Black and White

Pairing(s): ShisuiHina

Rating: K+

Word Count: 3,150

Prompt: Fluffy & happy, please? Hinata makes a bento for her crush, but this ends up being Shisui's lunch instead. —somebodylost-chan

Beta'd by my awesome friend Endoh~

A sweet melody filled the otherwise quiet Hyuuga mansion; it drifted from the kitchen, a gentle feminine sound, like the first twitter of a bird in the morning. The skies outside were still the darkest indigo touched with the faintest orange hue as sunrise steadily approached.

Within this house, and within these unforgiving walls, it was the most peaceful time of the day for Hinata, shunned ex-heir of her clan. When she was a little girl that still clung to her mother's kimono, she spent most of her days sat on the kitchen counter as her mother brewed tea to soothe her aches. Her mother was a sick woman, frail, and soon afterwards she was bedridden until she'd passed away.

Hinata never stopped their early morning ritual, even when it filled her with a deep sense of sadness and nostalgia for the only woman who had ever cared for her.

"Hina-chan, it's four in the morning, what are you doing?" Or, well, the only other woman who ever cared for her. Hinata's sister had grown to be especially protective of her.

Hanabi entered the kitchen, an unkempt mess, her top was falling off one shoulder and her hair resembled a hurricane's path as she yawned but she was beautiful even then. "Good morning, Hana-chan. Breakfast is almost ready."

Hanabi yawned again, tears pricking the corner of her eyes as she slid into a vacant seat. Today, Hanabi would depart on a week-long mission with Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata's longtime crush; Shisui Uchiha, the only nice Uchiha in the village; and Shikamaru Nara, Konoha's resident genius.

It was rare for a team to be made up of such easy-going and friendly personalities. In fact, Hanabi would be the most volatile link in this combination. Hinata almost wished she could go with them, if she didn't dread every mission assigned to her.

She'd found herself in the healing arts: she wanted to help, never to hurt. That was the precise reason she was demoted from clan heir, deemed too emotional and weak to take up a leading role within the Hyuuga. Instead, her father had appointed Hanabi the new clan heir, praising her for her ruthless fighting techniques and her rapid rate of improvement under Neji's diligent tutelage.

Hinata served Hanabi breakfast and went back to meticulously arranging a bento. It was for Naruto, a small yet warm gesture of affection she hoped he'd receive and appreciate. He could be quite clueless sometimes, but she believed, with enough persistence on her part, that could change.

"Who's that for?" Hanabi inquired around a mouthful of eggs, sounding more awake now than when she'd first entered the kitchen.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata replied, and if her voice dipped shyly over his name, there was nothing she could do about that.

Hanabi swallowed, shooting her a strange look of surprise. "Naruto? Oh! I forgot to mention it but there has been a change of plans. Naruto was called in for another last-minute mission. Lee is filling in for him."

Hinata wilted slightly. "Oh. I see."

"Next time Hina-chan," Hanabi promised with some cheer. "You can give the bento to Shisui, he never packs a lunch and always steals food from everyone!"

"Will do," Hinata forced a smile, despite her disappointment and placed the bento on the tabletop beside Hanabi. "Now go change or you'll be late."

"Okie-dokie," Hanabi grinned and shovelled more food into her mouth before getting up and racing out of the kitchen.

Hinata smiled fondly as she grabbed the empty plate and began washing it. Hanabi, although she'd matured remarkably in the recent years, still managed to resemble a five-year-old sometimes.

…

It was with the first beams of sunlight that they departed from the Hyuuga mansion, side by side. Hanabi was almost Hinata's height at the mere age of sixteen when Hinata was well on her way towards her twenty-first birthday.

The younger Hyuuga hummed happily as they approached the gates, always half a step ahead of Hinata who was more lost in her musings than paying attention to her surroundings. She'd been looking forward to seeing Naruto for the past couple of days and now that plan was ruined and discarded until further notice.

Instead, the lunch she'd packed with so much care would become Shisui's, whom Hinata had only ever seen from afar and never really interacted. It was no secret that there was some animosity between the Hyuuga and the Uchiha, a feud that went decades back and as such, they were rarely paired up. However, it was also a known fact that this rule did not apply to Shisui Uchiha and one apathetic Itachi Uchiha.

