#(he’s actually a rat sshhh)

[jkooktray]

(cooking)

[whyse7vn]

MOVING OUT -

[ot7 x reader]

BFFS 😁💜

8 participants - 8 online

———————————

jk: #NEWYEARNEWHOME

#NEWME 🙌🏼

hobi: don’t want to know don’t care shut up

jin: what now

jimin: sighs

tae: AWOMAN 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

yooongi: …

jk: #newbeginings 🙏🏼

namjoon: ??

jk: i’m moving out guys 😆

like living on my own

me

i am

no joke

real life

living with y/n era OVER

hobi: attention seeker

jin: idk if you can even survive on ur own

y/n: he’s being stupid

ignore him pls

jk: house warming party soon guys!!!!

everyone invited unless ur name starts with a j

yoongi: your name starts with a j

jk: everyone invited unless ur surname starts with a j

yoongi: are you stupid

jin: is this about y/ns new bf lmao

y/n: i brought jaehyun over ONCE and now kooks spiralling

jk: idk who is jaehyun sorry idk who that is or what ur talking about sorry idk a thing

namjoon: sighs

yoongi: lowkey valid

y/n: ????????

yoongi: i mean if we were living together and you brought a rat back home i would loose my mind a bit

y/n: namjoon

namjoon: yoongi

yoongi: just saying

jimin: LMAOOO

y/n: not funny

jimin: just a little bit

tae: i heard jaehyun a world famous cheater

y/n: guys

hobi: look you made her upset

jk: y/ns upset?

jin: yikes

jimin: it’s not even my fault

yoongi just makes me giggle some times

yoongi: 🫰🏼

tae: i’ll hold you bbg sshhh don’t cry

namjoon: ew

y/n: i really really like him ok

so if you all could actually maybe just give him a chance and not be assholes for once i would really appreciate it

hobi: ofc pretty <3

jimin: ok but do you love him

namjoon: jimin

jimin: WHAT sorry i really need to know

jk: DONT ANSWER THAT

jin: woah

jk: i mean you don’t have to answer that haha

i’m still moving out btw

tae: i think you should give up i don’t think she’s gonna tell you to stay

omg like a dog

stay

i wish someone would tell me to stay

“stay 😡”

ok bae i’ll stay

am i ur good boy?

tell me i am

look at me

i stayed here

waiting for you

tell me i’m your good boy tell me please

hobi: bro

tae: sorry got lost in the source

namjoon: you mean the sauce?

tae: yesss mayo!!

@y/n tell me to say

y/n: absolutely not

i can tell you to kys tho

tae: Keep Yourself here and Stay

a win for kim taehyung

y/n: kill yourself

tae: no

heheheh

i’m a bad boy tonight

what you gonna do about it 😝

jimin: oh my god stop talking

tae: she wants me

y/n: she has a boyfriend

tae: never even seen that man in the same room as you

u sure you not making this relationship up

y/n: do i need to send you a fucking sex tape to prove it

tae: i mean…..

if you want lol

y/n: ur gross

tae: you’ve kissed me

y/n: top ten worst moments of my life

tae: WOAHHHHHHH

UMMM

OK NOW YOU’VE CROSSED A LINE

namjoon: enough

both of you

y/n: taes a shit kisser

tae: NO I AM NOT

NAMJOON TELL HER IM

NOT OHMYGOD HOW DARE SHE

namjoon: wydm tell her?

ur acting like i’ve kissed you to know

tae: i’ll kiss you

namjoon: i’m going to block you

tae: I AM NOT A SHIT KISSER

jimin: tae can’t kiss tae can’t kiss

tae: STOP I CAN

hobi: that’s really sad actually

jk: can someone do me a favour

yoongi: no

namjoon: what’s the favour?

yoongi: it’s gonna be something stupid

jk: joon can you buy me a house??

yoongi: shocker!!

tae: guys i’m a great kisser ask all the girls i’ve kissed

jimin: girls?

the only other girl you’ve kissed is jennie

tae: THATS NOT TRUE I NEVER KISSED THAT WOMAN IN MY LIFE

hobi: she didn’t let you kiss her even tho you flew all the way to paris for her??

