They then look back at each other with a smirk thinking the same thing. That there is at least one thing besides eating that Hatake Kakashi takes his mask off for, at least they are assuming that he is not doing it through his mask. They both seem to shrug simultaneously.

"You know very well that Hinata is a very gentle person. If certain people were to see those marks, let's say an over protective father or a very nosey friend, it could make her uncomfortable in certain social situations, which is something I know that you would not like to happen. The two of you are about to leave for a diplomatic mission together, and while some of the people that you know as friends will be attending, there will also be others there who will be representing other nations. Some of those people might find it amusing to publically make a comment if they were to notice and mark of passion on the neck of the unwed daughter of the Hyuga clan leader."

Naruto stops and lets the Hokage's words sink in for moment, reflecting on what Hinata and Shikamaru have been trying to drill into his head for the last few months. The Hokage is right, it would be easier to not put Hinata into such an awkward social situation than it would be to apologize after breaking the jaw of someone who made an offhand comment. He lets out a long sigh as he thinks about how hard it will be to restrain himself from kissing Hinata on the neck. 'Maybe I can still kiss her, but just not so… intensely on the neck.' Just thinking about his lips roaming over the smooth flesh of Hinata's throat, cause his breathing to deepen with arousal.

The sound of Tsunade clearing her throat brings Naruto's attention back to the present and he gives the Hokage an embarrassed nod. "I see your point. You know the last thing that I would ever want to do is cause Hinata any problems."

Shizune's hands reach up and grasp the lip of the desk as she pulls herself up enough to look at Naruto. "All she is saying is to be more careful. You could probably still leave a mark somewhere that is normally under her clothes."

Naruto is so shocked by what Shizune just said that he can't even blush. Instead, all of the color just drains from his face and he stands there with his mouth wide open as the two women begin giggling at his expense. Once he is able to regain his composure, instead of fighting and giving the two women yet another chance to embarrass him, Naruto just turns, walks out of the room and heads down to his little office.

END FLASHBACK

"Yeah, the smell of your hair is making me hungry." Naruto whispers into Hinata's ear. "I wonder what they are serving for dinner tonight? You want to go see if they have brought the food yet?" His eyes roll up towards the ceiling cursing his luck that the need to be more responsible is putting such a cramp on what could have been an exciting night. That he has to pretend to be playing the teasing game to keep himself from turning her neck into something resembling a leopard's skin. 'Dammit old lady, why couldn't you just keep your advice to yourself and not screw up my time with Hinata?'

He begins to wonder if this is what it is going to be like once he becomes Hokage, that the responsibility of that position will interfere with the enjoyment of being with Hinata. 'No, I will always make time for Hinata, even if I have to leave a shadow clone in my office.'

"Meany." Hinata lets go of Naruto's yukata and turns away with her arms crossed. She turns her head back around just enough for Naruto to see an annoyed smirk on her face. "So, that is how you want to play? You just can't help yourself can you, Naruto-kun?" When he flashes her a victorious smile, Hinata turns back around and runs one fingernail lightly across the side of Naruto's face as she walks past. "Just remember, you will get burned if you play with fire, Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto pauses to enjoy how the electric sensation of Hinata's touch lingers on his skin for several moments after the contact is broken. Glad that her back is to him at the moment so she cannot see how her touch is still affecting him, Naruto shakes his head quickly a few times to get his thoughts focused away from how her buttocks seem to glide back and forth under the yukata she is wearing as she walks away. He runs past Hinata and slides open the shoji to the little room where their meal awaits. "Please allow me, Hyuga-sama."

With her name said so formally, Hinata's posture becomes aristocratic as she steps inside the room and waits for Naruto to slide the shoji shut. Once he steps up beside her, they look at how things have been arranged for their dinner. The different courses of the meal have been arranged so they can easily recognize the order in which the chef suggests they eat their meal. Also, covered dishes that are intended to be eaten while it is still hot are sitting upon heated stones to keep the food at the correct temperature till they are consumed. It is obvious by the layout that everything has been done to ensure their guest's meal will not be disturbed unless summoned by the bell on a nearby table, where a teapot is resting upon another hot stone.

Outside in the garden a few paper lanterns have been lit to cast soft illumination upon certain sections of the garden. The door is currently closed, most likely to ensure that the light breeze would not affect the temperature of the meal.

