HOME
Two months came and went with no sign of him. It would be grossly out of his character if he had, but that didnt stop her from aimlessly staring out into the distance hoping to see his form.
She grew depressed. Her appetite dwindled until she was only drinking when reminded. Like a ghost she wondered about the city.
Always though, she'd end up at the gates.
She knew why he left her, understood even, but wished with all her heart that he hadn't.
She'd been given a job in a small bookstore owned by on of the guards who'd found her, Akane's mother. Grateful but sad at the permanency of it she'd accepted after a week had gone and he'd not come back for her.
"Hinata!" An again women called, into the backroom of the bookstore.
Sitting amid a large pile of books, Hinata peeked up from under her bangs and stood. Stepping over each stack and carefully making her way to the door she smiled at the line of customers patiently waiting at the counter and turned to the elderly white haired woman sitting behind the counter.
"Yes Mrs. Sasaki?"
The lady ushered her over with the wave of a frail hand, "Could you please show this young man where we keep the Icha-Icha series?" She asked winning a deep blush from the 20-something year old customer.
Hinata smiled and nodded, "Yes, maam." She said walking to the boy, "Their right over here, follow me please."
She could feel his eyes on her and knew he must think she looked terrible, most everyone did. She knew people stared at her when she walked by, her eyes alone would cause a stir but with the state her body was in, she often felt like a walking billboard for a starvation relief fund.
Food didn't interest her though, she hardly ever had an appetite and when she did her stomach could barely handle anything other than a few ounces of chicken broth. She was slowly killing herself but with so little to do with her life it would seem she didn't care.
"Their all right here, the only one we are missing is Icha-Icha Strap, we sold the last copy yesterday morning. Our next shipment comes in on the 28th but if you'd like we can special order one for you and have it shipped in overnight." She said pointing out the others on the shelf.
"No this is fine, thank you." The boy said quickly looking away when she'd turned to him.
"Okay just let us know if you need anymore help." Hinata said heading back to the cash register. "Lady Sasaki, Im going into the backroom to finish up entering in this months inventory."
"Okay, thank you Hinata." She answered with a wrinkly smile.
She was just about to turn away when she caught sight of several people running and more than just a few shouting out in the street. "What's going on?" Hinata asked nodding to the door.
"Oh, Im not too sure, it just started a few minutes ago." Lady Sasaki said grabbing a pen and sticking her nose back into the store finances log.
"They've caught a traitor." The young man said coming to the counter with his selection of Icha books and a few others, "Some big name former missing ninja from the village hidden in the leaves." He elaborated. "Their doing their best to hold him down last I saw, I guess their just waiting for the Kazekage to get there, but I heard he'd left the village yesterday to attend meeting."
Hinata stared at him shocked into place, eyes wide, she simply stood.
"Hinata?" Lady Sasaki asked worriedly, "You okay, girl?"
Blinking Hinata smiled and nodded before running out the door, "Ill be right back!" She yelled already down the block.
'Sasuke...?' Her mind screamed as she pumped her legs willing them to go faster. 'Why would he come into the city? He isn't stupid, it can't be him.'
A large circle of onlookers stood, all yelling, some crying at the destruction. At least 50 Ninja of various degree stood around a single figure clad in black.
Her heart stopped as she gazed at him, 'Sasuke.' A shrill scream erupted from the crowd. Hinata stepped back with a start, realizing that it had come from her. "Sasuke!"
Closing her eyes and pressing her palms together, she activated her Byakugan just before throwing herself into the fray.
'If the sand Ninja get him...!' She screamed inside as she dodged flying bodies and weapons. Adrenaline ran thick in her veins as she charged toward him. "Sasuke!" She called finally gaining his attention.
Yin met yang. He was as calm as she was terrified.
"You were calling." He said deflecting a kunai aimed at his face and its twin aimed at the back of his head.
She starred at him, mouth agape as she took in his words, "Y-you came back for me?" She asked pointing to herself, baffled. "Why?"
He looked at her over his shoulder, ignoring the yells of the sand ninja telling him to surrender, and he smirked, "For the same reason you kept coming to the gate."
She blinked up at him, trying with all her might to make sense of what he said, trying to put rhyme to reason but failing to do so.
"Let's go." He said opening his hand to her.
"Okay." She said sliding her hand into his.
