It had been roughly four months since she'd made that decision.

Surprisingly enough, or not that surprising considering she stopped believing in coincidences long ago, Kuro was met with a new job opportunity on the other side of the country. A high-paying job with a lot of benefits that only a mad man would turn down, but Hinata knew Kuro would have done it for her if she so much breathed in a way that told him to.

But then again, as she had said to Naruto, she couldn't just abandon her job at the hospital like that, and the opportunity waswaytoo good for him to turn down.

So after a month of constant arguing about it, Kuro and Hinata broke up and he left.

Or, in a more accurate detailing of what had transpired:

Naruto had relented and allowed her to tie up any loose ends she had before she went with him. So she was forced to find a way to pick ridiculous fighting points with Kuro in order to create a believable scenario for a break up. In truth, it killed Hinata inside each and every time she did it, but in the end, she got where she wanted…right?

At first, Kuro still sent her texts here and then asking how she was doing, if she was keeping a healthy diet and not skipping meals as she tended to do.

It was nice.

And it warmed Hinata's heart when she saw his name pop in her notifs. A clear sign that he was okay. It was never anything more than messages. She hated calling people and talking on the phone, so it was a compromise made. But she found herself using those messages as a refuge for when her rekindled relationship with Naruto turned sour now and then.

But part of her felt enthusiastic, happy that they were no longer together, friendship had always been the basis of their relationship.

But there was another part of her that remained nameless, that was responsible for her throwing a whole life with a man she knew would give her the picket fence house dream, away.

Hinata (more often than she should have) found herself thinking about that life,that possibility.

Thinking about how long Kuro would stay single. How long would it take for another person to fill the space in that man's heart and be the recipient of all of hishealthylove and affection. The chuckle that rumbled through her body was an indication that even if her heart didn't want to accept it, her body already knew it wouldn't be long.

And just the thought of it made her eyes glassy. Through the texts he had kept it vague, but there were tells… especially the time in which she at first received said messages and then a few months later shifted to random times. Random hours and spaced texting.

She knew. But refused to acknowledge it, choosing to live the fantasy that Kuro would always love Hinata more than any other woman he could meet.

It was wrong.

Toxic even.

But if Kuro still held a place in heart, why couldn't she occupy his?

Not even the beautiful view in front of her and the man sleeping beside her, were enough to mend how broken she was on the inside.

The moment she had placed her hand in Naruto's and foolishly thought that yes,it would be enough, yes,it would be just like before, was the same moment she had now found herself regretting.

But her biggest regret might have actually been having quit her job not a week after Kuro left and leaving Ino behind.

But like the angel that woman was, the blonde was understanding of her always.

From the moment she saw Naruto and watched him creep his way back into the Hyuga's life, Ino knew it was only a matter of time until Hinata held her in a tight hug and said her goodbyes.

The bluenette chatted with the blonde here and there, but it wasn't the same.

It wasn't enough.

In the midst of all the craziness that had become Hinata's life, not even Ino could help her find the right way.

So now there she was. Living with Naruto in a beautiful seaside mansion that came with a picture-perfect view and everything one could ask for.

Oras Hinata liked to call it, their honeymoon house since they'd eventually move to some other place he owned closer to his businesses andfriends.

Friendsas in his new crew that was way more powerful anddangerous,than she'd ever thought, and liked to think about.

By personal choice she wanted to be left out of it. No connections to that part of his life. If she was already having trouble trying to deal with the 360 turn her life had taken, being an active member of whatever illicit activities Naruto was part of, and worst, being by his side leading the group as Naruto told her she'd one day be, was too much.

But then again, her and Naruto's relationship was always an eight or eighty ride.

And on most days his love felt like itwas enough.

Playing house and being able to do whatever the fuck she wanted with her timewas enough.

Living what was once her dream was enough.

It was close to noon and they were still in bed.

They had forgone taking a shower the night before due to their tiredness, so there was alsothatto consider.

