Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.
Special Thanks: goes out to guest, Kibachow, Sachiko Heiwajima, Melanieciel, TheValkyrieGladiator, Dani Stark, wolf-enzeru, Tamani, Guest, DivineGlory, KyaNika, XxMelony-kunXx, pheecat, OhSunnyDay, mangetsu no hime, SasukexhinataxOC, and jazzberryjuice for all your reviews! Also thanks to everyone who's added this story to their faves and follows lists.
Author's Note: Very important chapter, this. Things come to light here which will play heavily into later chapters. No Sasuke and Hinata face to face in this chapter - but they still do interact, I promise. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!
*~Chapter XVI~*
~Storm~
Thunderheads were building in the western sky by the time Hinata left Sasuke's house. She kept flickering glances in that direction as she drove back down the hill into town, hoping she'd beat the rain before it got there.
As she pulled into her parking place at her condo, the clock on the dashboard of her car flicked to 6:05. She'd been at Sasuke's for about five hours; much longer than she'd intended to stay. But, oh, they had been five rather enjoyable hours, she mused as she pulled the keys out of the ignition. Itachi's and Temari's easygoing natures had helped put her at ease; Karura had been an absolute delight; and even Sasuke seemed comfortable around her while they toured his house. It was as full of character on the inside as it was out, leading Hinata to wonder why she'd ever thought it - and he - were creepy.
As Hinata exited her car, a gust of wind tore across the parking lot, noisily tossing the branches of the trees lining it and throwing her hair across her face. Sputtering, she shoved the tangled strands away and glanced toward the west, frowning when she noticed the greenish tinge to the sky on the horizon. Though she didn't technically live in Tornado Alley, Konoha was only around fifty miles outside the official border; the town saw funnel clouds far more often than she liked. She would have to keep a close eye on the sky, and an ear tuned to the weather.
Grasping her long skirt in one hand so it wouldn't blow around her legs too much, Hinata hurried up the outdoor staircase to the door leading into her condo. She unlocked it quickly and slipped inside, glad to be out of the wind. She could still hear it, though, whistling around the corners of the building and rattling at the windows.
Slipping off her shoes, Hinata put down her keys and purse, and went straight to the sitting room to turn on the television. The crawl at the bottom of the screen reported both a thunderstorm and tornado watch. Seeing it, she nibbled anxiously at her lower lip. The building had a basement, and she knew Umino Iruka, the building's supervisor, would have already unlocked the door, just in case. She wondered if any of her neighbors had already taken shelter there.
Muting the TV, Hinata dropped down on the couch and stared at her cell phone. After she left Sasuke's, her father called and left a voicemail requesting (read: ordering) her to call him back at her earliest convenience (in other words, the sooner the better or else). She had a feeling he wanted to talk about finalizing arrangements for Hanabi to move in, which she didn't particularly want to discuss.
She did, however, want to ask if Hiashi would loan her some of the family's more interesting Japanese heirlooms. For that reason, Hinata gave in and dialed her father's familiar number, watching Mitirashi Anko, her favorite local station's chief meteorologist, on screen pointing out a big blob of intertwined green, red, and yellow.
It looked to be heading in Konoha's direction; from its location, it was the same storm she'd seen on the green horizon. Fantastic. Welcome to summer on the outskirts of Tornado Alley.
Hiashi picked up the phone, derailing any further thoughts Hinata might have had on the subject. "Where have you been?" he asked in lieu of a greeting.
Biting back an uncharacteristically sarcastic response, Hinata forced herself to loosen her death grip on her phone. "I had some errands to run. Tenten wanted me to drop off the last of her things at her and Neji's new place, then I went to visit a friend. Your call came as I was driving home, and now I'm returning it?" Not that Hiashi would have forgotten he called her, or the reasons why. She just wanted to distract him from further questioning her about where she'd been and just which "friend" she'd been with.
For some reason, Hinata didn't think Hiashi would take too kindly to his daughter spending five hours at the resident horror novelist's house. He'd probably do something rather horror-novelish himself if he discovered that little fact.
"Hn." Hiashi's tone made it clear he was only dropping the subject for now. "I wanted to talk to you about the move this Saturday. The movers I hired are supposed to be here at nine. From the way they talked, it will take them around three hours to pack up Hanabi's things. They'll probably get some lunch before heading over there, so expect them to get to the condo around one-thirty or two."
Hinata sat quietly and listened, unable to get a word in edgewise. She knew even if she could, it would be disregarded. So why waste her breath?
"Hanabi will probably be there around noon, so you'll want to make yourself available all day for when she gets there, and then the movers later. I've already arranged payment for them, so you won't have to worry about that - not even the tip." Hiashi finally halted, obviously expecting her to say something.
