Chapter 14
Notes: Hello loves! You've all been so amazing, thank you so much for the reviews! I have to admit that I was a little nervous posting the last chapter, and this one has caused me even more nerves, but after the lovely words from all of you, I'm going to push through. I wanted to address a couple of comments, mainly related to the nerves that Hinata and Naruto were feeling at the end of the last chapter given that they've been 'training' and getting closer in prior chapters. I think I approach it such that they are still learning each other. They've come close to full contact several times and obviously while Hinata knows that physical attraction is present and they both know they will be in circumstances that will lead to intimate contact, they haven't crossed that last barrier. Not until last time of course, and while I've been building up to that over several years, (ahem, sorry!) in the story they have only been building this new comfort for a week. So, it's all still very new to them, and at times might be more overwhelming. I hope that helps! Please feel free to ask questions/or put concerns in your comments and I'll try to keep addressing them!
I promised monthly updates and I am going to try to keep that promise haha. I might, and I mean MIGHT, also have a couple of shorter, stand-alone stories going up over the next month. I try to devote the time I have to write to The Mission but if the muse strikes, I can't help indulging. For those of you asking for a chapter from Naruto's POV, check out Casual Touches. I've just posted it and it will be between 3-4 chapters long. Hope you enjoy!
All my love ~ Luna
Hinata's head is full of the fuzzy warmth of the continued press of their bodies. They aren't moving now, just held tightly to each other, letting this new level of contact settle beneath their skin. The kiss is deep but slow, no push to speed up. She's acutely aware of the heat where their lower bodies meet, can feel the pulse and tension, but isn't ready to do more. After a moment, Naruto's hands begin to stroke slowly up and down the skin of her outer thighs and goosebumps rise on her skin, shivering from the point of contact up to prickle the hairs on her scalp. A small sound breaks through from where their lips meet and it's hers. A quiet and pressed sound, less than a moan but more than a whimper. Hinata feels his hands tighten on her legs when it escapes and then he's sliding his hands further up her legs, under the short, soft material of her fluffy skirt to bracket her hips and press his thumbs into the joint where her legs meet the rest of her body. She tenses so that she doesn't jerk at the touch.
Naruto pulls his mouth from hers and drops his head back to her shoulder. He presses a few light kisses along the line of her shoulder and collarbone before nudging her chin up to kiss the underside of her jaw. Then he pauses and Hinata relaxes as much as she can with the tension still high between them, not the embarrassed tension of before but the warmer one that lets her know they can take this as far as they need tonight. There's no reason not to and every reason they should and she pushes aside thoughts of the mission and just surrenders to the feelings of being close to him, to the feeling of his body touching hers and his hands and mouth on her skin. Naruto is still paused, breathing warmly against the skin of her jaw and Hinata thinks he might be waiting for permission to go further. So she gives in to what her body wants and moves tentatively against him. The warm breaths stop for a second before his mouth presses to her skin again and his hands begin to move with her, guiding and supporting her movements. The heat continues to build and Hinata lets her mind go blank, focusing on the pleasure and the heat. Her hands move from his hair to the back of the futon, catching the upper rail behind Naruto to use as leverage as her body moves against his.
