AN:
Um. you lovelies left me the nicest most inspiring reviews and I was grinning most of the day. So thank you for that.
Also, sadness. We are near the end darlings. I knew this wasn't a long story and so it's coming rather rapidly to a stop but it still seemed to have snuck up on me. I hope I don't get stoned to death for it. This is just where it wanted to go.
Much love to all of you, and I hope I don't butcher the ending.
-Inky
to my lovely who asked for Shino and Kiba. I'm so sorry, we're so late in the story they don't really have a place to go, so they're going to stay out of it unfortunately. I think I wanted to high light Hinata's lack of experience with male relationships as a source of confusion for her which is why I didn't have them at first. Also she has so many people already protective of her I wasn't sure Sasuke could handle Neji, Tenten, Shino, Kiba Naruto AND Sakura all in his face about her without breaking someone's jaw. Sorry!
to my lovely who said that Hinata is very relateable. I'm so glad dear! I feel like she is too, but I wasn't sure. I'm glad you feel that way.
to my lovely who asked if I was going to elaborate on Kakashi- I kind of wanted to, and I know more about how he fits in here but I think it may need to be done on the rewrite :( At least he got a shining moment. Also, darling I can't believe you've re-read a bunch of stuff of mine O_O. I can barely tolerate reading mine once or twice before I'm sick of it. I'm flattered! Try reading Giada Luna's stuff. It's excellent.
to the lovely who asked about Tenten taking Hina to the party on Friday: a) Tenten didn't know it would be at Akatsuki either. b) they were going to stop by quickly not end up in the mess they did and c) she figured a normal party wouldn't have scared Hinata as much as it did. Like, one without dj's and stop light colors etc.
Most of the evening had been spent stringing lights on the naked trees that surrounded the pond in the park across the street from the campus. It was a shallow little thing, with only some stubborn fish and even more stubborn turtles who lived there in the summer time.
During the winter the park was a flurry of evergreens, coated in the white of snow and frost, sparkling early in the morning, and shining in the too quick afternoons before plunging into black. With the willows and cedars on the park borders it was too dark to see the streetlights from the roads and only occasional lamp posts dotted the beaten mulch path that circled the pond in a lazy kindergarten scribble for a circle.
Working through into the dark Hinata had been shaky and excited and sick all at once as she passed strings of lights to her cousin and Tenten who were precariously balanced on the ladders against the trees. Her thoughts tangled themselves like the electrical wires in her hands, her heart skipping around giddy and scared whenever Sasuke filtered through her thoughts.
"Why isn't the student council doing this again?" Tenten inquired. "It's their idea isn't it?"
"We are." Sakura grumbled, throwing a hand across the pond to the other three people none of them knew busily helping string pretty old fashioned triangle banners across the trees to create a more enclosed space surrounding the ice.
"There's four of you? For the entire university?" Tenten's voice carried a lot of her disbelief and then her face slid into a smile full of sympathetic amusement. "Oh, I'm sorry."
"It looks good on a resume!" Sakura defended, letting out a foggy breath that made her seem dragon-like and fierce as she picked up another box of string lights. "I guess I'm a little nerdy."
"Oh, babe." Naruto sighed from the top of one of the ladders. "We all know."
"You shush!" Sakura snapped, chucking a pine cone at him and making him wobble precariously before hugging a branch of the tree for dear life.
"I hope there's a good turn out despite the short notice." Sakura mumbled more seriously. "We were supposed to do it near Christmas but of course that's when the weather gets all funky. I had Shikamaru, Ino, Sai and Lee putting up signs all over the place today."
"I'm sure there will be a lot of people." Hinata soothed, trying to get the lights untangled in her hands and only looking more confused with each passing moment. "There is not much to do in winter time. People are always happy for something fun after dark."
"That's the spirit." Sakura smiled at her, eyes flickering to Neji busy tangled in his own line of lights on top of the ladder. From the ground now Tenten was shaking her head at him, trying to keep the long string from knotting.
"How's it going? You okay?" The green eyes of her friend glowed in the newly lit bulbs of the lights Hinata held and in the pretty luminescence Hinata smiled, happy to be present to see the beauty.
"Oh. Yes... it... I think, I did rather well." She admitted, blushing at her proud tone despite herself. Sakura's grin was instant. "Neji sure looks a lot more calm than when he asked us where you guys went." A little too subtlety she added. "Uh... and Sasuke...?"
Hinata kept her eyes firmly on the lights, as though the knot in her hand was a riddle that needed urgent solving.
"Where is he, do you know? Naruto said he hasn't seen him since this morning and Kakashi said he left the cafe already."
"Oh, Mr. Kakashi was very nice." Hinata replied, sidestepping anything to do with Sasuke nervously. "I like him."
"Yeah..." Sakura mused. "Just don't ever ask him what he reads."
Puzzled, Hinata glanced at her then. "Huh?"
"Hina, you should go back to the dorm." Tenten called from her place beneath the tree Neji was draping in lights. "We're going to be done soon anyway, and you haven't even had dinner, I know you."
Hinata shifted when Neji glanced over at her sharply. "It's nearly nine at night, Hime. You haven't eaten?"
"No...well..." she paused for emphasis, letting her gray eyes linger on his for a moment. "I was going to have something at the cafe, but then..."
"But then the Hulk showed up." Tenten finished, giving Neji an exaggerated shake of her head.
"Sorry." Neji muttered. "I feel like I'm doing a lot of apologizing today."
"It's okay." Tenten smiled. "Makes good practice." Turning to Hinata she cocked her head. "I have some granola and yogurt in the fridge. The cafeteria will be shut down by now."
"Okay." Hinata sighed, unable to ignore the fact she was freezing and tired and really missing her bed. "I suppose I'll see you later then."
"If you see Ino," Sakura grumbled. "Tell her I'll remember how helpful she was tonight any time she asks me to please do her laundry for her, k?"
Smiling ruefully Hinata nodded. "All right."
Stretching tiredly she hoisted her bag up onto her shoulder and began the slow trek around the pond, climbing over the old stone bridge that crossed it at the thinnest point of the watery circle. She listened to her steps on the rock before turning up towards the campus and street lights beyond the fringe of green trees.
