Series: Naruto
Pairings: NaruHina
Author: Lynns
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi
Type: Alternate Universe/Romance
Sparks Fly
Chapter 2
Naruto sighed as the truck rolled down the snowy/gravel road. He wasn't sure what annoyed him more; the huge snowflakes falling from the sky or Konohamaru's dirty knee right beside his hand on the steering wheel. Six adult men had crammed into the truck, and while it certainly wasn't comfortable, at least it was only a short drive to Tin Town where the safety meeting was being held. While the three front passengers were unusually quiet, the other three in the back were chatting amongst themselves excitedly about what they would do on their days off.
"I knew it was a bad idea to let Kiba go gas up the truck before the safety meeting . . ." grumbled Sasuke, who was squished against the passenger door.
The other lead hand laughed, "It's not the first time he's done something like this. We should be thankful Ino was on our pad and could take the rest of the guys. At least when we head back, we'll have all three trucks instead of two,"
Sasuke nodded in agreement, "Is this going to be a long one? I'd rather finish our cable pull sooner than later, especially with how the snow is coming down."
Naruto shrugged, "I know Iruka mentioned that Neji arrived last night, but aside from that, it should be the usual length. However, I have a feeling we'll be digging in the snow, trying to find the damn cable by the time we get back. Move your knee for a second, Kono; I need to turn here,"
The third-year apprentice obliged as they pulled into Tin Town. Thankfully, they were one of the first trucks there and could find a decent parking spot. Then, all six electricians spilled out of the vehicle with a loud groan and did a small stretch.
"You guys can have a quick smoke break before the meeting, but don't take too long," Naruto said to the backshift workers.
The three journeymen nodded and went off to the designated smoke pit while Naruto, Sasuke, and Konohamaru headed into the trailer. Most of the crew was there except for the ones working in the plant, Pad 10, and the higher-ups in Trailer 1. As they passed Kiba near the middle row with Shino sitting beside him, Naruto grabbed some mud off his shoulder and rubbed it into the other lead hand's hair.
Kiba shot off the ground, "What the heck was that for!?"
Naruto smiled at him, "There, now we are even for you taking the truck this morning for a joy ride."
"I wasn't taking it for a joy ride! I told you I was going to gas it up!"
"Uh-huh."
"It's home day, asshole! There was a lineup at the pumps, and it took longer than usual!"
Naruto shrugged as they made their way to the front, "That's why I told you to leave right after the morning meeting, but you didn't listen."
Kib scowled and sat back down in his seat.
"He probably did it so he wouldn't have to be part of the cable pull . . . "mumbled Konohamaru.
Naruto chuckled, "Oh, I know that's why he did it! I'll be sure to talk to Shino and make sure he's the one that has to terminate those big conductors into the panel when the time comes."
Most of the chairs were taken, so the three men took spots along the front wall. Naruto didn't want to stand during the safety meeting, but he was nervous that his body would become too relaxed and fall asleep if he sat down.
As everyone piled in from outside, the trailer got noisier and noisier. Most were either talking about their days off or the hell they were about to endure for the rest of the shift with all the snow. Naruto took off his hat to scratch the top of his head, but his hand paused; it still felt strange with how short his hair was. He sighed sadly at the loss of his long locks.
"If you miss your hair that much, you shouldn't make stupid bets like 'the loser has to shave his head' when the stakes are on a football game."
Naruto frowned and nudged his friend, "Please don't remind me, and I can still hear Ino cackling when she buzzed all my hair off in front of everyone."
While they waited, Naruto grabbed his phone from his pocket and quickly checked to see if he had any new messages. Suddenly, the trailer quieted down for a fraction of a second, meaning that Gaara and Kakashi had arrived, but the confused whispering he heard amongst the crew caught his attention.
"Who is that?"
"She's new! Is she related to Neji? They do look similar."
"Look at that long hair!"
"Wow, she's a cute one!"
"Is she the new office administrator?"
Naruto looked up.
Gaara didn't mention hiring a new office administrator. I wonder if they just sent someone from a different site to help us out for a bit.
His eyes widened, and his breathing stopped altogether.
What is she doing here!?
Naruto immediately tilted his head down and kept it like that while looking at Hinata from the corner of his eye, hoping she wouldn't notice him yet. Instead, she was looking around the trailer, waving and smiling at anyone she recognized in the crowd. The confused looks Kiba and Shino were giving her meant they didn't know she was on site either.
