He didn't mean for it to get this far…but it wasn't exactly something he could control. No longer able to contain the feelings he had been bottling, Sasuke grabs the opportunity set before him by the gracious hand of fate. [T for cursing] Alt (SasuHina) End to FLLL
Warning: I do not read comments because I've been hurt before and it might make me stop writing for a long time as it did that time, so I'm sorry if there's something you're dying to say. I won't say that I'll never read comments ever again since I don't know the future, so you're more than welcome to leave one if you like. Maybe I'll reply back one day. I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
"You're putting me under house arrest?"
"Well, I wouldn't word it so crudely. It's just that you're being asked to stay within the walls of Konoha for at least 3 months." Kakashi didn't need to stress that 'ask' was 'demand', and 'stay' was 'do absolutely nothing'. Summarizing the gist of the hours long meeting to his former disciple was simple enough. Whether or not he'd listen was...questionable.
Only Kakashi and a few handful knew Sasuke was no longer a threat. He'd already saved the world a number of times now, including the most recent event with the moon, and yet there were those who were still afraid. Kakashi hoped his disciple understood just how much convincing he had to do to get him to 3 months. "You'll be watched over that time and to help you get used to the changes Konoha has gone over since your absence, you will have a guide."
Again, 'watched over' meant 'stalked 24/7' and 'guide' meant 'bodyguard'. The bodyguard who would be the only shinobi to match Sasuke in a fight. Not for Sasuke's sake, but for the village. "As for your 'guide', I was thinking..."
"I'd like to make a suggestion."
Kakashi hadn't let down his guard. He'd been expecting the Uchiha to jump in at any moment. Sasuke didn't seem too displeased with the news at all. He'd probably surmised this would happen in his return. As to be expected of such a wary kid. But an agreeable person always made him more cautious. "Oh, please do, you've been doing so well making my decisions for me so far."
A jab at the fact that Sasuke had been lying his a** off to his teammates and shamelessly using Kakashi's name. Somehow the Hokage had heard of the additional ones he'd added on while not in his presence. Probably from Shikamaru's written report. Not that he was trying to hide it; he knew it'd go into Kakashi's ears soon enough. "You didn't object."
It was true. When Sasuke had announced he would be joining the away team, it had been news to Kakashi as well, but on the spot, he'd thought, 'Why not?' He was sending Naruto because he felt the threat called for such manpower; adding in Sasuke helped put more ease to his mind. The almost adamant look in Sasuke's eyes had piqued his interest as well. It was a look he'd never think to see, so he'd let it play out.
The fact that Sasuke lied again didn't make him angry; if anything, Kakashi was excited. The 'I know everything' eye-smile was plastered onto his face. "So, who would you suggest?"
Sasuke on the other hand felt like he was somehow losing in this battle of wits. He almost didn't want say her name, but he knew if he let this go, it would be difficult to be around her. "Hyuuga Hinata." The calculating gaze shined at the named, and it annoyed Sasuke just how much his former sensei was enjoying this game.
"Ah~ yes. Hinata-chan~. Such a fine choice." Kakashi made sure to sing out the kunoichi's name. If she'd been there, she would most likely be blushing up a storm. "Such a fine choice indeed." In more ways than one. "But alas, I fear it would not put the council's mind at ease."
"..." Sasuke's hard expression had not changed, and though Kakashi looked to be enjoying himself, he knew he was being tested by the Hokage. "I'll let you seal me. You can even put a tracker on me. I don't care."
"Hmmm...I'll see what I can do." The goofy smile behind the mask changed to one of pride.
It was an obscure confirmation, but Sasuke knew he'd get what he wanted. He'd never admit it, but Kakashi probably already knew how lucky he was to have been a student under his tutelage.
"You want to place me as a guide for Sasuke-kun?"
"Yes."
"But...umm...the council agreed to this?" It was an honest question.
"Yes." He had to go through another few more hours of convincing, but Kakashi had pulled through for his kouhai.
"Is this because he just came back?"
She hadn't worded it out, but Kakashi heard the underlying question. He sighed as he said, "A precaution of sorts. But I do believe he'll need a guide. Sasuke hasn't been here for a while, and a lot has changed."
