Chapter 21

Hinata bit her thumbnail nervously and sat down across from Sasuke. Taking a deep and unsteady breath, she blew lightly across the surface of the steaming hot chocolate to cool it down somewhat.

Bringing the mug up to her lips, she stared miserably at what little ceramic mug she could from the corner of her eyes and chugged the scalding liquid in hopes the searing pain that traveled down her throat would provide a distraction to her worrying question.

What had happened to Shikamaru?

She was one hundred percent sure that those two cups of hot chocolate had been from Shikamaru, but what did it mean? Had he been run over by an escapee snowmobile? Had he seen her with Sasuke and gotten mad that she had been conversing with the man that he loathed? Had he been jealous for some reason that Hinata couldn't understand? Had he seen them kissing?

She glared up at the striking young president of Uchiha corporation through her thick bangs, all logical reasons seemed to point to him.

Sasuke finally glanced up at her and returned her frown, "What'd I do now?"

She quickly shifted her gaze back to her hot chocolate, "Never mind." She said quickly and reached for the muffin sitting between them, "You mind?"

He waved his still gloved hand dismissively, "I didn't buy it for myself, you looked hungry when I found you." Hinata only rolled her eyes and greedily began tearing small chunks off of the carrot muffin to pop into her mouth.

He watched her nibble on the corner of the muffin and put down his hot chocolate, "You were the Hyuuga heiress," He said, not posing it so much as a question than a statement that needed confirming.

Hinata nearly choked on her muffin as she blinked several times and tried to digest the question, "Yes. I was." She tried leaving it at that, but was sorely disappointed when Sasuke asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never asked." She said simply.

"I'm asking now."

"Well you've gotten your answer, haven't you?" She said forcefully and taking large chunks out of the muffin to chew furiously on, "What more do you want?"

He got up and sat next to he on the couch, "I don't want to get you upset," He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, to which she pushed off of her. He sighed and yanked her roughly onto his lap in annoyance. She struggled in his tight grip and finally just gave a grunt of frustration, refusing to move at all and sat stiller than a stone. Sasuke loosened his grip and whispered into her shoulder angrily, "Why do hate being near me?"

She shifted uncomfortably and leaned back an inch, "Because you're too…forward." She said and entangled her fingers with his, "I don't like it."

He gave a husky laugh, "Would you spend any time with me otherwise? Would you have kissed me first?" He pressed his lips to her palms to prove his point and chuckled when she winced.

"N-no. I wouldn't have." She admitted and squirmed so that he wasn't breathing down her neck anymore.

"You're not used to being near people like this," He realized and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. Hinata was barely aware of this, she was surprised by this realization also. It was true that Naruto had been very touch feely, but Sasuke's feelings and touches were so much more intense. She was pleased to know that it wasn't because she still felt worried about Naruto that she didn't like him up in her face all the time.

Sasuke let go of her and let his arms go limp at his sides, "I guess I'll let you go for today." He sighed dramatically, "It always hurts to let go of your favourite plaything." Hinata gave a gasp of rage to which he just lightly kissed her pink cheek and smiled, "Just kidding."

She made a face and shifted her body so she was sitting on his lap sideways, smiling genuinely up at Sasuke, "Thank you." She chastely kissed him and scuttled off of his lap quickly.

He snatched her wrist before she could stand up and tilted his head in the direction of the door, "Stay here, please?" He asked with unbelievably persuasive eyes.

Hinata glanced at the door and gave a pained expression as she watched an incredibly angry Sakura, Ino, Temari, and Kakashi storm into the chalet with the cameramen, earning them more than just a stare or two from the surrounding guests and customers. She looked back down at Sasuke who had closed his eyes as if praying. Resisting the urge to scream at him and the surrounding people, she fell onto him as much weight as she could, hoping to injure him somehow.

"Why do you keep asking me to do this?" She hissed and kicked his shin irately.

"Because I have something to prove." He whispered, too pleased for his own good.

