Thank you so much for supporting this story, for all the reviews and feedback. Please enjoy the fifth chapter.
Chapter Five:
.
It was a short introduction.
"N-Naruto-kun, this is Inuzuka Kiba. Kiba-kun, please meet Uzumaki Naruto."
That short. An awkward one even.
With that, the two visitors settled on the couch, each of them secretly wondering how the other was related to the black-haired maiden. Either did not know anything about one another, but the moment they shook hands, both immediately knew that they didn't like each other.
"I'm really sorry you have to drive all the way here, Kiba-kun. You must have been home when I called you." Hinata asked as she lay down on the coffee table the shopping bag that she accidentally brought home.
"No worries. Anything for Menma-kun." He
grinned, glancing cheekily at Naruto as he did so.
"Let me at least make you some coffee before you leave."
"That would be great. Thanks!"
"H-How about you, Naruto-kun? Would you like anything?"
"I'll have what you usually make me, Hinata." Naruto, who had been throwing glares at the other man in the room, smiled sweetly at her, only to receive Hinata's confused frown in return.
"T-The usual? What's that?" She asked.
Naruto narrowed his eyes at her. "Coffee."
"Pfft.." Kiba snorted.
"Oh! Alright. You guys just... umm... wait for me here."
Hinata anxiously moved to the kitchen which was just a few feet away from where her guests were seated. She would occasionally throw nervous glances at the two men while working on their drink. Looking at them felt more tiresome compared to looking after Menma when the boy's on a hype mode. She could feel it- the thick atmosphere of hate hanging over the living room- and the tension between the two men reached even the farthest end of the kitchen.
"You know, Uzumaki-san..." Kiba spoke.
"Just call me Naruto." He said, flashing him a fake smile.
"Okay, that works. You can call me Kiba, then.. Naruto."
"Sounds good."
"You know, I think I've seen your name in a magazine before. I just can't remember what magazine that is."
"Is it sports? I write articles for Run Magazine and also for CircuitMag."
"Really!?" The word came out sounding more enthusiastic that Kiba wanted it to be. He cleared his throat and shrugged his shoulders. "Uh, I mean.. cool."
Naruto smirked. "You read those?"
"N-Nah, not really interested."
"I see. What kind of magazines do you read then?" Naruto raised his eyebrow at him, glancing at the title of the magazine that peeked out of Kiba's shopping bag.
"T-This is just for.. you know.. uhh.." Kiba quickly shoved the magazine deeper into the bag and cleared his throat again. "W-Well, I read mostly science stuff.. and anything about animals and pets. I'm a veterinary surgeon, if you haven't asked, so I'm more interested in those kinds of stuff."
"I see. That sounds interesting." Naruto rolled his eyes.
Kiba looked at him out of the corner of his eyes and made a sly smile. "Yeah. Menma-kun thinks so, too."
Naruto glared at Kiba upon hearing him mention his son's name again.
"Do you know that Menma-kun likes animals, too? I sometimes take him to the clinic where he plays with the dogs and cats. Akamaru is his favourite. Oh, that little kid loves dogs!" He looked at Naruto, and the serious expression on the blonde's face made Kiba smile. The man with the dark hair appeared to be enjoying their little 'conversation' more than he should have. "Menma-kun and I have a lot in common, it's funny. People sometimes think that he's actually my own son-"
"Hey." Naruto sternly interjected.
Kiba smirked, returning his stare. "What?"
"I-I'm back!" Hinata rushed back to their side holding a tray in both hands. She appeared to have hurried, and she arrived just in time before sparks could fly and burn her apartment down. "Here you go.." She placed the tray on the small coffee table and was about to sit down when Hanabi suddenly called her from the bathroom.
"Nee-san, can you come here for a sec? I need your help with this dress." Hanabi shouted.
"Now? I have visitors, you know?" Hinata yelled back.
"Just help me with the zipper. It's stuck. Please?"
Hinata sighed and turned to the two men sitting on the couch. "Sorry. I'll be right back."
She made her way to the bathroom, leaving Naruto and Kiba again. Naruto loosened a button at the neck part of his shirt, feeling more uncomfortable seating across Kiba, who nonchalantly sipped from his mug.
"Ah, this is good. Hinata really makes great coffee." Kiba remarked.
Naruto only gave him another wry smile as he tasted the coffee from his own cup. At least, there was something that the two of them could agree on.
"She doesn't usually drink coffee. Do you know that?"
