A/N: This is going to be ridiculous, but I kinda like it. I blame JuriDP for this disaster.
Liar
Not once in his life had Sasuke considered finding himself in a situation in which he was cramped, his breath short, and his face dissolved to lava by the heat of his own skin. The idea of fearing narrow and tiny spaces had not once bothered to cross his mind.
To be honest, he'd never felt the need to faint, either. Now though…his brain could have used a whiff of air (even if it reeked) and not this.
"Um…ne, Sasuke-san?" Her voice was very quiet, but he could hear her clearly
Sasuke closed his eyes and felt an unstable shiver run down his spine
He asked whatever being listening to him to show him a sliver of mercy. He was just a teenager boy, after all, and he made mistakes, sure, but he could only take so much of this.
"Pardon me, but…a-are you alright?"
Sasuke hesitantly opened his obsidian orbs and looked down (as much as he could) at the girl literally and figuratively glued to his chest, and couldn't help but think, No
No, I'm not alright
His slightly ragged respiration clued Hinata in and she nodded, her span style messy hair rubbing against his chin.
"I-I'm so awfully sorry about this, Sasuke-san."
He huffed, though the action costed him some of the precious oxygen he desperately needed. "Why are you apologizing?" he tried to sound as disinterested as possible. "It's not like this is your fault."
And it wasn't.
She hadn't tricked him and stuffed him with her in this locker, she hadn't glued herself to his chest with some squishy but durable goo, and she hadn't locked them in the boys' locker room that stank of perspiration and dirty socks with low lights in a Friday evening.
No, this was not her fault at all.
If there was someone who was as uncomfortable as him, then it had to be her. Sasuke doubted she wanted to be stuck on him in this metallic rectangle.
"You may be right, but I wish I had pre-seen this. I was careless. The moment I saw I was in the boys' locker room, I-I should've realized that something was wrong. Lee-kun was acting very strange." She paused. "More than usual."
Sasuke did his best to sound unbothered, though his voice broke. "Y-you were blindfolded until you got here, weren't you?" He distinctly remembered her shocked expression when the black fold was taken off.
Another motion of assertion.
"Then stop worrying about it."
But how could she not when he was sure his heart was ready to burst from his ribcage, he was sweating buckets, and his voice was alarmingly hoarse?
"B-but how can I not when Sasuke-san is panicking?"
He was not panicking.
"Your heartbeat is really loud."
Damn his heart. Damn his pulse. Damn his jittery nerves. Damn this little girl for forcing him to react like this.
"Do you have claustrophobia?" she continued softly, placing her ear at a more comfortable place on his torso. "Oh! Y-your heart is speeding up! We must get you out of here, quickly."
Sasuke bit his lip and decided not to mention that the only reason why his cardiovascular organ was like that was because she was here. No point in concerning her even more. Not like he cared what she felt or something crazy like that.
Hinata sighed and her warm breath hit his neck, almost making him hiss.
"Oh!"
Had Sasuke had room to spare, he would have jumped. As it was, he still jumped but hit the top of the locker with his head.
He groaned.
Hinata gasped. "I didn't mean to startle you – b-but listen!" she hurried, raising her left hand with some difficulty and placing it on his head as much as she could to soothe his bump as she spoke. "In my right-hand back pocket of my jeans is a small tool box. M-maybe I can use something in there to unscrew the lock and get us out of here!"
Sasuke was trying to genuinely focus on what she was saying, but the fingers washing away his sharp pain were doing wonders. Wonders!
He almost exhaled in pleasure. That...felt so good.
"Sasuke-san? Sasuke-san, are you still with me?"
Of course he was not. "Tool box. Right pocket. Understood."
"Okay."
"Hn."
Silence.
Hinata blinked in puzzlement when he didn't move.
More silence.
Sasuke did his best to chill. Although he was here with her and not another rabid girl (he preferred it that way), he couldn't help but wish she wasn't here. With her in his personal space, he couldn't stop his body from reacting the way it was. How could that petite girl hold so much power over him with that ridiculously little frame of hers?
How was it even possible?
"A-Ano, Sasuke-san?"
"What?" Would you listen to that, he was recovering his voice. Good. His plan was working.
"You are supposed to reach for the box? I-in my back pocket? Since I can't do it myself…? Remember?"
What?
When had that conversation happened? When had he even agree? Had he zoned out?
"R-right." And he was back to square one. Hinata must have really believed he was claustrophobic. How undignified.
As stated previously, that was the kind of thing expected to happen to idiots like the Dumbass and Dog Boy, not him.
How had he and Hinata ended up like this?
