Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Crawling

...

One year, two months, and four days had passed since the operation.

Hinata sighed as she collected her office folders and stacked them into a neat pile on her desk. She was too weary to take any work home with her this weekend.

Besides, it wasn't as if she would have any time for it anyhow not with the wedding on Saturday.

Hinata plucked her favorite red pen of her desk and placed it back in its drawer. As she dropped the pen, she felt her hand brush against something familiar. A photograph.

She paused; she knew exactly which photograph it was and what it would show her. Or rather, what it would make her feel.

Despite knowing better, Hinata pulled the photograph out. It was mildly tattered at its edges - not because of age but rather because she had not kept it properly. She had hidden it where she couldn't see it unless she specifically wanted to.

Hinata attempted to smooth out the creases in the photograph. It had been taken approximately five months ago, a few days after she had been released from the hospital. All better.

Ino had thrown her a welcome-back party and invited everyone they knew.

Hinata felt the sides of her mouth unwillingly curve upwards in a tight smile as she remembered that evening.

"Ino," Hinata insisted, "this really wasn't necessary."

Ino only smiled in response, flicking back her long, golden mane. Hinata followed Ino meekly into her apartment, which unsurprisingly, was already buzzing with party-goers. And the apartment itself was decorated festively, with a Christmas Tree and other little touches like the cinnamon candles Ino left on the coffee table.

Ino nudged her gently with her shoulder,

"Hinata, this party is for you. Lighten up, have some fun. You've just come out of a coma. And it's the holidays!"

Hinata nodded before heading to the kitchen to get something to drink, she was craving a lemonade. Hinata had only opened the refrigerator door, when she heard light footsteps behind her.

She twirled around, surprised that anyone would be in the kitchen when there was a party outside, fully equiped with carbonated drinks and fancy snacks.

The pink-haired girl in front of her only offered a small, close-lipped smile as her explanation.

"Sakura, hi," Hinata greeted her nicely, before turning back to the fridge to take out the ice-cold pitcher of fresh lemonade.

"You mind if I have some?" Sakura asked, her voice felt somewhat strained and awkward, and Hinata was hard-pressed to believe that this was the same Sakura that she had known a few months ago. Sasuke's near death experience must have shaken her, Hinata thought with some satisfaction.

"I owe you an apology, Hinata. I can't take back what I said to you and to be frank, I don't think I was completely incorrect in saying it. But your, " Sakura paused as if she was struggling to get a word out of her mouth, "your feelings towards Sasuke were - are - obviously genuine if you were willing to take such a huge risk for him. You could have died easily from that procedure."

"Ano," Hinata began, somewhat uncomfortably, pouring the lemonade into a glass, "I did what I would have done for any other patient as a medic-nin."

Hinata knew she was lying - of course, for a comrade, she would lay down her life - it was her duty as a medic-nin. However, she hadn't been thinking about duty when she made the impulsive decision to go through with the chrakra transfer. She just couldn't bear the thought of Sasuke not being there. Of going through hell once again. Of having the chance to save someone she loved from death and failing to take it.

"Well, either way, if you care for him or not, thanks for saving him. But I just wanted to end this right now - it's pointless anyhow. Sasuke's made it perfectly clear he doesn't want me and I can't shake the feeling that we'd be no good together anyway. I'm engaged to Naruto now - I don't suppose Ino mentioned that? Happened about a month ago and you're invited to the wedding, of course." With that Sakura walked off.

Hinata almost felt as if the conversation had never occurred immediately after it had. It felt so surreal. Hinata put the pitcher back in the fridge before stepping out of the kitchen. She positioned herself near the door, quietly sipping her lemonade and watching as the guests enjoyed themselves.

At the center of the large group was Ino, who was absolutely in her element. She looked gorgeous - prettier than Hinata had ever seen her before. Glowing almost. Everything about her positively sparkled. And then that's when Hinata noticed - the man sitting by Ino was none other than Kiba.

Hinata couldn't help but get a tiny smile on her face. She had tried to set them up once, years ago, when they were Chuunin. Ino had not-so-politely refused while Kiba seemed mildly insulted that Hinata thought of Ino as a possible match for him.

And now? They looked so happy. There was something about happiness and love that radiated off a person's face. Hinata surveyed the crowd once more and found more familiar faces, but one, in particular, was absent. Hinata felt disappointment gather in the pit of her stomach.

Hinata pressed herself further into the wall beside Ino's front door, but to her surprise, she heard voices from the outside. Voices she recognized.

The disappointment that had welled up inside of her seemed to evaporate in a second and she felt lighter than a feather. Without waiting for the two to knock, she swung the door open to reveal an irritated looking Naruto holding a small bouquet of flowers and an unsurprisingly sullen looking Sasuke.

