Aienai. (NaruHina) |English|

Chapter 32 - Worry.

Hinata was wet, chilled to the bone and knew she must have been shivering the moment she got out of the car and walked up the stairs towards the door.

However, she wasn't caring about anything. And what the hell if you caught a pneumonia after spending hours in the freezing water, she came back with the car window open and the weather was ten degrees. All she wanted was to fix her life.

Honestly, Hinata wasn't surprised when she saw that there were more people waiting for her in the hall, but she never imagined there would be so many.

Sasuke hugged Sakura, both of them sitting on the steps of the stairs and next to them was Ino, with Sai by her side trying to make her smile. Minato and his mother talked more in the corner and even Gaara was there too, in addition to the household staff, with whom Hinata sometimes talked. And, of course, Naruto, with his arms crossed and looking at the ground, almost in the dark.

As Hinata entered the room, Sakura stopped talking and looked into his eyes. Hinata returned the gaze dispassionately, as if she were just a stranger, but soon there were arms around her.

- HINATA, OH MY GOD! Sakura held her face and happiness was eclipsed by worry. "You're wet, and freezing!" Sasuke, give me your coat.

Something too hot coiled around her body.

Hinata looked at Sasuke, who was smiling, his dark eyes looking relieved.

"I admit that playing hide-and-seek with you is tough. — and then, doing what Hinata would never expect from Sasuke Uchiha, he hugged her. — Never disappear like that again, Hyuuga.

A little dumbfounded, but very disconnected, Hinata only saw her mother run to hug her body, crying and mumbling rambling things. Minato came next, smiling amicably.

Ino also entered the hug, and even Sai and Gaara, with everyone smiling at her.

And everyone seemed to notice who was missing, but Hinata didn't have the strength to face him right now. Not until I heard him approach and saw the anxiety and fear and relief in his blue eyes.

betrayed. She had been betrayed by him.

— I'm tired, I'm going to bed. - Hinata said mechanically.

And before anyone could deny it, Hinata disappeared upstairs, heading towards the bathroom.

× × ×

The water was falling, looking too hot, burning her extremely cold skin, but Hinata just allowed herself to stare at the white tile on the wall. She was sitting up, still in her clothes and under the shower. Her hair clung to her face, her silent tears falling, yet all she could think about was how she still managed to cry.

He heard the sound of the shower opening and then someone sat beside him under the water with an arm around him. That was all it took for Hinata to burst into loud sobs and clung to her friend's body.

"Do you want to talk about it, Hina?" Sakura asked, stroking her hair.

And Hinata couldn't even form a word. All she could do was cry, begging for the pain to stop. However, Sakura seemed to realize everything before Hinata even needed to say anything. She just squeezed it tighter and so they stayed.

It was too late when she noticed another figure in the bathroom, someone very familiar to her: Naruto was sitting, against the door, looking at the floor and her heart fluttered at the sight of him, but Hinata just swallowed hard.

Sakura, on the other hand, said nothing, as she was more concerned with taking off her frozen clothes. Somehow, the pink one knew there was nothing left to hide from Naruto, so she showered, changed her clothes and finally made Hinata lie down on the bed.