Shisui, because he was known for his friendly disposition and remarkable ability to get along with anyone; and Itachi because he'd never stoop so low as to participate in petty rivalries and was never one to be taunted. If only because everyone feared his unprecedented abilities. Neither of those Uchihas had anything to prove, nor did they particularly care for gossip and pride; they were good shinobi. They seemed to lack the general arrogant air the Uchiha carried.

Not that Hinata didn't think the Hyuuga could be equally as arrogant. There was a reason she personally never got involved in any debates or rivalries with the other clan or her own.

The village gate came into view, a cool red in the morning light, the first rays of sunshine touching tentatively at the fire emblem bestowed proudly at the centre of the sturdy doors that protected their village. Beneath the powerful arch of Konoha's gate stood two figures, one slouching against a pillar and the other jogging in place.

Hanabi skipped past her and ran up the side of a tree just within the gates where she proceeded to drop-kick a sleeping Shikamaru Nara out of it.

He landed in a crouch, a faint rustle the only sound his feet made with the ground upon contact. "Not cool, Hana-chan. What did we say about harassing unsuspecting ninja amidst their nap?"

"Ninja are never unsuspecting," Hanabi stuck her tongue out happily before proceeding to high five Lee on his one-thousandth jump and greeting Shisui with something more polite and reserved but equally friendly and enthusiastic.

"Hinata-chan!" Lee beamed happily at the sight of her, to which Hinata waved shyly.

"Hi, Lee-kun, nice to see you again," she said kindly and sent Shikamaru a nod, "you too Shikamaru-kun, how's Temari-san?"

For a moment, Shikamaru looked an amusing mix of long-suffering and fond. "A pain, but don't tell her I said that."

She covered up her giggle behind her hand; Shikamaru and Temari were often unwittingly the talk of the town. Despite the recent strengthening of relations between the villages and the prospering friendships between its residents, it was still quite the foreign concept to have intervillage relationships and marriages.

"That your sister, Hanabi-san?"

Hinata's gaze slid over to Shisui and felt herself blush at engaging in small talk before greeting him. She sidled up to him, bento clutched closely and bowed her head. "Good morning. Yes, I'm Hanabi's sister. Hana-chan mentioned you sometimes forget a bento, and I had already made this, ...so...?! Please accept it."

Hinata's spine stiffened ever so slightly as soon as the words escaped her and she realised how they may sound to an outside party. Like she was giving Shisui a love confession or something!

Shisui's eyebrows raised imperceptibly, and she waited for an invisible blow that never came. Instead, she watched the way his expression seemed to lighten, much like Naruto's did around ramen, and his eyes warmed to liquid charcoal. He smiled, something handsome and strangely endearing as he reached over to accept the bento, voice holding a quality of awe that made her want to blush, "For me? Really? Thank you!"

The sincerity in his tone somehow struck her speechless. Despite knowing of Shisui's kindness and easygoing personality, it was always hard to wrap her head around it— Uchihas were rigid and mean, egotistical and powerful. Shisui had a smile that rivalled the warmth of the sun, one that sunk her into the depths of something soft and serene; eyes that held a rare kind of trust and kindness.

Hinata resurfaced from her spiralling thoughts with a shaky breath, realising she had spaced out in a moment's thought. She took a step back, feeling her cheeks flushing in embarrassment and cleared her throat softly. "You're welcome. Have a safe trip."

His eyes crinkled as his smile widened and she resisted the impulse to press a hand to her chest, suddenly struggling to contain a fragile feeling in her heart.

"Absolutely!" he and Lee chorused and subsequently shared a grin.

Shikamaru side-eyed his companions, having witnessed the strange exchange between them but refrained from making a comment.

"We're off now, Hina-chan!" Hanabi waved as they slowly began to edge beyond the gates. Hinata waved back, smiling, and watched until their silhouettes blended with the shadows far ahead.

…

Hinata went back home in a state of mild daze that confused her. She sat down in her garden and tended to her plants for hours, her thoughts a muddled and silent whirl of snippets that dissolved as soon as they formed.

