𝑹𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 💫

Pushing and Pulling

Yachi's breath hitched as she felt herself being pushed. 

It wasn't a hard shove, but it was enough to send her stumbling back, her feet slipping on the slick wooden floor. Her heart pounded in her chest, not just from the physical impact but from the sheer intensity of the emotions swirling in the air. She had always imagined that when she finally got her revenge on Shoyo Hinata, she would be the one in control, the one doing the pushing—metaphorically, at least. But now, things were all wrong.

Hinata's eyes, which she remembered as mischievous and teasing, were now dark with something far more dangerous—loathing, anger, and maybe even hatred. It was a side of him she had never seen before, and it terrified her. She had prepared herself for a battle of wits, a series of pranks or snide comments. But this? This was entirely different.

Natsu, still clinging to her brother, seemed oblivious to the tension crackling in the air. Her innocent eyes looked up at him, unaware of the storm raging inside him. Yachi, on the other hand, was frozen in place, trying to reconcile the boy she had met before with the one standing in front of her now.

For a moment, Hinata just stared at her, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. He looked like he was on the verge of exploding, and Yachi felt a chill run down her spine. What had happened to him to make him so angry? And why was that anger now directed at her?

But then, as if he realized what he was doing, Hinata's gaze softened—just a fraction—as he looked down at Natsu. The sight of his little sister seemed to pull him back from the edge, and the hardness in his eyes melted away. He let out a long, slow breath, and his shoulders slumped as the tension drained from his body.

"Natsu," he murmured, his voice thick with exhaustion. He reached down to ruffle her hair, an almost tender gesture, despite the fury that had been there moments before. Natsu giggled gleefully as he placed her on the floor, and then took off his shoes. 

Yachi felt a wave of relief wash over her as Hinata turned away from her, brushing past without another word. But even as the tension dissipated, a lingering unease remained. The memory of those menacing eyes was etched into her mind, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. Yachi tried to focus on Natsu, on the games they played and the stories they shared, but her thoughts kept drifting back to that moment by the door. She couldn't understand what had caused Hinata's outburst, and it gnawed at her. Every now and then, she would glance at the hallway where his room was, half expecting him to storm out again, but he didn't. The only sound from that direction was the occasional thud, like something being thrown or bouncing against a wall.

When Ms. Hinata finally returned home, Yachi was more than ready to leave. She chatted politely with Natsu's mother, her smile strained as she tried to hide her discomfort. Her mind was still reeling, and all she wanted was to get home and process everything that had happened.

As she was getting ready to go, pulling on her jacket and gathering her things, Ms. Hinata called out to her son. "Shoyo, can you walk Yachi home? It's still raining, and it's getting dark."

Yachi's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected this, hadn't prepared herself for the idea of being alone with him again, especially not after what had happened earlier. She opened her mouth to protest, to say that it wasn't necessary, but the words died in her throat when she saw Hinata emerge from the hallway.

"Thank you again for watching Natsu," Ms. Hinata said with a warm smile as she tied her scarf. "Has she fallen asleep? She usually greets me with a bear hug you see."

Yachi nodded shifting her weight between her feet, her hands wrapped behind her back in a knot. "Yup, and it was my pleasure." From the corner of her eye, she caught a glance of Hinata, reaching for his coat.