The sun was beginning to shine as it slowly emerged from over the horizon. Many of Konoha's residents flung open their windows to breathe in the new day. A flock of birds flew overhead, singing away their contentment. The hustle and bustle of the average Konoha day had not begun yet. But, the prerequisites had been set in motion. The restaurants started their ovens, young genin were arriving at the training fields, and Iruka-sensei had just unlocked the Academy doors.

And somewhere, in the midst of it all was a boy in an orange jumpsuit, sweating profusely and about to tell a girl that he has feelings for her.

"There is something we need to talk about." The boy said, looking away and rubbing the back of his neck.

Talking about his feelings had never scared him before. Throughout his younger years, he had all but screamed from the rooftops that he loved Sakura. But something about this situation scared him. Maybe it was how real it felt. He knew that Sakura was always in love with Sasuke and confessing his love would never change anything. If he told Hinata that his heart beat faster in her presence, or that he got butterflies when he heard her name, things would ultimately change between them.

Or maybe it was the look of sheer panic that was displayed across Hinata's face before he even finished the sentence.

Naruto opened his mouth to say something as he lifted his hand to gently touch her arm. He closed his mouth.

"I know what you're going to say." Hinata looked down and took half a step back. "And I want to tell you that I apologize. It was a mistake."

The blonde's heart fell into his stomach. His fingers, which had gently been resting against the side of her arm dropped to his side again. His eyes fell to his feet.

"Is that… not what you wanted to hear?" Hinata was looking at him now quizzically, observing his features carefully.

"It's not that… it's just," He furrowed his brow, "Why did you kiss me?" He desperately wanted to know.

"You told me," He continued, inching towards her, "That you had a big crush on me when we were drinking. Then you kiss me in the hotel room. Why?"

"I told you that?" She whispered, covering her mouth as her face went beet red.

"Yes. And I've been thinking about it constantly since it happened. I feel…" He stopped himself, "I just want to know why."

"I told you that," She looked at him, feeling a new courage arise within her, "Because it's true. I've always had a crush on you." She stated matter-of-factly.

Naruto was looking at her now with a slight blush sprinkled upon his cheeks. He smiled.

"So why did you kiss me?" He asked. His smile provoked a smile from her as well.

She shrugged, "Because I was drunk, and do drunken people not always express their true feelings?" She asked rhetorically.

And there it was. She had admitted it aloud to him. A great weight lifted from the Hyuga girl's shoulders. Naruto knew now, and whatever happened next was out of her control.

"So it wasn't a mistake?" He asked softly.

She shook her head in response.

Naruto ran a hand through his hair and laughed. This was good. He was happy with her response. Without thinking, Naruto wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tight, trapping her there. He lifted her up and spun her around in a gentle circle before setting her down. He made a mental note that she was heavier than she looked.

"Naruto-kun?" She asked with a cocked eyebrow. Her face was a light pink, no doubt from the sudden contact and close proximity.

"Hinata-chan, I have been waiting all day to tell you about all these feelings you've given me." He gestured to his heart. His nervousness was gone now.

Hinata's smile widened, then she looked down. When she looked back up at Naruto, the smile was gone.

"What?" He questioned.

"It's nothing," She waved her hand, "I'm just tired. We've been on the road for three days, you know."

"Oh. Okay, well how about this; you go home and get some rest, then I'll come by later and we'll go out for dinner?" Naruto smiled at her again, unable to control it.

Hinata's eyes widened, "Yes, of course. That sounds great!"

The blonde bit his lip gently and, before he could think otherwise of it, reached out to softly hold Hinata's chin as he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good," He said, "Then it's a date."

"A date." She repeated softly, lifting a hand to the spot his lips had just touched. She began backing away slowly. "Goodbye, Naruto-kun." Then she turned and began walking home.

When she wasn't looking any longer, Naruto began silently celebrating. He pumped his fist once before jumping up and down in a circle. When he was done, he looked back at her figure as she walked home. He noticed the sway of her hips and the gentle curve of her legs. And, though he would never admit it, he noticed the way the material of her pants was pulled taut over her backside.

