"It's...it's not a date, Sakura." Hinata muttered, trying not to fidget with her hands behind her back. The two of them were standing inside of Sakura's gigantic closet, going through her clothing. Sakura had set out pile on pile of dresses and skirts, none of which Hinata thought she could even actually fit. Especially the dresses...did Sakura not know that Hinata had...boobs.

"Pfffft," Sakura scoffed loudly as she threw more clothes onto the floor. She was usually a pretty class-conscious person, but tonight she barely noticed her maids following her around the room, dutifully picking up the discarded clothing Sakura had said "simply would not work for the occasion." "It's a fucking date!" she exclaimed.

"Why-why do y-you think so?" Hinata asked, unsure if Sakura was making her anxious by insisting that it was a date, or if Sakura was making her anxious by flinging thousand-dollar blouses at the floor. The house pig, Tonton, put its little snout right up against the lattice collar of a Gucci blouse Hinata recognized from her sister's donation box. At least Hinata knew it was last season.

"Sasuke never hangs out with people," Sakura said. "Well, besides us, and the occasional blonde floozy. Well-there are a lot of blonde floozies, but you're different."

"W-where does he take those girls out on dates?" Hinata challenged, despite herself. She was reddening in the face, thinking about the Uchicha and blonde girls with waists the size of pencils, and hair sleek like gold. "Five star r-restaurants? Yacht p-parties? S-secret clubs? T-this is different, Sakura. It's his mom's gallery. We...we are just friends."

Sakura deflated at the truth of Hinata's words. It was true that Sasuke did date around a lot, and he knew where to take girls. These places certainly were not one of his mother's galleries. It wasn't Sasuke's style. And while a Hinata-Sasuke friendship already seemed unlikely, a Hinata-Sasuke romance seemed all the more unrealistic. Sakura dropped the leather pumps she had been excitedly holding to her chest to the floor. "Maybe you're right, but..."

But still. This was unusual behavior for the guy. Sakura had her suspicions. "I'm still gonna dress you up all cute, anyway!"

Sakura sat Hinata in a chair in the middle of the room, where her vanity was fitted with bright lights and circular mirrors. She began to pull Hinata's hair away from her face, twisting her indigo locks in different directions, trying to figure out what style would be best with the outfit she had already mentally chosen from the piles at their feet.

"S-should I feel b-bad?" Hinata felt her hands curl together in her lap. "I-I know it's not a d-date but, I-I'm still e-engaged to N-Naruto, y-you know?"

Behind her back, Sakura raised an eyebrow. Why should Hinata be concerned about Naruto if it wasn't a date? Sakura quickly re-thought through the outfit she would be putting Hinata in for the night, before brushing back Hinata's hair from her pink chinks, showing off her heartshaped face and delicately pointed chin. Beautiful. Powerful. "Don't you dare worry about Naruto right now, Hina. Not everything is about him."

But everything felt like it was. All the conversations at school revolved around him. All the media, the news cycles, the tabloids, had pictures of his face-all scandal. Even his friends, her friends, moved reflexively whenever he was brought up in conversation, like they were all beings of the same part responding to the mere sound of his name. Hinata wasn't a part of this organism, anymore. At least...she hoped she wasn't.

Maybe she was just being dramatic. After all, she was angry at him for snitching on her and treating her so poorly. She was just feeling jaded and small, like usual.

Sakura, who must've sensed the dark path Hinata's thoughts were taking, smiled widely and held up a makeup brush. "This is your night, date or not."

-:-

It was a little after seven when Hinata found herself being dropped off in front of a tiny winery. She was confused about the location––Sasuke had given it to her––but thanked stars Sakura had dressed her, because otherwise she would've felt dreadfully out of place.

Luckily, she was wearing a lavender wrap shirt, with long flowing sleeves and a pair of dark-wash jeans. Her feet, which took the most convincing on Sakura's part, were strapped in boxy yellow heels. Her hair had been swept away from her face with a matching yellow butterfly clip, and the only makeup she wore was a little bit of pink blush, brown winged eyeliner, and mascara.

For her part, Sakura had managed to make Hinata feel pretty normal in these dress-up clothes. Usually, Hinata felt like she was just pretending when she wore something stylish for a gala or meeting, but today she was feeling...confident. It was nice.

