"The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray."
-Robert Burns, "To a Mouse"
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You're…kinda weird.
Hinata flushed.
When she came into work today, she had not planned on Ino running over to her in tears asking her to take over her shift. She had not planned on saying, "Sure, Ino." She had not planned on forgetting what taking Ino's shift implied. It was probably a minute after Ino gave her the cash register keys, grabbed her oversized purse and headed out the sliding doors into the parking lot when it hit her. Cash Register. Ino always worked the cash register.
Not that there was anything wrong with the inanimate object in question. It was more so what the cash register brought. People. Hinata, shy, sweet, Hinata, hated working cash register because of the people. You see, Hinata was not what you call a "people person"; Introverted due to her upbringing, she was most comfortable in situations where she didn't have to interact with anyone. Ino, in the other hand, was the total opposite.
She, what Hinata likes to think, was blessed with the "gift of talking a lot and people being able to stand her for longer than three seconds". She was just… very sociable. So sociable, in fact, that she would flirt with every guy who happened to have the unfortunate luck of ending up at her cash register. She wasn't ugly or anything, in fact, a lot of guys would consider her hot. It was just when Ino would flirt, it was borderline sexual assault. Ms. Tsunade almost fired her after she got a complaint from an anonymous costumer about an event where she mauled a guy into a stand of Funions. The incident left the victim with a broken arm. Hinata recalled how Sakura reacted after Ms. Tsunade almost fired her.
"Way to go Ino-Pig, next time-don't try to kill my customers," Sakura said with a smile, though a threat was laced with her words. Somehow, Hinata knew they weren't referring to the customers, more like a certain raven haired hottie.
"Why Sakura, who would I be, if I didn't show my customers the attention they deserve," Ino would say feigning innocence. Sakura grimaced and then smirked.
"Why Ino, didn't you know, not everyone wants to be trampled by a wild boar," she retorted back. She walked away leaving Ino fuming where she stood.
Hinata could never imagine herself talking with regular people let alone the….male species. She couldn't even imagine what she would do if Naruto showed up; she would probably hyperventilate, then pass out and die. This is why she avoided the cash register like the plague. Every excuse in existence was used by Hinata to keep her away from the offending technology. So, Ms. Tsunade who was very aware of Hinata's introverted nature, let her have the tasks of stocking the shelves, marking the pricing, and cleaning the bathrooms. All tasks were completed with a smile. After all, to Hinata, anything was better than the being a cashier. So today, when she came in to work she had planned on doing what she's done for the past year and a half. But, as we all find our sooner or later, something's don't always go according to plan.
Right after Ino left, Hinata started to panic. The keys in her left hand started to feel like they weighed a ton. She looked at the only copper key on the chain and knew exactly what lock it belonged to. At that precise moment, her lungs decided they didn't like oxygen anymore. No, no, no….this can't be happening, I can't do this, I'm not equipped to do this…. maybe I can make a run for it..Yeah, no one will notice if I lea-
"Hinata, are you okay?" said a very concerned Sakura. Her emerald green eyes looked over Hinata's shaking form and immediately realized the cause for her fear after seeing a missing Ino and the keys in Hinata's left hand.
"I," Hinata choked out, "I umm…well-,"
"Hey," Sakura said, her eyes softening, "Ino-pig only has hour six and a half left in her shift, it'll be over before you know it…and if it makes you feel any better Ms. Tsunade's probably gonna dock her pay and make her clean the men's bathroom," she ended while wrinkling her nose in disgust.
Hinata smiled faintly. The panic she had started to ease off, though not completely diminished. All the same, she was grateful Sakura was there before her head exploded from anxiety. "Thanks, Sakura…I needed that," she said in her usual soft voice.
"No problem, who would I be if I didn't take this opportunity to get back at Ino," she said with a smile in her voice. She took a minute to assess the amount of customers in the store. "Well, looks like we might have a slow day, today. I'll try to take the majority of the customers who might…cause some problems for you."
"Would you really?" Hinata said with happiness in her voice, obviously elated with the idea.
Sakura smiled softly at the happiness in that shined in her lavender eyes. "Yeah, but you have to take all the old people." She said with a smirk.
Hinata grinned, panic completely forgotten, "Deal."
Sakura put out her hand for her to shake. As Hinata shook hands with her, Sakura added, "Deal…though…I have to warn you…old people like to pay with pennies."
After they shook hands, Hinata replied that she would rather have old people with pennies than Hot guys with facial hair. Sakura laughed loudly at the retort as she turned to go to her register. As she was walking away, Hinata heard her mumble under her breath, "I beg to differ if it was Naruto with those pennies."
