TWO HEARTS

Disclaimer: Yeah, Naruto isn't mine.

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TWO HEARTS

By: N3L

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When Hinata had initially confessed to Naruto, it broke Naruto’s heart.

Contrary to popular belief, he did notice the fair girl’s affections for him (well, eventually), he just couldn’t bring himself to address the issue. It may have gone against his very character, but this was an unwanted new and foreign issue that he couldn’t deal with by using his fists. It may have taken a while, but her actions always did puzzle him for a few years, till it hit him. At the age of 16 going 17, he definitely knew. It grew more glaringly obvious to him as it did to everyone else, and he had to wonder at the fact of how blind he was.

What else did he miss?

But currently, he hoped that he’d never have to confront her about it and she’d move on.

However, as things were going, it was actually quite amazing the amount of dedication she had toward him. Really, it was. Naruto definitely respected her in that aspect.

But it simply hurt.

He realized what was coming to him when it was much too late.

None of the warning bells in his head should have gone off, when she approached him, all quiet awkwardness, yet with a certain curious blend of nobility unique to those who shared the Hyuuga blood.

“Um…Na-Naruto-kun. M-May I talk to you please?”

Damn his slow unwitting mind.

“Sure, Hinata! What d’ya need?”

He waited patiently as she turned various shades of red, as was per usual for Hinata’s behavior around him. It was the way she’d always acted around him, and that is and always was his impression of her. Plums and cherries.

Her fingers gravitated toward each other in her old habits, but she drew them back quickly, startling herself almost. Hinata dipped her head and spoke in soft words.

Nearly everything about Hinata was soft.

“Ah…can we…go s-somewhere more…quiet?”

“…Alright.” By then, he finally felt that something was off. But he complied with her wishes and they ended up within the forest.

“So, what’s up, Hinata?” His brows furrowed with worry, “Is there something wrong?”

Her large light eyes widened and she protested profusely. “O-oh no, nothing’s wrong! Nothing at all!”

She averted her gaze away.

Well, that seemed suspicious.

“Um…I just wanted to say..that..it’s been a while…and um…I…”

That’s when it hit him. And the little voice in his head went ‘oh shit.’

“I…Ireallylikeyou!” Her confession came out quick and in a messy jumble, but he understood it just fine.

He blinked, his expression blank and worked on digesting the confessed information. Then his eyebrows drew together in an awkward despair as he looked at Hinata.

She was beyond nervous, and he saw her make to bolt away from him like a startled doe.

Naruto held on a hand and steadied her quivering shoulder. Then he smiled a small smile that did not reach his eyes. A genuine smile of gratefulness, but also of regret.

“Hinata…”

It hurt. It hurt like hell. It hurt looking at Hinata in all her loveliness right here in front of him. With her exotic light complexion and dark hair. And those soft glittering eyes that were so different from Neji’s.

Yeah, it hurt.

He looked at her straight in those doe eyes of hers and for once, his voice was in a whisper that was hardly heard by anyone.

“Thank you,” he meant it, with all his heart, but his smile widened and the ends mixed into the slight actions of a grimace, “But…I’m sorry. I don’t feel the same way.”

He felt their two beating hearts break together, each for a different reason, and released her shoulder.

A small noise rose from her throat, Hinata nodded mutely then dashed away, her figure flickered in and out of his sight between the bodies of the trees.

Naruto remained where he stood, bathed in the yellow sunshine with his broken heart. It was a bitter irony.

All his life, he longed for love. His entire life was based on it. Love, love, love. He loved his friends, he loved life, he loved love itself and basked in the glory and pain of it. Love was his life, and he longed for love all his life. He lived for it.

And for once, when this sort of romantic, endearing, admirable, remarkable kind of love was pitched his way…he couldn’t accept it. Bitter bittersweet irony. Hinata with her large liquid doe eyes, and blushing cherry skin and dark plum hair and sweetness.

He didn’t feel the same way about her the way she did him. And it hurt, because he sure as hell wished he did. But Naruto wasn’t the sort of person to lie to himself. He stayed true to himself, because he was Naruto, and that was simply how he was.

Hinata is quiet. She is sweet and thoughtful and overall adorable. She is also most likely very devoted and loyal. And so many other things that Naruto didn’t know, but what he did know, was that sadly he could not see her in that light.

And it broke his heart.