A Date With Destiny

Disclaimer: Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto

Author's Note: Before you read, I'd just like to thank you for all the awesome reviews and support that you've shown in the duration of this story. It was way beyond my expectations—26 reviews in the first chapter alone! This chapter is dedicated to ALL of you—readers who've stayed with me from the beginning, readers who joined in after I started and readers who will read this after it ends. Please extend a special thanks to DreamedSong, who was my beloved beta-reader.

Here we go, the last chapter of A Date With Destiny…chock full of SasuHina goodness and a one-sided love that I'm sure is no surprise. You guys asked for longer chapters every step of this crazy SasuHina journey…so don't you dare complain about this one!

Stage One: Choosing

"I've got to get you an awesome dress—you can't possibly go to the ball like that!" Sakura jabbed a finger at Hinata's usual T-shirt and jeans ensemble and scowled. "There's only two days until the dance, and we've got to get you ready! First we need to get manicures, pedicures, hair appointments, spa treatments—what!"

"Wh-what are pedicures and manicures?" Hinata interrupted Sakura's ranting softly.

"You poor deprived child! That shows why we need to get you nail appointments. You'll see once we get there." An evil cackle escaped Sakura's lips, "We're going to make you so sexy that Sasuke won't be able to get his hands off you!"

"Eep?" Hinata stammered uselessly. Although she was glad that the problems between her and the pink-haired enthusiast had all but disappeared, she found herself thinking that maybe it would've been better to keep her distance from Sakura. These days, Sakura was caught up in a whirlwind of activities, making the last adjustments to her own plans and then planning Hinata's whole entrance and outfit to the ball.

Hinata thought it was highly unnecessary.

But she couldn't possibly start to protest; if she refused Sakura here, then Naruto would most likely be nagging her about it also. She smiled wryly, these days; Sakura and Naruto were inseparable—especially when she dragged everyone out shopping at the Leaf Academy shopping center. Naruto was following behind them, heavily laden with large shopping bags and heavy boxes. And Sakura had only begun.

"O-kay, first, we need a dress; something unbearably sexy." Sakura turned and sized up Hinata's body. "You have a nice, curvy body—perfect! I can just see it now!"

"C-can't I just look nice? Maybe pretty?" Hinata suggested timidly, but to no avail.

"What are you, married? We've got to make you a total knock-out, or else it'll embarrass me!" Sakura selected a black dress that was laced up on both sides and designed to fit like a long tube top that fanned out mid-thigh. "Now, how about this?"

"Will that even fit?" Hinata was extremely doubtful of the tiny black 'dress'. It was about half the width of her torso, and even though Sakura assured her that it would fit, Hinata was reluctant to try it on. After a few minutes of struggling, Sakura sent Hinata into the dressing room with four different dresses and matching high heels.

As soon as she stepped into the beige-colored dressing room, Hinata threw the clothes to a corner and sighed. Dressing up and walking in high heels…not exactly her specialty. Why couldn't she just wear a nice skirt and blouse with sneakers or flats? She could just see Sakura's horrified expression in her mind if she presented her suggestion. Hinata picked up the black number, testing its elasticity with her two fingers. Not very stretchy—it reminded Hinata of an old-fashioned corset she saw in a textbook once. Probably felt like one too.

She sucked in her flat stomach and pulled the dress on from her feet. It went up reasonably well since Hinata was able to breathe without collapsing. Then came the hard part. She reached a finger to her back tentatively, feeling around for the tiny drop-shaped zipper. After grasping it as hard as she could, she strained to pull it up to no avail. The stupid negative-sized dress wouldn't give. Hinata shimmied out of it immediately. If that wouldn't fit, then none of the other ones would. All the others were tight, thin and probably a negative size twenty-five. No way was Hinata going to fit into that. She slung the outfits over one arm and pushed the powdery pink door open with her other free hand. She didn't have to look around to find the pink-haired burst of energy.

"Sakura, these don't—"

"That's okay, 'cause I have a few more that I want you to try, here." Sakura interrupted her quickly and shoved a pile of dresses into Hinata's arms. She let out a weary groan at the thought of trying them on. Sakura merely rolled her eyes and almost snorted.

