I would like to thank everyone who posted a review on the last chapter, followed the story, and/or added it to their Favorites. Almost everyone seemed to be disappointed with what Naruto did previously. I'm sorry if I made you guys upset. I swear I tried my best to do something about it and made him less stupid. I hope this chapter would make up for all the hurt the previous one caused you.
When I was writing this chapter, I hadn't realized it would be quite long until I reached 7000+ characters and I wasn't even half-way through it. It's quite lengthy, so I decided to split this into two 's the first one. I'll post the second part shortly after this. If you find errors, I apologize, for I've been proofreading my work while half-asleep.
Please enjoy.
I don't own Naruto, Family Guy, nor Halo. Not even Super Mario.
UPDATE: 1-20-15 I just woke up after a nap, planning to post the other half of the story. But upon reading your responses, I think I might need to do some changes. I'm sure most of you would want me dead if I post it as it is right now. So I am humbly asking for your patience and understanding, if I won't be posting 7b today. I'm sorry. But I will, as soon as I'm done with it. I'll probably post it as ch8. Thank you so much.
Oooxxxooo
Chapter 7.1
.
Small amount of tears gathered at the corner of Rock Lee's eyes, as he stifled a yawn with the back of his hand. He blinked a few times and winced, biting the inside of his cheeks too hard as he tried not to fall asleep. Focusing his eyes on the computer screen, he frowned, seeing that he accidentally cropped the head of a famous celebrity out of a photo he was editing. He snorted, suppressing a laughter, when the thought of "this asshole looks way better without a head" ran through his head.
"Or I could just change your hair to something curly... and orange. Maybe this way your crappy movies would actually become funny." Lee mumbled to himself as he continuously clicked icons on the computer screen. "There. Just a red nose and I could hire you for my son's first birthday. Naomi said she wanted clowns. Why are clowns so expensive? Tch."
He tried his best to concentrate, but thick eyebrows twitched the moment a catchy tune reached his ears. Lee easily recognized the sound. It was the cartoon version of a nineteen-sixties song about the bird being the word and how everyone must have heard about it. But despite the modern remake, Lee still found it equally appalling, and its repetitive lyrics made it even more painful to endure.
He covered his ears, in an attempt to block out the sound that would surely be stuck in his head for weeks. He squinted at the monitor, trying his best to concentrate on the photo he was editing, but even so, that familiar cartoon song still reverberated inside his head.
"Pa-pa-pa-oom-ma-mow-mow, pa-pa-oom-ma-ma-mao..."
"Oh for fuck's sake, Naruto!" Lee suddenly blurted.
"W-What?" Blue eyes hesitantly left the computer screen, and Naruto turned his head to look at Lee.
"Would you please answer your goddamn phone?" Lee shook his head.
"Oh! Sorry!" Naruto's hands searched his pockets, realizing that the sound was actually his phone ringing.
Lee rolled his eyes at him, after watching Naruto scratched the back of his head and smiled as he took the call. There was a loud 'Hey dad! It's me!' even before Naruto could say hello. The cheerful sound of the child's voice made Naruto's smile grew wider.
"Hey there, Menma-kun. Is everything alright?" Naruto asked as he moved away the phone from his hurting ear.
"No." The boy answered in a sulky tone.
Naruto straightened his back and asked worriedly. "Why? What's wrong, honey?"
"It's already three. Mom said you're going to pick me up at twelve. That means you're three hours late. I can tell time now, you know?"
Quickly looking at his watch, Naruto rubbed his face with his hand, realizing that he had just lost track of time. "Oh shoot. I'm so sorry. Something came up at work, and I have piles of things to finish right now. I'll pick you up as soon as I'm done here, alright?"
"How long is soon? I want to see you now, dad. You promised we'd play video games today." Menma said, whispering the last few words.
Naruto let out a sigh and smiled, his chair making a low squeaking sound as he leaned back and rest his tired eyes. "Alright. You said you can tell time, right? Give me... an hour. No, make that forty-five minutes."
"Okay! Wait, what's forty-five minutes?"
Naruto softly chuckled. "Go ask your mom."
"Not fair! You teach me, dad! Mom's busy. She's taking a bath right now."
"I see." Naruto's eyes opened and stared at the white ceiling, the small dots on the textured tiles once again appearing interesting.
He would look and count those dots during those times when he just couldn't help but think about Hinata. He would sit back and stare at the small black circles and wonder to himself how long it had been since the time he last saw her. How long had it been since he pressed his lips into hers and told her to forget about him. Had it been four weeks? Two months? Three? Several weeks had already passed, but he could still remember how stupid he was for kissing her and how the sweet smile on Hinata's face slowly died down, gentle eyes that were fixed on him gradually turning into a glare. He saw her raised her hand at him, and he waited for the slap he so rightfully deserved, but that never came. That slap would have stung, considering how angry she had seemed, but even so, he would still prefer it, for her silence as she stormed off and left felt even more painful than being slapped on the same scraped cheek the second time. Memories from that night seemed so clear like they all just happened yesterday. He had never seen Hinata nor spoke to her ever since that night he told her to forget about him, but as weeks passed, he began to realize that it was actually him who couldn't forget.
