Sorry I'm getting this up so late, but it ended up being pretty long! Anyway, I'm pretty excited about it so I hope you like it as much as I do!
Day Three: College AU
Wide lavender eyes looked around, taking in everything she possibly could. Everything around her was so animated and lively and she was both excited and terrified at the same time.
Hinata had attended a private school until fifth grade when her mother died. After that, her father had become extremely protective of her and had pulled her out of school and hired a multitude of private tutors to cover all of the subjects she would have learned about in school and more.
Her life after that had been rather lonely and secluded. She had occasionally attended some business functions with her father, but was always flanked by one of her father's bodyguards/assistants named Ko. He was very friendly, and did his best to converse with her, but it wasn't the same as having others her age.
She sometimes would see another kid at the functions named Sasuke. He was the son of Uchiha Fugaku and second in line to take over their business. They were the same age, but the couple of times she had attempted to talk to him, he looked at her like she was trying to steal his soul and practically ran away. On her final attempt, he yelled, "I will not go out with you!" so loudly that many of the older businessmen looked their way and raised their eyebrows or snickered. She had been so embarrassed that she had not tried to talk to anyone else she saw her age again.
When she turned fourteen, tragedy struck the Hyuga household yet again and her aunt and uncle were killed in a car accident. Her cousin Neji, who was only a year older than her, came to live with them. He was surly at first, angry at life and anyone he considered to have it better than him, but one day he came home with a bruised face, busted lip, and warmer disposition.
Hinata was highly confused and didn't understand how getting beaten up equated to becoming a nicer person, but Neji was pretty tight lipped about the ordeal. All he would say was that someone had shown him the error of his ways and that he now knew it was up to him to make his life the best he could.
After that, they had gradually become close. Their relationship was rocky at first, but eventually he became both her older brother and closest friend. He was her only confidant and she loved him dearly, but she often wondered what it would be like to have another girl to talk to. When she finally gathered up enough courage, she had begun asking him questions about his friends at school. It seems that without her outright saying it, he could tell he was lonely and soon brought home a couple of students from his year for her to meet.
One was a boy named Rock Lee. He was loud and extremely energetic, but also very kind. His personality intimidated her at first, but she soon grew to understand that he could be both eccentric and sweet at the same time. Lee definitely brought some life into the subdued Hyuga household.
Hinata had been incredibly eager and anxious to meet the other friend Neji brought home. Her name was TenTen and she was pretty and full of confidence. It had been so long since she had been around any girls her age, the Hyuga heiress had been extremely shy at first. TenTen was patient, though, and slowly coaxed her out of her shell.
Neji, like all Hyugas, was a very private individual and Lee and TenTen were the only people from school he ever allowed into their home. Two friends were enough for Hinata, though, who had spent so many years alone with only her father and tutors for company and she was genuinely happy.
Once it had come time for Neji to go to college, Hinata had cried very hard. She was happy for Neji to be taking this next step in his life, but she was so sad to be alone again. Her cousin had held her close, rubbing her back and telling her that it would be okay. He had said that if she worked hard and applied to the college he was attending, he would do his best to convince Hiashi to let her attend.
Neji was nothing if not a man of his word and sure enough, when Hinata had received her acceptance letter that spring to Konoha University, Hiashi had reluctantly agreed to let her go.
When it came time that fall for her to depart, her father hugged her close and did something she had never seen before: He apologized. Hyuga Hiashi knelt down and begged her forgiveness for essentially locking her up for so many years.
He told her for the first time that her mother had died from complications from a pregnancy. At the time, they hadn't even known Haruka was pregnant and he was devastated to lose both the love of his life and their unborn child. Hinata was all he had left of his wife and he admitted that he had gone a little overboard when it came to making sure no harm would come to her.
Hiashi had never meant for her to be sad and lonely, but he couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone else. Neji had explained to him that he was doing more harm than good and that Hinata would eventually have to be a part of the world. If she attended the same college as he did, she would receive a solid education and would have himself and Lee watching over her. She was sad that TenTen would not be there, but her friend was studying abroad and would not be back until the following year.
So here was Hinata, grasping onto Neji for dear life as he led her around campus, showing her where all her classes were located so that she could find them when term started the next day. He showed her where his classes were located as well, in case she needed to come find him. They had cell phones, sure, and he was pretty sure that his number was one of only five in hers, but he knew she would feel less anxious if she knew where she could find him should anything happen.
