Second chap finally up. I'm not really (no scratch that), I'm definitely NOT a romantist at heart. So excuse me for the lack of mushy, lovey-dovey moments of this chapter. XP You have to accept it.
Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does and will always take credit for his awesome Manga series.
Valentine's Day
"A companion loves some agreeable qualities which a man may possess, but a friend loves the man himself."
—James Boswell
Being chased by obsessive fangirls on a Valentine's Day was an epic horror.
Currently concealing myself behind a wall to avoid further detection from those rabid females, I was forced to believe Itachi held no comparison to them. Before my defection from back when I was a genin, my fanclub would willingly waste numerous hours trying to hound me down throughout the entire village, especially when I reacted to flee. I learned from an unfortunately young age the terrible meaning of stalkers.
Their loud and obnoxious voices were somewhere nearby, sounding disappointed to my sudden disappearance. Good, I lost them. My heart practically sang hallelujah when I heard them parading away, probably in hopes to seek me elsewhere.
Mentally, I wished for my crazy fangirls to writhe and perish in a Godforsaken hell existing way beyond our primary universe. They could die for all I care.
I willed my ragged breaths to cease as relief immediately swept over my entire body. Sitting comfortably on the lush green grass, I slumped against the stone wall and sighed. I wondered when would it be safe to move out of the temporary safety of my spot...
"Sasuke?" I looked up. It's Hinata. My savior, in more ways than one. "What a-are you doing?"
It's pure coincidence she happened to walk by. I felt inwardly grateful she turned out to be one of the rare girls who pronounced my name with a passionless, stuttering voice.
"Isn't it obvious?" Alas, my snappy tone completely contradicted my thoughts.
Though Hinata never usually probed into other people's business, even she knew of the awful hordes of fangirls pining after my love. To my annoyance, she looked amused and sympathetic.
Great. I didn't need her pity.
"Shouldn't you try h-hiding at home?" I shot her a look which obviously said 'Are you crazy?'
That's the very last place to be safe at for my house was the most predictable place on Earth. I couldn't trust going along with my own daily activities in there for fear of them watching me... "W-well then... do you need a p-place to hide in for the day?"
"I'm not asking for help." I scowled faintly.
"A-and I'm offering." It wouldn't hurt my dignity to accept help, would it?
"..." I turned my head away, unable to tolerate the compassionate light reflecting in her eyes. Must be the sunlight. Yeah, that explained it. "Whatever."
Hinata grinned small, stepping forward to lend a hand, but I brushed it off rudely as I stood up all on my own, brushing the dust off my clothes. "Lead the way." She nodded in comply, understanding full well it's a request I gave to her out of trust.
We walked quietly to wherever Hinata guided me too, me with my hands casually stuffed in my pockets and wearing a trademark frown while she trodded along without missing a single step. If I didn't know any better, she seemed intent to reach our destination.
Soon, we started to climb a flight of stairs connected to a chain of apartment complexes. Hm, I thought Hinata lived in the Hyuuga compounds.
"This i-is Kurenai-sensei's house." She said, as if reading my mental inquiry. I glided in and surveyed the inside as soon as she unlocked the door with a spare key. Scanning around with my sharp eyes, a few couches were spread around in the cozy living room with a neat little study table positioned in between. A couple of bookcases were embedded against the wall, filled with various scrolls and reading material. The kitchen was located at the opposite side of this apartment and between these two spaces existed a small hallway leading to a bedroom, assuming it to be Kurenai's, and a bathroom.
Huh. Quaint.
"Kurenai-sensei? Hm, must be out..."
I shrugged, not caring in the least. Idly staring at the modest interior of this living space, I heard Hinata suddenly make a small comical sound, as if just remembering something.
"Sasuke." I turned to face her. She smiled politely. "Can y-you come to the kitchen? I-I have something for you." I quirked an eyebrow in mild curiosity, finding it amusing she fled into the kitchen before receiving my answer. Wordlessly, I followed her and noticed she was rummaging through the contents of the refridgerator. Leaning against the counter, I wondered what could she possibly be up to when Hinata came back out with an armful of food.
