Chapter Text
The sun's bright rays sifted through the trees as the rumbling sound of the car’s engine breezed through the summer air.
Bleary eyes blinked at the bouncing lights, squinting them shut a moment later. Stifling a yawn, Hinata stretched her arms slightly in the confinement of her seat.
Another summer had arrived so soon after the last. Hinata couldn't believe it. But here she was, on the road again with her family.
Rubbing her eyes, Hinata looked out the window as different beach houses passed them by. The familiarity of the ride to her family's vacation home always seemed to lull her to sleep. Every year, for many summers, it's the same sites—the same roads, same houses, same people—passing by and it's comforting, so she always ends up dozing off after only a few minutes on the road.
And she wasn't the only one—from the slight snoring coming from her right—her baby sister Hanabi dozed off, too.
Hinata smiled.
Her sister must have stayed up from the excitement of their trip the night before, evident from how hard it was to get her to wake up earlier this morning. Her neck was craned up against the headrest, her arms listless by her sides, while soft snores slipped from her slightly parted lips. She never changes, always a little kid at heart.
Hinata shifted in her seat, adjusting her own slouched form from her pleasurable nap. She stifled another yawn from escaping her, not wanting to wake her sister nor disturb the other passengers, Neji and her father, Hiashi.
The rummaging did end up snapping Neji's eyes from the road to his rearview mirror, as he noticed the slight stirring in the back, "We're almost there, Hinata." He smiled, turning his eyes back to the road.
Hanabi snoored a bit louder in the back, drawing her cousin’s eyes up again. “I know how excited both of you were last night.” he chuckled to himself.
Hinata ducked her head with a small embarrassed smile, her cheeks staining slightly. Turns out, she wasn’t so different from her baby sister.
“Summer felt like it would never come fast enough with all my final exams,” she admitted, looking towards Neji in the rearview mirror, “I couldn’t help but to feel excited.”
Her exams were quite grueling this year, plus all the research papers after research papers she had to do and that were enough to drive anyone mad. Without the proper care, her mental and physical health took a hit the last couple months. Studying and research planning was all she knew during that time—with assistance from her favorite cup of tea.
But thankfully, and as expected, she passed all her exams with flying colors, just a week prior to the trip. Before she knew it, her third year at University had come to a close. She felt much lighter after it all and now she was finally free and ready for her well deserved summer vacation alongside her family.
Time for some fun under the sun!
The car swayed to a temporary stop as the turn to their vacation home neared. Hanabi snapped to attention, waking from her nap, “Are we there yet?” she slurred in her half asleep state.
“Yes,” Hiashi announced from the passenger seat, the car coming to a full stop at their driveway. “We’re home.”
An excited shout of glee exploded in the back seat as Hanabi yanked her seatbelt off and got out of the car, jumping for joy at the start of her summer vacation.
Hinata gathered her things and exited the car, the sun immediately bathing her milky skin. She closed her eyes contentedly, breathing in that fresh sea air and casting out all her pent up stress from her body. "It's so good to be back." she sighed out, bringing in her luggage and bags inside the house.
All her other summers here had felt the same, almost mundane. She loved spending her summer alongside her family every year but something has to change. This summer is going to be different—she can feel it, deep down—that this will be a summer to remember.
After properly settling inside, Hinata headed to her bedroom and began unpacking her bags and immediately fished out her beach garments.
Sweaty palms held up a two-piece swimsuit and gently laid it down on the bed. Hinata antsily bit her lip, looking over her new swimsuit.
After hours and hours of scouring multiple shops and many try-ons later, she had finally found the one. The girls had said they loved how it looked on her and she couldn’t help but agree with them.
The lilac color complimented her complexion really well, the frilly details on the top were cute but didn’t take away from the A-line design, and the bottom piece accentuated areas that, in her mind, might turn some eyes. It was certainly something new for her.
Her past bathing suits were more on the modest side, or grandma chic, as Hanabi would lovingly put it. Hinata thought they were cute but she's certainly grown out of the style. So something new was in order.
Hinata gulped slightly, looking over herself in the mirror with her new swimsuit on. She had felt great and really empowered the first time around while trying it on for the girls but now she was losing that confidence drilled in by their compliments.
Really, there’s no need to feel ashamed or embarrassed over this. She’s turning twenty-two years old this year and she wants to feel sexy for once in her life!
At least, that’s what Ino had told her she should do.
"A sexyless summer is not a summer at all!” Ino had preached at both Hinata and Sakura during their swimwear shopping trip. “Ladies, we’re making this summer our bitch.”
Hinata found herself swayed by Ino's, er, rather passionate speech. And she wanted to make this summer the most of it.
Hinata has been single for a hot minute—her last boyfriend being Gaara from the gardening club at the local library’s community center during her freshman year. He was a really nice guy and they got along really well. Their love for plants really urged on a strong friendship and slowly developed into a budding relationship. It had only lasted a couple months between them but they had ended it in a mutual agreement to just stay friends.
