H POV
It was all so new. I hadn't made a new friend in a long time. We just GOT each other, despite our obvious differences. I didn't feel the urge to put up any walls like I usually did. He was just so warm and understanding.
" It's like we're on the same wave link. Both in pretty shitty relationship situations. Both enjoy drinking to cope " I said to Tenten as I rummaged through her closet.
" I don't know if that's something to brag about" Tenten said, standing behind me sipping on a energy drink.
I pulled out a yellow dress and smiled at it. " Yeah I guess you're right, but we have great conversation too, we were on the phone last night until like 3 just chatting."
I pulled the dress into my chest and sighed. " It's just so nice to have someone else who get's it you know."
Tenten gave me a weird look.
" Is that why your borrowing my clothes and going on this date with him?"
I turned bright red and glared at her. " It's not a date! We're hanging out I took him to a place I enjoyed last time so now it's his turn to take me to a place he likes."
Tenten looked at me for a while suspiciously. " You took a picture with him right? Let me see it."
I put my hand over my pocket with my cell phone in it. " N-no"
The smirk on her face deepened. " Why?"
" Why do YOU need to see it?" I snapped back.
She came a little closer and I took a step back. "Something's up Hinata" she sung teasingly.
Then out of no where she tackled me to the ground. We wrestled on the ground laughing and shrieking, as we battled over the phone. Tenten was always a bit stronger than me, so it came as no surprise that she was able to over power me and take my phone.
" Ah ha!" She yelled victoriously.
" Ten!" I wined, as I struggled to try and take my phone back.
It was too late. she was already scrolling through the pictures. I was suddenly regretting giving her my password.
Her face instantly changed upon finding the picture. Her jaw might as well have hit the ground.
" THIS IS HIM!?" Tenten bellowed out.
I nodded slowly.
" Hinata he's so hot!! Oh my god Kiba is FUCKED!"
I snatched my phone from Tenten's hand and glared at her. " No he's not!"
" He's not hot?"
I reddened " I mean he is..I mean no! I mean....I was talking about KIBA!"
" He's not fucked. He's the only one I want" I said.
Tenten put both hands on my shoulders " Hinata I love you but you're freaking nuts. This hunk of man is taking interest an in you and your still after a guy who can't even return your calls."
I swatted her hands away " No Tenten. Naruto has a girl he wants and I have a guy I want. He's great and sure he's good looking, but he's a friend and I refuse to see him other than that."
" But-"
I pointed a threatening finger at her, " Nope. No more shipping me with random ass guys."
Tenten sighed and rested a hand against her face. " Fine. Sorry for wanting my best friend to be happy instead of waiting for Kiba's dumb ass."
" You never liked him did you?" I asked.
" I wanted to... then he started playing ding dong ditch with you and THAT I will never accept as a future for you."
I patted Tenten's head. " It's gonna work out. I know it will. I just need to speak my mind more. Kiba's amazing, I just need to be clear about what I want."
Tenten sulked and picked up the yellow dress I picked out.
" This would look great on you. Considered it a gift."
I beamed with gratefulness. " Really thank you Ten!"
" Your giant boobs will probably stretch out the fabric and make me feel bad about my A cups anyway, but I'm sure Naruto won't mind seeing them bouncing about."
I picked up a hanger from the ground and began chasing her around her apartment with it.
She was a pain in the ass, but she was like a sister you couldn't help but love.
N POV
" I'm gonna have to cancel today Shika" I said into my phone as I walked down the street.
" What do you mean I'm not making it up I actually have plans......no not with Sakura" I clicked my teeth in annoyance " Yes I have FRIENDS I thought you were one of them in fact."
" What ever man, I gotta go."
I sighed and looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful day. With winter around the corner who knew how many days like this we'd have left. I felt like going out and enjoying myself, being cramp up inside didn't do well for my mental health.
Especially with this thing with Sakura going on.
Even though she was hurting me I still felt so strongly for her. How was it she didn't feel an ounce of what I was feeling, I wanted to be near her all the time, to touch her, to destroy any guy who so much looked at her.
It was such a strong feeling.
What was wrong with me?
Was I not her type?
Did she just see me as her friend?
Why couldn't she just tell me?
It hurt so bad.
" Naruto-Kun!" a soft voice called out to me.
I turned around to see a pretty girl with blue black hair running towards me. I still hadn't gotten use to the whole Naruto-kun thing. She was so polite, most people would just call me Naruto, no questions asked, but it was kinda cute, almost like she was giving me a pet name.
" You finally made it" I said giving her my best smile.
Her cheeks stained slightly, I enjoyed having that power over her.
See Naruto you still got it, what was up with Sakura?
" S-sorry I'm a bit late" she said. " My friend was giving me a little trouble" she shifted in her jacket, visibly uncomfortable for some reason.
" It's okay Hinata, we were just going for a walk anyway."
I decided to invite Hinata as company. After all we kind of hit it off. She was interesting to me, so quiet and mysterious.
The little detective in me wanted to learn more about her.
" Lets go."
She pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and smiled up at me."
" Okay."
There it went again. That fluttering in my chest. Alright she's pretty get a grip man.
" One of the things I like to do is go on adventures, just walking around getting lost and discovering new things. And there's always stuff to discover in Konoha" i said as we walked.
" That's such a cool way to find new places. What's the last place you discovered?" She asked.
Excited I took her hand and pointed to a shop across the street.
" You like sweet's?"
There was something that sparkled in her lavender eyes that required no response.
" Yeah you do" I said pulling her towards the shop. Her laugh was light like bells, soft and gentle. The type that made you smile and you couldn't resist no matter how hard you tried.
