There wasn't much of a conversation going between Hinata and I as we strolled along the forest, heading to my house through a paved path of the leafy woods. She'd been silent ever since we'd left the Hyuga residence. But hell, I couldn't really blame her. I'd be pretty quiet myself if my clan abandoned me the way they did with her. I just wondered if Hinata was going to be at least a little okay after this whole ordeal...But something told me she was more than just hurting inside. It wasn't the brick wall of a distance that succeeded to separate our contact as we walked. It wasn't even how Hinata kept her face hidden behind her hair, her lips shut and eyes downcast. Honestly, it might have just been the fact that she wouldn't talk to me. Hinata always talked to me...About everything. Even if I was to blame for her suffering.
Was I to blame, now?
"Hina..." I cleared the silence, reaching out to touch the slender, pale fingers I'd known for a lifetime. They were cold and wet; covered it what I knew were the tears she'd miserably tried to hide from me this whole walk home. "Babe, talk to me or somethin'...You're making me really worried, here..."
Hinata turned even further away at my gesture; though, luckily, she allowed me to at least hold her little fingers in the palm of my hand.
"I'm sorry..." She whispered painfully. "I seem to-...To only bring out the worst in people, d-don't I?"
I sighed at those ugly words. "Oh c'mon, don't say that...You know that's a big lie."
"No it's not. I always worry you, I always let down my clan, I always-...I-I always mess up..."
"No you don't."
"I always fail...I can't seem to just-...To just make people happy or please them or succeed at anything...I-"
"Hey." I stopped my stride, forcing her to halt as well. "You make me happy."
Hinata lifted her head a bit. She still kept her gaze hidden from me, however.
"You please me." I pulled her closer, clasping her by the palm.
Hinata was forced to look at me, then, when I lead her up before me.
"And you are a success..." I clutched her gently by the upper-arms, giving her a reassuring squeeze when she chose to glance away again.
I saw Hinata attempt to keep away her gaze, but like I knew she would, she failed to resist me. Deep down, she knew I was right about her. She couldn't run from the truth; even if the truth contradicted with everything her clan had cruelly programmed her to believe for all of her life.
"Hina, listen to me, okay?" I brought a wisp of her hair behind her ear, exposing her damp, flushed face. Even though it wasn't the right time to think about this, she-...She still looked so damn beautiful. Even when she was crying, in pain, at her true worst, I still thought Hinata was the loveliest thing I'd laid eyes on. It was exactly as I'd met her so many years ago: In tears and fear. "You're a success because you didn't fall into any of that Hyuga bullshit. You broke the cycle. You broke it, and followed your own dreams...That's what you'resupposed to do in life. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise...Even your family. Just cuz it's your clan, doesn't mean that they can tell you to live like a miserable little slave to their rules. Follow your own path."
Hinata nodded at me and resisted eye-contact again as I wiped away her tears. "Okay...B-but I feel so guilty..."
"Why?" I tilted her chin up and came down to her, stealing her gaze, finally. Her face reddened to another level and her breath hitched within her throat when we came to stare at each other. "Cuz you betrayed the people who betrayed you for a whole lifetime?"