Calling on Aoda Sasuke wrapped his arm around Hinata, pulling her close he quickly jumped atop the reptile.
"What can I do for you, Master Sasuke?" The serpent hissed crushing a few people under its belly as it moved about.
Hinata clung to Sasuke as the adrenaline left her body, taking with it most of her strength. Byakugan failed to remain active and she fell to her knees, unable to hold herself up any longer. "Im sorry." She said shakily smiling up at him.
"Get us out of here, Aoda." Sasuke told the snake.
"As you wish." Aoda replied barreling forward. His large form effectively tore down the gates and had them miles away from the city withing seconds. Deep into the dessert they went.
Hinata sat as Sasuke stood tall atop Aoda, surveying the land.
Leaning back and opening her eyes she took a breath. Bright blue skies starred back down at her, a bird flew high overhead and the sun beat down on her cheeks. The wind flew through her hair and in that moment she felt tears fall from her eyes, her heart beat loud in her ears as happiness engulfed her.
She felt as though her heart would burst from it, as though her smile could keep going and stretch all the way up to her ears. She opened her eyes and was blinded by the sun for a moment before finding Sasuke crouched beside her.
"I could die right now and I would be fine with that." She told him unabashed.
Reaching his hand out, he poked her forehead softly. "Yeah?" He asked.
She smiled up at him and nodded.
"You need to eat."
She nodded, "Okay."
"I mean it, Hinata." He said standing. "You look worse than before I found you."
"I promise, Sasuke."
And so they went, traveling far from the dessert and into the forests. Deep in the woods, they parted from Aoda and walked to a small village where for the night, they planned to rest.
They checked into a small hotel under a false name and were quietly shown to a small room on the far side of the small establishment.
One large mat lay in the middle of the room, a low bedside table and bathroom.
He grabbed his backpack and held out a shirt to her, "You can sleep in this for the night since I didn't exactly give you time to pack."
She starred at the white shirt feeling a sense of de ja vu.
"Or you can sleep naked." He said with a smirk looking purposely at her chest.
She blushed and quickly took the shirt. They took separate showers and stayed in the room, she, simply resting, he, reading. When the time came to finally lay down they each stood a little uncertain of the other.
Sasuke looked away, "Ill use the sleeping bag." He said turning away, crouching down to set it out.
Hinata starred after him, her eyes down cast and she reached for the bottom of his borrowed shirt. Lifting it up and over her head she stood before him naked, all other clothes lay out in the restroom drying. She looked him dead in the eye and then to the sleeping mat, the invitation explicitly clear.
She lifted the blanket and lay down waiting on him.
He knelt starring at her a moment. He rose and lifted his shirt over his head. Pulling down his pants and standing before her nude as well.
"P-Please, the light..." She asked.
He flicked the switch and plunged them into darkness, walking over to the mat, he moved the blankets away and covered her body with his.
"I'm not going to be gentle again." He said nipping at her lip.
She smiled against them, "You were gentle last time?" She asked incredulously.
She opened her eyes from the kiss to find bright red irises staring down at her. The lust and hunger in them mirrored her own and together they faded into one another.
He took from her what he needed and no more while she gave, more than willing to over compensate. She held onto him, a rock in the crushing hurricane that was her life while he let himself become entangled in her.
Her absence had effected him bitterly, too late he'd realized how attached to the poor woman, he had become. Seeking her in the face of every plane village woman, hearing her shuffling behind him as he walked alone in the woods. Feeling her soft body yielding to his as he drove into her over and over. Her small hands holding fast to him as he'd pushed them to their climax.
She hadn't pursued him, she had simply been there to be beside him.
That was what shot through him. He couldn't explain it, but he knew what it was and knew he had to go back.
And so there they were, her leg thrown over his, his arm cushioning her head, marks covering her breasts and thighs, one small mark just under his nipple. Both completely bare they lay in the stillness each unwilling to break the silence.
They didn't. Instead, Hinata smiled softly at him, reached out to brush a lock of hair from his face and closed her eyes once more. That he let her was as intimate an act as sex itself.
He reached out to her and twisted his fingers around hers before closing his eyes as well and drifting off to sleep.
Together the two traveled in obscurity, she continued to hold fast to Sasuke while he protected her from would be thieves and rapists.
They had been traveling for well over 4 weeks when he stopped and pointed out a small clearing in a forest.
"It can be home." She said smiling.
-TBC
