Hinata leant against her door frame the next morning, watching Sasuke in the kitchen as he reached up into a cupboard and took out a plate. Her heart ached for him. The horrors he must have seen that night. She had wondered since she had met him why he was so cold and guarded. Now she knew. Yes, he had taken a big step by telling her of his family's fate, but she got the feeling that she had only just scratched the surface. Last night, after she had finally stopped crying, she had dared to ask him what had happened to him after their deaths. He still held her against him, and she had felt him tense at the question. "I've done enough sharing for one night, Hinata," he had said quietly, his voice hollow. Yes, she knew there was a lot more to Sasuke than she could have ever anticipated. She bit her lip. Everyone deserved to have their secrets right? But just how many did he have?
Sasuke glanced around as he heard Hinata approaching the kitchen before looking back down at whatever he was making. She noticed that the red mark that had started to form around his left eye last night was now a reddish purple, and there was a cut on his bottom lip from when it had been bust open. He wasn't wearing a shirt again, and she could see that across the top of his shoulders there were vicious looking bruises in the pattern of the wire mesh of the cage from when he had been held up against it. Honestly, she was surprised he had managed to keep his other job a secret from her for so long. He never looked anything less than perfect. She reached up to brush a piece of his dark hair away from his face so she could see the damage properly. It was only then he looked properly at her.
"How do you manage to not get beat up like this more often?" she asked.
"I don't bruise easily," he replied, looking back down. "But fights like that always get rough." Hinata remained silent as he put some bread in the toaster. She still didn't understand why he did those fights, but she knew he had his reasons, even if they weren't simple. She sighed and went to the cupboard to get a plate out but before she got there Sasuke handed her a plate. Looking at it, she was pleasantly surprised.
"Oh, thank you!" she said, smiling up at him. She usually prepared hers or both their meals, so this was a first. Her heart swelled. Maybe he was beginning to like her. He merely nodded in response and carried on with his own meal. He remained silent for a few seconds before he put the knife in his hand down and turned to face her. He crossed his arms over his broad chest and regarded her sternly.
"Listen, last night...I've never told anyone what I told you so I'd appreciate it if you didn't go spreading it around," he said. Her heart fell. Still he didn't trust her.
"I would never do that to you, Sasuke." He didn't reply, just turned back to the counter. She sighed and left the kitchen to sit in the living room. Was he ever going to trust her?
Hinata didn't really see that much of Sasuke over the next day or so, as she suddenly had a lot of hours to do at work. It was tiring, but at least it meant she was getting some more money behind her. She groaned as she got back to the apartment. It was around four o'clock on Friday, and she wouldn't normally have been at work that early, but she had been roped in to helping restock the alcohol storeroom ready for the weekend. She flopped down on the sofa, not sure she had the energy to make it to her bed. Her eyes closed without her willing them to as she yawned. She had a couple of hours until her evening shift started, maybe she could have a little nap...
She jolted awake as a door banged shut. She sat up as she saw Sasuke leaving his room shrugging on a black suit jacket. "Going somewhere?" she asked blearily.
"Yes," he replied, pulling his coat off the stand. She sighed. Still so secretive. "See you in a bit," he muttered as he stepped into the elevator.
"Bye," she said back, even though he probably wouldn't hear it. Stretching, she looked at her watch, finding she had only been sleeping for half an hour. She yawned and stood up, deciding to have a shower, change clothes and get something to eat before she had to go back.
As soon as Sasuke got out of the door of the apartment building, something very pink bumped into him. Automatically, he reached to catch it before it could hit the ground.
"Wow, that's some serious muscle you've got there!" Sakura laughed in his arms, squeezing his biceps slightly. He set her back on her feet and she smoothed her clothes down before looking back up at him. "Do you always wear sunglasses in winter?"
"Hangover," he lied. They were really to cover the bruise around his eye. She nodded in sympathy. "Did you need something?" he asked impatiently.
"Oh, well I was going to put this in your letter box, but I guess I can just give them to you now, huh?" She rummaged in her bag for a moment. What the hell was she talking about? She pulled a couple of pieces of paper from her bag and handed to him. No, they weren't pieces of paper, they were photographs.
"They're from New Year's," Sakura explained. "I thought Hinata or yourself might want them, so I got copies printed." Sasuke tucked them into his inside jacket pocket without even glancing at them. "Oh, you're not going to look at them?"
"I'm in a rush," he answered stoically.
