A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I kept turning this chapter upside down, basically changing and rewriting everything until I was satisfied. So here it is!

Jmocha presents:

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Chapter 4: Lovely Dates

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Hinata was having her long awaited date with Naruto, and she couldn't stop fidgeting in her seat. The restaurant was everything she had hoped for, small but cozy and with excellent food and catering. Across the table, he was saying something to her but she couldn't quite grasp the words. She had the strangest feeling that someone was watching her.

Discreetly, she gazed at the other customers. At a table far from them, Sasuke was having dinner alone. There was a slight flutter in his hair that seemed to suggest that he had just turned his head.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. He couldn't be the one watching, could he? After all, he had absolutely no reason to.

Earlier, she had found him standing in front of the restaurant talking to her date. At first, she had thought he was going to join them. She began to panic then, but it turned out Sasuke planned on having dinner alone and he had often chosen this restaurant at this particular time, or so he said. Hinata had her doubts.

She riveted her attention back to Naruto. He was saying something about ramen and how much he preferred it over the food here in the restaurant and practically everything else. Once, she had found this very cute and charming, but after years of her pining over him, it had become infuriatingly predictable.

She was bored more than she cared to admit. She had hoped that tonight he would open up to her more. Despite having "observed" him for so many years, all she knew about him was that he was determined and powerful in battle, fond of playing pranks, and loved ramen, lots and lots of them. Aside from that, she knew he was very lonely and wished he could treat her as a special friend, maybe even more.

What started as deep admiration had turned into love. She remembered her plan to confess to him tonight. That thought stirred up the butterflies in her stomach. Will she go through with it?

The dinner finished sooner than expected. There was an argument as to who should pay the bill, she eventually surrendered. Apparently, Naruto wanted to show her he was capable enough making her blush a deep red.

Naruto surprised her even more by pulling her chair back to allow her to stand. He said that he learned it from a romantic movie once, which he was forced to watch. She thought it sweet. Her heart rate increased, but there was still the feeling that someone was watching her, trying to bore holes into the back of her head. In one swift motion, she scanned the restaurant. Sasuke was just finishing up.

She felt a hand on her arm. It was Naruto's, and she relished its warmth. A bright smile lit up his features, and made her blush deeper. She momentarily forgot about her problem. He led her out of the restaurant.

The cool night air felt wonderful against her skin, and her nervousness ebbed away. She felt his warm hand still touching her arm and it sent a series of tingles throughout her entire body. Her head was spinning and she was afraid she'd faint. She sucked in a deep breath and exhaled. That seemed to help.

They paused just outside the door, and when Hinata faced him, she found clear blue eyes staring at her own. When had they gotten so close?

Her heart pounded wildly in her chest and she hoped Naruto couldn't hear it. She felt her face growing warmer and warmer, getting dizzier by the moment. Gulping another deep breath, she mustered up her courage. Now was the time to confess.

"U-um, N-n-naruto.." She scolded herself for stuttering too much. There was a questioning look in his eyes, and she almost lost herself in them again.

"What is it, Hinata-chan?"

She gulped. This was it. Finally.

She would confess.

Fighting the temptation to run and keeping her head from spinning, she clenched her fists and planted her feet firmly on the ground. Her knuckles had turned white but she ignored it. There was a loud pounding in her chest, and she felt her heart was about to explode. This time, she was sure Naruto had heard it.

In one single breath, she said. "Iloveyou!"

The silence that followed was deafening. All Hinata could hear was her rapidly beating heart and nothing else. She wondered if Naruto had heard her at all, so she repeated more slowly.

"I-I…love…you."

She dared not look at him but she felt him drop her arm. Her nervousness came back and it turned into fear. She doubted she could handle his rejection. Several thoughts rushed into her mind.

Will he accept her feelings? Will this destroy their friendship? Would he talk to her again? She could not bear to think about it.

She could hear him whisper something to her, so uncharacteristic of his usually loud voice. What he said made her heart plummet to the ground.