Simple. He had told a single lie, and Narutard and Freak Spandex Lee had taken care of the rest by (trying to help) pranking him like this.
Two days ago
Sasuke was many things, but he had never considered himself a liar.
That is, until now, which was surprising. If anything, he was bold in voicing sharp opinions, always swift in delivering the negative if the occasion required it. Yeah, albeit he didn't engage much in trivial conversations, that didn't mean he didn't have his own thoughts on the discussed topic.
As a matter of fact, he sometimes thought too much but failed to share anything with anyone. Although, to be sincere, most of the time he ended relenting his opinion anyway when the blond bimbo of his friend gritted on his nerves hard enough. Which, sadly for Sasuke, was exactly what he was doing right this instant.
The Uchiha had never desired to murder anyone so badly before, and he couldn't help but think that Naruto was not healthy for his state of mind.
That idiot. How had he become his best friend again?
"Sasukeeeee, heeeey, I'm talking to yoooou."
Mikoto had taught him as a child that if something (more precisely, someone) ever bothered him, to ignore it, and it would eventually disappear like vapor in the air.
"Patience, Sasuke," she had said.
"Everything will be okay if you are patient," she had coached.
"This procedure cannot fail/em," she had assured.
Yeah. Easier said than done.
Sasuke wished things were that simple. Among his endless virtues, in which handsome, skilled, and perfect topped the list, patience had just never made it near the bottom.
"Tch, not listening to me, are you?" Naruto pouted, sky-blue eyes narrowed. "Don't answer me if you don't wanna, but I know you are lying to me just now–"
"Am not," Sasuke the I-don't-lie-I-promise lied through his recently lying-branded lips for the third (or fifth?) time that day, looking straight ahead, hands in pockets as the two of them walked down his street after school.
"Are too," Naruto counterattacked knowingly, tugging at the gray tie around his neck the school uniform required.
Sasuke wondered when, where, and how the knucklehead had all of the sudden become so observant. Not like he was going to ask, but still…Sasuke could use some of the oblivious Naruto right about now.
"Admit it already," the Uzumaki smirked devilish, his slitted eyes gleaming with mischief and amusement.
Sasuke was instantly on guard. That moronic expression was never a good sign for the living when the blond was involved.
"I know you like her, bastard." Had Naruto not been human, Sasuke would have sworn he had purred -and not said- the words.
He pretended he knew not what Naruto was talking about, despite feeling his own eyes instinctively glance to the opposite side as a form of avoidance.
He quickly feigned nonchalance.
"Huh?"
Bored gaze, slow walk, relaxed shoulders, and an indifferent posture.
Yes, yes, very good. There was no way he was giving himself away to this stupid blond –
"I'm talking about Transfer Girl, of course. You know, the curvy, soft-spoken one you stare at when you think no one is watching."
–and just like that Sasuke cheeks were lit on fire.
He heard Naruto catch his breath soundly at the sight of his unhelpful pink (of all colors) blush. Naruto's reaction, which irritatingly enough only seemed to cause the flush to increase the longer the moron gaped, made Sasuke want to crawl a hole in the earth and die.
Pathetic.
"I don't know what you're talking about," the Uchiha finally spat.
Naruto giggled like a maniacal fanboy after his shock wore off. He was without a doubt enjoying the show he had initiated.
Screw you, dobe. I hope you get kidnapped by hungry aliens soon.
Naruto, unaware of the other male's malevolent thoughts, clapped his hands together, a smug, if not maddening gleeful demeanor taking hold of his features. "You are at the defensive, Sasu-chan~."
Sasuke shot him a venomous glare that made thunder crack seemingly out of nowhere. "Shut it."
"Aw, come on," Naruto whined, skipping ahead like an hyperactive golden pony. He had brushed Sasuke's dark glower so easily Sasuke wondered when he had become this immune. "At least tell me you are making a move."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Eh? Why not? She's someone I approve of. 'Sides," his grin widened, "you like her, she's not your fangirl, and she cooks great. Also, she comes from a good family, so I don't think your daddy is gonna say no if you ask her out. And even so –"
Sasuke stopped dead on his tracks. "How the hell do you know all this?"
Naruto smirked and Sasuke discovered with that gesture that the blond had to be related to some sort of devil.
"Interested?" he cooed.
Sasuke's lips frowned. "Not in the slightest," he murmured and began walking again.
"Don't be like that!" Naruto called out as Sasuke made a turn for his house. "You won't find someone like her again, ya know!"
Sasuke whirled around, anger pouring from his pores in the form of sweat. "I already said I wasn't interested. Are you deaf or just plain stupid?"
