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There was no moon out tonight. Blocked by the clouds in the sky, it would be the perfect night to leave. He could stick to the shadows and be out before the family that had housed him even knew it. It would be better for everyone if he did it this way.
Dressed in his old traveling clothes and a straw hat with his large sword strapped to his back, he lagged just outside the open front door. The night air nipped at his skin, making gooseflesh rise, and part of him just wanted to rush back inside and curl up next to the fire. He bemoaned, not for the first time, the loss of his robes when he had been attacked by those bounty hunters that wanted his hide.
He stared out at the simple yard. Half mer, his eyes were geared to low to no light so he could see the shapes and outlines. He calculated the fastest escape; out the fence doors, past the thick woods, and into the Endless Valley beyond. All he had to do was take the steps and he would be gone. That was all he had to do.
Then why was Kisame hesitating?
He grimaced. That was a silly question to ask. He knew why. And it was one of the reasons he needed to leave this place. Now. But his legs remained frozen in place.
He growled low in his throat and fought with himself to move when there was a soft voice from behind him. “Ki-Kisame?”
The man closed his eyes and sighed but his heart began to beat rapidly. When he turned around, his voice caught at the lovely picture Hinata made. Wrapped in sleeping robes, the fire highlighted her angelic face. Her long hair was braided to the side while the firelight danced off her pale wide eyes and plush lips; beckoned him to come in from the cold and back to her side. Almost like a wife asking her husband to come back to bed.
Kisame used his sharp teeth to bite the inside of his cheek. Hinata wasn’t his wife, or his lover, and it was much better for both of them that it stayed that way. The fact that he was even having such thoughts told him he had really overstayed his welcome with her family.
They had taken him in when he stumbled upon their hidden house by pure accident when he had escaped those bounty hunters. They had treated his wounds, given him food, and didn’t mind his criminal background. All they asked in return was that he never mentioned them to anyone- the last remnants of the once prestigious Hyuuga clan.
And here he was having domestic thoughts about his greatest gracious hostess.
Kisame shook his head. “Hinata,” he greeted with a grin.
But Hinata didn’t grace him with one of her beautiful smiles. Instead, she stared at him with her hands clutched firmly into the fabric of her robes. “Wh-what are you doing?” she asked. “It’s cold. Come- Come back inside.”
Kisame’s hands went into tight fists by his side. His throat grew uncharacteristically tight as he struggled to deny what she wanted.
At his silence, Hinata’s shoulders slumped. He saw a flash of pain in her eyes before she bowed her head. “I see...,” she whispered. “You’re- You’re leaving.”
Kisame closed his eyes at her small voice. “It is for the best,” he stated as flatly as he could.
When he opened his eyes again, their eyes met once more. Her orbs were wet with unshed tears and all he wanted to do was run to her side and pull her close to him. But he stayed still.
He expected her to cry and beg him not to go. To run to him and grab him to pull him back inside. He had seen many women do that to people they cared for.
He should know better than to expect the average response from Hinata.
Instead, she swallowed and raised her head fully. She didn’t let one tear fall or let her bottom lip tremble. She looked as if she was ready to go off to war, or about to resign herself to something.
“Can you wait a moment before you leave?” she asked, voice only wavering slightly.
Kisame’s eyebrows drew together as he frowned. He didn’t say anything though and nodded.
Hinata disappeared back into the house. During her leave, Kisame stepped back inside and closed the door. He leaned against it with his arms folded over his chest. When Hinata came back, he stood up straight again.
Hinata held a dark set of travel robes, tightly against her chest. Her face was a dark shade of red as she came up to him. She refused to look at him when she thrust the robes into his chest. “I- I am made you some new robes!” she said loudly.
She then tittered and her face darkened more at her volume. “I- I mean,” she started again, quieter, “I made you some new robes.”
Something warm filled Kisame’s chest as he took the travel robes from her. He unfurled them to see that the material was high quality and, although he wasn’t an expert on it, artfully hand-stitched to be sturdy. It was also his size, which was amazing given his impressive size.
