"The important thing is to take your time. The good things aren't going to run away from you, Hinata. They'll be there. When you're ready."

In a small little community center that entertains for more sixty-plus Bingo players than people her age, Hinata sits and loops strand after strand of multicolored yarn over knitting needles. There's something calming about the mindless repetition of it.

Loop.

Cinch.

Loop.

Cinch.

Not quite as centering as her Baguazhang, but it's nice and calming. Plus, Sensei isn't shouting out enthusiastic encouragement for her to embrace her inner fire every few minutes. So...it's quiet too.

She could use some quiet.

She smiles a little as Maddie-the group's self-appointed "instructor"-peers over her shoulder and tells Hinata to: "Scoop the loop like you mean it, girl."

"I'm scooping," she assures her grey haired companion.

Hinata is far more comfortable with this group of older and elderly women than she has ever been with most of her own peers. She thinks that says something about her, but she's not sure what.

It's not that she doesn't like people her own age. She just finds it hard to relate sometimes.

Inoichi would call her behavior "retreating".

Hinata doesn't necessarily disagree.

But she also really likes it, so she continues. It's her "down time". So...not really a retreat. More of a breather. She's doing more now than she's ever done before.

She is at Eight Gates five times a week. Self-defense every Tuesday. Her knitting group every other Sunday and on the off Sunday she visits Hanabi. Inoichi is now "as needed".

She fits in her grocery shopping when she can because she doesn't need as much as she used to and she takes time to try new restaurants with Ino. She even went to an archery event with her instructor Tenten. Sometimes, Hinata will walk around the city. In her new neighborhood.

Each day poses new challenges and new triumphs.

She's getting better at accepting both.

She's not getting any better at missing Naruto.

She's not sure that will ever change.

She's trying not to overthink things with them. He calls. They talk. But...not about anything deep. It's all shallow conversations and idle chatter.

Part of her is grateful for that.

She's not really ready for the heavy stuff. At least, not about herself.

But she still wants to know about him.

How he's doing. Really.

Is he taking his medication?

Did he remember to pay his bills?

Is he eating right?

Is he happy?

That's the one she's scared of the most.

Because...what if he is?

What if he's happier without her?

Maybe he should be.

Happier, that is.

Maybe...maybe…What a terrible word. Maybe.

There was no maybe.

She wanted him happy.

Even if that meant happier without her.

He deserved that.

She should give him that chance.

To move on.

To be happy.

Even if that meant she wouldn't be.

Ino has a friend. A friend that will be joining them for their evening out. At an art exhibit.

Specifically, Ino's new boyfriend's art exhibit.

"I invited him because he's going through some shit and he's a good friend," Ino explains. "So it's not like I'm trying to blindside blind-date you. He's a nice guy," Ino continues, stirring her tea. "And not a nice-guy nice guy, but genuinely. Choji's one of the best men I know." She licks her stir stick and sets it onto her napkin. "Definitely deserves better than that bitch he was with."

Hinata's fingernails tap out a nervous staccato rhythm on the cafe tabletop. "Ino-"

"It's just a night out, Hinata. With me and Sai and a someone new. You've had worse Saturday nights."

That's true.

Mean.

But true.

Hinata sighs, leaning back against the hardback of her chair. "It still feels very much like it would be kind of a date," she tells Ino.

"Would that be so terrible? To put yourself out there? To try something new?"

Hinata gives her a disbelieving look. "That's all I've been doing," she counters. "Trying new things. Trying to be...to be me. I'm putting myself out there. Just because I don't want to hook up with-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, miss hoity-toity-sex-freak. No one said anything about 'hooking up'." Ino looks genuinely affronted.

Hinata can feel her ears burn with her blush. "You know what I mean."

Ino lets out a soft exhale and reaches across the table to place her hand over Hinata's. "I do. And there's no pressure. If you want me to call and uninvite him-"

Hinata shakes her head. That would be insufferably rude. Besides, Ino mentioned that he was going through a hard time. It hardly seemed fair that Hinata's hard time mattered more when Ino clearly cared about him. "No. Just...No, it'll be fine." She forces a smile. "We'll have fun. It'll be fun."

Ino hesitates. "You sure?"

Hinata nods even though she is not, in fact, sure. "Yes."

They meet Choji and Sai at the gallery.

Hinata wasn't sure what she was expecting-Ino didn't reveal very much-but Choji did not match any of her mental pictures. He's a big guy. Solid build, on the husky side, with long brown hair and the kindest dark eyes that Hinata has probably ever seen.

He looks as nervous as she feels, which she finds oddly comforting. It's the first formal event she's been to in a long time. She feels a bit self conscious.

She holds out her hand, ignoring the way it shakes. "Hi. I'm Hinata Hyuuga."

"Hi. Choji Akimichi." His grip is firm but not harsh and his palms have work callouses.

Hinata pauses. His name rings a bell. She thinks about the new restaurants she and Ino have been to. "Akimichi? As in Akimichi's? The Japanese BBQ place?"

Choji flushes but nods. "Japanese-Korean," he corrects with a quiet pride. "Yeah. That's my family's restaurant. We're opening another one next year."

"The food is really good," Hinata says with a gentle smile.

