NaruHina: Technical Difficulties

Chapter Thirty-Five: Let Me Hear Your Heart

Hinata brought Hanabi back to Naruto's apartment, although the younger Hyuuga argued that anyone could say it was partially her sister's.
"I'm just intruding on his space," she waved it off, "For the time being at least."
"Do you think mom's dress will be too big?," Hanabi kicked a pebble as Hinata unlocked the door.
"I don't know," the elder sister pushed open the wooden structure and took the box from Hanabi, "If it is we can have alterations done."
"Is daddy coming?," they walked inside and Hanabi shut the door while taking off her shoes, "Or does he even know?"
"Father knows. He actually gave me the dress," she smiled.
"Hinata!," Naruto cane barreling through the hallway. He slid into view and then noticed the little kid, "Hey Hanabi-chan!"
"Hi Naruto," she nodded with a mutual expression.
"Is everything okay Naruto?," Hinata tried to look less concerned than she was in her head.
"Yeah. Just a little excited to see you," he grinned.
Hanabi looked up at the taller ninja as if he'd killed her sister, but it was just the opposite. Thinking about it, since they were getting married, and since Naruto never had someone he could trust to always come back to his house at the end of the day, she understood his enthusiasm.
"I'm happy to see you too, Naruto," then Hinata turned to Hanabi, "If you don't mind I asked Hanabi to come over and help us plan a few things."
"I don't mind. By the way, what's in the box," he started to lift up the lid to see its contents.
"My mother's wedding dress," Hinata smiled down at the pink container.
"Oh," he quickly stopped his actions, "So what are we planning?"
"Everything, dummy," Hanabi crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, "It's an event not a trip to the ramen shop."
"I'm afraid to say she's right Naruto," Hinata nodded, "If you don't want to help I can get Sakura, Tenten, and Ino, I'm sure."
"If you could, it would probably turn out a lot better," he laughed at himself, "I'm not really good with this stuff."
"Then that's what'll happen," Hanabi walked behind him and pushed Uzumaki towards the door, "You go eat ramen and we'll do this thingy."
"Okay," he started to put on his shoes as Hanabi urged him, "See ya later Hinata," he called as the younger Hyuuga slammed the door.
"Work time," she pushed Hinata through the house trying to convince herself that she wasn't excited.

Ino, Sakura, and Tenten joined them after the sisters called and asked for help, which the three happily accepted. They went over the small things such as flower areangements, colors, where it would be, and most important, Hinata's dress.
"Can we pretty please see you in it?," Ino clasped her hands together.
"Well," Hinata blushed slightly, "I do need to make sure it fits.....so why not?"
"Yeah!," Tenten jumped up out of her chair, "Come on Hanabi. You and I can go get it out of the box."
"Okay," she stood up a little more calmly and followed the older girl back to the bedroom.
"I'll go with them," Ino got up and ran after the two, leaving Sakura and Hinata alone.
There was a silence as Hinata looked through a flower catalog and Sakura stared at various things around the room.
"I can't believe this place is clean," Sakura smiled, "Then again, you calmed him down quite a bit."
"Not really," Hinata looked up from the magazine, "I just loved him. Naruto grew and changed on his own, I didn't have to do anything."
Haruno layed her arms on the table then her head on top, looking outside, "I wish Sasuke was like that."
Hyuuga blinked, "Don't you mean Lee?"
"That's what I said," her green eyes became visible as she turned back to Hinata.
"You said Sasuke," under the table, her fists clenched even tighter.
"Really?," she lifted her head up. Hinata nodded and once again there was no sound.
"You still love him don't you?," Hina's muscles relaxed, accepting Sakura's decision to remain hooked on her childhood crush as she had done.
"I guess," Sakura shrugged and stood up, "But let's just keep this between us girls, okay?"
"Hinata, hurry! I want to see you in the dress!," Ino ran in and grabbed the bride-to-be's arm, coaxing her up and into the bedroom.

"It fits perfectly," Tenten clasped her hands together and squealed as Hinata looked herself over in the mirror.
"You look amazing Hinata," Ino smiled and finished putting her hair into a loose bun.
Sakura brought the veil and tiara over from the box and placed it exactly where it needed to go, "The wedding of the century, thank you Hinata and Hanabi's mom."
"I surprised your boobs were able to fit it," Hanabi chimed in from the bed.
The three older girls who had previously commented hangged their heads in shame. She brought up the one topic they tried to avoid.
"Yeah," Hinata ran her fingertips over her collarbone, surpisingly not blushing.
"You agree?," Ino stood beside her and pulled on the bottom of the dress to smooth it out.
"Well of course I do," Hinata giggled, "I think everyone knows my chest is a little larger than normal."
"Unless you're blind, it's hard to miss it," Hanabi laid back on the matress and stretched out.
"Still, we weren't sure you were comfortable talking about it," Tenten scratched the back of her head.
"Naruto's changed me in some ways," she turned around and faced the group, "Most of them for the better."
"Most," Hanabi said in a reminding tone of voice.
"At least his loud voice didn't rub off on you," Ino giggled.
Hinata smiled then reached up to take the veil off her head.
"Shoot!," Tenten looked up at the clock, "I was supposed to be home a while ago," she sighed, "Sorry Hinata."
"It's okay if you have to leave. I liked spending time as a group again," she smiled as Tenten moved across the floor to hug her.
"See you around," she pulled away and waved before leaving them.
"Ino," Sakura turned to her, "Didn't you say you had something to do at one?"
"Dang it," Ino slapped her forehead, "I do. Sorry Hinata," she made a pouty face then sadly hugged her friend goodbye.
With Yamanaka leaving and Hanabi knowing when adults wanted to talk, Sakura and Hinata were the only ones still in the room. The pink haired kunoichi moved to sit down on Naruto's bed as Hinata began to take off her mother's dress.
"Hinata," Sakura picked at her finger nails, "Would you hate me if I broke up with Lee?"
"No," Hyuuga shook her head, "I'd feel bad for Lee, but with his positive attitude I'm sure he'd be fine."
"Well, what if," Haruno paused, "What if I left him for Sasuke?"
"Oh," Hinata looked to floor and pulled the dress from beneath her feet as Sakura stood and moved to help her, "I think you know I'm not one of his biggest fans. Although, my opinion doesn't matter. What matters," she looked up at Sakura, "Is that you love him."
Sakura's worried frown turned to a sweet smile, "Thanks."
The two heard the front door shut and shoes being kicked against the wall, "Hinata!"
"Hide!," Sakura laughed as Hinata's face turned red. Naruto's appearance gave them the realization that she still wasn't dressed.
Haruno watched her disappear behind the mirror then turned as Naruto walked through the bedroom door. She threw the dress onto the bed and laid a blanket over it, superstitious as always.
"Hey Sakura," he grinned, "Where's Hinata?"
"Here," she stepped out, dressed in slender pants and a tank top. She pulled her hair out of her shirt and then let it lay wherever it fell.
"I'll be in the living room," Sakura pointed to the hallway then started to leave.
"Okay Sakura-chan," Naruto grinned as her footsteps became fainter.
"Is something wrong Naruto?," Hinata clutched her fist to her chest.
"No. I just heard that Shikamaru is okay," he smiled.
"Really?," Hinata straightened up and smiled, "That's amazing! Do you know anything about Kanai?"
"Only that she's been at the hospital with him the whole time," he chuckled.
"Do you think we could go see them?"
"Maybe tomorrow. I'm not sure when he woke up, but it was recent," Naruto's smiled lessened just the slightest little bit.