Series: Naruto
Pairings: NaruHina
Author: Lynns
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi
Type: Alternate Universe/Romance
Sparks Fly
Chapter 21
Five Months Later . . .
Even though Christmas had been two days ago, the decorative strings of lights, garland, mistletoe and festive trees were still present in the Hyuuga main office building. There was only the odd employee that would grumble or complain about it, but personally, Hiashi didn't mind. Once it was the start of the New Year, the festive decorations would be taken down, and it wouldn't be until the beginning of February when the decorations for Valentine's Day would arise.
Since Christmas had been only a few days ago on Sunday, the building was still relatively empty. Therefore, most of the employees with both companies had booked the entire week off. This meant everyone got an extended holiday vacation with their loved ones, and they would all be fully back to work on Monday, January 2.
Aside from business trips, Hiashi could not remember the last time he had taken a vacation, either just for himself or with his family. The memory of pulling his eldest daughter and nephew in a sled while his wife watched from the window with their youngest was such a distant memory that sometimes he wondered if it was real or not. The only concrete evidence he had was a few pictures his brother had taken that day.
The time was slowly approaching for him to go home for the day, but there were still quite a few emails he needed to reply to before he could go home. The cynical, hardworking part of him wanted to stay until all of the clients had been dealt with. But . . .
It's Hinata's Birthday today. Would it honestly kill me if I waited to answer some of these emails tomorrow?
He immediately knew the answer to his own question but decided to compromise and continue to answer emails for thirty more minutes before calling it a day.
As soon as he had gotten to the office this morning, his first stop was to his daughter's office, where he wished her a Happy Birthday and went over a few details of the family supper they had planned for tonight. It would be at his house with his youngest daughter, nephew and brother attending. Also, Naruto would be joining them later, depending on his flight back home from Konoha Energy.
The memory of the blonde electrician caused Hiashi to pause, his hands now frozen over the keyboard. He hadn't spoken to Naruto face to face since October. However, even then, it was hard for him to look the young man in the eye.
Even though it had been five months ago, the lecture he had gotten from his daughter's boyfriend was still very fresh in his mind.
Due to another meeting he had already agreed to attend, Hiashi wasn't able to fly down with his brother and nephew for the gala at the New York Zoo. At first, he thought it had been a blessing in disguise. Social parties and galas were never his cup of tea, and he tried to avoid them at all cost, unless it was at a client's request or a possible business deal.
He had called Hizashi first thing in the morning to see how everything had went, and while most of what his brother had to say was good news, his fatherly instinct perked up when he learned that Hinata had left the party early with Naruto.
His eldest daughter was never one to leave an event early; however, she had been instructed by her sister and cousin to relax for the evening and not worry about any business discussions. But Hiashi just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Perhaps one of their clients had said something rude to her? Had there been something wrong with the meal, and she had gotten food poisoning?
Something didn't seem right. As soon as he had hung up the phone with Hizashi, he waited another fifteen minutes while prepping his morning coffee before calling his daughter.
But when he had tried to call her, there was no answer.
Hiashi felt slightly annoyed since in New York, it was roughly 9am, a time his daughter was usually up by, and he was expecting Hinata to answer his call. She always answered his calls or texts promptly, and if there was a delay of any sort, Hinata would apologize with a brief explanation of why she couldn't answer. Even though he was a bit worried she hadn't picked up, he brushed his concerns aside and decided to try in another fifteen minutes. Perhaps she was busy in the shower or having breakfast.
When he tried to call again, there was still no answer. So he continued the same pattern, but every time he did, it would ring three or four times before being sent to her voicemail.
Hiashi couldn't deny that he was both worried and very annoyed that Hinata was blatantly ignoring his calls. It was almost to the point that he was about to call his brother back and ask him to check on her and ensure everything was alright. Instead, he tried to be a little shrewd and simply texted his nephew to see if he had heard from his cousin at all this morning. Perhaps his daughter was upset at him for some reason and didn't want to talk to him right now, which Hiashi couldn't deny hurt more than he cared to admit. However, his worries were for the moment, put aside when Neji texted him back and said that he had not heard any word from Hinata all morning.
As the time on the east coast was approaching noon, he tried calling one more time before taking drastic measures to see if his daughter was alright. And while this time, someone did answer, it wasn't a voice he was guessing to hear.
"Hinata's Phone, Naruto Uzumaki speaking. How can I help you?"
Hearing Naruto's voice was something he wasn't expecting at all, and it took Hiashi a few seconds to put together a coherent sentence before he spoke. "Ahem, good afternoon, Naruto. Is Hinata there, please?"
Hiashi tried to put emphasis on the word 'afternoon', hopefully to drive his point across that he was displeased that only now someone was answering his calls.
"I'm sorry, sir. Hinata is still sleeping, but I can tell her you called as soon as she's up. Unless there's an emergency?"
Naruto's pleasant voice, for some reason, was rubbing him the wrong way. Also, hearing that Hinata was still sleeping at this hour of the day was utterly unlike her and very irresponsible. "I see. Well then, Naruto, could you please wake her up? I need to talk to her for a few minutes."
