Mist
A/N: Thank you to LuteLyre for her helpful comments and encouragement! Please read and let me know what you think. :)
The next day began as usual, disturbingly so. Hinata was positive that somehow the whole village knew madness possessed her to kiss the Kazekage. The guilt of what she had done weighed on her and made it difficult for her to concentrate on anything else. To her misfortune, she happened to have an observant teammate who was training with her that morning. Her punches were sloppy and after the fifth one, Shino stopped and focused on her.
He always stared without moving an inch and it was off-putting. Hinata squirmed under his gaze and she knew she'd crack if he asked her anything.
"Your moves lack energy and focus," Shino stated. She worried her lip, hesitating for a few seconds until the pressure was too much.
"I- I did something I shouldn't have," she blurted. Shino said nothing and tilted his head a little to the right. She knew that he wanted her to explain, or he was running through a list of possibilities in his normal calculatory mode. "It's nothing that serious. F-forget I said anything… I have to go." Hinata turned and rushed back in the direction of the Hyuuga estate. Her cheeks burned in shame – she knew that Shino wouldn't buy that and ask her later what was really the matter, but she couldn't stay to risk any more questioning at the moment.
Practicing Gentle Fist at home was not so preferable, although no one would be at home now. So for the next few hours, Hinata trained without a break and then collapsed in the bath. The water calmed her as it always did.
Day melted into evening and Hinata changed into slightly warmer clothing before leaving the house. She walked onto the street and noticed a blanket of mist had fallen close to the ground, hovering around the street lamps.
There was a street vendor selling pineapple pieces on sticks and she bought two. Hinata had not eaten dinner and her stomach was too twisted for her to eat much. The pineapple's tanginess left a pleasant aftertaste in her mouth and the piece dripped drops of juice as she bit into it.
Onward she moved, without thinking, towards the lake. Her heart hammered quicker in her chest as she neared it. How alive she had felt! And yet – she knew that it could never happen again. Why would the Kazekage want to be friends with her when he had a whole village of his own? No doubt he already had enough friends, though he was a quiet type of person –
"Hinata-san," a voice sounded from behind her and she startled. Who had the ability to be so quiet? Oh.
"Gaara-sama," she said, almost breathlessly. She tried to focus on his face despite her anxiety. "What are you doing here?" A breeze shifted the strands of hair on his forehead and her eyes caught the movement. His stance was solid with a hint of vulnerability. Seconds passed as she waited for him to reply.
"I am taking a walk," he said, "but I will go if you prefer." She never meant for him to be uncomfortable and heat rushed to her face.
"You don't have to!" Hinata said and held out the pineapple kebob she'd been saving – for him, she realized.
Gaara gazed at the snack she offered him. Not many people offered him food. He could remember more times when his victims pleaded for mercy. He had no shame for his actions in the past; he might be Kazekage, but there were occasions when he saw through their obedient armor. The cracks. The fear was still there. He smelled it.
Hinata stank of shame. Fear. Of herself, maybe. He accepted the pineapple stick after a few moments. Took a bite and swallowed. Even the food here contained so much water. Careful, don't become addicted. He liked the sweetness with a hint of acid. It prickled his tongue's edges.
She looked at him with wide eyes. What was he supposed to say? "It's good," he said. Truth. No lies. He drowned in them every day. She smiled.
He felt mist droplets fall on his face and dampen his skin. A few landed in his eyes. He blinked.
Hinata edged towards the water and walked on the surface with chakra-bound feet. He followed her. They moved to the lake's center.
Gaara watched as Hinata bit into a pineapple piece. She ate and looked at him.
"One of my favorite sights is the view of Konoha at night. It's so peaceful," she said. "You can hear the crickets chirping in the summer time too."
"In Suna, the wind howls," Gaara stated. It was nothing much, but it caught her interest.
"What do you like about your village?" Hinata asked. He hadn't had that question before and did not know how to answer. Hard to think of what he liked.
Was there anything? "When the sand catches the moonlight." Gaara spent many hours looking at the vast emptiness. Nothingness. It calmed him, stopped him sleeping. Now there were many times when he doubted he was awake. He still felt hazy, foggy-minded on occasion. Or that he'd fall asleep and feel Shukaku's chakra usurping him.
Hinata nodded before her eyes swept over the lake's surface. "It's the earth's gift to us. Seeing things no one else would in that spot, at the right moment." The earth was just there, Gaara thought, but on occasion, he saw a glimmer of beauty. Unlike people. Their hearts were warped. Dull eyes. Hinata's had an eerie glow in the dark. Moon glow.
He wondered if anyone else had noticed it before him. "Hardly anything is beautiful," he said. She shifted her weight a little and the water splashed softly beneath her feet.
"I know. That's why it's even more meaningful when we find beauty." Her words resonated quietly in his head for a while afterwards. He didn't know why. They were both silent for a few minutes, staring out over the lake.
He had no idea what to say. His nerves agitated his sand armor's outer layer. A prickling ran down his spine when he looked at Hinata. Again, then again.
He took a step away to erase the feeling and failed. Moving towards her just made it worse.
"When do you return to Suna?" she asked in little more than a murmur.
He searched for the answer, distracted. "Day after tomorrow." Hinata frowned. Was she sad?
Her expression disappeared and her voice was lighter. "I hope we can meet tomorrow," she said.
"I don't sleep much," was Gaara's reply. Perhps she just guessed from her experience with a taciturn Shino, but she took that to mean they'd meet late at night. Later than this, as it was only 9:15 pm. She blushed as she had a surge of daring.
"Just find the Hyuuga clan home if you'd like. Avoid the guards, though."
"I will."
Somehow, she did not think that would be much of a problem for him. A smile shone on her face. "Thank you."
He gave her a blank look and she wondered if that had been the right thing to say. Nevertheless, it did mean a great deal to her. Part of her wanted to see a smile on his face, or at the very least, a hint of relaxation in his stance. He was tense, guarded, and there was no reason to be that around her.
"You're welcome." The sudden arrival of his bodyguards interrupted them. Gaara had to return to his room for safety (as if she was dangerous!) and he had several meetings tomorrow.
She bid him goodbye in the few seconds they had left and their eyes met. Hinata's heart pounded and continued until Gaara was out of sight. Tomorrow, she thought. The start of something new.