Shisui flashed in her thoughts frequently and unrelentingly until she thought she might go mad from it. Something about him reminded her of Naruto. That aching kindness in their bones, the sincerity that engulfed them, it was all the same. Yeah, that had to be it, that had to be why she was so distracted. He'd smiled at her and her world had momentarily tilted off its axis and that was because he reminded her of Naruto. ...Right?

Shaking her head, she dusted off her hands and straightened to her full height. The only way to fully clear her thoughts was to train. Even if she wasn't the Hyuuga heir, staying in shape and training regularly was expected of her as a member of the clan; to be at peak performance at any given time.

…

The next time she saw Shisui Uchiha, she was alone, a basket of vegetables hanging off her arm. She'd gone to buy eggplants, intent on preparing miso soup for her little cousins tonight, and was lost in her thoughts again. She wasn't paying attention to chakra registers within the safe confines of the village and just as she rounded a corner she nearly ran smack-dab into Shisui's chest.

Hinata let out a yelp as she stumbled back hurriedly, "I'm so sorry, I wasn't look—Uchiha-san?"

Taken aback, Shisui put a step's distance between them. But then he smiled, pearly-white teeth shining through. "Hinata-san, what a pleasant surprise. Please call me Shisui… Uchiha-san makes me sound like an asshole."

She startled at his words and his subsequent hearty chuckles, but couldn't help the smile that tugged on her lips. She hid her giggles behind her hand, feeling slightly embarrassed but strangely delighted. "Okay, Shisui-san."

"I'm glad I ran into you, I've been meaning to thank you for the lunch. It was delicious." He said, expression sincere.

Hinata's heart did a strange, little leap. "It was nothing, I love cooking," she mumbled shyly.

His eyes dropped to where her fingers fiddled with the basket nervously and back to her face, and Hinata forced her shoulders to relax. But then he said, "Are you shopping? Would it be terribly inconvenient if you could help me buy kale…?" his expression turned sheepish, "Aunty sent me on an errand, and frankly, I can't tell kale apart from any of the other green leaves."

Hinata's eyebrow raised despite herself, but she quickly said, "Um, sure! There's a veggie stand across the street."

"You're the best," he beamed, and this time Hinata did press a hand to her fluttery chest. What in God's name was happening to her?

"T-this way," she said, and internally lamented her stutter. Shisui followed her to the stand obediently, humming something under his breath.

Hinata got the impression that he'd always been like this—like a ray of sunshine, his walk nearly an excited skip, his lips permanently crooked up at the side. He had such a genuine and pleasant aura that she felt something in her soul uncoiling, helplessly loosening in the company of someone holding such a light bearing.

He stood next to her as she pointed out the right greenery. "This is kale. This, on the other hand, is mint. And that's spinach."

Shisui whistled. "Women are kind of amazing. How do you guys learn these things?"

Hinata chuckled awkwardly. "Um, well, it takes a few trips to the store with your mother."

He chuckled too, the sound warm, settling a fuzzy feeling in her chest. "I would join Aunty, but I'm scared of her when she goes into shopping mode."

Hinata wasn't sure what compelled her to respond with: "You can join me if you want. I have a scary aunt too." Except Shisui's smile at that response prompted an anxious swarm of butterflies to swirl her stomach and she'd been completely taken off-guard by how handsome he was. "Huh. I might just take you up on that."

They stare at each other for a moment, Hinata's heart in her throat and the silence thick with something foreign and unnamed. "By the way… I'm making miso soup for my little cousins tonight…. If you want, …you can join us?"

It was a bold offer to make, especially considering the strained relationship between their two clans, but her father was away on a diplomatic mission and Hinata's cousins were too young to quite grasp the rivalry between the Uchiha and Hyuuga. It would be fine as long as they escaped the maid's scrutiny.

"As long as you don't get in trouble for it." Shisui's expression was hard to decipher, torn somewhere between excitement and worry, but eventually he nodded with a polite smile. "Then I'd love to."

