I am such an idiot! But here it is!

Anyways, last chapter, I was supposed to dedicate it to math music reading. But like I said, I'm such an idiot!

So, this is to you, math music reading. Not only are you nice about Sakura and the fact that she has feelings, but your compliements always put me in a good mood^^

Thanks babe, you rock!

Sasuke revved the engine of his motorcycle and smirked to himself as the door to Hinata's apartment was yanked open. Her milky lilac eyes were wide with surprise as she leaned over the black railing, seemingly half-dressed in a slinky white camisole and a pair of dark rinse denim capris. A bright laugh bubbled from her glossed lips as he balanced the bike with his foot, barely registering that the other people who lived in the apartment had come out to inspect.

Hinata held up two fingers before disappearing inside, only to emerge, a black knit bolero jacket thrown over her camisole and a pair of metallic silver flats on her petite feet. She had pulled her glossy auburn hair back into a loose bun, with a silver rhinestone clip to keep her long bangs out of her eyes.

"This is great!" She smiled brightly as she took the extra helmet from him. "I get to ride on Sasuke-san's motorcycle." She wrapped her arms around his slim waist and wriggled in her seat, eyes focused above the shoulder of his black leather jacket, loving the feel of the bike rumbling beneath them. "So where are we going?"

"Just a café." He speed off and another excited laugh bubbled from her lips. There was just something . . . so thrilling about being on a motorcycle. It was dangerous and fast, but it gave the person a rush of adrenaline, the thrill of something daring. Hinata decided she liked motorcycles more than she liked cars or public transportation.

"I see you still haven't gotten a car," he said at they pulled up to a light and Hinata relaxed her grip, her breathing kind of shaky. "Is there an actual reason as to why that is?"

She blushed, remembering how they had stopped the shoots for two days because of her . . . outburst. "Ah, well, I like walking more than driving. And I haven't actually . . . needed a car before. Everything's just in reach of where I live, or everything that I need anyways."

He nodded and they were off again. She pressed herself tighter against him, smiling as the wind whipped at her flimsy jacket and thin camisole. No wonder Sasuke liked motorcycles. They were way more fun that an open-top Porsche. And she had ridden in plenty of those.

Oh god, she shouldn't have thought that.

Clamping her eyes shut, she shook the thought off. He was long gone. His career was taking off and likewise for her. It was better that they were apart anyways. It just would have just gotten more painful for him to stay by her side if they had stayed together any longer. There were better things than reminiscing about the past.

A feeling she was all too familiar with welled up inside of her chest but she fought it back down. She was on a date with Uchiha Sasuke for god's sake! Couldn't she at least enjoy the simple fact that any man would like her for more than the fact that she was simply from a rich family and had made her own living after they had disowned her?

"Is something wrong?" Sasuke's voice barely carried over the roar of the engine, snapping her out of her train of thought. She nodded against his back, smiling. "I'm just enjoying the ride. It really takes a lot of strength to stay on this thing."

She could hear the smirk in his voice and she leaned over, trying to get look at his face. "Try keeping it balanced. It's like learning to ride a bike all over again."

She glanced down at the vehicle, noting the way it seemed to shimmer in the late morning sun. "But it is pretty."

"That's no reason to get it though. Pretty or not, they're hard to ride." He paused for a second and she could tell he was rolling his eyes. "I sound like your mother or something."

She laughed to cover the bitter taste in her mouth. "Okaa-san hasn't been around for years. She died when I was young."

"Oh." He paused again, his head twisting in both directions as they stopped at a bright red stop sign. She realized they were going through a little suburban neighborhood. "That sucks."

She watched as the family homes blurred by her eyes, reminding her of what she used to have when Okaa-san was alive. "Yes, it does. My little sister doesn't remember anything about her, save for what my father tells her. Okaa-san died giving birth to Hanabi-chan."

"My mother died of cancer."

She nodded, glancing up at the turquoise sky. "I heard. I'm sorry."

"Why? It's not like you gave it to her," he muttered through the helmet and she could feel his shoulders tense. Tightening her grip, she leaned in a little closer, flush against his back. "Even so. I know how it feels to loose someone you love like that." She smiled to herself as they hit another corner, the toes of their shoes barely grazing the asphalt of the road. The thrill was making her tremble with pleasure, or maybe that was the vibration of the engine throughout the bike. "It –to take a quote from you- sucks."

A humored chuckle left his lips as they left the neighborhood and crossed an intersection. "It does. But whatever. She's in a better place, I suppose. My home wasn't exactly all talks around the kitchen table and family game nights."

She giggled as they passed car after expensive looking car. "Neither was my life either. But since my mother died, Hanabi kind of looked to me for that kind of influence. I did a lot more than my father cared to." She bit the inside of her cheek. "He really missed out on a lot during those years. But he had the nerve to say I was his heir to the company as was I his eldest daughter, especially since Hanabi sure didn't want it."

They stopped at another light and Sasuke cocked his head. "Sounds like a real jerk-off if you ask me. But then again, my pops was the same. Couldn't have cared less for what I did, except for when it came to his precious company."

