2.10
Hinata was in the middle of writing a suggestion on one of the children's test paper. "Com-plete sen-tences," she added a smiley face upon hearing the doorbell. Hinata blinked at the door and checked her phone's clock. It was barely pushing 4:30. Sasuke should still be at work.
Hinata flinched as the doorbell rang five times in a row. "Hinata!" Her ears perked to Ino's muffled voice. "Hinata, are you in there?"
She bounded towards the door and opened it. Ino grabbed her shoulders. "I need your help!" She whispered harshly.
::
Hinata took a deep breath. She didn't understand why she was scared. Maybe was her empathetic nature or maybe acute paranoia...but that didn't matter at the moment. Ino paced their bathroom, chewing her lip to bruising point. "Just read it, Hina."
Hinata nodded and grabbed the small box and the smaller test. "Okay..." She hummed reading the meaning again. "F-false."
Ino clasped her hands. "Are you sure?"
She nodded. "Yes. It's false."
The blonde fanned her face dramatic. "Goodness," she sat on the floor. "I'm not... I..." She shook her head. "I'm sick of cute guys! With their pretty blue eyes and optimistic outlook."
Hinata giggled. "Those sound like terrible traits for a child, mm?"
Ino rolled her eyes. "Naruto is... Naruto is a nice guy but he doesn't have a stable job. That just won't do. You know, he told me that life is his job."
"Really?"
Ino laughed and nodded. "It sound beautiful at the time!"
Over time Hinata had started to warm up to the bright TA. If Hinata had to pick one Girl Crush Ino was it.
"It's the tattoos, I swear. If he was really one of those expensive suits I wouldn't give him the time of day. Wanna know why?"
Hinata giggled. "Why?"
Ino stood. "Because he'd think he was better than me. No one is better than me."
She had the self confidence of Aphrodite. "Ino-chan, but do you like him?"
"Yes!" She crossed her arms. "He's outlook on life is beautiful. Like a sunflower, stretching towards the sun..." She groaned. "Hinata, I smoked with him and now I can't stop saying this shit."
Hinata stood and started to clean up. "You're a mess."
Ino cupped her cheeks. "I know, I know..." She sang dreamily.
::
When Sasuke came home Ino was tying a scarf around Hinata's head. "All you have to do is dress it up with your outfits!"
"I'm n-not much for fashion, Ino."
"Yeah, my grandma has the same skirts as you."
Sasuke coughed. "There's nothing wrong with her?"
Both women jumped. Hinata placed her papers aside and walked over to him. "Ne, you think I dress like a grandma?"
"I've never been attracted to a grandmother before." Ino whined when they kissed. Sasuke looked up. "And why are you here, Yamanaka?"
"I'm Hinata's only friend since you keep her locked up in here."
Hinata sighed. Ino and Sasuke had a rather strange friendship...if you could call it that. Naruto tried forcing them to "bond." It did not go well.
"Maybe I'm trying to keep her away from toxic females."
"Toxic? I am amazing."
Sasuke crossed his arms. "You're toxic. Just like your hair."
Ino gasped. "I'm going to kill him! This is my natural hair color! I hope your face gets infected with all those piercings."
Sasuke stuck out his tongue. Hinata stood between them. "Guys!"
"What!?" They nearly barked.
Hinata shrunk. "I h-have work to finish!"
They glared at each other. Ino grabbed her bag. "I'll see you at school, Hinata." Hinata waved at her friend. Sasuke rolled his eyes and sat on the couch.
Hinata sat beside him. "Can't you try to be nice to her?"
"She reminds me of Naruto. It's how we communicate." Hinata just grinned. All that meant is that Sasuke secretly enjoyed the woman's company. "Do you need help?"
Hinata hummed. "I was actually finished..."
"Ah, you liar."
She just didn't want him to help. Sasuke was too harsh with kids. Last time he helped he said: "Capitalize, Idiot."
Hinata clasped his hands. "Let's do something."
"Like what?"
Hinata scratched her cheek. "...the movies?"
"I rather walk through the freezing park," Sasuke scoffed. "The movies again? And at those prices..." He watched Hinata stand up in glee. "What?"
"Let's go to the park!"
Sasuke hated opening his mouth sometimes. It was going on ten o'clock and she was happy about walking. Had he said gym, she would have faked a heart attack. "Go get dressed," he motioned.
::
She wore one of her long plum skirts, a gray long-sleeve blouse, and plum scarf. Sasuke stood. The only color aside from black he wore was the lavender scarf she knitted for him.
They looked mismatched as ever.
"Why do people look at us like that?" Hinata held his hand tightly. Great, his paranoid girlfriend wanted to go out walking around at night and didn't expect to be stared at.