"It sounds like you've got everything all arranged." She successfully kept the sarcasm out of her tone, but not the irony. Hinata reminded herself why she was doing this: which didn't really make it easier to bear, but certainly kept her from screaming in her father's ear.
"I do. You and Hanabi won't have to lift a finger, Hinata. Won't that be nice?" Though phrased as a question, it clearly was not meant to be one.
"Yes, of course." Hinata watched the county one over from Konoha switch from "thunderstorm watch" to "thunderstorm warning." The fluttering in her stomach intensified. "Are you watching the weather?"
Hiashi made a dismissive sound. "We hardly ever have tornadoes here, Hinata. There's nothing to be worried about. If one should form, it will undoubtedly go around us, or jump over us, like usual."
Perhaps, but that isn't my point. Sighing, Hinata gave in and changed the subject - again. "Listen, I was wondering if it would be possible for you to send some of our more interesting heirlooms from Japan either with Hanabi or the movers on Saturday? A friend of mine is interested in seeing them."
Dead silence on the other end of the line for ten... Twenty... Forty-five seconds. Then, "I suppose that would be all right, as long as you don't keep them more than a few days. Which ones were you wanting?"
Hinata kept herself from blowing out a relieved breath with effort. "The swatch of fabric from the emperor's robe, the pair of jade shīsā, one of the katana, the empress's silk fan with the cherry blossom pattern, and the kacho silk wall scroll from the empress's room."
She halfway expected her father to reply with a sarcastic, "You don't ask for much, do you?" But since sarcasm wasn't typically Hiashi's way, he simply said, "I'll pack them myself and send them with Hanabi. I don't trust the movers not to lose or damage them."
Surprised Hiashi trusted Hanabi not to do the same things, she smiled and closed her eyes in relief. "Thank you, Father. I promise I'll get them back to you early next week." She'd been intending to invite Sasuke over for lunch next Sunday to thank him for inviting her today, so the timing would work out well. Now if she could just get Hanabi out of the condo for a few hours...
The two of them said cordial goodbyes and hung up. Hinata went back to watching the muted television, shifting on the couch so she could see out the window across the room. The sky still held a distinctly green tinge. Just as she wondered if she shouldn't maybe grab some of her more valuable items, in case she needed to head to the basement, her phone rang.
She was both surprised and pleased to see Sasuke's number on the screen. He'd given her both his cell and home numbers (both unlisted and "highly top secret"), and she'd reciprocated with her own cell number. Drawing in a deep breath to steady the butterflies dancing around in her stomach, she cleared her throat and answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Hello, Hinata. This is Sasuke." The other end of the phone went quiet for a moment. In the background she heard Temari call, "Way to state the obvious, lover boy!"
"I'm glad you called," Hinata said, wondering if her face was as red as it felt. "I just talked to my father, and he's going to send some of the more interesting heirlooms over to my condo this Saturday. I was wondering if you'd like to come over for lunch on Sunday? You can see them then." She held her breath, praying she hadn't just overstepped some boundary. Sasuke was an intensely private person - it didn't take a Sherlock Holmes to see that - and she wondered if he would take her invitation as being too forward.
To her relief, Sasuke's response was immediate. "I'd like that." There was a definite smile in his voice. Hinata couldn't help wondering if he were smiling about seeing her again; or if it was because he was going to get to see her family's Japanese heirlooms.
Squashing the thought before it dared venture further into unexplored and scary territory, Hinata smiled herself, striving to sound natural when she responded. "Great. Your brother and his family are welcome to come, too, if they like?"
"Oh. I'm sure they'd like that, but they're actually booked on a flight back to Florida on Friday morning. I'm sorry." Sasuke sounded truly regretful. "They just told me to tell you they're sorry, but they appreciate the invite. And they enjoyed spending time with you today." His voice lowered as he added softly, "I did, too."
Hinata's smile widened, and she felt her blush intensify. "Would around one work for you?"
"Sounds good."
Though he sounded excited, she sensed an almost cautious undertone to his voice. He'd seemed so at ease in his home today, but Hinata remembered how shy and anxious he'd been during his visits to the library. Perhaps he felt uncomfortable being anywhere but home. The thought made her both sad and guilty, since she'd just invited him over - to somewhere clearly outside his comfort zone. "What kind of food do you like?" she asked.
"Nothing sweet," he replied instantly. "Tomatoes are my favorite food. But other than that, I'm not really picky, and I'm not allergic to anything. Whatever you fix will be great."
She mentally flipped through her cookbooks, trying to think of recipes which utilized a lot of tomatoes. "Great." A thought struck her, and she said, "Oh! I'm sorry, I got sidetracked. You called me, not the other way around. Did you need something?"
