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Day 11 Prompt: Kilig (Tagalog)
"The delightful sensation felt when something romantic takes place."
Hinata checked her watch one last time. Frowning at the lengthening shadows by the open-air stairs, she debated whether to leave the basket or if to try another time. Her armpit throbbed, reminding her how uncomfortable it felt to walk all the way here and back with a clumsy counterweight in her other hand.
That decided it for her. She did not want to deal with both the crutch and her gift.
Hinata deposited her load on the ground next to the apartment door. Job done; she began to head towards the stairs. Her new nemesis. She missed the days she could simply jump down them.
Halfway down the hallway, a voice stopped her.
"Hyuga?"
Hinata slowly turned to face Sasuke. He stood in front of his apartment door, keys in hand, and confusion weighing down his brow. He did not have on a medical coat, only a navy-blue undershirt and white scrub pants. Spotting a couple of tiny bloodstains on the hems, she made a mental note to ignore that.
She made her slow approach. Honestly, she would have been completely fine not having to talk to Sasuke. She did not have much experience with crushes other than Naruto, and she was not looking forward with turning into a blushing mess like before.
But she was able to smile at him without feeling too overcome with nerves. "Hello."
"Did you need something?" he asked once she stood in front of him.
She shifted uncomfortably, more because of the crutch than any shyness. "No." Indicating the basket with her head, she elaborated. "I brought that for you."
He blinked blankly but made no move to pick it up. "What is it?"
Hinata resisted the urge to laugh. He inspected it like she brought him a snake instead of a gift.
"It's my apology and a thank you." When he looked at her to argue, she held up her hand. His mouth shut. "I was admittedly very mean that one time. And then you were very helpful the other day. It's only right that I thank you."
"I was only doing my job," he grumbled.
He focused on unlocking his door. She watched as he picked up the basket and poked through it while standing underneath the mantle.
She could not read his face. "Well, I hope you like at least some of the items in it. I'll be seeing you."
His head lifted quickly, like he did not realize she was still there. She shuffled backwards, and his eyes narrowed at the shoulder that pinned her crutch into place.
"I never got you those crutch pads, did I?" he asked. "I have some in my apartment. Come on, and you can sit for a minute. How long were you waiting?"
She ignored both his questions and shook her head. "You don't have to give me anything, thank you. I'm not going to have the crutch for too much longer anyway."
"Better to be in less pain for a few days. Come on," he ordered.
Helpless to argue, she followed. The fact he had an apartment in the city instead of the Uchiha compound was intriguing by itself. She wondered if he lived here to be closer to the hospital.
His dusty mission bag, muddy shoes, and sun-bleached flak jacket sat in a small pile by the front door. Everything else appeared pretty tidy. His kitchen counter was clear save for a single mug. A small sofa sat in front of a television set. A picture of Sasuke and Itachi hung on one wall. The one thing that stood out to her was a long, squat bookshelf practically spilling over with books. Hinata wondered if Sasuke even used the TV.
Sasuke closed the door behind Hinata and watched closely as she took off her shoes. She ignored him while using the wall and the crutch to prop her up. This, she had practice with.
He took off his own shoes, then put the basket on the kitchen counter.
"Feel free to sit," he said, indicating the sofa. "I'm gonna have to take your crutch."
Hinata did as instructed, watching him beeline to a small closet. He opened it and glared inside. Her eyes widened as she registered the shelves of medical equipment. Half of the space was filled with his white uniforms, and the other half held those shelves.
He looked at her over his shoulder like he knew what she was thinking. "I didn't steal all this from the hospital, if you're wondering."
Hinata's brows furrowed. She was not wondering that until he said it. "Where did you get everything?"
He sighed before gamely sticking his arms into a large pile. "Some of it is from Shisui and Itachi," he grunted. "I don't let them throw out anything. The rest is from Naruto."
She held a hand to her mouth in surprise. "Naruto-kun needs all that?"
Sasuke scoffed. "If he can break, tear, sprain, or aggravate something in his body, he has. I'm convinced he spends time thinking of how he can hurt himself in new and unexpected ways."
Hinata gasped. Sasuke pulled out two black foam rolls about the size of his palm and rolled his eyes.
"Don't feel bad. It's all his fault."
Hinata handed her crutch over when he held out his hand for it. "Maybe he's like that because he knows you'll be there?"
Sasuke shrugged and hooked the paddings over the arm and hand rests.
She felt brave enough to try a little tease. "Or maybe you became a med-nin to help him?"
This drew out a snort of a laugh. "As if."
He flipped the crutch over upside down and stared at the sides of the crutch. "How tall are you?"
"163 cm."
He adjusted the metal leg to be two pegs shorter then returned it to her. "Try this."
She used the crutch and arm of the couch to lever herself up. Awkwardly walking a circle around the small apartment, she watched him watch her. His narrow-eyed gaze told her nothing.
