It had been the sort of day that was uneventful, the typical day where rain was common and the sun refused to shine, and yet the hour still marched tirelessly, nearing dark.
Hinata stepped out of the cold concrete building, where work composed of piles of papers and phone calls. She pushed the small metal appendage on the handle of her umbrella and shook it open. The raindrops were fat and flurried fast, and she quickly strode on the sidewalk on her way home. It was a burden holding onto her briefcase and her umbrella at the same time, but it was the sort of struggle that grew in accordance to your level of irritation, and so she kept calm about it. The route home was instinct to her feet, even though the persistence of rain added an obstacle to the course. Her 3-inch heels splashed and clacked against the sidewalk as it turned on the corner of Browning Avenue and Cove Street. She was nearing her destination when all of a sudden she heard a loud meow from the not-so-far distance.
Meow
Meow
Meow
She turned her head to the source of the sound and laid her pale purple eyes upon a white cat. The cat was thoroughly drenched in the freezing rain, and looked downright disheartening. The poor creature was shivering while meowing in distress.
Hinata approached the cat and bent down to pick it up. She shifted her umbrella to her right hand and tucked the heavy briefcase underneath her right arm.
"There there kitty kitty. Mommy's got you." She kissed the cat lovingly and hastened her steps towards her apartment home, not wanting to keep the cat neglected a second longer.
She had always desired to have a cat in her home and had been planning to visit the animal shelter for quite some time, though unfortunately the trip had always been pushed back in her daily planner. Now she was finally able to use some of the cat supplies she'd bought in preparation.
Hinata wrapped the cat in a bathroom towel and dried its fur the best she could. The cat meowed and licked its fur. Next, Hinata took out a plastic bowl from the dish rack and poured dry cat food into it. She clicked her tongue and called the cat over.
"Here kitty kitty! Mommy's got food for you!"
The cat jumped out of the couch and walked over to the food bowl.
"You're so smart! Yes you are!"
The cat sniffed it once and walked away, meowing curtly.
Hinata, visibly irritated, tried to pick the cat up by the stomach but the cat hissed and jumped away from her. Thank goodness it didn't tried to claw her.
"What? You'd rather starve?" Hinata sniffed, picking up the bowl.
The cat meowed and hissed again at her, this time with its claws fully extended.
"Oh right fine! Since you're so spoiled I'll cook up some fish for you." Hinata opened her freezer, a cool, icy air blowing past her, and took out a frozen pack of cod fish fillet from within the arctic depth. She lit up the stove and placed the pan on top, drizzling it with olive oil. The cat approached her and purred affectionately between her ankles, seemingly aware that she was cooking his preferred dinner and showing his gratitude.
"Alright, alright. Just wait for your meal kitty."
She tore up the plastic containing the fish, and placed two pieces in the pan. Once the fishes had cooked, Hinata transferred it on a small plate and bent down to place it on the floor, where the cat awaited to devour it. She also poured him a bowl of cold milk, and he licked it clean till the very last drop.
"You're one hungry cat, kitty."
The cat meowed as Hinata brushed his fur with her fingers.
"I suppose now I'd have to figure out where you'll sleep." After a couple of minutes rummaging in her closet, Hinata settled for her old luggage, a musty blanket, and an unused guest pillow. The cat watched curiously as she set up his makeshift bed for the night.
"This here kitty, would be your temporary bed until I buy a permanent one for you." She smoothened out the blanket over the pillow and patted it, indicating for the cat to enter. The cat only looked at her passively. Hinata stood up, at a loss, and shook her head. Her body had started to feel the weary effects of the long day, and she rather not contend with cuts from a cat if she dared pick it up again.
"Okay kitty, mommy's going to sleep now, and you'd better sleep too." She rubbed the cat's furry head briskly and went inside her bedroom, closing it for the night.
The meowing did not stop until Hinata opened her bedroom door at 2 in the morning. She had fallen asleep the moment her body had hit her bed and then suddenly loud, constant meowing from outside her room woke her up.
The cat looked up to her in a waiting position, his eyes glowing in the dark. She silently picked him up and placed him on her bed, then shut the door close. The cat curled himself up in a ball and rested comfortably in the foot of her bed, while Hinata pulled the blankets over herself tightly, wanting to enter the warm, welcoming cocoon of sleep once more. She was snoring in a minute, but the cat kept its eyes open and stared only at her.
The transformation was quick: a puff of air and a creaking sound due to the sudden shift of weight was all that indicated that the cat had turned into a human male. He could only transform in the dead of night and while at the midst of the girl. The door was a slight inconvenience he'd overlooked. He noted that he shall be in the bedroom with the girl the next time.
He didn't hesitate for a moment and placed his lips atop hers, hoping beyond hope that the heavy burden of the curse would disappear in that instant. But alas it was not so. His hope was indeed beyond hope and he desperately placed his lips on top of hers over and over again…but to no avail.
"Damn it all!" He softly cussed, wiping his mouth from the failure it had touched.
I thought she would be the one.
His temper burned hotly while he laid beside her underneath her sheets. He gazed at the girl overcome with fatigue, and then at the glass windows, contemplating his inevitable escape. Once daylight breaks he would be out of here in a flash, and the hunt for the next girl would resume. A quick, pulsating thought of kissing her again crossed his mind; maybe it had something to do with the way he kissed her, but he knew it wasn't it, she simply wasn't the one he'd been searching for. He really had betted his chances on this girl…
He calmed down enough to allow himself a few precious minutes of sleep, before slinking into the foggy, hazy-lit kiss of early morning—leaving the girl and leaving his only hope.
A/N: So what did you guys think? I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments on this new SasuHina story that had struck me. I hope you enjoyed chapter one!
*Cover art image used belongs to Katy Betz