They Hold the World
Chapter 21: Fireworks
Hinata
Hyuugas were all about a new start.
Because a new start means a new life, new possibilities, and new things to conquer. They were ambitious folk, those Hyuugas, so one could only imagine the importance of the New Year to such a prestigious family.
And it was that importance that currently had Hinata staring at her phone, rocking back and forth on her feet as she read and re-read the invitation from Ino. A double-date? Downstairs, she heard glass clinking together as the maids got to work on dinner. With . . . Sasuke?
At first, she was doubtful. Sasuke had just gotten out of the hospital two days ago and she wasn't sure if something so . . . stressful was such a good idea. And then she took a glance outside, saw the fat flakes of snow falling from the sky, and became even more nervous about the situation. Just that morning, she had called him and asked if it was really such a good idea for him to be . . . away from his home when the weather was as it was.
And his words to her were what she should have expected. "A bit of snow is not going to stop me from seeing my girlfriend." Stubborn, stern, with a twinge of pride at the end. A classic, Sasuke answer that always got her heart pumping. How was she supposed to refute that?
And so . . . it was happening.
Or rather, it was happening for them.
Because Hinata has never missed a New Year's celebration with her family. And she doubted she was about to start now. Sighing, she clicked on Ino's number and put her phone to her ear as she looked out the window and watched snow collect on her balcony. It took a few rings for her friend to pick up, and when she did, there was complete ruckus in the background.
"I-Ino?"
"Hinata? You there? I can barely hear you over the - holy shit, Naruto! Eyes on the road!" There was some muffled yelling that Hinata couldn't really make out before Ino turned back to her phone. "Anyway, we're almost there to get you. What's up?"
Shuffling her foot against the carpet, Hinata dropped her gaze, and said, "About that. Um, I-I don't think I can leave."
"What? Seriously? Your dad won't let you?"
"Y-You know how important today is for the Hyuuga, Ino."
"Yeah, well -"
And past Ino's voice came the screech of tires as Naruto's voice boomed through her phone's speaker. "Christ, Sasuke, keep your head down!"
Sasuke? Her heart leapt. He's already in the car? Her eyes flashed outside, and dread filled her chest.
"How's S-Sasuke doing?"
A clicked tongue, followed by a sarcastic, "Fine, Hinata. Taking it like a man, as usual." A pause full of more distant yelling and muttering. "Okay, not so hot. But he insisted, because, well, we all thought you'd be able to make it."
Feeling panic rise in her system, Hinata pulled open the door to the balcony and let freezing wind and snow wash in past her. Her eyes traced the clouds, the rooftops, and then fell to the road past the fence that was slowly gathering a layer of sleet. Shivering, goosebumps rising along her arms, Hinata gulped in the icy air before returning to her room, closing the door, and walking into her closet.
"How far a-are you guys?"
"From your place? Uh, five minutes?"
Pulling on a coat, Hinata said, "I-I'll be in front of the gate. Just g-give me a minute."
Flipping her phone off, she zipped up her coat, pulled on boots, and fished around for a hat before sneaking out of her room and down the hall, past a few doors, to where her sister's room was. She knocked lightly on the door, waited, shifting and nervously glancing down the way, and when Hanabi opened the door, she stepped in quickly and whispered to her.
"I'm leaving."
Hanabi's eyes glittered with excitement. "To see your boyfriend?"
Hinata blushed. "To see my friends." Hanabi's brow arched, and Hinata looked under the door for any lingering shadows before sighing. "And . . . m-my boyfriend."
"I knew it!"
Kneeling down to get on her sister's eye-level, she took her hand and smiled nervously. "C-Can you please tell the cooks to not m-make my dinner." Hanabi nodded, grinning. "I'll be back tomorrow. Thank you."
"Maaah, Sis, you really are getting bolder."
I know, Hinata thought as she stood and slipped out of her sister's room, who giggled as she closed the door. And it's terrifying.
...
