Phase One
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Attraction
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(4) The beginning of obsessive, controlling behavior begins to manifest
-Confusing Obsession with Love. Dr. John D. Moore (2006)
03
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When upon opening your eyes, the first thing you see is but a series of multicolored hues spinning together into what is worldly artistic—golden pavements, green surrounds, perfectly blue skies—you know well that you are in a place that is closest to heaven as it could get. Perhaps the Elysium. Possibly Olympus. The name hardly matters. The spectacle does.
As a child, Hinata had imagined that it was her soul allowing itself to vacate momentarily from her exhausted body, soaring up and up in order for her to reunite with the angels, her spirit gliding upwards in graceful, coordinated levitation. She would sing there. She would dance all night long. Bask under the wonder of being rid from all the problems you shoulder in the world. It would be like Atlas finally having the world lifted off his burden. Sleep to her, is always when you can breathe as you should.
Her mother sang to her the most lulling of lullabies. Her father made sure she was safe when she slept, owing to a near-death experience she had when it proved that even in the confines of her bedroom, there was still danger. Which is why it's only understandable why she cherished being in dreams like no other. It is, to her safe respite from everything that is threatening to topple her existence, anything that challenges her. Hinata has never been a brave soul as far as she is concerned and perhaps this is really what she is destined for. Running away while she can, escaping the harsh reality, letting herself be consumed by her inherent cowardice; because as lucidly as she can remember, the last time she stood up to someone, it didn't really end well. It's always best to be safe.
Prone to hyperventilating about everything at daytime, Hinata's only chance of ever being normal is the luxury of a good night's sleep. But even that has been harshly taken away from her.
Lest sleep be plagued by the visions of him again…
Many times, she grew tired of her childish daze—for all she does in there are things she wouldn't have done when awakened- and finally lets herself be burdened once again by the trials of wakefulness where at least you are in absolute control. Back then, dreams of such bliss were a norm. They are a right, not a privilege. What with children as of yet not having an iota of grasp about how cruel life would be a decade later. And the fact that in a second, things could spiral out of hand. How could Naruto and her have to be like this? Why couldn't the world just let her live with whom she wants to for the rest of her life? This is her chaos. This has been her life of dreamless sleep in the past few months. The emptiness she feels. The regret in which she wonders how it could have been. Wasteful thoughts that don't help at all. Witnessing this apparent peace now in her dreamscape, she finds herself subconsciously surprised.
She hasn't seen heaven in the past few years.
And consciously as well—although she is a bit naively entranced in the meantime by the beauty of everything she sees to bother addressing the gravely fact that this isn't real and that this is unusual and that she shouldn't delude herself into thinking this is finally a lovely premonition. For what does she have for a better life? Until today, her world revolved around Naruto and now that the sun of her world has forever relinquished its light, is there ever a chance for the bleak that is her to stand out? This new home is but a consolation. If anything, she would have traded it in a flash if it meant getting back what she had before. But her subconscious, for all its awareness, only concedes into letting her wallow in this temporary break. To give her a taste of heaven even though it's all but an illusion.
One of the real-life applications of the most popular clichés. If this is a dream…
Don't wake me up.
It's been far too long. She hadn't had this feeling of being uplifted since the days her family left her in the dust, since Naruto did what he did and since the torturous days that followed in her lonesome tenancy in Hagoromo street. So maybe moving in the Sharingan is really the break she needs, she muses as she treads on the precarious cloud pathway in her dream. She doesn't know it yet. Nobody does. But in a minute, part of her knows that all of this beauty would be gone with the drifting wind.
Everything good in life would eventually be gone, right?
But it's always nice to know you are going to wake up in something that is better than the home you are used to. Sharingan Building. It certainly is proving itself quite well in just a matter of the first few hours.
The birds continue chirping. Harps are being played somewhere. From around her the sun is shining majestically, casting an ethereal glow to the already otherworldly greatness of the place she is fortunate enough to grace her feet on. There are trees all around and yet she finds herself stepping on the clouds as well, the air suddenly very tangible whenever she so much as set foot on it. Whenever she so much desires a seat, a chair appears. The branches part as if in reverence of her. And the birds sing louder. It is like… everything is made easy for her here.
And it gets even better.