Hinata walks over to the table where the cushions have been arranged side-by-side so that they both can eat together and enjoy the view of the garden. She takes a seat nearest to the teapot and gestures at the teapot to quietly ask if he would like her to serve him some tea.

Naruto smiles as he nods in affirmation. He then walks over and slides back the door just enough for a slight breeze to enter the room and let in the sweet perfume of the spring flowers. After he sits down, Naruto picks up his teacup and turns towards Hinata.

Once she sees him holding up his cup and waiting expectantly Hinata picks up her own and looks back towards Naruto. Her heart almost aches with joy as Naruto holds his cup towards her with both hands and bows to her and then waits. She returns his gesture before they both drink from the cups.

The first course, or sakizuke, is breaded rice balls wrapped around a piece of slow-roasted pork. They both look at each other in surprise as they bite through the crunchy outer layer and taste the hidden treat at the center. As they look over the rest of the covered dishes and then back at each other it is obvious they are both wondering what other culinary surprises might be in store for them tonight.

Over the next few courses of the meal they begin talking about their trip so far and how they both hope that the weather will continue to be pleasant for the rest of the mission. As they begin to eat the yakimono course, a piece of flame-grilled trout, Naruto gestures with his chopsticks. "This place is amazing, I never knew that this ryokan even had rooms like this one. I bet it is expensive, that would explain why Kakashi-sensei never offered to get one for the team. I am just surprised Master Jiraiya didn't try and trick me into paying for one of these rooms."

Hinata, who had been thinking the same thing, nods in agreement to Naruto's observation. "Yes, I know that Choji said this was his treat, but I feel bad that he is going to have to pay for such an expensive room just because this is all that is available for tonight."

Naruto holds up his chopsticks and waves them in agreement, causing little bits of fish flesh to go flying from the tip. "Oops, sorry." He pushes away the remains of the fish and continues talking while he waits for Hinata to finish her fish. "This room is big enough for the whole team, I don't see why we had to sleep in two different rooms."

Hinata, her head lowered shyly to where Naruto can just barely see her blushing face gives a little shrug. "Maybe he… thought it might be a little awkward." She had to admit that she has been so happy that things had worked out tonight like it has with the rooms. She and Naruto are able to have a real private meal together, a feat that they have only been able to enjoy a couple of times so far since they have been dating. In the village there are always friends or villagers that come by and interrupt their meal, and at home there are servants whose job it is to be nearby to fulfill any need she might have. Meaning that anything she and Naruto say to each other is more than likely being overheard.

Naruto's eyes go wide as he realizes Hinata's suggestion makes perfect sense, and he begins to wonder why he had not thought of that being a good reason. "Yeah, and we don't have to listen to sighs of aggravation all night, or be awakened by the sound of a chip bag being ripped open in the middle of the night. So Choji did us a big favor." They both share a laugh, thinking about how Shikamaru had gotten up in a huff when Naruto and Hinata had started feeding each other bits of their lunch when they had stopped earlier in the day. Their laughter continues as they eat the next dinner course by feeding each other instead of themselves.

As they uncover the Shiizakana course, the room is filled with the rich flavors of the thick stew. Even though they have eaten several courses already Naruto cannot help but salivate at the sight of the slices of meat floating on top. They each pick up the small bowl of rice that accompanies the dish and pull out slices of the meat and vegetables.

By the time the two of them nearly finish the bowl they both are starting to feel a wave of warmth spreading up from the stomachs. To try and keep himself from just giving in to the desire to curl up and take a nap right there on the floor Naruto grabs at random thoughts to try and start up a conversation to keep them both awake. "You have to check out the shower before we leave tomorrow Hinata."

Feeling too sleepy to be embarrassed by how Naruto's statement could be misinterpreted Hinata just smiles as she pours them both some fresh tea. "Why is that Naruto-kun?"

Naruto holds his hands out far apart, his eyes open nearly as wide. "It's huge, at least compared to the one in my apartment. I mean it has got shower heads on three sides, and a bench along the back wall to sit on. I guess it's there if you get tired while taking your shower, but if there is water spraying from both directions I don't see why it would take a person very long to get clean."

As she sips her tea and thinks about what Naruto is telling her about the shower, Hinata is reminded about how odd the furo had been as well. "That's funny, there were two stations to get clean and the furo itself is large enough for more than one person to soak in and relax."

