Dreamcatcher
By Airyo
An Unexpected Reaction - 4
"Though I find it unnecessary, I appreciate the sentiment," Hiashi told him as the clan head swept out the door. "I will inform Hinata to come accept your formal apology."
Itachi nodded and waited.
He found that he liked Hiashi. The man was cold and forbidding, much like Itachi's father, but Hiashi also didn't bother playing silly games and always went straight to the heart of the matter. Sometimes, too bluntly so. Itachi found himself wondering if that had any effect on Hinata's current situation.
It was not his business, however.
Some minutes later, he felt her chakra quiver outside the door. She knocked.
"Enter."
The door slid open to reveal her small frame. She seemed to trying to hide behind the door, and when that action clearly hindered her task of entering the room, Hinata seemed to curl into herself as she walked in. The whole atmosphere of the Hyuuga household seemed to pull down her shoulders.
Her gaze didn't even stray to his face until she was mostly inside the room.
"Uchiha Itachi-sama..." Her eyes widened until they seemed to take up most of her face. She almost recoiled from him. There was no doubt she still remembered what he did even if she didn't remember the details. Itachi watched a strange sequence of emotions flash across her face, all of the expressions tinged with fear and repulsion.
Finally, she blinked and clenched her hands. Her entire body tensed. The glint in her eyes reminded him of a cornered animal, ready to lash out for the chance to escape.
Itachi quickly stood up. "Hinata-sama." Just as abruptly, the wild spark in her moon-eyes fizzled, calming to the same state as the cup of tea on the table, bitter and flat.
"Uchiha Itachi-sama," she said dully. "I welcome you to the Hyuuga estates. Please wait while I fetch Hiashi-sama."
"I apologize for my actions this morning," Itachi said quickly, before she really did flee. He bowed with the slow, easy movement, as to not scare her. Her feet stilled.
"P-please don't," she pleaded softly, as if he were about to commit a horrific crime. "You did what you had to, so...please...please don't. Have a good day, Uchiha-sama." Her body jerked in a parody of a bow.
Then Hinata turned and left with fleeting steps that bordered on running.
Itachi straightened from his rejected bow and looked at the empty doorway with a small, quizzical frown.
He had certainly not accounted for that kind of reaction.
Perhaps she would be more cooperative outside of the Hyuuga walls.