"It's all part of the process, Hinata. You were condemned to this day the moment you signed up the ball. Now you go try on those dresses or Lord help me, I will put them on for you. You're the one who has Sasuke Uchiha wrapped around your little finger, always remember, Miss Hinata Hyuuga, great power comes with great responsibility."

Stage Two: Preparing

Hinata winced as Sakura yanked and pulled on her hair with a stiff wooden comb. She was in the pink-beauty's apartment, sitting in front of the huge vanity table with the three odd-angled mirrors. It was uncanny to see three copies of yourself at one time. She stroked the silky material of her dress, trying not to yelp as Sakura twisted and braided her dark hair with something that can only be described at violent passion.

All the color had drained out of Sakura's face when Hinata wanted to leave her hair down and natural for the ball. Apparently Sakura's sense of feminine beauty was made up of gels, sprays and complicated hairdos. She'd sat there for a whole day while

Sakura played dress-up Barbie with her. First it was the dress, then the nails, then the homemade spa treatment and finally the hairdressing.

"Tilt your head for me, 'kay?"

Hinata obliged quickly, knowing that Sakura would yank her head to the side if she didn't. it was almost vicious the way that Sakura attacked her hair. Instead of thinking about the twentieth hairdo that Sakura was inflicting upon her now, Hinata's mind wandered to…other things.

Other things that mainly consisted of a word that started with 'S' and ended with 'asuke'.

Her handsome 'boyfriend' was picking her up at Sakura's apartment with Naruto, who was Sakura's date. Technically, it was against the rules since the King of Hearts ball was supposed to consist of blind dates, but in this case…Hinata was sure that Headmistress Tsunade could stand a change.

Maybe he would bring flowers…like apple blossoms or maybe violets. Although Hinata couldn't imagine where he could possibly find apple blossoms in the summer. And Naruto…he wasn't very imaginative; Hinata knew what he was bringing—two dozen red roses. And Neji, he was probably giving white lilies to TenTen. Hinata's heart stiffened at the thought of her silent cousin. She wasn't sure what was going on between him and his girlfriend or what exactly was his intention with her. The thought had troubled her immensely ever since TenTen had brought up the subject. Just what had Neji said, or done that made their relationship go down that avenue?

She was interrupted from her reveries by Sakura's delighted shriek.

"Oh my gosh. That is the perfect hairdo for you; I cannot believe that I couldn't think of this earlier! Look, isn't it gorgeous?!"

Hinata raised her head and tried not to ogle at the stranger in the three mirrors. Her soft hair was parted on the side and it was clipped to the sides. Two dark locks of hair framed her face and the rest was caught up in a French twist on the back of her head. In addition the waterproof makeup that Sakura had applied earlier, Hinata felt like she was staring at…at someone who could definitely stand proudly beside Sasuke Uchiha as an equal.

She touched her face tentatively with freshly manicured nails, slightly shocked by Sakura's utter skill in transforming her.

"Stand up, stand up, I need to see how that looks with your dress!" Sakura pulled Hinata up and dragged her over to the huge mirror beside the vanity table. The hair fit perfectly with the long, white silky dress. It gave her a sense of elegance, not the wanton sexiness that Sakura pursued, but something pure and indefinable—something that Hinata had secretly wished for.

Hinata's heart thumped as a sharp knocking came from the door. Sakura squealed and grabbed her pink purse whilst handing Hinata a small white one. It was go time.

Part Three: Arriving

Her heart jumped as she followed Sakura to the doorway. It crashed against her chest like a tidal wave when it opened, revealing two extremely handsome men in tailored black Armani suits. As she had predicted, Naruto was holding an armful of red roses and looking proud of himself. She watched silently as Sakura crashed into Naruto, knocking the roses out of his arms and planting an affectionate kiss on his nose. She turned away when Naruto growled and pulled Sakura down into a deeper kiss.

"Che. Idiots." Hinata almost jumped at the voice from right beside her. It was him. Sasuke Uchiha. He smirked as she gave him a disapproving look for insulting the two lovebirds. He was holding a single long-stemmed rose with a white ribbon wrapped in a bow around the stem.

"Here, it's for you." She took it silently from his offering hand. Hinata blushed furiously as she kept her eyes carefully to the floor, away from his black eyes that were burning into the top of her skull.

