Hyuuga Hinata, now twenty one years old, passed through the check-out line with a bundle of presents beneath each arm. She had insisted that Naruto stay behind, partially so that she could take all the time she wanted, but mostly because she didn't want her husband finding out what he would be getting for Christmas.
Despite herself, the Byakugan heiress blushed modestly at such internal thoughts. 'Her husband'; how many times had she fantasized over those words when she was younger? It was still a shock and a mystery how her life had worked out so well in the end. At times, the young woman thought herself lost in a fairytale at the understanding that she had fallen in love with and married her childhood crush.
Even now, five months past the day she had said 'I do', Hinata still smiled wholeheartedly every time she adjusted the beautiful diamond ring displayed atop her left hand.
An older woman jostled her elbow in the pursuit of a shopping cart, pulling the young woman from her nostalgic musings. Viewing the interruption as a sign, she skimmed over her mental checklist to guarantee that all the shopping had finally been completed. Being the responsible young woman that she was, Hinata was only on the lookout for presents concerning her former genin teammates and husband this late in the season.
Let's see...a fifty dollar gift certificate to Petco for Kiba, some chew toys for Akamaru, bug spray for Shino (I still can't believe Kiba talked me into this...) and an all-day resort pass to the spa for Kurenai-sensei.
The Hyuuga heiress mentally checked off Naruto's present as well. Now, the only thing left was a little something for herself. In truth, it would prove to be a gift that impacted more than just her, but that was something to be considered only after certain arrangements had been made.
Steeling herself, Hinata wafted along the busy streets of Konaha, allowing her mind to be swept away amidst all the Yuletide cheer. As she made her way down the street, she was greeted by no less than three happy couples and a pair of bushy-browed carolers.
Shikamaru was being dragged along by Temari, Ino had an arm wrapped snugly around Sai's elbow, and Sasuke was trying to hold Sakura's hand as discreetly as possible. Gai and Lee had earned themselves a hug with their very youthful rendition of 'We Two Kings'.
Eventually, the young woman reached her destination and slipped into a local drugstore. Several minutes later, she exited the premises with an odd assortment of solemnity, apprehension, and delight all mixed together in her features.
-
Several hours later, both Hinata and her husband were finally back home, having just survived yet another wild Christmas party thrown by the now infamous Inuzuka clan.
Naruto was holding his head in his hands.
“Uhh...no more egg nog...ever again...”
His young wife cast him a demure grin before clicking her tongue in a motherly fashion.
“It's not the egg nog, you know...it's what Kiba spiked it with.”
He responded with a grunt.
“Yeah, I know, I know...eh, I still can't believe Shino just burst out laughing like that. I'll probably have nightmares for weeks...what did we get him again?”
Hinata rolled her eyes and shot him an impish grin.
“We got him a can of bug spray.”
That was met with a look of disbelief.
“Are you serious?”
Hinata shrugged.
“It was Kiba's idea.”
Naruto shook his head and sighed. Apparently, he decided that a loving hug would make him feel better, as Hinata soon found herself entwined by a strong pair of hands guiding her over to his lap. She complied with his urgings, and cradled Naruto's head close to her breast. He let out a contended sigh as she caressed his forehead with a kiss.
As his hands began to inch down towards her bottom, Hinata grinned knowingly and gave him a tart little kiss on the nose before standing up and moving away.
“Later, I promise. Right now, we still have some presents to unwrap!”
The male shinobi cast her a sour look, but perked up immediately when a rather hefty present was dropped upon his knees. He glanced upward, was greeted by a heartfelt nod, and promptly tore into the wrapping paper for all he was worth.
In hardly any time at all, Naruto was looking down at his gift. He let out a delightful laugh when he realized it was looking back at him. Resting on his lap was a pair of ultra-comfy plush slippers with little chibi fox heads on top. Hinata slinked an arm around his shoulders, catching him off guard with a sweet kiss on the cheek.
“Why don't you try them on? Ya know, maybe walk around a bit...”
