C3
"I hope you have a good day." Hinata smiled and handed the receipt to the young man who took it graciously and deposited it in his pocket.
He gave her a charming grin and winked a sparkling brown-green eye at her, causing her to blush under the attractive boy's attention. "I am now. But thanks."
Blushing further, Hinata gave him another receipt and murmured. "Just sign here, please."
"Yes, ma'am." He grinned again and signed with a flourish. "Have yourself a good one too, miss."
Ready to greet the next customer, she was surprised when he leaned over, his heavy scent of cologne drifting through her nose, filling her senses and said, "Hey, you're real cute, you know?"
Hinata merely blushed darker at this.
"Especially that blush." He ignored the indignant huffs and glares from the line up of people behind him and merely quirked his lips in a smile. "Hinata." He pointed at her name tag, wanting to make her cover it right away. "Pretty name for a pretty girl. When do you get off? Do you like coffee? Because I know this great place--"
"Hinata."
Desperately, she whirled around to see the stony face of her boss who was beckoning her down one of the aisles. "Come here."
Nodding, Hinata quickly bid her customer good bye and walked over to Itachi who was scanning the side of a cereal box that looked like it had enough colours on it to make the Pride Parade look monochromatic in comparison. "Y-yes?"
"You're off now." He pointed at the clock that indicated that indeed, it was three thirty and time for her to head home.
"Um, thank you." She said uncertainly, wondering if that was really all he had called her over for.
However, she was not disappointed when Itachi produced a sheet of paper. "It's Sasuke's schedule. I was wondering if you'd deliver it on your way home. I'll be leaving for a seminar out of town as soon as I'm off of work and I heard from Sasuke that our house is exactly on your route home."
Hinata cringed slightly at the subject of the ride home a week ago. It had been awkward and silent to say the least, though she had been ever so grateful nonetheless. "S-sure…but I'm not sure where it is you actually live…"
"The address is on the back." He gave her a curt nod. "Thank you for doing this."
"You're welcome." She shifted uncomfortably on her feet for a moment. "Um, I was wondering…I haven't seen Sasuke since he g-gave me a ride home, where is he?" She had been expecting him back the next day to assist her again, but instead her till buddy had been a smiling man named Iruka who was infinitely patient with her fumblings and mistakes. (Not that she was complaining. At all.)
"Sick." Itachi sighed and picked up a new box to scan. "He'll be fine soon."
"O-okay."
--
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Ding Dong.
Knock.
She had been standing out in the cold for the past fifteen minutes trying to get Sasuke to open the door, shivering the entire time and frozen to the bone. Where the hell was he? Was he even home, or was Hinata just supposed to drop it off in their mail box? Just as she was about to leave, the sleeve of her jacket caught the door handle, opening the door into a spacious foyer.
Gulping, Hinata stepped in and closed it quietly behind her. She was in her boss's house. Without anyone's real permission. She was in Sasuke's house without express permission.
"Um, Sasuke?" She called out timidly and removed her shoes to explore for said missing boy.
On the couch in the living room before a muted TV was Sasuke laying in a position that Hinata would've expected of Hanabi, not the aloof boy in class who always walked around with unintended grace. Limbs spread across the plush leather couch in positions that couldn't have been that comfortable, Sasuke looked deep in sleep with his heavy breathing and relaxed face.
Walking over hesitantly, Hinata crouched down next to him and gave his shoulder a light shake. "Sasuke, um, I've got your schedule."
For a moment, coal dark eyes fluttered opened before squeezing shut and getting covered by an elbow. "Wh-what're you doing here, Hyuuga?" He croaked and curled up on himself.
"Your brother told me to bring you y-your schedule…" She took out the piece of paper from her purse and flattened it before placing it down on the coffee table she crouched beside.
He glanced at the page before flickering his eyes towards her again. Scrunching his eyebrows together, he reached up and tugged the scrunchie out of her long hair, letting it fall down and tickle his nose. "I don't know why you always wear your hair up…it looks better down…"
Her eyes were wide with shock as she said with a mouth that continued to gape open and shut like a fish, "D-dress code requires it a-at work…"
"Fuck the rules." He murmured as his eyes began to waver closed again. His face was flushed and hot, Hinata finally noticed with slight surprise. Gently, she pressed her wrist against his forehead and hissed at the heat.
"When will your parents be home?" She asked quietly and lightly pushed his bangs out of the way.
"They said they'd be back for Christmas…" He groaned and leaned up into her cool touch. "But what does a seven year old know? Drunks are unheard of and sports cars are cool."
She was still confused with his words as she let her hand stay on his forehead until her eye caught the two dark urns on the mantle. Horrified, she glanced back at Sasuke's pained face and whispered, "It's just you…and your brother?"
He merely grunted and turned onto his side, taking her hand with him and holding it against his cheek. "…Mom used to do this when I was sick. She'd check my fever, put a cold cloth on my head, make me some soup, and let me sleep on the couch with the TV on." He gave a strangled chuckle. "So I guess between the two of us we got two out of four right. Fifty percent. It's a pass."
