I won! -dances-

Songs: I Don't Wanna Wait - The Veronicas
Higher - Creed
Beep - Pussycat Dolls
Your Body - Christina Aguilera
Crushcrushcrush - Paramore
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - Utada Hikaru
The Hardest Part - Coldplay
Te Dejo Madrid - Shakira
U + Ur Hand - P!nk
In Your Eyes - Kylie Minogue

Chapter 5

Fortune had smiled on her today; she was ecstatic with the plan she had come up with. She was going to return Naruto's jacket, after having it for three comfy nights. Only, it wasn't going to be his. She had cleaned both her jacket and Naruto's, making sure they were both neatly folded and ready to go. She had put his jacket in a neat little box for safe keeping while she brought it to him, but there was a little mix up. She accidentally grabbed hers instead. Whoops.

She smiled, body building up with familiar butterflies at the thought of seeing Naruto. Newfound courage aside, she still felt like a giddy little girl around him. Even when she was teasing him and trying to tempt him into making a move, her heart would balloon, swelling from the many years she'd hidden her feelings, filling her with the sense of freedom and joy. She figured she had made her intentions clear, though considering this was Naruto, perhaps she hadn't. He could still be trying to tell himself her advances were all accidental moments of innocence. But that was ok. She would just have to try harder, and be clearer. She had grown ready for the challenge over the last couple of days. It was like his courage had soaked into her through his jacket, no matter how much she would have preferred it been from him.

She bit her lip as she approached the door to his apartment. It was always a bit nerve-wrecking - the moment before trying to make her intentions clear - but like an addict, she began loving the sensation and looking forward to any opportunities to feel it. Taking a deep breath, she knocked. What met her eyes once the door opened, she did not expect.

A very almost-naked Naruto stood in the doorway, wearing only a pair of boxer briefs that looked suspiciously like a wrapped present. There was even a ribbon tied bow in the front. Of course, he noticed immediately who was at the door, what he was wearing, and proceeded to slam the door shut, yelling profanities and apologies in the process. But the present had already been given. Burned into her corneas like the sweet, blinding light of the sun. This was perhaps the best day of her life, ever.

She could hear fumbling on the other side of his apartment door; things being knocked over, a possibly banged knee - if Naruto's little outbursts were anything to go by - and finally, the creaking of the door opening once more. She was frozen in her spot, a small, stupid smile on her face, trying to picture the many different ways this encounter could have gone if he hadn't gone back inside. Any other way than the one she expected; which, of course, was the one that reality chose to give her. But, perhaps, that was not an entirely bad thing.

Naruto stood in his doorway once more, wrinkled orange pants hanging off his hip - likely from a missed button or zipper - and a hastily pulled over shirt, still clinging to his side, obviously not given the proper pull to conceal the muscle tone currently subjected to her line of sight. She, of course, didn't mind. Not one bit.

She bit the inside of her lip, imagining the different ways this situation could go. How easy it'd be to push him back into his apartment. Or tackle him to the floor, if she were impatient enough. Or innocuously give his pant pocket a subtle enough tug with just enough force to drop them to the floor. Or...

"Sorry, Hinata! I just woke up and wasn't expecting company," Naruto explained in a frazzled manner. Not bothering to mention it was nearly noon, she wondered if that were true and what she could have walked in on if she hadn't knocked first.

She looked at him dazedly a moment, mind still racing with racy thoughts and possibilities. "Um, Naruto-kun... sorry to intrude, but, do you mind if I come in for a moment?"

She could see the battle warring behind his eyes at her proposition. She wondered what he could be thinking; if he considered the thought that it might be a trap, and wondering if he'd be right.

He swallowed thickly, trying to find a reason to say no. After seeing him in what he knew she had seen him in, he wanted to give her enough time to forget. Or maybe to convince herself she hadn't seen it.

He tried to think fast, knowing as each second ticked by, her curiosity likely grew, and he didn't have much time. He also knew that he couldn't let her in, because in the frenzy of trying to get clothes on, he had thrown his underwear off and onto his couch cushions. Right in the open. In plain sight. And probably the first thing she would see. Shit.

He gulped once more, not thinking of anything good enough and wondering why she had to choose this very moment of this day to visit him, and held up a single finger.

"Umm... yeah. Just.. hold on a sec, k, Hinata?"

At her nod, he ran to the couch, leaving the door open just a crack, and shoved the pair of underwear in between two cushions, making sure nothing popped out. He flew back to the door, hoping she didn't notice, and opened it wide enough to let her in.

He watched her make her way to the couch like a magnet, seating herself on top one of the cushions his under garment had just been shoved beside. His jaw clenched, mini-panic attack clawing at his stomach. He chose to sit on the other cushion next to her, to keep an eye on her and the gap between them. It'd be the end of him if she found it. Seriously.

Her stomach was busy making flips as she made her way to the couch, making sure to sit where she had seen him shoving something in. She didn't mean to peep, but she couldn't help that the door had been cracked just enough for her to barely see in. It hadn't been her fault that her body felt the sudden need to stretch to the side, where her line of sight was then perfectly in line to Naruto's back and other things below it. Like the little dip in muscle that had her biting her lip, or the slight curve she didn't expect to see; nor should have been able to see, actually, considering he had just been wearing underwear. It was a really good stretch, though.

She knew she probably wouldn't get a chance to find what he had taken the time to hide, and she probably wouldn't have, even if she did - she had manners, after all - but a part of her kept wondering what it could be, and maybe already knew what it was. Despite all that, she sure wasn't going to miss the chance to see how he'd react to her getting so close to it.

"Soooo, Hinata," he glanced around nervously, looking for something to talk about, and settling on the box neatly placed on her lap. Why hadn't he noticed that 'til now? "What's in the box?"

She roamed her fingers idly along the cushion, as if she'd reach between them at any given moment, not missing his eyes scan them every couple of seconds. She smiled before turning to him.

"Oh! I came to give you back your jacket, Naruto-kun," she slightly lifted the box on her lap and looked back to him, "Where should I put this?"

He blinked twice before it registered. "Oh. Cool, thanks Hinata!"

He fought the immediate urge to jump up and run it to his room, since he couldn't leave her alone with his couch, and instead, pointed to the open door to their left.

"You can just put it on my bed, if you want, through there."

She smiled so fast, it took him off guard. He didn't think much of it - his biggest concern getting her away from this cushion - and watched her nod, pick herself up, and practically glide over to his bedroom.

Immediately, as soon as she was no longer in sight, he was hovering over his couch, digging for his underwear. There has to be a better place for these, he thought.

Before he could think of a different hiding place, a more pressing thought - a horrifying one - crossed his mind.

He left another, similar pair on his bed.

Note: I almost spit my coffee out while typing this. -laughs- Seriously, you guys. I just don't know anymore. I am so immature.