A/N: for 13 days of sasuhina on tumblr! inspired by that one scene in gekkan shoujo nozaki-kun.
(haha i said i'd write a multi-chap but this one shot happened)
They were sitting on a cliff facing Konoha, waiting for the New Year's fireworks show.
This was it. Sasuke had pined after the Hyuuga heiress for four years and seven months and he was finally going to confess his feelings.
The thought made his face pale and stomach churn, as his mind ran through the limitless terrible scenarios that could occur. The stab of imagined rejection was what kept him from saying anything, but he had mentally prepared for this for an unspeakable amount of time and he was going to do it.
He glanced at the woman sitting next to him.
Hinata was just staring up and admiring the sky, unpolluted by glaring city lights; lavender eyes searching for constellations.
He noticed the absence of her winter parka and how tightly she wrapped her arms around herself. Clad only in a sweater, scarf, jeans, and boots, she was positively shivering.
Scooting closer to her, he asked, "Forgot your coat?"
"A-ah, it appears I l-left it at the party," she replied sheepishly, the cold weather bringing back her stutter with a vengeance.
"Come here." His tone left no room for argument.
He lifted an arm, inviting her to share the warmth of his cape. She readily accepted the invitation and let out a sigh of pleasure at the heat. The Uchiha was always so warm, was it because he had an affinity for fire?
"Thanks, Sasuke."
He didn't meet her gaze, flustered at the intimacy of the situation. The man simply wrapped the arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him.
Upon making contact with her, he shivered and Hinata started to pull away from him, apologizing, "S-sorry! I know I'm cold."
"No it's fine," he quickly pulled her back. "I don't want you to catch frostbite."
He couldn't admit he wasn't shivering because of her temperature, but her proximity.
A comfortable silence settled between them, as Hinata defrosted and Sasuke had an internal struggle.
Alright, he was just going to rip the band aid. It was now or never.
"Hinata." His statement was sudden, almost a shout.
The girl in question was startled and looked at Sasuke curiously, waiting for him to complete his thought.
"Hinata… I-"
The abrupt crack of fireworks obscured his words.
"Sorry Sasuke, I didn't catch that," she tilted her head and leaned in closer to him. Eyes shining, the various colors of the fireworks played upon her visage. She was stunning. Unreal.
He almost forgot what he wanted to say.
Taking a breath to steel his nerves, he licked his lips and repeated his statement.
"I said I'm-"
Once again, his heartfelt confession was interrupted by poorly timed explosions.
Although she did not hear exactly what he said, his expression was earnest and his stare was boring into hers. The boom was still ringing in her ears but Sasuke's expectant gaze compelled her to reply.
"I'm glad," Hinata beamed and raised her voice slightly over the crackles and pops. "I also love the fireworks display!"
His eye twitched. He wanted to Chidori the people setting off the damn things. But her smile was bright and he lost the courage to repeat himself. The dejected man just nodded and offered a weak smirk.
He decided he would take her to the Ferris wheel next time… just anywhere without fireworks.