notes: i wrote this listening to joe hisaishi and the lovely ghibli soundtrack.
notes2: i've been always soft for these two striking up something. they're closer than we think and what we usually see (kishi doesn't ever give us much, ugh). expect more lady fics like these in the near future, i'm so soft.
notes3: this is set sometime around the blank period, maybe after the battle and everything. so somewhere around there! enjoy.

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Hinata watches her carefully, a stern concentration etched into her face as she observes Sakura heal. She suddenly thinks in that moment, that she's seen determination like that in many; in Naruto, Kiba, Ino, and Rock Lee; even in her cousin Neji.

As Sakura finishes and the light fades, she wipes the sweat from her brow and grins wide at Hinata. "It's done, this little guy should be okay now." The little cat blinks up at them, and mews softly.

Hinata warmly giggles, petting it's fur as Sakura views the interaction, swooshing out a breath. "Thank you again, Sakura, you truly are amazing." Hinata tucks a piece of hair behind her ear and a faint blush appears, it blooms carefully on top of her cheeks and Sakura's eyes widen, as she sees the image of Hinata's beauty truly glowing where the sun hits by the window and her playing fondly with a kitten.

It causes something to clutter inside Sakura's chest as Hinata's pearlescent eyes lock with her jade ones, and there's a moment where it shifts; and in that single shift they both laugh, Sakura's a tinker of bells and Hinata's like wind chimes, effortless and it shakes their shoulders.

"Well," Sakura finally says standing up. "I should get going. I don't mean to kick you out of here." Hinata shakes her head, disagreeing. "Not at all, Sakura, you're as kind and strong as always. Thank you again." She bows carefully, her silk hair cascading and Sakura wants to reach out, a gentle feeling bubbling in her stomach.

Hinata beams, her dimples showing and her teeth bright as she waves a final goodbye out the door, the kitten mewing softly at Sakura as if to say 'thank you'.

Sakura watches her go, and she bites her lip, the urge of wanting to follow her comes back and she suddenly calls out. "Hinata!"

Hinata stops and turns around, her long skirt swishing around looking surprised at the sudden outburst. Sakura flushes a deep crimson and Hinata can see it from down the hall, and laughs lightly.

"Yes?"

Sakura racks her brain for the proper way to ask.

"Do you want to go to Ichiraku's later? Just the two of us?" Sakura stuffs her hands in her medical jackets pockets toying with a little charm in one of them and waits patiently for Hinata's response, the cat looks up at her and eyes Sakura from afar, she swears the cat grinned when she hears Hinata.

"I would love to." The broad smile is back, and Sakura sighs, her heart fluttering like a hummingbird's wings.

"Meet me here, before sundown?" Hinata nods and waves her a final goodbye once again, and Sakura watches her, rounding the corner until she's out of sight. Sakura closes her eyes and rests her head against the doorframe.

The smile never leaving her face until she goes back to her desk and her medical books, thinking of later when she gets to see Hinata again.

ღ

fin

thank you for reading!