"Did you talk to her?" Kisame pressed. Hinata calmed down, but she was still cagey, even secretive. Holding her backpack to her chest like she was afraid someone might take it or riffle through it.
Itachi was doing better, out of bed but still needing to rest. At least he looked less corpse-like in the living room rather than propped up in his bed like a hospice patient. "Yes, and like I said, you have nothing to worry about."
Kisame was hoping for more than that. "She's still acting weird."
"She has a perfectly reasonable explanation, and I assure you, you didn't hurt her, and she isn't afraid of you, but that's all I can say." That was it?
Kisame waved his hands out. "Give me a hint, at least. She's scaring me."
"She will tell you when she's comfortable. Just act like you usually would. She'll come to you when she is ready." Itachi smiled like he had a clever secret. If he wasn't sick, Kisame might have smacked that smug look off his face.
Prick.
"Hinata?" Sasuke leaned against the door of their classroom, giving her a wave. "Can I borrow you a minute?"
Kisame watched Hinata get and follow him out. "What do you think that is about?"
"He's probably going to ask her to the dance," Sasori commented.
Kisame nose scrunched. Probably not. With Itachi out of school, there was no need to keep up the act now, right? Speaking of Itachi, despite whatever he and Hinata talked about, Hinata was still concerning him. She stopped distancing herself from him but wasn't back to her old self. Kisame was afraid to touch her and get those soft eyes turned at him in fear.
Even if Itachi insisted she wasn't scared of him, what was she afraid of then?
Hinata returned with a red tinge to her cheeks and promptly opened a textbook over her head, burying her face from view.
"You okay, mouse?" Kisame asked cautiously.
Deidara leaned his chair back, lowering his face under the book's view. "Did he ask you to the dance, yeah?"
Hinata whimpered.
Sasori glanced over his shoulder. "Told you."
Kisame's natural response was to comfort her, but his hand twisted into a fist on the desk instead. She didn't want to be touched anymore, right? Was it because she was starting to like someone?
Deidara knocked on the desk impatiently. "Well, what did you say, uh?"
"I'm not going with him," Hinata whispered.
"Aw? Why not, uh?" Deidara whined.
Kisame shoved him back. Hinata peeked from under the book, showing her insecurities. At least she was rounding back to trusting him. Kisame hesitated a hand on her back between her should blades. "You going to be okay?"
The book moved as Hinata nodded. "I've never been asked out before."
Kisame moved down to her level. "You've gotten admire letters."
"Those are avoidable." Hinata's face scrunched, miserably embarrassed.
Kisame lowered his voice. "I thought it was fake?"
"It doesn't make it less embarrassing." Hinata pulled the book back down over her face.
"Hey." Hinata lifted the book back to see him. "We're okay right?" Kisame didn't know a better time to ask or another time when he would get the nerve to.
"Yeah," Hinata whispered. There was something sad in the way she said it that made him feel like she was just saying it to make him feel better, but her small hand came up to his arm to reassure him in a way her voice wasn't.
Maybe… she was just having a bad week.
Itachi huffed. "Yes, I heard that she turned him down."
It was fun to watch Itachi's face twisted, annoyed with his little brother's antics. As long as Kisame knew him, Itachi was always a know-it-all bastard, so watching him be the one with the wool over his eyes from once was entertaining. What Sasuke and Hinata were doing was harmless… well, to those they were intending to affect.
Kisame would be lying if he said his own heart rate didn't shoot up when he didn't know if Hinata had accepted or not, but it was stupid for him to even think about it. What right did he have to be upset about it?
"Did you hear why?" Itachi settled back with his tea looking like an aunty that was about to spread gossip. Kisame knew the real reason, but what did she give? "Because she already has someone in mind."
Kisame stomach dropped. That wasn't the reaction he wanted to have to that. The mouse should…
God, did that feel like a load of bricks. He wasn't going to ask, but he just… maybe it made him a bad friend to hope she didn't find a date. Yeah, that made him horrible. He had no right to be upset.
Itachi raised an eyebrow mocking him, knowing exactly what was running tough his head. Kisame may need better friends.
Kisame walked with Hinata slowly now that she wasn't allowing him to carry her. He didn't mind it, though the pace did make his legs stiff. He would gladly spend more time talking to her on their way home, but there was an uncomfortable pit in his stomach with how she dipped her head to hide behind her bangs to talk to him.
Kisame missed the bright smile he only saw glimpses of when she seemed to forget he was there. It made her retraction all the more painful. He deserved this, getting so attached to the mouse.
Hinata stopped abruptly in front of her building, looking behind her. Kisame turned his head back to see what she was looking for but found nothing. When he looked back to Hinata, she had her head dipped low and a blue letter held out at arm's length.
Kisame blinked, taking the offered letter, and the moment he did, she disappeared into her building. Well, she could run if she felt like it, at least. He flipped the letter over in his hand. Was this how she was going to tell him what was going on? What did she need to write down that she couldn't send him in a text message?
Kisame flicked open the envelope and slid out the folded letter. Inside was her delicate script in neat lines, and as he read, his breathing stopped. Heat rushed to his face and chest. He followed after her, mashing the elevator button to her apartment building in a panic.
Maybe he should take the stairs? The elevator came before he could make the poor decision of climbing several floors. The letter was crushed in his hand as he anxiously waited for the elevator to let him out on her floor. His heart raced as he knocked on her door, tightening his entire arm to not bang on it and scare those inside.
Hizashi answered, confused.
"I need to talk to Hinata." Kisame held up the note though that didn't explain much. Hizashi let him in, and Kisame stumbled out of his shoes to continue his knocking on her bedroom door a little harder than he meant to.
Hinata's door opened slowly to reveal only her bangs.
Kisame took a moment to catch his breath, holding up the letter. "Is this true?" Hinata's eyes slid past him to her uncle before she nodded. Kisame briefly looked back. Hizashi eyed them both before making a 'not getting involved face' and disappearing into his office. "Mouse, this doesn't make any sense."
"I'm sorry." Hinata's hand tightened on the door. What was she apologizing for?
Kisame put his hand flat on the door frame. "Let me in." Hinata stepped back, letting him in. At this point, he could see her and how upset she was. Her cheeks were red, and she look completely ashamed. Ashamed that she admitted that she liked him?
"I'm sorry." Hinata breathed. "Please don't hate me."
Oh, that hurt. Hinata wasn't upset that she realized she liked him. She thought it was going to ruin their friendship. "I couldn't hate you, mouse."
"I…I'm not scared of you." Hinata pressed her lips in a line as tears filled her eyes.
"I'm going to kill Itachi." Kisame engulfed her, holding her only as tight as her little body could bear.
Hinata's face mushed into his chest, and her hands tightened into his jacket. "Does this mean you'll go with me?"
"Yeah, I'll take you to the dance." Kisame sighed. That was the least monumental thing in her love letter. Hinata's face came back, still blushing, but her eyes were dry now. "Can you even dance?" Hinata giggled, showing him that bright smile he was worried he lost.