Disclaiming: I do not own Naruto. Thinking of expanding this into an actual story instead of a oneshot. Let me know your thoughts on that. Enjoy!

Hyuuga Hinata glanced around the table at the Shinobi who surrounded her. Passing civilians could see the group, consisting of Shikamaru, Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, Ino, Choji, Lee, Kiba, TenTen, Neji and Shino, all enjoying a delicious dinner at Ramen Ichiraku on the warm yet breezy summer evening. A congestion of emotions swelled up within her petite frame. Joy, pride, hope and love were only a few of the feelings she felt towards her comrades and friends. Laughter erupted from her former teammate Kiba, as the Inuzuka watched Choji savagely down a number of dumplings along a bowl of Ramen.

"Baka! The food's not going anywhere Choji-kun." Scolded Ino, long blonde hair falling across her face as she abruptly turned towards the young man. It was obvious to everyone that there was no real reprimand in her words, considering the teasing smile that graced her pretty face. Nevertheless, Choji slowed down and smiled sheepishly at his former teammate, the adoration clear in his eyes.

Over the years, Ino's silly infatuation with Sasuke, the handsome and brooding dark haired male that sat across from them had all but vanished. It was due to a combination of maturing and life experiences that enabled her to truly see what mattered most to her. Choji, who had been teased mercilessly as a child in their young days in the Academy, had lost so much of his weight during the Fourth Shinoni World War when contributing to the Allied Shinobi Forces, that his confidence, which had been lacking for most of his childhood and early adolescence had been restored after the war was won. Although still robust and huge, his build was mostly muscle. His bond with Ino only grew stronger after the war and she began to realize she'd taken his kind heart for granted. It was no surprise, after several month of courting from Choji, thanks to his new found self-assurance, that the two became a couple. One could often find Ino scolding him on his eating habits while he'd counter about her gossip habits. They were a cute sight for all and good looking couple, Choji standing hulky and strong beside the slim and sensuous Ino.

Everyone watched the couple with amusement as they bickered lovingly to each other. Hinata truly adored them all and was thankful she'd been blessed with such genuine friendship, despite the fact that it had not always been the case. Each individual's character was so distinctly different that only time and years of fighting alongside one another created the bonds. Hyuuga Hinata had always been timid, reserved and quiet; one of the reasons for that was a result of being overshadowed by her younger sister, Hyuuga Hanabi.

Hinata, to the distaste of her stern father had been much too weak to carry the name of the Hyuuga family. Therefore, he made her younger sister the heiress to the clan, focusing on her training instead. Devastated and shattered, Hinata struggled for several years with her self-worth and self-reliance. She remained extremely shy, often stammering when overwhelmed, or altogether silent around individuals she was not accustomed to. She often only spoke when absolutely necessary in certain cases or only to her former teammates, Shino and Kiba, whom she loved like brothers. The significant change only began to happen when Naruto, the boy she'd loved since she could remember, cheered her on and made it obvious he believed in her; as a result, despite never losing her shyness, Hinata became a hardworking Shinobi who never gave up on herself or her team. After many years her father, Hyuuga Hiashi became self-aware of his cold behaviour and worked on fixing the brokenness in their family. Eventually, Hinata regained her position as the Hyuuga heiress as her father learned to value her skills and built a relationship with her.

The thought of Naruto forced Hinata to glance at him. Over the years, he'd grown into himself and was very handsome. Much taller than he was two years ago during the Shinobi War, Naruto significantly towered over her petite frame. His shoulders, due to continuous training were also much broader, yet his frame remained lean and strong. His face had lost its childlike appearance and his features had matured into that of a nineteen year old young man. His blonde hair, which had once upon a time spiked messily about, was now cut short in a way that complimented his cheek bones and jawline. He was a favorite amongst the Konoha women. Young girls often sending him gifts and love letters, which he accepted with baffled and somewhat uncomfortable surprise; a drastic change from how he'd been treated as a child in the Leaf village and before he'd become a War hero. Watching his blonde hair framed above his metal forehead protector, eyes blue as ever, and scarred cheeks shifting due to his trademark grin, Hinata noticed Naruto whispering something, in her mind was no doubt inappropriate, to Sasuke, who merely nodded in silent agreement, a ghost of a smile disappearing almost as instantly as it'd appeared.

Naruto had never lost his easy grin, genuine acts, loyalty and kindness. However, he wasn't as loud mouthed or obnoxious anymore. He was often composed and examined his thoughts before expressing them; although it was always the case that he never held back from stating his sincere opinion.

