With swim gear in hand, Hinata climbed into the car Itachi parked in front of her apartment. "What pool are we going to?" Even in a big SUV, Kisame's head just barely fit. Nothing was really made for his height.
"His house," Kisame thumbed at Itachi as they started driving.
"The Uchiha house?" Hinata squeaked.
Kisame shrugged. "Who else do you think has a pool?"
"We deliberately didn't tell you so that your uncle didn't know." Itachi relayed.
"I'm surprised he let you go when you told him it was a pool party, let alone took you swimsuit shopping. Did he pick out a big t-shirt that says 'back off'?" Kisame chuckled.
Hinata shrank. "He picked out a bikini." Kisame let out a heavy laugh. "I'm just glad Neji didn't insist on coming with us," Hinata set her hands on her cheeks.
"I'm sure he would have put you in a diving suit." Itachi mused.
Hinata was a little worried about the Uchihas, but Itachi's parents welcomed her without much fuss. Itachi likely gave them a lecture beforehand.
Hinata changed into her swimsuit and covered up in the bathroom, but hesitated when she went to open the door. Scars stemmed up and down her arms and legs, peaking out of the cover-up. She prepared herself for staring. She spent so much time with people staring at her with the Akatsuki. Maybe it wouldn't bother her. It was mostly her friends, anyway.
Hinata took a deep breath and walked out, her umbrella cane was more out of place than usual, but it felt nice being in a light fabric in the sun instead of her usual layers and layers of clothes.
"There are snacks, and the drinks are over there." Itachi pointed. "And… don't let Hidan anywhere near you." Why?
Sasori came up beside her. "Is your prosthetic waterproof?"
Hinata looked down. "No, I'll just need to take it off."
"Just let me know if you need help in the pool." With that, Sasori passed her to yell at Deidara for double-dipping.
Most of the other Akatsuki littered the backyard, in their usual little groups. "Where is Kisame?"
Itachi pointed at the house. "He's carrying a few speakers up from downstairs. You want some water?"
Hinata nodded and sat down on a beach chair, looking over at the pool. She couldn't remember the last time she went swimming. Long before the accident. Would it be harder to do now with only one leg to kick, or would it be easier because she weighed less?
Hidan's voice came from across the pool. "What the hell is on her leg?" He made a face at her prosthetic.
Kakuzu idly looked up from his phone. "That is her leg, moron."
"What?" Hidan asked, more confused.
"It's a fake leg," Kakuzu replied with a monotone.
"How did she lose it?" Hidan was not really being discreet at all, staring at it from across the pool.
"I don't know," Kakuzu answered. "It doesn't involve me. Why would I care?"
Hidan grumbled, and Itachi returned with her water, glaring across the pool. "I'm not really bothered." At this point, she was used to Hidan's mouth and lack of discretion. "Honestly, it's a little refreshing to hear what someone actually thinks."
"Hinata." Sasuke walked out with swim trunks and a t-shirt.
"Sasuke-san." Hinata greeted him.
"You look nice," Sasuke added.
Hinata blushed a little. She was glad that her scar wasn't too distracting. She glanced back over to Itachi and was surprised to see him frowning.
"Are you going to get in the pool?" Sasuke asked.
Hinata turned back to him. "I was thinking about it, I haven't been swimming in so long, and I used to love it as a kid."
"I'll help you in." Sasuke offered a hand.
"Oh! Ah well, I think Kisame-san might have to carry me. I can't get my prosthetic wet." Hinata waved her hand toward the house.
"I'll carry you." Sasuke offered.
It would be rude to say no, right? "Oh, uhm. Wait a second." Itachi disappeared. She dismissed it, unstrapping her leg and shrugged off her cover-up, draping it over her false leg.
"Here, arms around my neck." Sasuke leaned down. Hinata complied, and he dipped his arm under her single knee and picked her up with ease. He walked her over and set her on the pool steps before taking his shirt off, tossing it to the side, and sitting beside her on the ledge with his legs draped in the water.
"Thank you." Hinata swished her leg in the water. It felt good.
Sasuke leaned toward her. "I think I might have broken Itachi." What? Hinata turned to look for Itachi, watching them stiffly. "He can't figure out why I'm being nice to a girl, so he's short-circuiting."
"Is there something wrong with you being nice?" Hinata asked.
"To a girl, yes." Sasuke grinned smugly. "He's all worked up about it."