Soon, the pair came across someone they both knew, Uchiha Sasuke. When Neji had begun attending the business functions alongside Hinata, she had discovered that he was familiar with Sasuke because they attended the same school and participated in many martial arts tournaments together. The onyx haired male felt bad about her hesitance to speak to him and had apologized for his behavior when they were children. She was not close with him as she was Lee and TenTen, but Hinata was happy to have someone else at the University that she was acquainted with.
The three were discussing their schedules - it seemed that Hinata and Sasuke would be sharing a couple of classes as they were both studying business - when they heard a loud shout from across the courtyard.
"Teme! Oy, Teme!"
Hinata winced at the language, and loud voice, but when she turned to see who was shouting, she was surprised to see the person coming their way. Apparently, he was addressing Sasuke.
As he got a little closer, the shy Hyuga's eyes widened at the sight in front of her. The young man with the loud voice was the most beautiful person she had ever set her eyes on. He had bright, golden hair that he obviously didn't bother doing anything with because it stuck up at all different angles, making it seem as if he had just rolled out of bed and run his hand through it. His skin was tan, darker than anyone she knew and he was wearing a blue shirt that drew her attention straight to his eyes. His eyes were an electric blue that mesmerized her and she found herself noticing the way they crinkled as he smiled widely.
He was the opposite of her pale, dark haired family and the dark haired men in equally dark suits that she generally came across at the business functions. He was new and bright and she felt her eyes go wide and breathing quicken as he came closer and closer.
"Dobe," Sasuke greeted him as he reached them and Hinata furrowed her brows, assuming that that couldn't be his actual name.
Luckily for her, her cousin answered her unspoken query as he, too, greeted the blond.
"Naruto," he said as he nodded.
The young man who was called Naruto smiled and greeted him right back, "Hey, Neji! Long time no see!"
As soon as he said this, a female voice piped in, saying, "Really, guys? What am I, chopped liver?"
It's a testament to Hinata's fascination with Naruto that she hadn't even noticed the girl with bright pink hair who was standing next to him. Had she been there the whole time?
"Hello, Sakura," greeted Neji, "I trust your senior year was a good one?"
She smiled and nodded and Hinata found herself slightly envious of her sparkling green eyes. She had always been self conscious about her own pale lavender ones, and looking at the beautiful girl in front of her made her feel even more unassured of herself.
"Of course, school wasn't quite the same without you, TenTen, and Bushy Brows, but we managed to have fun, didn't we?" Naruto exclaimed, addressing both Sasuke and Sakura as he put an arm around the pinkette.
Hinata felt her heart drop at the sight. Of course, the stunning man would have an equally stunning girlfriend. She quickly shook her head of those thoughts, however, knowing that she was at college to learn, not date. It's not like she'd even know what to do with a guy anyway, having grown up as she had.
Neji noticed his cousin shaking her head and pulled her out from behind him, where she had been standing and hiding as best she could. The newcomers quickly took in the girl with long midnight blue hair and wide, lavender eyes whose knuckles were practically white from holding Neji's arm so tight.
Knowing that she was incredibly nervous, Neji took the initiative and introduced Hinata.
"Hinata, this is Naruto and Sakura. I was a year ahead of them in school. Guys, this is Hinata, my sister."
"Whaat? You have a sister?!" shouted Naruto, which earned him a smack on the arm from Sakura.
"Cut it out! Can't you see she's shy? You're scaring her!" she admonished him and he looked sheepish.
"Sorry," Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head, "It's just I never knew Neji had a sister. And definitely not one our age. I was just surprised is all. It's nice to meet you!"
The blond took one of her hands and grasped it warmly, causing Hinata's face to flush prettily.
She bowed to them both and said softly, "It's nice to meet you too, Naruto-san. Sakura-san. I hope you two have a lovely first year."
Naruto narrowed his eyes and looked from Hinata to Neji, then back to Hinata. After studying them for a moment, he stood back and crossed his arms.
"Nope, I'm not buying it. She is way too nice and cute to be your sister."
Hinata's blush intensified at this statement and she felt herself getting a little lightheaded.
Neji just looked annoyed and said, "Technically, she is my cousin, but her father was my own father's brother. He took me in after the accident and she's basically been my sister ever since."
"If you lived with her, why didn't she attend school with you?" asked Sakura, curious as to why she had never before seen this girl.
Neji again answered for her, "Hinata was homeschooled. When I came to live with them, Uncle decided that there was no need to pull me out of school so I continued my education alongside you all instead of staying at home.
"You'll have to excuse her for being so quiet. The only people close to her age that she has spent much time with are myself, TenTen, and Lee."
Sakura looked surprised, but quickly turned to Hinata with a warm smile, "Well in that case, we were actually about to go get some lunch. Would you all like to join us? I would very much like to get to know you."
