~ Denial ~


"Hey, Hinata-chan… I was wondering.. If you'd like to go out with me?" Sasuke almost spat out, very quickly, lunch completely forgotten.

He needed her to say yes.

Wanted her to say yes.

But..

Would she?


CHAPTER TWO:

Hinata's eyes widened a fraction, and then she recomposed herself and stood up. "M-M-My apologies, Uchiha-san," she stammered, bowing slightly in his direction. "T-There is ... s-someone else I like..." She straightened up again, a deep blush colouring her cheeks. "A-Also, I do not understand why you would ask this of me. Today was the first day you have spoken to me. I-If... if this is your exchange for the cough pills, I would rather not receive it. And if it is for some other reason other than honest feelings, I think you have shamed yourself." Hinata cut herself off there, feeling that she had gone too far- it was just that her father's lessons on retaliation in politics had been well taught. "My apologies," she repeated, bowing again and then straightening up as she waited for Sasuke's reply.

Sasuke paused.

That... that had been unexpected.

His throat suddenly became far more dry than before, his hand left limp by his side, face, for once showing an emotion other than his sarcastic smirk; Shock.
He flicked dark eyes up and down her.

He should have gone with his gut instinct. He should have never have said anything. He should have stayed in his recluded little corner, brooding at his desk, and snarling venomously at his fangirls.

Millions of them, he could have chosen.

But no.

He stood silently, a good head taller than the girl, face straight and unreadable, ominous like the silence before a storm.

" Then I have shamed myself," He spat venomously, turning abruptly on his heel and stalking away; Uchiha's never ran from anything.

Hinata lowered her eyes as Sasuke stormed away. She brought her drink to her lips and finished it, before tossing it carelessly into a bin. The girl was oddly silent as she made her way around the cafeteria and followed the corridor Sakura had escaped through earlier. "S-Sa-Sakura-chan?" she called out. After her confrontation with Sasuke, where her voice had remained strong, she found it breaking terribly.

Sakura was sitting at her desk ready for her next class, despite the fact that the bell hadn't gone yet. Hinata-chan had gone off with Uchiha-san. 'Nyaaaaa...' Sakura thought sadly to herself as she slowly stacked up her books and opened her pencil case. How long was Break, anyways? It had never seemed to last this long before.

Sasuke glared at anyone who dared pass him. Whispers followed him at every turn. Stares bored into his back, constantly following him.

And all he was trying to do was get to math class. Why was that so hard?

He felt like snapping several necks, but refrained, attempting to calm himself.

Hinata's unwillingness was just a little hitch in his plans. There were other girls.

His gaze snapped to one pink-haired individual, already sitting in their class, attentive despite the lack of teacher.

Just as he stepped through the door, the bell chimed, but for once, the air wasn't filled with groans.

Just more whispers.

Sasuke would have walked straight out of the almost empty class, except he saw an opportunity opening.

Sakura.

"Hmmm," Sasuke replied softly, gaze once more becoming calculating. Why was he doing all this again? Was any of this.. All of this coming in contact with others.. Was it worth it? Was.. was convincing himself really that neesecary?

'Yes,' muttered a small part of his concious.

He needed this.

Because, the alternative, was far worse.

With yet another fake smile, that seemed to be becoming more common place than his smirk, he took the seat beside Sakura.

His books cluttered on the desk, clunking down, and would have echoed, had the whispering not filled the air instead.

People were already filing in, once again shocked by his choice of company.
'Let them stare,' He thought irrately, glaring at each in turn.

"Uchiha-san?" Sakura asked, surprised. Her pencil fell to the ground. She went to retrieve it, and as she did so, noticed all the stares and whispered conversations. She frowned, using her new-found independance from "Sasuke-kun" to make a rational decision.
"Can I help you with something?" she asked politely as she faced Sasuke again. Sakura Haruno was not going to be made a fool of, not by Sasuke, not by anyone.

Sasuke turned. He decided physical contact would be too much - So simply pulled out his fake smile once more, eyes meeting fleetingly with her own.
" No... But if this seats reserved for one of your friends, I can move," He added a touch of hurt to his words, biting his lip and attempting to keep down the bile fighting its way up his throat.

This was low, and he knew it.

But..

But he had to.

Sakura was a nice girl. She'd convince him that he liked her. he was certain of it.

But was SHE trying convince him to like her... Or was he?

That, he was still unsure of.