But Naruto's gaze had wandered somewhere beyond the brunet's shoulder.
He smiled brightly and raised his hand in greeting.
"Hey there, Transfer Girl!"
And just like that, Sasuke's face went pink with a vengeance. He turned – only to find no (Hinata Transfer Girl at his back.
Had he lacked self-control, he would have growled for falling into Naruto's obvious trap.
Naruto had no trouble snickering audibly behind him. "Knew it, uh-huh. Tsk, tsk, Sasuke, you have to be more honest with yourself."
"Whatever."
"So…does that mean you are gonna snatch her up?" Naruto continued existing and screwing with Sasuke's existence.
"I'm not snatching anyone up."
Naruto waggled his eyebrows. "But you sure would want to."
Sasuke stayed still, his back to the blond and wondering whether anyone would miss the Uzumaki if he went missing.
Naruto hummed knowingly. "Hmm, hmm, hmm, I knew you had it in you, bast–"
But he never got to finish, for Sasuke could only hold back for so long before he ended punching the Uzumaki in the face.
.
.
.
You might have thought getting something out of a pocket was easy…and it was, most of the time. But not today.
Sasuke cursed, but stubbornly tried fishing her back-pocket for that dang box. What was supposed to only take a second or two had become half an hour, and he had yet to grasp the container he was steadily growing to despise.
When Hinata had claimed it as tiny, he had not thought she had actually mean it. How wrong he was. Next time he would take her word for it. (emNext time?/em)/p
The awkward angles of their bodies was anything but helpful as he struggled to make his arm fit in the available space to reach the designed area she had placed the desired item at.
The fact that he was trying really hard not to touch any sensible parts of her might have added to his frustration.
With an aggravated huff, he pulled his hand back to his side (his fingers were aching with strain) and accidentally grabbed Hinata by the waist, bringing her closer to him.
In his mind, he screamed.
Outwardly, though, he murmured, "My bad," and unhooked his arm as fast as humanly possible.
His face, which had sported just a fading blush, started to feel hot again. He could practically hear the blood rushing to and pooling at his cheeks.
"I-it's okay," Hinata her words muffled by the cloth of his shirt.
Hm, Sasuke thought. Hinata was a very tiny person. She didn't even make it to his shoulders.
"Did you get it?"
"No," he said.
Hinata attempted to hide her disappointment but it was futile.
"Why're you carrying something like that around, anyway?" Sasuke decided to ask to distract her.
It seemed to work. "Before I was called here by Lee-kun, I was at the lab with Miss Kurenai. She was teaching me how to fix some circuits."
"Circuits?"
"Mhm, in the field of my choice, knowing how circuits work and how to fix them is necessary."
Sasuke blinked in surprise. They were in their senior year of high school and she was already this far ahead. Surprising.
However...
"I thought you would study for business management," he mused.
"Because of my family?" she smiled, her white teeth visible in the dim light.
"Yeah."
She laughed lightly. "Everyone thought so too, but I can't stand business study. I-it's very boring," she admitted, her nose wrinkled up.
"It is," Sasuke agreed. "I don't know how my brother and father do it."
"Neither do I," she shook her head. "Neji-niisan and father just soak it all in without much trouble..." She then sighed happily. "But my future career is noble enough for my family, so I get to dive myself into it."
His lips twitched; her aura was contagious.
Her smile softened. "Ne, Sasuke-san?"
"Hm?"
"You sound better, no longer flustered. Your heart is steady too." She tried to look up at him. "I'm glad – Oh, your pulse is racing again!"
Sasuke screwed his eyes shut and pressed the back of his head against the metal door behind him as Hinata pressed her ear once again to his heart.
Her mouth formed a small O-shaped circle in wonder.
Listening to someone's heart was simply amazing.
Sasuke looked sideways as Hinata did with him as she pleased.
"I'm glad."
Sasuke directed his gaze down to find Hinata's face looking up at his own.
"I-I'm glad I'm stuck here with Sasuke-san, and not a random stranger."
So he wasn't a stranger in her mind?
He opened his mouth to say something, but his words got stuck somewhere because they didn't exit his being.
Instead, silence engulfed them as their gazes stayed together.
He would be lying if he said that he didn't notice when he leaned closer and Hinata raised a bit on her tip toes. Yeah, that would have been a blatant lie because he did notice and he did not stop.
The moment he touched her mouth with his own, his body came alive. The ache of his feet for standing for so long was forgotten, his traitorous galloping heart was disregarded, and the air left in his lungs abandoned him. Electricity he didn't know existed hummed from the beginning of his black hair down to the end of his fingertips.
