Hinata huffed, stepping back out of the booth once more and patting her hands on her apron. It was getting cooler, so the makeup didn't melt as much this time, and she must still look fine despite feeling like she was melting because she kept getting boys complimenting her, at first it was weird, then it was sweet to see someone shy shout it from the back of a group of friends, and now it circled back to weird as the day went on, and it was starting to feel like she was being made fun of.
Family filtered in as it became evening. Hinata wasn't sure if her uncle was going to make it, he was worried he might have to work late, but she at least hoped he would show up for Neji. Hinata spent a lot of time waiting and searching for her father's face in a sea of parents at every match when she was a kid. Rarely did she ever see him.
Hinata felt her headband slip. Her hands flew up as the ears were pulled off her head. She turned to see Kisame pulling his own fin off and putting them off to the side. "That's enough of that shit."
Hinata smiled up at him. Kisame's face twisted with irritation. His grumpiness was always cute. "You don't have to wear it, but why did you take mine?" She reached up to fix the dent the headband made in his hair.
"I think we heard one too many comments about the 'cute mouse booth.'" Itachi filled in, tilting his head and weasel ears. He looked silly because the brown clashed with his black hair.
"Aw." Hinata managed to fluff most of Kisame's hair back into place before pulling him down further to press a kiss to his cheek before he could stand back up. Deidara's lipstick was a little less permanent than Sasori's, leaving a mark that stood out on his blue skin high on his cheekbone.
Itachi's face twisted to hide his smile. "What?" Kisame asked with a sneer and his usual blush, thinking he was laughing at his cheek kiss and not the remnant of it. Itachi just shook his head to try to pass off his amusement.
"Oh!" Hinata grabbed a container and held it up to Kisame. "I put this aside for you. I had Konan-chan run to the corner store to get a gluten-free sauce."
Kisame accepted it. "I would have been fine, mouse."
"Can you call her that when you stole her ears?" Itachi earned an angry shark look.
Kisame eventually found out about the lipstick mark when Neji aggressively pointed it out on the break Hinata took to circle the other stalls with them. Itachi trailed behind them, watching Kisame's internal struggle of wanting to hold her hand but not wanting to initiate it, so he stuffed his hand in his pockets, only for Hinata to thoughtlessly hold on to Kisame's forearm as she led him from stall to stall.
Kisame really didn't understand that Hinata was just as smitten, just not nearly as awkward about it anymore. All her stress was built up when she realized her crush and feared rejection from him. She didn't want to have her heart crushed if Kisame didn't want to be near her anymore for liking him. Once they confessed, she was content. Kisame, on the other hand, cranked his awkward up to eleven. If he thought about something as simple as holding her hand in public, he looked like he would explode as he aggressively overthought it.
Hopefully, the outcome of this would be people finally seeing what Itachi always had, a big clumsy goof. It's why he joined the study group. He didn't really need any help with schoolwork. He just wanted to help Kisame out, knowing he wasn't going to be able to stand any of the other rich kids that were forced into the group.
"Uncle!" Hinata waved giddy, pulling Kisame back toward her cousin's booth.
"I was…" Hizashi blinked at her face for a moment before. "I was going to come to you."
Hinata waved at her face. "Sorry, I've been over the grill all day."
Hizashi was probably more alarmed by the glitter, drawn-on mouse nose, and lack of ears to make the connection. "You look like you are having fun." His eyes slid up to Kisame, and his eyebrow twitched together.
Kisame turned his head to quickly smudge away the lipstick mark with the heel of his hand, missing the flicker of a smile the Hizashi quickly washed off his face. "We're serving food," Kisame grumbled, nodding his head toward their booth.
"I'll stop by." Hizashi nodded as Hinata pulled Kisame to see the rest of the booths.
Itachi gave Hizashi the cordial head nod that was respectful between the two families as he headed after them. Kisame wasn't really the guy you wanted your kid to come home with, but at least Hizashi knew that he was good for Hinata.
Hinata was good for him.
Hinata stumbled back out of the booth, her butt hit the ground, followed by a giggle from the heap she made. "I'm fine!"
Sasori huffed irritably but peeked his head out to check to make sure she was actually fine. "Stay out there. We can finish cleaning up."
"I'd feel bad for not helping." Hinata tried.
"You're causing more problems." Sasori snipped at her. He was tired, mostly of Deidara, who was still way too excited and full of energy. He had the best day trying to get people to come to their booth, but just looking at him was making her tired.
Hinata resigned, reaching for her umbrella. A blue hand got to it first. "What are you doing on the floor, mouse?"
"Hidan pushed her," Sasori called over his shoulder.
"No. No," Hinata gave Sasori a look. "It was an accident. I just fell." Hidan wasn't even there anymore. He was gone before the day was over, but she was sure after the last incident, Kisame only needed a loose reason to start a fight with him.
Kisame pulled her up and almost moved to brush her off, but when he realized he was dusting over the back of her skirt, he stopped putting her umbrella in her hand and backed off to let her do it herself. "I'm done helping every other stupid stall."
"Curse of being big and strong." Hinata teased as she brushed herself off. "And not having a hand full." She lifted her hand to reference her cane.
"You must be exhausted." Kisame frowned, he felt bad for not being able to help, but he couldn't even duck into the stall.
Hinata actually felt a little delirious. "I had half of one of Deidara-san's energy drinks, and I think it's made me a little…" She didn't know the word, the combination of the tired and the caffeine was making her loopy?
"You sure it was just an energy drink?" Kisame's nose scrunched, glaring across at him.
Hinata shook her head, dispelling the idea it was spiked. "I've just been on my feet for too many hours."
"We should get you home." Kisame kneeled down.
Hinata waved her hands. "I smell like sweat and the grill."
"I don't care, mouse." Kisame waited for her to put her arms around his neck and then pulled her up. "We're going!" He called back over his shoulder.
Hinata did smell like sweat, oil, and grill smoke, but it wasn't going to bother him. Kisame knew she was beyond tired. They rotated, but because she couldn't walk around, she spent a lot of time in front of the grill. She was asleep before they got halfway home, her arms locked securely around his shoulders loosened only a little when he heard her hum out even breaths.
He hoped she would have enough energy to at least take a shower and scrub all the glitter off her face… that was now going to transfer to his shirt now that he thought about it. He would kill Deidara if he couldn't get it off.
Kisame missed this. He had to work so many nights the nights he could walk her home became less and less, but it would be worth it. Or at least he hoped it would be.
Hizashi paused as Hinata walked past in the morning with a yawn. "What happened to your face?"
Hinata blinked at him, touching the edges of her raw skin. "I had to scrub off the glitter. Is it bad?"
"It's red." Hizashi sighed. "You should have used an oil-based soap."
"How do you know that?" Hinata wondered.
"I used to be in theater in school." Hizashi sipped his coffee cup. "Use a heavy moisturizer, and hope that clears up by Monday."
Hinata pressed her hands to the side of her face and went to look at the damage.