The rain pelted down, wave upon wave of an air raid as they exploded on the ground, leaving pools of sloshing and splishing puddles to flood the roads and sidewalks. The grey clouds encompassed the sky, and all that one could see when looking up was gloominess and storms, stretching as far as the eye could see.
It was all very depressing for Hyuuga Hinata.
She sighed, slouching against the column behind her, her right hand holding her umbrella for support. She was tired from the days hard work, exhausted from the stupid extracurricular she had joined to be close to HIM - FARMERS OF AMERICA, FOR GOD'S SAKE!- and then, to make her even more miserable for using His name in vain various times after a pig had attempted to eat her hand, God had sent an awful rainstorm to beat and whip around her. She had to ride her bike home. This was not going to be pretty.
And yet, she didn't move a muscle to leave her perch on the column. The interior of the school was very regal and sophisticated, though not too old-fashioned like her OWN lovely abode. Circular columns gave a Roman-esque style, but the tiled floors and sleek, glass frames holding posters of the school musicals and trophies and awards brought a more modern touch.
Hinata sighed, running a hand through her hair. This place was so tranquil and peaceful when it was as vacated as it was now, thirty minutes after the latest practice (Guess whose? she thought bitterly) and over three hours since the school day had drawn to a close. Not to mention it was a Friday, meaning everyone was eager to leave and head out to go to their parties and gatherings and homes.
So Hinata felt very at ease. The quiet was peaceful. It was nice to tap the tip of her umbrella and hear it echo mysteriously up the staircases on either end and back behind her through the hallways and corridors navigating the complex school's layout. It was eerie, in a way, too, but it still felt natural and just... blissful.
A crash and flash startled her from her dream-like state. She squeaked in surprise as the thunder that follows lightning began its drum roll.
She took a deep breath and calmed her rapidly beating heart. The lightning crash had upset her, but she wasn't scared of lightning. Not while inside a building, anyways.
Now, bicycling up a hill with nothing else taller than you for the lightning to be attracted to would be another story.
Whimpering at the thought, Hinata slumped further back onto the column, eventually just sliding down it and landing on her butt to sit and contemplate whether or not being fried to a crisp by lightning would be worth the warm meal awaiting her when she would arrive home to her bustling family's neighborhood-sized compound.
She was about to stand up and face her fate when she heard something tumbling and a hiss of pain followed by it.
That DEFINITELY ruined her dream-like state, if there was any of it left after the lightning episode.
She nervously slipped out of her backpack's straps and clutched her umbrella to her closely, easing her way to the staircase on the other side of the building. She dashed to the left side, plastering herself to the wall in an effort to conceal herself from the person. She was suddenly very frightened, becoming paranoid and worried. She was VERY alone right now, with only an umbrella as a possible weapon, and even if the janitors were still cleaning the front area of the school, the pounding echoes of rain slamming into the roof were more than enough to hide any possible screams for help.
Hinata clutched the handle of her umbrella tightly. If it WAS a dangerous person, she would be ready.
The person began climbing down the stairs again, muttering incoherent things that sent shivers down Hinata's spine as they echoed down to her creepily.
She saw their shadow and knew they were close.
And in a moment of panic and confusion, she swung.
It hit.
Her scream was accompanied by a masculine one.
That was VERY familiar...
Her eyes jolted open and she dropped her umbrella, crouching down to Uzumaki Naruto's curled up form.
"N-N-Naruto-kun!" she cried, mentally despairing that she might have just ruined any chances of anything between them.
"H-H-Hinata?" came his high-pitched reply. Hinata nodded, then blushed and looked away hastily when she realized WHY he was speaking in falsetto.
Now there was NO chance of a relationship. Not 'til Hell froze over.
After a few minutes of Naruto's occasional moaning and Hinata's tearful attempts at comforting him, he finally was well enough to stand and sigh.
He brushed his pants off, knocking the crud and dust covering him off back to the ground from whence it came.
"I-I'm so s-sorryy," wailed Hinata. She really was.
Naruto returned her smile with a slightly forced one.
"Ne, I'm ok."
Well, at least his voice wasn't in falsetto anymore.
"B-b-but," stuttered Hinata, shifting nervously from leg to leg, "I-I-I re-r-really h-hurt you!"
Naruto opened his mouth to reply when a crash of lightning made them both jump.
"Woah, that's loud!" yelled Naruto, covering his ears as the thunder rolled. "Is it right above us or something?"