"Dad? You still there?" Menma's voice brought him out of his thoughts.
Naruto closed his eyes again, pressing his fingers onto his temples. "Uh, yeah, I'm still here. Sorry."
"Oh! I know! Tell me a good story." Menma asked excitedly. "Tell me about how you and mom met."
Naruto swallowed audibly. "W-Why do you want to know that? You know I can't stay on the line with you that long, Menma-kun. Why don't we just hang up the phone now so I can finish what I'm doing?"
"Oka- Wait, mom's out of the bathroom. Hold on."
"Hang on, Menma-kun-" Naruto protested, but Menma already dropped the phone. "Jesus..."
Naruto placed his phone away from his ear once more as the phone on the other line made a loud noise after hitting the floor. He could hear the faint sound of Menma's voice, asking someone to teach him how to read minutes on a clock. Hearing another muffled, yet familiar voice, Naruto then pressed the phone more closely against his ear. A woman was speaking in the background, and she was speaking so softly that it was almost inaudible. Nevertheless, Naruto could definitely recognize who it was.
He would do anything just to hear her voice again.
Hearing someone picked the phone up from the floor, Naruto spoke. "Hey sweetie, I'm hanging up now, alright? I'll finish this as soon as possible, and I promise I'll see you later. Is that okay, Menma-kun?"
"It's me."
His eyes shot open in surprise the moment he heard the voice call his name. It didn't have the same warmth that it used to have before, but it was enough to make his heartbeat stop for a second. He could feel his palm sweat as he gripped the phone tighter.
"It's me, Naruto-kun." The voice was barely a whisper.
"H-Hey." Naruto swallowed hard, anxiously running a hand through his hair. "Y-Yeah.. S-Sorry. I-I.. umm.. I thought you were Menma-kun. H-How are you, Hinata? You seem pretty busy lately, I-"
"I'm okay." Hinata replied coldly.
"T-That's good to hear. How's-"
Hinata spoke, cutting him off again. "I just want to know when you're going to pick him up. You're late."
"I-I'll be there around four."
"Okay. That's all I need to know. Thanks. Bye."
"Wait, I want to tell you something-" There was a click followed by a low repeating sound of a busy tone, but Naruto only sat there, with his phone pressed against his ear. "I miss you." He rubbed his face with his hand, and whispered to himself. "Ugh, damn it!" He tossed the phone at his desk, not even caring that it crashed against his computer screen. Resting his back on the chair just like before, he let out another sigh, and his fingers began moving across the keyboard again. Soon after, He glanced out of the right corner of his eyes, sensing that someone had been staring at him the entire time. "What?" Naruto asked indifferently.
Rock Lee flinched when Naruto suddenly spoke. "N-Nothing."
"Yeah, right."
"What? I couldn't help it. You talked really loud! And really? Surfin' Bird?" Still having his eyes fixed on Naruto's back, Rock Lee knitted his thick brows when his friend suddenly started laughing.
"Sorry. It's probably Menma-kun. He likes the song. He must've changed my ringtone without telling me."
"You let your five-year old watch Family Guy?!" Lee asked, surprised.
"Of course not." Naruto hovered his mouse pointer on the Save button and turned around to face Lee. "He just saw it once in a TV commercial, and he instantly fell in love with it."
"Really?"
"Yup."
"Sounds like a naughty kid." Lee commented, which made Naruto grin from ear to ear. "So, when do we get to see him? Everyone's wondering how your kid looks like."
"Everyone?"
"Nah, just me and Shikamaru, actually."
"Sheesh." Naruto shook his head before handing Lee a small sheet of glossy paper which he pulled out from his drawer. "Here."
"What's this?" Lee asked.
"Menma-kun."
"Holy shit! This is Menma-kun?!"
"Yeah, why?" Naruto frowned at Lee's sudden outburst.
"What the hell... He looks so much like you!"
"He does? I thought he's growing looking more like his mother." Naruto made a lopsided smile.
"Are you kidding me? This is you when we were five! Well, not the hair, but, wow..." Lee gazed at the photo one more time. "He looks very much like you. His smile in this picture... It's the exact same one you showed Iruka-sensei when he found out that you poured lotion into his fish tank!"
"I poured lotion into what? I don't remember that."
"That classroom pet you poisoned, you fish-killer."
Naruto paused, thinking. "No, I didn't do that."
"Yes, you did."
"No, I didn't."
"You did!" Heads turned to their direction when Lee yelled.
"Alright! Fine!" Naruto scratched the back of his head. "How come you still remember things that happened decades ago? Fish tank? I don't even remember that there was a classroom pet!"
"How can I forget that, you heartless fuck? You told everyone that it was my idea for telling you that the water smelled bad!" Lee charged his chair forward, like he was going to attack Naruto, who currently was having a fit of uncontrollable laughter. "It wasn't funny back then. I used to hate you, man. It's really a wonder how the two of us became friends."
"Oh come on!" Naruto said, wiping tears from the corner of his eyes. "I probably didn't know what I was doing."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Well, anyway, my point is, Menma-kun looks so much like you. You just can't deny the resemblance. It's crazy!" Lee said, returning Menma's photo on Naruto's desk. "And I sure bet your kid's also giving his teachers a hard time."
