Diclaimer: I don't own anything. Nope, nothing at all.
Summary: She signed. "You're not the devil, Naruto." He glanced at her, grinning. "He's just a very close relative."
Pairing: NaruHina.
Warning: Possible Sexual Themes. This chapter may contain mature content.
Notes: I'm so surprised at the great response this story is getting! I'd like to thank all of you for your kind words, and I've tried to make this chapter as long as I could. You guys are the best.
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Hinata lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. She concentrated on the small drops of rain against the glass, hoping to distract her heart from beating so rapidly. She felt like she was stuck in a dream, where golden-haired men wooed you and made you doubt all you'd ever known.
Her cheeks flushed as she thought of his body moving over hers slowly, the muscles in his back flexing under her small fingers. He reached for the fastening of his trousers, and she helped him undo it with trembling fingers.
As he hiked up her skirts softly, Hinata breathed in nervously, and closed her eyes. His breath tickled her neck, and he laid down soft kisses onto her collar bone. She opened her eyes when his head fell against the pillow, and he began to pull himself from her.
She sat up surprised in bed, looking at him as he fastened his trousers, and leaned his head against the wall, running his hand through his hair. She wanted to go to him, comfort him, but she just couldn't move.
"Forgive me, Hinata."
His blue eyes were staring at her then, and she shook her head at him. "I-it's alright. I understand."
Naruto sighed, and began to pull on his coat. "No, you don't. I'm sorry." Hinata could do nothing but stare at him as he left the room. There was nothing there to accompany her, only herself and the small gold band on her finger.
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Naruto walked alongside the street, hoping to clear his head. He didn't know what was holding him back from her, but something at the back of his head kept nagging at him. It felt wrong to taint such a young and naïve girl, and he didn't want her to have to deal with his issues afterward.
He'd never had such a reaction from a woman before in his entire lifetime. No other woman on Earth had ever caused him to consider the consequences; no other woman had ever made him feel so many things at once. No other woman had ever made him really feel.
He felt so caught up in his thoughts that he barely noticed the elegant carriage arriving at the front of the building. He ignored the small woman descending from the small steps, and thus didn't notice the peculiar gaze she gave him as he walked away.
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Hinata studied her wedding band as much as she could, and her eyes could not stop looking at how the gold reflected off the small candle next to the bed. The small white diamond in the center captivated her, and she wondered how Naruto could have picked out such a gorgeous ring in such haste.
Sighing, she let her body drop down to the bed again. She didn't bother to get up when a small knock came at the door, and a maid entered the room. It was already morning and Naruto had not come back into the room yet. When she awoke, he had not been in the bed.
The small maid from the other day stood at the bed meekly, and she got up to let her tend to the linens. She went to sit at her vanity, and grabbed a small brush.
She barely heard the small, "I'm sorry."
It was not long until everything turned pitch black.
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Naruto felt his head throbbing at the temples. When the bartender woke him, he could barely hear anything else but his own head. He straightened his shirt as much as possible as he saw the Inn come into view. He didn't want Hinata to see him in such a mess.
He felt just like his father. He didn't want to remember how he drowned out his sorrows in alcohol. He knew better than to hide from his own weaknesses, he just didn't know how to do it any other way.
Cringing from the carriage passing on the street, he picked up a rock and flung it across the grass. Feeling frustrated, he ignored the man in the front desk and walked up the stairs to his bedroom.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Hinata was not in the room, and he crossed the room to the small bowl of cold water placed at the table. He felt relieved at the feeling of the cold water splashing across his face, waking him up slightly.
It was not until he saw the bed that sleep finally caught up to him, and it wasn't long until he was slumbering peacefully.
When he woke up, it was already night. He ran a hand through his hair, and drank from a small glass of water that had been placed at the side of the bed. He wondered when Hinata would come back, and he walked around looking for signs that she had been in the room while he slept. When he didn't see anything, he began to walk around the room. He knew something was off. Her things were still in the room, and he found it odd that she hadn't left the gown she had been wearing the night before a new one.
Worry began to take over him, and Naruto left the room to search for his wife. He spotted a small maid in hall and he walked over to her, ignoring the small blush that came over her face.
"Have you seen my wife?"
She shook her head, "The lavender-haired one, Lord?" When he nodded, she looked sadly at him. "I'm sorry to say no, I only saw her this morning when I tended to the bed, and then a different maid took over for me."
"Do you remember which one?" When she shook her head, he sighed but thanked her. Walking away, he spotted another maid and questioned her. It wasn't until he had spoken to most of the cleaning staff that he began to become impatient.
If Hinata had gone shopping, she should have told someone she was leaving or asked for an escort. A newly-married woman should not be walking alone un-escorted in the streets, especially for the majority of the day. Walking back into his room, he called for some food to be brought to his room, feeling starved as the alcohol left his system.
Naruto hated only a small amount of things, and hangovers were at the top of that small list. He felt odd eating alone, as if he hadn't done it for years already. Used to Hinata's quiet presence next to him, he ate slowly and barely registered the taste. Leaving most of the plate on the table, he left the room again. Walking to the front room, he walked to the front desk and approached the young man.
"Excuse me, I need to ask you a few questions." The man nodded his head and motioned for him to continue. "Have you seen a young woman leave today? It's my wife."
The man smiled at him, "I'm sorry, sir. Could you be more detailed? We have many young woman leave on a daily basis."
Naruto grinned sheepishly, and he shrugged at him. "She has lavender hair, and she's petite. I think she left alone, but I'm not sure anymore."
He nodded at him, "I'll go ask the one who was tending the desk earlier today. Hold on for a small while, please." Naruto nodded, leaning against the desk. He studied the young man, and observed the way he spoke to the man he remembered telling him something as he had come up the stairs earlier in the day. He couldn't remember exactly what it was that he had said.
When the young man came back, he pulled out a small paper. "I asked around, and he told me that he had seen her walk out with an older woman earlier in the day. They had boarded a carriage and the older woman left this here for you."
Naruto took the paper, "I wasn't told about this."
The young man smiled, "I apologize. He told me he motioned for you but you went upstairs and he figured it was to sleep."
Naruto nodded at him and walked away as he opened the small paper.
I've taken my daughter with me, you lecher. You're lucky you haven't been arrested for this yet; don't bother coming after her, even if you've taken her virginity. She'll be re-married within the week, regardless of what you've done.
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Until Next Time,
Darkofthenight.