Hinata finally realized what he was doing. "You've been doing it on purpose. This is why it was a secret?"
"Sorry to use you," Sasuke admitted.
"I don't really mind. It explains the treats twice this week and the keychain." Hinata kicked at the water. "I just don't know if this is an effective way to have him worry about you."
"Oh, it's effective. Itachi's been talking to me more. Trying to get me to slip what it is that I'm doing without actually asking. It's not so bad being a bratty little brother." It was nice that Itachi could forget his real problems, even for a little while. "Just keep acting oblivious to it. Let him think I have a one-sided crush for a while." Sasuke leaned back on his hands. "I'll owe you."
Kisame set down the speakers.
Itachi frowned in a straight line, eyeing Hinata and Sasuke intensely, nearly twitching. "Look at them."
"The mouse looks cute." Hinata's hair was all tied up and off her shoulders. She was smiling and looked comfortable. Confidence looked good on her. Kisame was concerned she wouldn't like being in a suit or having her leg so visible.
"No, look at Sasuke." Itachi huffed. "He carried her to the pool."
"Any of us would have taken her to the pool if she asked." Itachi's 'evidence' of this 'crush' Sasuke had on their little friend was flimsy at best.
"He offered and complimented her. That is not like him." Itachi demanded.
"She's cute." Kisame tried. "She's tiny, she's sweet, and she's not a fangirl. Is it really all that big of news if your brother likes her?"
"This doesn't bother you at all?" Itachi asked.
"Why should it? They'd make a cute couple." Kisame mused. She was cute. Itachi looked back up at him with the most annoyed look. "What?"
"You can't say that and then turn around and look at her like that," Itachi waved his hand between them.
Kisame crossed his arms. "I'm blue."
"I don't think that she's noticed."
Hinata giggled as Sasuke pulled her up out of the water onto a large pool float. He actually shared quite a lot of his brother's flat humor, it made him enjoyable to talk to, and it was fun to see a little extra color in Itachi's face.
Sasuke tilted his head back at Kisame and Itachi, who were watching them nearly the whole time they were in the pool. "Look at them. They are like my gossiping aunts." Hinata giggled. "I just hope that he doesn't start planning a wedding like they would."
Hinata waved her hands. "Oh, I hope not."
"He's completely changed in a week." Itachi fussed. "He asks if she got home okay. He doesn't ask how my appointments were. He's checking his phone instead of watching me take my pills in the morning. She gets texts from him. I've seen it."
Kisame nodded idly. He got the program, the boy has a crush, and now the tables have turned. It gave Kisame an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. Hinata was over there having fun and he was annoyed that he wasn't having fun with her.
"The charms, the sweets, the offering to walk her home…" Itachi huffed.
"You started this, you know." Kisame reminds him.
"How did I start this?" Itachi asked flatly.
"You made him walk her home. She's cute. What did you think was going to happen?" Kisame raised an eyebrow.
"I expected him not to say a word to her and complain about it later," Itachi waved his hand at his brother.
Kisame shrugged. "She's too sweet for that kind of treatment."
"I still do not see how you don't see this as an issue." Itachi pestered.
Kisame had to admit, it was making his teeth grind a little, but he wasn't blind. He knew his place. He wasn't admitting to any crush for his little mouse, but if there was one, he knew to ignore it.
He was blue.
He was big.
He was dangerous.
Kisame was going to end up with a tattooed chick with a couple of DUIs that he met at a bar, who started fights about where her cigarettes were that ended with him getting a lamp thrown at him. Not a little fragile, sweet mouse.
It didn't matter how cute she was or how much he liked how she treated him.
"Not my place," Kisame said finally.
"She would give you a chance if you just asked." Itachi pushed.
"I'm not making her have to think about that," Kisame growled back.
"Hinata." Sasuke and Hinata both looked back at Deidara, holding up her phone, and waving it. The ringer was off, but it was clear she was getting a call from the screen. "It's been going off for the last couple of minutes."
Hinata frowned. "I hope that's not Neji-san…"
"Let me answer it. His head will explode." Sasuke pulled her off the float and put her up on the side of the pool. Sasori handed her a towel, and Deidara handed her the phone.
"He doesn't know that I am at the Uchiha house, and I only told him the Akatsuki would be here," Hinata answered, but when she heard the voice on the other end, her face dropped.
She should have checked the ID.