"Yeah." Naruto smiled softly. "Just weeks ago, Hinata asked me to go see Menma-kun's teacher. It seemed like he spread a rumor and told every kid in his class that classes were suspended on my birthday. That ended with half the class not showing up the next day."
"He did that?!"
Naruto nodded. "And you know what? The hardest part was telling him that he did wrong, then he answered back with something like, 'I did it because I want to spend the whole day with you on your birthday!' Jesus, that one was really hard to argue with."
"Y-Yeah, dude. I can only imagine." Rolling his chair back to his desk, Lee commented. "So, how's the thing with his mother? You said Hinata asked you. Is she talking to you now?" He stared at Naruto for a few seconds, watching him as the tapping sound on the keyboard suddenly halted.
"Barely." Naruto replied curtly, his eyes fixed blankly on the computer screen. "She wrote it in one of Menma-kun's notebooks."
"Notebook, huh. So she's still avoiding you?"
"Seems like it."
"Well, that makes sense. You told her to forget about you."
"I know." Naruto answered, his hands tapping on the keyboard again.
"Do you regret it?"
Naruto snapped his head back to him. "What?"
"I was asking if you're regretting telling her that." Lee said.
Naruto thought for a moment and sighed. "Well... I do. I don't think I did the right thing. She never asked anything from me. She's always been kind and forgiving, but I still drove her away. Now that she doesn't want to talk to me, I kind of feel... lost. I feel like I've lost a really important part of me."
"Pfft.." Lee covered his mouth, holding back his laughter.
Naruto glowered at him. "You're an asshole, you know that? Would you please stop talking to me? I'm working here."
"I'm sorry. I'm just not used to hearing you talk like a real adult."
"Just what do you mean by that?"
"Shikamaru's right. You're like a different person when you talk like that." Lee said, still chuckling, and cleared his throat. "I don't need to ask you to know that you really like her. It's so freaking obvious, man! If you really want her back, why don't you tell her, then?"
"Are you serious? I just recently got back with Sakura-chan. And Hinata probably hates me now!" Naruto quirked his eyebrows at Lee. "Why are you suddenly so interested with Hinata? You didn't like her before, so why are you suddenly telling me to run after her?"
Rock Lee scratched the tip of nose as he thought for an answer. "Well, I just thought that, maybe, that Hinata must be really special. For you to feel so much about her, then she must be doing something that Sakura-chan couldn't."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. You tell me." Lee eyed him knowingly but, eventually, just shrugged his shoulders, not waiting for Naruto's answer. "How's Sakura-chan, by the way? Is she okay now?"
"She's fine."
"That's good. I haven't seen her since the party. Did you give her the bottle of vitamins I gave you last week? Naomi said that boosts the body's... I don't know, I forgot. Well, Sakura-chan probably knows what that is anyway."
"Yeah, please tell Naomi she said thanks."
"You still haven't told us what really happened to her? Is it something serious? She just suddenly broke down. It was really scary. I've never seen her cry like that since... w-well.." Lee stalled and cleared his throat. "Anyway, it was really surprising. People were wondering if somebody died or whatnot."
"I told you she was just not feeling well that day. That's all. She's fine now." Naruto closed his eyes to stop himself from glaring.
"Or maybe it's hormonal. Oh shit, don't tell me she's going through menopause. You two should really start having kids soon- Hey, where are you going?" Lee's eyes widened when Naruto suddenly got up and turned off his computer.
"Home."
"What do you mean 'home'?! We're not even done here yet!" Lee protested.
"I am. Stop yourself from talking, and do some work, will you?" Naruto smirked, placing a bag over his shoulder, and he handed Lee a USB flash drive. "Would you mind printing this for me? And please give the printouts to Kakashi-san. Tell him I have to leave early. My son's waiting for me."
"Fuck you! He's in his office. Go tell that to him yourself!" Lee chided, but still kept the flash drive. "Tch. Tell Menma-kun I said 'hi'."
"Sure. Thanks, Lee. See you next week."
Black round eyes remained fixed at Naruto's back, curiously, wondering why the blond man would always appear to avoid being confronted about the thing that happened at the party. Lee made a wry face, thinking that what his wife had said could actually be true.
The girls at the party couldn't avoid talking about it, and Lee recalled hearing that the speculations and suspicions they had were actually pretty serious. 'Women are really scary,' Lee thought to himself, listening to Naomi as she told him what the girls had been thinking. Lee had ignored them, labelling them all as rumors. But with the way that Naruto had been unconsciously glowering whenever they talked about it, Lee had a gut feeling that maybe, unbelievable as it might have seemed, they were right.
'Did Sakura-chan really do it?' Lee pondered. Bringing a hand to his chin, he noticed the flash drive that Naruto had handed to him. He narrowed his eyes at the orange USB memory stick and scowled, "Kakashi-san's going to fucking kill me."
Oooxxxooo
The wooden door creaked ajar, and Naruto was met by a pair of eyes cautiously peeking out the door. Naruto felt uneasy, watching as white eyes identical to Hinata's moved its gaze from his head, down to his loafers, scrutinizing his very person. Naruto could feel the hint of disdain it held in its gaze as the pair of white orbs looked up and finally met his.
