章 20: Chapter 19 : Low Profile...Yeh Right(1)
Naruto was doing his best to try and ignore the pair of dark rimed green eyes that were staring at him intently as he went through his usual workout, the sound of music around the room doing little to take his mind off of the fact that Gaara hadn't said a word to him since he had told him about asking Raven out. It had been three days since the party and his date with the grey skinned Titian was at 7pm the next day.
He had been putting off telling his red headed friend until now because he was worried he might try and talk him out of it which, considering the doubts he had been having wouldn't have been to hard. So there they were, Naruto in the middle of his workout and Gaara stood against the wall next to the door with his usual blank expression on his face.
"I think you made the right choice."
Stopping with his foot mid kick in the air, which resulted in the blonde ex-nin losing his balance and falling to the ground, Naruto looked at his friend for a moment from his position on the floor in shock.
"What!"
Raising an eyebrow at Narutos reaction, Gaara waited until he got back to his feet before he explained.
"You like her, even I am able to understand that. We are in a new world where all but seven people know who and what we are and you spend all your time either working in your bookstore or training underground. You've been here three years and until recently hadn't made a single friend that isn't to do with work other then the Titians and even then you keep them at arms length, it will do you good to have a girlfriend."
Looking at the floor so he didn't have to meet his friends eyes, Naruto tried one last time.
"But what about keeping a low profile? If I get involved with her it will be all over the Jump city news in a matter of hours."
Letting out a sigh Gaara walked over to stand next to his first and oldest friend and rested a hand on his shoulder, trying to convey just how important his next words were.
"Naruto no matter how hard you try, nothing about you will ever be 'low profile'."
For a moment neither of them said anything, Naruto not sure how he should respond and Gaara falling back into his usual silence.
He wanted to tell him he was wrong, that he could have a normal life if he tried, but for some reason the words just wouldn't leave his lips. After several minutes the blonde Jinchuriki shook his head, turned off the music and without another walked left the gym and straight into his study, locking the door behind him.
XXX
Raven was having a panic attack, something that was obvious from the clothes laying all other the floor of her room and the remains of what had at one point been her bed, now a pile of splinters because of her powers, which had been moved to the corner of the room out of the way. Naruto would be at the tower to pick her up in an hour and she couldn't calm down no matter how hard she tried.
Sat on the floor in the middle of the room, watching as the grey skinned teen continued to throw her clothes out of her closet were Starfire and Terra, the red headed alien looking on with wide eyed innocence and the blonde with slight confusion as to how so many clothes could be coming out of such a small space.
Shaking her head, Terra shifted so she was lying on the floor, leaning her head on her elbow.
"I don't get why you're so worried, you go for tea with Naruto all the time, what's the difference?"
Pocking her head out of the door and levelling a blank look at her blonde friend, Raven shook her head before vanishing back inside to continue her hunt for something to where.
"The difference is that he asked me out on a date, not just as friends."
Getting a confused look on her face at Ravens words, Starfire took a moment before asking something that got both of the other girl's attention.
"What is a 'date' friend Raven? Are you and friend Naruto going to eat fruit?"
Shaking her head at the innocent girl's question, though she was glad Robin had finally got her to stop swearing like a sailor, the grey skinned teen sighed and gave up on her search for the moment and moved to sit next to Starfire.
"It's not that kind of date Star. Don't your people have some kind of thing were you get to know someone you wont to have a relationship with?"
Taking a moment to think, a look of realisation suddenly came to the red headed aliens face and without warning she started to giggle to herself, setting off warnings in the dark Titians head.
"Oh I understand you and friend Naruto are starting your courtship! That is great news! You must tell me when you are to marry!"
If Raven had been drinking anything at that moment she would have spit it right into the red heads face in shock. Her eyes wide and mouth open, the grey skinned teen hardly even noticed as several items of clothing started floating around as if caught in a strong wind. She did notice however Terra rolling around on the ground laughing, holding her sides.
The whole time Starfire never lost the innocent look on her face.
XXX
Appearing in the blind spot in Titian Tower security system right next to his seal in a flash of yellow light, Naruto took a moment to pull in a deep breath to help steady his nevus. Despite the more sensible part of his mind, namely Sloth, telling him that this would cause more trouble then he wanted to deal with, Naruto decided to go though with it anyway.
He wore a long sleeved shirt under a simple white one with the buttons left undone, a pair of blue jeans, black fingerless gloves with metal plates on the back and his usual brown bucket hat. After checking his watch and seeing that it was exactly 7pm the blonde ex-ninja straighten his shirt and, taking one more deep breath, stepped out of the blind spot and quickly walked over to the door.
By the time Robin came down to let him in Naruto had replaced his nevus expression with a small friendly smile, his body langue showing nothing but calm and he nodded to the brightly dressed hero only to stop when he saw both Beastboy and Cyborg stood just inside the door, both with serious looks on their faces. Raising an eyebrow at the two, the blonde turned to look at Robin just in time to see him closing the door with the same look on his face as the others.
He watched as the skinny teen walked past him without saying a word and stood in the middle of the other two teens with his arms crossed. His eyes looked Naruto up and down, as if sizing him up, and after a minute of silence he spoke.
"So...where are you taking Raven tonight?"
For a moment nothing happened, the blonde just staring at the three with a blank expression on his face, before he burst out laughing. He couldn't help it; they looked and acted just like concerned brothers trying to scare their little sisters first date away. He was laughing so hard he was forced to hold his sides as they started to hurt. When Naruto finally got himself under control, he wiped a tear from his eye and turned back to look at the three Titans, giving them a warm smile as he shook his head.
"You're giving me the big brother act, really? If Raven finds out about this she will be so pissed, you do realise that right?"
Shifting nervously, their eyes moving to each other before looking back at the blonde, all three teens let out a sigh of defeat before Cyborg walked over to and rested a hand on Naruto's shoulder, his face returning once again serious as he look the smaller teen in the eye.
"Look man, your a good guy and all but the fact is that Raven is like a sister to us-"
"Yeh...a sister that can kick our buts if we piss her off."
After sending a frown at the green skinned teen for interrupting him, Cyborg turned back to Naruto.
"Like I was saying, she's like a sister to us and we don't want to see her get hurt."
Chuckling slightly, Naruto reached up and patted the metal teen on the back.
"You do realise that if I did do something to hurt Ravens feelings, not that I have any intention to do so, that she would probably just kick my ass herself right?"
Smiling at the blondes words, Robin couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his lips.
"He's got a point."
Before they could continue the sound of the lift doors opening drew their attention just as Starfire, Terra and Raven stepped out.
Naruto's eyes instantly locked on Raven, widening slightly at the sight of her. She had forgone he usual black leotard and blue clock for a pair of form fitting jeans, a black tank top and a dark grey hoodie. Her cheeks were a deep shade of red as she looked at Naruto, the blush just adding to her already cute face in his opinion. It was the first time he had seen her in anything but her uniform and the he was pleasantly surprise.
Smiling slightly Naruto walked past Robin and the others two male Titans, who no had their jaws on the floor at the sight of their purple haired teammate, and stopped in front of her. Tilting his hat to her his smile never leaving his face, he took one of her hands before kissing the back of it, making her already red cheeks practically glow.
"Beautiful as ever, Raven-chan. Shell we go?"
Nodding Raven stepped closure the whiskered teen and, after wrapping her arms around him, pulled them both into the shadows.
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