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

Special Thanks: goes out to Tamani, Guest, mangetsu no hime, Break Blade, Danish 78, sagar hussain, WarFlower, uahi, and SahelTheWaltzingDinosaur for all your reviews! Also thanks to everyone who's added this to their favorites and follows lists!

Author's Note: I am so excited about this chapter. Almost as excited as I am about the next one. There is a very special appearance by someone I've been looking forward to including... I hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading!

*~Chapter XXXV~*

~Appearance~

If someone had told Hinata even three months ago that she would forego a day of sightseeing in New York to remain in a hotel (however luxurious) in order to read one of Uchiha Sasuke's novels, she would have roundly told that person he (or she) was nuts. Yet on their second day in the city, she opted to curl up on one of the couches in their suite with her computer on her lap, Sasuke's newest novel unfolding its fascinating story before her very eyes. The author himself sat at the other end of the sofa, working on the final two chapters of the manuscript; when her feet got chilly at one point, she unconsciously burrowed them beneath his to warm them.

Though the plot and characters differed greatly from those in Metronome, they had the same quality and depth which had drawn Hinata into that movie. Quickly sucked in, she didn't even realize how much time had passed until Sasuke cleared his throat and said, "We have to leave in an hour to make it to the restaurant in time for our reservations, Hinata."

Though it took a moment for Hinata to tear her gaze away from the screen, a look at the clock confirmed Sasuke's words. She yelped, catching Sasuke's apologetic glance out of the corner of her eye as she raced to her bedroom. She still had to shower, do her makeup, style her hair, and dress before they could leave. And she only had sixty minutes in which to do it!

Hinata slid her laptop in its case before slipping the thumb drive with Sasuke's manuscripts into one of its many pockets. Then she hurried through her shower, firmly resisting the urge to apply makeup with one hand as she blow-dried her hair with the other. After making sure her long, silky locks were basically dry, she quickly braided it and wound it into an elaborate bun on the back of her head, securing it with hairpins. She'd worn a similar hairstyle to almost all the functions she had been pressed into attending with her father, standing in as hostess when she came of age since her mother was gone. It looked elegant, though it didn't take much time or effort to construct.

After her hair, and with only twenty-five minutes left on the clock, she hurried through her makeup, careful not to smudge anything. Then Hinata pulled on her dress, an orchid silk number with a floor-length tiered skirt and a sequined bodice, which had also seen a fair few of her father's business functions, before donning amethyst jewelry. She slid her feet into the matching heels as she reached for a small purse holding the necessities and a wrap in case the air conditioning in the theater got too cool.

When she finally emerged in the main room - with nine minutes to spare - Hinata felt the air leave her lungs in a rush. Sasuke stood next to the mantle, leaning against it with one arm, his phone to his ear. His dark hair shone in the room's lighting, gleaming with blue highlights like a raven's wings. The tuxedo he wore was cut so perfectly to his body she knew it had to have been tailor-made. The black fabric of the tux looked even sharper against his pale skin, matching his hair and eyes.

Hinata must have made some sort of sound, because Sasuke turned slightly from where he'd been staring into the fireplace - turned off, since it was the height of summer - to look at her. His eyes widened, and he broke off mid-sentence as his warm, admiring gaze slid from her hair down to her shoes and back, missing nothing. She nervously reached up and touched one of the amethyst earrings dangling alongside her face, feeling her cheeks heat under his regard.

"We'll be down in just a minute, Kotetsu." Without saying goodbye, Sasuke hung up his phone and moved across the room toward her, tucking his phone into his pocket. "You look-" he hesitated, brow crinkling as he searched for the right word "-amazing."

"Thank you." Hinata reached up to touch the precisely tied bowtie at his throat, managing a shy smile. "You look quite sharp yourself. I imagine I'll be the envy of every woman tonight, everywhere we go." She felt somehow as if she were in a dream: a very good dream.

Smiling, Sasuke held out his arm toward her and said, "Kotetsu and Izumo are waiting downstairs. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes." Sliding her hand into the crook of his elbow, Hinata allowed Sasuke to escort her to the elevator, then out into the lobby. Curious eyes followed their progress across to the front door, though no signs of recognition came from anyone.

When they stepped outside, Hinata stopped cold when she saw the limo waiting for them. "Wow," she said softly.

Sasuke gently slid his arm around her waist to guide her forward as Izumo opened the door with a slight bow. "Jiraiya insisted," he said as he helped Hinata into the backseat. After following her in and the door clicked shut behind him, he continued, "I told him we weren't going to use a limo until tomorow night, but he insisted every woman deserved to ride in one to dinner and a Broadway show. How could I argue with that?"