When she got to the front of the gate, she began to realize she had totally misjudged just how freezing it was outside. Teeth chattering, she rubbed her naked hands together before stuffing them in the pockets of her jacket. The whirling wind tousled her short bangs as snow flew into her eyes, and she had to bow her chin and close her eyes to keep herself from getting anything in them.
Fog escaped her mouth with every breath. She stood under a light pole and squinted down the empty streets, not a car in sight. Calm down, Hinata, she told herself. They'll be here soon.
And the second that thought left her, a car sped down the street and screeched to a stop right in front of her. She saw Ino in the front passenger seat, waving her in, and with a relieved smile, Hinata hopped into the back of the car. Upon entering, she saw Sasuke in the backseat next to her, head in hands as he glared down at his feet. His head shot up when she slammed the door shut, wide-eyed and pale.
"Oh, shit!"
Naruto's blue eyes glared in the rearview. "Didn't I tell you to keep your head down, jackass!?"
The car zoomed forward. Hinata scooted over to Sasuke, pulled on her seatbelt, and put a hand on his bowed head. "A-Are you okay?"
He nodded and peeked at her from the corner of his eye. "Are you? How long were you out there?"
"I'm fine."
He sighed, shoulders sloping and shaking, and he cursed under his breath. "I fucking hate the winter."
Everyone took a collective sigh of relief the second they stepped foot in the mansion, vents practically blasting out hot air. Naruto and Ino were the first to take off their winter gear, and after they kicked off their boots into a corner, left for Naruto to tour Ino around the place. Hinata smiled at their backs before turning to Sasuke, who was flexing his fingers, as if to break away the ice in his muscles. Walking up to him, she bent her neck forward, and asked, "Are y-you really okay?"
He nodded and stepped out of the entrance way, making it a point to keep his back to the windows. "It's easy to ignore when you're inside." She followed him to the living room, where Naruto was showing off his game collection to an awestruck Ino. There were shelves stacked to the brim with all sorts of shooters and fighters and RPGs, and Hinata was about to go snoop through his collection when -
"Ah, there she is." Jiraiya, decked out in a suit, which Hinata found a little odd to wear in the comfort of your own home, entered the room and gave a dashing smile to Ino. "The woman of the hour."
Naruto paled as Ino turned and smiled. "I quite like the sound of that."
"Stop, Jiraiya," Sasuke muttered with the roll of his eye. "Her ego is big enough as it is."
"Excuse me!? Look who's talking!"
Shaking his head and smiling, Jiraiya tilted his head to the kitchen, and asked, "Can I get you anything, hon? Pinot noir? Cabernet Sauvignon?"
Naruto stood between the two, frowning. "Oi. We're, like, seventeen."
"Ah, but in just an hour, a new year will begin, so how better to start it then with a little -"
As he prattled on, Ino moved next to Hinata, tapping her shoulder before gesturing to the chandelier that hung near the entrance hall. "Have you seen this place?" she whispered, grinning and giddy. Hinata nodded, but even as she looked, she felt like she was finding something new with every second. "What does that guy do to make enough money to afford this?"
And at that, Jiraiya's head perked up as he glanced their way. "Oh, I'm glad you asked!" He passed his godson and Sasuke, pulling his suit's coat back to pull out a small book from his inside pocket. Holding it out to them, he said, "I dabble in the writing world here and there. New York's Best Seller four years in a row? Oh, I know her well." Blinking, Ino slowly took the book as Hinata peered at the cover. "I like to call myself a pursuer of the genres. Name it and I've written it. Horror? My first one. Rom-Com? Oh, darlin', you don't even know. Mystery? I live for her. But I must say my most popular books are -"
"STOP!" Naruto jumped in-between them, ripping the book out of Ino's hands and throwing a sharp look at his godfather. "You could go to jail for this! You can't just go around giving teenagers books like -" He lifted the book to his line of sight, read the title, and paused. ". . . Wait."
