Hi there everyone! The semester is coming to an end and I couldn't be more relieved. Since I finished most of my work early, I had time to finish this up. I hope everyone likes it and it was worth the five month wait smh. Anyway, no one really cares so on to it, yeah? lmao

Cover My Eyes

by, Rampantt

Chapter Fourteen: Melancholy

Hyuuga Hiashi was an observant man. He did not speak much but he did a lot of looking around. He was the type who liked to be aware of his surroundings and always with the upper hand. Hyuuga Hiashi did not let things get by him. It was for this reason alone that he was less than pleased when he heard of his daughter's relationship with the Uchiha rebel.

It wasn't that Hiashi did not like Sasuke, in fact he admired the independence the young man displayed. It took a lot to leave one's clan and make a living for oneself and be successful at it too. Independence was something he wanted his children to understand which is why he pushed them so hard. He did not want his children riding on the coat tails of their family's success. He would not allow Hinata, or any of his children, to take over his company just because of birth right. They had to prove themselves worthy like any other candidate. Sasuke leaving his family did not bother him, it was the audacity in which that young man moved that ticked him off.

How dare he come between his daughter and her best friend? Hiashi was a firm believer in ethics and morality. Uchiha Sasuke displayed none of that when he engaged with his daughter. However, he could not of course ignore his child's position in the matter. She too was well aware, perhaps even more aware, of the moral obligations she had to her dear friend. Hiashi was disappointed to know that his child had acted upon impulse and not listened to her better judgment. He might not have been around enough during their childhood, but Hiashi was confident that he had raised his children to be just and to right.

Of course he couldn't ignore the fact that much of what he had heard had been speculation and repeated rumors, something that Hyuuga Hiashi did not like to participate in. Given this fact, he thought it would be best to give his child the benefit of the doubt. However, being a man of his years he knew that to every lie was some he did not make it his business to meddle in his children's private affairs, Hinata was coming to an age where he could not ignore her love life. He'd like to see his daughter married within the next few years and for that reason he wondered if he ought to set up a few eligible bachelors to court her until she decided on one to marry.

Hiashi had spent the better part of the week wondering this. He was not unhip to the times and realized that no child wanted an arranged marriage but he would not allow his daughter to soil her good name by taking from someone else. Normally, he made such important decisions on his own but given the delicacy of the subject, he thought it might be in his best interest to seek the advice of someone close in his daughter's age for their perspective on the situation.

"Hanabi."

"Hm?" the youngest of the clan hummed, turning her head to spot her father entering the kitchen behind her.

"Hi pop," she said to him, closing the refrigerator and taking up a seat at the island that sat in the middle of the room.

Hiashi chose his words carefully. "How do you think your sister would respond if I were to introduce her to a few young men?"

Hanabi's brow arched. "Introduced her to a few young men? You mean like... set her up on blind dates?"

Hiashi frowned. "No not blind dates," he said, a little annoyed. "Just, introduce her to young men I think she might find appealing."

Hanabi laughed at her father's expression. "I'm not sure dad, I don't think you really know what kind of guys Hinata is into."

"What makes you think I don't know my own child?"

"Are you serious?" Hanabi asked. "Two years ago you bought her the absolute ugliest pair of shoes for her birthday and the poor thing had to pretend to actually like them so your feelings wouldn't be hurt."

"What do you mean she had to pretend? Those shoes were very expensive and I spend a lot of time - I'm not going to argue with you," Hiashi said, stopping himself from engaging in a conversation he deemed silly.

Hanabi smiled at her father. She knew is intentions were good but she didn't think he knew what he was getting himself into by involving himself in Hinata's love life. "I mean, I'm sure she'd meet these men, but only out of respect for you. Hinata's already interested in someone."

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Hanabi nodded. "Yup. I'm not surprised you found out, I don't think she'd be surprised either. She was actually worried about what you might think."

"Hm, so she does know she is wrong."