If it wouldn't look so rude, Naruto swore he would smash that wooden tray into Kiba's head just to make the man shut up. He'd been itching to shove that mug into Kiba's throat and watch him die, but instead, he just gripped his mug tighter, thinking it was Kiba's neck. 'Here we go again.' He thought.
"But she still bought this mug, because it's exactly the same as mine." Kiba leaned back and looked up the ceiling as he sipped, gazing at Naruto from time to time. "It's like a couple's mug. You know, something to celebrate the day we started going out."
Naruto suddenly paused from sipping, leaving his mouth slightly hanging open in surprise. He wanted to think what Kiba's coffee mug would look like, but too many thoughts clouded his mind that he didn't even bother to notice that the print on Hinata's mug said 'I'm a Disney princess'. He cleared the lump that formed in throat and turned his head at the direction where Hinata went. "I-I see." He took another sip from his mug, but the coffee didn't taste as sweet as before.
Thankfully, that statement was also Kiba's last.
The two men remained seated in an awkward silence until Hinata came back. After wasting a few awkward minutes more, Kiba finally said his goodbye and left with a smug smile on his face.
Hinata noticed the expression on Naruto's face as he helped hear with the dishes. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah." He briefly answered.
"I-I got this." She said, referring to the dishes. "Can you go check Menma-kun? I think I heard him calling you."
"Okay."
Her eyes were fixed on his back as he left to go to Menma's room. If she hadn't known better, she would have believed that smile he gave her. But she knew him more than she wanted herself to, and that smile was telling her something was wrong. "What in the world did you tell him, Kiba-kun?" She shook her head, whispering to herself.
Oooxxxooo
"Daddy, how do you spell Uncle Kiba's name?"
Naruto propped himself on one elbow and looked at the little boy who was lying beside him on the bed. "Hm? Why do you want to know?"
The hand that was holding a crayon stopped moving as Menma stared innocently at his father, thinking for an answer. "Because I want to give this to him, but I can't, because I need to have his name on it, and I don't know how to spell it."
Naruto felt his eyebrow twitch at the little scribbles and doodles that his son had drawn on a piece of paper. It was a stick figure of a boy holding the hand of a stickman who appeared to be Kiba, wearing his hoodie and that grin that Naruto found to be greatly annoying. Naruto gritted his teeth as he faked a smile. "That's easy, sweetie. That's D-O-G-B-R-E-A-T-H."
"Naruto-kun!"
He flinched, hearing Hinata's voice coming from the kitchen. "I'm only kidding!" Naruto shouted back. "Mommy sure has sharp ears, huh?" Naruto smiled at Menma's toothy grin. "Alright, let's make sure we got it right this time, okay? That's S-T-U-P-I-D-M-U-T-T."
"Naruto-kun!" This time, Hinata peeked through the door and frowned at him.
"Okay, okay!" He sighed. "That's U-N-C-L-E-K-I-B-A."
"..K-I-B-A. Okay! Thank you, daddy."
"Sure." Naruto let out another sigh as he lay flat on his back once again. He checked the time, and it was an hour past midnight.
He should have been at home with Sakura right now, he thought as he stared at the glow-in-the-dark stars that were stuck in the ceiling. He should have been sleeping soundly next to his fiancée, holding her, embracing her, or even making love to her- that woman whom he hadn't seen for one whole week straight. But instead, he was at 'her' place, lying on her soft bed with their son, teaching him how to spell another man's name at an ungodly hour of the night.
"What am I really doing?" Naruto mumbled to himself.
He did go home with Sakura earlier that evening. He parked his car, sat down and had dinner, took a shower. But no matter what he did, images of Hinata kept creeping back into his mind. How those soft black strands moved freely with the breeze blowing through her hair, and how her smile was all he could see even amongst the crowd. Except, of course, for the pesky thing called hand that touched her so casually. He realized that his body acquired a new habit of acting on its own, when he rushed to his car and left the house the moment Sakura fell asleep. He had almost fallen from the stairs from running too quickly, and by the time he reached her apartment door, he was already out of breath. He had even decided to bust the door open if Hinata had not answered sooner. When he saw her open the door and that she was alone, he couldn't help but smile. It was another short-lived one, for after a few minutes, he met Kiba. Naruto gritted his teeth just remembering his name.
"Daddy, Daddy!"
Naruto opened his eyes to the sound of Menma's voice, his small hands cupping Naruto's cheeks.
