Hinata took Public Speaking in college in an attempt to get over her near crippling shyness and help with her stutter. One of the things she learned during the course was the importance of preparation.

Words came easier if you practiced them.

Hinata had mentally prepared herself for when she would speak to Naruto again.

She'd rehearsed it in her head probably a hundred times.

So, she thought she would be ready-whenever the time came.

Her reaction to her phone ringing and a picture of Naruto flashing on her cell phone screen makes a liar of her and her practice.

Her hands shake so much she almost drops it before she can get it to her ear and squeeze out a faint, "Hello?"

"Hey, hi, Hinata. It's me, it's Naruto."

His voice.

In real time and not some left over voicemail.

She closes her eyes and takes a steadying breath. "I know," she says quietly.

There's a pretty long pause before he comes back with, "So, um, what is… what the fuck is going on?"

"Um," She pauses herself, glancing at her semi-open office door and knowing that this conversation deserved more time than a rushed 'lunch' call. "I don't have very long to talk. My lunch break is almost over. I can call you after work-"

He cuts her off, impatient. "No. No, I want you to tell me right now." He pauses again. "Please."

"I don't know where to start," she admits. This is really not the time, but she doesn't want him to feel like she's brushing him off, so she hesitates.

"How 'bout, why did you take your stuff from our place and never answer my phone calls." He sounds so hurt. Bitterness and heat in his voice.

She flinches.

"That's probably a good place. To start." He adds.

She tries not to get angry in return, but there's a bite to her own words. "You were calling me from a payphone in the middle of the night. It's not like I could call you back in the morning."

"You could have answered." He snaps.

She doesn't want to fight. She really, really, doesn't. "Naruto."

"Did you at least get my messages?"

She could lie. She doesn't.

"...I did."

"And?" He is demanding some sort of reaction from her. She knows he's hurting, and she knows that it's partly her fault. She wants him to know that was not her intention. That's why she left. But she can see people returning to their desks, office chatter is getting louder.

Lunch is almost over.

"I'm sorry. For hurting you, and making you worry." Her throat tightens up and it's harder to talk. She doesn't have much time, but she needs him to know, "I thought this would be best."

He makes a sound like a snort on the other end. "Um, for whom?"

"Both of us."

"I'm sorry, but I think you're doing this wrong because it's fucking shit for me. So..."

She doesn't want it to be shit for him. She wants him to be okay. She wants to be okay. She wants more than five rushed minutes to explain. She wants him to stop attacking her. "Naruto…"

He cuts her off. Again. "Where's your stuff?"

Oh. We're going there. Okay. She bites her lip. "It's, uhm, in my new apartment."

He exhales loudly into the mouthpiece. "Why? What's wrong with the old apartment?" She can hear his voice shaking. It hurts her so much to know that she's the reason.

"It's a clean break. It's better for both of us." This is what she practiced.

"How about, no? No. I don't like that." He sounds livid.

She can practically hear his teeth grind.

He's furious at her.

He's blaming her.

And before...well, she would have let him.

Before she would have blamed herself, too.

She forcibly stops that train of thinking in its tracks.

It wasn't just her.

As hard as that is to accept. For her or for him.

Doesn't make it hurt any less.

Doesn't make her heart any less broken.

"I'm sorry. Naruto. I'm so sorry. Okay? I just… I can't do this anymore." She's fighting tears.

"Can't do what? What? Whatever it is, it's fine, don't do it anymore. Just come back."

If only.

If only it were that easy.

But already she's struggling to breathe.

To focus on anything other than him.

She doesn't want to feel like this.

She sniffs and then firms her resolve. "I can't. I can't take care of you anymore. I can't worry about you all day. I can't beg you to get better anymore. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry but I can't do it."

"Don't then. That's fine. Don't. Just come back." His voice cracks. "All I want is for you to come back."

She hurt him.

She can't undo that.

She can't take it back.

No matter what he says, she knows that this will be between them. He will hold his hurt over her.

Because she'll let him.

She's not ready.

"I've spent four years only worried about what you want and need," she tells him as gently as she can while she feels so raw. "I can't anymore. Okay? I'm a person too. I can't do this anymore."

"Do what? What? Whatever ever it is, I can fix it. I'll fix it. I'll do it, just tell me."

He doesn't get it.

It's not something she can explain in ten minutes, so she sighs. "I have to go."

"Hey, hey please don't. Please-"

"I'll call you later."

She hangs up and breathes.