Hanabi nodded. "She knows, but, the heart wants what it wants, dad - you can't fight that kind of thing."

Hiashi considered this. He wasn't as cold and as unfeeling as everyone made him out to be. He understood that matters of the heart were difficult to settle, he himself had never even remarried after his wife's death. He understood perfectly well the struggles our hearts put us through. However, being a father, he couldn't ignore his child's position.

"What do you suggest I do then?" he asked his daughter finally.

Hanabi shrugged her shoulders at first then made a face that suggested she was considering what to say. "Well, I'm sure you could get to know Sasuke. He has his prickly parts but he's not so bad, you'd like him I think. He's no Neji, but he's not so bad either."

Hiashi seemed to consider this idea. Perhaps if he met with Uchiha boy he'd earn some points from his eldest. If she saw him actually giving Sasuke a chance then perhaps she'd be more likely to listen to reason when he urged her against him. Hiashi knew just how much his eldest valued his opinion but he didn't want to be unfair to her. He'd at least give the boy a chance, but he doubted, highly doubted, that he'd allow his daughter to marry him. He couldn't get past the fact that he had already engaged in disagreeable behavior with a woman and he would not stand by and allow his precious child to be the next one with a broken heart. Even though she did her best to appear tough, Hiashi knew his child had a soft heart and bruised easy. He would not allow any man to hurt her.

"Hm. I suppose it's worth a try," Hiashi said.

"Mhm, At the very least, Hinata will be glad you're trying to understand her feelings. Sakura might not ever forgive her but at least if you understand her I think Hinata will be able to finally be happy and dad, Sasuke makes her happy."

Hiashi studied his youngest child. He could see what she was doing. Hiashi wondered if he ever gave his youngest the credit she deserved. She was a lot wiser than he probably knew. He'd have to keep his eye on her as well.

"Alright Hanabi, I won't scare the Uchiha boy away," he said after a few moments.

"Glad to hear it dad," Hanabi said. "But since you're here... how would you feel about me - "

"No."

Hanabi frowned. "But daaaad, you didn't even hear me out first," Hanabi whinned.

"The answer is no, nonetheless, Hanabi," he said, leaving the room.

Hanabi made a face at her father's back as he walked away, cocking her fist as if she meant to strike him. "Why's everyone so mean to me around here?" she complained to herself.

Hinata parked her white range rover in one of the spaces in the parking lot of Konoha Mall. Turning her car off, she grabbed her royal blue leather Givenchy satchel and hoped out of her car. She was dressed in an all white outfit - slimming, ankle length white chinos with a white button down tucked neatly into them and a white fur coat. She donned a pair of royal blue Louboutin pumps. She wore her dark hair slicked back into a high ponytail, a look she grew rather fond of after her birthday party.

The heiress had been feeling stressed after the week she had been having. Her work was piling up and she wondered if she had bit off more than she could chew by adding the Main Street Mall in Cloud city onto her plate. Not to mention the fact that the media was still buzzing about her relationship with Sasuke. It has been a month since the scandal erupted and to his dismay no one had seemed to forget about it either. The fire was still burning under her ass, as Hanabi so eloquently reminded her time again when she thought the news was dying down.

Hinata was absolutely mortified by the way the story had been playing out. The media had coined the terms 'Team Hinata' and 'Team Sakura', pitting the women against each other. What was worse was that people were joining in on the fun. Half the world were on her side, claiming she had ever right to go after the man she wanted and the other half believed she was the evilest witch to walk the streets of Konoha. 'Team Sakura' forums began calling her all sorts of names ranging from 'Ice Bitch' to 'Princess Bitchy'. There were a whole slue of memes in her favor and against her. The whole thing was a mess and Hinata figured she could use some retail therapy.

