First of all, I know I said I'd try to update more, but I had some problems come up so I'm like... a month late T^T Sorry! My sincere apologies everybody. Still, thank you for reading this story and continuing to show support! I won't ever give it up so don't worry about it~ ^^
Hanabi Hyuga, by far, was no idiot. Did that make her as smart as her older sister or as strong willed as Neji? No. But she was catching up, and therefore an idiot she was not. It only stands to reason then, that when her sister comes in looking like bliss on legs and practically floats above the ground, Hanabi Hyuga knows something's up. It either meant they had a sudden abundance of money from somewhere unexpected, or actual good food. Maybe, if they were lucky some meat with the meal.
Neji also seems to notice Hinata's happiness and gingerly asks her where she's been. With an airy voice full of sweet winded breath, Hinata waves at them in a daze. "I just got a job."
"On top of your weekend bookstore one? How will you balance school? I told you that my weekday work is enough."
Hinata gives an appreciative smile to Neji, but she's done financing before. Even Neji's multiple jobs and Hanabi's small mobile 'shop' (aka her selling gum to the kids) is barely enough for the measly shelter they own.
"I make twice minimum wage per hour, Neji. I think it's a good deal."
Neji's eyes widened at the prospect and for a moment he lets the greed get the better of his heart. That would be enough to help support the rent and buy groceries. Hell, it'd even be enough to finally get Hanabi and Hinata new shoes. "Just… don't over work yourself."
Hinata pats Neji's hand gently, "Of course. I don't want you to worry about me, okay?"
Hanabi makes a gagging sound from her tiny foldable table as Neji glares at her, not with harshness but with a wary warning. "Ew. Gosh mom and dad will you two stop with this domestical shit show?"
"Don't curse."
"Hey! Profanity!"
Neji and Hinata look at each other awkwardly while Hanabi throws up her hands in protests as if their unity just proved a point, which it technically did. "See?! See? You guys can even read each other's minds now!"
"We've been living together for over 10 years, raising you. It's only natural our opinions will be similar and you are not allowed to curse," Neji rationally explains. Hanabi mutters something about annoying parents and how she was never liberated while Neji quickly orders her to get ready for bed in their shelter like structure. It's quite a cozy set up, actually. Hinata learned to call it home, and as she watches Neji wrestle Hanabi to the floor and force the floss into her mouth while she screamed bloody murder and claimed she was going to learn karate just to kick his behind, Hinata knows she prefers this place over a mansion any day. It might get hot during the summer and cold during the winter. It might get small and cramped when the three of them have to lay down and tangle themselves into a warm huddle while falling asleep. Neji's arms might end up wrapping around her in their sleep, his hand on Hanabi's shoulder as protection, and her sister's hair might get all over her face, trespassing into her mouth during the middle of the summer, but it did not matter.
Hinata loved the one room that had everything necessary for basic survival. It had a small door leading to the toilet and sink with a basin for filling water and washing up. The blocky radio guards their door; it miraculously worked and told them the weather. A plus was that it played nice music too, especially around christmas when Hanabi went nuts singing to english carols. There was a small, low, foldable table for homework that they shoved around wherever they needed it: to the center for dinner, or to the side when they wanted to sleep. The single standee closet with all their cloths hung up, shoes laid in neatly, and their mats, pillows, covers for sleep was something Neji dragged from two blocks down. The family was throwing it out and the young (and only) family breadwinner at the time, had chanced upon it while returning from work. Since it took him a long time to drag it up a hill, Hinata had been worried (for he had been late that day), and she stood outside, by the lone streetlight, waiting for him. She still tastes the shouts of joy on her lips when he showed up and presented her with the beautiful wooden piece of furniture that fit exactly into the corner of their small shelter.
Hanabi lays down to rest and Neji hands Hinata her pillow, effectively shaking her out of her reminiscent daydreaming. The young student gratefully thanks him and takes a long whiff, the smell of lavender floating into her nose and tickling her senses. The room always smelled of her lavender shampoo, a scent that Neji wouldn't let her give up. Hinata's mother had always bathed Hinata in expensive lavender soaps, put on nice lavender lotions and oils, and finished off with weaving lavender flowers into a crown atop Hinata's head when she was just a babe. Although they couldn't afford the luxurious commodities anymore, Neji always used some of the extra money he had on affordable lavender shampoo. It was a memory of Hinata's mother, one that Neji willingly preserved, even if Hinata herself lied and insisted it was alright. As she laid her head down and faced her sister, Hanabi's bubble gum scent intermingles with the smell of purple flowers. When Neji lays down behind her and reaches over them to switch off the one lamp that lit the room, Hinata is hit with the fragrance of his cheap, musty, dry deodorant. Something between new cinnamon and aged vanilla. The small room had the aroma of her family, and Hinata knew that was all she needed. This was her home, and it had everything necessary for her to live.