"N-No, you're fine," Sakura said, and then focussed on the teacher who'd just walked in. As the man began puttering around his desk and the blackboard, getting ready for the lesson, her mind was thinking quickly. So Sasuke-kun wanted to talk to her now? Well, Sakura was no longer a fan girl! But surely that didn't mean she had to ignore him, riiiight? And when... if... he turned out to be a nice guy, maybe they could be friends, and then go out, and then get-
Gaaaah! She wasn't meant to be thinking like that! The girl shook her head slightly, and then before her thoughts could betray her again, turned to the Uchiha and smiled. "The teacher's really slow, isn't he?" she murmured.

Sasuke nearly jumped.
Nearly.
But of course, Uchiha's never jump.
His smirk returned.
" Yeahh, but he always waddles around the front of the classroom like that....," He paused.
She was falling for it.
Really falling for it.
He could scarecly keep the grin off his face, and he tapped his toes to some unknown tune. Perhaps this really would work out!
The fact that his plan was working so well just broadened the smirk stretching across his handsome features.
This was going to work.

Sakura stifled her giggles behind her hand, and then nodded. "Nyaa, he looks like a walrus. It's no wonder the class never listens to him," she said, indicating the rest of the classroom. Students were huddled in groups, chattering excitedly about the latest goss- in this case, Sasuke's "friendship" choices. Boys were standing or sitting on their tables, showing off for some other girls who were squealing excitedly. Sakura stuck out her tongue. I would never be like THATshe said to herself, spying one of the girls openly flirting with a boy.

Sasuke gave her a curt nod, smirk broadening once more.
Now, it was time to strike, quick as a serpent and with twice the strength.
With a gentle flash of fingers, he brushed his hand over Sakura's forearm, a gesture that could have easily be passed off as an accident.

However, he spoke not a word, dark eyes focussed on his pencil case as he flicked out a pen, book already laid open, crisp white pages filled with his neat scrawl.
" Hmmm… But you don't remind me of a walrus at all. More like a pretty little blossum," He purred nonchalantly, before his pencil started scratching noisily against his paper, taking notes as though he had been listening all lesson.

NYAAAAAA?! was the one resounding thought echoing through a certain Sakura Haruno's mind. /Is he serious?! Did he just- he did didn't he- oh my- he just- SAKURA BREATHE and with that she drew in a deep breath- all while trying to hide from Sasuke that fact that she felt like exploding with excitement. This is so not fair! she wailed to herself. Just as I was trying to stay away from him, Sasuke-kun went and did THAT! Nyaaaaa~!! Out loud, Sakura managed to contain herself enough to reply with, "Nyaaa? Corny, considering my name." Where was she getting this from?! That was an insult! "But I think I like it," she added, glancing in Sasuke's direction and then back to her own book where she too was innocently copying down notes.

She felt like exploding, and struggled valiantly to stop the grin from spreading across her face. She managed to suppress it mostly, and ended up with what looked like a smirk crossed with a smile and pink cheeks.

Sasuke had to suppress the shudder, pausing to consider her, elegantly drawing a hand beneath his chin, dark eyes almost puzzled.
The puppy dog face. And there was one move to complete it…
He tilted his head to one side, dark bangs falling infront of his eyes, almost hinting that he was shy.

Really it was to hide the frown that was flickering across his features.
If this was the right thing, why did it feel so wrong?
" So just because you were named after blossom, means I can't compliment you on your beauty?" He tried to make his voice sound hurt, with a slint hint of playfulness.

He just hoped he was a good acting, having never had practice in this area.
Why did Naruto have to make this whole 'flirting' thing so simple, when he was so obviously oblivious?

Sakura had no chance. The moment Sasuke had tipped his head to the side, revealing his puppydog eyes and the perfect, pale curve of his jaw, Inner Sakura had squealed and set off a chain reaction of bombs along the girl's mind. "Nyaaahahaha," Sakura laughed, "Th-that's alright! I mean, it's perfectly fine, it's still a compliment and it's not good to complain and Sasuke-kun you said it so it must be true and and and yeaaahh..." She was staring at him dreamily now, Inner Sakura turning Sasuke's face and earlier words into fairy-tale fantasies of white weddings, tuxedos and pink glitter.

Sasuke gave her his fake smile, practically sending sparkles flying in every direction.
" Thats good.. So it means I can tell you what a beautiful shade of jade-green your eyes are?" He purred again, pale fingers coming up to lightly trace her jaw, and disapearing just as quickly. As though he had run his hand along a squalding surface, and retracted quickly so as not to burn.. Which was almost what he felt.
He wondered what it felt to be able to follow someone so madly.. So blindly, that you couldn't see them obviously lying between their teeth.
He doubted he would ever put that trust in someone.
The very thought actually shook him to the core.
Would he be like that?

