So, Naruto knew without a doubt tha

So, Naruto knew without a doubt that he liked Hinata… a lot. Did he love her? Probably. There wasn't a day in the six months he hadn't seen her that he didn't think about her. She was constantly in his mind, like a bitter-sweet melody that you can't get out of your head. Yeah, he loved her… but he was fairly confident that Hinata had no time for such things. Besides, he simply knew that she couldn't feel the same way about him.

"Naruto-kun!"

Startled, Naruto quickly looked at the girl that yelled his name. Had she been trying to get his attention for a long time now?

Naruto decided to take the nonchalant approach. "Sorry Hinata-chan! Thanks for stopping my brain… it has a tendency to run away with itself!" Naruto guffawed loudly, but his laughter quickly died when he realized that Hinata was not laughing with him. He looked away from her again.

Now, Naruto had never been the smartest person to grace the planet; he would actually be the first to admit that. Relying on quick wits and a lot of luck had gotten him quite far over the years.

Hinata knew that there were things about him that would never change. The denseness that Naruto continued to have regarding her feelings for him still rang loud and clear in Hinata's mind. It was starting to become frustrating. Scratch that, it had become frustrating a long time ago. She worked up the sweetest voice she could make.

"Naruto-kun," she started slowly. "Something's bothering you." She leaned over bravely and whispered in his ear.

"The tree told me."

Naruto laughed a little bit and instinctively pulled Hinata into a tight hug. She gasped softly in surprise.

"Sorry, I'm force-hugging you… I've always been bad about that, huh?"

"No, I don't think so."

"You sure?"

"Hai, Naruto-kun."

Naruto reluctantly pulled away from Hinata, already missing the warmth the embrace provided him. He sighed a little.

"There's really nothing that wrong with me, Hinata-chan. I'm just being a selfish bastard is all."

Hinata looked at him questioningly. "Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm jealous of Sasuke."

Hinata immediately and unintentionally backed away from Naruto, trying to will her tears from coming. Could he possibly still have feelings for Sakura?

"N-Naruto-kun…" She started twiddling her fingers.

Naruto blinked back his surprise… how long had it been since she'd stuttered, or twiddled her fingers for that matter? That wasn't the Hinata-chan he knew. It was as if the 12 year old Hinata had taken control of the 21 year old Hinata, and he didn't like it. He decided to keep talking… hopefully he would get to the bottom of the problem.

"I'm really happy for both of them… they're so happy together. I guess that's what makes me jealous."

Hinata looked at him in confusion. "Wh-what do you mean?"

He ignored the stutter. "I just see the way they are… Sasuke is actually smiling and happy. Sakura-chan just glows with love for him. I wish…" Naruto stopped, not feeling comfortable talking so intimately about his feelings.

"You wish what, Naruto-kun?"

"I wish that I could feel the same way with someone," Naruto proclaimed, just above a whisper.

Hinata was elated and ashamed at the same time. Elated that Sakura wasn't in Naruto's heart still, but very ashamed that she even thought that he still liked Sakura in that way. She was quiet literally speechless, so silence filled the air.

"Pretty stupid, ne?" Naruto said with a scoff as he glanced at the horizon. Hinata's mind turned back on, and she shook her head fiercely.

"Not at all, Naruto-kun! Everyone deserves to fall in love, at least once!" Hinata looked down, her cheeks flaming red, trying to squeak out her last comment.

"I feel the same way, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's eyes lit up at her comment. "Really?" he asked, wanting a little reassurance.

"Really," she replied softly. "I want to someday feel like Sakura and Sasuke obviously felt like today."

"With you, Naruto-kun! Can't you see that?" She was desperately trying to keep her emotions in check, to keep from crying, but she felt her control slipping away.

Naruto tentatively pulled her into another embrace, wordlessly asking of Hinata's approval to hug her. She complied by melting into his arms and burying her face in the crook of his neck, trying desperately to fight the tears that wanted to spill so badly. In her battle against her tears, she realized that she was losing… badly.

He winced when he felt them. They were hot and plentiful… Hinata's tears. Why was she crying? Naruto quickly figured out that he didn't like her crying… wrapping her up even tighter in his arms, he fought the urge to wipe the tears lovingly from her face.

