She felt out of place at the wedding celebration. She knew why but she couldn't do much about it. She simply wasn't part of the 'group' anymore.
Hana's wedding was lovely and of course. She had enjoyed it, but when it came to socializing, she was greeted by the issue that she wasn't really up to date with everyone. She knew some things from letters and such, but she would sit in with old friends and find she was alienated unintentionally by her lack of being there. She stayed silent and absorbed what she could and gained a lot of information she did and did not know.
Some of her graduating year's had gotten together and even engaged. Shino had a girlfriend she had known about, but upon meeting her, she found that the woman, though polite, did not seem to like her. Kiba had a date though she knew it wasn't serious.
She found after a few situations where she had been accidentally cut out of the conversation and others where she found people wary of her husband. She found she should just sit with him and stay quiet.
He didn't seem to understand her discomfort but held her hand. He looked at her curiously when he had noticed. He only let go when she had been asked to dance by her teammates though that had made Shino's poor girlfriend uncomfortable, and she turned him down more than once.
She made a point not to leave too early so as not to be rude and made sure she thanked Hana for the invitation before they left.
"You did not seem to enjoy that." Her husband mentioned on the walk back.
"I think it was just reverse culture shock." She mumbled. Knowing he was not going to understand, she continued. "I knew most of the people present. However, no longer living in the village have set a sort of wall between us. It's a feeling of discomfort that comes from others collectively knowing things and forgetting you don't before speaking. It's not anyone's fault. It's just a feeling I'm not fond of. You feel like you should be familiar because it's how everyone else is feeling, and it doesn't come, and it gives me goosebumps."
"I still don't understand." He looked down with confusion.
"That's okay." She mumbled, laying her head on his arm as she walked.
Hinata woke to sand paws on her chest and looked around to see Shukaku staring at her and Gaara at the door speaking.
She rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock. It was barely morning.
"She is still asleep. Can this wait?" She heard him growl. Annoyed, she wrapped herself in the closest robe she could find and come behind him.
"What is it, Gaara?" She mumbled, hearing the sleepiness in her voice, peering around him to see a nin she didn't recognize but was Hyuga.
"Hinata-sama, our Hyuga-sama has requested your presence." The nin spouted quickly, giving her glaring husband a wary look.
"Father?" At this hour?
"No, Hanabi-sama." The nin explained. She nodded and pulled her husband back away from the door to inform him she would be ready in a few minutes.
Hinata yawned, tilting her head, feeling the hair she had poorly tied up flop when she did. Hanabi didn't look much better.
"What's wrong?" Hinata mumbled.
"I wanted to talk to you about the Uchiha in private without father finding out. Sorry for the rude early morning awakening. I wanted the excuse of a sunset-watching morning like we had when we were really little." Though it was way earlier than that.
"I don't think my opinion of Uchiha-san should affect yours. Fair trial means fair on both sides, for and against him." She retracted slightly.
"Well, I don't think that is an issue seeing as I think we are on the same side this time. I don't need convincing. I need a better case," Hanabi explained.
"Have you been told the truths of the Uchiha massacre?" Hinata wondered though she was almost sure she was.
She nodded. "And it's actually what I think I am going to use against the rest of the Hyuga's opinion."
"How? Doesn't the actions of his clan show badly on his character?" She knew it worked against him harshly, especially in the eyes of the Hyuga.
"Yes, but it also justifies many 'crimes' against the village, at least in my eyes." She sat up more properly as she made her point. "Let's take you and I. If you killed the clan, in its entirety, spare me, in what I believe is cold blood. What would I be expected to."
She was right. The Hyuga did not take a death of their own lightly, let alone a slaughter. If there was even one left, they would be tasked out of duty to not only protect secrets but kill the traitor. Though Hinata knew that his intentions were less out of duty and far more personal, it lined up enough to make an argument.
Hinata thought for a moment. "They may laugh at you."
"For what?" Hanabi frowned.
