Chapter 27

Two days passed, and then it was Christmas Eve. Hinata had stayed up late the night before, wrapping the gifts that'd arrived last minute. She'll take everyone's gifts but the Akatsuki's to school.

First thing in the morning, she texted Kakuzu, asking if he could meet her on her way home from school so she could give him everyone's gifts. Hinata was incredibly down in the dumps but forced a relaxed mask on to not worry anyone as she walked through the hallways before school.

It was half an hour earlier than her usual arrival time. She left home early so she'd have time to deliver everyone's gifts to their lockers. The school was unique in that it actually encouraged gift-giving during the holiday. So, each locker had a large, festive bag hanging from it for friends to place small gifts.

The Hyuuga girl smiled sadly as she located each one, 'I'm really going to miss everyone. I hope they don't forget about me when I'm away next semester.' It was her wish to keep in touch with as many friends as possible after graduation. She'd never had relationships like this with her peers until this school year, so she treasured each one, no matter how small.

In the spirit of that thought, Hinata even got those that weren't as close a present, like Sai and Kiba. Surprisingly, when she turned down the hall where Sasuke and Naruto's lockers were, both boys were already there.

"Oh, hey, Hina! What're you doing here so early?" The energetic blonde waved with an easy-going smile.

Only when she approached the duo did she recall how thoroughly she ensured Naruto would lose the crush he'd apparently developed, 'I guess I should've thought twice about getting him a gift. …No. He's still my friend. I'd feel awful if I left him out.'

"I hope it's alright, but I got you both something," she shyly admitted while digging through her backpack for the correct packages.

As she handed them over to their respective recipient, the Uzumaki boy seemed flustered, almost emotional, "You really didn't have to do that." Sasuke just mumbled out a sleepy thanks.

When they didn't hesitate to open them, Hinata blushed, feeling a little awkward standing there watching them.

Sasuke's gift was a book about famous police officers throughout history. The Uchiha boy wanted to make a career out of the law enforcement field, so she thought he'd find it interesting. Naruto's gift was a coupon book named "Ramen Of Konoha". It had one free meal voucher for each restaurant.

The blonde laughed, hugging the girl with a big grin, "You're the best!"

Hinata shook her head warmly as he pulled away, turning her gaze onto Sasuke and freezing when she realized a soft pink had developed upon his cheeks and nose. He rolled his eyes with a glare before opening his arms and sighing, "Thank you." The Hyuuga girl giggled, accepting the offered hug before stepping away to excuse herself from the pair of boys.

'That actually made me feel a little better.'

She delivered the remaining presents with brighter spirits.

Come the first period, Hinata was surprised to see Itachi walk in with a shirt that wasn't dark blue or black. It was red. When he sat, she tried to suppress her amusement, "Feeling festive?" He sighed but offered a small smile anyway.

"Oh, Hinata, thank you! It's adorable!" She turned to see Sakura coming around the desks with the pretty bracelet she'd gotten for her. It was silver with a tiny, delicate cherry blossom charm.

Ino came bounding in after her, Sai in tow yet more calmly, "How did you know I wanted this, Hina? You stalker! I love you!"

'How could I not know she wanted that lipstick set? It's all she's talked about for a month now!'

Her boyfriend simply smiled, "Thank you for the gift." Sai was the easiest to shop for: a nice sketching pencil set.

The Hyuuga girl's mood was steadily improving. It felt nice, making her friends smile like that.

During art, Konan seemed normal, but Sasori and Deidara were a little off. They weren't arguing like usual. In fact, they barely spoke at all. When Hinata gave Konan a curious look, the girl shook her head with an amused smirk, mouthing silently, "I'll tell you later."

They were like that at lunch, too. Hinata rested her chin on her palm while poking at her food, glancing at the tense duo every few seconds, 'Something's obviously wrong, but Konan seemed to think it was funny. I can't help but worry. Are they okay? They're best friends. It's rare for them to not speak like this.'

"Need a ride tonight?" Hidan asked as he sat beside her, an irritated glare directed at the silent pair.

Hinata shook her head, absently scooting closer so their arms were near enough to brush occasionally. After the day he kissed her at school, she realized the silver-haired man was a massive fan of that sort of thing. It's not the PDA he likes, though he's not against it. It's reassurance that she wasn't ashamed of him. So, the Hyuuga girl could put up with him and the others teasing her once in a while if it meant she could see the happy little glimmer in his eye when she did it.