"Do you stay in touch with your father, Sasuke-san?"

He was silent for a moment as they watched the light. Then he shook his head, revving the engine. "He died not too long after my mother did."

"Oh. I'm-,"

"Don't be," he cut in, turning another corner sharply. "I never did like the old man. I'm glad I don't have him breathing down my damn neck every goddamn second."

"Well, do you have any family left? Or were you an only child?"

He cocked his head again as they pulled up in front of a small brick building. "What's with all these questions anyway?" He pulled his helmet off and faced her, shoving his keys into his pocket with a playful smirk. "Let's just enjoy the afternoon. It's nice out for once."

She blushed softly and slid off the back of bike. "You're right. It's a nice afternoon, nice and cool."

"Which means we shall be eating on the roof." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his light wash loose jeans and leaned back, squinting his jet-black eyes at the brick building in front of them. "I'm sure Chouji doesn't have too many people up there at this time of day."

"Chouji?" she echoed questioningly

He smirked and nodded, walking up to the frosted glass door. "Yep. Akimichi Chouji. The greatest chief I've ever met." He yanked open the door and gestured for her to go in. "He's kind of like you."

She paused, a blush decorating her pale cheeks, watching as he swept past her towards the counter. "Wh-what do you mean by that?"

He leaned into her, an amused glint in his eyes. "He's too sweet for his own good."

--X--

Sakura sucked in her bottom lip, leaning over her leg and pushing the brush against her toenail. Dragging it upwards, a perfect line of rosy red colored a third of her nail and she was dipped the brush back into its little bottle, her green eyes focused on her trembling hand. Cradling the phone against her shoulder, she listened as Hinata gushed happily about her day.

Jealousy reared its ugly green head and Sakura closed her eyes, breathing out slowly. Now was not the time. Hinata totally deserved this. She shifted in her hanging egg chair, reaching back to fluff her zebra stripped pillow. But no matter what she did, she couldn't squelch that feeling in her stomach. It rose up the back of her throat, threatening her to spit something she didn't want to hack up.

Taking another yogic breath, she smiled and said "uh-huh" like the good friend she so desperately wanted to be for someone she hadn't seen smiled so brightly since nine years ago, when they were first booked as their infamous duo. And besides, Hinata didn't know. And if Sakura had told her earlier, maybe things would have turned out different.

Her emerald eyes rose to look at her Western candy apple red 90's diner clock that sat on the wall above her mantel. She had bought Hinata a lavender one just like it after she had gotten back from a shoot in the states. She wondered if Hinata still had that clock hanging over her bed, like the last she had visited her friend's apartment. God, she could barely remember that ratty thing. Did Hinata even live in the same apartment? It had been a few years . . .

"Sakura-chan?" Hinata's soft voice floated into her thoughts and Sakura blinked, the memories slipping back into their box in a corner of her mind. "Are you all right? Is there something else you wish to talk about?"

Sakura could hear the reluctance in this sentence. Hinata wanted to be able to laugh and giggle like they had years before. She wanted to be able to run over to her best friend's house and be greeted by Sakura's infamous hundred-bottle collection of nailpolish and the smell of a medium vegetarian pizza set out on the coffee table. But they were older, and wiser, and above giggling and laughing. There would never be anymore of that. Sakura wouldn't curl Hinata's eyelashes anymore. Hinata wouldn't laugh at Sakura's corny knock-knock jokes.

And even though that was years ago, Hinata was still willing to take a step back and care. She was still able to nod and hug Sakura even though it had been years since they had last seen each other. Hinata was the first girl Sakura ever truly envied, right down to the bone. Everything about Hinata was humble, graceful, and elegant. She was simplicity at its best; everything about her was just true and real.

And here she was, turning green in the face because Hinata wanted to gush about the best first date she had had in years.

Sakura's eyes filled with tears of guilt as she dipped the brush back into the bottle, twisting the cap closed. "Nah, keep going."

The smile was so evident in Hinata's voice that Sakura had a hard time forgetting those days when they would pass each other notes during their cram lessons together at the Haruno residence, when their teacher wasn't paying attention. Hinata would always giggle softly, scribbling in her neat kanji across the little piece of lined paper.

God, she missed those days.

Sakura bent her head and blew on her toe, until the line was dry. Tucking her leg underneath her, she pulled her pillow into her lap, feeling the silk of her robe brush against her bare assets, the B-cup boobs she had bared more than once, the thighs she had pulled countless pairs of jeans over, the baby smooth skin she doused in moisturizers to keep its smoothness.

"Okay, Hinata-chan, start from the beginning. I want to hear it all again. I wasn't paying attention the last time."

For once, Sakura was able to keep jealousy at bay. But she knew, that next time, she wouldn't be able to guilt-trip herself out of it so easily.

Uh-oh, trouble's a brewin!

I know, I know, it's been a while! But I'm back!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Because I sure did^^

I'm outtie ~CocoaAngel95