"Wh--"

"Sasuke! Hyuuga!" Sakura shrieked and ploughed through the small crowd of people to reach the two, her nostrils flaring and her eyes menacingly narrowed, "Why--the--hell--were--you--the--only--one--with--him--bitch?" She seethed and kicked the couch each time harder and harder after each lividly gasped word.

Hinata shrunk against Sasuke, hoping that the earth would rise up and swallow her up before she had to endure Sakura's frightening wrath. Sasuke calmly patted her back reassuringly and eyed Sakura coolly, "Your temper, I'm sorry to say, Sakura, leaves much to be desired."

That made the model even more furious, her pink mouth opened in an outraged 'O' to scream even further, but paused and calmed herself to give Hinata a satisfied smirk, "Well, Hyuuga, enjoy it while you can, because it won't last long, believe me."

Sasuke made a low snarling noise from deep in his chest and look he might snatch Hinata's cup of hot chocolate and hurl it at the arrogant woman staring smugly at the both of them. Hinata quickly got up off of Sasuke, and said lowly, "Maybe you're right. Maybe I won't be lasting long," She picked up her Styrofoam cup of hot chocolate and whispered when she walked past Sakura to a fuming director, "But it doesn't seem like you're doing so well yourself."

"Honey, you don't even know half of what's really going on." She tossed her bubblegum pink hair behind her back and strode over to Sasuke to eagerly clutch his arm.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hinata meandered about a few feet behind the group of gushing women to fully take in the adorable scenery around her. She smiled and looked up at the clouded and snowing sky relishing the cold biting into her cheeks with each snowflake falling against her pale skin. The houses and shops down in the village were too quaint for words with their large open windows, beautifully carved wooden doors and charming red shingles on each roof.

She sighed contentedly and was grateful for her brief distraction from Sakura, Shikamaru and her…whatever was going on between her and Sasuke. She clasped her hands together behind her back and grinned impishly at Sakura's figure.

She trotted up to behind Sasuke and wrapped her arms around his slender body to murmur into the back of his neck, "Uchiha, I'm cold."

Sasuke turned around and grinned discreetly at her, more than willing to play along, "Come here, I guess I can try to keep you as warm as best I can…" He unhooked her arms from around his waist and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to his warm chest, "Better?" He asked.

"Almost." She said and quickly unbuttoned his jacket in front her fellow gawking contestants, quickly slipping into it beside him as soon as she had finished. She shivered against him, she had never done anything this mean and naughty before, it made her feel bubbly inside instead of guilty. She looked up at Sasuke's amused face, "I think I'm better now, unless this is inconveniencing you?" She pouted her lips slightly in hopes to look more persuasive.

"Of course not," He held her closer to him, unwilling to have her away from him for even a mere moment. Or at least it felt like that to her. Her giddiness was almost explosive, after the realization that she actually liked having Sasuke close to her made her feel like Naruto had not even made a small cameo into her life, it was…

Almost like the wound had healed.

No, that wasn't right, it was more like it was gone, like the injury and whatever had harmed her (in this case Naruto) hadn't even existed. Hinata had to take deep breaths to slow down her breathing and try to make her spinning mind go blank after another dawning realization hit her like a three hundred fifty pound, raging bull.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke looked down at her dizzy and frenzied expression, "You still cold?" He clutched her, if possible, closer and rubbed her arm vigorously up at down to warm it up.

"Sasuke, I…" She looked up at him with widened pale eyes, "I…"

"What?" He now looked annoyed, "I'm trying to warm you up, if that's what you're asking." He rolled his eyes, ignoring the disappointed and angry looks shooting from the other women after he had cut them off to pamper Hinata even more.

"I…" She broke into a smile that felt like it would break her face if another millimetre were added on to it, "I love you." She snatched his collar and pull him down to kiss him firmly on the lips.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hinata slowly pulled the brush through her already smooth hair again, dazed. The whole afternoon after she had confessed to Sasuke had been like that, every little thing that Sasuke did for and to her seemed magnified by a thousand times. She even felt pleased when Sasuke had said that tonight would be elimination, it would mean that their would be less girls to monopolize him in front of her. That being he didn't eliminate her tonight.

