"You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly."
--Sam Keen
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Once again, it was winter in Konoha. Big fluffy flakes of snow floated lazily from the sky. All the Konoha ninja were with their families for the holidays, for it was Christmas Eve. Even Naruto had a place to be this year, Iruka let him spend Christmas with his family. But this story isn't about Naruto and Iruka. No, this is a story about how the spirit of Christmas can bring two people together.
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Hinata looked out her window and sighed. It was still early. She watched as the snow came down lightly, there was about a foot on the ground. She wished her family was like the others. They never included her in the festivities, and Neji was really the only one who ever got her anything. She always got presents from her friends though.
She looked at the solitary gift sitting on her dresser. It was a plate of brownies, baked by her own hand for Shino's father. Shino had offered to let her spend Christmas with him. Kiba was unable to come because the Inuzukas were doing some Christmas thing that involves only their clan. She really didn't understand what Kiba's "thing" was about, but appreciated Shino's offer. She glanced over to a small stuffed orange fox peeking at her from her closet. She had gotten it for Naruto some years back, but never really worked up the nerve to give it to him. Now she doesn't even really think of him. She glanced up at the clock. It was nearing seven. Time to leave.
Getting up, she went over to the plate and made sure it was wrapped tightly. Then she went to the closet to retrieve her winter jacket, earmuffs, mittens, and scarf. Setting the smaller items down by the plate, she put on her coat. She paused before she zipped it up, and wondered what she could have gotten Shino. Absentmindedly, she fingered the amulet that was strung around her neck on a black cord. Shino was hard to buy for, and the only thing she could make was food, and Shino wasn't really fond of sweets. She felt awful for not getting him anything, especially since he had invited her over for the holidays.
After she finished putting the rest of her snow gear on, she took the plate and went through the house to the front door.
"Goodbye Dad, Hanabi, Neji; I'm leaving for the Aburames' now."
Only Neji said goodbye back as she put her boots on. She grabbed the bag she placed by the door that had her things for spending the night. Making sure her earmuffs were on properly, she stepped out into the winter wonderland.
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As she walked, the large flakes coated her hair, and carols filled the air. She could hear Sakura and Ino, and saw them not long after that. The voices of Chouji and Shikamaru joined in shortly. Such a pretty song.
Hark how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say
Throw cares away
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer…
She walked away before they finished; she wanted to get to Shino's. She heard more voices, and came across Naruto singing, and Sasuke standing there, being prodded by Naruto, mumbling a few lines.
…Fa la la la la la la la la
Troll the ancient Yule tide carol
Fa la la la la la la la la….
She went by quickly; Naruto's singing and Sasuke's drone set her teeth on edge. Many more choruses of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" and "O Come All Ye Faithful," as well as others, floated through the snowy air. Hinata sighed again. No one would ever go caroling with her. Most caroling parties consisted of the normal teams, but Kiba couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, and Shino, well, Shino doesn't "carol." And there was no way she would do it alone. She finally made it to the Aburame Compound. A path had been made, although an inch or two of snow covered it, so that the gate could be opened. She pushed it open and slipped inside.
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The Aburame Compound was beautiful. Christmas lights had been strung to look like spider's webs, and some houses even had some. She quickly found Shino's house in the glittering wonderland.
Knocking on the door, she attempted to brush most of the snow off of her head. Shino's father, Shibi, answered.
"Oh, Hinata. Nice to see you, come on it. You can leave your things at the door, I will take care of them. And give me those brownies, I'll put them in the kitchen. Shino is in the living room building a fire."
Hinata blinked. She didn't even say anything, and all her questions were answered. She gratefully stepped inside, handing Shibi the plate and brushing most of the snow off. She hung her jacket on the rack next to Shino's, and took off her other snow things as well, so she was left with a light sweater and warm pants. She went to the living room looking for Shino.
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Shino was kneeling in front of the fireplace, prodding a healthy fire, pushing the kindling back so he could close the grate. He sat back on his legs, wiping his brow. He heard someone walk into the room, and turned to see Hinata, face still flushed from the cold weather.