Plucking the book from his grasp, Jiraiya sighed, and said, "My latest thriller. The first and last of its kind. A sad sight, I suppose. You're right, my son, I can't give these ladies this trash of a book." He snapped his fingers and marched to the staircase. "Come now, up to my study! I know exactly what you teenagers are looking for!"
Groaning and running a hand through his hair, Naruto shot Ino an apologetic look before grabbing Sasuke's elbow and forcing him to follow, who grunted and pulled away before reluctantly following the two up the staircase. Now alone in the living room, Hinata turned to Ino, lips shaking.
"I, um, think that's j-just how he is."
Ino laughed to herself and rounded the sofa before sitting on it. "You think? Well, at least I know where Naruto gets his energy from." Hinata sat next to her as she searched for the remote. Upon finding it, she turned on the large TV and surfed through the channels, trying to find the countdown to the New Year and the fall of the ball. It was like that for a while, a bit uncomfortable for Hinata because, well, not only was she in a strange house (again), but Ino wasn't being her usual, chatty self. She rubbed her knees together and eyed her friend, who, after finding the channel she was searching for, leaned back, and said, "I know Naruto invited you two because he's nervous."
Her voice sounded a bit sad, and Hinata wasn't really sure how to help with that. Gaze dropping, she said, "I-I, um, don't know h-him well - but, er, I'm s-sure he'd just n-nervous because . . . he likes you s-so much." She rubbed at her forearm. She could understand what Naruto was going through. Hell, it took her weeks to finally get with Sasuke, and even then, if he hadn't made the first move, she wasn't totally sure if she would have gotten enough courage to get to where they were now. "Like what T-Tenten said, it kinda, u-um, comes with dating, right?"
Ino tore her eyes away from the screen. "You're right. It's just - ugh." Her eyes didn't hold that sparkle they normally had as she glanced away once again. "We're always around people and never alone, y'know, together. That's why I asked to come over. But . . ."
But he invited people, anyways. Well, that was just how Naruto worked, wasn't it. Poor, naive Naruto.
"I'll . . ." Face heating up, Hinata grasped Ino's arm, causing their eyes to meet. "I'll make sure to, um, give you t-two some a-alone time."
A thankful smile on her lips, Ino gave her a quick hug. "I'm sure you want to be alone with Sasuke, too," she mused as she pulled back, eyes now glistening. "He did come all this way for you, after all."
She knew. And she wished, with all her heart, to repay him, somehow.
But . . . how can I do that?
...
When Naruto and Sasuke finally came back, Jiraiya was nowhere in sight, and Hinata figured they must have had a talk with him. Naruto beelined to the living room where Ino watched the concert in Time Square while Sasuke stood at the foot of the staircase, head turning this way and that, as if looking for something. But when his eyes found her sitting next to the window, he walked her way, and she stood with her hands outstretched.
"W-Wait!" It was still snowing outside, and she didn't want him to see it and pass out again.
He paused, eyes sharpening, before he closed them and continued to walk her way. She went over and guided him over to her spot by the window, helped him sit down with his back to the cool glass, and settled next to him. He stared out at the house as she glanced back to the snowflakes getting stuck on the glass.
"Do you see her?" he asked after a while, spine straightening slightly. "Your mom."
Past the snowflakes, out into the front yard, a woman made of snow and memory floated in the storm, eyes white and shining, like ice, and smile warm despite being made out of freezing wind. Smiling, Hinata whispered, "Yes."
Sasuke hummed to himself and tilted his head a bit to look at her without seeing anything outside. "Is she saying anything."
Hinata locked eyes with him. "Of c-course."
She watched his hands rub at his jeans as he frowned and looked away. "What's she saying?"
And as she looked back, her mind went to that conversation she had with her father about Sasuke. About him being someone who just wanted acceptance, even from someone so far away as her mother. Heart drumming, she pressed her hand against the cold pane. "She s-says, 'Why, Hinata, isn't that boy just a looker. A real handsome fella.'" Slyly, she glanced at Sasuke, who tugged at his hair to hide his red ears. "And she says, 'Watch out, Hinata. Your father was that handsome when he was his age, and he stole my heart away before I could even realize it.'" Slowly, that hand dropped from the window and reached to grasp his. "But, u-um, I-I think I have t-to tell her that it's a bit late for that."