Would he ever feel that?

"Sasuke...kun..." Sakura murmured leaning forward a little unconsciously. Inner Sakura was writing out wedding invitations and deciding on flower girls- Hinata, of course, and Ino... in her head, and pink glitter was still falling from the heavens. The dull interior of the classroom had completely vanished from Sakura's sights, in fact everything had been wiped clear from her mind other than her Sasuke-kun and their future together! "Nyaaa, you're so kind," she exclaimed happily. "I knew you would be! Sasuke-kun, you're so nice to me~ and you have such pretty eyes too~" Sakura said, almost in a sing-song type of voice.

Sasuke suddenly felt his gut clench. He frowned, eyes loosing their spark, brows furrowed in a look of something close to pain, mouth contorted almost in a snarl.
Why did he have to do this… What was with all these fake smiles, all these gestures without any feeling?
Why was his conscious suddenly kicking in..
This, somehow, had nothing to do with his pride.
This had something to do with how he felt, quite a bit deeper than that.
Why did he have to ignore possibly the best thing in his life.. Convince himself lies.. And betray his own being… For his 'Uchiha Pride'?
With a hiss, he recoiled, hands clenched firmly in to fists.
Maybe it was the lack of sleep.
Maybe it was because he wasn't feeling well.
Or maybe, it was because for the first time in years, he was going to ignore his pride.. And act on gut feeling.
He stood, stiffly, flinging his desk backwards, gaining the attention of the entire class, as well as their 'walrus' of a teacher.
" I need to find someone," He snarled, before kicking over his desk, ignoring the books clattering to the floor, and sprinting out, slamming the door behind him. His heart pounded in his chest, adreniline pumping through his body. He was panting like he'd run a marathon.. Felt as though he was running for his life.
And yet, as the wind ruffled through already messy hair, he felt the freest he had in a long, long time. And now their was just one thing left to do.
He was going to find Naruto

The world cracked, the pink glitter flew away on a gale-force wind and Inner Sakura's guest list was torn from her hands. What. Sakura stared blankly at the space Sasuke's face had been in mere moments ago. What. This... wasn't happening. "Sasuke... kun...?" she breathed, feeling completely out of it. Time felt like it was warping around her, leaving her untouched in this moment of complete betrayal and pain. She'd been an idiot. Freed from the Uchiha's intoxicating presence, Sakura realised she'd been a hypocrite and a fangirl to boot. How the hell did that happen...?
She didn't know if that moment would ever end, but finally it did. Only to be followed by the next tick of the second hand on her silver watch, which heralded the arrival of guilt and shock. Another small 'tick' and despair joined the party of emotions wreaking destruction along Inner Sakura's perfectly designed dresses and white carpets.
How had she let Sasuke do this to her?
How had she done this to herself?
Blind crushes, she thought to herself bitterly, snapping her pen in her hand. Ink splattered over her palm. And arrogant, undeserving boys like Sasuke-kun. She thought of the name with a slight twist of her lips, showing her distaste for everything the letters stood for.

Hinata was her History teacher's favourite student. Smart, quick and polite, the Hyuuga girl had quickly gained the teacher's trust and liking. As such, during a time like this, when an urgent errand had to be run, only Hinata had been trusted to deliver the message and parcel. Hyuugas never hurried or moved ungracefully, and Hinata had already finished her classwork. After finishing the delivery, this left her to slowly make her way back to class, her thoughts reflecting slowly on the lunchbreak. She hadn't found Sakura before the bell had rung, which worried her a little. But Hinata had faith in Sakura's ability to think rationally- in everything except Sasuke-san. Now that her thoughts had turned to the Uchiha, she wondered idely what had happened to him after he'd stalked off... his last, venomous words flashed through her mind. "Then I have shamed myself..."
Why had Sasuke-san tried to approach her, in any case? Surely nothing could be so bad that he was hiding from himself? Unless it was his older brother, Itachi Uchiha. Hinata didn't know much about the elder of the two Uchiha brothers, but she did know that he wanted only the best for Sasuke. And for Itachi, that meant reputation. Had Itachi told Sasuke to approach her, in that case? Hinata allowed herself a shrug, thoroughly mystified about the whole issue.
Maybe she should ask Sasuke-san about it later. Though that would likely end up with an awkward situation, Hinata did not like being confused- her mind was usually agile and smart enough to discover people's motives, and she was having trouble with Sasuke. Just then she looked up as a door slammed shut, and who would be coming down the corridor towards her other than the one and only Sasuke-san?