There was a long pause, and Hiashi was confident that Naruto was abiding by his wishes and would wake Hinata up. However . . .
"Are you sure this can't wait? It's a Saturday after all, so I'm sure Hinata's entitled to sleep in today."
Now his temper was starting to flare. Hiashi gritted his teeth momentarily and took a deep breath before he snapped at the young man on the other end of the phone. "Naruto, please. Can you wake her up and put her on the phone?"
Another long pause followed. This time, he could hear the blonde electrician breathing and the sound of running water in the background, as if a tub was being filled up.
"Hiashi Sir, are you aware that your daughter has been unhappy for the last six months?"
The complete change in subject caught the older Hyuuga off guard. In fact, his brain didn't quite comprehend what the young electrician had said, but he was more angry that his request still wasn't being met.
Why won't he let me talk to Hinata?
Before he could respond though, Naruto spoke again. "I mean, granted, both Hinata and I have been quite down these last few months. But I'm just curious if it was something you noticed? Her not eating right, the late nights at the office and working a lot of overtime. Is that something that's normal for her?"
Hiashi's first response was to tell Naruto to zip his mouth and that, of course, he knew his daughter. However, now that he actually realized what Naruto was saying and asking him, it caused Hiashi to look back over the last six months.
The dim look in his eldest daughter's eyes, rarely seeing her unless she was cooped up in her office. And if he did see her outside the office, whether it was a family dinner or social gathering, she would barely eat anything and only socialize with others if he or anyone else in their family asked her to.
No, the truth is he had noticed, but he didn't want to acknowledge it.
It was the exact same thing he had done years ago when she was a small child. He knew that his words and attitude towards her were negative, and yet, in the back of his mind, he didn't want to recognize his toxic behavior.
Have I fallen back into my old habits? Have I been hurting my daughter again?
"I have to say, sir, that I've met some interesting people here while on this trip to New York. And while most of them have been very pleasant and nice. However, there have been some others who are really passionate to talk to Hinata . . . alone."
Now it was Naruto's turn to have a slight edge of anger in his tone. He didn't need to be a genius to know what the blonde electrician was talking about or what he was also implying as well.
Hinata.
His kind, sweet and devoted Hinata.
Over the last six months, he had taken full advantage of her. She had been gloomy with her boyfriend's absence and throwing herself deep down into her work as a distraction. He could have told her to take it easy, told her to take a few days off or that she didn't need to join him for a social party.
Hell . . . how hard is it to give your daughter a few weeks off so she can fly down and see the man she loves in Australia? Why did that never cross my mind?
Because it didn't involve improving his business.
Over the last year, things had really picked up with Hyuuga Power and Hyuuga Electric. He was so busy and concerned with keeping everything on track that he had completely thrown his daughter to the wolves.
Hiashi let out an exhausted sigh. "Naruto."
"Yes, Mister Hiashi sir?"
He could hear the protectiveness and aggression in Naruto's voice; it was pretty clear that he was mad. And not that Hiashi blamed him at all.
Once again, he had failed as a father.
"I appreciate you for looking out for my daughter. You don't need to say anything more; I understand. I'll have a good chat with Hinata when you two come home next week. Although, I'd really appreciate it if I could still talk to her briefly."
"I hate repeating myself, sir, but I'm afraid Hinata is still sleeping, and I don't want to wake her up. I'll let you know that you called when she's free."
Again, the young man was direct and to the point.
While Hiashi understood that it was in his best interest to hang up now, he couldn't help the curious words that escaped his mouth, not to mention the sarcastic, angry tone that went with it.
"Alright, I understand. But what the heck is she so tired from? I heard you two left the party early!"
Instantly he regretted his question, especially when he heard Naruto chuckle before saying, "Why is she so tired? Do you really want to know the answer to that?"
Hiashi felt his blood run cold. "N-never mind!"
"You have a good morning, and I promise I'll let her know you called."
Before Hiashi could say anything else, Naruto had ended the call.
A loud knock on his office door brought the older Hyuuga out of his inner thoughts.
"Come in," Hiashi called out to his visitor.
Hinata's smiling face poked through the door. "Is now a good time? Or are you busy?"
Hiashi couldn't help but return her smile and motioned for her to come in. "I always have time for you."
His eldest daughter closed the door behind her and approached his desk, "I just finished talking to the project manager we have at the Kirigakure Industries. The Fresh Books software is now fully operational at their site, and everything has been running smoothly for the last few days."
The older Hyuuga nodded his head with satisfaction. "And they were the last one, correct? So they don't need you or Naruto for any more training on the program?"
"Nope. Everyone is up to date."
Since the middle of October, Hinata and Naruto had travelled around installing the new Fresh Books software and giving week-long tutorials on how the program worked. Hinata focused on the office workers, while Naruto taught the other electricians and transformer technicians.
Hiashi had to admit that they made a formidable team. "Well, that's wonderful to hear. As usual, Hinata, good job. I'm very proud of you for keeping this program training on schedule before the end of the year. You have more than deserved your vacation coming up here in the next few days."
A light blush dusted his daughter's cheeks, and she nodded in thanks.
