A/N: TRIGGER WARNING: Mild self-harm, parental abuse and transphobia

Temari scowled at her reflection as she put the finishing touches on her make-up, her hair already in braid down her back. Her creepy roommate was already gone when her alarm had gone off at six, which was good she supposed, gave her free reign of the bathroom and mirror. But given she was such a light sleeper, it was a little worrying that her roommate was that stealthy. Maybe she should ask mother for a safe box… no. That would just upset her mother, and her mother freaking out was the last thing she needed any day of the week.

Behind her, her computer pinged once. Fancy eye make-up forgotten, Temari hurried over, hoping it was a message from Forgotten_Angel.

It was a private message from about two hours ago. Once again, Temari cursed her computer's random wi-fi dropping tendencies, but it was from Angel.

Forgotten_Angel: Rose, I'm sorry. Sorry for how I reacted. It's just… I've lost enough people for being… who I am. I thought if I ignored it, if I hid it, maybe everything would be ok. I didn't want to lose another friend. But maybe I already have because of the hiding.

So, no more hiding.

Below is the truth. What you do with it, whether you accept it, and want to remain friends, or want nothing to do with me after that, it is up to you. Your friendship was and is amazing, and I thank you for the time we did have together. Remember, you are a strong, amazing woman, and I still stand by my words that you should follow your own dreams and paths, to be yourself. One of us should be able to.

Rose, I am Transgender. I when I was born, to put it in plain words, I had both male and female plumbing; I was intersex. My father, wanting a son as heir, made the decision when I was still too young to remember any of it.

But it was the wrong decision.

I always felt wrong, growing up. I never wanted to fight or roughhouse like the other boys. I always enjoyed drawing, coloring, and later, reading and writing. I'd rather be indoors reading a book than playing with the sons of father's friends. I was jealous of my little sister's pretty toys and clothes. I loved to play dressup with her. When I would try and tell father as much… it would never go well, let's say.

Finally, when I was 14, I was sick in bed with severe stomach cramps. One of the household servants figured it out, and told me the truth. I did research; a lot of it after that. I couldn't believe a lot of what I was reading, about being intersexed and transgender. But it fit. I was horrified, furious, afraid, confused…

Then I confronted father. He didn't deny it, at least the 'corrective surgery', but didn't believe me when I said he had made the wrong choice, I was a girl, not a boy. I think that was the worst argument, and the worst beating I've ever gotten from him to date. He said he wanted a son to be heir to his company and the family, and threatened to kick me out on my own if I ever mentioned it again.

So I didn't. I kept my mouth shut. I focused on getting good grades and a scholarship, saving money up in my own account for when I could get out on my own and maybe, just maybe, be myself.

I put on a smile as I broke inside. I didn't want to eat. I started hurting myself just to feel something besides what I was keeping bottled up inside. I started to where more and more black and dark colors, but of course they were suits and slacks and dress shirts. Not all like what I wanted, but then I didn't have a choice.

The same servant who told me the truth snuck me hormone replacements after talking to her psychologist brother. And as soon as I hit eighteen, I secretly started seeing a psychologist. With her help, I was able to legally change my name and gender identity, and I'm on hormone replacement medications that aren't being snuck to me. My ID now says I'm a girl. My name is a girl's name. I can dress and shop like a girl, I can use the woman's restroom without getting weird looks, thanks to the medications and my naturally feminine form and features.

Now, in college, only one friend knows the truth, knows about my history. He was the only boy who would sit inside with me and read, or draw, or play games. I have a few other friends, but they think I'm a natural girl. They don't know about my past, about the depression, the cutting, any of it.

My father has named someone else heir, I haven't heard who. All I know is I am just about removed from the family as I can get without the media catching wind and 'ruining the reputation of the family and business alike' according to the letter my father sent me. If anyone asks, I'm to tell them I'm a second or third cousin to (insert my male name here). No one in the family will speak to me, and I'm not allowed to speak to them.

And as for my orientation… I'm not leaning one way or the other. Given my identity, gender doesn't matter near as much as who a person is inside. But, at the same time, given again my identity, and also what is between my legs or lack thereof, finding someone accepting and able to look past all that and my past to see the real me is next to impossible.

Well, there you have it, Rose. The truth, as you wanted. I hope you can still see me for me, the person you have been friends and talked with for the past several months. If not, if now I am disgusting, an abomination, a thing… then I wish you the best of luck on whichever path you choose to follow.