She carefully laid out two un-opened trays of onigiri and a couple of fresh tomotoes. Taking out two empty bowls from the cupboard, Hinata proceeded to slice the tomotoes in pieces and distribute them in the twin bowls. Mild curiosity got the better of me. "We're having lunch?"
She smiled absent-mindedly, brewing hot tea for us to drink. "This is my Valentine's Day present... t-to you. Sakura-san and Ino-san told me you love to eat tomatoes." If my fangirls were anything, they were informative.
"That's right." Grabbing a tray, I pried it open and munched on the savory snack. I could tell from the taste it had pickled plum in it. Hinata placed the bowls of freshly sliced tomatoes and the cups of hot tea between us, before taking a seat on the countertop with an onigiri in hand. Every now and then, I would grab a tomato slice and savour the succulent juice. She occasionally took a sip from her oolong tea, her eyes closed calmly in reverence to the soothing taste.
This gift damn well beats sickening chocolate and intoxicatingly sweet flowers.
I inwardly appreciated her quiet company. She had rarely ever pestered me, kept her hands to herself at the same time respecting my personal boundaries, and always accepted my silent treatment without qualms. This was a type of female I wouldn't mind spending my life with.
I was startled out of my thoughts when her voice piped up. "How is it?"
Give her praise. She deserved it.
"Hn. Good." I wanted to hurt myself for the lack of good spirit in the dull compliment.
Hinata smiled faintly and the silence reined the air once again. Not awkwardly, but for a lack of better words to say. I learned since the academy days she was no conversationalist. And also, why did she want to spend this cordial, lovey-dovey day with me? I half expected her be hovering around the dobe for most of the day. Wasn't she in love with that idiotic teammate of mine?
I couldn't help myself asking: "What did you give Naruto?"
"Hm?"
"For Valentine's Day." I uttered the name like it was purely sour to my tongue.
"Oh..." She blushed faintly and lowered her half-finished cup down to the table. Then, she slightly fidgeted with her baggy sleeve. "I c-came across him in the m-morning, eating ramen at Ichiraku's as u-usual." I scoffed at that, finishing the third onigiri on the tray. "A-and I gave him a small package o-of chocolate. Not an overbearing gift, is it?"
I could imagine Naruto not receiving any gifts for most of his life, let alone Valentine cards, so he must be happy with the simple gesture.
"No. It isn't." I munched on another tomato slice, now entirely grateful our gifts had a vast difference in originality. Hinata considered my personal favorite foods, which was plenty enough saying she cared. Most girls would no doubt give me chocolates no matter what I said about abhoring sweets.
"A-also... ano..." The fluttering of her fingers began to worsen. "I also... c-c-confessed my feelings t-to him... kind of..." I arched an eyebrow.
"Really." The shy kunoichi outright proclaimed to the object of her affections her feelings for him. Who would've thought? Though expressing disinterest, I gradually cut the brief silence again. "How'd it go?"
Hinata frowned, but quickly worked on a timid smile, not forced mind you, but pretty solemn. Her eyes averted to the floor underneath her. "He d-didn't reciprocate, a-and... ano... Naruto said h-he liked m-me, too. Accepted m-my feelings, demo... h-he kindly rejected them."
I blinked. Not knowing if I should console her or say nothing. "Oh."
Idly, I sipped my tea to elongate the silence. However, I glanced at her for a second to notice she expected to hear more. What was I supposed to say?
"...how did you feel?" I felt like a goddamn therapist.
"It w-wasn't..." Hinata breathed shakily, before sighing just as deep. "A-as heart-wrenching, o-or devestating as I-I thought it would b-be."
"Reality and dreams are different, I suppose." I remarked without thinking, and she surprised me with an empathic smile.
"Hai, y-you're right..." I completely disregarded the lone tear trailing down her cheek.
