Oh you guys! You are far too kind! Also, please check out my proposed updating schedule - it is on my profile - since that is what I am going to try to stick to! Since I am no longer unemployed (lol), I have much less time, so I'm focusing on the ones on the schedule!

Chapter 3: Catching A Glimpse

The rain was coming down in torrents, rushing along the sidewalk and churning around the wheels of the slowly moving cars in the bumper-to-bumper late evening traffic. Hyuuga Hinata hugged her coat more snugly around her figure, huddling under her umbrella even though it was pretty much useless at this point.

Her stockingless feet were soaked through, squelching in her high heels as she walked. She knew she had to cross the road to get to her car, but she really didn't want to. The sky had looked ominous from earlier in the evening, but Hinata had not thought much of it, apart from bringing her umbrella with her, when she'd made the stop at her favorite coffee shop.

If the sheer number of people traversing the sidewalks was any indication, she was not the only one. The brunette swiped a wet lock of hair from where it clung to her face, and gave a small groan. She was soaked through! She couldn't wait to go home, take a nice long shower, dress in her favorite warm sweater and have a hot cup of cocoa while she sat by the window, watching the rain while she waited for Sasuke to call.

He'd been calling her every night for three whole weeks and then some, and never missed a night. So far, it sounded like he was in much better spirits than his first call over a month ago.

Hinata was about to cross the road when a dark-coated figure bumped into her, causing her to trip. Her feet wobbled unsteadily in her high heels and Hinata cried out softly in shock as she stumbled into the oncoming throng of people. Two hard hands grasped her by the shoulders, steadying her, and Hinata looked up gratefully to see a very familiar face.

Sasuke?

It was Sasuke!

She gaped a little, unable to even speak.

"Hn. Be careful," he said, his familiar voice washing over her like a comfortable blanket. And then he was gone before Hinata could do anymore than nod. But she would know that slouch anywhere. She would know that hair anywhere. She would know that slim physique anywhere, because he still haunted her dreams at night. She could see him preparing to jump from that building and end his life like it was yesterday and not over a month ago.

She could.

She could follow him.

The thought struck Hinata with the subtlety of a bolt of lightning, and before she knew it, her still slightly unsteady feet were taking her in the same path Sasuke had. Her grey-eyed gaze attached itself to his back as he milled and weaved through the people on the street, back slouched over, hands shoved in pockets, hair plastered to face.

He was absolutely beautiful, in a dark poetic way.

Hinata followed, entranced by the man who she'd just about come to call her best friend. His skin was pale, his features sharp and his eyes... just from that one glance when she had looked into them, she could see how impossibly dark they were. This was not counting the circles under his eyes from the fitful sleeping he'd been complaining to her about.

No.

His eyes themselves looked like an eternal abyss that could pull any unsuspecting female in and trap them forever.

And Hinata had definitely been unsuspecting.

She weaved through the people on the rain-soaked sidewalk, keeping her eyes glued to the back of his head as he walked. They had been walking in the rain for over ten minutes before Hinata realized that she was in an extremely familiar spot.

She was right outside her apartment building!

Hinata followed Sasuke inside the building, watching as he gave a short, curt nod to the doorman before heading to the elevator. It was full and the people inside were mainly dry, so he turned and made his way to the stairwell instead. Hinata followed behind him, removing her shoes so that she wouldn't make a detectable sound.

Hinata peeked round the corner in time to see Sasuke going further up the flights of stairs, and then he stopped at the door leading to the passageway of the floor directly above hers. Hinata watched as Sasuke slowly pulled his shoes off so he wouldn't make wet tracks on the carpet, and waited until he went through the door before hurrying up to peek through it.

Sasuke walked further up the hall, took a bunch of keys out of his pocket, slid one into the lock of the door and let himself in.

He actually lived in the same apartment complex that she did!

Hinata put a hand over her mouth to muffle a squeal of... excitement? Or perhaps... no it could only be excitement.

Then she was faced with the next issue.

Did she let him know that she lived there too? Did she let him know that she knew where he lived? Did she let him know that she knew what he looked like?

Hinata's heartbeat sped up as the thoughts swirled around in her head. She slowly made her way back down the stairs, lost in her thoughts, and by the time Hinata got back to the first floor, she had decided.

She wasn't going to tell him.