'He tries so hard to come off nonchalant and hard, but I know better.'

"You sure? The roads can get pretty slick out by the cabin. Itachi, can Kisame pick her up?"

She made a calming gesture with her hands, "N-No, that's okay. Don't worry about it."

The phone in her pocket vibrated, and she pulled it out, leaning away from Hidan slightly when she realized it was a reply from Kakuzu, 'Are you not able to bring them tonight?'

'I want to send them with you just in case I get caught sneaking out.' When the older man didn't immediately respond, she sent another message, 'Please! I want to make sure everyone gets their gifts.'

A pout met her lips when he continued to not reply. Huffing, the girl put the phone on the table.

"Hinata, I can't wait to see your face when you open my gift!" Konan was uncharacteristically peppy. Judging by her constant mentioning of the holiday and the oversized ugly sweater she wore, the bluenette made it clear she loved Christmas.

The warm feeling Hinata had gotten from making her friends smile all morning began to sink away, but she forced a smile anyway.

In the day's last class, Konan and Hidan turned toward her. Hinata couldn't help herself. She'd long waited to speak with her blue-haired friend about Sasori and Deidara, "So, are they okay? Did something bad happen?"

The other two glanced at one another before bursting into poorly suppressed laughter. The timid girl brought her fingers to her lips to hide the smile tugging there. When the amused duo calmed, Konan lowered her voice to a hiss, "Do you know Gaara? He's the redhead in our grade. Teal eyes, real quiet, kind of scary."

Hinata nodded. The boy was in her language class. 'I don't think he's all that scary, but that's beside the point.'

"Well, he has an older brother who's twenty, named Kankuro. I only met him recently, but apparently, he pops up from time to time around the guys."

Hidan covered his mouth as he began chuckling again, turning away to not distract from the story. The Hyuuga girl was baffled, "Um, okay. What about him?"

Konan lowered her voice even further, "He asked Deidara out, even kissed him!"

A wild blush met Hinata's cheeks, "Wh-What does that have to do with him and Sasori?"

The grin on the orange-eyed girl's face widened further, "Sasori hit Kankuro, that's what."

All became silent as the Hyuuga girl processed the news. 'So, Deidara was kissed and asked out, Sasori hit the guy who did it, and now they're not talking to one another? They don't necessarily seem angry, so what's-' A loud gasp sucked into her lungs, making her two friends burst out with laughter again.

She ignored it, speaking in a loud whisper with palms to her cheeks, "You're kidding! Since when?"

Hidan grinned wolfishly, "That's the thing. They swear they're not into each other like that. Who the hell do they think they're fooling?"

Konan sighed, wiping a tear from her eye, "Whew, those idiots. Can't they just kiss and make up already?"

Hinata smiled to herself as the teacher arrived and began class. Thinking back, those two have always been two peas in a pod. It was rare to see one without the other. Drunk Sasori took care of an even drunker Deidara at the party, and they both woke up on the kitchen floor. They have almost every single class together. Apparently, they joined Akatsuki as a pair, as well.

'It all makes sense. I don't know how I didn't see it before,' Hinata held back the urge to kick her feet or squeal, 'They make such a cute couple, too!'

Only when the Hyuuga girl sat in the front seat of her car after school, preparing to leave, she received a reply from Kakuzu, 'I'll park down the road. Don't make me wait.'

A bittersweet smile met her lips, 'At least I can rest easy knowing everyone will receive their gift from me.'

In the back of her mind, she was a little concerned for everyone traveling tonight. Snow was already falling heavily, and the forecast said record-high winds were supposed to hit Konoha tonight and tomorrow. 'What if they get stranded at the cabin?' Hinata pouted, 'I wish I could get stranded with everyone. It'd be so fun.'

The mask she wore all day fell while she drove, only reappearing when she pulled behind Kakuzu's car. He was at her trunk by the time she popped it open and got out to help. "Here, let me do it. I feel bad enough making you come out here," the girl offered.

Kakuzu fixed her with a stern glare, making her mouth shut in surprise, "You never intended to come tonight, did you?" Hinata's brow lifted in surprise. It was unexpected for him, of all people, to call her out. So much so that she didn't respond quickly enough for the lie to be believable, "I-I did- I mean, I do! This is just in case!"