"Why don't you take the rest of the day off? I'm about to head out myself here soon once I finish a few more emails. Are you sure you don't want to go out anywhere to eat tonight? I promise I won't make a stink about money. You can pick any restaurant you want." Hiashi offered to her.
After his discussion with Naruto, Hiashi vowed to not be such a stick in the mud anymore. Unfortunately, it was a trait of mannerism of his that obviously wasn't doing anyone any favours.
Hinata shook her head. "I honestly just want to have a nice, quiet meal with you and the family. Although, I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about Hanabi making me a cake. She's never been one to have great culinary skills."
Hiashi laughed. "Don't worry; your cousin promised he would pick something up as a backup." He started to motion her out the door. "Now you go back to your place and relax a bit, and I'll see you in a few hours."
As he watched his eldest daughter start to leave, a part of him wanted to stop her. He almost wanted to tell her not to go on vacation. That it could wait until after New Year's Eve was over. That they could leave after the get-together with the entire Hyuuga clan, which happened every year. But . . .
I know damn well that they wanted to go to Hawaii in October, but I put my foot down and told them they couldn't. Not when the Fresh Books program had just come out, and we needed to get it installed immediately. The least I can do is not be selfish and let my daughter have a relaxing two weeks with the man she truly loves.
When the door closed, Hiashi let out a frustrated sigh and then directed his attention back to his emails.
The minutes slowly ticked by, and he tried to respond to as many clients as possible, but when his pale eyes saw that it was now 4pm, Hiashi decided it was best to call it a day. Turning around in his chair, he briefly paused to stare out the window of his office, which gave him a spectacular view of the city from the top floor. Just as he was about to stand, the door to his office suddenly swung open.
He whipped around to see Hanabi, Neji, and his brother quickly walk into his office before closing the door behind them. But, what concerned him the most, was the serious look they all had on their faces. "What's going on? Has there been an incident?"
Hizashi took a seat in one of the leather chairs, "No no, nothing like that. It's just, we've got a serious topic to discuss."
Hanabi also took a seat, and Neji approached the phone on his desk and pointed to line 2, which was flashing yellow, meaning that someone was on hold.
"Serious topic? Is one of our clients not happy with the work we've been doing?" Hiashi tried not to panic and was about to stand up but stopped when his nephew placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Just stay calm, Uncle. It's nothing like that." Said Neji encouragingly. He then ensured the phone setting was on speaker before pressing line 2. "Alright, go ahead, we have you on speaker, and all of us are here."
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With her hair washed and a new set of clothes on, Hinata took a moment to make herself a cup of green tea. Even though it was only the last week of December, it had been very cold and nippy outside. While a hot shower had helped, her body still felt chilled from the brief exposure to the cold climate when leaving work and then running into her apartment that she shared with Naruto.
After adding a spoonful of honey, Hinata grabbed her steaming cup and took a moment to sit on her couch to relax for a few minutes. She had only been living in this apartment with Naruto for about four and a half months now, but it still felt so natural, as if they had been doing it for years. The first few days had been a little awkward as the couple tried to adjust to living with another person, but after a week, things slowly smoothed over and felt more normal.
Even though I still jump the odd time when he wants to join me in the shower unexpectedly . . .
Hinata took a sip of her tea and hummed approvingly as she began to warm up. While she wanted nothing more than to just sit back and relax on her couch, she knew that there was still plenty that needed to be done.
With tea in hand, she let out a big exhale and headed toward the spare bedroom. It was a room with a double bed and a closet used for storage. Inside were the large rolling suitcases they would need for the upcoming trip to Honolulu in a few days.
Initially, the vacation had been booked for the first two weeks in October; however, the new Fresh Books Program had come out a week before the trip. Both her sister and cousin tried to reason with her Uncle Hizashi and Father that installing the program and training the staff could wait, but unfortunately, her father highly disagreed and told them to move the date of their trip.
While it was disheartening, she also understood why her father wanted to get it done as soon as possible. After their trip was over in New York, Hinata had sat down with her family and discussed her future with Hyuuga Power and Hyuuga Electric with them. When she voiced how unhappy she was and wanted to try a different position for a bit, her father had not been pleased at all; in fact, he looked downright infuriated.
Again, she understood why he was mad. After all, she had been technically covering two positions with Human Resources and Service Administrator Assistant for the last year. Their one employee was still away on maternity leave, and it was unclear if she would be returning or not. So for her father to hear he would have to hire two new people while she was capable of doing both positions would of course make him mad.
However, her family immediately stepped in to defend her and had Naruto poked his head into the boardroom to give his two cents, even though he had been told to wait patiently outside. Finally, Hinata and her family came to an agreement that in January, she would join the QA/QC team that was led by Shikamaru for a year and then she would return to her duties back at the head office. Which was something she was eagerly looking forward to once they returned from their trip. She would be back on the tools and handling paperwork as well.
As for Naruto, the first two months back, he had been working in the field as a regular electrician with the Konoha Energy crew. So not only was he getting updated on the plans they had for the site, but also he was shadowing Shino and Sasuke on what it would be like in the Field Foreman position, which he would be taking on in January.