Sasuke sat cross-legged on his bed, eyeing Hinata's contact name on the list on his phone. He wanted to call... but he was... well... nervous.

Sometimes that happened. Sometimes he got nervous when he thought about calling her, because what if she'd gotten tired of him? What if she wasn't as dependent on their phone calls as he was? What if she thought he was pathetic?

What if?

Sasuke clenched his teeth, telling himself that he was being foolish, but it wasn't helping. His stomach was still in turmoil, his heart was still racing, he still couldn't breathe properly. Sasuke curled his fingers into fists, then snatched up his phone, tapping the touchscreen with his thumb and watching the call go through.

It rang once.

Twice.

She wasn't going to pick up.

Thrice.

Sasuke pulled the phone from his ear.

And then the line went open.

A tiny grin of relief cracked open his lips, and the face he hadn't even realized was tense relaxed.

"What took you so long, and why the hell do you never call me?" Sasuke growled over the line, hiding his relief behind his usual, slightly surly tone. He heard her breathing heavily on the other side.

"S-Sorry... I...I w-was just... in the m-middle of someth-thing..." she huffed. Sasuke's cheeks reddened immediately, as his mind took him there. And suddenly he was pissed off.

"Should I hang up or something? You sound like you had a man over," he said shortly, the arm holding the phone to his ear so tense it trembled. He didn't want to share his friend. He didn't really want to think that she had a life outside of their phone calls, and he found himself loathing everything that came up that reminded him that she did.

"Wh-What?" she squeaked. "No!" Then she giggled. "I w-was running laps... o-on the treadmill..." she giggled again, and Sasuke could hear the sounds of her fridge door opening.

"Hn," he grunted over the line, feeling foolish. "So... anything interesting happen today?" he asked her, tracing the pattern on his comforter with his index finger.

"Well, I saw an old friend," she said. "But it was raining, so he didn't see me," she said vaguely. "What was with the rain today?"

"Yeah... It had people stumbling into me left and right," Sasuke groused.

"Mmm... and you hate any form of bodily contact...right?" Hinata teased gently. Sasuke smiled, letting himself since he was alone and no one was there to see it or judge him for it.

"I don't hate all kinds of bodily contact..." Sasuke returned, raising one dark brow. He waited for it.

"S-Sasuke!" she squealed. There it was. He loved getting her flustered. It was so easy, and so fun.

"What?" he asked. "You started it."

"W-Well y-yes, but... you d-didn't have to t-take it th-there!" she sputtered. Sasuke held back a laugh.

"What? I didn't take it anywhere. I didn't even say anything suggestive," he muttered into the receiver.

"W-Well no, you didn't, b-but your t-tone..." Hinata said, and Sasuke could almost hear her blush.

"Hn..." he grunted over the line.

"What did you do today?" Hinata asked, trying to change the subject. Sasuke let her.

"I... went to see Itachi," he said softly. There was silence over the line.

"What did he say?" Hinata asked after a while, her breathing soft. Sasuke let the comforting sound fill his ear before he responded.

"I didn't go in..." he said, his voice low. "Kami, Hinata... I'm such a wuss. Like what could he possibly have to tell me that...? What could he possibly do from behind...?" Sasuke cursed sharply, apologizing immediately, because Hinata hated hearing people curse.

"Sasuke..." she interrupted him. He stopped speaking, eager to hear what she would say to calm him. "Daijoubu desu."

It will be okay.

That was all it took for tears to sting Sasuke's eyes. He wiped them away angrily, unable to speak lest she hear his weakness.

"Thank you, Tadaka-san," Hinata said, smiling as she accepted the brown paper bag of shiny red tomatoes. They were Five Star Grape tomatoes, known for their incredible taste. Tadaka-san brought in something special every time he came to market, and this time it was the premium tomatoes. Hinata knew exactly what she was going to do with them.

Hinata moved through the market, the sun warming her hair and cheeks, purchasing other fresh grown produce - they tasted the best and were cheaper in the market - as well as meat, nuts and spices. She would go to the supermarket for her oils, and manufactured items. Hinata enjoyed the smell of the market, the feel of it, and the sound of it. She loved how friendly the vendors were. She loved all the smiles, that were genuine rather than practiced. These people didn't go to school to learn about customer service.

They were just happy people.

