Chapter 18

Hinata snuck up to her room, sending a maid to inform her father of her return so he wouldn't see her in the revealing uniform. The moment she walked into her room, a surprised squeal was muffled by Hidan clamping a hand over her mouth. As he peered confidently into her eyes, he pressed her against the closed bedroom door with a smirk.

'This is just like the first time he came into my room….'

As though he'd read her mind, the hand covering her mouth slid down to wrap around her neck, an amused hum rumbling through Hidan's chest when she suddenly found it impossible to breathe even though he wasn't squeezing in the slightest. With his other hand, he turned the lock on the door.

"It's really too damn easy to scare you, Hinata."

Her brow furrowed, and she swallowed nervously with a blush. Being apart for so long made her forget how intimidating Hidan could be. For some reason, though, he didn't do anything further. No, he stood there with a calculating stare as though waiting for her to say something.

Incredibly nervous, the girl shakily tugged at his shirt so he'd come closer, and he did. Her voice was unstable and soft, "I-I…It's nice to see you."

The amused glint in his eye fell, irritation taking its place as he let go of her and stepped back, "I forgot how chicken-shit you are."

It took a moment for her to overcome the shock of him switching his mood so quickly, but then her annoyance flared up, and she sighed, crossing the dark room to set her phone on the nightstand before heading for the closet to grab a change of clothes, "And I forgot how much of a jerk you can be."

Yes, she was ecstatic to see her boyfriend in person, and his abrasive personality rarely hurt her feelings anymore because that's just who he is, but it felt like she'd been the only one yearning to be together. Otherwise, he'd have kissed her immediately in the gym and again when she just came into the room. If Hinata was a braver person, she'd have done it herself, but they both knew it was up to him, at least for now, to initiate that sort of thing.

Sitting on the bed's edge with his gaze trained on her, Hidan half-heartedly warned, "Careful, Princess."

Feeling incredibly disheartened because this wasn't going anything like how she pictured it would, Hinata mumbled as she walked toward the door, "I'm going to shower." He didn't say anything before she left the room. Once under the steamy water in the bathroom, she shamefully allowed a few tears to fall.

'Dad's going to send me off to boarding school in less than a month, and we're snapping at each other instead of making the most of it.'

Hinata wasn't entirely sure if Hidan knew their time together was on a very short countdown to end or not and didn't know how to ask. If he does know, then the fact that he's not putting in a little more effort to control his anger will disappoint her.

When they first met, it wouldn't have surprised her if he pulled something like this, but so much has happened since then. Especially after he was uncharacteristically honest with her that night at Kisame's, after the whole gunfight with Orochimaru and his gang. The way he spoke and acted that night was what she wanted now.

'Am I a fool for expecting that? What if he was just caught up in the moment back then because we both nearly died?'

She didn't doubt he had some sort of affection for her, but maybe that was all it was, and he regretted asking her out. His feelings might be lukewarm, like hers had been for Naruto when she had a crush on him.

In her heart of hearts, Hinata tried to convince herself to have more faith in the silver-haired boy, but with the rest of her life beating down on her shoulders, it was hard to think positively. She's been getting more depressed with each day that passed because her inevitable departure from all her friends was nearing.

'Just try to act natural. As much as it hurts, maybe it's for the best if he really does want to end things. That way, we won't have to be separated as a couple for five months. It'll save us both the heartache and stress.' Blowdrying her hair with a frown after finishing showering, she mused, 'Well, it'll at least save him from it. Me, on the other hand….' Whether or not Hidan truly feels as strongly for her as she does for him doesn't matter; Hinata's going to suffer come January.

When she left the room to shower, it'd been her intention to somehow force herself to cheer up so her mood wouldn't be so sour upon returning, but the opposite ended up occurring. Her spirits were so low that she didn't know what else to do but get into bed and prepare to sleep. The pair wordlessly held one another's gaze for a long time before Hidan finally broke it by reaching forward beneath the covers and interlacing the fingers on one of their hands.

'I can't tell if things are awkward or if it's just me,' Hinata's vision glazed over as she internally panicked, 'Why can't I just act normal? …Wait a minute, what's even considered normal between us?!' The pace of her pulse quickened, 'Just say something, Hinata! Anything! It was easy to talk on the phone, so why can't I remember how to function right now?'

A snicker broke her focus, and Hinata's eyes widened when she realized Hidan'd been watching her face the entire time. He whispered, "Are you high or somethin'? You didn't blink for like five minutes."

Tears welled in her eyes before she could stop them, making the warmth in his gaze disappear. The girl pulled her hand from his and lowered her head slightly to rub the tears away.

"Fuck, was it something I said?"

"N-No. It's just allergies."

When she was satisfied her eyes wouldn't betray her again, she remet his gaze, only for her breath to get caught in her throat when a magenta glare fixed her sternly, "Allergies. In December. You dumbass."

Hinata groaned, giving in and scooting closer to press her face into his shirt, "I-It's nothing, really. We both know how easy it is to make me cry. Just forget about it."

