Title: Humiliation
Author: AppleL0V3R
Beta-reader: Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Subaku no Gaara and Hyuuga, Hinata
Rating: T
Type: One-shot – Complete
Summary: Hinata sputtered unintelligibly, she was soaked and humiliated. Couldn't he just stop laughing? It's not funny and all she wants to do is disappear.
Theme: #6 – Soooo Not Funny; Sarcasm
Word Count: 1,780
Disclaimer: If you've heard of it before, then obviously it's not mine.
..:Xx0o0xX:..
Hinata sighed as she forced herself to leave the school. That's the only place she was ever safe and always hated leaving it. For going home. She didn't like being subjected to her family's scrutiny every day or their sardonic remarks. Not now that Neji-nii-sama was a long way from home at college. She still had another year to go. And she dreaded every day of it.
Taking the steps one at a time, she didn't realize until she was in it that it was raining, and she'd forgotten an umbrella. Great. Now her clan members could mock her for that too. Why did she still care anyway?
Because she was insecure to others.
But family shouldn't act like that!
Her mood was quickly plummeting, not that it'd been all that good today to begin with. She'd woken up late, had to rush breakfast and get scolded for her irresponsibility, ended up late, found out that Naruto was home sick today. And then get mocked all day, which usually doesn't happen because Naruto's always protecting her but since he was sick…
Sighing once more she trudged home torn between trying to be on time to avoid an angry father and taking her sweet time so that the inevitable was put off for just that much longer. Either way she was going to have to put up with it so she might as well hurry so that she didn't have to deal with Hyuuga, Hiashi on top of it. Frowning at the thought of having to face her father, especially after she'd just gotten a low B on that test today, the one she'd forgotten about, did not sound particularly idealistic. He was going to give her hell, never mind the fact that she had gotten the highest score of that class and that she would still have a 4.0 GPA afterward.
Sighing, she quickened her pace all the same. She wasn't in the mood to get scolded, if that meant looking like a dog with it's tail tucked between it's legs before her extended family, then so be it. She honestly didn't care right at this second, she would later though. Later she would groan and bury her face in a pillow while berating herself for being so uncaring just because she didn't want to be scolded. She knew she was expected to hold up better than this. But this was her life! She was meeting all of her expectations, why should the raven haired girl have to live up to theirs as well?
Simple, she didn't. But she would anyway. She'd get fed up with herself and tell herself she shouldn't then do it again. There was a mold here and no matter how much she wanted to break it –
Crash. Thud.
– she wouldn't.
Pain.
But she'd feel like crying. Like right now. The unwanted feelings skittered through her senses, one tightening in her chest and making her nose sting while the other kept zinging through. She vaguely wondered if she should care that now she was muddy and wet or care that she was going to be late anyway. Well great, so much for hurrying, all that'd done was delay her and produce an injury. She really felt like crying her pretty lavender and exotically without pupil eyes out.
Taking a deep breath, she slowly moved her limbs intending to set up since her current position, though enticing to stay in, wasn't all that comfortable. Pain shot through her forearms, elbows and kneecaps. It was so acute that it caused her to take in a sharp breath and close her eyes as her body froze hoping to still the pain as well. It didn't though, so she forced herself to keep moving.
Next was to inspect the damage. Her knees were scrapped and bleeding; it'd leave an ugly bruise for a while. Her forearms were skinned and elbows bleeding though not quite as bad as her knees since the cloth covering them had protected her now aching arms. And of course she'd have to get rid of this shirt now since it was blood stained and ripped. Good thing she had a back up shirt especially for these cases.
She really hated her clumsiness too, almost as much as her shyness, because now this just added to her problems.
Her heart sunk further when she heard water splash with each approaching footstep.
Why? Was it really so wrong to give her some kind of break? She pleaded with herself hoping she didn't know whoever it was, that they didn't know her and they would just walk right by the soaked, crestfallen girl.
But just like always she didn't get her way: they stopped right in front of her, so close some of the rain was blocked and she could see black shoes paired with the black slacks of her school's male uniform. She groaned and contemplated pretending not noticing the guy.
When he didn't move after a moment she looked up to see Subaku no Gaara.
