Lies of Love and Loathing
Ch. 4 Close Proximity
Hinata's POV
I can see the frustration on his face as I argue with what he's saying. "Hinata, I'm not just saying thing, it's true!" he nearly shouts.
His eyes shift around the room as if something in here will help him. When his gaze is back on me there's a new look on his face. He places his hand on the side of my face and begins lowering his head to mine. When his eyes close it seems like my lungs aren't getting air quickly enough and and my breathing become quick and uneven.
The closer he gets the more my hearts speeds up, but it stops completely the moment his lips touch mine. Soon my cheeks get unbelievably warm -from the blush I'm certain is spreading throughout my face- and my eyelids become increasingly heavy, falling downward until they're completely shut. Every nerve ending in me is kicked into overdrive until it becomes unbearably overwhelming and my body shuts down. I try fighting the black, but it happens so quicklu I can do nothing to stop it. Every section of my body and mind collapses are I fall into a state of unconsciousness.
"You said she was awake a moment ago," I hear a woman grumbling.
"She was but then she passed out," says a voice that sounds like Naruto's.
"How many times do I have to tell you this? She's under a lot of painkillers," The woman says the last part slowly, emphasizing her words dramatically.
"Yeah, but it wasn't like when she fell asleep before. This was really sudden."
"What happened when she passed out? What was she doing?"
"Well, um, she. We, I was um, well." Naruto is fumbling over his words horribly.
"What. Were. You. Doing?" she emphasizes each and every syllable. "Spit it out already!" It's easy to hear her growing frustration.
There's a very heavy, very audible sigh and a quiet moan. "I- her."
I'm not able to catch all of what he said and figure it's because of the pain medication, that is until I hear the other woman say, "What? Speak up Naruto!"
"I kissed her!" he almost shouts.
There's a long pause and I wonder if they left the room. "You did what?" she finally asks.
"I kissed Hinata."
"And you wonder why she passed out?!" Naruto, that girl faints just from being in a close proximity of you! Why would you even-"
"It seemed like the thing to do!" he interrupts. There was a long pause before either of them say anything. "She was crying and she wouldn't listen to anything I was telling."
"What in the world would you be trying to tell her that you though kissing her was the only way to get the message through?"
It's so unthinkably hard to do but eventually I'm able to get my eyes open enough to see Naruto and Lady Tsunade. There's a battle between my consciousness and my body as to opening my eyes as I focused as intently as I could on Naruto, desperately awaiting his answer.
The blonde boy sighs again and gently shakes his head with his eyes on the floor. "I was trying to tell her that I care about her."
Lady Tsunade doesn't look so convinced. "You care about Rock Lee but you don't kiss him to let him know. So, do you want to try again?"
Naruto looks slightly angry and more than a little annoyed. "I was trying to tell her-" He stops for a second and chuckled without humor. "Why does it even matter Grandma Tsunade?"
"Why is it bothering you so much?" The Hokage countered his question with her own. "Why are you trying so hard to avoid telling me?"
Naruto searches her face endlessly as though that would give him answers, that is until his eyes wander over to me. "Look! She's awake!" I call out loudly. "Hinata, how are you feeling? How much do you remember?"
His close proximity makes me feel muddled again. "I. I'm not sure."
Naruto's POV
"I kissed her!" I shout at the Hokage. There! I think holding her stare. I said it.
For a long while she just looks at me, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. "You did what?" she asks, finally saying something.
"I kissed Hinata." This time I say it quieter but still loud enough for her to hear me.
"And you wonder why she passed out?! Naruto that girl faints just from being within a close proximity of you! Why would you even-"
"It seemed like the thing to do!" Part of me thinks it's bad to interrupt the Hokage, but a bigger part doesn't care. "She was crying and she wouldn't listen to what I was telling her."
"What in the world would you be trying to tell her that you though kissing her would be the way to get the message through?"
For some reason I can't look her in the eye anymore. "I was trying to tell her that I care about her,
I sigh out.
Taking a chance I glace back up to her and see her shaking her head. "You care about Rock Lee but you don't kiss him to let him know. So, do you want to try again?"
I can feel a strange anger rising in me but I have no idea where it's coming from and try answering. "I was trying to tell her-" I stop, not knowing how to go on. "Why does it even mater Grandma Tsunade?" I chuckle breathlessly.
"Why is it bother you so much?" she shoots back. "Why are you trying so hard to avoid telling me?"
Now my eyes go everywhere except Grandma Tsunade and when they fall on the beauty in bed I see her beautiful eyes looking at me. "Look! She's awake!" I almost sing out. "Hinata how are you feeling? How much do you remember?" I ask rushing over to her, fighting the urge to grab her hand.
"I. I'm not sure," she mumbles sounding confused as her light purple irises searched around the room.
"Are you in pain?" Grandma Tsunade asks, walking over to the two of us.
"No, I mean not really. I'll be alright," she mutters still looking around.
"What's the last thing you remember?"
"Naruto and I were talking, I think." There's an obvious confusion in her voice. "We were talking about him and Sakura Haruno." I can tell she wants to say more but she stops and I wonder if it's about the kiss.
"Hinata, when you're feeling better I'd like for you to come to my office so we can go over a few things. Alright?" When Hinata nods, the Hokage gives her a smile and begins leaving. "I have to go now. And Naruto, no more stress on her," she demands quietly, pointing her finger in my face.
Once she's gone I take a seat next to Hinata's bed once more. "How are you doing?" I ask not knowing what else to say.
"You're still here," she says with a wonder in voice.
"Yes, I'm still here." I can't keep the frustration out of my voice. Why is it so hard for her to believe that I want to be here?
"I cold have sworn it was a dream," she whispers out quietly.
"Hinata, listen to me." I grab her hand, giving up on trying to fight the desire to hold it. I take several deep breaths with my eyes shut and don't open them until I've built up the determination to just say it. "Hinata Huga, I love you."
Hey eyes go wide and she stares. I just sit there waiting for her to respond, which takes a while. "You what?"
"I love you," I repeat quietly.
She gently shakes her head like she's trying to figure something out. "I, what? Really?"
"Yeah really." She goes back to just staring at me, saying nothing and not moving. If it wasn't for the my heightened awareness of her right now, I might think that she stopped breathing. "Hinata, aren't you going to say something?"
"I. I-" her words are jumbled and short as her brain tries to come up with a response. "How can you be sure?" She seems uncertain of her question.
I almost feel insulted but looking at the confused and speechless look on her face, that feeling doesn't get very far. "Because when I look at you I can feel my heart race. Because even though I know how strong you are, I still want to lock you away so no one can ever hurt you again. The thought of losing you was so unbearable I thought my chest would explode." I feel like a complete idiot at how cheesy that all just sounded. "And most of all, because I would like nothing more than to keep you in my arms forever." When that comes out of my mouth I want to slap myself for that unbelievably corny line, but that's soon forgotten when another tear trickles from her eye.
"Her what's wrong?" I place my hand on her face and gently stroke her cheekbone with my thumb, effectively wiping away the teardrop.