The war had been tedious for every single one of them, and although Konoha had regained a peaceful status, they would all carry a broken piece within themselves for the rest of their lives. Learning from previous mistakes, they worked on improving their juvenile traits that came in between their relationships with others. Naruto specifically, had lost his unnecessary brashness, mood swings and inattentiveness. What he hadn't lost, however, was his overconfidence, which Hinata always found amazing, although everyone else at the time found annoying. She'd looked up to Naruto for years and admired the fact that he believed in himself when nobody else did; when the entire village frowned upon him and saw him as nothing more than a vessel carrier to the Nine-Tailed Beast. He'd never given up, proving everyone wrong, and saved lives during the Akatsuki attack, as well as over the years. He was now their hero and next-expected Hokage. He exuded confidence in everything he did and unlike his childhood days, everyone was drawn to his charisma. What Naruto didn't know, was that Hinata always believed he'd be Hokage from the moment he vowed it.

The Uzumaki caught Hinata's eyes on him and she blushed furiously, looking down at her bowl of ramen.

"Any more orders of ramen?" Teuchi, the longtime restaurant owner questioned brightly, gaining everyone's attention.

"That will be all Teuchi-san. Thank you for another great night of ramen." Naruto replied kindly.

"It's always a great night for you when ramen is involved." Saruka joked and everyone laughed knowingly. Naruto grinned at her, shaking his head.

The rest of the group expressed their gratitude as well, all full and happy. To Hinata's disappointment however, the long outing with her friends, filled with chatter, dares, jokes and reminiscing came to an end. They hardly found the time for a group-outing considering several of them were often on different missions or had recently become sensei to a new team they had to train at the academy.

"Where's everyone heading so we can coordinate who goes with who." Ino asked the group, as they stood out in the busy streets of Konoha. During summer, you could still find large crowds enjoying late night festivities.

With a well-known speed, Lee was beside Sakura within seconds.

"I'll walk you Sakura!" the Taijutsu expert offered eagerly.

"Lee, you practically live on the opposite side of the Leaf." Sakura pointed out.

Everyone laughed.

"Not a problem. My youth is strong within me!" he stated with dramatic excitement, as usual.

"Okay…" she dragged uncertainly.

"It would be my honour." He replied keenly.

Sakura instantly looked to Sasuke with pleading eyes; silently asking him to help her.

"I'll be joining you and Sakura on that walk." The Uchiha subsequently stated in order to please her; a blank expression on his handsome face.

Lee didn't like the turn of events, wanting to spend time with Sakura alone.

"Fine." He murmured, refusing to back down.

The three walked away together, waving goodbye to the rest of the group.

"Well, that will be an interesting walk." TenTen stated, earning chuckled agreements from her remaining friends.

Choji, arms wrapped around Ino's waist declared they'd be leaving together. Once she'd hugged Hinata and the other girls, she eagerly returned to Choji and they left together.

"I guess…" Hinata timidly started, yet faltered when she noticed everyone's gaze, including Naruto's, was directed towards her.

"Hinata-Chan?" Kiba prompted.

"I meant…I guess I'll be going back to the Hyuuga Palace with you Neji nii-san." She continued, glancing at her cousin.

Neji, however, quickly looked at TenTen. The weapon master returned a look only they understood. Her cousin, in his usually stoic expression then replied, "Actually, TenTen and I have plans."

"Oh." Was all Hinata could muster.

"Sorry, we should have mentioned it earlier." TenTen said apologetically.

"It's no worry at all. Have fun!" Hinata quickly emphasized, meaning it.

The rest of the group smiled smugly as Neji and TenTen left, walking so close together that their shoulders were touching.

"I have to meet someone at the Park. What a drag." Shikamaru complained, but nonetheless began walking in that direction, and lazily waved at his friends.

"Tell us all about it tomorrow, if you know what I mean." Kiba teased, evidently knowing the secret person whom the genius was meeting because he'd heard a certain shinobi from the Sand village was in town to report a message to Kakashi, who was now the Hokage. Alongside him, Akamaru barked what was probably laughter. Kiba seemed glad someone shared his humour.

"Tsk." Shino shook his head and quietly walked away, waving goodbye at the remaining individuals. No one commented on his silence or lack of explanation to where he was going, as they were all accustomed to his strange behaviour.

"Alright then, Akamaru and I are going for an exciting run in the woods. Hana-chan will probably join us. The breeze feels amazing tonight so we can't let such a weather go to waste." Kiba stated excitedly, his sharp canines visible through his grin, "you know?"

Neither Hinata or Naruto "knew," or understood the Inuzuka's obsession with runs. However, they both nodded.

"Hinata-Chan." Kiba paused, "will you be fine walking back to the Hyuuga compound on your own?" he wanted to know.

She loved Kiba for being so considerate of her. He truly was the older brother she'd never had, aside from Neji. Smiling warmly she nodded.

"I know you're a capable Shinobi, but it's safer leaving in pairs or groups after a big outing. Coz, well, you never know." He continued, still concerned, which was understandable. When the group moved around in such a big crowd, it drew attention because they were all important Shinobi. Although Konoha had been peaceful since the War, they could never be too careful.

"I'll walk her." They both heard Naruto decide.

It suddenly became apparent to Hinata that she'd be left with him. She slowly became a bundle of nerves at the thought.

