Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: I'm sorry for this late update. This is just a short story, probably around 10 chapters because I've had this idea for a long time and just have to write it down.

3

Such a waste of time. Sasuke angrily thought on his way back home. Every tip and advice that the old woman gave him turned out to be everything he had tried in the past but still failed to make Hinata fall in love with him. He befriended her, protected her, went out with her, complimented her, learned how to cook to impress her, talked to her, and even comforted her when she was rejected by Naruto. There was nothing left that he hadn't tried. And it made him angry. Why can't she just love him? Or maybe just like him more than a friend?

He opened the door with more force than needed, startling the girl inside. She watched with a little apprehension as he took long, quick strides towards her. From the way his red eyes looked on her pale eyes, his jaw clenched, his hands fisted tightly, she could tell he was angry and couldn't help but think it was because of her.

He stopped right in front of her. She sat still, waiting for him to lash out at her, venting all of his frustration and anger on her. She had nowhere to run after all. Her chakra was sealed, no one knew she was here, she had no connection to the outside world, and she was completely at his mercy.

He grabbed her shoulders, pulling her up until she was standing on her legs, pale eyes looking up at him. His gaze didn't leave her eyes for a second. They said the eyes were the windows to the soul, so he looked into her eyes, trying to find any indication that she was afraid of him, disgusted by him, but found none. She looked surprised but not afraid or disgusted at all. She knew he wouldn't hurt her.

Air nearly was knocked out of her when he suddenly pulled her towards him, engulfing her in his warmth. He buried his face into the crook of her neck, breathing in her lavender scent which instantly calmed his nerves. How could he even think about getting angry at her? He never could.

His tense shoulders relaxed when he felt one of her hands on his head, fingers caress his dark strands while the other hand gently put on his nape. He felt like a spoiled kitten but couldn't deny that it felt good. He nuzzled her neck, lips parting to sink his teeth down onto the delicate skin of her neck. He heard her small gasp and couldn't help but smirk. His tongue darted out to lick the spot where he had bit as if to comfort her, then sucked it with his lips, determined to leave a mark.

Her fingers fisted his hair as his mouth worked wonder on her skin. The hand on his nape nearly scratched him bloody with the way the nails dug onto his skin. Her back arched, pushing her breasts towards his, and unconsciously creating sweet friction between the two bodies. If biting and sucking her neck could get her to react like this, he couldn't imagine her reaction when he really made love to her. He noticed she was biting her lips hard, probably to hold back a moan, and he wanted nothing more than to tell her not to.

He pushed forwards until both of them fell onto the bed. He continued ravishing her neck, one thigh sneaking between her legs. She felt a strange sensation there and her legs unconsciously clenched together. As soon as she realized what she was doing, she let out a small squeak and pushed him away, legs relaxing. "We shouldn't be doing this."

Reluctantly, he pulled away. She was right. They shouldn't be doing this. But he couldn't help but wonder why it had come to like this? He came here with anger, frustration, but ended up ravishing her neck and probably would have done more if she had not stopped him. She really was his weakness.

"What happened?" Hinata asked once she could breathe normally again.

Sasuke didn't answer her, instead pulling her towards him again. He had her close to him but not too close so that he could comfortably play with her hair and gaze into her pretty face.

"Nothing." He responded after a few moments.

"You can tell me."

Sasuke sighed, deciding to change the subject as he didn't want to tell her. "Tell me what you did today."

"I read a book."

"What book?" He asked, silently admiring the silkiness of her hair that slipped right through his fingers.

"I want to go out." She noticed his fingers pause their playing but press on. "You promised."

Sasuke sighed. He did promise to her that he would let her out, still within the compound and accompanied by him, in exchange for her kiss. He of course would never break his promise with her.

"Then let's go." He said, getting up, pulling her with him.

The Uchiha compound was large. He was not worried about someone spotting her because nearly no one came to his home anymore. Naruto came unannounced all the time but now he was currently away on the rescue Hinata mission with her two teammates. Sakura always knocked and waited for his permission before coming in because she didn't want to intrude and annoy him.

They sat on the veranda with a tray of cinnamon rolls and tea beside her. He watched as she took in the fresh air and breathed out with a blissful expression. She would never take fresh air for granted anymore. A smile graced her lips as a light breeze drifted by, caressing her soft, pale skin. Every little thing that she used to take for granted before had suddenly become so valuable.

She didn't resist when he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She was too immersed in the fresh air and the light breeze to notice that he was staring at her. She was smiling. The way her pale eyes twinkling with excitement, her pink lips curving up to show just a little of her white teeth enchanted him. She hadn't smiled since the day he imprisoned her and tonight was the first time. He took away her smiles but it's also him who brought it back. Seeing her smile like this, he was even more determined to keep her for himself. He can't imagine her smiling like this with another man. It made his blood boil and his arm unconsciously tightened around her waist. Yes, he was possessive, twisted like that and he wouldn't deny it.