~Forgotten_Angel~

Temari stared at her computer screen in shock and surprise. And stared, and stared. She didn't know what to think of all the information she had just taken in. Angel being transgender was a shock, but not really an issue. Her cousin Rin was transgender (unknown to Temari's own tight laced mother, of course), so that wasn't really an issue. Neither was the undecided/open orientation, given all the point Angel had pointed out.

Sorting through everything, Temari realized the only thing which disgusted her was Angel's father and her family.

A knock at the door snapped her back to the world. "Just a moment!" she called over her shoulder as she hurriedly typed out a short message to Angel.

Angel, you are a beautiful soul and I am so happy and lucky to have you as a friend. I accept you and see you as you are; as you. The only thing disgusting is your family.

I'm so sorry I can't write more, but I have to go to class now. Can we chat tonight?

Love and hugs,

8~~~~~~Blackened_Roses~~~~~~8

Hitting send, Temari snapped her laptop closed and stuffed it into her waiting backpack.

Gaara was waiting outside the door for her, his own dark red backpack already slung over his shoulder. "Shall we go to breakfast, sister?"

Temari nodded. "Where's Sai?" she asked as they started walking.

"He went to find your roommate, Hinata and drag her to breakfast. He says she doesn't eat enough in his opinion."

Temari wrinkled her nose at the thought of her roommate. "What are they, a couple?"

Her brother shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe."

OoOoO

The Hall, as the cafeteria was called, was set up with a smattering of tables and semi-comfortable cushioned chairs in the middle. Two corners were set up with tables with a wide variety of breakfast food, ranging from cereal and toast to made to order omelets, pancakes and steak. There was also a beverage table with coffee, juice, tea and milk.

Selecting a farmers omelet, a banana and a cup of coffee, she followed Gaara to a table where Sai and Hinata were already seated. Sai was wearing cargo pants and a navy sweatshirt proclaiming some back she'd never heard of. Hinata was of course, in black from head to toe, except for her cloth fingerless gloves, which were a dark crimson red.

"Temari!" She was surprised to see her friends Ino and Shikamaru searching for a table as well. She waved them over, ignoring the odd look Ino gave Hinata as the blonde cosmetology student plumped herself into a seat at Temari's side, arranging her lavender skirt as she settled.

"Temari! You finally made it! What, did your mother wait until the last day to bring you both up here?" Ino laughed as she dumped milk onto what looked like plain cornflakes.

"Pretty much." Temari replied with a snort. "You know her, hard time letting go."

Shikamaru sat down on Temari's other side slouching in his black hoodie, eyeing Gaara as he listened to Sai urge Hinata to eat more of the egg and toast sandwich he had brought her. "Who're Gaara's… friends?" he asked in a low voice.

"The guy is Sai, his roommate. Girl is Hyuuga Hinata, Sai's friend and my roommate."

Ino winced in sympathy. "Feel sorry for you, sweetie. Not the type of person I'd want to share a room with. Even Sakura – remember her? Pink hair, strange habits regarding boyfriends? – is preferable to that thing." She nodded her head towards Hinata.

Conversation across the table from them flickered. Temari frowned. Ino had always been rather pointed with her words, but that was a cruel comment directed at Hinata, even for her standards. Before she could divert the conversation, Hinata started shoving the textbook she'd been reading into her backpack.

"S-see you later, Sai," Hinata muttered as she stood up and left. Gaara sighed; he never had seen why Temari was friends with the blonde. Sai glared, completely out of character for his calm personality.

"Touchy," Ino smirked as she sipped her latte.

"There's no reason to be so mean to Hinata-chan!" Sai said indignantly.

Ino looked down her nose at the short boy. "If being honest is being mean, then that's her problem, not mine. She's a childish stuttering emo-bitch thing."

Thing.

"Don't call her a thing, Ino." Temari said flatly. Her mind leapt back to the message Angel had sent her. The thought of a human calling another human a thing, especially for something as insignificant as who they were or how they dressed…

"What do you care, Temari? You look less than pleased at having to share a room with… her." Ino retorted.

"Still. I don't know her, she's my polar opposite, nothing obviously in common. But she's still a person, and we don't know her story. We're in Uni, we're supposed to be growing up."

Ino made a face. "What the hell happened to you, Temari? You used to be fun."

Temari chose not to answer.

OoOoO

Of all things, Temari wasn't expecting… this.