The boy pulled her closer, wrapping both arms around her and slipping one hand up the back of her shirt so he could touch her skin directly, "True."

It became quiet again, another long silence threatening to occur, but Hidan didn't allow it this time. He asked, "So, is that blonde idiot why you can't text anyone back?"

The girl's eyes squeezed shut as her arm slid over his side to hold a loose handful of his shirt, "I-I can't believe you actually just asked me that."

He chuckled warmly, "I'm fuckin' with you. Konan told everyone how pitiful you've been."

Mortified, Hinata simply shook her head, too embarrassed to verbally respond.

Finally, the panic in her brain began to simmer down, and she was able to think of something to say to change the topic, "Where are you all staying now?"

"I'll show you tomorrow."

"Oh, u-um…Well, I can't leave the house."

Hidan pulled back, causing her to mirror the act so they could see one another's faces. It was apparent her borderline imprisonment was news to him.

"I thought Sasori or Deidara would've told you. They were th-there when it happened…." The way the duo had been staring at her when Hiashi quite literally threw her out of his office left no doubt.

"Well, they didn't, so tell me now," his tone was impatient, as was his expression.

'Really? Even if those two didn't say anything, I was sure Konan would've relayed information to at least Hidan. Has she really not told them about anything that's going on?' Hinata's eyes widened slightly as her earlier thoughts re-emerged, 'So he actually doesn't know I'm leaving soon!'

"I-I thought you knew. I'm sorry!"

The young man's eyes narrowed, jaw flexing angrily, "Sorry about what? Fuckin' get it out already, Hinata."

Overwhelming melancholy washed over her as she forced the words out, "W-When the semester's over, my d-dad is sending me away to some boarding school outside Konoha. I don't know where it'll b-be, and he won't tell me. I'm not allowed to leave the house until then except for school."

When the man froze and remained unresponsive, she hesitantly added, "Tonight was an exception…."

It was quiet for a long moment before Hinata gathered the courage to look up at Hidan's face, only to grit her teeth at the sheer amount of tension the boy was emitting with his intense glare.

"This semester ends in like three weeks, Hinata," disbelief heavily coated his words.

Tears welled up again, and she didn't bother trying to hide or wipe them away this time. Instead, she tried to swallow the lump in her throat and nodded, finding it hard to meet his eye. Earlier, she demonstrated how little faith she had in the boy's feelings for her, but now it was evident he cared because he was seething.

"...That's why you look so awful, isn't it?"

Hinata's face warmed, her lips tugging into a frown and tears falling more heavily as she sat up and wiped at them, offended, "W-Why would you…? I mean, I-I know I'm not at my best right now, but you don't have t-t-to insult me. You're not helping."

Hidan sat up, too, voice low and forced while he watched her try to gather her composure and repeatedly fail, "Shut the fuck up, Hinata. You know damn well I think you're hot," his glare and tone softened only slightly when she looked at him with wide, confused eyes, "How the hell haven't you noticed? You're too thin and look like you haven't slept in days."

Suddenly, she remembered how he'd studied her face in the gymnasium earlier. Did he do that because he thought she was sick or something?

'How humiliating. Here I thought he was checking if the cut from Kabuto had healed completely.'

After trying to figure out how to respond, the girl gave up and covered her face with both hands, "I-I don't know what to say."

"You can say you're gonna tell your dad to eat a dick. What's his fucking problem, anyway? There's no way in hell you told him about what happened, so what did you do to piss him off?"

Hinata recalled the heated interaction she and her father'd had that day, how he demanded she betray all of her friends and responded negatively when she refused.

"The employees you've been calling your friends have only put up with you because you're my daughter. You're a fool if you think for a second any of them genuinely care about you."

"It's ironic that you only have confidence now, standing up for a boy who sees you as just another job task."

"You worthless, ignorant girl!"

"Once this semester is over, you're gone. Do you hear me? Gone!"

That had been a truly awful day.

"...Th-That doesn't matter. Nothing will change his mind now that he's made a decision. You know that, right?"

She avoided details because she wasn't sure if Deidara and Sasori kept what they overheard a secret for a reason other than to not butt into her business. It was evident Hidan wouldn't react well if he learned of the words her father'd spoken, either way.

Hidan's glare hardened further, his rage feeling close to snapping.

To avoid him losing his temper significantly, Hinata cautiously cupped his cheek and said, "There's nothing we can do, so let's not waste time thinking about it."

Her plan backfired.

"Waste time? So you're just gonna accept it? That's pathetic even for you."

She pulled her hand away as though his skin had burnt her, eyes narrowing at his thoughtless statement. The girl gave him a moment to apologize, holding her tongue to not react without thinking. When Hidan only glared at her as though the entire situation was her fault and her's alone, she felt like her heart was breaking but tried to mask it. Instead, she stood up for herself.

"I-I'll put up with a lot for your sake, but I won't sit h-here and listen to you insult me."

Apparently, everything she said tonight was the wrong choice because her back hit the bed, head the pillows, and Hidan glowered down at her with his hands holding her wrists down, "Who the hell are you? I really thought you'd fuckin' changed…."

