I just want to say, some of y'all are so funny. Why would I write the first part and not follow up? That's incredibly mean haha. But I'm very happy that this was well received. Thank you all.
Enjoy.
Hanabi speaks of things that are normal for girls her age. Sourly, she talks about how annoying homework is with a pout. She gossips about her classmate giving a love letter to one of the graduating seniors. The information leaves her lips with a ghastly smirk.
This is all riveting, but Hinata is hardly listening.
Her sister is sitting across from her, a cup of tea between both hands while steam clouds the air. Her lips are moving, but slowly her words drift farther and farther away until eventually, they don't exist anymore. There is only Hinata, and she's drowning in thoughts of a strange man with whiskers painted across his cheeks.
Hinata has always been a dreamer – a mind full of insightful, profound ideas while her heart embraces romanticism and fantasy. Always that little girl who wore her heart on her sleeve, and expressed great amounts of naïveté, but even she isn't that bad.
For him to yell "you're the girl of my dreams," out in the open for everyone to hear; it was such an unusual thing to do. As far as Hinata is concerned, they have never met before, so what had possessed him to call out to her like that?
As interesting as it would be, life isn't some kind of fairytale.
And the way he called to her, with desperation, is rather daunting. Oh, how her cheeks flushed in embarrassment – especially with the way everyone whispered about the two of them. Frightening was he, there's no doubt in her mind.
But a part of her, the part who adores fantasy, can't help but wonder. What could've been if she had answered him?
There's the question of what they'd say to each other after his declaration of love.
At least, that's what she thinks it is. What else could it have been when he practically called her his dream girl? At this idea, Hinata wants to scoff at herself. Love doesn't work that way, she reminds herself.
Love takes time and effort. If she continues to think in childishly, it's her who will be hurt in the long run. She's sure of it.
He's only flirting with her, she reasons. While she had to admit his attempt was something... unorthodox and strange, old school even, she's sure there's nothing more to it.
The reality makes her shift in discomfort while the fantasy makes her want to smile. And after a while of wandering aimlessly in a sea of her thoughts, Hinata's eyes refocus on Hanabi once more. Her eyes are narrow, and her lips have formed into another one of her usual pouts.
The steam from the cup is long gone now, and Hinata wonders how long she's zoned out for. Long enough to upset Hanabi, she concludes.
"I… I was listening," Hinata starts. "I was, honestly."
Hanabi brings the cup of tea to her lips for another sip. "Mm," Hanabi hums. She's finished sipping her tea for now, but the cup still touches her lips. "Listening to what? I hadn't said anything to you for at least a minute now, big sister."
Ouch. Shows how much attention she had been paying Hanabi before that. Absolutely zero. "Well, I was listening to your story earlier. The one about the girl who gave a love letter to her crush. Sasaki-san, yes?"
"Suzuki-san," her sister corrects before setting down her cup. Hinata gives an apologetic look and Hanabi can only sigh. "Are you okay? You're always such a good listener." Her eyebrow quirks up in question.
Hinata shifts uncomfortably as she thinks back to her silly little fantasy. "No, I'm okay. I think I'm just a little tired, that's all," she smiles. Hanabi doesn't look like she's buying it. "I'm fine, honestly," Hinata assures.
"If you say so," she replies. For a second, the television is in her peripheral view. The corners of Hanabi's lips twitch upwards. "Hey, how about we watch some television! I'm sure there's probably something good coming on tonight!"
Tonight? Hinata feels as though it's a bit too late for anything interesting to be on, but then again, the two of them had different meanings of the word "interesting." Hanabi flips through channels sporadically while Hinata rests her elbows on the table as her hands prop up her face.
There doesn't seem to be any comedy shows on either since Hanabi settles for a local news channel. "I give up," she mumbles. Hinata lets out a small giggle.
"And now for tonight's tragic story, a Konoha resident has been struck by a car. Our correspondent Kikuchi Eri has more on this story. Kikuchi-san?"
Oh, the news is always so depressing, Hinata thinks. She moves to change the channel, but the woman on the television says something that catches her attention.
"Yes, and what a terrible story it is. Twenty-one-year-old Uzumaki Naruto was stuck by a car while riding his bicycle tonight on the south side of the city. The incident –"
"Southside, huh? You were just there, weren't you? Hey," Hanabi points to a picture on the television screen, "isn't that the guy that Kō-san said was – wh-what are you doing?"
