So... This is my first time in ages writing a multi-chaptered fic. I actually didn't plan to start writing it until much later, but I realized that this is a story I kind of need to write for myself right now, so hey, yolo. (The world is in dire need of more Kuzuhina anyway.)

So yes, this fic is mainly Kuzuhina. (I might introduce other ships later, but I'm not completely sure what, when, and to what extent.) Initial inspiration came from the manga Honto Yajuu, but it quickly morphed into its own thing.

This is an AU, but it might make vague references/parallels to spoilers from the games in later chapters, so you have been warned! The rating may change later on too, though I've never written anything M-rated before so we'll just have to see...

The title was inspired by the song "Niji o Matsu Hito" (Those Who Wait For Rainbows) by BUMP OF CHICKEN. Go listen to it! I haven't found a completely satisfactory translation of the lyrics on the internet, but you can get the basic gist of it if you search.

Thanks to CSakuraS for being my beta as always. uvu

Finally, happy birthday Hinata! And happy new year, everyone!

Waiting for Rainbows
Chapter 1: A sound leaps into my sleepless body

Kibougaoka wasn't a bad place, all things considered. It was a quiet residential district in Tokyo; many of its buildings were from the Showa era, most of the businesses were locally-owned, and it lacked many of the features of a bustling city life. It wasn't the ideal place to live, but it was nice enough to settle for.

The same held true for the lives of many of its residents; though they had had great dreams and aspirations in their youth, most had met with troubles finding their desired work or hit other similar roadblocks, and had ended up settling for a less ideal, but more easily-attainable and still comfortable lifestyle.

Hajime Hinata was much the same; in fact, he had ended up falling back on his backup plan's backup plan, since... well, that wasn't really important. Regardless, he had ended up as a police officer at the koban near the town's train station, and that was fine. It wasn't what he had hoped to become, but he enjoyed interacting with the townspeople and helping out when needed.

There was very little crime in Kibougaoka, so his work was mostly just making the rounds and checking bicycle registrations, but it was relaxing and he made enough to support his single lifestyle for the time being. The residents were friendly, and after two years on the job he knew most of them by name, from the local school teachers to the fast-food delivery boy. Anytime he made the rounds in the neighborhood all but guaranteed an amicable greeting or two, usually leading into a friendly chat, so days tended to end on a high note.

It was little wonder, then, that Hinata was in a good mood that evening when he returned to the koban from making the rounds. He stared up at the koban building as he parked his bike; it was one of the more modern buildings in the area, and frankly looked a little odd, but he quickly shrugged off the design choice—it wouldn't change, no matter how often he pondered it—and stepped inside. "Sempai, I'm back!" he announced.

His supervisor glanced up at him briefly when he entered before turning her focus back onto her paperwork. "Good work, Hinata-kun," she said. Despite being a year younger than Hinata, Sergeant Kyoko Kirigiri had been on the force for three years longer and was the senior officer in charge of the koban. "Nothing out of the ordinary, I assume?"

"Is there ever?"

Kirigiri looked up at him again, sparing a small smirk. "No, I suppose there isn't." She shook her head and turned back to the desk. "You can head on home for tonight, then. I'll finish up here."

"Sounds good." Hinata headed into the changing room to quickly change out of his uniform before returning to the front area. "I'm going over to Kagayaki, but do you want me to pick some dinner up for you first?"

Kirigiri shook her head, not bothering to look up this time. "That's not necessary. I ordered some udon, which should actually be here any—"

"Kirigiri-san!"

The two officers looked towards the doorway as a familiar figure stepped inside, carrying a delivery box.

Kirigiri gave a wry smile and stood up. "Speak of the devil. Good evening, Naegi-kun."

Naegi grinned and set the box down on the desk. "Evening, Kirigiri-san! I've got your order right here." He looked over at Hinata and bobbed his head in greeting. "Are you headed out, Hinata-kun?"

"Yeah, I'm done for the day. Heading over to Kagayaki for a bite to eat." Hinata pulled his coat around him, preparing to step out into the chilly October air. "When are you off, Naegi? Want to come by for a drink after your shift?"