"Oh, ok, I'll let you get on then," she said, stepping out of his way. He started walking away but paused when she spoke again. "Wait a minute, is Hinata in? I was going to call her but if she's in anyway, while I'm here I might as well go and see her."
"Yeah, she's still up there," he replied, setting off again.
"Okay, thanks, I'll see you later!" she called after him. He put a hand up but didn't look back as he carried on walking. He couldn't be late for this meeting.
Sasuke took a seat on the train and sat still for a few minutes, looking around the cabin. Suddenly, he remembered the photos in his pocket. Taking them out, he looked at them. The first one was of all four of them, taken in the bar. Hinata and Sakura stood in the middle of Naruto and himself, hugging and smiling widely. Naruto was pulling a face at the camera and brandishing a bottle of alcohol while Sasuke stood on the other side of the girls, arms crossed with one eyebrow raised as he regarded his three companions. The next was of just Hinata and Sakura, and then one of just him and Naruto. But the final one took...it took his breath away. It was of Hinata and himself, Hinata closest to the camera, Sasuke next to her. She looked just...stunning.
She was laughing, her hand near her mouth, not looking at the camera, while he looked across at her, his elbow bent on the bar, resting his head on his hand. It looked like neither of them knew the photo was being taken. Before he knew it, he nearly missed his stop because he was distracted by the photo. He tucked them back in his pocket and left the train.
Sauke got back to the apartment around an hour later, to find Sakura still there, talking to Hinata on the sofa. They turned round to look at him as he stepped into the apartment. He narrowed his eyes. For some reason, Sakura looked very…suspicious, a wide grin plastering her face, while Hinata looked kind of embarrassed. He took his sunglasses off and tucked them in the pocket of his coat before taking it off and putting it on the stand.
"Don't you have a job to be at?" he asked, even though it really sounded more like a statement. Sakura beamed.
"I have a day off! Anyway, I was telling Hinata here about a recent event," she began excitedly. "You see, Naruto's always entering these stupid competitions, and usually nothing ever comes from it, but this time, we won!" She clapped her hands together before her face fell and she slumped forward. "But, it turns out that we can't go on the date it's organised for, so I was asking Hinata if you two would like to go instead!"
"Sure, why not?" he said sarcastically, taking his suit jacket off. "We'll just drop everything and elope, right, Hinata?" Hinata laughed slightly but Sakura apparently didn't pick up on his tone of voice.
"That's great!" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her. He sat down in between the two women and rested his head back against the sofa. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. That meeting had given him a headache.
"So where, what and when is it?" he asked.
"It's at the hot springs over in Hakone... And as for when...it's actually tonight," she said. Hmm, a trip to some hot springs definitely sounded like a good idea right now, and he already had the next few days off work...
"Hakone…I've been there once before about a year ago…" he sighed. Yeah, he could definitely go back there.
"Tonight?" Hinata exclaimed. "Sakura, I have work! Maybe you could ask Ino and Shikamaru?" Sakura shook her head.
"I already asked them, I thought they'd be free because Shikamaru is lazy and works at home, but they couldn't do it either," she explained.
"Ring your boss," Sasuke said to Hinata, standing. She looked at him, puzzled.
"What?"
"Just do it. And then give me the phone," he sighed. Those hot springs were really appealing to him and he wasn't going to let something like a job stop him going. His back was still sore from that Battle Royale.
Hinata pulled out her mobile phone from her pocket and scrolled down the address book until she found the number she needed. Pressing the dial button, she handed the phone to Sasuke. What was he going to do? Sasuke stood there and waited for an answer before heading into his room and closing the door behind him. "Suzuki, it's Sasuke..." That was all she heard before the door shut, closing her off from the conversation.
She looked back at Sakura, who looked just as confused as she did. After a few moments she spoke.
"So what do you think he's doing?" she asked Hinata. "Death threats? He looks like he could carry a few out..." Hinata laughed nervously. He certainly did today. He had looked particularly pissed off when he had come back into the apartment, and the healing bruise around his eye and cut on his lip didn't help matters. "How did he get a black eye?" Sakura whispered, pointing at his door. Fortunately, Hinata was saved from having to think of a response when Sasuke exited his room, making Sakura jump. He handed the phone back to Hinata and headed for the kitchen. "You'll be fine to take the weekend off," he stated. Deciding she wasn't really sure she wanted to know how he had managed to get her a weekend off after only working at the place for one week, she asked Sakura more about the hot springs.
