AN:Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great holiday! This chapter is really long like the last one and it has a lot of smut. Thanks again for all the favorites, comments, follows, etc. Until next time!
The bell chimed as the door opened, signaling a new arrival to the quaint cafe. It was easy to spot her friends, pink hair and platinum blonde easily standing out.
Hinata quickly made her way over to her friends, greeting both of them with a hug. As soon as she sat down, a little blonde boy came running towards Ino, showing her what was in his hands.
"Mama, look! They gave me these!" Inojin showed his mom the pieces of paper and crayons that the staff had given him.
"Aww that's so sweet of them. You made sure to tell them thank you right?" Ino asked him with a loving smile on her face.
"Yep!" Inojin beamed at his mother, happy that he was praised for being a good boy.
He finally seemed to notice the other occupants at the table and hid behind his mother, face turning red when he looked at Hinata. "H-Hina… Hi."
Hinata smiled sweetly at him, "Inojin-kun, you've gotten so big since I last saw you and more adorable too."
The boy lit up, his face turning more red and Hinata giggled into her hand.
"Hehe it looks like Inojin has a crush on you, Hinata." Sakura giggled at the boy's antics and the way he buried his face into his mom's back.
"Hinata does have a way with Yamanaka men." Ino added laughing as she patted her son's head, sitting him next to her so he could draw.
"Don't listen to them. We're friends right Inojin-kun?" Hinata asked sweetly, feeling bad at the teasing directed to the young boy.
He looked at her with a smile and nodded, looking a little less red, then focused on his drawing.
"You're really good with kids, Hinata." Ino remarked, and Sakura nodded in agreement.
Hinata just smiled fondly, "I helped take care of Hanabi when we were young. So I've always liked kids. They're such sweethearts."
"You would make a great mom someday." Sakura said looking at her friend with a smile on her face.
Hinata smiled back, "Hopefully, someday, when I meet the right guy."
"Now's as good a time as any to get back into the dating pool. I know some great guys from the clan and the flower shop." Ino said excitedly. The idea of creating love matches always thrilled her.
"There's a really great doctor at the hospital. He's single and super handsome." Sakura added encouragingly.
"Ah, I-I don't know. I'm not really looking for a relationship right now…" Hinata said nervously. It was the truth. She really couldn't think of anyone other than Naruto at the moment, even though they would never be anything more than sex pals.
"Why not? Is it because you still love him?" Ino asked seriously, suddenly feeling less excited and more concerned for her friend.
Hinata's eyes widened, heart racing wildly against her chest. How did Ino know? Was she that obvious? She felt as if they could see right through her, "Um… I…"
"Ino!" Sakura exclaimed, reprimanding her for making Hinata upset. "It's okay Hinata. It's only been a few months since you and Ichiro broke up. It makes sense that you're still not over him." her voice was kind and soft like when she spoke to a patient.
Hinata nodded her head, speaking softly. "Um.. yeah it's hard to get over someone you love…" Truthfully, she hadn't been thinking of him at all. Her mind was only filled with thoughts of Naruto. Of what they did whenever they were alone.
If Ino ever used her technique on her, her weakness would be easily exposed...
Suddenly, guilt hit her like a truck. She hated lying to her friends, especially when they were so earnestly concerned about her wellbeing.
But, she could never, ever tell them about her and Naruto. The pitiful look on their faces would be magnified exponentially. She could already see the judgment forming in their eyes, as if they secretly knew how badly she fucked up and kept fucking up.
She swallowed thickly, "I'm fine, really… It just takes time." The lies kept mounting up, weighing heavily on her chest and she wished to be anywhere else than here.
"It doesn't hurt to put yourself out there. Sometimes it helps to date someone new." Ino said helpfully, not wanting to push her friend too hard.
"I-I'll think about it…" Hinata said quietly, her nerves firing uneasily.
