Hinata scrolled through another article. She needed to stop torturing herself. She needed to move on. She kept telling herself that while she read through another one.
A notification sound was accompanied by a message that overlaid itself over her article. 'Coming up. You ready?' Hinata sat straight up. Oh, no. With no reply from her, another message popped up from him. 'I'd throw pebbles at your window, but I'm not sure if it could reach the 12th floor.' Kisame wasn't serious, right? He knew he couldn't try to sneak her out… Right?! 'Don't make me knock.'
Hinata got up and stumbled for the door, opening it to Kisame holding the phone up like his next plan was to call her. "Kisame-san!?"
"You ready?" Kisame pulled his phone away from his ear.
Hinata shook her head. "I told you I couldn't."
"That's why I'm here to bust you out, mouse." Kisame down to her level. "It's not a frat party. It's a rich prick celebration."
"At the Uchiha's," Hinata explained. He really didn't get it, did he?
"Meaning, she shouldn't be associating with them." Hinata cringed, looking back at Neji as he rounded the corner.
Kisame put his hands in his pocket, shrugging his shoulders. "Wouldn't this be a sign of goodwill?"
"If Uncle hadn't said no, but since he did, it could get back to him that I was there. I really can't." Her uncle didn't say no to her a lot. She wasn't going to disrespect him by going against a direct order.
Kisame's face strained, losing its rebellious smirk. "Well, then I'll take you somewhere else. I said I was sneaking you out."
"It's not really sneaking when you come to the front door." Neji berated, crossing his arms.
"You going to snitch on her for grabbing a burger on a Saturday?" Kisame raised an eyebrow, challenging him. "I have to work. We won't be back late."
That could work, actually. "Uncle only said I couldn't go to the party."
Neji's jaw set before he turned away from her pleading eyes. "Be back no later than 10, or this never happens again."
Hinata actually felt excited. She never did something like this before. "Wait right here." Hinata headed back to her room to change, hugging the wall to keep up her speed. When she came back out, she grabbed her coat and umbrella.
"I don't think it's going to rain." Kisame pointed at her umbrella.
"It's never bad to be prepared," Neji answered quickly.
Kisame watched her walk, step, support, step. He might have figured it out. Hinata never once opened that umbrella. He wasn't sure it could open. She was sublet, never putting her full weight on it. It made sense. She walked slowly and stilted. When she moved to sit, she shifted her hips at an odd angle. Then there was a way she moved along the wall when she was at her house. It was probably a back condition from the accident that no one talked about.
Whatever.
Kisame leaned down to her height. Her being this short made it hard to talk to hold a normal conversation sometimes. "So, what would you like to eat? I'll buy."
"I can buy…" Hinata touched the edge of the bag.
"You make me lunch every day for free. I can buy you a late snack." Kisame shifted back up.
"Okay." Hinata pouted.
Kisame knew not to be offended. She was too sweet to be looking down on him, but that didn't mean that she didn't think he couldn't afford it. "So, what do you want to do with the few hours that you are out of your tower?"
Hinata smiled at his lame joke. "I have no idea. I don't even know what is on this side of the city. I've only seen what is on the way to and from school."
Bars, internet gaming lounges, arcades. Kisame rubbed the back of his head. "Honestly, nothing I know that I think you would be interested in."
"I wouldn't mind anything, really, Though I believe we are limited by time." Hinata looked back at the apartment building she could no longer see.
"Well then, how about just raiding a convenience store for snacks and something to entertain ourselves with for a few hours." Kisame face flattened as he realized what he said could be taken the wrong way if you thought about what most kids their age would buy at a convenience store after sneaking out. Luckily, Hinata didn't notice his mistake, and he didn't want to think about it anymore.
"That sounds great, actually."
They settled themselves down next to a fountain in a lit park, eating sweets and other prepackaged things they picked up. Hinata carefully read the ingredient to make sure anything she picked out was something he would be able to stomach. It was the cutest thing watching her frown in concentration, looking at the back of a package of jellies or chocolates. They picked up a pack of cards, and Hinata giggled as Kisame taught her dumb card tricks and attempted to teach her card games. She wasn't at all as competitive as him, and she looked guilty if she won.