that’s crazy

jin: maybe she was waiting for marriage

y/n: maybe she was waiting for the police

namjoon: i am not buying you a house are you out of ur mind??

jk: but how i’m i supposed to move out?

namjoon: buy ur own house?

tae: why would she be waiting for the police??????

jin: being seen with you is a crime in itself

don’t even get me started of being seen publicly HOLDING HANDS with you

hobi: right yikes

jimin: what’s the french police number?

y/n: fuck knows

jin: baguette snail croisant

jimin: those are not numbers

hobi: isn’t that racist?

jin: to who?

hobi: the french??

jin: you can be racist to the french???????

hobi: i think idk???

jin: shit you better lock me up then

been oui oui baguette eiffel tower bonejawing my whole life

y/n: bonejaw??????????

tae: jin ur like a mega racist…

hobi: do you like trump be honest

jin: tf is trump

jk: namjoon pls oh pls 🥺🥺🥺🥺

yoongi: can you guys not have 2 conversations at once thanks

tae: just say you can’t keep up

yoongi: just kill yourself

tae: WOAH

namjoon get him!!!!

namjoon: am i a dog??

why do i have to always get someone

i think you guys need to learn how to fight ur own battles

tae: dog

“stay😡😡😡😡”

w-what’s happening to me 😰😭

🧍🏻‍♂️… 🧎🏻‍♂️…. 🐕

arf? 🥺

*head tilt*

jimin: this is why women avoid you

tae: take a leaf out of my book bro

jimin: would genuinely rather die

hobi: /gen /srs

yoongi: /kys

jin: wait so jungkooks moving out but doesn’t have a home to move into

jk: i can always move in with yoongi

yoongi: LOL

jk: or jimin

jimin: wow the weather is great today guys 😆

jk: hobi will have me

hobi: no!

jk: jin joon??

namjoon: give up

jin: are you silly

tae: i could

jk: no thank you ❤️

tae: wtf

y/n: LMAO

tae: what’s wrong with living with me???

jk: u scare me a lot i’m sorry

tae: fucking bitch

jimin: what if y/n moved in with jaehyun then you have the house to urself?

jk: ARE YOU SILLY???

WHY WOULD I WANT THAT

IMG THE THOUGHT OF THAT MAKES ME WANT YO THROW UP

NEVER SAY THAT AGAIN

jimin: woah ok don’t shoot me in the head tf??

thought you wanted this independent life

y/n: i mean i can if that’s what u really want kook

jk: KOOK HEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHE

my knees just gave out >.<

WAIT NO DONT MOVE IN WITH HIM YOU DONT HAVE TO IM SORRY NO DONT DO THAT

jin: u make me wanna throw up

jk: i love living with you!!! i’m sorry i’m not gonna move out so please don’t move out either living with you has been and IS the best thing that’s ever happened to me please don’t go

hobi: that’s a shinee song

jimin: didn’t she fuck a shinee member LMAO 💀

namjoon: jimin

jimin: sorrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

tae: so you can fight her battles for her but fighting mine is an issue????

ok sexism IS real females were onto something with this one

y/n: females??

yoongi: they way you dig urself deeper and deeper into unlikeability is truly insane

tae: my fault feminist yoongi here to get my ass 💀💀💀💀

NO IM SORRY I DIDNt MEAN THAT LMAOO

PLS DONT HURT ME

IDK WHY I SAID THAT

THE DEMONS TOOK OVER FOR A SEC

NO JOKE BLACKED OUT

DONT EVEN REMEMBER SAYING THAT

NAMJOON TELL HIM IT WAS A MISTAKE

JOON

KIM NAMJOON TELL HIM TELL HIM

hobi: tell me tell me tttttell me

yoongi: i’m gonna shoot him

namjoon: understandable

hobi: it’s the love shot

jk: i’m not moving out guys

jin: no shit

y/n: hobi answer my ft >_<

hobi: give me one sec my love!!!!!!!!!!

jimin: woah???

jin: uhhhhhhhh

tae: group ft ❤️!!

y/n: kys!!

tae: why do girls not fuck with the nice guys anymore

hobi blew up a school once

hobi: ??

tae: get off the phone so my gf can call ME

yoongi: i beg you to shut the fuck up

tae: beggar

jimin: that coming from you is actually insane tae!

