Dreamcatcher
By Airyo
An Unexpected Reaction - 6
"Breathe," Itachi urged gently, though she still had to repress the impulse to flinch. There was a distinct hue of amusement in his voice that made her want to scowl, but she really was beginning to feel oddly faint.
Hinata stopped walking as she inhaled, only vaguely aware that Itachi had also stopped to stand next to her. She realized that her breaths had become more and more shallow in an unconscious attempt to minimize her own presence, to hide. She pressed a thin hand to her chest, displeased but not shocked by the betrayal of her own body, and exhaled.
"Thank you," she whispered. She turned her head, only to stiffen when she realized she was about to look into his - eyes that gleamed maliciously when they spotted her. Hinata curled into a ball, trying to squeeze herself into her corner, as if she could make herself disappear from sheer will. The jagged shadows seemed to reach out to dissect her.
The darkness was suffocating, but she didn't dare breathe, for the Bad Man will find her and take her - eyes. His hand was on her shoulder, firmly tearing her away from her thoughts.
Hinata drew in a ragged gasp. Itachi didn't release her until he was sure she wouldn't lose her balance.
"I was inconsiderate of your situation," he said, with his gaze carefully averted. "Please accept my apology." True to his genius, he'd already deduced that his eyes triggered flashbacks. It wasn't actually his eyes, but the idea of what they could do. Though Hinata wasn't going to tell him that.
Hinata opened her mouth to refuse, but then she realized that despite Itachi's outward appearance of gentle concern, he'd already expertly blocked off her every path of escape. Even though he stood more than arm's length away from her, Hinata felt as if she couldn't even move an inch from her spot. He seemed to tower over her, filling the air with the dangerous sense of a feline stalking its prey.
It wasn't about an apology at all. She should have remembered she was dealing with a shinobi. Retracted claws were still claws, sharp and waiting. She'd been overly presumptive of her importance, yet again.
Nonetheless, the thought hurt, especially when this wasn't someone she should even be trying to impress. He was here just like every other genjutsu expert, thinking they could save the fallen daughter and curry favor with the Hyuuga. He wasn't here for her.
From what little she understood, the Uchiha and Hyuuga have always had an underlying rivalry. She will give him no reason to slither into the Hyuuga.
Hinata drew herself to her full, albeit unimpressive, height and forced herself to stare directly into his eyes. She concentrated with all her being, reminding herself that not even an idiot would place a genjutsu on a civilian for no good reason. He will do nothing to her.
"Then I accept your apology, Uchiha-sama," she said primly. "You are free of any unwarranted obligations. Have a good day."
She shifted forward and bowed deeply, forcing the Uchiha into moving back so her head wouldn't knock into his chest. Then Hinata stepped around him and continued on her way.
Her hands trembled from the effort of keeping her mind on this reality, and from the heavy weight of Itachi's speculative gaze on her back.