Obviously, the man didn't believe her. Then things felt a little awkward as he carried the large bag of gifts to his own vehicle. Being completely alone with Kakuzu had never happened before, so she wasn't sure how to respond. What she wanted to do was ask him a million questions about Hidan, but she hesitated because the older man has a short temper and gets irritated easily.

'It's like I'm standing here next to Hidan's father or something. This is so weird.'

"You know, I meant it when I said I like you, Hinata." The Hyuuga girl blushed, looking away when he closed his trunk and turned to face her. "More specifically, I like you for Hidan, so you can stop staring at me like that." Though his words were kind, the tone was deadpan and unenergetic.

"I-Is it that obvious?" She sheepishly grinned at the tall man, whose eyes softened slightly.

"It's hard for any of us to tell what you're thinking, but I can read Hidan easily," warmth surprisingly coated his following words, "He's protective of you. It's rather reassuring. I was beginning to worry he was incapable of that type of emotion."

A giddy feeling rose in Hinata's chest as she thought about Hidan, "I want him to be happy. I don't want to hurt him."

Kakuzu chuckled, laying a hand atop her head as though speaking to a small child, "Any sane woman would be afraid he'd hurt them, but here you are, doing the opposite. You two will be fine, so don't have anxiety about it."

Tears welled in her eyes, but she smiled with a nod. With one last pat on her head, the tall man entered his car and drove away.

When Hinata went inside, a note was taped to her bedroom door. It read, 'I'll return home from a business trip tomorrow evening. You are not to leave this house under any circumstances. Call Fugaku if there's an emergency.' Beneath the message was a cell phone number.

'He could've at least wished me a Merry Christmas, too….'

No one was around, so she allowed her facade to drop. A disappointed frown marred her lips as she crumpled up the letter and tossed it toward the bin in her room before flopping onto the bed with a forlorn sigh. The situation set in now that Hinata was at home and alone.

'I'm going to spend Christmas in my room. Mom's gone, Hanabi's gone, and I can't see my friends or Hidan. This might be the worst holiday ever.'

The girl curled her knees up to her chest as she sat on the oversized beanbag chair and tried to focus on the cheesy holiday movies playing on TV. Hours passed. Once it was around the time she was supposed to arrive at the cabin, she sent a message to the Akatsuki group chat to apologize for being unable to make it.

Just as she expected, Hidan called her moments later. Sighing, she answered, but he didn't allow her to speak, "What the fuck, Hinata? Tell your old man to eat a dick."

Tears fell slowly, and she did her best to not make it obvious she was crying when replying, "I-I can't risk you all getting in more trouble because of me. I'm really sorry, Hidan."

There was a long pause before he responded, "If you don't drive here, I'll come get you myself."

"Please, don't! Have a good time. I'm fine. I'll see you at school in a few days."

Another long pause occurred.

"You really piss me off, y'know?"

"I know. Merry Christmas, Hidan. I love-" A beeping came loudly in her ear, and she looked at the screen to see that the call had dropped.

'It must be because of the weather,' she mused. The wind howled as if on cue.

With a pout, the girl tossed her phone onto the rug nearby and returned to watching movies while trying to get the tears to stop. After hearing Hidan's voice, remaining distracted from the current situation was much more challenging. Hours passed, and then the power went out, scaring Hinata out of a trance.

'The backup generator should kick in soon.'

It didn't.

So, figuring it was frozen or needed a jumpstart, Hinata threw on thicker clothes and her coat before grabbing a flashlight from the laundry room and heading outside. The massive generator was stored in the cellar, which could only be accessed from the steps behind the house.

Wind whipped her long hair around wildly, and the snow fell so fast and thick that it was hard to see more than a meter away. Carefully so as not to fall, Hinata made her way down the stairs, only for the door to be frozen shut.

"You have to be kidding…" She tried to muscle the door open, failing miserably. The cold was stinging her face, ears, and hands.

Glancing behind her, the girl took a few steps back before glaring at the door with determination, 'I think I can get it if I get a little bit of leverage.'

She got as much speed as she could in the limited space before tackling the door, only for it to fly open. The flashlight skidded across the concrete flooring of the dark cellar, and Hinata slid on the ice in the doorway to fall forward. Her temple hit the ground with a 'crack!' before everything went black.