And Hinata still does keep in contact with him. Now he’s got himself a new partner and she’s really happy to know that everything is going very well for him.
On Hinata’s end, though, nothing new had come into her life since then. Aside from Sakura trying to set her up on random blind dates, she found she was too busy with school to manage her love life. This time around, she feels herself ready for something new, be it a boyfriend or girlfriend.
But Hinata couldn't say for certain if she could make summer, as Ino put it, her “bitch”, but she reasonsed she would do her best. Starting with going to the beach with her sister and cousin.
After doing her indigo hair in low pigtails, adorning it with a cute beige straw hat, and lathering herself heavily on sunscreen—she was all ready to go.
Taking slow, tentative steps towards her door, she made a quick mental note on everything she needed before heading out. Her beach bag included all the essentials; sunglasses, first aid kit, extra hair ties, sunscreen—everything that was needed, you name it and Hinata might just have it.
Looking over at her other garments on her dresser, she noticed a bottom cover-up she brought in case she ever felt uncomfortable with her new bikini bottoms. And well…
She hesitantly starts to head out of her bedroom but not before grabbing the cover-up and putting it on—breathing a little easier. Much, much, better.
The Ino in her mind was definitely disappointed in her abrupt cowardice. She fastened it tighter around her waist, inwardly cringing, 'Sorry, Ino.' What was done, was done.
Hinata made her way to the front entrance of the house, seeing that Neji and Hanabi were waiting for her to head to the beach. She didn’t think she took that long but maybe she was too lost in her thoughts to have noticed.
Hinata sighed.
It's all about baby steps. Conquering summer and making it her bitch can’t be done overnight.
~*~*~
A cacophony of seagulls flying across the expansive blue sky comes to indicate their approaching arrival to the beach.
The walk from the house was pleasantly nice and pleasantly short. It was still early morning so the breeze wasn’t yet so stiflingly hot and the sun was yet to beat down unbearably so.
Now crossing the wooden bridge connecting to the beach, Hinata could observe all the different types of crowds who welcomed in the summer.
The beach was riddled with many beach goers.
Some were raving the tides of the ocean, swimming towards big waves on their surfboards. While others were enjoying a fun game of beach volleyball. A plethora of kids running around with plastic shovels and buckets full of sand and water—rushing their little feet along to build cute sandcastles by the shore. Colorful umbrellas and tents were adorned alongside the coast with many relaxing or snoozing away under them. The sun warmly encasing them all under its care.
Summer’s delights can be enjoyed in so many different ways. Hinata smiled serenely as she basked in at the sight.
Neji snapped her out of her reverie as he pointed out a good spot to set up their beach supplies. A pretty big area close to the water, quite some ways away from where they currently stood. Hinata and Hanabi followed suit as Neji directed them.
Hinata fixed her beach bag over her shoulder as the sand crunched beneath her feet. A wagon cart trailing behind her, it hauling a big cooler with all their drinks, as well as some of their snacks for the day.
She didn’t want to admit how heavy the cooler still was even with the assistance of the wagon. On solid ground, it had rolled fine, even if Hinata had to put some extra effort in pulling it, but the sand was a whole different matter entirely.
Neji had warned her against her taking the wagon and had been pretty clear about what would happen but Hinata had persisted, telling him she was perfectly fine with pulling it herself. She reasoned that since he and Hanabi were already carrying so much of the beach supplies, she didn’t want them to have to carry even more because of her. Neji was in charge of all the beach chairs and their big tent. Hanabi was in charge of all the float devices, that were mostly hers, and some other fun beach toys. So the cart went with Hinata.
Oops.
She pulled on through with her efforts, though, and rolled onwards towards Neji and Hanabi, who were now way ahead of her.
As she continued to pull forwards, the sand beneath her feet collapsed around her with every one of her steps. Each step felt like she was being pulled down to the earth, making her awkwardly stumble forward and her sandals getting drenched in dry sand.
Suddenly, Hinata’s pulling stopped abruptly as the cart resisted going forward. She pulled at it to move again but it wouldn't budge. She took a look behind her and saw that one of the wagon's wheels was caught in a rut in the sand.
She frowned. Well, that wasn’t good.
She pulled it once more and tried to heave it from the now even deeper hole in the sand. But to no avail, the wagon wouldn’t budge from it. She attempted to move it backwards but moments later it began tilting heavily on its side.
“Oh, no!” Hinata cried out as the rut in the sand started quickly collapsing under the weight of the cart. The contents of the cooler swooshed and sloshed from the rocking. Hinata pulled and held on to the cart for what felt like dear life. Gosh, what did Hanabi end up packing in there? This was ridiculously heavy!