Naegi shook his head, laughing bashfully as he pulled Kirigiri's dinner from the box. "No, I have my other job after this. Besides, well... I mean, Hanamura-kun is nice and all, but..."

Hinata chuckled, clapping Naegi on the shoulder as he passed him on the way to the door. "I get it. I'll see you both later then, okay?"

"Right!" Naegi waved him off cheerfully. "Have a good night, Hinata-kun!"

"See you in the morning," Kirigiri added, just before Hinata stepped out onto the street.

He shivered slightly in the light breeze, pulling his coat closer around him. Just a few weeks earlier the summer heat had still been lingering stubbornly, but autumn seemed determined to make its entrance with a vengeance. Walking briskly to keep warm, Hinata navigated the few blocks to the local pub, eager to seek shelter from the wind.

Once he stepped into the doors of Izakaya Kagayaki, Hinata let out a relieved sigh, as if he had been holding his breath during the walk. The familiar chatter and lighting of the restaurant was comforting, and as he started pulling off his coat, he sought out a seat at the bar.

The cook and owner of the pub looked up, instantly noticing Hinata, and gave a friendly grin. "Evening, Hinata-kun!"

Hinata nodded at him as he sat down at the bar. "Hey, Hanamura. It's sure getting chilly out, isn't it?"

Hanamura leaned against the bar and smiled seductively. "Hmm, it sure is. Shall I warm you up tonight?"

"That's a great idea," Hinata deadpanned without missing a beat. "I'll have the salmon chazuke then."

Hanamura stared blankly at Hinata, who smirked in response.

"What?"

The cook sighed and shook his head. "Your reactions used to be so cute, too..."

"Hey, I've been here two years, I think I've learned your game by now."

Hanamura continued shaking his head as he filled a glass of beer and placed it in front of Hinata. "Here's your usual then, give me a few minutes for the chazuke."

Hinata shot the shorter man a thankful grin before raising the glass to his lips. While he waited for his meal, he looked back to see who else was there, waving to anyone who called out a greeting to him. It was the usual crowd, which wasn't surprising; while Kagayaki was popular among the local working class, the go-to spot for twenty-somethings to spend their evenings, it didn't tend to attract clientele from out of town.

Just a normal night at Kagayaki, then, Hinata mused as he nursed his beer in silence. Yeah, it was a pretty good life. It wasn't perfect, but it was peaceful and predictable, which was just fine.

"Salmon chazuke!" Hanamura announced as he set the soup down in front of Hinata, just as the front door slid open with a wham!

Hinata and Hanamura's heads whipped toward the entrance to see a young man they had never met before. That alone was strange enough, but as the figure approached the bar, Hinata couldn't help but notice how out-of-the-ordinary the newcomer was. He was short—not as short as Hanamura, but still about a head shorter than Hinata, he guessed—but between the sharp pinstriped suit, the blond buzz cut, and the sour expression on the stranger's youthful face, he actually looked pretty intimidating.

The young man slumped onto the barstool two seats down from Hinata, who exchanged looks with Hanamura. The two hadn't uttered a word since the stranger had entered, but it was clear that they were both a bit off-put by the development.

Hinata made a face at Hanamura, jerking his head towards the blond man, and finally Hanamura got the message and broke the silence, addressing the stranger. "Hey, welcome to Kagayaki! What can I get for you?"

"Shochu. Straight," the man grumbled as he pulled his tie loose, obviously irritated by something. "And lots of it."

"Right." Hanamura's eyes flickered to Hinata for a split second before settling back on his new customer. "Do you happen to have ID?"

Hinata barely suppressed a groan at the same time that the young man slammed his hands on the countertop with a growl and pulled himself closer to the cook, his eyes flaring in anger. "Are you treating me like a fucking kid?!" he shouted, and Hanamura cowered back. "Don't fucking patronize me, got it?!"