"Dad!"
"Huh? What is it, Menma-kun?"
"I was asking, how do you spell your name?"
"What? Why?"
"Because I can't finish this drawing without your name on it."
Pulling himself up to sit, Naruto stared at another small paper that Menma held in his hands. It was a drawing of a man with blue eyes and a hair that his son colored yellow. Written below it were the words 'I love you, Daddy,' then a space where Menma was planning to write down his name. Naruto stared at it one more time, and he felt a tug at his heartstrings.
"This is for me?" Naruto quirked an eyebrow, trying hard to hold back a smile that threatened to split his face in half.
"Yeah, I made one for mom, too. See?"
Just one small innocent smile from Menma, and Naruto's heart was melting.
"Wow, you're really good! Come here!" Naruto said, pulling the little boy into a tight embrace.
"Daddy, my arm..." Menma laughed out loud while squirming from his father's hug.
"You two seem to be having fun... at this hour." Hinata gazed at the clock. "Menma-kun, sweetheart, it's already past your bedtime. You have to go back to sleep."
"But I just woke up and daddy's still here. He might not be here tomorrow." Menma whined.
"Daddy will be here tomorrow, I promise." Naruto loosened his embrace and kissed the boy on the head.
"Really?! Yay!" Menma jumped up and down on the bed, but suddenly stopped. "Umm, mom, I need to go to the bathroom."
"Sure, honey." Hinata moved to approach Menma, but Naruto quickly took him and carried Menma out of the room.
"It's okay. I'll take him." Naruto walked past her without even looking.
"A-Alright."
.
"I-Is there something wrong, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked him when he came back.
"No. Everything's fine." Naruto took a deep breath, still not returning her gaze. "Why do you ask?"
"N-Nothing."
Noticing that her expression saddened, Naruto rubbed his face and added, "I'm just... tired. Sorry."
"Okay." Hinata softly answered.
There was silence, until they heard Menma call again.
"Mooooommm! Can you come here, please?"
Hinata stood up from the edge of the bed where she was sitting, but Naruto stopped her for the second time.
"No, No. I got it."
Something sure was wrong, Hinata thought, with the way that Naruto had been acting towards Menma, and especially towards her, and the way he was keeping his mouth shut about it was starting to annoy her a bit. Hinata was ready to give him a piece of her mind, but didn't, when he came back to the room looking somewhat embarrassed.
"Okay, I'm sorry." He scratched the tip of his nose. "But... I need your help on this one."
Oooxxxooo
.
Her laugh was like music to his ears, and Naruto loved it the more he's hearing it. He held back his own laugh, watching her wipe small tears that formed from controlling her laughter. It was already three in the morning, and they were back inside Hinata's small bedroom, with Menma sleeping soundly between them.
"I felt the same way when I first changed his diaper. I had no idea how to do it, that I even had to watch tutorial videos. You'll really wonder.. 'how can a small baby like this poop that many?' But don't worry. You won't get to do it much more than I did. He's learning to clean after himself on his own."
"That's.. reassuring."
Hinata saw his lips form a smirk, and she smiled back, but the more she realized he was there lying beside her, the more anxious she became. She felt her smile slowly disappearing. "What are you doing here, Naruto-kun?"
"Huh?"
"Didn't she just come back today? Aren't you supposed to be with Sakura-san?"
Naruto took a deep breath and placed his arms behind his head. "That's true."
"Then, why? D-Did she kick you out?"
"No, she didn't. Though I'm pretty sure she will, but I haven't told her about Menma-kun yet." He gazed at her thru the corner of his eyes and saw her looking at him wide-eyed. "I don't think today's the right time. She's a bit tired from the trip."
"Is that really it?"
It sometimes amazed him that this woman, whom he had only met some couple of years ago, seemed to know him more than his girlfriend, whom he had known for more than twelve years, did. 'Maybe that's what really happens when someone pays attention', he thought.
"Sakura-chan said she wanted us to go on a vacation. She said she wanted to make it up to me." Naruto saw her eyes falter. "We might go somewhere far away. It might be for a week... or longer. Not sure."
"I... I see. T-That's good... for the two of you." Hinata forced a smile that Naruto also noticed.
"It can be. We haven't been together that much for a while. It might be exactly what we need for this relationship." Naruto made a lopsided smile. "Am I being a pussy if I say that I can't break a news that bad to her when she suddenly said she wanted to make up? She sounded pretty excited about the trip, too, and I don't want to ruin this chance."