tae: what

namjoon: so whose hosting games night this week

yoongi: not me

jin: i did it last time

jimin: my place is real messy

hobi: don’t wanna :/

tae: i refuse in protest of tae respect and love in this gc

y/n: me and jk can

since he’s not moving out and all

jk: 😁!!

namjoon: cool

everyone ok with that?

jin: yup

jimin: ok

yoongi: yes

tae: whatever lol

hobi: y/n why don’t you invite jaehyun??

so we can all properly meet him

you’ve met his members right??

he should meet yours no?

yoongi: ?????

tae: ARE YOU SILLY

jin: ur so wrong for that

y/n: ahhhh idk

i mean i have met his members

and i really do want you guys to properly meet him as well…

jimin: somethings going on

jk: haha yeah lol i mean i’ve met him already

he was my friend lol haha not that it matters but that’s ok

did i say was ?? i meant is lol sorry i wouldn’t stop being his friend just cuz he’s dating you that would be silly

but yeah but if you want him to come that’s cool

but he really really really doesn’t need to haha

namjoon: y/n bring your boyfriend

y/n: are you sure???

tae: NO??£:£:££:

jin: yes!!! #drama

jimin: ofc

yoongi: whatever

jk: hahah lol hahah

y/n: ok

hobi: great ☺️!!!

cant wait

jimin: i bet

hobi: ??

jimin: nothing

hobi: y/n answer :p

y/n: okokokokokokokokok

jimin: i’m gonna do some deep diving i’ll talk to you all later

(unfortunately)

(and by force not cuz i like you)

(the talking to you later part not the diving part)

bye

jk: woah didn’t know jimin was a diver

yoongi: ur stupid

@y/n reply to my message

bye

jin: wow guys i’m really exited for games night

gotta stock up on the alcohol

so i guess i’m going too

bye 👋🏻

tae: good i’m going as well

i’ve got to go and punch a wall

jungkook come over

this is srs business

jk: okay ^_^

getting in my car

speak to you all later 💓

hobi: y/n told me to tell you all bye

so bye from her and bye from me

😁🫰🏼😁🫰🏼😁🫰🏼😁🫰🏼😁🫰🏼😁🫰🏼

namjoon: woah

did we

did we just end a conversation normally….

oh my god

wow

guys wow omg

this is the first time this has happened

wow

i’m in shock

this is such a big step for us

i’m so proud

um

wow

what do i even say rn

….

um

yoongi: how about goodbye

blowing up my phone for no reason

namjoon: no ur right i’m sorry

goodbye guys

um

have a good day???

yeah

um wow

yeah have a good day guys i mean it

i honestly and truly mean it

wow

yeah and

yoongi removed namjoon from “BFFS 😁💜”

—

hobi sus

tags: @piw6n @92jinnies @birdie-vhs @kooksmilitarywife @hob3loveofmylife @jujubiism @bloopkook @ratchetpizza1 @myntalks @arloo00 @watamotee33 @y2kcy3brz @taiwan0618 @indigobsessed @freyadanvers @gguksbeloved @raetf @bbsantc @winuvs @medicinemybish @bxnnyhime @leleluvsbts @baetukki @zyaaaszn @thelilbutifulthings @jazminethecreator @k4ngelz @jmnscutie

[ourcwnside]

Zi hc masterpost

Did not fall for asking harmless questions, but for directly challenging heaven's judgement. He had been privately critical of a lot of heaven's decisions, but the final straw for him was seeing how upset Kabaiel was when he learned about the plan to end humanity in 6000 years. He has never told the angel this, he doesn't want him to feel guilty or blame himself for Aziraphale's fall.

Zi doesn't exactly care for Heaven, but he doesn't carry the same intense hatred/resentment that canon Crowley does. Because he knew, more or less, what he was getting into when he spoke up, his fall wasn't as traumatizing. It was horrible and painful, but he at least had the chance to mentally prepare for it.

Kept his name when he fell. He doesn't see himself as evil or truly part of Hell, so he refuses to let go of his angelic past entirely. But he knows Aziraphale isn't exactly a demonic name, so he's shortened it to Zi. Other demons absolutely ridicule him for this, but their opinions mean little to him.

