Personally, I enjoyed being scared. In a nice controlled environment where I feel safe and secure, it's nice to just let all my troubles drift away and live in the moment. It's a weird way to let go of the stresses of the world, but I found that it worked. Movies were a regular thing with me: slasher flicks, chases, and mysteries, supernatural to the mundane murders. I relished the opportunity to swap my everyday stress of being a Hyuuga with the guilty-pleasure of immersing myself in a good scare. At least, my life was better than the average token rich girl in those movies; I'd actually last longer than half an hour.

The last time I had visited a horror house was with Naruto. He was a screamer. And a clinger. Sometimes though, he was a real charmer. It happened when he was really scared; he would shove me behind him and face the 'danger' head on himself. It was really sweet.

He had teased me a little about how I'd yelp and jump at all the ghosts or the passing shadow, but that was Naruto. Big grin, eyes slitted in upturned happy lines, boisterous and energetic. Heck, we were both giddy when we tumbled out of the Cave. We had faced every gimmick and hadn't run from a single one. Though… we did have to stop and apologize to one of the pouncing staff members. It was a 'bad habit' moment. Unfortunately for the 'werewolf', both Naruto and I had lashed out. Something about dead ends puts us on edge.

We laughed and ate ice cream. Giggling over the various pictures the Cave had given to us. Some of them were hilarious; others, downright embarrassing. Those latter ones, by mutual agreement, were shredded on the spot. My favourite one was where I had jumped the same time that Naruto had grabbed my hand. We had ended up in a pile on the floor laughing our heads off as the camera had snapped for the second time.

It had been a lot of fun. Very carefree.

And in a weird way, it wasn't all that different from my situation now.

Hidan had gotten us into a group tour. Maybe because of the price or because he knew I'd be uncomfortable wandering through a dark house with only him—who knew. We were paired up with three other people: another couple and their third wheel, a sister.

At the entrance, we were greeted by a guide who explained that the tour was part show, part game. We had to pay attention to our surroundings because there were multiple paths through the house. Clues would lead us to an early exit (which would have been disappointing) or to the final answer to the mystery.

Okay… this could be pretty neat.

In the first three minutes of the walk, I got my first revelation. I've gotten used to the guys trying to act tough. Even though anyone walking in here knew the goal was to get a scare and thus get a thrill, there was always someone who wanted to be a stoic rock. The other guy was a thin fellow with bags under his eyes. He tried to cough to cover up his first yelp. Hidan didn't bother.

My date jumped and let out a yell. And then laughed and congratulated the zombie who had grabbed his ankle.

I admit, I scowled at him then. Hidan just grinned wider and shrugged, said, "Fuck it. I'm distracted."

And I couldn't help it, I rolled my eyes and turned my back on him, because if I didn't, I'd be smiling. Not at him, but just in general. It's better to be with people who appreciate a setup like this. Sasuke was a stubborn rock who denied every flinch, which, granted, was rare. But where was the fun in that? After twice dragging him through with me, Naruto was an obvious replacement. Not that Sasuke cared.

After that, the atmosphere of the tour changed. Skinny Guy loosened up, freaked out just as much as the sister and even ended up dragging his date down into a giggling pile when he jumped and tripped her.

After about half an hour, we had four clues and three different choices. One was an obvious way out. Sunshine had nothing to do with a haunted house, unless it was over. So if we wanted to leave, apparently there was an open window behind the red china cabinet on the ground floor. The second route was up into the third floor, possibly the attic. Something to do with lightning and metal implants (someone loved Frankenstein's Monster). The third was back down and further, into a basement where there'd be mummies and sinking sand pits.

Have to admit, I wanted to know how they'd pull off quicksand. There had to be safety catches. Nets? And no one wanted sand in awkward places… So many awkward places once past the knees. Ugh.

The third wheel wanted to go for the basement too, but she was overruled. There were bugs down there, and even if they were fake that was a no go for the couple.

"Why bother coming in then?" I wondered, after the others waved goodbye and disappeared around a cobwebbed corner.

Hidan—who had crouched down to poke at a snuffling tangle of hair—answered, "Program lists out what to expect and at what stages. Not the exact details, but if you got a specific fear, they let you know if you call in."

In the dim amber light of the second floor, Hidan's skin was the brightest thing in the room. Which made meeting his dark eyes a visual experience. He looked like a ghost himself. A disembodied skull floating in the air. Maybe that was why he wore dark clothing into a dark house. Or maybe I was over thinking it.

"Did you call in and ask about anything?" Everyone had to have something they were uneasy about. Mine was not likely something to encounter in a haunted house, so I rarely got that freaked out.

His white head cocked back and his teeth glinted. "Asking for weaknesses on the first date, sugar?"

"Keeping secrets already?"

Hidan had a distinctive laugh. It wasn't one of those full-belly guffaws that Naruto gave out. No, his was high and sharp, on the edge of mocking, and clearly amused. "Keep talking like that, and I'll tell you everything."