Though Hinata had ridden in her father's limousine many times in her life, it didn't equal this one. Equipped with a mini-bar, a television and DVD player, it also had rows of lights which could be set to varying brightness levels, its own controls for the heat and air, and about a thousand other unlabeled switches she was afraid to touch. It was a top-of-the-line car: only the best for Uchiha Sasuke, courtesy of his agent.

As Kotetsu and Izumo took their places (way) up front with the driver, Hinata settled back against the almost silky-soft Italian leather of the back seat. She felt as pampered as any royal, and it was all thanks to the incredibly talented man beside her, whom she was coming to know on so many different levels-

-Suddenly, her own voice echoed harshly through her mind: "...that sorry excuse for literature..." and she gasped aloud as guilt ripped through her. Eyes stinging, she turned toward him, halfway extended her hand, and blurted out, "Sasuke, I am so sorry!"

Looking startled, Sasuke immediately turned to face her and took her hand in his own warm, strong clasp. "Hinata? Sweetheart? What's the matter?" he queried, an expression of anxiety growing on his face as he eyes scanned hers. "Are you not feeling well? Should we go back to the hotel?"

She shook her head. "No, not that. I just really need to apologize to you for being so rude and such a snob before the meet and greet, saying what I did about your books not being literature. You are a seriously gifted writer, with a precise and comprehensive command of the language that showed through even in Checkmate, flawed though it was. And I plan on reading every single one of your other books when we get back to Konoha. I - I just wanted you to know that."

Sasuke gazed at her for a long moment, his normally pale cheeks going slightly pink. "I'll admit, it - stung a little at the time." He leaned across the small distance separating them and brushed a kiss on the corner of her mouth. "I appreciate the apology, 'Nata, but I forgave you a long," he kissed the other corner of her mouth, "long time ago." He kissed her fully if lightly on her lips.

When he pulled away from her, Hinata had to fight the urge to follow after him. Intensely conscious of the rapid beating of her heart, she gave silent thanks for the darkly tinted windows of the vehicle.

Only what seemed like a few minutes after leaving the hotel, the car smoothly pulled up in front of the Japanese restaurant. Izumo opened the door, and Sasuke slid out before assisting Hinata. Arm in arm, they moved across the sidewalk, their bodyguards trailing behind like silent shadows, and were greeted by a doorman who bowed politely as he ushered them inside.

Stepping into the restaurant was like entering a completely different world. The hustle and bustle of early evening traffic outside vanished, replaced by a peaceful atmosphere including a small wooden bridge over an artificial pond with live koi fish; soothing music piped over hidden speakers throughout the room; and women dressed in silken kimono gliding among the tables.

As their hostess led them to their table, Hinata marveled at the paintings, elaborate fans, and weapons mounted artfully on the walls. Elegantly painted screens formed strategically placed partitions, creating a cozy atmosphere which instantly set her at ease.

As soon as the hostess left a waitress appeared to take their drink orders. After their tea had been delivered and their food orders given, Hinata relaxed fully and examined the unfurled fan hanging on the wall to her right, painted with a delicate design of sakura blossoms and bamboo trees.

"This is amazing," Hinata said, indicating their surroundings. "I've been to a few Japanese restaurants in my time, but nothing like this." Then again, she'd never been to New York, either. It seemed like everything here was bigger, grander, more elaborate. Especially compared to quiet, simple Konoha.

Sasuke nodded. "It didn't take long after this place opened for it to become known as one of the best places in New York City. It's only been here around four years, but it's been featured in magazines and on television shows."

"Did you eat here the last time you were in New York?" Hinata blew gently across the surface of her tea before taking a sip. The rich, full flavor filled her mouth, and she made a mental note to ask for the name of the tea so she could buy some when she got home, both for herself, and for Tenten.

"No." The answer, quickly and brusquely given, made Hinata blink in surprise. Sasuke frowned and said more moderately, "I didn't eat out at any restaurants when I was here last. In fact, I only ever left my hotel room to go to Metronome's premiere, and then once to eat dinner at Jiraiya's condo. I was only here a couple of days before I drove back home."

Hinata fussed with a fold of her wrap, lying on the cushion next to her. But her mind was focused on Sasuke, and his sudden change of demeanor. Ever since they'd come to the restaurant, he'd seemed tense, almost nervous. She'd noticed yesterday he'd been attentive to their surroundings, but now he seemed obsessed with looking around what little part of the restaurant they could see from their partitioned area, as if making sure no one was looking at them.