And she wondered absently if this day could get any worse. Gaara was not only popular at school but also the son of one of her father's company's rivals. Peachy. She grumbled to herself, wanting to tear her hair out, scream, cry and crawl in a deep dark hole all at once. Just fucking peachy.
Then she noticed he's shoulders were shaking.
He was laughing.
Quickly she looked away, unable to take the humiliation he presented. She didn't know him, but she knew that she was going to be picked on even more by her tormentors now.
Correction. This day could get worse.
"Never thought I'd see the esteemed Hyuuga heiress like this." He had a deep soothing baritone voice that was currently colored with amusement and she felt a blush rise to her cheeks. She couldn't think of anything to say but sputter unintelligibly, she was soaked and humiliated. Couldn't he just stop laughing? It's not funny and all she wants to do is disappear.
He didn't though, and so she just took it as best she could, trying her best not to cry from the whole thing.
"Get up, will you." He demanded, still clearly amused. She obeyed, wincing when her knees and elbows protested. "Self-pity isn't going to get you anywhere." He commented mildly, jade eyes seeing right though her.
"I know." She muttered softly, tears finally spilling down her face.
"Neither is crying."
"I know." But she was fed up with everything and was definitely going into overdrive now. All futuristic thoughts fading completely, only now existed and it seemed like too much.
He sighed lifting a hand to run it through shaggy blood red hair. "You can't stay here."
"I know." She sounded like a broken record, and she absently thought that it fitted because that was how she felt.
"Stop that." Apparently it was irritating him though.
She shrugged. "Why?" Rain was still pelting her back and part of the top of her head but the black umbrella he held prevented her front from getting the same treatment. Her black skirt was rumpled and dirty and her white long sleeve shirt was clinging to her body in a way that showed off her nicely filled out figure and was already see through with brown smudges. Her black tie wasn't straight anymore and she was cursing the fact that she'd forgotten her vest in her locker again.
It seemed things weren't done piling against her yet.
"Because it's annoying and disgraceful."
She snapped. "I don't care. I could give a goddamn less if it's disgraceful." She should shut up now. "I didn't ask to be Hyuuga, Hiashi's daughter and I certainly don't want to be." But he wasn't stopping her and she didn't want to stop. So for once, she was going to do what she wanted. Speak up. "Why should I have to live up to other people's expectations and do what they want? It's stupid and and…" she trailed off.
"Degrading." He offered.
She nodded quickly, "And I'm human, I should be allowed to be imperfect. I should be allowed to catch a break." She didn't care if she sounded like a spoiled petulant brat to this complete stranger. Because for once she wasn't going to care, simply spill her guts to someone other than her stuffed fox that she hid under her bed so that it wouldn't be taken away by her father. "I don't want all the pressure and comments that I keep getting just because of who my father is. I'm my own person, I want to be seen that way. Not the 'Hyuuga heiress' or 'Hyuuga, Hiashi's daughter' or anything like that."
She took a deep breath, not remembering the last time she'd said so much in one go about how she felt. And surprisingly it felt good. The burden lighter then before. It didn't feel like a ton of bricks bringer her crashing to the floor every time she got to her feet.
"Done yet?" He asked blandly, patiently. His pretty sea foam green eyes were impassive but intent solely on her.
Then she realized who she was speaking to. And suddenly reality felt like bitch again. She'd just ranted her feelings to someone who could and most likely would ruin her life. But she nodded all the same. "Yes."
"Good. Because now you owe me for being your secret holder."
She stared incomprehensibly, "What do I owe?"
He shrugged. "Anything I want when I want. Oh and since I might as well help you get cleaned up, you're going to owe me for that too."
Again she stared, then when it occurred to her that she should do something, he'd started walking again, right past her. She blinked once, then twice. "Are you coming or what?"
With out thinking, she turned on her heel and dashed to catch up to him before logic could rear its head up again. She was already terribly late so what did it matter? Besides, she had some questions for him like "What do you mean 'anything I want'?"
He didn't even glance at the comparatively smaller girl beside him looking confused and indignant now. "Exactly as it implies, think of it this way; you are now my personal slave." Because this was definitely going to be fun.
Hinata groaned. Worst. Day. Ever.