Note from the Author: -- Sadly, I think everything that happens to Hinata while she's working … has happened to me. Le sigh.
… a little out of focus here ...
It was pouring. It reminded Hinata a little of the way the sun glinted off of wind chimes as they clinked together on summer afternoons. Only now, it was early January, there was no sun, and the rain sparkled with its own special light, and played its own soprano song.
She tied her running shoes tight, making sure no water would find its way to her socks.
It had been snowing not three days ago, but it had melted away with the fifty-degree weather now present. And now, as if the clouds insisted upon letting go of their precipitation, the raindrops came down like miniature grenades, destroying tiny pebble villages along the pavement.
She stepped out onto the porch, arching her back into a stretch, so that her fingers brushed against the front door. She enjoyed running in the rain. Her father told her on a regular basis that she was going to get either hypothermia or pneumonia this way, but she didn't care. No one was around to stare at her when it rained – no one was outside enjoying the beautiful weather, because there was no beautiful weather to enjoy.
Jogging down the steps, she started down the walk and turned left out of the cul de sac she lived in, and then right down the street that ran through her entire subdivision. Five or six more cul de sacs branched off of this road, and two other roads. Hinata's route was to take the main street all the way through until she reached the second of the two branch streets, then she would turn right on it. That street eventually curved back to meet the other branch street, and the route would take her straight back to her own cul de sac.
It was a long run, but not so long that she was physically unable to run it, and long enough to give her a work-out, and enough time to contemplate whatever she needed to, without overanalyzing it.
Her subject for today was Neji. She had worked with him three times now, and he was curt and cold.
As her feet smacked against the wet pavement, her arms pumping at her sides, her mind wandered away, visiting memories that she hadn't known she'd held onto, and she didn't realize she picked up her pace.
When they were young, he had been a very sweet boy, who smiled often, and had always taken care of her when she needed to be taken care of. He loved her in the way a little boy can love a little girl, in the way he was taught to love by the people in his life, not by his actual understanding of the idea of love. When Hinata thought about it, she knew that she felt for him as she had always imagined the Disney princesses had felt for their princes Charming. She was the damsel-in-distress, and he had been her knight in shining armor.
Hinata slowed to a halt, breathing heavily, noting that she was standing in front of her house again. She blinked up at the three-story building, and trudged up the walk, intent on curling up on the couch in front of the television until she had to go to work.
0
Neji fumed his way up to the front door of the Hyuuga manor, his umbrella close above his head. He had no interest in spending time with Hinata. His father was a psycho, that was the only explanation he could come up with.
He certainly didn't hate her. When they were young, they had been always together, but while his parents were ready to simply forgive her family, he wasn't. He didn't think they had earned his forgiveness just yet. And he wasn't going to give it to them – even if it meant hurting Hinata again.
Ringing the doorbell, he let down the umbrella and tightened the tie on his ponytail, straightening so that it fell smoothly down his back.
Hiashi answered, and Neji bowed. "Hiashi-sama." He greeted him curtly. "I'm here -."
"I know." His uncle cut him off, unsmiling. "Your father called."
Neji resisted the urge to scowl. So his father hadn't thought he would actually go. He called Hiashi so that everyone was expecting him to be there.
When he moved aside, Neji stepped into the building, slipping his shoes off so that he wouldn't track the mud through the house.
"She's on the second floor in the den." Hiashi pointed out the staircase. "Go right up."
Neji nodded and started slowly up the stairs, stripping off his raincoat on the way.
0
Hinata fell onto the couch, completely worn-out. She hadn't been running in a while, and it had really taken its toll. Laying her head down on the cushion, she closed her eyes, feeling the thrum of music running through her. Her sister, Hanabi, was apparently blaring her music from the basement. She could feel the beats all the way up here. Letting go, she let the lullaby take her away.
0
Neji stopped at the door to the den, taking a deep breath, and opened it. He blinked at the sight he found. Hinata was curled up on the couch, wrapped in an oversized sweatshirt and shorts. Her dark hair was darker with dampness, and a few strands fell across her closed eyes. One small pale hand was pressed against her mouth, as if she had been chewing on a fingernail or blowing on it to warm it when she fell asleep.
Neji's lips twitched in what he thought might have been a smile, and something unfamiliar rang through him. Pulling the afghan off the back of the couch, he laid it over her. Moving to the television, which was blaring some awful MTV reality show, he hit the power button and, looking at Hinata one last time where she lay unmoving, breath coming in soft whispers of sleep, he left the room, closing the door behind him.
