Beautiful People

Chapter 8: Yet I Never Left Him.

Beta: beta'd by strawberries and napkins

"Naruto."

The bed underneath them creaked in response. His body was heavy, slick with sweat, and held the musky smell that she could only recognize as being Naruto. My Naruto.

"Naruto," I whispered again in pain, blinked back the tears that had already slid down my cheeks but my eyes were facing the ceiling, strangely. I don't want to look at him, I couldn't imagine his face.

His body grew even heavier, if possible. His hands were clammy, but they were gentle, so I adhered to them. I gasped, he groaned.

The old springs beneath the bed were breaking under our weight, our awkward motions. It broke underneath us even more, if possible.

"Please," he whispered in my ear, and kissed me again. It tasted of passion and intimacy and I thought that he and I could get no closer than this; this was all I could give him.

His fingers clutched the sheets beside me, "Please, say my name again."

"N-Naruto," I squeaked out. A ripple of some sort of pleasure ripped through me, and I was able to moan for the first time. "Naruto," I said again, with more confidence and let lust thicken the sound of my own voice.

His body seemed to react to it before his own lips. "D-Don't leave me, Hinata."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, buried my nose deep in the smell that was both intoxicating and pungent at the same time.

"Never. I'll never leave you."

Then I awoke. My heart was pounding, and my heads were wet with sweat. I waited for noise, in case I might have screamed. Nothing. At least, nothing anyone heard anyway. I was screaming but not because it wasn't the dream that had left me so unsettled and embarrassed.

It's because it wasn't a dream. It was a memory.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

I laughed despite myself. If I told him the truth, if I honestly told him that I had no idea what I was doing or what to expect, he wouldn't let my out my own room door. I know he was only looking out for me, but honestly, isn't it a bit too late to do that? I was beside myself, and opted not to answer him. He scowled, but I continued to fix my appearance and ignore his lingering gazes.

Then I set down my brush, turned around to leave, but as expected Neji blocked my way.

I sighed. "Neji, please. You've become difficult."

"And you stubborn."

Could I argue with him there? "I've already made my decision Neji, its okay."

His eyes didn't even flicker.

"I'll be okay." I pressed further, and lightly touched his shoulder for emphasis, and he relented and stepped aside.

I smiled at him as quickly as I could and left without looking back. That would just be too painful, wouldn't it? And I have to do this on my own.

No one else will.

Dear Sakura,

I wonder if at this point it's okay for me to think that 'no one else will.' I'm getting a bit apathetic about this, because it's true. You see that don't you? And yes, while I do realize that Neji and I have grown closer from all this, I refuse to rely on him. I refuse to rely on anyone for anything, especially answers.

That's why I went to find Naruto.

Sometimes I wonder if it was the right thing to do, if I'm just still be played for a fool, controlled by some force that keeps bringing me back to the beginning of the question without an answer.

That made me angry.

I was angry when I found Naruto.

I was angry when I found Naruto with him.

Finding Naruto was easy; he was right where he said he would be, because he doesn't break promises like that. He probably would've stood there waiting for me whether I had shown up or not.

What I did not expect, was the sour-faced Uchiha beside him. I squeaked and hid behind the nearest thing which happened to be a cart. Was I afraid of him?

Of course not.

Sakura, I lied. I'm deathly afraid of him, and not just because of his violent nature, if you can catch my drift.


"Hnn," Naruto whined and checked his hand watch and then scratched his head. Looked both ways for any sigh of me, and then went back to grumbling. This must've repeated about three times before Sasuke blew up.

He hit Naruto over the head but not hard. It was…playful, if you could call it that. Naruto winced anyway. "Stop doing that, it's annoying."

"You didn't have to show up, you know. No one asked you to come." Naruto shot back and rolled his eyes, checking his watch yet again.

I swore to myself. I had killed over fifteen minutes hiding behind this darn cart that could be moved at any minute. How pathetic was I?

I'm pretty sure this morning I had already had it in my mind that today was not going to work out well for me, and so far, it isn't. But I didn't cry yet, and that was a big plus. And even the dulling throb in my chest was much less than it was say, about a week ago. Never did I think that I might actually be over Naruto, because it's so obvious, I'm not. I don't think I'll ever be. But I do think that my deep sadness is being replaced by something.

I think it might be rage.


"Jeez, where is she? I thought she'd be here by now, she's never this late." Naruto checked the streets again.

Over here! If only I could shout to him without the fear of potential embarrassment and shame, and maybe even another confrontation. All things I do not need. Not now, and not ever.