Trying to haul up the cart on its handle alone was a challenge and she knew she couldn’t hold on for much longer. She knew if she let go of it to readjust, it would completely topple over. She had to act fast!
Neji and Hanabi were way ahead of her now—she couldn’t possibly get their attention now. She wasn’t sure if there was anyone around to help her.
Hinata whined in worry, closing her eyes tightly.
Maybe she should have heeded Neji's warning and not taken the wagon, his I-told-you-so look vividly sparking up in her mind. He was totally right…
Oh dear, now all the ice and the drinks are going to pour out into the sand and it’s going to be a disaster!
Hinata prepared herself for the worst as she felt the wagon fully start to tilt over.
But then it stopped.
She suddenly stopped feeling the resistance from the cart.
A moment later, she heard a heave as she felt the wagon adjusted and secured in an upright position in less rutty sand dunes. Hinata unclenched her hands from the handle and opened her eyes slowly, blinking in confusion.
Huh? What happened?
Then a laugh—a cute laugh—rang behind her and a voice then asked her if she was alright.
She perked up at the stranger's voice and tentatively turned around towards their direction.
What she didn’t expect to see was the clear blue ocean—staring back at her. The sun’s rays rising above that ocean, mimicking golden spiky locks. A radiant and bright smile protruding up what she observed to be whisker-like birthmarks on each sunkissed cheek.
Oh! She felt herself blushing under his soft, friendly gaze.
His lips were moving now, possibly asking her something. She saw how he scratched his cheek at her lack of response, his brow knit in concern. She just continued to stare up at him and felt herself lost in his blue, ocean-like eyes.
“Hey, are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?” The stranger asked her—for what was probably the third time now.
Hinata snapped away from her indescribable trance. What came over her? The nice stranger was talking to her! She lightly shook her head and reprocessed what the stranger had asked her.
“Do you need some help?”
She finally retreated her gaze down to her feet, “No, I-I’m alright, thank you.”
“Are you sure?” asked the stranger, his blonde spikes tilting to the side in question. “I saw how much you were struggling with the wagon for a while until it almost tipped over.”
Of course, of course he saw all of that.
Hinata hunched her shoulders, color rising to her cheeks. She spared a glance at him again from under the rim of her hat. He was looking at her with a small, amused smile.
“Are you heading somewhere specific?”
Hinata simply nodded, words failing to come to her. She found his gaze to be so intense, she couldn’t explain it. She doesn't normally react like this with a stranger—i.e a really nice stranger that just helped her out tremendously—so she wasn’t so sure what was wrong with her, especially when she couldn’t even bring herself to look up at him again.
Her eyes darted back up to his briefly once more, noticing his brows drawn in with concern again. “I, I was trailing behind my cousin and my sister,” she pointed to where they were headed, “but, um…I can handle the rest from here.”
The nice, young man smiled and nodded. He has a really nice smile…
"Seems you got the rough end of the stick, though. I didn't see your cousin or your sister struggling with their stuff." He shook his head in mock disapproval.
"Oh, no, no. I-I offered to take the wagon myself, so they're not at fault." Hinata quickly shook her head and defended them, "My cousin did warn me against it but I had persisted so you could say I'm the one at fault here…" she trailed off.
He simply smiled at her sincerity. "Well, you’re incredibly strong for holding on for so long. I noticed that you were struggling while I was making my rounds on the perimeter and I ran up as fast as I could. Good thing I came just in time!”
Without his help, Hinata couldn’t possibly imagine what she could have done. She was beyond grateful for his assistance. In her bout of confusion, she forgot to thank him!
She bowed her head down in gratitude, “Thank you so much for helping me. I apologize for having pulled you away from your rounds…” She wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by rounds but it sounded like it was very important.
She raised her head again, fixing her gaze up to his. He must have run really fast. She swears she didn't see anyone around her within her range. But nevertheless, she was very grateful.
"Nah, don't mention it.” He said, smilingly. "I'm one of the lifeguards here, so I'm at your service anytime." he winked, pointing his thumb to himself. She noticed then his red shirt did indeed say ‘lifeguard’ in the front.
Hinata giggled, hiding her laugh behind her hand. “Thank you very much again, um…” she tilted her head slightly, silently asking for his name.
“Naruto! My name’s Naruto,” he grinned brightly at her, “and no problem! I’m just glad I was near enough to catch it before it came tumbling down.”
Hinata smiled shyly, “Naruto…"
The kind stranger, now Naruto, nodded and continued smiling brightly at her. She was getting a little bolder being able to look at him as the conversation carried on. She couldn’t help smiling, too, her hand obscuring it from view.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you around. Are you from here?” Naruto suddenly asked, squinting his eyes as if trying to figure out a hard puzzle.
“O-Oh, yes, I am. I've been coming here with my family for many years now.” She bowed her head again, getting a little shy at his scrutinizing gaze. She wasn’t really sure what he was looking at so intently. “We have a summer home close by.”