Everyone around her wore chic cocktail hour dress. They were exquisite and colorful as they dipped into the winery and reappeared with thin glasses chilled with champagnes, and merlots, and moscatos. Hinata watched them with curiosity as they walked down the street greeting each other without a care in the world.

"Want a glass?" A low, almost-monotone voice slid over her entire body like silk. Hinata startled uncomfortably before she realized it was Sasuke, leaning against the brick wall beside her, a satisfied look in his eyes.

She looked him over. He was wearing a navy button-down shirt with the first three buttons undone, and a pair of casual jeans. He wasn't dressed like he was on a date. This was not a date, Hinata decided.

Not that she had any doubts. They were friends, weird friends, and Sasuke was doing her a favor.

"M-maybe," Hinata answered. "I t-thought we were going to your mom's gallery?"

"We are," Sasuke said. He pushed off the wall, gesturing forward. "It's First Fridays. Have you ever been?"

Hinata shook her head as Sasuke steered her into a door. When she stepped inside, the walls exploded huge paintings, all done up in primary colors. As she was turning to gaze at one, Sasuke grabbed her elbow, pulling her past the people and into a tiny kitchen. There were bottles of wine on the counter, charcuterie boards with expensive cheeses on the quaint wooden table. Pothos plants hung from the ceiling around them, Hinata felt like she was in a cottage, or a story book.

Sasuke poured her a glass like the bottles on the counter were meant for him. She took it dutifully between her fingers, it glowed a soft yellow. When Sasuke had finished pouring himself one, she ventured to ask, "Is this your mom's gallery?"

Sasuke looked at her in a perplexed fashion that made her cheeks warm. His looks were always like that-like he was trying to figure her out or something. "You've really never heard of First Fridays, Hyuga? It's when galleries all along the Arts Corridor open their doors for showings. My mom always opens up hers, but we're about a block away."

"Oh," Hinata breathed into her glass. She was delighted with the idea. Galleries opening their doors for her. Art shows that lived and breathed. "I've...I was never allowed to come to the Arts Corridor."

"Huh," Sasuke grunted. He downs his glass and Hinata tries not to follow the curve of his neck with her eyes. She turned pink. What was she doing? Sasuke looked down at her blushing face and rose a sleek eyebrow. "Neji comes down here all the time."

"It's-it's different for him," Hinata muttered. Her brother's confident face filled her mind. Hinata had never known herself to be jealous of him, but it felt like something was changing inside of her. He got to do everything she didn't; and he was praised for it. Hinata looked at Sasuke's empty wine glass, and brought her own to her lips. "But I guess...it d-doesn't have to be."

Hinata felt Sasuke's stare on her as he watched her finish the wine. When she was done, he patted her head like she was a toddler and said, "I like you, Hyuga."

This was definitely not a date.

-:-

At the next gallery visit, Sasuke handed Hinata a chocolate edible and watched her eat it. She didn't pause to think about it, she didn't hesitate, she ate the cookie and nodded. "Good," she said. "I d-don't even taste the weed."

She was already stained pink from the wine. Sasuke felt like a bad influence, but the gallery lights above were making her eyes light up and he didn't actually think he'd ever seen her look that happy. Sasuke wasn't sure what it was about the Hyuga twin that made her such a mystery to him, but he wanted to find out. She'd already escaped rehab, she could handle an Uchiha's inquisitive gaze. Maybe.

Sasuke ate the other half of the edible as Hinata wandered away from him. She went to stand in front of a canvas painted in the style of art deco. A leering silver figure pointed a long finger towards the viewer, and Hinata sighed and rested her head in her hand. She was deep in thought.

Sasuke watched how her brow creased, and it reminded him suddenly of Neji and the group meeting they had earlier that day. Neji sitting in one of the straight-backed chairs in the Nara study that he liked so much, looking confused. Everyone sat around him, listening to explain his meeting with Danzo and what they were to do next.

And how much shit they had gotten themselves into. They were moving up in the world. Danzo wanted them to be big players. Danzo had big moves. Danzo had attracted the right crowd. Danzo had created it.

Hinata touched Sasuke's arm so lightly that he almost didn't feel it at all. "I-I think I'm done, do y-you want to move on?"