As she made her way through the glass doors of the mall's entrance, she couldn't help but notice the stares she was getting from everyone. Hinata had been an 'It Girl' since she was a teenager and was used to the attention but this was different. Back then, people talked about her because of her pretty looks and huge family fortune. When she graduated from college the media ran stories on the Hyuuga Heiress and how she was ready to take her place on the throne of the Hyuuga Empire. Nowadays everyone was more focused on her love life than her accomplishments. It was honestly starting to tick her off, especially since none of the news outlets had the real story.

The heiress ignored the flashing lights that flared up here and there as she walked through the mall. She didn't care about whatever story they were going run about 'Princess Bitchy's' shopping spree. They'd probably make up something ridiculous anyway. Hinata found herself in her favorite department store, Umi, where they had, in her opinion, the best Givenchy bags on the market. Hinata was in heaven as she browsed through the selections. She couldn't decide on what she wanted. There were large bags and small bags, shoulder bags and cross body bags, it was absolutely impossible for her to make up her mind.

"Would you like some help, Hyuuga-sama?" one of the store's sales associates asked her.

Hinata flashed a pretty smile. "Oh, I'm not sure really. I have no idea of what I want."

The sales associate seemed to consider that. "We have a few new handbags in the back, we were told only to show them to our top buyers. If you'd like I could set up a viewing room for you."

Hinata smiled again. "Oh yes, thank you, that would be perfect."

"Okay, I'll come back for you in a few minutes when everything is ready."

"Take your time," Hinata urged, smiling as the associate disappeared back onto the sales floor.

The heiress continued to shop around, ignoring the growing crowd outside the store window who snapped pictures of her every so often. Part of her always resented the attention she got. She didn't do anything in her daily life that warranted people's fascination with her. She was just born into an incredibly rich family. She didn't entertain anyone; she didn't make movies or music, she wasn't even a public speaker. She couldn't understand the world's fascination with her, it was almost perverse the way they viewed her at times. However, she had long ago accepted that this was what her life was and would always be, or at least until some younger heiress made her debut.

The sales associate arrived again just as Hinata had finished trying out a few totes. "This way, Hyuuga-sama."

Hinata smiled and bobbed her head, following behind the associate as she lead her to a back room like she promised. The room was bright and pretty, with fancy gold seats with soft cushions. There was wine and an assortment of cheeses, crackers and fruits. Hinata did of course enjoy these kinds of perks, she wouldn't lie about that, not even to herself.

The associate poured her a glass of wine and began the showing along with a few other associates. After a while, a few familiar faces began to file into the show room. Wives and daughters of important men, business women and heiress like herself, all who must have been invited to view the department store's most exclusive, most expensive items. Hinata engaged in polite chit-chat with the ladies, ignoring the occasional off-putting stare and whispers of gossip. She wasn't surprised by any of that. Women in their positions, especially the ones who did not work for their keep, loved to gossip - what else did they have to do in between massages and shopping sprees?

"Hinata-hime," a voice sounded, pulling her from her inner dialoge.

"Yes?" she responded, turning to find a young, dark haired girl about her age smiling pleasantly at her. She recognized her but she couldn't quite place her face. "I'm sorry, I know we've met but I can't seem to remember your name."

"Inuzua Ayami," she answered. "My father is chairman of Doki Production Agency, we just produced a new musical drama with a few stars, 'Heart Beats', maybe you've seen a few epsiodes."

"Ah yes, I remember you now. I haven't seen it myself yet but my sister tells me it's good. Congratulation's on your company's success."

"Thank you, Hinata-hime."

Hinata smiled pleasantly. She hated that nickname deep down but she knew there was nothing she could do to get people to stop referring to her as a princess.

"Also, I just want you to know that I'm rooting for you and Sasuke," Ayami said with a cheerful smile.

Hinata cringed inwardly but smiled anyway. She wasn't sure what exactly she should say. "Oh... I... " she stammered. "You... have to know that the gossip magazine's aren't true.." she said at last.

Ayami didn't seem to understand. "What do you mean?"

