NARUHINA ONESHOTS

☪ | i love you

' i love you '

naruhina oneshot 07.

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"I love you, Naruto-kun."

I love you, too.

Naruto shook his head. Say it. Say it to her.

He didn't.

Uzumaki Naruto loved Hyuuga Hinata. He loved her with his whole, heart, mind, and being. He lived to love her. He loved everything from the way she timidly slid her hand into his when it was cold or just when she wanted to assure her place beside him to the exaggerated movements she made just to see her skirt twirl around her ankles. 

He loved how delicate she was with the flowers on the windowsill and how deadly she could be in a fight. He loved her pale eyes; they were otherworldly and had always been to him. Just another reason to love. 

Naruto loved her unwavering loyalty. He loved her urge to please the ones around her, her incredible courage. The way her brain could analyze a situation and interpret before his lips could even part to give an explanation. 

The list didn't stop there. Not nearly.

He loved her. 

But no matter how many times she said it to him, he couldn't do it.

Naruto couldn't say, "I love you." He tried. He tried almost every day.

Yesterday, Hinata wrapped his torn elbow while he was (supposed to be) reading. Preparing to be Hokage was hard. He had missions and books to study, villagers to meet and etiquette to learn. 

She was so gentle as she cleaned the disturbed skin, careful as she applied ointment with skillful fingers. Then she was wrapping it. 

And Naruto should've been thinking about the words on the page. Maybe how funny he was going to look with both arms wrapped up (only for a couple of days, Hinata had said). But she was on his mind. 

Tending to him, caring for him, loving him without even trying. 

And the urge came. Say it. 

"Hinata?"

"Hm?"

He watched her work, open book still balanced in his other hand. Her dark hair absorbed the sunlight filtering in through the window while her eyelashes captured it.

"Should we--should we go out for ramen tonight?"

He failed.

Even Kurama noticed his struggling. It was when he'd left for a mission; a short one to retrieve and escort someone. (Even the little jobs count, said Iruka-sensei.) Hinata had perfected the phrase, after stuttering and stumbling and trying over and over. I love you, she said, crystal clear.  

She didn't let him leave her without saying it once. And he couldn't even say it back.

What's wrong with you? Kurama said, usual name-calling and teasing absent today. You're getting on my nerves.

Naruto told him to go away. He's right, drawled a voice. Why don't you just say it?

For having taken care of his dark half during the war, Naruto heard that voice a little too often.