How She Trusts || Naruto Uzumaki X OC

{Chapter Thirteen}

            The family of three sat around the festive dining table, with one new addition sitting at the end of it. Naruto had been very awkwardly gestured into the seat at the head of the table, with Naomi taking to his right side, and Nobuo to his left with Momoko beside him. Naomi apologized multiple times for her father making Naruto's appearance at their Thanksgiving celebration such a fuss, but Naruto just smiled and said that he was happy to be treated like a part of the family.

The dinner didn't start out unpleasant, but Naomi didn't quite feel comfortable, even at her own dining table. Naruto had met both her dad and her sister plenty of times before, when Naruto was waiting at the door for Naomi to finish getting ready so that they could go out, or when Naruto was delivering their takeout and someone other than Naomi answered the door. But none of those occasions allowed much conversation, and nobody knew what to say. That was, until dinner was served. Naomi wasn't even sure what happened, but all of a sudden her father and Naruto were in a full blown conversation. Naomi didn't speak up much, since she knew nothing about the current topic, which was cars. She just watched Naruto talk, and admired the way that he spoke with his hands, and the way his eyes lit up when he was especially interested in something that had been said. Naomi smiled watching her friend, her best friend if she dared to say. She took her eyes off of the beautiful boy for just a moment to look her sister's way. Momoko's gaze was already set on Naomi, and when the two girls connected eyes, Momoko gave her a knowing smile, which Naomi didn't quite understand.

After dinner came dessert, and after Naruto had offered to leave for the night, thinking that he had taken up enough of their time, he was pulled back into the house for a round of monopoly. The game started off competitive, when both Naomi and Naruto wanted to be the top hat. Everyone decided that whoever won at a thumb wrestling contest would play with the top hat. Naruto won, since his thumb was twice the size of Naomi's. Naomi pouted when he triumphantly placed the hat on his pinkie finger, but giggled as he wiggled his fingers, and dropped the small metal piece in his lap. He let her be the hat.

Over two hours later the game was paused for the night. It was late out now; the sky pitch black and the late November air chilly. Naruto said goodbye to Nobuo and Momoko in the living as they worked together to reorganize the colourful money and put the box back together, while Naomi walked him to the door.

"I had fun," Naruto said, when the two of them stepped out onto the front porch. Naomi shuddered when she closed the door behind her, and a gust of November air hit her.

"I'm glad you came over. I would have felt horrible if you spent today alone at your apartment," Naomi said, and smiled warmly up at the boy.

He smiled. "Your family's really cool."

"They really seem to like you. Especially my dad. He's never been too happy about some of the guys that I've introduced him to," Naomi said, and chuckled sadly.

Naruto narrowed her eyes at her. "Why not?" he asked.

It was a simple question, with an easy answer. Because they've all turned out to be jerks. Especially my last boyfriend. But saying that would lead into the exact conversation that Naomi was trying to avoid with Naruto. The incident that happened with her ex, the reason that they moved, why the supposedly unknown number sent her that picture. It was also the reason that Naruto had wanted to become so close to Naomi. She wasn't sure if he wanted to figure out what had happened just for the motive of curiosity, or because he actually cared about her and wanted to help. She was almost certain that it was the ladder, but she still couldn't tell him. Not yet.