Chapter 28

When Hinata woke up, she went from happy to bittersweet instantly.

'Hidan's gone. He doesn't know Dad won't be back until tonight, so he thought he'd be caught if he didn't.' Tears welled in the girl's eyes, and she groaned depressively, rolling onto her side to hug a pillow to her middle, 'I should be grateful I could see him at all, but I really wish I didn't have to spend Christmas Day alone.'

She didn't want to spend it with just anybody, either. She wanted to be with everyone, or at least with Hidan if the others were out of reach. Sniffling, the girl inwardly cursed herself for being such a baby. Then again, no one was around to witness her weakness, so there wasn't a point in hiding it.

To her surprise, gentle fingers brushed her hair out of her race before cupping her cheek.

"Hey, wake up. It's just a dream," Hidan's uncharacteristically cautious voice met her ears.

Pearl-colored eyes opened to see the young man lying on his side, facing her. The usual resting expression he had around her, not quite a glare but not quite relaxed either, was in place. His brow was furrowed, magenta eyes attentive, and lips set in a neutral line or sometimes a frown.

Hinata's voice cracked as she sleepily rubbed her eyes, trying to hide that she'd been crying though it was futile, "I thought you'd left already."

The frown on his mouth turned into a smirk, "Nah. We're snowed in. No one's gonna be driving anywhere for at least a day."

"Really? What about everyone else? Are they alright?"

"There's no damn signal, so I can't call, but I'm sure they're fine. Those idiots have enough booze to stay drunk for the next two days if need be."

The Hyuuga girl let out a short laugh, giving up on wiping her eyes because the tears had ceased. Reaching for her abandoned glasses, which lay off to the side of their mountain of blankets and pillows, she sat up and stretched her limbs, wincing when multiple parts of her body were sore.

'That fall yesterday must be the cause.'

"I'll shower and make you something to eat, okay?"

Hidan made some sort of acknowledging sound, eyes watching as his girlfriend got to her feet, only to stumble and have to grab onto the footboard of the bed to not fall to the ground, "Did you forget you fucked up your ankle?"

Blushing with gritted teeth, Hinata begrudgingly avoided meeting his eye as he wrapped an arm around her waist to help support some of her weight and helped her out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom.

After being humiliated in the shower with the silver-haired man joining her, the girl went downstairs. When she began heading for the stove, Hidan all but shoved her into a stool at the island. "Hidan, what…?"

He moved around the kitchen with ease, remembering where everything was from his time as an employee, "I'll kick your fuckin' ass. Stay seated."

Hinata's mouth closed in shock, 'I guess I don't have much choice….'

The backup generators were successfully powering the entire building, so the pair was lucky enough to not be freezing and have the capability of cooking.

In awe, the Hyuuga stared at her boyfriend's back as he prepared breakfast, blushing like crazy when he glanced back and noticed. "So, do you like cooking?" She tried to ensure things didn't get awkwardly silent.

"It's not a damn hobby or anything, but I don't hate it."

Maybe ten minutes later, the meal was served along with coffee. Hinata hummed happily as she chewed some scrambled eggs, 'These might be the best eggs I've ever eaten. Either that, or I'm biased because of who prepared them.'

After breakfast, Hidan wordlessly made short work of cleaning the dishes before kneeling in front of the girl's seat.

"U-Um…?"

"Get on already. It's quicker if I just carry you."

Mortified, she obeyed and allowed him to piggyback her upstairs, where they returned to her bedroom. Arms wrapped loosely around his neck, the girl frowned with a blush, "I'm sorry. This probably isn't what you had in mind for how to spend your holiday."

Hidan sat on the edge of the bed and released her legs so she could move of her own accord, "Shut up, dumbass."

Rather than move away, she simply wrapped her arms around his middle instead of shoulders, pressing her cheek to his back with a huff. Usually, she'd let him win the argument, but she felt passionately about this. The concept of spending arguably the biggest holiday of the year alone or away from loved ones was enough to bring her to a depressive state. The girl was guilty because Hidan wasn't with his family, especially Kakuzu.

"I feel bad, Hidan. If it was safe, I'd tell you to go be with the others."

A small yelp left her lips when the young man suddenly laid back on the bed, effectively trapping her between his body and the mattress, "H-Hey! You're crushing me!"

He snickered but didn't say anything.

The warmth on Hinata's cheeks became more from irritation than embarrassment. She tried to shove him off with no luck. Then, she changed her tactics. Crossing her ankles, she wrapped her legs around his middle and an arm around his neck.

"Don't start a fight you can't win, Princess!" Hidan said that, but his tone was playful.