"You." Hanabi said contemptuously.
Naruto forced out a smile. "Yes, me. How are you, Hanabi?"
Rolling her eyes, Hanabi only snorted in response and shouted, calling Menma to come out of the bedroom. "Menma-kun, you're dad's here!"
"Is your sister home?" Naruto, craning his neck to peek through the door, knew the answer to his question when Hanabi didn't respond. "Wait, let me guess. It's either your sisters not home, or she doesn't feel well." He smiled lopsidedly. "So, what is it this time?"
"What the hell are you talking about? She's here, but she doesn't want to see you."
Staring at Hanabi, he could see it- the fact that she was the spitting image of her sister. Waist-long dark hair, pale skin, white innocent eyes, and a smile that men always find attractive. Hinata and Hanabi looked so much alike, but then again, that sarcastic smile pulling the latter's lips reminded Naruto of how different they were from each other. Hinata was gentle, sweet, and passive, whilst the younger Hyuuga, whom Naruto was unfortunately facing at the moment, was frank, sharp-tongued, and her strong personality annoyed Naruto, just like how that smirk on her face got under his skin. He wanted to wipe that smile right off her face, but he just looked away, ignoring it.
"Got it. Thanks, Hanabi." Naruto gritted his teeth.
"Oh, don't mention it." Hanabi replied slyly.
"Hi, dad!"
Naruto's face lit up, seeing Menma appear behind Hinata's sister. He reached for the bag the boy was carrying and gently took his hand. "Hey, Menma-kun! Are you ready?"
"Yup!"
"Okay, let's go." Naruto said. "H-Hey, Hanabi. Can you please tell your sister that I want to talk to her?"
"Go write it in the notebook."
Naruto shook his head. "No... Please tell her that I want to talk to her in person. I have something important to say to her."
"If it's that important, then just tell it to me now." Hanabi frowned. "Just leave my sister alone, okay? She's doing what you told her to do, you should be happy about it."
"That's the problem, Hanabi." Naruto replied, sadly. "I really want to see your sister."
"Oh, please stop being such a dick."
"Aunt Hanabi! Mom said that's a not a nice word." Menma pulled on Hanabi's shirt.
"Oh, I'm sorry, sweetie." Hanabi smiled, pinching the little boy's chin. "Aren't you going to leave, yet? I still have things to do, 'weenie'." She crossed her arms in front of her and stared angrily at Naruto.
Naruto shook his head, calling his son again. "Let's go, Menma-kun. Thank you, Hanabi."
"Whatever."
Menma kissed Hanabi goodbye on the cheek and ran after his father who was about to leave. They were already at the stairs when Naruto called out to her again, pausing on his steps. "Hanabi."
"What now?"
"I know you're mad at me for hurting your sister. I want you to know that I'm really, really sorry. I promise you I won't hurt her again. I just really want to talk to her. That's all." Naruto said before finally leaving.
Hanabi chewed on her lower lip, and despite the obvious anger, Hanabi's expression softened. "I-I'll think about it. Oh, by the way, my sister wrote something in Menma-kun's notebook. Make sure you read it."
"Thanks. I really appreciate that, Hanabi." Naruto said, smiling at her.
"Shut up, weenie." Hanabi rolled her eyes as she closed the door on him.
Oooxxxooo
"Naruto-kun, Menma-kun is a growing child. Please feed him something else aside from ramen. I attached here a recipe for spaghetti, which I'm sure you won't have problems following. We also talked about Menma-kun's screen time, and that video games are only until eight in the evening. And, don't you he's too young for Halo? He won't shut up talking about 'Master Chief'. Please do something about it."
Beads of sweat formed at Naruto's brow as he finished reading Hinata's note. He glanced at the unopened cup of instant ramen in his hand, and swallowing hard, placed it back on the kitchen cupboard.
.
"You told your mom about our little secret?" Naruto gave his son a questioning look.
Menma sheepishly smiled. "Y-Yeaaaah."
"Menma-kun, there's a reason something is called a secret. You're not supposed to tell it to anyone."
"But mom is not 'anyone'."
"But, sweetheart... Nah, never mind." Naruto sighed, looking at the pout forming in his son's lips. "Would you like seconds?"
"No, thank you." Menma answered, playfully swinging his legs as he sat on the chair. "I thought Friday night is ramen night, dad?"
"Well, that's right, Menma-kun. But we're changing the rules for today, because Sakura-chan here made us something really tasty. It's your favourite! Isn't it delicious?"
"Yeah... but Mom's tastes better." Menma frowned, puckering his lips. He lowered his gaze to his plate and poked a piece of meatball with his fork. "Can we invite her over next time?"
It was only momentary, but Naruto was able to catch the glare that Sakura darted at Menma's direction. The pink-haired woman noticed that he was staring, and she looked down, avoiding Naruto's gaze.
"Menma-kun, that's not a nice thing to say." Naruto said in a serious manner.
"But mom told me that it's not good to lie." The little boy whined.
"Menma-kun." Naruto warned.