The young man caught a teasing nature in the tone, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out why. Deciding it best to just do as she asked, he slipped on his present and took a single step forward.
(Squeakie)
Startled, the young man cast an incredulous eye upon his gift, then over to the giver. Hinata cast him a wink and a smile before urging him to walk a bit more.
(Squeakie-squeakie-squeakie)
Naruto's expression was caught somewhere between horror and amusement.
“No way...”
His young wife could do nothing more than giggle when a giant grin suddenly overcame her husband as he broke into a sprint around the room, followed by an adorable chorus of squeaks. Quite content with his new present, Naruto plopped down beside Hinata and besieged her with a bear hug mixed with kisses. She giggled once more.
“You're welcome! Oh, and the squeakers do come out, just so you know.”
The male ninja nodded emphatically before reaching down and scooping up a present of his own. That characteristic foxy grin still sent butterflies fluttering throughout her stomach, and the young woman blushed deeply as she accepted his gift. Taking the time to admire the wrapping, Hinata delicately placed the unopened item off to the side and stood up.
“I...I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back.”
As she passed through the room, a delicate hand slipped unnoticed into one of the shopping bags off to the side, extracting a small item purchased earlier in the day.
The young man quirked an eyebrow at the sudden departure, but then remembered she had enjoyed her fair share of drinks as well. Not the spiked egg nog, though. Despite his insistence, Hinata had refused the concoction altogether. In fact, he couldn't remember seeing her with anything besides water. Dismissing his odd little musings as trivial, Naruto made his way over to the fridge and poured himself a glass of milk.
Returning to his spot, he had nursed it about half way down the glass when his loving wife returned to his side. She wore an unreadable expression upon her face, something that Naruto was quick to pick up on. He rested a gentle hand atop her knee.
“Hinata, sweetheart, are you alright?”
His voice shook her out of the trance she had been in, and Hinata immediately took on a great big smile. An affirming nod soothed his worries, and it was with a display of gusto that the young woman once again took up her gift. She gave it a gentle shake, only to be halted by a sharp intake of breath.
“You...might not want to do that.”
A look of intrigue eradicated any remnants of the mild turmoil that had been present on her features, and the Hyuuga maiden began to work at unwrapping her present. As the top of the box came off, she gasped.
“Oh, Naruto, it's beautiful...”
Held delicately in her hands was an ornate crystal sun catcher adorned with three small wind chimes. In the center was an engraving:
To my Hinata-chan, the light of my life.
She clutched the decoration close to her heart.
“Thank you so much...I love it.”
On impulse, the young woman leaned over and gave her husband a deep kiss. Naruto returned it in kind, holding her close. As he began to caress her back, she stiffened slightly, and pulled away. Thinking that he had done something wrong, the male shinobi cast her a worried glance. She deflected it with a weak smile.
“I...I still have one more present for you, Naruto...but I'm not sure you'll like it...”
At this, he took on a wry grin, eager to dismiss her fears as quickly as possible.
“Are you kidding? I'd love anything you got me, Hinata. You know that.”
She looked away, despite his earnest words, and tapped her fingers together.
“I...I hope so, b-but I'm not sure...”
The young man raised an eyebrow. Something was wrong. He didn't know what exactly, but he had not heard her stutter for almost four years, not since they had first started to date. If whatever was bothering her was as bad as she let on, this could be serious indeed.
“Hinata...if it's clothing, I promise I'll try my best to like it.”
Despite herself, Hinata laughed at her husband's misunderstanding. Feeling slightly more relieved, she reached a hand into her pocket.
“Naruto, I...I love you more than anyone in the world, and I just want you to know how much you mean to me...that's all.”
The young man took on a somber look, inching forward imperceptively so as to cradle his wife against a broad chest.
“Hinata...I love you too. More than I ever thought possible. You can tell me anything. Whatever it is, we'll get through this together...”