Next month, both of us will be in new positions at Konoha Energy, and I'll get to see him every day! I can't even express into words how excited I am!
Even though their trip was a few days away, Hinata thought it was best to begin packing. In less than an hour, she would be heading over to her father's house to celebrate her birthday, and hopefully, Naruto would be joining them as well.
She wasn't entirely sure what was going on with his flight back home, and it seemed there had been a mix-up. While he was supposed to be on the afternoon flight, somehow, he had been booked onto a late evening flight instead.
While it was off-putting since she hadn't seen him in two weeks, Hinata was also thrilled that she would get to see him tonight.
Speaking of Naruto, I should see if he's contacted me at all. I'm sure his flight will be leaving very soon.
After seeing that there were no new messages from her boyfriend, Hinata kept herself busy by starting to pack their luggage with clothes, bathing suits and other toiletries that they wouldn't need to use over the next few days.
Just as she entered their bedroom closet to find their passports, the sound of the front door opening caught her attention. Immediately the hair on the back of her neck stood up, and her first instinct was to grab some sort of weapon for the unwanted intruder in her home. But then . . .
"Hinata! I'm home!"
At first, Hinata wasn't quite sure if her ears were working correctly since he wasn't supposed to be home yet. But, as she left their bedroom and rounded the corner, her heart swelled with joy seeing Naruto standing in the entryway while trying to take his boots off. The moment their eyes met, he gave her his trademark smile and opened his arms up wide for a hug.
Without thinking twice about it, Hinata ran down the hallway and jumped into her boyfriend's open arms. His back hit the door with a loud thud, but Naruto didn't seem to care as they held onto each other.
"I thought your flight wasn't until later this evening?" Hinata whispered against his chest, his heartbeat thundering against her ear.
Naruto chuckled softly and kissed the top of her head, his arms holding her even tighter. "Luck was on my side today. There was an open seat on one of the earlier flights, and I was able to catch that one. But it was just happening so fast I didn't have time to contact anyone."
Hinata slightly pulled away from him, "Did Sasuke and Sakura give you a ride home?"
He nodded before leaning down to give her a brief kiss, "Yeah. I promised we would have coffee with them tomorrow after you finish work. They were in Hawaii earlier this year and want to give us a few pointers for our trip. I hope that's okay?"
Hinata smiled, "Of course. I was just starting to pack a few of our things, but we still have plenty of time before our flight on Thursday."
Naruto pulled her in for another hug, holding her tightly against him before whispering, "Happy Birthday, Hinata."
Her arms tightened around him, and she softly thanked him for the birthday wishes. His arms wrapped around her form felt wonderful, and she never wanted to leave his embrace. Finally, however, the reasonable voice in her head chimed in that they needed to go; otherwise, they would be late.
"We should get going. Do you want to have a shower first or . . ." Hinata paused when she felt Naruto's lips on the side of her neck. "N-Naruto!"
She could feel him smirking, but he didn't stop. Instead, her lover continued to plant gentle, lingering kisses on her skin while his hands slowly began caressing her body. Even though she was fully dressed, her body immediately responded to his touch, and she wanted nothing more than to pull him into their bedroom.
However . . .
"N-Naruto, stop! We have to go! I promised my family I would be there before 6pm!" Hinata stammered while half-heartedly trying to push him away.
Her boyfriend paused and then gave her a pouty look. "Aw, come on, Hinata. Just a quickie? We haven't seen each other in two weeks."
Hinata blushed and immediately shook her head. "No! No quickies! I still get anxious when I think about what we did at the New York Zoo!"
Naruto finally released her with a laugh and a brief kiss on her forehead. "Alright, alright. Let me quickly hop in the shower and put on some clean clothes. But, promise me we can continue this when we get back home? Also, I think you should tie me up one more time in your office before you head to Konoha Energy with me in January. It's going to be over a year before we can do anything like that again."
She lightly nudged him with her elbow and stammered out, "J-just go s-shower before I leave without you."
Her boyfriend grinned mischievously, but obediently headed towards the master bathroom to clean himself from a long, hard day's work.
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Fifteen minutes later, the couple quickly made their way across the snow-covered parking lot and toward Naruto's truck. While he quickly brushed the snow off the windows, hood and roof, Hinata grabbed the key, and the motor roared to life. Unfortunately, the inside of the cab was freezing, and with the fans blasting cold air out of the vents, Hinata almost preferred waiting outside while the truck warmed up.
Naruto jumped into the front seat, shivering while rubbing his hands together. "Shit. I should have started this thing as soon as Sasuke and Sakura dropped me off. Are you sure you don't want to wait in the warm entryway? I'll drive up once it's heated up."
"That's alright, Naruto. I don't mind waiting. Besides, I might miss this cold weather in a couple days once we reach Honolulu." Hinata joked while wrapping her scarf a little tighter around her neck. "Although I'm sure for you, it won't be nearly as hot as when you were in Australia."
Her boyfriend chuckled and reached for her hand, "Well, that's not entirely fair. January is Australia's summertime, so of course, it was hotter than hell. But, I think Honolulu will just be hot enough for us to enjoy the sun and lay on the beach."