Naruto's mouth drops open as the whole thing becomes clear. "You mean that the furo is big enough for someone with a larger body size?" He throws his hands up in the air and lets out a loud roar of laughter. "On no, we got Choji's room. It makes perfect sense when you think about it Hinata. A large furo and an over-sized shower with extra shower heads to reach those hard to reach places, plus the bench for sitting on when they get tired of all that scrubbing." Naruto covers his mouth, as if to try and make sure that Choji's sensitive hearing doesn't catch him making a joke about his size. "I bet this room is reserved for people from the Akimichi clan, and big rich clients." Naruto says the word 'big' very softly and looks around nervously.

Something about Naruto's idea doesn't sound right to Hinata, but the food coma she is fighting is making her thoughts rather sluggish, and is not helping her come up with a more logical reason for how the room is laid out. Watching Naruto strain to laugh quietly is infectious, and she can't help but giggle along.

The mizumono, or final course, is a bowl of strawberries that have been sliced thinly and arranged in a floral pattern. Naruto reaches down, picks up one of the slices with his chopsticks and holds it out to Hinata with his other hand underneath to keep any of the sweet juices from dripping down onto her yukata.

Hinata looks deeply into his eyes, expecting to see the usual gleam of mirth in his perfect blue pools; instead the look of pure affection she sees nearly leaves her breathless. Her face probably matches the color of the strawberries by the flush she suddenly feels on her cheeks, and the slight upturn in the corners of his mouth. She leans forward and places one hand on his knee as she opens her lips to receive the offered morsel of food.

As he watches Hinata open her mouth to let him feed her the slice of strawberry, her face now that perfect shade of pink, Naruto struggles with the desire to throw the chopsticks aside and take her lips as his own dessert. The look of joy in her eyes is what stops him from giving into that rash surge of lust and follow through with the romantic gesture. 'She might think that the whole reason I was offering her the strawberry slice was to get a kiss out of her, instead of me trying to be more mature and romantic.' The smile on her face as he deposits the morsel on her tongue assures him that he had made the right decision by acting more like an adult.

Hinata is not sure if the tingling sensation that she feels when the strawberry slice touches her tongue is from the natural tartness of the berry, the light syrup from the dusting of sugar that was sprinkled on the fruit, or the perfect cool temperature that the dessert was being kept by the cold stone the ceramic bowl was sitting upon. It could have been who was feeding her, or more likely how she received the bite. Most likely it is all of those combined. All she knows, and will ever remember, is how she feels at this moment. She half-closes her eyes and focuses all her senses into that moment, allowing each one to catalog every possible bit of data into her memory, and how her whole body is reacting. 'No other bite of strawberries will ever taste as perfect again as the one I just ate.'

As he watches her enjoy the slice of strawberry he just gave her, Naruto's chest begins to ache from the immense amount of love he feels for her at this moment. Love, that is the only word to describe the sensation he feels when he looks at Hinata. Real love, not the word he throws about carelessly when he talks about Ichiraku's ramen, but something that he knows that he truly cannot live without anymore. It makes him shudder a little in fear. 'If I ever have another one of those nightmares I might just die from heartbreak before I wake, now that I know I can't live without her anymore.' He looks down at the bowl, blinks away the tears that are trying to form in his eyes. 'Kurama, what will I do if I ever loose Hinata?' The silence of the kyubi's lack of a reply is deafening.

"My turn, Naruto-kun." Hinata holds up a slice to Naruto, but pauses when she sees the strange expression on his face. "Are you okay? Is something wrong?" She knows that something is wrong when she sees him put on that fake smile he gives when he doesn't want to worry people.

"Yeah, I am okay." He looks around the room for a moment so that he can break eye contact and restrain the panic he is feeling in his stomach. "I was thinking that just when I believe being with you could not make me any happier something like this happens." He gestures about the whole room before holding his hand out to Hinata. "Seeing you smile makes me so happy, and all I want is to make sure that you always have a reason to smile."

Naruto gestures towards the garden with his other hand. "Would you like to go for a walk in the garden?" He then leans forward and gently eats the slice of strawberry on Hinata's offered chopsticks.

