Complex

Chapter 4- Red Wall

'lone warrior seeks peace in another'

Sasuke was tidying everything away, especially most of the paintings he had been trying to improve on for months. No one knew he painted, no one ever asked, and he only liked to do it in the privacy of his bedroom alone. Hinata would be coming over, and he didn't want her of all people to see what he had been painting, especially since most of the girls he brought back were from when he had done art classes a while back. Unbelievable as that was to some people, and as they were night classes, he invited some back so they could pose for him, doing sketches and leaving the painting until they were gone. Admittedly, he did sleep with some of them, but never pursued it more than just the need to be with someone, which, being single; he was more than entitled to. He never used them, and they knew it was just a sexual thing that happened between them, he knew they would not want to be with someone as strange as him; especially if they knew his past, they would run as far away as possible.

Hinata had been watching the oversized library clock tick away ow so slowly, it felt agonizing waiting to finish. Tsunade was at her desk, in her own little world trying to sort stuff out Hinata didn't want to even know or care to what she was sorting out.

It was 2 minutes to 6, and Hinata decided a few minutes finishing early wouldn't make that much difference, " Tsunade...do you mind if I go now?" she didn't want her to think she could just ask anything of her and do what she wanted. " huh, oh, do you mind just putting those few books on the counter away before you leave?" Hinata didn't want to just be rude and say 'no' so she just nodded and started putting at least 12 books back into their right place. The library was huge, and it took her at least 5-10 minutes to put away 7 of them. Knowing she was going to be late going to Sasuke's, but not wanting to just leave everything to Tsunade, she put the rest of the books back where they were supposed to.

" I'm finished now, will you be alright tsunade?" seeing she was not listening very much with her head in tons of paper.

" wha- oh yes, I'm fine, you've done your job today, this is my work now. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow." Tsunade liked to be left alone most times, and I think that was her hint of saying 'your done. go.'

"Right. See you tomorrow then, night tsunade." Tsunade just lifted her hand to wave slightly as Hinata walked out the front doors and down the street, to her apartment block a few streets away.

Hinata had been in deep thought on the way home, thinking about him, Sasuke. She wondered of they were both thinking this was both like a date, and if it was...was he expecting more than just her company?

When she reached the doors to the apartment block, she put the thoughts to the back of her mind as she climbed the stairs, not liking the elevator. She wondered would he be mad that she was was late, but then again it wasn't a date right?

"ugh, these stairs just seem to go on and on when your tired, I've never walked so much in my life. How pathetic must I be?" Hinata tortured herself about being tired after just working one day. But Hinata had been working tirelessly, up and down ladders all day, stacking away too many books to even count. running errands for Tsunade, realizing Tsunade had two jobs and wanted to help her heay load by running and getting things for her. It was a two story library with the upper part being a type of small museum with, little artifacts, filing shelves around the walls, which tsunade had her file and organize three of them. Apparently Tsunade did need Hinata around here more than she thought.

Reaching her floor and taking a short moment to rest on the banister, she then saw Sasuke standing out in the hall.

" Sasuke!" wondering why he was looking so amused.

"your late." so he did notice.

"oh. I'm sorry, I needed to help tsunade, she was overloaded with other stuff, and the owner is coming tomorrow so I just gave her some extra help, ease te stress she must be feeling. Especially having two jobs!" Explaining herself again, he thought, it was becoming a cute trade of hers. 'you have to stop thinking of her like that Sasuke'.

"It's okay, you can be late you know. But the pizza might be a little cold" She looked at him...'Pizza? He got pizza, wonder what toppings. How sweet, how did he know I like pizza?'

"You got pizza?" hoping he would share what type he got, he did.

"yes. and I got different toppings, just in case, so there are two slices each of the four toppings I picked." 'wow...how thoughtful. Stop Hinata it's not like that, he just didn't know'.

He had thought about it, he didn't get anything with garlic as she said, he thought he was becoming quite aware that he was listening closely to everything she said...too closely.

