It seems rather late to be posting the start of a new fanfiction, but I wanted to do it now.

When I rather randomly started liking the DeiHina crack couple, I wanted to think up a good idea for them, one full of Hinata's innocence and Deidara-style angst. You know, all the good stuff. Sometime that morning, I had the idea for this story, and that night I wrote this, the first chapter. By the next day I had most of chapter two written and almost all of the story planned out exactly.

But I fall hopelessly pray to plot bunnies, and this got shoved to the back of my mind while I worked on non-fic works. But now that I've finally officially started this whole fanfiction thing, I wanted to get this story out there for all my fellow DeiHina fans.

This story is interesting for me because it has a different style from what I usually write, where Hinata's thoughts sort of melt into the current story, rather than having her thoughts embedded in. But it seems to fit her personality.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, Deidara, Sasori, and Haku would still be alive.

Timeless

By Dandy Wonderous

Chapter 1: Shattered

Everyday Hinata stood behind the tree in the courtyard and watched him through the art room window.

Everyday she was held spellbound as his experienced hands sculpted the clay into some new work of art. Sure, it was strange, his art, but she liked it. Or maybe she just liked watching him work on it.

He could become completely possessed with his work, until it consumed him. He seemed to exist in a bubble, a bubble of him and the clay, and the outside world didn't exist. Oh, if only that could be true.

Everyday at four Hinata's watch would beep at her. Everyday at four Deidara's watch beeped as well, and the blond senior would look down at it and sigh.

Then came the choice. Would Deidara take the project with him, or would he leave it in the art room?

Hinata went where the project went. If Deidara took it with him, she stealthily made her way to the front of the school where he waited on his father to pick him up, not having his own car to drive. If Deidara left it, she would wait there for the inevitable invasion of the soccer team.

It didn't matter what Deidara did with it; his hard work would get destroyed.

If, at four, Deidara decided to take the piece with him, and Hinata ended up sheltering in the small alcove by the door, she would watch as his father would pull up in the old beat-up Volvo. She would watch his attempts to hide the piece from the cold man in the driver's seat, and she would watch it ultimately fail. Finally, she would watch whatever wonderful work he had created in his little bubble of muse and clay go flying out the window to crash on the sidewalk. If the clay was still wet, it would land with a loud splotch, a squishy, disgusting looking mound of goo. If he had actually gotten the work completed, for whatever reason, then it was so much more depressing to see it shatter into so many little pieces, like a broken dream.

If, at four, Deidara instead left the piece in the art room, the soccer team would soon come in and smash it. They hated the artist, for whatever sick reason, and anything created by his hands was something they could use to break him.

Hinata would often debate with herself over which was worse: to have your dreams shattered by cruel teenagers or by your own father. She was sure that his father's rejection must be hardest, but it was hard to tell from his reactions.

At seven thirty in the morning, if it was the morning after the soccer team wrecked the destruction, Hinata would sneak back out to the tree before the first bell and wait for him to return to the scene. Usually he just sighed and cleaned up the mess. She couldn't tell if he was upset, but maybe he was just so used to it he was numbed to the disappointment. Just another small sculpture, gone.

Just another piece of his soul, gone. Or that was how the junior looked at it.

He might be able to stand the abuse, day after day, but she couldn't. One way or the other, his art work was always destroyed. But just once, just once, she wanted to see it get saved.

She wanted a piece to be timeless.

At four thirty, regardless of where the remains of the sculpture lay, Hinata would wait outside the front of the school, in the same spot where he stood, and wait for Neji to come pick her up after his gymnastics training.

Neji was an amazing gymnast, even once being scouted for the national team. But he hadn't taken the chance, for reasons Hinata preferred not to think about.

Neji would pick up Hinata from the high school and then pick up Hanabi from the elementary. It was across town, though, which gave them time to talk.

Not that Hinata actually talked much with her college age cousin, besides the normal pleasantries about their days. Still, if she ever had a problem, he was always there to listen.

She slid into the tiny black car and stared out the window, watching as the school slid away behind them.