Is she here just for the safety meeting? No, that doesn't make sense . . . she's working in the office at Hyuuga Power . . . so then is she just here for a visit to see everyone? Seems kind of strange she would just come up for that, though . . .
"Alright! Alright! That's enough, everybody! Quiet down and pay attention! We should get this weekly safety meeting underway!"
Sakura's booming voice carried across the room, and almost instantly, the men became quiet; Naruto smiled at how she could get everyone's attention so quickly.
Gaara then stepped forward. "Good Morning, everyone! Welcome to this snowy Home Day Wednesday! Backshift, I know you are all anxious to go home today! I only ask that you drive safely and enjoy your days at home. Front Shift, we, unfortunately, get to work in this beautiful winter wonderland, so I hope you have your winter gear here.
"First things first, you all recognize Neji Hyuuga, who is here to talk about the upcoming projects in the New Year. Also, I'm sure you have noticed we have a new face among us. Some of us know who she is, but most of you don't. So could you please step forward, Hinata?"
I didn't just imagine it; she is just brimming with confidence now. Where is the shy apprentice I knew all those years ago?
The shy, stuttering girl he last remembered seemed to be gone, and instead, before him was a beautiful, assertive woman that, at this moment, had complete control of the room.
"This is Hinata Hyuuga. She works at the head office for both Hyuuga Electric and Hyuuga Power, and she's here to help us clear up the paperwork mess in the field administrator's office. Hinata will be with us for the remainder of the year, so if you see her around, don't be afraid to say hello and introduce yourself. She may be only here to help with paperwork, but also keep in mind that she is a Master Electrician."
When Gaara finished, Hinata spoke to the entire room, "It's very nice to meet you all, and it will be a pleasure working with you."
As she stepped back, everyone gave her a small round of applause before turning their attention to their leader, "Thank you, Hinata. Now I'm going to turn everything over to Neji, who, like I said, has made a special trip up here to talk to us. So Neji, the stage is yours."
Neji stepped forward, leaving an empty gap between himself and Hinata. She was less than three feet away from him, and he didn't know what to do. Should he say hello? Maybe it was best to stay quiet until the end of the meeting and then try to talk to her?
That won't work either. Safety meetings are usually hectic afterward, and I might lose her in the crowd. But, I can't wait until I get back to camp either . . . this is my only chance!
Without hesitation, Naruto took one small step towards her, leaned his head down so only she would hear him, and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, "Welcome back, Hinata. It's so good to see you."
Slowly her head turned around to look at him, and for a moment, it seemed like she didn't recognize him. But then, her eyes searched his face and scanned up to his hat, looking for his blonde hair. Naruto gave her a warm smile as she realized who was now standing beside her and was happy to see her smiling back at him.
She took a step closer to him and whispered back, "I-It's good to see you too, Naruto. Working hard out there?"
Naruto chuckled softly and released her shoulder, "But of course. This morning we did a high voltage cable pull. If I had known you were here, I would have requested you join us and show these rookies how it's done."
Back in their apprentice days, Naruto had many fond memories of them all doing cable pulls; while they weren't exactly fun per se, the crew always made it more enjoyable with jokes and songs.
"As I recall, those cables are 100 pounds every 5ft. So I doubt I could have helped much. Although, granted, when we did those pulls years ago, I wasn't holding as much weight as you boys were."
Naruto shook his head. "That's not true at all. You still pulled your weight out there every day. I recall one cable pull where you lost your boots in the mud, but you kept walking on in your sock feet."
It was one of Naruto's favourite memories when they were all second-year apprentices. Before that cable pull, it had rained all evening and into the early morning. It certainly hadn't been ideal weather, but unless the temperature was below -40 Degrees Celsius and cable pulls always happened, whether it was rain or shine, wind or snow. There had been around fifty of them, and at one point, while walking back to the reel, he had passed by Hinata. She was between Choji and Shikamaru with the cable on their shoulders. He watched as they marched slowly through the deep mud, and Hinata's boots sunk so deep she couldn't pull them out.
In most cases, the person stuck would usually stop dead in their tracks and drop the cable to try and free themselves, but he watched horrified as Hinata's feet came out of her boots, and she kept walking in her sock feet. While it was amazing to see her keep trudging along without her boots, it was highly frowned upon! Naruto had run over while yelling at everyone to stop the pull and tried to yank Hinata's boots out of the mud. Thankfully Choji was strong enough to support Hinata's cable load while he helped her get the boots back on her feet. He half attempted to lecture her on how dangerous it was to do something like that but also praised her for doing something so unexpected.