Sasuke nodded silently, mentally expelling all thoughts about the meeting from his mind. That was a leter problem. A very present later problem. He led Hinata out to the street, where he asked her to pick the next gallery.

"Y-you're not really into this, are you?" Hinata asked him as he followed her into yet another gallery, this one done up with mid-century modern furniture and huge floor-to-ceiling photographs strung across the walls. The first one was a black and white photo of two strangers accidentally touching hands in the subway. The Uchiha didn't want to admit it, but it made him uncomfortable.

"I like art," Sasuke replied instead. More people came in behind them, and Sasuke pressed up against her back to let them pass. She jostled against him awkwardly, and Sasuke tried to hide a smile. Time and place. "I'm just distracted."

"Hm," Hinata said when Sasuke finally backed up again. Sasuke watched her for a moment as her feet carried her to the photo. "We can just skip to your m-mom's gallery i-if you want..."

Sasuke stared down at her with an eyebrow raised, "You sound disappointed," he said, but it wasn't what he meant to come out. In front of him, the second photograph was of two people hugging tightly in a field of wheat. Sasuke didn't understand art.

Hinata looked at him as people moved around them like herds of animals to water. Sasuke watched the sleeve of her shirt move as she tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. The fabric moved like water around her. "S-should I be? I n-never know how to feel around you."

"I can't tell you how to feel, Hyuga." Sasuke said, and it felt like the two of them were having two totally different conversations. Someone stepped backward into Hinata and she jumped in fright, pivoting neatly into Sasuke's chest. Her nose was briefly buried in his neck and when Sasuke pulled her away with his hands on her shoulders, her head was spinning.

"I feel," Hinata started as the world settled into place. Did the lighting get brighter in here? "-weird."

Sasuke laughed then. His first laugh in a few, long days. "Your edible just hit––you're high as shit. Let's go outside," he took her by the elbow and steered her out the gallery. He led her a few paces until they got to the end of the block, where he leaned her against the wall. Outside, the sky was pink and dewy.

"I hate these shoes," Hinata muttered dumbly down at the bright yellow monstrosities Sakura had put her in earlier. They looked farther away than usual.

"Why are you wearing them?"

"Sakura made me," Hinata said, her words drawing together into long sentences. At least like this she didn't stutter. Sasuke watched her pull her hair out of the ponytail it had been in, and when her hair fell down around her shoulders, he was briefly transfixed by how indigo it was.

"No one can make you do anything," Sasuke said as his own edible started to kick in. "I think y-"

"I...I don't think I'm making this up because I'm high," Hinata said suddenly. Sasuke's surprised eyes met hers; she was so talkative when she was high. It was refreshing, almost. "But t-this is a date, r-right? We-we have t-this weird energy, r-right? I'm n-not the only one feeling it?"

The wall felt secure and cool against her back, which was good, because she felt like she was floating. Sasuke's gaze on her for a long, hard second. Her cheeks rushed with heat, why had she said that?

"No," Sasuke sounded frustrated. "I don't know what it is about you, but I'm getting this over with."

Sasuke didn't have preoccupations with pretty girls who did what their father's said and cleaned their plates. He wasn't interested in people like Hinata. This whole time he's been trying to figure out what keeps drawing her to him, and he just can't. Hinata wasn't a skinny high-fashion girl with sharp cheekbones and modeling history. She didn't make him feel dangerous or edgy or cool, like everyone else. She didn't do anything exciting, like dance on tables or make mixes, or do Ketamine. She was just Hyuga Hinata. The same girl since they were kids.

So why was it that when their eyes met across the room, Sasuke could not look away? Why was it that now, at parties, he couldn't leave without speaking to her once? When Neji punched him for making out with her at that one party, well, that pretty much ignited a fire. It was that moment when Sasuke decided that the Hyuga twin was to be a conquest. He wanted to figure her out. He wanted to piss off Naruto.

He wanted it to be a game––but it stopped feeling like a game a long time ago. It didn't feel like a game now, as Sasuke grabbed her face and asked if he could kiss her.

Hinata nodded urgently against his hands, and he felt his lips relax into a smile before they were on hers. Immediately, he felt her body flesh against his. His mouth was ravenous, almost too much, he could tell, so he softened his kisses. Hinata responded by cupping the back of his head, deepening the kiss using instinct alone as her guide. Her skin burned, but the brick wall behind her felt cool as the Uchiha pressed her against it.

