The first time she really got a look at him, she was running late to work.
The familiar 'ding' of the elevator signaled that someone had requested a stop on that floor, and Hinata found herself fidgeting slightly in annoyance as the doors slid open.
The first thing she noticed was his eyes.
So big, bright, and so brilliantly blue, she wondered briefly if they were contacts before coming to the conclusion that they must be natural. It didn't escape her notice the way her heart was suddenly jumping wildly in her chest, beating more quickly with every second that she stared at him. Tracing the bridge of his nose she took in the entirety of his face: tan skin painted with the faintest of sunspots, strong jaw line, an amazing smile–
She blinked in surprise as she realized he was staring straight back at her with a large smile on his face, and in a panic she twisted her mouth uncomfortably in what she hoped at least partially resembled some sort of happy expression before looking away in shame as she felt heat rising to her cheeks. She studied the graining in the wall intently as she sensed him take the place beside her in the elevator, and the memory of her bumping into a man on the elevator a few mornings past entered her mind. A wave of self-consciousness filled her chest and she tucked strands of unruly hair behind her ear in a desperate attempt to make herself somewhat more presentable in comparison to the strong, composed aura he was radiating. She stood slightly straighter, suddenly feeling very small as he stood so collected in his expensive, tailored suit. He towered at least a head above her even in heels, and dear Kami did she always have a thing for tall guys. And was it just her or did the elevator seem very stuffy all of a sudden?
The next thing she noticed, after sparing him the minutest of glances from the corner of her eye, was the striking blonde hair on his head. She imagined that if she ran her fingers through the spiky tufts of it that it would feel very soft indeed, sliding through her grasp in its unruly glory. Thick locks of hair hung down in front of his forehead slightly, drawing even more attention to those eyes. Feeling an unexpected urge to reach out and touch him, she quickly clasped her hands together and berated herself. What had gotten into her so suddenly? Having such thoughts about a strange man she'd barely seen for the first time; it was completely irrational!
Hinata truly believed herself to be the last person who would fall so quickly for someone based solely on looks, but she would be kidding herself if she didn't admit that he was easily the most attractive man she'd ever seen.
And why won't he stop smiling at her?
Surely she must be dreaming. How distracted must she have been that morning to not notice someone like him standing in the elevator with her? What kind of face was she making? Did her outfit look nice that day? What about her hair? Oh Kami, she wasn't even wearing any shoes that morning! The doors slid open after what felt like an eternity and she hesitated before looking at him, as though some part of her needed his approval to make any movement less she bump into him again in her carelessness. With a crooked smile he held his arm out, gesturing her forward. She wanted to melt.
His smile. His smile.
In an obvious display of her lack of grace she returned his smile nervously and stiffly nodded her head at him before all but scrambling out of the elevator.
The night after she first saw him– really saw him– she dreamt of golden sunshine and the ocean. Of warmth on her skin and salt on her tongue.
"Are you feeling okay, Hinata?" Sakura asked as she walked into the gentle woman's office that morning, taking in the sight of the frazzled girl with pink cheeks before her.
"Sakura…D-Do you believe in love at first sight?" Hinata looked at her helplessly, clutching at the fabric over her heart.
Sakura asked for all of the details with a squeal, and no work was done that day.