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It was no secret that Naruto Uzumaki adored ramen. No matter the weather or the time of day, he was always up for a bowl from Ichiraku. By now, he and ramen had become irrevocably intertwined. You could not have one without the other. And so when Naruto finally mustered the courage to ask Hinata on their very first date, there was really no other logical option.
Teuchi smiled knowingly at the couple as they stepped foot in the shop, seating themselves in the center of the counter. “What can I get you two?” he asked. He and Ayame exchanged glances, soft smiles tugging at their lips. They knew exactly what was going on.
“Two extra large miso with pork, please!” Naruto exclaimed. Teuchi nodded and he and his daughter immediately got to work on their order.
The one thing that Naruto had never expected of Hinata was her capacity for ramen. When one bowl was not enough for either of them, they each ordered a second and then a third and then a fourth. Hinata slurped her soup down quickly, but happily. She never seemed to let it cool. Naruto was in awe as he watched order a fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth. Where was she storing all of it? He had no clue. All Naruto knew for certain was that he felt almost threatened. This was no longer a date, it was a competition. How could he ever possibly face his peers after this if they knew he had been bested in ramen eating by his own girlfriend? If he had been up against someone like Choji, a defeat would have felt understandable but Hinata? Hinata was on a whole separate level.
And truly, deep down Naruto wanted to impress her. He had a reputation to uphold and he wanted to prove that he was the very best customer Ichiraku had ever seen. That he and ramen were inseparable, that he was perhaps even the king of all ramen. He watched with a certain sense of jealousy as Hinata sipped at her twelfth bowl. Naruto ordered his seventh and his stomach churned. Do it for the glory, Naruto. You’ve got to impress her.
He scooped the noodles up with his chopsticks and the swirl of the broth made him gag. He clapped a hand over his mouth and swallowed it back, but it was no use. He was done for.
“N-Naruto…?” Hinata asked softly. She set her chopsticks down and slowly turned to him, her eyes overflowing with concern. Naruto’s face turned green. He immediately leapt to his feet and staggered toward the street. “N-Naruto! Are you okay?” Hinata asked, chasing after him. She placed her hands gently on his shoulders, watched with caution and terror as Naruto vomited outside the shop.
From behind the counter, Teuchi cocked a brow and chuckled to his daughter. “Looks like Naruto’s finally been beat” he jested. Ayame shook her head and restrained a giggle. She didn’t expect anything less from Naruto.
Hinata paid for their food and wrapped an around Naruto as she guided him home. She had never expected him to get so sick, and for a moment she felt guilty about it. After all, wasn’t this all her fault? If she had only restrained her appetite, controlled herself, then maybe Naruto would not have felt as if he needed to compete with her. She knew how important ramen was to him. She never should have tested his resolve.
Naruto’s apartment was messy and dark when they returned. Hinata pulled the key from Naruto’s back pouch, knowing he was far too woozy to unlock the door himself, and shoved the door open. She pushed past the clutter on the floor and guided Naruto to bed, settling a trash can by his side. Naruto fed her a goofy smile as he fell onto the mattress, shutting his eyes. “Thanks, Hinata” he murmured. “You didn’t have to do all that for me.”
“A-are you sure you’re going to be alright?” Hinata asked.
Naruto swatted at the air dismissively. “Y-Yeah, I’ll be—” he started, but was abruptly interrupted by a noxious burp, and then a second round of vomiting. Hinata gasped, sliding the trash can closer to ensure that Naruto did not make a mess. She rested a hand on her back to soothe him, and pursed her lips in concern. She had never seen Naruto so sick before. Perhaps it wasn’t the volume of ramen that bothered him so much as the ingredients—what if something had gone rotten and was making Naruto sick? Not that Hinata expected anything of the sort from Ichiraku. But still, the point stood: Naruto was sick as a dog and Hinata was terrified.
Once finished, Naruto fell back against the bed yet again and sighed. He squirmed underneath Hinata’s touch and a small smile touched his lips. “Maybe I should overeat more often” he joked tiredly.
Hinata’s eyes widened. “W-what do you mean?” she asked.
Naruto popped one blue eye open to look at her and smiled, replying, “I love the feeling of your hand on my back.”
Hinata’s face turned beet red, her heart leaping into her throat. “Y-You do?” she asked.
Naruto nodded. “Hey, Hinata?” he then asked. “Can you do me a favor?”
“O-Of course! Anything!” Hinata replied.
A sly smile touched Naruto’s lips as he closed his eyes yet again. “Can you lay with me until I feel better?”
Hinata’s entire body electrified. That was the last thing she had ever expected him to ask of her. But if it was going to make him feel better, then who was she to deny him? With a single, uncertain nod, Hinata climbed over and settled in behind him on the bed, her hand never leaving his lower back.
Naruto sighed into her presence and whatever tension he was holding in his body seemed to dissipate. His breathing slowed as his eyelids grew heavy and he began to doze off. A soft smile touched Hinata’s lips—she was just glad to see him calming. Before he fell asleep completely, however, he muttered lazily, “You know…I’ve never met a girl who can eat more ramen than I can. You’re a real keeper, Hinata.”
And Hinata’s heart soared.