Disclaimer: Do not own.

The Fish that Belonged

By Nekema

"I'm not like the others," she stated. "I'm not very pretty or graceful. I'm not very smart and I know others make fun of me. But I keep silent because I don't want them to think worse of me. I'm much to shy around people and have never been too fond of …"

She stopped and peered at the man from under her heavy blue bangs. He had not moved at all since she began her woeful reflection of herself, not even a faint wrinkle of disgust was written on his face. His expression remained blank: untouched and apathetic. Just the way it was when he approached her from the training grounds.

He wanted to have a word with her, a simple conversation that probably hailed no significance between the two. They had barely spoken with each other since the great Battle of Akutsuki, but they did however, remain very good friends.

They would continue to train on odd days with each other, a battle between strength and agility. He would always come out the victor, but there were times when she would prove her own skills and overpower the great strength and speed he possessed. On other days, when they would barely meet eye to eye, she would be on missions or in the hospital, training under the tutelage of Shizune, the apprentice of the hokage. And he would also be on missions, longer than most, or be out scouting the borders until the sleet darkness greet him of his return to the village. And that was most days.

He led her to a clearing, a destination she would always find herself in when contemplating the reasons of her existence. The grass was full and lush, bending with every step the two would make; a pleasant tickly sensation that crept between their toes with the sandals they wore on their feet. The pond was clear and crisp. Its azure liquid rippled with the stirring of the small breeze that arose from the setting of the blinding fiery orb, a sight that aroused even the heart of the stoic companion that stood beside the petite nervous girl.

Her sandals were set aside now as she dangled her pale legs over the water, circling the water with her toe, creating a vortex that scurried the golden fishes from their habitat. He had spoken her name with admiration, a tone she never imagined being bestowed upon on her behalf- a timid girl, who blossomed with no eyes to praise her. Or so she thought.

He had spoke, determined to make her realize her self worth and the place that she held in his heart. But she digressed; speaking of the childhood they all had shared in the past, a memory that hinted of the rejection she once received, one that she still felt to this day.

Her chest felt heavy as her breathing deepened. The words that spilt out of her mouth were depressing, but she had to prove her point.

"I've never been fond of myself," she continued. "I've never been one to think for myself because I've always lived a control life."

"What are you afraid of?" he whispered. His baritone voice was smooth and deep, a question that lingered at the back of his mind, but had to be said.

She opened her mouth to answer, but there were none. What was she afraid of? Was she afraid of rejection? She idly looked to the waters and tucked her wild hair behind her ears. The wind had picked up again.

He had declared his feelings for her and she felt… relieved. Not pained or saddened or confused. She had felt the same way about him too…but it would never work out. We're two very different people, she thought.

Tears quickly gathered at the base of her lids, but she forced herself to hold them back. She would not shed a tear in front of him. She would disgrace herself with words, but she would never shed any tears in his presence, especially those that would burden his heart-- and hers.

"I'm like a fish, Sasuke. I could never belong in your world. Not with people who praise and admire you. I could never compete with the other girls in the village, I'm just not…"

"Water," he interrupted.

"If you were a fish, then I would be the water." He sat down beside her and took her hand into his. He reached up and tilted her face towards him, their face merely an inch apart. His breath tickled the bottom of her chin as his eyes bore into hers. The blackness that revealed a chasm of determination, searching with such integrity that Hinata could feel herself fall into the very depth of his soul. And with her white eyes, she would guide them from the abyss and find that maybe, they weren't all that different. They would share themselves comfortably between the dark and light; a mesh of grey, a mesh of each other.

"I would protect you from the harsh winters and the hungry predators. I would forever stay by your side, caressing you, sheltering you, feeding you…" He brought her hands to his chest.

"We can't live without one another. If you were not the fish, then I would be lonely. I would be an obese puddle of blue without you," he smirked. Her laughter sounded like chimes as she leaned a bit closer to his body. "And I would gladly give myself up for those who thirst…so that I would be no more. You see, I'm nothing without you."

She silently nodded as she rested her head on his shoulders. She always thought she was nothing to the world, but now, she was something. She was something to Sasuke, and he could not live without her, and neither could she without him.

A droplet of tear escaped her eyes as she picked her head off his shoulder and leaned her face closer to the raven haired boy, whispering a 'Thank you.'

"We…" she murmured breathlessly.

But her words were cut short when he took her lips into his. Soft and gentle as the water, he caressed her lips with his. The ticking of time had paused for what seemed forever, until slowly, the two pulled away, breathless as they lovingly looked into each others eyes.

And Sasuke picked up his voice again, and softly spoke into Hinata's mouth,

"We belong."

She was the fish, and he was the water. They were a complement; they were a pair.

The End