"Well.. I didn't steal Sasuke from Sakura, the gossip magazines are making that up," Hinata said softly.

Despite the quietness of their conversation, the other ladies seemed to have overheard anyway.

"Then what about the pictures then?" another woman asked, butting in.

"Well - "

Before Hinata could continue, another voice was jumping into the conversation. "Yeah, the ones of you two kissing in the garden and the ones of him leaving your house a few weeks ago."

"Those were -"

"And also, no one has seen you and Sakura together since then," another woman added to the conversation.

Hinata could feel a lump forming in her throat. Everyone was attacking her and the heiress had no idea how to defend herself against the accusations. She didn't steal Sasuke away from Sakura. She hadn't planned for anything to happen the way that it did. Hinata didn't see herself as the victim but she also knew that she wasn't the villain either.

It wasn't long before showing turned into a conference, everyone wanted the details. They demanded to know the truth. Where was Sasuke? Where they dating? How come Sakura hadn't said anything about the scandal?

Hinata found herself standing up from her seat after a few minutes. What was supposed to be an easy shopping trip turned in to a massacre and Hinata was not going to let them make a bloody mess of her. Just as she was on her feet the room got silent, deathly so. Hinata looked around in amazement, surprised by the sudden quietness of the room, it was until opal met emerald that she understood why.

"Sakura..." she breathed.

Her heart began hammering in her chest as their eyes met. It had been a month since they last spoke, a record for the two of them. Hinata wasn't used to their fights lasting more than a week or so. Going this long without her once best friend had been incredibly difficult.

The two held each other's gaze for a few moments. Hinata's heart wanted to burst from her chest. Her brain couldn't decide on what to do. Part of her wanted to run across the room and beg for her friend's forgiveness while another part of her was certain her attempts would be in vain and all she would be doing is giving the gossipers more to talk about, essentially confirming that she did in fact steal Sasuke.

"Why is everyone so interested in my love-life?" she asked, mostly to herself as she took up a seat.

One of the associates hurried to her side, filling up a glass of wine for the would-be-supermodel.

"We were just defending you, we don't think it's fair what she did," one of the women responded.

Sakura took a sip of her wine. "You don't even know what you're talking about."

The woman looked taken aback. "So... Hinata didn't steal your boyfriend?"

Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "No one owns anyone so how can anyone be stolen from anyone? Food for thought."

That didn't seem to satisfy the crowd. "Then explain why -"

"We don't have to explain shit," Sakura snapped, her neatly manicured eyebrows crumpling together. "Don't you pathetic housewives have anything, literally anything, better to do than gossip about other people? Are your lives that boring?

The one woman looked offended. "Excuse me?"

"Yes, excuse you," the pinkette bit back. "Is this the kind of environment Umi promotes? Because if so I don't know if I'll be spending any more of my money here. I'm sure my father would love to hear about how distasteful the reputation is here the next time he's looking to invest in this mall."

The store associates looked to each other worriedly before one spoke. "Ma'am, we're going to have to ask you to leave if you continue to behave this way."

The woman looked shocked. "Are you kidding me? Do you know how much I spend here a month?"

The associates looked to each other again, seeming to debate their next course of action. "We're sorry ma'am but we can't allow such disagreeable behavior to continue on in our store. I'm sorry but we're going to have to ask that you leave immediately," another associate said once they had all decided.

The woman stared in disbelief then stood with a huff, gathering up her things. "Just wait until my husband hears about how I've been treated here."

"Considering how much free time you seem to have I'm sure he won't have time to worry himself over such trivial matters. Try not to disturb your husband too much while he's working. That's how you become a first wife - or at least that's what I hear," Sakura commented.

"Bitch," the woman spat.

Sakura sipped on her wine, flashing a model smile. "You should probably go before they get security in here," she suggested.

The woman's face turned a deep red. She could be heard grumbling more as she quickly left, her pride abandoned in the showroom.

