Perhaps if Sasuke wasn't high as a kite at Hinata's birthday dinner, he may have put more effort into his plans of rescuing the distressed Hyuga princess. Along with finding out her planned date to return to the city, he could have also asked Hanabi for the departure time.
Or, during the party, he could have even been more proactive by offering Hinata a ride back to school at the end of their holiday break. But because Hinata's gift was forgotten on the Uchiha dining table and he was too lazy to return to retrieve it, he spent the night avoiding her and ended up getting wasted with the waitstaff.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he made plans to approach her before the end of the break. But it genuinely slipped his mind as most of his scheming was focused on avoiding Mikoto's unrelenting pursuit to find him a fiance in the span of a week.
Here he was now, on the cusp of the new year, boarding the last trip that would get him out of the monotonous suburban hellhole of Konoha. Wearing a black baseball cap with an equally dark bomber jacket, he slowly walks down the aisle discreetly scanning the seats in search of his damsel in distress. There is no certainty that she is on the train or even in this section, but he holds hope that things will turn out in his favour.
He moves from section to section; seeing familiar faces but goes unrecognized in his nondescript disguise. Reaching the final car of the train, he temporarily admits defeat.
As the train continues to fill with passengers, Sasuke contemplates booking an uber back to his parents' home. It would mean spending the last day of the year in Fugaku's presence. He weighs the benefits of staying in the smelly, crowded train or being at home surrounded by the 'comfort' of paternal contempt and disappointment.
As if he really had a choice.
Slipping his knapsack from his back, he takes a window seat at the back of the train. Ignoring public transportation etiquette, he places the bag on the adjacent empty seat. It serves as a good human-deterrent until the train begins to depart and a young woman approaches. Sasuke's eyes remain glued to his smartphone, as the out of breath woman quietly asks for permission to take the unoccupied seat, "May I?"
Sasuke doesn't respond, he hopes the buds in his ear will thwart her attempts at trying to gain his attention. Water pools at the base of her boots and the distinct scent of rain permeates her presence. Seconds go by and Sasuke remains mute.
The young woman decides to speak up again, "I'm sorry but there are no other seats and the ride back to the city is at least two hours long. May I please have this seat." There is a distinct undertone of sadness in her voice that catches her attention. Glancing to the side, pale imploring eyes meet his, "Hyuga."
"Sasuke," Hinata looks relieved to see a familiar face, "you're on the train back to Konoha?"
He removes his knapsack from the unoccupied seat and motions for Hinata to join him.
"So it would seem," Sasuke intones.
"Did something happen to your car?" Hinata removes her thoroughly soaked coat and places it on the back of her seat.
"A friend needed to borrow it." It wasn't a blatant lie. Sasuke asked Suigetsu to drive it back to the city for him, all for the chance of having this precise encounter. But the more he thought of his plan, the stupider it seemed.
"Why are you wet? It stopped raining a while back, didn't it?" Sasuke shifted the topic, trying to ignore the smidge of guilt he felt for essentially stalking the naive Hyuga.
Clearly embarrassed, Hinata sheepishly explains, "A puddle."
"You fell into a puddle?"
Hinata shakes her head defensively, "No, no. Someone accidentally pushed me and I tripped-and fell into the puddle." It seemed that Hinata was still afflicted with chronic clumsiness.
Sasuke offers her antibacterial hand wipes from his bag and motions to her face and hands, "Use that, for ringworm or whatever infectious shit you may have picked up."
"I didn't fall head first into the puddle, and I cleaned my hands before I came onto the train." He guesses that's the reason she was late in finding an empty seat. "It was really only my coat that got dirty." Which Sasuke interpreted as her telling him to fuck off, since the coat was nowhere close to his germ-free body. Being disgusted by her predicament was the perfect method to getting into her good books. Sasuke sighs internally at his inability to conceal his callousness, especially during interactions with the opposite sex.
Not knowing how to break the ice, their ride back to the city is in silence. Hinata is occupied reading a paperback novel, while Sasuke pretends to read the business news on his phone. Blankly his mind discards forecasts of the stock markets and replaces it with concocted attempts to pitch his idea to the heiress.
Landscapes of towering, barren trees are slowly replaced by a couple street lamps. A couple street lamps turn into a dozen, then scores and finally the brightly lit encasing of the Tokyo train station appears.