There could be more touches, hands trailing over skin, but his hands stay on her hips and hers on the futon. There could be more sounds but the only sounds are their breaths and a quiet rustling of their clothes against each other and the futon below him. The frame of the futon barely moves, it's not a frenzied movement, but a slow and deliberate build to an end. Hinata knows that when it's finished neither of them will be able to deny what happened, nor will they be able to hide behind too high passion. This is something else and her heart sparks and warms from it, because Naruto seems as lost in this as she is. As the tension continues to build and the feelings tighten in her belly and thighs, she feels his left hand leave her. It comes back a second later to catch at the back of her neck, grip tight but not painful as he pulls lightly to bring her head down and eyes back to his. "Hinata" he says quietly and she feels another shiver slide down her spine. His contacts have hidden the true color of his eyes but this close she can see how dilated his pupils are behind the lenses. He huffs a breath against her mouth that is almost a groan before he presses his mouth to hers and his whole body tenses, hands tightening on her neck and hip. His hips push up harder into hers and she feels the pulses beneath her. Naruto pulls his mouth away a second later to gasp against her mouth and his eyes are closed so tightly there are wrinkles between his brows and around the corners of his eyes. The whisker marks on his cheeks stand out a touch more than normal and she leans forward to press kisses against his cheek as his body slowly begins to relax beneath her. Naruto lets his head fall back against the futon and opens his eyes just enough to look at her from beneath his lashes. There's color in his cheeks that is slowly darkening the more she looks back. There's the embarrassment again, she thinks but then his hand is gone from her neck. It settles on her thigh again but this time more to the inside. As he watches her, he slides it up to once again brush the juncture where her body meets. She can't stop the steady shivers that start and he presses his thumb in, and then continues to rub up and down. "Can I?" he asks quietly and for a split second she wants to say no. He is obviously going to watch her as he touches, hasn't taken his eyes off her since his head settled back and she's scared of what her reactions will give away but she nods her head. As his hand shifts and his thumb continues the small teasing swirls along her body, she feels the heat that has been building in her body rocket higher. The touch at the apex of her core is light, and she jolts though she was ready for it. The light material of her underwear is no barrier at all and she gasps as the pressure increases just a bit, still in tight little swirls. It's barely ten seconds before the world collapses in and then whites out behind her now closed eyelids. She feels her body tense, hears the small sound she makes and can feel the tight grip she still has on the futon but everything else is pushed from her mind as Naruto caresses her through the orgasm. As she comes down her shoulders begin to curl in on themselves and she feels his other hand leave her hip to slide up her back and begin to stroke as if encouraging her to settle down against him. As he pulls his other hand from beneath her skirt she does. Body collapsing into his and head settling on his shoulder.
They are both breathing shakily still. Hinata pulls her hands from the back of the futon, wincing at the cramped feeling in her fingers before letting them slide down Naruto's arms to settle at his waist. There's no rule book for what should happen next. As Hinata's mind comes back into focus, she feels the first stirring of pressure behind her sternum, the beginning of the burn behind her eyes and begins to push herself up to lever off him. The fluttering in her stomach is less nerves and picking up speed toward nausea. She wants to get up and excuse herself to clean up in the bathroom, wants to have a few moments to collect herself again but as she pushes up Naruto's hands follow her movements and when her face is level with his he presses his mouth to hers in a warm kiss. "Wait, just another second" he says against her lips and then he's pressing back in. The kisses are caring, caressing, and still laced with a taste of the passion they had just enjoyed. The burn behind her eyes intensifies but the nausea has settled and so has the panic behind her breastbone.
She keeps her eyes closed as Naruto pulls his mouth from hers and presses his forehead to hers. "Are you okay to stand?" he asks and Hinata realizes that her legs are shaking where they bracket his hips. She nods but moves to sit beside him first. Letting the muscles of her thighs relax slowly and making sure she won't fall if she tries to stand. Naruto leans forward as soon as she's seated on the futon and moves to sit on the edge of it, she catches his wince as she looks at his profile. "I'm, uh, going to go change. I'll be right back." Before he stands though, he twists to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth.
Even the dark whisper in the back of her mind can't say that he's running away, or that his wince was because of what they've just done. She can tell it was discomfort, but not from the physical contact with her. Which makes her own discomfort all the more real and pressing. She can't say it's regret, because there's the mission after all, so this all has a purpose. And she's already acknowledged that this was going to hurt. The caring touches, the warmth behind them, hurts all the more because it isn't missing. There's something there, something that could have been, a possibility. If any of this had happened without the mission, she would have allowed herself to hope. Could have allowed the dream to grow. She raises her hands to her eyes and presses her fingertips in to try to stop the tears. Naruto won't understand them, not the true cause of them and she doesn't want to ruin the ease they've built. The small hiccup that forces its way out of her throat lights a flicker of annoyance. She pushes harder on her eyes until she sees sparks behind her lids and then releases them to rub gently. She will not do this now. Another time, when she is alone she will allow herself to feel it all and to let it out. She's learned not to hold it in.