"Then it's settled. Naruto will walk you home." Kiba's teasing expression returned and he grinned mischievously, turning to the blonde young man, "but the night is still young. Maybe you should take her to the traditional dance performance taking place west of the Village."

"Does that sound interesting Hinata?" Naruto asked, pretending he didn't understand Kiba's intentions.

"Only if you'd like to go Naruto-Kun." She replied softly, staring at anything but him.

"Great! Have fun guys!" Kiba winked at Hinata, who blushed with embarrassment. Yes, she did indeed love Kiba, but she hated his merciless teasing when it came to her feelings for the Uzumaki. Naruto smiled smugly.

Once Kiba and Akamaru were completely out of sight; silence fell between both Shinobi. Naruto walked towards her until they stood face to face.

"Of course, we don't have to do what Kiba suggested. There're other places we could go." He pointed out.

A warming feeling spread through her as Hinata realized Naruto didn't mind spending the rest of the night with her. The last thing she wanted to do was return home to the Hyuuga palace. And yet, she found herself nervous being alone with him. This had not happened in years; they often moved around or sparred with their teammates.

"What do you have in mind?" she asked him.

His blue eyes held hers and her breath hitched.

"The Hokage Monument has a great view and it's one of my favorite places to go when I need to be alone." He explained.

Hinata was surprised Naruto would take her somewhere he went for solitude. Although they had maintained a good friendship throughout the years, he had never discussed what had happened during Nagato's attack. She had rushed in to save Naruto, unable to stand by while the Akatsuki had pinned her lover's hands and feet to the ground with chakra infested iron rods. The inhumane act and memory still made her stomach twist. It was an obvious fact that she stood no chance against Nagato; however, Naruto's fate had looked detrimental as he was unable to escape the metals that held his flesh to the ground. It was in that moment of life and death that she confessed her love, stunning the blonde Shinobi speechless. Although Naruto yelled desperately that she get away, Hinata was determined. Eventually, Naruto's rage opened up the Nine-Tailed seal and enabled him to break free of the bonds.

Unfortunately for Hinata, he'd never expressed what he thought about her confession long after the war. She'd waited patiently, believing Naruto was too busy helping rebuild Konoha. However, over a year after the war, he simply acted as though nothing had happened. This broke Hinata's heart. Shattered and hurt, Hinata could only assume that he didn't love her back. She convinced herself to move on, but was unable to. Therefore, she decided if being his friend was the best she would get, then she'd do the best she could at it.

"Hinata?" Naruto snapped the Hyuuga out of her thoughts.

"I'd like that too." She finally replied, agreeing to go to the Hokage Monument Mountain with Naruto.

He grinned at her, seeming pleased and all Hinata could do was smile bashfully. Their walk was met with several greetings from civilians. Many of which gazed at Naruto with admiration. A few girls demanded autographs from the handsome blonde, flirting and giggling continuously until he was done. Hinata stood silently during the entire ordeal, pretending it didn't bother her in the least. Naruto was either oblivious or decided he didn't care about the flirtatious remarks because he hardly responded to them, she happily realized. Once they were nearing the forest, the crowd decreased significantly. It became quieter and sounds of leaves ruffling as the wind danced through them could be heard.

"I always look forward to nights like these when we're all home and can catch up." Naruto suddenly voiced, breaking the silence.

"I do too." She replied quietly.

"I especially haven't seen you for some time Hinata." He remarked; sounding slightly disappointed about that; she wasn't sure if she'd imagined it.

"I see you around though. You're often at the Hokage head office with Tsunade-sama and Kakashi. Or at Ichiraku's. Other times you're either with Sasuke or Sai, usually sparring. You also visit Sakura at the hospital once in a while. And just the other day, I saw you with Konohamaru." It was the most Hinata had spoken to Naruto in a long time.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were actively spying on me Hinata." Naruto stated, glancing at the Hyuuga.

She blushed furiously at the claim.

"N-no it's not like that Naruto-kun. I just happen to-

He chuckled in amusement, interrupting her protests.

"I'm only joking Hinata. Of course you're observant. You have the Byakugan. I'm not surprised you know the whereabouts of others."

Hinata smiled in return, still embarrassed because there was truth to his initial claim. She always found herself thinking about the blonde Shinobi, wondering where he was and what he was doing, or quietly laughing to herself at a joke she'd heard him say recently or blushing to herself when she allowed her fantasies about him wonder.

"Are you upset Hinata?" he asked, noticing how she'd zoned out again.

"N-no, I'm not." She stuttered timidly.

They arrived the bottom of the Hokage monument hill and traveled up rapidly. Soon they stood at the top, the view of Konoha and the forest stretched before them, stars radiating brilliantly from above them and lights shone radiantly from the lively village below. He'd been right; the view was amazing. Naruto took a seat and Hinata followed suite.

"What I was getting at is I'm glad I finally get to see you and spend some time with you. Most of the time when we see each other, we don't talk much because it's either brief or we're with other people." Naruto explained, returning to the previous conversation.