"Hey, hold on there," Hinata cut in, trying to diffuse the situation. "Look, he cards everyone the first time they come in. He even carded Nidai the first time." Hinata gestured to the hulking high school gym teacher sitting at one of the low tables in the dining area, drinking alongside the elementary school's gym teacher as usual. "It's unusual for an izakaya, but Hanamura's kind of paranoid, though I keep telling him not to be." Hinata gave Hanamura a pointed look at this; he'd told the cook time and again that he didn't need to be so uptight, even with an off-duty police officer around.

The blond stranger pulled his mouth into a thin line, obviously still annoyed, but he sat back down on the stool, grumbling as he pulled out his resident card and slapped it on the countertop.

Hinata got only a glance of the card before Hanamura picked it up to inspect it. All that he caught was that the guy's last name started with "Ku," and the crest printed on the card was of a town a few districts over, further inland. So he wasn't from the immediate area; why would he come to Kagayaki, then?

"Okay, looks good," Hanamura said, handing the card back to its owner. The young man swiped the card back and huffed as he tucked it away, while Hanamura poured the liquor.

Hinata ate his soup absently while watching the stranger out of the corner of his eye. He was obviously of drinking age if Hanamura actually served him, but as he downed a glass of the hard liquor and demanded a refill, Hinata had to wonder if he actually had the tolerance for straight shochu. The guy was pretty tiny, after all, and he wasn't even eating anything with it.

Sure enough, the alcohol was soon obviously taking effect, and the man was still ordering more drinks despite his head laying on the counter.

"Er..." Hinata spoke up tentatively, pushing his empty soup bowl away. "Are you sure you should still be drinking? You're not looking so great..."

"Shaddup," the stranger murmured, his words muffled against the countertop. "I can drink what I want."

Hinata glanced at Hanamura, who just shrugged helplessly. "You should at least eat something though. The yakitori is pretty good—"

"Leave me the fuck alone!" the man yelled, slamming a hand against the counter. "Owner! Another drink, now!"

Hinata caught Hanamura's eye and shook his head sharply—the stranger was obviously getting more belligerent with each drink. Hanamura was always painfully spineless in such situations, however, and Hinata sighed as yet another glass of shochu was poured.

And so it continued, the blond man lifting his head from the counter only to demand another drink, dropping back to the table once the glass was empty. Before long, he stopped lifting his head completely.

Hanamura looked at Hinata, panic evident in his eyes.

"I told you to stop filling his glass," Hinata said.

"I-I know you did, but he..." Hanamura trailed off and nervously shook the stranger by the arm. "Sir? Are you all right?"

The blond man stirred and slowly lifted his head, and relief flooded Hanamura's face, only to disappear again when the man pointed a finger straight at him. "You."

Hanamura was obviously flustered. "Y-yes sir?"

"Y'know what?"

"Yes...?"

There was a pause as the stranger simply stared at the cook through unfocused eyes, until finally he slurred, "Yer a fuckin' good man."

Hinata almost expected Hanamura to make a lewd joke out of that, but he was clearly too bewildered to be in his usual promiscuous mood. "I... thank you?"

"Yeah." The blond man laid his head back on the counter, fiddling with his empty glass, but no longer demanding that it be refilled. "Too many fuckin' kids drinkin' underage these days, and too many goddamn fuckin' dumbasses just lettin' them get away with it. But yer a good guy, checking IDs. Keep bein' good."

Hinata couldn't help being amused despite himself. It was like the stranger had become so abrasive that he just looped back around to cordiality.

"People fuckin' suck in general. Too many dumbasses in this world. Really pisses me off. And you!"

Hinata was surprised to find himself being addressed this time. The short man lifted himself up and moved over one seat, so that he was sitting right next to Hinata. He leaned in closer, eyes trained directly on Hinata's, and Hinata had to fight not to squirm and look away. If there was one thing he was self-conscious about, it was his eyes, and he definitely was not comfortable with a complete stranger staring right at them.

"You've got nice eyes."

What? Hinata blinked down at the smaller man, who still hadn't backed off. He actually thought his eyes were nice? Even though those bizarre stress lines hadn't faded yet? Hinata raised a hand to his face awkwardly as he felt a strange warmth flooding his chest. He felt... flattered? Was that what it was?