It was now or never, Sasuke decides. But before he could mumble out his ridiculous plan, Hinata looks over with a sweet smile on her face to ask, "Any plans for New Years eve?" She delicately brushes her bangs away from her eyes, "sorry, stupid question. Of course you have plans. That's why you're returning-" He ceases her apologetic rambling by lying, "No plans. Just watching some movies and catching up on school work." Finding his groove for grabbing opportunities when they came his way, he adds, "all by myself."
"Really? I thought you would be attending one of those fancy balls downtown," Hinata responds.
"Nope. Trying to start the new year out on the right foot," Sasuke did have plans to taper his partying, but certainly not on the night when some of the wildest parties are held.
The train comes to a half and Hinata rises from her seat, "Me too. My roommate is still visiting her family and the campus is probably going to be empty."
Once again, faith was working in his favour, stifling his undiagnosed mysophobia, he chivalrously offers to carry her heavy, filthy, soaked jacket.
"Are you sure? You might get ringworm," Hinata teases.
Rolling his eyes, Sasuke snatches the coat from her grasp, "That's what the wipes are for."
Once they have exited the train, and are on the path towards the connection for the bus terminal, Sasuke wastes no time in offering, "I can give you a ride home."
"I thought your friend borrowed your car," Suigetsu was likely still joyriding around the city, but that could easily be remedied. "It's likely back in the garage by now."
"Are you sure? I can just take the bus back."
"It's late. I'd feel much safer if I gave you a ride back."
Hinata stares contemplatively in the direction of the bus terminal, "I don't want to impose."
"You're not. If anything, I'm containing the risk of you infecting an entire bus full of unsuspecting students. You can clean up at my place first." That would give him enough time to haul Suigetsu's ass back to his condo.
Finally she agrees.
The walk back to his shared apartment with Hinatai is relatively short. The weather is mild and streets are bustling with families, couples and friends enjoying the final festivities of the year.
"You know where the shower is, there should be clean towels under the sink. You can change in my room. Second door to the left." Sasuke kicks off his shoes and immediately makes his way to the laundry room. Once the dirty coat is set in a heavy duty cycle, he enters the master ensuite in Itachi's room.
Clean, warm and dressed in a pair of Itachi's casual slacks and shirt, Sasuke goes about enacting his plan.
Hair wrapped in a messy bun, Hinata has changed into an oversized cat pajamas. Seated primly on the sofa, her rigid posture reveals her discomfort at being in foreign territory.
Before he can tease her choice of attire, she clarifies, "I didn't have anything else to wear. I mostly have books in my - bookbag."
Looking him up and down, she tilts her head at his choice of attire, "You're quite dressed up to be spending the night at home."
"I was going to ask you to join me for dinner, since it's New Years eve and we are both alone. But as cute as this cat-lady look is, I doubt any decent restaurant will let you in." His inexperience at picking up women was on flagrant display. Thank goodness for the Uchiha looks and name. "But we can do takeout? I am sure you're starving."
With minimal hesitation, Hinata agrees.
When the food arrives, Sasuke pairs it with a bottle of champagne. They eat and drink in silence, until the liquor loosens Sasuke's tongue.
"Happy birthday by the way."
Hinata giggles and corrects him, "Belated birthday. Thanks for coming to the party. I didn't expect you there."
"I was invited, wasn't I?"
"Of course, it's just that you haven't been to one of those since we were-" Hinata pauses and uses her fingers to count, "since we were six years old and oh my gosh, it's when you-"
"Yeah, yeah. I pushed you into the swimming pool," Sasuke cuts in and states matter of factly.
"You were sooo mean," Hinata whines, alcohol clearly warming up her system. The winter covering for the pool was already in-place, so thankfully Hinata only endured minor embarrassment at Sasuke's bullish behaviour.
"In my defense, you were trying to steal my nii-san." Of course looking back on the events from an adult's perspective, Itachi as well as Mikoto were particularly affectionate with Hinata because of the tragic loss of her mother. But at that age, Sasuke couldn't bear the thought of sharing his beloved brother with anyone outside of his immediate family.
"As if anyone could steal Itachi away from you," Hinata says with mirth in her eyes.
"Were you expecting me to push you into the pool again? Maybe it would have helped in exorcising Casper."
"A definite no to the pool shove. Hanabi would have killed us both if I ruined that very expensive gown."
Sasuke's eyes narrow at mention and memory of the dress that exquisitely clung to Hinata's form, "Yeah, that would have been a shame."