Hinata realized he was right. However, she had never known he'd wanted quality time with her.

"Well, you're next in line to be Hokage after Kakashi-sensei, so things must be hectic for you." She pointed out.

"Yes. But Tsunade-sama has been very helpful with the transition. Even though we want to strangle each other sometimes, she's family to me." Hinata smiled at the fondness in his voice, "I also just returned from an S-rank mission with the ANBU." He added, his expression turning serious. Hinata understood. Most S-rank missions had that effect on Shinobi, because of how dangerous and tedious they were. There was almost always a guarantee of death during the operation. Hinata, naturally, had been very concerned the entire time he was gone. But, only very highly Shinobi were usually selected for those. However, it didn't change the fact that they were all humans and had to deal with the emotional aftermath.

"Well, you're home now. " Hinata reassured with a gentle smile; her hand instinctively reaching out to touch him, but quickly drawing back out of coyness. Naruto didn't miss the gesture however. He turned to Hinata, smiling softly at her and she returned one. For several moments, they kept their eyes to each other, until Hinata looked down, causing Naruto to snicker.

"What's funny?" Hinata wondered, smiling slightly.

"You are." He replied, chuckling further.

"Me?" she asked surprised, briefly catching eye contact with him.

"Well, it's hard to explain." He began, grinning at her and her heart skipped a beat, "but it's just ridiculous how I never noticed this before when we were growing up."

"Noticed what." She wondered innocently.

"This." Naruto emphasized, pointing at her and then him.

Hinata's expressed was a mixture of a frown and a smile, confused, yet amused.

"This." He whispered, pointing at the blush on her cheeks.

She understood, smiled timidly and looked away.

"I was an idiot. And I was oblivious. Every time I spoke to you and you'd shy away, I just thought you were quiet. And weird ."

"Weird?" she repeated, mortified.

Naruto laughed.

"Yes, weird, I admit. You were fainting all the time. And I thought it was strange that you barely spoke to me. You were always hiding from me. And why were you so-

"Naruto…I get it." Hinata interrupted gently.

"Sorry. My point is, it's ridiculous I never added the pieces together." He explained, "And that's what I think is funny. Not you exactly. But the whole situation."

"You were not an idiot Naruto-kun. I just never had the guts to tell you how much…" Hinata began but stopped.

They remained silent, stars shimmering from above them and the sound of crickets mingled the air.

Startled, Hinata felt warm hands settle on hers. She stared as his hands enveloped hers and fought to remain calm.

"Hinata." The tone in his voice changed; serious yet affectionate.

Her pale eyes fell on him, not trusting her voice to speak.

"You did tell me eventually, didn't you?" he spoke softly, "not only did you tell me you loved me, but you risked your life for me."

She remained silent.

"We both know I always had something to say. Even when I was told to shut up, I couldn't." He said, chuckling slightly and she smiled, "but you had me speechless in that moment; completely dumbstruck. And I wanted so desperately for you to leave and be safe. Why would you do that for me? And when Paine hurt you, I went blank."

Naruto's hand squeezed hers and she bit her lip, looking down.

"After being consumed by Kurama, I lost my memory. There were bits and pieces and somehow, I knew you'd been involved but the War started not long after and I couldn't dwell on those holes in my mind. It was several months after that the pieces slowly started to return. I haven't seen you a lot this past year, but every time I saw you, something would stir at the back of my mind. It all came back when Ino used her mind technique and helped open up parts of my memory that I had subconsciously decided to forget because of how traumatizing they were." He continued.

"Naruto-kun…if you remembered a year ago and decided to keep quiet about it…I g-get the message." She stuttered, the wound in her heart reopening at the memory.

"And what message do you think that is?"

"It doesn't take a genius like Shikamaru to figure out what the message is. And well…you never said you felt the same way since your memory returned." She replied, "And it's alright if y-you don't, we're friends now and I care about that."

Hinata felt Naruto shift closer to her, until their shoulders touched. Her breathing caught at the proximity. He gently placed his fingers on her cheek, causing her to shiver slightly at the touch and lifted her face up so she looked at him. Her heart raced at the forwardness of his eyes as they drank in every feature on her face. Without a word, Naruto crushed his lips to hers. Startled, Hinata pulled back and looked away, her heart pounding so loudly in her chest, it drummed in her head. He wasted no time in planting kisses on the side of her face instead, continuing down her neck and her eyes draped shut. Naruto's teeth grazed the delicate porcelain skin on her neck once his kisses deepened and she instinctively clutched his shoulder with her fingers, needing an anchor lest she fell backwards on the ground. He sucked onto her skin unapologetically. Hinata's other hand wrapped itself around his neck. She was in a confused state of shock and pleasure. When he bit her neck, a moan escaped her lips and she froze.

"S-s-sorry." She stuttered, blushing furiously and pulling away.

"No, don't apologize." He replied hoarsely, his arm quickly wrapping around her waist and drawing her back to him.