"It goes well with your dress," he murmured as he brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. She yelped when he leaned down as placed a tender kiss on her burning cheeks. His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her towards him. She looked up at him shyly from under her lashes. What she didn't know was that seeing her like that nearly did him in. It was all he could do to resist from pressing her up onto that wall and kissing the life out of her.

Hinata's eyes fluttered, desperately trying to keep a clear mind. It didn't help that Sasuke was breathing down her neck in such a way that it made her want it so badly, although she wasn't exactly clear about what she wanted.

"Hinata…" She looked up at the quiet murmur that came from the man in front of her. Heat immediately coiled up in her when she saw him staring very intently at her lips. "You look…beautiful."

He brushed his warm lips over the crook of her neck where it connected to her bare shoulders. She shivered, a small moan escaping her lips, unconsciously leaning into him. He leaned forward and placed hot open-mouth kisses all the way up to her chin, finally settling on her lips. A hand went up to clutch his raven hair, stroking it gently—in stark contrast to the heated kiss that their mouths were currently engaged in. Hinata felt herself melting into a puddle in Sasuke's arms.

"You know…this dress does have its disadvantages…"

Her eyes widened when his hand brushed over her partially bare back. The other one was on her hip, rubbing it absentmindedly. Hinata's mind whirled into confusion and pure, untainted pleasure when he kissed her roughly, igniting a spark that traveled through her whole body. A low groan rumbled through his body when she trailed light fingers over his neck, wondering if it was as sensitive as her own. He didn't give her time to react when he swept her off her feet, never slacking their kiss. She blushed as his hand roamed over her chest and his other hand tickled her spine, making her arch into him with a hiss.

"Just what are you planning to do to my cousin, Uchiha?"

Hinata suddenly felt as if icicles were being thrown at the man embracing her. She felt his lips leaving hers reluctantly, and her feet fell back to the ground. Neji was standing a few feet from them, obvious contempt and pure, unadulterated hatred was flowing from his form.

"You can't tell me what I can and what I can't do with my girlfriend." Sasuke drawled bluntly with a nonchalant smirk. As if to prove his point and infuriate the already steaming Hyuuga, he drew Hinata into another searing kiss, making her automatically whimper into his mouth.

"S-Sasuke," Hinata gulped as he kissed down to her collarbone. Oh god, that felt amazing…what was she saying again? Oh, Neji. Right. "I-I think we're m-making them uncomfortable…"

"Che." He murmured as he gently nipped the tendon connecting her neck to her shoulders. Hinata couldn't help but moan softly as his ministrations. He was so good at this… Unwillingly, she pushed on his chest gently, reminding him of where they still had to go.

"Fine," his dark eyes pierced into hers, "We'll continue this later."

He placed a soft kiss on her lips and straightened up, smirking all the while. Hinata gulped visibly and shivered in anticipation of his promise. A hard vein was throbbing on the side of Neji's head and he wore that expression that practically screamed 'I'm going to fucking kill you one day'. It had no affect on the Uchiha, but Naruto was terrified just being in five feet within that glare. TenTen was patting Neji's shoulder, trying to calm him down. She gazed at Hinata, torn between reprimanding her or congratulating her. Finally, she settled on a disapproving yet awed stare at the quiet Hyuuga heiress.

"Ahem," Naruto coughed loudly. He looked extremely uncomfortable. Sakura was smiling blissfully beside him, her lips still slightly swollen from their kiss. "Not that it's really so important…but shouldn't we be getting to the ball now? I mean, it's already past seven o'clock."

They all stared him blankly for a minute. When did Naruto become the voice of reason? He shifted slightly on his feet.

"We had a limo waiting outside, right Sasuke?"

"Che."

Hinata smiled at his dismissive behavior. He gazed down and wrapped his arm around her waist tightly; ignoring the death glare that Neji was now sending him. The scent of expensive cologne drifted to her nose…something oddly fruity. Hinata grinned and blushed when he smoothed a strand of rumpled hair beside her face. The ball could actually become enjoyable after all. Even if she was wearing insanely tall high heels.

Part Four: The King of Hearts Ball

Sakura giggled insanely when Naruto twirled her on the marble dancing floor. He gazed adoringly at her lithe form, already starting to play the part of a doting boyfriend. A bubble of respect surrounded both of them, no other couple dared to compare with the way that they danced and twirled through the dance floor.

Whoever planned the ball really overdid it this year.

