Voice

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto, or any of the characters affiliated with it, and this is merely a fan-based piece of work.

A/N: This is just so cute...I swear...~ n-n I wrote this so late at night, too! And I still felt so alert! Anyway, this is my first mention of a crack pairing I adore, ItaHina ~ n_n So I hope you all don't mind; I don't like people flaming or hating on my couples, so please don't do it if you don't like them. Thank you...~ Enjoy~!

When you're little, you dream of everything in the world – and the world becomes your umbrella, protecting you from things you are yet to see, to touch, to feel. Your imagination is only limited by what you seek to find, and there are many things out there to hurt, harm, or hinder you. Ever since she was a little girl, Hinata had always dreamt of being a fairy. While other little girls wanted to be nurses, housewives, or married when they were little, Hinata wanted to be a fairy. She always ran out to play in the garden in their home, skipping across the stepping stones delicately, barefooted. The wood-chips underneath her feet felt slightly soft and damp from the afternoon rain as she sat on a bumpy rock, digging her toes into the earthy soil. She used to stay there until the afternoon was over, and the moon came out to play, bathing her in sweet tendrils of moonlight, as the garden came to life. Solar lights which were turned off during the day, absorbing the sun's energy flickered to life, their bright, white light washing over the rest of the garden.

It was as if she was a part of the garden. She used to skip around the plants in figures of eight, before stopping at one and whispering to it softly, so only it could hear. Hinata heard from a friend of hers, who was a girl, that whenever people sung or spoke to plants, it encouraged them to grow. So she did it...night after night. She didn't know if it worked, but a few weeks later, they seemed to have gotten a little bigger. She told her mother this with excitement, and her mother smiled softly and told her it was probably the rain. But Hinata knew it couldn't have been the rain. They hardly got any except for a few odd days during the week, and it didn't pour down! She was certain that it had been her voice which roused the plants from the slumber! So determined was she, was that she knelt by the plants every night still, her toes curling, as she stroked their leaves gently, and then...she began to sing. Her voice was so soft, that she sounded like an angel. She closed her eyes and leaned closer towards the plants, lulling them with her sweet melody, not noticing that a boy, on his way home from a late lesson, had also took notice. Itachi Uchiha had been walking home, past the Hyuga residence, when he had first heard soft singing.

At first he thought he was imagining things, and shook his head, continuing to walk.

But then he stopped.

It was so beautiful.

His heart beat rapidly in his chest as he paused, tilting his head, as if to hear the voice better. It was a female's voice, singing gently, he knew. He had to get closer. He wanted to hear more of it. He felt compelled to. Breath hitching in his throat, the young Uchiha male took a few steps forwards, until he found himself in front of the garden, just outside the white picket-fence which separated it from the world outside. Then, he saw her. A small figure, much his height, was crouched down in the garden on her knees, stroking the leaves of the plants in front of her delicately, as if she feared she might break them. He stared at her in wonder as she continued singing. He didn't want to disturb her, for if he did, he was certain she would not sing anymore. Embarrassment stopped a lot of people in their tracks. He had learnt that from his younger brother, Sasuke, and people around him.

Her white dress seemed to drag itself along the ground, and he frowned. It was such a pity that a lovely dress got smudged by dirt, he thought. Itachi lifted his head, just in time to see Hinata spy him staring at her. She gasped loudly and covered her mouth with a hand, stumbled backwards, but did not see where she was going, and tripped, falling onto the ground.

"Hinata-san!" Vaulting over the fence and running over to her, Itachi knelt beside her and checked her over, worriedly frowning. "Are you okay? You took a nasty tumble there..."

Hinata stammered a few apologies, shyly ducking her head as she flushed, averting his gaze. "Y-you were listening to me s-sing, weren't you?" she asked instead, refusing to meet his gaze in embarrassment, her nightgown now thoroughly stained with dirt. Itachi pulled back a little, blinking slowly.

He realised how embarrassed she must be, and he too, felt quite embarrassed. "I...I am very sorry, Hinata-san...I was passing by, and I...heard how lovely your voice sounded...I could not help myself...and I had to see it was you... I did not mean to intrude...that wad very rude of me."

Hinata managed to meet Itachi's gaze, as she shook her head, smiling a little. "I-It's okay, Itachi-kun...I've always wanted s-someone to hear me sing...I-I've just been t-too shy to...to do it in front of anyone...that's all..."

"You have?"

She nodded slightly, fixing her gaze onto the ground.

He smiled softly. "Well then...I'm very pleased to hear that. Confidence comes from inside yourself...but sometimes it takes a little scare to truly get the upperhand of it." As if startled from a dream, the young boy looked up at the moon, his pale face glinting in the light of it, and Hinata looked up with him. "Ah, Hinata-san...I must go," he said hurriedly, looking at her as if with disappointment; as if he didn't want to leave. He touched her hand lightly, and helped her up, still smiling as he glanced at the gate. "Father will be worried about me...as will otouto."

Hinata nodded, not wanting to keep him waiting. He turned to leave, before he stopped at the sound of her voice. "Ah, Itachi-kun!"

"Hmm...?"

She was fidgeting, as he glanced at her kindly, willing to wait for her answer.

"C-could you...listen to me sing...t-tomorrow night, too...?"

He was stunned into silence, as he cleared his throat in embarrassment and nodded. "Of course."

And he kept that promise – not only as he listened to her sing the next night, but the night after that...and again, and again.