"Well what I want is none of your business Pein so go back to bed you pant-less…meanie!" I turned around and sipped my tea with bright blushing cheeks as his laugh sent shivers downward. When he walked toward the kitchen my gaze was automatically attached to the way his shoulders bunched or his back muscles stretched when he reached into my cupboards. When he walked back into the living room he threw me a knowing smirk and wink. I watched his ass- no I watched him disappear into my bedroom without shutting my door.

"You're drooling."
"huh?" I turned my head to look at a shocked Shika-kun but when he to began to smirk I felt a little guilty at being caught.

"Hinata-chan in all our years together I have never seen you behave like that toward anybody. "

"What are you taking about?" He started laughing so I glared at him which only made him laugh harder.

"How is this possible? The Hinata I saw yesterday was the one we all knew, she was always calm, wise, cool and always giving and caring. Not that the Hinata yesterday was bad but I like this one that I'm seeing right now. Before you were always unreachable and shut off from everyone else. I suppose I didn't realize how much you had changed till I saw little bit of the flustered, easily embarrassed, open book Hinata we had once knew."

The look on his face wasn't amused; instead it held guilt, realization and building anger.

"Hinata we did this to you didn't we? I knew that everyone depended on you so I thought you could take, it thought there was some one there for you. There wasn't was there? When your team replaced you, when your family exiled you, when Kurenai moved, when Naruto- there was no one there…Fuck Hinata."

"That's enough Shikamaru. What happened to me was years ago and in the end I made the choice to become who I am, to help those who need me. I don't regret the past and neither should you."

"What about now Hinata? Pein has been you with for not even 24 hours and he's already brought out sides of you I never even knew! I saw they way he looked at you and they way you looked at him, I saw the curiosity but most of all I saw eyes that seemed a like. That scares the shit out of me Hinata because you two are alone in this apartment so what will happen?"

"What are you talking about? There is nothing between me and a man I had just met hours ago, there can't be! Sakura said it herself, I am Hinata so nothing can happen right?"

"What are you an idiot? Sakura is jealous because of Naruto's feelings for you and that is why she says those things! Do you really think that men don't look? That they don't think about you? Hinata your fucking amazing and that man in there fucking knows it! He's not an idiot like the rest of the men in this city, he knows he has a chance to take you away from us and he's going to fucking use everything he has to do it!"

I was so angry and hurt at him that I flinched when he grabbed my arms in a tight grip.

I groaned at the pain as I struggled but the anger in his eyes was so intense. Then there was a loud noise and the pain was now a dull ache. My legs gave out on me but I never hit the floor instead was brought into a strong body that held me gently.

"You're right Nara I do know how interestingly different she is and I have played with the idea of stealing her away from you foolish little insects. But Nara can't you see I'm not the one whose hurting her? If you truly care for Hinata you will go to Suna and not tell a soul what you saw today. Since it would hurt her if I had to kill you boy."

I heard a door slam but I didn't move, I couldn't or was it that I really didn't want to?

He nudged me but I didn't move, he sighed and picked me up and put me on the couch, on his lap. He stroked my hair and put his arms around me as I curled into him like a kitten and cried.

Why was everything changing? This man that held me made me go through so many emotions with ease that I had thought locked away. I have so many questions but I can't ask them because I'm afraid of the answers.

As I made dinner with the left over's from last night he sat at the kitchen counter just watching me so I started to talk about everything and nothing. He listened and responded, of course he made snark comments about how my friends how treated me but I just blew that off as him being cynical.

"You haven't said anything about this morning." I almost dropped the spoon I was holding but luckily I had my back turned to him.

"What I'm I suppose to say?" Truthfully I didn't even want to think about it. Shikamaru had always been calm and collected so when he exploded on me it was like the last straw.

"One of your supposed best friends yelled at you and hurt you but I guess your use to that." I frowned at him letting him know I was not happy with his comment.

"Use to what exactly?"