Maybe the point of talking to the old lady today was to make him realize that normal methods of courting a girl wouldn't work out for him, which was not surprising at all. He was never normal. And that's totally fine. His methods might not be the best but he didn't care, he only care about the result which was Hinata falling in love with him.

He glanced at her wrists and saw the chakra-restrained seals lightened up a little bit, indicating she was trying to use her chakra. One of his hands cupped her face, tilting it up so that his lips can meet her forehead. She flinched at his sudden action but didn't protest. His lips lingered at her forehead for a few seconds before moved to her ears. She bit her lips, face hot when she felt her ear engulfed in the heat of his mouth. Her hands unconsciously fisted the front of his shirt, wanting both to pull him closer and pushing him away. An embarrassing sound threatened to escape her mouth but she bit her lips hard to hold it back.

"This is the punishment for trying to escape from me again," Sasuke whispered into her ears.

"I d-didn't... ah!" Hinata squeaked when she felt he licked a sensitive spot at her neck. The embarrassing sound that she had been trying to hold back now had escaped.

"I saw the seals on your wrists lighten up." He said, stopping his ministration all at once. Looking straight at her eyes, he waited for her explanation but received none. She only lowered her head in embarrassment, eyes avoiding his. One of her hands rose to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear as she didn't know what else to do and the silence and his intense gaze were making her uncomfortable.

Sasuke gently cupped her face and turned it to him. "I'm not mad at you." He assured her. "Just don't try to break the seals again. It's not going to work." Pulling her closer to him again, his right hand started making circles on her back to comfort her.

"I'm not sorry." She said after a few moments as if to challenge him.

"It's okay. Love takes time." He replied almost immediately. He had full faith in his plan that it's going to work because if he did not, he already failed.

"Is my soup that bad?"

The voice pulled Hanabi out of her reverie. Lifting her head up, she was met with a gentle smile of an old woman named Tokuko. She was someone the young heiress had befriended recently. They met at a park a month ago when Hanabi saved her from being robbed by a group of men. To repay her, the old woman invited her to her home for dinner and they had been friends since then. Hanabi had never thought she could befriend someone near her mother's age but the woman turned out to be a young girl on the inside.

"No. It's really good." Hanabi said, quickly taking a mouthful of soup. She didn't look like she was eating something good at all though.

The woman sighed. She knew her soup was good but when you're sad nothing can taste good. "There's still no trace of your sister?"

Hanabi put her spoon down, feeling it hard to swallow the soup in her mouth. She tried again and the aftertaste was bitter. "We received a letter from the rescue team this morning. They still can't find any trace of her. She just vanished."

"Things will be fine, sweeties." The old woman held her hand, trying to comfort her. "You just need to have faith. Naruto's a great shinobi, I'm sure he would find your sister in no time."

Mentioning Naruto made her think of Sasuke. "If only Sasuke could go to the rescue mission." Hanabi wanted Sasuke to go on the rescue mission instead of Naruto because she knew that man loved her sister. It's not that she doubt Naruto's strength, she just thought Sasuke's love for her sister would make him the best choice for the mission.

"Ah, Sasuke. He escorted me to the market today." The old woman said, remembering the man who had a broody look on his face. "He was quite a gentleman."

"Really?" Hanabi asked though she wasn't surprised. It's well-known that Sasuke only did C and D-ranked missions.

"The man is in love. I even gave him some tips and advice to court the girl." She giggled.

"What?" Now was she not only surprised but also mad. That man had asked her father for her sister's hand just a few weeks ago and now he was courting another girl? It's unbelievable. She had even tried to convince her father to give him a chance because she thought he really loved her sister. "Who's that girl?" She might as well warn that girl about this man.

"He didn't tell me her name but I can tell he is truly in love with her."

"Why?"

"He's trying his best to make her fall in love with him."

"Are you sure?" Hanabi didn't seem too convinced. It was the same man that had declared he loved her sister just a few weeks ago after all.

"Hanabi, I'm old. I know a man in love when I see one." The old woman was positive, not for a second doubting her belief. "He's probably going to meet her tonight with a box of cinnamon rolls as a gift." She added after some thinking.

Hanabi's eyes widened. Weren't cinnamon rolls her sister's favorite? But she was currently missing and if she remembered correctly, Sasuke hated sweets so there was no way he bought cinnamon rolls for himself. "Why would you think that?"

"I didn't see him buy cinnamon rolls but I can smell it from his bags. I heard that he hated sweets, and he told me the girl likes sweets so I guess he's going to give it to her." The old woman said, positive that she was right as she had eaten too many cinnamon rolls to be mistaken.

The information was too much for Hanabi to take in. The gear in her head started to turn as she thought about a possibility. They automatically assumed Hinata was out of the village but what if she was still within the walls of Konoha? There was no evidence that she was kidnapped and taken away after all.

"I have to go home now." Hanabi quickly stood up, preparing to leave. She had something to do right now.

"Wait! You haven't finished your soup yet." The old woman called but the girl had already by the door.

"Thank you for the meal. It's really good." Hanabi said before bowing her head and closing the door, leaving behind a confused woman as to what had just happened.