Hello Dearies! I tried really hard to finish this chapter today, and do you know why?
Because it's my birthday!
Yes, that's right. As of today, the nineteenth of September, year two-thousand and thirteen, I am an adult!
So I wrote this, and am here to give it to you as a present! (because that's just how things work with me!)
Hinata simply amazed him.
He knew that she got down on herself a lot and that she always thought of herself as weaker than everyone else, but when he watched her he knew that she was totally and completely wrong. He'd been told time and time again by some of his friends that when they trained together—other than by Lee—he was impossible to keep up with. Sakura often complained loudly and for long periods of time that he needed to have consideration for the people who weren't given super-human stamina by demons, but Hinata never once said a word. She just kept on working harder and harder, and when they fought against each other he could practically see in her eyes her determination to go just a little bit farther. To push herself just that much more.
And when she hit him, she didn't pull back like he would have thought she would when they first started. She went after him with every she had, and it hurt when she hit him.
She could kick his ass, and that was hot.
Watching her as she fought against a few of his clones, he couldn't help but smile at the way she just sort of danced around, bending and jumping and taking out the clones with hits that felt like whispers and took them down like bellows. She was all bendy and graceful and perfect, standing in the middle of a circle of five of him ready to kick ass, panting and sweating and determined, and when there eyes met for barely a second, her's surrounded by the protruding veins of the byakugan, he didn't realize he was saying the words until they were free, floating through the air between them.
"I love you."
Because of her bloodline being activated, Hinata was able to read the words from his lips even though they were too far apart for her to actually hear him, and as they registered she froze to gape at him, her byakugan deactivating from sheer shock as she tried to figure if he had really said it and really really meant it.
This of course left her completely defenseless as each of the clones tackled her all at once, obviously expecting her to hit them away like she usually did. But she didn't, and so she was knocked down and pinned to the ground beneath the pileup of Narutos.
"Hinata!" He shouted as he quickly ran to her, dispelling the clones and dropping down to her side so that he could check her over for any wounds or anything serious that he'd have to panic over or take her to the hospital for. Her eyes were dazed and she had a little trouble breathing, but as soon as she saw him so close to her she pushed herself up and grabbed his t-shirt in her fists, yanking him so that they were face-to-face and staring at him with such intensity that he was almost scared.
"Did you mean it?" She whispered, "Did you really say it?"
"Say what?" Naruto asked, knowing what she meant but he was suddenly so nervous and embarrassed that he just wanted to evade the entire conversation. He'd never said 'I love you' to anyone before, not ever, and the first time he says it his girlfriend gets tackled in what looks like an extremely painful way.
Wasn't that some sort of sign?
"Don't joke about this." She murmured lowly, and once again he was taken back by her intensity. She didn't stutter or fidget or look away and blush, she only looked at him like everything depended on this answer, and quite suddenly Naruto realized why.
It had always been her. From that moment where she stepped in front of him to try and protect him from Pain and confessed to him, it was always her who was putting herself out there. She always said it, even in just the looks and touches and smiles she gave him instead of the words that had the power to both intimidate and elate him. She always said it without fail, and he never had.
How did she feel, always giving and giving and giving while he just accepted and hoarded like the greedy person he was? How did she feel never knowing if she'd ever truly be given what she wanted the most, all the while handing him her heart with a smile and with such trust that it was almost physically painful.
And so, he understood that there would absolutely be no joking what so ever about this.
"Of course I meant it." He mumbled, looking down to his lap, suddenly so embarrassed her could feel his face burn."Of course I said it."
Say it again, you idiot! He screamed at himself, Say it again! Actually let her hear it!
"Say it again." She whispered, and he peeked up to see a sheen of tears that she seemed to be determined not to shed shining in her eyes. "Please, Naruto-kun."
Reaching up to loosen her hands and pull them off of his shirt before she ripped it, Naruto held them between them, staring at how pale and slim and strong hers were just before he looked up to meet her eyes almost shyly.
"There's no reason to say please," He said, the corner of his lip quirking up in a nervous attempt at a smile. "After all, I love you."
He waited for her to do something or say something, but it seemed like she had stopped breathing, staring wide-eyed at him, her tears gone. A few moments passed by, and Naruto progressively got more nervous and worried.
"Hina-"
"Again," She whispered, almost disbelievingly. "Say it again."