Sasuke slid his hand down to rest it against her neck, feeling her electrified pulse under his thumb. It was almost too much for him––they would have to stop soon. After all, they were still in public. Despite everything, he respected Hinata, and knew that she would feel embarrassed when they came up for hair.

It was just hard when everything about her drew him in. Her neck under his fingers, her hot mouth, her fingers in his hair. Sasuke held her in place, tightly against the wall, as her mouth, insistent, continued to move over his.

To both of their surprise, it was Sasuke who pulled away first. Hinata went bright red, but she didn't look embarrassed, just flushed.

"Should we...stop by my mom's gallery now?"

-:-

"Wow, Sasuke it's beautiful," Hinata said softly as she gazed around Uchiha Gallery 6, or "UG6"as it was colloquially called. It was designed in minimalist fashion, with gray stone centerpieces and furniture, and sand-colored wood floors. At the front desk, the wall was painted a brisk slack blue, the only color in the room that wasn't an art piece. A desk, curved and carved out of sandstone, held a single bonsai tree. Beside that was an L-shaped aquarium that stretched alongside the wall and turned around the corner into the front door, so that the fish could be seen swimming from outside. It held half a dozen beautiful black and white Koi fish.

She hadn't even gotten to the art and she was already impressed.

"Well, it's not my absolute favorite," a soft voice said from around the corner. Some shuffling was heard, and then Mikoto appeared in a floor-length orange smock dress. Her hair was done up in a messy bun, and she was smiling ear-to-ear. The only Uchiha who smiled. "But it's up there. Each of my galleries has a theme, you see. Can you guess this one?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes beside her. He looked like he wanted to tell her to go away, but that he loved her too much to actually say it outloud. He just huffed beside Hinata, and she found herself leaning into the warmth of his arm. For a second, she let herself think about his fingers on her neck, before she remembered that his mother had asked her a question.

"Oh," Hinata paused in thought. "It's––it's very contemplative," she said. "Sort of sullen and subtle too. It sort of r-reminds me of a creek y-you stumble upon in the middle of a f-forest."

Then she went pink. Had she said too much? Was she just high and jumping to conclusions? Had that even made any sense? She was mentally slamming her hand into her forehead.

"Hm," Mikoto said in contemplative silence. "I think I like that a lot! Like a creek. Surprising, but not overwhelming. Sullen, but not dramatic. Tell me, is that what you think of my son?"

"I––what?" Hinata said, quite unlike herself in her confusion.

Sasuke coughed into his hand, trying to hide his laughter.

Mikoto just smiled. She set down the frame she had been holding and walked over to them, "Each of my galleries has a theme. I'm what you might actually call a maximalist in some regards, but this gallery in particular was inspired by Sasuke. When he was little, I had him pick out all the materials and colors, and this is what he chose. Of course, we update it every year or so, but we remain consistent with its theme."

Hinata's eyes went wide. Sasuke had inspired this? Its lowlights and quiet power in shades of tan, brown, and earthy oranges were quite striking for a child's design. "W-wow, what a t-trendy kid." She said, but then felt stupid afterwards.

Sasuke cough-laughed again, and Hinata elbowed him in the stomach.

"Mhm," Mikoto said proudly. "Sasuke has always had an eye! I'm surprised he doesn't want to follow in my footsteps and run the galleries when I'm old and gray."

"That and your ten other businesses," Sasuke grumbled.

"Well, someone has too! You know Itachi is shoe-in for CEO, and you'll be bored as CFO under him and on the board as well, and anyway, remember when I took you to that museum in Spain and you practically burst into tears when we––"

"Okay, enough Mother," Sasuke stopped her with a chilling look that she tossed over her shoulder like it was nothing. The woman maybe didn't behave like an Uchiha, but she was certainly surrounded by them and acted accordingly. "I just wanted to show Hinata what you do...in relative peace."

Mikoto raised her eyebrows and made a face as if to say Can you believe this guy? It was Hinata's turn to laugh into her hand.