Aziraphale was made to be a fighter (had he not fallen, the flaming sword would still have been his) so if pushed to violence, he can be extremely dangerous. Fighting isn't his go-to solution for things, though, as he (like canon verse Crowley) isn't actually evil and doesn't really want to hurt anyone.

Even though he never made it to Eden, Zi can wield a sword. The Plan had been for him to guard Eden. When he rebelled, obviously he was not given heaven's flaming sword. But he fought with a sword in the Great War, and hell saw no reason for him to not keep a sword, for whenever they went to war again. He hasn't used it in centuries, but if he needs to, he can still be deadly with it. Celestial beings don't get rusty, not when it comes to the very things they were built to do.

Though he's never tried it (and may not even realize he's capable of it), if he wanted to, he could ignite his sword with Hellfire.

His animal motif is a rat. No, I don't yet know how this change works in the reverse au's Eden, but sshhh that's ok.

Modern Aziraphale's flat is absolutely filled to the brim with indulgent luxuries and mementos he's held onto throughout the centuries. Gourmet food, an enormous bed with extremely expensive linens, fine art, etc. It's a true display of excess, comfort, and pleasure.

He doesn't actually use the bed all that often; he doesn't need to sleep, and it's not one of his favourite pastimes. But on the very rare occasion he does sleep, he wants to sleep in the height of comfort, which is why the bed, while mostly untouched, is just as over the top luxurious as everything else in his flat.

He does still love to read, but he doesn't keep a bookshop to store his collection. Instead, his flat has an entire second floor dedicated to his books.

He still goes by "Mr. Fell" to humans; he thinks it's ironic and funny.

Aziraphale made it his mission very early on to experience and indulge in all manner of earthly pleasures, mostly because as an angel he hadn't been allowed to, but he found very quickly that he genuinely did enjoy most things. Food, drink, music of all sorts---he's just as hedonistic as his canon angelic counterpart, but much more open about it, because as a demon, hedonism is not only acceptable but encouraged.

The exception to that last point is sex; Zi is still very much demisexual and only really interested in Kabaiel. That being said, given half a chance, he would absolutely fold that angel like fresh laundry.

He's fully aware of his feelings for Kabaiel, and he is much more bold about them. Never saying anything outright, but innuendos and flirtations that his canon counterpart would never dream of, though usually staying within the realm of plausible deniability

His overall look is still a little old-fashioned compared to modern day, but not nearly as outdated as his canon counterpart. Rather than being stuck in the 1800s, he tends to look stuck in the 80s/90s punk/rock vibe. After all, his whole deal is indulgence and luxury and extravagance, and what symbolizes that lifestyle better than a rock star?

Aziraphale's hair stayed white when he fell; he chooses to dye it black because he feels it better suits his aesthetic. He could easily miracle it black, but he likes going to upscale salons and having it professionally dyed because he likes feeling pampered (same reason he gets manicures---black, of course). He tries to get it done on the regular, because he hates how it looks when his white roots grow out.

Zi's eyes are red. He still wears dark glasses most of the time for the ✨️aesthetic✨️ but he isn't terribly worried about humans seeing his eyes. Due to his overall style, they tend to assume he's wearing coloured contact lenses

Zi considers it his duty to protect Kabaiel. He views Falling as something he did to keep the angel safe, and he's determined to continue to keep him safe at any cost. He was made to be a guardian, and in the angel he has found something he deems worth protecting.

Should go without saying, but anything he feels towards Kabaiel can be applied to any other reverse au angel Crowley.

[ssa25]

Naruhina 2020 - Hand(s)

Rating: T (slangs / curse words)

@naruhina2020

“Did you hear about Chouji?”

“Hn.”

The young man was unperturbed by his best friend’s disinterest in local gossip. He was not one to give up.

“Rookie mistake, if you ask me… I mean I would also be banging on the constant too, if I had someone hot like Karui… But, he was not being discreet about it...”, he commented with a chuckle. “No doubt, her brother caught them red handed…”

Namikaze Naruto lazily leaned over the cemented balustrade on the first floor of the old building that housed some blacksmiths, a tea shop and one successful upscale brothel. The late morning sun was bright and warm on the stragglers and customers on the busy market road. He looked sideways at Sasuke who had his eyes closed and seemed to be soaking up the warmth.

