Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Special Thanks: goes out to Kia-B, Honeyee, wolf-enzeru, Shahar Mystral, xXYour DoomXx, farahb, RikuDai, miaandB, unknown90s, Kibachow, patheticnemesis, Guest (1), Guest (2), Guest (3), shalei, MuffinMan9223, Tamani, April, orangemystery, rao hyuga 18, ZukiShi, DageRee, Carrottuce, and moonlightclock for all your reviews! Also thanks to everyone who has favorited and followed this story - I get so excited when I see new alerts in my e-box!

Author's Note: There seems to be a bit of confusion as pertains to the last chapter: some reviewers thought that when it was mentioned there were only three therapy sessions left for Hinata to stay with Sasuke, I meant there were only three chapters left. I didn't meant to imply that, even indirectly. There are several more chapters left, not just three. There's still a lot left to do in this story, and there's no way I could fit it into just three chapters without it feeling rushed and unorganized. So please, rest easy: there's still plenty of story left. Thank you all so much for reading and your feedback, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

*~Chapter XI~*

~Loneliness~

It felt like the world was completely new.

Sasuke stood on the balcony outside his bedroom, arms resting on the railing, his black eyes drinking in Konoha. The colors seemed so much brighter, the buildings taller, the trees and flowers beautiful in ways they hadn't been before.

After his last sight therapy earlier in the day, Hinata had quietly packed up her things and left. He had his flat entirely to himself again, his quiet, his solitude. Even though she hadn't really made that much noise when she'd been there, it had been enough to make him always aware someone else was sharing his space. So with her gone, he could go back to relishing life the way it had been. Of course he'd still have to meet with her every day for a while for therapy for his Sharingan, but they could do that anywhere. Sasuke had finally graduated from the cushion behind the panels in the basement, and was happy to say, "Good riddance!" to all of it.

The only thing about having her around he'd miss, he grudgingly conceded to himself, was her cooking. Sasuke could fix food on his own, naturally; but it didn't taste anything at all like what Hinata made. She'd spoiled him with all those delicious dishes while she stayed with him, and now he'd have to go back to his own mediocre meals. It was a small price to pay, though, to have his freedom back.

Instinctively, Sasuke's eyes swept across the village toward the high walls he could just see in the distance. Hinata would be home by now, probably, and busy unpacking her things. She'd probably settle right back into her daily routine with nary a hiccup, glad to be rid of him and the annoyances he'd brought into her life.

Realizing what he was doing, Sasuke scowled and tore his gaze away from the Hyuuga compound. Even though Hinata wasn't in his flat anymore, it seemed like he couldn't stop thinking about her. In fact, he seemed just as hyper-aware of her absence as he'd been of her presence. It drove him crazy!

Gazing out over Konoha lost its attractiveness (especially since he couldn't stop letting his gaze wander back toward the Hyuuga walls), so he turned and stalked back into his room. For a moment he looked around the familiar space, reacquainting himself with all his belongings and their locations about the room. Then he left, leaving the door open behind him and glad he could do so, though his steps automatically stopped in front of Hinata's - no, the guest room.

The door stood open, revealing the unoccupied space beyond. The bed stood neatly made, and he knew for a fact she'd laundered everything before she left. The nightstand stood bare, and he knew if he poked around in the bureau, it'd be empty. Though she'd left no physical trace of her presence behind, he could still hear ghostly echoes of her every time he turned around.

And her infuriating fruity-or-flowery-he-couldn't-tell-which scent still lingered on everything. In the washroom, in the kitchen, in the sitting room - he almost thought it'd soaked into the walls and tatami, too. Sasuke felt halfway tempted to take a whole bottle of bleach and wash down everything to see if he could get rid of it.

But deep down inside himself, he had to admit (albeit reluctantly) he didn't want to wash the last traces of her away. Her calming, gentle presence had been a much larger part of his life the past few weeks than he'd thought; despite how much he'd groused at her and resented her living in his flat, he didn't think he would have survived his blindness with his sanity intact if not for her serene influence. And now, abruptly, she was just gone. Though he knew he would see her again - and on a daily basis at that, at least for a while - the knowledge somehow didn't make him feel any better.

Sasuke clenched his hand into a fist and spun away from her room, forcing himself on down the hall into the main room of the flat. It looked just like it did before Hinata came: the sparse furniture placed just so, his free weights neatly stacked in the corner, the picture of his family on the table next to the door.

But suddenly it felt achingly empty.

Now Sasuke realized how much Hinata had made this sterile little flat feel like home. She'd brought warmth and life and sound with her, making it feel like a place to live in instead of merely a place to exist in.

Why did she have to complicate things? His life had been exactly the way he'd chosen before she came. He did missions with his team, and then trained the rest of the time: a rigid schedule he'd clung to for so long, yet now, suddenly, returning to it felt somehow wrong.