What felt like not long after, the freezing girl came to again and realized it wasn't that bad. Her head wasn't even bleeding. The palms of her hands were scuffed from attempting to break her fall, though. On her side with bloody palms and trembling with cold, she froze when the howling wind sounded like someone yelling for a moment.

When it didn't happen again, she shook her head, wincing at a wave of mild dizziness, 'I need to figure out how to get the generators working and get back inside before I get hypothermia.' For some reason, she allowed her arms to fall back to the ground rather than move to get up. The girl's mood fell to its lowest of the night, and silent tears fell down her cheeks to drip onto the floor.

'I don't think I've ever felt so alone,' she sniffled, looking at her scuffed palms through watery eyes, 'I wish Mom was here. She'd know how to salvage the rest of the holiday.'

The wind howled loudly again, but Hinata ignored it this time. It was likely her mind trying to convince her someone had actually come so she wouldn't be alone anymore.

"Hinata, shit!" The haze disappeared from her mind when a hand grasped her shoulder, and suddenly her boyfriend was crouched before her with concern apparent on his features.

Shakily sitting up with his help, she stared at his face wide-eyed, "H-Hidan…?"

Large hands brushed the hair away from her face, searching for injuries. Dark magenta eyes looked over her almost frantically, "What the hell happened? Are you hurt?"

'...He came even though I told him not to,' her chin quivered as the young man stared at her expectantly, 'Is it selfish to be glad he's here when he should be at the cabin with his family?' The girl burst into tears, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch.

Hidan was silent for a long moment before hesitantly moving his hands to brush the tears with his thumbs. His tone was gentler than she'd heard in months: "Hey, come on. Talk to me."

"I'm so happy to see you," the girl managed out in a wavering voice, eyes opening again.

The young man seemed to understand she was more emotional than she was injured and kissed her once before looking around, "Were you trying to fix the power?"

She nodded, turning her torso to see her abandoned flashlight on the floor near the generator, still turned on, "I slipped."

"Let me take a look at it," he brushed his palms on his jeans as he stood. In no time at all, Hidan had the generator up and running.

As he crouched to pick up the flashlight, Hinata moved to stand so they could go inside, only to wince and nearly topple to the ground when a sharp pain ran up her ankle. Her boyfriend stood to steady her before kneeling with his back to her, "You're a damn handful, Princess. Get on." Blushing, she obeyed, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck with a humiliated frown.

Once inside the house, he sat her down on the beanbag chair, disappeared for a moment, then returned with the first aid kit from the bathroom. Their snow-covered clothes were then removed, Hidan taking them downstairs to put in the dryer. He was left in a t-shirt and boxers, her in a tank top and shorts.

The silver-haired man glanced at Hinata from the closet doorway, "I can't believe that prick left you home alone." When he turned his gaze back to the clothes, he smirked before tossing the shirt she'd stolen from him in her direction.

The girl caught it with a blush, slipping it on before pulling her blanket around her shoulders and averting her eyes forward.

Silently, he came to sit cross-legged on the floor, pulling her hands into his so he could disinfect the scuff marks there. The boy treated the wounds with studied hands, moving on to her ankle once her palms were adequately bandaged.

She hissed when he tried to move it a specific way, making him glance at her momentarily, "I think it's fuckin' sprained."

After dressing it in a compression wrap, Hidan absently looked over her entire appearance, "Anything else?"

"I hit my head, but I don't think it's bleeding or anything."

His brow furrowed, but he moved closer to run his fingers into her hair, feeling about her scalp for injury. Hinata stared at his focused face in awe, 'I know I should be asking why and how he came, but all I can think is that I'm relieved he's here.'

When he finally noticed her gaze, he didn't smirk like usual. For a long moment, they just stared at one another. Eventually, he leaned in to softly kiss her, his fingers becoming more caressing rather than dutiful. A minute passed, yet the act never became heated and sensual like it so often did. It remained slow and doting.

Then Hidan pulled away slightly to brush his nose against hers, foreheads touching, "You should've said something if you wanted me to come over tonight, Hinata."

Her fingers were still somewhat trembling from the cold, but she held his shirt and mumbled, "It wouldn't be fair to ask you to leave everyone just because I couldn't go."