Below her is seemingly a window to everybody's lives, clouds congregating and forming a misty circle where the whole of human race can be seen. She leans down, very much fascinated by the spectacle. Faceless and nameless blokes pass around in a hurry but their haste doesn't stop Hinata from reading their stories from the smallest of their body language. Hunched shoulders indicate surrender. Distantly trudging couple screams domestic violence. Longing glances speak of unrequited love. She doesn't stop to think where this spontaneous expertise stemmed from. She watches people she doesn't know go to and fro beneath her, minding their own business and blissfully unaware of the hidden eyes that are sneaking a peek in their controversial lives. And for the first time in her life, Hinata feels like the title character in all of her stories. Travelling back in time in order to spy on how people lived. Not privy of the fact that they are already prying.
She wonders if this is afterlife after all.
But something snaps her back. This feeling… This feeling… Hinata shivers. Why does it feel so familiar? And there is engulfing of darkness, shadows creeping all the beauty all around and the black painting the once colorful canvas. From behind her, she feels an intense stare burning. And she already knows…
Sharingan light blinking amidst all the black in her vision.
The red, red eyes of watchfulness…
Watching… watching… watching…
.
.
He watched her make the bed. He watched her throw herself on it. Now as she comfortably lies down away from the torture of wakefulness and into dreamland, he can only do little but make sure no one harms her whilst she's away. Sasuke wants her to feel at home as much as possible and what better to do than guard her like a hawk as his mother used to do with him?
Hinata's first night in the building and Sasuke chooses not to sleep. He never properly does anyway—burdened as he is by… no.. no.… not the time to talk about that— so an all nighter wouldn't be much of a crippling sacrifice. There's wine in the fridge. There's instant coffee ready. And watching her be dressed in that scant see-through nightdress is entertaining enough if he decides to think about what he would do should he be there instead of the ridiculous number of pillows around her.
He knows he would love it. He always loved it when Mikoto slept next to him.
Instead he only opts for the littlest of naps while lethargically lounging around his seat, eyes still drawn towards her prone, sleeping body being live-fed in the masters, the both of her lying under the blankets in a too compressed fetal position. Back hunched. Knees curled. Arms draped securely around herself. She tosses and turns. Grumbles unintelligible phrases from time to time. Drools a bit before she shakes it away through some sheet rubbing. Sasuke can't remember Mikoto being this messy as a sleeper but considering that the late Uchiha Matriarch always have to be prim and proper when he is around, he assumes that this should be normal when the person thought they can trust privacy. He keeps a sharp eye on her, wary of any signs that she is uncomfortable of her new arrangement. Any reasons for her to leave prematurely should be immediately eliminated. That's how Sharingan is.
He wants her to sleep well for once.
The pretty face deserves it.
2AM is never the hottest time of the day, contrary to popular belief and for Sasuke, who is a hustler when it comes to people's daily routine, 2am is as uneventful as it could get. No sex even. Just people getting intimate with their beds and even though they have their hands under their boxers, that sight gets boring after a while. But today is a significantly different day. Hinata is here now. Watching her is no longer just a hobby to pass the time and calm his nerves. As expected. It's strange—absurd even— but he feels protective of her. Don't ask him when it happened. But it's probably when she was nice to the employees he was normally harsh on. Yamato Nadeshiko. She would make the perfect man very happy someday. Until then, he was going to make sure she would be untouched.
This is an obligation. Mikoto wouldn't like if something happened with this girl under his meticulous watch.
Mikoto wouldn't want something like that to happen to Hinata too.
And oddly enough the Heavens must be on his side as people seem to make up for the lack of activity earlier last night. Things certainly are not boring like usual. Better than any variant of Karin's coffee or any wine's inebriation. Dozing Hinata stays in the masters and the infamous laundry room, once again is featured on 2. Shikaku wants to end things. Ino is being exceptionally stubborn. And they end up having sex anyway. And here he secretly hoped there would be some drama. Of course, he could always make an anonymous phone call to the already perceptive and suspicious Yoshino. But that would be against his will to be as objective to his subjects' lives as is possible
At the seventh floor being showcased in the fourth monitor, Hayate and Baki are having a fierce fistfight, too much of a scuffle that they may end up killing themselves. He has already alerted Kabuto, with enough sugarcoating so that the manager wouldn't even suspect that Sasuke could see it before his eyes. But that hardly helps. Yugao and the rest of his idiotic security staff are panicking. Kiba is still out somewhere so no hopes in scaring them into submission with the snarling huge mutt. Even Kakashi the resident peacemaker is out cold. Sasuke would rather not have policemen butting their heads inside his building but with how things are going, he isn't one to be taking risks in being sued negligence. When it all comes down to something worrisome, he resolves that the 911 buttons is always ready to be punched.