“News is, Chouji has been threatened by Darui to marry her, unless they want to make an enemy out of their clan.”

“Sure.”, Sasuke quipped without a care.

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. “Seems like your night with Yuzu has truly worn you down… She seemed like a screamer too.”

“Hn. She was. Didn’t particularly care for it though.”, he smirked with one open eye. “You had a good time with Yumi?”

“Absolutely!”

This was their time to rejoice and relax. The year long war had ended in their favour, and now being back at the capital, their bodies craved to give in to their baser urges. Brothels like this one served to the elite tier of the kingdom, and it was an easy lay for them without having to string along women for anything permanent. Last night had been just what they needed. Some good wine, beautiful hostesses and dancers, and a warm body to end their night on a high.

A flash of pink caught Naruto’s attention. “Oh, there’s Sakura.”

That got his best friend to open his eyes wide and crouch down to hide behind the solid wall.

“God, you are such a pussy!!”, Naruto teased him.

Sasuke replied with a glare.“ Don’t you fucking dare call her!”

“You are being over dramatic… Who in their right mind would run away from a woman like Sakura?!”

“Not quite over your infatuation, I see Namikaze”, Sasuke sneered at him.

“I gave up on her long ago… She has her eyes set only on you.”, he replied a little wistfully as he watched Sakura pass by the building without realising their presence. “Your father would approve of her too… She is being mentored by Granny Tsunade… She will surely follow her steps to become the royal physician one day.”

“I don’t know… I’m holding out...”

“For who?”, Naruto asked curiously.

Just then, an angered voice overtook the hustle and bustle of the shopping district. Looking down, the blond haired man found a middle aged fruit merchant grabbing a young boy by his shirt. He was about to leap into the situation, when Sasuke pulled on his arm.

“Don’t get into their business… The Commander General won’t be pleased if he hears about you getting involved in a street scuffle, yet again. Let the patrol squad take care of it.”

Naruto helplessly looked down again to see a dark grey cloaked figure attempting to assuage the situation.

—

Hinata was absolutely spellbound by the ambience. People seemed in high spirits, probably because of the kingdom’s recent victory. The small street stalls sold all sorts of trinkets and food items. Her senses were overwhelmed, in a good way. 

She had never experienced the thrill of defying rules. It was a heady feeling. She wished she had had courage to do this before. 

She made sure to check out anything and everything that pulled her attention. She was especially taken by the beautiful beaded necklaces in one particular stall. Her father would never allow her to wear one of those. Not refined or expensive enough, he would say. And now dejectedly she realised, that in her hurry to venture out, she had forgotten to bring any coins. She had no way to pay for anything at all. Maybe, next time she could get some and buy herself one of these necklaces and other trinkets, she surmised.

“Hey… You little rascal!!!”, a loud bellowing voice of a pot bellied man from the neighbouring stall almost shook her.

He had his hands on the collar of a young emaciated boy who didn’t look more than 8 or 9 years old. He shook the child trying to scare him more. The frightened boy had an apple in his hand, which by the looks of it, he had stolen from the enraged man’s cart. She was astonished to see that the people around only spared a glance before trotting away on their personal agendas. No one tried to do anything to save the poor child from this man’s wrath.

“Trying to steal my produce, huh?!!... You little thief!!”, the man shouted. “I will teach you a lesson, you filthy rat!!”

The man raised his hand to smack the child, but Hinata could not help herself from rushing in and blocking the child behind her back. She raised her hands to stop the man, who stilled upon seeing her.

“Please!! Stop!!”, she pleaded to the man. “I’m sure he didn’t mean to harm your business… The poor child is probably just hungry… Can you please let him apologize and let it go? It would be much appreciated!!”

“Stay out of my way woman!!”, the man grunted at her. Her words had no impact on his temper. “Street rats like him are the worst!! He needs a proper beating-“

“Please Sir, I….. I b-beg of you… I will personally see to it that he never repeats this again…”, Hinata tried to coax him into an agreeable state. The hood of her cloak had dropped down. She had her hair open, free from the usual ornaments. She could feel the boy stuck to her back, his body shivered listening to the threats.

“Does he belong to you, woman??”, the man asked, pointing a finger at her.