Though he didn't want to return to his blindness, he did want Hinata back. She'd brought something into his life he knew he could, but didn't want to, live without.

Turning away from the door (had he really been standing there, hoping it would open and Hinata would come in?), he went to the kitchen to drown his sorrows in some tomato juice.

It was because he wanted Hinata back that he knew he should learn to live without her. It was better for him that way.

It was better for both of them that way.

Seeing Sasuke for his next therapy session took Hinata's breath away.

She'd missed him even more than anticipated. Although it had been unbelievably good to be home - sleeping in her own bed, spending time with her family, having someone else do the cooking (and cleaning up) for once - Hinata still caught herself looking for Sasuke to say something to him. It was strange, knowing he wasn't in the next room over. She'd even caught herself waking up several times through the night, listening intently to discern if he was sleeping well or not.

As Hinata had suggested the day before, just prior to her departure, they met in a park roughly halfway between their two residences. It provided a change of scenery from what they were both used to, plus she figured Sasuke would enjoy being out in the open air while she did his therapy.

They met in the entrance to the park and walked along the path in tense silence. All around them birds chirped, insects whirred, and children ran and laughed and played while watchful mothers supervised.

For Hinata, it was invigorating. She sensed Sasuke didn't feel quite the same way.

To keep him from being too tense and uncomfortable during their session, Hinata led the way past the children to a quieter section of the park. A fountain gurgled peacefully in the center of the little clearing, where the gravel path split around it and the several stone benches, all surrounded by blooming bushes.

With only the flowers for witnesses, the two settled on one of the benches, facing each other. Sasuke straddled the seat while Hinata perched atop it, legs folded neatly beneath her. "Are you ready?" she asked, the only words she'd spoken since her initial greeting.

"Hn." Sasuke closed his eyes, and Hinata noticed how the once-raw red burn marks on his eyelids had dimmed to silvery scars. Though they would always be there, she had managed to fade them so they weren't immediately noticeable.

Settling her hands into the accustomed positions against Sasuke's face, Hinata activated her Byakugan and began the therapy. The fountain, birds, and insects made a kind of music that harmonized with the rustling of the breeze in the trees. She found herself better able to concentrate than she had in the dank, silent basement.

Eventually, she found herself humming along, smiling as she worked to finish repairing the damage to Sasuke's eyes. She had warned him not to overtire his eyes, and she could tell he'd taken her advice. Though she knew it must have grated, he had obviously been closing his eyes to rest them every now and then to keep from regressing.

"It should only take another week or so of therapy for your Sharingan," Hinata said at the end of the session. She turned on the bench so she faced the fountain instead of him, enjoying the breeze whiffling through her hair. "And then you'll be back to normal." And you won't need me any more. Her throat closed, thankfully preventing her from voicing that thought.

Hinata could feel Sasuke's eyes on her profile, and she felt her cheeks heat under his intent gaze. She wondered what he was doing - perhaps studying her expression to see if she was lying? Or maybe he was once again questioning her motives, wondering if he would find out she wanted money or something.

Well, he would have a very long wait. Hinata sat still, calmly allowing him his examination though it made her nervous and a little embarrassed. Seriously, how long was he going to sit there staring at her, not saying anything?

"My team's not back yet," Sasuke said at last. He shifted, also turning on the bench so he faced the fountain. She let out a little sigh of relief as he continued. "I was wondering if that offer of training with me until they return is still on the table."

Surprised, Hinata turned to stare at him. He gazed back, his expression giving away nothing, only the slight lift of one eyebrow indicating his impatience as he waited for her answer.

"We could do it after therapy tomorrow, if you're not too tired," he added when she still said nothing. "And I promise, I won't take it easy on you."

Sasuke's last statement, spoken with the barest hint of a smile on his face, finally helped break Hinata's shocked silence. "Well," she said, "as long as you promise, then yes, we can train after therapy tomorrow. The sessions aren't as intense now as they were, so I don't get nearly as tired."

"Good. Is it all right if we use Team Kakashi's usual training ground?" Sasuke scooted forward a little on the bench so he could prop his sandaled feet against the edge of the fountain's basin.

Hinata nodded. "That will be fine." She knew for a fact the rest of Team Kurenai were also out on a mission currently, leaving their training grounds open, but Hinata figured a change of terrain might be beneficial. "What time do you want to meet for therapy, and where?"

"Might as well meet at the training grounds," Sasuke said. He leaned forward to swipe a stray pebble off the edge of the fountain, turning the smooth grey stone over and over in his hands as he went on. "That way we'll already be there for training afterwards."

