This is an extremely rushed fic to make the deadline for the Valentine's Day contest for the NaruHina fc. I don't think I've ever written a fic quite this fluffy, but NaruHina tends to bring that out, I think. Anyway, enjoy; and of course I don't own Naruto or any of it characters, etc.
Omph!
Naruto looked down to notice that he had knocked into someone in his hurried stride.
"Oh, sorry, Hinata! Hey, are you Ok?!" Naruto asked loudly as he reached out a hand to help her back up.
"Y-yes, I'm fine. I'm s-sorry, I didn't mean to…mean to, be in your way," Hinata answered in her usual timid nature. But Naruto was already looking ahead in the direction he had been running.
Turning back to face her, Naruto replied, "I'm glad you're Ok. But I have to run. See you later!" And giving a cheerful wave, that was that.
Hinata watched as Naruto grew farther and farther away down the street, when she resolved not to lose this opportunity. She had tried to get Naruto's attention and had stepped in his path on purpose to slow him down. Unfortunately that hadn't worked so well, but she had to do it before he was too far and she might not run into him again the rest of the day.
"Wait," she called softly in Naruto's direction. "Wait," she called again, a little louder. But Naruto just kept running further from her. "Wait!!" Hinata cry pierced the air as she had taken off to catch up with the object of her long affection, her hand reaching out in his direction.
Naruto slid to a halt and turned back to see Hinata running after him. 'I wonder what she wants,' he thought to himself, puzzled. "What is it Hinata? You see, I'm in kinda a hurry-"
"Today is Valentine's Day," she interrupted. "And…and I was wondering…wondering if," she paused. Reaching into her jacket pocket, she clasped the bundle for comfort and courage. She looked up to find Naruto staring at her, waiting for her to finish her sentence.
Taking in a deep breath, it all felt like slow motion to her. Pulling the wrapped package from her pocket and extending it to Naruto, Hinata quickly finished, "I was wondering if you'd accept these chocolates from me." She immediately looked down to the ground and hoped she'd feel the treats being taken from her.
When seconds past and nothing happened, she snapped her head back up, expecting to find Naruto looking disgusted, or even gone.
Well, he didn't look disgusted. But Naruto didn't look happy either. Confused, maybe. But before Hinata could do or say anything else, Naruto grabbed the chocolates from her still extended hand, and ran off, calling back with some apology but that he had somewhere important to be.
Hinata's shoulders slumped in defeat. If Naruto didn't give any signs of possibly returning her feelings on Valentine's Day, then she should probably just give up hope that he would ever view her that way.
No, that's not the right attitude to have. Naruto wouldn't give up after one try. So neither would Hinata…although maybe try working on becoming closer friends first, then maybe Naruto would consider her…Yes, no reason to completely give up hope. Just…no high expectations for a while. Yes…
After wandering the streets of Konoha for some time, and finally feeling able to keep her composure around others, Hinata began tracing her steps home. Her team had no missions that day, and they had finished their training already that morning. It seemed Kurenai wished to be alone the rest of the day, although their teacher wouldn't vocalize it.
Hinata had felt such sorrow and compassion for her sensei, for her loss. Hinata refused to feel sorry for herself now, it wouldn't be right. The love ofher life was still alive and well in the world. If only she came up on the radar on his. But that was her own fault, her own stupid shyness to blame.
'No,' Hinata's own thoughts interrupted, 'I'm just going to be grateful I was able to give him the chocolates I had made, hope he likes them, and not feel disappointed just because he wasn't excited to receive them. I'll just go about the rest of my day like normal. If anything, I should be feeling sorry for Kurenai and anyone else who's lost someone important. That's a lot more to go through than a simple rejection'
Hinata released a small sigh as the gates to the Hyuuga complex rose up in front of her. Almost a symbol of her everyday imprisonment by her own shortcomings. But Hinata refused to shrink back. No, not this time. She will work even harder until she becomes someone who would make him proud, someone she herself can confidently be. That was what he had taught her by his own example.