The park was a subtle beauty. There were no great flowering bushes, or majestic cherry blossom trees but the street that housed it's entrance was lined with slim plum blossoms that coated the black asphalt in their lavender hues during April. The willows swung their long cascading tendrils in the breeze of spring and summer and the reeds grew tall and sharp from the pond water among the lily pads dotted with the yellows and whites of the waterlilies.
Glancing back just once Hinata smiled. At least for the one night the park would also look pretty in the winter. The water was a smooth sheet thanks to the work of the hockey team brushing down the ice, smoothing out the ripples that could trip people up. The triangle banners were festive and bright with the lights of the trees glowing warm and cozy. Sakura had said that there would be hot chocolate and popcorn to buy by donation, and a few fire pits for roasting marshmallows on sticks. Hinata turned back to the campus with a grin, realizing she was rather excited for the actual event if not the set up.
Walking slowly through the crunch of snow she paused, feeling a jittery nervousness that was unfamiliar and not entirely unpleasant as she wondered if perhaps Sasuke would be attending...
A buzz in her jacket pocket made her pause and surprised she reached down, pulling the cell phone out to study as she crossed the street and headed to her dorm room.
Hey
She cocked her head curiously at the funny one word message. She couldn't remember the last time they had said hello. Their conversation seemed ongoing and endless therefore lacking in need of a beginning.
Sometimes it picked up right where it left off even after 12 hours of silence, due to sleep (hopefully) or lack of time (always). Other times they would start off without introduction, just a phrase, comment or question thrown out to the other person like a lifeline meant to drag them into their boat.
Something about the single word made her think it was shy and puzzled a little she began to type.
Hi, what are you up to?
Trying to study
I get the feeling it's not working?
I seem to be thinking about you instead.
Hinata stopped at the door of her dorm, staring at the text, pale eyes reading the sentence over and over again as though she was misunderstanding. Perhaps she was reading into it? Had she deleted a message before this one? In the cold and gold glow of the motion sensor light by the dormitory entrance she pressed the cell phone to her forehead, eyes closed.
...Oh no...
The silence must have dragged on too long because against the fringe of her hair the phone buzzed again.
So, did you end up going two steps forward or one step back today?
Unsure now Hinata opened her door and stepped into the warmth of the building, climbing the stairs to her room slowly, reading his texts again and again with growing dismay.
I think forward...I hope it was forward. Although, maybe not. I'm not sure.
You should trust yourself more.
I don't know... I may be an awful person.
I very much doubt that.
For a moment Hinata almost said the words they had silently agreed never to say. Her fingers moved, typing out the phrase. You don't know that. Because, you don't know me. But before she could send it she studied it, her stomach twisting into knots that hurt more than her hunger. With a worried frown marked firmly on her forehead she deleted the unsent text and replied with as much kindness as she could muster.
There's an event happening at the park across the campus tomorrow night. They turned the pond into a skating rink, I hear it's going to be a lot of fun. Are you perhaps going to that? Maybe we can exchange phones then?
I was actually going to ask you about going to that.
Hinata flinched then at the almost invitation, sitting on the bed nervously.
I'll be there.
Okay, me too. My cousin and a lot of my friends will be there. One of them is organizing it.
In the dark of her room with only the light from the lamp post outside she sighed, feeling awful. Only a few days ago she had been texting this boy in the middle of the night, asking his advice, telling him about Friday.
Now she was putting lines of poetry together about a pair of dark eyes and feeling guilty. Rubbing her forehead hard she slid to lay down on her bed, frowning at the phone.
Ignoring her reply her phone buzzed on a completely new line of thinking.
What is something that is both exciting and frightening?
Um. Like petting a lion?
I suppose if it's something you wanted to do in the first place it could be exciting. Personally I wouldn't be too pleased, but okay. Try another one.
Starting a new job you really wanted.
Yes but boring. Try again.
This is a strange game.
Maybe you'll win.
Um... sky diving?
There it is.
What would you say is exciting and frightening?
Falling in love with someone.
In the light of the cell phone glow Hinata winced and closed her eyes, dropping the phone to the floor and letting the darkness of her bedroom overwhelm her.
I have to get my phone back. I have to do it tomorrow. I have to say I'm sorry.
Biting her lip she pushed herself to her back and watched the shifting light of the lamp post outside make patterns on her ceiling while lines of poetry ran through her head.
the black of your gaze
is not light absent
but the infinity of space
you swallowed all my stars
I'm not even fazed
maybe I'll taste them
maybe I'll taste them...
on your lips
Hinata went to bed without dinner that night. There was no room for food where she housed her nerves, excitement and guilt.
It was almost ten by the time that Naruto showed back up at the dorm room and Sasuke was in bed, a book beside his head on the pillow and the light on but his eyes firmly fixed on the ceiling.
Despite his coat, hat, mittens and scarf the blonde's nose was red and his ears pink. "Yo." He grumbled a little as he walked into the room, ripping off articles of clothing quickly. "I hope you're wearing pajamas under there because you have a visitor at the front door."
Sasuke turned his dark eyes to Naruto, sparkling black onyx stones of confusion. "What?"
"Hyuuga." Naruto waved over his shoulder and Sasuke was suddenly sitting up like a bolt of lightning, face tense.
"No, no." and his friend laughed then, giving his shoulder a quick shake. "The other Hyuuga. The less adorable one."
"Open with that information next time." Sasuke snapped, pushing him off as he grabbed a sweater to throw over his head, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black and red flannel pajama pants.
"No way." Naruto's grin was wide as a banana. "You should have seen your face." He patted his back as he passed him to the door. "I don't blame Kakashi for trying to get you on camera around her."
"That fucking camera. If you know where it is you better tell me. He hid it before I could destroy it." Sasuke hissed and before Naruto could guffaw at him he slammed the door. Walking down the empty hall lined with closed doors to the glass dormitory entrance, he could see Neji standing in the halo of light with his hands in his pockets and his jacket collar pulled up. At his elbow, as it seemed she always was now, stood Tenten shivering.
