Day 8
- Playing With Hair -
Last night, Hinata came to the haunting realization about Sasuke's recent behavior towards her, and upon telling Ino that she fretfully believes a man may be flirting with her, Ino's first mission is to determine who this 'mysterious' man could possibly be. They are browsing a well-known jewelry corner in Konoha. Ino had come that morning, dreadfully hungry for a new pair of earrings, but needed someone to accompany her, as Ino had the strong belief that she needed a second perspective to make sure she's buying the most fitting jewelry. Sakura had been busy at the hospital, so she came to meet Hinata at her home, and Hinata had been grateful for the distraction.
Recently, Sasuke has been drumming into the crevices of her brain.
Two days ago, all of Konoha 12 had gathered at Choji and Karui's restaurant, and Sasuke had been extra — well, how should she put it? He was flirtatious, but at the time, she had been convinced it was in a friendly sort of manner. Playful, even. Kiba and Shino are often the same with her; the amount of times Kiba has greeted her with a suave "Good morning, gorgeous" and Shino has kissed her palm to pull her out of whirlpools of dark thoughts is too many times to count. With them, she knows it's just the nature of their friendship. It's not actually flirting, and she had been convinced it was the same with Sasuke.
But, as stated previously, last night was a mess. She was left unable to sleep because of a loud, active brain, and when she went over the events of the night with him, she'd been startled enough to pace around her bedroom a good amount of times.
What if . . . Uchiha Sasuke was flirting with her? As in flirting with her, flirting with her?
It kept her up all night, and her morning was a tired and panicked drag. Ino coming to her door was a blessing, and now, in the heart of Konoha, she'd asked a simple, quiet question: "How do you know if a man is flirting with you?"
And Ino, of course, barks, "Man? Who!?"
And now Hinata is in a different sort of panic. If she's misinterpreting things, she doesn't want to give Sasuke any trouble by starting a rumor that he may be interested in her. Ino, bless her kind soul, has difficulty keeping secrets, after all.
Dipping to the other side of a spinning, metal shelf with earrings hanging from little knobs, Hinata says, "D-Do I have to tell you?"
"Yes!" There's a small pause, then a sigh. "Well, no, I guess not. But it'd make it easier for me to answer your question."
"What's your answer without the name?"
"That it would depend." Ino turns the metal shelf so that she can see half of Hinata's face. Her fingers play with a set of emerald earrings, but she doesn't pay them much heed. "Not all men flirt the same. Sometimes, they try to show off. Other times . . . ." Her voice drifts into a soft tone as her eyes turn foggy with memory, "they listen to you, and they make you feel alive with just one look."
She swipes blonde bangs behind her ear, a pretty blush dancing across her features. Hinata smiles and hopes it was Sai that caused that reaction.
"Oh?"
"Mm." Blinking, realizing the kind of face she's making, Ino turns her sturdy attention back on Hinata. "So what does this guy do? What does he say?"
"He bought me a drink," Hinata says.
Ino hums. "Anyone could buy you a drink."
"He stays close to me."
"Possible," Ino muses, "but so do Kiba and Shino."
Hinata had thought the exact same thing. "He said . . . he liked me."
Ino gapes. "Hinata, I think that was a confession."
Her heart stirs in a feeling she cannot describe; it's painful, but not bad, and it's tight and fast. She bites the inside of her cheek and notes, awkwardly, "Kankuro said that, too."
She can still hear the singsong-y way he'd call out to her. He was all grins and messy hair and charm, and Hinata had believed she was in love with the right person. She had loved Naruto, but he wasn't right — or rather, she wasn't right, and he had made that abundantly clear. But Kankuro, she had thought, was right — and she had thought she was right for him, too.
Ino, now understanding, gives a sympathetic look in hopes to ease some of the pain off Hinata's shoulders. Ino, like all of Konoha, knew about her sparkling attraction towards Kankuro. On her trips to visit family and friends between her duties as Ambassador, he was almost all she'd talk about, and Kiba would dog on her, and Shino would ask quietly about what parts she liked about him; Ino would also come by often to gossip, to ask about how things progressed. "Are you married yet?" she'd ask teasingly. "When's the honeymoon?"
She'd been there for all the girl-talks and giggling fits, and she'd been there when Hinata showed up to those gates a mess, eyes bitten red from tears, painfully aware that she had no chance with him.
Hinata, of all people, knows well that even "I like you" can mean anything but what the words imply.
Tentatively, Ino notes, "Not everyone's like Kankuro."
Hinata knows that. Sasuke isn't like many men, but she's still wary. Even if he did like her, she'd be wary — and that's not because of Naruto, and that's certainly not because of Kankuro.
"Maybe."
"Sweet thing." Ino reaches around the shelf to rub Hinata's face. "You've experienced too much heartbreak. I'd have it with men if I went through what you have."
Hinata smiles, collecting herself, finding that comfortable happiness that's always about when she's with her friends. "Oh, don't tell Sai that."
"Oh — Kami, stop!"
