Chapter 1
DISCLAIMER: M for sexual content, strong language and substance use.
"Are you finally tapping that?" Kankuro loudly whispers after Hinata has exited Naruto's dorm room.
Coughing up his beer, Naruto brings a palm to his lips to wipe away the yellow liquid running down his chin. "Where the fuck did that come from?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Kankuro elaborates. "Clearly she is into you."
Naruto tries to bring reason to their conversation. "No way, she is just a good friend."
Naruto's head bounds to the direction of the chuckle coming from the bathroom. Sucking on his second blunt for the night, Shikamaru gives his two cents, "a friend who has been following you around since you were in high school, brings you notes when you decide to skip class and lets you copy off of her. Right, she has zero interest in you."
"That's just Hinata. She'll do it for any of her friends… any of us."
Shikamaru flops down on the sofa and offers Naruto the blunt. Naruto declines as he believes he has reached his limit, and unlike his genius friend, he hates being in a comatose state.
"We all missed that class. Where are our notes?" Kankuro huffs.
Naruto detects a faint hint of jealousy. Over Hinata?
"If you are too dumb to make a move, I will." Kankuro takes a drag from Shikamaru's blunt.
"You like Hinata?" The thought that any guy could like Hinata is a foreign concept to Naruto and one that surprisingly doesn't sit right. "Why?"
"What do you mean why? Why do we like any girl? She's attractive."
The right side of Naruto's lip curl up in contemplation. "I guess…if you like them quiet and…" He wants to say 'weird' but decides to filter his words, "reserved." Turning his entire body to face Kankuro, he asks, "wait, what about your girlfriend in Suna"
"Like that's stopped him before." Shikamru says in distaste.
"Exactly, she is in Suna and I'm here. How much do I have to teach you, young buck?" Kankuro playfully ruffles Naruto's unruly hair. "This fool here decided to wife up the first woman to show him any interest and she just happens to be the biggest b-"
"Watch your mouth," Shikamaru warns, "that's your sister."
Rolling his eyes, Kankuro finishes. "The biggest…bother." He slaps Shikamaru on the back, causing the young genius to hack up grey puffs of smoke.
Kankuro turns his attention back toward Naruto. "The shy ones are the best. Usually freaks. Haven't you ever wondered what she's hiding under that bulky hoodie?"
"You're such a fucking pervert. She is probably hiding a lil extra meat on her bones." He always believed this was the reason for Hinata's insecurity, as she had everything else going for her. She was smart, wealthy and well-liked by most.
"Probably in all the right places." Seeing the disbelief on the blonde's face, he adds, "Trust me, I am usually never wrong. Don't sleep on that one." Kankuro warns as he slings his knapsack over his shoulder.
"Shika, you coming? I have a fucking exam at 8 in the morning."
"Shouldn't you be studying then?" Shikamaru slips into his coat and joins his girlfriend's obnoxious brother.
"Hm, I'll study in the morning." Kankuro raises his voice to get the attention of his bewildered, blonde friend who seems deep in thought. "Naruto! Get your head out of Sakura's ass and live a little. Well, fuck a little. That bitch is never going to get over Sasuke."
Pulling the inebriated man out of the messy dorm room, Shikamaru throws a lazy wave at the blonde, "Ignore his advice. Leave poor Hinata alone."
Now alone in his dorm room, his mind is replaying memories of his interactions with Hinata. Was she really into him? Was that the reason for the incessant blushing and stuttering? He thought the redness was a skin condition called Rosacea. He remembers some of the girls in high school teasing her about it.
A ping from his phone brings him out of his musings. It's a message notification. Opening up his inbox, he sees an email from Hinata apologizing for forgetting to have brought over a copy of her completed assignment for tomorrow's class.
Her helpfulness had to be based on friendship, right?
"Thanks for the notes and the assignment." Naruto whispers into the ear of the quiet female sitting next to him. Movement at the back of his head grabs his attention. Turning his head, he sees a bleary eyed Kankuro giving him a thumbs up. Naruto quickly responds with a middle finger and discreetly brings his gaze back toward Hinata, hoping she didn't notice the antics of his friend.
Naruto notices the blush creeping up on Hinata's face which he assumes is due to their close proximity. He studies her unpigmented eyes; eerily it blesses her with an exotic, unique appearance. Maybe that's what Kankuro was attracted to.
"It's worth 10% of our grade. I didn't want you to lose those marks." Hinata brings her hands to her mouth in shame, "not that I'm implying you couldn't do it on your own. I just wanted to help…"
Chuckling, he tells her, "It's okay, Hinata. Thanks for your help. I got shit faced last night and you saved my ass like you always do."
Their conversation is cut short by the professor beginning a lecture on Japanese microeconomic policies.
At the end of class, they exit the lecture hall and are about to bend the corner to go their separate ways, when Naruto suddenly asks, "Hungry?"
Hinata fiddles with the hem of her hoodie. "A bit."
"Wanna get some ramen with me?"
Hinata answers somewhat apprehensively, "Are your friends going to join us as well?"
Naruto should have expected that question since they have never dined alone.
