"Stop." Hinata scolded him.
Hidan turned to give her a dirty look, but… he stopped. Of course, he did. What the fuck else was he going to do? If he didn't stop, he was going to have to either live with her continued disapproving look that would last long after he had forgotten what he did to receive it, or he would have to listen to her explain exactly who, how, and why he was inconveniencing other people. This little piece of shit acted like he was a bad dog, and it worked on him. He couldn't say he hated it. It got him out of a lot of trouble, and as much as he liked being in trouble, it was a lot more headache to get himself out of it after.
But sometimes, he would push it a little further just so he could have an excuse to make her fight smiling when she was angry. "Come on, it's funny."
"No, it's not." Hinata sighed and turned away, so if he was going to continue, she at least didn't need to see it.
Hidan wrapped his arms around her ribs and put his chin on her shoulder. "You are telling me you don't think that bastard doesn't look like he belongs on a damn cereal box." He turned her toward the weird shop owner cleaning his windows across the street in a handlebar mustache and bright orange check pants.
Hinata patted his hand to scold him, but he pressed closer to her face as she tried to keep it straight.
"Clown-o's," Hidan added.
Hinata rolled her eyes. "Shh."
"Hipster train flakes." Hidan squeezed her, making her turn her disapproval to him. He moved forward to kiss her, and she backed her head up.
"You're juvenile," Hinata told him.
"And?" Hidan asked.
Hinata sighed and accepted a kiss, and he rested his head back down on her shoulder, feeling like he won as they waited for their bus.
Another day, another terrifying part of town in a club that looked worse than the last. Hinata didn't even want to ask anymore what Hidan was doing in each, but she was getting better at her 'don't approach me' face with each visit.
"You want a drink?" Hidan returned to her, putting his hand around her back possessively. It was just a show, but it was one she enjoyed. She was not going to tell him that, though. She was embarrassed enough thinking about it. And she would like to stop thinking about it.
"No, thank you." Hinata hummed.
"I am going to get one, and I might bum a cigarette." Hidan looked down at the bar.
"I am not kissing you until you brush your teeth if you smoke." Hinata reminded him. "And do it away from me."
Hidan rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know." She knew he was reconsidering it.
"What are we waiting for?" Hinata looked behind her at the sound of pool being played. Maybe she should learn. She just didn't want to have some creep who wanted to 'teach' her. Hinata didn't want to think about Hidan teaching her. She would just put the whole thought aside with the others. The pile was getting bigger.
"I am looking for my bunkmate. I heard his ass was around her somewhere. He might show up if we hang around." Hidan waved his hand down the bar.
Hinata turned back to him. "Kakuzu-san?" She knew he had broken out with Hidan, but he hadn't mentioned where he might have gone.
"Yeah, I heard he's made himself a little underground business. I think he could move some shit for me." Hidan ordered a drink from the bartender as he came into earshot.
"You mean the things you stole." Hinata side-eyed him.
"Don't act innocent. You helped," Hidan whispered in her ear.
Hinata would like to have it on the record that she stole from a man with a very expensive watch who was hitting on her and not taking her polite no, thank you for an answer. So she didn't particularly feel bad for lifting something from him when he passed out. "I just wanted you to clarify."
Hidan took his drink from the bar. "You want to play some cards?" He lifted an eyebrow at her hand and held his hand out.
Hinata pressed her lips together to keep from smiling as she took his hand.
"Shit." The mark cursed as they once again lost to Hinata.
Hidan lazily laid his arm over her shoulders. She got too good at cards too quickly. It was cute to watch her win because she was always just as excited because she didn't think it was going to be something she was good at, and maybe that was because it was one of her first hobbies other than writing him letters that weren't enforced of judge by her father.
He tapped her shoulder as he saw a familiar mug from across the bar. "Time to go, sweetheart."
Hinata grabbed her cards and her winning before letting him pull her to trail behind him across the club by her hand.
Kakuzu saw him before they reached him, and his face shifted to what Hidan would call his 'why are you still alive' face. "What do you want?"
"Hello to you too, bitch. Thought you would like to meet someone." Hidan tugged Hinata out from behind him.
Kakuzu cycled from surprise to confusion, his eyebrows knitting together. "You said she wasn't in love with you. Not a groupie, my ass."
Hinata's face turned red as her mouth fell open, and she turned her face into Hidan's shoulder to hide.
Hidan laughed at her. "It's a long story."
Hinata assumed that Hidan talked about her to his prison mates, but she never really wanted to think what they had to say about it, and now she wished she hadn't met one because she was mortified about what else he knew. She couldn't blame Hidan. He didn't know he would ever come out to embarrass her, and it would be silly to think he hadn't told someone at least some of it. For all she knew, Kakuzu could have read all of her letters, and for some reason, that made her shrive up and die. She was sending all those letters to a stranger technically, but it was one stranger as a stranger that she knew and was sharing his world with her too. Now she wanted to melt in place because she knew that there were other people who could have read all her little rants about her parents at her school and how angry she was that there were two types of food called chicken salad, and she hated the one covered in mayonnaise.
"Sweetheart, I don't think he gives a shit about you." Hidan nudged her as she kept her face in his shoulder, wrapped around his arm as they walked back to their motel. He smelled like cigarettes. She wasn't even sure he had one, but she was sure her hair smelled like it from just being in the bar.
Hinata whimpered.
"He didn't read your letters," Hidan assured her. "He wasn't interested because you didn't send me money or porn. Though I think he was more interested in you when he found out you didn't send me porn."
"What?!" Hinata squeaked.
"Do you know how many murder groupies sent me nudes?" Hidan asked her.
Hinata shook her head in his jacket. "I don't want to know."
"There were a lot of pictures." Hidan teased.
"Stop!" Hinata whimpered.
Hidan turned to her. "Hey, look who I came out for." Hinata pouted at him. "And I haven't even seen you naked." Hinata glared at him and head-butted his shoulder as she re-hid her face. Hidan put a hand on her head as he chuckled. "Alright, I'm done. You're too fucking cute."
Hidan squinted at the door down the street. Alright, he saw that shit one too many times to it just to ignore it. Or maybe it was just his external continuous wasn't with him.
He looked up and down the road and made a face as he got the familiar feeling of rage that he wasn't keeping down this time. There was some shit you just couldn't ignore.
Hidan convinced himself he would just take a look. Maybe he could go the pussy route and just call the police, but the police never did shit when they were actually needed.
Hinata was waiting for him. If he got himself in trouble, he put her at risk. If he got caught, she would be on her own. He liked having her around. He liked traveling about with her. He liked the freedom he was enjoying.
But maybe because each of those girls made him think of her was the reason he was heading for the door.
He would just check it out to convince himself it wasn't as bad as he thought it was, and then he would go home to Hinata and tell her about his self-control.
… Nope. He was getting his ass in trouble.
** Lavender Long Stories **
Hey, with how many issues has been having I would like everyone to know I cross post to AO3 under Lavender_Long_Stories and I have an active tumblr lavender-long-stories