Sighing internally Sasuke opened the door.
"Because she's here I'm letting you in." He explained, nodding his chin at Tenten who was squinting in the freezing wind. "If it was just you I'd stand on the other side of the glass for a while to watch you freeze your ass."
"Lovely as always, Uchiha." Neji grumbled, pushing Tenten into the foyer and following. As soon as the door closed the hiss of the incoming snowfall was locked behind the glass and only the buzz of the fluorescent lights brightening the hall hummed.
Tenten eyed Neji for a long moment and exasperated she waved at Sasuke. "Go on."
Jaw tight the Hyuuga turned to Sasuke standing with his arms crossed against the chill he had invited into the building, frowning at him openly, mouth in a relaxed half grimace. "What?"
"I'm... here to apologize." Neji began slowly, gaining momentum over the next few words. "My cousin was able to elaborate some things to me that I did not know." He drew in a breath and then, less stiffly he added. "I appreciate what you did for her, when you walked in on Sasori." His gray eyes darkened. "Although it would have been nice to see him sporting a cast or something."
Sasuke stared at him for a moment, moving his black eyes from Neji's strangely familiar gray gaze to Tenten's half amused brown. "Come again?" He finally managed, carefully maintaining a straight face even as his chest constricted with what he thought might be a laugh and his face itched to crack with a wide smirk.
She made him apologize... she made him apologize to me. His heart was doing a strange thing he had not felt before and for a moment he wondered if it was normal or if he was dying. It was not a worrying thought, just a curious one.
"Don't be a jerk." Tenten sighed, watching a muscle in Neji's jaw flex.
"I'm sorry about my behavior earlier." Neji repeated with some struggle after a moment of silence followed Tenten's remark. Sasuke just looked back at them, lips pressed hard into a thin line of control. Before he could reply Neji's voice cut in again. "Although, you should have just sent him to the hospital, honestly."
Dragging in a slow breath Sasuke sighed, processing this new information rapidly before replying coldly. "There was no time for that. She was outside..." he paused, glancing at Tenten for reassurance that the next words out of his mouth weren't going to result in him getting written up for fighting in his dorm. "...her dress was in tatters. She was in shock."
Neji's jaw flexed hard and he breathed in air as though it wasn't serving him as well as it usually did.
"I think I may have been in a bit of shock myself." Sasuke admitted suddenly, voice changing. Tenten's eyes widened as she studied his face, mouth popping open only to snap closed abruptly. Neji glanced at her confusedly while Sasuke tensed, realizing he had said too much.
"Tenten, what?"
"Nothing- just... it's awful." She stammered, watching Sasuke's dark eyes boring into her face. "Um..." she paused and rubbing at her neck sighed. "I think I may owe you an apology too, Sasuke."
This made both the boys start, brows raised and looking a little wary like perhaps this was a trap and they were the prey.
"What?" Neji spluttered.
"Well, I was channeling you a lot I guess." Tenten shot him a look. "I think I may have been a little rude." Her brown eyes shifted to Sasuke then, something both knowing and almost friendly flashing over her face. "I'm sorry for that."
Sasuke shrugged, unsure of what to say. Neji apologizing was one thing, mostly it's worth was tied to Hinata's obvious role in it. With Tenten Sasuke almost felt bad.
"Although... I'm not going to lie, when Hinata slapped you at the party I may have wanted to applaud. You deserved that one, and I'm not sorry, but... I didn't thank you for taking care of her after because I didn't know... or rather, I didn't know the extent of what you did. I should have said thank you anyway, even if it was just for what I knew about."
"Hold on." Neji looked back and forth while Sasuke tried to keep his lips pressed tightly together. "Hinata slapped you?"
With the inside of his cheek firmly between his teeth Sasuke just looked back at him, unflinching.
Tenten made a face. "I keep forgetting to mention stuff," she admitted. "A lot happened that night."
"She slapped you?" Neji's gray eyes swiveled back to Sasuke.
"I certainly did not hit her." Sasuke snapped back.
"Wow." Neji allowed, wondering if perhaps that was the first time he had ever used that expression, blinking at the freezing cold outside with eyes unseeing. "Wow."
"So that's that. If there was even the slightest doubt she was related to you." Tenten grumbled, waving at the door. "Now we all know for sure. Please, let's go."
"Also," Neji continued after a moment, nodding at Tenten. "Hinata mentioned that you thought suing either the fraternity or Sasori was a possibility. Is that something that you have run by your brother or is this just something you speculate?"
Sasuke let his eyes level with the Hyuuga calmly. "I don't speculate. If she wants, our legal team is capable and willing to take on the case."
"There's no need. We have our own from Hyuuga Industries and I'm sure my uncle will want to be closely involved." Neji frowned. "I was just wanting to see if-"
"It would serve her best to have the teams at least working in tandem." Sasuke tried again, attempting not to stiffen in his presence and telegraph more of his dislike than he had to. "Leave no stone unturned."
Eyeing him intently Neji frowned. "But why would...?"
"Because!" Tenten jumped in suddenly, while Sasuke opened his mouth with no answer in mind other than to call him a dumb ass. "Akatsuki is an old and respected fraternity and I'm sure has powerful lawyers of it's own- wasn't your brother Akatsuki, Sasuke? Surely there's other high profile members who could pose a problem. If the Uchiha team is not necessary they can quietly leave it to the Hyuuga." She shot a look at Sasuke then and he murmured. "Right... make sure all your bases are covered."
Glancing back and forth Neji frowned a little. "Hm...okay." He nodded. "I would appreciate it if I could speak with Itachi. Could I have his contact information?"
Nodding Sasuke sighed, glad to see him holding on to the door to leave. "I need to see Hinata again tomorrow... the project is due next week and we need to send it into the printers. If she can, I'd like to see her at the library at around noon. I could give her the information or you could meet us there as well."
"I'll be there." Neji put in quickly. "I'll let her know."
Nodding again Sasuke watched as Tenten shoved her hands in her pockets, giving him a small knowing smile before stepping out into the frigid night with Neji.