Naruto is in the bathroom so Hinata rises and on firm legs walks to the bedroom to retrieve her night clothes and toiletries. The apartment is small enough that she can hear the shower running. She waits patiently for her turn but it's only a few minutes before Naruto is stepping into the bedroom, hair damp and towel around his waist. He blushes slightly and rubs the back of his neck, "Forgot to grab my clothes." Hinata blushes too and nods before stepping around him and heading to the bathroom herself.
The water feels wonderful, warm and soothing as it slides along her skin and weighs her hair slick and heavy along her shoulders and back. Hinata knows she can't stand there forever, knows she has to go back to the bedroom and face Naruto, cannot let awkwardness settle between them. She runs her hands through her hair rubbing shampoo into her scalp and keeps her eyes closed. She acknowledges the tears mixing with the water but does nothing to stop them. It will help her to feel better she knows, and she needs to be okay when she goes back to the bedroom. It's not his fault, not hers, she can't help her feelings anymore than he can help the lack of his. If she lets out the hurt now, while she's alone and doesn't have to hide or worry then she can focus back on the mission. There are people dying, she admonishes herself, which is so much more important than a childhood crush turned infatuation. Even she winces at that, blinking her eyes open and cringing as soap skates the edge of her right eye and stings. It's not infatuation, it's so much more than that and she knows it's a feeling she'll never be completely free of. This mission is only tightening the ropes around her, she can see what it could have been like. Granted they are both playing roles, not quite fully themselves and constrained by the need to remain undercover. Still, Naruto is as he has always been, warm and affectionate. She knows that the physical side of their mission is still lacking, there's every reason to believe that they will need to have actual intercourse before this is over. Still, there's a small part of her that wants to guard her heart, that hopes that they won't have to go that far.
As self-proclaimed beginners, as students who are learning together and not at all set in what their true interests are, she hopes that they can skate by in the club mostly watching. Hinata lets her thoughts run as she finishes her shower, turns off the water, dries and dresses. There's definitely a way she can play things so that she sets them up as voyeurs more than participants. Besides Naruto told her only seven or so days ago that he has no experience with anything like what the club will present. Has it really only been seven days? It feels like months have passed, and Hinata knows that is due to the pressure she's under and it will only get worse. They are running out of time though for the mission. Tsubasa will have taken his next victim and they only have a matter of a week at most to get the information they need to stop him.
Will voyeurism be enough? They will have to get close to him, catch his interest, and she's aware of how far-fetched it is that they will succeed, especially if she takes a gentler approach. Tsubasa likes power plays. How can she stage things so that she grabs his attention right away? There are lesser operatives that she can get in with first, that might bring her to him quicker. There's missing information in his file. Will he be caught simply by the power play aspect; does it have to be sexual at all? Is it the physical aspect or would emotional and mental power over another be enough to pull him? If that's the case and the physical side is secondary then most of the training she's done with Naruto won't be very helpful. Granted they did need to be able to convince observers that they are husband and wife, intimate and comfortable so it's not completely wasted but if emotional/mental control is more enticing to Tsubasa then she's going to have to push a different level of training on herself and Naruto. It will be so much more difficult to be convincing in that aspect when it's obvious that she doesn't hold that type of total control over Naruto and she's not sure he's a good enough actor to pull it off. The more she thinks about it, the Hokage was really betting on the fact that it's the physical control that Tsubasa likes.
Hinata has the files memorized of course, and she's reviewing them in her mind's eyes as she rubs the towel through the wet strands of her hair and walks silently to the bedroom. There are hooks on the back of the bedroom door that she noticed earlier and she steps in and closes the door quietly behind her before she hangs the towel on the hooks next to Naruto's. It's that action that pulls her back to the current moment and out of her mind. For some reason, hanging her damp towel next to his is intimate in a way that makes her flush. It's silly really, after what they did less than an hour ago. Hinata hesitates before turning towards the bed, takes a shallow breath and then moves to her bag to grab a hairbrush for her hair. There's a quiet noise from the bed, the sound of a body shifting against the sheets and the flush on her face brightens. Cursing herself in her mind, she brushes her hair quickly and then moves to the side of bed opposite of the sound. She still hasn't looked up, and she hasn't failed to notice that they've already picked sides of the bed. Two nights together and there's already a 'Naruto's side'. She shivers slightly, the long sleeves of her sleep shirt and soft material of the sleep pants she's wearing don't really keep out the cool night air. As she slips under the covers the warmth already accumulated there pulls more shivers from her, these of relief and comfort.