The special dance hall, with its marble pillars, marble floors and marble balconies was already enough to inspire awe. But in preparation, the marble was bordered by gold patterns twisting around the pillars and weaving through the hundreds of feet dancing on the marble. Fresh flowers of every kind lined the balconies, covered the ceiling and filled the tables; courtesy of Yamanaka Flower Arrangements. If that wasn't already enough, sheets of velvets and silk in every color draped on the huge stained glass windows, covered the tables and seats and held the flowers in place. Ribbons streamed down the sides of the rooms, and when pulled, a rain of fresh flower petals would rain down on the puller. It was a fabulous addition—although a bit unnecessary, in Hinata's opinion.

She noticed the cherubic smiles on everyone's faces as they stared lovingly into the eyes of their blind dates. Shikamaru and Ino had been this year's hot couple, sort of a beauty and the geek thing. But who could've guessed that beautiful Ino, who was widely considered to be shallow-minded, could be so happy in the arms of the previously dorky Chouji? And Shikamaru—nobody could've guessed that the lazy genius fell for bossy older women like Temari. It was downright amazing.

Although this was supposedly a strictly high-school senior dance, there were quite a number of college freshmen to "chaperone"—or in Temari's case, dance with their dates. Hinata noticed contently that TenTen was laughing and pointing at Neji, who crashed into a bowl of spiked punch and effectively knocked over the towering refreshments. There was a peaceful smile of sweet revenge on his face as he splashed the chocolate-haired woman with a glass of water.

Maybe there really wasn't anything going on after all. It was just her overactive imagination.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

Hinata jerked her head over. Sasuke was sporting a sly lopsided grin. She felt her heart skip a beat at how handsome he looked in the bright lights.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about how beautiful everything is."

"My thoughts exactly," he smiled, and reached a hand over. "There's some jam on your chin."

"Oh!" She reached for a napkin when Sasuke suddenly leaned and in one agonizingly slow movement, licked it off her chin before claiming her lips heatedly. The napkin fell to the floor as emotion flooded her and heat pooled in her stomach. She was dimly aware of being shifted onto his lap all the while he nipped at her collarbone. A soft moan escaped her lips as he placed burning kisses down her throat. His hands were splayed out over her waist, tickling the skin under the thin silky material. She giggled lightly, humor piercing through the lust that they both felt and obliged to.

Reaching a hand up to stroke the tussled midnight hair that barely fell to his shoulders; she felt a jerking in the back of her head. She gasped when she felt her hair fall out of their complicated pattern and the tresses fell to cover her back. Sakura would be positively furious with her. The thought was somehow alarming, but it flew out of her head when Sasuke's lips were pressed against hers again.

Oh, never mind! Hinata's mind sang as she tasted the faint sweetness of Sasuke's silky mouth behind his ragged kiss. A small part of her mind was still holding back, preventing her from completely losing herself to him. She pushed away that small corner desperately, trying to contain the unequivocal passion in her love's kiss. A bright blush painted her cheeks when someone near them whistled loudly and hooted while pointing a finger at them

After a while, Sasuke pulled apart, panting slightly as Hinata lightly trailed her fingertips down his throat teasingly. He wasn't wearing a tie and the collar was unbuttoned while both sides hung open loosely. She traced a finger down the bony outline of his collarbone, enjoying the slight quakes that went through him as she did.

"You can't imagine how that feels," he murmured thickly. Her curious fingers continued up to his jaw line, she realized for the first time how his looks bordered on the edge of epic feminine beauty and masculine beauty. The skin under her fingertips were pale, soft and unblemished like a woman's, but the way his features came together and that desire burning in his eyes…they were downright male.

Hinata placed a light kiss on his nose, mirroring his move earlier in the hallway. He looked amused by the random act of boldness and smirked again before leaning in and pulling her into a gentle kiss. It was so different from the ones before it, so sweet and gentle that Hinata could almost taste the love behind it. Maybe they could actually make it work. Maybe she wouldn't have to marry Itachi Uchiha after all.

She felt her blood run cold.

That was what had bothered her all day long. This couldn't possibly work. She was in such a serious relationship with her fiancé's own younger brother. All the warmth she felt before fled and she could feel Sasuke's puzzlement at how her lips were suddenly frozen. Hinata smiled weakly at him, trying to fake that she was alright. This couldn't ruin their night, not this night. He didn't buy it. Real concern showed in his endless ebony eyes as he tried to figure out the coldness that had overtaken Hinata.