"So what exactly is the prize?" Sasuke asked, wondering how long they would be there.
"It's the weekend at the hot springs, the best room, fully paid for, apart from transport to and from the place." She pulled an envelope from her bag and put it on the coffee table. "All the details are in here, so I guess I'll leave you guys to pack! I should be getting home anyway, so I'll see you soon!" She stood up and put on her coat while she headed for the elevator. She waved excitedly as she stepped inside.
"Have fun!"
Sasuke waited for Hinata to say something but she just sat there, looking a little shocked. After a few minutes, she spoke.
"How would we get there?"
"I'll deal with it," he replied.
"We won't be in the same baths you know. There'll be men's and women's."
He smirked and headed for his room to change clothes.
"Pack lightly and go down to the car park when you're ready. I'll meet you there," he said as he closed the door.
Hinata stood in the car park that was situated underneath the apartment complex, waiting for Sasuke. There were a fair amount of cars, and a few motorbikes, one of which was huge and black and obviously built for speed. There was a sleek black sports car next to the bikes, but other than that, everything looked pretty average. She wondered which car was Sasuke's, but the only one she could picture him in was the sports car. She turned as she heard the door open from the stairs that led down here.
Hinata sucked in a breath sharply as she saw Sasuke approaching her. Dressed in a well-fitting black leather biker jacket, rather tight leather pants and those heavy biker boots, he looked hotter than hell. The kind of man that made a girl go weak at the knees and forget her thoughts. He looked so fierce and commanding. His seductive walk and the predatory glint in his dark eyes suddenly made Hinata's throat dry. He headed for the monster of a bike that Hinata had first noticed when she had come down here. That seemed to bring her back to her senses. She ran after him.
"Whoa , we're not going on that thing are we?" she exclaimed. "It looks like a death-trap!"
"What, you don't trust me?" he asked, pretending to look hurt. He handed her another leather jacket he was carrying.
"I would have thought that sports car was yours, not a bike. You never told me you had a bike," she said as she shrugged the leather jacket on. The scent of leather and Sasuke struck her hard, making her dizzy. He must have worn this jacket a lot, as it was well broken in and comfortable. It fit her pretty well over her own warm coat, so it must be an old jacket as it would clearly be too small for him now. He had obviously been riding for a long time. She tried to imagine him as a young teenager, tearing up the road and breaking hearts wherever he went. She smiled at the thought, even though she couldn't really picture it.
"It is mine. And you never asked."
"Oh, right, well that's fine then," she said sarcastically. One day she was going to find out where he got all his money from. Apparently working at a host club paid well. Sasuke smirked and handed her a helmet he had also been carrying.
"Besides, have you ever tried owning a car in Tokyo? It's hell. I only use it if I have to impress." He opened a compartment in the bike behind the seat and pulled another helmet out before putting their bags inside and closing it. He moved to the side of the bike and swung one of those long, muscular legs across it. Hinata's heart hammered in her chest. There was just something so innately masculine about seeing him on that beast of a motorcycle. He turned slightly to face her and smirked again. "Get on and hold on tight," he stated, putting his helmet on.
Hinata put her own helmet on and obliged, sitting behind him. Her stomach was doing flips. Whether it was from apprehension or excitement or from being this close to him as she wrapped her arms around his waist, she didn't know, but the whole thing was strangely exhilarating. He turned the key in the ignition and kick started the bike, sending them screeching out of the car park and out onto the street.
Hinata's hold on Sasuke's waist tightened as they sped through the city. He glanced down at her arms wrapped around him as they stopped at some traffic lights. Her breasts were pushed up against his back, her thighs pressed against his own. If only she'd drop one of those hands a few inches to the sudden bulge in his pants...but unfortunately he wasn't that lucky, and he had other things to think about, like getting hit by cars. Pushing those thoughts aside before they got him into trouble, he concentrated on the road.
Once Hinata had gotten used to the intense speed and harsh corners Sasuke took, the beauty of the city overwhelmed her. She never thought she would see it like this, the neon lights blurring around her like a dream. As it got later and they got out of the city to more rural areas, the air around her cooled and she huddled closer to Sasuke. She sighed contentedly and closed her eyes. Yeah, she could stay here forever, snuggled up against him like this. It felt like they were the only two people in the world, and for some reason that didn't bother her. In fact, she quite liked the idea. Yes, he could be...awkward...but she had never met anyone like him. He was mysterious and alluring, charming and confident, and yet she sensed a pain in his soul that made her heart ache. He was ever the enigma.