He scans her body trying to match his memory of her perfect curves with the current bag-lady vibe she was exuding. Coming up naught, he frowns and once again brings up the topic of Casper the friendly (unfriendly?) ghost, "So what's the deal with -" This time he stops himself from poking fun at the melanin-deprived man, "that Otsutsuki guy?"
"Otsutsuki? Ohh Toneri-San. He's one of my father's business associates," Hinata scratches the lip of the champagne flute in agitation. Sasuke could care less of damage to expensive crystal wear, as he was thrilled that this conversation was going exactly where he needed it.
"Not being nosey. But I think it was clear to everyone there that he seemed more interested in you than your father and whatever business endeavour they have planned."
Hinata pours herself another glass of champagne. Bringing it to her lips, she murmurs, "that's all part of the business deal."
"You mean to say that 'you' - a real live human being - is part of a corporate business interaction? And you're okay with that?" Sasuke's fury is genuine. He would scheme, lie and plot to get his way, but never would he fathom taking away a person's birth-right ability to select a life of their choosing.
"Arranged marriages happen all the time. I'm sure your parents also have some sort of expectation from you, as they did with Itachi."
"Yeah, but I get to make the final decision as to whom I want to be with for the rest of my life," Sasuke says exasperatedly, "and I would never agree if it were just about money. You shouldn't either."
Hinata gulps down the entirety of her drink, "arranged marriages doesn't mean that love will never be present. With time, maybe things may change."
Sasuke scoffs at Hinata's attempt to convince them both that she could eventually find happiness with the tycoon, "You should trust your intuition. Even from a mile away, I could tell you were uncomfortable in his presence." Sasuke doesn't verbalise it, but he assumes that since Hinata is generally a friendly and trusting individual, the high levels of discomfort she displayed that night must have stemmed from receiving some form of unwelcomed interaction.
"There is nothing I can do, Sasuke," Hinata says with finality. "My father doesn't take no for an answer." She gathers the empty food containers and empties them into the trash. Sasuke joins her at the sink to rinse their glasses out.
"You can do what I do. Avoid it for as long as possible or find someone of your choosing." Sasuke watches her closely as she processes his suggestion, "I'm sure no father would get in the way of his daughter's true love."
Hinata's answer comes quicker than Sasuke anticipates, "Maybe that would have worked. But I think I may forever be the spurned lover."
Sasuke hadn't forgotten that Naruto held the Hyuga's heart. But he could work around that with a little rationality.
Not one to mince his words, Sasuke remains brutally honest with a tinge of optimism, "Your love may not be reciprocated now, but who knows what the future holds. With time people. Who you like now may not be who you like in a year or two."
With hope in her eyes, Sasuke knows Hinata's next question, and decides to answer it for her, "From experience, if a man doesn't see you as you are now, nothing you do in the future will truly change that perception." Sasuke knows this from firsthand experience with Sakura. He is well aware of the pinkhead's devotion, and on more than one occasion he tried to return her feelings. It took years of on and off dating for him to realise that she isn't the one for him and there is nothing that she could do to change that.
Sasuke uses his elbow to gently nudge her arm, "But that doesn't mean life is over. You just need a little time to find that special person." Sasuke breathes in deeply. It was now or never, "Maybe we can help each other."
After drying both flute glasses with the dish towel, rubbing her red-rimmed eyes on the sleeve of her pyjamas, Hinata asks, "How?"
Sasuke motions for Hinata to join him in the living room, he needs to drop the bomb in the most casual and unassuming manner possible, "I think we are faced with similar predicaments. While I still have the freedom to choose who I want to be with, it doesn't mean I am happy with my mother's shenanigans. I think if we inform our parents that we found a prospective partner, they may get off our backs for a bit."
Hinata tilts her head. Sasuke hopes it's the alcohol that's muddling her comprehension of the relatively simple solution to their problems.
"But there is no one like that in my life."
It seems that she was as clueless as Naruto. Still he has to tread lightly and allow her to work through the logistics of this proposition, "That's where I come in."
Hinata smiles, then giggles and shakes her head. "You don't like me."
Hinata was missing the point, but he couldn't say that outright without offending her, "I enjoy your company." She wasn't loud, demanding and most of all she wasn't hopelessly in love with him.
Hinata shakes her head in disbelief, "You haven't spoken to me in years. You disliked me throughout our childhood."