Ino is flushed, and Hinata laughs and plucks a pair of earrings for her to try.
...
When Ino finally finds a set of earrings she thinks will go well with her eyes and a particular dress she'd like to wear if a certain someone asked her out on a date, Hinata waits by the door as Ino goes in to buy them. She's eying a pair that are shaped like sunflowers, with the yellow gems winking at her through the sunlight.
"Loyalty, adoration." Her heart sings in a jolt of fright when Sai, quite suddenly, appears next to her. He's staring at the earrings she'd been looking at, his brows slightly furrowed, though his gaze is calm as he turns her way. "You should ask Sasuke to buy them for you."
Now her heart is singing for a different reason, and Hinata struggles to keep up.
"H-Hello," she sputters, which earns her a smile from him. "I wasn't expecting to see you here, Sai. You startled me."
He nods, understanding, and rolls his shoulder towards the displayed earrings. "My book says buying jewelry is a great way to make my intentions clear."
Oh! "For Ino, yes?"
"Well, I don't have anyone else I need to make my intentions clear to."
"Of course."
They both look at the earrings, Hinata in awe, Sai with a developing curiosity.
"Is there a specific pair I should buy?" he asks.
Hinata's about to offer a suggestion for something a tad flashier than kiddish sunflower earrings, but she's stopped by the door swinging open with the chime of a bell.
"Who are they for?" Ino asks. "The earrings. Who's the girl?"
Sai, stunned, clearly not expecting Ino to be at the exact same store, can only stare at her.
Nervously, as to avoid a misunderstanding, Hinata pipes, "You, Ino. He's buying them for you."
Ino's face relaxes immediately, then turns rosy with embarrassment. "That's nice of you, Sai."
"I like being nice to you," he says, slowly finding his words.
Ino hides the plastic bag carrying her freshly-bought earrings behind her right leg. "If you'd like, I can look at some with you," she offers. "I know what I like best, after all."
A brilliant smile glides upon Sai's features, and Ino's face turns from embarrassed to smitten in seconds. Hinata, understanding it's her time to go, offers a farewell to both of them and a cheeky smile towards Ino, and then she's off into the crowd, heading towards the nearest convenient store.
For some reason, seeing those two bashfully interact with each other makes her want to see Sasuke.
She buys two lemon waters from the store and an express pack of pink sugar packets. She pulls out two as she walks towards Kakashi's home, stares at the pair in her hand, is suddenly doused in a strange, awkward feeling, and quickly shoves one of the sugar packets back into the bag.
Silly thought.
Sasuke's not into sweets, and she doesn't have a pen on her either way.
...
Before reaching Kakashi's home, Hinata feels a dull thrum of chakra against her right ear. She activates her byakugan, searches, and finds Sasuke's at the hospital two blocks down. It takes her arriving there to realize he's securing wooden ramps around the hospital grounds for the newly-bought wheelchairs to go up and down with ease.
"Another D-Rank, I see."
Sasuke must have felt her presence, for he doesn't seem surprised to see her there with him. He wipes the sweat off his face with the back of his arm, and when she offers him the bottle of lemon water, he takes it graciously and sits on the curb of the sidewalk to drink it.
"I think I'm getting to Lord Hokage," he says. "He's been kinder to my schedule. He even told Shikamaru to give me a little extra for the last mission I took."
Hinata sits next to him, pouring in her sugar and swirling it around. "I hate to break it to you, but I'm sure that's Lee's doing. He probably told Lord Gai about the fugu you splurged on."
At that, Sasuke groans, nose scrunching up. "Don't remind me."
They sit and drink for a while under the glare of July's sun. Across the way, an older later approaches the hospital. The way she hobbles tells of a bad hip, and before Hinata can do anything, Sasuke stands, sets his bottle next to her, and grabs one of the wheelchairs sitting at the front of the hospital, resting in the shade until they're needed. He rolls it up by the lady, and she thanks him and sits down without getting much of a look at his face.
Sasuke directs her up the ramp he'd just finished installing and pushes her all the way to the hospital doors, where he hits a button, notifying someone from inside to take over in directing the woman to where she needs to be.
"Thank you," the lady croons, turning in her seat to meet the face of the man behind her. "I would have had an awful deal without —"
And she stops, recognizing the face of Uchiha Sasuke. Hinata creeps closer in case she needs to help settle things. Sasuke stays where he is, dutifully waiting until he sees the woman properly guided inside.
But screams and curses do not meet him.
Instead, the woman laughs, her wrinkles lifting into a jolly smile. "Why, I was expecting a demon of some kind with the kind of reputation you have!" Her small hand lifts to pat his, which is secured around the handle of the wheelchair. "But you're a sweet, handsome man, aren't you, Uchiha Sasuke?"
And he replies, "Be careful, Grandma. I could still steal your heart."
But she just chortles and wags her hand at him. The nurse that comes to retrieve her bows in thanks, flashing Sasuke a strange look before rolling the old woman inside.