When she finally glances at Naruto his back is to her, and he's not wearing a shirt, the warm tone of his skin and the muscles beneath holding her attention. There's a part of her that wants to turn her back to him as well, wants to keep that bit of distance between them. Another part of her wants to press against him, steal his warmth and memorize the feel of his body against hers. She settles against her pillow, pulling the sheets and blankets up to her chin, laying on her back and turning her gaze up to the ceiling. A moment or two later, neither of them is asleep as evidenced by the slightly strained sound of their breathing. The tension lays over them like a second blanket and Hinata decides not to wait for Naruto to break it this time. Perhaps he can't, maybe what they did earlier really did push past a limit he didn't even know he had. Maybe he wasn't expecting it, maybe she made him horribly uncomfortable. Or maybe, and Hinata knows that this is just as likely, Naruto is just dealing with the fact of what they did like she is and just wants to be left alone for now to process. Still, the worst that can happen is that he rejects her, something she prepares herself for as she turns to face him and reaches out to lightly brush her fingers over the warm skin of his shoulder.
There's a stuttering inhale from Naruto and then he's turning over to look at her. Hinata knows there is still color in her cheeks and with the near black of the bedroom she hopes it's not too obvious. Naruto settles on his other side, facing her fully and she lets her hand settle on his bicep. Naruto's hand rises and hovers just over her cheek, and she thinks he can probably feel the heat of her blush this way even if he can't see it. She turns her face into his touch anyway, lets his fingers slide along her cheek catching at her chin and then sliding down over her throat. Her hand is still resting on his bicep, feeling the muscles flex beneath his skin. His hand continues to move, sliding around to rest at the back of her neck, caught in the still damp silk of her hair. As he begins to massage the stiff muscles there, she closes her eyes, lets her hand slide from his bicep, tracing the shape of him up to his shoulder and then down to his chest and resting her hand just under his collar bone.
After a moment, Naruto releases a stifled huff of a laugh and she opens her eyes to look for his in the darkness. "Sorry" he says quietly before his hand leaves her neck and then resettles on her waist under the sheets. "For what Naruto-kun?" she asks just as quietly.
He makes an aborted sound in the back of his throat, maybe another laugh, before she can see his foxy grin break across his face even in the dim light. "I wasn't sure how to react, it's just…well it's you. I knew we had too, but I guess I just wasn't sure how it would go."
Hinata tries not to read into the words, tries not to let the side of her that is ready to be hurt take the words to mean that because it was her it was something he never would have thought would happen, or that he didn't think he would ever be able to find pleasure with her. He could mean many things by what he's said. Still, she feels the cold ball start to form in her stomach again, the warmth under the sheets stolen and goosebumps rising on her skin. "I…" but she can't speak right now, stomach sour and heart aching. She's grateful for the dark of the room again, hopes it's not showing on her face.
Naruto makes another noise, this one definitely not a laugh and the hand on her waist slides to the small of her back before pulling her closer, "Hinata?"
His wrong-colored eyes are searching hers and the light through the curtains on the window show his grin has been replaced by a frown. "Are you okay?"
She still can't answer, there's a lump in her throat and the tears from the shower are threatening again. Hinata closes her eyes and nods her head a bit against the pillow, letting her hand fall from his chest to curl under her chin with the other.
"Hinata, what is it?" he's concerned, she can hear it in his voice and then with another shift of the mattress he's pressing his lips to her temple. "Did I say something wrong?" he asks even quieter, close to her ear as his hand rubs slow circles against her back. "I'm sorry! I'm not very good at this sort of thing, I didn't mean to offend you. You're just so amazing, and I know you said you have experience but I guess I was just surprised, didn't expect for it to go so smoothly. I thought it would be more awkward, thought we would struggle more to take that step, you know? But you…you were…" he's voice is hushed, rushed and then just trails off.