Her savior came in the form of a little blonde boy. Inojin walked over to her, hiding something behind his back, as he blushed bashfully. "Hina, I made this for you." He outstretched his hands, quickly shoving the paper into her hands before he lost his nerve.
Relief flooded through her, and she smiled genuinely at the kind gesture. She flipped over the paper and saw a beautiful sunflower, the skill of the drawing way above what most kids his age could ever create. She was struck with his sweetness, and pulled him into a gentle hug, kissing his burning cheek, "Thank you Inojin-kun. I love sunflowers, they're my favorite."
The boy blushed even more, smiling at the fact that he made her happy, "I really love sunflowers too, they're my favorite!"
Afterwards, Inojin walked over to Sakura, handing her a drawing of cherry blossoms, making her smile at the cute little boy and pulling him into an enthusiastic hug.
Finally he made his way back to his mom giving her a drawing of her, himself and his dad. "Inojin! You are the sweetest!" Ino exclaimed, squeezing her son and peppering kisses on his face. He only groaned embarrassingly, "M-mom not in front of Hina!"
Hinata giggled, forgetting about her problems and enjoying the cuteness of the scene in front of her.
—-
Hinata would be lying if she said she didn't know what came over her when she slept with Naruto for the first time.
It was simple really, her emotions got the better of her. Those feelings that she suppressed for many years, struck her hard in the chest when Naruto was so close to her. When he smiled like the sun, beaming down on her with his warmth.
He was just so easy to love, as easy as breathing.
For a long time, loving him was her strength. He encouraged her to be stronger, even if he didn't realize his impact on her. She pushed herself, so that she could be strong like him, so that she could someday walk by his side.
But, that all ended when her love wasn't reciprocated.
Of course, Hinata still looked up to him, still admired his strength, his perseverance in the face of unbelievable adversity, but she couldn't let him be her strength anymore. She had to find her own strength.
It was easier said than done, yet somehow, she managed to and in doing so moved on from him.
Then, she ruined it all by coming onto him. It was a mistake. A very big mistake.
While she was kissing him, she knew it was wrong. She knew that her love wouldn't be accepted or returned but she wanted him. She wanted him more than she let herself believe for the past eight years.
Everything she told him that night was true. She wanted him. She needed him. She wanted him to make love to her, to fuck her.
But, it was all so shameful.
She threw herself at him like some desperate whore. Selfishly encouraging him, seducing him, even when he tried to stop it, like the good guy he was.
At the moment all she could think about was how badly she wanted him, even if it was just for one night, even if it made her look undeniably pathetic.
Sex with Naruto was everything and more than what she ever expected. His touch seared into her skin, branding her under each caress. He was more than generous, making sure she felt just as much, if not more, pleasure than he did. She lost herself in the sensations, in Naruto.
Then it all came crashing down. She felt so disappointed in herself, not for the sex, but for seducing him, enticing him into her bed.
Maybe he pitied her, that's why he gave into her desperate pleas.
So she left her own apartment in the early hours of the morning, making sure not to wake him up. She wrote an excuse that she had to meet Hanabi, dropped it on the bed and left.
Thankfully, he wasn't there when she came back home later in the evening.
Hinata looked at the mess of her sheets and almost cried.
Why was she so pathetic? So needy and weak? Couldn't she have just forgotten all about him and live a nice peaceful life?
The last thing she expected was to see him on her doorstep later that night, flowers in hand, looking guilty and apologetic.
Her eyes were wide in surprise, not expecting to see him again, and definitely not expecting him to visit her after her behavior.
Naruto really was so easy to love…
He gave her the flowers and bent his head, hands together, apologizing profusely for taking advantage of her last night. Telling her that he was so sorry for doing that to her. Telling her that he was ready to take full responsibility for his mistake of doing her raw.
He was completely red and spoke all at once. It was so endearing, so sweet, and just like Naruto to take blame for something she initiated.