Their gloved fingers intertwined together, and a comfortable silence fell over them while waiting for the truck to warm up. The trip to New York had been fun and mostly relaxing; however, it was still a business trip, even though they had enjoyed the odd day off while seeing the sites. On the other hand, this trip was their first vacation together as a couple.
While I am excited to see some of the tourist attractions and enjoy the Polynesian culture, I also can't wait to just spend all my time with Naruto without any interruptions or worrying about work at the office. Just the two of us . . .
Finally, warm air began to blow through the vents.
Hinata was expecting Naruto to release her hand so they could be on their way. However, her boyfriend remained still. In fact, she was perplexed to see the sudden serious expression on his face. "Is everything alright? Did you forget something in the apartment or . . ."
Naruto shook his head, his hand wrapping around hers a little tighter. Then, after taking a deep breath, he turned to look at her. "Hinata. I want to give you part of your birthday present right now. I was planning on waiting till after dinner with your family, but I've changed my mind. Can you contact them and tell them we'll be late? There's somewhere I want to take you."
She was surprised by his request but also a little excited to see what he had planned. Hinata had been expecting him to do something special while they were in Honolulu, or at least that's what Hanabi had told her he had planned.
"Oh, sure, I can do that."
Naruto nodded his thanks and released her hand to grab the gear shift but paused. "And, can you cover your eyes with your scarf?"
Hinata giggled and obliged her boyfriend's wishes.
After making sure she wasn't peeking, Naruto finally drove out of the parking lot and off to their mysterious destination. While Hinata couldn't see anything, she initially tried to see if she could guess where they were going by calculating when Naruto took turns and how long they stayed on certain roads. But after a while, she was utterly puzzled about where he was taking her.
And apparently, Naruto knew what she was up to as well. "Heh, I'm taking a back way to our destination. You know this city well, Hinata, and I want it to be a complete surprise where I'm taking you. And no peeking!"
Hinata smiled, "I promise I won't look, Naruto."
Finally, the truck came to a halt, and she could hear Naruto turning off the engine and undoing his seat belt. Automatically, her hands reached up to take the scarf off, but Naruto's hand firmly grasped her wrist. "Not yet. Just be a little bit more patient."
The suspense was now slowly chipping away at her self-control. A part of her just wanted to take a little peek to see where he had brought her, but she pushed the temptation away and kept her eyes closed.
Naruto left the driver's seat, and within a few seconds, he opened the door on her side, cold air rushing into the once warm vehicle. As he undid her seat belt, she was about to attempt to climb out of the vehicle but squeaked in surprise when her boyfriend suddenly picked her up.
"N-Naruto!" Hinata stuttered, her arms flailing before wrapping around his neck for stability.
Her boyfriend chuckled and began carrying her bridal style, "Sorry. It's just faster if I do it this way. Keep those eyes closed!"
While the cold wind nipped at her skin, Hinata tried to focus on her surroundings to see if she could hear any clues to pinpoint their location. In the far-off distance, she could hear the sounds of vehicles driving, but for the most part, it was quiet, except for Naruto's boots crunching in the snow.
Soon though, Naruto stopped and set her down on the ground. She could hear a door being opened before being lightly pushed forward into a warm building. Hinata could hear the low hum of fluorescent lights above and the sound of hot air being pushed through the venting system.
She decided to take a guess at their current location, "We're not at the Hyuuga Main office, are we?"
Naruto laughed and gently grasped her hands, leading her further inside the mysterious building, "Nope, but good guess. I'll give you a clue while we walk. It's a place that's completely empty right now, aside from maybe a few staff monitoring the building, but they won't bother us."
Hinata tried to rely on her senses for more clues, but unfortunately, she was out of ideas. It was tranquil, and the only noticeable sounds she could make out were their boots walking along the floor. "Can I get a few more hints?"
"I'm afraid not. I don't want to ruin the surprise, but we're almost there. Just keep following my lead."
She trusted him completely. He could have been leading her towards a bridge with lava flowing underneath, and Hinata would still believe in him to get her there safely.
He released one of her hands, and she could hear him fumbling with a door. "Okay, just a few more steps, and we'll be there."
As Naruto pulled her forward again, she could hear a heavy door open and then shut behind them. Where ever he had brought her was even more quiet and dark. Behind her closed eyes, she could tell there weren't any lights on, or they were very dim.
"Alright, we're here," Naruto whispered against her ear, his fingers very lightly loosening the scarf.
Hinata held her breath out of anticipation and slowly opened her eyes.
She released a soft gasp, her hands coming up to cover her mouth as she finally realized where he had taken her. The quiet classrooms of the electrical trades at SAIT were just as she remembered them. While not all the lights were on, she could still make out the small sitting/study area where they usually sat to eat their lunch, the four classrooms where their lectures had been held and the large electrical lab where they could research motors, capacitors, and fire alarms.
This is so nostalgic. I haven't been here since . . . since . . .