"Yes, it has." Homes, roads, buildings, practically everything had been rebuilt or fixed. Everyone had helped out in the effort and Konoha had finally come back to its original form if not better. Hinata wondered where she should start...what exactly did Sasuke even like?
"You know Konoha like the back of your hand, and you're very popular with the villagers." She may not be as strong, but her popularity with the villagers rivaled that of Naruto. Hinata had gone above and beyond in the relief efforts. Just her presence would bring a more positive light to Sasuke. It had been the driving factor that allowed him to pave a way to convincing the council.
Hinata on the other hand blushed at the compliment. "I... I wouldn't say popular. It's just everyone in Konoha is so nice..."
So modest. Kakashi was tempted to tease her, but she looked about ready to faint. There were just a few more things he needed to check. "You're not afraid of him?"
"No."
No stutter, nor reluctance. She had absolute confidence he would do no harm. The remaining doubt in Kakashi's mind was cleared. If there had been the slightest hint of hesitance, Kakashi would have put a stop to this himself. "So, it was true that you two had gotten close over the mission."
"Ah...hai." Hinata didn't quite know what to say to that statement. She'd told Sasuke they were friends since it seemed to be what he wanted, but she didn't quite know how to go on with their so called 'friendship'. "Have you discussed this with Sasuke-kun?"
"Yes."
"And he's okay with it?"
"Sasuke was...agreeable." Kakashi was smart enough not to add on that his student had been the one to request she be his guide. That kid would probably be after his neck if he found out. Best not provoke him too much.
Hinata headed to the Uchiha estate the next day. Far from its former glory to even be called an estate, but on the same grounds per request of the last remaining member, it was much smaller; just enough for one family to live and grow.
After having discussed the finer details, Hinata headed back home to set up a tour of sorts. Her job was simple enough. Her only true obligation was to check up on him once a day to get him settled in and have him acquainted with the villagers from a distance to show familiarity. A walk around the village for at least 30 minutes was sufficient for the day, and that was pretty much all that was required. The Hokage hadn't spoken of what Sasuke would be doing the rest of the day, but it seemed there would be 24 hr watch from Anbus in the not so far vicinity.
It was much like the rudimentary missions she had while a genin, but since the task would take 3 months along with the most obvious highlighted, underscored, AND bolded name of Uchiha Sasuke, the mission was classified as S-class.
Kakashi had also mentioned the fact that Naruto would also be staying within Konoha the 3 months for security, but it was more for the council's quiet state of mind than anything else. It was a plus for Hinata as she had yet to finish her new scarf, but thoughts of the blonde shinobi were far from her mind.
Ever since she'd taken on the duty, all she could think of was one man. The person she'd be seeing every day starting now for the next 3 months. The one she had rejected.
It was a little over a week now since the incident on the moon and she hadn't seen Sasuke since their last farewell. Fussing family members and friends had kept her busy in mind and body, but as things settled down, thoughts she'd pushed back of her new friend had just recently risen. Though she had decided to take things at a slower pace, that was no longer an option for her now.
Lost in thought, her feet had taken her to her destination. She stood before the gates of Sasuke's new home. Very small when compared to her family home and yet, she was intimidated.
Butterflies were flapping up a storm within her, and her feet would not move from their place.
Hinata could do this. Deep breathe in, breathe out, deep breathe in, breathe out... Before she could continue with her breathing exercise, Hinata was hit with a mix of floral scents. "...Gladioli and hmmm...chrysanthemum..."
"Is that what they're called?"
Recognizing the all too familiar baritone voice, Hinata turned to see the intruder. "Sasuke-kun!" She'd come fairly early in the morning needing some time to mentally prepare herself, but it seemed Sasuke was an early riser as well. In his arms were indeed a floral arrangement of white gladioli and white chrysanthemums.
He noticed her stare. "I'm sorry to say, they're not for you."
Hinata's blush brightened at the comment. "I... I didn't... I'm..." Sasuke's growing smile didn't help. "It's just...umm...Are you visiting your brother?"
Sasuke was not easily surprised. If he was ever blindsided, he honed himself to not make it apparent. It was a necessary skill as a shinobi. This time however, he could not hide it. Before he had left Konoha, he'd made the request to have his brother's grave on the village's cemetery grounds. Sasuke believed it was something Itachi would have wanted. Though it did not hold the body, he had hoped it would serve as a heritage for the Uchiha and maybe even the next generation of aspiring shinobi. It was not hidden, but it was not something he thought Hinata would know.