"Wait…"she said, pushing her hand against his chest.

Naruto immediately let go of her.

"I'm sorry. So sorry. Are you uncomfortable?" he asked, concern clouding his face. Perhaps his desire for her wasn't appropriate. After all, she was the heiress of the Hyuuga clan and Naruto was far from royalty. Maybe she didn't love him anymore? It had been three years of her waiting for a reply from him. Someone as stunning as herself could easily find someone else.

"N-no. I-I'm just s-surprised…I didn't expect this." She stammered, her heart was racing. Her mind in tangled wires.

"I'm sorry." He apologized again, "I needed you to understand that the reason I took so long isn't because I don't feel the same way."

Hinata simply stared at him, trying to process his words.

His took a deep breath and explained further, "Growing up as a jinchuriki was very hard. I was always pushed away by everyone. As a child, I couldn't understand why I was hated so much. People shunned away because I had the tailed beast; a decision that was never my own. So I became rebellious, always causing trouble. I wanted to hate everyone for hating me. But the truth is I was very lonely. I was seeking attention. With both my parents gone, I envied kids who were loved and surrounded by family." He looked down at the beautiful view of Konoha, "I constantly had to prove myself to others so they could accept me. I had to work harder to belong somewhere. Eventually, I found acceptance in team seven, but it took some time for Sakura and Sasuke to understand that behind my stubbornness and loudness was a lonely child. Kakashi-sensei seemed to know this from earlier on," returning his gaze to Hinata he continued, "but you, Hinata, were different from everyone else. I never had to work for your acceptance or your love. You just…loved me. Just like that. And that was impossible for me to understand for a very long time. I couldn't believe that someone would love me without having me do anything. I chased Sakura for years, thinking I was in love with her. But the truth is I mistook my denial of her rejection as love. And unfortunately, that's what I thought I had to do to be loved. For someone who had to work his entire life to get respect from Konoha and everyone they know, it just seemed impossible that you would respect, love and care about me without having me do anything to win you over. Hinata-chan, you're the most beautiful girl in the Leaf and the most amazing person I know. You're caring and kind. You're intelligent, and a strong Shinobi from an esteemed clan. Most people would say you're too good for me. That's why I didn't understand it when you said you loved me. I figured you meant that you loved me as a friend perhaps? I thought you would change your mind. I thought maybe it was said in the heat of the moment because I would die. I expected you would change your mind. And I didn't want to experience the disappointment when that happened. So I waited. That's why I've kept it to myself in the year since I remembered."

Hinata shook her head in disbelief.

"You thought my love for you was too good to be true? You think you're undeserving? That it couldn't be real?" she finally said once everything had sunken in. Her heart ached, because she knew too well what unworthiness felt like.

Naruto nodded.

"And because of that, I've wasted so much time; time we could have been together. When I realized your feelings weren't changing, it became clear to me how foolish I've been and how much I've probably hurt you and I don't know how to begin to apologize. But if you're still willing to be with me Hinata-chan, I promise, I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you."

The sincerity in his voice shook her. She had long accepted this moment would never happen and was unable to hold back the tears that watered her eyes. She had loved him for as long as she could remember and could finally bask in the fact that her heart hadn't given up, despite how many times she wished it had.

"Hinata?" he wondered at her glossy eyes, thinking that perhaps he had said something wrong yet again.

She shook her head 'no' at his unelaborated question, a genuine smile gracing her lips.

"Naruto-kun" she began, her voice shaking with emotion and eyes boring into one another, "I c-couldn't be happier. And of course I w-want to be with you. I love you. I never stopped."

His lips were returned to hers almost immediately after she'd spoken those words. She welcomed him this time, her heart threatening to break through the cage of her ribs. Naruto kissed her thoroughly, unable to hold back his craving any longer. His arms were quickly wrapped around her waist and hers around his neck, leaving no space between them. The feel of Hinata's body against Naruto left him wanting. He pushed into her mouth without permission and tasted her with his tongue, fervently suckling and exploring. Hinata's soft moan was enveloped by his lips and the sound went straight to his groin with precision. She was breathing hastily, face flushed as their tongues moved yearningly against each other. Abruptly, Naruto lifted her so she sat on his lap and wrapped her legs around his waist. Before she could react, he was in her mouth again, hand gripping her hair while the other held her waist. She shivered at the forwardness of his actions, kissing him back just as hard. Soon, she felt his hardness between her legs and was taken aback. Her brain could hardly believe they were in such a compromising position. Once Naruto sensed her awareness of his desire, he tightened his hold around her waist, keeping her against him in place and ground his hip into her. Hinata was stunned at the sharp pleasure that elicited from this action, momentarily halting their kiss and moaning into Naruto's ear. His grip tensed around her and he repeated the act, eyes narrowing at the sensation. As he continued his motion, Hinata's need overshadowed her shyness and she ground against him, causing Naruto's hold in her hair to tighten in a painful hold.