They walked in companionable silence, her timid footfalls echoing his steadfast and assured ones all the way to the Hyuuga mansion. She proceeded to the backdoor, hoping no one was on patrol. It wasn't quite evening yet, and Hinata was thankful to find the winding, rocky path leading to her kitchen empty.

Hinata had her own little kitchen next to her room, which was located in range of her garden. Her only modicum of privacy and comfort in this place with eyes for walls. "No one shall bother us here," she reassured Shisui, who walked in as his eyes scanned his surroundings with polite curiosity and no small amount of appreciation.

"It's homier than I expected— no offence, but the Hyuuga all seem so rigid." His words didn't surprise her, but his willingness to voice them was a welcomed change from the frigid politeness of their usual guests.

"This is my personal kitchen," she clarified with a small smile as she began to unpack her purchases. "I decorated it myself."

There was a stretch of silence that lasted a minute before Shisui spoke again, just as she started washing the vegetables under the tab. "You're quite different, you know?"

"Mhm?" she hummed distractedly. The water was a touch too hot for the vulnerable skin on the back of her hands.

"Warm…" Shisui carried on, sounding thoughtful. "And kind. I must say you intrigue me, Hinata-san."

Hinata nearly dropped the eggplant, her cheeks reddening. "I-I could say the same about you, S-shisui-san."

Her damned stutter was back. She thought she'd gotten rid of it, but it turns out she was wrong.

When he joined her side, a big, calloused palm swiping the vegetable out of her hand, she nearly jumped and let out a surprised yelp. "Here, let me help."

He started humming again, latheting the vegetables with dish soap. It took Hinata a moment to regain her bearings before she was able to continue her work. "You don't have to do that, I can handle it."

"While I'm sure that's the case, why not help you prepare a dinner we'll share?" his eyes creased kindly, and in the afternoon sunlight streaming through her kitchen window, he looked ethereal.

With her breath lost somewhere, Hinata could only stare at his profile in awe, confused and surprised with the contrasting emotions in her chest.

How was this man an Uchiha? And how did he make her feel this way? Nervous and calm; frantic and relaxed; warm and chilled. His kind features and warmth contradicted the calloused hands and scars that littered his fingers, the strong line of his jaw pairing strangely with his soft mop of dark curls.

He was such a refined and exquisite mix between gentle and hard, such an alluring aesthetic, Hinata attributed her sudden infatuation to those rare qualities.

"What?" he asked, suddenly, dark eyes shifting to meet her own.

In the wane orange glow of the setting sun, they looked like a portal to some other world and Hinata found herself trapped, sinking. They glittered, like mirrors, the darkest shade of charcoal, reflecting her image back at her in muted tones.

Hinata swallowed convulsively. "Sorry," it came out as a whisper, her eyes roaming his face.

What was she feeling?

Her heart thundered in her ears, as if afraid of the way it quavered and shook under this new weight settling over her chest.

What was this?

"It's just…," she swallowed again, unsure if she should voice those thoughts. "You have beautiful eyes."

Her face instantly flamed, but she couldn't look away from the swirling emotions trapped in that endless gaze. So loud, and fierce, and unashamed. They widened minutely at her admission, but then something in them imperceptibly softened. "I have beautiful eyes? Really? I think the same of yours. They're gorgeous. "

Now she looked away, too embarrassed and flustered to hold his gaze any longer.

"Hey, look at me," he said as she began to turn, and before she could look up at his taller frame, she felt the tips of his index and middle finger pressing lightly against her forehead. She startled, momentarily taken aback at the contact, but his touch was hot on her skin, and it seeped bone-deep.

He was grinning, his profile basking under the warm tones of a dying day, those same eyes so full of unravelling things. "Thank you," he said, the expression on his face something Hinata was sure she'd never forget, soft and inviting, "that's what I say to beautiful women who tell me I have pretty eyes."

If you asked her years later, how she fell for Shisui Uchiha, would it be such a wonder if she said it was those hypnotising eyes?

She might have chased the sunshine of a blond boy with an endless ocean gaze forever, but drowning once was enough.

In this dark abyss, a stretch of the universe locked behind glassy irises, this was where she'd rather get lost.

The End.

[4th. August. 2019. 1:55 p.m.]