The television has been turned off, and Hanabi is in utter bewilderment as Hinata sets the remote back on the table before placing her hands in her lap. "Yes," she answers. "It was him." Hanabi has never heard her voice so stern before.
"Then why'd you turn off the television?" She asks. "At least turn it back on so we can see if he's alright!" Hinata says nothing, and Hanabi places her hands on her hips. "Don't act like that, big sister. Come on, what if he's –"
"I don't want to talk about this. Not right now."
"But there's a chance that he could be –!"
"Hanabi, please!"
The way she speaks is so foreign to Hanabi's ears. The look of desperation in Hinata's eyes is something she's never seen before. The room is silent, even though the tension between them is so thick. Slowly, Hanabi stands up from her seat. "I think it's time that I take my leave."
Hinata jolts out of her seat with a panicked expression. "W-wait a moment. I didn't mean to offend you, I just…"
Her sister placed her hand in front of her, signaling her to stop talking. "I know you didn't mean any harm. Like you said, you're just tired, aren't you?" Although she sounds sincere, Hinata knows she's hurt her sister's feelings. "It's getting late. I should call Kō-san and ask him to take me home.
Hinata sits back down. "Yes…"
"By the way," Hanabi says as she watches her older sister's hands tremble in her lap, "this isn't your fault."
Hinata wants to nod. She can't find it in herself to do so.
Despite the spring season, the air feels rather cold. Bone chilling even.
Her finger tips have gone numb and goosebumps prickle the bare skin on her arms. The only thing she can hear is the soft padding of her bare feet on the concrete sidewalk. Hinata doesn't know where she's going, but she knows she wants to escape the grey cityscape.
There's no one around for miles. The store owners are all gone, and the streets are not bustling with pedestrians and shoppers. The wind doesn't blow, but there's a sudden chill down her spine. She trembles and crosses her arms over her chest before continuing on that same path.
After a while, something creaks. Something off of her normal path. Hinata embraces this change of pace, and turns, following the sound. The creaking becomes louder. It's a little grating on the ears, but she's okay with this, because this means that someone is nearby.
In the distance, there's something in the middle of the street. It's the only thing she's seen this grey world that's actually in color.
It's orange.
Although this leaves a knot in her stomach, she continues towards it. She picks up speed, and the padding of her feet against the ground is louder. Once she's close enough, Hinata slows down and inspects the item.
It's a bicycle.
The entire bike is totaled, it seems. Hinata looks at the front wheel. It's disfigured and continues to slowly turn on its own, producing that grating squeak. She's here now, at the source of the sound, but there's no one around her.
She feels defeated.
She wants to cry, but the sound of a groan just ways away from her catches her attention. "Hello?" She calls out for the first time. The air is so cold that she can see her breath. "Hello, is anyone there?"
As the groaning gets louder, Hinata moves faster. Someone's in trouble, it sounds like. Someone needs help. Hinata wants to help as much as she can. Maybe the two of them can find a way out of this lifeless city together.
On her way there, she's stepped in something warm and wet. Hinata pays no mind to it at first, and continues to run as fast as she can. Somebody needs her, is what she tells herself over and over. Soon, everything beneath her feet feels wet, and she slips.
Her rear hurts, and when she begins to get up, she can see the entire city is splotched in red. She's stained red. Her lips tremble with fear, but she can't let her nerves get to her now. This person still needs her help. She can see him, right in front of her now. He lies in the middle of the street. He's very still, and the groaning has stopped.
Was she too late?
Finally by his side, Hinata falls on her knees to inspect him further. Blond hair is soaked in his own blood, covering his face as well. Once she realizes that she is too, she feels nauseous. He's wincing, but it's hard to tell when the wounds are still leaking blood all over his face.
His breathing is erratic, and she can hardly look at the awkward way his right arm is bent. She knows there's something sticking out of it, but it's sickening to look at. Frantically, she looks around her in search of some aid.
Surely there has to be someone around who can help, right? "S-someone…" she starts. Her voice is barely audible, and it's hoarse. "Somebody help him." No one will hear her like this, she scolds herself. She needs to be louder.