Hinata looked nervous, but after a soft, encouraging smile from Neji, accepted the girl's offer with a nod.
"Great!" Naruto shouted, startling Hinata. "I know this place nearby with some amazing ramen. You have to try it!"
The shy girl stifled a giggle. The blond's exuberance was contagious and she found herself starting to get excited as well.
"That sounds nice," she agreed much to the dismay of the others with them, who were not looking forward to eating ramen. "I've never tried ramen before."
Blue eyes grew wide as saucers when he heard this. It was unbelievable!
"You poor thing! We have to fix this right now!" he exclaimed as he grabbed Hinata's hand and began leading her away, much to the dismay of her cousin and amusement of his friends.
As their semester got underway, Naruto managed to find Neji and Hinata during lunch most days. He often came accompanied by Sasuke and Sakura, but sometimes showed up alone.
The blond would spend a lot of time at lunch telling Hinata all kinds of stories. He told her about pranks he had pulled, funny things that had happened in class, fights he had gotten into when he was younger, and anything else that would manage to make her smile.
Despite herself, the quiet Hyuga found herself falling deeper and deeper for the bright young man who would go out of his way to make her laugh. She knew that he was with Sakura and she felt awful, especially since the pinkette had been so kind to her, introducing her to another nice girl named Ino and inviting her to join them when shopping or hanging out.
Hinata never broached the subject with her friend because she felt like a terrible person and didn't want to lose one of the few friends she had. Instead, she suffered in silence for weeks, both longing for and dreading lunch time when she would get to spend time talking to Naruto.
One day, a few months into their semester, Neji had to leave lunch early to meet with one of his professors. He was reluctant to leave Hinata alone with Naruto, having noticed the blond's attentions toward her, but he trusted his cousin's judgment and knew that he couldn't address it without upsetting her. This left her and Naruto all alone.
Hinata had never really been alone with Naruto for more than a few minutes, and she was beyond nervous. He quickly noticed and leaned over, saying, "Relax, Hinata, I don't bite!"
The midnight haired girl blushed, ashamed that he had seen through her so easily. She gave him a small smile to show him that she was okay, and he grinned back. They chatted about a few insignificant things, before Naruto was the one who started to look a little nervous.
Hinata noticed him fidgeting and looked concerned. "Naruto, are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah!" he said rather quickly. He gave a nervous chuckle before saying, "Actually, there's something I've been meaning to ask you, but we're never alone."
She cocked her head to the side, indicating that she was listening.
"I was kind of wondering if you'd like to hang out in the evening sometime. It's just that I never really see you outside of lunch and I heard that you went out with the girls a couple of times so I figured that maybe you'd like to hang out with me, too. But it's okay if you don't. I mean I realize you're probably pretty busy and everything and I don't want you to feel like you have to or anything, but I thought it could be fun."
Naruto realized he was rambling and stopped himself before he said something embarrassing.
Hinata just stared for a moment, unsure if she had really heard him right, before nodding slowly. She wasn't sure what had just happened, but she was pretty sure Naruto had asked her to hang out with him outside of school. She wanted to be able to say no, but one look at his face and she just couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Awesome!" he said, smiling wider than she'd ever seen. "I actually got your number from Sakura so I'll text you the details and we can meet up tonight or tomorrow, whichever works best for you."
He grabbed his stuff and helped her gather up hers since they only had about five minutes or so until their classes started up again. He gave her another heart stopping smile before waving and running off to make it to his class a few buildings away.
Hinata just stood there in shock.
The next night, Hinata met Naruto at a coffee house. It was popular amongst students as it had a lot of couches and arm chairs that made comfortable places to set up for a long study session, as well as a large variety of different coffees and teas.
When she saw Naruto standing at the door waiting for her, the Hyuga's heart began pounding and her breathing began to quicken. She had to remind herself that this was not a date and that she was just meeting him for coffee. She took a deep breath in and out to center herself, and greeted him with a smile.
Once inside, the blond purchased both of their drinks, with Hinata insisting that that wasn't necessary, and they made their way to a couch. They sat and chatted for hours, long after their drinks had run out, and she couldn't believe it when she looked around and noticed they were some of the last few people in it. When she checked her phone her jaw almost dropped as she saw it was almost midnight, and almost time for the shop to close.
The pair stood up, stretching a bit as they had been sitting for so long, and made their way outside. Naruto asked if Hinata had walked and when she affirmed that this was the case, he insisted on walking her back to her dorm, saying that it was too late for a young woman to be out alone.
