With You in the Future

Promises

Promises ease fears.

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Written for NaruHina week 2019 - Day 4

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Just by hearing Hinata's footsteps in the stairs Naruto could tell she was mad.

Hinata had always been a timid girl, but now that she was more confident in herself, Naruto feared her silences more than before; one, because he wasn't blind anymore, he knew the feelings his wife had for him, and two, because they would never predict the outcome of something good.

"Tou-chan!" Boruto shouted as he hit his father's nose with his hand to bring his attention back on him.

"Ouch! Boruto, careful please."

Naruto had just finished reading Boruto's bedside story and his son was making him understand that he was now ready to play.

With his belly full, his new nappy and wearing his pink pyjamas, the Uzumaki boy ready to go to bed, was sitting on his father's abdomen and was playing with his whiskered cheeks, trying to see how extensible they were when he pulled on them.

Half-lying in his bed, Naruto was at his mercy and he could only hold back his tears drawn by pain.

He had come back from an S-ranking mission with broken ribs and a sprained ankle that had looked three times bigger because he had kept walking on it. Thanks to Kurama's chakra, he knew he wouldn't stay long in bed. Despite that, he could feel his wife bore a grudge against him.

"Is everything alright, Naruto-kun?" She asked before stepping in the bedroom.

"Of course!" Naruto said, trying to smile despite his son's tight paws.

His funny face provoked Boruto's laugh, unaware of the certain tension filling the bedroom.

Coming from downstairs to bring her husband's dinner, Hinata put the trail of food on the bedside table before smiling, "It's time to say goodnight, my love."

She took Boruto under his armpits, but he was pouting, unhappy to be taken away from his dad while he could've kept torturing him. Plus, he barely just came back home. Not wanting to leave, he held onto Naruto's neck, blowing his breath away because of the pain.

By dint of screaming, Boruto's face dangerously became red. Hinata then decided to let him go and sat next to them before caresseing his blonde hair. "You know, Boruto. Tou-chan got a really bad boo-boo today. That's why he can't come with you." She softly said.

"Yeah, sorry Bolt. But I swear tomorrow I'll be ready to play with you." quickly added Naruto.

He didn't know if he was saying that to calm Boruto, or to calm Hinata.

Nevertheless, his son still looked at him, observing the smile his father gave him. But, it wasn't the smile he used to see.

Boruto was aware of it. He had seen the bandages on his body when his mother had helped him lie down earlier. He too, it happened she placed a nice plaster where his skin was scratched, and if he was a good boy while she was healing him, he was allowed to have a kiss afterwards. So yes, he knew it meant his dad was hurting.

Still clenched on his shoulders too broad for his hands, he gave his cheek a kiss then buried his face in his neck while Naruto wrapped his arms around his tiny body.

Boruto was still too young to understand, but his behaviour clearly showed he had missed his dad.

It was the first long mission that had been given to Naruto since his son's birth and his family hadn't really liked it. Especially since he came back hurt. It's true, more fear than pain, but thinking that it could've been worse, Hinata's heart clenched.