Sasuke tried to concentrate fully on the road and remembering the way to the hot springs, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Hinata. He had never let anyone ride on his bike with him, but he had to admit, the way she was nestled against him felt kind of nice, which was wholly unexpected. He would have thought he would hate to have anyone ride with him. They had been riding for about an hour, and when Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts concerning Hinata, he realised that they were almost there.
Before Hinata knew it, they had arrived at the hotel. Thanks to Sasuke's reckless speed, they had arrived earlier than expected. He slowed and parked the bike in front of the building. Reluctantly, she took her arms from around him and dismounted the bike. Taking her helmet off, she gasped as she looked around at the hot springs. She hadn't really been paying attention once they had got out of the city, but now they were here the sight was incredible. It was breathtakingly beautiful, with the large, traditional complex building surrounded by trees and rocks, a cascading waterfall behind it. The rooms stretched up to the mountains, zigzagging up the rocks. Snow was had settled on everything, covering the place in a pristine white blanket. She turned to see Sasuke taking his helmet off. Suddenly the scenery seemed mediocre in comparison to how she reacted to seeing him. It was like during the ride she had somehow forgotten how handsome he was. He stretched, his jacket riding up to expose a section of his stomach. Hinata blushed at the sight, but in a second he relaxed and headed for the back of the bike to retrieve their bags. She took a few steps towards him and held out her helmet.
"You drive like a maniac," she stated. He grinned devilishly, making him look rather sinister.
"Didn't scare you too much, did I?"
"Are you kidding? It was terrifying!" Hinata exclaimed, hitting his shoulder playfully. "But once I got used to it, it really wasn't that bad, I guess," she added.
He smirked and slung their bags over one shoulder. He strode towards the entrance, and Hinata quickly followed. As they stepped through, they were greeted almost immediately by a shrill voice.
"Ah, Mr. Uchiha!" one of the female members of staff exclaimed, running out from behind the front desk. Hinata raised a suspicious eyebrow at Sasuke, who was currently being fussed over by three members of staff, all of them speaking at once. She felt a strange pang of jealousy at the sight.
"Oh, why didn't you come back sooner?"
"Is there anything I can get you?"
"Just look at these leathers, I didn't know you had a bike!"
"Now, now, girls, move along," an older woman said, coming out from behind a curtain and shooing them away.
"I thought you'd only been here once?" Hinata asked suspiciously.
"I have," he replied simply, shrugging.
"Oh, he's difficult to forget, I'm sure you understand," the middle-aged woman said, leading them towards the desk. Sasuke put the helmets down on the counter and leant against it, pulling the competition tickets out of his inside pocket. He put them on the table and slid them over to the woman.
"Oh, you won the competition? Congratulations!" she beamed, turning around and taking a key from the wall. "I'll take you up there now," she continued, gesturing for them to follow. She led them up some stairs and down a hallway to another set of stairs. At the top there was a single door, which she held open for them when she had unlocked it.
As they stepped inside, Hinata had to admit, it was beautiful. The room itself was quite large, with a balcony looking out to the picturesque scenery. It was decorated simply, with traditional sliding doors and windows, a couple of tasteful paintings or a mountain scene and of cranes hanging on the walls. There was a large bed and a sofa opposite it, and there was even a separate, private washroom, something that wasn't very common in hot springs.
"I'll leave you two alone now," the woman said, backing out of the room. "If there's anything you need, just call down and we will do our best to serve you."As Hinata heard the door close, something hit her. Her stomach filled with nerves. There was only one bed…
As if reading her thoughts, Sasuke spoke. "Don't worry, I'll sleep on the sofa," he said, taking off his boots and leaving them next to the door. He proceeded to place their helmets on a coffee table which was in front of a television set. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. She had no idea how she would cope with sharing a bed with him. He unzipped his leather jacket and hung it up in the wardrobe. Hinata took her own shoes off before hanging her coat up next to his. She yawned and flopped backwards onto the bed. Sighing contentedly, she stretched out. At least this was a chance to catch up on her sleep. She had barely slept since Sasuke had told her about his family, her worry and work keeping her up. Standing, she picked up her bag and headed to the bathroom to change.
"I'm going to go to bed, I think, I'm pretty tired," she said from the doorway.
"Yeah, me too," Sasuke admitted. Driving for a long time could really take it out of you.