Looking towards Naruto's sleeping figure she couldn't resist the urge to run her fingers through his messy bed hair, caressing his cheek. Closing her eyes Hinata touched her forehead to his, praying silently that that day was going to be a good day. She was determined to not let her internal struggle get in the way of the last few weeks of her and Naruto's vacation.

At least, she'd try to.

Naruto was quick to catch on to her internal struggle though.

After all, it wasn't as if Hinata was that hard to read. But he was selfish. Always had been when it came to her.

So he pretended all was right and kept playing his part.

That is until his phone rang signaling his time off was coming to an end.

Sasuke had been in charge of keeping things under control while he was away, helping Hinata transition into her new way of life. But he reasoned that the more time he spent hiding out, the worst it would be when the time came to go back. He was able to gain time to heal from the gunshot, but he missed the action. The thrill of the life he'd chosen.

Now with Hinata by his side it was damn near fuckingperfection.

Nearcause there were still loose ends. But that was about to be resolved. One way or the other.

From a seaside mansion to a millionaire's dream penthouse. Hinata compared herself to a fish that had been pulled from the water and thrown into a fish tank. Because however beautiful the view from this new place was, the amount of windows that covered the sides of the penthouse reminded her of one. But she wasn't about to complain. She'd willingly chosen this. So now it was time to suck it up and deal with everything that came along with being Naruto's… wife? Wife. He'd said as much.

After the first month of living in the mansion he'd surprised her with an amazing dinner and an astonishing proposal. Some signatures later she was now officially married to him. Well. Not officially officially since he was still a wanted person. An alias was used to protect them both and honestly, once again, the less she knew about the things he was doing the better.

He wanted to forge a signature? Sure.

He wanted to plan robberies and go on mission deals? Sure.

He wanted to come home all bloody? Just make sure you don't stain the carpets.

It was one of the benefits of having a doctor at hand. If he was all bloody and injured she would patch him up every single time. Complain about it? Oh you can most certainly believe it.

She wasn't allowed to leave the place unless she was accompanied by someone. After many many arguments, Naruto settled on some form of freedom. Cause where was she about to go? She was in a different city. One she didn't know or trust. Her "husband" was a dangerous man with enemies all over. The farthest she ever went alone was to the grocery shop a block from the building. Everywhere else, there had been someone to show her around.

Sakura had been a pleasant surprise. Even after all those years, it was as if they'd never been apart. Maybe she was trying to find in Sakura her best friend, but she was fulfilling the role perfectly. Sakura, although operating under Naruto's orders, was one of the handful of people who were able to directly confront the blond and come out alive to tell the story. She became her most trusted ally in no time. She helped Hinata find her footing in this new life, guiding her and introducing people she needed to know or at least socialize with. Hinata might not want to get involved with that part of Naruto's life, but civility was a must. And parties were common. And if Naruto was going she'd have to tag along.

Naruto figured Sakura would be the solution for Hinata's depression. Showering her with expensive gifts and dates seemed to be futile. He was trying. In between having to go back to work and offering support to Hinata, Naruto himself was feeling claustrophobic.

He had hoped Hinata would settle into the lifestyle and play house with him. House… Was a child what was missing?

No. They weren't in the right place for that.

He found himself asking Sasuke and Kakashi for advice. But both had told him the same. Forcing Hinata to drastically drop her life and everything she knew all of a sudden wasn't easy and her behaviour wasn't exactly unexpected. The blond argued it wasn't all of a sudden, but that only awarded him a smack in the head and an insult thrown his way.

Naruto's mind was consumed by the thought of having his Hinata back, and out of the pits of her depression. That's when he began a drawing board of everything that might still be holding her back. Her family wasn't it. Her job? Hinata yearned for vacations constantly, and the amount of people he'd asked her to sow back up was enough to keep that part of her entertained.

Was it Kuro?

Naruto scoffed at that, hand rubbing his temple. She couldn't possibly be missing that clown when HE was right there for her. Naruto didn't question Hinata's love, cause there was no need for it. Everyone with eyes could tell.