"Hey, Hinata." A deep voice rumbled softly behind her and interrupted her brooding.

Turning her head, she glanced up at the tall figure of Shikamaru's and felt relieved, putting down her brush, she smiled, "Hey, where were you? You suddenly disappeared," She pouted and smoothed out the creases of her dress.

He looked away with a look of revulsion plastered across his already sour face, "Why am I so surprised?" He slammed his hands on the vanity table in front of her and hissed at her "You chose him."

Hinata backed away on her seat and croaked, "What?"

"You chose him!" He flipped the table over, staining the white carpets with the vividly coloured makeup. He roared, "Why did I think you were different? Why did I think that you wouldn't fall for him?"He paced and spun around to face Hinata who was curled up in her chair, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

"I met you first, I met you before you even entered this fucking contest!" He placed his hands on the armrests of her chair and glared at her, "I met you at the fair, remember?"

Hinata stared into his eyes, realizing that they were the exact same ones that she had looked down on when she had crashed into that man after meeting Naruto at the fair. She widened her eyes, "It was you," She whispered and shrunk back from his terrifyingly large body.

"Yes, it was me," He hissed and leaned further in, "It was me who you met first!" He jolted upright and continued to pace in silence for a moment before whirling back on, "Do you actually love him? Or did you just say that to piss Sakura off?" He asked pleadingly.

Hinata sat up straight and regained all composure she had lost when he had stormed into the room, "I love him. No joke." She stared him right in the eye, then faltered, "Wait, how did you know about Sakura--"

"You can come in now." Shikamaru smoothed back his pony tailed hair and reverted back to the lazy and laid back Shikamaru that Hinata knew.

"What? Who--"

The door opened to reveal a stoic looking Sasuke. He took a small wad of bills from his pocket and tossed it to Shikamaru who caught it inches before it hit his face and deposited it into his pocket.

"Well, my job here is done," Shikamaru shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets, preparing to exit the small room.

"Didn't have be so dramatic about it," Sasuke muttered and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I don't know how I'm going to clean this room up before the other girls come in." He sighed, referring to the backstage makeup room that Shikamaru had thoroughly trashed during his rage.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Hinata stood up and waved her arms about in a flustered manner, "What the hell just went on here?" She glared at the two men who had the decency to at least look a little bit sheepish.

Shikamaru shrugged, "Sorry, Hinata, I really did actually like you in the beginning; but I found someone else now." He scratched his neck nonchalantly and tried leaving the room again.

"That doesn't explain anything!" Hinata shrieked in frustration.

"I'm sorry, Hinata," Sasuke sighed and plopped into one of the chairs in the room, "But I paid Shikamaru to see if you only said that you loved me to infuriate Sakura."

"Like I said, I did really like you in the beginning, but I've found someone else now. Ciao." He waved his hand and quickly departed the room before Hinata could object again.

Hinata sat and gawked at Sasuke, "Why didn't you just ask?"

He shrugged, "I wanted to make sure that you weren't one of those money whores."

Hinata sat with her mouth moving around wordlessly before she recovered her ability to speak, "You…you…you thought I was after you because of your money?" She took deep breaths to avoid freaking out even further.

"Hey, I couldn't be sure," He said defensively and stood up, "But I'm sorry for doubting you." He walked over to her and placed a light kiss on her cheek, "I'll see you after."

He left her sitting in the chair feeling warm and fuzzy all over. He said that he'd see her after. She relaxed and slumped back against the chair, at least that meant she would have another month left to spend with him.

----------------------------------------------------

Er…I'm back?

OMG I AM A TERRIBLE PERSON. I promised you guys this chapter like, four days ago, I'M SO SORRY!!!!

P.S. Thank you for those few people that actually stayed true to the SasuHina pairing. I told you not to get your hopes up for those who prefer the ShikaHina pairings.

Ciao,

MissLe