In all the time we'd been on the tour, I hadn't once grabbed at him while the actors and gimmicks did their parts. That's not saying I didn't react, but I just didn't feel comfortable clinging to him like I'd do with Naruto. So. There'd been space. And it felt necessary. Just… not what I was used to.

With that going through my hindbrain, Hidan's sudden lurch to stand and step into my space was at once alarming and… correct.

Er. Not correct in that it was proper or right or expected or any of that. And I don't want to say that just any body would do when in a haunted house—Oh God, that was not how I meant it to sound. But, here was the person who I had paired up with on this adventure taking their place by my side.

Or in Hidan's case, front and center. One hand coming up to brush my cheek from just below my left eye, trailing down to just below my ear. Dark red eyes watching his own fingers and then turning slowly to my mouth.

"Hidan." His touch was over my pulse. He had to feel that. And this close… No. I was not looking at his lips. Eyes. Eyes. I was watching his eyes. I sucked in another breath. "What are you doing?"

And then I felt like an idiot. As if I needed to ask? We were alone. In the dark. And I wasn't saying no.

He wasn't smiling now, but he did look up. We weren't plastered up against each other, but this near he had to switch his gaze from my left to right eye and back. It was either that or look at the bridge of my nose and feel stupid and cross-eyed. I knew the feeling.

"Claustrophobia." The edges around his eyes creased and one of his brows half quirked. "That's me."

I had to blink. Had to think for a moment, recalling all the narrow hallways and the two tiny rooms with the skewed perspectives we had already gone through. "Oh." Had to give him props. He hadn't seemed any different than when dealing with any of the other phobias. "I had no idea."

A finger tapped between my brows, and I realized I was frowning. And staring at his chest as he shrugged one shoulder. Eyes up! How's it possible to have definition through a sweater?! "'Course not. I still got my pride." He grinned, the tip of his tongue flicking over the tips of his teeth. I sucked in a deep breath and held it when he ducked down, nose to nose. "So what's yours, princess?"

I looked away. I had to. What was I supposed to do? Talk right into his mouth? Send my pent up breath straight into him? Hope that I didn't sway closer with— I stepped away too. His fingers finally left my neck. Didn't mean my heart slowed down.

"Drowning." He had gained that. Earned it. For all that I had dreaded meeting up with him, spending time with him… Ever since we had left the café, I hadn't wanted to call off the date. Hadn't even given serious thought to leaving. Could even say I was enjoying myself in a strange, wary, charged sort of way. I was aware of myself and of his physical presence like nothing else. Sasuke hadn't leered. Hadn't made obvious appreciative gestures, comments, jokes. Sasuke had been… expectant. At that time, I had wanted that. I wanted him to take the lead and give me a clear outline of what would make him happy. What he needed.

Sasuke had never asked what my weaknesses were. Maybe it was because it was an odd thing to ask? Was it rude to ask? Strange? Something that should be learned after a few dates? But then, by the time those weeks had passed, Sasuke presumed he knew enough. At one time, Naruto had said Sasuke was observant, but the details didn't stick. That was probably the kindest way of saying it. The next time it came up, my friend had wrinkled his nose and proclaimed my boyfriend the most observant rock in Konoha. Sure, he saw things; he remembered them. He just didn't think those details were worth taking into consideration. As long as they didn't interfere with his life.

"And you want to check out the quicksand pit?" Hidan's voice was full-on incredulous, but… "Fuck yeah. Let's do that." He wrapped an arm around my waist at the same time I twisted around to stare at him—there was a warmth there in his words. An appreciation other than sexual. Thin lips framing a shark's grin, Hidan fit right into the house's theme. "You and me. Fuck phobias."

Revelations work like light bulbs in a dark space. You could walk into a room with a flashlight, get an idea of what was around, but then you'd trip over a powerbar and suddenly everything's revealed. The room you were in could be just the end of a hall or the corner of an overstocked warehouse. Once those lights were on, you couldn't view the space the same way again, because now you knew.

If this was how Hidan treated life. If this was what it was like to have him as a partner…

My heart was still hammering; my breath, shuddering. And he hadn't kissed me yet.

He let me go when I wanted space, but he didn't give up, just pushed at those boundaries in different ways. For all his lecherous words, he hadn't once groped me. Physically, he was gentle. Hidan. Gentle. Kind.

Knowing my fears, and his, and willing to hit both. Together. Physically and mentally.

It was a lot like going with Naruto. It was also so very different.

I nudged his hand off my hip, but caught it before he withdrew completely. In the quiet of the hall, I could hear his breath stall, just for a moment.

Pulling him with me, I walked back the way we had come: towards the stairs. "Yeah. Fuck 'em."

Behind me, Hidan laughed and squeezed my hand.

xXx

A/N: As to the protests that Hidan wouldn't react in a haunted house and jump like some pansy, my argument is this: he's distracted and relaxed. He's with the girl he wants, and he doesn't feel the need to prove himself as a tough guy—Hinata will make her own impressions of that (or has already). He's comfortably amused with experiencing what the haunted house offers. Besides, if he's watching and prepping for everything, he can't focus on Hinata. And she's the whole point of the trip.