Hinata swallowed hard. "I-I understand what you mean. But I don't think it's a good idea to go on a trip with Sakura-san, with a secret like this weighing you down. She'll notice it, I'm sure."
Closing his eyes, Naruto let out another sigh.
There was another silence, a deep and prolonged one, with the two of them just lying quietly on their backs. Naruto shifted on the bed, so that he was again facing her. He took a deep breath before opening his mouth again. "S-So, tell me... How long have you two been going out?"
Hinata abruptly opened her eyes at the question. "Excuse me?"
"I mean, you and Kiba. He already told me... that you two are dating." He cautiously looked at her from the corner of his eyes and saw her surprised expression. "You don't have to hide it from me, and it's not like you have to ask permission or something. I just want to know, of course... like what kind of guy he is, if he's going to become Menma's stepdad."
"Naruto-kun..."
"Kiba looks like a decent guy. But I can have him checked if you want. Are you sure he's not doing drugs? He seemed to be having verbal diarrhoea-"
"I'm not going out with him." Hinata cut him off.
"What?"
"K-Kiba-kun and I are not dating." Hinata bit her lip as she held back a playful smile.
"Y-You're not?" Naruto had a very puzzled look, as he watched Hinata shook her head.
"I'm not going out with anyone."
Realizing that he had been fooled, Naruto smacked his head hard with his palm. "Argh! That son of a bi-"
"Shh.." Hinata gently pressed a finger on Naruto's lips and smiled as she gazed at Menma. "Language please, Naruto-kun." She whispered.
"S-Sorry." He smiled back. "But why the hell would he say that?! He thinks he's funny?"
"I think he's just messing with you, Naruto-kun." Hinata couldn't help but giggle. "You don't like him, do you?"
"Tch.."
Hinata pulled herself up to sit and stretched her arms. "Kiba-kun and I have been friends since we're little. We used to live next to each other, until my family moved here right after seventh grade. Oh! I just remembered, he did ask me once to go out with him, but obviously, it didn't work. It's like dating an older brother, really." She chuckled.
"Ouch." Naruto remarked, suddenly feeling bad for Kiba.
"Kiba-kun is a really nice guy. When he found out I was pregnant, he told me I was stupid. I knew he was really mad at me, but... he still asked if I wanted to marry him, instead."
"H-He proposed to you?"
"Mm.. Did it sound like a proposal? I don't know. He only said it's for the baby, so Menma-kun would know a father." Hinata answered.
Naruto also sat up and leaned against the head of the bed, his expression still in awe. "Wow.. He said that?" Seeing her nod, Naruto continued, "Then why didn't you say yes?"
It was obvious that the question caught her off-guard, by the way that her smile suddenly disappeared and her eyes widened. She only looked at him straight in the eye as she thought about her answer. She bit her lip, shaking her head. "L-Let's just say that I have my reasons."
"That's it?" He asked, and Hinata only smiled. "Okay. Let's just leave it like that then."
They spent the next few minutes just sitting quietly, with Naruto staring up at the ceiling again, while Hinata brushed a few tangles on the tips of her hair. Naruto's forehead formed a crease, as he broke the silence with a question that had been running through his mind.
"Really? You're not dating anyone right now? No fiancé? No boyfriend?"
His question brought a faint blush to her cheeks. "W-Well, you wouldn't be lying here on my bed if I had one. Why do you ask?"
"I-It just seems impossible, since you're nice. And you're really... pretty."
His comment made her blush even more. "T-Thank you. I've actually never went out with anyone before."
"What?! Why?" He sat up straight and blurted out, rather loudly.
"I-I don't know. M-Maybe I'm not interested? D-Does that even matter?" She frowned.
"W-Well, I..." He remembered feeling terrible when he found out that he knocked her up, but knowing that he did so when she actually hadn't gone into a real romantic relationship, Naruto felt worse. He rubbed his face with his hands. "Argh! I'm really, really sorry."
"F-For what?"
"For... getting you pregnant and almost ruining your life, I guess?"
She smiled wryly at him. "What are you talking about? I was a stripper, Naruto-kun. I was the one who almost ruined my life. A-And I believe having Menma actually saved me. I'd probably still be the girl on the tenth spot if I hadn't met you. S-So don't worry about it, really."
"O-Okay." He said, averting his eyes and feeling a bit stupid for blushing. He gazed back at her and smiled softly. "You know, you're really... something."
