Can you feel my heartbeat?

Unrequited Love

Groaning in anger I picked up my heavy bag and began walking up the hill back home. Today was an unproductive day at work I thought as suddenly my world was flipped upside down. No literally, one minute I was trudging up the hill with my heavy bag over my shoulders and the next I was flying though the air as a body collided with me. It would have hurt had the person not had fast reflexes and caught me by my waist. I was suddenly pulled against a hard masculine chest. My hands could feel the man's biceps even though his orange brightly colored jumpsuit.

Boy did this man work out. He just poured out male pheromones as I smelled a manly cologne. My face heated up as I felt my cheeks burn.

"Ha ha, I am so sorry. I hope I didn't hurt you or anything?" came a more sweeter tone. I looked up at the face of my rescuer and warm blue eyes graced my presence. He had blond spiky hair and whisker marks on his cheeks that made me want to pinch him out of impulse. But I held that part of me on a tight leash.

I pulled back gulping as I straitened myself out and smiled finally at him, "Ah, thank you so much for catching me and don't worry about it."

"Please, I've been told I have the strength of a thousand men and the attention spam of a goldfish so I am really sorry if I almost ran over you," replied the man as he looked at me with a goofy smile.

"Truly, its fine. If anything you shouldn't have even caught me. Maybe if I was injured Mr. Tomoe would give me some time off," I grumbled, "ah, not that I mean I am not thankful for what you did that is, I don't mean that I would have been in-" I panicked as I spoke trying not to hurt his feelings.

The man laughed as he smiled at me before picking up my backpack, "Can I ask you to join me for dinner?"

"I... that would be lovely," I resigned and smiled at him.

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And that is how Mina and Naruto became close friends. Mina gravitated quickly to Naruto because being a foreigner she felt out of place and it was hard making friends. Although those that she made loved her to pieces. Naruto was no exception. He gravitated towards the blond petite green eyed beauty that had pouty lips when she went into her little trances. He couldn't help but feel a warmth build up in him every time Mina graced him with a smile. Or pouted at him as her nose scrunched up.

After that day they began to hang out and spend more time together. Naruto couldn't help but love Mina's genuine character. She never hit him, or blamed him, or yelled at him, or looked at him in contempt. Her eyes only showed happiness and love. She praised him when he accomplished a new jutsu wanting a demonstration. His male pride swelled when she clapped in amazement at him to do it again. She cleaned him when he would suddenly show up to her door step no matter what time it was after a really bad mission. She would sit him down in her bathroom chair strip him of his bloody sullen clothes and bring a warm wash cloth cleaning his body before tending to his wounds. Sometimes he would see a small tear fall down her porcelain face as her large green eyes shone with pain. He would rub his thumb over those tears before seeking the warmth in her arms that would clutch to him in desperation. She would laugh at him at the ramen stand as he would devour one bowl after another. When the chef Techu or Ayame would reprimand him to eat less. She would look put out as she would complain to them till they would give him five more serving explaining to them his fast metabolism and his harsh workouts were possible only with his intake of such quantities. Sometimes she would even force him to take more.