A/N: hi hello i'm back real quick to drop this baby off - 3 more exams and 1 paper to go! i'll return to momentum soon enough, i promise. this idea came to me during my physics exam yesterday and i was compelled to finish it by the writer that lives in my head.
also wow, this is my 20th story on this site! thank you for your support, it gives me the warm fuzzies and inspires me to keep writing :)
The high-pitched, but muted, sound that echoed through the camp was a cross between a squeaky door and a newborn kitten.
Sasuke glanced up from the map he was studying, attempting to locate the source. Not that the noise could have come from a very threatening or malicious entity, but he was naturally curious.
"Excuse me," his team mate piped up from his left, sniffling.
Was that… her? Was that supposed to be a sneeze? He almost laughed out loud at the realization.
His cheek twitched as he fought to keep the grin off his face. He wanted to punch himself - why did he find a simple sneeze so amusing? He was Uchiha Sasuke, known for his cold exterior and blase attitude; unmoved by traditionally cute things like puppies or babies or miniature objects.
Apparently he was not immune to all that is endearing, because he's never been this close to losing his composure.
"The nights are unexpectedly cold here," Hinata remarked while rubbing her arms and inching closer to the fire. Though she was bundled up in several blankets, she was still shivering.
An "mhm" in agreement was all he could manage.
He was afraid of spontaneously bursting into uncontrollable laughter. Hinata would probably think him odd and while he generally didn't care what people thought about him, it could make the rest of the mission awkward.
In an effort to keep a smirk at bay, he fixed a stern expression instead. Purposefully staring at the fire, he tried to think of things that would kill the amusement that seemed to bubble in his chest.
That is, until she made the sound again; face scrunching up and shoulders jerking forward as she sneezed into her elbow.
"Pfft-" he began and found himself unable to stop. He immediately clasped a hand to his mouth in an unsuccessful attempt to muffle the sound.
"S-sorry," Sasuke tried to say between his snickering, but he couldn't take in enough oxygen to do so. Tears were forming at his lashes and a terrible cramp was building in his abdominal muscles - he honestly couldn't remember the last time he's cracked up this hard.
Taken aback by her partner's random display of happiness and perceiving it to be infectious, a smile curled her lips and she eventually joined in as well. In passing, she thought that joy was a good look for the typically sullen man.
Thoroughly confused but delighted at Sasuke's outburst, Hinata wanted to know the reason behind his positive mood. "What is it?" she managed to giggle out.
The most emotion she's seen him give was the rare, minute grin. Even then it was always quick - if she blinked at the wrong time she could miss it.
When he was able to pull in full breaths of air again, he dismissed her question with a shake of his head, smirk still present.
Understanding he was a man of few words, she accepted his non-answer and turned back to the fire to try to quell her tremors. She had severely underestimated the temperature drop in this area.
A weight was placed upon her shoulders and she was suddenly enveloped in warmth. The puzzled kunoichi turned around to see Sasuke hovering above her, clad in only a long sleeve thermal and sweats. His large navy cloak was currently draped over her, emanating heat that her body gladly absorbed.
Before she could voice her protests, the Uchiha held up a hand and stated, "I'm turning in anyways and you need it more than me."
He was right. Her trembling had subsided significantly since wearing the garment and she unconsciously snuggled into it.
"Thank you, Sasuke-san," she expressed, with genuine gratitude shining in her lavender eyes.
Seeing her engulfed in his cape that was much too large for her, he allowed the corners of his mouth to quirk up. He was loathe to admit it to himself, but she was… cute.
He nodded in acknowledgement of her thanks before turning to head to the tent.
Watching him go from her place by the bonfire, she mused to herself.
Despite his less than savory reputation, Uchiha Sasuke was secretly sweet.
She smiled at the thought and tugged his cloak closer to her.