"Shino! Your glasses!" she exclaimed.
"My…glasses? Oh. There was no need to wear them in the house. They fogged up every time I went in and out of the house anyway."
Hinata took in his appearance. No longer in normal brown pants and jacket, he was wearing a deep green sweater with black slacks. He got up off the floor and went over to her.
"Why don't you sit by the fire and get warm, I'll get the decorations."
She went to the fire and sat down, staring at the bare tree in the corner. Why wasn't it already decorated? Her family decorated right after Thanksgiving so they had a while to enjoy it.
Shino came back with a large cardboard box. When he set it down on the floor, a clinking could be heard.
"Why isn't your tree already decorated?" she asked him.
He gazed at the tree for a moment before answering.
"It was a tradition from my mother. She thought it was more enchanting when the tree was decorated on Christmas Eve. My father and I had never liked that, we always wanted to do it sooner, but she persisted. Now that she's gone, Father and I follow that tradition each year. This year, we decided to wait for you."
Hinata felt a deep sympathy for him. Shino barely remembered his mother. She left the warmth of the fire and helped Shino unpack the box.
"Kids, I think I'll let you two handle the tree. I'll be in here if you need me." Shino's dad called from the kitchen.
Shino looked towards the kitchen and sighed. "Why don't you get started, Hinata? He has a whole plate of brownies in there, and I have to stop him from inhaling it. Would you like some hot cocoa?"
"Yes, please. May I have it with milk instead of water?"
He nodded. "Of course."
Hinata watched as Shino left to save the brownies. She turned to the tree and picked up an ornament. The tree already had lights strung on it, but they weren't lit. She looked at the ornament; it was a ceramic dragonfly, painted beautifully. She hung it on a branch and reached for the next one. She could hear Shino and his dad talking quietly in the kitchen. While she thought nobody could hear, she began singing to herself.
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"Dad! Save some of those for later! Hinata spent a lot of time baking those for you!"
Shibi looked sheepishly at his son, whose uncovered eyes were glaring at him.
"Sorry." he said, crumbs dropping out of his mouth.
Shino just shook his head, how pitiful. He moved to begin making the hot chocolate, using milk instead of water as requested. As he was putting the whipped cream on top, he heard a voice coming from the living room. A sad, beautiful voice that made both Shino and his father stop in their tracks.
"Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let you heart be light
From now on
Our troubles will be out of sight."
Shino and his father shared a look.
"Go get her, son."
Instead of replying, he took the two mugs and went to the living room quietly, leaning on the doorframe and listening to Hinata.
"Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yule-tide gay
From now on
Our troubles will be miles away."
He heard Hinata's voice falter at the end of the verse. This song was meant to be sung as a duet.
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Hinata finished the second verse sadly, this song was meant to be a duet, but there was no one ever there to sing it with her. It was such a beautiful song, too. She hung another ornament.
"Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore."
Hinata startled, dropping the ornament she was holding. She turned to see Shino coming up behind her, setting two mugs on the coffee table. He came over and picked up the ornament she dropped, placing it back in her hand and guiding it to the tree. Hinata's eyes widened as he continued.
"Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more."
Most of the tree was decorated now. Hinata saw a smile on Shino's lips as he put some more on the tree, as if he wanted to continue. Hinata took a breath, and the two voices blended.
"Through the years
We all will be together
If the Fates allow.."
Hinata couldn't reach the top of the tree to put the star on. Shino went to help her, lifting her so she could reach.
"Hang a shining star
Upon the highest bough."
Shino let her down gently, but didn't let go of her. He leaned down to her ear.
"And have yourself.."
Hinata turned to look at him, smiling, with a small tear running down her cheek. She had never had such a wonderful Christmas Eve. She continued where he left off.
"A merry little Christmas…"
Shino knelt down to plug in the tree, and the white lights made it look beautiful. He joined in on the last word while leading Hinata to the couch.
