I've Known for a While

It was dark out, there where two Shinobi making camp on the border of fire country.

The male of the two a blonde 20 year old Jonin, wearing a black jumpsuit with an orange spiral on either shoulder, covered by a green flack jacket was stoking the fire that he sat in front of. Every so often he would turn his gaze to his companion.

Across from him sat a dark haired Konoichi. She was garbed in a lavender jacket and black pants. Her long hair cascading down her back, some of it falling in her eyes as she looked down into the fire fidgeting with her fingers.

She was silently berating herself for keeping quiet, growing hopeful every time she saw the blonde male look over at her out of her peripheral vision. Her hope getting dashed every time that he looked back to the fire.

She was cold though, despite the fire that her friend had going she felt in involuntary shudder. She hoped that he wouldn't notice and grow concerned.

Unfortunately he did notice. She looked up across the fire to see that he was no longer sitting there. Wondering how he had slipped away she considered activating her bloodline only to feel a blanket being rested on her shoulders.

"Here you are, Hinata. I hope this helps, I had no idea how cold it would be," said Naruto sheepishly plopping down next to her. "I didn't pack much for the mission for warmth."

"Thank you Naruto-kun," she said quietly.

Naruto shivered slightly and Hinata seeing this thought about giving the blanket back to him, after all it was his only one.

Naruto saw the look of concern in her eye and quickly grinned scratching the back of his head, "No, don't worry about me, Hinata. I'll be fine."

Hinata's mind was going in overdrive, even though he offered the blanket to her and refused to take it back, she didn't want him to be sick or cold. She knew that he would never take it back though; he was too nice a person to let someone else be cold while he got warm. She came up with a solution, and even though she wanted to say it, her mouth was putting up a lot of difficulty in allowing it. All she managed was, "ano."

"Hmm?" muttered Naruto looking to the girl next to him, "you say something, Hinata?"

She had to do something, Naruto was staring at her and she still kept quiet for a moment. Finally she bolstered enough courage to say, "ano, w-we could s-share the blanket," thought very quietly, so that if Naruto was any further from her he would never had heard her.

He did hear, and she was thankful that she didn't have to repeat it. He smiled, "you sure, Hinata?"

She only nodded mutely.

Naruto pulled the blanket from her and drew her close to him, causing her to go beet red, before throwing it over the both of them.

They sat in silence for a while after that, and Naruto spoke, "Hinata I have something to tell you."

She looked at him blushing, and even though she felt foolish doing so, growing hopeful, "what is it Naruto-kun?"

He sighed, "I know, I've known for a while actually."

"Know what?" she asked barely daring to draw breath.

He looked into her eyes, "I know that you like me."

"You know? How?" she asked forgetting herself.

He smiled, "so it is true. You do like me then?"

She blushed deeper, and figuring herself caught, "Hai." She thought about what he said, "what do you mean that you've known for a while?"

He chuckled, "I mean just that. I'm not as dense as people think me to be. I sort of guessed back when we where still Genin, during the Chunin exams."

She was flabbergasted, "that long? W-why have you said nothing until now?" realization dawned, "you don't feel the same way then, do you?"

He panicked, "no it's not that, I think that I may like you too, it's just..." he trailed off before he continued. "There was so much that happened back then. When I met you before my fight with Neji, I think that is when it crystallized for me. You where always kind to me, and always helpful. I was in a rush though, I had every intention to talk to you afterwards but then, well you know what happened, the attack kinda threw that off."

He sighed and Hinata remained silent processing what he was telling her. He continued, seeming to want to explain, "The old man was killed, and then I went on that mission to find Tsunade, at that point I found that the Akatsuki where after me and Jiriaya was going to take me away for a while and I felt it unfair to you that I should start anything while my life was so unstable. Plus maybe if I didn't do anything you might find someone else, someone more deserving of you."

"Naruto-kun," she started.

Naruto interrupted, "Please, Hinata let me finish. I've been thinking about this for a while now." she nodded and stayed quiet, "plus the fact that I have a demon sealed in me. I was just an orphan with a demon while you; you are the heiress of the most prestigious clan in the village. I am sorry if I am being selfish now, but I had to let you know. Hell, that's why I requested that you where on this mission with me."

"You requested me?" she repeated.

"Yeah, this is such a simple mission; it does not need two Jonin. But I resolved myself to let you know. Even if nothing can come of it, I know that you must have something set up. There must be some kind of marriage prospect by now, considering the clan structures."

"Do you mean like an arranged marriage?" she asked, and Naruto nodded. "Well to be honest with you, there was one."

Naruto's heart sank, "I thought so. Again I am sorry for bringing this up, Hinata."

She shook her head, "I said there was one and it was set up before I was even born when it became apparent that I would be a girl. But that was nullified when something happened; the other supposedly lost his life, along with his parents, when the Kyuubi attacked." Naruto stayed silent as she continued, "and you're wrong about another thing. My father knows that I like you, and he approves for various reasons."

"What?" he asked, "why would he, I'm just a…"

She shook her head, "no, Naruto-kun, you where at one point considered 'just an orphan'. But that's not the case anymore is it? You are a Jonin of the village, favored to be Rokudaime. And it has become apparent to most everyone that you are not the demon, but you protect us from it everyday. And I found that the man that I was to marry when I got older was the son of the Yondaime."

Naruto's eyes widened, "you mean?"

Hinata nodded, "but that is a life that has past, it is no longer valid as the agreement between our parents was never finalized. That may be another reason my father approves, consider it fate."

Naruto smiled, "you know how I feel about fate."

"Yes, but this wasn't forced on us. It still isn't and won't be," she said quickly. "Maybe the better word for this is 'coincidence' you know?"

"Yeah, this is one hell of a coincidence," Naruto laughed. He then looked over at her again, "you know, Hinata, this is the longest you've ever spoken to me in one go."

She blushed, "well I have been trying to work up the courage to let you know how I feel. Now that you've done that I feel like a weight is lifted off of my shoulders."

"That's good," Naruto said, "then maybe you will stay awake for me to do this."

She turned a bit darker red, "what?"

Naruto pulled her closer and gently kissed her forehead, "maybe we can go out sometime? You know when we get back home?"

Hinata was speechless, this mission was a dream come true for her, and she hoped that she wouldn't wake from it. Mustering her resolve back, "hai, I'd love that Naruto-kun."

Authors note: this was just a small little one-shot as to how I hope the eventual true conversation with Naruto and Hinata goes. Let me know what you think, please review thanks. I may be starting a story with the one shot as first chapter.