Something about his phrasing sparked a bit of courage within the young woman's heart, and she nodded warmly. As the two scooted to their respective sides of the couch, the Hyuuga heiress pulled a small object out of her jacket and handed it to her husband. Not knowing what else to do, she simply watched his reaction with both worry and hope.
Naruto peered down at the object in his hands. If anything, it looked like a digital thermometer, and he momentarily wondered if this was about her having a fever. After a few more seconds, he realized it was something different, and that part of the thicker end had a large oval set under some clear plastic. There was a thick band of pink running the full length of the window.
He glanced up at her curiously.
“What is it?”
She quickly took on a demure expression, and looked a bit off to the side.
“It's...a pregnancy test.”
That was more or less met with a blank look.
“So...what does the pink bar mean?”
From his position before her, Naruto could see his wife take on the most beautiful smile. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she turned back towards him; a stark contrast of joy and fear intermingled across her countenance. Hinata reached out to stroke her husband's whisker-marked cheek.
“Merry Christmas, Naruto-kun.”
She watched silently as he absorbed the meaning of her words. After a few seconds, his eyes grew to enormous proportions as he slowly pivoted away from her, leaning both elbows on his knees.
Hinata cringed. What kind of reaction was that? Was he happy? Saddened? Complete silence was not something she had expected, and it worried her to no end. A single hand came up from her side to rest delicately upon his shoulder.
The young woman didn't know what to do. Apologize? It wasn't like she as the only one responsible. Maybe he just needed time to think it through. Why hadn't they taken the time to discuss this earlier? Anytime she had wanted to bring it up in the past...oh, what was she supposed to do now?
A gentle hand began to rub his back. Naruto was shaking.
Hinata was just starting to lean in for a consoling hug when her husband shot to his feet like a ball of lightning. He spun around to reveal the single largest grin she had ever seen present on his face.
"YES! You're pregnant! This is awesome! I'm gonna be a dad!”
And with that, he dropped to his knees and hugged her leg like a child, exuberant grin and all. The tears that had been gathering in her eyes began to fall freely now, exhibiting the release of so much fear, joy and gratitude. She pulled his chin up to look at her. Naruto's face was tear-stained as well.
“You...you're not angry?”
He regarded her as if she had gone insane.
“Angry? Why would I be angry? This is the best thing ever! I can't believe I'm gonna be a daddy. Oh man, this is great, 'cause I never...it'll be new, I mean, since...you know, my dad...”
The young man was distraught to suddenly find his non-existent memories coming back to haunt him, especially at a time like this. Understanding completely the hole in her husband's heart, Hinata reached out to hold the man she had married, the father of her child, and the best thing that had ever happened to her.
Naruto smiled sadly, then jumped to his feet, once again sporting a terrific grin from ear to ear.
“I've gotta tell everybody! Kage Bunshin no jutsu!”
Before she could even think to protest, the entire first floor of their house was full of Naruto clones. Each had that same goofy expression of bliss creeping across their faces. Some of the closest ones reached out to give her a hug.
“Naruto! It's almost eleven at night!”
That was met with a sage-like nod.
“Good point, Hinata. There's a chance not everybody will hear the first time around. Better send out a few dozen more just to be sure!”
And with that, the second floor erupted with orange jackets and cries of triumph. The poor young woman let her face fall into her hands.
“Ok you guys! Spread the word! We're gonna be daddies!”
A collective whoop went up throughout the entire house as dozens of Naruto's peeled out the front door and down the street, yelling the good news at the top of their lungs. Hinata could only laugh to herself as she realized each one of them had on a pair of squeaky slippers. Oh, they'd be getting a lot of complaints in the morning, but it would definetly be worth it.
After all, in only a few short years, there'd be more than just one hyperactive knuckle-headed ninja running around the village.
Hinata smirked to herself as her husband proceeded to do another victory lap. If their child was anything like the original, certain preparations would have to be made. A room, a crib, all those things could wait. The young mother-to-be was more concerned with what would prove most vital of all.
Hmm. I wonder if baby food comes in 'ramen' flavor...