Hinata bit her lip and tried to push away the negative feelings she still had toward this place. Just down the hallway was The Hideout, the college bar where Naruto had first rejected her confession. However, the classrooms also held special, happy memories, and she tried to focus on those instead.
Slowly she began exploring the familiar area she had spent learning and studying to become an electrician. As her fingers lightly traced the tables, Hinata realized that technically speaking, they weren't supposed to be here. The entire campus was meant to be closed for winter break.
"How did you get the keys to this place?"
Naruto, standing behind her, gently pulled out a set of keys and twirled them around his finger. "Iruka. He started working here this fall as one of the teachers, and I asked him if I could bring you here for your birthday. He was hesitant, of course, but as long as we don't start tipping chairs and desks over, then it's all good."
Hinata giggled and continued to walk around.
Every March and April for four years, she had occupied these desks and stared at the white boards. Some of their teachers had been enthusiastic and interesting to listen to, while others, unfortunately, had monotone voices that even put her to sleep the odd time.
"It feels so weird being back here . . ." she whispered, heading into the biggest classroom and walking down an aisle of desks.
Naruto was walking down a different aisle beside her, his eyes staring down at the chairs. "Yeah, we were all so young and silly back then. Especially me."
It was subtle, but she could hear the sorrow in his voice, and Hinata turned to face him. "Naruto?"
Her boyfriend sighed and then looked at her with regret reflecting in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Hinata. I was such an idiot back then and couldn't recognize what was right in front of me. A beautiful, kind woman who obviously cared about me, but I was too stupid and kept chasing Sakura, who never looked at me once."
Hinata winded her way past the desks so that she stood in front of him, "Please, Naruto. Don't say things like that. I was really shy back then and could have conveyed my feelings better to you. Half the time, Kiba and Shino did the hard work for me. They would find out where you were studying or arrange our seats in a way that you had to sit beside me."
Naruto reached up and brushed his fingers across her cheek. "And thank my lucky stars we found each other again after that night. I suppose I should thank Karin for screwing up all of the paperwork. Otherwise, I don't know if we would have . . . " He paused and closed his eyes. "I sometimes try and picture what life would have been like for me if we hadn't seen each other during that safety meeting. Or if I hadn't run into you at all while you were working at Konoha Energy for those few shifts. And when I do, I just see my life being lonely with no one by my side.
"You've become my home, Hinata. Where ever you are is the place that I want to be. I can't see myself being with anyone but you. I am yours." His hands cupped her cheeks.
Hinata felt herself become overwhelmed with emotion, and happy tears started to well up in her eyes, but she was able to whisper, "And you are m-mine . . ."
Naruto grinned. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to respond to your confession correctly back then, but I don't want this place to remind you of the time I was a complete idiot. So I wanted to bring you back here and tell you that I love you. I love you, Hinata Hyuuga. You're the only one I will ever love this much."
Once again, he paused, and his hands released her cheeks, but they were now suddenly searching for something in his pockets.
"I-I wanted to do this in Honolulu. Find some romantic spot along the beach while the sun was setting . . . but, this place seems more befitting for what I want to do." Naruto took a step back and dropped down to one knee. "Hinata, I want to make a future with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. I want you to become my family, and I want us to grow old and grey together.
"I know marriage is not a walk in the park. We'll probably have our fights, and there will be times when it will be an uphill battle, but there is no one else in this life I would rather spend it with. Bumpy roads and all."
With trembling fingers, Naruto pulled out a ring box and held it up to her. "Hinata Hyuuga, will you marry me?"
Hinata couldn't see the ring. Tears were slipping down her cheeks, and she was so overwhelmed with happiness that she found it hard to speak. Her knees felt weak, and they suddenly buckled underneath her. Hinata tried to catch her breath while her hands modestly attempted to wipe the tears from her eyes.
"Yes . . ." she finally gasped out. "A thousand times, yes!"
Now it was Naruto's turn to cry.
The two of them were a bumbling mess as he slipped the diamond ring on her finger, and she couldn't stop mumbling how happy she was. As soon as the ring was in place, Naruto let out a joyous laugh before jumping to his feet and then picking her up off the ground. They laughed as he twirled her around the classroom a few times before gently setting her down.
Then, they started kissing each other.
At first, it was light, happy pecks as they celebrated their engagement while also wiping tears away from the other's eyes. But as they continued to show their affection, the mood in the classroom suddenly shifted. The soft, light kisses between them suddenly became feverish. His tongue was in her mouth, and her back was pressed against the wall.
Hinata couldn't quite grasp what was going on.
All she could feel or want was him.
She needed him now.
"N-Naruto . . ." Hinata gasped against his mouth. She wanted to convey to him what she desired and somehow hoped he would be able to figure that out by the way she moaned his name.
Their jackets were thrown to the side while a string of groans and sighs of pleasure filled the room. His hands felt like they were everywhere, and the only coherent thought she could focus on was trying to undo the buckle on his belt and the zipper on his jeans.
Naruto suddenly pulled her back from the wall and kissed her deeply before turning her around. His hips grinded against her rear, and she could only moan in response.