"Is anyone out there?" She cries. "Somebody help us, please! He needs medical attention!"
There is no answer. She tries to fight back her tears, but it's no use. The tears roll down her cheeks and into his blood-soaked hair. Hinata screams. There should be someone who can hear her – there has to be. She continues to scream for help until her voice can barely manage a whisper. Her eyes are lightly shut.
It's no use. No one is here. No one is coming.
And when the realization hits her, Hinata opens her eyes in a flash, and quickly sits up in her bed. She's woken up in a cold sweat. Her eyes dart around the bedroom quickly. Though it's dark, she can tell she is at home. When she looks at her hands, they are trembling, but they do not have dried blood caked onto them.
Her heart is beating wildly. Her head is spinning.
He's not okay. No one was able to save him. She was not able to save him. She reminds herself of this every other minute. It's the only thing that she can even think about. It's the only thing that keeps her up the entire night.
When the sun rises, Hinata does not move from her spot in the bed. She lays in silence on her pillow. It is soaked heavily in last night's tears.
The dango shop looks exactly as it did in Hinata's senior year of high school. The sweets are still good quality too, she muses, as she bites into a piece of her dango. She hadn't expected Shino of all people to invite her out at a place like this. She wasn't aware that he even had a sweet tooth.
She doesn't question it though, and enjoys the natural silence between them. Though, things feel just a bit too quiet. Something, or rather someone, is missing. "Kiba-kun is late," she says. Hinata watches as Shino digs his cellphone out of his pocket.
"That he is," he starts, eyes focused on his phone screen. "I texted him 15 minutes ago, and he told me he was in the area but that was it. Maybe he's gotten himself into trouble again."
Hinata hoped not.
"Who are you saying got them self into trouble? And what do you mean again?" Leave it to Kiba to shake up the quiet and demure atmosphere of a sweets shop. Hinata can only give a somewhat apologetic smile while Shino slides his shades up on his face.
"You always get into trouble," he begins. "Like with that old lady and her cat –"
"That lady's cat was asking for Akamaru to demolish it!" Kiba cries as he takes a seat next to Hinata. He picks up one of the sweet dumplings off of her plate and begins to eat it. She shoots him a look, but in reality, she doesn't mind so much. "Always hissing at him for no reason!"
Shino clears his throat. "There was that time at the bar with the man who was obviously too drunk to think straight."
Kiba huffs. "Yeah, well so was I. I don't even remember what we were fighting about anyways."
"There was also that time you almost fought a middle schooler –"
"You almost fought a child?" Hinata gasps. Her hands fly over her mouth in shock.
Kiba shoots Shino a glare before casting his gaze over to Hinata quickly. "You don't understand! Shino's purposely leaving out information to make me look bad! That kid kicks his stupid soccer ball at my bike twice! And I know it was on purpose too!"
"Over a motorcycle, Kiba-kun?"
"Hey, he chipped the paint! I have to pay to get it fixed, not him!" He counters. "And it's not just a motorcycle, it's a way of life." Kiba is such a snob in this particular "way of life," but Hinata can't help the little laugh that escapes her.
Shino reminds them that his points still stands, forcing Kiba to roll his eyes. "So, if you weren't getting into any trouble, what were you doing?"
Kiba scoffs. "Actually, I was at the hospital."
"Oh," Hinata squeaks. "Are you alright?"
"Nah, I'm fine," Kiba shrugs nonchalantly. "Had to go see how Naruto was holding up. He's pretty banged up, so I've kinda been making a habit to drop by every once in a while." Hinata can't help but shift slightly in discomfort.
Now that she can put the name to his face, she absolutely loathes the mentioning of him. The nightmares of him occur every single night, and each time, they become more gruesome. They're so realistic that it's terrifying.
And what's more is that his lifeless blue eyes haunt her in and outside of her dreams. It's sickening.
"That's rather kind of you," Shino says. "I haven't seen him in a while, so maybe I should visit him too."
Just then, an idea strikes Kiba. "How 'bout we all pay him a little visit. I'm sure he'd appreciate the company. That guy's bored out of his mind just lying there."
"Keeping still was never Naruto's style," Shino adds. "Are you joining us, Hinata?"