"N-naruto-kun," she breathed shakily.

To her surprise, he stopped his motion, using the hold he had in her hair to pull her head back from his neck so she looked at him. Hinata noticed his eyes were clouded with desire and something in her stomach tightened at the intensity. Yet, she wondered why he'd stopped.

"Is s-something w-wrong?" she stuttered in a whisper, frowning slightly.

"No." he responded, placing a peck on her lips, "Hinata, I…"

He paused for a moment, not wanting to upset her with his forwardness.

"I want you."

Naruto observed as she blushed, lowering her eyes to his lips.

"I know this isn't the right place," he continued apologetically, "And of course, if you're not ready, I'll certainly wait."

He placed both hands on each of her cheek, holding her face while their eyes leveled.

"I've thought about this moment for months. When I'd finally tell you that I love you Hinata-chan. I love you. And-" She interrupted him with a kiss, overwhelmed by his confession, their tongues exploring each other without restraint, until he pulled away so he could continue.

"And on our walk to the Monument, I wasn't sure if the opportunity would come. And if it did, I didn't know if you had lost your interest in me. But you've let me in and I don't want to ruin anything." He looked down at where she sat on his evident desire, her gaze following his until he glance back at her "Which is why I stopped. If we continue, I won't be able to hold back." He then added jokingly, "and this dusted mountain is hardly romantic."

Hinata smiled, wanting to voice the fact that their first time would be meaningful to her regardless of where they were. She loved him entirely and if he wanted to have her on a rocky mountain, on the grassy fields or against the bark of a forest tree, she would let him. However, Hinata could never have the courage to express such provocative thoughts. She couldn't imagine what his reaction would be.

He began to move, lifting her off of him and standing up. Hinata panicked at the loss of his warmth. He extended his hand to her and aided her up.

"I'll walk you back to the Hyuuga palace. It's late." He began.

"Naruto-kun." She spoke, shaking her head.

He furrowed his brow and linked his fingers with hers as they held hands.

"I don't want to go home. I'd rather…" She started.

He waited.

Building all the courage she could get, Hinata reminded herself that he'd been clear about his desire for her, therefore, she should be able to do the same.

"I'd rather spend the n-night with you." She revealed softly; barely audible.

However, Naruto heard her words.

"At…your place?" She finished hesitantly.

When she bashfully glanced at him from below her bangs, Naruto was staring at her intently. His expression unreadable.

Her courage disappeared and she became embarrassed.

"Unless of course, I mean, well, it's an inconvenience f-for you, I would understand if-" she began muttering quickly.

Naruto silenced her with a searing kiss that left her with weak legs, biting her lips with an intensity she knew would leave a swollen bruise.

"I'd like that." He spoke, the hoarseness of his voice tightening a knot in her stomach and she let out a heavy breath.

They went down the mountain, Naruto's hand never loosening its firmness on hers as they walked through the village to his apartment. He would capture her lips several times for a moment, unable to keep his mouth from her, before resuming their journey. It was late and the crowded village had long emptied. With no watchful eyes, Naruto could hardly keep his hands off her. He was kissing her neck against the wall of a shop and later shifting her clothing to kiss and bite her shoulder in a dark alley way. The moon light radiated against her skin and he marvelled at how beautiful she was. All of his attention only increased her anticipation of what they would do once they were at his place. She couldn't be happier she hadn't let him take her home.

Once they reached their destination, Naruto fumbled with the keys of his apartment, his excitement causing him to drop it trice before managing to open his door. Hinata walked in, hearing the door close behind her.

She observed the couches, table, television set and carpet that decorated his living room. His kitchen was on the right, cornering a corridor she no doubt knew led to his bedroom and bathroom.

Naruto walked to his kitchen island, dropping his Hitaiate and placing it on the counter. Hinata followed and also took off her head protector.

"Would you like anything to drink Hinata." He asked her, although what he truly wanted to do was have his way with her on that very counter.

"N-no thank you Naruto-kun." She mumbled, her heart beating keenly.

Without another word, he lifted her in his arms, bridal style, and began walking to his bedroom. Hinata held onto his shoulder, nervousness clouding her mind. She became aware, more than ever, that she was inexperienced and had never been with anyone before.

On his way into his bedroom, Naruto switched his corner lamp on and sat her down on the edge of his bed. He promptly started taking off her shoes and socks without a word while she anxiously watched. After freeing himself from the same items, he stood for a moment, his blue eyes boring into her lavender eyes questionably. She nodded sincerely, answering his unspoken question.

"I'm sure about t-this. You're the only one I want Naruto-kun." She confessed, cheeks burning.