"And didn't you say that mom's spaghetti was the best?"
"H-Hey, I did say that but- stop it, Menma-kun!" Naruto stuttered, throwing nervous glances at Sakura.
"It's okay, Naruto." Sakura softly touched her fiancé's hand and smiled. "Excuse me." Wiping her lips with a napkin, she stood up from her chair, carrying with her her plate, and left for the kitchen.
.
The sound of Sakura's favourite song filled the room, and Naruto could see her emerging from the bathroom, wrapped with just a pink towel. He leaned back against the door, watching her lips form the words of the song as she ran slender fingers through her damp hair. She took a seat in front of her mirror dresser and turned on the hair dryer.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" She finally said, turning the dryer off and acknowledging Naruto for the first time since he entered the room.
Naruto's mouth opened in surprise. "A-Ah, nothing. Thanks again for making us dinner."
"You're welcome." Sakura's lips stretched into a thin smile.
"It's really good." He sighed, seeing Sakura snorted in response. "You know he didn't mean it, Sakura-chan."
"Yeah, I know." She barely whispered. Standing up, Sakura rolled her eyes and walked to the closet to get dressed. "I was done eating, that's why I left the table. That's it."
"I-I'm sorry. I swear it really tastes good."
"Just stop it, Naruto."
"O-Okay." Naruto watched her curiously, as she put on her clothes. "You're leaving? Where are you going?"
"Work."
"Work? But you promised to take this day off, so we could both spend time with Menma-kun?"
"W-Well, Ino called yesterday. She said Shizune-sama's sick, and they need an extra hand at the hospital tonight. She asked me if I could come over and help."
"And you didn't tell me?" He clenched his teeth.
Green eyes looked sadly at him for a moment before gazing away. "I-I'm sorry. I forgot."
"Again..." Naruto stated. "Sakura-chan, every week I bring my son here, so us three could spend some time together, but you... you never stayed, not a single day. It's either you need to work, you're needed to volunteer on something, or you're doing a group study. Just what's going on, Sakura-chan?"
Her fingers stopped as she tried to fix the last button on her shirt, the one that fell just below her navel. She gazed at him, through his reflection in the mirror. "I'm really sorry, Naruto. These are important matters I can't say no to."
"Even more important than me and Menma-kun?"
She licked her lips, feeling them suddenly dry. "You know that I'm busy, Naruto. There are times that I just can't stay here and do nothing. You do know that, right?"
Naruto let out a deep sigh, rubbing his face with his hands to hide the look of distraught that threatened to show. "Alright."
"Naruto-" She called, but Naruto brought his hands out to her, stopping her from saying anything further.
Shaking his head, he opened the door and headed to the living room where his son was.
"Let's play something else." He said, sitting down on the floor next to Menma and pressing buttons on the game controller.
"Are you alright, dad? Where's Sakura-chan going?" Menma asked.
"She's leaving," was Naruto's short response.
The painful feeling in chest became more unpleasant, hearing Sakura's footsteps grow louder coming from the bedroom, then gradually disappeared at the sound of front door closing. It was painful to see her leave, but it was more bearable compared to the hurt he saw in Menma's eyes as the little boy asked him a question he wasn't expecting.
"Umm dad...?"
He pressed the pause button and looked at the boy innocently looking at him. "Yes?"
"Why doesn't she like me?"
Oooxxxooo
"These flowers are really beautiful, Kiba-kun. Please tell Hana-neesan I said thanks." Hinata shyly gazed at him and smiled. "Should I call her and tell her myself?"
Kiba narrowed his eyes at her, pressing his lips together, before he suddenly burst out. "Okay! I lied. They're from me. I bought them because it's your birthday! Is there something wrong with that?"
Hinata let out a laugh. "No, of course not. They're really pretty. Thank you, Kiba-kun."
"Y-You're welcome." He replied, blushing wildly. "I'm sorry I couldn't come by the past few months. Things got a little busy at the clinic, so..."
"It's alright. That's actually good to hear." She continued, seeing that Kiba was looking at her, appearing confused. "I-I thought that's better than hearing you say that you were just trying to avoid me."
Kiba's mouth gaped in surprise. He stared at her, the light from the candle danced in her eyes as she looked at him. His eyes turned away, gazing outside the window to the gleaming lights below.
Their seat had the best view overlooking the city- Kiba made sure of it. It was a special night, after all, and they are celebrating Hinata's birthday. The night sky was twinkling, filled with stars, and the sight of the crescent moon hovering above the bustling city was even astounding. One would simply be stunned at the picturesque sight of Konoha at night, but Kiba didn't need to look outside the window. For him, the sight of the woman seated across him was more than breathtaking.
"I-I'm not avoiding you." Kiba replied, looking deeply at her, mesmerized by the eyes that returned back his gaze. "Or maybe I was. I don't know. I'm sorry."
"Kiba-kun..."
"Hinata, I'm sorry if I did or said something weird back then. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable or anything."
Remembering what happened with Kiba a few months ago tinged Hinata's cheeks pink. "Yeah. You really did surprise me, Kiba-kun. It was the first time I saw you act like that." She fiddled with her glass of red wine and gently tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear.