Hinata with a face as red as his, quietly and awkwardly reminded him that all active-duty kunoichi are required to take preventative contraceptives.
Then she made her second mistake.
She told him the truth, that she really liked what they did. That he made her feel good. Naruto could only look at her in shock and she kissed him again, just like the previous night.
Only this time he didn't hesitate to kiss back, to fuck her the way she wanted, messing up her sheets and her heart again.
One time, turned into two, then into three, four, five and countless times. Each time was more brazen, more needy and lust filled than before.
Hell, they desecrated the Hokage's office more than once. The place and position that Naruto revered was nothing more than another place for them to give into their carnal desires.
She lost count of her mistakes.
A large part of her never wanted it to end.
Hinata selfishly wanted Naruto's attention, his touch, his kisses, and to her utter embarrassment, his hard length that claimed her insides and brought her undeniable pleasure.
She wanted his desire, for as long as it would last. Until he got tired of her and decided to end things.
Another part of her, namely her heart and her brain, screamed at her to stop. That sleeping with a man that would never love you would only end in misery.
Ironically her heart betrayed her in the first place by digging up the feelings she buried so long ago. By encouraging her to kiss him that night and take him to her bed.
It was torturous bliss. Her ruin and her salvation.
And here she was making yet another mistake, just hours before they had to meet their friends for this year's Rinne-festival party.
Hinata was clad in a black bra and panties, sliding down to her knees as she trailed heated kisses down his neck, on his bare chest, down the hard ridges of his abs, as he sat on the couch.
His strong muscles twitched in anticipation at each press of her lips. Every little nip and bite drove him insane with lust.
Hinata could feel his eyes on her, focusing intently on each movement she made. Her lips teased along the edge of his waistband, firming pressing kisses right above his torrid length.
He was so hard already, she could feel it poke up towards her throat when she kissed lower down, tugging slightly on his pants and boxers. But, she didn't fully remove his pants, instead pulling it down ever so slightly, planting a wet kiss just above his still clothed length.
Naruto groaned, an almost pitiful voice left his mouth when Hinata moved up, kissing the hard abs near his belly button, her fingers playing with the waistband of his pants. "Hiiinataa… What are you doing?" He practically whined.
He felt her smile against his stomach, before she looked up, blinking at him innocently with doe eyes, "I'm just making sure you're ready…"
"Hiiinataaa," Naruto whined again, "Don't be mean, I'm practically ready to burst."
"Already? I haven't even touched you yet." Hinata teasingly smiled up at him, finally pulling down his pants and boxers, freeing his needy erection.
His throbbing cock slapped up against his stomach with a thud, looking red and angry, precum already leaking from the bulbous tip.
"I'm so hard for you." He grinned down at her with a naughty smile, "You have to take responsibility, Hinata."
Her soft hands gripped his rigid dick, fingers teasingly trailing up and down the thick, sensitive veins, making him moan at the delicious torture.
"Oh, do I?" Her mouth inched ever so closer to the swollen tip, breath ghosting over it, sending shivers down his spine.
"Is that an order, Hokage-sama?" Mischievous lavender eyes peered up at him, keeping contact as her pouty lips kissed the engorged tip, white precum smearing on her pretty pink lips. Naruto hissed at the contact, his face turning red when her tongue peeked out, licking his arousal off her lips.
"Fuck… Yes, your Hokage needs you to finish what you started." Naruto groaned, her naughty smirk making him weak and making his dick even harder.
Taking pity on him, she whispered mock obediently, "Yes, Hokage-sama" then took him in her mouth.
Naruto almost came right then and there. The sight of his cock slowly disappearing, inch by inch, inside her warm wet mouth, her pretty lips stretched out around his girth taking him as deep as her mouth allowed before pulling back sucking on his tip like a lollipop, then swallowing him again, his dick slick with her spit and his precum.
It drove him crazy. The muscles on his stomach clenched tightly. His dick felt impossibly hard.