Hinata's annoyance became amusement, and soon laughter from the couple dusted the air as she tried fruitlessly to make him regret crushing her. Minutes later, the girl gave up, breathless and borderline sweaty. Absently, she ran her hands down his chest to rest there, closing her eyes as her pulse returned to normal.

When the boy on top of her spoke next, his voice was more quiet and serious than expected, "Hinata."

Pearl-colored eyes opened curiously, "Hm?"

"...I'll miss you."

The amused and light vibe sank away to something more bittersweet. "...I know…. I'll miss you, too."

A large hand lifted to grasp one of her wrists, Hidan's thumb brushing against the back of her hand, "What about after?"

The girl moved the hand he wasn't holding still up to the neck of his shirt before slipping it beneath the clothing to rest against his chest skin to skin, "What do you mean?"

The pause that followed her request for elaboration was lengthy, but the boy eventually moved. He turned, forcing her to release her hold on him so he faced her with a hand on the bed on either side of her body and magenta eyes hesitant, "After we graduate."

"O-Oh, well, we'll get together again, won't we? I mean, if you're still willing by then." Hinata lifted her arms so her fingers loosely laced behind his neck.

Hidan took his time responding, filling the silence by kissing his girlfriend. Eventually, he pulled back with a furrowed brow, "If either of us should be worried about the other changing their mind, it's not you."

The girl frowned, "What?"

"Fuckin' think about it logically. One of us settled, and it wasn't me."

'I thought we were over this already,' Hinata thought as she studied his increasingly angry face.

It wasn't that he was upset with her, it was that he wasn't comfortable being vulnerable with his emotions, and his initial response is always to lash out because he's embarrassed. The thing was, though, that the Hyuuga girl was beginning to get upset with him.

She moved her hands to his shirt and pulled his face closer, a determined glare in her pretty eyes, "How many times do I have to tell you that you're wrong about that? Haven't I proven myself enough? Do you think I'm lying?"

The man mirrored her expression, shifting his weight onto one hand so he could grab the front of her shirt, too, "I'm not callin' you a fuckin' liar, Hinata. I'm saying I'd be an idiot not to be prepared for you to change your damn mind," his voice was low and dangerous, "What kinda future will you have if you stay with me? It won't be nearly as comfortable as it'd be if you ditched all of us. Have you even thought about that kinda shit?"

The disbelief and rage within the short girl was overwhelming, her fists tightening on his shirt and voice slightly raising, "I'm not a complete idiot. Of course, I've thought about the future, and you're wrong. There's nothing for you to worry about."

Hidan's jaw flexed as he gritted his teeth, but she continued, "I don't want to be pampered. I'll do my part to earn money and share responsibilities. I want to. If you expected anything else, I'm honestly a little offended."

"Hinata, be fuckin' realistic here. You have no idea what you're-" "Shut up, already!"

He closed his mouth with a blazing glare, but the usually soft-spoken girl matched his ire. Her voice was solid and resolute, "Listen to me, Hidan. I. Don't. Care. Whatever we do or wherever we end up, it doesn't matter because I know I won't be happy if I'm not with you. So, stop talking like my feelings for you aren't serious."

The young man's glare faltered, replaced with poorly-masked surprise.

Hinata's voice softened slightly as it became clear he was actually listening to her words, "I probably sound like an idiot because we're so young and have no idea what we're doing. All I know is how much you've helped me, probably without even knowing it."

Tears welled in her eyes as she lowered her gaze to his neck. It'd be hard to be so vulnerable if she didn't.

"It terrifies me to think about where I'd be if things had continued how they'd been before I met you and the others. Before school started, I was in the darkest place of my entire life," the tears overflowed, her voice cracking, "And when we're apart, like after Orochimaru when we couldn't see one another for so long, it feels like someone's p-punched me in the gut, a-and I-I can't breathe."

The girl released Hidan's shirt so she could wipe at the tears. She sniffled softly with a blush because she hadn't meant to get so emotional.

"...Fuckin' wait for me, then. I'll come get you, wherever the hell you are." Her eyes opened to meet his. He almost appeared bashful. Even his voice was a little softer than usual, "I'm a selfish asshole for asking, but do it."

Through her tears, Hinata was stunned but eventually overcame it with a small smile. A tiny giggle left her lips as she continued to rub at her watery eyes, "I never expected you to say something so corny."

Hidan rolled his eyes, "Oh, shut up." Then, he kissed her in a way he never had before.

It was like he was trying to tell her everything he was too prideful to say aloud. Things like 'Thank you for being so honest' and 'I swear I'll take good care of you. You won't regret choosing to stay with me. I'll make sure of it'.

Though his passion was out of character, it felt like the girl had never been safer or more appreciated in her life.