Kisame’s hands fisted the garment tightly while he looked back at Hinata. Her head was bowed and her hands were clasped tightly in front of her.
He was unsure of what to say about the gift when Hinata whispered shakily, “I- I knew this day would co-come. I kn-knew you couldn’t stay... So-so I made you a new travel robe since yours got des-destroyed.” Her hands tightened more until they turned white before she bowed. “I- I hope they are to your liking.”
Kisame bit the inside of his cheek again until he tasted blood. It helped so he wouldn’t give in to his urges and just kiss her. But he was nothing if but a gentleman and he didn’t think his hostess would appreciate that.
To distract himself, he slipped the robes on. They fit like a glove and felt comfortable to withstand any sort of weather.
His breath hitched when he clasped robes shut and there was a flash of magic that surrounded him. He stiffened but when nothing happened, he stretched his arms out and felt no constriction.
“I-I enchanted them for protection.”
Kisame turned to Hinata, whose face was still red and eyes still shiny. “I-I used my magic to enchant the robes. Th-they will offer you protection from most phy-physical and magic at-attacks. Th-there are more enchantments that will respond to the en-environment around you. Li-like if it is too hot or too cold.”
The man completely froze at the information. To not only be given a gift but a gift with Hyuuga magic.
He stepped forward, and while he resisted the urge to kiss her, he sharply pulled Hinata into a hug. She squeaked but then, very slowly, raised her arms around him. He took the moment to bury his face into her hair and breathed in the scent of Lavender. He let himself linger for a second longer than it should have been before he pulled away.
He stepped back and grinned. Hinata’s face was a tomato red now which made her wide, unfocused eyes stand out more. It looked like she would pass out at any moment. He chuckled at her expression. “Thank you,” he finally said when he found his voice. “Probably the nicest gift I have ever received.”
Hinata snapped out of her stupor and her gaze softened.
They stared at each other. Kisame could see there was something left unsaid between them, and he knew he needed to keep it that way. But he just wanted to stay so badly.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Kisame finally turned away. “I guess I should get going.”
“Kis-Kisame!”
He stopped with his hand on the door and looked over his shoulder. Her hands were mouth again but then she dropped them away. She looked down at her hands as she twisted them. “Th-there is an-another thing.” When she spoke next, her voice was smaller. “If- If you ev-ever want to re-return... there is-is an enchantment in you-your robes too. All- all you have to do- do is just th-think of som-something or so-someone from he-here and you-you will always find- find your way- way back.”
It felt like the air had been knocked out of him. Gods.
Before he could think better of it, he turned back around and approached her. Hinata’s gaze snapped up to him but before she could say anything, he took her into his arms and covered his mouth with hers.
She almost squealed as he expected but didn’t pull away from him. So he kissed her deeply, putting everything he had been holding back into it.
When he pulled away, Hinata swayed on her feet, dazed, but he held her up. She slowly came back and, with it, her face went very red. She stared at him without a word but he could see the glittering light in her eyes despite her slacked face.
He took one of her hands and raised it, open palm, to his mouth. Making sure to still have direct eye contact, he pressed his mouth to her open palm and closed her fingers around as if to hold the invisible kiss. He grinned.
“I’ll definitely come back then,” he told her. And it sounded so odd because he never made a promise like that before. But deep down, now, he knew he would keep it. With a conviction that embedded itself into his core. “Till then, hold that kiss for me, will you?”
Gods, it was so fucking cheesy, but damn, didn’t it get results when Hinata blushed deeply and nodded.
He then slowly let go of her and turned away. He only looked back at her once more, and nodded with a grin, before he opened the door and walked out.
This time he could go confidently forward. For now, he would never lose this place- would never lose Hinata. And maybe one day his business would be finished. But until then, he would always come back to her. The robes were an insurance and a testament to that; something that would always tie them together.