"Hinata, do you think Belle truly loved the Beast?"
"Huh?"
Sitting on a sofa, Naruto leaned his head back, looking at Hinata from upside down.
"Do you think Belle truly loved the Beast?" he asked again. Hinata looked at the blonde, a bit surprised at the intense curiosity in Naruto's voice.
It was a winter night and not just any night. It was Hinata's first sleepover at Naruto's place. In the past she would've fainted from the thought of spending the night with the blonde. But now, after a year of dating, she lost all the awkwardness around him. His apartment became her home; put her at ease with its warmness and familiar smell.
She was in the process of washing the dishes they used for the popcorn. They just finished watching 'The beauty and the beast' a few minutes ago. The movie was Hinata's favourite Disney movie, but it was the first time Naruto watched it.
"I think she really did love him." she answered, tucking a stray stand of hair behind her ear before returning to washing the dishes.
Naruto hummed quietly before standing up and walking over to stand next to Hinata.
"I don't really understand why." he told Hinata. He watched the way her small pale hand scrubbed the butter off the plates. Even her scrubbing looked gentle, he thought smiling.
"How could she love someone so terrifying? I mean I got the part about him being gentle and stuff, but how can you love someone who everyone is afraid of?"
Hinata washed the last dish before answering.
"Naruto-kun, would you be afraid of someone who everyone is afraid of?" she asked him, wiping her hands on her apron, before reaching behind her and untying it.
"I won't. But I won't fall in love with it. If everyone is afraid of it that means it's awful, right?" he crossed his arms, leaning against the counter.
Hinata placed the apron next to the sink.
"Alright, let's look at it from a different point of view. If you were the Beast and you met a beautiful and kind girl you don't deserve, would you still love her?" she asked her boyfriend, leaving the kitchen and going to sit on the sofa.
"I'm kinda in that situation right now." he murmured, going to sit next to her.
"What did you say, Naruto-kun?"
"Nothing, nothing." he said quickly. “The answer is: yes. I would love her. I can't control who I love, can I?"
"She couldn't either." she said, smiling softly at him.
"She didn't like him at the start. Didn't see who he really was, only looked at his facade. But then she saw his true self. She saw who he really is. How kind and good he is. How different he is from what others see him as. And so his love reached her. And no other person could change her heart."
Naruto stared at Hinata.
"It's just like us." he gasped.
Her face lit up in a breathtaking smile.
"I'm happy you noticed!"
"How can I not? That's so cool! You are the Beauty and I'm the Beast!" he grinned, pulling her into a hug, her side pressed against his chest. But then he felt her squirm in his arms.
"Hinata?"
"Wait a second, Naruto-kun. What made you think YOU are the Beast?" she asked him, her brows furrowed.
He gave her a confused look.
"Um, isn't that obvious? I'm the monstrous guy with a tailed-beast inside of him, you're the beautiful girl." he stated, voice making it sound obvious.
Hinata blushed at how he called her beautiful, but didn't back down.
"Naruto-kun, but doesn't it seems like the story goes more with me being the Beast and you the Beauty?" she questioned the blonde. She was still nestled in his arms, making their faces stand very close. The closeness made her blush, but didn't make her stop trying to prove her point. She won't let Naruto think of himself as of a monster.
"I loved you before you loved me and I'm the one who couldn't convey feelings to you. You are the amazing person I fell in love with, even though I never deserved you. Not in the past at least."
Naruto let out a loud sigh, making Hinata jump a bit. What he did next, though, surprised her even more. He took her face in his hands and squeezed her cheeks.
"Naru-"
"Sh. I don't wanna hear about it. You never deserved me, that's true. You deserved and deserve so much more than just me." he declared. Her eyes widened and she tried speaking again, but was stopped again when he pressed his hand against her mouth.
"Please let me finish." he asked her. She nodded reluctantly. He let go of her mouth, but kept his hands on her face, now softly cradling it in his scarred palms.
"You loved me before I loved you. That's true. But I'm the one who was saved, like the Beast. You saved me all those years ago. You encouraged me, like no one else did."
He stroked her cheek with his finger, looking in the eyes that reflected his heart.
"I'm the one who everyone was afraid of. Nobody trusted me, nobody loved me. But you saw who I am on the inside. You stopped seeing those marks that made me different from others."
Her face felt so soft in his palms. So gentle and honest, every line looked like it was carefully drawn by an artist.
"You are unique, Hinata. There's no one else like you out there. You are my Beauty and I'm your Beast. Thank you for turning me in who I really am."
He pressed his lips against hers softly, plush lips fitting against his perfectly. One of his hands slid in her hair, cradling the back of her head. He withdrew, only to dive back in, each kiss feathery and sweet and filled with emotion. His heart was squeezed painfully in his chest.
She pulled away first, breath coming in huffs.
He pressed his forehead to hers. He closed his eyes, breathing her scent in softly. He's gotten so used to her scent; he couldn't identify it anymore, as he couldn't his own. He only felt its absence when she was gone.
"Hinata." he opened his eyes.
"Hm?" she had her eyes closed.
"She glanced this way." he sang. Hinata opened her eyes at that.
"I thought I saw." he pulled away from her face and grinned at her. She smiled, covering her mouth with her hand.
"And when we touched, she didn't shudder at my paw." he caressed the side of her face. She giggled. He took her hands and the stood up, pulling her with him.
"No it can't be; I'll just ignore..." he made a sad face. He started swinging their arms between them, eyes never leaving Hinata's face.
"But then she's never looked at me that way before." he sang, and then winked, making her go into a fit of giggles.
"New and a bit alarming." Hinata's voice rang through the room, soft but as excited as no one else ever heard it be. No one but Naruto.
"Who'd have ever thought that this could be?" she swayed from side to side, her singing voice enchanting Naruto.
Naruto mouthed 'Me' when she sang the line, making her laugh.
"True, that he's no Prince Charming." Naruto pouted at that. They were dancing all over the living room, Naruto occasionally almost knocking over things. But he really couldn't bring himself to care. Neither did Hinata.
"But there's something in him that I simply didn't see." her voice got louder with each syllable, making Naruto grin at how free and calm she looked at the moment.
But sadly that was the last line Beauty and Beast had in the song.
Letting go of her hands, Naruto bowed to her. She giggled at his gentlemanly gesture, then skipped forward and hugged him tight, hands circling around his torso. A bit surprised, but delighted, Naruto hugged her back, rocking her from side to side. He rested his chin on her head.
"That was my favourite song from the movie." Hinata's muffled voice came from under his arms. "I always wanted to sing it with someone!"
Naruto chuckled at her excitement.
"I'm glad that that someone is me." he mumbled pressing his mouth to her hair, inhaling the smell of her flowery shampoo.
"Naruto-kun?"
"Hm?" he asked hopefully. What Naruto hoped for was an 'I love you' and a kiss if he was lucky tonight. Maybe even more than just a kiss. But instead he got a yawn and a:
"I'm sleepy."
Sighing internally, he smiled at her adorable sleepy face that popped up from under his sleeves.
Not letting go of her he waddled them to his bedroom, placing her on his bed. She was already asleep when he settled beside her. He turned on his side to face her. He tucked her hair out of her face.
"Sweet dreams, Hinata." he whispered, grabbing her hand under the covers. With a final glance at her peaceful face, he closed his eyes. He fell asleep with a warm feeling, knowing that when he wakes up tomorrow, he will be greeted with the face of someone he loves. He will wake up knowing that there's someone who loves him right next to him for the first time in his life.