Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 10

When Hinata woke up, there were no headaches.

Sunlight peeked through the curtain and Hinata had to cover her eyes with the back of her hand to block some of it. The spot next to her was empty but before she had time to wonder where her boyfriend was, some clanking sound was heard from the kitchen. Slowly sitting up, the girl blushed brightly as the blanket slid down, revealing her naked body with all the pink marks scattered here and there. Last night was unforgettable.

It was embarrassing but she had to admit it felt good. It was their first time but he had been doing it like he had known her body forever. He knew which place to touch, which spot to hit, and how to make her moan out loud just with the tip of his tongue. Hinata couldn't believe she had been so wanton like that, moaning his name, wrapping her legs around his waist, and moving her hips in rhythm with his like crazy. She still remembered vividly how deep he had been inside her, pounding and rubbish against her warm, soft flesh to coax out every moan from her lips. So this was how it would feel when you make love with someone you truly love? Like she and Sasuke had become one and she couldn't live without him?

Last night was a little surprising though because she didn't think Sasuke would do it like that. He was the kindest and gentlest man she had ever met but in bed, he was a beast. She had to admit that she had been caught off guard. Sasuke was worried that he had been too rough with her but she wanted him to know that she loved it regardless of how he did it as long as it was him.

Her heart was beating fast and Hinata had to put a hand on her left chest, feeling the fast heartbeats and also trying to calm it down. But her palm felt the swell of her breast and she remembered how much Sasuke liked them, telling her that she wouldn't need a bra around him. Unsurprisingly, her face turned even redder and she quickly left the bed to collect her clothes on the floor. If she kept staying on the bed naked, she would just keep thinking about embarrassing stuff.

Leaving the bedroom, she found Sasuke in the kitchen, cooking something. He was having his back towards her, oblivious of her presence. Instead of noticing him of her presence immediately, she decided to remain silent to watch him working in the kitchen. She leaned against the wall, pale eyes watching his movements, feeling something warm blooming inside her chest. She couldn't wish for a better man.

Sasuke was wearing a white shirt and a gray pair of sweatpants. How he managed to look so good in casual clothes was something she could never understand. No doubt he was the heartthrob of the town.

As if starting to sense her, Sasuke turned around to see his girlfriend standing there with a smile on her lips. Before he could say anything, she took a few steps towards him and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face into his back. For a shy girl like Hinata, this was a bold move. "Good morning." He heard her muffled voice.

After a few moments, she unwrapped her arms from his waist and stepped aside, attempting to see what he was making. "I'm making chicken soup," Sasuke said, stirring the pot occasionally. Glancing at the girl, he seemed hesitant for a moment then sighed and turned off the stove, turning to the girl completely.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, worry written all over his face. Last night was amazing until she suddenly had a bad headache. She hadn't had headaches for a while and the fact that her headaches returned just after they made love made him think that their lovemaking might have triggered something inside her, and it scared him. Sakura's warning that Hinata might already have a boyfriend or a husband echoed in his ears, circling his head and it was so uncomfortable and intense that he was barely able to sleep last night. Instead, he had taken time to watch her while she was sleeping and the more he watched her, the more determined he was to keep her to himself. Her boyfriend or husband could go to hell.

"Uhm, I'm good. I don't have a headache when waking up." Hinata said. And after a few moments, she sighed before continuing. "Sorry, Sasuke. Last night... I don't know why suddenly I had a headache like that..."

"It's not your fault. It never was." He tried to comfort her. His hands found hers, thumbs gently making circles on the back of her hands and this gesture seemed to comfort her as the girl sighed softly. "Do you remember anything?" Sasuke asked, holding his breath as she tilted her head thoughtfully. The waiting was killing him.

"I think I saw something flashing before my eyes last night... But now I can't remember what it was."

"Hinata, if you remember anything about your past, please you have to tell me immediately." He said firmly, squeezing her hands tightly in his.

The seriousness in his voice made her hesitant for a moment but she chalked it up to his care for her. "I will." She nodded her head.

Sasuke knew what she was thinking, that he was a great boyfriend who wanted to know every detail of her amnesia, which was true but it was not his true purpose. He never wanted her to regain her memories and would do everything he could to stop her from remembering her past if it meant she would leave him for her ex-boyfriend. He was betraying her trust and he knew he should have been feeling guilty for it but he never did. He didn't feel one ounce of guilt because Hinata was happy. She had a peaceful life here, a job that she loved doing, and a boyfriend that was him. Why risk remembering the past and get heartbroken when she could just be happy with him? Love is beautiful but it is also a fight and he would fight for it even if it meant he had to use dirty tricks.

"You're not wearing a bra." Sasuke suddenly stated and the girl turned red immediately. Indeed, she wasn't wearing a bra and the thin fabric of the shirt could hide her beautiful breasts, begging for his attention.