Then again, yesterday he'd been in disguise. Tonight, he was dressed in a tux - no hat, no sunglasses. Nothing to hide his features from probing eyes. Hinata remembered the spot they'd seen on television a few nights before, and had a sudden, creepy feeling that the media was probably combing New York looking for them. Perhaps that's what had him so on edge: he was out without a disguise in a city where paparazzi quite possibly lurked around every high-profile corner. He very rarely made public appearances, so Hinata knew the media would want to wring every last little tidbit they could out of him during this one, since heaven only knew when his next one would be.

The waitress returned then with their food, breaking Hinata out of her thoughts. Everything looked and smelled delicious, each item carefully and decoratively arranged on beautiful plates with classic Japanese designs. Even the chopsticks, when she picked them up, were elaborately painted with a miniature scene of a bridge arching over a creek lined with flowers.

As good as the food looked, it tasted a hundred times better. Everything Hinata put in her mouth exploded in bursts of exotic flavors in a wide variety she'd never experienced before. She and Sasuke had both been adventurous and ordered things they'd never eaten, and each item was fixed to perfection. It was, by far, the best experience she'd ever had in a restaurant, Japanese or otherwise.

Sasuke relaxed the farther into the meal they got. Between bites of food, they talked about a little bit of everything, ranging from the few family vacations they'd taken in the past, to trips they'd like to take in the future, to their favorite types of animals. They even got into a lively discussion about mythical creatures.

They had almost finished their meal when a shadow fell across the table. Hinata sensed more than saw Sasuke tense again as she looked up to see, not their waitress, but a man dressed in the crisp white uniform of a chef.

To Hinata's surprise, the red haired man turned to Sasuke and nodded, recognition glowing in his darkly rimmed green eyes. "Sasuke."

The author's dark eyes simmered with some barely restrained powerful emotion Hinata couldn't quite identify. "Gaara," Sasuke returned stiffly. Turning to Hinata, he made the introductions. "Hinata, this is the owner and head chef of the restaurant, Sabaku Gaara - my sister-in-law's brother. And this is Hyuuga Hinata, my date for tomorrow night's movie premiere."

Turning to Hinata, Gaara bowed politely, his bloodred bangs sweeping away from his forehead long enough for her to glimpse a tattoo on his pale forehead, done in ink as brightly crimson as his hair; the kanji for love, if she wasn't mistaken. "A pleasure to meet you," he said, straightening with a ghost of a smile on his serious features.

Hinata smiled and bowed her head in response. "A pleasure to meet you, as well," she replied. "Your restaurant is incredible. This is the best experience I've ever had eating out, from the atmosphere to the food."

Gaara's intense eyes brightened slightly, and his polite smile softened into a shy but sincere one. "Arigatou," he said to her. "I am always pleased to hear my customers enjoy their dining experience. Particularly," he added as he met her eyes, "when they are so attractive."

Sasuke's expression went from tense to stormy in the blink of an eye. Hinata sensed the tension in the air intensify, becoming so thick it nearly choked off her breath. Suddenly their booth went from cozily comfortable to suffocatingly close. She curled her hands into fists in her lap. The obvious dislike simmering between the author and the chef confused her. Even without being introduced as such, she thought she would clearly have recognized this man as Temari's brother. Although he had red hair and green eyes instead of being blond and teal-eyed like his sister, she could see strong similarities in the shape of their chins, the tilt of their noses, the sweep of their cheekbones. Whereas Sasuke had seemed comfortable around his sister-in-law, the same feelings of goodwill clearly did not extend to her brother.

And, the icy glint in Gaara's eyes stated, the feeling was clearly mutual.

"If you'll excuse us," Sasuke said coolly, moving to slide out of his seat, "Hinata and I really must be going. We're going to take in a show at the Majestic, and I'd like to get there early."

Gaara stepped back from the table to give both Hinata and Sasuke room to stand, but she felt his gaze lingering on her as she rose. It didn't disturb her; in fact, she sensed the warmth and admiration he bestowed upon her, and it made her blush. She didn't consider herself particularly attractive, so the fact she had two men as handsome as Sasuke and Gaara both feeling favorably towards her made her feel flustered, slightly off-balance.

The high heel of her shoe caught on the tatami matting, and she wobbled. Gaara's hand, large and work-roughened but still gentle with its touch, closed around her elbow and steadied her. She looked up into his face, startlingly close, and blinked at the curiosity she saw in those strange green eyes of his. "Thank you," she whispered, afraid to speak any louder.

