A Proposition Under Starlit Skies

Hinata listened to crickets chirp as she watched the stars glitter on their ccanvas of blue and black. She closed her eyes and laid down, pulling a soft blanket over herself to keep her warm, despite the cool Autumn air. Hinata listened to the sounds of cicadas humming their off-beat melodies in the night.

She hadn't realized how long she had stayed there, laying down on that grassy hill. She didn't care.

Months had passed since she had left the busy streets of her village to escape to her quiet place, so she decided to stay a while. Since she had first visited that little hill that over-looked trees and grass, she felt this place drew her closer. Even during her childhood, Hinata was never able to keep away, and so she'd find herself coming back everyday. Although, as Hinata grew older, her visits had become less frequent, and she'd find herself more and more anxious. Whenever she had the chance to get away from her busy life, she'd run here, making sure no one followed.

She wasn't quite sure why, but every time Hinata looked out at the stars from this hill, beautiful and free, part of her felt as beautiful and free as they were.

When Hinata opened her eyes, she stared at a boy with skin like porcelain, and eyes as deep and as dark as the sky above him. Atop his head; a tangled mess of thick black hair.

The boy smiled at Hinata and sat down, leaning against the hard bark of the tree that stood bare. He set a thermos to the side and stared at Hinata, quiet and still.

"You've found me," Hinata whispered as she sat up and placed her pale fingers over the boys smooth skin.

The boy nodded. "I've been looking for you all over town for the past couple of hours. After you cousin told me you hadn't come home from training, I came over here."

Hinata sighed and looked back up at the glittering sky. "Am I really that predictable, Sasuke?"

The boy laughed and leaned down to press his lips against Hinata's cheek, rosy from the frigid air. "At least I know I'll never lose you." He turned away, grabbed the thermos and poured hot chocolate into a small cup and handed the cup to Hinata. He then stared up at the dark branches of the tree and watched as the branches shook with the cold breeze. "What is it about this place that you like so much?" he sighed. "Why can't you just come to my house whenever you decide to run away from that place?"

Sasuke stared back at Hinata, who was blowing on hot chocolate, and watched as steam rose into the air and disappeared.

"Better yet," he added. "Why would you ever run away?"

Hinata set down the cup on the tress and loosened the scarf she had around her neck. "That place is a like a prison." Hinata responded. "I'm free here. I won't ever get scolded or be told what I can and can't have opinions on. I'm not forced to do something I don't wish to do, and my father's disapproving glare can never reach me from here." She looked up at Sasuke, her pale eyes twinkling. "They won't let me be with you. Why?"

Sasuke stammered and quickly drew away from Hinata's gaze. "You know why, Hinata." He grabbed the thermos and took a swig of hot chocolate, flinching as his throat seared with pain when scolding hot chocolate rushed down his throat. "You're a Hyuuga" he coughed. "You were born a Hyuuga and you will lead your clan as a Hyuuga."

Hinata sighed. "I don't want to lead."

"It's your duty, Hinata."

"I never asked for it."

Sasuke sighed. "It was decided before birth."

Tears fell down her cheeks and dripped into her scarf. "If I had a choice, I wouldn't have chosen to become a Hyuuga, then." Her fingers wrung around her scarf and she pulled the scarf off, throwing it into the ground in a frustrated heap. "I would not have wanted to be born at all if I had known that I'd be born a Hyuuga."

Sasuke pulled Hinata towards him and stroked her hair as she sobbed on his chest. "What would I have to look forward to if you hadn't been born?"

Hinata looked up at Sasuke, eyes red and gleaming. She touched Sasuke's cheek, cold and smooth under her fingers. "You are the only thing I look forward to." Her eye lids dropped and her tone became soft. 'If I take my father's position next week, I will never be able to see you." More tears fell as she repeated those last few words in her head.

Sasuke kissed the girl's forehead and waited until Hinata stopped crying.

"I'll just run away and come here instead…" she whispered, wiping away the tears from her cheeks.

"Better yet," Sasuke whispered as he lifted Hinata's chin and stared into mesmerizing pools of pearl. "Instead of running away to come here, let's run away somewhere else, together."

"Together?" Hinata whispered, voice cracking, heart beating fast.

Sasuke nodded. "Together" her repeated, softly kissing Hinata's cold fingers.

The wind whistled softy through bare branches. Hinata and Sasuke laid under a warm blanket, fingers intertwined. Patiently waiting for the rays of the sun to pop out of the horizon, waiting until they must leave this wonderful place and go back to disapproving glances and busy streets, waiting for the chance to leave all those things behind and be free.

.....

I know there wasn't a whole lot of fluff, but it's still pretty fluffy, right? (Heh)

I freaked out when I tried uploading this thing. I hadn't uploaded since forever and it felt so alien to me. x.x

Anyways, I wrote this as an English assignment for my AP Lit class. We chose a picture of a tree and had to use that picture as the backdrop to a narrative. I was so excited when my teacher handed it back to me with a 98 on it and commented it saying, "WOW" haha. I have horrible grades in that class, so that'll help you understand why I was so happy.

Well, tell me what you think, please!

Oh, and just incase any of you are reading Love in a Cupcake or Extra Credit, hopefully new chapters will be up soon. I've had a huge workload as of lately, and I haven't really had much time to do anything. I'm sorry it's taken so long.