Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Edited by my awesome beta, DreamingCynic.

Garaa's Perspective

This must be hell he reasoned, he could not infer any other conclusion.

There was a banshee on either side of him, his ears were about ready to bleed, he was almost positive his ear drums had been ruptured from their high pitched squealing and the overwhelming scent of flowery perfume had left him with a permanent aversion for any smell remotely flora.

Only one measly hour had passed since he had arrived his accursed watch told him, yet he felt as though he had been stranded in this burning plain for months if not years. His calm, cool composure had crumbled and it was all he could do not to rip his arms from their well manicured clutches and take flight, but somehow he didn't see his escape plan coming to pass and the repercussions he would face at the hands of his menace of a sister gave him enough fortification to hold out until he could come up with a viable excuse for why he had to dust it as thought hell's hounds were nipping at his feet.

The flute of champagne that had been thrust into his hand looked tempting, he felt exceedingly desperate for any form of escape, but as his past encounters reminded him it would hardly be a good idea to indulge. Liquor tended to loosen his rather acerbic tongue and considering his less than favourable feelings toward his present company nothing good would come from lowering his guard.

He nodded along and replied noncommittally when a question was directed towards him, but for all intents and purposes he put up a fairly disinterested guise as he surveyed the room continually searching for an out. Taking note of their distracted gaze he carefully sloshed some of his drink into a nearby potted plant, cautious not to let too much escape lest he find himself with another flute in his hand to be done away with.

As he contemplated what viable excuse he could conjure to dismiss himself from their presence a woman from the outer edge of their little group approached him, tossing glossy ebony curls over her shoulder gracing him with a too white smile with a gleam that threatened to blind him. Her features were uncommonly symmetrical and her slinky blue dress clung to her frame in a manner that was purposely designed to attract the eye to her most outstanding assets. Either she had gotten a lucky draw from the gene pool or she had sort the help of more modern conventions to help her achieve her flawless beauty. Gaara was sincerely leaning towards the latter.

Pleasing as she was to look upon he had no desire to engage her in conversation.

Coming to stand before him he could feel the rise of tension in the air the way the bony fingers on his arms tightened at the approach of competition he couldn't resist looking skyward and thinking that some bored, insufferable deity was having a ball laughing at his expense. Had they been jungle cats he was sure they would have been circling him protectively their hackles raised, snarling at the newcomer who graced them with a practiced, easy smile confident in her charms, knowing there was no contest.

Extending her delicate hand she looked at him demurely beneath long sooty lashes, "I don't believe we have had the pleasure of meeting yet. I am Takarada Suzumi."

Resisting the pull on his arm he briefly shook her hand unsettled by how warm it was.

"Sabaku Gaara," he spoke curtly though he presumed she already knew that.

"Well Gaara-san, I do hope you don't mind my informal address, but I am positively fascinated by your work, I have been following your progress from the side-lines avidly. Though I never imagined I would get the chance to meet you, I heard you were quite the recluse," she flattered in a saccharine sweet voice, while much softer and refined than the other women who had designed to speak, it left him wary. She did not appear to be as daft and flighty as her companions and that put him on guard.

Feeling a bit mischievous and wanting to throw her off her game he gave her an interested nod to show she had gotten his attention before replying, "So what are your thoughts on my latest project, the new art wing of Suna's Museum dedicated towards showcasing sculptures."

He expected her to laughing airily and make some blasé remark about its size, or maybe reiterate something she might have read in the papers, what he didn't expect was for her eyes to brighten and her lips to curl upwards in a smile before launched into her unexpected response.

"It is simply gorgeous, the idea of using an atrium and the slanted glass ceilings doesn't make it appear as though you are situated in the middle of a metropolitan area, the sky seems as though it were a hop skip and a jump away. Not to mention the prisms were a brilliant idea the almost magical effect casting a glorious display of colour on otherwise plain white walls and the mirrors were an ingenious touch using them to reflect even just a shaft of light to illuminate the entire space. You certainly made use of Suna's most abundant asset, that is the sunlight. It was the most noteworthy theme."

The redhead stood rigid and blank faced staring at the almost glowing brunette, he certainly had not anticipated her answer, but he did feel a warm flush of pride that someone had admired and understood the intent behind his work as an architect. Gaara had spent his childhood days elbows deep in the sandbox crafting his childhood masterpieces, he had always wanted to create glorious structures and have them recognised by others. He could not hammer a nail into a piece of wood to save his life and this he would readily admit, but his visions were far out of the ordinary. He made it his mission to not only meld his creations with the surroundings seamlessly, but to carry his onlookers to a different place, a different time, to evoke a particular feeling altogether.

Gaara did not notice the way the leeches at his side stared at newcomer as though she had grown another head and was hissing with a forked tongue, their eye narrowed and their nostrils flared, their cheeks flushed with outrage and envy that this little upstart had ensnared their target's attention so effortlessly.

As the two communicated with non-verbal gestures thinking up a plot to do away with the wench, Suzumi boldly took a step forward, smiling beguiling, "I really do love this song. Would you mind dancing with me Gaara-san?"

Needless to say the banshees were not pleased and as their hold tightened monumentally, their nails on the verge of piercing his skin, he wouldn't even be surprised if he had finger shaped bruises come morning. Thus knowing his decision was already made for him even if he despised the thought of putting himself on the spot and possibly humiliating himself in front of everyone he would take his chances with this fox over her counterparts.

Sighing regretfully at his piss-poor luck he extracted his arms from their grasp dodging their attempts to swindle him into promising dances with them as well as he made his escape taking Suzumi's hand like a life-line thrown to a drown man surrounded by sharks.