"We're different." He replied.
Opal eyes scanned her surroundings. "I k-know that," she murmured. "But...we're not that different."
"You ever seen one of those pictures with a vicious animal and a small innocent one?"
"Lion and lamb!" She giggled. "Oh, that's so cute."
"People tend to stare," he squeezed her hand lightly.
Hinata sighed and looked at the night's sky. "Konoha is beautiful."
Sasuke silently agreed. It wasn't too cold but it never was here. He looked down at the shorter girl. She almost tripped over the broken pathway but giggled. She turned to him. "I really have to work on watching my step."
"You do."
Hinata lifted the ends of her skirt and skipped ahead. "My father used to bring me and we'd walk forever...and my mother would be there at the starting point with this smile."
"Mock it." Sasuke pocketed his hands.
Hinata moved in front of him and tried smiling as soft as her mother. Her face relaxed but twitched in happiness. "She had deep dimples too." She poked her cheeks then laughed at herself. "No one can make that smile."
Sasuke licked his lips attempting to suppress a reluctant smile. He reached out for his girlfriend when some couple walked over. Sasuke subconsciously grabbed her hand.
"Can we help you?" The Uchiha asked. Had Hinata not forced him into watching that Criminal Couple show then he wouldn't be so tense.
The older couple looked concerned. Hinata peered from behind Sasuke. "D-do you need something?"
The man nodded. "We don't mean to come off as rude but-"
"But what?" Sasuke frowned.
The four stood under the street light. Sasuke already knew they were trying to make sure all the puzzle pieces fit. Like why were they together? The woman waved her hand dismissively. "It just looked like she was running from you is all. It was a bit suspicious."
"You mean he looks suspicious," Hinata stood in front of Sasuke as if he was a child. "We were in the midst of a conversation before two strangers walked up on us. That seems more suspicious."
Sasuke smirked when the shorter woman went into protective mode. "Come on, Princess, let's go."
Opal eyes narrowed at the painfully boring looking couple. She whispered something about not turning her back to strangers. "We're sorry, really." The man tried.
Hinata squeaked after Sasuke pulled her along. "You're scaring people." Sasuke bit out.
"Ne, you remember that episode of Criminal Couples where that one couple turned their backs to the other and got kidnapped?"
Sasuke shook his head. "No."
"That'll be us next week," she turned around just to make sure then sighed in relief when they weren't running up on them. "But... I...I was protecting you."
The Uchiha moved an arm around her shoulders. "I saw that. I don't need it. I'm supposed to protect you."
Hinata took the hand that was hanging off her shoulder and intertwined it with hers. "I'm brave and-" the street light flickered a few times before turning off.
The dark haired couple froze until they came back on moments later. "Don't you fucking turn around," Sasuke whispered to his wide-eyed girlfriend.
"I'm not becoming an episode," Hinata shouted and bolted back to the car. Sasuke groaned but refused under any sky to admit that he was just as paranoid and wanted to run.
When they made it to the car, Hinata checked the insides before getting in. "Must you always do that?" Sasuke asked while unlocking the car.
"I am a female," she opened the door. "Bad things can happen. Why don't you?"
Sasuke started up the car and looked at her. "Not many people approach me."
She wagged her finger. "Still, bad things."
::
Sasuke turned off the television in the living room. He rubbed his aching neck and picked up bits of popcorn from his carpet. The tired male barely stepped over Storm's sleeping body. He looked at Hinata curled in his hoodie. She fell asleep halfway through the show that she insisted they watched.
Sasuke bent to her face. "Idiot," he muttered before picking the young woman up bridal style. She wrapped her arms around him. Sasuke stopped in the middle of the hallway to look at her. He could do this every night until his back gave out. After that he'll just rolled her wheelchair in the room or whatever. Storm meowed next to his leg before beating them to the room.
That cat was so tsundere.
Hinata whined in his hold. "S-Sasuke, did Toko f-find his match?"
"No."
Her eyes fluttered open. "R-really?"
Sasuke walked into the room. "Honest." He sat her on the bed. Hinata huffed and pulled off his hoodie with the cutest pout. She blew her bangs away and waited for him get in. Sasuke allowed her to lay on his chest. "I'm not the same person you met almost a year ago."
Hinata cuddled up to him. "Is that bad?"
Sasuke looked up at his ceiling. Storm curled at his leg. The Uchiha closed his eyes. "No, it's not."
::
Later that night Sasuke woke Hinata up. "Why are there pregnancy tests in the trashcan?" He looked frantic.
Honestly, Hinata was delirious at four in the morning. "They are yours, Sasuke!" She turned over and fell asleep.
"Mine?" Sasuke asked. "How fucking sick was I?"