Ooohboy its chapter two! Its short only because the next chapter is the Climax, so to speak. The entire thing is only going to be about… 4 chapters total? Yeah that sounds about right. But leave a review or follow for the updates!
She wakes up to an empty bed as she stretches her body out. The loud plop of her arm across where his chest would normally be is what made her aware of his absence. She slowly opened her eyes, not wanting it to be true that he was gone. As her eyes peeled open and her vision focused, taking slightly longer than usual, her suspicions were confirmed. She huffed.
"I thought he said he wasn't leaving until the afternoon…" she grumbled, sitting up in bed. She twisted her back to pop it when she noted a note on her bedside table.
This chicken scratch handwriting was something she had learned to read quite fluently over time.
"My 'Nata,
I woke up earlier than you, and I just kept staring at you. You looked so calm and peaceful that I thought 'If I stay here another minute I won't want to go on this mission!" so I decided to leave early. Sorry I didn't tell you goodbye, but I did give you a kiss, I promise! Plus, since I left earlier, I should be back earlier too! Hopefully within a few days.
Love you a whole lot!
-Naruto"
She always liked that he remembered to give her a kiss before he ever left, even if she was asleep.
She rolled out of bed and slid her feet in to her house shoes. The house always seemed to be colder in the mornings. She rose and opened up the curtains to their bedroom, looking at the sky.
"I thought they said it would snow today." Hinata said, staring at the clear, sunny sky.
She shrugged it off and headed to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and continued with her morning routine. Took a shower, washed some laundry, swept, organized a few boxes of stuff from them moving in together (more of it was hers than his) and ate the leftovers from dinner for lunch.
In fact, it was when she was eating lunch she noticed something. She walked past the trash can and didn't see the flowers from last night in there. She did a double-take just to make sure that she wasn't imagining it, but sure enough, they weren't there. Looking around, she noted that they were in a vase next to the sink.
"But I…" she started, walking towards them. She noted this vase was one of Naruto's favorites that they had. She thought that he probably moved them from the trash in to the vase this morning, thinking she probably threw them away on accident.
She grabbed them out of the container and held them in her hands. She mentally thought that she should have thrown away other things on top of the flowers, just in case something like this happened. But nonetheless, she walked them back over to the trash. The smell from the flowers was strong enough that she didn't even have to hold them up to her face to smell them. They were by her side and it was plenty enough. She gave them one last look before putting them back in the trash like they were before.
She left the house, strolling down the street with a mission in mind. She made the most direct route to the Hokage mansion.
All she wanted was one mission, a solo mission. She hadn't been on one in what seemed like years, and taking one on while Naruto was away would be something to keep her busy, and also be a breath of fresh air. Konoha was feeling a bit too cramped nowadays, and she could use a change, if only for a day.
She stopped whenever people greeted her, and made slight conversation to those she knew. The shops were bright and there were now a few clouds in the sky, comparing it to earlier in the morning. She grasped her jacket sleeve tighter as the wind picked up, blowing in a cold breeze.
She hesitated knocking on the door. She stood there contemplating if this is what she wanted.
She shook her head, of course it was.
She zipped up her mission shirt, looking in the mirror. The last time she wore her mission gear was a month ago, and before that, she honestly couldn't say. She even had to go and buy more kunai only having a few.
Of course, the mission she was going on didn't really require many kunai, probably none at all. She was assigned to deliver a birthday present to the grandson of a villager in a nearby town. The town itself way a day round trip, not including sleep. It was exactly what she needed, something not too far away from the village, but still far enough to get a break from it all. She felt like a break from being cramped in such a busy village would be good. She just needed to stop by the woman's house and pick up the present. Which is what she left to do.
It had started raining by the time she had left the Hokage mansion and when she got home to prepare. She made sure to grab a collapsible umbrella on her way out.
She knocked on the door and waited a minute for the woman to answer. The house wasn't too fancy and a little far out of town, but it was still nice. The door was made of what seemed to be just unpolished wood, a hint towards how old the house actually was.
The door opened slowly, but the warm air leaked from the house as it creaked open. An old lady appeared in the doorway, hair grey, long, and pulled back. She looked up at Hinata in question.
"Who are you?" She asked in curiosity.
"My name is Hinata Hyuuga, and I accepted your delivery mission." She stated with a bow.
"Ooooh yes! How could I forget! The 6th even sent someone telling me you'd be by later today to pick it up!" She said, shaking her hands in the air. "Come in out of the rain and let me grab it for you!"
She left the door open and Hinata followed in behind her, smelling the warm apple smell of the house. There where shelves with jars and pictures everywhere. The furniture didn't match and the roofs were low. Hinata thought it fit the old woman nicely.
"Alright, here you go. It's just a simple toy and a few sweaters for the boy, with the weather being so cold outside." She said, handing the present to Hinata.
"I'll make sure it is delivered safe and sound, I promise!" Hinata assured, taking the present.
"Well you are Hyuuga; I have the upmost confidence it will." She said with a smile.