" So what Horror films did you get, ones you thought you could scare me with huh?" Hinata smirked and gave a slightly flirty grin. It didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke, he thought she was just kidding around, but it felt like she was...flirting a little with him? Maybe,'don't think too much of it sasuke, this isn't like this'.

"Right, well come one then, don't want to stand out here all night when their's a pizza getting cold in there?" She felt hungry, and pizza sounded soooo good, maybe it was having pizza with Sasuke that sounded good? that couldn't be denied.

Hinata had never met anyone quite like Sasuke, he was handsome, too handsome, he had dark eyes, with a crimson glow that only showed itself very rarely. HIs hair was as black as Hinata's, only Hinata's had a slight tone shift in it to his, giving of a slight marine blue in bright lighting. No one like him had ever shown interest in her, not even Naruto, and he wasn't half as good-looking as Sasuke not even near. So why did someone like him want to be friends with a young women like her? 'Sure she was normal looking, but I'm nothing like Sakura or anyone remotely beautiful? so why?...forget it Hinata, right now, just have pizza with him'.

" come one then, your just standing there!" Realizing she had been in a daze thinking about her and him.

" right, sorry Uhhh" yawning loudly. "worked hard today then?" as they walked to his apartment, she replied " yeah, well sort of. Tsunade is such a nice woman, likes to be alone, but secretly I think she enjoys some company." Their little chat into his apartment felt so natural and not forced at all, as if they had been friends for --well, years.

" Never really talked to her myself much, she generally just nods behind her big glasses that hang over nose. They really are big glasses!" Hinata giggled very girly when hearing him talk about her glasses, at least others thought they were too big for her small face. And Tsunade was a pretty women, she didn't need to hide behind those glasses, why hide a pretty face?

" yeah, I think she needs smaller ones. Besides, she's too pretty to be wearing them things." She replied.

"True, always thought she was pretty, but always seemed so...to herself, never really talkative either. She seems to like you though?" She looked at him as he nodded her over to the couch.

" yeah, I like her too, she's nice once you get to know her. She just needs to be more open." He nodded in agreement, knowing Hinata was someone found it easy to confide in and talk to so easily, as he had done when he finally got talking to her.

Hinata made herself comfortable on his couch, always tucking her legs in a cross position underneath herself and placing her sandals at the side of his flat course rug. Sasuke only saw the top of her head of the sofa, knowing she wasn't that tall really, no more than 5'4" at the most. He found himself cutting pieces of pizza and placing it on a plate and bringing it around to where she was sitting. " Right. I had four toppings ordered, so here are some for you, just eat what ones you like. I'll save the rest for later, for the ones you don't eat." Little did he know, she would eat them all!

"oh thank you, wow. I am so hungry, they look delicious. " turning round to talk to him over the back of the sofa " you know, you may have underestimated me. I think I may end up eating all of this, you know?" smiling pleasingly.

"eat to your hearts content, no point of waste is there?" true, she thought.

" what about you? your having some right?" not wanting to stuff her face while he sat with nothing.

"hm. Yeah, don't think your eating alone did you? I can match your appetite ten folds." She hoped that wasn't a eating challenge, she didn't think she could muster the energy to get in a eating competition; and she just wanted to enjoy this delicious variety of toppings.

" I can imagine, your taller than me so of course you could consume more than I could" Couldn't argue that, taking his place beside her with his own pizza slices, more than she had. but she figured he would eat more anyway. Not moving from his seat, he simply pressed play to start the film.

" so...what film did you get?" shifting slightly in her seat.

"wait and see..." leaving her with just a side view of his profile, his lips were curled at the sides, which she found to be very cute indeed.

As the film opening began she recognized what film he had gotten, " I know this one?."

Knowing he had gotten the worst horror film he could think, to see if she would react, he was sorely disappointed at her response.

" It's the Texas Chain Saw Massacre...not too bad, you can pick creepy ones, thats for sure" Oh god, Hinata hated this film, most horrors were fine, but she hated ones based on actual events. This one was the worst in her eyes.

" so this one doesn't bother you then?" trying to maintain a straight face " no not at all, it's not that gory either, but still good enough" Dear heavens, I think I'll pay more interest in the pizza.