He fought the urge to close his eyes, not wanting to miss a second. Wanting to burn the lewd image in his mind. His fingers threaded gently through her silky hair, petting not pulling. He wanted her to know how good she was making him feel.
"Hinata… Fuck, so good…" her hands were stroking the length that couldn't fit in her mouth, staining them with her spit.
Naruto's hips moved involuntarily, lightly bucking into her willing mouth. He knew he couldn't last long like this, not when her tongue stroked the underside of his cock, not when her mouth was taking his aching cock, greedily sucking the life out of him, her lavender eyes peering up at him behind her lashes.
"Oh fuck. Hinata, you don't know how sexy you are… taking my dick in your mouth… Uhn, sucking me so good…" His praise only encouraged her to go faster, going as far down his length as she could, bobbing her head up and down. One hand fondled his balls, the other one still pumping the rest of his shaft.
It was too much, her ministrations overwhelmed him, each suck, each pump of her hands, throwing him over the edge.
"Fuck, fuck, im gonna cum." He groaned out in warning. Hinata didn't stop sucking his dick, instead she picked up the pace, working him over and over again until he came in her mouth.
Naruto turned red as he watched her drink down all his hot cum, greedily swallowing every last drop. It was so hot, so sexy, so… erotic.
It made his dick twitch, starting to harden again. Hinata kept sucking his cock, wanting him to be hard for her, wanting him to pleasure her.
When his length was sufficiently hard, Hinata finally released his dick with a pop. She looked up at him, eyes hazy with desire, lips swollen, mouth messy with spit and his cum.
"Holy fuck, Hinata." Naruto breathed out in awe, watching Hinata stand up, wiping her mouth with her hand, then swiftly unlatching her bra, tossing it away and exposing her large breasts.
She slid her panties down her legs and Naruto frantically pulled her onto his lap. His naked erection pressed against her extremely slick heat.
His mouth claimed hers desperately, kissing her hot and heavy, his tongue brushing against hers heatedly. Hinata wrapped an arm around behind his neck, one hand pulling on the blonde hair on the back of his head, kissing him back with just as much fervor.
He could taste himself in her mouth, but it didn't turn him off. It only made him burn hotter. The image of her swallowing him so hungrily, drinking him all up, made him ravenous with lust.
Naruto ground up hard against her heat, his hands gripping and kneading the plump flesh of her ass, pulling her against him.
Hinata let out a moan against his lips. The length and thickness of his hard cock rubbing deliciously against her slick folds, coating it with her essence.
"I haven't even touched you yet…and you're already so fucking wet, Hinata, just from sucking me off." his voice raspy and eyes darkened in desire, his words making her skin redden. The intensity of his gaze, making her body burn and her pussy ache to be filled.
"N-Naruto-kun, you make like this… I want you." Hinata breathed out with need, small gasps leaving her mouth with each movement of his hips, his dick rubbing through her sensitive folds, bumping into her clit.
"Fuck, just for me… look at how wet you are. My dick is drenched." Naruto growled, looking down at the mess of her spit and arousal on his length and the way her slick folds parted while his dick rubbed up and down between them, making sure to pay extra attention to her swollen clit.
Her eyes peered down, watching the lewd scene with a blush. Naruto did this to her. Made her lose her senses, made her so needy and desperate for him that she didn't care about how she seemed in the moment. She didn't care what filth came out of her mouth, or how he may see her afterwards.
His desire was enough to make her lose herself…
And she did… The hard heat of his cock unrelentingly rubbing against her folds, made her fall apart with a shuddering gasp.
"Naruto-kun please." A small whimper left her lips, when Naruto continued to rub against her, still not entering inside her needy pussy.
He started kissing down her neck, sucking hard on the sensitive spots near the top of her neck, marking her. "Tell me what you want, Hinata."