Kiba sighed. "I knew it. I knew you'd think I'm strange. I'm really sorry. I really shouldn't have done that-"
"I-I thought it was sweet."
"W-What?"
"No one has ever said anything like that to me before. It's a bit strange coming from you, though. B-But it was really... sweet.
"Sweet?" Kiba grinned, looking up the ceiling trying to stop himself from blushing. "Well, that's a relief! I was really worried, I couldn't sleep. I didn't know what to tell you after suddenly blurting out- Ah, but I swear we were really busy! I didn't mean to avoid you. Not that I was actually avoiding you. I just didn't know what to tell you. But I swear I was not avoiding you!" Kiba, in a panic, exclaimed.
Hinata softly laughed. "I told you, it's alright. But Menma-kun's been asking for you. He misses you, Kiba-kun."
"Is that so?" Kiba chuckled. "Then why didn't you bring him with you? I was pretty excited to show him this view. I thought he would love it. Where's he, anyway? Is he at Neji's?"
Hinata shook her head. "No, he's with his dad."
Her response got Kiba's eyebrow to quirk, he looked at her quizzically. "Dad? You mean that Uzumaki? What's Menma-kun doing with that guy?" Her downcast eyes caught his attention, making him also notice the sudden change in her tone of voice. "Hey, did something happen?"
A pair of pupil-less eyes gazed outside the window and watched as snow slowly started to fall. "It's a long story, Kiba-kun." Hinata answered, giving him a bitter smile.
Pressing his lips together, Kiba reached out and enclosed her hand with his. "I'll listen. You know I always do."
.
The city was already covered with a thick blanket of snow by the time Hinata and Kiba reached her apartment. It was a cold three degrees below zero, and Hinata shivered when cold wind blew the apartment's front door shut.
"Oh my god, it's so freaking cold outside." Kiba said, as the two of them walked up the stairs.
"Yeah. I should've worn something warmer." Hinata hugged her coat closer to herself.
"Here, take my jacket."
Hinata halted her step as Kiba did the same to remove his coat that smelled of his cologne and put it over her shoulders. "T-Thanks. But, aren't you cold? They didn't put thermostats in the hallway."
"Nah, I'm okay." Kiba smiled. "Have you ever thought of finding a new place? I remember telling you before that this building looks like shit." He looked at her from the corner of his eyes, hearing her soft giggle. "I can help you find a new apartment if you want."
"I don't know, Kiba-kun. This place is the cheapest, by far. I don't know if I could find another that's equally inexpensive." She yelped, stepping over a broken stair tread.
"Hey, careful." He said, holding onto her arm.
"T-Thanks. Yeah, maybe you're right. This place's also getting more dangerous for Menma-kun. I'll check out the papers tomorrow."
"Good idea." Kiba said as they almost reached the floor where Hinata's room was. "Find a place that's a bit far away. Maybe somewhere near mine, so Menma-kun won't have to see his shitty father."
"Kiba-kun..." Hinata frowned at him.
"Tell me, just what kind of a sick bastard is he for taking your son on your birthday? Menma-kun should have been with us today celebrating, if not for that-"
"Who're you calling 'shitty'?"
Reaching the top of the stairs, they both stopped, hearing a man's voice coming from the hallway. They turned their heads to the direction of that familiar voice, and for the second time, Hinata found Naruto sitting at her doorstep. This time, he was awake, and Hinata could only stare as he carefully laid their sleeping son on the floor and covered his little body with a jacket.
"Who are you calling 'shitty' and 'sick bastard', dogbreath?" Naruto repeated, not hiding the hostility in his voice.
"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata's eyes went wide in surprise, facing him again just like the last time. She watched him stand up, listlessly kicking a bunch of colourful balloons with his right foot, and stretched out his toned arms. He looked at them calmly, and his expression remained cool even as Naruto watched Kiba place a hand on her shoulder, but the coldness of his voice when he spoke brought chills to run down her spine. She flinched, when his gaze focused on her, his expression one of mockery as their eyes met.
"Were you two that 'busy' that you couldn't even answer your phone? Where the hell have you been?"
"She was with me." Kiba answered for her.
"Shut up. I'm not talking to you." Naruto quickly retorted.
It was like being caught in the cross-fire, witnessing how the two men exchanged fierce glances. Hinata anxiously walked in front of Kiba and tugged on his shirt so he would face her, making his violent thoughts to, for a moment, disappear. "U-Umm, Kiba-kun, it's getting late. Maybe you should go home."
"No. I'll stay for a bit." Kiba's menacing tone made Hinata more worried.
"Did you two have fun?" Naruto taunted, glancing at his watch. "It seems like it. We've been calling you since eight, Hinata. Do you even know what time it is?"
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't bring my phone, and I didn't know you'd drop him off today."
"Well I'm sure you also don't know that we've been waiting here for four fucking hours. Menma-kun told me it was your birthday today, and your son wanted to surprise you, saying it would make you happy. But I guess you no longer need your son to do that for you, huh? " His gaze travelled down from her eyes to the coat that was draped over her shoulders, and he clenched his fist, seeing the bunch of red roses Hinata was holding with her right hand.