In another time, Hinata would look back at their hastily rushed quickie in that classroom with both a sense of embarrassment but also fondness as well. She couldn't even quite remember all the details since everything had been moving so fast, but in an instant, while she had been bent over one of the desks, Naruto pushed his throbbing member fully inside her.
There were no lingering touches or sweet, soft caresses that displayed their tender love for one another.
No.
Right now was the raw, flaming erotic passion they had for each other.
His thrusts inside of her were wild and uncoordinated. Grunts of his pleasure graced her ears, along with the sound of his hips slamming into her from behind. She futilely tried to cover her mouth and mute the erotic noises escaping her lips.
In a matter of minutes, it was over . . . or at least, so she thought. His hands tightly grasped her hips, and when his climax arrived, her name was a strangled cry leaving his lips. The two of them stood still for a moment, catching their breath while also relishing the intimate moment.
While Hinata concluded that their quickie was over, she attempted to stand up straight but was halted when Naruto's hands held her hips in place.
"Not so fast, Hinata . . ." he breathed softly.
Once again, Naruto started moving inside her, but his thrusts were more gentle and controlled this time. Hinata squeaked in surprise that he was still able to continue after climaxing seconds ago, but her train of thought was interrupted when she felt his hands moving across her body. While one slipped under her shirt to grasp a breast firmly, the other glided down to nestle between her legs.
"Ah Naruto . . ." she mewed and once again tried to cover her mouth in an attempt to keep quiet.
She knew there was a chance they could be caught. She knew what they were doing was even more outrageous than what happened at the New York Zoo.
Even though she knew they needed to stop and leave . . . she also didn't care.
His skillful fingers played her like a musical instrument. He knew exactly where and how to touch her; making her toes curl and body tremble.
"That's my girl . . ." he mumbled against her neck while lightly kissing and nipping the skin. "Show me Hinata, scream for me . . ."
Hinata didn't resist, nor did she want to.
It was then her turn to call out his name as waves of pleasure washed over her entire body. Even as she was riding out the last few waves of her orgasm, Naruto once again suddenly began rampantly thrusting inside her again. And then, for a second time, he found his release.
Their laboured breathing echoed off the walls, and neither of them had the energy to stand. Naruto slid down first and pulled Hinata along with him, the two of them lying on the floor in an exhausted heap.
"God damn, Hinata . . . what are you doing to me? That was fucking amazing . . ." Naruto gasped while trying to catch his breath, his arms holding her tightly against him.
Hinata couldn't help but softly giggle while snuggling a little closer to her lover. "I could ask you the same thing."
Naruto chuckled and softly kissed her temple, "You know, as much as I would like to lay here and do it again . . ."
"Naruto!" Hinata squealed.
"We should probably get going. As awesome as that was, if Iruka finds out what we did, I'm a dead man."
When their heart rates had settled, and Naruto was able to feel his legs again, the couple swiftly got to their feet and began moving the desks back to their original spots while also locating their missing clothes. It didn't take long for Naruto to fix his attire, but it took Hinata a few more minutes to pinpoint her missing underwear, which her boyfriend had thrown completely across the room in his haste to undress her.
Once their coats were back on, Naruto led her towards the main exit and poked his head out into the main trade's hallway to ensure the coast was clear.
"Come on, let's go!"
The couple dashed out into the empty hallway as quietly as they could, but as soon as the door closed behind them, their eyes fell on one another, and the couple burst out laughing.
"Well, that was exhilarating!" Naruto exclaimed as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"Keep your voice down!" Hinata gasped while checking over her shoulder to make sure there was no one there. "Someone might hear us!"
"Nah, it's the Christmas Holidays still. I doubt anyone is here right now."
As they walked towards the exit, Hinata's fingers began to play with her engagement ring. She brought the piece of jewelry up more into the light so she could look at it better. It was a white gold ring with three diamonds in the middle. Hinata hummed approvingly and brought the ring to her lips.
"I hope you like it. I know you don't wear a lot of jewelry to begin with, but I also didn't want to cheap out and get you the lowest costing one they had." Naruto rubbed the back of his head and gave her an uneasy glance. "But, if you don't like it. I'm sure we can exchange it for . . ."
Hinata cut him off, "No! No, Naruto, I love the ring you got me! Of course I don't want you to return or exchange it. I promise you, I love it."
Naruto smiled adoringly at her. "I'm really glad to hear that."
She smiled back at him before diverting her attention to the ring on her hand. "So, do you want to break the news to my family tonight?"
He suddenly let out a nervous laugh, which caught her attention. "Uh, well . . . actually, they kind of already know. I talked to them earlier today before I got on my flight back home and asked for their permission. I thought maybe your father would hesitate or ask me a lot of questions, but he gave me his full blessing, which I was really grateful for."
Hinata was not only surprised that her family had wholeheartedly gave their approval but also that Naruto had asked them in the first place since nowadays it was considered an old fashion tradition. But she was tremendously pleased that he had asked her family. "Thank you, Naruto."
"Hm?"
"For caring and respecting my family like that. I know they probably greatly appreciated it."
