Astrocam: Hey guys, so it seems like quite a few of you favourited and followed this story so far, so thanks for that. And the three people who reviewed, thank you :) I'm switching it up a bit, I think I may switch between Naruto's and Hinata's point of views randomly during the story. But anyway, hope you like chapter two :) By the way, if anyone knows if you can get the "strikethrough" font on this, like as she crosses off things on her bucket list, I'd like to know. But for now, her crossed off items are in bold.

Chapter Two – The Confession

Naruto's POV

After class, Naruto did as promised and gave Hinata his phone number. He told her that she could text him at anytime, whether she wanted to hang out or just talk. Besides, Hinata was cute, and very friendly and nice. She didn't judge him for his obnoxious ways, like a lot of the students did in the class.

As they parted ways outside the building, Naruto's mind kept going back to the moment when he finally got to touch her bare skin. He'd been surprised that she had let him at all, and hadn't run away screaming, or clobbered him in the head, as a certain pink-haired female friend of is would have. Haruno Sakura, said pink-haired friend, had been his crush since high school. They'd kept in contact, but of course, she'd finally managed to win over Naruto's best friend, Uchiha Sasuke's heart. Naruto wasn't bitter about it, he'd just predicted that it would happen eventually, so that was why he'd only stayed friends with Sakura while she won Sasuke over.

But there was something different about Hinata. Naruto felt something for her, he just wasn't sure what.

Now, he was back in his apartment, alone, with the television on. He did have a social life, and lots of friends, but at the same time, he could get lonely. He hadn't had an official girlfriend yet, despite being twenty years old. Girls considered him too weird, loud and obnoxious. There were other girls in his martial arts class besides Hinata, but they just ignored him if he tried to speak to them.

He just wanted the companionship of a cute girl, someone he could cuddle up in front of the TV with, take her out on dates, hang out with her.

His mind kept going back to the moment when he'd turned around to see Hinata half-naked in front of him. Of course, he wouldn't have made her uncomfortable by purposely trying to peek at her front, but he may or may not have leaned over during the massage to gaze for a second into her wonderful cleavage and wonder what it would be like to be inside of her...well, who could blame him? She had large boobs. It was hard for anyone not to notice.

Suddenly, his cell phone lit up with a text. It was Hinata. A grin spread over his face as he reached for his phone. Even when his few female friends texted him, including Sakura, they didn't make him react like this. He tried to shake it off and appear as normal, even though Hinata couldn't see him.

Hinata: Naruto-kun? Father said I'm not allowed. But I'm going to meet you anyway.

Naruto frowned. Her father must be strict, she was twenty years old, she should be allowed to hang out with anyone she wanted. He typed back.

Naruto: I'm sorry, I don't want to get you in trouble...

Hinata: No, I want to see you. I give up caring about what he says. He can't control me forever. I have never given him a reason not to trust me, but he never trusts me anyway.

Naruto was surprised by her willingness to disobey her father just to see him. It made him feel...fluttery inside. But he also worried about the consequences she would face if her father were to find out about her activities.

Naruto: That's true. I don't have any parents, so I wouldn't know. I do have a guardian, who raised me since I was a kid. But I live on my own now, and he just comes to visit me. He wasn't too strict with me, at least he let me have a social life.

Hinata: You don't have any parents?

Naruto: I will tell you about it when we hang out. So, when you want to hang out? I have a job, but I don't work for the next couple days.

Hinata: Umm, is tomorrow ok? I can just tell my father that I'm going out to go shopping for a few hours.

Naruto: Yes, that's fine. Where do you want to meet? I have a car.

Hinata: Can we meet somewhere private? Just in case someone I know sees me. It's just that, I wouldn't want them telling my cousin Neji or my sister Hanabi that they saw me with you. It's not that I'm embarrassed to be seen with you.

Naruto: No, no, it's ok. Well, it's kinda cold outside to be...outside. Um, well, if you want, you could come to my apartment.

Hinata: I will tell my father eventually. It's just...I don't know what to do about it right now. And yes, I can meet you at your apartment. Just give me the address.

Naruto could picture her blushing at his suggestion to hang out at his place. He never failed to noticed that she blushed and stammered a lot while around him. It was an obvious sign of her crush on him, and he knew it, even though she hadn't told him. They chatted for a few minutes before Hinata announced she had to go have supper, and then Naruto began to prepare for Hinata's visit tomorrow by cleaning up his messy apartment.

Hinata's POV

Hinata couldn't believe it. In just two short hours, she would be at Naruto's apartment. Alone. With him.

The day after making plans with Naruto, she'd woken up a nervous wreck, after a restless sleep. And yet, she felt too hyped up and anxious to even think about having a nap before she headed to his place.

She'd had to lie to her father, something she'd never done before, but he had believed her. He knew she often went to the malls by herself, or with one of her very close girl friends such as Tenten, Neji's crush. Hiashi just didn't approve of her hanging out with friends of the opposite gender, or going to parties, or social events.