Hinata nods and once he stands she lets Naruto help her to rise. Later, when she reflects back on their walk through the garden, she will think back and wonder if the hands of time stopped moving while they walked side-by-side through the small, neatly manicured garden. They walked together and talked like they were the only two people around for miles and were free to be who they are without any hesitation.

Naruto too will think back about how Hinata seemed to know the identity of nearly every flower, and details about their uses; artistically, culinary, and medicinal as well. He would not be able to relate a single bit of knowledge that she had revealed, because he was too ensnared by the siren-like sound of her voice to remember anything other than how wonderful it had been to hear her voice fill the cool evening air.

After what may have been their first circuit through the garden, or possibly even their hundredth, Naruto and Hinata step back through the doorway and into their little dining area to see that the remains of their meal had been cleaned up already. A fresh pot of water, along with the other necessary materials to make fresh tea was sitting on the side table along with a small plate of sweets. Hinata gestures to the small table to see if Naruto would like for her to make them some tea.

Naruto just smiles and shakes his head, not wanting to bother her with going through all that trouble. He reaches over and opens the sliding panel to the main room and is about to say something funny to Hinata when his mind goes blank and all he can say is, "Whoa."

Hinata, worried by the sudden change in Naruto's demeanor, steps up beside Naruto to see what is going on inside the room that would shock him so much. Her eyes immediately notice what had surprised Naruto, and all she can do is utter a single syllable. "Whoa."

There in the center of the room is the futon. Not two futons, each with a blanket and a pillow like they were both expecting to see, but one large futon with a single large blanket and two pillows. Hinata's childhood memory of her parent's room before her mother passed away immediately comes to mind. This sleeping arrangement is for married couples, or at least intimate couples. Her heart begins to beat rapidly like dozens of butterflies have suddenly replaced her heart and are furiously trying to fly out of her body through her mouth.

Naruto has not slept in a double sized futon like this before, and cannot even recall at the moment ever seeing one, but its implications are very clear even to him. They are supposed to sleep together, like really together, tonight. His mouth goes so dry that he is beginning to regret not having some of that tea Hinata offered to make. 'I have never slept… like that close to anyone before. I know that I thrash about in my sleep most nights, so what if I were to touch… something accidentally?' His eyes stray over and subconsciously lock on Hinata's chest for a moment before working their way up to her eyes and he sees her blink. 'Crap, did she see me looking at her… chest?'

Hinata is too lost in her own thoughts as well to notice where Naruto was staring. Ending up together in a bed like this is the most probable outcome for two people who are in love. She would be lying if she was to say that she had not wondered once or twice, okay more than twice, what it would be like to fall asleep in his arms. More importantly, how wonderful it would feel to wake up in the morning with his strong arms wrapped around her protectively. She blinks, and as her eyes come back into focus she sees that Naruto is looking at her nervously. She needs to think, she was not really prepared for this moment to happen so suddenly. "W-W-Would you like some t-t-tea?"

Naruto, feeling like he had just been pulled away from the edge of a cliff, lets out a sigh of relief. "Some tea would be great right now. I hadn't realized how thirsty all that walking had made me till you just asked if I want something to drink." After she steps back he closes the sliding door as quickly as he can without trying to look like he was slamming it closed and lets out a silent sigh of relief.

Hinata nods quickly and kneels down to make tea with trembling hands. "Tea yes, some nice relaxing tea is always nice just before… bedtime." She almost looks up at Naruto, but her shyness takes over and she instead looks down to fidget with the cups and containers trying to force herself to calm down with the familiar ritual of making tea.

Naruto sits down and busies himself by nibbling on one of the cookies trying to wrap his head around what is going to happen tonight. He needs to think of something to talk about, anything other than sleeping in a futon tonight. Just thinking the word sleep is making his pulse quicken as guilty thoughts of being so close to a vulnerable sleeping Hinata claw their way into his imagination. Naruto focuses his thoughts on something just the opposite of innocent and desirable, something like Sasuke. That guy's smugness was always getting on his nerves when they were kids. Even last night when they talked he still got the urge to punch Sasuke the very moment that smug smirk crossed his friends face. 'Wait, Sasuke… he told me about Hinata and…'

Naruto turns towards Hinata and without any hesitation he blurts out. "I talked to Sasuke last night." The questioning look on his face leaves no doubt that a certain angry verbal exchange between their respective girlfriends had been part of that conversation.