Hinata blinks her eyes open, mind humming in shock, the cold ball melting to be replaced by the warmth of embarrassment and butterflies. They are so much closer now. Naruto's still hovering over her just a bit, pressed up on his elbow and with his mouth close to her ear. She stares at the side of his neck, waits quietly for him to finish his thought but he doesn't. Instead, his lips brush her ear, then slide to her cheek, pressing a kiss to the corner of her eye. He pulls back and when his eyes catch hers he smiles, a small private smile. "You really were amazing."
Hinata feels her face flame, a blush to rival those she used to have when they were teenagers and he would get close to her. To make it worse, Naruto can see it, or feel the heat coming off her skin. She can tell by the way he huffs a laugh and his smile widens. "There you are, I was starting to wonder. You've been so different since we met at the training field that first day. Not that that's bad or anything but it just didn't seem as much like you, the you I've known since the academy."
Hinata can't look away and even though she's embarrassed and feeling exposed, she gives him a small tentative smile. "You've been mostly you the whole time", she whispers and Naruto laughs loud, throwing his head back. Her smile widens, and just like that all the tension is gone. "Are you saying I can't act?" Naruto narrows his eyes in mock hurt and Hinata laughs lightly. "Well…"
"Hey! I thought I've been doing pretty good!"
Hinata laughs harder, still quiet compared to him and drops her head to press it to the side of his neck, lips just above his collar bone. "You've been doing very well Naruto-kun, really."
She feels the kiss he drops to her hair, his hand on her back sliding low to rest in the dip above her bottom. "Well, thanks I guess. Not that the laughing is very convincing" and he's pouting or pretending too, she can hear it in his voice. So she moves to brush a kiss under his chin, lips catching on the slight stubble of his night beard. The hand on her back closes into a fist, fingers curling to clasp the material of her shirt.
Suddenly there's tension again, and Hinata blinks and sobers at the change. 'Oh' her mind supplies helpfully. Neither of them is moving now, just resting with the bare space between them collecting heat. Hinata shivers again, a new wave of goosebumps prickling, and then arches to press her lips to his neck. She's not sure why she does it, not sure she wants to push things any further tonight. Naruto hums above her, sound vibrating against her lips on his skin and then his hand on her lower back opens and presses her forward. The space between them is melting and when his hand slides from her back to grasp her thigh just behind her knee and urges her leg up and over his hip she doesn't stop it.
There's a moment of shuffling and shifting as they move closer, bodies pressing tight from chest to hips and legs tangling. Hinata isn't surprised to feel his arousal against her, doesn't question it or worry. She presses close, moves to put her arms around his neck. Then their mouths are touching, kisses light but deepening and Naruto's hand is sliding from her thigh up to clasp her hip. She closes her eyes and parts her lips to let him in. Tongues touching and bodies pressing but still, Hinata lets the small noise escape her, a murmured appreciation. Naruto huffs against her mouth and then presses his hips forward against the juncture of her thighs, almost like he can't help himself. Hinata presses back and arches against him when his hand slides from her hip up to brush against her breast. He's never touched her there, not like this. The time in his apartment, the night before they left for the mission, is a wisp against the back of her mind as he molds his fingers to the soft shape of her. They'd come close then, but this is so much better. She tries to keep the low moan back, is only a bit embarrassed at how sensitive it is and how strongly she feels the pleasure. Naruto's mouth pulls from hers and presses a kiss to her neck before he slides down to the joint of neck and shoulder, sucking lightly on her skin in a way she knows will leave a mark. Their hips are still rocking together, pressure building in her lower belly when he rolls her to her back and she opens her legs to let him settle fully against her.
Hinata jolts at the full contact press of him. Earlier, the position and the leather of his pants had kept the true shape of him hidden just a bit. That and she had kept the level of contact to a minimum, just enough to reach the level of pleasure they needed while keeping some space between them. Now she can feel him completely and he fits perfectly between her legs and against her body. She moans again and his mouth is there to catch it. He groans in response and then he's pressing into her again. Their clothes are thinner, barely a barrier and they are both gasping and chasing the pleasure that's building when Naruto pulls his mouth from hers and ducks his head down to catch her nipple in his mouth. Hinata arches up to meet him one second, then presses back into the mattress in an effort to get away from the stimulation. Naruto is holding himself up on his elbows on either side of her but shifts his weight to one arm so that he can slide his other hand under her upper back and press her to his mouth. Even through the tank top and shirt she's wearing, the pleasure is intense. Then Naruto is scraping his teeth against her and pressing his hips down into hers at the same time and the world narrows in and fractures. Her hands are in his hair, and she isn't sure if she pulls or pushes or clenches or what, but he makes a sound from deep in his chest nips her again and his whole body tenses against hers, hips just barely rocking to ride out the pleasure.