"I think you are, too, Naruto-kun."
Naruto's smile widened at the way Hinata chewed on her lip to stop herself from grinning. He gazed at her and felt that familiar comfort of having her beside him. He could feel the connection, despite what little he knew about her, but he knew he wanted to know her more. He thought for a moment and asked, "Say, do you like ramen?"
There were things that Naruto learned that night when he rushed into Hinata's apartment.
He learned that Kiba, though Hinata might not think so, saw her as more than a friend, and that fact did bother him even as he went home.
Another thing he learned was that he and Hinata loved the same kind of ramen- the Miso Ramen- and she loved it, just as much as she loved flowers. So, one night, he surprised her with half a dozen pink and red tulips.
And she surprised him with home-made Miso Ramen and a soft kiss on the cheek.
There were plenty of things that Naruto learned that night, and also the succeeding nights that he visited that apartment. These were things he gladly wanted to know- even the simple realization that he was starting to want to go home to Hinata more.
oooxxxooo
"What do you mean you haven't told her yet?" Lee's whisper came out rather loudly as he moved his chair closer to Naruto's desk.
"Exactly what I said. I haven't told anything to Sakura-chan, yet." Naruto answered, his eyes not leaving the computer screen as he did so. He was sure he could feel Lee's eyes fixed at his back even without him looking. "Quit staring. I know I'm stupid."
"You're the one who said that, not me." Lee sighed. "Well, it's not like I'm not expecting this to happen. I know you'll have a hard time dealing with this. But when do you plan on telling her? Aren't you two leaving in two days?"
"I-I don't think I can tell her." Naruto paused from the article he was doing and massaged his temples. "If I tell her now, she won't think twice about it- she'll call the trip off for sure. Yes, the plane ticket and the hotel were expensive, but that's not about it. This is finally the chance to rebuild this relationship, and I just can't blow it, Lee. And don't move your chair too close. People might have the wrong idea." He glared at Lee from the corner of his eyes when the man with the bushy brows pushed his chair far too close to where Naruto was seated.
"It's alright. I'm a married man, Naruto." Lee said, linking his arms to Naruto's. "But seriously, let me just tell you something. I know exactly what you mean when you said you didn't want to blow that chance, but.. won't the same thing happen even if you tell her after this trip? Sure, you'll make up, have sex-"
"Alright, stop."
"No, no.. I have a point, I promise." Lee moved away a bit and leaned back on his chair. "Admit it. This will be a week-long trip of ridiculous love-making. How do you think she would feel if you tell her after?" Lee continued, emphasizing the last word.
"W-Well, I.."
"It could just be my opinion, anyway, but I think she'll be more infuriated, Naruto. It's like you two are going to make up just to crush everything to pieces again. Whichever you choose, the result will be the same- Sakura-chan will get hurt. She might also think that you're the worst kind of asshole for using her to get laid before telling her the truth. Unless, of course, you decide not tell her anything anymore, which for me is one hell of a shitty move."
Naruto gazed down, contemplating what Lee said.
"Like I said, it could just be my opinion. Do what you think is the best, Naruto. Just a piece of advice: hide the knives. Knowing Sakura-chan, make sure she's at least five feet away from anything sharp." Lee's lips formed a grin, as he started moving his chair away from Naruto's place.
"You're crazy. But, thanks, Lee. I really appreciate it." Naruto gently patted Lee's shoulder, and his eyes returned back to the unfinished article on his computer screen. He placed his fingers over the keyboard, only to soon find himself staring blankly at the monitor. He knew telling Sakura about Menma and what had happened five years ago wouldn't be easy, but he didn't know that it could be so hard.
His thoughts went back to Hinata and Menma once again. He wondered how things would turn out once he finally decided to make things right.
Oooxxxooo
"No." Menma briefly answered.
Naruto's lips twisted and hung his head low at the little boy's protest.
"Honey, daddy will be gone for only a couple of days. He will be back soon. He promised, didn't he?" Hinata, who was kneeling on the floor beside him, finally spoke, stroking Menma's cheeks as she explained.
"How long will you be gone?" The little boy softly asked.
"Just seven days, sweetie. It's not really that long. I'll be back even before you know it, alright?" Naruto placed a hand on Menma's knee.
"No. I don't want you to go, daddy."
"Menma-kun, listen to daddy, please, okay?" Hinata said. "Daddy has to work so he can take care of us. He works to make sure that you and mommy have what we need. Hey, why don't you tell daddy about this toy car that you've always wanted?"