Hinata blushed at the name of her long-time crush for the past year and a half as she stood by her cash register. It was really sad that everyone except the object of her adoration knew how she felt about him. In a way, she was kind of happy he didn't. She couldn't risk the chance of rejection, plus, she wasn't a people person. She wouldn't know the first thing to say to him if he asked her about it. And if he, by some chance that hell froze over, told her he didn't mind the idea of him liking her and wanted to pursue a relationship…she couldn't finish the thought…even in her own head. In truth, she didn't know what she would do and told herself that she should stop wasting her time on foolish dreams. Hinata flinched. That sounded cold…even in her thoughts…she sounded just like her father.
Hinata didn't know how many hours had passed, but as she glanced out to the entrance of the store, she noticed the dark parking lot outside. Night already…can't be any later than eleven. Hinata recalled briefly the group of senior citizens she had the honor of ringing up items for. She then smiled briefly when she recalled Mr. Sarutobi and his grandson arguing over whether or not prune juice was a cure for all ailments. While Mr. Sarutobi made some valid points, Konohamuru had won her over with the comment that prune juice was the root of all evil. She laughed to herself at the memory.
Unbeknownst to Hinata, at that exact moment two individuals entered the store:
The first was a raven-haired individual who looked around 6'4 with obsidian eyes. He had bad-boy written all over him. From the spiky neck-length hair, the black button down, eyebrow piercing, the faded dark blue jeans and black boots, he completed that bad boy look with his trademark expression. Sasuke Uchiha would have probably been even more threatening if it weren't for the cast on his right arm. His face adorned a scowl, a good sign that he was either pissed or just highly annoyed. With the individual who came in the store after him, it was probably the latter.
Standing at 6'3-and ¾'s he would add- was Naruto Uzamaki. The exact opposite of his friend he walked beside, he wore a very excited expression with a huge grin on his face. Unlike his counterpart, he wore a white button down shirt with the sleeves pulled up to his elbows with a loosened bright orange tie around his neck carefully paired with plain light blue jeans and some black sneakers. His cerulean blue eyes carefully surveyed the store's aisles as he passed his hand through his shoulder length disheveled blond hair. He squinted his eyes with a look of determination and grinned yet again when he found what he was looking for. He walked to the aisle as Sasuke made a comment to how long he was taking.
"Idiot, get the ramen so we can go...I don't want to stay here longer than necessary," Sasuke said with edginess to usual monotone voice. He surveyed the store without moving from the entrance and then noticed Hinata hunched over the cash register laughing softly to herself. He frowned, was she laughing at him. He walked over to her.
Hmph…what's so funny?
Hinata's body tensed as she turned around to face none other than Sasuke. His eyes looked at her accusingly as his lips held a grim line. Hinata was so caught off guard by his presence that she jumped back into the cash register. Her heart hammered against her chest. He's in my space.
"You're in my bubble," she squeaked quickly. He silently took two steps back effectively giving her space to breathe. He raised his eyebrow at her horrified expression and almost smiled at how…cute…her squeak had sounded.
"Well…I'm waiting," he said while absentmindedly trying to scratch under his cast.
Hinata recoiled slightly from her previous startled state after seeing his cast. So…I guess he really did break his arm. She could almost forgive him for invading her personal space. Hinata subconsciously tapped her pointer fingers together repeatedly while trying to calm down her erratic heartbeat after the…err…well surprise presence of the opposite sex.
She thought about his question before answering though without any stutter present surprisingly, " umm…a little boy came in today with his grandfather and," Sasuke nodded his head for Hinata to continue, " they had an argument on whether or not prune juice cured all ailments and-"
"Wait," Sasuke interrupted, "You weren't laughing at me then."
Hinata shook her head quickly. She blushed with embarrassment. Was it even possible to laugh at Sasuke? He was so serious all the time. Then again Naruto always manages to laugh at-
Her thoughts took a different direction as her heart sped up. If Sasuke's here, chances are Naruto's here too. Suddenly breathing got a little harder.
Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows, taking in the way Hinata's face changed from pale to pink to a cherry red hue.
"Hey, hope got you enough plastic bags," said a husky voice from around the cash register.
Hinata could hear the blood rush to her ears…was that possible? She turned around slowly praying that by some miracle she wouldn't "pass out and die". She could deal with the hyperventilating part-since she was already doing that.
Naruto stared at her with curious eyes as he sat down what looked like their entire stock of ramen, "Are you all right?"
"I," Hinata choked out impressively, though so quietly that the he could barely hear her through the wheezing sounds she was making. She pressed her pointer fingers so hard together; she thought she might actually break them.
Naruto ran his hand through his hair and looked at Sasuke with confusion on his face before turning to the red-faced Hinata. "Do you need…are you choking or something?" he said as he touched her shoulder and leaned closer to hear her better. His ocean blue eyes looked deeply into her lavender ones.