A heartbroken girl, crying for her lover. This seemed... very familiar...
Ah, of course. Sakura. I grimaced invisibly when a displeasant thought invaded my mind.
"What I find utterly annoying about most girls is when they tend to break apart from a simple rejection." My eyebrows narrowed from irritation. The memory of Sakura few years ago proclaiming her love to me flashed into my head. "Like it's the end of the world when the one, stupid guy they happen to love with their entire being doesn't return their feelings. Seriously, it's frustrating." Hinata blinked, caught off guard from my short rant, which she could guess it was directed toward my female teammate. Then, amused giggles echoed in this quiet apartment and my mood slightly deteriorated from the light-hearted sound.
"What do you see in that moron anyway?" She immediately paused to ponder silently.
"A-alot of things." Cheeks flushing a healthy scarlet, a content smile adorably curled her lips. "T-too many to list, but... what I l-like about him most is his s-stubborn persistence. Either to prove s-someone wrong about something he d-didn't like, or to show he w-wasn't a weakling or dropout, Naruto was never daunted t-to do his best. Not caring a-at all if he made an entire world of enemies, he was never d-discouraged to fight for what he believed in."
I stared at her with so much intensity, it made her feel self-conscience, fidgeting greatly from where she sat while clearly avoiding eye contact. Well, if that was one thing, I didn't want to be enlightened with all the other various reasons for why she admired the 'No.1 knuckle-head ninja' of our prime.
Somehow, I felt an excessive and unneccessary amount of jealousy in the deepest pit of my stomach. I doubt a girl had ever noticed me like that before. Not even my emotional pink-haired teammate who proved to me her constant affection time and time again until her heart broke.
Naruto had truly earned something very rare, and precious until he lost it without giving it a second glance. I was never more glad than this moment; Naruto's an absolute, and complete idiot. At least, now I had a chance.
"He doesn't know what he's missing," I mumbled, finishing the remnants of my lunch contently.
"Pardon?"
"Nothing."
I stood up suddenly and snatched the now empty trays, planning on throwing them away. Hinata's eyes widened and she immediately leapt off the counter, appearing by my side in an instant.
"W-wait! You don't h-have to—." I immediately grasped her wrist before she could stop me, and Hinata clamped her mouth shut from shock. The seriousness within my eyes were deeper than usual, forcing her to acknowledge the situation potential in being reversed. Currently, I was stronger than her, and could cause unimaginable pain if I wanted to. She was aware of it. I could detect the vague fear in her eyes.
"What do you think of me?"
She blinked in bewilderment. Goes to show she didn't expect it at all.
"...ano... you're v-very determined, like Naruto—."
"Shut it." I rapidly silenced her with a cold demand. Releasing the threatening grip on her wrist, I turned my body away from her entirely, dropping the garbage into the trash. "If you're planning to compare me to Naruto, forget it. I don't want to hear it."
For some reason unknown, I felt perturbed when Naruto tended to dominate her thoughts more often than I did. Like I always came second in her eyes. Or even below fifth. There's Kiba and Shino, her teammates to consider and her sensei, Kurenai. Then, her cousin Neji, and her sister and father...
Yeah, I was probably all beneath them in her thoughts.
The silence stretched on tensely and I received the impression she didn't have anything good or positive to say about me. Hmph, it seemed I possessed no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
It's to be expected, of course. I was a traitor to this village. An ex-traitor, but it didn't erase the fact my history happened to be a very morbid one.
It didn't bother me.
No. Not at all.
I didn't care one single bit.
A hand gently squeezed my arm, my body recoiling from the foreign touch and it successfully pulled me back to reality.
"Y-you can rest in the living room, if you like. Until Kurenai-sensei comes back, you can stay here."
Evening rolled in, and I still hadn't left the apartment. Lounging in the living room and slumping lazily on the couch, I skimmed through a scroll of medical ninjutsu while quickly registering the information about the basics and complexities of mending internal organs. The skill of healing, a field I hadn't indulged in, yet...