School was hell. If hell was manifested on earth and burning like an inferno, that was school. Sakura and her small gang of "If we can't have Sasuke-Kun then he belongs to everybody" club members picked her, unfortunately, as their new target and Hinata neither had the means nor the money to shoo them off. Luckily, it looked like Sasuke wasn't planning on getting involved (which was actually better for Hinata. She only cringes while imagining the chaos that would ensue if Sasuke were to actually defend her in front of the massive hoard of girls.)
"What are you doing?" Neji's sharp voice cuts through frantic yelling and all the meaningless blame that is being shoveled into Hinata's ears.
Sasuke, who had been walking past silently with his fists tightly clenched by his side, stops and actually looks over. His head tells him to keep moving, for Hinata's sake. There was no doubt that him giving her attention meant the whole world would give her more attention. However, something about the way Neji's voice has the ability to lift Hinata's head with a snap, and something about the way she was looking at Neji like he was her savior in literally glistening silver armor made Sasuke stop short. If this was the feeling of regret, this sinking in his gut and a squeamish anger boiling in his chest, then this was the first time he was feeling it so immensely.
"Don't touch her," the growl in Neji's voice is primal, coming from somewhere deep within his throat and clawing it's way out like a hiss.
Sakura's fingers stay stubbornly clamped to Hinata's wrist even as all the other female students move away, knowing their place. Hinata finally has enough space to move and defend herself, yet the nuance tells her she shouldn't pull away. The glares exchanged between Sakura and Neji warn Hinata that no sudden movements should be made in the world of savages.
"What will you do about it, boy?"
Neji takes an intimidating step forward, effectively putting most of the girls into cower mode and making Sasuke wearily lean against the hallways lockers. Half of him finds this interesting, half of him can't stand Neji Hyuga.
"Move along and m-mind your own business!"
"She is my business."
Neji yanks Hinata out of Sakura's grip, "Let's go." He half pulls, half drags Hinata away frowning at her badly bruised legs.
"I wouldn't ever do this again if I were you," Sasuke sighs, pushing himself effortlessly off of the solid support he was using. Sakura turns, wondering how she never noticed the appearance of her one true love and obsession.
"What do you mean?" Her thick skin effectively blocking out all nervous expressions.
Sasuke looks at her, this being the only time he would actually fully give her any attention other than a sideways glare. Of course he wanted to tell her that Hinata didn't do anything wrong, and was probably the only girl not interested in him (although, strangely he was very interested in her well being and all.) However, logic eventually wins over and after a short, embarassing silence of just his thoughtful gaze, he turns around, trying to hide his own confused expression. Why was he defending his maid? "Just. Don't piss Neji off, you'll seriously get hurt. Wouldn't want that, now would we?" Which, although Sasuke didn't care if Sakura hurt herself for hurting others, since karma's a bitch; he couldn't really say that he was going to protect Hinata, right? Right. So the second best thing to use was flattery, and even though he couldn't see her face as he walked away, her next words proved his point.
"See? He's worried about me. I mean, us. He's worried about us. He doesn't want us to get hurt by that stupid long-haired jerk!" Sakura whispers.
Sasuke almost laughs. Ah, flattery- it worked every time. He'd give them one thing though, Neji was a pretty stupid long-haired jerk. "What a fitting nickname…" he muses, while promptly forgetting about the girls behind him and wondering when classes would finish, so he could take back his maid from that jerk.
How Neji managed to climb the gate, run to the convenience store, buy band-aids, and then climb back into school grounds with 10 minutes of lunch to spare- Hinata would never know. Nor would she ask about it, because he tells her that he has his own ways.
"Eck!" A high pitched little squeak manages to squeeze past her lips and Hinata instantly flushes, even though she's been treated for these types of scratches by Neji ever since she was a toddler learning how to ride bikes and scooters. His lips curve and eyes soften fondly as he places two fingers to his lips then to her knee. "All better little princess?" His voice holding the teasing lull of someone he's been comfortable with forever.
"Thank you nii-san." She rarely used that name ever since the fall of her family, but today (on the rooftop of their school with clear cyan blue skies and puffy cotton ball clouds) she feels entitled to call him that. It was like she was a child again, careless, free, and without a single worry weighing down her slender shoulders.
"Of course, Hinata." She hated when he called her "Hinata-sama" even if it reminded her of older days, so he never used it. He never uttered it again. Instead he developed the habit of - "don't get hurt from now on.. Hime."
Hinata lets a puff of soft breath escape her nose, "I'm too old for that Nii-san."
"Is that so?" Neji looks at the passing clouds and thinks Hinata is like the sky beyond. Smeared with beautiful colors, but always the same. Always large and encompassing everything, hugging the clouds and guiding the birds and supporting the celestial beings.
"Come," Hinata offers him her hand, pale fingers stretching out for him to take. With that invitation Neji realizes that Hinata's the loving night sky, and he's the passing moon that will always come back.