No, she couldn't possibly do such a thing. To meet him face to face in all those bandages would be horrible, she's sure of it. Somedays, she thinks that if she had only spared a minute or two to talk to him, maybe he wouldn't be in the condition that he's in now. Other days, she feels as though he resents her.
To be rejected by someone you call "the girl of your dreams" before getting struck by a car – some luck. And she's the bad omen.
"Yo, Hinata!" Kiba has to yell, and it makes Hinata almost jump out of her skin. "Are you coming or not? …Hey, what's up with you? You alright?"
Both Kiba and Shino are throwing her looks of concern, and just like that, she feels like a burden to them. "S-sorry!" She manages to stammer. "I'm okay, I'm just very tired. Um, I think… I think I'll pass on seeing your friend today. But um, maybe some other time, yes?"
The two of them share similar looks before shrugging it off and wish her a safe trip home. Kiba even pays for the dango for them, as a reparation of the food he ate without asking. She is thankful that they leave without trying to pry into it.
It's a little embarrassing to admit to them that she frequently has nightmares of a man she's only seen once in her entire life. She wonders if he's ever told them about her – about their first encounter with one another. If he had done so, surely her friends would have brought it up by now, right?
Or maybe he's too ashamed to tell them what truly happened. Hinata feels horrible about it all. Kiba says he just lies there. Shino says keeping still isn't his style at all. He has it worse, she thinks. What if he has all these nightmares too? He can't just get up and take a walk to calm his nerves.
He's just there.
He has to lie there motionless, staring off into the darkest corners of the room, just as he does in her dreams.
If that's how it truly is, then Hinata is positive that she doesn't want to see him. She refuses to live out those nightmares.
She can never ignore him.
He calls out to her every single night with such desperation that plagues her. She tells herself that she doesn't want to see him anymore, but her body disobeys her. She runs to him night after night, only to stand before his mangled body. It's sickening to see him like this, but she can't look away anymore. Her body is forcing itself to look at him. She takes a sharp inhale – it's all she can do as an attempt to calm herself down.
"Hinata," he rasps. "Hinata, help me. Please…"
She doesn't know how. She doesn't know what she should do.
Often times, she holds him in her arms. "I don't know what to do," she cries. "Tell me what to do. How do I help you? How?" She'll do anything, she tells him. Anything to stop his pain and suffering. Anything to make him happy. She just wants to stop the bleeding and the pain.
He never tells her what to do. He only murmurs, "Please…" over and over. It's frustrating to see him slowly slip into unconsciousness as she's begging him to stay. It's always the worst when his eyes have gone dull, and his lips aren't moving anymore.
His heartbeat is gone and his body is limp, but from a distance, Hinata can hear him whisper, "Save me. Please, save me," throughout the same grey cityscape smeared in his blood. The scent of iron is the only thing that fills her nostrils. Soon, she's feeling nauseous again. Hinata holds him tighter. Her eyes start to water. Her lips begin to tremble.
"How?" She whimpers. "I want to help you, but I don't know how to." All she can do is sit there as his body heat fades away. For a brief moment, Hinata wonders if she's always been so useless. She has her chance to save him every night, but when she reaches him, all she can do is sit and cry over him as he's begging her to save him.
When she finally awakens, Hinata has to take a warm shower to wash off his blood. It isn't actually there, but she can still feel it. She feels dirty. The nightmares are disgusting and excruciating. Every time she closes her eyes, she can see him so vividly. Blood and dirt are caked onto his face.
She scrubs her body harder. She needs to wash everything away. She's so dirty.
But no matter how hard she scrubs, all she ends up with is irritated, red skin and the feeling of hopelessness. Why does he continue to ask her for her assistance every night when he always dies in her arms? Doesn't he know how much of a failure she really is?
Hinata decides that she can't do this anymore. Just the thought of him leaves a terrible ache in her heart. Lately, it's been hard for her to fall asleep. She's got a case of insomnia. Hinata thinks it's a blessing in disguise. She never has to fall asleep.
She never has to see him again.
Afternoon tea with her father is something Hinata hasn't experienced in years.
There's a nervousness that swells in her stomach because of it. She wants to be respectful and graceful at the table, but lately she's been feeling so tired. She prays that she can keep herself together long enough for this to go smoothly, but things don't seem to be going her way in the 15 minutes that she's already been here.
