A Maiden's Tale || NaruHina COMPLETED

Chapter 9

Strong NSFW chapter

Naruto's eyes fluttered open at first light. He shot up in bed, and immediately, I saw the regret on his face.

He winced painfully, leaning back with his arms to steady himself. "Easy," I said, standing up from the chair beside my bed.

"You need rest." I pulled the sheets back over Naruto's legs, attempting to settle him back onto my pillow.

"I'm all right," Naruto strained, a tiny smirk lifting the right corner of his split mouth.

I quieted, trying to avoid staring at the bandages that wrapped around his midriff and held in place the padding along his back. I stood, moving to fetch Naruto some water.

"Hinata," Naruto called.

The evenness of his voice surprised me, and I turned.

Naruto sat up in my bed, shuffling to the side. "Please," he said with a groan, "sit with me a while."

I ducked my head, and sat down with a squeak of the bedsprings.

There was silence, until Naruto stammered. "Hinata, I-" Naruto reached out to rest his hand on my lap, but he froze. Recoiling his hands quickly, he buried his face in them, pressing a palm to his still heavily swollen eye. "God, I'm so sorry," he said with a trembling voice. "I never would have done that to you. I should not have done that to you. God, Hinata, I don't expect you to forgive-"

"Naruto," I cried, pulling his hands away from his face. My heart broke when I saw the tears that formed in his eyes, the one significantly less closed than it had been the night before.

"Naruto, please. This wasn't your fault. Forgive you? I should thank you," I said, voice quaking. I reached up and cupped his face delicately. "It's because of you that nothing more happened to me. It's because of you that the monster didn't have his way with me. It's because of you that I didn't die in the streets a few days ago! And it's because of you that I wasn't caught in the gardens on the first day we met. Naruto, I owe you so much, I can't stand that you would blame yourself for the cruelty of the queen!"

I shook my head, tears falling down my face. "And now you're a mess of cuts and bruises because of me."

"Hinata," Naruto breathed, before pulling me into his arms. His lips covered my own, and I whimpered at the suddenness of it. Naruto moved desperately, his breaths hot between our lips as his tongue toyed with my own. With a final, lingering kiss, Naruto pulled away from me slowly, sighing my name. "Hinata. I would never hurt you. Please know this, on my honor."

I chuckled, running my fingers through his hair as he held my waist. "On your honor? I didn't know that butlers had a code of honor."

Naruto seemed to chuckle, but his eyes grew heavy. "Actually," he said, pulling away to hold both my hands in his. "Hinata, I need to tell you something."

He leaned in, his forehead pressing gently against my own. I closed my eyes, relishing the tenderness of it.

Naruto pressed his nose to mine. "I'm not a butler, Hinata. I'm-"

The door swung open, and I pulled my face away from Naruto's. "Hinata, I've brought you some- oh! Good morning, handsome," Sakura sang. "I was just bringing you both some breakfast."

I nodded. "Thank you, Sakura." I noticed Naruto and I were still holding hands, so I pulled my fingers away. Clearing my throat, I stood up. "Would you like some help?"

"No, thanks," she said, laying out the bread and jams on a tray. "It's the last of our preserves, but I think Naruto deserves it, after the night he's had."