Sasuke Uchiha was not a coward.

But then again, he's never been all that patient, either; and yet, here he was. Waiting.

But that was because he was smart. He could understand the fine details of situations and work towards the most beneficial outcome with strategy. When he wanted something, he would get it: he just needed to do it right.

Hinata Hyuuga was … uh … .

Well, she was definitely something. To him. Probably.

And as mentioned before, when he wanted something, he got it.

So he sucked up his impatient pride and waited, like a hunter would his prey.

Not that … she had anything to fear. He wouldn't kill her or anything. That would be stupid, and if Sasuke Uchiha was anything, he was not a coward or an idiot.

And there was a reason he didn't just corner her and explain the situation to her. It had nothing to do with fear. It had nothing to do with possible rejection – because only a fool would reject him, and Sasuke did not have crushes on fools.

Not that … he had a crush on …

But the reason he hadn't said anything to her thus far was because he was smart. He didn't need sight to see the kind of person she was. If he was too forward, he'd scare her away. If he did it at his first possible opportunity, she'd be too startled to say anything. Especially since, for a while, he was awfully rude to her.

So he took his time in becoming more prominent in her life. A lost umbrella turned into study buddies, which turned into friends, which turned into neighbors. She saw him every day now, which was good. If all went according to plan, she'd be seeing him for the rest of her life.

… Or, well, maybe. If that's what he wanted.

Was it?

Probably not.

But if it wasn't, why bother pursuing her? Why bother wasting his time on something temporary?

That was absurd, and Sasuke Uchiha prided himself on being three things: brave, smart, and efficient.

Sadly, being good with words was not on that list.


Chapter 14

The Shy Girl Next Door Might As Well Be My Girlfriend at This Point


Hinata clearly liked him.

He was blind, but not that blind.

It was an easy conclusion to come to. She was kind to him and went out of her way to get him presents for his birthday, something that hasn't happened to him in a while. There was a meekness to her voice whenever he was around. And above all, despite his often needy requests and unyielding ability to force himself into her plans, she did not once complain.

Because she liked him. Obviously.

… Or, wait.

Hinata was a naturally kind person, though.

And she was shy around everyone.

… And she was a living doormat who could be shot in the leg and, still, not a word of complaint would leave her.

Fuck.

So maybe she wasn't in love with him –

Stop, Sasuke.

No. She had to be, he reminded himself. Many people liked him, and while Hinata has proved to be beyond many people, it was still hard for her to not like him. His head was just trying to muddy the waters and make things difficult for him, which he would not allow for a moment longer.

Huffing, he grabbed his phone off the bedside table, the screen clean and smooth under his fingers. He tapped it and heard it click on, and after holding down the home button for a few seconds, he said into the mic, "Call Hinata."

The monotone hum of the phone rang through the air, bouncing off the walls of his bedroom. His patience began to thin after the third ring, and he sighed and tapped the heel of his foot against the bottom of the frame of his bed as he waited. Hinata usually answered quickly. Tch.

A robotic voice instructed him to leave a message, and he frowned and planted his feet on the floor. "You have a lot of nerve not answering, Hyuuga," he muttered as he walked over to his closet, searched for the door, and pulled it open. "Call me when you get this. No, just come over." He felt the sleeve of one of his jackets and thought for a moment. "Actually, I'll just come over."

Hanging up, he pulled on his jacket and went to the front door. He paused for a second, contemplating on bringing his cane, but quickly decided it was best to not bring it.

It was only Hinata's apartment. He was pretty accustomed to it, and it wasn't like she would let him bump or trip into anything.

He went onto their shared porch and walked over and knocked on her door, listening for her approaching footsteps.

Nothing.

Christ.

Did she have work today? He didn't remember.

Phone out and ringing again, he went back into his home.

No answer.

"You didn't tell me you were working today." Throwing his jacket in the direction of his sofa, Sasuke entered the kitchen. "Nevermind. Just come over after you're off. It's important."

He ended the message and filled his glass with water and swallowed it all.

Surely, he wouldn't have to wait too long for her to get off.

But, God, he hated waiting. Every minute felt like a year to him.

Unconsciously, he started another call and barely listened to the droned beeps.

Then –

"Make sure you are wearing something nice. It's important." Not that he'd be able to see anything, but it was the thought that counted. "Don't keep me waiting."

There. That was done.

Now he just had to figure out a way to spend the next few hours.

It was all planned out in his head – how he would say it, that is.

Short. Simple. To the point.

"I like you."

And she'd gasp, and he'd be able to feel the heat from her face even across the room. And maybe she'd say it back, or maybe she'd feign shock. But if she asked why –

… Well, uh, that would certainly be … er … .

And for the next hour, Sasuke planned his explanation for that, as well.

He heard her lagging footfalls walk up the stairs to their porch and immediately opened the door.

"You're late."

He waited for half a second, and when no stuttered apologies or happy greeting came from her, he frowned. Something was off.

"Oh, Sasuke."

Oh, Sasuke?

What the hell? "What is it?" Again, no immediate answer, and he sighed and reached in the direction of her voice, trying to find her arm. "Nevermind. Hurry and –"

When his hand found a sleeve, she pulled away.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I just got off from work. I'm tired and –"

"Bullshit." When she lied, it was obvious. And the fact that she was lying to him was even more frustrating. "Just tell me what happened, already."

The wood underneath her creaked. There was a fumbling sort of noise, and then a long, shaky breath. "I just … u-um, I'm expecting company tonight and … ."

She was speaking way too slow. "Who is it?"

Another pause. Was she trying to kill him? Did she know how long he's been waiting and was cruelly trying to stretch things out? It sure felt like it.

And then, finally, she said two, soft words. "My boyfriend."

And Sasuke's heart stopped.

Ouch.

Big ouch.

"You sound nervous."

Just talk normally, he told himself when she finally agreed to come into his home, if only for a moment. Because it is normal. Everything is normal.

Clearly, he was as bad of a liar as Hinata was.

"I-I'm … always nervous."

She stayed by the door, which made him … uncomfortable; like she'd turn and leave at any moment.

"This is different," he said. "Is he mean to you? Your boyfriend."

"N-Not at all!" Hinata yelped. That didn't sound like a lie. "It's just, um, he's been avoiding me for a while, and I'm … not sure what will happen when he shows up."

"A boyfriend that avoids you," he repeated, leaning against the wall, trying to appear unmoved by everything. "And you honestly want to keep this going? Just dump him."

The silence that followed was hot and tense. It messed with his lungs and got him all the more agitated.

Somewhere across the room, Hinata barely breathed. "I think it's a miscommunication," she said. "We just need to talk this through. He doesn't … really understand things, usually."

God, it was infuriating how he had to just stand there and listen, knowing damn well that, if things were different, she wouldn't be feeling anything close to what she felt now. Avoiding her? Seriously? Like anyone with half a brain would do that.

"You're way too nice," he told her. "You give people too much credit. It will hurt you, one day."

"Maybe," she laughed, and he sunk his teeth into his tongue. Hard. "But thank you, Sasuke, for thinking about it."

Shaking his head, and walked over and yanked the door open for her.

"Don't keep him waiting."

If she heard the poison in his voice, she didn't say anything. He listened to her light footfalls step out onto the porch, the jingle of her keys being pulled out of her pocket searing the curve of his ears.

Grabbing the side of the door frame, he said, "Delete the messages I left you. They don't matter."

"I didn't know you called," Hinata said. "I'm sorry."

"Just go, already."

He shut the door and sighed into the quiet air.

Damn it all.

Because who knew – maybe if he hadn't been such a dick to her several months back, none of this would have happened.


Chapter 14 - End