"I didn't want to hold up the crew. Besides, that's nothing compared to when you slipped in the ditch during that rainstorm. You were covered from head to toe in mud and forcefully sent back to camp. You and Iruka argued for over ten minutes that you were fine to keep working for the rest of the day, even though it was cold and you were sneezing."
Naruto snickered at the memory, but when he looked up, he could see Kakashi giving them a warning glare. His soft laughter stopped immediately, and he felt Sasuke give him a nudge to stop as well.
Naruto quietly cleared his throat. "Ahem. Yeah, those were good times. But, listen, I know we should be listening to Neji here; however, give me a shout sometime tonight after work, okay? Then, I'll treat you to dinner. Your number is still the same, right?"
She laughed at the inside joke, confirmed that her number was the same and then returned her attention back to Neji. Naruto felt a little sad she was no longer looking at him, but he knew this was neither the time nor place for idle chit-chat. As Neji continued with his speech, Naruto's eyes moved to some of the crew sitting, and a few of them gave him odd looks. They were undoubtedly curious about how and why he was so familiar with the new girl that was only introduced moments ago; most likely, they would be pestering him later on for answers.
I can only imagine the rumours that will start from this.
After a small intermission, Sakura turned the lights off and started a small slide show for this week's safety topic on hand protection. While all eyes were on the projection screen, Naruto glanced over at the clock on the back wall to check the time but froze when his gaze came across Kiba. It was almost startling how angrily the other lead hand was looking at him, and if looks could kill, Naruto had no doubt he would be a bloody mess on the floor right now. Confused, he glanced over at Hinata, who had her eyes on the slide show and then back to Kiba.
Is he mad I was talking to her during the meeting? I know they're close, but what's that scowl for?
0000000000
Back on pad #12, Naruto grumbled as the snow seemed to be falling faster and heavier than before. Thankfully though, the guys had managed to get the high voltage cable off the ground before it was completely buried.
While some lead hands liked to crack the whip on their crews, he felt that that attitude always brought morale down with the guys and could even bring them to despise their lead hands. However, it also wasn't a good plan to be a complete pushover either. So once the cable was up on the safety cones, he told the ones on Back Shift to do an extensive clean-up with the pad and clean up any garbage they saw before they left. As for the Front shift told them all to go inside the tool/material hoarding and look through everything to ensure nothing was missing.
Naruto walked up onto platform 3 to scope out the area of the new pad being built on site. Usually, this place was busy and congested, but with it being home day along with the terrible weather, there were fewer trades in the area. Also, with the electricians off the pad area, it gave the pipefitters and welders more room to do their job, not having to worry about anyone getting in their way while they worked.
He sighed softly and looked down at his checklist for the day, but his mind quickly wandered back to the safety meeting. While he was delighted he at least got to talk to Hinata, there was so much more he wanted to say, but of course, during work hours were certainly not the best time for long discussions. Naruto tilted his head back to stare up at the grey sky, almost becoming hypnotized by the falling snow.
It had been three years since he had last seen Hinata. The last memory he had of her was at the campus bar when they celebrated passing their exams. After that, he and everyone else had returned to Konoha Energy that spring for work and were shocked to find out Hinata wasn't coming back. Naruto had been both happy and sad that she was moving on in her career, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that it was his fault she hadn't returned to the industrial side.
Granted, if I had confessed to somebody and their response was, "You're a great friend and fantastic to work with!" But, I doubt I would want to be around them after that.
It had probably taken him a whole year to realize what Hinata had actually meant that night, and even now, the guilt from it was overwhelming at times. Of course, he had tried to blame it on the alcohol and that he wasn't in his right mind, but Naruto knew that was only part of the reason.
Hinata Hyuuga, daughter of the big company Hyuuga Power and top of the class smart wise, was clearly out of his league; he felt lucky enough to have her as a friend and co-worker. Of course, he never thought of her in any other way and had kept her strictly in the friend zone for all those years. But, looking back at how nice she had been and everything she had done for him, it was obvious how she felt towards him.
More times than he could count, Naruto would start to dial her phone number or type out a text asking how she was doing and wondering if they could catch up over coffee. However, every time he couldn't find the courage to call or hit send on the message.
He would sometimes quiz Sakura or Ino if they had heard any news from Hinata, but the answer was always no. The only ones she had seemed to stay in touch with all these years were Kiba and Shino.
Maybe that's why Kiba was glaring at me. He's probably still mad. After all, I broke his friend's heart, and here I was just chatting with her nonchalantly as if nothing had happened.
