The night before her upcoming dread and the night of Sasuke revealing the arrival of Naruto being that of tomorrow; she had a video call with Shino and Kiba on Skype after having texted them both to see if they were available. Of course, both of them were, as long as it was her they didn't mind how far along the clock the little hand pointed in order to make onlookers aware how late it was. While they hadn't gotten as close as they would have liked there was a silent promise to one another among the three to be there for the others as often as possible. So there was truly no question as to whether or not they'd have time, they'd make it without question.
Kiba's hair was disheveled more than usual as his eyes closed while a lengthy yawn was produced from his throat. He was wearing a loose fitting white T and in the background, she made out the outline of Akamaru's back as he was curled in his dog bed, it made Hinata smile gently to know her favorite canine was still doing well. Shino looked as put together as he always did unless you counted his gray, green pajamas in which clung to him loosely while his arms were crossed over his chest. He still wore his glasses and while Hinata opened her mouth to question it, having found it odd, she closed it quickly thinking the impending question rude. Kiba made a clicking sound with his mouth in order to recover from the yawn while rubbing his left eye drowsily. "Alright I'm awake, what did you need to talk about Hinata?" Muttered the sleepy veterinarian in training while she saw Shino's full attention drift to her after having been watching Kiba almost amused; not that anyone would ever be able to tell.
Sighing as her hands came down to the side of her desk's chair to grip the sides, the dark-haired girl leaned back as she felt her throat tighten. She wanted to talk about it so why was it so hard to even think about how to talk about it? "Sasuke told me that Naruto would be arriving as a student at my school tomorrow." After the statement, whatever was left of Kiba's drowsiness immediately disappeared as his brows furrowed, Shino's head raised ever so slightly. Kiba was the first one to speak. "Is that so?" Hinata nodded before frowning and slumping forward in defeat. "I wouldn't mind too much if it wasn't after everything. I mean I would have been fine with only being his friend but for some reason, him and Sasuke had it out and I had to choose Sasuke's side. He's been my friend since my childhood, no matter how much I cared for Naruto I just couldn't choose him over Sasuke. I know I'm not a child anymore and I should have gotten over that whole ordeal a long time ago but…." "You were never offered clarity." Shino finished her sentence and she nodded solemnly. "Not only that but I think I still have feelings for Naruto, even after two years I can't help but think about him on a daily basis. He'll always be somebody important to me I think." Hinata admitted with a squeaky tone, whether it was from the pure embarrassment of having admitted that or unadulterated raw emotion neither Kiba or Shino could tell. Kiba leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, an annoyed look gleaming in his eyes. "That whole thing was utter horse shit. All four of you were acting like toddlers, I can't believe we're still on this." Hinata's head shot up while Shino immediately reprimanded his friend.
While Shino and Kiba bickered and their voices blared in her headset Hinata really couldn't hear them as her head bowed down and she sniffled. Kiba was right. All of them had acted like children but that didn't make it any easier. Perhaps if he had said that back in High School it would have been easier for everyone to get together and talk, but after two years how were you supposed to bring such a thing up? "Hey, do you recall when I told you I liked you and then ran off when you told me we could only be friends like a toddler throwing a tantrum and then you and Sasuke fought the next day. Could we talk about that?" It would be far too awkward for someone like Hinata to be able to survive. Dying of embarrassment was not the way she wanted to go.