Naruto slowly averted his gaze away, mentally scolding himself, before heading into his apartment to celebrate some more and then ultimately pass out on the couch from exhaustion.

As the Hyuga girl rounded the corner and was successfully out of Naruto's view, a familiar skip in her step overcame her. The same skip she had when Naruto had told her that he liked people like her back in their genin days.

Naruto Uzumaki had just asked her on a date. And then kissed her on the cheek! She celebrated in her head.

But the closer she got to home, the more she thought about it. She wondered about the suddenness of it all. It was only a four days ago when she had kissed him. Before that, they had only socialized as friends and comrades. Now he was asking her on a date and kissing her. She couldn't help but think that if she hadn't kissed him, then Naruto wouldn't be asking her out. Actually, she thought, that's the truth. If she had not kissed him, would he have asked her out ever?

She was thankful for her actions, but skeptical of Naruto's feelings now. How could he have feelings for her now, but not before? This question is what took her smile away before.

Hinata approached her apartment door, fished out her keys from her pocket, and slowly entered her home. It wasn't long ago that she began renting the place. Her sister had been made the official heiress and she was proud of her sister and clan. But, she felt that with Neji gone now, there was no reason for her to live at the Hyuga compound any longer. Her family respected her decisions and welcomed her back any time she wished to come see them.

Her apartment, Hinata thought, was cute and practical. She admired herself for living on her own. Downstairs, where she entered, was a kitchen on her left, a living room on her right, and a utility room straight ahead. The color scheme was light, with off-whites and purples. The coffee table in her living room was where her favorite vase of homegrown flowers lied.

The upstairs of her apartment was simply her bedroom and bathroom. Her favorite part of her home, she thought, was the small balcony attached to her bedroom. This is where she grew all of her flowers and where she liked to sit and read books in the sunlight. Sometimes, she would keep the doors to the balcony open at night so she could hear the sounds of nighttime in the summer.

When she entered this apartment, she trudged up the stairs, flopped onto the bed, and promptly fell asleep.

Hinata awoke that afternoon with more anxiety than she experienced on the way home from Suna. She laid in bed and stared up at the ceiling as she thought about the possibilities of tonight. There was a chance that tonight would be so awkward that the two would agree their relationship would not work. There was also a chance that things would go decently, but Naruto would then realize why he never had feelings for her before. Then lastly, there was a chance that things go so well that the two, immediately after the date, go back to her place to make love.

They had known each other forever, first date sex did not seem so bad when put in that context, she thought to herself. She desperately hoped that the scenario tonight would be the third possibility. However, with her luck, what happened tonight would be something completely different from the three possibilities.

Hinata imagined what sex with Naruto would be like. Their relationship was only just beginning, but it didn't hurt to think about it, she told herself. She imagined that Naruto was a virgin as well. Most ninja didn't focus on romantic elements. Except Ino. The thing about Ino is that she slept with many men, and she enjoyed it. Even though she was a ninja and that came first and foremost, she still took the time to form romantic relationships, unlike the majority.

Most ninja had sex here and there. But Hinata and the rest of Konoha 11, for the most part, given that there were two exceptions that came to mind, were virgins.

The Hyuga girl then wondered what Naruto would be like in bed, given that he was inexperienced. She shrugged then because if they were together long enough, they would both find a way to make everything work.

The raven-haired girl rolled over and glanced at her clock. It read 4:12. She assumed Naruto would be coming by around five or six so she hopped out of bed and into the shower.

When she was nice and clean, Hinata stood in front of a foggy bathroom mirror and brushed her hair. She hummed to herself as she gently pulled out all the knots and tangles. Beads of water fell to the floor from her wet body.

Absentmindedly, Hinata wondered where Naruto would be taking her. There was Ichiraku, the most popular of Naruto's favorite restaurants, Amaguriama, the sweets shop, the dango shop, or Yakiniku Q. Hinata couldn't imagine Naruto taking her anywhere but Ichiraku.