And they made her happy too.

Hinata loaded her groceries into her car a few hours later, her dark hair sliding into her face as she bent. She flicked it over her shoulder with a simple movement of her neck, sending the ribbons of dark hair airborne for a second.

And she was oblivious to the stares of the men, women and children alike that watched her.

Hinata closed her car door, and ran around to the driver's side. She had one more stop to make before she went home. As Hinata drove, she wondered about whether or not what she had in mind even made sense. Still, she was curious to find out what it would yield. She only hoped it wouldn't turn out to be a gross mistake, even though she hardly thought it could.

Hinata drove out of the market, sand spinning loosely under her car tires. The market was close to the coast, which pretty much ensured that any fish purchased there was guaranteed to be fresh. Hinata had purchased, among other types, her favorite, Basa Fish. She loved that it didn't carry the distinct fishy odor or taste, and the fish vendor had filleted it for her.

She turned on the radio, enjoying some alternative rock music as she drove, stopping at the pharmacy close to her apartment. The Hyuuga female hopped from her car after parking, and jogged inside to pick up a few folded, cream place cards. She also found herself picking up a black-inked calligraphy pen - it wasn't any special brand or one of high quality, but she could use it all the same. She paid for them, giving the cashier a smile, before heading back home.

After parking in the apartment parking lot, Hinata unloaded her groceries and lugged her purchases into the elevator. She rested them on the floor as it went up, and then picked them back up when it stopped. She let herself inside her apartment and put her groceries on the wide kitchen counter.

"Okay," she huffed to herself, placing her hands on her hips and shuffling around in the bags as she looked for the pen and the place cards.

Finding them, she sat down at the kitchen counter, and selected one card. Then she began to write.

Sasuke sighed as he walked the familiar halls before his apartment door. He rolled his eyes when he saw the brown paper bag outside his apartment. Wrong delivery again? Sasuke approached his door and stopped before it, breathing tiredly. He stood over the paper bag, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do with it. He turned around and looked back into the hallway.

It was empty.

Great.

Sasuke squatted before the paper bag, only noticing his name when he came to a stop. There it was, on the side of the bag, in unmistakable black kanji.

Uchiha Sasuke.

It was for him? The inky-haired male reached out with tentative fingers to the rolled and stapled top of the bag. His fingers closed over the dry paper and he lifted it, feeling a subtle weight in the paper.

Someone had gotten him a gift?

Sasuke didn't know how to feel about that. As he lifted the bag, a small cream card fell from behind it, and Sasuke picked it up as well.

Eyes glued to the items in his hands, Sasuke let himself into his apartment and then reached into his pocket for his phone. He searched for Hinata's number... okay, fine... he had her on speed dial, but whatever. That was not the point.

The point was, he called her.

The moment the line opened, Sasuke began speaking.

"So someone left me something... at my door. Weird, huh?" he muttered, setting the items on his counter, but not touching them.

"Oh hey, Sasuke. What was it? Are you sure it's yours?" Hinata asked, sounding like she was eating. She didn't really stutter when she spoke to him. She told him she was fairly alright when talking over the phone, but it was the face to face stuff that had her stuttering uncontrollably at times... depending on who it was she was speaking to. He could get her to stutter when he wanted to, which he often did because she sounded so cute.

Not that he would admit that that was his reason.

"What do you mean, am I sure it's mine? Of course I'm sure. It has my name on it. What... what, you think I can't get gifts?" Sasuke asked, a little irritated.

"What?" Hinata gasped. "I never said that! It's just... sometimes people deliver to the wrong door, but if it has your name on it, then obviously it's not that..." she said. Sasuke bit his lower lip.

"Hn..."

"So... what's in it?" Hinata asked, and he could hear the sound of metal chopsticks on a ceramic plate. Sasuke didn't reply. Hinata giggled, "You haven't opened it yet, have you?"

"...What if it has like a bomb in it, or something?" Sasuke muttered, eyeing the package warily. Hinata laughed, her breathy tone filtering over the phone line.

"It won't have a bomb in it. Why would someone send you a bomb?" she giggled. "Just open it... don't be a..." she faltered, before clearing her throat. Sasuke scowled.

"Don't be a... what?" he prodded, poking experimentally at the bag. It gave an innocent rustle.