Instantly, she replied, voice dripping with desire, "I want you, Naruto-kun." He was torturing her and it made her feel almost deranged with need. Her skin burned and tingled like if her chakra natures were emerging from every nerve in her body.
"Fuck… Tell me what you want me to do to you." He growled against her neck, grinding his hips roughly against her, his dick feeling so, so fucking hard for her. It drove him crazy when she voiced her desire for him.
"Please, Naruto-kun, fuck me hard… I need to feel you inside." Hinata practically whined, voice heavy with need, her hips trying to lift up to line him up to her entrance. But, he pulled her down, denying her what she craved. The grip on her hips was too strong, overpowering her. It only made her core burn intensely with need and a frustrated whimper left her lips.
"God Hinata. I wanna fuck you senseless… wanna make you come all over my cock." He rasped, voice dripping with hunger, body buzzing as he laid her down on the couch, pressing his weight on her. His hand gripped his throbbing cock, lining it up to her tight opening, pushing the engorged tip in.
"I want it… I need you, Naruto-kun. I want you to fuck me so good… make me feel so good." Hinata moaned desperately, mind clouded by lust, by the urge to be filled and stretched out around him.
She was finally rewarded when Naruto slid all the way in her tight walls, moaning at the feel of her plush pussy, squeezing him so tightly, taking him so good. He bottomed out quickly, burying himself deep inside of her. The look in her eyes told him all he needed to know and he started thrusting inside her walls at a fast pace.
Hinata gasped in pleasure, back ache of him finally stretching her out, completely filling her insides was almost too much to handle. "Ahh…so big. N-Naruto-kun, so, so good." Her arms draped around his shoulders, pulling his mouth against hers for a torrid kiss, all tongue and teeth.
Their bodies were flush against one another, Hinata's soft breasts squished against Naruto's hard chest. Their mouths connected, thoroughly devouring each other.
Naruto's hands hungrily gripped and kneaded the soft curves of her body. His throbbing length pulling nearly all the way out of her heated pussy before roughly sinking back inside. Each stroke making her cry out, breaking their kiss before he greedily recaptured her swollen lips.
He was losing his mind to her. She made him feel so reckless, so unhinged, all he wanted was to mold himself inside of her. To feel her wrapped around him, to make her feel so good. His brain was only focused on her. His body only craved her.
She was so beautiful, so hot, so sexy, so… "Perfect… You're so fucking perfect." Naruto moaned breathlessly against her puffy lips. "Fuck. You take me so good, so perfectly… Your body was made for me." he praised her between hot, bruising kisses.
Hinata couldn't even get a word in except for moans and gasps. Each kiss stole her breath, each stroke made her weak, each caress scorched her skin, her mind was filled with Naruto, with the pure unadulterated ecstasy he was giving her.
Naruto was pounding inside of her so urgently, thoroughly hitting all the sensitive spots inside of her. His frame entrapped her against the couch, his hard body pressed so intimately against hers, like if Naruto was trying to truly mold them as one.
Fire consumed her, blood boiling, lungs gasping for air, suffocating under his touch. She could only breathe him in, greedily taking everything he could give her as if she could survive on his unrelenting passion alone.
The pleasure he gave her was like no other. Nothing felt better than this, than Naruto repeatedly claiming her insides, driving her insane with uncontrollable pleasure, bringing her to the brink of sweet rapture before finally granting her the high she so desperately needed.
"Ah! Naruto-kun!" Hinata cried out, his name spilling from her lips as she fell apart, body quaking in pleasure, core tightening around his throbbing length as his hips stuttered inside of her. The heat of his seed completely painting her inner walls, would have made her blush if she wasn't already so heated.
"Hinata… Hinata… Fuck i'm gonna cum." The weight of him pinned her down, his hips pressing down almost unbearably deep bottoming out inside of her. He repeated her name like a mantra, voice heavy and breathless, telling her how good she was, how perfect she felt.
It took a while for them to come down from their high, chests rising and falling heavily.