He was being stupid, he realized. She was obviously very upset, and he had a feeling it had something to do with romance. Should he just tell her how he felt, even if she didn't want to return his feelings? Naruto was starting to become afraid of someone else getting to her first, and that thought bothered him greatly.

Naruto was at a loss… what was he to do about the beautiful, albeit immensely sad woman in his arms? Why couldn't there be a handbook for such things? Why couldn't he just stop skirting the issue and just tell her how he felt?

"Hinata-chan."

She looked up, her cheeks red from the embarrassment of crying so openly around him. The shame of how weak she was being at the moment was almost overwhelming.

Slowly, with shaking hands, Naruto carefully and lovingly wiped the tears from her face. Hinata instinctively shivered at his touch and closed her eyes, the feeling almost electric against her skin. Why was he doing this? Whatever the reason, she didn't want him to stop.

Naruto's entire body was now shaking as he looked at the woman in his arms. She looked so vulnerable, more vulnerable than he had seen her in a long time, and that made him sad.

His eyes lingered on her lips… they looked very kissable.

"Why not?"

Hinata was sure that her lungs were going collapse when she felt it. Her eyes shot open, for she wanted to verify that it was indeed Naruto's lips on hers.

It was definitely Naruto that was kissing her.

She leaned into the kiss heavily, her entire body shaking with nervousness and ecstasy. She let out a small moan, which caused Naruto to deepen the kiss. How long had she been waiting for this? Was it ten years?

"Yeah, ten years… far too long."

Eventually, Naruto broke this kiss with her and rested his forehead on hers. He breathed deeply, feeling much more secure with revealing his secret. She seemed to enjoy the kiss, after all, so maybe…

"I love you," he blurted out quickly.

Hinata blinked rapidly, too shocked to respond. Naruto stared at her with unease, hoping for some kind of response.

"I love you, Hinata-chan," he said once again, hoping that it would illicit some kind of response from her.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably and sighed. "I understand if you don't feel the same way… if there's someone else…"

"Don't feel the same way? Baka!" Hinata interrupted harshly, yelling with a ferocity Naruto never knew she had. She pounded her small fists softly and repeatedly into Naruto's chest, tears once again falling freely.

"Baka, baka, baka… Naruto no baka!"

"Hina-chan…" Naruto was scared of her outburst. He felt like running far away, or digging himself in a deep whole. He was stupid for telling her how he felt.

"Do you know… h-how long I-I've w-waited for you to say t-that, N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata revealed loudly in between her sobs. She launched herself back into his arms, angrily planting kisses on his lips. Naruto was generally confused, but took it in stride.

When Hinata was done with her violent display of affection, she collapsed tiredly in Naruto's arms.

"Ten years," she started softly. "Ten years, Naruto-kun… that's how long I've liked you." Naruto held back his surprise.

"These last three years… that's how long I've loved you," she whispered.

"I never knew," Naruto replied honestly. Hinata felt too drained to laugh.

"That's because you're a thick-skulled baka."

"I know… I'm sorry."

"I forgive you," she said, her breath tickling his chest. "I love you too… so much."

Naruto tightened his grip on her… he then realized how stupid he really was. Looking back, it was obvious how Hinata felt about him all this time. He could have been married to her by now, for crying out loud!

"Everyone wanted to fill you in, too," Hinata said, interrupting his self-depreciation. "But I wouldn't let them."

"Why not?" he asked curiously.

"Because I wanted to tell you… guess I never got around to it soon enough."

"Hmm," Naruto grunted quietly, unsure of what to say.

Hinata yawned softly, the sound muffled in Naruto's toned chest. "Sleepy," she said cutely, causing Naruto to instinctively kiss the top of her head.

"Rest, Hina-chan… we can talk more about it in the morning." Hinata didn't need to be asked twice, and she fell contentedly to sleep in his arms.

"Thanks for being patient with me, Hina-chan."

Naruto held her protectively, feeling sleepiness claim him as well. Before joining the woman he held tightly in slumber, he realized with great appreciation how beautiful his, no, their evening had become.