Hinata and Naruto watched as the little boy think for a moment.
"Okay. No."
"Menma-kun..." Naruto looked sadly at Menma and sighed.
"I don't want toys anymore! I already have lots of cars and dinosaurs and crayons! And.. And.. It's not fun playing with them when daddy's not here... Just tell him not to go, mommy. Please?" Menma's started to sob and tears pooled his eyes as he pleaded.
"Sweetheart... Listen... Mommy will tell you something." Hinata stood up from the floor and carried Menma in her arms. The little boy wrapped his arms around her neck and continued pleading.
"Please, mommy?"
Naruto also stood up, running a hand through his hair.
"I'll just put him to bed, alright?" Hinata carried Menma to the bedroom as soon as she saw Naruto nod.
Naruto slumped down on the couch and closed his eyes, listening to the muffled sound of Menma's pained sobs. He followed them to the room an hour later, noticing that his son's cries died down. As soon as he opened the door, his sad eyes fell on the boy, who was now sleeping on Hinata's shoulder.
"Can I carry him?" Naruto whispered.
"Of course." Hinata answered, carefully placing Menma on Naruto's hold. A sad smile formed on her face upon seeing Naruto hug Menma closer and repeatedly kissed the boy's forehead. "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll understand. He's just a bit grumpy today. He didn't have any naps this afternoon."
Naruto only smiled back, continuing to lull Menma to sleep.
"Are you okay staying here this late? You said you haven't finished packing yet."
He checked the time, which said it was twenty minutes past eleven. "It's fine. I can finish it later."
"O-Okay. Didn't you say your flight's at seven?" Hinata asked, taking off her cardigan.
"Yeah." Naruto chuckled. "But it's okay. I have plenty of time to sleep on the plane."
It was after Naruto carefully placed Menma on the bed that he noticed what Hinata was actually wearing. It was a black, thin-strapped sheath dress, falling just above her knees. Naruto smiled, noticing how the dress hugged her body, accentuating her curves perfectly.
Blue eyes intently watched her, his gaze following her curves, as she raised her arms up to reach for her robe.
"That dress looks good on you." He said, his longing eyes finally finding hers.
"O-Oh. Thank you. I-It's the manager's birthday, so we decided to dress up and have a small party after we closed." Hinata's blush deepened, seeing his eyes still fixed on her. "I-It's Hanabi-chan's dress! R-Remember the dress she was trying on the other night? It was a size bigger, but she was too lazy to return it, s-so I bought it from her instead."
The nervous tone of her voice snapped him out of his musing, and he realized he had been staring too much for her comfort. He looked away, massaging the bridge of his nose, and blushed. "Y-Yeah! I remember that dress. It really suits you." He grinned.
"Thank you."
Naruto shook his head as he sat on the side of the bed next to where his son lay. 'The fuck am I doing?'
"Don't worry about Menma-kun." Hinata sat on the other side of the bed. "He's a smart kid. He's just a bit stubborn sometimes. I think he got that from you."
"You think so?"
"Yeah." Hinata laughed.
"I didn't know his reaction would be like that. It kind of makes me feel bad to leave him. But I'm actually happy knowing he doesn't want me to leave, even if it's just a few days. That must mean something, huh?" Naruto smiled.
"Of course, he doesn't want you to go. You're his father. This kid loves you so much."
"I- Is that so?" Naruto found himself staring at her again. "How about you? Do you want me to go?"
Hinata glanced back, surprised. She held his gaze for a while, pressing her lips tightly, before finally deciding to stand up and leave. "I-I'll go get changed outside."
Naruto shut his eyes to the sound of the door closing.
Oooxxxooo
He found her jumping, with both arms over her shoulders reaching on her back. He looked at her dumbfounded for a moment, and later realized the reason for her actions.
That dress had a bad zipper.
"Do you need help?" Naruto asked, a smirk forming on his lips.
"I-It's alright. I got it."
"Doesn't look like it. You look funny." Naruto held back a laugh at the way she frowned at him. "Here, let me help."
"It's okay. It's just a bit... stuck. I can do it myself." Hinata objected.
"Just turn around."
"O-Okay."
He brushed her hair to the side and smelled lavender. He saw her flinch as his fingertips ran through the smooth skin on her back, pushing away a few strands more. "Y-You're hair is getting in the way."