As the door closed Naruto's blonde head poked out into the hall, looking serious. "Do you think maybe those buns on her head are extra eyes? She caught on to you in two seconds flat."
"Fuck." Sasuke grunted, storming back into the room and into his bed.
Naruto was right, of course. She had absolutely caught on.
He was running out of time.
"Let me see your phone." He muttered, flopping onto his back with his eyes closed and hand outstretched.
Slouched in his desk chair Naruto rubbed his chin and smirking threw the cell at him, unimpressed when Sasuke caught it blindly.
With the phone ringing in his ears Sasuke sighed, rubbing at the headache starting between his eyebrows.
"...Uzumaki? It's kind of late to be calling. Tell me my brother isn't dead or in police custody, please." Itachi's voice pumped through the phone and Sasuke grunted irritably.
"When have I ever done anything to merit that kind of reaction?"
"Oh good, you're alive."
"You're going to get a call from a Hyuuga tomorrow at noon. Can you make sure to take it please?"
"...If it's Hinata, sure."
"No." Sasuke's snap was decisive and Itachi's chuckle made him roll his eyes. "No, it's the barely tolerable cousin."
"Oh, Neji Hyuuga. I believe I may have met him." Then a long pause followed. "Is he out to get me for taking his little cousin out on that lunch? You're in close proximity to him, hasn't he beat you up for it yet? Why does he have to bother me?"
"No. It's about... Akatsuki."
"Uh oh."
"You know... how you walked in on Sasori sometimes... "
"...Sasuke."
"Well, Hinata had never been to a party before..."
"Shit."
"And...I found her with him..."
"Why the fuck did you not maim him?" Itachi's cool sophisticated voice rarely had the need for swearing. Language was something he wielded like a sword and any insult he wanted to inflict was better done with a soliloquy than cursing. Sasuke paused to take that in for a moment, wondering how taken his brother really was with Hinata before responding.
"Everyone keeps saying that." Sasuke mused, pressing his hand to his forehead as he thought. "I'm starting to think it gives me leave to indulge."
"I'm free to help right now." Naruto put in calmly while he scribbled something at his desk.
"You can't touch him now." Itachi snapped, his mood decisively less cheery. "I wish you had told me earlier. I could have had our legal team working on this days ago."
"It wasn't my secret." Sasuke replied calmly. "She decided to speak to her cousin today."
"I'll take the call from the cousin. Hyuuga has an impressive corporate legal team anyway. I doubt this will be an issue." For a second he was quiet again and then. "If he tries anything it should fall under self defense or defense of another... in case you're there."
It took Sasuke less than a second to realize his brother was giving him the green light to break Sasori's nose if he was offered an opportunity. Oddly enough it wasn't his permission he'd be seeking, but rather the nod from a pale eyed tender hearted girl he didn't think would approve of unnecessary violence.
"Right." He said anyway, glancing at Naruto who grinned back with vicious blood thirsty mirth.
"I doubt it will come to that." He added, for both the blonde and his brother's ears.
"I know Sasori." Itachi muttered darkly. "If he sees you with Hinata he's going to think you took his plaything without asking. He won't be able to resist."
"Good thing I like breaking faces then." Sasuke's voice was silk on water, smooth and calculating. Making Sasori bleed would be easy. It was making sure that he didn't disregard Hinata that would take a little more work.
Sitting on the floor by their coffee table Hinata looked up from her bowl of granola and yogurt watching as Tenten threw clothes from their closet onto the bed, uncharacteristically flustered and annoyed.
"It's so cold outside. All I want to do is wear my thermal undies and jeans. But what is less sexy than thermal undies?"
"Incontinence diapers." Ino supplied from Hinata's made bed, her blue eyes fixed on the magazine she was flipping through slowly. "Also, your lady bits falling off due to frost bite."
Hinata's face twisted with disgust for a moment as she chewed on her breakfast, suddenly less hungry.
"Ino, sometimes I think you must not hear the things that come out of your mouth." Tenten began, and although she was trying to be stern her voice wobbled with amusement.
"She doesn't listen to herself." Sakura said, hanging off Tenten's bed upside down. Her pink hair a mane over the light blue covers, her green eyes a brightness that looked unreal with the light of the window glittering over them. Outside the world was a soft expanse of snow. In the early morning the snowflakes had come in a flurry, leveling everything into a white world soft and muted, crystallizing the branches of trees and putting white top hats on all the the black lamp posts.
"I have selective hearing. Makes life more pleasurable." Ino replied.
"Why are you stressing anyway?" Sakura continued, listening to the pounding of her blood rushing to her head. "He already thinks you're all that and a bag of chips. All we're doing today is finishing the set up for the skate. You don't have to be dressed up."
Tenten frowned at her tops, eyeing all the t-shirts and long sleeves and high necks curiously. She had comfortable school gear. She had training gear. She had Sunday church dresses. Nothing in between.
"I guess."
"I have this theory that he's been attracted to you from the moment he saw you come back sweaty from a good run, all pink in the face and windswept." Ino remarked candidly, flipping a page on her magazine. "Because ya know... that's how you'd look if he-"
"Ino!" Tenten slapped her hands over Hinata's ears, although the girl was already a bright shade of red, her mouthful of granola frozen mid chew in her mouth, eyes wide at Ino. "Not in front of the child."
"I... I was going to go anyway." Hinata laughed nervously, moving to stand, depositing her disposable bowl in the garbage as she wandered to the door.
"Where to? Aren't your classes cancelled?" Sakura sat up, squinting at her a little dizzily.
"Sasuke wanted to meet you at the library, but I thought that wasn't until later." Tenten added. Frowning at them a little Hinata shrugged into her purple coat. "Um, why am I getting interrogated?"
"Because." Sakura smiled wide. "Without your phone when you disappear young men become very upset."
"You mean Nii-san?" Hinata slammed a hat over her pigtails. "I think that he'll be better from now on."
"Amen." Tenten grumbled, throwing another shirt into the closet with dislike.
"I don't mean your Nii-san." Sakura cocked her head at her, still smiling.