She was hesitant, but when he pointed out that Neji would murder him if he let her walk back alone, she quickly agreed, knowing that what he said was true.
As they walked along, a comfortable silence fell upon them and Hinata found herself admiring the night sky and the feel of the cool autumn air. She felt eyes on her and turned to see Naruto staring at her intently.
"You know, you look really beautiful in the moonlight," he said, eyes not leaving hers.
Her breath hitched, and her cheeks gained the pink hue that so often colored them when around Naruto. He smiled when he saw this and said, "I also think you look beautiful when you blush."
She didn't know what to say.
The blond took a step closer to her and Hinata felt her heart pounding so hard she was afraid he would be able to hear it in the quiet that surrounded them.
"Hinata, I don't know if you know this, but I really like you."
It was like a dream. It was like a perfect, perfect dream and she thought that this couldn't be real, there was no way that this was happening. Suddenly, however, Sakura flashed into her mind and she gasped and took a step back.
Naruto looked slightly hurt, but looked at her as if waiting for her to explain. If she didn't like him, that was okay, but he needed to hear it from her.
"Naruto, we can't! I mean, I want to, but I shouldn't."
She tried to take another step back, but his stare seemed to have rooted her to her spot.
"Can you tell me why? I do like you, Hinata. I really do and I was kind of under the impression that you might like me, too."
Lavender eyes widened and she felt ashamed that she had been so obvious. Had Sakura noticed as well? How was she supposed to explain herself?
"I do," she said reluctantly, figuring that honesty was the best policy, "but I can't do that to Sakura. She's been so nice to me and I feel terrible!"
Blond eyebrows furrowed and he asked, "What does Sakura have to do with it?"
Hinata couldn't believe it. He couldn't be suggesting that they have some kind of relationship behind her back, right? Neji had warned her that men could be terrible, but Naruto seemed so noble!
"She's your girlfriend and she's my friend. As much as I like you, I can't do anything about it because I don't want to hurt her."
Naruto looked shocked for a second and Hinata turned to go, having a hard time keeping her tears at bay. She hadn't taken more than a step before the sound of laughter stopped her in her tracks. Bewildered, she turned back around to find Naruto clutching his stomach and laughing very hard.
Hinata finally let her tears fall, hurt that he would find her plight and his own infidelity so funny. When he looked up and saw her cheeks glittering with moisture, he felt terrible as he suddenly realized how this must have looked.
He quickly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, only tightening his hold on her as she weakly tried to push him away.
"L-let me go," she said, both sad and frustrated and sick to her stomach that there was a part of her enjoying the feeling of his arms around her.
She felt him shake his head and realized that he had rested his chin on the top of her head.
"Sorry, Hinata, but I don't think I'm ever going to let you go now," he said and she felt a new wave of tears come on.
"You have to! This isn't right and you're just making me feel worse!" she exclaimed, very upset at this point.
Naruto loosened his grip slightly and used one of his hands to tilt her chin up.
"Hinata, there's been a misunderstanding. I'm not with Sakura."
Her eyes filled with confusion so he decided to elaborate.
"I don't know what gave you that idea, but Sakura and I are just friends. We've known each other for a long time, but she's always had eyes only for Sasuke. Me and her have always strictly been friends."
Hinata felt like the was about to start hyperventilating. She had been so stressed about having feelings for him because of her friend and now it turned out he was actually available. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
She wasn't saying anything, and Naruto watched, fascinated, as a wide array of emotions flitted across her face. He could tell, however, when her mind had started to calm and she looked up at him hopefully, as if wanting to ask him if all of this was true, but being too afraid.
And so, Naruto gently grasped her chin and looked into her eyes, saying, "I'm going to kiss you now. If you don't want that, this is your last chance to say so."
She looked surprised, but didn't say anything against it and he slowly lowered his mouth to hers.
As their lips connected, she felt as if her stomach was doing cartwheels. She felt flushed and hot and giddy all at the same time and it was the most amazing thing she had ever experienced.
Her hands shyly grabbed hold of his shirt and he smiled into the kiss as he felt her do so. When they parted he looked at her, smiling goofily, and admired her rosy cheeks and red lips.
"Wow," Hinata breathed out, still a little lightheaded from the experience.
"Wow is right," Naruto said. He paused, looking unsure for a moment, before asking, "So, would it be okay if we did that again?"
He couldn't help but smile even wider at Hinata's eager nod and he quickly went in for another kiss. This was definitely the start of something special.
OMG the cuteness. Seriously, this is enough fluff to make a bed out of. Anyway, don't expect them all to be this long, but hopefully there'll be another couple of prompts this month that inspire me as much as this one did.