Whoa! Long chapter! Finally, we have some Hinata and Sasuke action. Enjoy!

Her Voice

Sasuke had to admit that this was the best way to clarify the situation, as he walked down the sidewalk on a fairly well-lit street. It was a bit odd that Hinata wanted to meet him this very night though. His hope was that she had been feeling great remorse for plotting to cheat on Naruto in this way, and she wanted to recant what she said, and erase the ordeal from both of their memories.

A cold wind swept past him. This night was unseasonably cold, he noted as he shrugged his leather jacket on tighter and slid his hands into his pocket. Another wind, stronger this time, blew by him. Already not many people populated the street, by the time he would be coming home it would look near deserted! Why did Hinata want to meet him at such a late hour? His wrist watch read fifteen minutes till ten. Surely, the young Hyuuga heiress had a curfew.

He was beginning to wonder if this was a good idea. But she sounded so urgent, and pleading in the IM conversation. He imagined her pleading for him to meet her in that high pitched, cute way she always spoke. Cute? He shook his head, as if to press the backspace button of his thoughts. Her voice is high pitched and squeaky. It's annoying if anything!

Finally, the little café he agreed to meet her in was in sight. Not understanding why, he felt slightly nervous about meeting her. He knew what he was here for. He had to set the record straight, and say to her face that he would not be with her behind Naruto's back. Or at all! He added. He had never really looked at Hinata in that way. He had never really noticed her at all, to be completely honest.

She was quiet and shy, which is why it was so easy to over look her. But if he recalled correctly, she won last year's science fair. Come to think of it, she received the highest grade on the IQ test their homeroom teacher gave them last semester. A quiet genius…The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, as he mused. That's kind of-He stopped before he could finish the thought, reprimanding himself for allowing those thoughts to seep in. So what if Hinata was smart? Why should he care? She wasn't his girl… and he didn't want to change that.

As he walked into the glass door of the café, the nervousness that he felt before had come back. His eyes swept over the place, but he couldn't find her. The lights were low, and there were a few couples scattered about, whispering and laughing across their duel seated tables. It was actually rather cozy. It had a nice, warm vibe to it. The raven haired teen walked pasted the reception counter and a few other tables.

A protruding wall blocked his vision of another section of a restaurant. The tables were decorated with candles in this area. The street lights shown through the front windows in the primary section, but in this section it was untouched by outside lighting.

That's when he saw her. Hinata was sitting at a table close to a window, tapping her foot in what he took for nervousness instead of impatience. She was too busy looking out of the window to notice him come in. He made his way over too her, feeling a little more at ease. It must have been the atmosphere.

"Hey." He greeted, his voice coming out a little deeper than he intended.

The girl jumped with surprise as if she wasn't waiting on him to arrive, she had been enthralled in her own thoughts.

Smirking, Sasuke sat down. This motion was followed by an awkward silence. Hinata's eyes were glued to her lavender purse on the table, as she rubbed her bare arm. Sasuke averted his eyes to the decorated room. Red tinted lamps hung from the ceiling, and vases held tulips in various areas. He wondered why he had never visited this café before. Then he noticed all of the couples again, and suddenly, the fact that he had never had a girlfriend bothered him for the first time.

They all looked so happy, and loving. He had to get out of this place! "Well…," He began, lilac eyes rose to meet his.

"Sasuke, you can't tell!" she finally blurted out, drawing her fists to her chest in earnest. "P-please… If a-anyone finds out, my family will be sh-shamed!" her voice was so calming, even as she spoke with desperation, even with her stutter. It reminded him of a wind chime. It wasn't annoying, more like… different.

"I'm not going to share this with anyone. That was never my intention." He schooled his features back to his apathetic, yet cool demeanor. He was confused now. Hinata still appeared troubled.

She breathed out, in almost disbelief as she looked away for a moment, and then back at him. "W-why d-did you t-tell Sakura?"

He grunted in distain. "I didn't tell Sakura anything. I don't even talk to her."

"B-but h-how d-did you e-even find out? W-who t-told y-you? D-did you see th-them?"

First, the Uchiha had to note that the more frantic Hinata become, the more she stuttered. She's so… He didn't finish the thought. "Calm down." It wasn't a command; his voice came across soothingly. The surprising part was that Hinata visually relaxed. "Now, I don't understand. What do you mean how did I find out?"

She allowed herself a breath. "My father. How did you know he was having an affair with Vanessa?"