Her father, with his tea glass between his hands, is scrutinizing her already under his usual steely gaze. He makes being around him so difficult because she can never catch a break. Always watching – always waiting – for her to mess up so he can scold her.
Or so it feels anyway.
"Hinata," he begins, "you look a bit under the weather. Are you feeling well?" Although he asks, Hinata can hear the lack of concern in his voice. It's almost as if he asks because she's his daughter, and he is obligated to do so.
Things are so strained in Hinata's relationship with her father. She wants to sit down and spend a relaxing afternoon over green tea, but their interactions always feel so forced. It feels like she's missed out on a normal father-daughter relationship with him.
"I'm okay Father," she answers. "There is no need to worry about me."
"Are you sure?" He presses.
She's a bit taken back by this. Her father never asks any follow up questions about her wellbeing. It couldn't help to tell him somewhat of the truth, would it? "Well, as of late, I've been having trouble sleeping," Hinata tells him. "I've just been… very tired."
"I see," he says before taking a sip of tea. "Be sure to get yourself on a normal sleeping schedule. I do not want you sleeping on the job, do I make myself clear?"
Hinata winces. So much for trying to confide in him, she thinks. "Yes Father," is all she manages to say. Hiashi starts to talk about his company. There's the marketing department, human resources – he even talks about accounting.
Hinata wishes she could pay attention to him, but this is all so dense and monotonous. Her mind can barely keep up with what he's saying, and her eyes feel as though they're about to shut at any moment. She's doing her best to keep herself up, but her hands can't even find her tea glass.
All she can focus on is how tired she is.
When her eyes finally close, she can see him. His skin is decaying, and the smell of rotting flesh in the air is pungent. "Hinata…" he calls out to her, and she screams. Her trembling hands knock over the tea glass, and the discomfort in the pit of her stomach is cumbersome.
Her father is startled, and moves to clean up the tea before it spills over the table. "Hinata, are you –?"
"I-I'm sorry! Please excuse me!" She stammers before rushing off the bathroom. Sweat dots her forehead, and today's lunch finds itself into the toilet. Her throat is dry, and it burns terribly. She's hunched over the toilet in her father's estate, letting out pitiful sobs.
She can't escape him. No matter how hard she tries, she just can't escape him.
Hinata finds the bouquet of daffodils in her arms to be quite charming. They are freshly watered, and freshly cut too. The rays of the sun shine down on them and make them look as radiant as ever. Even though she loves them, she can't help but wonder if he'll feel the same way about them too.
After days of contemplating it, Hinata decides to face her fears and take a trip to the hospital. After the embarrassing stunt she pulled at her father's estate, Hinata feels that maybe she can remedy these nightmares by going to the source.
At first, she was ready to ask Kiba or Shino to accompany her. This was something she couldn't do alone and the support would have been a tremendous help for her. Then, Hinata realized that this was something that she needed to do alone, whether she wanted to or not.
She was hurting, and this could have been the romantic in her speaking, but she was sure that she could feel his pain too. They were connected in some obscure way – they had to be. He wouldn't have called out to her if there truly wasn't something there.
Is it a stretch to say that the universe practically mashed them together like this? Hinata isn't sure if she even believes in destinies and divine intervention, but maybe the two of them were truly fated to meet in such a convoluted way.
And maybe they'd properly meet sooner if she could just force herself to walk inside of the hospital. This was nerve-wracking, but Hinata has hit rock bottom. The only place she could possibly go from here is up, and it's optimism that helps her get through those automatic sliding doors.
The vibe of the waiting room gives her a sense of uneasiness. It looks so drab and grey – a big contrast to normal hospitals that are white and sterile looking. What does make her relax a bit is the warm smile the receptionist gives her upon entering.
Hinata gives a smile of her own as she makes her way to the front desk. "And what can I help you with today?" The receptionist asks.
"Ah, yes. I'm looking for… Uzumaki Naruto's room." His name on her tongue feels so foreign. It's a nice name though, she thinks. The leafing of papers catches her attention, and the sudden "A-ha," from the receptionist makes her clutch the bouquet in her arms just a little tighter.
"Found it! Uzumaki-san is on the sixth floor, room seven," she tells her. "I'll fill out a guest pass for you and you can take the elevators to your right." Hinata receives her guest pass, and it's a rather slow walk to the elevators for her.