The white noise of Kiba and Shino arguing suddenly stopped and when she looked up at their concerned faces she realized in an instant she was crying. "Hinata I didn't mean to upset you, I'm sorry for what I said I shouldn't have said that." Kiba apologized which in turn caused Shino to apologize. "I also did not mean to start an argument with Kiba, why? Because I know just how much you detest your friends fighting." Sniffling once more Hinata raised an arm to wipe away the tears from her cheek before offering them a smile. "It's okay really, I promise." They stayed silent for a short while, a period in which Kiba realized Akamaru had awoken from the arguing and the man began to affectionately rub his dog's face with both hands in a manner of playfulness. Hinata watched them with an endearing gaze before she finally spoke again, drawing Kiba's attention away from Akamaru. "I think the best thing to do is not to bring it up tomorrow, of course, it'll be awkward and difficult and maybe there will be resentment since no one got clarity," she looked to Shino at that who gave an encouraging nod, "but like Kiba said, we acted like kids and we're not kids anymore. We should act our age and just respect each other. If I see him I'll keep my distance, but if he tries to talk to me I won't shut it down. I'll follow Sasuke's lead in it." Kiba huffed at that last part before shaking his head. "Sasuke's lead would be to avoid, avoid, avoid." Shino nodded in agreement. "The fact of them having regained contact and keeping it is one in need of scientific research due to it having left us all in shock. I would not doubt it though that it was merely for Naruto to keep up in school. Though why Sasuke took that upon himself is something to be investigated as well." Shino said in thought while Kiba nodded. "Though I do think it would cause the least tension if you simply did follow Sasuke's lead in a matter of avoiding conflict." Added Shino as an afterthought. Hinata merely nodded before a yawn escaped her and drowsiness began to cloud her thoughts. "Maybe you should get some rest princess," Kiba said with a teasing tone in his voice. Merely nodding the Hyuga made a move to end the call, but before she could Kiba added. "Remember, we're not kids anymore." As a small reminder as to where acting like a child had gotten everyone last time. Nodding Hinata finally ended the call before slumping back in her chair. Staying there for a moment in thought before she finally rose to her feet and began to make her way to her room.
The room in which Hinata called her own was the only thing in the apartment that seemed to breathe life, it was also the one place in the apartment Hinata considered personal. The walls were painted a dusty lavender while the carpet beneath her was ivory. The furniture, which consisted of a desk against the left wall for schoolwork, a beanbag in the left corner with pillows scattered around it for a comfortable seating area, dresser to the right, and a nightstand next to her bed where a mixture of cool colors consisting of navy and lavender with neutral whites to balance them together. The closet with pull aside doors held shirts and dresses which were an assortment of cool and dark or pastel blues and purples along with blacks and whites; she found those were the colors that looked best on her. Hinata couldn't pull off warm colors, they brought out the natural blush of her pale skin in an unflattering manner. Not that she minded, bright colors tended to bring attention to one's self and if there was anything Hinata hated it was attention. When she was younger she wore an abundance of grays, the only reason she was dragged out of that was due to her sister who swore up and down that Hinata needed more color in her life. Despite that, she still had a fondness for the color and a few frost gray shirts and dresses could be found in the closet. Her bed itself held white sheets with a lilac sheet and a pastel blue comforter folded at the bottom. The main pillow was white with a lacy pattern while two smaller pillows of the same pastel blue and lilac were on either side.
The walls of her room were another story, pictures were scattered about, some from high school and some from recently. Some of them brought fond memories and others bittersweet ones. Those in which were bittersweet consisted of photos of her with Naruto or Sakura or both; her personal favorite was a photo of Naruto when they were at an ice cream shop and he had gotten vanilla ice cream on the tip of his nose. Her swore up and down he could reach it with his tongue so the photo was of him sitting at the opposite end of the table with a concentrated and determined look in his crossed eyes and his tongue sticking out attempting to reach the ice cream. The much more fond ones were pictures of her with Hanabi or Sasuke, some with the Uchiha and Hyuga family mixed. There was one of herself, Itachi, Sasuke, and Hanabi lying on the living room carpet in the Uchiha household. Hinata was using Sasuke's back as a pillow while Hanabi did the same with Hinata's lower stomach and Itachi watched them with an amused look as he lied to their right with his right arm under his cheek as he perched on it. She remembered that was the day after an annual fair, the three sleeping had gotten sick after not having taken Itachi's advice of eating something before going on a ride. There were a few family photos of her with her father and sister, there was one specifically of her as a little girl clinging to her father's side as he rested a hand on her head looking down fondly while her mother tended to a newborn Hanabi in her arms. That was the only family photo she possessed with her mother, there were photos of her mother with her father about and portraits of her mother but that was the only one with all four of them together as a family. Hinata was too young to really understand much when her mother died, but she remembered wanting to be kind like her mother and strong like her father, it was a mantra she had as a toddler. So whatever she remembered or heard about her mother she laced it with the idea that the woman had been kind, the kindest woman on the planet even. Everyone who knew her mother made the comment of them having the same eyes, Hinata could only find herself wishing her eyes looked as kind.