He scoffed and bent his face farther away from her curious gaze. "Mercy, Hinata, or I'll have to stick my face outside to cool down."
...
Ten minutes before the New Year, and Hinata and Sasuke joined Naruto and Ino in the living room to watch the show. Or rather, Sasuke was busy scrolling through his phone while everyone else watched the show, because it was snowing in New York, too, and no amount of flashing lights or cool performers could hide that.
As the counter ticked, Hinata felt more and more antsy, though she couldn't totally understand why. She felt like . . . she was running out of time. But for what?
To pay Sasuke back.
Her eyes found him, though he never looked up from his phone.
It was an odd feeling - she had all of next year and the years after that to repay him, so why did she feel the need to do it this year? Because she was a Hyuuga and Hyuugas liked to start fresh upon a new year? Or because all that Sasuke has done for her was in this year, so the least she could do is pay him back the same year?
But . . . what could she do in such a short amount of time left?
Biting her lips together, she looked away from Sasuke and met Ino's gaze. It was a heavy gaze, a bright gaze, and an anxious gaze, all at the same time. And it made Hinata realize that, perhaps, there was one thing she should do.
Thus, when it was one minute left until the ball dropped in celebration of a new year, Hinata shot up on her feet and exited the room. She could practically hear her heart pounding through the hallway walls as she stopped and breathed and turned and waited. And when she saw Sasuke had come to follow her, concern shining in his eyes, she realized that, well, it was now or never.
And she had less than a minute to get it all out.
He stopped in front of her, chin bowed. "What -"
"Th-Thank you!" Her shout, though not obnoxiously loud, ricochet through the air, sending butterflies in her stomach, in her mouth, in her brain. Sasuke's jaw slacked slightly at her outburst, and she had to clear her throat before continuing. "Thank you f-for everything. For h-helping me be stronger, f-for talking to me, for sitting with me in E-English. Thank you for reading poetry a-and helping m-me catch that bass. Um, for using my candles, thank you. I-I hoped they helped. And when y-you ate lunch with everyone, thank y-you for not tearing K-Kiba's head off." His eyes were burning her, catching her chest on fire, and she had to look away to find her train of thought again. "I-I'm sorry for keeping you waiting, a-and thank you for being patient. And for, um, l-l-liking me, thank you. There are a million things I-I want to thank y-you for, but I don't have m-much time, so, um . . . "
"Hinata." He stepped forward, engulfing her in his shadow, his heat, his everything.
In the background, she heard the TV count down from ten.
It was time.
She wasn't going to run away or make promises anymore that kept her - that kept them - from finally acting like teenagers.
Because that's what they were. Teenagers. Who, well . . .
"I-I, um . . ."
"Hinata."
Six seconds left.
"I love . . ."
"Hinata -"
"I l-l-love yo - mph!"
...
She's seen it in animes, that first kiss on New Years. Under the glow of fireworks, the couple share an amazing, thrilling, heart-stopping kiss once the timer hit zero.
Sasuke and Hinata . . .
They weren't that couple.
Because, when she was pressed against the wall with Sasuke's lips on hers, it was four seconds before the new year began, and she was so caught off guard that her legs gave out from under her, thus cutting the kiss off short as she slid to the ground.
"Hinata!"
He bent down before her, eyes wide and swimming as she pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her racing pulse under her palm, and tried to catch the breath he had thoroughly stolen from her. "I-I-I'm okay," she whispered, looking anywhere but his face. The world felt like it was on fire - but, in a good way, somehow. "It's j-just - um, I-I didn't -"
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Both their heads shot up as the words blasted from the distant TV. In the background, they could hear fireworks.
Well, not just in the background.
