Even though she was sitting in the loud room surrounded by people she'd known for years, Hinata still felt rather shy and merely took small sips of water while the conversation around her grew. She brushed back her long hair and smoothed out her skirt before Kiba messed it up by nearly climbing over her.
"Heh, sorry!" he smiled, almost tumbling off the couch before straightening out, "This party needs some kareoke!" he announced to a series of groans and in one case a thrown shoe. He ignored them, taking a shot of sake and then scrounging around for the machine. Where he kept coming up with them, she didn't know.
"Kiba-kun..." Ino pouted from across the table, her eyes big, "Why don't you come over here?" she asked, one arm resting on Sai's shoulder. Of course, Sai just smiled magnanimously from next to her and Kiba wasn't listening at all.
"Don't worry, Ino-pig," Sakura said haughtily from behind Hinata, resting her forearms on the back of the sofa, "I'm sure he'll dedicate one to you."
Ino glared, "Don't worry about it, Forehead. I still have Sai-kun to keep me company," she smiled before realizing that Sai was talking to Shino and not paying any attention to her, "Eh!?" she gaped for a moment then her face transformed to a scowl, "Sai-kun!"
He barely had enough time to turn around and see her glaring daggers when she dragged him off the couch bodily, "I want some more punch."
"S-sure."
"I'll get you some punch, Ino!" Chouji followed them.
Hinata brought a hand to her mouth the stifle her laugh, but Sakura had no such qualms, "Heh!" she laughed loudly, ignoring the glare from across the room.
"Congratulations, Sakura-san," Hinata said formally, remembering why she was there in the first place, "And thank you for inviting me."
The kunoichi blushed prettily, or maybe it was from the punch in her hand, "Thank you, Hinata-san!" she gushed, "I'm so glad you came, you're the first one to actually congratulate me. You'd think Sasuke did all the work."
"Hmm?" Hinata asked.
Sakura leaned over, "Everyone's patting him on the back! Saying 'Great Job!' or 'Way to go!'" she pouted, taking another drink of punch, "I proposed to him!" she confided, giggling.
Oh, Hinata couldn't even imagine herself proposing. But, she frowned, the way things were going it wasn't like she would have a choice anyway, "Really?" she asked, pushing those pessimistic thoughts out of her mind. Just because she wasn't sure what she wanted to do- yet- didn't mean she could do nothing about it.
She needn't have even asked, Sakura was still talking, "It was so romantic! He made me dinner and rubbed my feet after my hard day at the hospital. Then we shared dessert and I told him we were going to get married and dragged him to the bedroom!"
Hinata's ears were red, "Ah..."
Sakura sighed dreamily and Hinata could have sworn she saw hearts in her eyes, "After such a long time, Sasuke is mine!" she giggled before sipping her punch.
Hinata smiled a bit sadly, happy for her friend but still... "Ino-san must be angry with you," she commented, spying said kunoichi across the room draping herself on Sai but sending glances towards Kiba. Poor Chouji was trying to get her attention as well.
"Pffft," Sakura flapped her hand dismissively, "Ino-pig never stood a chance. Besides," she leaned over, whispering loudly in Hinata's ear, "She can't decide on one anyway."
"What do you mean?" she asked confused.
"Well," a smirk, "First she was going after Sai. Who knows why... maybe because he looks like Sasuke. But Sai has the emotions of a stale piece of cheese, so she started after Kiba," she shrugged her shoulders dramatically, "I know he's your teammate, but c'mon!"
A frown, "Kiba-kun is an excellent comrade," she said softly. Of course, Kiba was currently dancing on the table singing a love ballad to a distressed looking Shino, well she thought he looked distressed. With Shino you could never tell.
"Yeah, yeah," she continued, "But, it was to make Sai jealous! Like that would work! And then Kiba started to ignore her so she latched back onto Sai!"
"Um," she shook her head, "I don't really understand."
Sakura sighed, "I guess you wouldn't," she frowned, paused, and then brightened suddenly, "Because you only ever had eyes for one person," she said lightly.
Hinata turned her head sharply, "Sakura-san?" she asked nervously, wondering how much she would say.