"Sorry, Hinata-chan, I just can't… Sorry." There was a tremble when he spoke, and she knew he felt very awkward. He bit his lower lip and scratched the back of his head, but she would not look at him. She couldn't. Her heart was just broken to pieces. Even if she knew right from the start that he didn't love her, it still hurt to hear him say it.

When he received no response, he said to her, "I…can still walk you home… if you want."

She knew he only asked her that out of pity. Her eyes were close and she bit her lip. Gathering all her strength, she shook her head.

Her chest hurt and her eyes stung. Tears were threatening to fall, but he would not see her cry.

"O-okay… if that's you want." He scratched his head again and stared at the ground, unsure of what else to say. "Then, I'll be going now."

Her eyes were stinging and getting red, so she looked away. He only spoke two more words before he left.

"Goodnight, Hinata."

Only after he disappeared did she allow herself to cry. Dropping to her knees, she began to sob. Her chest hurt so much. It was difficult to even breathe. The night air felt much colder, piercing her skin. The thin fabric of her clothing didn't do much help. She began to shiver.

She could faintly hear the sound of a bell as the door to the restaurant swung open. Suddenly, a large piece of heavy cloth dropped on her head. It was someone's jacket. A voice of a male sounded behind her.

"I didn't think you were stupid enough to forget your own jacket, Hyuuga."

Shocked, she turned her head around to find Sasuke towering behind her. Her sobbing stopped and she welcomed this momentary distraction.

"S-sasuke!"

She quickly wiped her tears but it was too late. he had already seen them. She heard him sigh and without a word, grabbed her waist and swept her up in one smooth motion. Hinata could only gasp in surprise.

With a burst of chakra through his feet, he leapt off from roof to roof. She squirmed against him, but knew that it would be dangerous to let go so she just held on. She closed her eyes to keep the dizziness away. She didn't know where he was taking her nor did she understand why, but somehow in the back of her mind, she trusted him. She felt Sasuke jumping higher and higher, and the temperature getting colder. She wrapped his jacket tighter around herself.

With him so close, she could smell his scent. It was alluring even without cologne. The warmth of his body comforted her, and for a single moment, the want of being with him like this forever entered her mind. She didn't understand why she felt that way but she could find no answer to her questions.

A few more leaps later, they stopped.

Sasuke set her down still holding her waist, and she finally opened her eyes. Surprised and confused white eyes met dark ones, but before Hinata could get entranced by them, Sasuke turned away. There was a slight hesitation in his movement. His fingers lingered a bit when he let go, which only added to Hinata's confusion. He stepped away from her and crouched down on the ground.

Still not knowing where she was, she turned around. Before her was a bird's-eye view of Konoha, the roofs of the buildings visible under the moonlight. A gasp escaped her lips.

They were on Hokage mountain!

She opened her mouth to speak but he beat her to it.

"I often come here to train."

His voice was free of its usual arrogance, to her surprise. Sasuke sat with his right knee bent and his right arm resting on it. The soft moonlight lit his features and drew shadows on the angles of his face, making it seem more dramatic. Hinata was mesmerized.

"It's peaceful here."

She agreed.

Exhaustion suddenly overwhelmed her so she sat down just a few feet away from him. She raised her head to look at the sky. There were no stars and dark clouds were looming ahead. The moon was barely visible now. She suspected it was going to rain. Even so, neither of them was in a hurry to go home.

"You can… scream all you like. No one will hear you because the wind will just blow the words away." Sasuke turned to look at her, and as if by some magnetic force, she returned his gaze. "I know you don't get to do that often."

And it was true.

She was a little nervous about it but decided to give it a try. But what would she say? Thinking back on her date that night, she suddenly knew. After setting herself upright, she breathed in deeply, hardened her resolve, and before she could take back her decision, she screamed.

"NARUTO, YOU STUPID IDIOT! I HATE YOU FOR BREAKING MY HEART! YOU'RE SO STUPID, NARUTOOO!"

The words drifted in the air just like Sasuke said. Her throat ached and her lungs nearly out of breath, but she felt wonderful. The wind blew against her face and she welcomed its coolness. Tears streaked down her face but a smile was present on her lips. She had never felt so relieved.