"Well, Miss thing," Mikoto said as she looped an arm through Hinata's and stole her from Sasuke's side. She walked past the reception area to the first corner in the gallery where an 11 foot by 6 foot painting stretched across the wall. It was a collage of water lilies, newspaper clippings, and what looked like yellow hand-made paper. "Does your father know you're here?"

Hinata blanched. She had not spoken to her father in several weeks. She was scared of going home and facing him. Would Mikoto tell him that she was here? She sent a startled look to Sasuke, who seemed equally confused by the turn in conversation.

Mikoto didn't notice, or pretended not too, anyway. She turned Hinata along to another wall, where a dark blue and green weaving hung from the ceiling in long strips of frayed fabric and yarn. "You know he doesn't like us Uchihas––he thinks we're too uppity." she snorted. "Can you imagine? Well, Sasuke's father maybe. And uncle. And the elders. I guess the whole goddamn clan is pretty uppity. So maybe you're dad's got a point, eh" she laughed good naturedly.

Hinata wasn't sure if she was allowed to laugh at that. Sasuke snorted again and appeared by Hinata's side, saying, "Mother, you're crowding her. We came here to look at the art, remember?

"Oh, am I being overbearing?" Mikoto said with a wit that told Hinata this had been a long standing conversation between the two of them. "What do you think, Hinata?"

"I––" Hinata had been transfixed by the weaving. The way the blue yarn fell made it look like a waterfall. "Um. I l-like your dress, Mikoto-San."

Sasuke gave her a look that said nice one, and she turned pink.

"Thank you dear," Mikoto said gracefully. "You know Hinata," over her shoulder, she gave a sly look at her son, who was nosing around the reception desk, disinterested, "I could really use some help around here. I've been looking for some interns and..."

Hinata's head shot up so fast she almost got whiplash.

"...Sasuke told me you were into art, so I thought I'd ask you. It would be so lovely to have someone like you come in every once and a while and assist with gallery show nights. You'll even meet artist, critics, trust me I know a lot of peo––"

"I- I would love to!" Hinata practically bursted. It felt like her heart was about to explode out of her chest. She was already daydreaming about her weekends here at the stone reception desk, talking to art-minded folks about the latest issue of Art Forum and Ai Weiwei.

"That makes me so happy to hear," Mikoto gushed back. The two of them were practically glowing at each other. "Let me just get your email address and I'll send you everything you need to know..."

Sasuke, who was by himself throwing fish food into the aquarium, overheard this. In between thinking about visiting Hinata on her breaks, and being annoyed at his mother for sequestering his date, he had an idea.

It was a terrible idea, but an idea nonetheless. Half of Danzo's questions would get answered, and that was all that mattered.

-:-

When Sasuke dropped her off that evening, it felt like he and Hinata had been kissing for weeks. It was like learning each other was instantaneous. Hinata did not even feel nervous when he leaned over the driver's seat and grabbed the back of her head.

She was feeling very giving. She was feeling bright pink. With her new internship secured, an edible still in her stomach, and a boy to makeout with, she figured she was doing pretty good. Sasuke trailed his mouth down her neck and she gasped.

For the first time in her life, she didn't wonder what would happen next. She only cared about what was currently happening, and if it could keep happening. Sasuke was an excellent kisser, that much was true, and that was all she needed to know.

She remembered then, that they had kissed before. It seemed like years ago that they sat on Naruto's balcony, drunk and on drugs, their faces together and blue. She remembered the drama that followed, too.

"W-was this your plan all alone?" Hinata asked, when they stopped to take a breath.

"What was?" Sasuke asked.

"Getting me," she kissed him. "A-away from my brother, my family."

"Do I have you?" His voice was low, sombering. He didn't want to admit that it was a goal of his, after all.

They kissed again. Hinata's phone buzzed in her lap. With one hand on Sasuke's neck, the other clicking the home button on her phone, she read a text from Neji quietly to herself: Hinata. Father wants you home by tomorrow night. We're having a family dinner at Hanya's Port.

Family dinners at Hanya's Port usually meant big conversation. That was her mother's favorite restaurant, when she was around.

Hinata let her other hand fall off Sasuke's shoulder. "I-I don't t-think so."

AN. Yea this was a treat! Thank you all for your wonderful wonderful reviews. I'm so excited for what comes next. We're going to be kicking it up.