A laugh,"Don't worry, don't worry," she reassured her, "Not a word."
Her brow drawn, Hinata nodded but still was uneasy. Sakura was clearly rather tipsy.
"Where is he anyway?" green eyes glanced around the room, "He's supposed to make a toast."
Hinata looked down at her lap, fidgeting with her fingers. She had seen him earlier, when she first came in. He was laughing at a peeved Sasuke when he noticed her and she had smiled shyly at him. But he had glanced away from her and turned away, knocking back a glass of sake. A frown on her pale features, Hinata watched him walk over to Tsunade.
He ignored me, she realized her stomach sinking leaving a hollowness in her. She had wandered to a nearby couch and sat with a glass of water, not really looking forward to the party anymore.
She didn't know what to tell Sakura, luckily Shino saved her, "Sakura-san, congratulations," he said standing in front of her
"Thanks!" Sakura gushed anew.
"Er, yeah!" Kiba appeared, resting an arm around Shino's shoulders, "What he said!"
Shino pushed him away, not even glancing down when Kiba overbalanced and fell face first to the floor, "I would like to thank you for an entertaining evening," he continued stoically, "And wish you every happiness. A betrothal is a joyful event to be shared with friends and family."
Sakura blinked, "Thank you, Shino-san," she said a bit more formally with a small bow.
"Heh, listen to him," Kiba muttered before pushing himself up, "Like he knows what he's talking about."
Hinata bit her lip, "Kiba-kun..."
"In case you forgot," Shino reminded him, his voice coming somewhere from inside his large coat, "I am engaged."
"Oh, whoops..." a sheepish grin.
"Don't worry about him, Shino-san," Sakura put her hand on her hip in an eerie mimicry of her mentor, "Congrats, though," she added at Shino's gloomy demeanor, a bright smile on her face.
He nodded, his sulky aura gone.
A soft giggle escaped Hinata at the exchange, and also at Kiba's dismayed face. He grunted and climbed over the back of the couch, muttering something about needing another drink. Sakura frowned at him, "Right over my furniture," she glared before cracking her knuckles and following him, a wicked smirk on her face.
She watched them go taking a sip of water, "How are you, Shino-kun?" she asked lightly.
The bug user turned towards her, "I am well," he said, sitting down next to her but looking forwards, "However something has been on my mind lately."
"Hmmm?"
His sunglasses bored into her, "You have not been yourself recently."
Shino-kun too? she despaired, setting down her glass of water with a sigh, "I've not been feeling well," it wasn't exactly a lie, if the unsettling heaviness in her chest could be blamed. She took a breath, "That's all."
He clearly didn't believe her, but pressed no further, "Remember we are your teammates," he said simply before getting up, "I will see you at Kurenai-sensei's?"
"Yes," she nodded, "It's been awhile since we've all been together," nostalgia filled her voice and she smiled, "It'll be like old times."
"Not too much, I hope," Shino looked away, "The last thing I need is Akamaru jumping on me now."
"Akamaru-kun likes you," she teased.
"A little too much," he muttered, shook his head once, and said, "Keep an eye on Kiba."
A nod while he left, passing by Ino, Sai, and Chouji. The trio still at the punch table, but now joined by Kiba sporting a new goose egg on his head which he rubbed gingerly. She saw Neji talking to Lee and Tenten to her surprise, the weapons user had been gone on an extended mission and she hadn't seen her for a long time. Tsunade was drinking with Yamato, her face flushed.
Sakura and Sasuke stood by themselves. A stolen moment with a kiss and a quick squeeze of their hands before they parted to entertain their guests. Hinata looked away, a bit embarrassed at seeing something so intimate. She sighed, realizing she was sitting on the couch by herself and went to the bathroom. All that water went right through her.
She washed her hands with some sweet smelling soap that must have been Sakura's doing and dried them, glancing up at the mirror for a moment to brush a stray hair off her nose. Shutting the lights off and the door closed she walked down the hall towards the cheery voices she left.