We entered the store and she was completely floored. It was a bakery/ restaurant that sold home made styled food and fresh pastries. With its red wood walls, yellow lights and fabric lined furniture, it gave the place a warm cozy feel, like you were entering someone's home rather than a shop.
" This place is amazing!" She placed her hand on the display case and stared intensely at the fresh tray of cinnamon buns that was placed in there.
She was so easy to read. I asked the lady at the counter to bag up two, while Hinata walked around taking the place in.
" I learned something new about you."
I chuckled at her stance as she pointed at me grinning in excitement.
" Really?"
" You like stories" she said.
Okay what?
She smiled at my puzzled face. " You like things that are more than what meets the eye, you know things you can dissect. Like this store just looking at its walls it you can tell there's a story behind it and the Nindo was so traditionally Japanese, with literal history engraved into its wall. Or-"
" Short women with long dark hair and boy troubles" I added.
She blushed and looked at the ground.
" Y-yeah" she stuttered.
I laughed out loud. " I'm impressed I can't deny any of that, but what's got you so interested in me all of a sudden."
She was doing it again. Trying to open that door I kept closed for a reason.
" We're always talking, about me. I don't know much about you."
I gave her a teasing smile. " Maybe I don't want to talk about me."
" Maybe your scared. Maybe your not ready to open up and show ALL the skeletons in your closet" she said boldly.
Wow this took a turn.
I was the one who was supposed to read her and now that the tables were turned I felt like a deer caught in head lights.
She was spot on too.
She looked like she regretted what she said, " S-sorry was that too blunt."
I shook my head. " Don't apologized, you were speaking your mind that's what I've been trying to get you to do. It was good."
" Well thanks...I guess " she said with a smile.
I held up the bag of cinnamon buns. " I discovered something about you too."
The smile on her face widened.
H POV
He liked to workout, boxing was his thing, which would explain his physique. He was competitive, he loved things that required a challenge, but at the same time he was nurturing, he slipped up and told me about his collection of succulent plants that he'd been taking care of and how he was thinking about getting a cat.
But was SO a dog person.
He was hard headed. Yet sweet, brave and strong all at the same time. He also had no trouble showing me just how hilarious he was and never failed to make me smile.
The things he told me were so basic, In fact I think he told me these things to throw me off the trail. To hide that little bit of darkness in his eyes, that hue that told me that there was so much more, a vulnerable side I only had gotten a taste of because he was drunk. And while I was so willing to expose myself to him, he still seemed to be so closed off.
I wanted to know the real him. I wanted to go underneath the surface. But for now I had to leave it alone this friendship was still so fresh.
He was Naruto Uzumaki, someone who I still had so much to learn about, yet I was already so happy to have gotten to know.
We had been to plenty of shops and areas of Konoha I had no idea even existed. Before we knew it the day had come to and end. Exhausted, we sat in the grass on an incline that over looked part of the city. Naruto laid down with his arms crossed behind his head and exhaled.
" This was nice Hinata. Did it take YOUR mind off of everything?"
Shit, I hadn't thought about Kiba once hanging out with Naruto. I was so focused on learning about him.
" Y-Yeah....it did" I felt guilty, but that didn't stop me from smiling at Naruto. " I had fun."
Naruto rolled onto his side and looked up at me.
" I like this side of you. It's different from the bar Hinata."
I chuckled, " Bar Hinata was very sad."
" Well yeah, and bar Hinata was uncertain and scared. Bar Hinata was a yes sir kind of girl. But this Hinata right before me is on a whole other level."
" What do you-" I stopped speaking realizing the difference.
Don't get me wrong I was still an unconfident mess, but I was looser, I even spoke my mind a little bit.
" Looks like you finally noticed huh" Naruto said smiling.
He was right. When had things gotten so tense with Kiba and I. Ever since we started this weird relationship. It was like I was scared that if I took one step out of line we'd go back to being just friends.
" To be honest I'm not sure why, but you let your guard down with me" he said.
I wasn't sure either. He gave off this energy that just made you want to tell him everything. He never rejected me He was so kind and compassionate.
" But, use what you did today and have a talk with THAT guy."
His eyes slightly dulled " Tell him how you feel. It might be scary, it might even hurt, but you need to do it."
I pushed myself a little further and laid back against the grass and looked at him. His eyes were at the sky, they were sad.
There was something going on with him, I bet it had to do with that girl.
" Did something else happen with that girl?"
He looked shocked for an instant but tried to recover by looking indifferent.
" What makes you say that?"
I turned towards him. " You can play the tough act all you want, but one day I'm going to break through that shell."
Naruto chuckled at my pathetic attempt to be threatening. " And to that I say good luck. You'll have to get me drunk."
" We're friends now Naruto-kun. I'm not sure what happened or even what your feeling, but I'm here for you...I really want to be. I know our friendship has barely begun, but don't be afraid to lean on me like I've leaned on you."
I put a hand on his shoulder. " You don't have to fight this alone."
Naruto didn't look at me. He was thinking hard about what I said and his mouth opened like he was about to say something, but held himself back.
" Thanks Hinata" he flipped over so we both faced each other. " Maybe I should try to be a bit stronger too. It's hard opening up to people about these things, I've kind of taught myself not to."
" But you know what?"
" What?" I asked.
" You make me want to try."
I smiled at him.
" And you know what else?"
I giggled, " What else?"
" That yellow dress looks really good on you."
I looked down in horror to see that my jacket had un zipped. I quickly shot up and covered myself completely embarrassed.
Naruto openly laughed at my reaction. " Confidence Hinata. Don't you ever hide."
Naruto inspired me that day. He made me feel stronger than i actually was, he pushed me out of my comfort zone.
I wanted to change and he made me believe I could.