Sasuke was suddenly there, on her other side, his arm going around her shoulders and pulling her against him, away from Gaara, before the redhead could reply. "Good evening, Gaara," he said, tone sharp.

Something dark flickered briefly through Gaara's eyes, and then he tilted his head stiffly and replied, "Good evening, Sasuke. Hinata." Turning on his heel, he briskly strode away.

Their waitress approached, and Sasuke quietly requested their check. Instead of retrieving it, she smiled at them warmly and said, "Oh, there's no charge." Her eyes followed Gaara's retreating form as he slipped back into the kitchen. "Your meal was a gift - compliments of the chef."

Sasuke silently seethed as he helped Hinata back into the limousine. He'd dreaded dinner ever since he found out Jiraiya got them at a table at Gaara's restaurant, but hadn't wanted to try to get a table somewhere else on such short notice. He'd halfway been hoping tonight would be Gaara's night off. That had been a wasted wish; he doubted the man ever took one.

From the moment Sasuke met the redhead at Itachi and Temari's wedding, he hadn't liked the man. Quiet and intense to the point of being downright creepy, Gaara had spent most of the reception sitting by himself at a table, nursing a single glass of wine the entire night, watching everyone else socialize around him. He'd really only spoken to Temari and Kankuro, with a brief "congratulations" to Itachi, saying nothing to Sasuke, even when introduced. Dislike had instantly flared between the two upon first sight, and avoiding him had been the name of the game for the rest of the reception.

Preferably, Sasuke would have liked to live out the rest of his life without encountering Gaara again. But his owning the most popular Japanese restaurant in New York made that impossible: especially since Sasuke himself had been the idiot who mentioned to Jiraiya he wanted to take Hinata out for Japanese before they went to the Majestic. Of course he'd had a glitch in his brain at the moment, making him forget Gaara's inescapable presence.

"That was so nice of Gaara, giving us that delicious meal," Hinata said as Izumo shut the car door behind Sasuke. "He was very intense, but I liked him."

Sasuke silently ground his teeth. He knew exactly the motives which had driven the man to pay for their meal himself, every single one meant to drive Sasuke crazy. And then there was the fact Gaara had obviously felt an instant attraction to Hinata - which, from the expression on the librarian's face, she had definitely noticed. Though Hinata treated Sasuke no differently after the encounter, the entire situation still made the author want to throw back his head and scream in sheer bloody frustration.

The seething jealousy churning in his gut, threatening to make him lose the (infuriatingly free) meal he'd just consumed, surprised Sasuke. He'd felt it once before, when he'd witnessed Kiba kissing Hinata on the cheek after one of his library appearances. But what he'd felt then couldn't even hold a torch to what he felt now. It was a living thing writhing inside him, pumping through his veins, knotting his nerves and drumming in his head in time with his heartbeat. The violence of the emotion frightened him. He'd not felt something so strongly in a very long time, and he fought hard to conceal it.

By the time they exited the limo at the Majestic, Sasuke had mostly regained control of his emotions. He determined to forget about Gaara and their experience at the restaurant, and just enjoy their time at the theater.

Hinata's reaction when she caught sight of the marquee helped enormously. Her eyes and mouth rounded in surprise. She actually froze for an instant as he handed her out of the limo.

"Really?" she gasped. "The Murders in the Rue Morgue, based on the detective novel by Edgar Allen Poe!" She lifted her awed gaze to Sasuke and slowly shook her head. "I know they've done movies, but I had no idea they'd done a stage play!"

Sasuke smiled. "It's actually very recent. There's been a renewed interest in Poe and his works recently, and a very distinguished producer decided to take a select few of his more popular stories and turn them into plays as a limited engagement event. I remembered our conversation about Poe and his The Fall of the House of Usher the night of my first appearance at the library, and when I found out this particular play was the feature this week, I had Jiraiya secure us tickets as soon as possible. I wanted to surprise you."

Hinata closed her eyes and breathed out a rapturous sigh. "This is incredible, Sasuke. Thank you."

Warmth spread through his chest, pushing away the last few tendrils of simmering jealousy from earlier. Smiling, Sasuke looked down at her and said quietly, "You're welcome."

Inside, after purchasing a program for her, Sasuke helped Hinata put on her wrap since the air conditioning kept the interior of the theater much cooler than the still-hot night outside. He was glad for his own tuxedo jacket as he showed their tickets to an usher and they followed him to their seats in the premium section, Row C, only a couple of rows back from the orchestra pit.

