C5
"Hinata."
Turning with an expecting look on her face, Hinata watched as Sasuke pulled the chair out next to her and sat down in it, effectively gathering almost the entire class's (envious, on the girl's behalves) stares. Of course, not that Hinata blamed them, the ones who had no idea that they worked together would obviously never expect the mighty God of their senior class to be talking with such a lowly mortal like Hinata.
"Y-yes?"
"Itachi wants to know if you can work this Thursday from five till nine."
Pulling a wry smile on, Hinata asked, "And why is it th-that whenever Itachi wants something done like this, he always makes you come to ask me in-instead of phoning?"
Scowling, Sasuke put his arm behind the back of his chair and tilted it backwards so that it was only resting on its back legs. "That's what I keep asking him."
"Sure, I guess." Hinata answered with a light chuckle. "I can do that."
"I'll tell him you said so." With that, he got up from the chair and returned to his seat on the other side of the classroom where the incredulous stares from the rest of the class still followed him.
"Wow, I didn't know you guys were on friendly terms." Naruto whistled and turned around in his seat to cross his arms on her desk and rest his cradled head there. Said seating for Naruto was the reason Hinata had originally chosen that specific spot, because discreet staring was so much easier when said object of desire was unable to see you do so.
Blushing heavily, Hinata murmured, "We just work together…"
"Really? That's cool." He scrutinized her for a second. "So…why do you think he's such an asshole?" Obviously, Naruto was trying to defend his best friend's honour. It was often highly speculated as to why such a sunny, bright, cheery boy was so closely tied to a dark, moody, snarling boy.
"I don't think he's an asshole!" Hinata blurted back, slightly too loud for her comfort.
Naruto grinned at this. "I was just testing you. So, you don't think he's an asshole, which means you don't hate him, but you don't love him either, do you?"
"Um, no…" She whispered back and crossed her arms.
"That is interesting." Naruto waggled his eyebrows at her. "You're pretty cool, Hinata."
She was about ready to pass out from all the rushing blood to her head.
--
"Hinata, could you do me a favour and return these items for me?" Iruka asked and waved towards the cart full of items people had at last minute decided against purchasing. "I can handle up front…but I also have to clean the tills and it would be really helpful if you could do this for me." His voice was pleading, but also leaving her the choice to refuse.
However, Hinata liked Iruka and she knew he worked ridiculously hard, thusly deserving any break when the opportunity arose, no matter how small. So, smiling, Hinata nodded and began pushing her cart down one of the aisles. "Sure, um, I'll be back soon."
"Thanks." He grinned at her and began scrubbing the conveyor belt. "I'm glad you came to work here."
Smiling back in response, Hinata continued down the aisle. In all actuality, she enjoyed doing the returns, no matter how rare the occasion was. It was nice just walking down almost always empty aisles at ten thirty in the evening, scanning through shelves nonchalantly.
Oreos down aisle five.
Bottle of Pepsi beside till seven in the refrigerator.
Box of Wheat Thins on display in front of aisle ten.
However, down at the end of aisle ten was where Hinata finally hit a problem. Above her, two shelves too high for her to reach lay the home of the damned can of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup that was currently residing in her grip.
She hated mushrooms.
Pouting, she reached up as tall as she could on her tiptoes in attempt to place it there, only to have it nearly fall out of her fingers and onto her head. Well, what a dilemma to have been placed with. Already, wisps of hair were falling out of her ponytail as she attempted jumping up and down to reach it and considering just hacking it all off as all it had done so far was gotten in her vision and prove to be an annoyance.
In her attempts to place the soup back in its rightful place, Hinata had neglected to notice when a tall solid body had pressed itself flat against her back and the arm attached to it reached up to tug the container away from her. She gave a startled sound that was must've been a cross between a yelp and a squeak at the warmth radiating through her very unattractive work uniform.
"You could've just asked for help." A gruff voice muttered and placed the can of soup on the shelf with ease. "Though I admit it would've been a lot less amusing."
Turning around quickly and almost whiplash inducing-ly, Hinata stared wide eyed up at the tall Uchiha boy, her face dusting with a light shade of red. "Um, w-would you still be offended if I th-thanked you?" He was entirely too close for any form of comfort to Hinata. She could still feel his heat exude from his strong body and she could smell the subtle hint of deodorant hidden among the smell of fresh laundry.
Goodness, if her brain overloaded and short circuited right then, she would not have been surprised at all.
Her jaw almost unhinged as she watched a smile quirk on Sasuke's stupidly godly lips. A smile. Not a smirk or an upside down frown…but an honest to god laugh-at-Hinata's-expense-because-she's-so-damn-awkward-and-verbally-impaired-smile. She'd be lying if she said her heart didn't flutter faster as she watched this because really, when something as attractive and gorgeous as that appears in front of you, literally right in front of your face, you can't help but to feel like swooning.
"Not this time." He took a step back and returned to the mop sitting in its bucket next to them. "I'll see you in a half an hour." He said, referring to the ride he always managed to give her when she worked until closing.
Hinata raced down the aisle with her cart of return groceries to return the ginger root lying at the bottom of the basket back in the produce aisle. Far, far, far away from aisle ten.
--
"Do you need a ride home?" Iruka turned to ask Hinata concernedly as he shrugged on his coat and stepped outside into the chilly and windy night after holding the door open for her to do so too.
"N-no." She gave a reassuring grin back and wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck. "Sasuke g-gives me rides home when I work until closing."
At this, the older man's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" He scratched his cheek in thought as a small grin spread across his face. "That is interesting…"
Hinata was suddenly reminded of Naruto's eerily similar words. "Do you r-really think him so callous as to refuse me that?" She furrowed her eyebrows together and sunk her head lower to her shoulders as her hands were stuffed into her warm pockets of her pea coat.
"Not at all!" Iruka waved his hands in front of his chest defensively. "Just…knowing you and knowing Sasuke, I'm guessing that he was the one to offer it, wasn't he?" At her mildly surprised face, he chuckled and shook his head. "Ah, well, don't let me keep you and your very impatient ride waiting."
As soon as he had said that, a loud and obnoxious honk filled the parking lot. Sasuke was half in his vehicle, one hand resting on his steering wheel, the other one resting atop his car door. "Are you coming, or is Iruka giving you a ride?"
"No, no." Iruka laughed and began his journey to his own car. "As much as I'd love to do so, I'm sure she'd be in much better hands with you, than an old man like me."
Frowning, Sasuke stared after the brown haired man even after Hinata had gotten into the car and buckled her seat belt. "What's gotten him into such a good mood?"
Hinata answered honestly and said, "I don't know."