Hinata managed to keep her excitement from being too ouvert and stepped aside so they could enter. Naruto, for his part, seemed more than happy to see her. He took a step inside, but Sasuke seemed glued to the space right outside Ino's door and didn't move.

"It's so good to see you alive and well, Hinata." Naruto said earnestly, handing her the flowers before embracing her tightly. Hinata squeezed back happily. Naruto looked good - happiness radiated off him like it did Ino and Kiba. Maybe marrying Sakura, despite being the pink-haired girl's second choice, would be a good thing for him, after all.

"Sasuke," Hinata acknowledged him, hoping in her heart of hearts that he'd show emotion, some type of emotion. She'd laid out all her cards that night on the bridge. He knew exactly where she stood in her feelings - and if her words hadn't said anything to him, she knew her actions should have.

Sasuke gave her a small nod, his eyes meeting her own for a fleeting second. He began to step inside, when Naruto held a hand up to stop him.

Naruto pointedly looked up for a second and both Hinata and Sasuke followed his gaze.

"That's mistletoe," Naruto pointed out, a sly grin playing on his face.

"I'm not kissing you, dobe." Sasuke dead-panned. Naruto, in his typical childish fashion, stuck out his tongue.

"No, teme, you have to kiss whoever is on the other side of the door."

Sasuke didn't appear amused in the least,

"Naruto, you just entered the apartment. Technically, you're on the other side of the door. And I'm not kissing you."

Naruto only smiled,

"Well then, I guess it's Hinata then." Hinata felt a small bubble of hope rise inside of her. Did he feel the same way about her too? Was that why Naruto was teasing him now?

Sasuke met Hinata's eyes once again, only he held her gaze for a few seconds longer. Hinata didn't know what to think.

It was almost as if Sasuke, silently, wanted to tell her something. But she couldn't understand it. Or rather, if it meant losing him, she had no desire to understand it.

Sasuke entered the apartment and Hinata shut the door behind him, slightly embarrassed of how eager she had been for him to kiss her.

And then he did something unexpected. He kissed her on the cheek. He held his lips to the apple of her cheek for only a second or two and seemed to apply mimimal pressure. It was like having a feather brush against her cheek. It left a mild tingle yet it almost was as if hadn't happened at all. Somewhere at the back of them a flash went off. Naruto had taken a picture.

"You totally chickened out, teme. But it's not a bad picture - Hinata looks adorably flushed as always and Sasuke, well, you look like yourself." Naruto said, annoyed. Naruto then left the two of them to seek out his fiance, Sakura, in the crowd.

A few moments of quiet passed between them, neither moving or even making any attempt to move. Finally, Hinata could no longer handle the uncomfortable silence and made a move to head back into the kitchen for a refill. And once again, Sasuke surprised her by grabbing onto her wrist.

"Why?" He asked finally, releasing her wrist. Hinata absently touched her wrist.

"Why what?" She asked him in turn.

"Why did you save me at the cost of your own health?" He asked, his voice was incredibly smooth. It always amazed her how nice everything sounded when he said it.

Hinata wanted to repeat the lie she had told Sakura in the kitchen yet she had, in her opinion, made her feelings to Sasuke quite clear, so what would be the point? She had no idea how, when, or why, but she had fallen in love with him. And he knew that. Now the decision of where to go next lay squarely on his shoulders, not hers.

"I-I," Hinata took a second to collect herself, "I think I've already told you why a long time ago, Sasuke. On the bridge." Where you left me to crumble into a million little pieces, Hinata wanted to add.

Sasuke nodded slowly, his eyes steadily focused on her. It was as if he were slowly digesting new information. But he had known for months, hadn't he?

"I'll e-even," Hinata steadied her voice once again, "I'll even clear up this situation for you again - I-I love you." She glanced over his shoulder at the rest of the guests, who all seemed thoroughly involved in their own lives and the party. No one had noticed them in the corner, speaking.

Sasuke was silent and Hinata felt a sudden bitterness towards him. She had saved his life not once, but twice. Had declared her love for him, not once but twice. And all he could do was stay silent. He wouldn't even give her a proper response. A yes or a no.

"Hinata," He spoke her name softly and almost against her will, Hinata enjoyed the sound, "I - " He reached out to touch her shoulder, in what would have been a comforting gesture from anyone else, yet stopped just short of actual contact.

And once again, despite everything, she found herself desperately clinging to the hope that he would return her feelings. That he would return her feelings even just a little.