With that thought, she simply put on her normal outfit, a simple mesh shirt underneath a purple jacket, along with her typical pants and shoes.

Once done with cleaning herself up, Hinata looked at the clock again. It read 4:53. She sighed and decided she would paint her nails while she waited, hoping to distract herself from the nervousness.

When she finally heard the knocks on her front door, Hinata had been attempting to blow on her freshly painted toenails. With excitement, she flew downstairs and opened the door. What she found however, was not what she was expecting.

"Naruto-kun?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. He was wearing a traditional black kimono and holding a bundle of flowers in his hand.

"Hinata-chan! These are for you." He handed her the flowers in a swift motion before glancing past her into her home. "Nice apartment, Hinata-chan, I've never seen it before."

"Naruto-kun, come in," She said, motioning for him to enter, as she took the flowers from him, "Why are you wearing a kimono? I thought we would just be going to Ichiraku." She asked, walking over to the kitchen to set the flowers in a vase.

"Nope." He smiled happily, "I'm taking you to that new fancy place… what was it called…" He wondered aloud.

"Kozue?!" Hinata's eyes widened, "But that is a very fancy restaurant, Naruto-kun, and very expensive as well."

"Exactly. It's a date, isn't it? C'mon, Hinata-chan, let's go!" He said excitedly, grabbing her hand.

She smiled, but then looked down at her clothes, "Wait, Naruto-kun, I can't go in this."

"What? You look great!" Naruto said in his obliviousness, giving a gentle tug on her hand.

"No, no, let me go upstairs and see if I have something suitable to wear. You don't just go in a place like Kozue with your ninja clothes on, silly." She said with a laugh.

Naruto just smiled after her and went to sit on the couch. He glanced around nonchalantly at her apartment decor. Flowers were abundant in Hinata's apartment, with vases and crates of white lilies mixed with lilac. Naruto breathed deeply with his nose. Now, he thought, it made sense why she smelled so nice. Hinata surrounded herself with flowers.

Naruto's head perked up when he heard shuffling around upstairs and the thump of feet on stairs. When she came back down, Naruto had to manually make sure he was breathing. She was clad in a light purple kimono. Her hair was put up into an elegant bun. As she came down the stairs, she smiled at him, causing the breath to hitch in his throat.

"Wow. You sure are beautiful, Hinata-chan." He stood up and offered a hand to her.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun, you look handsome as well." She smiled so bright her cheeks became sore.

The two exited the building and made their way to Kozue.

By the time they were finished with their meal, Naruto was feeling tipsy from the three glasses of wine he had consumed with his food. According to the light pink tint to Hinata's cheeks, Naruto guessed she was feeling the same way. He was grateful that they weren't both falling down drunk again. He didn't want any confusing feelings tonight. However, when they were waiting on their bill, Hinata broached a topic he wasn't expecting.

"So why now?" She drank the last sip of her wine, "I mean, I know that I kissed you," She blushed then, "But…" She trailed off.

"But why not before?" He asked for her and she looked away and nodded.

The waitress came around then with their bill. Naruto laid down the correct amount of money and gestured to Hinata that it was time to leave. Once they were outside in the chilly summer night air, Naruto started again.

"Why not before…" He repeated as they walked together slowly, as if trying to spend as much time as possible, "I never really thought of you as more than a friend, you know?" He shrugged.

"Yes, so why now are you taking me on a date then?" She wondered aloud.

"Because," He glanced up at the stars, then down to his side at Hinata, "I like you, Hinata-chan." He smiled down at her, but he could tell by the way she looked back at him that it wasn't the answer she was looking for.

She didn't say anything though, just stared at her feet as they walked. It was a few minutes before Naruto couldn't take the silence anymore and reached over to run his hand from the top of her head and down through her hair. He put his hand on her shoulder and pulled her towards him then and squeezed softly. Her shoulder was pressed against the top of his ribs. She giggled audibly, satisfying Naruto. His hand slid from her shoulder, down her back, and around to her hand, which he bumped softly with his own before grasping it gently. The two walked this way until they got to her street.