Naruto sighed. The charade he put up and placing Hinata in the immediate friend zone had probably hurt her feelings deeply, especially if she was trying to get his attention. When she had wanted to talk to him alone that night, he quickly assumed she only liked him as a friend and nothing more. It also didn't help that he spent 'chasing' Sakura around and asking her for dates for years.
At the very beginning, he had tried earnestly to ask Sakura out, but when it became obvious she only had eyes for Sasuke, he knew it would never happen. After that, however, he kept up with the charade more so because he enjoyed Sakura's angry reactions and getting a rise out of her. Seeing it from everyone else's perspective, though, it would seem that he was desperately in love with the pink-haired electrician.
Two years ago, a night out with the apprentices at the local bar had shed some light on his jelly-brain-filled mind. They had all gone out for drinks, and the conversation had shifted to girls. The boys had bugged him about not being able to win Sakura over, but he simply brushed their taunts aside. They then tried to see if he was sleeping with one of the girls at camp, but when he denied having any relationships at all, the boys were all stunned. Again came the questions. Had he ever been on a date? Slept with a woman ever? What about being confessed to? The last one he had paused on, and his mind briefly thought of Hinata.
Without using her name, he briefly told them about their exchange at the campus bar, but how it was only a confirmation of friendship between them. Suddenly the table became silent, and all the apprentices looked at him with a dumbfounded expressions. He was confused by their reaction in his drunken mind, but even more so when Konohamaru smacked him across the head and told him that it had clearly been a love confession from the girl!
Immediately Naruto denied it and told them they were wrong . . . but the more he actually thought about it, the more he remembered talking and being around Hinata . . . and the more he realized just how blind he had been.
I've been thinking and carrying the guilt about this whole thing for way too long. I should have contacted her years ago and apologized, but what's done is done. I need to talk to her, but what about after that? How do I really feel about Hinata? Is it . . .
"Naruto, do you copy?"
The blonde lead hand nearly jumped off the platform when the radio on his shoulder blared his name and snapped him back into reality. Trying to slow down his racing heart and lightly cursing under his breath, Naruto spoke into the microphone.
"Yeah, go for Naruto."
"Hey man, have you seen the material checklist? We have the one for tools, but I can't find the material one anywhere."
Naruto paused and thought about Konohamaru's question.
"Well, if you're 100% sure it's not on the clipboard I gave you, it must still be in Shino's office."
"I've checked through these pages four times now. So it's definitely not here."
"Ten-Four. I need to head to the trailer anyway, so I'll grab it and bring it to you guys when I'm done."
"Thanks, boss."
Naruto made his way down the platform stairs and over to the two lunch trailers designated for the electricians. One was a simple lunch trailer and boot room for the guys, but the second one was where the onsite office was for himself, Kiba, Sasuke, and Shino. Most of the space was used to store drawings, monitors, meters, and small desks for the lead hands to sit at; Shino had his own office at the end of the trailer.
He stepped inside, gently closed the door behind him, so the wind didn't slam it shut, and brushed the snow off his shoulders before taking his jacket and hard hat off. Naruto was surprised that Sasuke wasn't in there working on the heat trace layout, but after a quick glance out the window to see that one of the trucks was gone, his friend was most likely off to the site warehouse to pick up more material that had arrived. Just as he was pulling off his Kevlar gloves, muffled shouting at the end of the trailer quickly caught his attention. Shino's office door was closed, but he could distinctly hear Kiba's angry voice on the other side. Whatever was going on certainly made Naruto curious about what they were talking about. Turning his radio off, he marched over to the office door and was prepared to walk in if this argument was about the lighting contactor panel again.
We talked about this already last shift. I am not moving the panel's location! Not when we already have the steel strut cut for the stand ready for the welder.
Naruto raised his hand to knock on the door . . .
"I told you to calm down, Kiba. You're making this bigger deal than it needs to be!"
"Calm?! How the hell am I supposed to keep calm about this?! Not only have I fucked myself over, but apparently the whole god damn pad as well!" growled Kiba.
Naruto paused and brought his hand back down. Just what on earth were they talking about? He could hear Kiba pacing back and forth in the small office, and Naruto could practically feel the frustration in the room seeping through the cracks in the door. A small voice in his head warned him that he should leave, but just when he was about to quietly turn around . . .
"I warned you to keep it in your pants!"
"And I told you that I wasn't sleeping around! But, geezus fucking christ, I slept with that one housekeeper multiple times for over a year, and now I'm being labelled the male prostitute of the whole God damn site!"
