NaruHina: Resolution

Chapter 2: The Lady and the Fool

Happy, hah! Naruto thought that morning as the sun's rays continued to bathe the earth in early morning light. It was slowly getting warmer and the birds began their song. He swung one leg down the branch but kept a watchful eye for any signs of danger as he continued thinking of Hinata.

Happy was such a weak word to describe how he felt for her.

She was his life, his everything.

Happy didn't even begin to capture the feeling of joy that coursed through him when she said his name in that loving tone of hers, or the way his skin burned every time she touched him, or the way her words found their way into his heart.

"You don't have to be anything but what you are."

Hinata had settled into his apartment after she'd appeared so suddenly that day.

"You want some tea?" he'd asked as she'd stepped out of the shower.

She nodded and smiled at him, tendrils of wet hair making spots on the t-shirt she wore.

He tried to fight it, but he felt the blush rising up in him when he realized it was his.

"I'll do it, Naruto. You sit down." She'd already turned around and was headed towards the kitchen counter. He was glad she couldn't see his face.

Naruto watched her bustle about in his kitchen, happy to see her looking relaxed.

It was such a contrast to the early days of their relationship, when everything had been awkward.

She'd been shy, of course. But so had he. Everything was new. Every touch had been preceded by a question, asking permission. There had been lots of awkward sentences between them—and uncomfortable silence as they agonized about what the other had been thinking.

But she'd eventually blossomed under the force of his unconditional love. She lost the jumpy anxiety that always made her nervous around him as she became more comfortable in his presence.

He, meanwhile, had wavered between exuberance and quiet wonder. There were times when he couldn't control himself and the joy of being with her drugged him. He couldn't get enough of her, always reaching for her with eagerness. When he was with her, all he wanted to do was bask in her warmth, touch her, kiss her, inhale her scent. But during the quiet, restful moments, all he could think of was how lucky he was that this beautiful girl had chosen him over others.

Their friends had been merciless with the teasing.

"Remember, if it's a choice, it's Hinata over ramen, always!" Sakura said with a threatening glare, punching him hard on the arm, almost breaking it—but it had been mild compared to what she normally did.

"I got this from the library for you," Sai said as he handed Naruto a copy of Icha Icha Tactics. "You were Jiraiya's disciple. Why you don't have a copy of your own, I don't understand." He smirked. "If I were you, I'd do the opposite of everything the hero does."

"Being in a relationship," Shikamaru said, grinning, "is the biggest pain in the ass in the world. But, so are you—so you'll be a natural at it."

"You'll be my best customer," Ino said gaily as she dragged him into her family's flower shop. She cracked her knuckles. "That is, if you know what's good for you."

"You stupid ass," Kiba said good-naturedly, slurping his ramen while sitting on a stool at Ichiraku. "After all our years of hinting, it took you a trip to the moon and a kidnapping to recognize it. You always did like to do things so flashy."

"I don't tease," Shino said, sitting next to Kiba, his own bowl of noodles in front of him. He looked at Naruto and they stared at each other silently for a long moment. Shino finally continued. "Why? Because threats are better: I'll kill you if you hurt her."