Sasuke had deemed her determination to keep around memories 'something to stop worrying about' but knew deep down he slightly appreciated it, noticing the slight smirk he gave when his eyes found photos of the Hyuga and Uchiha heirs hanging out together. He and Itachi had remained close but as they both reached their chosen paths in life the two had little time for one another. Hinata would honestly never stop taking photos and keeping ahold of them, it was like capturing a moment and being able to hold onto it forever. Looking fondly at the photos once again she knew she'd show them to her children, so they would be able to know what their mother was like long ago; Sasuke, Itachi, and Hanabi's kids would get a peek too if any of them ever settled down. She wished she had gotten the chance to share such a thing with her mother or father.
Flopping to her bed she finally allowed herself the rest she needed after the news of today.
Sasuke was leaning against the back of the elevator as it went to the top loft, he held an indifferent aura around himself as he waited to reach the top floor while his hands were in his pockets. He was surprised when it stopped at about the second loft from the top. He wasn't aware anyone owned it, usually, people couldn't afford the suits at the top floor, they were a luxury to most. A part of him was annoyed his morning routine of picking up Hinata would be disturbed from now on. Perhaps if the person was obnoxious enough he would start picking her up earlier. As he watched as the doors opened to a personal hallway, standing there at the elevator doors was a young man with a head of blond hair. He knew immediately he was going to start picking up Hinata earlier, maybe even by an hour, they could go get breakfast; it sounded like a fantastic idea at the moment. Out of all people who could have lived here, it's Naruto.
The tension was thick as Naruto realized who was in the elevator and got in, leaning to the front left, as far away from Sasuke as he could be. "Nice weather we're having." Naruto immediately looked out of the glass elevator to take mind of the weather, clouds were already gathering in the sky. Frowning slightly the blond wondered if Sasuke genuinely enjoyed rainy weather; either not quite catching the sarcasm or choosing not to address it to avoid even more tension. Even so, he was slightly grateful he decided to wear his orange hoodie today. As the elevator doors shut Naruto noticed they would be going up to the top loft, probably one more person waiting for the elevator. "I like days without a cloud in the sky better," Naruto responded with a bland tone, Sasuke huffed. "What brings you here?" Sasuke practically challenged, the blond immediately chuckled. "I live here now. You?" Sasuke almost answered before they got to his stop, he prayed the Kami as the elevator doors opened Hinata wasn't waiting. He then thanked Kami when she wasn't. "I'm here to get something of mine." Sasuke gave that as his answer as he got out. "Want me to hold the elevator for you?" Naruto asked merely out of courtesy before Sasuke's head instantly whipped around. "No. This will take a bit." The look on Naruto's face was merely one that said 'just trying to be polite, asshole' as the elevator doors closed while the two stared each other down. Sasuke sighed before pinching the bridge of his nose and continued down the hall to the one door at the end of it; before he could knock it opened up to reveal Hinata with her hair down in a lavender cotton long sleeve sweater and an ivory skirt. She had on some lavender sandals that matched her shirt; he idly wondered if she purposely dressed that way to catch more attention than usually due to a certain dobe, even if she did it unconsciously. "I'm going to start picking you up an hour earlier," Sasuke stated in which caused Hinata's face to immediately form a pout. "Why?" Sasuke shrugged before saying. "I'm tired of the breakfast they offer at the campus, we're gonna start having breakfast at a cafe I know. You like tea don't you?" Hinata nodded slowly, causing Sasuke to blink. "Good." Was all the ebony haired boy said as he looked to the elevator and saw the numbers at the top indicated it had already reached the first floor. He let out a sigh of relief through his nose before walking over to it with Hinata following closely behind him. Pressing for the elevator he couldn't help the weight that had been lifted off his chest. It had been a close call.
Author's Note: This is more of a little short chapter and slice of life thing, I more so want to build up the inevitable meeting between Hinata and Naruto though to let some of you know it will be happening next chapter for sure. I'm just not entirely sure whether I want them to have a class together or for them to simply become aware of the fact they're practical neighbors, if any of you have a request as to which one you prefer feel free to PM me! Hope you enjoy!