AN: I'm completely new to writing in this fandom, though I've read a lot of stories. I am in no means claiming I'm a good writer, and to be honest, I'm just a university student that is writing for fun. I know my writing isn't fantastic, and it may be ungrammatical and choppy at times. I know characters are totally OOC, but this is also a modern day fiction, and they are older (about 22-23 yrs). I try hard to keep characters somewhat the same, but it never comes out that way. I used to write Dark Angel fanfiction way back when, I like to think I've improved since then. I also used to write original fiction and this was intended to be original as well. However, I found that I was molding the characters against Sasuke, Hinata and Naruto, so I thought I'd give Naruto Fanfiction a try.

I disclaim anything that isn't mine.

Note: Italicized are flashbacks/moments in the past. Un-italicized normal font is present day.

Gossamer Reflections: The Prologue

"Brendan?" She opened the door. "Did you forget something?"

Upon seeing who it was she took a step back in surprise. "O-Oh Y-you're not Brendan." She stuttered.

"Hi, Hinata."

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?" She was reminded of the encounter they had a couple weeks ago. She had been merely walking along the sidewalk of the city's downtown, when she saw the dark figure, amongst the crowd, that struck her paralyzed.

Silver eyes widened in recognition. Her senses narrowed allowing the people around her to fade, until it was just the two of them facing each other, a block of sidewalk separating them.

It had been almost two years since she had last seen him, and he still looked the same. His ebony hair was still gorgeously tousled and she imagined the texture would feel the same against her fingertips. Shadows still clung to his chiseled features, and his eyes, she anticipated, still dark and smoldering.

Hinata's breath hitched in her throat as she was sure he had seen her. Her eyes locked on his, but unlike the many times their gazes held each others, his was looking past her, staring blankly at what was ahead. She turned away, allowing the many people around her to filter into her senses, not wanting to meet him again at that very moment. She wasn't sure how she would react—wasn't sure if she was ready. With that thought Hinata walked into the closest boutique to avoid the man, who, seconds later, passed by. She watched as he only stared ahead, never once looking, into the small boutique and, upon the face of the woman he was once engaged to.

She grabbed the nearest shirt, not caring about the size, or whether if it was for the right gender and promptly asked to try it on. Closing the mirrored door with steady hands, she took a step backwards. Then a few more steps. Hinata felt her back hit against the change room wall and she felt herself tremble.

Why?

Questions resounded in her mind.

Why now?

Why when everything was starting to be okay again?

"I was driving and I had the urge to come here…."

He wore a black V-neck t-shirt under a charcoal grey blazer which matched his pants. His facial expression was neutral and impassive. His weight rested on his left foot, while his hands hung loosely at his side. She could tell immediately how he had changed. Sasuke's relaxed posture contrasted with his cold demeanor. Or maybe it was because they had lost the trust they had with one another. They weren't strangers, and they weren't friends either.

"Naruto said you still lived here." He added. His voice startled her, shocking her, fraying her nerves.

He was back. She felt faint.

She slammed the door behind her in her haste to wring his neck. Hinata looked straight into his bewildered azure eyes.

Without greeting him, she launched into a tirade. 'He's back!'

The loudness of her voice surprised him, pushing him back into his leather swivel chair.

'You!' She pointed at him, effectively shocking him again. 'You should have told me. But no, I just happen to be walking downtown and who do I see? Him walking down the same street.'

She was pacing now.

'You're lucky he didn't see me. I'm lucky he didn't see me….'

Naruto watched her walk back and forth afraid of interrupting her. He made himself a mental note to call his secretary and asking her to get the carpet people over to fix the hole.

'…how long has he been here?' She didn't let him answer. 'I bet he's been here months! My god,' she gasped, 'he's been here months hasn't he?'

She smoothed down the wrinkles forming on her grey pencil skirt, and tugged at the hem of her lavender blouse.

'Or wait, maybe he didn't leave at all!'

'Of course!' she brought her arms up, and then allowed them to fall in front of her. Her hands grasping one another as she wrung them in a nervous habit.

'Why didn't I think of that? It's been two years and he probably moved a block away. He knows my schedule, avoiding me won't be hard. Right?' Again she didn't let him answer her rhetorical question, and continued pacing. 'Wait, that's impossible. You said he left to L.A.'

Hinata paused, finding that she had allowed her thoughts to wander. She ran her hands over her face and through her long black hair. An audible breath escaped her lips and her thick bangs fell back into place. She swiveled on her foot and turned, once again, she pointed an accusatory finger at Naruto.

'You!' An angry glint sparkled in her silver eyes. 'Why didn't you tell me?'

Naruto waited longer than usual to make sure she was actually going to allot some time for him to respond. 'I didn't think it was a good idea to let you know.'

'Naruto, he left me. I'd like to know when the man that caused me immense grief is around, so I don't have to be near him.'

'I'm sorry Hinata. I just thought it would be better if you didn't know. Then nothing for you would change, you wouldn't be brought back to that place you were in two years ago. I didn't want to have a nervous breakdown like you just had now.' He gestured to the expanse of carpet she'd burned a hole in while pacing.

Hinata sighed. She knew, when she walked into his office that she was angry, but any bit of anger she had was dissipating. Replacing the anger was embarrassment, and red tinged her cheeks. She was, after all, supposed to be the sensible one.

'Everything was finally falling into place, and now that he's back it's all just upside down.'

Naruto combed back his blond spiked hair and smiled gently at her.

She caught the meaning in his eyes. 'I overreacted didn't I?'

'Well, I would have liked to see you calmer. You surprised me there Hinata.'

