2
The clock on his bedside table flashed 5:30.
Naruto closed his eyes, savoring the comfort of his bed for one last moment before he eased himself out from under the blankets and silently walked to the closet. He had gotten used to feeling his way around in the dark. After all, he didn’t want to awake Hinata.
Once he was dressed in his ninja gear with his hokage cloak draped across his shoulders, he quietly snuck from the room. Hinata’s quiet breathing disappeared behind him as he shut the door.
It was routine. Out before sunrise, back after sundown.
Spend as little time possible as he could in their small, sickeningly clean apartment.
Before he left, however, he pushed open Bolt’s door. A sliver of moonlight rested on his face as he slept, snoring softly. Naruto smiled to himself. The snoring stopped as the little boy rolled onto his side and flopped his arm over the side of the bed, and then it began once again. Naruto came to his son’s side and planted a gentle kiss on his forehead.
“I love you,” he whispered. Bolt didn’t stir. With a wan smile, Naruto entered the room next door where Himawari slept soundly. “You too, Himawari.”
He looked fondly at his daughter for a lingering moment before he shut the door and returned to the kitchen.
“Naruto-kun.”
He only jumped slightly at the sound of his wife’s voice. Like a guilty child caught in the act of breaking a rule, he slowly turned to face Hinata’s blank eyes.
“Good morning, Hinata.”
“Good morning.”
A silence fell over them.
“I, uh... my meetings went late last night,” he finally said.
She nodded. “Okay.”
Silence.
“Look, I need to get going…” he said, backing towards the kitchen.
“I know.” She looked down at her feet. Naruto stopped moving away.
“What? Hinata, what’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “Nothing… there’s nothing wrong.”
Lie.
He had been married to her long enough to know when she was lying. She never wanted to say anything to vindicate him. That had led to a long marriage of nothing but buried truths and little communication.
Even so, he just nodded and headed into the kitchen. Light from sunrise began to cast a reddish glow in the room. He opened the fridge and grabbed the lunch Hinata had prepared the night before.
“You didn’t happen to also make a dinner, did you? I’m staying late again.”
“Again?”
Naruto glanced at her as he put the lunch into his bag. “Yeah, again.” Hinata wrapped her arms around herself and sighed, pointing at a tupperware in the fridge.
“There are leftovers from last night in there. You can bring those.” Naruto nodded absently as he took it out of the fridge and placed it into his bag. “You know, the kids miss you a lot when you’re gone. Bolt was really upset you didn’t go to his presentation yesterday.”
“Something came up.”
“I… I miss you a lot when you’re gone, too.”
Naruto paused and looked at her, his expression blank. Then he turned away, slipping his bag onto his shoulders. “Well, I’m really busy. Sorry.” Without another word, he threw open the door, welcoming the cool, morning air inside, and left.
***
:'(
BTW, I don't really approve of adultery... so, I have a very clear direction where I'm going with this story and you needn't fear, I won't make Naruto or Sakura into scumbags :)
Naruto closed his eyes, savoring the comfort of his bed for one last moment before he eased himself out from under the blankets and silently walked to the closet. He had gotten used to feeling his way around in the dark. After all, he didn’t want to awake Hinata.
Once he was dressed in his ninja gear with his hokage cloak draped across his shoulders, he quietly snuck from the room. Hinata’s quiet breathing disappeared behind him as he shut the door.
It was routine. Out before sunrise, back after sundown.
Spend as little time possible as he could in their small, sickeningly clean apartment.
Before he left, however, he pushed open Bolt’s door. A sliver of moonlight rested on his face as he slept, snoring softly. Naruto smiled to himself. The snoring stopped as the little boy rolled onto his side and flopped his arm over the side of the bed, and then it began once again. Naruto came to his son’s side and planted a gentle kiss on his forehead.
“I love you,” he whispered. Bolt didn’t stir. With a wan smile, Naruto entered the room next door where Himawari slept soundly. “You too, Himawari.”
He looked fondly at his daughter for a lingering moment before he shut the door and returned to the kitchen.
“Naruto-kun.”
He only jumped slightly at the sound of his wife’s voice. Like a guilty child caught in the act of breaking a rule, he slowly turned to face Hinata’s blank eyes.
“Good morning, Hinata.”
“Good morning.”
A silence fell over them.
“I, uh... my meetings went late last night,” he finally said.
She nodded. “Okay.”
Silence.
“Look, I need to get going…” he said, backing towards the kitchen.
“I know.” She looked down at her feet. Naruto stopped moving away.
“What? Hinata, what’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “Nothing… there’s nothing wrong.”
Lie.
He had been married to her long enough to know when she was lying. She never wanted to say anything to vindicate him. That had led to a long marriage of nothing but buried truths and little communication.
Even so, he just nodded and headed into the kitchen. Light from sunrise began to cast a reddish glow in the room. He opened the fridge and grabbed the lunch Hinata had prepared the night before.
“You didn’t happen to also make a dinner, did you? I’m staying late again.”
“Again?”
Naruto glanced at her as he put the lunch into his bag. “Yeah, again.” Hinata wrapped her arms around herself and sighed, pointing at a tupperware in the fridge.
“There are leftovers from last night in there. You can bring those.” Naruto nodded absently as he took it out of the fridge and placed it into his bag. “You know, the kids miss you a lot when you’re gone. Bolt was really upset you didn’t go to his presentation yesterday.”
“Something came up.”
“I… I miss you a lot when you’re gone, too.”
Naruto paused and looked at her, his expression blank. Then he turned away, slipping his bag onto his shoulders. “Well, I’m really busy. Sorry.” Without another word, he threw open the door, welcoming the cool, morning air inside, and left.
***
:'(
BTW, I don't really approve of adultery... so, I have a very clear direction where I'm going with this story and you needn't fear, I won't make Naruto or Sakura into scumbags :)
So do what you can. You got real talent.
I like where and how this is going, keep it up Win-chan, its very good.