"Y-You said I don't have to... when I'm around you." She stammered embarrassingly and her arms crossed over her chest to block his eyes.

"I'm not complaining." He smirked as he leaned down to put a light kiss on her lips.

"Uhm... A-Ah..." She whimpered as the light kiss slowly turned hungrier and his hands started to slide under her shirt. Her nipples were poking against his palms as he fondled them, chuckling at her helplessness. It was early in the morning and he wanted nothing more than to carry her to their bedroom and repeat last night.

"Should we have breakfast in the bedroom?" He asked as he kept playing with her breasts, pinching the nipples gently and kissing the soft flesh.

Hinata was feeling something hard pressing against her thighs. He was already this hard? It was hard and it was throbbing and she wanted to help him ease this pain but they really shouldn't be doing this. "Sasuke... You need to move to Konoha today..." She tried to say between moans and surprisingly, it worked.

Sasuke took a step back, shoving his hand into his hair frustratingly. "I was thinking about not moving anymore."

"What? Why?" Hinata asked.

"I'm worried." He said. Holding her hands, he continued. "... that something might happen when I'm away."

"Sasuke, please. This is important. This is for your future." Seeing he was still hesitant, she cupped his face in her hands, demanding his full attention. "Trust me, I'll be okay. If anything happens, I'll call you immediately."

His hand rose to hold hers and he titled his head, kissing her right palm gently. The gesture made her sigh as she patiently waited for him to say something. He seemed to be thinking about it and she didn't want to urge him. After a few moments, he spoke into her palms. "I will miss you."

Her smile was soft as she tiptoed to kiss his cheek. "I'll miss you too."

2 hours later, he begrudgingly left the town, in his head couldn't stop thinking about the weekend when he could return to her.

8 months ago

Neji had always known that Tenten was in love with him. He was observant and she was never that subtle.

The three of them had been friends for many years. They grew up together and went to the same classes, the same schools, and probably even the same colleges. Tenten was one of his most important people and he very much appreciated them but only as a friend. Tenten could never hold his feelings as Hinata did. She could never make his heart beat fast, burn his skin with just one touch, and captivate his entire being with just a soft smile.

His relationship with Hinata was a secret. As he watched Lee and Tenten drinking and laughing, his left hand slid under the table and intertwined his fingers with hers. It was pleasing to see her face turn light red as she stammered to explain that it was the alcohol when Tenten asked her about it.

"Just a little alcohol and nee-chan's face will turn red like a tomato." Hanabi's voice startled Hinata as she returned to their table with more alcohol in her hands. Squeaking, Hinata tried to remove her hands from Neji's in fear that Hanabi would notice but to her dismay, his hand held hers tightly, not letting her go, making the girl blush even redder.

"If you keep doing that, they would notice someday," Hinata whispered once they were alone in his room later that night.

Kissing her forehead softly, he smiled. "They wouldn't."

They here didn't include Hiashi. They could fool Tenten, Lee, and Hanabi but not Hiashi. And Hiashi could fool Hinata but not Neji. He noticed his uncle had noticed. Neji made sure to never touch her whenever Hiashi was around but he guessed the man could figure everything out with just how he looked at his daughter. Neji could refrain from touching her but he couldn't change the way he looked at her. It was so loving and affectionate and Hiashi was especially observant just like his nephew.

Neji never told Hinata about it because she would probably freak out and he didn't want her to be worried. She was living in her little bubble of happiness and he had made it his responsibility to keep it that way as long as possible. She could enjoy her happiness, and be carefree and he would happily take all the bullets for her.

Hiashi never officially mentioned anything about it though and it was making Neji restless, even to the point of paranoia. He told himself to be rational, to keep his cool but sometimes he couldn't help but be paranoid about what Hiashi was planning - maybe trying to separate them by sending one of them abroad, or playing matchmaker and introducing Hinata to some man? Just thinking about it gave him headaches.

It was one afternoon when he had just finished his last class for the day and was waiting for Hinata because they had a date today. Opening the car door, he was about to get in his car when he saw a suspicious black car on the opposite side of the road. It didn't take long for him to realize the man in the car was one of Hiashi's assistants. He had a date with Hinata today so it didn't take long for him to connect the dots.

Neji was uneasy. As much as Hiashi had a suspicion, he never actually investigated it until today. It must mean that he didn't want his suspicion to be mere suspicion anymore, he wanted actual evidence.

Neji knew he had to do something, anything to dispel Hiashi's suspicion. It wasn't easy to fool Hiashi so it must be something bold, something convincing enough that he couldn't deny and think that it was a trick that his genius nephew was playing on him.

"Oh, Neji! You're still here?" Tenten's voice made Neji turn around. Not replying to her, he glanced at the black car, getting even more agitated.

He needed to do something, something bold and convincing…

Without thinking, he opened the car door, grabbed Tenten's hand, and pulled her into the car with him. Tenten's shocked face was the last thing he saw before he closed his eyes and kissed her on the lips.