"Sasuke…"
"You can go now." He said, but didn't release her hand. "I'm pretty sure I'm a bit delirious."
Lightly, she tugged her hand away, her heart breaking slightly at the moan he made when she did. Standing up, she took off her coat and placed it on the chair next to the TV. "I'll be right back."
--
"Drink it."
"I don't want to."
"Please," Hinata pleaded and placed the bowl of chicken noodle soup in front of him on the coffee table. "Please…"
Glaring, he sat up slightly and took the bowl to begin scooping it into his mouth silently. His movements were still sure and fluid, even if it was just drinking soup while slightly delirious with a fever. He placed down the bowl after it reached the halfway point and closed his eyes. "I'm…done."
Biting her lip, Hinata nodded and reached for the bowl, her fingers brushing his trembling ones as she did so. Pausing for a moment, she glanced up at him. It wasn't just his fingers trembling. His entire body was overcome with shivers as he leaned his head back against the back of the couch with an agonized look on his face.
"Are…are you cold?" Hinata murmured and placed her hands on his shoulders to gently push him back against the couch. By the look on his face, he looked as if he wanted to object, but said nothing and pressed his head against the pillow brought from the other couch by Hinata.
"Where do you keep your blankets?" Hinata asked softly and picked up the bowl to take it into the kitchen and place on the kitchen counter.
"Down the hallway in the closet on your left." Was Sasuke's dry throated response.
Grabbing the thickest blanket she could find, she placed it on him, debated on actually tucking him in before letting him curl up deep under the covers and close his eyes. "I suppose all that's missing is the cloth…" He yawned and glanced up at Hinata with half lidded eyes.
"It's…it's right here." Hinata mumbled and placed it on his head. She had grabbed it as a last minute thought as she had exited the kitchen.
"I never asked you to act like her." He growled and glared up at her, the ugly head of his former obnoxious self rearing its head, only to fade back as he softened and yawned, "Thank you though."
"Get better." Hinata whispered and picked up her coat, recognizing the telltale signs of a sick sleeping boy and put it on quietly. She had almost finished putting on her shoes when the door swung open, almost knocking her off her feet.
In the door way stood a tall man, his hair was spiky and grey, though his strong physique indicated he couldn't be older than thirty five. If Hinata wasn't mistaken, it was her physics teacher, Kakashi, standing there with a mixture of amusement and curiosity on his face.
"Now, what's this? Sasuke has a girl over? While alone?" He smirked. "This is surprising."
"It's not what it seems!" She squeaked and stood up properly and quickly, nearly taking her ear off with the coat hanger that whizzed dangerously close to it as she stood.
"Oh, Ms. Hyuuga. I hadn't expected such scandalous behaviour from you of all people." His grin widened as he watched her turn several shades of maroon.
"H-he…he's sick…a-and Itachi asked me to send him his work schedule." She managed to get out and shoved her hands in her pockets. "E-excuse me…I'm expected at h-home soon." As in, an hour ago.
"But of course." He stepped out of the way with an amused smile and a polite nod.
"Um, what are you doing here, sir?" She asked quietly with one hand on the door jamb and one foot outside the door.
"I come and check up on the two Uchiha boys sometimes. Make sure they do okay." He patted her head. "Don't you worry about it. I'm sure at some point between your two's wicked behaviour, it was mentioned that Sasuke no longer has any parents."
Blushing once more, Hinata stepped out fully and said, "Good night, sir."
"What? You're not even denying it anymore? Oh, Ms. Hyuuga!" He gasped in mock shock and leaned against the door jamb. "Shame on you for poisoning my innocent nephew's mind!"
Closing the door on the image of a very red Hinata who had resorted to sprinting down the street, Kakashi grinned and called, "Sasuke, she's cute!"
Peering around the corner into the living room after hearing no response, his grin widened at the sleeping Sasuke all bundled up in a thick comforter with a cool cloth resting on his head.
"Very cute indeed."
--
"You're late!" Hanabi accused as she leapt off of the couch and stood in front of Hinata with hands on her hips and a frown on her face.
"I'm sorry, I got caught up with something." Hinata gave a small smile and patted her sister's head.
"For an hour and a half? What happened?" Hanabi murmured and wrung her fingers together, a trait that was normally found with Hinata, not the confident young genius of a little sister. "Father was…worried. He's gone now though." She whispered, "You said we'd go rent a movie together."
Despairingly, Hinata glanced up at the clock that read 9:45 in bright green numbers on the oven and said, "Well, the movie store's still open, we can go get one if we leave now and--"
"Never mind." Hanabi muttered and returned back to the TV. "I have school tomorrow."
Leaning back against the door, Hinata stared up at the ceiling with distress and fought back the tears.
--
Gah. I lovehate updating so quickly. On one hand, it gives me a sense of greeeaat accomplishment…on the other hand I feel like I get less reviews doing so. And as much as I hate review whores…I do enjoy receiving them myself.
This chapter was long.
Don't expect it again. :D
