Chapter 10

Italics - Past

Regular - Present

~.~.~

Life had never been fair to him.

Walking completely in the shadow of his brother till he graduated college. Mentoring under his abusive uncle- Madara, rising steadily to take his place.

"Your life is worth nothing. You are replaceable." Madara's words rang

"Be more like Itachi." His father had always said

But with her, with her, he had to be Sasuke. And he was at a loss.

"What is this?" Sasuke stared at Asahi with discontent as he trailed Hinata around the apartment, clearly marking his territory, ready to attack, ready to protect.

"You mean - who. And this is Asahi." she smiled, petting the tall dog, his height giving her easy access without needing to bend.

"Asahi?"

The cuckoo clock sounded to announce 6pm. A small cold air filled the room with its presence. "Kiba named him after lake Ashi because of his blue eyes. They're beautiful, no?" her tone held so much excitement she hadn't felt in a while

"How would you know?" he bit out before realization dawned. The air went still, and she could see the slight silhouette of him light shadowed.

Sasuke was someone he was yet to figure out. All his life, he had been grasping for the hopeless threads Itachi dangled from perfection. Trying to climb, make a mark for himself, be acknowledged.

"An Uchiha doesn't beg." Madara had laughed sinisterly as he stumbled across the hallway. His breath reeked of strong alcohol. Standing a few feet away from Sasuke, he smirked. "An Uchiha never complains." his rough palms wrapped along the smooth fixture of Sasuke's neck, squeezing lightly, then applying pressure, till the eighteen year old was choking for air. " And most of all, an Uchiha never apologizes." were the last words before he blacked out.

"How about we call him Ace then? Short for Asahi?" her eyes were sad as she forced a small smile on her lips. Her voice held a false happy tone in them, "Is Ace okay, Asahi?" she bent to hug the large shepherd, burying her frustrated sigh into its fur, steadying her breath. Once she had composed herself, she released Ace, returning to the living area where Sasuke was. Sitting across from him and Ace at her feet, she asked,

"How was your trip? You're earlier than I expected."

He watched her every move, shame settling in the pit of his stomach and annoyance that she hadn't reacted. This was who she had always been, forgiving, kind, everything an Uchiha was not. "Hn."

"Hm?" unperturbed by his shortness, she continued, "I was so happy to see Kiba and Shino today. Made me realize how long it's been since I saw any of my friends." she let out a longing sigh

"Friends?" the moment the word left his lips, he regretted it yet again. The mockery in his own tone baffled him. Yet he couldn't help himself, he needed her to lash out, he needed her to erupt, curse at him, anything. He watched as her hands folded in tiny fists at the jab, her lips pursed in a thin line.

Whenever he fell out of line, his father would lash out. Whether it was a belt, a whip, a shoe. He'd scar his skin. To Sasuke, that was all he ever knew. His mother was absent in many circumstances, traveling the globe as Itachi's manager, leaving Sasuke in Fugaku's hands. Love to Sasuke had an underlying pain, it hurt, whether good or bad, it hurt, it had to hurt, if not - was it love?

"You are to no longer see that Hyuga." Madara had warned

And for the first time, he had opposed his uncle. Where home was cold, frigid, she was warm, comforting, patient, everything he hadn't been privy to.

"She makes you weak!" the venom from Madara's lips had burnt, the blow to the stomach a harsher ache. "An Uchiha doesn't fall in love. He dominates."

"Yeah, friends." sighing she looked at the direction of his voice, met with darkness. She could always envision him of some sort when she spoke to him, but presently, all she saw were dark harsh lines.

"Is something the matter?"

"No." was his clip answer

"Doesn't seem like it to me,"

"What would you know?" His voice was cold, anger and hatred for himself. Frustrated, he combed through his locs. The little yaps throaty growls angering him further. He needed a reaction, a negative push from her, anything to alleviate his guilt and self loathing.

"Okay... well you just came back from the trip, you must be tired." her voice went shaky, holding back any attempt to cry. She was met with silence, and thought this may be as good a time as any,

"I've enrolled in a school." She was quiet when she spoke, looking down to Ace who - sensing her frustration - jumped onto the couch, laying his head on her lap. She stroked his fur rhythmically, calming herself with the rise and fall of his chest.

"School?" genuinely confused, "We spoke on this already."

"I know. But I don't want to rely on Uchiha money." her voice wavered with each word, finally allowing herself to accept the truth. "I am a Hyuga. And a Hyuga always finds a way." The words of her father rang loud and clear in her mind, a small smile from the sweet memories of him.

"Hinata, going to school blind is not ideal. You could get hurt." he allowed his concern to show

"I have Ace." she let herself breathe.

"The world is cruel, it's dangerous and unpleasant to people like you." his voice rose, annoyed that she tried disobeying him

"People like me?" shifting Ace, she stood up. "I am different now, huh? I knew it." a terse laugh escaped her lips. "You're ashamed of me. So much so you've kept me in this apartment outside of town." she whispered

"Hinata." his voice rose, colder, the air frigid enough to cut

"Engaged people live together, no?" tears streamed her cheek as she hiccuped,

"An Uchiha doesn't fall in love." he repeated the words, the demons ingrained in his soul

Her eyes opened in shock. Then what was this? What were they doing?

"Then I don't want to be one." sliding off the cold metal off her finger she walked to the door, opening it and holding out the jewel. He stood uncomfortable, deja vu of a year ago, playing in his head like a bad fairy tale. He let out a bitter, cold laugh, bumping her shoulder on the way out, the ring falling out of her palm, rolling out onto the apartment veranda. She stood there, shaken, confused, had he always been like this?

"What happened to my cousin?" Neji had stormed into the hospital in anger

He couldn't speak, he saw it all, when he closed his eyes, when he rested, the bright light of the truck, her navy locs swaying in his vision, her bloody body. He heard it when he slept, the sirens, the hospital monitors, her shaggy breathing.

"An Uchiha never falls in love, he dominates."

The mantra repeated mindlessly, an incantation to ease his confused heart.

~.~.~

"Your girlfriend," Hinata had said as she served him black tea. Nodding in thanks, he took the yuginomi. "Her name is Sakura, right?"

"How did you-"

She smiled at him, a mischievous glint in her features, "you say her name a lot when you're drunk."

He looked up when he heard her door open as he came up the stairs to their floor. He paused when she didn't step out but her boyfriend did. A little jewel preceding his steps out the door. Their eyes met as he came up. Standing still he observed the deep scowl on the man's face, his heavy footsteps as he walked past him, completely ignoring him.

Gaara's eyes followed Sasuke's retreating form before picking up his pace but an inch of a pep, in front of her door, he was faced with a teary eyed Hinata. A shocked and confused look on her face and a dog he had no recollection of.

Ace growled as he stepped before Hinata, ready to pounce if Gaara took another step.

"Hinata." his calm voice bellowed in the hall. Gasping in surprise, she tried to wipe her tears, failing to reign in the water works and hiccups that persisted. Ace whimpered up at her in concern as Gaara stepped forward. He eyed Ace with every step, both of them measuring each other's motives, studying the other's actions.

"I don't know who he is." she choked out, knees buckling beneath her. Gaara caught her in an embrace, patting her back as she bawled, her sobs heart wrenching.