When Naruto finally pulled out, she could feel the mess he made inside of her dripping out, running down her thighs, messing her up.
The space of the couch was too small, leaving Naruto half on top of her and half leaning to the side of her. He didn't want to get up, didn't want to leave the softness of her body, didn't want her to leave him.
Before she could protest, he shifted, leaning her more to her sides resting her head on his arm, fingers playing with the soft strands of her hair. His other arm circled around her waist, holding her against his body. Their faces only a breath apart.
He swallowed thickly, throat bobbing, muttering almost unsurely, "Let's… let's stay like this." A look of hesitation appeared in her lavender eyes, like a deer in headlights, she looked frozen.
Naruto made his voice sound more tired than he felt, giving her a sheepish grin, "I'm beat, you really wore me out." He faked a yawn, making his eyes look sleepy.
Hinata stared at him for a moment, searchingly, looking at him in a way he didn't understand, until she closed her eyes tiredly, leaning her head more comfortably against his shoulder and mummering a soft "Okay."
He smiled brightly at her, holding her more firmly, enjoying the warmth of her body pressed so intimately against his. His heart raced against his chest, glad that she let him hold her, that she didn't leave. Her soothing scent lulled him to sleep, a warm and comforting feeling overtook him.
…..
The sun had set by the time Naruto woke up, Hinata still sleeping in his arms. His arm was numb but he didn't care. His blue orbs gazed upon her sleeping face, tracing the soft, delicate yet refined features.
Her long lashes framed her closed eyes, her soft cheekbones were sharper now yet still held onto the plumpness of her youth. Her jawline was delicate yet sharp, fit for a princess of the Hyuga clan. Her cute nose and her plump pink lips suited her perfectly.
God, she really was so pretty, so beautiful. Unbelievably beautiful… Sometimes she didn't even feel real, like she was an ethereal goddess who graced him with her presence.
A strange pang hit him in the chest as he examined her beauty and he felt the urge to touch her, to trace her beautiful profile. So he did.
His fingertips brushed against the sharpness of her jaw, thumb petting her plump cheeks then grazing her pouty lips.
Her eyelashes fluttered open and he leaned down, pressing his lips against hers in a tender kiss. "Hey… Good morning sleepyhead." He told her jokingly,
Hinata's eyes widened, when he pulled back, his words suddenly hitting her as she squeaked softly, "It's morning?!"
Naruto laughed, she looked so adorable with a small blush coating her cheeks, "Uh no, I don't think so. It's still dark out." He didn't bother turning to try and look at the clock. Instead, finding her much more interesting to watch.
"N-Naruto-kun, the party! Everyone is expecting us." Hinata replied almost frantically, sitting up and searching the room for a clock. When her eyes finally found the time, she squeaked again "Oh my god. We're late. It's already 8!"
He sat up too, looking much calmer than Hinata. In fact, his eyes were focused on her, on the purple marks he left on her neck, on her large, deliciously soft boobs.
"Why don't we skip it?" Naruto cupped her cheeks, lowering his voice, and placed a firm kiss against her mouth, massaging her lips with his own, "We could continue where we left off…"
For a moment, Hinata actually looked tempted. Then she shook her head and put a hand on his chest lightly pushing him back, "It- its too suspicious if we don't show up."
As tempted as she was, she was terrified of their friends or of anyone finding out about their… um… salacious activities. She was sure she would die of mortification and shame.
Naruto pouted cutely but backed off. He didn't want to push her, even if all he wanted to do was keep her here with him, make her cum for him again.
Hinata got up while he pouted, staring at her while she searched for her clothing and quickly put them back on, without looking at him.
He sighed and pulled on his boxers and his pants, standing up and slowly stretching. His voice echoed through the room as he approached her, now fully clothed, "It's gonna be torture to see you tonight… I'm only gonna think about how we missed out on another round." Naruto husked, watching her turn red at his words.