Sasuke cleared his throat, and she could picture him rubbing the back of his neck nervously like he'd done at the library. "Well, I was just wondering - have you been watching the weather?"
"Yes." Thunder had been rumbling closer since her conversation with her father; just as she spoke, it cracked fairly closely, making her jump nervously. Hinata stared at the screen, where the watch for Konoha switched to a warning. "In fact, we're under a severe thunderstorm warning right now." Her stomach tightened, but she pressed her fist against it and shook her head. She wouldn't freak out, not on the phone. After all, if her father was so blasé about the weather, shouldn't she be able to feel the same way?
"I noticed the sky's looking a little green. I don't know where you live, and this might be an awkward question, but - do you have a basement?" Sasuke sounded nervous, like he feared she'd think he was a stalker or something for asking the question.
Hinata smiled, understanding his reasons for asking. "I live in a condo not too far from the library. The building does have a basement, yes. As a matter of fact, I imagine the building super probably already has the door unlocked, just in case there's a warning issued and we all have to head down there."
"Oh, good." The relief in Sasuke's voice was palpable. "Ah - not about the possible necessity, that is. Just that you do have a basement. Just in case." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I was just calling to make sure you did. If you didn't, I was going to invite you over again, because we're all in my basement right now. Just in case, you know."
Cradling the phone close to her ear with both hands, Hinata smiled. It felt good, knowing this stranger who barely knew her was so concerned about her safety. It made her father's lack of caring seem almost unimportant. "Thank you, Sasuke. I really appreciate it."
"No problem. I really don't think we're going to have a tornado - just maybe a funnel cloud passing by us or some really strong straight-line winds like we normally do. But I wanted to make sure you had somewhere safe to go if you need to." Sasuke's voice sounded warm and husky, making Hinata want to get lost in it.
She wanted to forget the reasons why she hated green skies and tornadoes, and why she always felt so panicky when one seemed likely. With Sasuke on the other end of the phone, it almost seemed possible. "Thank you," she whispered again. The knot of anxiety and fear in her stomach slowly unraveled, the shakiness easing out of her limbs.
And then hailstones started rapping sharply at the window as the tornado siren began to wail.
Sasuke heard the tornado siren though the phone, and he realized she must live close to the fire department. He looked up at Itachi, who leaned forward on the couch with his eyes glued to the basement television. Sensing his younger brother's gaze, he looked over and mouthed, "Tornado warning for us."
Holding the phone away from his ear, Sasuke concentrated and thought he heard the very faint, distant sound of the siren. Or maybe he only continued to hear it through the phone. Pressing the phone back to his ear, he said tensely, "Hinata? Are you still there?"
Her breathing sounded sharp and rapid in his ear, as if she were starting to hyperventilate. Standing up from where he sat on a chair farther from the television, Sasuke paced a few steps away from his family and said again, a little louder, "Hinata? Are you okay?"
"No," she whimpered. She sounded on the very edge of tears. "Please, please no."
Panic began to tighten into a knot in his stomach. He didn't know Hinata well - barely at all, actually - but he felt undeniably, irresistably drawn to her. He wanted to protect her. And he didn't want her to cry, or feel scared. "Hinata, just hang on, okay? I'm coming over." Distantly, he knew how stupid that was. The tornado siren was going off and he didn't know exactly where she lived - just in a condo close to the library and the fire station - but he couldn't sit in his safe basement and do nothing. Not when Hinata was in such distress, possibly even danger.
"No!" This time the word was a breathless scream in his ear. Sasuke made it to the bottom of the staircase before a hand like iron clamped around his upper arm; the author whirled on his older brother, face set with a mix of anger, fear, and defensiveness.
Itachi spoke calmly, a steely resolve glinting in his black eyes. "You can't go out there, Sasuke."
"But I can't just leave Hinata!" he argued. He could hear her crying on the other end, each sob feeling like a twisting knife in his gut. "She's alone, scared, and maybe in danger!"
"Getting yourself hurt or killed isn't going to help her!" Itachi spoke in the same stern tone he'd used only a handful of times before, and then only after their parents died.
Suddenly, another voice came on at the other end of the line. "Hello? Hello?"
Sasuke clutched the phone tightly to his ear. "Hello? Who is this?"
A thudding in the background briefly overtook the soundwaves, then the same male voice again. "I'm Umino Iruka, the super in Hinata's building. Who is this?" Another thud, then an expectant silence.
"I'm-" he briefly faltered, then settled for, "-Hinata's friend Sasuke. What's going on over there?"
