A/N: Something a little different from my other fic. More subdued I think. I needed to use an idea that flows so I could get back into the habit of writing. Naruto and Hinata are about twenty in this by the way. I hope you all like it.

A Solitary Summer Night

So here I am again. Lying on my bed with my arms crossed behind my head. My sheets are draped barely over my body just above my legs. It's way too hot to cover up any more than that. I really need to get that air conditioner fixed. I've just been too busy lately. Oh well, it's not like I was going to be able to sleep anyways.

I've always hated nights like this. It seems like I'm trapped in a perpetual state of half sleep. I'm tired, sure, but I can't shake the thoughts from my head. No matter how still my body is, if my mind is still doing laps there's just nothing I can do to fall asleep. Tsunade keeps offering to prescribe me some pills to help knock me out but I always refuse. People are always telling me that I don't think enough so maybe it's best if I have this time. It's a good thing I have the Kyuubi. If he wasn't around to give me energy there's no way I could function on as little sleep as I get.

Stupid fox

Even with him, there are days when the rings beneath my eyes are dark enough to seem almost like shadows. My friends keep asking me if I'm all right. Telling me that I don't look so good. I don't like worrying them. Maybe I should take Tsunade up on her suggestion.

A soft sigh slips between my lips as a memory of a conversation gone wrong makes its way through my brain. How could I have said that to her? I know how fragile Hinata's confidence is. She was trying her best and all I could think about was getting it over with so I could eat. "Is that all you've got?" Honestly, I never think right when I'm hungry. Still, that's no excuse. It's not like she's weak or anything. I just forget that she's only human sometimes, and I'm, well, not.

Stupid fox

I'll have to apologize to her tomorrow. I gently touch a spot on my chest where she had landed a particularly hard hit. It was still a little tender. That type of blow would have been enough to at least knock out just about anyone else but I plowed through it like nothing had happened. I guess that's why she always asks to spar with me. No matter what she does it's almost impossible for her to hurt me.

Stupid fox

"Damn it's hot" I say aloud to no one. Every time I move I feel beads of sweat spring up all over my body. This sucks. One would think that if you have a being of fire taking up residence in your soul that you might be a little more resistant to heat. Apparently not. Maybe I should sleep in the tub. Just fill it with cold water and go to sleep. Of course, given my luck I would probably slip down into the water when I fell asleep and drown. I guess I'll just have to wait until I pass out from exhaustion. It's a good thing I have nothing to do tomorrow.

I hear a click and a creak as someone undoes the lock and opens the door to my apartment. I should be on guard now, but I'm not. I know who it is. Only one person has the key and I have no reason whatsoever to be afraid of her. Of all the people in this world she's the only one I'm convinced would never do anything to hurt me.

A small silhouette appears in the doorway to my room. Silently she leans against the doorjamb with her head hanging low, causing her cobalt blue hair to drape in front of her face. Her arms are crossed shyly in front of her with her hands gripping her elbows. She sniffs softly. A barely audible noise that tells me exactly why she's here. She's been crying. It happens every now and then and she always ends up coming here. I don't mind.

I don't say a word as I move over in my bed to give her room. Slowly she makes her way over and slides in next to me. A slender arm wraps around my side and she pulls herself closer to me. Funny. It should be way too hot to have another person touching me right now. Somehow though, I almost feel cooler with her by me. Almost like she's some sort of zephyr sent to cure me of the heat.

Lazily I place my arm around her shoulders and draw her tight up against me. "I'm sorry" I whisper into her hair, "I didn't mean to say it like that." She just shakes her head and tells me that it's ok. She's too good to me. Is it any wonder why I love her?

I want to ask her why she was crying, but I don't. I already know anyway. She was lonely. No matter how strong her body is she still has a weak heart. A product of all the abuse her father heaped on her as a child I suspect. The bastard had no idea what he was doing to his little girl. As much as I hate to admit it, it's not really his fault. All Hyuugas are raised like that. It's part of their family history, a tradition. Stupid. Just another thing for me to change when I become Hokage.

None of that matters right now. The only thing that I care about at the moment is the lonesome little girl that's wrapped up in my arms. I squeeze her tightly and kiss the top of her head. I want her to know that as long as I'm around she'll never be alone again.

A/N: This was actually inspired by a bit of a song I wrote (That was inspired by an image in my head.) If you're interested in seeing it, here it is.

"Do you mind if I come over?"

Her voice asks over the phone

"If it's all the same to you,

I'd rather not sleep alone."

"All I need is a good friend,

to confide in how I feel."

"I need to feel warm arms around me,

To remind me that I'm real."

She swears I might be her only friend

The only one who's always been there

She swears I might be her only friend

And in the end she knows I'll still care