Hinata's nose twitched and as she wrapped her scarf around her face to hide Tenten, Ino and Sakura all pondered how she managed to look like a bunny when she did that. "I'm just going for a walk. It's nice out, and... this way you can talk all about Neji-nii without me." She added, lifting her pale eyes to Tenten.
The role reversal was quite stark as Tenten flushed, laughing sheepishly while Hinata fixed her with a small impish grin. "I just want to clear my thoughts a little."
And despite Sakura's protests she was out the door, calling out a quick "Bye!"
Pouting a little Sakura let her head drop to her shoulder, studying the door intently enough that she could almost see through it.
"It's Sasuke." She finally said into the silence.
Ino snorted. "Duh."
"Oh no, if anything it's Sasuke for her- I saw him yesterday." Tenten muttered, tossing another shirt into the closet, vowing never to a buy a T-shirt again. "He was trying to hide it but no go."
"You think she's going to say no?" Sakura glanced at Tenten then, genuine worry lining her face as she sat up. "I don't know how Sasuke would fare with that. I'm worried about him."
"Funny, usually I would have been worried about Hinata." Ino frowned at her. "Am I missing something?"
"Oh, lots." Sakura and Tenten said together. Then before Ino's face could slide from surprised to inquisitive Tenten continued. "If I know Hina at all she's thinking about it." she sighed as she settled with another pile of neatly folded shirts in front of her, inspecting each one. "He just has to not mess up."
Sakura blinked at her thoughtfully, letting that sink in.
"One thing he's doing right though," Tenten continued, wincing at a faded T-shirt of a band she no longer listened to before throwing it over her shoulder. ", is that he listens to her, and listens well enough that she's noticed."
"She said that?" Sakura's eyes brightened then, her excitement shooting from her toes to the tips of her ears. "Hinata said that?"
"She said he listens to her." Tenten shrugged. "That's huge in Hina's world."
"We listen right?" Ino searched back and forth between her friends. "We're Hina listeners right?"
"Most of the time." Sakura allowed, flopping back onto Tenten's bed. "Ya know... except for last Friday."
"What'd I miss?" Ino's voice sounded incredulous. "Something juicy, huh?"
"Oh man." Tenten shook her head. "You have no idea."
Ino stood, moving into Hinata's closet to pick out a shirt that the gray eyed girl had never worn and would never. It was too low a cut for her bust, and too tiny a waist for her hips, but it was black and it was dotted all over with polka dots that looked like throwing stars.
"Wear this. With your comfy jeans and thermal underwear-sexiness be damned. They'll make your ass look amazing anyway." She offered it to Tenten who blinked and then grinned. "Thanks."
"Now, tell me what you two are all secretive about or I'll have to come up with theories and you don't want that."
The snow had always been one of Hinata's favorite things. Looking out through the glass door of her dormitory lobby she smiled, drinking in a deep breath of the freezing air as she stepped outside.
Everything always looked so clean in the cover of a fresh snowfall. Muddy cement and brown weather beaten grass disappeared beneath the cover of cotton and with the touch of the cold the air was crisp and fresh, reminding her of mint.
The campus was empty. Classes had been cancelled since bus service had been suspended. In the windows of the dorm rooms she could see the bright lights and the movements of students all taking the much needed rest to heart, hiding from the frigid morning within their cozy bedrooms. Only a handful of students could be seen heading towards the only two things open on the campus, one being the cafeteria and the other being the library in the distance.
On her side of the grounds the snow was still thick over the walkways and undisturbed where near the faculty buildings she could see the grounds keepers had begun to shovel and salt a path through the ice.
Glancing left and right for a moment to see if anyone was around Hinata wandered over to the tall sycamore that shaded the dorm in the summer months and with nerves tinged with childish enthusiasm spread her arms out and let herself fall backwards into the foot high snowfall.
Poof!
The snowflakes puffed around her and the bite of the cold nibbled at her legs and neck, letting out a muffled laugh of joy she squinted at the brightness of the winter sun above the sycamore branches before closing her eyes and moving her limbs to make a snow angel.
Back home on the Hyuuga grounds when they had been little, Hinata, her sister and cousin would leap from the bed on snowfall days. Bare foot and daring they would dash through the house in the stillness of the morning, even more hushed by the oppressive push of the water suspended in the sleep of winter ice.
Together, holding hands all three would stand on the wood porch in the backyard where the snow always piled high. With tightly gripped fingers on each other at the count of three all of them would throw themselves backwards into the bite of the cold in their flannel pajamas, pumping their arms and legs to make their angel shapes before scrambling out of the freezing cold giggling madly.
The warm bath after was always painful on the toes as they defrosted, but soothing everywhere else. Without the bite of the cold on her back at least once each winter, it didn't feel like she had been present for the season.
Once her snow angel was firmly made Hinata lay still, watching the light try to pass through her closed eyelids, glad for the silence. Her friends had appeared before she had even got out of bed and their bantering chatter was both comforting in that it didn't allow her to think too hard about the cell phone conversation that had hurt her stomach, and irritating because she wanted to have a moment to think about a certain boy with ebony black eyes and she couldn't with their white noise.
Letting out a sigh she touched the thought of him tentatively in her mind, like it might bite if she handled it too roughly. Her fingers tingled where he had held onto her yesterday and her mind wandered slowly to the sketchbook tucked beneath her mattress in her room filled with drawings of her.
...how is he so cute and scary at the same time...?
"I would say I'm surprised to see you this way, and yet I really am not."
With a gasp Hinata opened her eyes to stare up at Sasuke's face peering down at her from above where he crouched, leaning over a little so he could see her clearly and block the sun daring to blind her.
Hinata stared at his upside down features, and despite the freezing touch of the snow around her she felt her body shoot to feverish. "Sasuke!" her voice finally kicked his name out of her mouth like a jolt of electricity to a limb and she sat up hard, cracking both their foreheads together with a snap.
"Ouch!" She gasped, slapping a hand on her head blushing in a terrible way. She reached over to his face, pushing his hands to see the red welt forming on the smoothness of his forehead. "Ah! I'm so sorry! I-I-I'm so dumb!"