Anger threatened to red the girl's vision as she tried to free her wrists and failed miserably. She hissed, "Who am I? Who are you! You promised not to do this kind of thing anymore! You-" Hidan had been slowly moving over to straddle her hips as she spoke so it'd be easier to meet her eye, but the moment he did, all the air left her body.

~One moment, he was standing before her, a terrifying shadow in the dark room, and then they were fighting for dominance, eventually coming to the floor to wrestle. Though the Hyuuga girl's a natural at defending herself, she wasn't much of a challenge against a fully grown man.

The white-haired man straddled her hips and began wrestling her hands down, but she didn't give up. No, she fought and fought until she finally landed a good hit to his face. The satisfaction didn't last long because a pain sharply came across her cheekbone. A cry of pain left her, but the fact that the man dared to cut her with the knife he'd held to her throat earlier made her angrier than anything. It overshadowed her fear and distracted her from the tiny room.

So, her efforts increased to the point that the man became irritated, "Don't make me stab you, Bitch, because I will."~

Suddenly, Hinata couldn't breathe. She couldn't think or move. All she could do was lay there, terrified. Behind her eyes, memories of what Kabuto did played more clearly than in weeks.

~A slap landed on her face, busting her lip and making her see stars. At that moment, her hands were finally captured in his, and a white-hot ache erupted in her palm when the man stabbed the knife into it, entirely through to the other side so it'd be pinned to the ground. Hinata froze, trying to register the fact that he had actually stabbed her while choking back the cries of pain that were begging to leave her mouth.

"That's better. Keep still, or I'll do the other one, too."

Slowly, the knife was pulled from her palm, hurting just as much as it had going in. He sat back and began cutting down the front of her shirt, obviously trying to declothe her. Each pump of her heartbeat sent a wave of fire to her cut palm and cheek, but she couldn't focus on that because she was about to be hurt much worse if she didn't do something to stop it.

For a moment, the only sound was the slowing rate of gunfire elsewhere and their heavy breathing. Just before the man could cut the bottom half of her shirt to remove it, an opportunity arose, and the Hyuuga girl let her adrenaline take over. She slid her legs out from under him, kicked his chest with all the power she could muster, and made a break for the door.

It appeared she would succeed until the very last moment when a hand came to the side of her head, and then the world around her became blurry and much too warm. Hinata's limbs gave out, and she crumpled to her knees while clinging to her consciousness with all she had.

He'd slammed her head against the wall.

Hands maneuvered her body so her back was to the wall, and the man tugged her leggings and underwear down.

The girl begged her body to move, but it wasn't reacting quickly enough. Her arms felt as heavy as concrete blocks. The sound of a belt jingling, followed by a zipper, came, and then she was being adjusted to lay on the ground. Her shoes and bottom-half clothing were removed, leaving her in just a tattered shirt and bra in front of this monster of a human.~

"-nata?"

A sharp gasp passed Hinata's lips as Hidan's voice snapped her out of her stupor. He was no longer holding her hands down, instead cupping her face and saying her name with a concerned and bewildered expression. An unbearable heat flooded her entire body as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. She weakly shoved at him, needing the weight over her to disappear, or else she'd faint.

Luckily, he obeyed and moved away slightly, "Hinata, what's wrong?"

A ragged sob choked in the girl's throat, which she cut off by slapping a hand over her mouth, eyes still wide. Her instinct was to distance herself from what'd just happened mentally and physically, so she stumbled out of bed, only for her legs to give out. She caught herself with one hand and managed to correct her body so she wasn't in a complete heap on the floor, but the act shook her composure, and she burst into tears.

Until now, she only saw snip-its of that day, and it was only in nightmare form. If the visions were going to start plaguing her while awake, too, she wasn't sure how long she'd be able to take it. It was fortunate she'd been snapped out of it before the part where she murdered Kabuto played, or else she'd be struggling even worse. Reliving the darkest moment of her life on repeat was actively taking its toll.

"Hey, Hinata. Hey. Tell me what's going on."

Hidan was in front of her, kneeling with that rare, vulnerable expression that made it obvious he was genuinely worried. She shook her head, shying away when he hesitantly tried to help her sit straighter, "...Go."

The boy's voice was surprisingly gentle, "Not until you tell me what's wrong."

As angry as she was with him for going back on his word and getting physical with her against her will, the humiliation and fear were worse. She finally lifted her gaze to his, letting the tears flow heavily without hindrance.

Her voice cracked as she pleaded, "H-Hidan, please."

Above anything else, Hinata needed to be alone.

In a normal situation, the boy would never obey just because she said please, but this wasn't a normal situation, was it? He pulled his hand away, eyes searching her face for a moment before he nodded.

The Hyuuga listened, frozen in her spot beside the bed until he was gone. Then she allowed herself to fall to the floor, curling into a little ball and wishing for nothing other than to go to sleep so the awful night would end, but she couldn't even do that because the nightmares were sure to return.