"Oh, um, okay." He said, clearing his throat and shifting around a bit, wishing she didn't have such a tight grip on his hands because they were sweaty and he wanted to wipe them off on his pants because it was kind of gross. "I, Uzumaki Naruto, love you, Hyuuga Hinata." Well, maybe since he'd said their names she wouldn't ask him to say it again, because it was really embarrassing.
"A-Again." She said again, this time a bit less forcefully.
He held back a groan. "I love-"
There was no need to continue.
Suddenly pulling her hands away from his, she tackled him so that he fell backwards, ending the long awaited statement with a searing kiss, laying nearly all the way on top of him as she buried her fingers deep within his hair, making as if to never get up. When she finally pulled back Naruto was panting, eyes wide with shock as he stared up at her, and she gave him the most dazzling and radiant smile he had ever seen.
"I love you too." She said happily, and before Naruto could say something or smile back or do anything she was leaning back down and kissing him senseless again, and Naruto found that he liked it when Hinata took charge and acted so differently from her normal self. He liked it so much that he didn't even bother trying to move from where she had pinned him to the ground, he just continued to lay there and put his arms around her waist to pull her on top of him even more.
Of course, she tried to end it all to soon, pulling back and trying to shove him away gently when her attempted to bring her back to where she belonged at that moment.
"N-Naruto," She protested breathlessly, "I-I'm covered in sweat and dirt and w-we're at the training grounds."
"Don't care." He muttered, rolling so that he was on top and she couldn't escape. "Love you."
And together, they melted.
There was no sexy time. I already wrote you that chapter, and that is a ways away for these two.
Notes on last chapter: No, Momo and Arata did not sleep together the night of the engagement party. That was not when the last half was. The last half of the chapter was the night before the wedding, which was a good number of months (less than a year, more than a couple) from the night of the engagement party. Momo and Arata ran into each other a few times after that night and she kept on making him laugh, so one day he asked her to dinner, she said yes, and their relationship started.
Thank you for the compliments on how I developed Momo's personality. I actually instilled more of my own personality into her character than the others. (Evidence: I was at my cousin's baby shower and someone said, "That is a very nice dress" to me, and so I turned to her, smiled, and said, "Thanks! It shows off my boobs really well!" (and it really does) Also, my opinion on wine and love of juice pouches)
Also! Someone said they wanted to send me a PM since I was so late on the last chapter, and that is absolutely fine! Really, I'd love it. Even if you just want to talk about life, trouble with homework/men/women, or a really funny joke you heard, go ahead! I smile whenever I get anything from you guys. (And if I'm late, I won't think you sound pushy. I'll probably just see it as a well needed kick to the patookey.)
And now, in honor of my birthday, here are:
18 Things About Me You Probably Don't Care About And That Are Completely Meaningless, But I'm Going To Tell You Anyway So Ha!
1) My shoe size is 9 (but my feet look tiny. It's weird)
2) I have two plants. A Sanservieria named Mr. Tumnus and a bamboo plant named Darla.
3) I am extremely pale, and have burned from walking to the mailbox and back.
4) My three favorite colors are purple, gray, and red.
5) I am a nail polish whore. This and ice cream are my weaknesses (also DIY arts and crafts). I have a basket-box-thing filled with nailpolish, and the sheer amount was laughed at by one of the people who helped me move in.
6) I am currently wearing a Trix cereal rabbit (temporary) tattoo on my left arm
7) I have to use my finger so tell my left from my right (You know, making the Ls with your thumbs and pointers (I'm terrible at directions of any kind))
8) My favorite Air Head flavor is watermelon.
9) I trip over my own feet at least twice a day.
10) I have blue eyes and brown hair and light freckles smudged on my face.
11) I wear sexy glasses.
12) My favorite TV show is Once Upon a Time.
13) I call everyone honey. Friends are more frequently called Sweetie or Dear (I try to stop because I worry it makes people uncomfortable, but I don't even realize I'm doing it, really)
14) I love fruity smell.
15) Every weekday morning for breakfast I have a small mushroom and cheese omelet, hash-browns, a piece of sausage, a small waffle, and a glass of milk. (The omelet man is such a sweetheart)
16) My favorite food is American Chinese.
17) I want to travel around Greece someday and do all of the touristy things, and I also want to go to Puerto Rico and kayak to one of the bio-luminescent bays.
18) I have veery long arms and fingers (I think they look quite elegant).
There we go! I'll be seeing you soon!