But if Kuro was the problem, that could be easily resolved.

A simple call to a friend of his solved the matter. That 's all it took.

Smiling down at the polaroids, he threw them inside the drawer in his office desk and promptly adjusted the tie he was wearing. Hinata's name flashed on his phone screen, signaling she was ready and waiting for him for them to go.

Weeks passed. And Hinata felt better. She'd made new friends. Had regular outings with them. She'd also found herself working again in her makeshift clinic, treating the people that worked for Naruto. It kept her entertained enough that she practically didn't have time to allow the dark thoughts to consume her.

Even Kuro became something she'd begun to let go. They'd still chat, it was different somehow but it was enough to warm her heart just right.

The annual party Naruto threw in honor of his late godfather was in full swing and although they arrived a bit late, it was perfect.

Until it wasn't.

All it took was a couple drinks, and both her and Naruto went at it. Arguing in what seemed like forever. All because of a comment he made about one of her new friends. She ran straight to the driver and demanded she was brought back to the penthouse.

Naruto was quick to follow but not quick enough to get into the same car with her.

He ruined her perfectly good mood in an instant and she couldn't be more pissed off. All the work, all the piecing back together was thrown right into the trash.

She could leave.

She now had enough contacts that if she wanted she could disappear for a while and not even Naruto would know. But when Naruto got back and found her in the kitchen, brows furrowed and with a distant expression on her face, he was quick to spew an explanation for such comment.

And like always.

As quickly as they fought, as quickly they made up.

The moment their lips met it was as if all those pent-up emotions came crashing down. The revelation of his reasoning softened her and although this could all be a trick just so if she fell into his arms one last time, she was going to indulge in it.

On him.

Just one last time before she left his life for good.

He walked her back until she hit the kitchen counter, breath fanning over her face as he momentarily pulled back to take her dress off. She had been in such a hurry when she left the party that she had completely forgotten to change back into her regular clothes.

"I won't let you go. Not this time 'Nata." Before she could throw a jab at him, he pressed his lips against hers roughly, desperately as he grabbed the back of her neck to effectively pin her between his body and the marble counter.

Her brain told her to stop. To punch him square in the face and run.

But her body…

Her body couldn't resist the burning intensity of his touch. How he knew exactly where to touch to elicit this feeling, this desire that couldn't be dealt with by anyone other thanhim.

Hinata often compared Naruto to a drug. A drug that took over her senses, driving her into an inexplicable high that filled her body with pure bliss, a state of euphoria never before seen.

But just like any other drug, the drawback was so worth it...

So, she slowly caved in. Her fingers soothing along the skin of his abdomen, ever so careful as not to touch his scars, making their way onto his pecs only to reach behind his head to pull on hair as she kissed him back just as fervently.

Naruto's hands went straight to the strings that kept her dress in place, unlacing and then working it off her body. His eyes never left hers, those mischievous blues promising both heaven and hell as he turned his focus to her simple black cotton panties. "I wonder if he would ever treat you as good as I do… as I'm about to." Strong hands grabbing onto her leg so that he could bite her calf. "I'm afraid I'm about to ruin you Hinata… to the point where you'll have no other choice than to forget those ideas of leaving me."

"I thought I was here to get fucked and not listen to you stroking your ego." She pushed him off of her with her foot, jumping onto the counter as she looked down on him with an unreadable face. "If you're going to chit chat, might as well put your mouth to good use."

His eyes widened, a complete awestruck expression taking over as he got up from his crouching position, only to snicker at her comment.

"Where's my shy, soft-spoken Hinata and what have you done to her?"

Rolling her eyes, said bluenette leaned back a bit, tilting her head as she surveyed his still clothed figure. "I'm not seventeen anymore. And I'm notyourHinata. Take the rest of your clothes off before I change my mind."

Acting as if she had just crushed his soul, Naruto put his right hand on top of the left side of his chest. "Holy fuck. So this is what it feels like to have your heart broken…"

"Stop being overdramatic, if you're all talk and no bite I'm out of here." When she tried to jump off, Naruto was on her at that precise moment.