The look of surprise alarmed Hinata into thinking that she was overstepping boundaries. As she was about to apologize, Sasuke stopped her. "Don't apologize...It's just...I didn't think you'd know."
"I happened to find out while helping in the reconstruction of the village." It was because she knew so much that she was assigned this mission. Right?
Hinata did not add on the fact that Neji's grave was not too far off. She'd heard the news before she'd taken notice of Itachi's burial site for herself while visiting Neji, but after that day, she'd left a flower by Itachi's grave as well.
The white floral array was also a pretty good giveaway. "I also know what these flowers stand for." Gladioli typically symbolized honor, and remembrance; chrysanthemums stood for purity, grief, and truth. She'd learned early on in her life while visiting her mother's grave. It had been a bittersweet beginning into her interest of flowers and learning how to press them for preservation. The craft soon became a hobby and she found herself with books of memories.
"I'll wait for you here while..."
"Actually, I wanted you to come with me."
Hinata was silenced until she remembered, "Oh! Of course! You don't know where it is. I'll walk you there."
Sasuke knew where it was. He'd gone to his brother's burial before he'd even gone to his new home. Kakashi had assigned Naruto with escorting him home when he'd gone back to the Hokage tower after leaving Hinata that day. It had been one of the rare moments his friend had silently stood by his side.
"I wanted to introduce you to my brother." He hoped she didn't ask why. He didn't exactly have an answer. It was simply a feeling he suddenly had. A want.
"Oh...if you wouldn't mind." Hinata had been thinking that she would have liked to meet Itachi. The way Sasuke held his brother in his heart, it made her think of Neji. She too had chosen those particular flowers in her earlier visits before she'd one day decided to gift Neji with his favorite; himawaris (sunflowers). "Thank you Sasuke-kun. It would be my honor."
The journey had been peacefully silent save for the moment Sasuke had made it known he'd been holding two bouquets. One for his brother and one for her own.
"You can take it if you'd like."
He hadn't said who or why, but she'd felt Sasuke had an inkling she was one of the people who'd left a gift at his brother's grave. She thanked him, and asked him if he'd like to join her. Having been partially hopeful of her approval he'd gladly accepted.
The walk back had been more lively as stores had begun to open and people came out into the streets.
Unlike how worrisome she'd been with their encounter beforehand, Hinata guided Sasuke through familiar roads focusing on places she thought he might frequent. Though there had been some wary wandering eyes, the two shinobi were not bothered. As Kakashi had surmised, Hinata's presence brought down walls, and alighted smiles on the villager's faces.
After buying a few items he'd needed, they arrived at Sasuke's abode. Quite satisfied with the turnout of the day's events, Hinata was about to say her farewell, when Sasuke opened his mouth first. "What are you going to do now?"
"I was hoping to train today." Hinata hadn't had much time to herself as of late with the still fresh incident and she'd been meaning to break some sweat now that she was free from her family's surveillance.
"Then let's spar together."
"What?! But, ano...Sasuke-kun, I don't think that's such a good idea. You should be sparring with someone on the same level."
"It would be beneficial for us to gauge each other's skills for future missions."
Hinata had never thought they'd be paired to go on another mission together, but hearing Sasuke so sure of the possibility, she felt herself nodding in understanding.
As they walked to the closest training field, Sasuke asked a few questions he'd already surmised the answer to. Correctly of course. That was until Hinata told him her elemental chakra nature.
"Fire and lightning."
"...Your elemental releases are fire and lightning?"
"Yes..." Was this a weird mix? It certainly wasn't common for a Hyuuga, and it had surprised her team as well when it had been first discovered (something about not really fitting her personality). Though it had astounded her as well, Hinata had felt attuned to these elements as she began to train with her nature's forms.
Sasuke had been leaning towards water and earth. The Hyuuga clan were known for having an affinity to earth, as the Uchiha had a close affinity to fire. As for water, it just seemed to fit the image that was Hinata. A calm, soothing presence, and yet when necessary, a powerful force of nature. Fire and lightning on the other hand... "They are my primary elemental releases." Anyone who knew would be in unison that such were befitting to someone like Sasuke, but Hinata...