"Ah, well you have time to cool down before I show up… " She looked slightly embarrassed as she pointedly said, "I have to clean up the mess you made…" her eyebrows quirked, as his fingers ghosted over the marks on her neck.
"I like it when you get messy for me." Naruto grinned cockily, wanting nothing more than to take her over and over again.
Hinata smirked slightly, tilting up her head, her voice a whisper, "Maybe I'll make it up to you next time." She smiled mischievously at the heated curse that left his lips and the way his eyes darkened in desire.
"Goodbye, Naruto-kun." she slipped away from him, giving him one last smile before making the hand sign to disappear in a puff of smoke.
….
Naruto spotted her as soon as she walked through the door. Boxes and bags obstructing her view as she made her way inside. He quickly ran over to help her, giving her a beaming grin, and pointedly looked at her neck which was covered by the high collar of her red turtleneck sweater.
Of course, a sweater wasn't out of place in this weather, but he knew that she chose to wear it because of the marks he left on her.
Hinata flushed at the not so innocent look in his eyes and instead focused on placing the presents on the table, quietly thanking him before practically running off to greet the rest of their friends.
She had the perfect excuse for being the last one to arrive, claiming that she lost track of time while celebrating with her family. Of course, no one here knew that Hanabi was spending the night with her friends and that her father didn't really celebrate anything.
Hinata avoided him for most of the night, choosing to hang out with Shino, Kiba and his new girlfriend Tamaki. He saw when Hinata handed them their gifts, beautiful handmade sweaters that matched her own. She had even made one for Akamaru and his pup, Akemaru.
Naruto's eyes barely left her. He watched as she made her rounds, greeting all their friends and handing them homemade gifts ranging from things she knitted or goodies that she cooked herself.
He felt desperate for her attention. He wanted her to look back at him but her eyes never went his way. A part of him understood why she was ignoring him but he didn't like it one bit.
As he stared at her, he really wished that he had convinced her to skip the party and just stay with him. To give him all of her attention and desire.
It was childish, but he wanted her all to himself.
He yearned to touch her, even though it had been an hour or two at most since he last held her. Naruto couldn't understand why he felt so needy, so desperate for her to acknowledge him. All he knew was that he wanted her.
A deep voice sounded out from behind him, "How long are you going to stare at her?"
Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin, not hearing or realizing that Sasuke snuck up on him. "W-what are you talking about?" His face flushed red as he turned around to face the dark haired man.
"Hyuga… You keep staring at her." Sasuke said plainly, gesturing his head to where said woman sat on the opposite side of the room.
"I-I'm not staring at her!" he almost screamed indignantly, pouting his lips and crossing his arms like a child.
"Tch, it doesn't take the Sharingan to see that you've been watching her like a stalker all night." Sasuke said almost mockingly, his dark eye seeing right through Naruto.
Suddenly, Naruto felt nervous. Was he really watching her all night? Did anyone else notice? Sure his eyes tended to land on her but it was natural to do especially since she was just so pretty.
"Do you like her?" Sasuke asked, watching how Naruto looked like he was going to combust.
"I-I guess so?" Naruto replied dumbly, sweating bullets, feeling like he was being interrogated.
Sasuke actually frowned deeper at that, "Do you love her?"
"O-Of course i do! I love all my friends." Naruto stated resolutely, ignoring the way his stomach twisted into knots.
Now Sasuke looked at him like he was stupid,"Not as a friend, you idiot. Do you love her in the same way I love Sakura?"
"I- I don't know?" Naruto didn't know what to say. He never really understood love. He understood attraction, he understood desire, he understood friendship.
"What do you mean you don't know? You had girlfriends before. Haven't you ever been in love?" Sasuke asked, talking to him like he was slow.
"No…" a minute of silence passed between them before Naruto continued, "I mean I liked them but I don't know… everyone says you just know when you're in love but I don't think I ever felt that." Naruto spoke unsurely, the words coming out awkwardly and strange. His chest felt tight, like if he was suffocating under the weight of his words.