Sasuke eyes widened. "Your father? I don't know anything about your father. I came here to talk to you about Naruto."

Hinata furrowed her eyebrows. "Wh-what does Naruto have to do with any of this?"

"Quite a bit. He's my…" Sasuke paused. "…friend, and I'm not going to go behind his back and be with his girlfriend." It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off Sasuke's chest. There, he said it. The record was finally straight.

"Sasuke, I would never!" Hinata exclaimed, taking Sasuke by surprise. "Why would you think…" then she gasped. "The text message."

"The text message." Sasuke said with finality, waiting to hear her explanation.

"Oh dear…"

At Sakura's House

"So, you guys want me to believe that Hinata- sweet, loving, fainting,- Hinata, is cheating on Naruto… with Sasuke?" Kiba asked in complete disbelief, folding his arms.

Ino rolled her eyes from her position leaning on Sakura's rose colored vanity. Placing her hands on her hips, she declared, "Sakura saw the text messages! The proof is in the pudding! Little Miss Sunshine is looking kind of cloudy right about now."

Kiba thought for a little while longer. "I don't know…" Akamaru made a sound of agreement from his position in the tuffs of Kiba's hair. "Sakura, you've been pretty quiet. What do you have to say?"

The pinkette sighed. She had been lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling in silent contemplation. "I'm thinking," Her voice came out small. "I don't wanna think about this anymore." She rolled on her side, facing away from her company. "Hinata was one of my best friends, and she betrayed me. I just feel sick about this whole situation now." Her voice was solemn. Ino felt sorry for her friend.

A moment of silence passed. "Well, I still don't believe it!" Kiba declared. "This is Hinata we're talking about! She's never even had sex for crying out loud!"

"The texts said otherwise." Ino said in defiance, sticking her nose in the air.

"Why is this even any of our business? It sounds like a problem between Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata… and Sakura… kind of." Shikamaru, who has also been silently thinking, concluded. "Why are you telling us?"

"Because we have to do something! Poor Naruto is being cheated on by his girlfriend and his best friend. We have to tell him!" Ino argued.

"And I just wanna know why…" Sakura suddenly joined the conversation, sitting up on the bed. "Why would Hinata spend all this time obsessing over Naruto, and then go for Sasuke once she got him?"

"Exactly!" Kiba exclaimed. "It just doesn't make sense."

"But I read it with my own eyes, Kiba! I'm not blind!" Sakura yelled back, her face turning slightly red.

"Well, how about we go talk to Hinata first. Let's go get some answers." Shikamaru suggested, being the more level headed one. "I saw her go into Mayonaka Café on my way over here."

Ino jumped up, pounding her fist into her hand. "Yes! Let's go settle this once and for all!"

"You guys go ahead. I have so much work to do tonight." Sakura urged, rising to show them out.

"But it's Friday night…" Ino countered.

Sakura's expression was still a bit somber. "It's a lot. I should really get started now."

The boys had begun to walk out of the room. "If you say so…" Ino trailed off, walking behind them.

This whole situation was really beginning to weigh on the pinkette. She wanted to be angry with Hinata, but at the same time, she wanted to understand. Maybe Hinata liked Sasuke too, and was just too afraid to tell her because she was always obsessing over him. Had she been doing her job as a best friend?

Well, she would do a better job this time. She had to tell Naruto what was going on. She picked up her cell phone from the bed.

Sakura: Ii dontt kno how to tell yu this, butt some1 hass to andd Ii think yu should hearr itt from a friendd.

Naruto: LOL. YOU SAID BUTT!

Rolling her eyes, she typed back.

Sakura: Seriouslyy Naruto! Wee needd to talk! Im comingg to yourr house 2morrow at 4.

With Hinata and Sasuke

Hinata had explained to Sasuke the whole texting incident. Honestly, it was rather embarrassing for the both of them. But Sasuke admitted that he shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. He had no one to blame but himself.

Sasuke had a calm and knowing air about him that compelled Hinata to unload her anxiety about her father's possible affair upon him, too. It was the way he sat patiently, his eyes resting on her so attentively. Naruto had a short attention span, it was cute at times, but not when she desperately needed guidance, or just someone to listen. And as much as she loved the blonde's perpetual optimism, sometimes she valued the more realistic perception. It didn't make her feel good, but she could discern the best method of handling the situation at that point.

"So, I really don't know what to think now…" She finished, suddenly feeling like a silly, emotional female for unloading all of her problems on the Uchiha.