There was no chance of Naruto going to school that day. He'd stayed up the night before playing video games until an unholy hour of the morning, when he'd then collapsed into his mattress. Despite- or perhaps because of- the perfect weather outside, Naruto had remained tucked up in bed, happily snoring through his alarm clock as it went off regularly every ten minutes. After four repetitions, the clock evidently decided there was no use in trying to get Naruto up because it stopped ringing. Which meant there was nothing to stop the blonde boy from sleeping in until midday.
At the moment, said blonde boy was rubbing sleepies out of his eyes whilst grouchily pawing through his cupboard in search of food. Miso ramen would have been an ideal breakfast for Naruto, but he was out. Uttering something between a wail and a growl, the boy dumped himself down in the middle of the kitchen, crossed his arms and declared to the world in general, "I want miso ramen~!" However, there was no-one to answer his demand, and soon enough a growling tummy forced Naruto up again and into his bedroom to get changed into his favourite orange hoodie and jeans. A few minutes later, Naruto slammed the door shut behind him, checked he had Gama-chan full of coins, and set off happily for Ichiraku Ramen for his breakfast.
Soon enough, Naruto was ordering his beloved miso ramen. Or rather, trying to.
"Shouldn't you be at school?" asked the owner suspiciously.
"Nooo, every teacher in the school got sick so it's cancelled," Naruto laughed, waving his hand dismissively.
Ten seconds later, the pavement outside met Naruto's backside not for the first time. Scowling, Naruto picked himself up and stalked off grumpily without a backward glance. Until he tripped spectacularly, managing to catch himself at the last moment, and then he glanced around sheepishly. The world was determined to trip him up, Naruto had decided long ago. There was no way the number of times he hit the ground was due solely to him- after all, he was going to be the next souban! He was too co-ordinated, dammit!

As Sasuke was striding from that classroom, he could feel the weight of all the expectations, everything, suddenly lifting from his shoulders.
But that could only last so long. He knew, if he stayed on school grounds, he'd either be roped back into class (And back to what he now assumed a very distraught Sakura) – Or be sent to the councillor.
Both of which were unappetizing in the extreme.

He was about ready to hurry on out of the school grounds, and sprint down the street, when he spotted Hinata making her almost agonizingly slow way back to class.
He paused to examine her for a second, hesitating.
He needed to get past her to be free of the grounds.
To find the only person he had been wanting to be with these past few weeks.

The one person who had decided not to turn up to school today, that unthinking idio-…
He returned to the present, shooting his gaze once more to Hinata.
He hadn't realized he has stopped, and sagged into a locker, the cool metal running almost comfortingly down his side. Hadn't realized that he'd once again let himself gaze off into a fantasy land.

Hadn't realized that he had never considered what he would do with himself if Naruto simply said, 'No.'
That thought made he pause again, eyes wide.
If he did… What would happen?
By now, he had surely thrown off his reputation as the cold-hearted bastard, stomped on it, and left it lying in a little pile of whispers a rumors.

Who knew what the student body thought now?
And with a smirk, his conscious added, ' And who cares? We're doing things OUR way now,'
And that thought added a little colour back to his cheeks, and made dark eyes ignite once more, fuelled by some secret passion that should never have spluttered into life.

"Sasuke-san?" Hinata asked softly. She'd meant to simply pass him, and let him be. However, his collapse into the closest locker had concerned her, so she had pulled herself up and spoken to him. He looked completely out of it, an expression the Hyuuga girl had never expected to see on the Uchiha's face.

Sasuke's dark eyes darted up to hers, and for a moment, onyx met a mysterious cloudy purple.

Then the Uchiha decidedly fixed his gaze somewhat off over her left shoulder, attempting to ignore the girls face. However, his gaze was drawn back by that worried expression that flittered across her features. Hinata was far too kind.

He gently reached out, placing a hand limply upon her shoulder, and giving it a pat, hand floppy, moving with the stiffness of a butterflies last few wing beats.

His thin, drawn smile made it all the more evident that being pinned between the girl and the locker behind him was an uncomfortable experience for him.

" I'm about to do something completely ridiculous. But it feels brilliant," He muttered, more to himself than her.

He gave her that same, drawn smile, before swiftly stalking past her, shoes making no noise on the vinyl flooring.

And with those final, fateful words, Sasuke proceeded through the door, watching as it swung closed behind him, leaving one what he assumed rather bemused Hyuuga behind it.