Naruto hummed in interest. “That’s awesome! So do you come here every summer?”
“Yes, I do." she lifted her head again, his smile so inviting. "Senju Beach is the best of all the beaches in Konoha. I never tire of it.” All Hinata has ever known is Konoha, it being a relatively small town—everyone knows everybody, it's just how small towns go. As he appears to be around her age group, she’s surprised she doesn't recognize him.
“Heh, me too! I love Senju Beach.” He exclaimed happily. “Second best is Sarutobi Bay, but it tends to stink of sulfur year round." He stuck out his tongue in disgust.
Hinata let out a quiet laugh in agreement. "Are you from here as well?" she asked him, feeling bold, even if it was just friendly conversation.
"Yep! I grew up here, too. I feel like I know everyone in this town.” He looked around him towards the beach goers just as someone had passed them by and waved at Naruto in greeting.
Hinata giggled at the sudden exchange, practically proving his point. He’s so amiable and so incredibly charming.
“See?” He laughed good naturedly. “And y'know, you sorta kinda look familiar?” Hinata wanted to ask what he meant by that but he quickly moved on with the conversation. “Are ya sure you don't need any more help, though? We can tag-team and carry it together and it would be even faster, y'know!”
Hinata was getting whiplash from his intensity. He was very sweet. Hinata couldn't help but let a laugh escape that she covered up with her hand.
“Is that a yes…?” He asked in his own mirth. “I think it would be very beneficial, plus—“
Hinata shook her head, "I appreciate the offer but I can take it from here." She removed her hand away from her face, revealing a bright smile. “Thank you again, Naruto.”
The wind picked up at that moment, threatening to slip Hinata's sun hat off. She briskly held on as her hat flapped in the wind.
In that passing moment, it was silent between them. Hinata could hear the call of the seagulls above them cascading down. Along with the sound of kids running around and splashing in the water.
She looked up at Naruto from under the rim of her hat. He silently gazed at Hinata, his mouth slightly agape. She fidgeted nervously under his strange gaze.
She bit her lip. Did she say something wrong? She was being a bit strange earlier.
The seconds passed by slowly like the lapping waves retreating back to the ocean. Hinata opened her mouth to speak, to ask if he was alright but Naruto shook his head and excused himself for his own strange behavior.
He scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry about that.”
Maybe he wasn't feeling well?
She reached over to the thankfully not-toppled-over cooler, opening it and offering him a cool refreshing drink. He politely refused but Hinata persisted. Especially seeing how red his face had turned. Definitely from the scorching sun above them.
“Take it as a thank you. From me.” she smiled softly, handing it to him.
While passing the drink over, their hands touched for the briefest of seconds.
It was a light touch but his hand encased her fingers briefly and she felt how soft and warm it was, despite the cold of the water bottle. Hinata wasn't sure what had come over her but she felt her cheeks warm up.
The moment passed. Naruto cleared his throat and opened up his drink, finishing off his water bottle in two big swigs. “Why, thank you! I guess I was thirstier than I thought.” he laughed awkwardly, looking rather flushed himself.
Hinata simply nodded, not trusting her voice this time and trying to calm her beating heart.
“My shift had just started so I should probably start heading back from my rounds." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But….um, I don't think I caught your name.”
"Oh," she giggled softly, "My name is—“
“Yo, Naruto! Hurry up, you gotta switch with me soon, man!” A booming voice behind Hinata called out to Naruto. “Stop flirting and get over here!”
Hinata turned to the direction of the voice, curious to see who was calling out to him. A young man clad in lifeguard gear kept shouting at Naruto to hurry up.
She turned back to Naruto, who looked quite troubled and a bit flustered. Cute…
Naruto had shouted back that he'd be right over.
“Damn, can't he see I'm talkin’ to someone, jeez," he muttered to himself before turning his gaze back to Hinata. "Heh, I guess I was gone for longer than I thought. Seems I gotta go,” he smiled apologetically.
Hinata shook her head at his apology, “It’s Hinata.”
“Hm?”
“My name is Hinata.” she repeated, fixing her eyes up to his.
“Hinata,” he repeated back the name, smiling. “That’s pretty.”
She blinked.
Did she hear him correctly?
He was smiling so brightly at her like it was nothing. Her eyes went wide like saucers, her face warming up at the compliment.
“Well, I’ll see you around, Hinata! It was nice meeting you!” Naruto waved his goodbyes to her as he ran off towards the direction of the other boy.
Her eyes followed his trailing back as he was leaving.
She cupped her hand to her cheek, feeling how warm she was. Alright. He was cute…and she totally embarrassed herself in front of him.
Phew.
He was so kind. She hoped to see him again.
She smiled to herself as she rolled on, much careful this time of any ruts in the sand.