Hinata found herself ever so slightly closing her eyes at the scene where the masked man dragged the young girl into a room full of hooks...worst scene ever, god this is just wrong.

Sasuke peered from the corner of his eye to notice she was narrowing her eyes at this particular part. Soo adorable, she really doesn't like horror. hm, maybe this film is a bit intense?.

After the film was over , Hinata had kept her word, she had eaten every slice, which he found to be an endearing trait. " Right well, I'll just put these away and we can talk if you want?" Now you made it sound like you want more...think sasuke.

" sure, what do you want to talk about?" he hadn't her to be so calm about him asking so ambiguously.

"whatever you want,how have felt about living around here?" dumbass, she's been here a year and you ask that as if she just moved in...ass.

"Fine, you get used to city life after a while. I like my apartment, so I am fairly happy as it is, you?" don't pry too much Hinata.

" Me? well, I've been here near 4 years now. In and out of Jobs over the years, never really stable that way" How much should I tell her? does she want to know more about me, I can't help but want to know more about her.

" so why did you move here?...you don't have to answer that, if you don't want to" hoping in a way, she would.

"well, to get away from everyone. I didn't have anyone holding me down, and everyone was getting on with their lives...I was just in the same place as always." Feeling he knew what she meant, his life was at the moment in the same situation it had been for some years.

" yeah,I know what you mean, never seeming to go anywhere?" Hinata let out a whispered 'yeah'.

They had been talking for some time, a couple of hours had passed and Sasuke had got up to go to the bathroom and said he wouldn't be long. He had just gone to wash his face, because whether he believed it or not; he was feeling slightly tired, in a good way.

Hinata was a lot more tired than Sasuke and she felt her eyes starting to close, she thought she would be alright if she just closed her eyes for a moment while he was in the bathroom, then she fell asleep. Sasuke had only been a few minutes, but Hinata was asleep already. 'Okay, now this was awkward. She's asleep on my Sofa, what do I do now? Should I leave her here, wait until she wakes up? Should I bring her back to her to her own apartment? No. that would look weird, and she would suspect something. Best just eave her on the Sofa until she wakes up, yeah.'

After deciding to leave her on the sofa, he put her jacket over her shoulders so not to get cold. For a moment he leaned down, looking at her, he had noticed before, but as she lay there sleeping; he knew she was beautiful. It was clear to see, and he felt himself move closer to her feeling himself been drawn in; like a moth to a light. 'What are you doing? your going to kiss her? while she's asleep...smooth, real smooth.' Feeling he needed to stop himself from making this awkward, especially if she woke right in that moment. Yet, he couldn't help himself, as he gently lowered his face so close he could hear her tiny breath escaping her soft open lips. Now he wouldn't stop, but he restrained himself from kissing her lips and placing his own on her cheek, feeling how incredibly soft her cheek was; 'god that feels soo soft, like the finest satin. Don't talk like a poet...ass' He didn't want her to wake, and she didn't, and he felt himself dreaming as a song played in the background from the Tv ( goo goo dolls - Iris), feeling a slight warmth catch his face and momentarily station him as he brushed her bangs from her eyes. She was so pale, and gave a slight grey-blue glow at night, reflecting a porcelain doll, immortalized in it's static state. He knelt there for a few moments before realizing this would be a good time to take out his sketch pad, and she would be his own personal model; but would never know.

Sasuke didn't know how long he had sat in the chair across from her, simply making endless sketches of her, simply sleeping. Some he did of her in different positions, but with her face still in a serene state. Hinata slept well into morning, while Sasuke was awake until daybreak, fascinated by this girl he had recently become to befriend and who's company he had to admit; enjoyed a lot, very much indeed. Time passed, and Sasuke wondered if he should wake her, but decided she would wake herself eventually when she needed to, until then, he simply finished some last sketches; put them away for later and went back to sitting in his armchair, watching the sleeping beauty. In that moment, he realized he found friendship in this peace, in this beauty, a beauty who befriended a lone man...much like the book he read; he had found peace in another person...her.