“No, but-“

“Then stay out of my business!!”, he moved forward to grab the boy from behind her, when a loud crash of glass breaking was heard overhead.

The angry merchant and most of the customers turned around to look at the commotion, and Hinata took this chance to grab the boy’s hand and run. As if the boy understood her ploy, he matched her speed to escape the dire situation.

“Hey, you… Stop right there!!!... Guards!! Guards!!”, the man shouted and tried to get the attention of local guards who patrolled the streets.

Hinata looked back to see that the angry merchant was pointing two guards in their direction. She silently offered her prayers to Almighty, to save them from this situation. She could hear the voices of the guards who were trying to run after them, shouting at them to halt. 

Her feet ached from running on the uneven road in her fine silk shoes, her breathing laboured from all the effort. But she could not get caught, or let the boy suffer at their hands. They would both get into some major trouble.

She turned corners and tried to dodge the guards. Turning around again, she found that they had a bigger patrol team following now. And the only reason they had not caught up was because of the throngs of people who had crowded the streets.

From the corner of her right eye, she could see a figure running and jumping over the roof of the buildings following their trail. It was hard to make out because of the blinding rays of the westerly Sun. She could only despair at the knowledge and turned left into a narrow alleyway. 

But a few steps ahead, she dreadingly realised it was a dead end. When she turned around, she found a man jump from the top of the low buildings adjacent onto the alleyway. He landed a few feet from her and grinned victoriously. It must have been the man following her from the roofs, she concluded.

“You sure know how to rile up the guards…”, he commented as he leisurely walked towards her with his hands in his pocket. Hinata pulled the young boy behind her to shield him from the grinning stranger. He looked like he was a descendant of the sun, with his light hair and sun kissed complexion. He wore a casual linen shirt with the top buttons undone and brown well fitted thick trousers. When he came closer, she noticed his towering height and the bright blue eyes. And also the fact that he was absolutely not breathless, unlike her. 

“I-... I don’t have money on me right now… B-but I can pay for the apple later…”, she tried to plead with him.

“Sshhh…”, the strange man shushed her by laying his forefinger on her lips.

He quickly pushed her body towards the wall and pulled on the string at the base of her neck that held the cloak together.

Hinata was shocked at his actions and tried to stop him by holding his wrists.

“What are you- “, her question remained incomplete when the man easily smirked and pulled away easily from her hold and took off the cloak. Much to her relief, he used it to cover the boy.

“Now… Stay still.”, he ordered her calmly and slid his hand at the back of the neck and brought his face close to hers, as if to join his lips to hers.

Hinata let out a loud gasp, and shut her eyes tight to pull away from his grip. Loud footfalls of the guards interrupted the moment. As if her situation couldn’t get any worse.

The man stood close with his chest pressed against her heaving one and turned his head towards the group of patrol guards who were probably still looking for her and the unnamed little boy. Her heart filled with fear and dread, when she realised that she had probably made the situation worse for the boy. Never mind, the terrible reprimanding session from her father.

“Nothing to look here fellas! Off you go, on your way…”, she heard the rough husky voice of the man in front of her, inform them smugly. She opened her eyes to see the men nod and look away, as if they were embarrassed to come upon a less than appropriate situation.

When the soldiers dispersed easily, she began to understand the weird ploy of this stranger. He wasn’t following her to report them, but to actually save them. He had made it seem as if they were having an intimate moment. 

She turned to look at her saviour gratefully, and found warm blue eyes intently on her. She swallowed nervously, as her eyes admired the sharp planes of the ruggedly handsome face in front of her. She had never witnessed such close proximity with a male, and she realised it left her breathless for an entirely different reason than few minutes back.

His eyes were mapping out her face too, and slowly as he moved back to give her space, his gaze slid down towards her neck and the edge of her bodice.

“Have they left?”, a small voice from beside them broke the moment.

Hinata turned to the side to lift the cloak up and saw the boy look at her questioningly.

“Yes, they have. For now.”, she replied with a gentle smile on her face. She noticed that the boy still gripped on to the apple he had stolen.

The blonde man kneeled to the height of the boy and held him by his shoulders.

“What’s your name?”, he asked.

“Sora.”, the child replied nervously.

