Exception
Sitting on a swing, she gazed at the sunset beyond the drop-off of a hill. It wasn't common that she had time like this, just time to be alone. It was always her needing to be protected, to be strong. She scoffed, that was unlikely to ever happen. A chill breeze whistled through the trees, making the loose black t-shirt she wore flutter, the wind passing straight through the material, making her shiver.
"Hello."
She froze, eyes darting to the source of a sound that came without warning.
"O-Oh, H-Hello S-Sasuke-san." She sighed, relieved that it hadn't been a replay of what happened with the cloud when she was 3. Letting the adrenaline run about unused in her veins, she kicked the ground, privately sulking. It wasn't as if she could've protected herself if danger arose anyway. The swing groaned, the quiet screeching of rust against rust hurting her ears, and then softer sigh came from the swing beside her.
"You're not meant to be out alone. Where'd your family go?"
There was distant coldness in his voice, and Hinata could only bit her lower lip and feel sorry for her class mate.
"F-father says I c-can't live w-with them anymore. I-I'm t-too weak." She pushed her feet against the ground softly, letting herself swing gently, the linked chains whining in protest.
"Oh. Me neither." She turned to look at him, meeting with his emotion ridden eyes before he looked off into the sunset, the dying sun streaking colours across the sky.
"Was y-your f-father nice S-Sasuke-san?"
He sighed, his swing working without a squeak or whine, and Hinata wondered how he managed that.
"Sort of."
She clenched her hands, wondering if she'd ever be able to say sort of for her own father. Maybe if he died, she'd think differently.
"S-Sorry about everything, y-your f-family, I mean."
He glared, frowning at her.
"How do you know?"
"F-father told m-me, h-he said it w-was a p-pity, b-because the Uchiha c-clan was s-strong, and I am n-not."
She frowned, the swing slowing to a stand still.
"Oh." Then silence. "It's not your fault. It was nii-sans." He spat the last word out with so much hate that it scared Hinata, making her feel like he'd cut her with the sharp malevolence that oozed out of his every pore, but soon the moment was gone, and just distant coldness remained.
"M-my n-nii-san w-wants t-to kill m-me, h-he said s-so." There were footsteps in distance, and the looked in unison as Hinata's teacher, Kurenai walked towards them carrying groceries, and a pink lollipop as treat for after dinner. Kurenai eyed the young boy carefully, it wasn't a well kept secret that he'd changed to be a violent and brooding boy.
"Hinata, it's time to go home."
Hinata took swift glances at Sasuke, unsure if how he'd feel about being left alone. Sasuke stayed unresponsive. Hopping off the swing, she wondered what emotions were swirling through the lonely boy that never really talked to her before. One hand latched onto Kurenai's wrist, the other hand clutched the lollipop and her teacher led them away from the desolate playground, all the children that usually filled it with laughter and cheer at home, with families that loved them and wanted them. Taking another look back, the dark boy met her eyes and Hinata saw a reflection of the sky, the whole world in his eyes, weighed down by the immeasurable loneliness usually hidden so well.
"W-wait!" She left Kurenai's side, her teacher raising an eyebrow as her student dashed back to the playground. Stopping in front of Sasuke's feet, she held the lollipop out to him, he glared at it.
"I hate pink."
Kurenai's voice rang out to them, reminding Hinata that they had to leave. Hinata eyed the lollipop, and it was indeed pink, the colour that really irked him swirled in with creamy white.
"M-me t-too."
She held it out again, reaching out further, urging him to take the parting gift. He took one hand from the swing to receive it and Hinata bowed, before running back to her protector, smiling and waving at him, the breeze tousling her boyish indigo hair.
He watched the girl walk around a corner, hand in hand with her teacher and friend, disappearing like the sun as it finally sank, succumbing to the deeper blue that swallowed the world in night. Only the twinkling of stars and the moon that glowed behind him like a comfort, making his shadow stretch from where his feet touched the ground, company, a faithful friend. Letting the plastic wrapper fall, it scuttled away with the wind, and he took a tentative lick. Deciding for himself that he would let this one exception slide, she wasn't such an annoying girl, and the lollipop wasn't so bad either.
Swinging his legs back and forth, the soft whining was audible in the silence of night, and he smiled, something only his faithful shadow and the darkness saw, but rarely still. He thought, flicking his tongue out to taste pure sugar again, that maybe he could make an exception, and one day maybe she'd see him smile for her. She'd be his one exception. As for lollipops, he decided to pass, still too sweet, eurgh.
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A/N Opinions Please! Aww, I managed two posts in one day! That's cool :3 Sasuke's a bit sneaky at the start, quite and ninja worthy. Just in case that confused anyone. It seems my one shots are getting shorter... Oh dear. Short is Sweet, not too sweet though. Eurgh.