Momentarily, she thinks of going back home. What if he doesn't want to see her? What if he already has other visitors? She'd only be embarrassing herself even further. Even though the negative thoughts circle around her mind, she still rides the elevator to the sixth floor, and her feet still carry her to the entrance of room seven.
She peeks in, and is relieved that he's the only one in there. She can see the bandages on his head and face. He's even wearing a cast on his right arm. Seeing him bandaged up hurts, but it's better than the gory images of him that frequent her dreams. His eyes are closed. His chest rises and falls peacefully.
Hinata doesn't want to wake him. He looks comfortable. But she has to disturb his slumber if they're to ever meet properly. Slowly, she sets foot into the room with an increased heart rate and bated breath. Right now, she's the closest she's ever been to him – just a foot away from his hospital bed.
She breathes in, then slowly exhales. Despite this, her nerves don't actually go away. "U-um… Excuse me, Uzumaki-san?" She calls out to him. Her voice is too soft, she mentally scolds herself. She needs to be louder. "Uzumaki-san?" She tries again, but there's a firmness in it this time.
His eyes take a while to flutter open, but when they do, she finds them staring right at her. She tenses up, as she isn't sure what to say or do. It's okay though, because when he gives his eyes time to adjust to her, they widen in awe.
"It's you," he finally speaks, and she's so glad to hear something from him other than "save me."
Hinata nods. "Y-yes… Hello."
"This… this isn't a dream is it?" A dream? She shakes her head no. Naruto gives a sigh of relief. "Thank God. I never thought I'd see you again."
"You mean, you're not angry with me?" Hinata asks, genuinely startled by his response.
His mannerisms are so strange to her, especially when he gives her a grin as warm as the sun. "How could I be, especially when you got me really pretty flowers," he laughs. A small warmth tickles her cheeks, and Hinata sets down the bouquet of daffodils on his night table.
Honestly, how could she forget that she was even carrying them?
"If anyone's angry, it should be you. I messed up pretty badly when I started yelling at you from across the street," he chuckles.
Hinata can't help but let out a small laugh of her own. "I don't think I've ever been called someone's 'dream girl' before. And admittedly, I was frightened. But I wasn't mad at you. After I heard about what happened to you, how could I be?"
"You're just as nice as I pictured you," Naruto smiles. It's so heartfelt that Hinata smiles too. "Just out of curiosity, how'd you know which hospital to visit?"
"Oh? I asked Kiba-kun and Shino-kun. They gave me the address of this place yesterday."
His sudden gasp causes her to squeak out in surprise. "You're Hinata!" He cries. All she can do is nod faintly. What did that even matter? "Aw, man! I'm so stupid! I could have met you sooner! If I had, maybe this whole mess wouldn't have even happened!"
Hinata isn't quite sure what Naruto is so wound up about, but she doesn't ask. Instead, she moves closer to the bed to grab hold of his left hand. It's large and warm – comforting too. "Are you... here by yourself often?" She asks.
Her actions surprise him, but they aren't unwelcomed. "Yeah, actually. I mean, some people stop by to visit once in a while, but it makes sense since they all have jobs and lives to tend to."
"What about your parents or siblings?"
"Don't have any," he replies.
She's taken aback by the casual tone of voice he says it in. "I'm so sorry," she apologizes. "That was rather insensitive of me."
Naruto shakes his head. "It's okay. I'm used to it."
Even though he says that, it doesn't make it any better. Maybe this is how he's really suffering, and if Hinata really wants to help him then… "If that's the case, then I'll visit you every day so that you're never lonely again."
Her eyes hold a type of fire in them that makes his heart skip a beat. He's heard her say things like this before, but every time she did, she'd always leave. But this isn't his dream anymore, so maybe she really means it this time. "I'm sure you're busy too, right?"
"Not busy enough that I can't see you, Uzumaki-san. I'll come by to visit every single day, I promise." She wants to help him. She couldn't do it in her dreams, but maybe this reality is her chance.
"Okay," he grins. "I look forward to seeing you tomorrow then."
She nods. "Yes. I'll see you tomorrow."
Soon than she likes, visiting hours comes to an end, and Hinata leaves the hospital feeling better than she's been in a long time.