summary: Because in between the awkward conversations and the pouring rain, I fell in love with you.

a/n: AU because it makes me happy.

22| Caught in the Rain

She groaned softly when she looked on as the rain poured down.

She had been so careless in leaving the house without an umbrella even when her cousin had warned her. With a dejected sigh she slumped against the wall and looked at the students that collected their umbrellas and left in a rush.

Her eyes wandered around before they landed on a couple, a couple she knew too well. She watched as the boy told the girl he'd get her umbrella before he rushed over and she watched with wide eyes as he took a pink umbrella (probably hers) and stuffed it were it couldn't be seen. She arched and eyebrow as he picked up his own black umbrella before he walked back over.

It seemed he lied to the girl about the whereabouts of her own umbrella because she slumped forward and then the hand gripping her bag tightened its hold. She swore the girl was probably going anything in her reach to show her frustration. However, her anger was soon forgotten when the boy nodded in the direction of the exit before walking ahead of her.

She almost giggled at his antics, leave it to him to be the only boy who would ever go through so much trouble just to get the girl he likes to share an umbrella with him. She supposed it was almost out of character for the boy but then again it's probably a side of him no one really knows about. The girl beamed up at him as he opened the umbrella outside and allowed her to follow into step behind him.

She sighed softly and stood up from her place on the ground, intent on just running home. She had told the driver she didn't need anyone to pick her up today and she could just call but she knew when she told him to take the day off he was thrilled. She'd hate to call him and then have him curse under his breath about how much of a brat she was.

Neji would've sighed and said she was just too nice.

She stepped out and watched as the rain poured ahead of her, she gripped her bag tightly and wondered if her father would scold her for arriving home drenched. She made to step out towards the actual rain before someone cleared their throat behind her.

She looked behind her and up to see a boy standing there.

He was wearing a small frown on his lips as he looked at her, "you okay?"

She nodded her head, she'd seen this boy before. He was quite famous, as she recalled Neji speaking of him. He was supposed to be this big trouble maker who only ensured that those around him got hurt or in trouble. She had always thought Neji was exaggerating, that no one did those things on purpose, even if she never met the boy she always found herself defending him.

But here he was now, looking down at her expectantly.

"You're Neji's cousin, aren't you?"

"Y-You know Neji-nii?" she asked softly, her hold on her bag loosening up a bit.

He nodded his head with a chuckled, "who doesn't know the know-it-all, besides he was the one that got beaten by Haruno Sakura for vice president of the student council."

Hinata pursed her lips as to not laugh, remembering how bitter and moody Neji had been when he told her and Hinabi that he had been beaten by the, and she quotes, "Uchiha-asshole" and "Pink-haired know-it-all." It had taken a total of five weeks for Neji to move on from the subject, much to her father's chagrin.

"So you're name?"

She squeaked in surprise before she felt her cheeks burn up, "H-Hyuga H-Hi-Hinata."

"Hm," he smiled, "Hinata-chan."

She blushed at how he seemed to throw caution out into the wind and decided to add -chan to her name, like they've known each other for a while. Gripping her bag tightly, once again, she took a small step back and the boy chuckled.

"Y-You don't k-know me," she told him with a frown, "isn't t-that t-too fa-familar?"

He shrugged, "eh, I'm Uzumaki Naruto."

Her eyes widened as she looked at him, "n-nice to meet you, U-Uzumaki-san."

"Uzumaki-san?" he scoffed, "I sound old and the only old person here is Tsunade-bachan."

Hinata cringed at how he used their principal's name so casually, like he didn't care for respect. Stepping further back she looked towards the school's gate and only exit at this point, she wondered if she could run because this boy was strange.

"Did you forget your umbrella, Hinata-chan?"

She blinked and looked back towards him, the rain was still pouring behind her and she contemplated saying she did to see if he could help her. But what if she said that and he merely laughed and left here there stranded, what if she had to stay there because the rain didn't clear up? She'd starve to death and then her father would have to send out a search party and Neji would be furious with her, and Hinabi would-

"Hinata-chan?"

"Yeah, I f-forgot," she spoke softly, "I d-didn't think it w-would ra-rain all day."

He smiled down at her as he stepped forward, she watched as he opened his umbrella and pulled it under him. For a while he didn't move and she wondered what he was even doing there just standing.

He turned his head to look at her once more and he gave her another smile, but this one was much different from those other ones. She wasn't sure how it was different but it was, it seemed to brighten up the gloomy atmosphere around her.

"Come on," he smiled, "I'll walk you home."

She stood still for a few minutes before walking forward hesitantly, once they were both under the umbrella they began walking. Hinata wanted to ask him if his house was on the way to her own but she feared being shut down for asking too many things.