"Oh." Hinata was pleasantly surprised. Fire she knew of, but for lightning to also be Sasuke's chakra nature. The two of them had more in common then she'd originally believed. Another page added to the book of reasons why they got along so well.
Sasuke had the same train of thought but his tracks were aligned to a different direction. That feeling, the warm thrumming sensation he'd felt when he saw her wearing his poncho was renewed with fresh vigor. Had it been why her chakra was of a lavender shade while his shone a deep violet. Hinata's colors closer to light, while his was on the brink of darkness. Together they harmonized to a true solid hue. "We have more in common then I initially believed."
He was stating exactly what she'd been thinking, but Hinata's thoughts were put on pause at the expression on Sasuke's face.
There it was again.
A smile. A truly happy smile.
Hinata reciprocated while also doing her best to calm her erratic heartbeat.
Hinata found herself at Sasuke's door for the third time in just one day. She'd be doing the same routine for the next few months, and now, she didn't mind. If anything, she looked forward to each coming day.
Sasuke would have liked to walk her to her home, but his current "task" was to stay put, and he knew the Hyuuga clan were one of the few that did not trust him. Normally he didn't care much, but since this was Hinata's family, he knew he'd have to be as careful, if not more, with trying to get them to accept him.
"Hinata."
"Hai."
"Do you like flowers?" He'd been told on varying occasions that women liked flowers, but Sasuke didn't want to assume.
Again, he stopped her before she could give her farewell and the question this time was quite out of the blue. "Yes. I enjoy pressing flowers." Before she could stop herself, she said more than necessary in her state of bewilderment.
I'll have to keep that in mind.
As Hinata was about to ask him why he was asking, a pure white lily came into her line of sight.
"This, is for you." Sasuke's teasing voice brought back memories of this morning and a blush colored Hinata's face. Seeing her hesitance to take it, he added, "They gave it to me for free since I bought so much." It was true, but only partially. The florist had seen him eyeing the flower after learning the name, and as he was contemplating buying it for the one who's name reflected the white lilies, the florist quickly picked one out for him to take for free. Depending on her previous answer he would have kept it for himself had she said no.
An unknown tension left her as she finally accepted the flower with an appreciative smile. "Thank you."
He wondered if she knew just how much of an effort, he was putting into having a greater presence in her life without chasing her away. His closer acquaintances would definitely comment on the fact and though he appreciated that she didn't question him, deep down he hoped she knew.
One day became two, and then a week, and then three months. Time flew by with no alarming situations for the council to hold their fears. The 3-month mission was a success for the people of Konoha, but the target and the guide had a much more different view.
Their visits to their families resting place became a weekly routine, while short spars and meditation became a daily thing after the required 30 minutes in town. Starting from the third day, Hinata started to bring homemade meals after hearing Sasuke's stomach grumble. He confessed with light pink coloring his cheeks, that he didn't eat breakfast. Though Hinata could not stop giggling the rest of the day, Sasuke didn't mind; especially when he'd gotten to experience the culinary skills Team 8 boasted about.
2 weeks in she started to teach him simple meals he could make for himself in the future, and with the gradual entrance into his home, Hinata had also helped Sasuke make it a place more befitting to call his sanctuary.
Hinata had quickly bonded with Sasuke over the long and yet short span of time. With each day, as Sasuke became more sure of himself with growing confidence, Hinata became more confused.
They had agreed to be friends. And yet with each day spent together, it felt like more. In a turmoil of new and yet familiar emotions, Hinata was sure she was wrong...she wanted to be.
She almost wanted to resent Sasuke for making her feel this way. Confusing her. Leading her on. Making her believe he wanted more and that it was what she wanted as well...
The moments between them could be defined as friendship, or at least she'd tried. It hadn't been a big deal when she'd done the same for her team or her fellow shinobi, but the way he looked at her, regarded her; knowing he'd confessed, she could not deny that she was all too aware of his hopes.
Had she not done the same in front of Naruto. But of course, he hadn't seen.
