Ooc:// My first fic, as requested by my dear friend Tem. I hope it's fluffy/corny enough. 8D
Maladroit
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Gaara shifted uncomfortably in his chair. For over three hours he had stayed in this same spot, this same rough stool in a grimy bar that was days away from civilization and, honestly, he was getting antsy. What made the situation even worse was that the bar was not just in the middle of nowhere, it was smack dab in the center of a cold, snowy, miserable nowhere. The heat he had despised so much in Suna suddenly seemed very inviting.
In the seat next to him, Hinata wanted to assure him that their target was going to get here soon, that he should just be patient. Unfortunately, whenever she opened her mouth to speak, nothing but air came out. After couple more attempts, she couldn't even get THAT out.
Hinata secretly thanked whatever higher power was up there that Gaara was staring at the entrance, or else he probably would've assumed she was imitating a fish.
Now that she thought about it, their target was supposed to be here an hour ago. It was bad enough that this was an assassination mission, as Hinata always disliked the thought of killing anyone, but one with a no-show? That was the worst, in her opinion. Especially ones that seemed like they were going to be easy, such as this one.
When Tsunade informed her she was working with Gaara, who was more than willing to help out in any way he could after Konoha's attacks, Hinata was nervous. She'd only seen him at the Chunin exams, and then she didn't even meet him, really. All she did was watch him crush Rock Lee, which wasn't exactly the best first impression. So, it came as a surprise that, when they were formally introduced, he was very polite, if not a bit shy himself.
After a quick exchanging of names and a handshake, Tsunade explained that the target was an elderly man who had 'forgotten' to pay back a feudal lord for the loan they gave him. Because they apparently decided he wasn't worth a whole lot, they wanted him dead. Hinata tried to hide her uneasiness, but failed, as Gaara whispered a small, "It's okay…?" Apparently he wasn't used to saying such things, as it sounded more like a question then anything. And yet, it, strangely, calmed her down a bit.
When she had regained her composure, the Hokage informed them they were to wait for the target at a bar he frequented. Even though he was on the run, he still made sure to go by the bar every couple of weeks. While the wonders of whether the man was some kind of alcoholic or not as well as why the heck the guy hadn't been killed yet if he went to the same place every two weeks drifted through Hinata's mind, she and Gaara set off towards this bar. On a mountain. In winter.
If she was angry at whoever built a pub there, she could only imagine how Gaara was feeling as they traveled, with him being so used to the desert climate and all.
And thus, two days later, here they were. Sitting in a dinky, smelly tavern, with oversized coats that didn't really defend against the freezing wind that kept blowing into the building and a complete lack of conversation.
As soon as Hinata was finished playing the sequence of events over in her mind, Gaara stood up. "We're going," he said in a tone that was anything but cheerful. Or kind. Or humorous.
Actually, it was downright rude. But Hinata followed his instructions anyway because she really didn't want to make him even angrier then he already was, despite the fact that she thought they should continue waiting for the man.
Pulling her arms around her chest, she clenched her teeth, bracing for the iciness as Gaara opened the door. If he was feeling any discomfort, which he almost certainly was, he was doing an excellent job at hiding it. She, however, was shaking like crazy, chattering teeth and all.
As they trudged through the snow, Hinata's shivering only got worse. Within two minutes, her mild twitching had gotten to the point it appeared as though she was having a seizure. Gaara sighed in annoyance. He did not want to have to deal with this horrendous mission AND a partner that could barely walk two steps without almost toppling over. With a grunt, he pulled off his jacket, much to Hinata's horror. "Y-you're going to f-f-freeze-!" she began, but she quieted when he put the jacket over her shoulders. Without another word, he turned around and continued along their course.
Once the shock went away, Hinata dashed up to his side and asked, "W-w-why did y-you d-d-do that?" She hoped the warmth she was suddenly feeling in her cheeks was due to the weather. Gaara didn't as much as glance in her direction, and instead kept his gaze straight ahead. It appeared he wasn't going to answer, when he, unexpectedly, stated, "I didn't like wearing it. Too puffy. And you were cold." It was the most he'd spoken at one time throughout the whole trip, and Hinata was just content with the idea that he was warming up to her.
After that exchange, neither said anything more. They didn't speak as they mulled through the sleet. Nothing was said when they found their target's body lying in the snow, thanks to a heart attack. Rather then discuss the odd timing, both seemed fine with walking towards Konoha noiselessly. Though the silence was a bit awkward at first, eventually they didn't mind it. Soon, they began to speak their minds through gestures. And when Hinata squeezed his arm, and Gaara leaned back a bit to let her hold onto it, it spoke volumes more than either of them could. They weren't exactly the best conversationalists, after all.
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