"You're hunching a bit. Come here, let me fix it."
Obediently, she approached him. In a smooth move, he grabbed both the crutch and the arm leaning on it. He casually placed her hand on his shoulder so she could balance on him while he adjusted the crutch height again. Involuntarily, her fingers clutched the fabric of his shirt, but he did not seem to notice or mind.
She stared at the side of his face with wide eyes. Even when he healed her eyes they had not been this close. Trying her best to keep her calm, she tried not to obsess over the small details she could see at this proximity. The piercing holes in his earlobe caught her attention. They must have been done for a mission because she never noticed him wearing earrings before.
Did she ever really pay attention to him, though? If she were honest, would she have truly noticed if he wore earrings or not? They never interacted once out of the Academy.
Slightly abashed, she stared at the ground. Where did her crush come from? From the fact that he helped her? Was she reading too much into their interactions? When she was healed and he figured out the mystery, would they ever talk again?
"Here," he said gruffly.
She grabbed the crutch and walked around once more. He nodded, satisfied.
"That looks good. How does it feel?"
"It feels great," she admitted.
"Hn. Keep it as long as you need," he paused before trying to continue, but she interrupted him.
"I need to go, I'm sorry. Thank you so much," she spoke as she moved towards the front door and slipped on her shoes.
He frowned and walked after her. She was too quick to stop.
"Okay, bye! Thank you!" she said cheerfully. With a little wave, she slipped through the door and shut it behind her with a decisive click.
Letting out a breath, she slumped towards the wall.
She could hear him say: "How does she move so fast with that thing?"
The sound of his voice spurned her forwards. Her cheeks burned. With her free hand, she fished the sunglasses out of her hair where she used them to push her bangs back. Putting them on, she took pains to walk down the stairs as carefully and quickly as she could.
Hinata needed to get out of there. Being so close to Sasuke confused her. She needed to remind herself not to get too close. Once he got his answers, he would be done with her. She did not need another unrequited love. Naruto had been enough to last her a lifetime, even if she let him go with no hard feelings.
She did not want to go through that again.
oOo
When she returned to the compound, Hiashi ambushed her.
"Do you have time to talk?"
Hinata really wanted to take a bath and then a nap. Her leg ached. And her arm. And her mouth.
"Yes, Father," she said.
She followed him into his office. He made to sit on the pillow behind his low desk. Hesitating, he shook his head and wordlessly ushered them to a small side table with two chairs. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. Struggling to climb off the floor in front of her father was the last thing she wanted.
They sat.
"I won't keep you long," he started. "The elders met with me today. They want me to recall the members of our clan currently in the ANBU ranks."
Hinata ran her tongue over the raw roof of her mouth as she thought. "Did you get permission from Tsunade-sama?"
"No. I wanted your input."
Hinata shook her head, shifting the glasses sitting on her hair. "I don't think we're ready. And that was the deal we made with the Hokage. I would hate it if we didn't keep our word."
"You don't think we can negotiate?" Her father raised a brow.
"There is no reason to negotiate. Even if we recalled them, and she finds out they're idle, it will make us look like liars. The council is already suspicious. And we've had to apologize to our clan members for keeping them inside longer than expected. We're subsidizing their pay since they can't go on missions. Are we willing to pay the ANBU members their wages for lost work as well?"
A tiny glint of amusement shone in Hiashi's eyes. "Oh, the elders won't like the idea of spending money."
Hinata breathed out a laugh. "You've already decided what to do, I assume? Before you asked me?"
"Hmm," he hummed an affirmative. "However, I told them I would not make a decision without consulting with you first."
Hinata studied her sandaled feet, a little embarrassed. She needed a pedicure.
"Hinata."
She looked at him.
"Keep your head up," he instructed softly and not unkindly. "I know what I did in choosing you and I don't regret it."
Hinata fought against an instant wave of tears. She cleared her throat and looked at the opposite wall to catch her composure.
"What will you tell the elders, then?" she asked.
"That we both came to a decision. Once they understand we'll have to provide paid leave, they'll let it drop."
He stood, indicating the conversation to be over. She stood as well and prepared to go. He stopped her with an upraised hand.
"How are you feeling?" he questioned quietly.
Hinata shrugged. "The same."
"Have Hoheto check on your eyes." His lips pressed together tightly. "I don't like that you bared this burden alone."
She met her father's gaze. "I can't ask our people to do something that I am not willing to do myself."
"I should have gone first."
Hinata smiled. "The elders would have had a fit."
Hiashi huffed out a breath to indicate his amusement. He waved her off. "You go check in and get some rest."
She nodded and said her goodbyes. First, she would take a bath. Then she would hunt for their resident surgeon. If she did not fall asleep first.
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Coming up: Shizune and Tsunade's little boy is growing up. They're delighted.