The murmur of several other voices sounded loudly for a moment, then began to fade away. "I saw Hinata get home a little bit ago. When the tornado warning was issued and she didn't come straight down to the basement, I went upstairs to get her. She tends to have panic attacks if there's a possibility, so I used my key to get into the condo and collect her. Some of the others are working on calming her down now."
Sasuke pressed his hand against his forehead, shocked to realize how it shook: how he shook. He barely noticed when Itachi released his arm and backed off slightly. "Thank you," he breathed. "I knew she was scared, but I..." He trailed off, unsure what to say. He felt like a failure - stupid and useless. She was scared, crying, and all he could do was stand there and listen, and call her name.
Useless.
Across the room, Temari twisted in her seat on the couch. "One of the Konoha K-9 officers on patrol reported seeing a funnel cloud." She clearly spoke to Itachi, but Sasuke couldn't help overhearing. His stomach twisted again. "But it hasn't touched down yet. The meteorologist is urging everyone to get to their tornado safe spots and sit tight."
Sasuke heard the wind outside the house. It blew so hard, he could hear a loose shutter upstairs banging against the siding. But he didn't hear the distinctive freight train roaring he'd heard only once before in his life. He prayed desperately this funnel cloud followed the path of many others through the years and skipped over Konoha. "Are you still there?" he spoke into the phone.
"Yes," Umino replied. "Hinata seems a little calmer. Would you like to speak to her again?"
Clutching the phone so tightly his fingers went numb, Sasuke said fervently, "Yes, please."
Itachi rejoined his wife and daughter on the couch in front of the television as Hinata's tremulous voice half-whispered, "Hello, Sasuke?"
"Hinata." Her name came out like a breathed prayer. "Are you all right?"
She laughed shakily. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm - I'm so sorry for having a meltdown on you like that." A pause, then, "I should have come down to the basement before. Sorry."
Sasuke wasn't sure if that last part was meant for him or her building super. He found himself shaking his head though she couldn't see. "It's all right. I'm just glad you're okay." He hesitated, then decided it was okay to voice his next thought. "Tornadoes are pretty scary. I don't blame you for being scared."
For a moment, only Hinata's still somewhat shaky breathing came over the line. Sasuke took a few steps forward so he could see the television screen better, glad to see Anko looked a little less worried than she had a few minutes before. The wind seemed to have died down some, too - perhaps the storm was blowing itself out.
"I'm sorry, but - but could I call you back later?" Hinata sighed. "I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing." Sasuke wished the words hadn't come out sounding quite so stern, and he winced. "No, it's okay. You can call me back later." Itachi turned on the couch to mouth, "All clear," at him. "Looks like it's going to skip us, so we'll be all right. Right?" If only he could stop from sounding so anxious. He never wanted to hear Hinata sound like that again.
"Yes. We'll be fine." Hinata whispered a barely audible, "Goodbye" before hanging up without waiting for him to reply.
Sasuke lowered the phone from his ear, shifting it to his left hand so he could flex his right. He hadn't realized he'd been clutching the phone so tightly.
Temari twisted in her seat again, her expression anxious. "Is she okay?"
He nodded, tucking his phone back in his pocket as he returned to his earlier seat. "Yes, she's fine. Just a little freaked out by the storm, that's all."
"Aren't we all?" Itachi motioned to Ninja, who was curled up on his doggie bed under the stairs. Only the whites of his eyes were visible in the shadows.
Sasuke whistled softly. Ninja came out from under his hiding place, ears back, tail tucked. But he'd come out, and Sasuke knew that meant the worst of the storm was over. "Yes," he replied distractedly, digging his fingers deep into the dog's ruff and scratching. But he just couldn't shake the feeling Hinata's fear of tornadoes went beyond the normal person's healthy wariness of them.
He firmly resolved to himself if the sky ever looked even the least bit threatening, he would drive straight over and pick Hinata up. He refused to stay at a distance and let her be so alone and frightened again. Even if it took every last shred of the little bit of courage he possessed.
For Hinata, he could be strong.
He would be strong.
*~To Be Continued~*
Author's Ending Notes: I have seen a tornado once in my life, from several miles away, and it was easily one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. So I definitely sympathize with poor Hinata - it is scary! I really like this chapter, though - not just because it introduces a subject which will be very important later in the story, but because of Sasuke and Hinata's interactions over the phone. They've definitely turned a corner, and I'm so excited to take them down this road! On another note, an anonymous reviewer asked about my usage of the word "pop" in the previous chapter - I don't like using the same word over and over again to describe one thing, and since I didn't want to use brand names either, I just used several different words popular in different parts of the U.S. to describe what Hinata was drinking. I hope that answered your question! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope to see you again for next week's!