Summary: Each time Hinata confessed her feelings to Naruto, she felt a growing appreciation for his best friend, Sasuke. AU. Crack ships included.

The first time Hinata confessed to her long-time crush, he had barely heard her confession at all. Naruto blinked, leaned in, and asked her to repeat herself.

Hinata had just managed to say, "I like you" without stuttering, but now she felt her skin turning into a splotchy, red mess as she had to say it again. Then she felt downright humiliated that she had to say it once more, as he leaned in closer with his ear turned to her mouth, as she saw Sasuke Uchiha slowly approaching them.

Naruto popped up suddenly and loudly exclaimed, "Oh, I like you too! You're a great friend!" He turned to Sasuke. "Hey Sasuke, you're here! Let's go to Ichiraku Ramen now! You can come too if you want, Hinata!"

Hinata shook her head and the blonde took that as his cue to run off in the direction of his favourite ramen stand, leaving Hinata rejected in front of an audience. Hinata stood there wishing that Sasuke wasn't aware of what had transpired, or at least didn't make fun of her if he did.

"Hinata," he said. She managed to meet the Uchiha's eyes. He didn't look like he was trying to hold in a laugh or, worse, giving her pitying looks, and that calmed down her nerves from confessing to Naruto… three times! "You'll have to be more specific next time."

And he walked off.

The second time Hinata confessed to Naruto, he was the one who approached her.

The blonde was hardly ever alone and that made it difficult for someone to talk to him about private matters. He was too quick to chat to street vendors advertising their products, yelling at the kids who mastered his pranks and were now using his tricks against him, or stopping to catch up with old classmates. Hinata was exhausted from stalking the boy all day without being spotted. It didn't help that it was one of the hottest days in Konohagakure and she forgot her water bottle. Hinata felt nearly faint as she leaned against the telephone poll she was hiding behind. She closed her eyes while she fanned herself with a flyer.

She opened her eyes and was startled to see Naruto's electric blue eyes staring back. Sasuke was standing in the far back, stoic as ever. He was positioned in a way that only his profile was facing them – possibly an opportunity to give them privacy and Hinata took this as a sign to confess. Again. Not like the Uchiha didn't know what her motives were anyway.

"Naruto, I like you… as more than just a friend!"

There! Hinata thought to herself. That had to be more specific.

Hinata braced herself for Naruto's response but wasn't expecting him to throw back his head and laugh.

Naruto faced Sasuke, who had smacked himself in the face with his hand from the blonde's stupidity, and hollered, "You hear that, jerk? You have some stiff competition for the role of my best friend!"

Naruto started to run off but yelled back, "You have a good chance of beating him, Hinata. He doesn't even treat me to ramen anymore! Ha ha!"

"Sasuke, what the actual F?" Hinata blurted out. Her Hyuuga upbringing wouldn't allow her to cuss even though the circumstances called for it. The boy in question merely dragged his hand down his face.

"Don't worry about it. You know he's an idiot." Hinata thought he was going to say something more, but he continued to stare at her. Eventually, he reached into his backpack and tossed something towards her. She fumbled, barely catching it, and saw that it was a drink.

"Here," he said, before going after his friend. "You look like you need it more than I do."

The third time Hinata confessed to Naruto, it was the last time.

Sasuke found Hinata sitting alone on the swing set of their old elementary school. The image reminded him of all the times he walked home and saw Naruto sitting there as his peers mocked him. Sasuke noted that Hinata didn't need a crowd to put her down. She was doing that all on her own.

Sasuke sat down on the swing seat beside her. Hinata didn't acknowledge him and he didn't initiate any attempts at conversation.

The sun was setting as she sniffled and wiped her eyes for the umpteenth time.

"I told him I've always loved him," she said finally.

Sasuke felt his own chest stricken when she looked at him for the first time since he joined her. Her eyes were red rimmed and sad.

"I guess it wasn't enough for him, or I waited too long to speak up because he apologized and said he was –"

"– dating Ino," finished Sasuke.

Sasuke had heard the news from the moron himself with his new love on his arm and that compelled the Uchiha to find Hinata, knowing how this would crush her. He was hoping Naruto's brashness, impatience, and loud mouth had meant he would've broken the news first, but it seemed like Hinata had beaten him to the punch, tired of having her feelings brushed to the side. Now she was the one being sidelined instead.

Hinata shivered and pulled her cardigan tightly around her.

"It's getting late. I should go home before my family sends out a search party." She tried to smile at Sasuke, not caring if the expression seemed genuine or not. "Thank you for sitting with me."

"I'll walk you home," Sasuke said. "It's along the way to my place."

Hinata didn't protest and the two fell into step as they walked home in silence. Normally, Hinata would feel self-conscious with the highly coveted Sasuke Uchiha at her side. They rarely interacted one-on-one and his reputation superseded him. He hailed from an accomplished family and both he and his brother were highly skilled in taijutsu, martial arts, racking up award after award that rivalled the trophies that her own prestigious family acquired over several ancestries. Her father had scoffed at the Uchihas for being "new money," but she thought the Uchihas' ambition and hard work were something admirable, if not intimidating.

But at the moment, she was grateful for his company and support. She didn't know if she would have confessed to Naruto so soon after it backfired on her if it wasn't for Sasuke's words of encouragement. Ultimately, she was proud of herself for telling Naruto how she felt. She no longer would live her life questioning what would have happened if she told him.

Hinata's tears had long dried by the time they made it to the outskirts of the Hyuuga estate.

"Thank you again, Sasuke. I really appreciate everything you've done."