It didn't give him butterflies in the stomach, didn't make him feel good, and didn't make him want to kiss her again.

It was meant to be a light kiss, just a touch on the lips but it was his turn to be shocked as he felt her hands cup his face, deepening the kiss. Every cell in his body was screaming for him to stop and he wanted nothing more than just doing that but then he remembered why he was doing this, why he was kissing his childhood friend in the first place. If this wasn't enough to fool Hiashi then he didn't know what to do.

When the kiss ended, he didn't look at Tenten but over her shoulder at the black car. The assistant was talking on his phone with a neutral look on his face. The conversation lasted for a few moments before he drove away, seemingly having seen what he needed to see.

As much as the assistant had left, Neji's mind was still a mess. He didn't respond to anything even when Tenten shook him, trying to get him to return to the earth. Did he just kiss Tenten to fool Hiashi into thinking that he wasn't in a relationship with his daughter? Only when he saw Hinata's tear-stricken face did he snap out of it.

She had seen everything.

And she ran.

She turned to a corner and disappeared.

"Please get out of my car." He finally found his voice after much struggle.

"Neji? Why? Didn't you just... I thought we were..." Tenten's voice was trembling and he hated himself for that.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." He would say sorry 1000 times if he had to. He had hurt 2 women at the same time, one of them he truly loved and the other his good friend, what worse could he do? But that could wait. "I never want to do this. It's all my fault. You can hate me all you want but please, just get out of my car. There is something I need to do first."

Tenten's face was tear-stricken just like Hinata's but he couldn't bring himself to care. He would admit that it tugged at his heart to see her standing on the sidewalk, looking so lonely and helpless but he ignored it because Hinata was more important. He needed to find her and explain everything to her.

But he never found her. She just disappeared on that fateful day.

"I'm not giving up, Hinata."

"What? What were you saying?" Naruto's loud voice pulled Neji out of his reverie.

Neji sighed and pushed the blonde man away. He was getting drunk and the smell was uncomfortable. Naruto being Naruto, immediately forgot about the question he was asking and approached Kiba with a bottle in his hand. They were having a party to which Naruto insisted he go. He was introduced to Naruto's group of friends and they quickly became friends too. It was as if Naruto had a superpower that connected everyone through him. Neji had never had that many friends until he was introduced to Naruto's group of friends.

"I guess you're forced to be here by Naruto too."

"Obviously," Neji replied nonchalantly and didn't bother to look at the man asking the question.

Sasuke sat down at the place next to Neji, hand holding a glass of wine. Naruto had insisted he go to this party, promising that it would be fun. It wasn't bad but definitely not as fun as Naruto made it out to be. Guess he wasn't Naruto's only reluctant participant in this party.

Neji wasn't too bad to be around. The man was brooding but overall nice and polite. At least, he wasn't noisy and didn't talk nonstop.

College life was fine, to say the least. He came home every weekend to visit Hinata and it was the best part of the week. Today was Tuesday and he was counting every day to the weekend. He wondered what his beautiful girlfriend was doing now and if she was okay. Last week she told him the bakery shop was extremely busy these days and she was wondering if she should suggest Kurenai hire another employee.

"Thinking about your girlfriend, again?" Neji's voice pulled him out of his thoughts and the two opposite eye colors met each other, one black and one white.

"Is it that obvious?"

"The look you have on your face right now is one of a man who is madly in love."

Neji knew because he had that exact look. The light in Sasuke's eyes when someone mentioned his girlfriend, the proud smile when he talked about her, and the happiness radiating from him just because he was in love.

"Just can't wait for the weekend to visit her."

"Honestly, when I first met you, I didn't consider you as someone that could be that madly in love. You seemed like someone who never cared about love."

"You weren't totally wrong," Sasuke admitted. "I never cared about love until I met my current girlfriend."

"Seems like a great girl," Neji replied, downing his glass of wine.

"The greatest girl in the world." He corrected.

Neji scoffed inwardly. Whoever this girl was, she could never compare to his Hinata.

"Tell me about her." Maybe it was the alcohol but he was suddenly surprisingly talkative to Sasuke today.

"She has long hair, pale skin, and a sweet smile. She is very gentle, she has a sweet tooth, she loves baking, and she loves me."

The description was vague but Neji thought the girl seemed similar to Hinata. He was about to say that but the word cousin felt bitter on the tip of his tongue so he remained silent, and decided to keep it to himself. They didn't know he had a cousin who was missing and they didn't need to know. He didn't need anyone to ask questions about her and worsen his depression. Once he found her, he would proudly introduce her to everyone, including Sasuke, that this was his girlfriend. She would never be referred to as his cousin again.

Downing his glass of wine, Neji stood up, preparing to leave. He had other things to do. For some strange reason, he had a feeling that the day he found Hinata was close.