The rest of the women began to murmur amongst themselves. Hinata on the other hand hadn't stopped watching Sakura since she entered the room. To say that she was surprised to see her was an understatement. Hinata supposed in hindsight, that she shouldn't have been. Sakura loved Umi just as much as she did, maybe even more - they were bound to run into each other here eventually and what better place to do so than in an exclusive show room?

Gathering her courage, the heiress crossed the room, her heart pounding against her ribcage in the process. "Thank you, Sakura," she said softly. The pinkette was always bailing her out. Her heart ached from the fact that even though they were in the middle of a huge fued the pinkette still came to her rescue. She could have easily caused a scene - it would have been easy for her to confirm the speculations and turn Hinata into the villain a lot of people thought she was already, but she didn't. For that Hinata felt an immense amount of guilt swell in her belly.

"I didn't do it for you," Sakura responded, refusing to make eye-contact again. "Don't speak so casually to me."

Hinata was taken aback but quickly recovered. She supposed she deserved the ice treatment from Sakura. "Sak-"

"Don't speak to me at all, actually," Sakura said, low enough for no one but Hinata to hear her.

The heiress could feel the tears stinging the back of her eyeballs. However, she was a Hyuuga and she did not beg. She nodded her head once then decided she no longer had the urge to spend any money. Retail therapy turned out to be an awful idea.

With nothing left to say, the heiress took her leave, walking away from her former best friend and the showroom. It wasn't until she was inside her car again that she allowed herself to tear up. Sakura was never going to forgive her.

Sasuke sat in his living room, listening to the soothing melodies of his favorite R&B singer. With a drink in hand and the lights dimmed, Sasuke had achieved a certain level of comfort that had eluded him for some time. The last year had been possibly the most stressful of his life and it was incredibly rare for him to find a moment like this where he could relax and enjoy himself.

He leaned back into his Italian leather sofa, pleased with the comfort he found there. He closed his eyes and allowed the music and relax him. The only thing missing from this night was good food and even better company. He found himself wondering what his heiress had been up to. He hadn't had a chance to meet up with her in the last week or so, work had been challenging. He wondered if he should surprise her the following day. She had been very cute the last time he saw her and he was considering getting her something nice to show his affection.

"What kind of gifts does my Hinata like anyway?" he wondered out loud to himself.

Placing his drink on the end table beside him, he fished around in his pocket for his cellphone. Pulling out the sleek device, he quickly opened up one of his very few social media sites and began searching for the heiress. The task was a lot more difficult than he had originally anticipated. There were millions of different accounts hosting her pictures, hundreds pretending to be her. Sasuke hadn't known her popularity was this grand. He supposed some of it had to do with their scandal.

Before he realized it he got caught up reading posts from people who supported their love and called themselves 'Team Hinata'. It was actually quite amusing to the young Uchiha. People were incredibly silly. He especially liked the way they painted him. Some called him anything from a 'filthy pig' to a 'hopeless romantic' who fell in love with the wrong girl the first time around. Sasuke tended to agree with both sides of the argument. He was a dirty dog and he did fall in love with the wrong woman the first time around.

He particularly enjoyed the photoshopped pictures of them together. They managed to make it look like they were walking hand and hand down sidewalks, cuddling up to one another at bars and lounges. These people were so crazy they fabricated an entire relationship. Sasuke found himself smiling at his phone when he noticed a picture of them laughing together over dinner. He wondered where they even found a picture of either one of them laughing. Displays of emotion like that weren't either one of their things.

"These people are obsessed," he said out loud to himself.

His musing were interrupted when his door bell sounded. The Uchiha sat up straight once more, placing the sleek device down on the coffee turned the music down just a bit then made his way over to his video-com to see who was at his door. If it was Naruto he planned on pretending he wasn't home. However, when he turned the camera on he was surprised to see who he did there - his Hime.