While Hinata was in the bathroom he changed into some black pyjama bottoms he had brought and put his legs up on the sofa. Taking his t-shirt off, he dumped his clothes with his bag at the foot of the bed. He leaned his head back and rubbed his eyes but looked up when he heard Hinata exiting the bathroom. He sucked in a breath sharply. Dressed in a cream silk, rather short nightdress, she looked incredible. Did she always wear nightclothes like this? Damn, why was she always dressed in the morning before he saw her if she looked this good in pyjamas? What he wouldn't give to taste those lips again, run his hand up those thighs…this certainly wasn't going to help those dreams he'd been having about her…
Hinata blushed as she saw Sasuke half lying on the sofa. He had that predatory look in his eye again, sending a thrill down her spine. She felt a bit guilty as she saw that the two-seater sofa was barely big enough for his legs, let alone big enough for him to sleep on.
"I'll sleep on the sofa, Sasuke, you have the bed," she said to him.
"No, you take it, I insist," he said, gesturing to it.
"No, really, it's fine, I'll sleep on the sofa, I'm smaller than you," she argued back. He stood up and closed the distance between them.
"Well, since neither one of us wants the other to sleep on the sofa, how about we both sleep in the bed?"
"W-what?" she said, her throat dry. He gave her a mocking look.
"We're both grown adults, I'm sure we can handle it," he said, striding towards it. He got under the covers and put his arms up behind his head. Hinata took a deep breath. He was right, it wasn't like they were silly hormonal teenagers, and the bed was definitely big enough for both of them to have plenty of room.
"Do you have to be shirtless?" she asked as she slid in next to him, trying not to look at him. She was sure he did it just to embarrass her. How was she meant to sleep with that next to her?
"Hey, be grateful I've got pants on," he replied. Hinata screwed up her face and rolled over, facing away from him. Sighing he reached down to the bottom of the bed to retrieve his t-shirt, pulling it over his head. He flopped back down.
"Thank you," Hinata said. He rolled over to switch off the lamp next to him, plunging them into darkness.
"Night."
Sasuke woke feeling surprisingly refreshed the next morning. While he had been trying to get to sleep last night, even though he was really quite tired, he had begun to think it was impossible he would drift off. Hinata's scent and warmth had invaded his senses and it had been extremely hard keeping his hands to himself. It felt so strange to be sharing a bed with someone and the only thing they were doing was sleeping. He rolled onto his side to look at her.
In the morning sun she looked almost otherworldly. Her full lips were slightly parted, her ebony hair fanned out around her. And those curves...he bit his lip. No, stop thinking about that, he thought. Dragging himself out of bed, he went to the bathroom to change, have a wash and clean his teeth.
Hinata rubbed her eyes blearily. Smiling, she stretched and sat up. Happily the night had passed without incident. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept so well. At first she had been a little wary of Sasuke, as she wasn't completely sure he could keep his hands to himself, but it turned out he was a man of his word. She even felt a bit silly for not trusting him in the first place. She looked across to her left but Sasuke wasn't there. He must have gone down for breakfast already. Getting out of bed, she went to her bag and pulled out some of her clothes. Dressing, she quickly washed her face and cleaned her teeth before heading downstairs.
She spotted Sasuke almost immediately. Sitting at a table in the middle of the dining room, he was focused on his plate of food as she approached. There were a few other people dotted about, but not that many. He only looked up as she sat down opposite him.
"Where did you get that from?" she asked, not seeing any staff.
"Just ask one of the staff," he said, waving a hand towards the kitchen area. She looked over to it and could see part of someone preparing meals under a curtain. She looked back to realise Sasuke had now finished eating. He stood and stretched.
"Okay, I'm going to go to the baths, I really need one after driving for so long last night, and I couldn't sleep either."
"Sure, I'll see you later then?"
"Yeah," he said, leaving her to eat by herself.
Hinata hated to admit it, but she felt a little disappointed as she watched him leave. She had hoped that she would get a bit closer to Sasuke on the trip but it didn't look like it was going to happen. Even if it was just his favourite food or colour, but he never seemed to show a preference for anything. At least, she hoped to find out something more about him. She sighed. He wasn't the type to make small talk anyway.
Sasuke leaned his head back against the side of the bath, his arms stretched out either side of him. Closing his eyes, he relaxed, letting the hot water sooth his muscles. It was heaven. Until he felt a rippling disturbance in the hot water. Scowling, he tried to see who it was through the steam from the water.