Wincing a little Sasuke sat on the snow on his butt, watching her flounder for a moment, her pigtails askew on her shoulders.
"That was a good one." He admitted dryly, rubbing his own forehead before shoving her bangs back with his hand. "Are you bleeding?" He sounded incredulous as he pushed her hat and hair back with cold fingers. "You're bleeding."
"Huh?" Hinata just stared at him, aware of his fingers on her hair and head like she would be aware of a red hot iron brand on her skin. Dazed she reached up and brushed her hand on the wetness on her skin, pulling back to see a bit of blood on the soft pads of her fingers. "Oh."
"What were you doing?" He asked this almost as a way to keep the silence from getting heavy and oppressive over them, fiddling in his pockets for tissues. Sakura was always shoving packets of them in Naruto's pockets and when he was annoyed with too many to use he would shove them into Sasuke's pockets in order to share the irritation. It was a winter time thing she did. That and hand sanitizer. In the summer it was tiny bottles of sunblock and aloe vera.
When they were younger they had called her Girl Scout to annoy her.
Finding one of the tissue packets he pulled out a handful and shoved them against her head, frowning at the wound mildly while she continued to stare at him as if he were some creature from a book she had thought was fiction.
"Um... making... snow angels." she supplied after a moment. Then after another second and a frown she added. "What were you doing?"
"Making sure you weren't passed out." He retorted at her tone, giving her a look that made her jam her lips together and look sheepish. "Oh."
"Good thing you have bangs." He muttered a moment. "If your cousin saw you with that and found out I had anything to do with it there might be trouble."
At the mention of Neji Hinata sat ramrod straight, grabbing his arm to pull from her face so she could look at him earnestly. "My cousin! I'm so sorry about yesterday, I... I told him he had to-"
"He already apologized." Sasuke interrupted mildly, shoving himself to his feet and grabbing onto something that he had evidently dropped at the impact of their skulls against each other. "He came by very late yesterday with Tenten." He eyed her then at the mention of Tenten, watching to see if something happened to her face to indicate the girl had blabbed but Hinata remained sitting in the ice and snow, holding onto her hat and staring at him.
"Oh they did? He... he said sorry?" she blinked a little, wondering if maybe she had a concussion or if this was just the effect of being in close proximity to Sasuke. "I don't know if I actually thought he would."
"It was awkward for everyone involved." Sasuke elaborated easily, reaching a hand down to help her to her feet and slowly Hinata took it, straightening her bangs with shaky fingers before shoving her hat back on.
Looking at her with her cheeks pink and her nose cold he had the sudden almost uncontrollable urge touch her cheeks, to slide his fingers over her lips and breathe in the smell so fruity and clean that had made him heady at the bookstore yesterday. Swallowing hard he took a breath.
"I have to go," He was saying suddenly, pushing books at her abruptly. "I just came by to give you these. Choji and Shikamaru were supposed to be helping Naruto with things for the free skate but Choji bailed." He shrugged. "I have to help or Naruto is on his own with Shika."
Hinata's cold fingers wrapped around the books then, studying their faces. "Oh... it's...it's the Third Magic and the Peter Rabbit from Mr. Kakashi's shop." she started. "How much were they?" she looked up. "I had completely forgotten to-"
"It's a gift." Sasuke pushed them at her until they were pressed against her collarbone and she felt her mouth part again not in surprise so much as the continual daze of disbelief.
With his dark eyes purposefully fixed elsewhere he popped the collar of his jacket against the bite of the winter. Or at least he hoped that's what it looked like and not that he was trying to hide the rising heat to his ears. There had to be a way to get less pale without spending time on the beach. He had to find a way. This blushing thing was unacceptable.
Is this really happening to me right now? Hinata studied the faces of the books in her hands.
"...t..thank you."
"Hn." He nodded, taking a step back, and then another before clearing his throat. "I'll... I'll come by before the library in a few hours." he muttered, the stutter making him want to kick himself.
Hinata watched as he flashed his eyes at her for a second before looking away and then she couldn't help it. She had seen little boys on the playground treating her baby sister the same way. She had watched her friends with star struck wide eyed boys dazed by their entrance and exits. Always in the background she had never thought she would be at the receiving end of a nervous boy. And certainly not the prickly Sasuke Uchiha.
But then, that was before she had even opened the book, read the title page... traced the pattern of the font on the pages and pages that made him up. Breathing in softly she tried to stop it, but found it impossible.
She grinned, a full on unavoidable smile that made her blush and want to cringe at herself at the same time. "Okay."
"Okay." He looked surprised at her smile as he stepped back again, unwilling to turn his back to her and then with a deep breath he turned, shoving his hands into his pockets as he started away through the snow. A smudge of black against the white world spread out as far as her eyes could see.
With the smile frozen on her face Hinata jumped, turning to look up at the sound of a window opening on the second floor the moment Sasuke disappeared around the corner of the boy's dormitory. Sakura, Ino and Tenten were squashed at the window, their eyes wide as they peered down at Hinata.
"What the heck was that!?" Sakura shouted, green eyes a sparkly mess close to tears. "What was that! Come up here now! What did he give you?"
"Look at her face!" Ino squealed and Hinata slapped a hand to her cheeks to try to shove the grin down a notch. "Look at it! Oh my gosh!"
Tenten's smirk was wide and she pointed at Hinata with raised brows. "You. Get up here. Now."
"...ah... I... I was just going to go for a walk." Hinata began, stepping away from the dorm. "I wanted to before I have to... um... do some work at the library."
"You mean meet your suitor at the library!" Ino sang.
Blushing a myriad of red shades Hinata kept backing away.
"I'll see you guys later!"
"Hinata Hyuuga!" Sakura gasped. "Come back!"
"Bye!"
And before they could uncork themselves from the window pane she had taken off running through the snow, feeling an unfamiliar and not unwelcome fluttering in her stomach.
"What the actual fuck happen to your forehead?" Naruto laughed.
Sasuke gave him a look that would peel paint off walls and shrugged. "Bumped into something."