Hinata remained quiet, studying Sasuke's face as he, for once in his life, struggled for words. It was almost ironic how perfect he looked. They had obviously been taking good care of him while she was recuperating. His cheeks were no longer as gaunt and as pale as they had been once. Pale they still were, but they lacked the hollowness they once had. A few months ago, Hinata would have said that Sasuke had a haunting beauty - his appearance wasn't perfection, yet there was something so striking about it, that you were almost fooled into thinking so.

And now, he had lost that haunted quality. It was a better fit, perhaps, with his personality than this newer, shinier, prettier version of Sasuke.

"I'm going to go." Hinata finally said. She couldn't wait any longer. Sasuke needed his own time. Even if it took him his entire lifetime, it would be okay ...

Hinata grabbed the handle of the door and left Ino's apartment.

Hinata snapped out of her reverie. She had barely seen Sasuke in the last five months. Time had whizzed by for the both of them, she guessed. She spent her days and nights in the hospital as she did before. She worked hard on the weekends.

He was off on missions almost constantly. Restoring the faith his comrades had in him and perhaps restoring the faith he had lost at some point in himself. Hinata shook her head as if she could shake Sasuke right out of her mind. If only.

She grabbed her things and headed for Ino's home.

...

"You're a beautiful bride." Hinata said earnestly. She meant it too. Ino looked stunning in her dress. Surprisingly, Ino had chosen a traditional kimono apparently upon Kiba and his family's request to keep the ceremony rather simple.

Ino stared at herself in the mirror before she grinned widely.

"I do look pretty great, if I do say so myself." She did her signature hair toss.

"Kiba's a lucky man." Sakura added good-naturedly from behind. Hinata smiled at Sakura and the gesture was warmly returned. Hinata was glad that at least their relationship had thawed. Sakura - after her marriage to Naruto - had transformed in more ways than one.

Hinata hadn't been wrong in guessing that their marriage might be a good thing. Sakura had become the ultimate doting wife - it was almost as if she hadn't realized how much she loved Naruto until they got married. And of course, Naruto was the most caring husband in return.

Hinata randomly wondered if Sakura was ever relieved that Hinata had actually rejected Naruto all that time ago - because it gave Sakura a fair shot at real happiness.

"Yes, he is!" Ino chirped in agreement.

"Well, guys! I think I'm good to go! Wedding, here I come." Ino announced, turning away from the three-sided mirror. Hinata smiled. This, too, would be the beginnning of something great.

...

The reception - like the ceremony itself - was simple and modest and Hinata had slight trouble believing that it was actually Ino's wedding reception. Ino liked to do things on a grand-scale.

Hinata glanced at the happy couple dancing slowly. Ino must really be in love, Hinata thought to herself, to do things someone else's way for once.

Soon enough other couples found their way onto the dancefloor as well including a lovey-dovey looking Naruto and Sakura as well as Shino and his pretty girlfriend.

Her own table was left empty. Hinata shrugged it off - what could one do? She would just wait till a more catchy tune came on and then maybe - provided Ino dragged her, which she would - she would dance.

Hinata looked back at her table after gazing at the dancing couples for a few long minutes and was surprised to see someone sitting in the chair next to her. Sasuke.

"Sasuke. It's nice to see you." She said calmly. There was no point working herself up only to be let down in the end.

"Hinata," He began, "do you really love me?"

What sort of question was that? Did she really love him? Were there several sorts of love out there that she had no idea about? Could someone love another but not really love them?

Hinata nodded. This time she forced the eye contact.

"I see." And as soon and as unexpectedly as he'd come, he left her table. But unlike that time at the party, Hinata could feel that this wasn't the end of something. Something in his troubled face told her that. She just wished she knew what he needed and what he wanted from her.

If he didn't love her, why couldn't he set her completely free as he did with Sakura? Why did he come and talk to her? And if he did love her, then what was stopping him from telling her so? It wasn't as if he had to worry about his feelings being rejected.

What was Sasuke waiting for? What did he need to know - what kind of confirmation was he looking for? Was he waiting for her to recant?

Hinata knew there was no point to posing "what if's?" in her own mind - if she wanted him, then she had to wait for him. And she still felt the way she had felt when she left that party.

Even a lifetime wouldn't be too long for her to wait.

...

Author's Note: Are you guys ready to kill me? Please don't! It's been busy lately but guess what? I'm BACK! And I'm going to actually be updating REGULARLY! Yup! Look out for an update on my other stories soon:)

And yes, this has NOT been proofread -- and seeing as this was written in the middle of the night (can't get to sleep), please forgive any typos/spelling mistakes/etc. Love you all! Thanks for your support:) You guys are awesome!