"And we reconnected," Sasuke counters. "I'm no longer a jealous child."
"But you're not attracted to me."
"Why would you think that?" Sasuke figured it had to do with her pervading childhood insecurities.
"I'm not your type. I think some level of attraction is needed for this to work or for it to be believable."
Maintaining eye contact, Sasuke admits, "You are very much my type." Maybe not in the cat-lady outfit, though it was growing on him slowly.
Hinata blinks, caught off guard by the admission, "I don't like you." Sasuke knew this, but the rejection still stings.
Hinata quickly adds, "I don't mean it like that. You're very handsome. If I didn't know you, I would probably be part of your fanclub." Hinata smiles gently and Sasuke thinks she is trying to soften the blow to his ego.
Sasuke smirks, "So, is it just my personality that's undesirable?"
Hinata's brows furrow in deep concentration, "No. It's just that I never let the thought cross my mind."
"I'm not asking you to like or desire me," Sasuke decides to break it down for her.
"Then how would this work?" Sasuke is thankful that she seems somewhat receptive of the proposition.
"We only need to convince our parents of our will buy us enough time to figure out what and who we want out of this life."
"You want us to lie to our parents?"
"Technically it's not a lie. It's just a pretence."
"No, I can never face myself if I lied to Mikoto or to our brothers. I'm sorry, Sasuke. Thank you for trying to help, but I couldn't do that." Sasuke anticipated this outcome, yet he is still disappointed in Hinata's penchant for honesty. In his mind the plan was brilliant and foolproof, but he accepts her decision and desists from further attempts at convincing.
The silence between them thickens the tension in the room. Eventually, he asks, "Should I get you back to your dorm?"
Hinata nods her head enthusiastically.
"I'll grab your coat, meet me by the elevator."
Splashing water on his face to cool down the cortisol coursing through his veins, he curses his desperate attempt to evade his mother's ridiculous set-ups. No woman in their right mind would have agreed to such a preposterous proposal. At least he is fortunate enough to have pitched it to the one woman who wouldn't exploit him for the outlandish request.
Slipping out of his brother's clothing. He enters his room to slip into more casual and comfortable clothing.
In the elevator ride down to the basement, Hinata comments on his change of attire, "You changed."
He shrugs his shoulders. The refusal had dampened his mood. His only plan for the rest of the night was re-acquaintance with his large fluffy mattress.
He turns on the radio in the car to drown out the silence. Long minutes go by until he's entering the parking lot of the campus where he assumes her dorm is located.
"You don't have to walk me back to my room. I've already taken up way too much of your time."
"It's nearly midnight and no one is on campus. I promise I have no ill intentions in getting you back to your room." It was likely that Hinata's perception of him had changed after learning of his silly schemes. He didn't blame her. He felt like a fool.
"Huh? No, I don't think you have any bad intentions. You've been nothing but kind to me." Sasuke nods at Hinata trying not to display the slight boost in confidence caused by her reassurance.
Outside her door, she rummages through her knapsack to locate her keys. Sasuke stands patiently behind her. Glancing down at his watch, he notices it's one minute after midnight.
"Happy New Year!" Sasuke grumbles. What an awful way to start 2023.
Keys in hand, she turns to him with a wide smile on her face, "Happy New Year, Sasuke!" She moves to toward him and then stops. Gazed focused on the floor, she timidly asks, "May I hug you."
"You don't have to ask permission," Again the need for reassurance from this particular woman is frighteningly strong tonight. His heart beats marginally increases as she takes a few steps toward him and her tiny arms encircle his torso. She quietly repeats, "Happy New Year, Sasuke." She doesn't immediately let go of him and he takes a moment to bask in the floral scent of Izumi's shower gel. He's certain he's never noticed this alluring scent on his brother's wife.
Her embrace loosens, but instead of fully pulling away, she tiptoes and places a soft kiss on his cheek.
"What was that for?" Sasuke asks, as his palm now rests against her waist keeping her in place.
"It's tradition," Hinata replies, quickly looking away from his calculating stare.
"I don't think that's the correct tradition," Sasuke is tempted to pull her in a little closer to physically reenact an adult version of the holiday she has made it blatantly clear that she is not interested in anything he has to offer. He's had enough rejection tonight to last him a lifetime.
He removes his palm from her waist and slowly walks away, "Goodnight, Hinata."
Sasuke being a sad boi after not getting his way.