Shino sighed in frustration, "I am fully aware of that, Kiba! I'm talking about the last shift when we were all at the bar to celebrate Jiraiya's retirement. That brunette you were eyeing up all night, remember? I told you not to go near her and keep it together!"
Shino was a Field Foreman who rarely got angry or even raised his voice. So while Naruto wasn't really sure what was going on, whatever it was that had happened, Shino was livid.
"Yes, those are the precise words to say to an intoxicated man!" Kiba barked sarcastically, "I've heard the odd rumours about her, but I didn't know she was the project manager for the scaffolders! You could have warned me about that part, you fucker! So now she's holding a grudge!"
Naruto flinched when he heard Kiba pound his fist on the desk.
"Will you pull yourself together already?! I told you it's not as big a deal as you think. She is only delaying the work by a little bit, but we will still finish on time. What I want to know is what you did to make her feel this much animosity towards you. As soon as she found out who was all on this pad, she suddenly moved the construction date to the next shift and told me we weren't a priority anymore. Luckily we are ahead of schedule, so it won't affect us that much."
"How the hell do you know it was me!? Maybe Naruto or Sasuke did something to piss her off!?"
Kiba's question was met with silence.
"Okay, fine! Jesus fucking Christ man, don't' look at me like that! Yes, I slept with her, okay! I went to the hotel to get cash from the ATM, and she stormed by me. I asked if she was okay, and the next thing I knew, her fricken tongue was down my throat. You think I'm going to pass that up!?"
Naruto took a moment and thought back to that night's last shift. They had all left work to head over to the Akatsuki Bar for drinks. Jiraiya, who had been his mentor and a good friend of his family, was now retiring from Hyuuga Electric after working 40 years.
That night, there had been a lot of laughs and drinks to be had. Not only had the electricians gone out to celebrate, but a bunch of the scaffolders, insulators, and pipefitters as well. Even though he had been completely smashed to the point he couldn't stand on his own, he still remembered every detail. The evening had been going smoothly, and everyone was having a blast. In fact, that was the night he made the bet with Ino that she could shave his head if the Cowboys lost the football match.
At one point, he and a few others had gone outside for some fresh air and a smoke. While talking to Sasuke, Jiraiya had asked him if he could grab his pack of cigarettes out of the truck. So, with a smile, he did as his mentor had requested, which was where he . . .
Wait a minute . . . Shino said the woman Kiba slept with was a brunette . . .
Biting his lip, Naruto wracked his brain for an answer, trying to remember all the women that had been at the bar that night. There had been six total. The two blondes were Ino and Tsunade; the pink-haired one had been Sakura. There had also been two brown haired ones, but that was TenTen and the bartender . . . which left . . .
The parking lot was completely packed, with everyone coming out for tonight's celebrations. It almost seemed like an obstacle course just to try and get to your vehicle. Once he located the truck near the back of the parking lot, he opened the door and pulled Jiraiya's pack of cigarettes from the middle compartment between the two seats. The others probably thought he was a suck-up to the retiring electrician, but truth be told, he just wanted an excuse to leave for a bit to enjoy the outside air and quietness. Grabbing what he needed, Naruto closed the door and leaned against the truck. He had a really good buzz going on and knew he would pay for it in the morning, but for right now, he couldn't help but laugh at all the fun they were having tonight.
"You alright there? Or did the truck tell you a funny joke that I didn't hear?"
Naruto was startled by the sudden female voice talking to him. The brunette woman had a very slim but muscular build to her, and he could not deny how good-looking she was, wearing tight jeans and a black T-shirt. The south side of the parking lot only had trees alongside it, while the north had the bar, gas station, and hotel. He hadn't expected anyone else to be over here.
"Heh, nah, I was just thinking of something funny. I'm fine, thanks. I just came out for some fresh air."
"Hmmm, I see. Well, then, may I join you for a moment?"
Before he could answer, the brunette took a spot close beside him, she was so close that he could feel her long hair brush against his arm, and the smell of her perfume wafted past his nose. Naruto frowned and tried to put a name to her face, but the buzz he was feeling made it hard to think straight.
"You're Naruto, right? I've seen you a few times at the gym in the evenings, but I've never had a chance to talk to you. I'm usually busy dealing with Gaara or Kakashi with Hyuuga Electric."
It finally dawned on him, "Oh yeah! I remember you now! Your name is . . ."
Naruto froze and felt like he was about to be sick.
This is not happening . . . this is not happening right now! So she was with him too?
