mischief's cracktastic shorts

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it. Blah, Blah. You guys already know this. ^_^

Genre:
angst

Word
count: 524

Pairings:
NaruHina, implied NaruSaku

Choices

"What
is it, Naruto?" He turned toward her, the confusion apparent on his face
as he tried to figure out what she meant. "What is it about her that
allows you to just forget about me?"

Shit. style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Her voice was quiet as usual, but
the words were laced with anger and hurt. Clutched in her fist was a forehead
protector, the same one that was no where to be found during the mad dash to
get clothed and get a certain someone out of the apartment when Hinata came
home from her mission earlier today instead of tomorrow as planned. For a
fleeting moment, he actually wondered where she managed to find the thing.

"What
is it?!" she demanded once again, this time a bit more forcefully, and
Naruto sighed, wishing he knew the answer to that question himself.

"Hinata,"
he began but didn't really know what to say. What could he say that
would lessen the blow? There was nothing, he realized as he raked his hand
through his hair in aggravation. His lack of response upset her even more, and
she dropped the evidence of his betrayal and went back into the bedroom. He
wasn't surprised to find her packing when he followed her, but it pained him
just as well. So many times he had wished for it to be her, for her to be the
one who completed him, her to be the one to make him smile like that.
Why couldn't it have been her? She loved him!

Hinata
picked up her bag from the bed and looked at him once again. The anguish on her
face made his insides twist. He never wanted to hurt her, but that's exactly
what he was doing, wasn't it? Throwing away what he had for a chance at the
impossible, a fantasy.

He knew
things with Sakura would most likely not end up how he wished. For as long as
he'd known her, she'd been in love with Sasuke, just as he loved her and Hinata
loved him. Life was fucked up like that. His teammate might've only wanted a
physical relationship with him, but he couldn't just pass up the opportunity
that just maybe it might develope into something more. Because the fact
remained that even though he couldn't say why he loved her in ways that
he couldn't love Hinata, he did, and if given a choice, he'd always choose
Sakura even if it only ended in pain.

Hinata
paused as her hand encircled the doorknob and turned back to Naruto one last
time.

"I
hope you find what you're looking for." The words were strained but
sincere, not that he would have expected anything less from her. 'Why couldn't
it have been her?' his mind asked once again. Their eyes met, and he somehow
managed a sad little smile before she walked out, closing the door of the
apartment and the life they shared behind her. The tears escaped her eyes as
soon as her feet began descending the steps.

Naruto
sighed and allowed himself to fall backwards into the couch. He had never meant
to hurt her.