"Ino tells me you're not quite as miserable as usual." Sai cuts in, directing his comment at Hinata. "I'm glad to hear it."

Beside him Ino places her hand to her forehead and gives a lamenting exhale. "Sai! What did I tell you about that?"

"It's all right," Hinata shakes her head with a twist of her lips. Sai may be even more socially awkward than she is, which is a feat, so she takes his idiosyncrasies in stride. "Thank you, Sai. It's good to see you too."

"Shall we?" Choji offers Hinata his arm.

She nods, accepting, and follows him into the gallery.

Sai's art is impressive. The crowd even more so.

It doesn't take long for Hinata to feel overwhelmed and out of place.

"Crowds not really your thing?" Choji asks her as he leads her away from some of the noise. He snags two glasses of champagne from a passing server.

Hinata gives him a look, taking the offered drink. She can have one or two and not mess with her medicine, so she sips it slowly. "Was it that obvious?" she asks.

He chuckles. "A bit." He turns to stare at one of Sai's starker canvases with only minimal strokes of vivid color. It's stark-but also captivating. "He's really good," Choji comments.

Hinata nods. "Ino really likes him." She turns to look over her shoulder, spotting the couple surrounded by patrons. Ino is close to Sai's side-both protective and affectionate. Hinata's never really seen her friend so smitten before.

Choji follows her gaze, and wears a smile of his own. "He better be good to her."

They share a long silence between them before Choji clears his throat. "Uh, Hinata…" He takes a drink from his flute and coughs a bit. "I don't know how much Ino told you. I just want to be upfront with you. I'm not looking for anything. I just got out of a relationship and I'm really not planning on jumping into another one. I wanted to, I dunno, be as honest as I can be." He downs the rest of his champagne and pays attention to his shoes.

Hinata can't help the relieved half laugh that escapes her.

At his curious look, she feels like she should clarify, so as not to hurt his feelings. "Oh, uhm, me too. On all of that." She makes a vague gesture with her free hand and smiles, a bit ironically.

"Oh. Cool." He winces. "No. Not cool. Sorry. I mean-shit. See, this is why even if I wanted to date it'd be a disaster."

Hinata tucks her chin and gives him the most genuine smile she's given in days. "I don't think that's true."

He returns her smile and she catches a glimpse of some sadness in his kind eyes."So, what happened?" he asks her. "To you and whomever. If you don't mind my asking."

Hinata tenses unintentionally and then forces herself to relax. It's just a question. "We needed different things." It's the only answer she has at the moment.

Choji nods and makes a sympathetic sound.

Hinata swallows. "And, uh, you?"

"I asked her to marry me."

Hinata blinks and nearly drops her glass. "Oh." Wow, she was still super good at putting her foot into her mouth. "I'm sorry. I didn't-"

He waves a hand and swallows. "Naw. It's okay." It clearly wasn't. But he was still smiling and that was genuine, so she nodded too.

"Marriage isn't for everyone," he continues and HInata recognizes a rehearsed line when she hears one. "Better to figure that out beforehand rather than fifteen years in. right? Karui was super intense. She's a go-getter and she has a list of adventures and dreams longer than I am wide. I thought that maybe I was one of them." He shrugs a bit awkwardly. "And it's something I still want. Eventually." He pauses and glances at her guiltily. Almost like he's ashamed to have revealed so much. Clearing his throat he shifts from foot to foot. "Uh, what about-what about you? You ever see yourself getting married?"

The question causes her to inhale a bit sharper. The answer is yes. Of course. And she always pictured it with Naruto. Always.

But it's not something they've ever talked about.

She's never actually asked him what his opinions were on it-nor he, hers. Which is (thinking about it now) kind of a red-flag. Four years and no talk of what the next step was. Because there was always something else to take care of… Always something else to handle.

Did she still want marriage?

A family?

Yes.

Slowly, she nods. "Yeah...I think that someday...yes."

They turn their gazes back to Sai's painting.

Ino goes home with Sai. That leaves it up to Choji to drive HInata home.

She's hesitant at first-old habits and all that-but Ino's known Choji since before HInata, apparently, and vouched for him.

So here she sits, in his car, outside of her apartment complex.

"I had a really nice time." She means it. After the awkwardness and crowded posh socialites it actually wasn't bad.

Choji blushes a bit, and rubs his chin."Yeah. You know what? Me too." He inhales deep before looking at her again. "I know neither of us is looking for anything right now, but this was nice. You're a good listener, and I actually did have a good time. I wouldn't mind doing it again."

She blinks at him, slightly confused. "You mean another date?"

"I mean bowling."

"Bowling?"

"Yeah. Rolling balls down a crooked lane to knock over some shoddy pins."

Hinata chuckles. "I know what bowling is."

He grins. "If you're game."

"I haven't been bowling before," she muses.

"Sounds like you need to go, then."

She turns to him, brows raised. "I don't think bowling is a need."

"Says the woman that's never done it." He slants her a look. "So, what do you say?"

It's not a date. Not really.

But it's still putting herself out there.

She nods. "Sounds good."

"Cool. Tomorrow? Around seven?"

She nods. "I'm apartment 8."

"All right then."

She slips out of his car and watches him drive off.