Lies of Love and Loathing

Ch. 7 Believe In Me

Hinata's POV

"And I don't want to be a replacement, or a second choice because you can't have her," I say with painful conviction. I never knew how painful this would be, to have Naruto tell me he loves me only to feel like it isn't true.

His eyes are filled with a mixture of shock and hurt at my words. "Hinata, you're not a second choice for me," he says softly yet at the same time forcefully. "To me, you're the only choice. You are the only person I want to be with."

"I know you think that now, but you can't be certain you'll feel this way once all of this blows over." Why can't I just believe him? Believe that everything he's saying is the truth? I've waited my entire life to hear him say this, so why can't I just accept it and be happy?

His growing frustration is easy to see. "Why can't you just believe me when I say that this feeling isn't going to change or go away?"

He sounds so sincere, it takes everything in me not to cave in and allow myself to accept that his feelings are true. "Because if I let myself believe this and you do change your mind later on, that will crush me."

He throws his hands over his face for a moment. "Hinata," he groans loudly before dropping his hands. "How can I convince you that this feeling isn't going to change? What can I do to prove it to you? Just tell me what to do and I'll do it." The way his eyes are searching my face I can tell he really does want an answer. "Please Hinata, just tell me what to do and I'll do it. Whatever it is, just tell me and it's done." Although I can easily see he truly does want answer, unfortunately I have no answer to give so I stay silent. "Hinata, please. Just talk to me, we can figure this out."

"I'm not sure that we can," I whisper, no longer able to look at him.

I feel both of his hands grasp mine. "Don't say that," he says with mild desperation in his voice. Once again I'm silent. "Hinata, don't shut down just talk to me. We can figure this out together you just have to believe in me." Those last three words catch my attention but not enough to look at him. "Do you Hinata?" he asks reluctantly. "Do you believe in me?"

Now my body and mind leave me with no other alternative but to turn my head towards him and stare into his beautiful blue eyes. "I have always believed in you Naruto Uzumaki," I say without needing to think about it.

The smallest of smiles graces his lips and he leans ever so slightly. "Then believe me when I say that we can figure this out. Believe me when I tell you that I am going to prove to you that this feeling isn't going anywhere, I don't know how I'm going to prove it but I will. I will prove to you that my love for you is true and unwavering, believe it!"

For a seemingly endless moment my heart stops as my breath catches in my throat. He might actually mean this. A voice in my mind says in wonder.

Naruto's POV

"I will prove to you that my love for you is true and unwavering, believe it!" I declare to her. Part of me feels childish and like a complete idiot with that last part, but a bigger part of me doesn't care. I love this girl and I will do anything in my power to make her believe that without a doubt that it's true.

For a short second, Hinata intakes a short breath but doesn't release it. She's staring into my eyes and I honestly don't know whether or not she's breathing. "Perhaps there is a way to prove whether or not you're feelings are true, to show that this isn't just the heat of the moment."

I do what I can not to show the smile I can feel forming on my face, but I have idea if it's working as I try to contain relief that she's thought of something. "What is it?" I ask trying not to sound too eager. "Whatever it is I'll do it."

Her teeth lightly bite her bottom lip either in embarrassment or trying to figure out what to say, but either way I she looks adorable when doing it. "Give this two months," she says sheepishly. "Two months of thinking this through. And if by the end of two months you still want to be with me, then I'll believe you."

The smile I've been trying to keep under control can no longer be contained with my excitement. "You got it!" I nearly sing out. "In two months you'll see that what I'm telling the truth about how I feel." A smile all her own slowly creeps on her face and I begin leaning closer to those perfect lips. Before our mouths touch she holds her hand out to stop me. "Hinata, what's wrong?" I ask, confused with her rejection.

"Two months," she says softly. "You have to wait two months and if you feel this way at the end of it then we can try this." Now she's gone back to twiddling her fingers nervously.

All I can do is stare at her for a moment, trying to process what she's saying to me. "Wait, I can't kiss you?" I say, unable to keep the baffled almost appalled tone out of my voice. She doesn't look at me as she shakes her head. "But, why not?"

"Because I want to make sure your feelings are real." Her eyes shift up towards me, gazing at me through her lashes. "If you still feel like kissing me after two months then that's fine, but we have to wait and make sure."

My eyes are wide and my jaw is hanging open slightly. "For two months?" I question shock and astonishment in my voice. Her eyes are once again on her hands as she nods. "Two months? I can't kiss you for two months?" The only response I get from her before she turns to me again is another nod of her head. "How about a week?" I ask in a counter proposal.

"No," she exclaims shaking her head. "Naruto, I told you, I have to make sure these feelings aren't going anywhere. Two months."

There's no way I can keep the distasteful look off my face. "Okay, I get that but why can't I kiss you in the meantime?"

The same saddened expression she wore earlier is now back on her delicate, bandage wrapped face. "You're not allowed to kiss me until two months is over because if I wind up being right it will only make it that much worse." I open my mouth to question what she means, but she's already explaining before I get a chance to ask. "If I allow you to kiss me before the two months is up, then I might slip up and believe that you really mean it. And if I believe you and it turns that I was in fact right, that will crush me. I want to believe you, I really do, but I have to be careful."

I want so badly to argue with her, to tell her once more that my feelings are real but I know that won't do me any good. I sigh heavily and close my eyes for a moment. "How about one month?" I ask, trying to bargain with her.

"Naruto," she sighs, pinching her eyes closed in frustration. "I told you-"

"That you want to wait and see if my feelings are real," I say interrupting her. "I got that, but what's wrong with one month?" I can tell by the look on her face and by the way she opens her mouth that she wants to say something but I have to explain before she does. "Look Hinata, if you really believe my mind can change then one month will be plenty of time for it to do so."

She seems to ponder this for a moment. "Okay," she mumbles uncertainly. "I suppose one month would sufficient."

A triumphant smile spreads across my face at her acceptance of my compromise. "Good. Then in one month you'll see that I love you and that isn't going to change." She smiles ever so slightly and by the way it looks, it would appear that she's trying to suppress it. "Oh yeah," I say as though I remembered something. "Before I forget."

Her eyes meet mine as she waits for what I want to say, however everything I need to say can be summed up in one action. Before she can argue, I lean down and place my lips on hers. Although I had only intended to give her a quick peck, I can't help myself from lingering on hers, moving at a slow steady pace. Before I can deepen our lips' embrace she puts a hand on my chest and pushes me away. "Naruto, I thought we agreed one month," she chides with a shaky breathless voice.

"I know, but I needed one more for the road," I laugh, unphased by her mildly disapproving tone. One month. I think with determination. In one month she'll know I mean business and we can be together.