Her mind drifted back to Naruto as she got ready. How his hands had felt on her bare skin. Her shoulder was still sore, but it wasn't too bad. His massage really had helped. And Hinata wondered if maybe he would kiss her today.

She shook her head. Nah. He doesn't even know you like him. Well, you haven't told him yet. And he probably doesn't feel the same about you.

"Yeah? If so, why did he want me to take my shirt off?" Hinata asked herself. Good thing her father's mansion was big enough so that no one else would hear her talking to herself.

It was just for medical reasons. He was caring for you. Doesn't mean he has a crush on you.

Hinata ignored herself and continued getting ready. She decided to dress a little more sexy, as Naruto hadn't seen her outside of the martial arts class, where she either wore a uniform or baggy, comfy clothes. But she wouldn't want to alarm her father, so she kept it just appropriate enough that he wouldn't get suspicious.

She put on a black tank top underneath a black top that was solid in the front, but lacy along the neck, shoulders and sleeves (the sleeves were long). She wore her favourite darkwash skinny jeans, and added a gold necklace with a gold ring, neutral makeup, and she was done.

Before she left, she remembered something that she had forgotten to do in her excitement last night. She jumped up from her vanity and went to her bedside table to grab the notebook she'd written her bucket list in.

Time to cross off one of the two main things on her list.

2015 Bucket List

- Get a real job, no matter if Father thinks I am a good fit or not
- Earn my blue belt in Ninjutsu.
- Travel to more faraway places.
- Go to more parties and hang out with my friends despite what Father says.
- Lose my virginity, but not just on a one night stand. With someone special of course.
- Prove to Father that I can take care of myself, I am twenty years old after all.
- Get more hobbies such as writing, reading, or some hands-on hobby.
- Go swimming at a beach and wear a bikini for the first time.
- Get a cute, simple butterfly tattoo on my upper right shoulderblade.
- If Hanabi's behaviour gets out of control, I need to tell Father no matter what he will accuse me of. He can't be blind to her forever. Besides, she might need help. It's for her own good.
- Ask Naruto to hang out with me. (HE AGREED!)
- Kiss Naruto (and maybe lose my virginity to him too – but I can't think too far).

She was happy that she could cross off one of her most desired wishes. It had come true. The first wish of hers this year to come true.

She hoped many more would follow.

Soon enough, following the directions Naruto had given her, she had arrived at his apartment building and parked in the designated area outside the front door. She texted him to tell him she'd arrived, and he told her he would meet her in the lobby, as he had to let her into the building using a key that only tenants carried.

Hinata took a few seconds in her car to take deep breaths and calm herself, but her heart was already fluttering, her mind rushing a hundred miles an hour. What would Naruto look like wearing casual clothing? She hadn't seen him outside of the martial arts class yet either, so she was eager to see how he dressed normally. How would he react on seeing her outfit, or would he react at all? What could they talk about? What if she got too shy and nervous and just stammered everything, or didn't talk at all? Would he think she was weird?

She finally managed to calm herself enough so that she could step out of her car and head towards the front doors of the building. Naruto was there within a couple of minutes, and he used his key to let her into the lobby.

Once she was inside, standing next to him, she looked him up and down. He was wearing normal dark jeans, an orange shirt with black trim and looking his usual, handsome self. Her heart began fluttering.

"Hey," he grinned at her.

She felt her face heating up already as she fought to be able to speak clearly, instead her voice came out a very unattractive squeak. "H-hi!"

He just snickered at her obvious nervousness. "So, let's head up, yeah?" he offered, gesturing for her to walk next to him as he headed towards the elevators. "I'm on the tenth floor."

Hinata fell into step beside him, managing to calm herself so she could talk a bit better, but she was still anxious as hell about spending a few hours alone with Naruto in his apartment. "O-oh, about the middle of the building."

"Yeah, this building has nineteen floors."

They made small talk while they headed up to his floor, and Hinata found herself slowly begin to relax as she realized they had more in common than she had thought. Same favourite type of music, same favourite colour, same mindsets on certain things. It was nice to talk with someone like-minded, and she felt more and more comfortable with him.

Once they reached his floor, they got off the elevator and he led her about ten feet down the hallway, past a couple of doors before stopping in front of one that had the number "three" on it.

"Just so you know, when you come here again, you can go to the call machine down in the entryway, just before the doors to the lobby, and type in the code '1903' and it'll buzz me so I can come down and get you," he instructed her as he turned the key into the lock on the door and opened the door. "Well, this is my place. It's not much. Just a one bedroom place, with a living room, kitchen and bathroom." He shrugged as he led the way inside, closing the door behind her once she entered, too.