She straightened up and leaned against him while his arm was still around her shoulders. Waves of guilt and fear washed over her. A large part of her mind wanted to skip over the pain; it rejected it completely. But as before, Hinata forced herself to face the music.

There was no way that something like this could work.

It would just be a brief fling, possibly three years of happiness if she was lucky. Hinata's twenty-first birthday felt incredibly close; it gave a dark feeling in the pit of stomach. It was too late to stop the painful tears that tumbled out of her eyes. She could feel confusion in Sasuke's touch when he brushed the tears off.

"Hm, salty."

"I—what—you—you tasted it?" This startled Hinata out of her reverie for a moment. She stared up at the Uchiha who was lowering his hands to brush more tears off her face. Thank goodness for waterproof makeup.

He shrugged as if it was a natural thing.

"I've heard that happy tears were sweet and sad tears were salty. Just wanted to try it." He spoke in an offhand manner, trying not to look interested in Hinata's dilemma. It didn't work. Underneath the perfect cold mask Sasuke melded onto his face, Hinata could see the man that she had come to love. The man who was just as emotional, loyal, fierce and passionate as Naruto. He just had a better way of showing it.

Was Itachi Uchiha like this? From earlier conversations, she gathered that Sasuke didn't like his elder brother much. It was well known that Itachi played around with women of all backgrounds and was reluctant to take up his father's prestigious company. Memories of glimpsing the elder Uchiha when they were younger rose to mind. He had the same eyes, but with a more haunted and weary look. He was also ridiculously good-looking; maybe even more so than Sasuke. But that was so many years ago—and Hinata didn't trust her memory.

"O-kay!" The music in the background suddenly faded. Hinata and everyone else stared at the pink-haired figure standing on the stage with a mike. Sakura looked magnificent in sparkling red dress that hugged her hips and had a neckline that plunged to her belly button. Her cheeks were flushed from dancing with Naruto the whole night. In her hand was a gold-rimmed envelope.

"Just like every year for the King of Hearts ball, we have a voting event for the King and his Queen! Then there is voting for the cutest couple, sexiest couple, and the most unexpected couple! The ballots are under the glass vases on each table. Pick up the roses in the vase and you will find that they are pencils! Please fill them out and then drop it in the box here."

She bent down to indicate the large ivory box by her feet.

"The computer will give us the results in a few minutes, so please hurry! Thanks!"

Sakura put down the mike and ran down to Naruto again. Sasuke handed Hinata a card along with a long-stemmed rose-pencil. She studied the card for a minute and carefully filled in the appropriate blanks. King…she glanced timidly at Sasuke and wrote down his name. Then for Queen, she confidently filled in Sakura. She was always exceptionally beautiful; and even more so when she made a conscious effort. The rest was easy. Cutest couple was easily Ino and Chouji; she glanced over at Ino, who was feeding Chouji delicately with a silver spoon. Sexiest couple would be…her eye caught on a dark-haired man who was feverishly kissing a dirty blonde. Shikamaru and Temari. Sakura and Naruto easily made the most unexpected couple.

"Finished?"

"Hai…what did you write?" She took the card from his hand and offered her his. A blush rose to cheeks when she saw that he filled all the categories with both of their names. She felt like she should've been slightly annoyed at him…but it wouldn't come out. A sound that almost sounded like a snort came from the man beside her. Hinata looked at him in alarm—his whole frame was a shaking with silent laughter.

"What's so funny?" She demanded.

"Your choices, of course." His face was composed again, but the humor was still in his eyes.

"First Haruno for Queen, then Yamanaka and the fat kid, then the lazy-ass guy and bitchy blonde and then Haruno and Uzumaki! It's hilarious."

"A-at least I diversified. Unlike…unlike this!" She jabbed a finger to his spidery kanji on the card. He became serious.

"I was only telling the truth."

"Really."

"Of course," he replied lightly, taking no indication of her sarcasm. "You're much more than beautiful—especially tonight. You're almost unbelievably cute, unbearably sexy and we do make an odd couple, correct?"

She could think of no words to say. This kind of behavior was so strange for him…even when he opened up to her.

