Chapter 11:

It wasn't long before they arrived back at the hotel. Hinata was burning with anger, her body was in fight or flight mode. Sasuke could almost feel the heat emanating from her burning self. She has been mad before, he's seen it first hand, but never like this. She had shut down and was ready to book it after that encounter. He didn't know what to say, how to lower her steam or even how to make her feel better. He questioned whether he should try to say anything, or maybe it was better to just let her simmer down like a house on fire.

The only thing Hinata could do, once they reached the hotel, was throw herself onto the bed and bury her face onto the sheets. She punched the hotel bed with both her arms and screamed at it. She vented out her frustration to these inanimate objects that were now subject to her beatings. Sasuke stood beside her, giving her the time she needed for herself. After a few minutes Sasuke saw Hinata's face turn towards him, she was covered in tears and exhausted from her internal struggle.

"Hinata..." is all he could muster up. Facing her was proving to be hard, he didn't like seeing her that way. The cheery, quirky girl was now beating herself up.

"Sasuke..." She said in return, with a low pain in her voice. She opens her arms and adds, "Please, hold me."

His steps weighed heavy onto the ground. His heart beat rapidly the closer he got to her. The weight of his body resounded only to his own ears. As soon as he was within arms distance, he embraced her. She clung onto him with almost all her upper body weight and he squeezed her tightly. She dug her face onto his shirt and shoulder while wept her heart away.

"Why? Why would he not even recognize me? I'm his daughter!" she yelled out. Her voice being covered by Sasuke's body. "He didn't even know who I was!"

Sasuke kept her in his arms and gave her warming caresses to help her calm down.

"It's not your fault, Hinata. He's a lost cause. Lord knows what he's been through. But that has nothing to do with you. Not anymore, at least." Sasuke says carefully.

"I know… but for years I've wanted to hurt him, hurt him like how he hurt me. He was so pathetic that I couldn't even look at him. I didn't know what to feel, pity or anger." she said.

Sasuke then pulled her in front of him. He says, "You absolutely have the right to feel mad but, regardless of how you feel, you can't let those feelings hold you back."

Hinata stayed silent as she continued to cry quietly. Sasuke laid her down onto the bed and pulled the covers over her. He checked to make sure she was warm then hugged her over the blankets. His embarrassment filled him up inside, but he decided that maybe being caring in this way would help her feel better.

He pat her on the back and rubbed the side of her body against the sheets. He says, "I don't want to leave you here by yourself, but I'm going to go get us some food. I'll be back in just a few minutes okay?"

She nods with the energy of an elderly woman. Sasuke hurries out and looks up on his phone for places to eat nearby. After setting the location to the hotel address, a few restaurants and eating spots pop up in his recommended. He chooses a local Greek food joint and heads off in that direction. While he is waiting for his order to finish up, he decides to look onto his Tumblr page and post a new poem. The phone screen stares at him, blank, and straight at him. He finally comes up with something:

I had forgotten the words I used to write.

Because of the girl who smiled so bright.

And glad I felt to have you here

By my side, and always near.

But now that you appear so down, I want to be there.

Guarding you, solemnly, with all of my care.

For I have feelings for you, ones that I've never before felt.

That's why I will deal with hand that I've been dealt.

"Order ready, sir!" The young Greek man says in a heavily coated accent.

Sasuke grabs the food and throws a dollar bill into the tip jar as he steps out into the city streets and onto the sidewalk. He heads back to the hotel and opens the door to see the girl right where he left her. She was on the bed, covered in blankets. He could hear her breathing from the entrance. All this made him feel more anxious about his duties as her designated friend and confidant. The scent of the food fills the air in the room causing Hinata to sit up from her sunken in position.

"Ah, I thought you'd like that. I went ahead and brought us Greek food. It's the platter, so there's meat, rice and a side salad too. So it's a little bit of everything. I figured that you-"

"Why?" Hinata interrupts Sasuke, in the middle of his explanation. "Why do you treat me so well?"

"That's a tough one to answer." he replies with an awkward tone in his voice. "It might be because you've always treated me so well. You have always been there for me, so I want to do the same for you."

He twiddles with the plastic bag that the warm food is in. He continues, "It also might be because, you know… I, uh… I lo-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Hinata throws the covers against the wall and jumps to Sasuke. She kisses him passionately with her hands behind his head. Her hands were warm on his scalp. He could feel her fingers go through his hair and rough it up. Sasuke closed his eyes and grabbed Hinata from behind and pulled her in closer to himself. Her lips were salty from the dried up tears she had shed. He couldn't help it, it drove him mad and made his mind fuzzy. His thoughts were unclear as he started to lose his self-control.

They kissed their way onto the bed, Sasuke on top of her. She starts to unbutton her shirt, right until she gets to the last two buttons. She reminds herself of her scars and, out of fear, doesn't reveal herself completely. Sasuke smiles at her shyness and unbuttons it himself. His smiles infects her and she begins to smile.

"But Sasuke, the scars..." She worriedly says.

"I love you Hinata." He replies. He kisses her belly, over her scars. He kisses all the way down to just below her navel. "I love you just the way you are."

Hinata unwrapped her shirts from her shoulders, revealing her bra, cleavage, and full upper body. Sasuke just watched as her beauty stunned his kissing. He looked at every part of her, every inch. He felt a want to do so much, yet at the same time, he also was content to just be with her, sharing that moment together.

"I love you so much." She says. Her heartfelt tone spikes Sasuke's heart and gets him even more excited.

He throws his shirt to the floor and she takes off his jeans. Sasuke pulls down Hinata's sweatpants to her ankles. He makes sure to do it slowly so he could keep this in his memories. With his foot he kicks her pants over her feet and onto the rest of the clothes. They were both in front of each other, down to their underwear. Hinata grabs his arm and puts it on her chest. Sasuke, in a knee-jerk reaction, pulls his hand away from her breast. She grabs it and puts his hand back on her body.

"It's okay, Sasuke. I want this for us." She says, trying to speak in a conforming and relaxing way, to help them both reach their goal.

"But Hinata, the food will get cold."

She feels Sasuke's chest and works her way down to his underwear before she says, "Let it."