Should she stay? Hinata tried not to let her pessimism get to her, but sometimes it was hard to stop worrying. With so much on her mind a simple night out had seemed like such a good idea, but nearly every spare moment was filled with the anxiety of not knowing what to do.
Stopping in the hallway, she sighed and shook her head. This was getting her nowhere fast, and she could do better. She would do better.
A breeze fluttered her skirt and she turned, glancing through the kitchen to a slightly open door she hadn't noticed before. She went to the sliding panel, pushing it to the side to close it but stopping when she saw a familiar figure out on the porch.
"Hinata-chan?" his upper half was twisted awkwardly.
She turned back towards him, a small smile escaping her at his surprised voice, "Naruto-kun? Why are you out here by yourself?" she asked by the doorway, one hand still on the panel, "Shouldn't you be inside?"
"I should," he agreed, resting one elbow on his knee and his chin in the other palm. A small bottle of sake was nearby with two cups, "But... it's nice out here, too."
"By yourself?" she said softly.
"Yeah."
A frown worried her features and she stepped through the threshold, sliding the door partway shut behind her. He sounded so morose, so unlike his normal self, "They were looking for you earlier," she fidgeted with the hem of her skirt.
"You can sit down," he offered instead of answering, watching her still by the doorway.
She blushed under his scrutiny, then went over to the edge of the porch, her heavy heart a bit lighter. He wasn't ignoring her. She sat, smoothing her skirt, "You missed Kiba-kun singing," the comment soft.
Naruto nodded distractedly, taking a sip of sake. His blue eyes were bright in the muted dimness around them, especially so when they were looking right at her. Hinata glanced away, she never could meet his gaze like that. How strange for a user of the Byakugan.
"You didn't have to lie," he said sadly, quietly, "I was just worried."
She started, "What?" a squeak.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair, "You know," he elaborated, "When I walked you home and I asked you what was wrong. And you said it was teaching, but I knew that wasn't right because you weren't worried about it before. And you just kinda smiled, but then I tried that too. And it didn't work so you couldn't have been telling the truth."
He was rambling, "I'm not sure..." she shook her head.
"That didn't come out right," he muttered knocking back the rest of his sake, "What I meant was that, well," he paused with a crease in his brow, "I wanted to help. So, I would've listened if you told me."
Now she was red and her stomach flipflopped in excitement and dread, a strange combination that she wasn't used to, "I... I didn't mean to upset you," she said, forcing her fidgeting to stop and looking at him, "I'm just not sure how I want to deal with something."
Naruto scratched his nose, "I'm not mad or anything," he explained, "But you can tell me, you know!" he smiled at her.
"Thank you," her heart was racing and a grin tugged at her mouth. Why did he have such an impact on her? "I'll let you know," she promised, realizing that she would tell him. It might take awhile, but she would and she felt better at the thought.
"Heh!" he kept on smiling, his morose demeanor gone now, "I like it better when you smile," he said happily, "It... looks nice..."
"Um," she was tongue tied.
"You want some sake?" he asked, changing the subject, "I'll pour you some."
She blinked, "Sure," she said a bit unsure, "But, shouldn't I...?" she ventured, gesturing to the bottle. Wasn't she supposed to pour?
"Nah, I got it," he waved her off, giving her a cup filled with the clear liquor, "Here you go."
Hinata accepted the saucer like cup, "What should I...?" she looked dubiously at the unassuming liquid.
"Just knock it back," he demonstrated, then poured another, "On the count of three."
"Alright."
"One, two, three!"
She swallowed the sake in one gulp- thankfully- the little bit that hit her tongue was awful. It burned down her throat, watered her eyes and made her cough.
Slapping her on the back, Naruto beamed, "Good stuff, huh?"
"Maybe," she said around a cough, "Maybe I should just take sips?"
He laughed, "Yeah, don't want to overdo it," he poured her some more.
They sat for a few moments, enjoying the clear night. Hinata smiled contentedly, savoring the peaceful feeling that spread through her. She wondered if he knew that just being around him was enough, sometimes. After weeks of anxiety and dread, the simple tranquility was all the more powerful and welcome.
Taking a sip of her sake, she turned, "Should we head back inside?"