"Just leave it alone." His answer brought her attention back to him. "This is your parents' problem." Sasuke advised, and just as she was going to protest he added. "I know you want to help, but if you accuse your father of this, you will never be able to take it back. If he turns our innocent, people could get hurt for no reason. And when it comes to mothers, just know that they are never as oblivious as they seem. Trust your parents that they will work it out. It is their job to maintain the family. Just wait it out. Even if you did say something now, the deed is done. It can't get any worse."

Hinata let it sink in for a second before she realized that Sasuke was right. "I agree. Thanks Sasuke, you're a good friend." She beamed at him. He noticed that she had a nice smile as well.

"Now, about this American woman…" he began again, feeling slightly embarrassed by the compliment. "When did she show up?"

The wide-eyed female was confused by the question, but answered. "A little over a month ago, why?"

"Aha!" Suddenly, there was a bright light.

Hinata jumped again, looking to the direction of the loud voice in the mist of the fairly quiet café. Sasuke turned his head in mild interest. He saw Ino coming. He brushed it off as her stalking him again. However, he was confused as to why Shikamaru and Kiba were in her company.

"I knew it, you two-timer!" she pointed an accusing finger at Hinata, while holding her cell phone in the other hand, which she used to take a picture of the two.

"Ino, what do you want?" Sasuke asked harshly.

Her attention turned to Sasuke. "I can't believe you either, Sasuke! Betraying your friend like this!"

Shikamaru and Kiba were slowly making their way over. Couples began to leave the café because of all the noise, and security was now being called.

"Show me the text messages, Hinata!" Ino demanded in vain, grabbing for Hinata's purse. Finally snapping out of her daze, Hinata grasped the strap before it slipped off the table. "Let me see your phone!" Ino yelled managing to open the flap and put her hand in just as Hinata tugged the purse. It slipped from Ino's hands and some of the contents fell out.

"Have you lost your mind?" Kiba yelled at Ino, not expecting her to go this far.

"No." She said pleasantly, snatching something from the floor. "But I did find my evidence." She held up a Trojan Ecstasy condom.

After gathering the other items that fell, Hinata peered at what was in Ino's hand. "I-I have n-no cl-clue how th-that go in there!" She yelled, flustered by the sudden drama.

"A likely story!" Ino yelled, waving the condom in the air. "Looks like Little Hinata's all grown up now!"

Fed up with the situation, Sasuke stood, "Ino, just because you lost your virginity in the back of a car, doesn't mean you should go around slandering innocent girls' good name." Ino was shocked into silence. That was suppose to have been a secret. The raven haired teen took Hinata's hand gently. "Come on, Hinata, I'll walk you home." Guilty by association, Sasuke glared at Shikamaru and Kiba, silently coercing them to get out of his way.

Hurt by the comment Sasuke made, the blond yelled back, "Well, I can't wait to see what Naruto thinks of this picture I took of you two."

Kiba looked to Shikamaru. "Does this mean we're off the guest list for the party?"

After walking a distance from the café door, Sasuke finally stopped and turned to Hinata. Her face was red, and he could see she was holding back tears. A strange feeling washed over him. He found that he wanted to comfort her. He had seen girls cry before, but Hinata seemed so helpless and frail.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked, he surveyed her features in concern. His eyes locked on to their linked hands. He awkwardly let go, though for some reason, he didn't want to. He wanted to pull her in, and hug her close to him protectively. He couldn't believe he was letting these feeling roam freely through him.

"H-hai…" She nodded, shivering and hugging herself in the cold.

"Nice night to choose not to wear your jacket." Sasuke stated, shrugging off his own jacket.

"No-o, it's ok. M-my house isn't that far."

He draped it over her shoulders, noticing how long it was on her. She was so small. "Exactly, it isn't that far. I can go without it for a couple of blocks."

Hinata blushed, pulling the jacket closed, but not putting her hands in the sleeves. A warm feeling washed over her just then, and it wasn't just because of the jacket. Naruto is never so thoughtful. "Thank you, Sasuke."

Her voice wasn't annoying at all. It wasn't just different. It was unique. It was beautiful… especially when she said his name. Whoa! I am not thinking of Hinata in this way! Sasuke's thoughts came to a halt.

"Let's get you home."

She nodded. "H-hai."

A little Sasuke/Hinata fluff there. Ahh… something about that forbidden love. Please review and tell me what you think.

I think it's about time Naruto get in on the action... Next chapter.