"Hinata?"
Hinata tensed at the sound of someone saying her name. There was only one person it could be. Making sure her towel was very secure, she approached him.
"Sasuke?"
Sasuke bit his lip as he saw her. She had most of her hair clipped up, only her fringe and side bangs loose. But what he noticed most of all was that towel. Or, to be more specific, the amount of skin on show. Before he had chance to fully appreciate it, however, she sat down in the water until she was submerged up to her neck.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised she would be bold enough to come in the mixed bath section.
"There was a group of annoying noisy teenage girls in the women's baths so I thought I'd try the mixed ones."
"Yeah it was the same in the men's section, they must be here together," he replied. Neither of them spoke again for a few minutes, mainly because Sasuke was trying to think of anything other that Hinata naked. It wasn't working.
"It sure is nice up here," she sighed, sinking slightly deeper into the water.
"Yeah, it's nice scenery," he said. As soon as the words were out of his mouth he wanted to punch himself. Nice scenery? What the fuck was that? But he had never been very good at small talk. What was the point of it? People should just say whatever was on their minds or nothing at all. He didn't speak again.
Hinata tried to relax in the water but it was proving rather difficult with Sasuke looking the way he did. At one point he leaned forward and she saw the bruises on his back were now just a few yellowish dots where the wire had cut deepest. Even the bruise around his eye had almost disappeared. She thought back to that night when she had first seen him in that cage. There had been a moment, when he had been pushed up against the cage, blood dripping down onto his chest, when she hadn't been shocked, or angry, but she had been terrified. Scared that he wouldn't win, that he wouldn't be alright. Her heart clenched as she thought of him going back to do exactly the same thing next week. And the week after that. She looked across at him, his arms stretched out and his head back against the side of the bath, the water starting about half way down his chest. Why did he do it? He could be a model or an actor, something that didn't involve a risk of serious injury.
As Sasuke looked at Hinata he felt a throbbing need in his chest. He wanted to kiss her so badly it practically hurt. Wanted to claim her. Her pale eyes met his and he had to restrain himself from doing something that would get them both into trouble in a public place like this.
Suddenly he stood up, making Hinata avert her eyes very quickly, blushing.
"I'm gonna go for a ride, I don't get out of the city much," he stated.
"O-okay," she stammered back, still blushing furiously. It's a good job he's wearing a towel, she thought.
"See you later," he called back.
Sighing with relief that he was gone and she could stop feeling awkward, Hinata relaxed somewhat. Deciding she wanted to stay in the bath a little longer, hopefully uninterrupted, she settled into a more comfortable position and closed her eyes.
Sasuke didn't return until late that night, when Hinata was getting ready for bed. He walked through the door, threw his helmet at the sofa and flopped down on the bed. She popped her head around the bathroom door. Good god, did he have to look so amazing in those biking leathers?
"Have a good trip?" she asked. He'd been gone for hours!
"Yeah," he sighed, rubbing his eyes with one hand while he stretched. It was a good job they had another day here, practically all his muscles were aching. After a few minutes he got up and took his jacket and boots off and traded places with Hinata in the bathroom. When he had freshened up and changed, he went back out to the bedroom. He caught sight of Hinata, who was already in bed, and sighed as he realised he'd have trouble getting to sleep again. He climbed in next to her and switched the lamp off.
"Goodnight," she yawned.
"Night." Now all he had to do was think of something, anything to take his mind off what he would rather be doing with Hinata in this bed.
Sasuke woke with a start, his heart hammering in his chest. He looked at the moonlight seeping in through the thin curtains. Alone again. Relax Sasuke, it's only a dream. There's no one here. He put a hand over his eyes, a light sheen of sweat covering his brow as he tried to get his breathing back to normal. How could he still feel their blood on him, even now? Every single detail had been so vivid...every scream, every drop of blood... He felt cold, so completely alone. He hadn't had a dream that bad in months. The pain was absolute. He raked his hand through his hair and waited for a few minutes as he tried to get the images of his parents' lifeless bodies out of his head. His mother's screams. He moved to raise his other arm to cover his face only to realise there was something holding on to it.
Hinata.
The sheer relief that surged through him at her presence should have worried him but right now he didn't care. He rolled onto his side to face her without even thinking and pulled her against him, his fingers knotting in her long hair as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. He took a deep, shaky breath, her scent calming him on an unimaginable level. He closed his eyes.