Hinata decided not to mention the whole 'count-the-seconds-in-between-to-find-out-the-miles thing'. He WAS Naruto, after all.
"Y-yeah," replied Hinata instead. The two began walking to the front again.
"Ne, ne, Hinata," said Naruto, "Where's your stuff?"
Hinata blushed and ran ahead, slipping her backpack on again. "H-here."
"Ahh," replied Naruto, feigning understanding.
There was an awkward silence. Lightning flashed across the sky, followed quickly by an earth-quaking rumble of thunder. Hinata slowly glanced up at him.
He was looking straight at her.
She quickly looked down, blushing profusely.
"Ne, Hinata," said Naruto quietly. Hinata looked up; she didn't meet his eyes, instead aiming her view towards the column she had been leaning on earlier.
"Huh?" she asked shakily.
"Won't you get wet on your bicycle?"
Hinata's yes widened and she decided to meet his gaze.
She was more concerned about the fact that he had noticed she rode a bike to and from school. And he cared that she might get wet!
"Uh-uhmm," said Hinata, unable to form a coherent thought.
"I-I mean," said Naruto quickly, moving his hands in front of him to explain, "Your dad might get mad and stuff... Plus, I mean, isn't water bad for metal bikes?"
Hinata felt like crying tears of happiness. She was in heaven. Naruto was worried about her! WORRIED! That was... Well, certainly a FORM of caring.
"I-I-I..."
"Maybe your bike can fit in the trunk of my car?" suggested Naruto.
Hinata smiled faintly. His "car" was a beat-up van that barely looked like it could manage to drive out of the parking lot without blowing up, although Naruto always insisted it was the best car he'd ever driven.
Which counted for something, after all. He'd gone through five, minus the van.
"Uhm..." Hinata contemplated his offer as another flash of lightning and accompanying thunder crash ensued. She would LOVE to go with Naruto. She could finally see how he drove, what his little car quirks were, find out what kind of music he listened to -if the car had a radio- and just spend TIME with him.
But...
"I-I'm sorry, Na-Naruto-kun," she said, shaking her head and biting her lip. "I-I wouldn't want you t-t-to go s-so out of y-your w-w-w-way for me... Y-Your house is on th-the other side o-of Konoha, and I..." She looked out the window in the door helplessly. "I... L-l-like rain...?" she said hesitantly, unsure if this was true or not herself.
"Oh." Her heart fell at his simple acceptance. "Ok."
She forced a smile.
"B-Be safe, N-Naruto-kun," she said. Naruto grinned and hugged her.
"You, too, Hinata-chan," he said. Then he pulled away, waved, and dashed outside.
Hinata stood, stunned, unable to move as her brain processed what had just transpired. The rain continued its barrage outside.
Slowly, carefully, Hinata took a step outside.
The rain slapped her face, soaking her immediately. She moved to open her umbrella when she heard the sound of a motor turning on in the distance. She stopped.
She heard the rickety van belonging to Naruto chugging off, heading towards his house.
She waited until it had receded into the distance. Then she closed her eyes and smiled, turning her head up to the raining heavens.
Did she love the rain like she had told Naruto? She thought as she slowly walked towards her slippery, wet bike.
Yes, she decided, she did.
She began to walk the bike to the sidewalk when the front tire slid on the wet pavement.
She let out an exclamation if surprise before it crashed to the ground.
She opened her mouth to let out... SOMETHING... when another flash of lightning lit the sky above her and a boom of thunder shook the ground beneath Hinata's feet.
She looked up quickly to the clouds pouring themselves out on her.
And she laughed. She may have gotten bitten by a pig earlier today and sworn, but now the rain was like a cleansing ritual, washing away her fears and worries.
So, she thought, grabbing the handles on her bicycle and standing it up again, if God could send blessings on those who swore like sailors when injured, then maybe He could freeze Hell over, too.
It wasn't out of the question as a flash of lightning seemed to reply to her thoughts as she pushed off and sped into the rainy distance, turning her head to glance in the direction Naruto had gone before turning her bike to head home.
Author's comments: Just a pointless innocent drabble in which NARUTO GETS PWNED! XD lol
This came to me when listening to Fina's Theme from Skies of Arcadia. That game is da bomb man. Look it up. Soundtrack won an award.
Anyways, like I said, pointless little drabble. I'm gonna update And We Would All Go Down Together eventually, so this will just have to do 'til then, lol.