Her instructor for the class, Miss Anko Mitarashi had them all – eleven girls total – line up. She looked them over, asking questions about where they had purchased their clothing, why it went together, what they should add or take away to make it better.

Then, she nodded. "Alright. Next class is in two days. I want all of you to go to a second hand clothing store and put together three outfits. One for everyday, one semiformal, one formal. Each one cannot total more than fifty dollars. See you then!"

And that was it.

Shaking her head in confusion, Temari shoved her notebook. She was in modelling, not design, though she dearly wished she was. Perhaps she had gone to the wrong classroom?

"Hey, this is a class for the modelling program, right?" Temari asked the raven haired girl nearest to her.

The girl nodded. "My older sister took this class. Miss Anko always does this. She also teaches two of the design classes. She likes to scout out potentials for that too. Not many meet with her approval. You saw how she frowned at most of us."

Temari smiled faintly. "Gotcha. Thanks."

OoOoO

Hinata was sitting on her bed when Temari came back before her Literature 101 class. She was drawing, pad on her knees which were drawn up, back against the wall. Her hands were bare, the fingerless gloves folded neatly next to her. Headphones in place, the music must've been soft enough she heard the door open. Her eyes flickered up to meet Temari's before hurriedly looking back down.

Temari wanted to apologize for Ino, but didn't feel Hinata would believe her, given their argument yesterday. Then she saw the same Lit book she was tucking into her bag on Hinata's desk. "You have Lit 101 today?" she asked in spite of her vow of silence.

Slowly, Hinata removed her headphones, letting them rest around her neck. "Y-yes."

"D'you mind if I walk down with you? I know it's off in some small building on campus, I just can't figure out where." Mildly true. Shikamaru had pointed the path to it out that morning, but the path ran around one of the larger ones where a lot of the law classes were held, which is what he was studying.

"If you w-want to, th-that's fine." Hinata replied as she closed her sketch pad. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she tugged her boots on, zipped them up and did up the three buckles over the zipper. In doing so, the sleeve of her left arm rode up. An angry red line went from above her wrist up the inside of her arm to disappear under the sleeve.

"What happened?" Temari asked despite herself.

Hinata glanced down. Then she tugged her sleeve down to hide the mark. "C-cooking with a f-friend. They t-tripped, and I tried t-to save the c-cookies." She smiled slightly before letting it fade. "R-ready?"

OoOoO

Finding the Lit classroom was harder than Temari had expected, and was grateful she had asked Hinata for were maybe three other classrooms in the building and then offices in the rest of the tiny building.

The classroom was set up with long tables with three seats at each in rows of two from front to back. Up near the front Ino was sitting with a pink haired girl Temari remembered as being Sakura from their high school graduating class, though she'd been more friends with Ino than Temari. Ino, who had kept glancing over their shoulders at the door saw her come in and called, "Temari! C'mon, saved ya a seat!"

Temari smiled to show she'd heard hear friend before turning to Hinata. "Thanks for showing be the way, I'd have gotten so lost!"

Hinata nodded as she sat in a seat at an empty table in the back. "N-no problem."

As Temari walked over, she heard Sakura whisper, "So that's her? You're right she does look creepy!"

"I know right?! Watch it here's Temari."

Temari sighed but chose to ignore what she had overheard. Ino had always loved her gossip, as had Sakura, despite the pink haired girl had and still was a good portion of what was discussed, what with her two boyfriends who shared her and each other. So not her thing, Temari reflected as she grabbed a syllabus as they were handed out. Turning to hand it to the guy sitting behind her, a flash of red caught her eye; Gaara was standing next to Hinata, then taking a seat with her.

She smiled.

OoOoO

"Excuse me… are you saving this for anyone?" A male voice asked roughly.

Looking up, she recognized her roommate's brother, Gaara. She shook her head. "N-no."

He slid into the seat next to her, careful to maintain space between them. Hinata wasn't offended; quite the opposite, she was used to it and expected it from everyone except Sai, who with most people disregarded personal space completely.

He probably just doesn't want to sit closer to the front, she told herself, just like you. Maybe you should move over so he has more space away from you.

When she started sliding her book and notepad over, the redhead cocked his head at her. "What are you doing?"

Hinata froze. "I-I'm giving you some m-more r-room, sorry."

"Do I make you that uncomfortable?" he asked, his voice tinged with something she couldn't name.

She shook her head. "No. I th-thought, maybe, I…"

He turned his attention to the papers being handed to him. "You can move if you want, but don't do it for me. I don't mind if you stay where you are."