They were going off in her stomach, too.
"I tried to ask," he breathed, bending his neck to meet her eyes. "But you wouldn't stop talking and I wanted to do it at least once before the year ended . . . so . . ." Crouched, knees arched and pointing to the ceiling, he rubbed the back of his neck, frowning to himself, before shyly, quietly saying, "It was . . . too short."
Eyes fluttering, Hinata slowly nodded. "You're . . . r-right."
"So . . ." He pinned her with his gaze. "Can I . . ."
"C-Can you?"
"Do it again?"
...
And Hyuugas . . . they like to start the new year with a fresh start.
"O . . . Okay."
So, what better way to start it, right?
Her second kiss was . . . colorful - because, despite having seen plenty of kiss scenes on the TV, she didn't know to close her eyes, and she watched everything as Sasuke dipped in and pressed his mouth against hers. She saw the pink brushing his cheeks, the black of his eyelashes fluttering. And when he opened his eyes, saw her staring back, and snapped away, and she saw red.
"Close your eyes!" he yelped, arm raised to hide some of his bright, hot face. It was so mesmerizing, that sight, that she almost forgot to speak.
"S-Sorry." She pinched her eyes closed and pressed her back harder against the wall. "There, u-um, now I won't look."
...
Her third kiss was . . . hesitant. Because they were young and new to this, because he was probably still a bit dazed by the sight of her eyes staring into him, and because she . . . had no idea what she was doing.
Do I stay still? she wondered nervously. Do I move?
And when he pulled away, he laughed, and she blinked her eyes open.
"You're so tense."
She frowned and stared at his chin. "How a-are you s-so good at this?"
He smirked. "You think I'm good?" At that, she shut her mouth, and he leaned forward, lifted her chin with his hand, and said, "Kiss me back."
And so . . . she tried.
...
Her fourth kiss was . . . breathtaking. Because now she had an idea on what she was doing, so it was no longer short, awkward smooches, but instead long and . . . passionate. One of her hands was caught in his hair while the other was pinned to the wall. The back of her head rubbed against the wallpaper as he molded his lips with hers, head tilting to avoid their noses from crashing together. And just when she felt like she couldn't hold her breath any longer, he pulled away, teeth lightly tugging at her bottom lip.
She sucked in the suddenly hot air, lungs screaming with delight, but lips tingling and hungering for more.
And Sasuke . . .
"Again."
Seemed to be, too.
...
Her fifth kiss was . . . full of tongue.
Wait . . .
T-Tongue!?
Her hands found his chest, and he quickly backed up, a string of saliva hanging between their lips before he wiped his mouth and scowled to the side. "Sorry," he muttered, panting slightly, "I got distracted."
She shook her head and looked the other way. "N-N-No, it's, u-um, okay."
"But . . ." A head leaned against her shoulder as lips grazed her neck, and all she could do was count her breaths to keep herself from passing out. "I did say I was going to kiss the shit out of you."
He did, and Hinata was never going to overlook his word choice again.
Chapter Twenty-One - End
A/N: I'd like to take a few more pages to thank and reply to all the kind people reading and reviewing this fic. I apologize if I missed anyone.
Guest Lion: Glad to see your name continuing to pop up. I'm always happy to know that you are continuing to read this fic. I'm glad to see you like Hiashi's character development in this story. I'm in the same boat as you - I think he could have been made into this really deep character who struggles to openly show love for his daughter and thus is more forceful for the sake of making her stronger, but instead he's more of this 1-dimensional, hateful man. Ah! And I see you are a Slytherin! Ravenclaw here, and I'm mostly surrounded by Hufflepuffs, so it's nice to meet someone new for a change, even if it's just online. Thank you for reviewing once again.
HinataOverAnyHoe: Thank you for the encouragement! Everyone here is so kind, so I don't feel as stressed about coming out of my shell as I did a bit ago. I'll try my hardest to keep the updates daily. With quarantine and all, I like to keep myself busy, and writing definitely helps with that. Don't worry, there will definitely need some much needed talking between the Uchiha - I was just trying to shine their stubbornness in the light before things start to get dealt with. You're so sweet and I love your enthusiasm! Thank you!