3AM and the brawlers are finally separated. Thankfully, there isn't much of a racket. Kabuto managed to play justice in the meantime, without involving them to any further judiciary scandal. Sasuke takes note that he would give the bespectacled man a raise someday—and Juugo too since he certainly did a good job in finding clients. There's a new one interested in 9A. Kurenai doesn't seem pleased at all by her floormate's noise. Tenten is at the wrist-slashing business yet again. This time after staring at the jar of anticoagulant she must have stolen from her shrink's office. Hinata, fortunately is all the way down the thirteenth floor and away from the chaos of the upper ones, continues her trek to dreamland.
Anko wakes up to have a quickie with some bloke she took home—a seemingly drunk man in green spandex. Orochimaru is at the pedophile fetish yet again, his gross need sufficiently satiated by the kid Kabuto brainwashed with some candy. Suigetsu finally realizes he has dozed off in the tub this whole time. Karin sleeps with Sasuke's shirt on—still unwashed it seems—and occasionally murmurs his name in a wanton utterance. He flinches. Hinata snores all these away, seemingly innocent to all the atrocities even those in deepest slumber can commit in the earliest of mornings.
5AM and she groans quite audibly.
His ears perk up, senses suddenly flared and alert. From the monitors he can see her toss and turn even more violently, causing her wildly flailing feet to kick the covers away as she clutches the mattress in sheer desperation. Her mouth opens in a soundless scream. Tears start to leak from her still shut eyes. Feet shuffling away painfully, as if she is trying in vain to outrun somebody. The sheets are kicked. Hinata's hand clenches, her voice turn hoarse and the once peaceful smile of comfort turns into a gnawing snarl. The bed quakes. The springs creak.
All of this while Shion of 16A prays to Jashin as a late night routine, mumbling incoherent incantations to a nonexistent deity. Monitor seven stays ignored though. His eyes are rapt in attention to the masters.
Hinata…
She is having a nightmare.
Eyes fixed on the screen, he fingers his gin and tonic he prepared after the fight was resolved, his hands trembling uncontrollably. Absently stirring. The spoon twirling around the liquid, thoroughly submerged.
Hinata resumes twitching, grunting, shivering in sleep. Fear… he concludes, is such a strong emotion. But one has to admit that it look quite good on her.
Everything Hinata does is beautiful after all.
Even though one day it might kill her.
Like his mother.
He doesn't want that.
Terribly worried, Sasuke has half the mind on turning on the fire alarm. If only to save her from getting consumed by the realms of the underworld. He knows the drill well. He has seen enough of it. His mother died while no one is watching. He couldn't let the same thing happen to Hinata, now that she's completely under his watch.
And then all of a sudden, her phone rings.
That does it. Her opalescent eyes snap back open in surprise. He sighs in utter relief.
Standing up, he goes into the kitchen to make himself another drink—this time stronger so as to momentarily soothe his nerves and listens all ears to the rush of footfalls in Hinata's suite and her frantic searching to where the incessant ringing—Nico Touches The Walls singing—originates. He stirs the drink and looks over the pass through where her beautiful image blares on the mammoth screens. She stands by the night table, a white cellphone on her cheek. A fire symbol keychain dangles. She has a frown on her face.
He mindlessly throws the wineglass back to the sink and hurriedly runs down towards the console, switching the sound louder and then activating the mobile phone link scanner without a hitch. He sits down on his warm chair and waits with bated breath for it to start. The oscillation bar escalates. And then somebody from the other line speaks. "Because dammit Hinata!" a man booms. Sasuke winces, turning the chappy volume down. "just a few minutes talking face to face! That's my only request! Is that such a big fucking deal?!"
…
.
.
To say that Hinata is surprised would be a grave understatement.