"What are you talking about? I told you, I left my phone." Hinata glared, as she walked past him. She stooped down, picking Menma up, and noticed a box of cake and a basket of flowers resting next to Menma on the cold floor. Hinata stared at Naruto, surprised. "Y-You and Menma-kun bought all these?"
"That doesn't matter anymore, does it?"
"I-I'm sorry."
"Yeah, right, whatever."
"Why do you have to talk to her like that?" Kiba stepped closer to Hinata and placed both his hands on her shoulders. "Is that how he normally talks to you?"
Naruto scowled at him. "Are you deaf? Didn't I say that I am not talking to you?"
"What the fuck is your problem? She already told you why she didn't pick up, right?" Kiba's voice became louder, and he clenched his fist.
"Kiba-kun, it's okay!" Grabbing Kiba's arm, Hinata stopped him.
"What the fuck? This guy's being an ass, and you're telling me 'it's okay'?!" He yelled.
"I'm being an ass?" Naruto started. "Aren't you the one sticking your goddamn nose in other people's business? This is between me and Hinata. Why don't you just shut the fuck up, go back to your cage, and stay the hell out of this-"
Naruto would have dodged, if he hadn't turned his back to pick up his coat and saw Kiba's fist flying straight across his face. The punch was hard enough to have Naruto fall backwards to the floor, his head buzzing and blood seeping from a cut that resulted the moment Kiba's knuckles connected directly to his left cheek.
"Ow, shit..." Naruto whispered, wincing in pain as he shook his head and wiped the blood with the back of his hand. The punch stunned him momentarily, had it been seven years since he last got punched in the face. He looked straight up, finding Kiba towering above him. Naruto had already thought of a plan to fight back, and he could just simply stand up fast and hit Kiba right in the stomach, but he remained on the floor seated, hearing Hinata softly sobbing as she pleaded.
"Oh my god! Please stop!"
"Just who the hell do you think you are, huh, you piece of shit?" Kiba shouted. "Just what do you take her for? Do you think she's just someone you can easily mess with? You stay away from Hinata, you hear me?! Don't come back here or I swear I'm going to fucking kill you!"
"Please, stop it, Kiba-kun.. Just get in, please." Hinata allowed Kiba to take Menma from her arms, as she led him inside her apartment's opened door. Despite what happened, she was thankful that Menma remained peacefully asleep, not having to witness the fight and the terrible exchange of words. Likewise, her son also did not need to hear the words she had said as she tried to drive Naruto away.
"Please leave, Naruto-kun. I don't want to see you right now." There was a sharp pain in her chest as Hinata turned her gaze away and entered the room, gently closing the door behind her.
.
Slumping against the couch, Kiba knitted his brow as he studied the hand that hit Naruto moments ago, wincing as he repeatedly closed and opened every finger. He shifted on the couch, sitting up straight, when Hinata settled beside him, holding a small cold pack and a white first-aid case.
"Does it hurt?" She asked quietly.
"I'm fine." He gazed at her from the corner of his eyes and saw Hinata staring skeptically at him. "Okay, I might've broken a bone. I can't move my middle finger, but I'm fine."
Hinata sighed. "Give me your hand."
He silently obliged, cursing himself when his fingers twitched as Hinata carefully placed his hand over hers, the ice pack feeling colder against his flushed skin.
"I'm sorry you got hurt because of me."
Kiba frowned. "Why do you always blame yourself? I punched him because he's being an asshole, and that's not your fault. That Naruto is just a natural-born asswipe."
"B-But you still got hurt. You really didn't have to do it for me, Kiba-kun."
"What are you talking about? He deserved to be punched like that! Or maybe harder. Didn't you see what kind of an asshole he was? That guy's a jerk! Tell me if he tries to bother you again. I'm really going to kill him!" Kiba exclaimed, feeling his blood boil in anger again. "You really shouldn't have let him get Menma-kun that easily."
"You know I can't deny him his father. Menma-kun loves him so much. I couldn't stand seeing Menma-kun with that sad face when he saw Naruto-kun leaving. It's hard, and it scares me sometimes. I'm afraid that Menma-kun might someday prefer staying with him rather than with me." Hinata gave him a wry smile, still lightly rubbing Kiba's finger with ice pack. "But he has the right to be with his father. The same way that Naruto-kun has the right to be with our son. I think you'd do the same if you were in my shoes, Kiba-kun."
"I doubt it. You don't even know him that well."
"I know you won't believe me, but Naruto-kun is really a nice guy. He loves Menma-kun, and I know he wouldn't do anything to hurt him."
Kiba took his hand back. "You see, Hinata, that's your problem. You're too... kind. You're too trusting. I'm sorry to say this but, sometimes, you really are a poor judge of character. You saw what he did earlier, and you still think that 'Naruto-kun is really a nice guy'? Just what kind of bullshit is that?"
"I'm not a poor judge of character." Hinata frowned. "I wasn't wrong about you. I was right when I thought you're a nice and great guy."
Kiba stared as her lips formed the words, and he found himself blushing furiously. "Aaaalright, stop right there."
"What?"
"Shh! Stop! Just. Stop." Kiba said, covering the blush on his face with his other hand.