"So," He said finally as they approached Hinata's apartment, "Can I see you again?" The blonde fiddled with the collar of her kimono in order to get closer.

"I think so." She replied with a smile, looking up at him.

He kissed her then. It was too fast and it was a little awkward when he pulled away after one kiss and just looked at her. But then he went in again, slowly this time. As they both took the time to become accustomed to the sensation, their mouths molded together. Hinata gave a sigh of contentment in between kisses and Naruto had to stop for a moment when he realized what that sound did to his insides.

In response to this new feeling, Naruto's lips traveled from her lips to her cheek, and from her cheek down to her neck as his left hand came up to cradle the back of her head. It was when he felt the Hyuga girl's body press firmly against his suddenly, that he brought his lips back up to hers for one last kiss.

"I think we should take this slow, Hinata-chan." Naruto said, taking a step back and rubbing his face. He was trying not to make it obvious that he was sweating.

"That's easy for you to say," She laughed, "You only started liking me after what happened in Suna. Yet, I've liked you since I first met you."

Naruto let out a sigh of discontentment, "Why was I so dumb back then?"

"Well actually," She took his hand and kissed it, "You were dumb up until four days ago." The sly smile on her face caused Naruto to stare at her in awe for a moment.

"You keep surprising me, Hinata-chan. I thought I knew you, but I'm realizing recently that I'm only just now getting to know who you are." He smiled sincerely.

Hinata's face lit up at this, "I hope you can continue to get to know me better then." The raven-haired girl took a couple steps back and waved to him, "Goodnight, Naruto-kun. I'll see you soon."

With that, she disappeared into her apartment. As the door clicked behind her, she could hear the whoops and hollering that emitted from the boy outside her apartment.

"Yes!" She heard as she pressed her ear against the door to listen closely, "I kissed Hinata-chan!"

The Hyuga girl smiled and made her way up the stairs and into her bedroom where she meandered over to the balcony doors. She slowly pulled them open to peek out into the darkness. All she saw, however, was Naruto's form making its way across the rooftops towards his home.

Hinata eased the doors shut and immediately flung herself onto the bed.

"Oh my Kami." She whispered into the sheets.

Naruto kissed her. Naruto kissed her. Naruto kissed her!

She forced herself off the bed, bouncing with each step she took toward her closet. She began undressing out of the uncomfortable kimono she wore, and putting on her pajamas.

The kiss, she thought, had been exactly as she could have hoped. The spark she had felt was completely undeniable. And hopefully, by the way Naruto had reacted, he felt it too. She hoped maybe next time they kissed, he would find the opportunity to slip his tongue in her mouth. Then she stopped what she was doing.

There would be a next time, she realized. There would be many kisses to come, after all, they were technically dating. She was not yet his girlfriend, but if dates were being planned; they were dating.

With a squeal, she slipped the remaining garments of her kimono off. She thought back to the kiss again and how he had moved across her cheek and down to her neck. A kiss on the lips was one thing, but she knew that a kiss on the neck meant something else. Or at least she had heard that from Ino. For a moment, she imagined Naruto continuing his kissing on a straight path downwards. A familiar tingle of excitement rose within the base of her stomach. But she realized that as the Naruto in her imagination got lower, so did the tingling.

Hinata's blushed when she found herself reaching down to accommodate the feeling. But she simply shook her head to herself and decided to call it a night as she crawled under the covers.

As the Hyuga girl laid down for bed, a familiar blonde shinobi was having feelings similar to hers and was, in that moment, reaching down under his sheets.

Sorry this one took so long. I also don't really like this chapter. eh.

Not sure how I feel about the ending. i mean that's how i wanted it to end but idunno how that's gonna fly with everyone else who reads this

but whatever

i'll try to be faster with the next chapter :)

and as always, thanks for reading