The clock says 5:05 when she hung up, feeling no better than before as she once again tried to get things over with Naruto. He hadn't contacted her for three months so she thought it was already over. That he was out having a new life while she was stuck in the remnants of her old one. Miserable. Her gut wrenched in paralyzing hurt. The hunch that she is getting too old for this. That this… this love she feels for a man who wouldn't try to admit what she already witness him do, will be the death of her. She didn't say much in his angry tirade but her overwhelming silence had spoken enough.
Naruto was beyond livid.
Or at least he sounded like it. The snarl in his voice was unmistakable. She only heard it once directed to her but it still is infallible in sending chills down her spine. He demanded to see her. She flatout refused. He was furious. So she hung up without ado and in severe retaliation, threw the phone where it would be forever irretrievable. Broken pieces of cord and plastic are strewn around the reinforcement living room windows, as useless as she is currently feeling.
She brings her fingers on her forehead, kneading it with her eyes closed. Early in the morning and this is what happens.
That dream… doesn't help at all.
This is not the Naruto she knows. This is not the Naruto she loves… loved. This is not the Naruto she hoped would return into being when she left.
Fighting back a sob, Hinata finds herself crumpling to the floor. Embraces herself and hides her face behind her knees. Because dammit world, she needs a damn break.
The Sharingan Light glares.
..
.
She is taking the bath once again.
Well after that show, she kind of deserves it.
After pouring her heart out into the pillows of her bed, Hinata had stood up like she should, wiped the incriminating tears out and rushed away to freshen up in optimistic hopes of a better day. Sasuke decides that he would forgive her for this blatant show of weakness this time. After what she has gone through, she should be entitled for a brief moment to ruminate in her sadness. He certainly didn't make any effort on stopping the tears when Mikoto passed even though it would gravely displease the bastard he has for a father and make things awkward for his already broken niisan. And after that, he was more than a man than anyone had thought a nine-year old should be.
So he knows that when it's all over, Hinata would be more of a one-of-a-kind woman than she already is.
Sasuke never understood what drove women to be this naive kind of sentimental martyrs—to cry for men that don't deserve any sliver of their grief. But they do it anyway. He saw it happen many times. Yoshino is still a great mother even in the light Shikaku's waning love. And in the end, Mikoto did decide to stay with Fugaku despite being treated worse than dirt. Women could be painfully dumb but Hinata is still so young. It should be okay for her to make a mistake or two before he'd be there to correct them all.
Because he has to make sure that no one—no one!—would ever come close enough to hurt her.
He would clean her dirt. He would do everything for her. The way he couldn't do anything for his mother.
With all the lights off this time, she wades in the tub and once more, Sasuke wants to kick himself for not following his brother's advice about changing the bathroom's motif to white. Or gray. Anything to make the infrared, night vision scene friendlier in the eyes. He turns the brightness to max, adjusts the contrast and inconspicuously brightens the Sharingan light in the bath a little bit. And there she is. In all her naked glory. Black and white but that's better than nothing. Hinata stares listlessly at the ripples caused by her rocking feet, eyes distant and probably thinking of the problem named Naruto. He wonders what he should do to erase that look from her. Thinking of another man doesn't suit her at all.
But she still is beautiful.
Later while watching her get dressed for an early morning jog, Sasuke realizes that this indeed, is the perfect time to meet her.
He is sure she would like him. Everyone does. Right?
Right?
..
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Barely has she pressed the button to open the descending elevator's doors, when it just parts all by itself, revealing to her the wondrous perfection for am interior that a day of experience hasn't mellowed at all. Inside, the dark-haired handsome man from yesterday nods, nicely beckoning her to share the same space as he while regarding her with slight curiosity and a welcoming aura that she doesn't find offensive at all. The man is obviously of station, dressed casually without appearing shabby in a dark blue, high-collared shirt and indescript black pants. He has abandoned the shades and his dark as night onyx eyes are now staring her up and down that so far doesn't exceed the boundaries of courtesy. He looks like the type of guy Sakura would immediately gush over. He's admittedly… sexy. And he knows it.
The regal arrogance is there alright, enshrouding his beautifully sculpted frame like a distinguishable aura of importance and would make one think twice of breathing the same claustrophobic air as him. But being born to Hyuuga Hiashi and a close cousin to Neji is not one without benefits. Dressed only in normal jogging pants and loose-fitting shirt that probably doesn't even suit her, Hinata nods cordially back in return and stands besides him as the doors close before them.
