Someone To Hold

Complete Summary: She painted a smile to hide her sorrow, her eyes of pale lavender blinded by loneliness. All she wanted was for someone to hold her and say everything was all right, even though she knew no one would. So she was shocked when someone told her, "Hinata, can't you see everyone cares about you? Can't you see I've been right here to catch you when you fall, and to hold you?" Warning: Sasuke is slight OC

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or any of the characters… though I wish I did.

Chapter 1: Cold

Clouds were forming over Konoha. The wind began to pick up and weave through the trees. The clouds were threatening a heavy storm…but she didn't care.

Hinata was sitting near a small stream with white phlox growing on the banks. She came here often to let the setting soothe her with open arms. Here she could be consoled. Here she could be free to hide nothing.

Wet tears of intense sorrow streamed down her face. The memories of what happened earlier flashed in her mind like photographs.

FLASHBACK

Today's the day,' Hinata thought, today's the day I tell Naruto-kun how I feel.' She was walking confidently down the street as she neared the ramen shop. Her face lit up and turned a hint of red for she could already see Naruto's orange jacket. As she got closer, she noticed that he was not alone; Sakura was seated next to him. Then she heard the two talking, so she hid behind a wall, just within earshot.

Sakura was here because she got tired of Naruto asking her to come so she finally gave in. He was blabbing on and on about how great he was and how wonderful she was.

"Um, Naruto, what about Hinata-san?" she asked.

"Huh?" he responded, mouth full.

"How do you feel about Hinata-san?"

"Oh, Hinata-chan? Well I dunno."

"Well, then what do you think of her?"

"Um, well she's kinda pretty, I guess. She never gives up, so that's awesome…but she's quiet and doesn't really stand up for herself…. and she's kinda weird. She always acts strange around me. She's not really my type…but you are Sakura-chan!"

Sakura sighed and shook her head. So much for trying to get Naruto to like Hinata-san,' she thought.

Hinata was already running now. The last thing she remembers is falling to her knees and her vision growing blurry. Her body had seemed to move on it's own. She turned a sharp corner and nearly ran into someone, but with her footwork, she easily avoided any contact and collision. The man just turned and watched her with doll-like eyes, black doll eyes. She continued running with those words in her head, his words.

END OF FLASHBACK

He's right,' Hinata thought, I'm nothing like Sakura-san, she's so beautiful with her short, petal-pink hair and jade green eyes. She's smart and strong and the apprentice to Tsunade-sama. And me, what do I have? I'm shy and timid, not especially smart, and I'm too weak to become a good heir for my clan and,' she looked at her reflection in the water. To anyone else, she would appear beautiful. They would see a young woman of seventeen with long, midnight blue hair, moon-cream skin, and pale lavender eyes. But she only saw a girl with long dark hair, sickly-pale skin, and horrible white eyes. What would Naruto-kun every see in me?'

Hinata's eyes were watery now. She was sitting next to a large rock on the bank of the stream. She wrapped her arms around herself as the tears fell. Realizing that no one would ever hold her, she screamed out a cry of despair. Weeping openly now, she leaned on the boulder and curried her head in her arms.

Waiting and hope death would claim her soon, she wept as hard as she could. She cried, she screamed, she groaned knowing no one would hear her, knowing no one would care.

Her heart was breaking as Naruto's words recited in her head. Hope was growing even more distant. Yet, in all her sorrow, in all her desperation, the one thing she wanted now was to feel warmth. The rain fell along with her tears and the wind whistled a soft turn. Not only was she trembling from sobbing, she was shivering from the cold as well. But it wasn't the weather that made her feel that way. The one source of warmth she had had now turned to ice. The ice of loneliness struck her heart. She never felt more alone…

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Sasuke had followed Hinata all the way to the stream ever since she nearly ran into him on the street earlier. He had seen her eyes drop tears as she ran past him, so he was curious on why, or so he told himself seeing that he had nothing else to do. Now he watched the entire episode from start to finish. He had guessed that her tears had something to do with Naruto.

Pathetic,' he thought. Disappointment and annoyance was written all over his face. Yet a string of guilt could be found in his eyes.

Her cries were heart wrenching. They hit him hard.

I remember feeling that way', he thought, now looking empathetically at her, my heart made that sound when my clan was killed. All the warmth in my life disappeared, and I guess her's just did too.'

Hinata was weeping so hard that Sasuke wondered if it was possible to produce so many tears. He saw her trembling from her sobs. The uncaring Sasuke, at that moment, felt a little guilty.

Hinata was exhausted now. She had been crying so much that her eyes grew dry. She could feel her mind slipping father and farther. She went limp and her body grew heavy.

A sudden rustle in the leaves snapped Hinata's senses alert, but she didn't have the energy nor the will to care. Then she felt two surprisingly warm arms wrap around her ever so gently, yet firmly, turn her on her back. She could feel her eyes give way as she huddled to the warm body holding her bridal style. Before slumber claimed her, she had gazed into two, black stone-cold eyes, yet in themselves, gave off a certain softness.

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AN: Sorry for such a short first chapter. The next one will be longer, I promise. This is my first story, so please, be gentle. If you are going to flame, just be clean-cut and simple. Comments and replies are always welcome, I could use all the help I can get. By the way, phlox is a small flower that grows in bunches. This story is rated M but for later chapters, like, later later chapters, so, be patient, they are coming. Thank you for reading, ja ne!