"…Now."
They sat down on the couch, grabbing their mugs and looking at the fire. Shino noticed the fire glinting off her face and saw that it was wet from tears. He put his mug back down.
"Hinata? Are you alright?" He touched his hand to her shoulder.
Hinata's hands were shaking. She put her mug on the table next to Shino's before she spilled it. She brought her hand up to touch Shino's on her shoulder. Another tear made its journey down her face. Finally, she let go.
"Oh, Shino.." she cried, turning to him and putting her face on his shoulder, crying into his green sweater. Surprised, Shino froze for a second. But then he put his arms around her and tried to comfort her.
"What's wrong?" he asked gently.
Sniffling, she raised her head, wiping her eyes, and trying to smile at him.
"I'm sorry. It's just that…you have been so kind to me…and I feel terrible…" she broke off as another tear slipped out.
Shino wiped it away. "What do you have to feel terrible about?"
"Well…you did all these nice things for me…and I don't even have a present for you…I couldn't find anything that was perfect…" She closed her eyes, expecting a harsh comment. Instead, she heard him chuckle.
"Hinata. It isn't about gifts. It's about spending time with people you care about. Besides, you coming here was the best present I could ever get."
Those words were heartwarming to Hinata. She hugged him tightly, when she felt something press into her chest. She brought her hand up to the pendant hidden beneath her shirt and brought it out, looking at it. The memory came flooding back.
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"My dearest daughter, Hinata." Hisakata said to her daughter.
The young girl looked up at her Mom. "Yes, Mommy?"
"I want you to have this. It was special to me, and I hope it becomes special to you."
The woman reached behind her neck to unclasp the black cord. The child's eyes sparkled as she saw the beautiful pendant. It was transparent, a cerulean-colored crystal. It was the Hyuuga crest, a flame. The size of a quarter, it hung by a single metal link through the tip. The light shined through it, casting bright blue lights upon the girl. She took it from her mother, inspecting it.
"Mommy, what does it say?"
Hisikata laughed. "One day, you'll understand what it means. It says, "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what…"
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"…What is essential is invisible to the eye." Hinata stared at the crystal, reading the inscription aloud, finally understanding what her mother had meant.
Shino looked at the crystal in Hinata's hands. It was beautiful. But what did Hinata mean by what she said? He watched as Hinata dropped it, reaching behind her to unclasp the necklace. Folding the cord nicely, she picked up Shino's hand, placing the amulet within, then closed his fingers around it.
Shino looked at her questioningly, he felt a pink in his cheeks from the girl being so close to him.
"Hinata?" he asked.
"I think I finally understood what my mother meant. I guess I always thought it was silly, since Hyuugas are gifted with eyes that see everything. But now, now I understand what it means. Shino?"
"Yes, Hinata?"
"Thank you."
Hinata leaned up and lightly kissed his lips, a small blush of her own creeping into her cheeks. Then she laid her head on his shoulder, snuggling against him and sipping her cocoa.
Shino took the pendant and put it on, studying the inscription. Looking back at the girl, he saw that she had fallen asleep. He took the mug carefully and put it back on the table. Pulling the blanket off of the back of the couch, he covered them both and leaned back, gently pulling her into a more comfortable position; he didn't have the heart to wake her. He watched the fire die down. His father walked into the room. When he saw the teenagers resting on the couch, he left and turned down the lights. The only light in the room was coming from the dying embers and the Christmas tree.
Shino pulled Hinata close to him.
"Merry Christmas, Hinata." He whispered, before sleep claimed him.
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Well? I had the inspiration, and I had to get it in. Lots of fluff. Hinata's mother's name, Hisakata, means "Moon." Early Christmas fic, hope you guys like it. It was supposed to be the kind of story that has you saying "awwwww" when you were done. I hope I did the job. The inscription on Hinata's necklace I got from a love quote site, I saw that it fit perfectly with the whole "Hyuuga" thing. I don't remember who it is by. Review!
Cougar.