"Okay… so you don't love her… maybe you should stop staring at her before she gets the wrong idea." Sasuke said nonchalantly, like if he didn't just cause Naruto a whirlwind of inner turmoil.
Naruto's eyes found her again, watching as she sipped some sake, laughing at whatever Kiba said. She looked so happy and relaxed, her cheeks glowing under the light.
"You're still staring." Sasuke said, rolling his eyes before walking away, having lost his patience with the conversation.
Hinata finally sought him out when the party started to die down. Her fingers played with a small package in her hands. He followed her into the kitchen, hidden from the rest of their friends.
"Hi, Naruto-kun." She smiled prettily at him, peering up at him from beneath her lashes.
Naruto smiled brightly, grinning down at her, happy at finally having her attention, "Hi, Hinata."
"I wasn't sure if I should but when I saw it… I wanted to give you this." she said shyly, handing him the small present. A large part of her thought it was a bad idea to give him a gift especially on this day. The memory of the last time she gave him a present during the Rinne-Festival haunting her.
Surprise marred his face, but he smiled happily at her, opening the package to reveal a small yet cute keychain of himself in his Hokage outfit. He looked down at the keychain that sat in the palm of his hand and suddenly felt an ache in his chest.
The present was cute and perfectly acceptable as a gift between friends but it felt almost out of place…
All the gifts she gave their friends were handmade. Words from long ago struck him, 'Handmade gifts are precious because they convey the special feelings from one person to another.' He wasn't even sure where he heard that from but the thought kept appearing in his mind.
Even sasuke got homemade tomato goodies and Naruto was pretty sure that they barely spoke to one another. He wasn't even sure if Sasuke knew her name.
So why did she give Sasuke a special gift and not Naruto? Something akin to disappointment and sadness struck him… and he realized that he was being selfish, Hinata didn't have to get him anything… He didn't even get her anything.
At his silence, Hinata felt her heart drop, "If you don't like it that's okay, I can take it back… I'm sure you have a lot of these trinkets…" Her mouth felt dry and suddenly, she felt as if she was transported back in time to that Rinne-Festival night, when he rejected her.
It was a dumb idea, she shouldn't have gotten him anything. But, they were friends again so she thought… She thought it would be a nice thing to do. It didn't even cross her mind that he would misconstrue her intentions, probably thinking of a way to let her down easily… "It doesn't mean anything…"
Naruto finally looked at her and realized that she seemed to be on the brink of tears. He felt so stupid. Here Hinata was being her usual kind self and he was making her feel like he didn't like her gift.
He put his finger through the hole of the keychain and brought his hands to her face, kissing her deeply, in appreciation. Hinata didn't kiss back at first, pausing for a second before returning his kiss.
"I-I really love it…" Naruto muttered against her lips, kissing her again, wanting to take away the sadness in her eyes. "I really, really love it…" He tried to kiss her yet again but a hand on his chest stopped him.
"N-Naruto-kun, someone might see…" She whispered with a blush on her face. Relief came over her when Naruto kissed her. Things would stay the same between them just like she wanted.
"Oh right." he backed up, hand rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as he smiled at her. "I really do love it… I was just surprised and I didn't even get you anything." He told her softly, feeling guilty at his earlier thoughts.
"It's fine. I didn't expect anything from you." Hinata said kindly, "I just thought it was cute. That's all." Wanting to reassure him that her gift meant nothing. It was truly just a kind gesture on her part.
For some reason the words struck him hard in the chest, she didn't expect anything from him. Was he really so pathetic? He couldn't even give her a simple gift… He shook the thoughts away, focusing on making sure Hinata wasn't upset.
"I really appreciate it. Thank you, Hinata." He smiled brightly at her, making sure she felt at ease, even though his chest felt unbearably weak and his mind felt chaotic.