"A-alright." Hinata looked at him confused.
Shaking his head, Kiba started to speak again. "Hinata, I'm not doing nice things to you, just because I'm nice and great. Are you getting what I'm saying?"
Hinata only shrugged her shoulder.
"Okay. You see, I know, generally, I'm a great guy..." Kiba casually began to talk like he was explaining rocket science.
"O-Okay...?" Hinata softly giggled.
"...and it just so happens that I am also nice... Oh my god, what am I doing?" Kiba stared at her and sighed, the red tinge on his cheeks never leaving. "What I'm saying, Hinata, is that, I'm doing the things I am doing just for you, because it also happens.. that... well... I am... crazy, madly in love with you. There." Kiba simply said with a slight shrug of his shoulders and his hands outstretched. He bit his lips, when he waited but Hinata didn't respond for a while, her white eyes just widely staring back at him in surprise.
"W-What was that?" Hinata asked.
Kiba let out another sigh, smiling bitterly at her. "You know it's kind of insulting that I've been in love with you for more than a decade, then you'll just stare at me like that, like you just found out about it now. It makes wonder what I have been doing wrong all these years."
"I-I... I don't know what to say." Hinata's cheeks turned pink, and she looked down, avoiding his gaze out of embarrassment. "W-Well... I guess I'm flattered. T-Thank you, Kiba-kun."
Kiba chuckled, watching how her face turned redder as she fidgeted with her skirt, but his smile slowly turned sullen, as he listened to the words she said next.
"Thank you, Kiba-kun, but... I-I'm sorry..."
Their gazes never met, for Hinata's eyes remained downcast, even as Kiba slumped back down against the couch, his eyes fixed at the ceiling. He licked his teeth, swallowing a lump that formed in his throat. "It hurts to be rejected by you for real. And it's even the third time."
"I'm really sorry, Kiba-kun."
He smiled and gently patted the top of her head. "Nah, it's okay. I've been expecting that kind of answer, to be honest. Though I did wish that you'd say you love me back and suddenly kiss me-"
To his surprise, Hinata shifted on the couch and wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. Placing a soft kiss on his cheek, she whispered to him. "I'm really sorry, Kiba-kun. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm so sorry."
"H-Hey, I told you it's okay." He said, slightly taken aback.
Hinata slowly leaned back, releasing her hold, and wryly smiled at him. "W-We're still friends, right?"
"What the hell are you talking about? Of course not. I'm giving you back that friendship bracelet." Kiba laughed. "Of course, silly. It's a bit too late for things to be awkward now."
"I-I guess. Thank you, Kiba-kun." She gently smiled, slumping back on the couch next to him as they sat in comfortable silence.
"You must think that I'm really, really, REALLY stupid for rejecting you." She softly spoke.
"Yeah. I'm quite a good catch, you know?" Kiba smirked. "Tell me, what is it about that Uzumaki guy that made you fall that hard for him? I don't really understand why you love that fuck so much."
"Honestly, I don't know."
"That's stupid."
"I know." She sighed. "When we first met, we were both going through one of the lowest points of our lives. His relationship with Sakura-san was on the rocks, and I... I had just recently stopped going to school and started working in a strip club."
"Okay, don't be too detailed. My heart's wounds are still fresh, remember?" He joked.
Letting out a short laugh, she continued. "I'd say that I got really attracted to him. He was smart, sweet, kind, passionate. I felt a connection. I always wanted to make him happy. The next thing I knew, I was already in love with him."
"Alright." Kiba frowned, jealousy evident in his voice. "But he's an idiot, Hinata. How many times did he hurt you, emotionally? How many times did you have to cry over him? He even tried to take your son away from you."
"Love is unpredictable, Kiba-kun. It's really hard for me to explain, because I don't know the exact answer. But it's possible to love someone even if she does nothing but hurt you, and not know why you still love her. Just think about it, why did you still fall for me even after tenth grade?" She asked, but the brown-haired man remained quiet. "I'm trying my best to forget about him and move on, though. It's just really hard to suddenly 'not love' him... You still think I'm stupid, don't you?"
"No."
She snapped her head back at him, looking dumbfounded at his unexpected response to her question. "W-What?"
"That Naruto is the one stupid for not realizing your worth."
Kiba's eyes remained fixed at the ceiling, as he sighed and placed his hands on top of his head. There was a fleeting silence, which Kiba allowed, not wanting to look at the woman beside him, for he had known once he turned his gaze at her, he would find her crying.
And he was right. He closed his eyes, hearing her let out a gasp as she tried to stifle her cry.' It was possible to love someone so much and not know the reason why', Kiba understood her words perfectly. For right now, he was feeling exactly the same way.
"Hey, come here. It's okay." He softly uttered, as he pulled her into his arms and let her cry on his shoulder. Hesitantly, he gently ran his fingers through her hair, his lips touching her forehead as her body trembled in his hold. "It's okay. I'm here.
Kiba looked at his injured hand again, not regretting one bit that he broke a bone, for the pain was nothing compared to what the woman in his arms was feeling.
He really should've punched Uzumaki Naruto harder.
Straight to his damn nose.
Twice.
With his new brass knuckles.