"With your face?" The blonde continued, moving to pick up the other side of the fire pit that Kakashi was lending the university for the free skate. Behind the cafe and bookstore there were three metal squares where firewood could be burned without endangering the ground around it. He would also be providing the coffee, hot chocolate and popcorn bags which he was happily filling in the cafe while telling Shikamaru about the great episode in Sasuke's life he had witnessed yesterday.
"Yes, with my face. You seem to be rubbing off on me a lot lately." Sasuke snapped.
Coming out of the cafe Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Well, just so you know..." He began, grabbing a couple bins filled with the wood for the fire pits before throwing them into Kakashi's old work van. "He has some rather incriminating pictures of you and Hinata Hyuuga... so if I was you-"
"That pervert." Sasuke hissed, dropping his end of the fire pit with a bang onto the cement. "Oi!" Naruto screamed, trying to keep the thing in his arms unsuccessfully. "You bastard! Come back!"
Shikamaru sighed again deeply before grabbing the end Sasuke had abandoned and heaving. "What a bloody drag."
In the dark of the cafe Sasuke stormed through the couches and chairs towards the counter where dozens of paper bags filled with popcorn sat in neat rows and Kakashi stood behind them, ladling buttery popcorn into them happily.
"Oh, Sasuke! Two visits in a row-" He began a little nervously, stopping mid sentence when Sasuke didn't slow but moved to jump over the counter, agile as a cat.
"Ah! I have them on two different flash drives and I made sure one was in my house instead of here so you'll never find it! Give up now!" Kakashi flailed as Sasuke snatched the photo lab envelope from the counter behind him, making him flinch.
With his jaw set to obliterate Sasuke ripped open the envelope and peered at the dozen pictures, flipping through them quickly. Most of them were of Hinata sitting by the coffee table in the cafe looking absently at their work, although one was of her with her head cocked far to the right, and her eyes focused with determination on Sasuke across the way from her.
Pausing briefly on that one Sasuke moved along, peering at the rest. One of them was of Sasuke and Neji standing entirely too close to be casual and Sasuke promptly tore it to bits before moving on to the last photo of Hinata with her arms full of books looking at him questioningly, her face earnest and cautious as she stared. His sketchbook was on top of the pile of books in her hands.
He let out a slow breath then and lifting his black eyes to the frozen man before him in a frilly pink apron he shoved the envelope with all the photos in his pocket. "I'm taking these. And don't be surprised if I break into your apartment to find the memory sticks."
"Aw... what? No. I have dogs. Lots of dogs." Kakashi warned, watching as the young man shoved himself over the counter and back out to finish loading the van.
When he disappeared without another word Kakashi sighed deeply. "Touchy."
Then he tossed the memory stick with his treasure trove of pictures up in the air before catching it and sliding it back into his pocket with a grin.
Most of the morning had been spent luxuriating in the nervousness of seeing Sasuke again. Hinata had been able to sneak into one of the faculty buildings that was unlocked and, finding a nook in an unused stairwell spent the couple of hours before her meeting reading through the books he had gifted her, working on not smiling like an idiot every time he came to mind.
Despite several hours of practice she wasn't getting much better.
Usually at this point she would have pulled her cell phone out to text her friend, to ask for advice about nerves and to maybe have him distract her with something witty he said. But every time she looked at the phone her stomach dropped to her toes and laying her head on her knees she'd sigh deeply. It didn't seem to matter how she twisted the thing around in her head. She was going to end up hurting him when she met him.
"Ugh." groaning softly she twisted her legs and arms tightly around herself, hugging her new books to her chest as hard as she could before sighing and relaxing again.
Wishing she had Sasuke's sketchbook to look at she shifted and pushed herself to her feet hoping that her friends were gone to finish the set up for the free skate so she could change and gather her things for the library without them there. They had to shovel the snow that had fallen during the night off the ice and set up the fire pits that Sasuke had been helping Naruto and the other boys get.
At the thought of him again her cheeks pulled hard to smile and she squished them down with her cold hands, blushing and shaking her head even though she was alone.
I'm hopeless...
The sun was blinding outside and trekking through the now nicely shoveled and salted walkways she got back to the dorm in half the time it had taken her to wade through the snow to the faculty building.
To her dismay she could see the hands of Sakura gesticulating wildly from her window as she spoke to someone else in the room and hanging her head drew in a deep breath before walking in.
"Okay... deep breaths... just... go in, change, grab your bag and out... Quick, quick, quick..."
Opening the door silenced the voices that had been so animated a few minutes ago, and she pressed the door closed with her back, eyeing her friends who were suddenly still and serious. Ino and Sakura were sitting on her bed as they put on their snow boots and Tenten rested her hands on her hips, her brown eyes peering intently over a scarf.
"So, you finally decide to make an entrance, huh?" Ino broke the silence and Hinata wrinkled her nose at her in an attempt to look unimpressed.
"I'm just... getting my things." She lifted a hand in a show of peace. "And... I'll be out of the way."
"Out of the way?" Sakura let out a little laugh that sounded dangerously close to a cackle. "No, no, dear. You have some explaining to do- for instance- what the heck happened to your forehead?" And she was up, suddenly concerned.
Blinking Hinata rearranged her fringe with shaky fingers. "N-nothing!"
"Wait, Naruto said Sasuke had one of those too!" Sakura's green eyes were aiming to come out of her head. "Did he... did he try to kiss you or something?"
Flames, flames everywhere. Hinata slapped a hand to her cheek to try to hide the rising heat. "No!"
Scrambling now she grabbed a sweater and pants from her closet while her friends followed her every move with their eyes.
"He did too didn't he?" Ino crowed.
"No, he didn't! I... I was stupid and I..." she shoved her new books into her book bag and hoped to god everything she needed was in there because she had no time to check. "We just crashed- it wasn't like that!"
"But it could be?" Tenten's inquiry was firm and Hinata blinked at her several times, trying to work up a lie.
"Aw, yay!" Sakura waved her arms in the air. "Yay!"
Deciding that changing was an unnecessary luxury Hinata grabbed her bag and started to head back towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Ino gasped. "Isn't it early? Talk to us!"