“Sora, you do know that stealing is really bad, right?”

Sora nodded his head ashamedly.

“I was very hungry. And I have no money.I’m sorry…”, few tears gathered in his eyes as he apologized.

Hinata couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. It was an awful condition to be in, something that she had never faced in her life. Were there more kids like him who were on the brink of starvation? She felt horribly guilty thinking of the luxury she was brought up in. She had no right to complain or yearn for things when she had it so easy.

“Where are your parents?”, this time Hinata asked.

“I don’t have parents. The orphanage kicked me out because they said I was old enough to take care of myself when I turned 11.”

“Okay. Not to worry.”, the man replied. “I will help you get a job. In return, you will promise me that you will work hard to earn the money and never steal again. Do we have a deal?”

He held out his hand and the boy promptly shook it while nodding his head to agree to his terms.

“And what is your name, gorgeous?”, he winked at her as he stood up. She was positively flustered by him.

“Hi-... Hi-ma...”, she replied.

“Hima…”, he repeated after her as if relishing her name on his tongue. 

He clasped his hand behind him and regarded her curiously. “That was quite the brave deed you did there Hima... Brave but also reckless… Good thing, I could distract the nasty stall owner with quick wit and little damage.”

She gasped. “T-the glass window... That was you?!... You broke it??”

“Let’s just say I have splendid aim. And the glass window belongs to an unoccupied home. So no harm done.”

“Th-Thank you… Thank you very much!”

She would have liked to offer him some reward or compensation for helping her like she had heard her father do a few times. But she had nothing on her. And, he was quite decently dressed to be rewarded with just a few coins anyway.

“Ah, don’t worry about it…”, his voice broke her out of her reverie. “You look a little familiar… Are you from around here? Where do you live?”

Her cheeks grew warm at the way he was looking at her. She could see glimpses of genuine interest and curiosity in his eyes. It was different from the shrewd and calculative gaze of her distant cousin Toneri, who also had an added dash of unfiltered lust.

“The palace.”, she answered without any thought. But quickly realized that she was supposed to be discreet about her identity. “I was running errands in the city. I have to go back soon.”

“Ah, your eyes!!... You must be a part of the extended Hyuuga family serving the Royals…”, he realised it.

“R-right…”

“My name is Naruto. Namikaze Naruto.”, he grinned flirtatiously. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

She had been taught on speaking to the opposite gender, men who were not family or close relatives. But at that moment, all the teachings were lost on her. She could only gape at him and nod. He was unlike anyone she had ever met. He seemed kind, courageous and comfortable in his own skin. He had absolutely no false air of pretense about him.

“The pleasure is mine.”, she replied with a smile.

She found Sora looking back and forth between the two of them, while munching on his apple. She cleared her throat to dispel her nervousness, and lifted her chin up.

“I should get going. Thank you again for coming to our help. It is most appreciated.”

“Do you have to go back now?”, he looked a little disappointed.

Hinata tilted her head in wistful contemplation. “Well…. Not… exactly…”

“Then can I offer you some company. How about a tour around the city. I can take you to the most scenic parts that I’m sure very few people know about…”, he suggested excitedly. 

She really wanted to accept his offer, but not before seeing through the safety of Sora.

“But Sora-“

“Of course… First we can drop Sora off at the Uzumaki compound. I’ll have my protege Konohamaru act as his ward for the time being. I assure you he will be well taken care of.”, Naruto reassured her.

“Okay.”, she replied with barely suppressed enthusiasm.

“Perfect!”, he said cheerily.

Then he outstretched his left arm to offer his hand to her.

Hinata was taken aback by his forwardness. It was not usual for unwed maidens to hold hands with men. Especially for someone of her status. What if someone recognized her? If the news traveled back to her father, the repercussions could be severe. But looking at Namikaze Naruto, all her worries drifted to the back of her mind, as this view of him with his offered hand made her giddy with new sensations. Did she not promise herself to enjoy this day to the fullest? So why should she back out now? Because this might be her only chance to savour his company. 

Who knew when she would get to see him again? If she would get to see him at all?

Naruto peered at her with a hint of worry because she was stalling. “Everything okay?”

She nodded wordlessly.

“Then come. Take my hand.”