'I just don't know how it's going to be when I actually come face to face with him. I want to be angry with him but what I really want to do is ask him, why?'

She took a deep breath, and sat down on the brown leather seat in front of Naruto's dark mahogany desk.

'I need to let this all go. I need to leave it all behind.' She said aloud to herself. 'I need to stop asking why, and just—just accept it.'

She let out a breath. 'Anyway, I'm going on another date with Brendan. I'm going to have fun!' She nodded, a small smile spreading across her delicate features. 'No more thoughts of…'

'Ahem!' Naruto cleared his throat loudly and gestured to the door behind her.

Hinata craned her neck to look behind her. Her gaze landed on none other than the man who she had been agonizing about moments earlier.

"…cheese." She turned back to Naruto and finished her sentence. Her cheeks blushed red at the word that slipped out. She mentally hit herself upside the head and proceeded to make things worse. 'That blue cheese I had for lunch was just gross. Remind me never to get anything with blue cheese on it again.' Embarrassment flooded her senses. It took all her will power not to bury her reddened face in her hands and hide in shame.

Sorry I'm late.' A new voice cut in—Sasuke's voice. He sounded calm and cool, as if he didn't hear a word she said; or rather he ignored her words. He strode forward and placed a hand on the back of Hinata's chair. She tensed hoping it was unnoticeable.

'Hinata.' He spoke her name monotonously in greeting.

She looked up at him, following him, as he sat down in the empty chair beside her.

'Sasuke.' She responded, thanking god that her voice sounded normal. She took a glance back at Naruto who had stayed uncharacteristically quiet. 'I guess I'll… uh… leave now.'

She got up and turned to leave.

'Bye Naruto.'

Reaching the door, she turned her head slightly as if she meant to look back. 'Sasuke.' She said in finality, and closed the door behind her.

They stood in silence.

He took a deep breath, casted his gaze downward then looked back up catching her grey eyes with his onyx ones, he released his breath. "I'm sorry."

And there it was. Everything they had gone through summed up in two words.

The words washed over her like a cold wave. She had waited to hear those words for the last two years from the man standing before her, but it did not hold the same impact she thought it would. She didn't know what she thought, or how to feel.

"I…" She started. Her voice faltered, trailing off and leaving nothing but silence behind. They stood gazing at one another in the threshold of what used to be their home.

"I guess…" She started again stumbling on the words that formed in her brain. The words fell out of her mouth without much thought. "I guess th-that's just it."

Those words, she thought, were unintelligible. She wasn't sure what they meant herself.

His gaze lingered on her, taking her words in. Although he did not give any physical indications of a reaction, he was surprised to say the least. He had thought that, even if she had always been kind and quiet and very shy, she would have reacted in some form of anger.

"That's just it?" He asked, repeating her words. "You're not angry?"

Her hand which had been resting on the silver door knob dropped to her side. "You had to do what you had to do."

He nodded, his bangs falling over his eyes. He should have expected this from her. She had always wanted to understand and not burden others by judging or rushing into assumptions. He had thought that he was the exception—they had been too close for her not to ask questions. Maybe he had been gone too long. He had given her time to think, time to move on – time to become indifferent. It stung him a little that she didn't question him, and ask him why, because if she did at least he would know she still cared.

This encounter was what he had pictured years ago, when he had made the decision to leave. It had been what he wanted for her.

'His name's Brendan Morris err… Morrison. Eh,' Naruto shrugged, 'it's the same thing. Anyway, he's cute if you like the blond hair, blue eyed thing.'

Sasuke didn't respond.

'Well, why wouldn't you? It's the ideal combination if you ask me.' Naruto grinned.

He wanted her to move on, leave him behind and be happy.

'You don't have to worry about her Sasuke. He's a good guy. Hinata seems to like him and in my opinion he's… Naruto Approved!'

Why, then, did it sting to hear that she didn't care? More than that, why did it sting to finally get confirmation that she had moved on.

The silence was beginning to create an uncomfortable atmosphere. They had been standing at the entrance of the apartment for ten minutes now.

It felt longer.

"Yeah." He acknowledged. "I needed to…." He thought over his words carefully,
"…do something."

She wanted to ask him what it was that he needed to do. She wanted to ask him why he had to leave the way he did, but she had promised herself, that she needed to let it go. She needed to let him go. So she let his last statement fall into silence.

"I just wanted to apologize." He voiced his words in finality. "I'll see you around probably…."

"I think I'm staying in town for a bit." He added.

He stuffed a hand into his charcoal pin striped pants, and shifted his weight onto his right foot.

"Ye-yeah." She breathed. "I guess I will."

He nodded. His lips moved faintly upward and he turned to leave. She brought her hand from her side and began pushing the door shut. Leaning forward she watched him walk away.

He stopped abruptly and turned back to look at her, now a face wedged in the open gap of the closing door. "I'm sorry I hurt you Hinata." His voice was low, but she caught every word. With that he turned and left.

He didn't look back.

Hinata hadn't noticed that she was trembling until she finally pulled herself away. All she could do was turn and press her back against the door. She leaned against it feeling the thud and hearing the click as the door closed. Her legs suddenly felt weak and she slid down the vertical surface. With shaking hands she covered her face and closed her eyes. In her heart, there was a storm. Pain she thought she had forgotten surged towards the surface.

Yes, she acknowledged, he had hurt her.

Immensely.

AN: Just to let you know I probably won't update in a long time… but I thought I'd put this up before I change my mind. Just want some thoughts on the WIP. Be nice, and constructive if you are going to review. I can't improve my writing if people just write that it sucks… tell me why it sucks!