0
"Hinata-nee-chan!"
She poked her head out the bathroom door, lifting her eyebrows to acknowledge that she'd heard her sister, as her mouth was currently filled with toothpaste.
Hanabi skipped up the hall toward her. "What was Neji-nii-san like last night?"
Hinata blinked, letting her right eyebrow drop as if asking, "What?" while vigorously scrubbing at her teeth, checking the clock to see how much of the two minutes was gone.
Hanabi sighed. "You hung out with him last night, didn't you? I saw him leaving."
Hinata tilted her head back and forth, counting down the last ten seconds, then spit the toothpaste in the sink. "I didn't see him last night." She replied, throwing some water into the back of her mouth and spitting that out too. "Are you sure it was him?"
Hanabi leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms over her chest. She was ten, but most of her mannerisms spoke of more years. "Well, yeah. He was coming down from the second floor when I saw him. I figured he'd been in the den with you. I went up to talk to you and you were conked out on the couch – I figured you'd fallen asleep on him, so he'd left."
Hinata's mouth dropped open a little. So he had put the blanket on her last night. "I … must have been sleeping when he went up."
Hanabi sighed again, shrugging. "That's too bad. And vaguely disappointing. I was hoping for some detail. He's so quiet. I want to know what he's thinking."
Hinata rolled her eyes, edging past her sister out of the bathroom. "Then why don't you ask him?"
Hanabi followed her down the hall. "I would, if he'd stop long enough to talk to me."
Hinata smiled, slipping her feet into her tennis shoes, and tapping her toes on floor, letting the tongues of the sneakers adjust themselves. "Maybe I'll tell him you want to talk to him when I see him today."
"You're going to see him today?"
"Well, yeah – I work with him."
Hanabi's mouth dropped open. "I didn't know that!"
Hinata ruffled her sister's hair, earning her a scowl. "That's because you don't pay attention. Later." She stepped outside, and ran down the steps and to her car (She was not about to make the same mistake twice).
It was a beautiful Sunday – school started back up from winter break tomorrow, and somewhere she cursed Gai for scheduling her on her last day of freedom until spring break.
Sliding into the driver's seat, she shrugged mentally. Not like she had much of a social life anyway. She was too shy to talk to most people, and ended up stumbling over her words and blushing. She didn't know how she pulled off being a waitress.
But Neji had come to see her. She didn't know how she felt about that. It was probably lucky that she didn't actually spend time with him. I would have been awkward and made a fool of myself anyway.
0
"Hinata!"
She blinked, and looked up from the ticket she was writing, and blushed. "I'll be right with you." She said quietly, moving to the register to ring up this customer.
Finished, she moved back to the counter, smiling shyly. "Hi, Naruto-kun."
Uzumaki Naruto was one of those bubbly, bright, loud people that one either hates or adores. Hinata adored him, mostly because she wished she was more like him, and wanted nothing more than for him to notice her as more than a friend.
"What can I get for you?" she asked softly, averting her eyes.
"As in food?" Naruto blinked up at the menu with big blue eyes, leaning on his arms against the counter. "How about some cheese fries?"
"Alright. Anything else?"
"How about a date?"
Hinata's head shot up and she blinked at him. "Ex-excuse me?"
Naruto grinned, running his fingers through his spiky blonde hair. "Do you want to go out – like Friday, or something?"
Hinata's face was very warm all of a sudden, and she spun around to put the ticket in the window, hiding it.
0
Neji scowled from where he was rolling silverware on the back counter, listening to their conversation. For some reason, the overprotective cousin just switched into gear, and it was really bugging him.
"Sure, Naruto-kun!"
He blinked in surprise and couldn't help throwing a glance over to her as she replied to him.
"Great!" Naruto's voice was loud and more than a little obnoxious. "How about seven? I'll pick you up."
Hinata nodded vivaciously, smiling so wide Neji's mouth hurt looking at her.
He sighed, his shoulders slumped, and he glared down at the knives before him in the most dejected of manners. Why was he so upset about this? Was he actually jealous that Hinata was going on a date with someone? Shouldn't he – he didn't know – be happy for her or something?
He stabbed at a napkin with a fork, then threw the napkin away and started over.