Hinata sinks into the mattress below her as he releases her from his mouth and presses his forehead into the pillow next to her head, warm breaths feathering her neck and shoulder. He's heavy above her, but still holding most of his weight up. Her hands have left his hair in favor of running up and down his back, attempting to sooth. When he makes a "Mmmmh" sound against her neck and kisses her there she turns her head to press a kiss to his cheek. His mouth is back on hers the next second and his weight is pressing up and away a second after that. He rolls to his side and winces at what is likely an uncomfortable feeling in his pants. She lets her hands fall to rest one by her head the other over her stomach as he props himself up on his elbow next to her and then leans to kiss her one more time. He stays there, eyes on her face and she smiles at him. As unexpected as this was, it wasn't unwelcome and she lets him see it.
Reaching up to brush her fingers through the wrong color blonde of his hair and looking into the off-color green of his eyes she brings her mouth back to his for a soft kiss in return to his earlier gesture and Naruto smiles against her lips before pulling away. "I'm going to go clean up, I'll be right back" he says as he slips from the bed, grabs a fresh change of clothes and leaves the room. Hinata sinks back into the pillows and mattress and brings her fingers to her mouth. His words play over in her mind, 'amazing' she thinks and flushes. Then, because she is alone for the moment and he won't see she lets out a small noise of embarrassment and curling into a ball presses her hands to her flaming face. 'Amazing', she thinks again and really, he isn't wrong but she thinks it applies to both of them together. The pleasure she's felt with him in the past hour or so is more than she's felt in any other encounter. Granted there weren't many, mostly on missions and given the circumstances she isn't surprised she found little pleasure in them. Still the fuzziness in her mind and the lethargy she feels sliding along her limbs are reminders of what they've done. Hinata uncurls and lets herself settle into the feelings, enjoy the afterglow.
When Naruto returns a few moments later, she's half dozing and while she should probably get up herself, she can't muster enough energy to do so. Naruto slips beneath the covers and as he settles in, he rolls to face her, throwing an arm over her waist without a second thought. Hinata finds that even this isn't enough to pull her from sleep. It's been a long day of travel, settling in and two bouts of 'training'. She brings a hand up to settle over his arm and lets the warmth of his body lull her fully to sleep.
The next morning, she wakes early. light creeping under and around the curtains, mellowing the colors of the room and brushing against the man beside her. Naruto rolled in the night and now lays slayed, limbs akimbo, across the bed. His left leg lays across her right and his hand rests on her stomach. He is also snoring lightly and Hinata finds herself smiling. She slides quietly and gracefully from the bed, managing not to wake him and goes to the bathroom to take care of her needs.
She is in the kitchen beginning preparations to make breakfast when Naruto pads none to silently out of the bedroom rubbing his stomach and yawning widely behind his other hand. "Ohayo gozaimasu Naruto-kun. Breakfast will be ready shortly."
He nods in acknowledgement as he moves to the bathroom and she hears the door close behind him. The frying pan is warmed and so she mixes the eggs in a bowl and pours them in the pan to begin the omelet. She's no great cook, but can manage simple meals, made sure to learn when she was younger in preparations for situations such as this. Being on an extended mission and having no cooking skills means eating out or eating prepackaged food for the duration, something she hasn't ever been able to stomach. Now she's happy she learned for Naruto's sake as well, though she's sure he would be fine with cup ramen or something similar for the entirety of the mission. Laughing quietly to herself at the thought she flips the omelet and stirs the miso soup she had set to cook while the pan warmed. She hears the bathroom door open and his footsteps behind her before he leans over her shoulder to look at the stove.
"That smells great Hinata" he says with his usual excitement and she's glad the wards are up and they don't have to use their assumed names for now. Though, she thinks a second later, perhaps they should practice. As Naruto leaves to get a shirt from the bedroom, she plates the food and prepares to discuss the day.