Carefully, he snaked a hand through her waist, but this time, arm stayed. He was ready to get into something less decent when –
"My, my, my, if that keeps up, you'll put my books to shame."
Hinata gasped and jumped. "H-Hatake-sensei!"
Sasuke swore loudly. Of all times for something like this to happen…!
Kakashi shook his head from the outside of the locker. "Don't stop on my account, continue with whatever passionate encounter you were having. I, in the meanwhile, will open this locker and be on my way."
The turn of a key was heard. Kakashi pulled on the handle and Sasuke, whom had been pressed on the door, fell backwards, Hinata right along with him.
Kakashi seemed amused at the heap of goo on the floor and raised his brows. "Naruto asked me to please open locker number 242 at 11:30." Kakashi failed to inform that the hyperactive blond had actually blackmailed him with his novels, but seeing as Sasuke and Miss Hyuuga didn't need to know that…well. "He never said that I'd find something so interesting in there," he added and gave Sasuke the thumb-ups.
Had Hinata not been there, Sasuke would have killed Kakashi for opening his impertinent mouth.
"Oh," Kakashi voiced almost as a second thought as he walked out of the boys' locker room. "The janitors will close the school in ten minutes, so if you want to leave the building, now is your chance."
.
.
.
He never saw her again after that self-degrading experience.
Ha.
Well, Sasuke had to admit that was another lie.
In reality, he saw her the very next day, Saturday, bright and early. He was out in the park, running his usual morning laps. After his work-out was over and done with, he had taken a break and sat on a desolated park bench, a bottle of water in his hands. He was alone except for a few lone runners and two individuals walking their dogs.
When a shadow fell upon his head, he stated, "No, I won't date you, go out with you, or accept your phone number."
"Jeez, aren't you charming in the morning, bastard," said an unimpressed Naruto. Sasuke almost broke his neck trying to look at the bane of his existence.
"You."
"Yeah, yeah, it's me alright, your good ol' pal." Sasuke's killer intent was disregarded with ease. "I'm not even going to ask you about yesterday, because Transfer Girl already filled me in –"
"Her name is Hinata," Sasuke interrupted him hotly.
Naruto didn't even bat a lash. "Anyway, as I was saying, Transfer Girl –"
"Hinata."
"Hinata called me last night because she obviously didn't ask for your number, so she couldn't talk to you or anything."
Sasuke shook his head, trying to figure out what Naruto was saying (and ignoring the fact that the blond had her phone number and vice versa). "Your point being?"
"My point being, she asked me how she could find you today, and I told her, so good luck, bastard. Don't screw up, either, ya hear?"
Sasuke had always prided himself over his mental quality, but right now, his mind was in instant chaos.
Find him? Hinata? Good luck? Screw up? What?
"That's all I came here to say, so now I better run before she– Oh! She's here. Hey there, Transfer Girl, er, I mean, Hinata!" he called out.
Sasuke froze in his seat.
The Uzumaki turned to the Uchiha and whispered loudly, "See ya, Sasuke! You can shower me with gratitude in the form of ramen later!" and just like that, he ran in the opposite direction.
Sasuke was torn between going after Naruto to torture him for not warning him much earlier or staying and face Hinata.
Although he opted for the first, he had no choice in the matter, for soft steps rooted him to the spot.
How...how was he going to face her? He had no idea how to act or what to say. He...he wasn't ready. What was he supposed to say to her?
'Look, Hinata. I like you and we kissed yesterday. Also, I walked you home after being released from that locker and in the way, we spoke not a word due to the immense awkwardness. Crazy adventure, isn't it? Now, I demand for you to go out with me?'
Was that even how these sort of things were done?
"G-good morning," her soft voice resounded in his ears and Sasuke tensed. He hoped she hadn't noticed.
She now stood in front of him, her hands clasped neatly, dressed in a pretty white dress that made her hair contrast beautifully.
"Hinata," he acknowledged and could have given himself a pat on the back for sounding so dang cool. What could he say, his big brother had taught him well.
"I-I hope you don't mind –"
I don't.
" –me interrupting you – "
You aren't.
" –but I didn't have your phone number –"
You'll mysteriously find that specific piece of information in your purse soon.
" –so I had to ask Naruto-san where to find you," she finished, his thoughts unheard.
"Yes...he told me as much a while ago."
"O-oh. Um, that's good..." she trailed off and Sasuke knew instantly that if he didn't pick up the conversation, this scenario would become awkward.
"Is...there anything you wanted from me?"
She played with her fingers but quickly hid her fists behind her back. "I wanted to tell you that..."