Yellow Sage: Love seeing you again! I'm always excited to see you commenting on my chapters. I nail it every time? Oh, thank you! Sometimes, I feel like I'm slipping with my writing, so thank you for letting me know I'm not doing a horrible job in telling this story. I also really enjoy your speculating. It's fun to see if my foreshadowing is doing good or not. I hope the Sasuhina kiss(es) were up to your standards. Tbh, I pushed it to the side a bit because I'm nervous about those sorts of scenes, but I felt like I did good with this one. You're an amazing reader and thank you for all your kind words!
AmethystQtpie: Good to keep seeing you. I'm glad you enjoyed Ch. 18. To be honest, it was a bit hard to write because it was so much more deeper and intense than the other chapters, and I was nervous it would be so different from the rest of the fic that it wouldn't work well. But now I'm quite proud of it and I'm glad to see you found it as impactful as I hoped it would be. More will be revealed about the Uchihas in future chapters, especially regarding Mikoto and Fugaku. Thank you for sticking around with this fic of mine!
Bexbluedragon76: You are always a gem and I'm glad to continue to see you throughout this fic. I do plan on more to happen between the Uchihas - namely Sasuke and his parents, after this. You're right, things definitely need to be mended. I hope the double-date was up to your liking! I had fun writing it. Naruto and Ino have always been personalities I like to dip my toe in, especially when the main pairing in this fic is two semi-quiet people. Thank you for always checking in!
Portside Crowds: I love the picture for your icon! And thank you for the encouragement! Writing keeps me busy, which is nice with all that is going on right now, so I'm glad I am able to update as often as I do. You're so sweet! Thank you for reading.
Sabriel88: I'm glad you enjoyed the hospital scene. I felt very mixed writing it: glad it was finally all coming out between them, but nervous I wasn't doing it effectively. You really lifted my spirits and I'm glad I was able to write it in a convincing way. Thank you for the kind words on my daily updates. It keeps me busy, so I love doing it!
LB Cat: Glad to see you again! Thank you for reading and reviewing. I'm glad you are enjoying the chapters - I like writing them! Hope you're doing well. Thank you!
Star Anon: Upon writing this, I just read your review on Ch. 8. I hope you're doing well with your loss, and I'm sorry you had to go through that. I also experienced something somewhat similar to what Sasuke is experiencing in this fic. Now, to say that my family is distant and mean would be far off from correct, but like most families, there's drama between members and gossip, and as an easily-stressed person, that can sometimes be hard to deal with. The person who recently passed was someone who constantly made an effort to put the drama away so we could just be happy together. I think I put a bit of my heartache in this story, which may be why it hits so hard for some. Please, Star, take your time. Recollecting is good. On a more positive note, thank you for always stopping by and reading. There will be drama here and there after this chapter, but my goal is to make it more . . . light-hearted? I guess? And the ShikaHina fic I'm working on is planned to be a more happier fic (and hopefully I stick to that plan, lol). (Update - yeah . . . I might have failed on that part. Tsk. But not nearly had dreadful as this story, so I guess I also succeeded? Anyhow, you're almost at the end! Hoo-rah! Continue being safe! Excited to see you later! Ciao.)
Kaedeakira0711: Daily happy pill? Oh my goodness, you're so kind! I tried my hardest at the mindblowing kiss(es) in this chapter. I haven't really written scenes like this much, so I hope they go well. I'm glad you are enjoying the daily updates. They keep me busy, which is exactly what I need right now! And they help me keep up my writing, which is also good. Glad to see you always coming by and reading. I'm planning on adding more happy moments in future chapters with a bit of drama here and there. Thank you for reading!