Her eyes hidden behind a pair of dark sunglasses which was strange considering the fact that night had fallen quite some time ago. Without further hesitation he buzzed open the gate and watched from the camera as she made her way up to his door.

With a smirk, he opened his home to her, allowing her inside without words.

"This is a pleasant surprise," he said to her, locking the door once she was inside. "Are you here to finally promise yourself to me?" he asked with certain glint in his eyes.

He looked over her and admitted to himself that she looked good - really good. He particularly liked the way her pants fitted to her shape. She always wore things that showed off the wideness of her hips and full derriere. And that pony-tail, there were several different things he'd like to do with her and that ponytail. If she came over to seduce him then she was certainly doing it right. He would have never guessed in a million years that Hinata could be this forward.

However, once he was finished ogling her behind, he realized that she hadn't spoken yet or even turned around to face him. Her silence was beginning to trouble him and he suspected that what he had in mind wasn't why she had dropped by. "Hinata...," he said stepping closer to her, placing his hands on the back of her shoulders. "Is everything alright?"

She was silent for a while longer before she turned in his grasp and buried herself in his chest where she allowed herself to sob uncontrollably. Sasuke was stunned. He wasn't used to this sort of emotion from her and the fact that she was crying now pissed him off.

"Who hurt you?" he asked, pulling her tightly into him, holding her against his chest like she seemed to want him to.

The heiress didn't say anything, instead she continued to sob. After the day she had, all she wanted to do was cry into his chest until she felt better. The feel of his strong hands lightly stroking her back was beginning to soothe her quicker than she would have expected.

He released her from his hold, putting some space between them so he could get a look at her face. She was biting her lower lip just a bit and he could see the tears slowly slipping down from under her shades. Gently, he reached up and pulled them from her face. Her eyes were drowning in tears and rimmed red as if she had been crying for quiet some time. She closed her eyes, embarrassed by the way she must have appeared to him. Sasuke didn't care though. The fact that she was crying was the only thing on his mind. He leaned in and kissed away her tears, pressing his lips softly to her cheeks.

"Come sit next to me," he said, taking her by her hand and leading her to the sofa.

He studied her face for a while, watching as she tried to calm herself down. "Tell me what you want. You want me to listen or do you want to sit here?"

Hinata shook her head. "I..."

Sasuke waited patiently for her to make a decision. She'd never know it but she could have gotten anything she wanted from him in that moment. He'd do anything to see her happy again, hell, he'd do anything to see her bickering with him. Anything was better than seeing her distraught like that.

"I ran into Sakura today," she said softly.

Sasuke nodded his head. He could only imagine how that encounter must have went and what was said. Sakura was a bit of a hothead and was good for saying just about anything she wanted to say. Sometimes we wondered if the pinkette had ever even heard of the concept of being tactful. There was no telling what she might say when she was angry.

"Did she say something to hurt you?"

Hinata shook her head. "N-No... she... protected me. There were all these people accusing me of stealing you from her and she protected me. Why did she do that Sasuke?"

"Because she loves you," he told her, cupping her face in his hands and clearing her tears with his thumbs "Don't cry anymore."

"But wh-why would she d-do that? Love me?" Hinata asked.

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders a bit. "Emotions are complicated. She might not be ready to forgive you, but she still cares about you, and you should be able to find comfort in that alone."

Hinata was silent for a long while, considering what Sasuke had said. She still couldn't understand it, however. She would have never expected Sakura to stick up for her during something as brutal as that. The fact that she did made her feel even worse. She deserved Sakura's contempt, not her kindness.

"You ready to stop crying now?" he asked her, softly stroking her cheek.

The heiress sniffled a few times before nodding her head.

"Good," he said. "Are you hungry?"

"Hn."

"Go get cleaned up and I'll take you some place nice," he said to her, rubbing her cheeks with her thumbs.