"How was your day, Hinata?" Neji asked after a moment.

"Fine." She knew this answer wouldn't fully satisfy him, so she elaborated. "I got an A on my chemistry test."

"Good. Your father will be pleased."

He still didn't seem satisfied, so she ran through the scarce events of the day, trying to come up with something else. "I'm having a little trouble in math."

"I don't have to work tonight, so I can help you."

She nodded gratefully; Neji was so much better in math than she. "Oh, and I got invited to Sakura's birthday party this weekend."

He nodded. "Sounds fun."

"Uh… y-yeah, I guess so." Hinata actually wasn't a big party fan, and wasn't really looking forward to it. But Sakura was her friend, so she had to go. "I'll need to look for a gift."

"I can take you to the mall beforehand."

"Thanks." She felt a little bad about making Neji be her chauffer, but she had so dismally failed her driving test she didn't think she'd ever get a license.

Neji stopped at a red light and turned to stare hard at her. She met his gaze, and for a moment she could see her lavender eyes reflected in his matching ones, and she quickly looked away again; the image was disconcerting.

"Did you sign up for the talent show?"

It had been the question Hinata had been dreading. "Wh-what talent show?"

That a girl, Hinata. Play dumb.

"The one that your school is holding in about a month and a half."

Of course he saw through her. She could swear her cousin could see through anyone. And through walls. And she was pretty sure he had eyes on the back of his head, too.

"O-oh… That talent show…"

The light changed, and Neji focused on the road again. "Hinata, did you sign up or not?"

"N-no…"

"Why not?" He waited for an answer, and when none was forthcoming he sighed. "Hinata, you're getting so good at your dancing; it's a waste not to show anyone."

She felt incredibly selfish. Neji could only practice his talent for exercise and small town competition when he so desperately wanted to show the world. And she hid her talent away…

But she wasn't getting in front of that crowd. Not for anything.

"How are Tenten and Lee?" she asked, to change the subject.

Neji was a little frustrated at getting cut off, but his friends were his favorite topic, even if he tried hard not to show it. "They're fine. It was their one year anniversary today." He chuckled. "Lee remembered, of course, and not Tenten. They're the only couple I know where the guy remembers everything."

Hinata laughed a little. "Well, it would be like Lee to remember. He even remembers my birthday." This was true; he sent her a card every year.

Neji laughed again at the thought of his overactive friend. They pulled into the elementary parking lot, and he turned back to her while they waited for her little sister.

"Seriously Hinata, consider the talent show thing. For me, okay?"

Hinata looked out the opposite window. "…Okay."

Sure, she could consider. She just wouldn't do it. Not even for him.

Not for anyone.

Chapter 1 End

A/N: I reread this chapter four times before being completely happy with it. Anyway…

It didn't matter what Deidara did with it; his hard work would get destroyed.

When thinking up the premise of this story, my first thought was, "Okay, so Hinata's some random high school girl, and Deidara's a tortured artist. Great, now what?" Then I remembered that Deidara's real "art" was the explosion; like, the destruction of his art. So, how could I use that destruction in my AU story? And this is what I came up with. From there, the rest of the story sort of built itself (I had a REALLY hard time concentrating in school the day I first thought of this story).

Neji was an amazing gymnast…

Don't you think Neji would be good at gymnastics? I have a cousin who's really good at gymnastics, actually, so I know slightly more about it than most sports.

"They're fine. It was their one year anniversary today." … "Lee remembered, of course, and not Tenten. They're the only couple I know where the guy remembers everything."

I am an unashamed LeeTen fan. Woo!

Also, my boyfriend is the one who always remembers anniversaries and important dates, so this is a little homage to him. In my defense, though, I DO remember the day he first asked me out (but it was on my birthday, so…).

As I mentioned, the second chapter's pretty much written (I just have to type it) and all of the story's planned out, so expect updates soon. I'll try to be regular, but sometimes I fail. The more reviews I get, the more motivated I'll be to write!

This is Yoga Master (according to Wii Fit) Dandy, signing off!