Sasuke returns to Hinata's side, and though his face is neutral, there's a pleased glint to his eye, and when Hinata looks at him, she's startled to death with how attractive he's bloomed in her vision. Sasuke has always been a handsome boy, but it's more than that. It's the patience and kindness towards people who could very much spit and growl at him. It's his hard work to finish his missions without complaint. It's him working in the sweltering heat, installing ramps for the hospital.
Her heart is awake with a fatal dose of attraction, and when he looks at her, he smirks.
"I wasn't trying to show off," he says, "but I do like the way you're looking at me right now."
Nerves buzzing, entire body warm, Hinata can hardly believe what's going through her head.
He might like me, she realizes.
Or, he might not, she reminds herself, but it's hard to remember, especially right now.
Her mind is a mess. Her heart feels like a hummingbird.
She doesn't know what to do, what to say, so she tries to hide it all and swipes at his drink. She misses the first time, but grabs it the second time, so he grabs hers in retaliation and drinks from it. Of course, he's disgusted by the blast of sugar on his tongue, and she laughs and dodges when he tries to steal his own drink back.
...
When he's done, she walks him to Hokage Tower.
She waits for him in the hallways when he's talking to Shikamaru inside his office. When he returns, Shikamaru catches her eye before Sasuke closes the door behind him. He looks at her like he expected her there, and Hinata battles with herself, confused and content at the same time.
With his wallet filled with mission money, Sasuke asks her out to dinner.
Again, Hinata's . . . not sure what to feel.
He likes us! her heart screams.
Didn't you learn from last time? her brain murmurs. Must you fall into the same mistake again and again?
"I'm sorry, I'm not very hungry," she lies.
If Sasuke catches onto her fib, he doesn't show it. "Can I come to your home, then."
Her stomach twists, but she agrees to this, and they're soon on the short trek to her home from Hokage's Tower.
...
Stained with sweat, Sasuke takes a shower in her bathroom, leaving Hinata to wobble in her worry, fingers pinching together, unsure. This feels dangerously intimate, and Hinata's not sure how she should act around him when he's out. She busies herself with dishes, humming to ignore the sound of shower water hitting the tile floor. When the dishes are done, she paces until the water turns off, and then she forces herself to sit in her armchair and rest.
When Sasuke comes into the living room, he's wearing all his clothes.
. . . Not that she was expecting him to not be, of course.
His collar is damp, and his hair is still dripping, and she's surprised by how much that bothers her.
"Come here," she says, leaning over to pat the floor between her legs. "Sit here."
He does so without complaint. She wonders if that's just his nature. Is he going along with her antics for the sake of no trouble, or because he really doesn't mind?
When he sits, she lifts the towel from his neck and rustles it through his hair, carefully drying each angle and section of his head. Her hand touches the underside of his chin to lift it up so she can reach his bangs. He keeps his eyes shut as she does so, the back of his skull pressed into her lap, and once that's all done, she takes the comb he brought with him and brushes it through his hair.
And it's all so strange, and Hinata can hardly make sense of it. She's anxiously fretting at one moment, and then going with the flow of things the next. She avoided dinner in fear of it sounding too much like a date, but seems perfectly content to have him sit between her legs so she may dry and comb his hair.
And . . . she shouldn't be thinking this way, but this is what she imagined her future to be — with Naruto, with Kankuro, with . . . .
But they didn't like her. And when they did, it wasn't in the right manner.
But Sasuke —
Sasuke . . . might like her. Maybe.
He might like her in the right way.
...
What should we do? her heart asks.
Not again, her brain moans. I don't want to hurt again.
Spirits lowering, that familiar jab of pain hitting her between the ribs, Hinata pulls out from her thoughts to find her fingers playing through his hair. He does not have long and glossy Hyuuga hair, but it's smooth, and it's nice, and Hinata feels awfully embarrassed with herself.
But, again, Sasuke does not complain.
He relaxes into her touch, breathes low and gentle.
She's nervous now with all this intimacy, but he's worked hard for so long, and he deserves a break.
So she lets him rest a little longer, praying for her nerves to calm.
...
"It's late," she whispers, looking out her window at the dark world. "You should go home."
His eyes open, but he doesn't move. "We never ate."
"Then you should go home and eat," she tells him.
Sasuke's mouth pinches back the words "But I want to eat with you" that are so plainly obvious in his gaze. He sits up, stands, stretches, and goes over to tug on his shoes. She stays in her seat as he wishes her a goodnight, and once the door is shut behind him and she counts down two minutes, she stands to lock it, then escapes to her room.
Her closet is shut with two, wooden doors, and she opens them and moves past clothes to reach a small, untouched corner in the back. There, a glass jar full of old, scribbled pink sugar packets sits, and Hinata lifts it gently in her hands to rest it on the side table by her bed.
All these years, she'd kept it. She hid it from the Hyuuga and brought it with her when she moved.
Even after Sasuke's return, she kept it.
There are 113 packets in there. Sasuke had kept them all.
He'd kept them all.
And that . . . means something.
And the fact that she's kept them all, as well — that means something, too.