She could feel the heat that radiated from his body…. even across the cash register. His scent…it was woodsy…and very manly….His hand…she thought…was soft and warm against her shoulder but she knew if he brushed his hand against the exposed flesh of her arm, it would be calloused, rough, and hot against her …she imagined the electric shock that would course through her body when he would do that. She could almost feel him touching her…he was rubbing her hand tenderly in circles…so softly…she could smell him all around her…and everything was so….warm. "Hinata," he would say to her huskily. "Hinata,"….yes my Naruto. "Hinata!" Said a voice, it wasn't Naruto's…this voice was feminine…what-
Hinata's pale eyes snapped open to meet very blue ones.
"Hey," Naruto looked up from the woman in his arms to a concerned older woman with dirty blond hair, "how you holdin' up kiddo?"
Hinata replied dreamily, "fine," without taking her eyes off Naruto. He looked down at her in his lap; not sure so sure that he could trust her words quite yet. This has to be a dream. There is just no way he's holding me in his arms. He's so beautiful. She admired the contours of his face from his forehead wrinkled in concern to his blazing blue eyes to his pointed nose. She then looked lower to his pink lips that stood out just enough to nibble on. The things e could do with those lips. She didn't ever want to leave his arms. Kami, he's perfect.
Immediately after that thought, Naruto blushed a crimson shade and smiled nervously and ran his hand through his hair with the hand that was once touching Hinata's hand.
"Thank you," he said with a blush still on his cheeks.
Whatever daze Hinata was in was broken with Naruto's voice. It was at that very moment did Hinata really understand the position she was in figuratively and…literally. She tried to jump quickly out of his arms…but instead felt a wave of dizziness take its course as she attempted to stand up. Naruto grabbed her by the waist before she hit the ground again.
"Take it easy, Hinata," several voices laced with concern said to her.
Take it easy. Good plan.
Her current position at the moment was leaning against Naruto's body with his arms wrapped around her waist. So, at least she was standing up…well…sort of. At least one of her prayers was answered; she wasn't dead.
Her heartbeat though frantic was not accompanied-this time-by the need for oxygen. To Hinata, this was as calm as she would get when in the presence of a guy…let alone, Naruto. I wonder what he thinks of me right now…pathetic…dumb…
"No," said Naruto softly breaking Hinata out of her normal self evaluation.
Hinata's eyed snapped up to Naruto's with fear and embarrassment in her eyes. "Did I say that out loud ," she commented then realization hit her, "did I say anything else out loud?"
Naruto looked at her nervously before ignoring her questions and adding a question of his own. "Do you want to know what I think of you, right now?"
Hinata, already a shade darker than pink, squeaked out a small "yes". She made a move to stand completely on her two feet and move away from him, but Naruto wouldn't budge. His arms tightened around her waist.
Hinata blushed at the action and looked down at her hands that rested on his chest. She could feel his heartbeat through her fingertips.
She looked at him to read his face. His eyes were an ocean blue color as they stared at her openly. She could feel his gaze drop to her lips before settling to her eyes. She blushed harder.
He then smiled sheepishly before looking away and saying, "Well," he glanced at her before returning his gaze away from her.
"You're…kinda weird."
Hinata flushed.
She looked down to her hands that rested on his chest. She then lifted them and started to press her pointer fingers together.
"Well, how nice of you to say, baka," Sasuke commented sarcastically. Hinata jumped at his voice. She had forgotten that he was even here. She then took a moment to survey her surroundings. Ms. Tsunade stood to her right by Sasuke who was scratching under his cast obviously irritated with staying here longer than what he had planned. To her left was Sakura who was glaring at the man who was holding me. I jumped back at that thought; this time Hinata successfully dislodged herself from his hold.
She looked at Naruto. He returned the stare. "Y-you're…you're k-kind of blind." She retorted back.
He raised his eyebrows at the retort, and then frowned in confusion. "How so?" he replied. He crossed his arms.
Hinata said nothing. At that exact moment…she planned on telling him how blind he has been to her feelings for him. How…even now…after it was obvious that she had feelings for him, he still remained blissfully ignorant. She planned on forgiving if for his child-like ignorance. She didn't say anything. She just walked away from them. She grabbed her keys and purse from the office and walked out the Store. She ignored the female voices that called her name with concern and the distinct masculine voice that monotonously said to let her go. She even ignored Naruto's sweet and confused voice asking her where she was going. All of it didn't matter.
Hinata rubbed her arms as the sudden coldness of the outside shook her from her thoughts. She glanced one last time at the store. When she got inside her car and started her engine, she remembered why she came to work in the first place. Right…she thought bitterly.
She had planned on quitting her job. She placed her head on the steering wheel and exhaled a breath she didn't no she had been holding. She then remembered a something that Shikamaru had quoted once. Hinata laughed sadly and whispered to herself, "The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray".
Fine