The problem...the problem lied in the fact that she didn't mind. Far from it, she wanted to reciprocate. If she let herself fall into the flow of this tide, she knew she'd enjoy it. Hinata wanted to answer his beck and call, but that was also what scared her.
It shouldn't be so easy to fall in love...Right?
She'd spent years pining after one man. It had taken an ample amount of time to slowly regress and accept. Even now, if Naruto somehow broke up with whoever it was that he was seeing, she didn't know whether she'd go back to before or not.
She couldn't do that to Sasuke. She needed time to figure herself out.
And so, she'd rejected him again.
It had been on the last day of the mission. Hinata had hoped she wouldn't have to face him until she'd settled the storm within her mind, but Sasuke had other plans. An all too familiar scene of him confessing again and her throwing a gift into his arms just to run away.
The biggest difference from last time was how the gift was truly meant for the man she'd given it to, and her hearts sway was directed towards the person who was confessing, but would he know that?
She'd spent the rest of the day kicking her blanket in embarrassment and regret, and it had now been a little over a three days since that day.
Unfortunately, Hinata's mind continued to circle around the same problem over and over again. If it hadn't been for her sister's loud call of her name, she would have been stuck in that cycle.
"Onee-channn~~~!"
"Hanabi! What's wrong?" Hinata looked worriedly at her frazzled sister. She looked like she'd ran miles to get to her.
"That scarf!"
"Scarf?" The scarf she'd made for Naruto-kun?
"The scarf that was on Naruto-niichan's neck?"
"Yes?" Why was Hanabi talking about that scarf out of the blue?
"It's not from his girlfriend!"
"What?"
"It's a scarf his mother made for him."
As if that had been the missing puzzle piece in her mind, everything set itself in its rightful place. It all made sense now.
Hanabi rambled on about how she'd complained to Konohamaru about why she'd been avoiding him to get back at Naruto in her own (not very effective to Naruto) plot of revenge, and how he made it known that the scarf was from Naruto's mother. Hinata was only half listening at that point.
"Thank you Hanabi." Embracing her sister for a few seconds, Hinata quickly let go before Hanabi could hug her back. She was too busy getting ready to go out and set things right.
As Hanabi watched her sister run in the direction she had been running through just minutes before she shouted after her. "Go get him!"
Hinata didn't quite know for sure where exactly he was, but much to her relief, the man she was looking for was right about ready to leave his home as she'd hoped he be.
"Sasuke-kun!"
He'd felt her presence about a mile away, but even in hoping, thinking that she might be coming to see him, Sasuke was unprepared for the sight before him. "Hinata..."
Her usual modest attire was in disarray as was her hair, but what really got to him was the full smile on her blushing face. It was a completely different expression to what she'd been displaying the last few days they'd been together.
At that time, when he saw she was about to run away again, in a desperate attempt to try and get it through to her that he still felt the same way, Sasuke had confessed again. Or at least he'd tried to, having caught on to what was about to be said, Hinata practically threw a bag in his arms and took off.
Not a few seconds ago when he'd first felt her chakra, he was contemplating acting like he was coincidentally going the same direction she had been going, just so he could see her once more before he left for his mission. To his pleasant surprise, Hinata's intended target was him, and the smile she shone was directed at him.
In a rushed manner, Hinata let out the words she'd been meaning to say. "I'm very sorry about how I responded. My mind was not in the right place and I didn't want to give you an answer until I was sure of myself."
"It's alright." Not really. "It was wrong of me to try and push you." He'd been so confident leading up to those final days, that her retreating form pushed him to try and corner her.
"I just found out that Naruto-kun was never in a relationship with someone else. That scarf, the one I thought was from the person he loved, I misunderstood who it had been from." Replaying how much of a big deal she'd made of it when in reality, if she'd just had a little bit more courage could've have asked about and confirmed. It made her laugh. "It turned out that it was from his mother."
"..." Sasuke was rendered speechless. Not by the news. No. He'd actually found out about that particular information from Sakura a few weeks ago to then confirm with Naruto the next day on their daily workouts.
When Sakura had told him, he'd feigned complete ignorance and composure; but in reality, he'd had some inkling of a bad premonition after his talk with Naruto in the cave, and now a new foreboding of the future events to come. That time it seemed Sakura was just there to confirm whether he'd known or not and to give him a warning, but of course, he'd played off a cool persona unbothered by the bomb she'd just dropped on his face.
