Chapter 4

Sex

It was a fine afternoon in the middle of June. The birds were chirping, there was a slight breeze that made the ever growing heat bearable, and above all else, Hinata, Sakura, Temari, and Ino all had a day off. They girls had gotten together for lunch, to catch up on what was going on in their lives, and gossip about those who weren't around.

"It's just like Tenten to ditch us when we all have a day off," Ino complained.

"Give her a break," Temari defended, "So she wants to spend her day with Neji, who cares?"

"I do! I miss her!"

"We all do," Sakura said, "but I get it…she wants to see her boyfriend."

Ino sighed, loudly, "She sees him every day! They're on the same team! They only go on missions together!"

"But missions are work," Temari told her, "and seeing your boyfriend at home is way different than seeing him while on a job."

"I guess you're right." Ino gave up, "but I was looking forward to seeing her."

Hinata was quiet in the corner of the booth they were in. She was hoping to see Tenten today as well, but not for the same reasons as her other friends. She had many questions for the weapons mistress that the other girls probably couldn't answer, and if they could, they'd make her feel weird about it.

"You're awfully quiet today future Mrs. Uzumaki," Ino giggled at her own joke, "trouble in paradise?"

Hinata blushed. She and Naruto were not engaged…yet, but Ino and probably everyone else in the village was convinced that it was going to happen soon. Sometimes she wondered if her friends knew something she didn't.

"No, I'm fine," she answered, "just a little tired is all."

Ino wiggled her eyebrows and teased, "oooh! Naruto keep you up all night?"

"N-no…" Hinata blushed again, knowing full well what Ino was referring to.

Sakura laughed, "it's okay Hinata, you don't need to be ashamed. It's what girls do, we talk about that stuff. We've all done it."

Hinata looked down. Ashamed, and embarrassed that she was the only one that hasn't done it yet.

Temari was the first to realize her hesitation to continue to conversation, "Wait…you and Naruto have done it…right?"

Hinata looked away again.

"What!?" Ino yelled, "seriously!?"

"We were waiting for the right time," she tried to defend herself.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Temari agreed, "but if you don't mind my asking, why have you waiting this long? You and Naruto have been together for years, I'm sure that time would have happened by now, what's stopped you?"

Hinata hesitated to answer. She just wanted to talk to Tenten…not the other girls. Tenten wouldn't ask her all these questions. "I don't know how," she finally said.

Sakura and Ino laughed, then the pinkette reassured, "don't worry about Hinata, nobody knows how to at first. It's okay."

"Sorry, but I really just want to talk to Tenten about this…" Hinata mumbled.

The other girls laughed again, "why? It's not like she's going to be an expert…Neji's a prude."

Hinata had to laugh at their inaccurate assumption.

"What?" Ino questioned, "why's that funny."

"Neji's room is right down the hall from mine…their not exactly quiet and the walls aren't sound proof." She rolled her eyes, irritated with the entirety of the situation.

They stared at the Hyuga girl in disbelief.

"Go Neji." Ino raised her eyebrows, shocked.

"It can't be that often though," Sakura tried to get over her initial shock, "they're, like, always busy on missions and stuff. How do they even have time?"

"Trust me, they have time," Hinata yawned.

"So that's why you're so tired," Temari teased.

"Gross," said Sakura.

They were quiet while they waited for their food to arrive at the table until someone said, "Hey guys, sorry I'm late." They all looked up to see Tenten slide into the booth.

"We thought you weren't coming," Ino glared.

"Yeah, because you wanted to see your boyfriend," Sakura added.

She waved them off, "I see Neji all the time. I can spend one day away from him."

"Then why are you late?" Temari asked.

"Because he wouldn't let me leave," Tenten expressed her annoyance by pulling down her collar to reveal a fresh love bite.

"Sounds like Neji needs to relax a little," Ino stared. "Hinata needs to sleep sometime."

Tenten stared at the blond in disbelief, then to Hinata. The look in Hinata's eyes told her that Ino's statement was true. She could feel her cheeks heating up, "Oh my god, Hinata I'm so sorry!" She was only a little ashamed, she didn't get embarrassed about this stuff…her and Neji have done it in some pretty strange, pretty public places and have been caught by many different people. But she did feel bad.

"Can we talk?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah, of course," Tenten replied following Hinata out of the restaurant and down the street to the park. They took a seat on a bench away from the ears of curious children.

Tenten was ready to apologize and beg for forgiveness for being so selfish and not thinking of the people around them while she and Neji were together. "I'm so sorry Hinata, I'll tell Neji to cool it."

"No, you don't have to do that. I don't even notice it anymore to be honest."

"Oh," Tenten sat back, "then what's up?"

"Does it hurt?"

"What do you mean?" She asked confused, then she understood, "sex?"

Hinata nodded.

"So you and Naruto still haven't…?"

"No, we haven't…but I want to, and he wants to. I just don't know how."

Tenten smiled softly. "That's okay, Hinata."

Hinata waited for Tenten to say something along the lines of, 'nobody knows how to at first,' but she didn't say that.

"To be honest, it's weird at first. It's awkward and dirty and doesn't really feel that good. There's a lot of fumbling around and trying to figure out what each other likes, but once you get over all that, which might take a few times, it's nice. Have you and Naruto talked about it at all?"

Hinata nodded, "yeah, a few times. For a while we were going to wait until we got married, but then we decided that that was stupid, because we love each other. We almost did it a few times, but I chickened out. Then we tried planning it out and that didn't work…"

Tenten grinned, "no, planning it doesn't work…even now, if Neji and try to plan it, it's not the same. It's gotta be an in the moment thing. Why did you chicken out? Did it not feel like the right time for you?"

"No, they all felt like the right time. I just got scared."

"I'd tell you to just get over it, but that wouldn't help because sex is a big step in a relationship. It's not just a do it and get it over with kind of thing for most people, especially for girls, because we usually want more. Like I said, the first time sucks, but I love Neji and I'm glad our first time was with each other, because we were able to grow together and discover so much more about each other through that intimacy. Sex strengthened our relationship romantically, and on the battle field believe it or not. We're able to read each other better, we always know what the other's thinking and it's just nice to feel that close to someone when I wake up from a nightmare."

Hinata smiled. She loves Naruto just as much as Tenten loves Neji, and she wants to share those exact things with the one she loves.

"I hope that helps a little," Tenten said standing up to stretch.

"Yeah, it does. Thank you Tenten."

We should probably go back and pay for our food," Tenten giggled. "Oh and, one more thing. It's okay to be scared. Naruto will take care of you. He loves you."

Yes. Naruto loves Hinata, and she loves him. And Hinata was no longer scared to take that next step in their relationship.