There had never been someone here before. Someone there when he woke up.
Someone to hold on to.
As long as she was here, her warm body flush against his, he could pretend that he wasn't alone. She snuggled closer to him in her sleep and sighed, the small movement searing him to his very soul. He clutched her to him even tighter, never wanting to let go even for a second. He...just couldn't be alone after that dream...nightmare...no, memory. His breathing returned to a somewhat normal rhythm, and he exhaled slowly one last time, glad she wasn't conscious to see this moment of weakness.
Slowly he felt himself calming down. He didn't dare to let go of her, afraid that if he did he would wake up for real and be completely alone.
Hinata woke the next morning feeling so warm. She snuggled closer to the thing surrounding her. It was funny, the duvet didn't normally feel this good. It didn't smell this good either. She felt so safe and content. She smiled to herself. Oh, did she really have to wake up today? Why couldn't she just stay here? She tried to stretch a little, but found she couldn't move. Strange. Opening her eyes, all she could see was black material. Confused, she pulled back.
There didn't seem to be any trace of emotion on his face as he held her tightly against him. His left arm was draped over her waist, his right arm under her neck and bent at the elbow, holding her shoulder. One of his thighs was nestled in between hers and one of her own was hitched up over his hips.
Blushing furiously, she struggled to get free. Thankfully, after a couple of minutes, she was sitting upright and he hadn't woken up. Carefully getting up off the bed so as not to wake him, Hinata went to the bathroom. She splashed some cold water on her face. Why was her heart still beating so fast? Because even when you realised it was him, you didn't want to move, a voice in her head said quietly.
"Shut up!" she said angrily.
"I didn't say anything," she heard Sasuke say groggily from the doorway. Her head snapped up to look at him, just as he took his hand away from his eyes.
"Oh! Um, not you…I mean…it doesn't matter," she stammered.
"Whatever," he replied, walking back to the bed. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief, glad she hadn't had to think of an excuse for that. At least she wouldn't be waking up in his arms again any time soon.
"Sasuke, wait up!" Hinata called. After breakfast she had commented on how the view from the lake nearby must be incredible, and so naturally, Sasuke had insisted they set off to find out. Little did she know it was an excuse so he wouldn't have to see her in a towel again.
He waited for a moment for her to catch up before setting off again. "We're nearly there."
After a few more minutes walking, they reached the edge of the lake. And yes, the view was spectacular. On the side of the lake nearest to them a forest began, and turning around, Hinata could see miles and miles of pure white snow, and they could still see the hot springs behind them.
She looked over at Sasuke, who was staring out to the lake, his attention focused entirely elsewhere. She couldn't tell if he was actually looking at the lake or if he was deep in thought.
Standing there, Hinata felt an irresistible urge. No, she couldn't... she bit her lip. Yes she could. She picked up a handful of snow, moulding it into a ball in her palms. She took aim and threw it. Sasuke cursed as it hit the back of his neck and crumbled inside his collar.
"What the fuck are you doing?" he exclaimed, reaching down the back of his neck. She laughed.
"It's called a snowball fight. I challenge you, Sasuke Uchiha!" She threw another at him but this time he ducked. When he straightened up again she was already running away into the forest, laughing.
"Challenge accepted," he muttered. She was so dead.
He scooped up some snow, compacting it and throwing it after her, hitting her in the back. She shrieked with laughter, turning around and throwing another snowball, hitting his shoulder. He had to admit, she had quite good aim. But not as good as him. He ran a few metres to catch up with her and threw a snowball right in the middle of her shoulders as he passed her. As she turned, he caught her about the waist, but the momentum of it was enough to spin her around and send them to the ground. She screamed with laughter as they fell. It was infectious, and the whole bizarreness of the situation made him laugh too.
Hinata was laughing but stopped and blushed as she realised how they had landed. She lay half on top of him, her legs tangled with his, his arm around her waist. But then she looked at his face and her heart did flips as she saw him. She started to giggle again, her heart nearly exploding from her chest. He was laughing.
She didn't think she had ever seen a more incredible sight, and she had seen him shirtless. It wasn't one of those short, hollow laughs he did, or even one of those sarcastic ones. He was laughing properly, the way people did when they found something funny, when they were enjoying themselves, when they had fun. The way one should laugh. The sound was rich and deep, and she could feel the vibrations under her fingertips in his chest. And his smile...it stole her breath. She had never seen him smile like this, so unguarded and open, and she was beginning to doubt she ever would. But now that he did... she wished she could just stop time and stay like this forever. His smile was perfect, just like the rest of him, and she didn't think she had ever seen so many of his straight white teeth at one time. Her heart pounded in her chest. He was perfect, just devastating...God, how she loved this man...
