Kisame expected another long day of business meetings but was startled to see Hinata made up in a more formal day dress with her hair up. "What are we doing today?"
"I have to attend a garden event today." Hinata slid her hand down to push out the non-existent wrinkles in her dress. "Less running around, but not less stress."
Kisame nodded, following her to the car, where they were joined by Neji once again. "Do you mind if I ride in with you?"
Hinata eyed Kisame. Did she think he got a say in this? She lowered her voice to say. "If you can be respectful."
Neji gave her a moment too long of a stare, debating his answer. "Of course." That was a bullshit.
Kisame opened the door. This was going to be a long day.
Hinata took Kisame's offered hand out of the car and dodged Neji's frown. She had too much to be worried about to add his opinion to it.
Now that she thought about it, she snapped around to Neji. "I am upset with you."
"What did I do?" Neji blinked.
"Your father got another blind date on my schedule," Hinata told him pointedly. "And what is more embarrassing was he went to school with me!"
Neji's jaw fell open before it snapped shut to scowl. "I can't understand why he keeps trying."
"You manage my schedule. Verify dinners without enough details, please." Hinata huffed. "I can't keep running out of blind dates."
"I will speak with him again," Neji grumbled.
"Later. Let's focus." Hinata followed him into the building. Kisame tailing behind. It was so awkward having him follow her everywhere. She wished she could have him lead, but that didn't make much sense. It just felt wrong to be leading him about.
Kisame head came down to her level to ask a question in her ear. "Where do you want me here?"
"Nearby," Hinata answered. "This is a social event. I will only be on stage, speaking for a few minutes. Just stay close. I can't stand these things."
Kisame snorted at her comment and straightened back up.
After several hours of stiff pleasantries and a small speech from Hinata thanking everyone for coming, Kisame stood behind her as they were back to pleasantries. Stuffy people with fake smiles asking about the other person's accomplishments only so they can talk about their own, clothes that probably cost more than his old apartment to walk around outside, a violin constantly being plaid on its own. He had never been to a more boring party.
Hinata backed toward him again. The first time, he wasn't sure she was doing it on purpose, but she just kept getting closer and closer, and now that she was all but stepping on him. He was sure that she was doing it, at least continuously.
Did she not feel safe? That was the only reason he could think that she was moving closer.
Kisame raised his hand barely to put his knuckles in the middle of her back to remind her he was there. Hinata looked over her shoulder and gave him a nervous smile. "Sorry."
Kisame lowered his head for her. "You want to leave?"
"I can't yet," Hinata whispered back. "I'm just… not… I'm never comfortable." She corrected.
Kisame nodded, standing up. If he couldn't get her out of here, there wasn't much he could do but stand behind her like he was supposed to.
"Oh no…" Hinata said through her teeth as she put on a smile as another person came up to her.
Kisame had to keep from laughing at her comment.
Kisame opened the car door and waited for Hinata to put her shoes back on. Her toes were red from standing in them all day. She made a small noise of discomfort as she got back into them.
Her pinned-up hair was now back to being a dark curtain falling off her shoulders, and honestly, he thought it looked better now, but he shoved that thought away as quickly as it came. "Sorry."
Kisame shook his head. He didn't mind waiting. He offered his hand, and her face lightened as she took it and stood up.
Back in her apartment, Hinata huffed. She heard Kisame's door close as she flopped down on her couch. Daytime formal events were more exhausting than the eventing ones. She didn't want to move, but there was so much left to the day, and she could feel the disappointment coming from the distance of her father's office in not opening her laptop and spending more time doing something work-related.
She flinched as she heard a knock on the conjoining door, realizing she had fallen asleep for a moment. She rubbed her eyes. She needed to get this makeup off. She got up to open the door.
Kisame stood on the other side, pointing toward his kitchen. "Did you have plans for dinner?" He rubbed the back of his head. "I should probably do some grocery shopping."
Hinata covered her yawn. "What have you been doing for breakfast?" Kisame shook his head. He wasn't eating breakfast? She couldn't have that. "You are welcome to eat anything in my kitchen in the morning, but let me find the number that Neji uses to get groceries delivered." She padded toward the door and the stack of business cards in a bowl.
"I could probably figure it out," Kisame mumbled, staying in the doorway.
Hinata came back with the number. "I think this is the one. There is a website." She turned the pamphlet over.
"Thanks." Kisame took it. "Sorry, dinner?"
"Oh, yeah. We can order something." Hinata stepped back. "Come in." She looked at his more casual clothes. Had he changed already? How long was her nap? Maybe she should keep him her so that she didn't fall asleep. "I'll be back. I should change."
Kisame nodded and looked around uncomfortably before sitting down in the same spot he did the night before. His awkward shuffling when he was so large was cute. She felt a familiarity, often feeling like she wanted to disappear into the smallest space possible, but she was small. She could easily disappear. He couldn't, but he still tried.
Hinata closed the door to her bedroom and leaned against it. A man twice her size shouldn't be so adorable, but he was.
Kisame phone reminded him of the time as he finished his set. This gym was great. People didn't usually use a gym when they went to a hotel, but the gym was fully decked out anyway, and he didn't feel like someone was constantly watching him to swipe his phone or, worse, his water bottle. He had no clue why people would do that, but it had happened, and he didn't want to look into it any more than he had to.
With the unpredictable schedule Hinata had, Kisame decided to plan his workout around the time they were scheduled to leave rather than trying to fit them in after whatever time they got home because there were some nights where her day at the office bled into a night at events.
And if he was meant to be constantly alert, having his heart pumping was going to work far better than a cup of coffee.
Kisame wiped his face with his towel as he headed up to his room to shower. He opened the door and almost pulled his damp shirt entirely off before he realized Hinata was just as startled to see him in his kitchen.
Her eyes became saucers, and she covered her face. "I'm sorry! I knocked, but you didn't answer. I had breakfast delivered because we had an early morning. I… was going to leave a note and leave."
Kisame quickly pulled his shirt back down and cleared his throat. "Thanks."
Hinata peeked through her fingers, but even finding him with his shirt on, she covered her face back up and blindly found the conjoining door before closing it harder than she probably wanted him to hear.
Kisame lowered his whole face to the cold counter. Lesson learned: change in the bedroom.
Hinata melted, sliding down the other side of the door. Whimpering out her embarrassment into her hands. She was going to die. She should have just waited to hear him come back. What was she thinking?!
She let her hand slide down from her face over her heart and let it rest there as it was trying to escape her chest. Well, she was definitely awake now, and maybe that was a good thing because she left her coffee on his counter, and there was no way she was going back in there to get it.
A knock on the door made her grimace. Let her finish dying of embarrassment first. She got up and opened the door to find Kisame with one of the hotel's robes over his gym clothes. He held her coffee out at arm's length, not looking in her direction. She was thankful. She was sure she was too red for words right now. "This is sweet. I assume it's yours."
Hinata accepted it, holding it to her chest before there were a few more moments of silence and the door closed.
She closed her eyes. Today was going to be awkward.