"You're welcome," he said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his shorts. "Do you need me to accompany you further?"

She shook her head. "No, thanks," she said, suppressing a small laugh. "I don't think you'd like to run into my cousin, Neji. He's returned from his travels and he'd challenge you to a sparring match on sight."

Sasuke instantly tensed up hearing Neji's name and could feel a migraine coming on as he imagined the ensuing battle and the male Hyuuga's prideful boasts. There was no way he was going to deal with that tonight.

"Hn," he muttered. "Take care then."

Hinata was sweating as she hid behind a pillar, looking at Naruto and Ino's intertwined hands. Ino was admonishing her boyfriend over something trivial, but anyone could tell by her grin and the amusement in her eyes that the blonde bombshell wasn't actually mad. Along came Sakura and Kiba, yet another unlikely pair to have recently coupled up, and Hinata regretted agreeing to spend time with so many couples.

"If you're feeling that uncomfortable, you can always cancel," said Sasuke, who snuck up behind her and nearly made her reveal her hiding spot. "I already texted them that I can't make it. That group is the loudest."

"Maybe," she said, giving the group another look and felt her chest tighten at the sight of Naruto and Ino with their arms wrapped around one another. "Maybe you're right. Mind walking me home again?"

"Lead the way."

The two weren't silent this time around as they chatted about their family (Hiashi Hyuuga enrolling his youngest daughter in flute lessons was not having the intended effect of making her more ladylike, but irritating the family as she practiced); discussed their hobbies (Fugaku Uchiha was teaching his sons to become fire breathers, even though there was no legal way of them fire breathing during a taijutsu match, and Sasuke was actually pretty good at it if Hinata wanted to see); and, on occasion, gossiped about their friends, but skirted all topics regarding Naruto or Ino. Sakura and Kiba were fair game though.

"I never suspected Kiba had a thing for Sakura."

"I saw it coming," said Sasuke. "Sakura had started talking about puppies more than she ever had and I saw Kiba walking his dog by her parents' shop way too many times for it to be a coincidence."

"You're so observant." Hinata thought about all the instances Kiba had left their group study sessions early, or went on different walking routes with Akamaru, and never second guessed his intentions.

"You were just so focused on you-know-who that you never noticed how other people interacted. Including how people who interacted with you."

"What do you mean by that?"

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders.

"We're here," he said as they made it to the Hyuuga estate. "Feel better."

As Hinata watched him leave, she retraced their conversation and her heart fluttered as she wondered if there was something deeper behind Sasuke's words.

Everyone was attending Rock Lee's recovery party. The Green Beast had sustained some extensive injuries at the last tournament and had finally been released from the hospital. He was still using a wheelchair but he insisted that he would be able to walk again without assistance within a week or he would do 1,000 sit-ups. Gai-sensei cheered his pupil on, tears streaming down his face like mini waterfalls, and he and the other senseis ensured that Rock Lee abstained from alcohol or risk being re-admitted to the hospital.

Hinata was sitting in the corner nursing a drink. She was scolding herself for doing the unthinkable: falling for Sasuke Uchiha. She couldn't believe she was so fickle. Claiming to love Naruto one day and developing a crush on his best friend the next because he was a little nice to her? It was pathetic. Would she have fallen for anybody if they showed an iota of kindness to her after the failed confessions too?

No, that was preposterous because both Kiba and Shino had consoled her after she told them what happened and she only felt her cheeks redden when she thought of Sasuke. She just didn't notice how she truly felt because her feelings were subtle as the Uchiha, quiet and reserved, compared to her crush on Naruto. But that's all her feelings toward Naruto were now, a silly childhood crush.

Hinata was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice Sasuke until he sat on the bar stool next to her.

"Hinata," he greeted.

"Sasuke," she said. "I've been meaning to tell you something."

"I like you, Hinata," he interjected.

"As more than a friend?" she asked.

He nodded. "Ever since we were kids. I've always loved you."

Hinata was overjoyed by that admission and she said that her feelings for him were a little newer, but it didn't mean that they weren't genuine.

Sasuke had gone quiet then, taking a few sips from his drink, but Hinata understood him perfectly. The Uchiha wasn't one to talk so openly about his feelings and his "I love you" meant more to her than any speech he could have made.

The two fell into comfortable silence and scooted closer to one another, their sides touching. No need to loudly announce the status of their relationship. That wasn't their style and everyone else would notice on their own time.

Hinata thought that was the end to Cupid coupling up the most random people from their graduating class until Rock Lee made another speech, in which he thanked the person who organized his recovery party and his new boyfriend, Gaara of the Sand.

Everyone was in shock except for Sasuke, who whispered to Hinata that he had his suspicions.

"The redhead was mesmerized by Rock Lee during their round in the tournament, kept hanging around Rock Lee's hospital room, and he was saying that their fight was the only thing that made him feel alive. Oh, that and I saw them cuddling when Naruto and I visited Lee the other day."

ClockRepair Message: I feel like I'm screaming into the void since I doubt the people who used to read my stories are still present. Hopefully there are new readers out there who will appreciate this. I really missed writing SasuHina fanfiction and realized that I haven't written a fic where Sasuke was the one to confess to Hinata. I also wanted to write about crack ships so that's how these couples came to be. Maybe I'll mention Chouji or Shino in the next story – if there is a next story – since they never get any love. Particularly Shino. There was one Naruto episode where Shino actually talked about how lonely he was. Sasuke's observations regarding Gaara's intense focus on Rock Lee are also all canon in the Chuunin Exam arc by the way – except for the cuddling – which I twisted in order to fit this story.

Thanks for reading.