"What's done is done, though. Regardless that she came onto you so strongly, there must have been something you did to make her upset. Was she constantly texting or trying to contact you?" Shino asked in a stern tone.
There was a long pause before Kiba answered, "No. No, I didn't give her my number, and she made it 100% clear that this was a one-time thing before we even stumbled into that hotel room. She was frustrated or mad about something, but I didn't bother to ask what was wrong. I was thinking with my dick and not my head, okay?! It's just . . . she looked like . . ."
Silence immediately followed.
Shino remained quiet, but Naruto was so close to opening the door and demanding that Kiba finish his sentence.
"Let me ask you this . . . if Naomi and Hinata were standing side by side, would you be able to tell them apart while drunk off your ass?"
The field foreman groaned loudly, "Oh god, don't tell me you . . ."
"Damn it! I screwed up, okay! I didn't intentionally go in there to fuck her and then cry out Hinata's name!" Kiba was now pacing again. "I get it why she's pissed off! Nothing ticks a woman off more than this kind of thing!"
Kiba paused.
"What can I do to make this right? Does she want an apology?"
"I don't think there's an apology in the world that could fix this. However, like I said, she doesn't seem to be making that big of a deal out of it; I understand, though, why she is acting this way now . . . plus, that also explains that extra-long hug you gave Hinata today after the safety meeting."
"Shino . . ."
"So, how long have you lusted over our best friend?"
Naruto's mind was in such a haze he couldn't tell if Shino sounded upset or hurt or angry or both from the circumstances that were taking place right now.
"You're making it sound like I just betrayed you and told everyone your secrets!"
"That doesn't answer my question."
"Fuck man, I don't know! She was just a friend throughout high school and most of the apprenticeship too! I only started to see her different after . . . after . . ."
Naruto's ear was now firmly pressed up against the door.
"After?"
"Don't judge me, okay?"
"I think it's way too late to be requesting that, but please do continue."
"She was just always wearing those awful baggy clothes. You never saw her dressed in anything flattering in high school, back at camp, at work, and on our days off. I knew she lacked the self-confidence and fashion sense to dress nice. So I tried to help by asking Ino and Sakura if they could lend her a hand. She didn't want their assistance, but I told them that if she was hesitant to the advice, they should just tell her that she might get that idiot's attention if she dressed differently. I was just trying to help her out."
Naruto frowned. He didn't need to be told who the "idiot" was they were talking about.
"I'm very well aware of that part, Kiba. I was there too." Shino said with an edge of irritation in his voice.
"Well, when I got that moron to the front doors for him to see her, I saw her too . . . it was like this switch just flipped inside me. I couldn't look at her the same again. It was especially hard because I knew she liked that idiot . . ."
"Kiba, stop calling him an idiot or a moron."
". . . and I've tried to get rid of these feelings, but they just won't fucking go away. I've been keeping all this bullshit bottled up inside, hoping that maybe she would look my way at least once! He's never contacted her in three years, and yet, anytime we all met up for lunch, she would always ask about him and how he was! Do you have any idea how much that fucking pissed me off?"
"Kiba . . ."
"I'm not mad at her! I'm not even mad at him either! I'm mad that I didn't make a move when I should have. I just didn't want to be that kind of guy! She was so upset when Naruto turned down her confession, and I didn't want to suddenly tell her, 'Well, I like you more than just a friend. Wanna go on a date?'. I was hoping she would get over him, and then I could finally take a chance. Had I known she was coming to the site today, I would have told her sooner, but now she's already seen and talked to him. Fuck! She looked so happy too . . ." Kiba trailed off, and Naruto could hear the misery in his voice.
Shino was silent for a minute. Then, "How did Hinata seem after that long hug?"
"Confused, awkward, and curious. I couldn't look her in the eye when I turned around to find Kakashi."
"Well, can you blame her? Look, Kiba, yes, I am your boss, but you are also my best friend. This conversation only stays between us, but you need to talk to Hinata. It might be awkward, but you should tell her what's going on sooner than later. It's probably going to be a little uncomfortable for a while, but make your intentions known."
"Fuck, I was afraid you were going to say that."
Suddenly the phone in Shino's office rang loudly, making all three men jump.
"Fuck me . . ." grumbled Kiba.
"Hello, Shino speaking."
Naruto pulled his ear off the door at the sound of Sakura's voice coming over the speakerphone. "Hey Shino, has your back shift crew left for days off yet?"