Hinata started at him, before realizing she was being rude. "You… d-don't mind?"

"No." He handed her a copy of the syllabus before getting up to return the leftovers to the front of the room.

After a brief moment of indecision, Hinata stayed where she was. He'll wake up soon enough, her brain told her firmly. They all do, just like- the voice cut off as she clamped a hand over her healing burn, pain rushing up her arm and down into her fingers, causing her to wince; it wasn't as healed as she had thought.

"Are you ok?" Gaara had returned.

She nodded. "Y-yes. Sorry. I b-bumped a burn from l-last week." She gave him a small smile; with that past couple of months, it almost felt alien on her face. "its t-taking its time in h-healing."

Gaara nodded as he sat back down, though he still looked concerned.

OoOoO

Temari sighed with relief as she packed up her bag. Their Lit teacher, Mr. Kakashi, was all over the place in his teaching, but he could also drone on and on on a subject, and nearly put her to sleep twice. Their first assignment had been to write a book report on their favorite childhood book, comparing with why the liked it then with why they did – or did not – like it now. Temari, having never been much of a bookworm as a child, was not looking forward to it.

Ino and Sakura had to rush off to their final class of the day with a hurried goodbye and plans to meet up in the Hall for dinner, leaving her to take her time. Turning towards the exit, she was surprised to find Gaara and Hinata comparing notes on rough drafts of the assignments already, having decided to get working on it while Mr. Kakashi talked about his favorite romance novel series.

She could still hear Hinata's stutter, but the fact Gaara was actively talking to someone he had just met… she was beyond shocked as she joined them leaving the building.

"I-it was the f-first real chapter b-book I read, a-and is still one I en-enjoy reading," Hinata was saying as they walked outside. Then she stopped dead, and Temari almost ran into her.

An adult man with hair and eyes similar to Hinata was standing, arms folded and foot tapping impatiently as he eyed the students exiting the building. When he caught sight of Hinata. "Come with me, Hyuuga-kun, Master Hyuuga wishes to speak with you. He is waiting inside."

Hinata nodded as she followed him back inside, shoulders hunched.

"She's afraid." Gaara observed, his voice hard.

Surprised to hear that much emotion from her usually immovable brother, she glanced over at him. He noticed. "She's nice, and she's hurting. And now she's afraid."

Temari nodded, not knowing what else to say.

OoOoO

"So what Hanabi-san saw while visiting Neji-kun was true. You truly are a disgrace and failure to our family." Her father, Hyuuga Hiashi, scowled down at his disappointment of a child. "Piercings, horrid clothing, make-up…have you had your fun rebelling against your family? Will you come home and stop this ridiculous game?"

Hinata locked her hands behind her so her father couldn't see them twisting; yet another failure. She shook her head. "It isn't a g-game, Father. Th-this is who I am, a-and I'm not g-going to change j-just because you d-don't accept th-that you have t-two daughters instead of a d-daughter and s-son."

Hiashi scowled down at her. "Still stuttering like a child. You do realize this is your last chance to come back, don't you? You will be removed from our family in every way possible but name, and Neji-kun will be named heir to Hyuuga Technologies?"

Hinata nodded. "F-fine with me. H-he can h-have it all, including th-the internal p-politics of our m-messed up so called f-family!"

Slap!

Hiasha was shaking in rage. "You will not talk like that to me, Kazune, I am still your father."

Hinata was shaking. She wanted to run, run and never look back. Hide somewhere where could cry and bleed in peace. But no, not yet. She straightened, ignoring her split lip and throbbing cheek. "K-kazune is dead, F-father. You k-killed him a l-long t-time ago. And y-you stopped b-being my father th-the moment you hated H-Hinata." She straightened. "I a-accept I am no l-longer a m-member of the H-hyuugas. I-is that all, Mr. H-Hyuuga?"

"No," Hiashi hissed. "I understand you are roommates with Sabaku Temari, and her brother are attending Konoha University as well this year?"

Hinata nodded.

"Their father is the head of Suna Corps." Hiasha informed her. "We have many delicate business plans in the works with them. If you tell the children who you are, they will in turn tell their father and it will destroy the plans Hyuuga Technologies is working on, and you will be blamed for it. Those who receive blame from us do not tend to do very well in life. Remember that, Kazune."

Without waiting for an answer, Hiasha stormed out, followed by his assistants.

Only once the door swung shut and she was alone did Hinata allow herself to cry.