Pulling together all her strength, courage, and determination, her face flushed with perseverance, Hinata steadily pushed open the front gates and marched directly to one of the training grounds within the complex.
--
Naruto lay awake in his bedroom, staring at the ceiling relentlessly staring back at him. The neatly packaged bundle from Hinata still sitting where he had left it on his dresser. Carelessly throwing the covers off of him, Naruto got up and walked over to the furniture, and gawked at it in intense concentration.
He thought back to the academy days, when he'd seen all the girls in the class give similar bundles to Sasuke around this time of year. But what did it mean?
Well, clearly all the girls had liked Sasuke. Does that mean that Hinata, that Hinata…him?
'Nah, it can't be that.' Naruto shook his head in disbelief. '…Can it? No, it must be something else.' But now he had to know for sure.
Knowing he wouldn't be able to fall asleep otherwise, Naruto set out to find an answer. He ran swiftly from rooftop to rooftop, enjoying the cool night air, and landed softly in front of the main gates to the Hyuuga complex.
He certainly couldn't just walk in the front door. Maybe he could climb over one of the walls toward the back. Naruto knew it would look suspicious sneaking into the place late at night, especially visiting a daughter of the Main House. Although the element of mischief only added to the appeal rather than dissuading him from his objective.
Naruto deftly leaped onto the high wall surrounding the place, landing in a crouched position to survey the surroundings.
But then again, what if Hinata got into trouble? He definitely didn't want that. She was too nice for him to bring down with his typical trouble-making. Remaining crouched, Naruto crossed his arms and scrunched his face in indecision. Should he, or shouldn't he? That was a good question.
He did come all the way here already, so might as well rather than going back empty handed. But what if he made Hinata mad or something? That wouldn't be good. Staying on the fence of a decision, a loud clatter of a cat knocking over a few garbage cans sent Naruto falling over the other side.
Arms flailing, Naruto landed with a thump. Jumping to his feet quickly, he immediately surveyed for any detection of his landing. His face lit with shock discovering that Hinata, sitting not too far away, had witnessed it all.
"Hey, Hinata!" Naruto called and waved casually to her, as if nothing suspicious – or embarrassing – had just happened. Hinata hesitantly waved back, unsure of what to make of the situation, or to even venture a guess as to what Naruto was doing here.
She tried to hide the fact that she was out of breath and very sweaty when he jogged over to her. It was pretty dark, hopefully he wouldn't notice her less than attractive appearance, she silently prayed…not that she normally thought of herself as attractive.
"So, what are you doing out here, Hinata, it's pretty late?" Naruto asked inquisitively.
"Just training, that's all," she replied quickly. "Um…wh-what are you doing here?" she asked, both confused and comforted by his flippant attitude toward the odd situation.
"Oh, right, why I'm here," he started in reply. "You see, I had…a question for you."
"A question…for me?" Hinata asked, growing a little nervous.
"Yeah, I wanted to know why you gave me those chocolates today," he blurted out. "Was there a reason you did that?"
"A-a reason I did that?" she repeated back to him.
"Yeah, you know, like is there a special meaning behind girls giving guys chocolates around this time of year?" he asked innocently.
'Can he really not know?' Hinata blanched at the thought. 'He really can't be that dense…can he?'
"It's not that you like me or anything, right? I mean, in that way," Naruto continued rambling, oblivious to his companions increasingly pale complexion, which soon turned red with the conclusion of his latest implication.
'It looks like I really have to say it,' Hinata realized. 'Am I ready for this? Can I really say how I feel to him? After all this time, am I really going to say it?'
"Because there's no way you or any girl actually likes me. I've pretty much given up hope on that. I'm just not cool, and that seems to be what girls go for. Besides, people always seemed to get annoyed by me. So you just did that to be nice, that's-"
"I'm in love with you, Naruto-kun!" she blurted out, interrupting his rambling before he could go any further.
Naruto brought his meandering focus back onto Hinata. Even he couldn't miss the cute blush that had settled onto her cheeks as she glanced slightly away from his gaze.