Itachi usually wouldn't be home at this time. No. To fix that, Itachi would never be home at this time; even if the world was ending and asteroids were falling down like raindrops, Itachi (the workaholic) would be in his office at 4:00, not in his personal study at home.
The sound of his front door closing with a bang resonates through the empty halls and Itachi wonders if he should actually walk out and greet them or if he should just stay put. Maybe Sasuke finding him in the office would be weird, if Sasuke even thought to look into the office, which, probably wouldn't be the case. On the other hand, he didn't want to go down there later and scare the living daylights out of his brother, as tempting as that prank sounded.
"ITACHI?!" Sasuke's booming voice rings through the house and Itachi quickly slides out of his chair as if rolls away on its wheels.
"In the study!" Itachi yells, knowing Sasuke would hear him because he was probably perking his ears, waiting for a reply. Itachi hears the frantic footsteps fall heavily on their marbled staircase and waits patiently, not knowing what exactly to do with his hands or how he should appear. He knows regardless of what stance he's in, Sasuke will think it was weird because he simply was not supposed to be home yet.
Right on cue, Sasuke screeches to a stop in front of the glass doors to Itachi's office and gaps at him, mouth hung open in shock. Blinking rapidly, the younger sibling tries to clear the image of his brother, but to no avail.
"WHY are you home? Oh god. Oh my god, did the company go bankrupt in one morning?! Did an earthquake demolish our building?"
Itachi snorted, slightly offended and beginning to wonder if he should start taking a few of those off days to his advantage (he had a feeling he might start doing that a lot with their new… house arrangement and staff and all that.) Of course, it was simply to make sure things got done right around the mansion and not anything else, like the fair lady Hyuga, per say.
"No. I decided I needed to take some things slow."
Sasuke frowns and leans against the doorway, arms crossed and gaze roaming from the tip of Itachi's head down to his feet and back up again.
"Seriously? What have you done with my real brother?"
"Shut up, Baka. I seriously feel the need to take some days out of the office. First off, Izumi coming in to bother me every day is seriously detrimental to the amount of work I get done because her and those friends of hers feel the need to sit in my office and drink tea for hours. Second, If my schedule becomes irregular maybe she'll quit doing that. Third, I get a lot of complaints from office workers that I'm in the office too long and it's stressful for them (according to my capable secretary who reports such complaints), and so to raise their level of happiness and provide a better working environment I decided that some days I should be at home." Itachi almost pleasantly pats himself on the back for delivering his on-the-spot excuses like they were well planned. From the look relaxing of Sasuke's jaw, Itachi can tell he had his younger brother convinced.
"Of course. That seems logical. See, that's the Itachi I know. You really scared me there when you said you were thinking of 'taking it slow,' gosh!"
Itachi didn't know how he would phrase the next question and make it come off nonchalant. Do it with an airy voice? Act like he just remembered while flipping through the files on his desk? Sasuke looked about ready to head to his room and start homework but Itachi, no matter how many times he unconsciously looked past his brother's shoulder to get a glimps of his friend, could not see Hinata. "Where's-"
"Umm. I didn't mean to intrude, but I heard you were at home so I thought it would only be respectful of me to come say hello," the timid but firm voice interjects Itachi's question and Sasuke freezes. He notes to himself to tell their new maid that nobody, not even their parents, cut Itachi off when he was speaking.
Shockingly however, Itachi's lips curve into an amused smile and he stands, walking around his desk, "That was very nice of you. Hello Hinata-san, how was our school today?"
"Wow," Hinata giggles unconsciously to herself, still not able to believe that she worked for the people who owned her school, "you called it 'our' school. Your school was great sir, of course."
Itachi laughs, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck, "Sorry, it's a habit to call it 'our' whenever I talk to people around me and sponsors, but don't call me sir. Makes me feel old, you know?"
"You are old," Sasuke interjects, once again feeling like a strange outsider just listening in on their conversations and needing to push himself into it. There was some strange air around his brother whenever Hinata was around and Sasuke couldn't tell anymore if Itachi was faking polite or actually genuinely enjoying talking to Hinata.
"I suppose," Itachi drawls, before grinning widely and locking Sasuke's head under his arm. "And you are a brat."
Flushing and admitting defeat to his brother, Sasuke slaps Itachi's arm over and over, "OKAY! Okay! Let go!"
Hinata just laughs, covering her mouth with both her hands. Her eyes crinkle into half moons, just enough to watch them banter while showing the lovely face of entertainment. Itachi can say he feels some degree of pride and accomplishment for making her laugh like that, while Sasuke can say he feels embarrassed to death because he might as well kiss his cold ice-prince image goodbye. However, when Hinata laughs again and grips his arm, helping him stand straight and starts hitting his back lightly so the sputtering coughs can smoothly run out of him, Sasuke thinks that it might be worth it. So, Hinata saw this side of him, a side nobody ever sees. Not his other staff, or the public, not even his friends; so what? She was laughing. Maybe that was all that mattered.