He found the theater very impressive, done in shades of red, cream, and gold. It was clean and well-maintained, with all the dignified and opulent elegance of a grande dame from the time when being seen at the theater (and not one with a screen) was the thing to do. Sasuke and Hinata's surroundings evoked a very comfortable, old-time feel that soon had them relaxing and joining in the excited, albeit respectfully quiet, buzz humming through the auditorium.

The entire play was presented in four acts, with a twenty-minute intermission between the second and third. While almost everyone else returned to the lobby during the break, Sasuke and Hinata remained in their seats and enthusiastically discussed the play until the third act began.

It was almost midnight by the time they finally left the theater, both of them highly impressed by the play and its cast. The scriptwriter had remained very true to the original material written by Poe, which especially made Hinata happy. Sasuke had noticed she liked things staying close to the source material when it came to plays and movies, which made him glad Metronome had done so. He hadn't had a lot of input on Head Shot, leaving the bulk of it to Jiraiya; but since it was done by the same people, he had a good feeling it would be close to the book, too.

In less than twenty-four hours, Sasuke would find out if that were true. As he followed Hinata into the limo, he swallowed back a sudden attack of nerves. This foray into the New York nightlife had been for enjoyment, yes, but it had also been something of a test. They'd not been stopped by any reporters, either at the restaurant or theater, and none of their fellow patrons had seemed to recognize him. But at the Head Shot premiere, he knew, that was going to change.

And in a really big way.

Hinata happily talked about the play on the way back to the hotel, and Sasuke listened with half an ear as he fought down his sudden attack of nerves. He'd been fine at Metronome's premiere, and Hinata hadn't been with him. Surely with her at his side, Head Shot would be a hundred times easier, even if his noteriety had only grown since last time. Jiraiya had sent him an e-mail with a list of newspapers, magazines, and other media outlets intending to cover the premiere. The length of it had nearly made Sasuke choke on his coffee. That number, staggering enough on its own, didn't even include the fans and hangers-on who would be attending with only a rope and a few security people between them and him.

They made their way up to their penthouse suite, and Hinata thanked him again for the "unbelievably wonderful night" before kissing him goodnight on his cheek and floating off to her room. But Sasuke couldn't seem to make himself go any further than the window, where he looked out over the lights of the city and wished he was back home in Konoha, safe and alone in his house overlooking the sleeping town instead of in a ridiculously expensive suite high above a bright, loud city which never slept.

You can do this. Sasuke tore himself away from the window and ran his hand over Ninja's head, smiling wanly at the dog's worried whine as he sensed his master's inner turmoil. "Do you think I can do this, buddy?" he asked.

Ninja's tail thumped the floor twice, and he looked up with steady brown eyes filled with the quiet strength which made him such a good companion. Though a different color, Hinata's eyes seemed to hold the same emotion, and he felt himself begin to relax again at the remembrance. She'll be right there beside me. She has confidence in me and my ability to do this.

Smiling, Sasuke tucked his hands into his tux pockets and headed for his room. And with Hinata at my side, I can do anything - including face a screaming horde of reporters determined to wring every last little secret about my private life out of me.

It wouldn't be easy, but Sasuke wouldn't let his anxiety stop him. He would face this fear - and conquer it.

After all, he wasn't alone any more.

*~To Be Continued~*

Author's Ending Notes: Gaara! I've been looking forward to the scene with him since way back when Hinata told Sasuke he'd missed his calling and should be a chef. I'm actually not really a fan of love triangles, they usually drive me nuts, but for some reason, the Gaara/Hinata/Sauske triangle is the only one I really like. Something about it intrigues me, with two men who are so clearly alpha males interested in the same woman. And jealous!Sasuke is such fun to write. Hmm... Anyway! The Majestic is a real theatre in New York, and yes, it is a grande dame and was at one time the place to see and be seen. I did cheat a little - most of the time nowadays casual attire is completely allowed, but I figured what was the fun in going to the theatre in NY without getting all dressed up? And to the best of my knowledge, a stage play based on Poe's Rue Morgue has never been done - that was also made up for the story (sorry). But I've been looking forward to tying that into their discussion way back toward the beginning of the story. And, Hinata apologized! Though Sasuke had already forgiven her, I was relieved to get that out into the air. She had been such a snob, but now she knows the truth. Thank you all so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed, and I hope to see you all next week - for the premiere of Head Shot!