Title: Forget Him Not
Disclaimer: Er, shouldn't you be asking Mary how her garden grows instead of harassing me? I hear she uses illegal pesticides...
Rating: G ( K ) – 'cuz I'm just not sure how to smut up LeeHina.
Spoilers: Naruto goes on a training journey after Sasuke joins the ranks of Oroochimaru. Now that you already know, keep reading.
Summary: OneShot. In fact, caught up in the whirlwind of color and vivacity that was Rock Lee, Hinata wouldn't see her gloomy bedroom until the following Friday. Mild LeeHina, one-sided NaruHina.
I think I'm losing my knack for Naruto fanfiction n.n; I tried, guys.
May contest entry #1 for DateMe. The longer one will be coming out almost immediately after this.
It was 5:30 in the morning and Hinata had been awake for two hours already, unable to sleep. Her body and mind were both exhausted, but, no matter how many times she closed her eyes, her persistent thoughts kept her conscious. After one hour of tossing and turning beneath her forget-me-not blue sheets, another half spent looking for a book or something lull her back into dreamland, and countless minutes of trying to change the subject of her inner psyche to something more pleasant, the Hyuuga heiress found herself at a sleepless loss. Finally giving up at around the two hour mark, she simply sat up in bed, staring lethargically off into space. Without any will to distract herself further, she allowed the melancholy thoughts she'd been keeping at bay for the better part of the night to drift to the surface of her mind and began to ponder them anew.
'One and a half,' Hinata thought to herself as her eyes listlessly scanned the numbered squares on the wall calendar that hung from the back of her bedroom door. One of the squares was scarred with an aggressive red X, marking a particular date in infamy. Singling it out for scrutiny.
For good reason, too. One and a half years prior to the current date, Uzumaki Naruto had left Konoha on a training mission. Whether or not he would return safely was up to the gods of fate to determine, but the lonely Hyuuga heiress left behind would agonize over his absence for every single day that he was gone, worrying constantly for his safety. She had confidence in Naruto's ability to grow and improve, but...did he have to leave Konoha to do it?
Without Naruto around, Hinata was depressed. Not the sort of depressed that would have her committed, or anything, but there was a certain cheer that was suddenly absent from her life, making the world around her seem...less colorful, somehow. No more brilliant oranges, yellows or electric blues, only varying shades of gray and a bit of milky lavender every so often. Very dull. The only bit of color she had left was the red X that marked every anniversary (annual and semi-annual) of her beloved Naruto's departure...
Hinata realized that she was being very selfish, but the feelings of bitter anguish over the absent Naruto simply wouldn't leave her consciousness. With distractions such as her own training, familial obligations and puttering around in her little flowerbed outside, she usually managed to either avoid thinking about her woes or simply construct a believable facade in the presence of others that distracted her from her loneliness. When she was inside and alone in the early morning, however –
"COME ON, GET UP AND FACE THE DAY!" was the booming shout that accompanied the deafening bang of her door hitting the wall. It had been thrust open to reveal a tall, lanky figure standing there, one hand poised on the mahogany frame, the other right in the center of the door itself. Between these two appendages, the person struck a dashing pose, allowing his audience a clear view of the green spandex, orange leg warmers and sparkling teeth that made up his unusual style. In the presence of this abrupt character, Hinata's heart couldn't stop pounding.
"L-Lee-san?" she queried, slowly lowering the sheets she had instinctively pulled up to cover her chest back down to her lap. Her heart continued to hammer an uneven beat into her rib cage.
As if only suddenly aware of her and his surroundings, Lee leaned into the room, balancing himself betwixt the door and the fame still, and took a peek around. "Whoops...," was the first thing he said as his eyes landed on her. A sheepish grin quickly followed. "I was looking for Neji-san's room, sorry."
Baffled, Hinata couldn't prevent herself from asking, "You wake Neji-nii-san up this early?" Her heartbeat was nearing its regular pace now, having almost fully recovered from its initial shock.
"Of course!" Lee proclaimed, standing up straight once again."Why waste your time in bed when you could be out enjoying the spring of your youth? Before your youthful blossom wilts, you need to soak up all the life you can!" He punctuated his declaration with an enthusiastic pump of the fist.
"B-But Lee-san," Hinata protested, inexplicably compelled to throw her covers off and move to the edge of the bed. As she allowed her legs to dangle over the side, her toes barely touching the chilly floor, she reminded him, "It's so early! Neji-nii-san is still asleep."
"Then he needs to wake himself up!" Lee countered with a dazzling smile. "If he needs assistance, I'll be happy to provide it and drag him out of bed myself! Would you like to help?"
"W-Well – "
"Great!" her colorful intruder cheered, prancing across the room in a couple of long bounds. Reaching down to grasp Hinata by the wrist, he jerked her up off her mattress and onto her feet. Without bothering to pause so that the Hyuuga heiress could regain her balance, he began dragging her towards the door. Under such duress, Hinata's heart began thumping at an awkward pace once again. "Let's go, Hinata-chan!"
As if caught up in a multi-hued vortex, Hinata found herself unable to escape the older boy's firm hold. She protested feebly one last time, but did nothing to prevent him from dragging her along. "Lee-san, I'm still wearing my p-pajamas!"
"Oh, you look fine, Hinata-chan."
"That's not really the po – "
"Neejiiiiii-saaan! It's time to rise, shine and greet the wide world!"
"Lee-san!"
With the hem of Hinata's nightgown whipping around her knees, she was dragged away from the misery that she had been wallowing in since the earliest morning light. She wouldn't return to her bedroom at all that day, not even for a quick change of clothes, nor did she return the next. In fact, caught up in the whirlwind of color and vivacity that was Rock Lee, Hinata wouldn't see her gloomy bedroom until the following Friday. She wouldn't think about Naruto again until she got back, exhausted and cheerful once again.
— — —
Author's Notes: I'm...losing my ability to write good Naruto fanfiction ; . ; I'm sorry, guys! I tried, I really did...(sob, sob).
Either way, tell me what you think. I know I utterly fail today, but be nice about it, please n.n;
Oh, dear God...what the hell am I gonna do for ShinoHina?
Un-beta'd. Deal.
. ( . Ms Videl Son . ) .