"For insinuating that I could kill any member of the Hyuga." Hinata tried not to be amused at her cruel joke, but a small smile shone through.
"They will live with the analogy," Hanabi told her flatly.
"I resent being woken up for social calls," Gaara grumbled.
"She was worried about me getting caught up in Hyuga politics if they thought it was more than just spending time together." Hinata defended. She was sure his rude comment was stemming from irritation from somewhere else as he usually had no issue with having any kind of meeting with someone he didn't think would harm her.
She thought for a moment looking over to the quiet gourd. She was sure it was a show. They were likely fighting for it to be still rather than around the room. It didn't fool her. "Are you two still..." His glare told her what she needed to know, and she frowned and opened her mouth once more but was promptly interrupted.
"I think it is obvious we have a difference in opinion on how we handle you." He voiced. "I would like to keep this argument to ourselves for the moment if you don't mind."
Hinata nearly flinched. She wasn't expecting his sudden harshness. She blinked at him as his face twitched, turning away from her regretting what he had said or possibly the way he had said it. She fiddled with her fingers in her lap as she thought of what to do.
Hinata had tried to be a peacekeeper between him and his beast mostly because it had shown to be harmful to his health to leave him to do so himself but had she made it worse. Had she become more reason for them to fight? Had she only made things worse? She tried to solidify the idea that he did have fewer episodes, but that was only part of the problem. Maybe her interference rather than calming him was detrimental.
Maybe she had messed up again.
She never did seem to get anything right despite her intention.
Hinata did finally flinch as she felt tears. She didn't want to cry in front of him after he had commented on that in a state of irritation. The last thing he needed was her blubbering. It would only stem false guilt. She stood up, bowing her head without goodbye in fear her voice would crack, and head to the door.
The door slammed close before she could properly get through it. She turned instinctively around, feeling the tears she had held back fall with new ones born out of frustration. Both halted when she saw the look on Gaara's face.
Utter fear, unguarded terror. He looked like he was about to have a full episode. Sand that had been purposely still and fully in control started vibrating violently.
She stared a moment longer in shock, not understanding where the sudden panic he showed was coming from.
"Don't leave me," Gaara begged between gasps that replaced his calm breathing.
She pulled her hands to her chest away from the door. "I wasn't. I was just going to give you some space." She whispered, worried.
"You're scared of me." He retracted, stepping back, clenching his fists.
"No!" She squeaked. Opening her hands in front of her, stepping toward him. He only stepped back further, and the sand in the air retracted violently, washing past her from the door.
He started to hyperventilate and shake as she approached, eventually running himself into the wall. "I don't understand." He growled at himself mostly, muscles tensing so violently she thought he might hurt himself if he moved too quickly.
She tried to keep her panic down as she slowly approached him as gently as she could. "Gaara, please understand I wasn't going anywhere away. I was only going to give you some space I thought you would want." She reached out to give the lightest touch to his chest with her fingertips, feeling relieved he didn't flinch. "I'll never leave." She promised.
"You can't know that." He demanded half angrily, half waverly.
Her lip trembled. All the time, she stayed and made no indication of wanting to leave and all the reassuring and convincing she tried. Did he truly still fear she would turn on him? It hurt her so much, not because of his distrust in her, but that he was unable to even let himself trust her after all he had been through. You honestly can't blame someone for something like that.
He only slightly softened under her touch.
"Don't leave." He whimpered, reaching out for her like he was afraid the slightest touch and she would run.
She flattened her hand on his shoulder, moving closer. "Never."
Hinata was engulfed tightly into his shivering chest. She molded to him, closing her eyes and sighing, laying a light kiss to his shoulder, hoping affections would calm him.
"I apologize." His voice was muffled by her scarf.
"You don't need to tell me you need to fight your own battles with Shukaku-san." She whispered.
"That's not… that's not it." He mumbled into her shoulder. "I don't."
"We can talk about it later." She whispered.