"That wasn't bad for a first try."

He was standing beside her now and when she faced him, the smile was still there. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

There was no reply, but she didn't expect one. He gave her no other comforting words or gestures. The silence was soothing enough.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

A lone pink-haired girl grumbled under her breath as she walked along a street. It was already past nine in the evening and only very few shops were still open. Her mother had a stomach ache again with no medicine left in the house, so Sakura was asked to go to a drugstore and buy some. She huffed and muttered angrily, "That old woman deserved it for eating too much rice."

The only available drugstore at this time of night was the one near the hospital, which was several blocks from her house. She contemplated going back and telling the old hag that the store had closed early. But she had already walked half the route so she decided she would just buy the medicine, grumbling along the way.

She saw the drugstore up ahead two blocks away and hastened her steps. The store owner was outside and had begun to close up. She ran to get there in time but as passed a corner, she was suddenly thrown to the ground.

"Sakura-chan, it's you! I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

She recognized the voice immediately. It was Naruto.

He held out a hand to her and helped her up. He apologized again but in a softer voice. She was confused now and noticed that he was fidgeting.

"Naruto? I think you're the one who's not okay. What happened?"

His eyes widened when he looked up. Clearly, there was something wrong. She could see that plainly in his expression. He quickly sprung up an excuse.

"Nothing, Sakura-chan!" He stepped back and was gesturing wildly with his hands. "I was just on my way home so, um, goodnight!"

In a split second, he ran and disappeared. She was so puzzled by his behavior that she almost missed the drugstore owner leave. Turning sharply, she bolted to the store.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Sasuke walked Hinata to her house, and she was grateful to him. Neither had said a word, but it wasn't awkward at all. She still had not completely forgotten Naruto's rejection, but she knew she would get over it soon. Sasuke had surprisingly helped her and she felt very much in debt to him.

The air was almost freezing. Hinata glanced at Sasuke to find him slightly shivering. She felt guilty that she had to wear his jacket when she forgot to bring her own. Timidly, she moved closer to him, their arms brushing against each other. If Sasuke was startled, he showed no indication of it. His face was as passive as always.

Their fingers were touching, and she felt electricity surge up her arm to her shoulders. She expected him to move away. Instead, he grasped her hand. She stumbled, which only prompted Sasuke to make his hold firmer. The side of her head touched his shoulder, and a blush spread across her cheeks.

His hand felt warm wrapped around hers. It made her insides turn to goo. She felt silly. Her logical self reasoned he had only meant to comfort her and to keep himself warm. He didn't like her that way.

They were nearing the Hyuuga compound. She could see its tall gates. There were a few things she wanted to ask before they would separate. She figured she could do that now.

She tugged on his hand to catch his attention. He peered at her questioningly. "Sasuke, why did you choose me to train you? I mean, Sakura is much better than I am."

But the only reply she got was a grunt that could have meant anything and a statement saying they had already arrived.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Sakura let out a sigh in relief. In her hand was a bag full of medicine. At the very last minute, she had caught up to the owner and had managed to persuade him to sell her some. It wasn't an easy thing to do.

It was getting colder and the sky seemed like it was going to rain. She decided to just run to her house. But before she could, she saw two figures standing in front of a huge gate. Sakura hid herself behind a building. It was too dark but she noticed their linked hands. She assumed they were a couple. Her head strained to get a better view but they were facing away from her so she couldn't recognize them.

The girl was saying something but she couldn't make out the words. The guy didn't say anything in reply. After a moment, the gate opened and the girl entered and when she turned to bid him goodnight, Sakura squinted her eyes and realized that it was Hinata.

This certainly grabbed the pink-haired girl's interest, and she was curious as to who the guy could be. It certainly wasn't Naruto because she just bumped into him a while ago. The gate closed and the guy started to turn away. Sakura swallowed in anticipation. But what she saw made her heart sink.

It was Sasuke.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: So did not mean for it to be so sad, but anyway, review! A preview of the next chapter will be ready on my profile in a moment.