Naruto nodded. "I mean, we could tell my family tomorrow sometime, but I think as for everyone else, maybe we could keep it a secret while we're on vacation? I really just want to enjoy our alone time together and not have multiple people trying to congratulate us."
Hinata laughed softly and rested her head against Naruto's shoulder. "I completely agree. We can tell our friends and the rest of my family when we are back."
This is the happiest day of my life . . . at least for right now. I'm sure we'll pick a date in the near future that will top this one.
The truck was once again cold, and the two of them shivered together while waiting for the motor to heat up again. While she was chilly, Hinata couldn't help but start to think of their future together. Not just the wedding; that would only be a small day in the years yet to come. Moving into a house together, the cries of joy after finding out she was pregnant with their first child, baby's first steps . . . it was a sea of trials that she couldn't wait to experience with him.
Just as she was happily floating on cloud nine, Naruto suddenly piped up. "So, since that was a celebration of our engagement. Can we go to your office later on and celebrate Christmas and your birthday?"
"N-Naruto!"
0000000000
The palm trees swayed softly in the wind. You could hear the waves coming in and out on the beach, and there was blue sky as far as the eye could see. The Hawaiian air had a sweet and relaxing smell to it, making it irresistible to just sit down and watch the waves come and go.
While Naruto had been to a few beaches, they all paled in comparison to the luxurious ones of Waikiki beach in Honolulu. He had never understood just wanting to lay on some sand under the hot sun and do nothing. But now that he was here, it suddenly made sense.
The Royal Hawaiian Resort was certainly easy to spot from a distance. It certainly wasn't the most flattering hotel with its bright pink exterior. However, the rooms were still very comfortable. But the big highlight of the place was that they had access to the beach right outside their rooms. In most of the hotels along Waikiki, you at least needed to cross Kalakaua Avenue to reach the water; this resort was one of the few that had direct access to the sandy beaches.
Donned in only orange swim trunks, flip flops and sunglasses, Naruto walked past a row of empty chairs that were paired together under umbrellas. It was only 7am, but for the blonde electrician and his girlfriend, they were still operating on Alberta time, which was 11am back home. Even though it was early in the morning, the sun was still hot
At the very end, he could see Hinata had laid her chair completely flat and was lying on her stomach with her back facing the sun. Even though this was only their second full day on the island, Naruto could have sworn that they were both already developing tans, no matter how much sunscreen they slathered on.
Speaking of which . . .
Naruto grinned from ear to ear as he set their cold water bottles underneath the shade of the umbrella before grabbing the bottle of sunscreen off the table. Hinata barely acknowledged his presence and probably assumed he was just going to lye beside her. However, the sneaky electrician had other plans.
Lathering his hands with sunscreen, he gently began running his hands over Hinata's back. Spreading the lotion across her hot skin like he had seen so many times done in the movies.
Hinata hummed approvingly and turned her head so she could properly see him. "That feels nice . . ."
Naruto smiled and leaned down to give his fiancé' a kiss on the cheek. "Don't want your beautiful skin getting sunburnt now." He teased playfully, his fingers slipping underneath the ties of her dark blue bikini.
"Naruto." She softly scolded him.
He attempted to act innocent. "What? No one else is out here. Heck, I'm pretty sure that aside from the resort staff, we're the only ones awake. We could just slip into the water and . . ."
"No."
He chuckled and continued to spread the lotion over her back before making his way up to her shoulders and neck. "So, what did you have planned for us today?"
Hinata shrugged and closed her eyes while basking in the hot sun. "We probably should get some breakfast. And then . . . I don't know. We're here for almost two weeks, plenty of time to relax and see the sights."
Naruto nodded in agreement. "I think after we are done having breakfast, we should wander along Kalakaua Ave, and you could buy one of those pretty Hawaiian halter top dresses we saw yesterday. I'll also grab a nice shirt, and then we can have a fine dinner tonight after watching the sunset. Sound good?"
His fiancé' smiled, "That does sound nice. Do you have a restaurant in mind?"
"I think we should try that Tiki's Grill & Bar at the Aston hotel. Looks like a nice spot to watch the waves."
Hinata hummed again. "Hmm, that all sounds wonderful. The only question I have is, am I going to get any decent sleep on this vacation? Or do you have plans to ravish me every night?"
Naruto smirked mischievously, and while his fingers were rubbing against her lower back, his hand snuck a quick grasp of her one bum cheek while he planted a soft kiss on the other. "Never!" he whispered playfully, "The next two weeks there will be no sleep for you!"
Hinata giggled and then half-heartedly tried to shoo him away from her.
Once he was satisfied that enough sun lotion had been applied to his lover's body, Naruto wiped the remainder on his skin before lying down next to her after reclining his own chair.
"We should enjoy this time as much as we can. Once we get back, I imagine things are going to be quite hectic for us." Hinata remarked softly
Naruto sighed. "In more ways the one, I imagine. Work, life, planning a wedding . . . I'm sure it will be completely chaotic and crazy from now on."
Hinata smiled and reached for his hand. "And I wouldn't want to share this crazy life with anyone else."
"Me too . . ." Naruto sighed contently, grasping her hand in his while in the sand. "I love you."
"I love you too."
The End