"Don't kid me…I can't possibly be all that…" she murmured.

"Hm," he leaned in closer to place his forehead on her shoulder. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha—not a dorky kid who doesn't know crap. I'm insulted."

"Don't be…" she brushed her fingers on his cheeks. When did he turn so sweet and open to her? A brief flash of pain clouded her senses. This was what she had to leave behind. How much more will it hurt in three more years? Already she felt like she belonged to him, all of her was his and there seemed to be no life without him around. How much would that grow in three years?

Part Five: Confessing

A slow dance started in the hall and the lights were dimmed to provide the perfect romantic atmosphere. Sasuke had taken Hinata's hand—despite her numerous protests—and pulled her onto the dance floor. 'It's all in the leading', he'd said when Hinata pointed out that she couldn't dance—much less twirl in stilettos. She tried to follow his feet, and ended up stepping on them a few too many times. Hinata would glance at Sasuke with a reprimanding look when he complained that dancing with her was life threatening. After all, he was the one that forced her to dance when he knew very well that she couldn't.

She lay her head on his broad chest, her mind drifting away to the future again—the future in three year when she would become Itachi Uchiha's wife. As his partner, she would have to attend many formal parties; all of which would include dancing. Would Itachi lead her like this? Would she ever feel so comfortable in his presence?

The music faded all too soon. Hinata sighed and buried her face in Sasuke's chest. Those thoughts coming to her head wouldn't stop—maybe it was the spiked punch or maybe it was just high time for her to face the facts of this relationship with Sasuke Uchiha. It would never work.

"Something wrong?" The unspoken concern in Sasuke's eye brought a soft smile to Hinata's lips. She hesitated for a minute and then shook her head. Nobody should worry about her problems—especially not him. He was unconvinced, but thankfully he didn't inquire any further.

"May I borrow Hinata for a moment?"

"Neji?"

The Hyuuga was holding out his hand to her. Sasuke glanced at Hinata reluctantly; not wanting to let her go.

"Don't worry, only for one dance. I am her cousin." He suggested with some importance with a condescending look at Sasuke.

"It's fine, Sasuke. Just once." Hinata pecked Sasuke on the cheek reassuringly and took Neji's arm awkwardly. She noticed his dark eyes following her as they started to sway softly to the music.

"Are you having a good time with Ten-chan?" Hinata inquired. He looked at her blankly and then seemed to realize whom she was referring to.

"Hai. How about you?" He cast a threatening glare to the man across the room. "I trust he hasn't tried anything…yet?"

"I doubt he will any time soon," Hinata smiled easily, masking the turmoil she was feeling. Was it just her or was Neji looking at her in a totally uncomfortable way? Maybe it was just a figment of her imagination again.

"I noticed that your hair is different," she tried not to flinch when he tucked it behind her ear. "What happened?"

"U-um…nothing at all. I—I just decided it was better this way." No freaking way was she going to tell her overprotective cousin that Sasuke had let it down while they were kissing. Changing the topic, she whispered, "You think that there's any chance I wouldn't have to marry Itachi Uchiha?"

"Hm, I doubt it. Hiashi-sama left no room for argument when he announced the decision. Are you aware that this has been planned since you were barely old enough to read?"

"Really?" This disturbed Hinata greatly. She'd always known that these things were often mapped out in advance; but she never realized the full extent of it.

"I'm sure your date over there knew about it all along. Fugaku-sama doesn't keep anything from his two sons."

"What?" The room seemed to close in on Hinata. Sasuke had known about it all along. Yet he still allowed her to love him; still let her life become hopelessly entangled with his. Was this just some sick competition between brothers? A game of 'who-gets-the-heiress-first'? "That can't be true…right? Then he would've told me…"

"There are many things you don't know about that Uchiha brat, Hinata. You've only known him for two weeks."

She gave him a furious look, but behind it was the pain that was seeping in her heart.

"Could be so…but I know I'm already in love with him. There's nothing changing that."

"How can you be so sure? You've never had experience with any other men!"

"There was Naruto." She argued defiantly.

"He doesn't count," Neji was exasperated, "You were his best friend—and he only announced his true intentions when you had already fallen for that—that Uchiha!"