It wasn't his place to tell Hinata and he had no desire to do so either. Sasuke very much wanted this memory erased from all who knew, but he wouldn't go that far. If anything, he hoped it never got beyond the few who knew, not until his relationship with Hinata became concrete.
Sakura on the other hand, though she held great sadness and anger towards him, he didn't think she would go so low as to reveal what she'd learned to Hinata. The following days with his temporary guide confirmed as much, so he pushed it to the back of his mind. It was apparent that he'd been wrong.
Feeling the boding pressure of what was to come, though Sasuke was the kind of person who liked clear-cut answers, he didn't want to listen to what he knew he'd hear. He had a greed within him that despite the news of Naruto being a single man, Hinata would choose him, but for her to have learned this now, it broke the assurance he'd built over the last months. "Hinata, I..."
She lightly touched his arm before he could move, and as if struck by an inapprehensible force, he could not move. "Sasuke-kun, please..." Hinata's composure reached out to him as she slowly continued. "I wanted you to know that it didn't matter to me."
Sasuke honestly couldn't tell if he was dreaming. If what he was hearing was correct, if Hinata truly meant what she was saying...
"Watashi mo anata no koto ga suki desu." {I like you too.}
In the next second, Hinata was engulfed in the arms of the man before her.
Slowly but with purpose, she too embraced him, and as she listened to the sound of his heart beat aligning with her own, they stayed in that position for what seemed to be eternity.
Reluctant as he was, Sasuke was the first to move as he gently held her face to look at him. "Hinata."
"Yes?" Hinata lifted her eyes to look into the deep obsidian orbs.
"Can I kiss you?"
Deep obsidian orbs that looked about ready to...devour her?! "A...ano... Sa...Sasuke-kun...i..."
Plop
Before he could hear any kind of confirmation or protest, Sasuke found his arms full of an unconscious tomato-faced Hyuuga Hinata.
Hinata had fainted. FAINTED. Something she hadn't done in many, many years. "I'm sorry Sasuke-kun. I'm just..." She didn't know what suddenly triggered it again. Maybe it was because her feelings for Sasuke were so new and raw. Or it could have been the look of...shaking her head at the rising memory from moments before, Hinata stared at her lap in embarrassment. She'd woken a few seconds ago to find herself lain across Sasuke's sofa covered with one of his many cloaks.
When she finally mustered the courage to look at him between her bangs, she found him setting a cup of tea before her on the coffee table. The tea had been from one of her small gifts in making his home a little more cozy. She'd taught him all the different kinds, along with their beneficial attributes. Taking a whiff of the warm cup before her she smelled...chamomile.
He remembered...
If Hinata had had enough bravery to look at his face, she would have seen he was smiling. "It's alright." Sasuke had quite enjoyed it really. One of the things he been quite jealous of was how Hinata would faint from time to time when a certain blond got too close for comfort. Though it would have been easy to just enjoy the unintentional stroke to his ego, he still needed to clear somethings up. "Did you see Sakura recently?"
"Sakura-chan?" Had he seen them at the café a few days ago? "Hai."
"Was she the one who told you about Naruto?" Sasuke did his best not to let his anger seep out.
"What? Oh, no. My sister told me this morning."
A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. "Your sister?"
"Hai. Hanabi-chan said something about Konohamaru-kun telling her..." Hinata's voice dropped a few notches as she tried to remember what her sister had said.
"Hmm..." Konohamaru was that brat that idolized Naruto.
Not getting anywhere with her foggy memories, Hinata wondered why Sasuke had asked about Sakura. Meeting by chance after their trip to the moon. Sakura had opened up to her that her own escapade of love had failed when it was quite obvious things with Naruto hadn't worked out. Her friend hadn't said who it was but it seemed to have been a fresh wound as had been her own. In the mix of it Sakura had asked Hinata about Sasuke and how things were going.
Knowing he was a treasured teammate to Team 7 and thinking she was simply worried her friend wasn't fitting in, Hinata had told her how much he'd changed and how good of a friend he'd been over the mission. She didn't mention the confession of course; that was something between Sasuke and herself.
