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The way she held onto him, no matter where they were, it felt like magic to him. Like some universal power has grabbed him down and pulled him into a place that feels more like home than any one-bedroom in Konoha could ever come close to. The hold she had on him, while so strong and sturdy, she never failed to lift him into the clouds either.
She smiled, the way she always did when he felt this way, the way that made him certain she just knows how he's feeling.
"I'll never let you down, Naruto. I'll never let you go."
—
The way the moonlight shone in through the bedroom window made his chest ache.
Not too long ago, they looked for nights like these, staring at weather apps and the daily weather report over the radio for any hint that the night sky would be clear, that their precious moon would be full. They'd rush into the car and drive for miles, searching for the perfect spot- a park, maybe, empty lots or fields, even an empty parking lot, just as long as it was perfectly covered in moonlight. The moment was always perfect when they found it, they didn't have to say a word, it was as if the moon was inviting their spirits in, together. That kind of moonlight felt like it was made just for them, like the world had come together to give the young lovers the night to dance and sing and laugh to whatever would play through the car radio.
But tonight… it's different. Naruto couldn't exactly sum up how it felt, but it wasn't just painful. Some part of him wanted to scream, to shout at him that now’s the time, it's time to race out to the car and find their place again, to race to her . He smiled for a moment, the subtle hint of life that the memory of their innocence, of their time together. It made it feel like Hinata was still alive, right in front of him in the moonlight.
Part of him wanted to believe she really was, like if he blinked she would be sitting at the edge of their bed, smiling at him from across the room, a smile inviting him to come home. He could see it, in his own way. That smile that told him she knows exactly how he's feeling.
In a moment she was gone again, and the weight on his chest returned.
Naruto supposed he should be used to this, the loneliness, the way an empty apartment felt. He had spent his whole life alone for the most part, aside from the few years they spent together. But without her… it was different. The way she’ll never get embarrassed to ask to hold his hand in public again, how she can never insist that every meal they could make together was a two-person job, just so they could do it together… It felt like the universe that gave him a home has now left him with no place to go. Without a hint of light to move forward with.
—
She had to be the only woman in the world that could make doing the dishes look cute. He couldn't help but smile as he approached.
"Y'know, I didn't ask you to stay over just so you'd do my dishes first thing in the morning." He smiled into her neck as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, the sweet smell of her dark hair filling his senses.
She just laughed at him, leaning back a bit to reciprocate his touch, as well as she could with her arms submerged in the soapy water. "I like getting stuff done first thing in the morning, it's relaxing. And it's the only time of day I get to listen to the radio by myself."
He laughed back. "Oh yeah? You saying I should go back to bed and let you do all these dishes by yourself?" He stepped back away from her just a bit, a smirk forming across his face.
"I didn't say that."
He loved how homey their life together felt. Even when their relationship was new, the comfort they had with each other felt like it meant they belonged together. When she was around, he was calm, confident and collected. He even noticed that when it was just the two of them, she was outgoing and never shied away from saying what was on her mind- not at all like she was with her friends, or their friends, their entire lives. The way they acted, the way they made each other feel when they were together, it was the only proof that Naruto needed to know that he'd never let this go, not for anything in the world.
"Oh, I love this song!" She broke him out of his thoughts as she reached past him, turning up the dial on the radio, its speakers singing a song that he'd never expect her to enjoy. He chuckled. Only her, he thought.
—
It was still cold out, Naruto noticed. Though it was well into spring in Konoha, the just-after-Midnight air around him still held some chill. As he pulled into the parking lot, he got a good glimpse at what he had been searching for- the full moon, and the way it lit up the world around him.
He cut the engine and got out, but couldn't help noticing that only one door shut behind him. He shook his head, trying not to think about it.
"I'm here now." He thought. He closed his eyes and remembered their last time in their moonlight, and the way they could have never known it was the last time.
She looked the same as she always did, with the smallest smile that filled him to the brim with love. Naruto had often wondered if his big, stupid grin could cast the same kind of spell on her, and he had figured it was impossible- nobody had that kind of magic, except Hinata.
He smiled back at her as their song slowly started. He stepped closer to her, the entire world becoming their own private dance floor. She took a step closer too, and when they met, they held each other close.
And they danced to a song nobody else could dance to.
Naruto opened his eyes, and he saw that smile in the moonlight again, the smile that told him that she was here with him, too.
He smiled back at her again, this time as best as he could. He knew she wouldn't speak, that she couldn't speak. He knew that the second his mind moved away, he'd lose her again, the way he lost her every time the ghost of his love showed herself. So he spoke instead.
"If I never leave this dance floor, I'll never leave you here."