Lowering himself so their eyes were levelled, Naruto captured her lips once more. He kissed her with uncontrolled passion. His tongue dove into her warm mouth and explored every corner, eliciting soft moans from her while she wrapped her shaking arms around him and surrendered to his hunger. When he pulled, he released her bottom lip with an audible pop and immediately planted kisses down her neck with the same intensity. She felt him guide her up the bed while he crawled on top of her. The heiress's eyes drifted closed as he sucked and bit, leaving the previously porcelain skin covered with red marks. With every passing second, his kisses became more urgent and Hinata's breathing became heavy. Her mind began to get dizzy and when Naruto's hand unexpectedly grabbed her breast, her fingers held onto his sweater almost painfully. He promptly squeezed, earning a distinct moan from her. Heat rushed to her face as he moved the hand away and slid it beneath the shirt that clung to her body and explored. She couldn't determine how his touch could feel so incredible. Yet as he traveled up and down her stomach to the very same breast he had squeezed earlier, he left electric tingles on her skin. He groped her for a few seconds before pulling his lips away from her neck and hand out from below her top. Hinata blinked her eyes open to find him staring down. The dark lust in his striking blue eyes caused warmth to pool between her leg. Suddenly, the heiress watched him take his black and dark orange sweater off, revealing broad shoulders, strong arms with lean muscles and sculpted abs. The years of shinobi training were indisputably evident on his body and Hinata's heart hammered. A sound caught her attention and when her eyes moved from his chest to his face, she noticed him grinning smugly at her. Inwardly rolling her eyes, she playfully tapped his shoulder. Naruto grabbed the arm and held it, all humour fading from his face. He brought her hand to the front of his jeans. Hinata's eyes widened slightly at the huge bulged she felt there and a strong sensation flew straight to her center. With a trembling hand, she timidly grabbed the bulge and Naruto groaned.

"Fuck." he signed. Before her brain could conceive a responds to Naruto's reaction, his fingers had already grabbed the edges of her shirt and abruptly pulled it up. Hinata instinctively raised her arms to help. He threw the clothing across the room revealing her full breasts cupped by a plain lilac bra with plenty of cleavage. Noticing that the bra opening was at the front, Naruto proceeded to unclasp it while the knot in her stomach tightened. All the insecurities she'd felt about her breast flooded her head. It had been established years ago that out of all the kunoichi in her age group, Hinata had the most voluptuous chest. Would Naruto like them? Although all her friends complimented her body, the heiress had always felt uncertain about having a sexier silhouette because it drew the most attention. Her thoughts were distracted as his impatience with the bra claps increased.

"N-naruto-kun, m-maybe I should do it." she mumbled nervously.

He paused.

And then decidedly grabbed the cups and pulled them over her head, freeing her breasts at last. She gasped, as her bra was thrown across the room. Naruto's lips were on her an instant later. As they made out, Naruto grabbed the hem of her skirt and pulled it down her thighs along with her panties in one swift movement. He briefly ended the kiss to take them them off completely before returning on top of her. The kiss was hard and insistent, completely fogging Hinata's mind as she yielded to him. With one had above her head for support, his other hand moved down, searching every curve with desperate need. He groped both her breasts eagerly, each nipple hardening between his calloused fingers. And then he pinched, one after the other and Hinata moaned into Naruto's mouth, eyes shut tightly at the amazing feeling. His hand released her breasts and she heard Naruto fumbling with his belt and zipper. He eventually shoved his trousers down past knees and used his legs to pushed them off completely. By aligning his body to hers, his hips moved between her legs so she felt his hardness against her warmth.

"You feel that Hina. That is how much I want you." he murmured against her lips. If Hinata thought she couldn't have gotten any wetter than she already was, the huskiness in his voice, as well as his words, proved her wrong. Nose to nose and eyes boring into each other, she felt his hand move between her legs. His long fingers slid over the lips, moving up and down. She instinctively shut her legs tight, but his hips were in the way, keeping them apart. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. Given that the Hyuuga had never touched herself before, not even in the privacy of her own room considering her family members could see through walls, the sensation was simply dizzying. Most importantly, the fact that it was Naruto's hand between her legs, made it difficult for her to remain sane. He moved his index finger around the round bud of nerves while his middle finger probed her entrance. She moaned helplessly, eyes glazed, cheeks red and lips parted. Suddenly he sank his middle finger all the way to the second knuckle inside her. Hinata whimpered. With his free arm, Naruto slightly raised himself by resting on his elbow, providing a view of Hinata's body below him. He pushed a second finger inside her.

"So tight." Naruto whispered in wonder.

She moaned loudly, too lost in the strange yet intensely pleasant intrusion. He slowly began to finger her, watching her body shudder and rapid breathes escaping her parted lips with every stroke. She was devastatingly beautiful beneath him and the image of her like that went straight to his groin, hardening him to the point that it ached.

He increased the pace as his lover made incomprehensible noises. Soon, Naruto was fingering her steadily and her face contorted as though she might sob and her mouth opened in a silent cry at the intensity.

"Please", she whined, not sure what she was begging for.

That was all he could take. He pulled his fingers out and brought them to his mouth. Hinata watched as he sucked and hummed approvingly at the taste. Something deep in her stomach clenched. She had never been so horny in her entire life.