"You already know everything!" Hinata shouted over her shoulder, surrendering. This statement paused their manic energy for a second while they digested it's meaning and then all three began to talk at once excitedly. Slamming the door on their chatter Hinata stood in the hall, dragging in air slowly to calm herself and bring some of her natural color back to her face.
He had had just enough time to change into clothes not covered in soot from the fire pits before grabbing the last of their project and rushing out the door to meet Hinata at her dorm.
Naruto watched this all with a keen blue eye and a steadily growing grin. "So I hear you stopped at Hinata's before coming to help us out." He waved his cell phone. "You getting more and more clear with her, eh?"
Stiffening Sasuke frowned at him as he came out of the sweater he was shoving himself into. "Who told you that?"
"Sakura. Seems like Hinata ran off before they could interrogate her. The girls saw you through the window." And as Sasuke bent down to shove his feet into his shoes Naruto tapped on the now dim bruise on Sasuke's forehead earning an "Ow!" and a smack on the hand that echoed with force. Still the blonde chuckled. "Was this an attempt to kiss her or something?"
"No!" Sasuke breathed in deep through the nose and stood, grabbing his things. "Mind your own damn business. It was an accident."
"I hope she looks better than you. If Neji hears you so much as removed an eyelash from his precious little cousin-"
Flicking the blonde's forehead hard and making him flinch Sasuke ripped the door open. "Shut. Up. Idiot."
"Good luck, shy bastard!"
Shaking his head Sasuke scrambled out of there. He had figured that they would all get pleasure from teasing him about the situation but perhaps he had underestimated the amount. It was proving to be a constant, like the sound of cars in the city or the ocean waves at the beach he was almost more surprised when the conversation did not pertain teasing of some sort.
It had not occurred to him that perhaps Hinata was enduring some of the same things, but it certainly dawned on him when as he approached her dormitory she flung the door open and wide eyed stormed out into the snowy day, grabbing his arm and pulling hard.
"Quick!"
"What-?" He began, stumbling behind her a few steps before turning at the sound of the window ripping open on the second floor above the entrance. "Uchiha!" Ino was shouting, crammed in the little square with Sakura and Tenten. "Good job!"
Blinking at them over his shoulder he gaped for a second and mouth dry, slammed his jaw closed, turning away.
"Hina, you're adorable!" Sakura shouted, hands cupped over her mouth so they could hear.
"Someone told me once that sometimes... sometimes people need a good smack and then..." Hinata was suddenly ranting as they walked rapidly away from the dorm with the sound of the girls laughing behind them echoing in the icy landscape. "And then I slapped you and I... I hated it, I never wanted to do it again."
Surprised Sasuke let out a sound that was neither an encouragement or disagreement as she tugged him along by the sleeve. "But... but I so wanted to slap them right now..." she continued. "Just to see the surprise on their faces..."
A smirk, wide and appreciative rose to Sasuke's face then, and had she looked back she would have been blinded. Instead he commented lightly. "We could go back."
"No!"
"Joking. I'm joking."
This seemed to stop her abruptly, and turning around to face him she wore the same now familiar look on her face somewhere between disbelief and curiosity. "I didn't know you joked."
"Ouch."
"No! I- I-" she stopped as his smirk dawned on her and with a huff that fluttered her bangs she sighed and allowed her shoulders to relax a little before smiling tentatively. "I must have a 'tease me' sign on my back today."
"I didn't see anything."
"Of course you wouldn't." Her eye roll surprised him briefly and pondering the bit of attitude she could display he reached out, surprising her in turn by pushing her bangs away. "Your cousin is going to try to skin me for that." He muttered, pressing a thumb to the little scab and bruise.
Standing perfectly still Hinata looked straight at him, drawing his eyes down to hers by the sheer intensity of her gaze.
In the cold with only the stillness and their breaths lingering together between them Sasuke felt his heart plummet in his chest. There was a little frown on her features that wasn't so much upset as cautious. Caution with electricity running through it.
"Sasuke, are you-" She started and as he began to pull his hand away the doors of the library opened with a snap in the cool air, and a voice that made the blood drain from her face broke the quiet.
"Oh well, look at the lovebirds. Now it all makes sense." Sasori's easy well educated drawl drew their contradicting black and gray gaze to the library steps where he, Hidan and Deidara had paused to evaluate them.
Feeling suddenly as cold as the snow all around her Hinata dragged in a ragged bit of air that knifed through her lungs, clenching her bag strap so hard her knuckles ached in the chill. Slow and smooth Sasuke slid just an inch in front of her, half blocking her from their eyes, shoulders loose, hands in his pockets as he studied the three disinterestedly.
"You should keep walking." Sasuke's tone was a delicate twist of silk in the air.
"Surely you know how much I dislike being told what to do." Sasori rolled his eyes, taking another few steps down towards them languidly. Sasuke's eyes fluttered through the snow and ice of the campus, looking for witnesses and finding none. Neji was supposed to be arriving soon, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Consider it a suggestion then." Sasuke's voice was flat as he eyed Hidan, Deidara and Sasori in turn. His brother's words from the call the night before filtered through his head and he felt adrenaline start to pound through his veins, sharpening his sight and filling his lungs with extra air.
"I'll take it under advisement. Relax, Uchiha." Sasori's smile was charming as a wolf baring it's blood stained teeth. "I just want to have a quick word with Miss Hyuuga."
Hinata's hand was suddenly gripping Sasuke's arm in a vice that pinched and spoke of panic, he could feel her hot strangled breaths rapid fire against his neck.
"I think we both know that's not going to happen." Sasuke's tone remained barely conversational, even as he calculated how much force he would have to put into a blow to Sasori's face to break his nose.
Sasori in turn allowed his smile to wane then, letting out a heavy breath tinged with irritation. "Well, then. We may actually have a problem, won't we?"
Hidan's grin was wide and shark-like, even as he rolled his shoulders and started down the steps towards them, eyes intent on Hinata's darkening glare.
Oh snap.
Leave me some love, ne?
-Inky