Hinata froze. She couldn't believe what had just passed through her head. Staring up at him, she tried to rationalise. She couldn't love him. He was self-centred, arrogant, defensive, vain, rude, secretive and violent, he slept with everything in a skirt, and yet...deep down she knew the truth. No, no, no, this was all wrong… She realised she had felt this way for some time now, but hadn't recognised the signs. How could she deny it when she felt so lost to him? It was sick really, because she knew he would never love her back. Why did she have to wait so long for love and when it arrived it was with completely the wrong person? Her heart clenched with pain. This...changed everything. She should move out, get away from him and try to forget. But...she didn't want to. She wanted to stay with him. She felt tears threatening to well up as her heart and her head pulled her in two very different directions. What was she to do now?
Sasuke couldn't believe it. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed like this. Had it been that long? It had to have been over a decade. Maybe fifteen, sixteen years? The best part was he didn't even know why he was laughing. It was stupid, really, this whole situation, but he just couldn't help it. He looked across at Hinata and his laughter died as he saw her beautiful face. His heart stopped for a second. Her cheeks were slightly pink from the cold and the snowball fight. Snowflakes were scattered in her hair, her pale eyes wide as she looked at him. He tucked some of the hair that obscured her face behind her ear. God, she was so beautiful. Her breath mingled with his own in the cold air, and all he could think of was how soft her lips had been when he had kissed her under that mistletoe.
Hinata couldn't breath as his fingers brushed her skin. Automatically she turned her cheek into his palm. How was it so warm? She looked back at him, only to see his gaze now rested on... her lips? Her heart hammered in her chest.
"What would you do if I kissed you, Hinata?" She struggled to find words as those intense black eyes stared up at her as if searching for an answer. She shouldn't. It would just make everything a lot more difficult.
"Sas-"
Before she had even finished speaking his name, he moved his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her closer to capture her lips with his own. She moaned as her world shattered around her. How could such simple contact feel so amazing? Her heart swelled as he rolled on top of her, his weight resting between her hips. His lips made her feel light headed, teasing and tasting. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her body up against his possessively. She could practically taste his passion as he quite literally kissed her senseless. Part of her wanted to push him off her, but the other part of her never wanted him to stop. How could she deny that she loved him when he made her feel like this? What she wouldn't give for this moment to last forever...
Sasuke's heart beat faster as he kissed her. Yes, this was what he wanted, what he needed. Honestly, he couldn't remember why he had been fighting it for so long. She just felt so right in his arms, tasted so sweet and addictive. Her lips were soft and full, her body warm and yielding beneath him. She sighed and he took the opportunity to taste her fully. He growled low in his throat at the sensation of her tongue moving with his. He knew she didn't have any experience with things like this, but damn, could she kiss. Never in his life could he remember a need this strong. The desire to possess her burned inside him like an inferno, and he honestly wanted nothing more than to strip them both naked and ravish her right here, right now. His hand brushed against some snow and he realised that particular fantasy would be far too cold for his liking. He moved to kiss her neck, pulling her scarf down so he could place his lips on the silken skin beneath it. No, he should take her somewhere more suiting, perhaps with a roaring log fire, somewhere with a roof and no interruptions, someplace where he could take as long as he wanted with her...
He froze, both figuratively and physically as a bird moved in a branch above them, displacing rather a lot of snow onto them. He, being on top, got most of it. Total mood killer. He heard Hinata stifle a laugh.
"This isn't funny," he stated, regarding her coldly. She nodded but he could tell she was supressing her laughter. He sighed and stood up, holding out his hand to help her up.
"Let's get back to the hotel," he said, wanting to get some of the snow from out of his top.
They walked back in silence, which gave Hinata some time to think. Just like when he had kissed her under that mistletoe, he was now acting as though nothing had happened. She didn't want to be the girl who was a mistake, a last resort. Even if she did love him, surely it would be more painful to stay with him and carry on the way they had done since Christmas?
She watched with vacant eyes as Sasuke took his jacket off in the room and pulled his long sleeved t-shirt over his head and went to find a dry one. Her mind set, she spoke.
"Sasuke, I think I should move out."
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