God, she loved him so much it hurt.

His eyes traveled hungrily down her body, from her breast to her flat stomach, the curves of her womanly hips and finally between her legs.

"You're perfect Hinata." he said, returning to her eyes.

"I love you." she whispered earnestly, too overwhelmed to care about her insecurities.

His heart clenched intensely as he proceeded to pull his boxers off, freeing his manhood. It sprung out and Hinata stared with fascination. To say Naruto was well endowed was an understatement. She felt a pang of fear at the thought of him shoving that inside her. His fingers had already felt very intrusive. Silently, Naruto positioned his member between her legs, looking down in concentration while he grabbed it and slid the tip up and down against her slick flesh. She felt a burning heat at the contact and released a deep breathe, dizzy with arousal.

Naruto kissed her firmly with ardor and this time, she returned it. Soon, it became less of a kiss and more of just tongues, lips, and teeth grinding desperately against each other. Hinata was moaning and he positioned both arms on either side of her head for leverage.

Naruto thrusted into her, immediately breaking the resilient virgin hold and sliding in entirely. Hinata gasped, legs quivering. He groaned loudly against her lips and stilled, sweat dripping from his forehead to hers. Her core squeezed him tightly. It felt so good he thought he might pass out; meanwhile Hinata felt the pain that was expected of her first time. But she reminded herself that this was Naruto. She'd loved him since before she could remember. And now he was inside her.

"Hinata; forgive me." Naruto strained to speak, consumed by the immense bliss.

She swallowed, trying to collect her voice.

"I-it's okay Naruto. Go on." she whispered shakily, ignoring the tears blurring her vision.

He nodded before pulling out almost entirely and plunging back. Hinata whimpered, eyes shut tightly and nails digging into his back.

Naruto grunted. She was incredibly hot, wet and so tight. He pulled out immediately, slamming back into her with abandon. Her nails were now breaking the skin on his back; she was certain he'd be bleeding after their coupling. Yet, he hardly felt it as he consequently pushed into her, burying himself deep and deeper with every thrust. She felt discomfort, yet when she looked at his face, she knew it was worth it. With eyes shut, Naruto's expression was a combination of rapture and agony, as though he might die from the intense pleasure. The image caused her womanhood to instinctive clamp around him.

"Fuuuck." Naruto groaned, diving his mouth onto her nipples and sucking hard, one and then the other. Hinata moaned, the muscle deep between her legs responding. Briefly changing the angle of his penetration, he thrusted furthest inside her to the brink. She'd never felt so full; he was unbelievably huge. Soon, the only sounds in the room was his skin slapping rapidly against hers, his soft grunts and Hinata's whimpering. He made love to her zealously, hard and fast, whispering her name repeatedly like a prayer. Naruto buried his face in her neck, overwhelmed by euphoria. Her moans aroused him more and the more he thought about how much he loved her, the harder he pounded into her. The bed shook.

Soon Hinata felt his thrusts becoming shallow, rather than pulling almost all the way out, he would pull halfway and return in quick succession. And then he slammed into her twice so hard that it rocked the bed post against the wall in a loud thud. Suddenly he stilled, feeling a climax so strong it moved from the tip of his fingers to the soles of his feet. His toes curled, an almost animalistic sound resounding deep in his throat and he came inside her. Hinata's legs and arms clung securely around him as she felt the hot load spread inside her. They remained pressed tightly against each other until both thought they could melt from the molten heat where they were connected. Finally, Naruto's hands gave way and he collapsed onto her. He was much heavier than Hinata, so his weight pressed her into the bed but she didn't mind in the slightest. In fact, Hinata had never been happier in her entire life. She finally belonged to Naruto; completely.

Her fingers moved from his back into his golden hair, massaging while her legs still clung tightening around his hips. His breathing was laboured, like an athlete that had just finished a game. She could feel his heart beating rapidly and was so overwhelmed by love that tears blurred her vision. Naruto eventually lifted his head from her neck to look at her. When he saw her tears, he was devastated.

"Hinata…God, I've hurt you." his brows were furrowed in deep distressed. He lifted his weight off her body and laid down on his side, resting his hand on her wet cheek. She shook her head fervently, eyes wide with adoration.

"No. I'm okay Naruto, I'm crying because I'm happy." she whispered. His heart felt like it was suffocating, knowing that while he was experiencing the greatest pleasure imaginable, she'd be experiencing pain.

"It's not fair. I'm so sorry." he planted soft kisses all over her face; her lips, her cheeks, her chin, her forehead, her temple, her nose.

"Naruto, it o-okay. I wouldn't have it any other way. Now I'm all yours." she murmured.

His blue eyes bore into lavender eyes.

"And I'm yours. I love you Hinata. Look at me. I love you." he mumbled, sincerity burned in his voice.

Hinata gave him a radiant smile, moved with emotion. And he knew with absolute certainty in that moment; he would marry her.