"That's enough." Hinata stopped moving and planted her feet firmly on the ground though her voice was trembling. "What is with you and Sasuke? He's the love of my life, and you have a problem with that? Have you forgotten that you are in no such position to order me around?"

She instantly regretted the words when they came out of her mouth. Anger flashed across Neji's features at her piercing tone. Never before had she stressed how high her station was compared to his; in fact, she'd asked him to stop calling her 'Hinata-sama' six years ago.

"I apologize for my rudeness, Hinata-sama," his voice was laced with sarcasm and venom. Hinata flinched at the pain behind his words.

"Excuse me, Hinata-sama. I believe that my presence is no longer welcomed here." Then he turned briskly and started to walk away.

"Oh, Neji…I—I'm so sorry…I…I didn't mean to," Hinata clenched his white suit from behind. "I-it just slipped out…can you forgive me?"

He sighed and turned to face her again.

"Fine. I should apologize too, I was being rude." But the damage had already been done, as Hinata could see in his eyes.

"Please don't hold it against me. I—I was just trying to convince myself of…maybe seeking a future with Sasuke."

"What?" His white eyes were shocked, with something akin to fury in them. "That's impossible, and you know that, Hinata! Hiashi-sama's orders cannot be defied so easily! How can you possibly consider that?"

"But maybe I could, maybe there would be a way…" Hinata murmured to herself helplessly. Already Neji was shaking his head stiffly.

"There is only one way to get out of marrying Itachi Uchiha. Marry within the clan. If you go to Hiashi-sama with this proposal, he would surely agree."

"I can't do that!" Hinata was horrified. "Marry my relative?" Why can't I just stay with Sasuke?

"Don't you see? Itachi has already inherited the company—there is no chance in hell that Sasuke will ever become more than a vice-president. Hiashi-sama will never approve of that math! Think about it, Hinata. Either be spurned by the clan forever or you become one of the most influential and rich woman in history, unless…" the volume of his voice dropped, "Unless you decide to marry within the clan, of course."

"I hardly know anyone in that clan, besides; I'm already in love with Sasuke." Right?

"Not even me?" His voice was so low that she had to strain her ears to hear it. But it was there. Finally it was out; the reason that TenTen felt so uncomfortable around her, the reason that Neji emanated pure hatred to any member of the male species that got close to Hinata, the reason that there seemed to be something ill stirring.

"Neji…"

"Think about it," he seemed eager now. "Hiashi-sama wouldn't disagree and you wouldn't have to become an Uchiha's wife. You'll still be heiress to the company and still a Hyuuga. Can't you consider it?"

"But I want to become an Uchiha's wife; just not the elder one's. You're my cousin, Neji…I can't…I cannot do that." Hinata felt terrible saying those words. She could feel sudden stiffening in the man in front of her. "I love Sasuke…and I'll do whatever it takes to marry him if he wants me."

"Forget about it. Forget that I said anything." Neji snapped briskly. "There's no chance that this will work, but if you reconsider…the choice if always open."

"What…what about Ten-chan? She really loves you."

"She got close to me of her own free will; I haven't really shown much affection of any kind to her. She begged me to date her for a trial period. I agreed."

"That's not very nice, y'know." Hinata poked his chest playfully. She was glad that the tension seemed to be lifting.

"What can I do? The one that I love is already taken."

"That can't be true…" She sobered immediately.

"It's true. I've known that since middle school," he sensed her discomfort and quickly changed the subject. "It's alright though. I think that the Uchiha is getting impatient, you should get going."

"Oh…hai. Thank you for…for telling me, Neji. I…I appreciate it." Hinata tried to sound grateful. The confession had her mind whirling; was her only choice really between Itachi Uchiha and her own stoic cousin? Impossible, she tried to convince herself when Sasuke had his arms around her again, I must find a way.

"What were you two talking about?"

"Nothing. School stuff." Hinata said in an offhand manner. In a quiet voice, she asked, "Can I ask you something, Sasuke?"

"Hm. What do you want to know?"

"Did…did—oh, it's just silly. Forget it." She barely mumbled.

"Che. Now I'm curious." He leaned down and nuzzled the sensitive area of her neck softly, invoking a shiver that had nothing to do with the low temperature in the dancing hall. "Tell me."

"Neji mentioned s-something while we were talking," she tried to breathe properly as her heart sped up. "Did—did you know that I was engaged to Itachi Uchiha all along?"