Hinata nodded and stood up. She could only imagine what she must have looked like in that moment. The heiress made her way to the main floor powder room were she took a good look at herself in the mirror.

"This is where all this mess started..." she thought to herself.

Shaking the thought from her mind, she quickly reapplied her make-up and washed her hands. She made sure her pony tail was straight and there were no signs of tears left before she returned to the living area where Sasuke stood, waiting for her.

He was smiling at her, an expression she hardly ever saw him make. Sasuke smirked, and leered and sometimes he even grinned, but he did not smile. The heiress felt her heart pounding away in her chest suddenly. She still found herself amazed at her reaction to him.

Unable to bare it any longer, she turned her gaze downward. "Why are you smiling at me like that?" she asked him, her voice weak.

Sasuke let out a short chuckle at her expression. "I can't smile at you from time to time?"

Hinata shrugged, which made him chuckle again.

"Alright Hyuuga, lets go," he said to her, taking her hand and leading her out the door.

The Uchiha and Hyuuga pair took his car, a brand new 2015 white BMW 4-Series, a little something he bought himself to celebrate his first big deal. Sasuke was quite proud of his new baby.

As they pulled into the parking lot of Nodaiwa, it occurred to Hinata that this would be their first real date. The thought alone made her heart pound in her chest with excitement and suddenly she wasn't feeling as shitty as she was before. Never would she have thought that her and Sasuke would actually be out together in public. And while she knew that they would receive a lot of backlash for this public appearance, she couldn't bring herself to care at the moment.

She offered him a small smile as he opened her car door and allowed him to help her out. She couldn't help that her smile broadened as they entered the restaurant, nor could she help the way her heart pounded in her chest each time he looked at her. It felt good to be able to freely express her feelings for him. Hinata wondered vaguely how long the feeling would last, what with the media shredding them to pieces each time they could.

"Don't worry," Sasuke told her as they were seated, as if he could read her mind. "People are going to think what they want regardless of what you do, Hinata. You can't control other people, you can only control yourself."

The heiress wondered about that. While she knew that what Sasuke said was reasonable and quite possibly the truth, she couldn't shake the fact that what others thought of her did indeed matter to her. Her fear of public reject probably stemmed from her long time need to please her father and her need to be viewed favorably just spilled over into all other aspects of her life. Hinata did however, recognize that she could not go on with her life in this manner but it was hard to change one's perspective after so many years.

"I know..." she said softly after a moment or two. "It's just hard."

Sasuke nodded. He understood how she felt, probably better than she really knew. He too had to get over what other's thought of him. It wasn't easy but it was necessary. "You can't let what others think of you control your happiness."

Hinata considered his words again. Is that what she had been doing? Allowing other's opinions to rule over her? Hinata had always thought she had impeccable control over herself - her emptions, her success, her life in general. But without even realizing it, had she really let what others control her happiness? Maybe that was why she could never quite shake the perpetual state of melancholy she found herself in.

"You're right..." she said to him. "Absolutely right. I've been living my life so afraid of making mistakes, so afraid of being myself that I haven't really been too happy."

Sasuke reached across the table for her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "It's not to late to start thinking of yourself Hinata."

She looked into his eyes, his dark and mysterious eyes. She wondered for a moment how she never noticed how soft and gentle they were. Hinata wondered how she never noticed any of his good qualities before. Her heart began to thump in her chest again as she watched a small smile etch across his face. Hinata was beginning to love it when he smiled. "Thank you, Sasuke," she to him, a sweet smile spreading across her face.

"You don't have to thank me," he said to her, squeezing her hand one more time. "Now, lets decide on something to eat, I'm starving."

"Hn."

I hope this chapter was satisfactory to everyone who read it. I'm not quite sure when I'll be updating again so I won'tmake any promises. Hang in there with me, however, summer vacation is coming and since no one likes me I anticipate many days alone in my house lmao. So. Yeah. Leave me a review, they make me feel good.

~ Rampantt