"Hinata…you?" was all Naruto could manage in his sincere shock at the revelation.
"It's ok if you don't feel the same, I understand. I've been working so hard since you left Konoha to make myself someone you would want to get to know better. No, I shouldn't put it that way, I did it for myself. But I was always thinking of you and what you would think of me the whole time. I've been trying to work up the courage to tell you. I've loved you for a long time, and even if you don't feel the same, I'm just glad I was finally able to tell you." Hinata found it came out easier the second time she said it. Like inside her was a stretched balloon that with the first small prick, all the air was finally able to rush out. Although she still couldn't quite look Naruto in the eye.
"Wow," Naruto spoke. "Really?" he asked credulously. He still couldn't quite believe it.
The timid smile that touched Hinata's lips was all the more Naruto needed to be convinced. She wasn't making some kind of joke or mocking him. Someone really loved him. And it felt great!
"Wait," he finally ventured hesitantly. Her smile started to fade at his questioning look. "Why?" he asked her sincerely. "You're an amazing person. Here you are training late which is awesome, you've got this cool bloodline. Not only that, but you're pretty and the nicest person I know!"
Hinata felt the warmth of his compliments wash over her completely. He thought she was amazing! She wanted to store this treasure of a moment, that she almost forgot that he had asked her a question.
"Oh," she started, coming out of her reverie. "Because…because, you're everything I wanted to be," Hinata answered honestly. "And when I'm around you, I feel like I can accomplish anything. But even besides that, I like being around you. I don't find you annoying, I envy your carefree nature. Your strength of spirit is incredible," Hinata finished with an even greater blush. "I want to be…with you." She almost felt dizzy from the high she was experiencing from the whole encounter; she should have done this a long time ago.
And the warm smile he was giving her now, Hinata could die happy thinking of it.
"I…I see," Naruto replied contemplatively. After a few moments of silence passing awkwardly between them, he started to explain, "I'm sorry about this morning. I had to meet Sakura-chan and I wanted to make sure I wasn't late."
"No, I understand," Hinata conceded meekly.
Naruto continued, "Because Sakura-chan had told me very clearly last night that I better not hold up our mission this morning so she could spend the rest of the day with Sasuke. You don't understand how scary she can be. So that's why I ran off this morning."
"Oh…"
"And I didn't want you to think I didn't like your present. I was…just surprised, but I had to go right away. I hope you understand."
Hinata nodded that she did, feeling more hopeful again.
"The thing is, I…never really thought of you that way. I mean, you're amazing, but…I dunno," Naruto rambled a little uncomfortably.
"I-it's ok, really," Hinata replied, her heart sinking. "I didn't expect-"
"But now that I know…would you like to go get ramen sometime? I don't know a lot about you, but I want to change that," Naruto concluded with a wide grin and a thumbs up.
Hinata smiled back, gladly accepting the request.
"Well, I should get going," Naruto suggested as he turned to start making his way back toward the wall. Twisting back to face Hinata as he continued walking, he explained, "before I get caught sneaking in here and get you in-Ahh!" he cried out as he tripped over a tree root.
Hinata with a gasp, having noticed the potential hazard before Naruto's foot got caught, leaped forward and reached out to catch his hand before he fell. Unfortunately it was too late and his weight was already shifted too far forward, and Naruto ended up pulling Hinata down with him instead.
Before she realized it, Hinata was stretched out flat…and on top of Naruto. And on top ofthat, she had felt something on her lips as they were falling through the air. Could it have been…no…
"Hinata?! Are you Ok? I didn't mean to-" Naruto trailed off when he noticed Hinata had passed out on top of him. Having a few minutes to himself, he reached his hand up and touched his lips. 'I think…I think I accidentally kissed her.'
--
Hinata came back to consciousness a few minutes later. And after an awkward good night, lots of shared embarrassment, and an anticipation of what could come, they each went to sleep with a feeling of being exactly where they belonged.