Sasuke scowled and brush stands of his hair away from his damp face. They were bother beginning to perspire, which means that they were out here waiting for me way before I had even considered showing up. But as pleasantly surprised that could make me, I definitely didn't think that Sasuke was waiting for me with any good intention in mind. Probably only to watch me around him.

It's wrong of me to be slightly angry and jealous that Sasuke was thinking farther ahead then I was, distrusting me so quickly.

But then at the same, I don't trust myself either.

No, wait. I do trust myself around Naruto now; I wouldn't do something like that. I may be confused and maybe even personally distressed, but I'm not selfish.

…

I take that back. I'm very selfish, Sakura.

Very jealous.


Naruto managed to slink an arm around the Uchiha's waist and pull him closer, much to the raven's annoyance.

"Tired of waiting for her? She's not coming." Sasuke said, scowling, but it all for naught because the boy was blushing. All Naruto did was nuzzle his face in his hair, and Sasuke's face was a steaming red.

Now who's pathetic.

I made a laugh through my lips and then instantly regretted it as I ducked low behind the wooden contraption. They didn't catch me, I'm sure of that, but just to be on the safe side I'll keep my head down for anther moment or two and then I'll look again.

There's a lot of things I wish I could take back Sakura, and looking back up was one of them. How in the world were the two of them arguing on whether or not I would show my face, and now they're kissing as if they wouldn't see each other for a very long time.

It's as if the whole world could look at it and keep moving on with their lives, just accept their relationship for what it was and move on. Why could everyone do that so easily?

Why can't I?

Why can't I just be another one in the crowd, who just looks up at them, and then looks down and scurried off to do something more important, instead of hiding behind here not only because I was afraid to approach the two of them, I was afraid to do it and admit that I had seen their intimacy.

Oh, that would just make Sasuke all the smugger.

And I'll be damned if I'll let him get something like this on me.


More kissing. I ducked my head back under until I couldn't hear anything suspicious anymore. I looked up, and they were done. Sasuke's face had taken enough torture and Naruto seemed pleased by it,

"You're right; she won't even want to see me. Sorry for having you wait with me, it was a lost cause anyway. Jeez, I hate when you're right." He slid his hand and laced his fingers with Sasuke, who flinched but didn't reject.

He smirked. "I always am." And then Naruto began tugging the blond away from Ichiraku and I got to see his last quick parting glance as if he were still trying hard to see if I had shown up.

But in reality, I didn't, did I?

I stood up, deeming it safe. Watched their backs, and then in some type of dramatic slow-motion, I watched Sasuke look back.

Look back in my direction.

He knew I was here!

He knew I was here all along!

"Sasuke!" I called after him dramatically, and I know he must've heard me, but pulled Naruto along like it was nothing.

Like I was nothing.

And that means, everything…everything that he said, and did, it was all on purpose? He was trying to hurt me?

Will I let him hurt me again?

But this isn't my fault! I had planned to go see Naruto all along! Our conversation was going to go something like this:

"Hey, Hina-chan, I'm glad you could make it."

Then I would say something like, "Yes Naruto, I'm here."

He would notice my face. I had practiced this. I'd be looking down, my face twisted in self-remorse. He'd ask me what's wrong and then I'd look at him and say,

say…

Just what would I say?

'I love you?'

'I hate you?'

'How could you?'

'How dare you?'

So many things, that now I'm thinking about it. Sasuke did me a favor. I wasn't ready for what I was about to do and probably just end up making myself even more depressed and resentful and angry. It would be a mess; I could just be digging myself an even bigger grave.

Gosh. There's something wrong with me, isn't there? There are some things I can't even talk to Neji about, and this is one of them. I didn't want to see his face right now, or be held…anything. I don't need it.

I'm not a child.

But I sure do feel like one. And that's okay, everyone feels like that sometimes, right?

I really wish you could talk back to me, Sakura. I need another voice.

That's it. I've decided I'm not staying at home tonight. I need Sakura. The real Sakura. And I know it's really late and all and she's probably fast asleep, but she won't mind.

I won't take you with me. Stay safe until I get back.

Hinata

Aren't you glad Hinata didn't get courage then and confront them? What a total dramatic mess it would've been, and awkward too. When I did this, I definitely had more than a few random memories pop up about awkward situations where I've done more awkward things then hide behind something and pray not to be seen. :p

What's gonna happen next? Hinata's leaving in the middle of the night to see Sakura to get something she's not even sure of, please review and see how it'll turn out!