"Not yet. Kakashi wanted them to work until 1pm, and then they would head out. We have enough trucks out here to drop them all off back at camp if that's what you're wondering."
"Well, that at least answers one of my questions. But actually, I have one more and also a small request. Who is staying behind for unit #1212? That truck has to go back to the shop for maintenance. And my request is that both Ino and I have to attend a last-minute safety meeting with all the coordinators, which will last till after 6pm. So I need someone to go to the Konoha Energy main office and pick Hinata up from orientation."
Before Shino could answer, Kiba chimed in, "I'm the one that has to wait for unit #1212, and don't worry about Hinata; I'll pick her up before I head home."
There was an extremely long pause before Sakura replied, "Alright. Just be sure to park somewhere she can see you, please. Thanks, guys, and have a good days off, Kiba."
"You're welcome."
A small click indicated that the phone call was over.
Naruto ever so slowly backed away from the door, making his way towards the one he had come through. He paused for a moment before opening the door and then slamming it shut, along with making super loud noises before walking back towards the office. He knocked loudly, "Hey Shino, are you in a meeting? You don't happen to have the material checklist do you?"
The door suddenly swung open, but Kiba didn't exit the office and instead took a seat in the spare chair.
"Ah, Naruto, good timing. Is Sasuke back yet? Could all three of you please take the back shift guys to camp when he returns?"
Naruto nodded, trying to force a cheerful smile on his face, "No problem. Now, what about that material checklist?"
000000000000000
He felt like his head was about to explode from everything he had recently found out. Not to mention a big part of him regretted eavesdropping in the first place. It was a very double-edge sword situation that he seemed to have fallen into.
The windows were now completely covered in snow, blocking out the light from the street lamps, and the heat was slowly leaving the once toasty warm vehicle. Naruto leaned back against the seat and let out what was probably the tenth sigh since Sasuke had exited the vehicle. He had been oddly quiet on the drive back to camp, and he knew Sasuke had noticed; however, his friend did not question him . . . for now, that is.
Knowing that bastard, he's probably going to tell Sakura about it, and then she'll come after me with an iron fist to find out what's wrong.
Dropping his head against the steering wheel, Naruto closed his eyes and tried to grasp what was going on.
Kiba likes Hinata . . . . Hinata likes me, or rather she did like me, and I'm not sure where she stands right now, but meanwhile I . . . I . . .
He thought back to what Kiba said about first noticing Hinata in a new way at the Christmas Party that one year. No one had been more oblivious than him as to why Kiba was forcefully pushing him towards the entrance/exit to the hall. In his dunce mind, he had thought Kiba wanted to bring him to the ticket counter to buy him more drink tickets for the evening, but that thought had immediately left his mind when the three girls had walked through the door. Sakura and Ino looked stunning with their hair and makeup done; however, they looked like that every year at the Christmas party. Meanwhile, Hinata, who usually wore a business suit to this kind of event, had done a complete one-eighty to the point that he barely recognized her. Dark hair and been curled and half put up into a loose bun.
Meanwhile, the long-sleeved blue dress she wore didn't seem that revealing at first, but it was so skin tight that it left nothing to the imagination. And then she had turned around, leaving her entire back bare for all to see. Naruto felt like a complete asshole, for that was the night he, too, saw her differently. After that, she started to dress differently, sporting jeans and tighter sweatshirts that didn't show off her curves too much, but you could at least make them out now.
From her generous chest, the supplement curves of her hips and thighs, suddenly, she was the site's talk. Many of the guys started to gossip and wonder why she started dressing differently. While he had never participated in these conversations, there was no denying that he found her attractive, but not just physically either. Her kind heart, determination, sense of humour, and newfound confidence made his heart flutter. On top of that, she was beautiful on the outside, which was just the icing that topped the cake.
Opening his eyes, Naruto stared at the snow-covered window and concluded what he had been pondering for a few years now.
I like Hinata . . . I really do like her, or at least, I think I do. I really need to talk to her more and see if my gut is right on this one. But what do I do now? Kiba picked her up after orientation, so does that mean he confessed to her? What if she said yes? What if I'm too late to even try and talk to her now?
His mind started to spiral downward into negative thoughts but was soon stopped by that inner determination he always seemed to have, no matter how dire the situation seemed.
No. Nothing has been set in stone yet. You haven't even talked to her properly, and you certainly can't do that while sitting in this freezing-ass truck. So get out now and go find her!