Scirleah21: You read this every morning! Oh my gosh, I'm speechless! Just . . . wow, that's so amazing of you! It's really encouraging to hear that people like the daily updates - it makes me pumped and excited to write more! Ch. 19 was hard to write, especially after the emotional roller coaster that was Ch. 18. But it was something I was planning out for a while, and something that will be developed more in later chapters. Thank you for reading and reviewing. You are making this author happy and determined to write more!
Kichisaburo: Good to see you showing up in my emails. I'm always thrilled to see that you're continuing to read. I'll keep up with the daily updates! They're fun and keep me busy! Sasuke and Hinata will continue to grow, and I plan on some things between the Uchihas to be addressed before even thinking about ending this fic. Thank you for reading!
Katarina-hime: Glad to see you again! Yes, Ch 18 was definitely tricky to write. Full of backstory, but very tragic backstory. It was hard as a writer, too, but I'm glad it came out well. And I'm happy that you liked Ch. 17, as well. I had a lot of fun writing the dinner scene. Thank you for always coming by and readiner. It means a lot to me.
Mitarafortunadow: Thank you for reviewing! I haven's seen that K-Drama yet, but it sounds like one that I'd be interested in, so I'm definitely going to look into it. TBH, I was a bit worried about the transition from cutesy to deep and dramatic. It can be hard to go from one to the other while making the story sound plausible. But I'm glad you enjoyed it and I'll work hard to keep on writing! Again, thank you for reading and also for the K-Drama rec!
Helly: Thank you for popping in from time to time! I'm glad you enjoyed Ch. 18. It was very different from the rest of the story and I was a bit concerned it wouldn't fit well, so I'm glad to hear that you liked it. The majority of the story centered around this reveal of Sasuke's past, so I had to make sure it was up to par. And I'll keep up the daily updates! They keep me busy and happy, so I don't mind them at all. Ah, and I'm glad you found Shisui having something of a good side! He's definitely a mystery that will be dealt with more in future chapters. Thank you for being so sweet!
Yuukizero: Thank you for reading this story of mine. It's evolved quite a bit since the first few chapters. Ch. 18 was fun to write, but also a bit sad and intense. I'm glad you are enjoying the updates and I will work hard to keep them coming! Every part is perfect? Wow - that's so nice of you! Thank you for such kind words!
Ukky: Nice to see you, Ukky! I'm so happy to see that you like this story and thank you for reading it and for the kind words! And your "AaaaAHHH' summed up exactly how I felt when writing Ch. 18. That was a rough chapter, that's for sure. Thank you for reviewing and keeping up with this story!
Painless91: Thank you for reviewing! I definitely plan for more Sasuhina moments in future chapters, and I hope this one shows that. Thank you for reading.
Hinata6: Good to see you again! Oh my goodness, same on the ShikaHinaSasu aspect - but I also can't stand them because I never know who to stand by. If she gets with Shika, I feel bad for Sasuke; if she gets with Sasuke, I feel bad for Shika. It's an endless cycle. That's why I plan on making my next story ShikaHina and ONLY ShikaHina (and hopefully I stick to that plan). Thank you for reading!
Hitory-Chan: Happy to see you again! It made me happy to see we use each other's stories to practice, made me feel a bit better. Thank you for your kind words! They brought joy into my heart and got me inspired to write more. I was talking with one of my neighbors who is from Argentina the other day and she was impressed by my level of Spanish, and I told her it was because I read stories in Spanish to learn. So, thank you for helping me, also! Ciao!
LaCrazyWriter: Thank you for reading! I saw your review on my other story and got a bit teary-eyed from it. I sort of relate to Hinata a bit in that I am overly nervous and trying to get over my anxiety, so maybe that's why it felt a bit personal. Your words were kind and inspiring and I thank you for them. P.S: I love your icon. It's so pretty!
To All Guests: Again, thank you for reading and reviewing. It's nice to see so many people popping in and leaving a review on this fic. I enjoy writing and am doing it every day to keep it up, so it makes me happy to see that many of you enjoy the daily updates. Glad to have you all around. Thank you!