Hinata chatted pleasantly with Kurenai, the two sitting nearby at the dining table and discussing something about a mission or whatnot. Lending only half an ear to their conversation, I felt inwardly comfortable with their familial presence.
"...Tsunade believes you'll be very useful with what you're byakugan being a valuable asset to the mission."
"...eto... I'm not very good with espionage missions. A-and wouldn't Neji-niisan be a better choice? He's a Jounin."
Hinata's timid behavior irked me. She just degraded herself for what she's worth. As if sharing my thoughts, Kurenai smiled in reassurance.
"He's preoccupied with an A-rank mission right now. Besides, it's not like you'll be going alone."
She perked up from the thought of team members. "H-how many others will be accompanying me?"
"Hokage-sama hasn't decided, yet. She's waiting for your compliance first before assigning teammates."
"Hmm..."
The calm and still atmosphere enveloped the whole apartment. Stealing a glance at the pair sitting beside each other, I noticed Hinata pondering while her hands were entwined below her chin to support it. And Kurenai's content expression from drinking Hinata's delicious tea was hard to miss.
What a companionable setting. Made me slightly envious in a way. There's no reason for me to linger any longer.
Rolling the scroll up and tossing it aside on the table, I stood and stretched my sluggish limbs before approaching the door.
"I'm leaving."
"Oh! I-I should too. It's getting dark." Hastily pushing the chair back and rising up to bow in apology to her sensei, Hinata rushed to join me. "Sayonara, Kurenai-sensei."
"Okay." She nodded in understanding, wearing a slight smile. "Be careful on your way home."
Once we stepped outside, I spared a brief glance at Hinata before wordlessly treading the path toward the Uchiha Residence. Oddly enough, Hinata decided follow me down the same road. For the past half hour, I sensed there was something she wanted from me, but I couldn't figure out what it was. The moment we reached the gate, I turned toward her questioningly.
"What?"
"I-I was wondering..." Because of the darkness I could vaguely detect the nervousness in her eyes. "I-if you payed a-attention to our conversation..." My ears picked up the sound of her poking fingertips. "...w-would you like... to be my partner!"
I blinked in mild surprise. If I owned a mind of a lascivious pervert, I would've seriously taken the implication behind her words the wrong way.
"I'm on probation. I can't do missions for the next three months." Or so. Tsunade did say my deadline could still be extended. The results were still pending. Damn that woman.
"W-well, I can talk t-to her and convince her. I think you are reliable."
I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes.
Gee. I felt flattered.
She could do whatever she liked. It wouldn't make a big difference since I practically didn't have anything better to do. Turning around to face the compounds, I planned on heading inside when Hinata's voice stopped me. I bit the inside of my cheek in annoyance.
Couldn't she obviously take a hint? I wanted to be left alone in the confinements of my home. My cold, and lonely house...
"How... w-what did you think of t-today?"
Safer than most. This Valentine's Day was literally my favorite compared to all the others. Know why? It was uneventful and safe. Like I always wanted. "Boring." Her shoulders invisibly sagged. "...yet peaceful." I shifted around and nodded to her in acknowledgement. "Arigatou. Ja."
Surprisingly, Hinata was the first to part after flashing me an ecstatic smile. Then, she hurried on home... which was located at the opposite direction of the Uchiha compounds.
She walked all this way just for friendly chichat? We barely even said anything anyway, so why the eagerness?
I concluded, Hinata was one strange girl.
And yet, I happened to develop a crush on the said strange Hyuuga female.
(A/N): I myself thought the calm mood of this chapter was interesting. However... (smirks mischievously), the next chapter will be updated on March 14.
Chapter 3- White Day
What do you think Sasuke will give her? Please, take guesses and leave your opinions in the reviews. I bet only ONE person (the most) will get it right. I'm evil. Because the present Sasuke will give her will be completely unexpected, and so Sasuke! XD
It's kinda hilarious (ironic) when I think about it.