She would have been star-strucked at another time. But she's too busy fuming to herself to bother.
He speaks first as soon as she comes inside. "You're new." He points out with furrowed brows, lips set into a thoughtful line. He has his hands shoved in his pockets, his back ramrod straight. First impression tells her that this is a guy who prefers not to waste time. Frank. Direct. Someone you wouldn't want to double-cross. "Moved in yesterday?"
Hinata blushes. She always does. "Yes." She replies politely, smiling. She extends a hand, as is drilled to her. "Hyuuga Hinata."
"Uchiha Sasuke."
The name is familiar… But she chooses not to think much of it. Half of the names she hears at a daily basis are all familiar, being a businessman's daughter tasked in customer data for a summer job in her teenage years and all. She eyes the tote bag in his hands. "Going for groceries?" she questions, surprised that someone does that on an early Friday morning. She always went for hers during Saturday afternoons, as well as the rest of the people she knows. Breakfast? Rather unlikely.
"Yeah." He answers shortly, raising the green bag. Then he seemingly reads her mind. "Got a night job. Basically doesn't have time except the mornings. And I'm running out of milk."
She makes an understanding grunt. "Oh." That makes a lot of sense. She realizes she herself is quite short on supplies. "Well, I can use some too. I haven't had the time with all moving as well. Where are you shopping? Because… ano… can I come with you? I'm new here so I still don't have any idea where to go."
He gives her a charming, dynamite smile. Well, that is unexpected, she frowns to herself while observing his handsome countenance. She thought he would be peeved and annoyed by her basically hiring him on the spot to be a tour guide. Not this pleased, as it seems to her with the idea of her joining him.
Maybe… she really should have just waited for Kiba to visit…
"Well, there is 7/11 around the corner." He answers, with a light shrug that altogether dispelled any of her disconcerting feelings. Maybe she's really just wary of the kindness of strangers. She really has to check up on that. "But I prefer the convenience store two blocks away. They sell more and the prices are quite good so the long walk should be worth it. Hm."
"Oh. I don't mind walking all the way." she insists. "I'm out for a jog anyway. I need the exercise."
"I noticed." He snorts in mock good humor. Hinata pouts. So he's quite rude as well. "You look out of shape. Like you haven't come out in a while. Well, Sharingan has a lot of going-ons around here so even if you are so much of a recluse that you'd hate the sun, you'd still be far from resembling a zombie. There's the pool in the top floor and the gym at the Twenty-fifth. And take the stairs next time. Don't worry it's safe around here." He points at the surveillance camera, looking proud. "We are being watched by the best."
"Hm. I noticed." She retorts. He laughs.
"You're quite fun.. huh…" he remarks. And the elevator doors open.
He smiles at her and gestures for her to follow him. With all his dark looks, he really is quite attractive after all. And here she thought, the school kings aren't her type. Tall, dark and handsome has never been her jam. She is more inclined to bright and cute type and look where it got her. She realizes then, that she wouldn't mind walking alongside him at all.
He is the total opposite of Naruto.
He walks right ahead of her. She meekly trails behind. For a moment Hinata is actually relieved that the mysterious man chose to lead the way unlike a certain someone who did walk beside her as soon as their first meeting.
Uchiha Sasuke. Twenty-five tops. Cute.
(TBC)
Lol. I got an overwhelming number of response last chapter and I'm glad that a lot of people shares my peeves against romanticizing rape. It's not a plot device I'm fond of although I myself am a great fan of dark, sexual romance. So rest assured that I'm going to play with Sasuke and Hinata's emotions for a while before things escalate into what you may coin as the "inevitable". I included "Romance" in the genre section for a reason after all so even though Sasuke would be extra creepy in here, he wouldn't be a rapist for no reason. :D
Yay! They met! So Sasuke is going to seduce her? Hm. Rather predictable don't you think? But I'd like to think there is more to be stemming from this than that. Lol. And yes, get ready for the horror! Brrrr… And the Oedipus Complex! Waahh.. More should be revealed later btw although I think they are rather plain as day by now. Me and my hints. I just couldn't resist!
Thankees for all the reviews. And I hope I get to hear more from you. Constructive criticisms are welcome and I'm loving the particularly long reviews I get. And oh yes, I'm aware I'm in terrible need for a beta. My English sucks hehe. Anyone interested?
Please review.
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