NaruHina: Postscripts

Sixty-nine

At first, she'd been embarrassed, but after a few minutes of this groping, Hinata was suddenly feeling sympathetic.

Poor Naruto.

She was torn whether to mention it or not, knowing it would probably hurt his pride to know that she knew exactly what he was doing.

Still, he wouldn't give up, his fingers were still fumbling at the button.

Hinata hit upon a solution trying to help him without being obvious about it. It wouldn't be subtle, and it was so embarrassing, but it would still be better than having to endure watching him struggle.

She suddenly fanned herself and murmured, "I'm hot." She then proceeded to reach for the button and gently loosened all three of them. Done with that, she shrugged her shoulders and took off the cardigan, leaving her in her camisole and bra.

There! That should help him out.

Hinata was flushed, so at least she wasn't completely lying about being hot.

Naruto suddenly took his arm off her and reached for the remote and paused the movie. He stared at her profile, a suspicious squint made his eyebrows furrow as he frowned at her.

"Hinata? Did you know I was trying to get the button off?"

She gave a tiny nod.

His lips formed a pout. "So the whole time you knew what I was doing?"

Another nod.

His eyebrows deepened further, and he asked, "Is that why you took off your sweater?"

He glanced at the lacy top of her bra underneath the camisole and stared for a few moments, but he refused to be distracted and glanced at her eyes instead.

So she met his gaze sideways when she admitted, "Yes."

He flushed, but he continued frowning at her. "Were you trying to help me?!"

Again, she nodded.

"Hinata!" he cried out. "I almost had it!" He held his thumb and index finger half an inch apart. "I was this close to getting the button off! I didn't need your help."

"But, Naruto, it felt like you were having so much trouble doing it, I just wanted to make it easier for you..." she mumbled.

He glared at her and humphed. He was about to fold his arms but he realized he only had one. So his solution was to snort angrily as he continued to sulk. "I was doing fine all on my own, Hinata."

Hinata shook her head at that, shifted on the sofa to face him, and grabbed his hand. She squeezed it and started fiddling with his fingers. Her gaze on him was gentle, her smile teasing. "Were you? Really? Because you know, we've been on this couch for an hour already, but you still haven't kissed me..."

She gave a small shrug with her left shoulder, and the strap off her camisole and bra slipped to her arm, drawing his attention to that part of her body.

He gasped and drew back, refusing to fall for her tricks. "Hinata, are you trying to seduce me into feeling better? Because it's not going to work."

She sighed regretfully. "Well, I tried the subtle method. I guess I'm just going to try harder then."

Hinata then abruptly launched herself on top of him, catching him by surprise, but his arm went around her instinctively, especially as she almost fell off his lap.

She laughed as she adjusted herself on top of his thighs, faced him, and laid both hands on his shoulders. Because he was still sulking, she leaned down and kissed him on the lips. He kept his mouth closed and pressed his lips tighter even when she tried to coax him to respond to her.

But when she pulled back, she was smiling. "Naruto, you're being ridiculous. Stop sulking and just kiss me! I promise you, you'll feel better."

His lips twitched slightly with amusement, but he was trying not to give in to her teasing.

"No?" Hinata asked and he shook his head. She faked a sigh. She shrugged again, and this time, her fingers traveled up his neck and landed on his cheeks to caress him gently. She then leaned down again and pressed her mouth over his, redoubled her efforts to tease him out of his bad mood...

Over a button! she thought with amusement.

She breathed a sigh of relief when his lips softened and she was finally able to feel him respond with his usual fervor.

A few minutes later, they resurfaced for air and they were both smiling.

"See?" she said with a laugh. "I told you you'd feel better."

He finally laughed and hugged her with his one arm.

"Okay, but you'll let me try again with the button and the sweater when I have both arms?" he asked with his usual grin.

"Sure, Naruto," she answered with a smile of her own.

But in her mind, she knew she was going to have to make adjustments on the sweater herself.

Maybe try to make the buttonhole slightly bigger than it normally was.