"Nah, just the two of us." He tries out a charming grin; the one he uses with Sakura. But this time, it's actually successful.
"Okay." Hinata agrees with a faint smile.
Unbeknownst to Hinata and Naruto, two pairs of eyes discreetly observe their interactions.
"You're a fucking devil." Shikamaru shakes his head in disbelief at how quickly Naruto has lapped up Kankuro's fiendish advice. "He's going to fuck her over."
"In more ways than one." Kankuro agrees.
"Did I spill some on myself?" Hinata swipes nervously at her mouth and then moves to her chest.
Fuck. She caught him staring. During the fifteen-minute walk to the ramen house and while they waited for their meal, all he could think about was what was hidden under her bulky clothing. It is all Kankuro's fault. He shakes his head quickly and looks back to his untouched meal.
"Is the ramen not to you liking today, Naruto-kun?" Hinata places her chopsticks across her already half-finished bowl.
"It's fine." He glances over at her then quickly back to his own, not wanting his mind and eyes to stray.
Hinata reaches out to touch his forehead, but hesitates midway. Folding her hands into her laps, she asks. "Are you not feeling well?"
He couldn't exactly tell her that he was too preoccupied with thoughts of what was under that lavender hoodie to enjoy his favourite meal. He cursed his friend again for corrupting his mind. But maybe there was some truth to Kankuro's hypothesis. He concedes that there is no time like the present to begin his investigation.
"You don't have to be afraid to touch me." Boldly he reaches for one of the hands in her lap, bringing it to her forehead. "See, I am not sick."
Internally he sighs in relief that she hasn't reacted negatively to his presumptuous statement or the gentle, yet forceful contact. If he did this with Sakura, he would be flying through the cotton fabric of the noren and on his ass on the cold, hard sidewalk.
Hinata slides her finger lightly across his forehead, pulling away when her fingers brush against his spiky, blonde hair. Smiling, she tells him, "I'm happy you're well. It's just strange that I've nearly finished my bowl before you."
"Sorry, I am just stressed thinking about finals." Naruto lies, but decides to add some truth, "I haven't been to my stat class in over a month."
Hinata brings a dainty finger to her lips contemplatively. "Ohh. Umm, I completed that course last semester. I can help you if you'd like."
"Yeah?" Was it going to be this easy for her to fall into his spontaneous plan?
"Of course, Naruto-kun. It would be my pleasure to help you."
"Awesome, let's start tonight." Noting his over enthusiasm, he rails it in a bit, "I mean if you are free."
"I'm free." Comes Hinata's quick response.
Grabbing the server's attention, he asks for his untouched meal to be packed to go. As he begins rifling through his frog-shaped wallet, Hinata has already pulled out a wad of cash and paid for their meal.
"I was going to pay for us." Naruto frowns at Hinata's kind gesture even though he appreciates it. He is barely scraping by on his part-time salary and bursaries.
At the entrance of the main campus, Hinata begins to walk toward the direction of the school's library. Under a flickering lamp post, she stops when she notices Naruto is not following her.
"Why don't we go back to my room to study?" You know how busy it can be this time of year in the library."
Nodding her head in agreement, she follows Naruto to his lodgings.
Hinata is midway into explaining sampling distributions, when he interrupts her. "Are you hot in here?" He removes his jacket, hopeful she will follow.
"I'm okay, Naruto-kun." He notices her hands clutching the zipper of her jacket protectively. This open display of discomfort should have been an indicator for him to back off, would have been a stop sign in the past but at the moment he can't see past his desire of seeing the unknown.
"My bedroom has a window. Do you mind if we…" He motions to the room as he stands up.
"Sure…" Hinata also stands and follows him into the room with nervous steps.
On the bed, she opens back up the text book and waits for him to take a seat on the twin bed.
He sits on the other side of the mattress, not hearing a word she is speaking as he is too busy trying to devise a plan in his mind.
Suddenly her soft voice ceases, "You seem out of it tonight. Maybe we should do this another time?"
Not knowing how to proceed, he accepts defeat. "Okay," he responds meekly. "Another time."
Unwillingly, he escorts her to the front door.
Hand on the door knob, she looks up at him with a blush returning to her porcelain complexion. How did he never notice how delicate her features were? "Thank you for tonight, Naruto-kun." Her head dips lower and she bites her bottom lip. "I had a really good time."
He wonders if he is imagining the longing and tenderness in her voice.
"Me too, Hinata."
Without looking up at him, she reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and gasps when his hand touches hers.
Naruto doesn't pay heed to her shock, as he slowly combs his fingers through the silky, soft locks. Hinata's hair isn't as eye catching as Sakura's but it is longer and the dark hue has its own appeal.
"Naruto-kun?" She whispers when his hands move to caressing her neck.
She takes a step back and he moves forward. Another unsure step and now her back meets the cold, hard door.
He continues to avoid her eyes as he experiments with how far he can go before she stops him.
Her fingers continue a downward trail to her collarbone, then toward the silver zipper of her jacket. He notices her right hand moving to stop him, but she pulls away bringing them back to her side.
He takes this as consent.
Almost tortuously slow, he pulls the metal down. He feels himself hardening in anticipation of his prize.