"Use to the people close to you hurting you. They may have done more emotionally but the pain is still as clear as day. It makes you wonder though, if Nara is one of the most logical and calm people around how do you think the others would react?"

"Pein there is nothing to react about, this is a mission nothing more."

"You still didn't understand why he got so angry do you? If you did then you wouldn't be telling me this is just a mission." I was about to tell him to shut up but there were loud knocks and voices on the other side of my door. Pein smirked while getting up to get the door while I burned holes in his back.

"Move! Where the fuck is Hinata-chan?" Of course easier said then done as Pein never moved an inch but merely looked at me from the corner eye waiting for me to give him instructions.

"Let him in Pein." He did move letting me see my first glimpse of Kiba and Shino who I hadn't been alone with since they replaced me.

"Hinata what the hell is going on? Why the fuck did that Baka make this guys babysitter? I bet Sakura just loved making your life harder."

"Why are you here mutt?" Kiba whipped his head around to Pein who had slipped behind me to take over making dinner and growled.

"Who the fuck are you calling mutt you god damn psycho bastard!" Pein just gave him a scolding look like a teacher to a student.

"Please watch your language mutt in front of woman."

"That's enough, why are you here?" Both Shino and Kiba seemed to be caught off at my tone. I inwardly winced at my slip up while placing my mask back on.

"Here you again." I elbowed Pein in the back for his little comment glad that Kiba was too worked up to hear.

"Gomen I'm tired that's all, I didn't mean to take it on you."

They smiled and Kiba grabbed me in a hug that was lasting a little too long for comfort.
"I don't think you came here to hug Hinata all night did you?" Kiba growled again but he let me go. I took that moment his attention wasn't on me to slide near Pein.

"We're on our way to escort Shikamaru and the Kage to Suna but Naruto gave us a scroll to deliver." I grabbed the scroll from Shino seeing the dark gold and pink seal on it and knowing what was inside it already.

"Thank you is there any thing else? I don't want to take up your time."

"Yeah there is, I don't think a guy should be living alone with you." His comment made me angry but I bit my anger down so not to say what I wanted to.

"So you kick her off your team because you think she's too weak then you promise to visit and train with her but you never do. Then you have the balls to come back into her life like you have some sort of claim over her and tell her what you think she should and shouldn't do. Of course the most amusing part is you never cared before because there was never any man close enough to her to give you a run for your money till now right? You mutt thought you would watch her take on everybody's pain with out offering to help because you wanted her to break so you could ride the white horse in and piece poor Hinata back up right? Till then you slept with what ever looked your way with out a single thought to Hinata. Tell me what world are you living in?" I gaped at Pein who was sipping coffee at my kitchen table as calm as ever like we were discussing the weather.

"Shut the fuck up you bastard! You don't know anything! I never thought Hinata was weak! Shino and I agreed we couldn't stand to see her get hurt! We took her off active duty to protect her! You fucking asshole I would have never let her get broken!"

My face must have shown the hurt look I had on my face. They tried to reach for me but I backed up and Pein stepped in front of me.

"If you ask me mutt I think I'm the safest person for her to be around. I think you should leave, you've done enough."

"You're enjoying this you bastard!"

"Are you accusing me of enjoying Hinata being hurt? I think you're mistaking you with me mutt since I don't stand by watching others hurt her."

"Get out." My voice was a whisper but Shino dragged an enraged Kiba out the door with Pein slamming it his face.

There he was holding me again making sure I wouldn't break.

I took a deep breath and broke away from his hold to grab the scroll and toss it on the coffee table while heading to my room to change into work clothes.

"Are you not going to read it?" I walked out of my room tying my head band around my neck. Pein looked up and frown at my work clothes then it deepened as it rested on my head band.

"No, it's a summons to go to work."

"From Sakura."

"From Sakura. I'm sorry but you are going to have to come since I am your guide."

"Guide? That's just a nice way to say babysitter Hinata. Though I'm not complaining if you're the one doing it." I smiled at his teasing tone and his smiled brightened. It was amazing how my moods could change instantly with him at the control centre.


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