The blond man still hadn't moved, his eyes unfocused, and the situation was getting exponentially more uncomfortable with every passing moment. Hinata finally tried breaking the silence. "Uh... Could you back off now?"

The stranger didn't respond at first, didn't even seem to be completely aware of the situation anymore, but finally his gaze focused on Hinata again, his brow furrowing. "I feel sick."

"Okay then!" Hinata quickly extricated himself from the awkward position and jumped off the stool before the contents of the other man's stomach ended up on his shirt. "Let's get you out of here, all right?" He grabbed the stranger by the arm, having to bend down significantly to support him on his shoulder, then pulled out a small wad of bills from his pocket. "Here, Hanamura." He slapped the money into the counter. "This should cover my stuff and his."

Without another moment to spare, Hinata grabbed his coat and escorted the man out of the pub.

Once they were out of the pub, Hinata took a grateful breath of fresh air before shifting his shoulder slightly to be supporting the other man in a more comfortable position. "Hey, you feeling better? Can you walk at all?"

An irritated grumble was all he got in response, so Hinata sighed and got ready for the trek. "Let's get you a taxi so you can get home."

"What are you doing?"

Hinata jumped slightly, then struggled to look over his shoulder to see who had called out to him. A woman in a tailored black suit was walking briskly towards him, her glasses glinting under the streetlamps, silver hair swinging in a single braid. "Uh..."

"Let me guess." The woman had caught up to them, and she sighed as she gave the smaller man a once-over. "He drank himself into a stupor, didn't he? I knew I should have gone in with him..."

Hinata blinked at the woman blankly. She seemed to have a covered sword of some sort slung across her back, and on impulse he almost asked if she had a license to carry, but he decided there were more pressing matters. "Do you know this guy, then? I was about to take him to the main street to hail a cab..."

"That won't be necessary," the woman answered sharply before pulling out a phone in a single smooth motion. She turned her back on them momentarily, speaking inaudibly into the phone, before hanging up and turning back to level Hinata with a stern stare. "I've called for a car to pick him up. Thank you for tending to the young master, but we can take it from here."

"A car?!" Hinata couldn't help but to let out a surprised yelp. No one drove cars in Kibougaoka... He wasn't even sure the streets were wide enough to accommodate a car. And did she just call him "young master"? What the hell is going on here?

Before even a minute had passed, Hinata heard the growl of a motor from around the corner, and sure enough, a sleek black car barreled down the street, stopping on a dime in front of the pub. He gaped openly at the sight, nearly losing his grip on the inebriated man in his shock. Was that a... a Benz? Hinata honestly didn't know much about cars, but one of his friends from high school did, and this was definitely one of the cars Hinata had seen him drooling over in automotive magazines back in the day.

Hinata's head was spinning as he tried to process it all. None of this happened in Kibougaoka, ever. Sure, sometimes that Togami guy would show up to check up on his family's business investments, but that was different, somehow. It was more... wholesome?

Hinata froze while helping the smaller man into the car and turned to stare at the woman, earning a quizzical expression in return. He looked between the two strangers, feeling like pieces were slowly clicking together as his body moved on autopilot. The suits, the car, the very aura surrounding these people... There was definitely something shady about them.

Once the man was safely placed inside the car and the door closed, Hinata stepped back cautiously, unsure of what he was supposed to do. The woman regarded him carefully once more before giving a slight bow and disappearing around the other side of the car. A moment later, the car was driving away, around the corner and out of sight.

Hinata stared after where the car had disappeared, gears still spinning in his head. That was... was there any other explanation for what had just happened? Surely there must be. There just had to be. Because Kibougaoka was peaceful, quiet, and quite frankly, boring.

So why in the world would there be yakuza there?

Notes: In which Kazuichi Souda is relegated to an unnamed cameo.

I tried to find a real-world explanation for the lines in Hinata's eyes. There is none, but I think what I came up with is probably good enough!

"Kibougaoka" means "hope's hill," eheheh. (Less impressive-sounding than "hope's peak," and also sounds more like the name of a suburb!) No relation to Kibogaoka in Yokohama.

Thanks for reading! Any and all comments, questions, and criticisms are more than welcome!