That time Sakura's face had gone from surprise to sadness in just a few seconds. She'd told her it was because she was so happy for him, but Hinata could see the pain. She hadn't known why then, but when she'd caught sight of Sakura watching her with Sasuke, making the same pained face before running away, it had hit her that the person she'd loved had been Sasuke. That had been close to the end of the mission of acting as Sasuke's guide and up to that point, she hadn't seen her after their last conversation of melancholy.
When she'd tried to approach Sakura to try and apologize for...well she didn't know what exactly...it had been Sakura who found her first.
Grabbing hold of Hinata's shaking shoulders in a firm yet gentle grip she said, "Hinata, it's okay. I'm okay." Sakura's eyes though filled with tears, had a gleam of conviction. "We're okay."
Hinata had been unable to respond.
To show how "okay" she was Sakura greeted her and had small talk if they happened to see each other the following days. Somehow, Hinata felt it was more for herself than for Hinata's sake.
True to her words, she seemed to get better with each day.
Ironically, it wasn't until Sakura asked her one question, that Hinata truly faced her feelings for the man before her today.
"Hinata, what do you think of Sasuke?"
Hinata hadn't known until then, that she'd unintentionally been avoiding that question. She should have said he was her friend, but her inability to lie held her back from saying that simple word.
Eventually she would have come to the same conclusion if Sasuke had confessed again that final day of her mission, but she was thankful to her friend nonetheless. Had Sakura not approached her as a friend, she wouldn't have been able to accept her own feelings. The guilt would have grated at her consciousness day and night; even more so after her conversation with Hanabi.
It was quite a relief that Hanabi had also come forth with the news about Naruto now, as she would have had to wait for Sasuke to come back from his mission had she known any later. At least that's what he looked like he was geared for when they met at entrance of his home. Finally calm enough to really look at him without hiding behind her bangs, Hinata looked up to Sasuke to see something had changed. "Sasuke-kun, is that...?"
He was wearing the gift she'd given to him. A dark wine-colored poncho.
Touching the fabric Hinata had knitted for him, Sasuke smiled as he teased her, "I didn't burn it this time." Although he'd been planning on not wearing it until Hinata accepted him as more than a friend, it had been packed in with his other gear for his new mission. A sort of a lucky charm, as was the container of healing balm. How fortunate that he did not have to wait so long.
Blushing in recalling that memory, Hinata unconsciously started to poke her fingers as she carefully asked, "You're not upset with me?"
Was she talking about throwing her gift at him? Or maybe... Standing from the stool he'd been occupying, Sasuke took a seat next to Hinata so he was face to face with her.
Both leaning against the back support of the sofa facing each other, they were a comfortable distance apart. Though there was enough space, Hinata hadn't backed away, nor had she turned her body to a different direction. Maybe it was fear, maybe it was trust; possibly a mix of both.
He wanted to close that distance. Hold her, kiss her, mark her as his own...
His desires had been building to the point of nearly overwhelming the precipice of his firm control. The fact that he now held the title of being her lover only seemed to ignite the flames.
Sasuke speculated he'd let some of it go in the heat of the moment when he'd asked Hinata if he could kiss her.
Opting instead to poke the middle of her forehead, he said, "I don't mind waiting."
Staring at her lowered head, the reddening ears, Sasuke forced himself to look ahead as he thanked Kami he'd enlisted himself on a mission. He'd been regretting it, and part of him still did, as the purpose of it was to give Hinata some space and himself some time away from her.
It was a beneficial happening as he feared being near her any longer, he might not be able to keep to the words he'd declared a mere second ago.
The things I do for you...
Only you...
Hinata.
A/N: The end. I'm not joking this time guys. This story is finished. I'm so happy and proud of myself.
For those who might be wondering if I'm one of those people who put Naruto and Sakura together because Sasuke is with Hinata, that is a big NO NO in my fics. I prefer Sakura with Lee, and Naruto with...no one else really...I can honestly only imagine him with Hinata, so let's not jump into that.
For those who are wondering if I'm working on something new, I've been juggling between my ItaHina or writing another RTNverse crossover centered on Hinata. Maybe I should just do both...we'll see...
Thank you for reading, commenting, favoriting, and/or following up to this point. I really hope you enjoyed this as much as I did or more.