"What?" Hinata breathed. "N-Nothi-"

"Oh, don't lie to me," Sasuke growled. "Just say it..." There was a long pause.

"Well... a wuss..." she whispered. Sasuke blinked.

"Hinata..." he mumbled, a little disbelievingly as he continued to poke at the bag.

"Hmm?" she returned, and the clattering of the chopsticks against the ceramic dish started again.

"...Did you just call me a wuss?" Sasuke muttered blandly, eyes narrowing. He was not a wuss.

"This is all your fault!" Hinata exclaimed after a moment. Sasuke's jaw actually fell, and then he clamped it shut, feeling a bit stupid.

"Wh- How the hell is this my fault?" he almost yelled into the phone, brows drawn together.

"You're such a bad influence! Just a month after I meet you, and you're having me saying words like 'wuss' and... and 'anal'..." she complained, actually sounding a little distressed. Sasuke gave a short bark of a chuckle.

"I don't force you to say them..." he muttered, sounding pleased with himself. What the hell. He was pleased with himself. Hinata could be such a little fraidy-cat sometimes.

"...Well I'm not forcing you to be a w... wuss either. Open the stupid package..." she blurted suddenly. "S-See? B-Bad influence! I should j-just h-hang up!" she stuttered in frustration.

Sasuke scowled.

"Fine. I'll open it. But if you dare hang up..." he snapped, reaching for the paper bag.

"I won't hang up..." she mumbled.

"Fine," Sasuke snapped, tugging at the staples holding the bag together. Hinata giggled. "What?"

"I'm not going to yell 'fine' back at you... this isn't a movie, you know..." she giggled, sounding highly amused. Sasuke glowered, which was dumb because she couldn't see him and get intimidated.

"...Just shut up..." he muttered, tugging at the staples on the bag... they were resilient little bitches...

"Am I supposed to be taking you seriously?" Hinata asked after a moment. The staples gave.

"...No..." Sasuke replied shortly and quietly, unfolding the top of the bag. "So I opened the bag..."

"What's in it?" she asked eagerly, and Sasuke could hear the sounds of dishes being put into the sink from her side.

"Just be patient; I haven't looked yet..." Sasuke muttered. "Hold on..." He looked into the bag, and was rendered completely speechless. Inside the bag, about twenty perfectly red Five Star Grape Tomatoes lay, glistening tantalizingly at him.

"You've gone quiet..." Hinata murmured.

"... They sent me tomatoes... Five Star Grape... This is..." Sasuke said absently, staring at the tomatoes in the bag with disbelief. The tomatoes... They were...

He took them out, one by one and perused the taut, shiny, red, unbruised skin, lifting each tomato to his nose so he could inhale the distinct scent.

They were perfect.

All that was left was to taste them.

Sasuke took up one, rinsed it, and bit into it. Immediately after his teeth broke the skin, the tart, salty, acidic, yet slightly sweet juices flowed over his tongue, the pulp bursting into his mouth like a red wave of perfection.

"That good?" Hinata asked. "I wish I was there to see..." she moaned. "If they can get you to make such sounds, they must be amazing..."

And then he took up the card.

"They are perfection..." Sasuke reiterated. "If you were here, you would agree that cinnamon rolls have nothing on these." Sasuke ignored her vehement disagreements and continued, "This... this is the card now. It says,

"Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.

You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice you have!

Have a lovely day, and enjoy your tomatoes!"

Sasuke felt the impact of the words for a split second before his vision blurred completely... and he was sobbing like a baby. The card fell from his hand as he covered his mouth to muffle the sounds he was making. He curled his fingers around the receiver so that Hinata wouldn't hear him sobbing like... like this.

"I don't even know who the hell sent this..." he choked out after a few moments. No one had ever done anything like this for him before.

Something occurred to him.

"Hinata... was it you? Did you send this to me?" he asked, still choked up.

"...Have you ever told me where you live?" she asked.

"No, but-"

"Does it matter?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah..." Sasuke replied, scrubbing at his eyes with the heels of his hands. "Yeah, it does."

He was going to find the person who sent him this if it was the last thing he did.

OMG this took me longer than I expected to get done!

Next chapter: After receiving more presents, Sasuke decides to give something back. He thinks he has seen the gift-giver!

Follow, to find out more (^_^)!