Sasuke held his breath.
"That I..."
Yes, yes, you what, Hinata?
"That I..." Her face turned cherry red. "That I-I think your cheeks are very alluring!"
He slowly arched a brow, managing to appear skeptical even with his full-out flush (curse the Uchiha fair skin) that she had caused with her sudden and unexpected outburst.
As if aware of what she had just confessed, her eyes widened gradually and the shade of ruby red began to make its way down her neck.
"I-I mean, I think your cheeks are, they are –" she babbled and voiced something in a squeaky language Sasuke could not comprehend.
"They are what?"
Hinata swallowed. "L-like strawberries," she almost whispered.
Strawberries?
For the first time in his life Sasuke wondered why being compared to a fruit made him feel so elated.
"O-or sweet apples..."
"You...like strawberries and apples?"
Hinata nodded enthusiastically.
Okay, make that double elated.
"Prove it."
Hinata blinked.
Sasuke's face twitched and his eyes widened a little.
What. The. Hell had just come out of his mouth?
"Prove...it?" she echoed dumbly.
He himself had no idea what the heck he had meant. Nonetheless, curious at what she would do, Sasuke said nothing and looked on expectantly.
"Prove it," she nodded her head once and gazed at him thoughtfully for a moment. "O-okay."
Sasuke felt his face getting hotter but he refused to avert his gaze first.
Thank the Uchiha pride. So it was finally good for something.
"Okay," she repeated and he could see the way she was accumulating her courage. "But c-close your eyes, please."
A second brow joined the first.
Hinata was now looking at everything but him.
So Sasuke cautiously and slowly did as he was told. It wasn't as if he thought Hinata would harm him or anything like that, but her request was slightly odd.
To close his eyes? For what purpose?
Having questions but unsure if he wanted to get answers, his lids slid shut.
At first, he felt nothing but the slight breeze blowing through the fields, until the warmth from Hinata's body nearing his made him straight up like a rod. The cascade of her loose hair brushed the skin of his bare shoulders, tickling him.
Unsure of what she was planning, he frowned in uncertainty, but kept his eyes closed.
That is, until he felt small teeth graze his right cheek – and bite softly on the hot flesh there.
His mouth parted with surprise and then...and then he was in heaven.
Oh...now that felt good.
If this was paradise, then he could stay like that for as long as Hinata wanted.
The moment felt endless, but it was still too short for his liking.
She pulled away and it took all of his strength not to pull her to him. Hinata stepped back, foiling that plan. She covered her face with her hands, her fluorescent color so bright he couldn't even put a name to the shade.
"T-t-there!"
Her embarrassment gave him confidence. He cleared his throat subtly to get rid of the lump there. "Strawberries and apples, eh."
Hinata faced the ground, disbelief at her boldness running through her veins.
"Does that mean you wished to eat me?"
A mousy squeak came from the scandalized female. At any moment now, he expected to see smoke rising from the top of her head due to overheating.
"I'll take that as a yes," he smirked, outrageous blush and all. He got to his to his feet and closed the distance.
Hinata prayed for the earth to crack open and swallow her whole.
Sasuke's palm on the back of her neck brought a whole other wave of heat to her cheekbones. "So. Does that mean I can kiss you again?"
She was amazed she hadn't passed out, and a little satisfied too. His question, though, made it difficult to breathe. Her hands fell away and her pearl-like eyes, wide and shocked stared back at him.
"Hm, is that a yes?"
Naruto had asked her what she liked about Sasuke last night, and as cliché as it had sounded, Hinata had said she liked the way Sasuke smiled.
It was a scare turn of lips no one got to see every day, and knowing that he was enjoying himself had made her slight attraction to him triple in power. The fact that he blushed when he grinned with a very unique tint of pink was a big bonus too.
If Naruto asked again, Hinata was sure she would support her previous answer. Sasuke's smile was addicting in its own way.
Her barely detectable nod was more than enough answer for him.
Without further due, he deposited in her mouth the kiss he'd been dying to give her.
He was pleased to report he was kissed the same way in return.
.
.
.
A/N: I live for awkward sasuhina. Anyhow, I hoped you liked it? Where did the fruits come from? Idk, idk, idk. Haha. I published this on Tumblr (barely uploaded the other half that I finished not a minute ago). So yeah! Check me out in my blog if you haven't already. Fher43 is my user name. You can also find me in the #sasuhina tag :D
(Yes, Nightmares ch 17's coming.)
Note 2: I noticed after I published that the format of messed up the original and intended one I had placed in this one-shot. I went back to fix it.