Kisame talked her into an energy drink. Hinata was resistant, contributing to the bad effect of caffeine, though he convinced her with the fact that it was harmless because she was only getting one, and it wasn't like he was offering her alcohol.
Though he was sure, this entire night was a bad influence on her as he was loading her with sugar and caffeine while they sat in the middle of a public park laughing at how bad she was at cards. She was really cute, covering her face, trying to keep from being too loud.
The entire night went over smoothly until they started to walk home when someone approached them. Now, at this hour, he would have fully expected a drunk or some random thug, maybe not once they saw him, but still.
What they got was a police officer. "Ma'am, are you okay?" The worse part was Kisame recognized the bastard. Officer hard ass broke up fights at the bar regularly, and despite Kisame usually being the one to hand over a rowdy drunk, this guy accused him of starting fights and using more force than he needed to. He threatened to arrest him last week.
"I'm fine," Kisame whipped his back to look at Hinata. He thought he was just hearing her wrong, but no, she looked as pissed as she sounded.
Office hard ass gave her a frown. "Are you sure? Your voice is shaking."
"She's got a natural stutter." And she was scaring him.
"Do you know this man?" The police officer continued.
Hinata gripped Kisame's jacket sleeve. "Yes, we are classmates, and he's taking me home. I can't be late."
"I could help you home, ma'am." The officer pointed at his parked squad car.
"I'm expected to return with Kisame-san." Hinata demanded. "I really can't be late."
The cop's face straightened with her tone, and gave a stiff nod. "Right, have a safe trip."
Hinata didn't bow her head, didn't thank him for his time. She just dragged Kisame by his sleeve down the street faster than Kisame had ever seen her move. She had to force more of her weight on his arm and her umbrella to keep the speed she was using to put between them and the officer.
When she finally stopped, they were on the street before her apartment building. Kisame turned around, no officer hard ass. "What the actual fuck." Kisame growled. "Sorry, mouse." He looked down at her, but her head was down. "Mouse?"
Kisame bent down half his height to look under her bangs to see tears streaming down her face. "How could he imply that!?" Hinata squeaked. "There was no indication at all that I was uncomfortable. How could he be that insulting!" She wasn't upset they were stopped by a cop. She was upset he was profiling?
"I've had worse," Kisame admitted. Hinata looked up at him with pure heartbreak in her wide eyes. "Really. I've gotten racist spats. I've been arrested for fights I didn't start. This is nothing new to me. I'm just sorry you were involved."
"That's so unfair!" Hinata squeaked, choking herself up.
Kisame scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, but I'm big and blue. What do you expect." Hinata's lip quivered. "More importantly, did you just stilt a cop? Like proper rude. What was that about?"
If Hinata was embarrassed, she didn't show it. "He was beyond rude. He didn't even speak to you."
"He was trying to protect you. As much as I hate cops, that is their job." She was really upset about this.
Hinata shook her head. "No, he wanted to frame you badly. I was showing no sign of distress. I was laughing. It shouldn't have been a question. If he was concerned, he could have kept watching to see there was no issue."
"Well, in any case, I'm scared to piss you off. It's the short ones you have to look out for. There isn't a lot of room for the rage to dissipate." Kisame grinned his sharp teeth at her, getting a small giggle. "Let's get you upstairs before your cousin calls for another cop like we need that."
Before Kisame could stand up, Hinata engulfed him. Kisame sighed, patting her back. Poor mouse was too pure for the real world, and she smelled amazing.
"How did it go?" Itachi's eyebrows knit together as Kisame groaned.
"Everything was fine until we got stopped by that one jackass cop that has it out for me. Don't know if he thought I kidnapped her or tried to smuggle some drunk girl home or what the hell, but it made the mouse cry. Which was fun to explain to her cousin." Kisame explained. "She actually lied to him. She told him she got sugar in her eyes." He paused. Hold up. "Wait, you know what? That isn't even the good part. That little shit told off a cop." Kisame added with a wave of his hand. "She did it in her sweet little polite way, but like, that cop looked like she smacked him."
A know-it-all smile spread across Itachi's face. "Hinata only loses her temper when those she cares for are being insulted. I'm not surprised she stood up for you."
"She's going to get herself in a lot of shit if she thinks she can protect me from the world." Kisame slumped his shoulders, walking into his classroom with the irritating knowledge that Itachi was still smiling smugly at his back.