Hinata took her shoes and coat off, and Naruto did the same with his. He then gave her a quick tour. It was simple, very plainly decorated, but then again most guys weren't into home décor. But at least it was neat and tidy, not cluttered or messy. That in itself impressed Hinata. She liked to be in a clean environment.

"Alright, that's that," Naruto explained once he finished showing her his bedroom. "I know, I don't decorate much, but I'm just not that interested. I have a few pictures on the wall as I showed you, but that's about it." he shrugged, smiling sheepishly.

Hinata just smiled back at him. He hadn't mentioned her outfit yet, but she hadn't said anything about his either. "I-it's cute, and nice, I like it," she complimented his apartment. "I wish I could live on my own. But Father must keep an eye on me at all times." She sighed sadly. "I wonder if he will ever let me leave."

Naruto placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure he will, most young adults move out of their parent's homes by age twenty-five or thirty at least. So don't worry, you still have lots of time. Hey, what do you want to do? Are you hungry? Do you want a snack?" He suddenly turned from sympathetic friend to company host.

"N-no, thanks, I'm fine," Hinata assured him. "I ate before coming over." She was aware that his hand was still on her shoulder, and was trying hard to keep herself calm, though her heartbeat was steadily increasing.

His hand moved gently from her shoulder to her back as he guided her to his bed, and they sat on it next to each other, their legs over the side. But he kept his hand on her back. Hinata didn't protest – she had come to love his touch.

"You're really pretty," he blurted suddenly. "I haven't seen you outside of class before. I like it." He grinned again, and Hinata could swear she saw a faint tinge of red in his cheeks.

Hinata gave up trying to stay calm and her breathing and heart rate accelerated. "T-thank you, you're cute too," she managed to get out. Cute was an understatement, but her mouth wasn't working with her brain.

"Haha, thanks. I know you're nervous again. Just calm down." He rubbed her back soothingly and seemed to be inching closer to her on the bed. Their knees were touching, now.

You're not helping me calm down! She cried out in her mind, but managed to bite her tongue to keep from saying it aloud. Instead, she closed her eyes, taking in his touch.

He seemed to grow more bold in touching her, because he inched closer so that his right side was pressed up against her left side, and his arm was around her waist now, his hand resting on her stomach. She became more confident too and leaned her head on his chest.

Holy hell what is happening right now? You might get that kiss after all... she cheered to herself as Naruto's hand began tracing small circles on her stomach.

Naruto's POV

No other girl had made Naruto feel like this before. No other girl had let him get this close to her. Hinata seemed to be enjoying his affections as she leaned into him, her head resting on his chest, the top of her head against his cheek. His heart was fluttering like crazy, and he really wanted to do something but wasn't sure if it would freak Hinata out. Maybe she only wanted to cuddle. They stayed silent for a moment, listening to each other's rapid breathing and heartbeats.

Then, Naruto decided to get in a more comfortable position, and released Hinata for a moment. She gave him a bit of a sad look, but then realized what he was doing. He laid down on his bed on his back, and opened his arms to her. "Come here." His heart was in his throat, but she did as he said, and laid next to him, her head resting on his chest again.

There's no better time to tell her, dude, you like her! His thoughts chided him.

He responded to his thoughts. Yes, I know I do. And she obviously likes me. But does she want a relationship? Then we have the problem of her father...

Duhhh. I can see it in her eyes, doofus. If you wait too long like you did with Sakura, some other jerk might sweep Hinata off her feet. Not that Sasuke's a jerk, well he kind of is...

Okay, shut up! Jeeze.

Naruto took a deep breath, and just let the words come tumbling out.

"Hinata...Hina-chan..." he used a nickname he'd called her a couple of times during class. That got her attention and she lifted her head to look at him, her beautiful lavender eyes gazing into his own ocean-blue ones.

"Y-yes?" she murmured, her face turning red again.

"I-I know this might seem forward or too soon but...for the past year we've known each other in class, you've always been my favourite. I felt like whenever someone hurt you, even accidentally, I had to protect you and make sure you're alright. You joined the class weaker and smaller than everyone else, with no confidence, but now you've improved so much, it's really amazing. Even though you're still smaller than everyone else," he joked, and she smiled shyly. "I was shocked when you asked me to hang out with you yesterday. I never expected that from you. There have been so many times I wanted to ask you, too. I guess I was just more chicken than you were." He laughed nervously, and Hinata's eyes were wide now.

"W-what are you trying to say, Naruto-kun?" she murmured.

Naruto took a deep breath. This was his first time openly confessing his feelings to a girl. "I like you. A lot. As in, more than friends." He stopped, to wait for her reaction, bracing himself for the rejection that he was so used to getting.

Instead she turned bright red – and collapsed on top of him in a dead faint.

Astrocam: Well, that went well. :P How will Hinata react when she wakes up and fully realizes what he's said? Will she get that kiss she's been wanting? What will she do about her strict father? Until next time, folks.