"Oh! I'm sorry." Hinata quickly gathered her hair and looked at him over her shoulder. It was then Naruto realized that she was furiously blushing from his touch. "Is that okay?"
Gazing at the gracefulness of her nape, Naruto audibly gulped. "Yeah."
He inched closer, noticing that her skin smelled of lavender, too. He placed the zipper's slider between his fingers and pulled it down carefully, slowly, his fingertips leaving goosebumps on her soft skin, as they trailed down her spine. He continuously pulled her zipper to the bottom, ending on the small of her back where his fingers had stayed. He gently and repeatedly caressed the warm skin on that spot with his finger, remembering that it was where Kiba had placed his hand.
"This was where he touched you." He said in almost a whisper.
"W-What's that?"
"Nothing." Naruto moved even closer and slowly traced the length of her neck. His fingers played with the strap of her dress, making it slip off her shoulder. "You really look beautiful in this dress." He softly whispered in her ear.
Hinata shivered, feeling her heart beating out of her chest, and she swallowed hard. She didn't have the chance to respond, for she suddenly felt weak on her knees, as Naruto started to plant soft kisses on her neck. "N-Naruto-kun.."
His lips nipped its way down to her shoulders, and if his memory served him right, he knew she had a very sensitive spot somewhere-
"Ah!" Hinata suddenly gasped.
'There.' Naruto couldn't help but smile in between kisses.
Her hands clung to his when he grabbed her waist, as he continued to torment her with his continued kissing and sucking, when the front door suddenly opened.
"What are you doing?"
The voice was calm, yet filled with anger. "Stay away from her."
.
"What the hell are you doing?! Are you stupid? Don't you have any respect for yourself? That guy has a girlfriend! He's engaged, you said it yourself! He may be Menma's dad, but that's it! Stop acting like you're a damn mistress, Hinata-neesan!" Hanabi was furious.
"Please, don't shout. Menma-kun's sleeping. And watch your language, please." Hinata softly said.
"I'll shout whenever I want!" The younger sister said, but still toned her voice down a bit. "That guy's just using you. Can't you see that?"
"Stop it, please, Hanabi. You're overreacting." Hinata glared at her younger sister, becoming impatient herself.
"That guy's an asshole, Nee-san. He fucked you up, then left you! He wasn't there for you when you lost your job. He wasn't there for you when you almost died bleeding!"
Hinata stiffened, and her eyes became even more serious. "Stop it."
"Do you think he'll stay if you let him do that to you? No! Just one call from that woman, and I'm sure he'll leave you-"
Hanabi knew her last statement hit home when she saw her sister raised her hand. Hanabi closed her eyes and flinched, waiting for a slap in the face that didn't come. When Hanabi opened her eyes, she found her sister shaking.
"D-Do you think I don't know that?" Hinata said as tears started to roll down her cheeks.
"Then, why do you still let him do that to you? He's treating you like you're his other woman. You're allowing him to cheat with you! Just how low can you get-"
"I love him, Hanabi."
"What? T-That's stupid!" There was still anger in Hanabi's voice, but her expression soon softened seeing her sister cry. "He won't stay with you, Nee-san."
"I know.. I know that.. But I can't help it. I tried forgetting him, but I just love him so much. Even after all these years, I love him just the same. I don't care if he's here today and be gone the next. I don't care if he's just using me when he's lonely. I don't care if he chooses Sakura-san again. I love Naruto-kun." Hinata continued, sobbing. "And he loves Menma-kun, too, which is what's important. He promised to be there for him. That's good enough for me."
"Nee-san..." Hanabi gritted her teeth. "Y-You're crazy. How can that be good enough? Tch! I don't know what to say anymore!"
Hinata wiped her tears dry and tried to even her breathing. "You don't have to say anything else, Hanabi. I know what you're probably thinking, but... I can't change the way I feel."
Hanabi sat down on the edge of the bed, staring at her sister as Hinata made her way to the door.
Hinata sighed as she turned the knob and pulled the door open. It didn't surprise her to find Naruto standing right outside with a very confound look on his face. She took another deep breath as she walked out of the room.
"Don't let what you heard confuse you or anything, Naruto-kun." Hinata calmly said as she walked past him, but Naruto grabbed her by her arm.
"What does she mean you almost died?" Naruto's brows furrowed deeper.
"I-It doesn't matter."
"It does to me!"
"You don't have to know, Naruto-kun." Hinata avoided his gaze.