It was the type of efficiency Hinata had come to expect from Sasuke. "Very well." She watched him play with the pebble, wondering if she should voice the thought rolling around in her head. At last deciding it would be better to be safe than sorry, she ventured, "There is one thing I request. During training tomorrow, you must be very careful not to activate - or even try to activate - your Sharingan. While I think you might be able to use it for a few minutes now, I'd really rather you not take a chance."

A frown briefly turned down the corners of his mouth. "I figured," he said. "But I'll be careful."

She knew he felt offended because she hadn't given him the benefit of the doubt. But he was doing so well, and she didn't want him to do anything - or do anything herself, even inadvertently - to jeopardize his recovery. "I won't be using my Byakugan, either. After therapy, I don't want to overtire my own eyes. Besides, I think some work on my taijutsu would serve me well."

The right corner of Sasuke's mouth kicked up slightly. "Don't tell me you're rusty, Hyuuga."

"No more than you, I'm sure," she said in a light tone. To her relief, Sasuke chuckled and shook his head.

"I suppose we'll find out tomorrow, then." Standing, he looked down at her, his hands in his pockets. "Thanks for the therapy. And for agreeing to spar with me tomorrow. I need to get back into shape quickly, and lifting weights just didn't quite cut it."

"You're welcome." Hinata was glad she'd finally agreed to let him use the weights early on in her stay, since it seemed to have kept him relatively satisfied.

Sasuke glanced toward where the trail led back into the trees, then down at her again. "Do you want me to walk you home?" he asked.

Hinata stilled, utterly surprised. She would never have guessed he would offer to do such a thing, particularly since he'd seemed so eager to rid himself of her yesterday. He'd all but shoved her out the door and slammed it behind her. "N-No, but thank you," she said. How many more times would Sasuke shock her before his therapy was complete?

He glanced toward the trees again, then back to her. "You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Hinata smiled, then nodded toward the fountain. "This place is very peaceful. I want to take advantage of it and meditate for a while before I go home."

"See you tomorrow, then." With a brief nod, Sasuke turned and strode away, steps firm and purposeful. She had the oddest feeling as she watched him go that he was trying very hard not to run away from her.

Shaking her head, Hinata settled her hands in her lap and closed her eyes. Drawing in a deep breath, she cleared her mind before letting it out again. She allowed the pattering water in the fountian, the whistle-chirp, whistle-chirp, chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp of the birds, and the chirring of the crickets to lull her into a relaxed state.

But even with her peaceful surroundings, she still went home an hour later frustrated. Because it seemed the only thing she could meditate on was Sasuke, and that left her feeling more stressed than ever.

She wondered how she was ever going to get a good night's sleep tonight, let alone any other night, with him constantly at the forefront of her mind.

Hinata frowned as she closed her bedroom door behind her, knowing Sasuke would probably sleep like a baby, considering he had his flat all to himself again.

As it turned out, neither of them got a good night's sleep.

*~To Be Continued~*

Author's Ending Notes: I apparently sparked some confusion among reviewers last chapter when it was revealed there were only three therapy sessions left for Hinata to do while staying with Sasuke. Some people thought this meant there were only three chapters left. I'm so sorry to have confused you, even indirectly. There is still a lot that has to happen before the story ends, and though Hinata has moved out, it certainly doesn't mean the end of the story or their relationship. I couldn't possibly fit in everything that's left to happen in just three (or now, two) chapters, so there are plenty more still on the horizon, I promise. Thank you all again so much for reading this, I'm sorry for confusing you, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope to see you again for next week's update!

Q & A: Several reviewers mentioned how they were looking forward to seeing Sasuke's reaction when Hinata took the bandages off for good. I wanted to kind of apologize here for not writing that, but it was never in my original plan for the story, and it's been finished for quite a while, and I'm not the type of person to go back and change things once it's done. Though it would have been a cute scene, it would have interrupted the flow of the plot as I laid it out originally, and plot interruption is one of my pet peeves. I just can't do it. Another reason why I chose not to do it is because I feel Sasuke wouldn't be affected one way or another by her looks. He might think she's beautiful in a passive sort of way, but if I had chosen to do the scene, I wouldn't have been able to linger on his thoughts of her and draw them out significantly, because it would be out of character for him. I hope that helps explain why I didn't write the scene. Another reviewer mentioned wondering if I was going to follow a canonical track with the whole Sasuke vs. Itachi thing, since I've dropped some pretty big hints that it was going to come to a head in this story. While I don't want to give out too big spoilers, I will say this: Canon is totally, completely, and entirely not my friend. So I hope that answers your question without giving away too much. Also, another reviewer mentioned wondering if Sasuke would still have scars on his eyelids - I hope the contents of this chapter answered the question! Thanks for all your questions - I really enjoy reading and answering them!