There, she said it.

Her heart froze when his lips left her neck. His eyes were frighteningly serious when he studied her face. He finally sighed.

"Hai. I knew all along."

"Then—then, why?" She whispered. "Why did you let me fall in love you?"

"Because I fell in love with you too. It was too late." His voice cracked forlornly as his hand stroked her cold cheek. "Too late to turn back…"

Part Six: Breaking

She jerked away from him suddenly. Ice hardened in her white eyes.

"Don't give me that crap. You can't possibly know how hard it was for me to be with you. This is nothing more than an over-complicated competition between brothers, isn't it?" The venom in her own voice surprised her—she usually never lost her temper like that.

He was silent, staring at her with mournful eyes. That. Was. It. Hinata freaked. The pain, anger and hurt in her heart exploded in a small, sharp whispered jumble.

"Do you even understand the extent of a risk that I'm taking now? How much will this hurt when I have to marry your brother, how will that gaping hole ever heal? Have you ever thought about my feelings; that I might want more than this?! That I am truly, deeply and irrevocably in love with you? I cannot stand to have my heart broken—"

"I won't let it." He swept her up in a deep kiss. Hinata's eyes were as wide as dinner plates as she struggled to no avail. His hand was cupped around the back of her head, holding her lips to his in one fierce kiss. It effectively left Hinata breathless, but the pain, anger and frustration were far from gone. This only intensified it; knowing that she hurt him, knowing that he was trying so hard to dissolve her pain when it just wouldn't go away.

He pulled away, while she was trying to get her breath back, he looked her right in the eye. Blazing determination and something border lining pleading echoed in the background.

"I do understand, Hinata. How could I not? We have three years ahead of us, three years to figure out what to do—three years all to ourselves. Neither my brother nor your cousin will ruin this for either of us. Just try to accept this, Hinata—it's something that you desperately need."

"How—how did you know about…" she faltered, horrified that Sasuke knew what had conspired between her and her cousin. A smirk worked its way up to his pale face.

"It's not that hard to guess, Hinata. I read lips." He shrugged nonchalantly. "It's one of my many talents."

"Anything else that I should know?" Hinata asked playfully, while fervently hoping that the 'anything else' wouldn't be too freaky. Like two belly buttons. "A secret girlfriend, brood of kids or the fact that you're actually a girl?"

"Che. What a group of completely absurd guesses," he stroked a hand against her neck. "You know very well that I love you, I hate kids and as for the last fact…you can decide."

"What—I—you—Sasuke!" Hinata was red-faced, not knowing what to say about his last comment. The words sent a little flutter to her heart; thought not entirely in the pleasant sense.

"We'll use protection. I hate kids." Hinata felt like slapping the smug smirk off his face. This was getting freakishly annoying.

"You know very well that for after we're married." The smirk grew wider in apparent triumph. An 'O' formed on Hinata's face; she'd just directly contradicted her own words by insinuating that they would be married one day.

"We're getting married?" He tried to look surprised.

"Possibly. You convinced me."

"My, weren't you just saying that it was—"He seemed intent on teasing her to no end. Hinata scowled.

"Just shut up and kiss me." Hinata felt giddy when mild surprise lighted up in Sasuke's eyes. He grinned deviously and leaned toward her.

"Yes, ma'am."

Beta-Reader's Note: hey everyone. It's DreamedSong, I hope you enjoyed this fanfic. I, surprisingly, did, even though SasuHina wasn't my favorite pairing. Moonhaku did an excellent job didn't she? Remember to review! Oh yeah, moonhaku, you don't mind if I posted a note, do you? I thought it was fun to make one.

Author's Note: I have twisted the characters BEYOND recognition. Well, I hoped you like it anyway. My god, this story wasn't that nice but you readers still loved it! This'll be my last high-school fic for a while. I decided it was ridiculous to write so many high-school fics when I haven't even started high school (will once the summer is over).

The new poll on my profile will let you choose which pairing you want for my next fic! I have a story ready for each of them of course. ItaHina, SasuHina or NejiHina?

I will post up the announcement for the beginning of the sequel here so you won't have the trouble of putting me on author alert. Now…turn your hungry eyes on Reflection (SasuHina) for a good darn while!

-moonhaku