"Hmm?" he answered a bit distractedly, "Nah, let's give it a few."
She glanced back down to her lap, "Alright."
He was silent for a while and she refilled her cup, "Hey, Hinata-chan? You don't have to keep me company," he said, "If you want to go back-"
"-No!" she responded a bit too forcefully, "I mean, it's okay," she continued at a quieter tone, "But Sakura-san was looking for you earlier."
"Don't worry about that," he snorted, "If she wanted to find me that bad, nothing would stop her. Besides, I'd rather stay out here with you. I go in there and everyone's asking me how I feel, or if I'm okay."
"Um," she ventured bravely, "What do you mean?"
"The engagement," he scowled, draining another cup of sake, "I'm not pissed. I'm not sad. I'm happy for them," he said sincerely, but then deflated a bit, "It's just... I don't know..."
She frowned, "Well..."
"I mean," he continued venting, "They just upped and got engaged! That's like almost married! I come back and look what happened. It's crazy. Who does that?"
"They've been very close," Hinata replied softly, starting to feel warm. She wasn't sure if it was from the alcohol or at the questioning look he was giving her, "For a long time. That's usually what happens."
Naruto gaped at her for a moment, "I guess," he conceded, "It's not like I know anything about that," a pout, "I've never..." he trailed off, staring at his cup.
Something twisted in her gut at his words, "Naruto-kun?"
He halfway turned, a halfhearted smile on his face, "It's nothing," he said, his cheer fake, "Don't worry about it. I just... I guess I don't really understand."
Her brow creased, "T-That's enough," she surprised herself by snatching his cup away from him and drinking the rest of it. She set it down with a thump, "You're acting so gloomy!"
A blink, "Hinata-chan?"
She shook her head, giving him a stern glare, "No excuses! This isn't like you!"
"I guess..."
"I know," she flushed, swallowed nervously, and nodded, "I know. The Naruto-kun I admire would figure it out," she said confidently.
"I..." he stared at her, his blue eyes wide. But this time she held the gaze, maybe the warm tingling gave her strength or maybe it was because he sounded so forlorn that she couldn't help it, "You're right, Hinata-chan," he smiled, scratching the back of his neck, "Thanks for reminding me."
She finally had to look away she felt so lightheaded, "You're welcome."
"You know," he started, "I've been meaning to-"
"-There you two are!" Sakura's voice interrupted him from the doorway, "I've been looking all over."
They turned guiltily to the pink haired kunoichi standing there in all her fury, "What for?" Naruto scrunched up his face.
"You are supposed to give a toast," she pointed a finger at him, "And I've been wondering where Hinata-san disappeared to. You haven't been giving her any trouble, have you?"
"No!"
"Nothing like that, Sakura-san," Hinata assured her, "He's been a perfect gentleman," she smiled sweetly.
"Yeah!"
Sakura quirked an eyebrow, "Alright, but hurry up. We're waiting," she warned before going back through the open door.
A second. Two, "Maybe we should head back?" she suggested.
"Sure," he helped her up and waited while she smoothed her skirt, "I've got the best toast," a gleam in his eye, "Just wait!"
"So, I want to toast to Sasuke. He's got Sakura-chan and the Sharingan so he's doing pretty good. And he needs all the advantages he can get if he's going to he a successful house husband. All that cleaning and cooking and waiting on Sakura-chan hand and foot- hey! Give me back my mic!"
It wasn't until later she realized it, at home and alone. She laughed a bit nervously and touched the tips of her fingers to her lips.
Disclaimer: Nope, but it would be pretty cool.
A/N: So the other one was finished in a day so I figured I'd put this one up. I think about four more chapters and an epilogue will do it. A few notes:
Tenten makes her first appearance... yay?
Some actual fluffiness. I'm in shock.
Indirect kiss FTW!
As always thanks for reading, I appreciate it.
P.S. Oh, I can't wait to read the next chapter of the manga. If Naruto finds out what happened he's going to be devastated. And what happened to Hinata? She had a reaction shot a few chapters ago, and most of the others had a few panels to keep us updated. But nothing for her or Iruka. This could be bad...