After

Twenty-four

When he came back, he brought tea and food and liquor. As if he had just moved here and this place lacked any necessities needed when a guest came over. He had drips of water above his shoulders, nothing much in contrast to the storm raging outside.
She was sitting at the edge of the bed now, a space he previously occupied. After the minutes she spent in front of the mirror, she decided to close the door of the bathroom along with the question that had popped on her head. She had stood in the front door, looking at the water that covered everything else, only to close it too, in fear that someone would come.
That thought, that possibility embarrassed her, as if she was guilty of something, as if it was wrong being here. Even when she was doing nothing out of line, even when she kept telling herself that.
She had started to read the book she had in her possession, out of curiosity, of a way to make the time pass.
He gave her the steaming cup and she took it mindlessly, not raising her eyes off the page she was currently reading. She drank and it was hot, like he had taken it just now. She made a noise, her tongue numbed.
"It must be a really interesting read." He said and this time she looked at him.
"I just.. wasn't paying attention." She let the book out of her hand on the side of the bed to wipe her lips.
He had let his coat on the chair, leaving the rest of the things wherever he could.
"You should probably hang it to dry." She pointed. "It will wet the chair."
"I will sit on the bed then." He responded without turning. "Are you hungry?"
"Maybe later." She replied and he seemed like he wanted to say something more, his hand had stopped moving for a second.
She focused on her book again when he didn't respond. At the tenth turn on the page she stopped. He had sat on the other side of the bed a while back, drinking his own coffee.
The atmosphere around held a sense of familiarity between people that had known each other for years. Like a visit on a friend's house when they were young and words didn't need to fill the silence, like the casualty of people hunging out without the need to do the same thing.
She looked at him and he looked back.
"Are you hungry now?" He said and she nodded because she didn't know how to express that though she just had.
He got up and she followed to help him. To stop being still, to focus her mind on a task that required her hands and her feet.
"I can do it myself." He said and she didn't know why he seemed annoyed.
"I didn't suggest otherwise." She responded and opened one of the bags.
He tore the other one with more force than needed. The contents were almost thrown out.
"Fuck." He cursed when she steadied them.
His stare was at the tiny counter, his hand pressed on it.
"Do you want me to leave?" She asked and it occurred to her that an hour ago she was the one that suggested it. Yet now she was sitting here, drinking coffee and eating lunch with him.
"No." He replied, without raising his stare.
"What is it then?" She said.
"Nothing. I just can do this on my own." He responded and took one box out of the bag.
"Yet, I want to help you." She did the same.
"I don't need your help." He said on the same angry tone.
She took a breath before she turned her head at him, touching with her palm the end of his arm.
"Are you angry about this?" She said and he almost took a step back.
She could feel the skin under his blouse, there were no bandages this time.
His eyes were narrow, his brows tried to meet each other. Her movement was rude, she knew, but in the moment she didn't care.
"Do you think it makes you incapable?" Her fingers pressed more around his arm. "Do you think I believe that?"
This time he backed away but she moved along, her grip didn't loosen.
"Or perhaps that it disformes you in some way? That it makes you look ugly? It doesn't."
She said and released him. She turned and focused on her previous task without paying him any attention.
"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for." She said and the steam flooded out of the boxes, filling the place with the smell of food.
She took one and sat on her previous sit. She blew the food, then tasted it, even made a grimace of how tasty it was it, as if she was alone. She didn't raise her stare, not giving him even a side glance. She was paying attention though. Her ears told her that he still hadn't move, but she couldn't tell what kind of expression he had on his face.
Another bite and she heard his feet on the floor. She focused on the box on her hands, yet he came and stood in front of her calling her attention. She didn't gave in.
As she had concluded in the past, Sasuke Uchiha was a demanding child, so he bended his knees to match the height of her eyes.
"What does that suppose to mean?" He said and she couldn't look anywhere else without making her avoidance obvious.
So she looked, but didn't reply.
"That I'm attractive?" He felt confident now, she could see it, his previous turmoil had vanished. Or that was how he wanted to seem.
She blinked slowly, like she was bored or tired.
"You are." She said calmly.
It wasn't the response he was expecting.
"Everyone knows. Since we were children everyone was talking about it." She said. "This hasn't changed."
Her mouth filled with food again, but he didn't get up.
"Not you." He said before she swallowed, like he wanted to catch her off guard. "You had eyes only for him." He almost smiled. "Everyone knows. Since we were children."
"Is there a question?" She asked.
"Has this changed?" He said.
"I am barely talking about him." She replied in a tone that was painted with condescension.
"That is not what I asked."
"I assure you, it was." She said and got up.
She left the remaining food on the counter.
"I don't know if I want to have children." She heard him saying, still with her back turned on him.
"You have many years to decide that." She replied with her even voice.
"Hinata.."
She should ran, everything screamed for her to escape. Instead she opened the bottle he had brought in a completely absurd decision and poured a glass.
She turned around and he was standing behind her.
"Your food is getting cold." She said.
His hand touched her stomach just barely.
"I don't care." He replied and she wasn't sure that his response was to her statement.
"I do." She said and moved out of the way.
"To your growing." She raised the glass on her hand as if she was making a propose.
She didn't drink though, she left it on the small table beside the chair.
He parted his lips.
"I will go home now." She said and this time she took her bag out of the floor.
"We will meet tomorrow." She turned and he moved to her direction, but she was already at the door. "As usual, Sasuke-san." She said as a warning and closed the door behind her.