"What's not fair is that I had to hear from fuckin' Kakuzu that you were being weird earlier. I didn't realize why until Itachi told me." Immediately, the girl knew he was referring to this being her first Christmas without her mother and sister. Thankfully he didn't say the exact words.

When Hinata couldn't find a good response, he finally pulled away to offer a glare, "Be selfish once in a while, you dumbass."

After the girl's emotions were more stable and the pair wasn't shivering anymore, they made a giant pallet of pillows and blankets in front of the TV to watch the Christmas movies playing. Hidan was lounging against the beanbag, and Hinata was between his legs, resting against his front. He had one arm behind his head, but the other wrapped around her middle, their fingers intertwined there. Her free hand rested against his thigh.

"By the way, did you open your gift before you left?" Hinata asked when the question crossed her mind.

The body against her back vibrated as he chuckled, "I did."

She hesitated, "...Why's that funny? Did you not like them?"

"Move, and I'll show you."

When she sat straight, he climbed out from behind her to dig through his backpack near the door, tossing a small gift box her way once he located it. The girl was genuinely surprised, "Y-You got me something? You didn't have to do that!"

"Shut the hell up and open it," he rolled his eyes.

Hinata thanked him for the gift while carefully unwrapping the box. When she opened it, her eyes widened, a smile tugging at her lips. They'd gotten each other an almost identical set of earrings. Small, silver hoops, though the ones he'd gotten her had diamonds encrusted in them.

"Great minds think alike, eh?"

With a pretty blush warming her cheeks, Hinata smiled, "They're pretty. Thank you."

Hidan smirked, "Quit pretending. I know you don't have any piercings."

Her smile faltered, but he snickered, "You gonna let me do it, or are you gonna pussy out?"

So, twenty minutes later, Hinata sat on the bathroom counter shaking nervously as Hidan prepared a thin needle.

"Does it hurt?"

Magenta eyes crinkled warmly as he grabbed an ice cube from the plate nearby and moved to stand between the girl's legs. She brushed her hair behind her ears and stretched her neck so he'd have better access. "Nah. This shit'll be nothing for you."

A small pinch met her earlobe, and the silver-haired man chuckled, "See? This one's already done."

She perked up, "Really? That's all it is?"

He nodded with a grin, accepting an earring from the girl so he could put it through the newly formed hole. Then he moved to the other ear. A moment or two later, Hinata officially had her ears pierced. Hopping off of the counter to land carefully on one foot so as not to hurt her injured ankle, she turned to check them out in the mirror. In all her life, she never thought this would be how she'd receive her first piercing.

Hidan let out a low whistle, "It looks good on you, Princess."

The Hyuuga turned to offer a grateful smile, pulling his shirt so he'd come down to kiss her, "Thank you. I love them, really."

The pair returned to the bedroom and into their cozy pile of blankets and pillows. An hour or two passed before they began to fall asleep to the relaxing sound of the lowered TV volume.

Laying on her back with her head resting against Hidan's shoulder, Hinata absently fingered one of her new earrings, tears welling in her eyes as she recalled how awful she'd felt just hours ago.

'He made this awful night into something amazing. It seemed so easy for him, too.'

"Are you awake?" She whispered, feeling overwhelmed by emotions.

He groaned softly, turning onto his side to wrap both arms around her body and pull her close, "...What is it…?"

Judging by his voice, she'd woken him. Turning onto her side to study his sleepy face, Hinata gently cupped his cheek, "I really love you."

His eyes opened a little, obviously picking up on the fact that she was trying not to cry again. Feeling thankful, she didn't hesitate to kiss his lips. When she pulled back, he seemed less asleep.

"What's wrong?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

Hinata shook her head, kissing him again while scooting closer so her chest pressed against his, "Nothing's wrong. You just made me really happy tonight. I'm grateful."

Just like in the hallway when she said she loved him where others could hear, Hidan appeared flustered. There was nowhere to run or hide this time, though, so the girl hummed happily at the soft pink that dusted his cheeks, kissing him a third time.

Finally, he seemed to snap out of his surprised stupor and kissed her back, arms tightening around her. A while later, they parted, and he grumbled in an irritated voice, "If you make me say I love you all the damn time, I'm gonna sound like a fuckin' sap."

Hinata giggled, "You don't have to say it around others if you don't want. Just when we're alone is fine. I won't tell anyone, so it's okay."

Hidan rolled his eyes but couldn't hold back the smirk on his lips.