Feeling determined suddenly, Naruto grabbed his bag from the back and opened the truck door. Then, slamming it behind him, he briskly walked towards the camp boot room. He was going to go to his room, shower, and then call Hinata so they could meet up for supper. Maybe, just maybe, he stood a chance with . . .
"Good evening, Naruto."
He froze dead in his tracks as that familiar silky voice hit his ears. The freezing wind was nothing compared to the cold dread that suddenly swept over his body when he realized who he had just come across in the parking lot. Her long hair was tucked into the FR toque on her head, and she was wearing an oversized jacket as well, but there was no mistaking her for someone else.
Naruto swallowed the massive in his throat loudly before softly addressing the scaffolders project manager, "G-Good evening Naomi."
She gave him a small smile and walked over to him. Every fibre of his being wanted to leave and just sprint towards the camp, but he remained still, trying to return her smile.
"Busy day?" she asked, motioning that they should start walking.
Naruto tried to hold back his long strides so she could keep up, "Uh, yeah. Pretty busy, I suppose. We got that high voltage cable pulled in easily enough. When will you guys be making it to Pad #12 to start building the scaffolds we need?"
Best to play dumb here and not let her know what you know.
Naomi frowned, "Oh, well, some more urgent requests came in, so we can't send any guys over to pad #12 until the end of the next shift. Sorry about that; I'm sure it will cause some problems for your deadline."
Naruto pretended to be disappointed, "Aw, well, that's too bad. I sure hope we can finish our work sooner than later. Well, Naomi, I hope you have a good night; I have to run. I promised my crew we would play ping pong tonight after supper."
"Ah, I see; well, yes, a promise is a promise."
"Have a good night, Naomi."
Naruto abruptly turned and was about to pick up the pace, trying to get away from her as soon as physically possible, but her following comment slowed him down completely.
"Oh well, isn't that interesting. You got my name right this evening."
He stopped and closed his eyes in dread.
Shit, shit fuck fuck fuck god damn it. I was praying to God she wasn't going to bring this up
Before he could say anything, the sound of loud screeching breaks made them look towards the camp entrance. A Hyuuga Electric truck had stopped right by the door, and Naruto could clearly make out that it was labelled unit #1212 on the front driver's side.
It was Kiba's truck.
"Isn't that the vehicle Kiba usually drives?"
Naruto turned around and tried to block her view of the truck, "Ah, usually, yes, he does! I'm surprised that he's still here, actually! It's home day for . . ."
"Well, now, who's that little cutie getting out of the vehicle?"
Fuck . . .
Looking back towards the Hyuuga truck, Naruto watched silently as Hinata opened the door and was about exit the vehicle, the interior lights coming on so he could clearly see her and Kiba.
He watched as Hinata was just about to get out of the vehicle, but then Kiba said something before suddenly leaning forward and kissing her. A sense of dread suddenly swept over him. All colour drained from his face, and his backpack slipped from his fingers. The determination he had felt moments ago abruptly disappeared.
Ever so slowly, Hinata got out of the truck, and Kiba said something else to her that still left her speechless. Kiba then closed the passenger door himself before driving off into the night, leaving Hinata standing at the camp entrance by herself. After a few moments, she finally made her way inside to the warm boot room.
Naruto bit his lip and looked over his shoulder at Naomi, who was wearing an unreadable expression, "Hmmm, don't tell me, is that the infamous Hinata I've heard so much about?"
He didn't answer her.
"Well, now, seems to me that this woman you were pining for is with someone else, or was I the only one that saw the kiss between her and Kiba? I wonder if you were to have an intimate moment with her, would it be my name you would be saying?"
Naruto's breath hitched, "Naomi . . . I . . ."
She scoffed at him, "Oh, stop looking at me as if I'm the villain in a superhero movie; you are the one that ruined my night last shift! All I wanted to do was have a little fun! Can you even comprehend how awful it was for me to have you call out another woman's name and not mine?
"You look like I'm about to rat you out to your boss or her about what happened that night. Just relax, Naruto. What happens up north stays up north. I won't intentionally seek this Hinata out, but if I happen to run into her on site somewhere . . . well, then perhaps I will have a little chat with her."
Panic set into Naruto as he watched the brunette walk towards the boot room, his voice cracking, "Naomi, wait!"
She continued walking. "You better come inside, Naruto. It's starting to get colder. You also might want to get your ass in gear and fuck her as much as humanly possible before her boyfriend gets back on Monday."
To Be Continued . . .
Authors Note:
For those who don't know, ten-four is radio talk for "I understand."
FR stands for Fire Retardant; it's a kind of material you have to wear on oilfield sites