After his meeting concluded, Naruto found himself heading not towards his own apartment, but to Emma's. The evening air was cool as he walked through the familiar hallway of her building, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He reached her door and pressed the doorbell, waiting patiently. Though with his abilities, locks and doors were hardly obstacles, he respected boundaries - his powers weren't meant for such trivial purposes.
When the door swung open, he was greeted by the sight of Emma in her casual attire - an oversized sweater that had slipped off one shoulder, revealing smooth skin beneath, paired with loose cotton shorts. Her dark hair was slightly disheveled, giving her a relaxed, comfortable appearance. Her eyes widened in surprise at finding him at her doorstep at this hour.
Would you like me to continue from here?
"Oh wow ≈ I didn't know you would come at this hour in my apartment,"
"You know me - full of surprises," Naruto replied with his signature smirk, leaning casually against the doorframe. "Thought I'd drop by after my meeting. Unless you're busy?"
Emma rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "Busy? At this hour? Just watching some terrible reality TV and contemplating whether to order takeout."
"Sounds thrilling," he teased.
"Oh, shut up," she laughed, stepping aside. "Well, since you're here, you might as well come in. Though I warn you - the place is a mess."
Naruto stepped inside, glancing around the apartment. It wasn't really messy at all, just lived-in comfortable. "Your standards for 'mess' are pretty high."
"Not all of us can be perfect S-Rank hunters with immaculate apartments," she retorted, closing the door behind him. "Speaking of which, how was your mysterious meeting?"
"Interesting enough," he replied vaguely. "Though not as interesting as what I'm looking at right now."
Emma felt her cheeks warm slightly at his obvious flirting. "Smooth talker. Want some coffee?"
"Nah, had enough of that today," Naruto declined, then added with a playful glint in his eyes, "Though I wouldn't say no to something stronger."
"Now you're speaking my language," Emma grinned. "I've got some wine, or if you're feeling adventurous, there's that bottle of whiskey my brother got me for Christmas."
"Whiskey sounds perfect," Naruto nodded.
"Make yourself comfortable. I'll grab the glasses," Emma said, heading toward the kitchen. She paused at the entrance, looking back at him with a teasing smile. "Unless you want to help?"
"And miss the view from here?" Naruto smirked, deliberately letting his gaze linger on her as she stood in the kitchen doorway.
Emma felt her pulse quicken slightly, but managed to keep her voice steady. "Careful, or you might not get any whiskey at all."
"Is that a threat or a promise?" Naruto called out as she disappeared into the kitchen, hearing her laugh in response.
Emma rummaged through the kitchen cabinets, her back turned to the doorway. "You know, for someone who claims to not need help, you're awfully chatty from over there," she called out playfully.
Naruto pushed off from where he'd been leaning against the doorframe and walked into the kitchen with quiet confidence. Emma tensed slightly, aware of his presence behind her, but continued her search for glasses.
"Maybe I just like the conversation," he murmured, now standing close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from him. His hands came to rest on the counter on either side of her, not quite touching but effectively boxing her in.
Emma turned slowly, finding herself face to face with him, her back against the counter. Her breath caught slightly as she met his intense gaze. "Just the conversation?" she whispered.
Instead of answering, Naruto leaned in, capturing her lips with his. The kiss was soft at first, almost questioning, before deepening with shared intensity. Emma's hands found their way to his chest, gripping his shirt slightly as he lifted her onto the kitchen island, never breaking the kiss.
After few moments they finally pulled apart.
...
Moments Later.
Both Naruto and Emma sat at the living room , both sitting in the sofa while having a glass in hand.
Emma took a small sip of her whiskey, settling comfortably into the sofa. "So, tell me something I don't know about you," she said, glancing at Naruto with genuine curiosity.
"Hmm..." Naruto pretended to think deeply, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "I make a mean pasta carbonara."
Emma nearly choked on her drink, laughing. "You cook? Now that I definitely need to see."
"Don't sound so surprised," he chuckled, taking a sip from his own glass. "I live alone - had to learn somewhere along the way."
"Fair enough," Emma conceded, tucking her legs underneath her. "What else? Any other hidden talents I should know about?"
"Well, I'm pretty good at..." Naruto paused dramatically, "...making coffee."
"Oh my god," Emma groaned, rolling her eyes. "Are you ever going to let that go?"
"Never," he grinned, reaching over to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "It's too much fun watching you get annoyed."
"I wasn't annoyed," she protested, though her smile betrayed her. "I was just... skeptical."
"And now?" Naruto asked softly, leaning closer to her. Emma took another sip of whiskey, feeling warmth spread through her chest, before setting her glass down on the coffee table.
As she turned back to face him, his hand reached out, gently tracing along her jaw before tilting her chin up slightly to meet his gaze.
"Now..." she said softly, very aware of how close they were. "Now I'll admit your coffee isn't half bad."
"High praise indeed," Naruto laughed, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he maintained their close proximity.
Emma's breath hitched slightly as Naruto's thumb traced along her jawline. The warmth from the whiskey mingled with the heat of his touch, making her thoughts fuzzy around the edges.
"You know," she murmured, her eyes dropping briefly to his lips before meeting his gaze again, "for someone who came over just to talk, you're not doing much talking anymore."
"Maybe I found something better to do," Naruto replied, his voice low and husky. His other hand slid to her waist, pulling her closer.
Emma's fingers traced up his chest, coming to rest at the nape of his neck. "Is that so?" she whispered, their faces now inches apart.
[A.N : Who wants more Romance ? And more further and very detailed romantic sequence ?]