"Would you stop being stubborn? Tell me. What happened?"
Hinata yanked her arm back and headed to the kitchen where she got herself a glass of water. "I-It was just a complication after I gave birth to Menma, and I lost a lot of blood. That's it."
"That's it? That's it?! You could have died!"
"Let's stop this, please, Naruto-kun. There's no point talking about it, and I'm tired."
Naruto clenched his fists. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
"It's okay." Hinata sighed. "Just forget what Hanabi said."
Naruto slowly moved closer to her. "You told Hanabi you love me. Should I forget about that, too?"
Hinata looked away, blinking away tears that brimmed on her eyes once again. "Y-Yeah." She muttered under her breath.
"Was that the reason why you just left the hotel that morning without taking the money?" Naruto gritted his teeth on her silence. "Tell me, was that why you turned down Kiba?"
"I made a mistake, Naruto-kun. I fell in love with you when I shouldn't have." Hinata bit her lip, holding back her tears. "I know nothing good can come of this, but.. I can't help it. I can't stop thinking about you."
"Hinata.." His hand slowly moved to reach for her. He wanted to say a lot of things to her. To tell her that knowing how she felt made him happy, that he also couldn't stop thinking about her, too. That he cared for her. That he loved her lips on his cheek, and going home to her and Menma brought him this wonderful feeling he couldn't understand. That maybe staying with her was the better thing to do. That maybe... he and Sakura should-
His thoughts stopped, when his phone suddenly rang. Naruto was sure who it was even without looking. He got his phone from his pocket but still didn't answer.
'What am I thinking?' He asked himself.
No... That wasn't the right thing to do. He knew he loved Sakura. They'd been together for so many years, and right now, she was waiting for him at home.
It wasn't the right thing to do, but then, why did his heart feel otherwise?
Hinata's heart dropped at the sound of that familiar tone. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and her lips pulled into a thin smile. She had seen this before- that conflicted look on his face and the meaning behind that uncertainty in his eyes. "I'm not asking you to choose me. I-I've always known how things will end, Naruto-kun. You should go and do the right thing. Sakura-san is waiting for you."
She hurried to the bathroom, with the hopes that he would grab her hand again and pull her into his arms, but it didn't happen. Hinata leaned against the bathroom door, silent tears continued to flow as she closed her eyes. She didn't hear him leave, for the sound of her heart breaking was louder even as she covered her ears.
Oooxxxooo
"Hey, where have you been? I've been calling you, but you weren't answering."
He heard Sakura say when he entered the huge bedroom. Her back was facing him, as she carefully arranged the clothes scattered across the bed.
"I'm sorry. I just had to finish something at work." Naruto somberly answered.
"It's okay. I just got home, too, anyway. Hey, which do you think looks best? The yellow one or this?" Sakura turned around and flashed him a huge smile, as she asked him about yellow and green dress she's holding.
"I like the green one better."
"Me, too." She giggled and continued packing her stuff. "Are you hungry? I made dinner."
"Really? What did you make?" He said, his voice remaining flat.
"Just something I came up with to get rid of the left-over beef stew."
"Sounds tasty."
Sakura's laugh echoed in his ears, as he leaned his back on the door and continued to watch her. He could hear her humming her favourite song while folding a few pairs of underwear that Naruto thought were new.
'Am I being a pussy if I say that I can't break a news that bad to her when she suddenly said she wanted to make up?'
'I don't want to ruin this chance.'
'This is finally the chance to rebuild this relationship, and I just can't blow it.'
He remembered his words from his earlier conversations with Lee and Hinata. They were about to leave in a few hours, and he still couldn't make himself tell the truth.
But it was time to make things right.
"Is everything alright? You don't look good."
Naruto looked up and found green eyes staring at him.
"Y-Yeah. Just a bit tired."
Sakura sat down on the bed. "Oh, I know how you feel. We should've have skipped work today, huh? I'm feeling a bit tired myself. I've been awake for almost twenty-four hours. But I'll still help you with your stuff once I'm done packing, okay?"
"Thanks."
Naruto's eyes remained fixed on her, even as she stopped for a second to keep a few strands of her hair behind her ears. She had always worn her hair short. In the seven long years of being together, she had always had her hair cut short.
The tiled floor never felt colder against his feet, as he slowly walked toward her, her soft humming reverberating in his ears. Her lips formed into a crooked smile, confused, when he suddenly kneeled down on the floor and buried his face on her lap.
"I slept with someone else."