"So Hinata-chan, do you like ramen?" he asked, his eyes remained on the street ahead of them.

She blinked before nodding her head slowly, "I s-suppose."

"Hm," he smiled, "have you ever been to Ichiraku?"

She looked away from the street and up at him, "I h-haven't."

"Tch, what a shame," he sighed, "they've got the best ramen in town."

"Is that so?" a small smile made its way to her face.

He nodded his head laughing, "yeah, especially their Miso ramen."

She hummed softly, looking up at him she noticed that the smile he had given her back at school still wasn't gone. She was amazed by how different he was from what everyone else said, they called him troublesome and moody and they all said he was anti-social. She was confused, was this the boy they all spoke about, he seemed so different. This boy wasn't at all troublesome or moody, nor was he anti-social. He was talkative and he had the warmest personality she'd ever come across, he looked like a generally easy person to get along with.

Why did people say those things if they weren't true?

"Uzumaki-san," she cleared her throat, "a-are you o-okay?"

He blinked before looking down at her with an arched eyebrow, he looked amused, "I'm fine actually, Hinata-chan."

"Oh, o-okay," she blushed, looking down at the floor quickly.

"You're the first person who's ever asked me that, Hinata-chan," he chuckles, "no one ever bothers with me."

That's when it finally dawns on her, this boy, he isn't what everyone thinks he is. They all believe these weird and crazy stories of him because they've never given him the time of day to explain himself and to show them that there's more than him than what meets the eye.

Smiling to herself she wonders if she's the only one who's seen this side of him.

"You're really pretty when you smile, Hinata-chan."

She feels her face heat up and she decides she'll keep her eyes trained on the ground. Even if he seems like a sweet boy the one thing she cannot accept are his blunt comments, those have to be the worst.

"T-Thank you," she whispers.

"So Hinata-chan, home come you're so quiet?"

She blinks before looking up at him, he's noticed that? Here she was thinking she was invisible because she would never be as intelligent as her cousin Neji or as out-going as her younger sister Hinabi. All this time she thought no one even knew who she was, she always felt like a shadow to her family members, but this boy, he noticed.

"D-Do I seem t-that way?"

He nodded, "yeah, you always look so sad and I don't know but seeing you sad makes me...sad."

She feels the heat rush back to her face but before she can ask him what that even means he stops. She stops before she comes out of the umbrella and looking around she notes that they're finally at her own home.

He whistles lowly, "Neji lives here, well I suppose it's to be expected, you guys are a very influential family."

"T-Thank you f-for wa-walking me home," she whispers, looking away from him.

He chuckles, "No problem, I liked walking with you, it's refreshing."

She looks at him slowly, "h-how so?"

"You're the first girl who's never kept her distance, you didn't show fear when I approached you," he smiles brightly.

Hinata blinks as she steps towards the gates, taking a deep breath she looks back at him, "there's nothing to be afraid, you're quite...friendly."

She walks forward to the small tower to let the guards know they can open the door before he lets out a laugh. She looks back once more and notes that he's still laughing, his umbrella swaying this way and back. With wide eyes she rushes to his side and holds his hand still as he'll get wet and probably sick if he doesn't keep himself covered.

"Y-You'll g-get si-sick," she tells him.

Before she can say anything else he stops laughing and his head bows, his blond hair falling over his face. She watches with wide eyes as the smile he had on his lips prior to this leaves a small frown settling itself on his lips.

"You care?" he asks lowly.

She stops short and looks down at him, "w-what?"

"That's good then," he says softly.

Before she can register whats going on he's drops the umbrella and all she hears is the small noise it makes once it comes in contact with the ground before his arms wrap around her body and he pulls her in. She freezes completely as she looks ahead of her, the boy is clinging to her tightly, like he's afraid of something, she's not sure.

"U-Uzumaki-san?"

"Tch," he chuckles, "call me Naruto-kun."

"But I-"

"Sh," he whispers into her hair, "please."

She slumps forward, "al-alright Naruto-k-kun."

He takes a deep breath in before he tightens his hold her, "people like you...I like."

Before she can respond he presses his lips to her own in a small chaste kiss. She feels her face grown hot and her heart drums in her ribcage before his arms slip away from her and he makes to retrieve his umbrella. He doesn't say anything else before he begins to walk away, in the direction they just came from.

With wide eyes she realizes that he doesn't even live here and with that simple fact she feels her face heat up even more. This boy, he's strange, yes, but he isn't what others make him out to be.

"People like you...I like."

She forgets that she's still in the rain as she presses her small hand to her lips and smiles.

Perhaps she should learn to forget her umbrella more often, maybe it'd give her another chance to get caught in the rain with Naruto-kun.

ES: I hope you guys liked the prompt, I'm suffering because of the new chapter. Someone hold me.

[thanks for reading]