Still Falling for You [NH year 2020]

June - Honor/Sacrifice

Manga/Anime: Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto/Studio Pierrot
Words: 1 972
Publish: 06/28/2020
Summary: Under duress, Naruto and Hinata are married for better, for worse...
Author's Note: Thanks to Hippyredfox who really helped me on this short story.

"Why did you hate me like that?" they were at the table, face to face.

"It's not you Naruto. I swear, it's... It's this marriage which..." her voice broke.

"Why?" he asked to help her.

"We were raised with two different kind of love. You and Konohamaru only know the beautiful aspects of love. Your parents fell in love with each other when they got married. They raised you both together. Mine, it's more... more complicated. My parents weren't in love when I was born... They never understood each other. Silence is the only way to talk..."

Her lavender eyes were full with sadness, pain that she and Hanabi had felt during their life. Pretend, hide their feelings, they were used to all of that. With their shell, they were protecting themselves from their life's troubles. It was their second nature.

Since that conversation, he wasn't the innocent boy, the young man lacking in confidence who believed in live on love alone anymore. Reality caught him. Less beautiful. More hurtful.

It was hard to stomach.

That night... That beautiful night he shared with Hinata... It had meaning. But deep down, it was all about comforting each other. He completely lost himself in her arms. She tried to trust a man, to ignore her judgement. But, the picture of her brutal father kept banging her mind... Even if she closed her eyes.

It's there. Always there.

How could he be mad at her?

Maybe others would've bore a grudge against her.

Naruto? He couldn't do that.

Because nothing was black or white.

It was just gray, with a mixte of several nuances, depending on the day.

Destiny was inevitable. They couldn't be together. Because of their differences, their vision of the world, their characters, it was impossible.

Yet, it wasn't the end of the world. On the contrary, his marriage made him grow. This situation made understand that nothing was lost. He could always hold on to someone, on to something. Maybe Hinata wasn't his one and only love, and for that, he couldn't give up.

He won't give up!

"Can I speak to you for a moment." She opened the door like a hurricane.

"I'm sorry Mr.Namikaze. I told her you were busy but she insisted.

"It's ok Temari. My wife is my priority. Please leave us alone." He stood up, putting his glasses down.

"Of course."