"I think I like this side of you, ya know? This mean version of you who looks like she's about to kill me at any second. It's honestly so fucking hot… look at what you're doing to me." He held her hand against his growing bulge, lips brushing against hers as she pressed down harder, teeth pulling on his lower lip.

"I said no talking." Hinata impatiently removed his belt, working on the top button of his jeans as he unclasped her bra. Instantly, Hinata leaned back, brows furrowing. "I didn't say you could takemyclothes." Naruto tsk'ed, but obliged. He shook himself out of his jeans and boxers, and then opened his arms wide, giving her a sarcastic look, "Happy?"

Hinata simply shrugged, eyeing him up and then down as she held the front of her black bra up.

"Can I touch you now?" He groaned, trying as hard as he could to keep his eyes on hers when she finally let the black piece fall to the ground. She then palmed his cheek, thumb stroking it lovingly.

"You really thought I'd make this easy for you didn't you?" Naruto gave her a cheeky grin, hands going to her waist.

"If I had known you'd be such a fucking tease I'd come prepared." He leaned down to nip at the apex of her neck, laying kisses all the way down to the top of her breasts.

Hinata bit her lip to prevent the soft gasps from escaping, hand going down towards his stiff length to swipe her thumb over the tip and gather the pre gathered there so that her hand could stroke his member smoothingly."You planned this."

"You know I'm more of an in the moment kind of guy." That damned mouth left its tortuous path to claim her mouth, tongue stroking against hers languidly as she tried hard to maintain the control as her hand continued to work up and down his shaft whilst the other arm curled around his broad shoulders.

Naruto wasn't shy and didn't contain his moans, rutting against her hand to try and get her to move faster. When he realized Hinata wasn't budging on the slow, teasing pace, he took his revenge by pulling her panties to the side, the pad of his calloused fingers finding her clit only to gently circle it around as his left hand pinched her nipple hard.

Hinata moaned into his mouth and dropped her hands. Naruto wasted no time in feeling Hinata's hands leave his body. He took advantage of the opening, adjusting her slightly by the waist to better position her against the marble counter. A satisfied smile curved his lips as he realized how completely at his mercy she was at that moment, despite her sharp words from earlier.

"You're not going to run away now, are you, princess?" He murmured, his fingers exploring between her legs, while his blue eyes glinted with mischief.

Hinata arched her back, her lips parted in a muffled moan. His touch was relentless, each movement calculated, as if he were reminding her of all the nights he had pushed her to the limit. She hated the way he knew exactly how to pull her strings - but she hated even more how much it consumed her with pleasure.

"I should really punch you," she murmured, her nails digging into his shoulders. "But you're so good at begging…" Naruto chuckled softly, the vibrations running through her skin. "Begging? I think we're living different stories, 'Nata." He pulled her body even closer to him, letting the heat between them build. "You're the one about to beg, not me." Before she could respond, he thrust into her, slowly but deeply, stealing her breath and any attempt to argue. Hinata clung to him, her legs wrapping around his hips as he moved. It was a dance of dominance and surrender. "Naruto…" She breathed his name, a broken whisper, and he felt his sanity begin to fade. It was the melody he wanted to hear, the melody he needed to hear. But he wasn't going to let it be that easy for her. "That's right, say my name," he teased, his movements intensifying. "I want to hear you scream, Hinata." He needed reassurance. He needed to know she'd never ever leave him again.

Her pearly eyes met his, and for a moment, she saw something else behind that intensity. Something deeper, more vulnerable. It was as if he was struggling to say something that words couldn't convey. It was a silent battle between them, passion and resentment mixed in a storm of emotions. But in that moment, they both chose to forget everything.

To forget the hurts, the doubts, and the reasons that separated them.

They chose to simply lose themselves in each other, like so many times before.

Hinata closed her eyes, allowing herself to give in completely, as their moans echoed through the kitchen.