Awkwardly he tried to position his hands before she realized his trouble and relieved him of his distress by placing his hand on her waist and clasped the other in her own, closing the gap between them ignoring the redhead's stiffening and discomfort at having his personal space being invaded.

"Just sway with me and I will handle the rest," she murmured into his ear before pulling away and led them into a simple 1-2 step guiding their movements in the right direction.

After a couple minutes his anxiety and apprehension faded somewhat as he become more comfortable with the motions and not letting his sudden ease escape notice she broken their silence by smirking impishly, "This is the part where you thank me Gaara-san."

"Thank you?" he echoed his non-existent eyebrow raised in doubt.

Gazing over his shoulder she shrugged easily, "I did rescue you from those lovely ladies back there."

Gritting his teeth in indignation he scoffed, "You are mistake Takarada-san I am perfectly capable of attending to my own affairs your interference was not needed."

"Oh, I am sorry then. Since that is the case I promise to deliver you safely back into their waiting arms. It was certainly wrong of me to deprive them of your gracious company," Suzumi said giving him a contrite smile.

Unable to hide his revulsion at having to endure their presence a second time around, in the same evening much less made him grimace in distaste. Her eyes being steadily fixed on his face to witness his reaction could not restrain the delighted, triumphant laughter that rang like the clear peel of a bell sounding through the air.

"For all your protestations Gaara-san I will protect you, you needn't fear the attempts of other woman seeking to rob you of your virtue."

"My savior," he mocked, though not with as much derision as he could have summoned.

"Aww it was my pleasure, saving handsome young men in my spare time is all part of a day's work", she teased as she released herself from his grasp allowing him to twirl her around before returning to his embrace.

Once their dance was over he excused himself to visit the restroom already devising an escape plan, unable to tolerate any more this bullshit.

With a new determination he stepped into the corridor ready to say his goodbyes armed with an excellent, credible excuse. What he hadn't been prepared for was being ambushed by an older woman draped in diamonds and fur that she looked just about ready to smother him with. As soon as his eyes adjusted to the dark alcove she had pulled him into he had recognized her as the old cougar who had been eyeballing him like the newest Hermes bag to hit the market. Mrs. Sagawa Chigusa who had been preying on younger men since Gaara had been a mere babe in the cradle and was renowned among Suna's upper crust for her predilection for virile youth and her obsession for going under the knife to smooth over an imperfection whether real or imagined.

Her spindly arms had latched on to his neck dragging him forward as she licked a stripe up his cheek as he desperately tried not to choke on the overpowering scent of talc powder and a heavy dose of Coco Madamoiselle. His struggle to breath allowed her the opportunity to sweep her lecherous hands over his body before grasping his glutes and giving them a firm squeeze.

His alarm having escalated he gave up on his search for fresh air and turned his attentions to keep from being molested. Batting her hands away he tried to put some distance between then, he pressed his hands against her to shove her away, but it did not have its intended effect. The old crone actually moaned and grinned, "I like it rough, bad boy."

This woman was batshit crazy and if he didn't get her off him Gaara had no doubt he was going to be traumatized for life, even his screwed up childhood could not compete with the mental scarring this harridan was intending to cause. Fuck, he was going to strangle Temari if he got out of this unscathed.

As she pawed at him trying to capture his mouth in a kiss he dodged her attempts though that didn't deter the hag who zoomed in on a sliver of available skin clamping down. His stomach churned as he realized Sagawa-san was sucking on his neck. Oh god no he was never going to get the filth off, her mouth had bloody well tasted him.

The echoing sound of footsteps drawing closer down the deserted corridor was the universe's way of taking pity on him he would like to think, for her concentration had been broken and diverted from him for a precious moment that gave him a chance to break free before hastily departing ignoring her calls on "being too much woman for him to handle."

Gaara had seriously been debating on yelling "rape" if things had gone even a little bit further. While rationally he knew he had the strength to pry her off of him her rather fragile, delicate frame and the potential of seriously injuring her warred with his need for self-preservation. Old persons were very breakable and he did not need that to weigh on his conscience along with reliving him ordeal.

Not wanting to encounter anyone else he strode purposefully towards a lesser frequented exit signaling to the valet to bring around his car trying to ignore the way the young man's eyes widened and stared in bemusement at his appearance. At this time he really didn't want to know what he looked like, wishing desperately not to be reminded of the calamity he had narrowly managed to flee from.

Gaara could not get away from that accursed place fast enough before flooring the accelerator and steadily surpassing 120 km per hour while driving in the secluded area of town reserved for those with enough wealth and power to claim a piece of property in this exclusive neighbourhood. His first instinct was to rush home and scrub his skin raw if it meant that he could wash away the feel of her, her scent, her freaking saliva! If only a bath could get rid of his recent memories as well.

If he head back to his apartment though he would be left along with his thought and the only coffee he had left in his cupboard was that awful instant crap that was akin to swamp water. No he needed to vent and most of all he had to have a good cup of steaming hot elixir if he was going to get through this.

So shifting gears he made the detour heading back into the city.

Once he had parked the car he took an inventory of his appearance for the first time and grimaced at his ruffled clothing and- what was this stain on his cheek? On his shirt collar too? Taking a closer look he realized it was a bright red in colour and came off on his fingers as he rubbed it.

What the- shit it was lipstick. The entire right side of his profile was marred by that perverted old hag's lipstick. Groaning he resisted the urge to bang his head against the steering wheel in frustration he didn't thing even giving himself brain damage was going to help him recover.

Heaving a disgusted sigh he tried to get most of the evidence of him before he gave up and walked into the diner.

Once his coffee order had been placed in front of him he downed most of the contents of the cup in one gulp not even bothered by the scorching hot liquid blistering his tongue and searing his throat as it went down.

He could feel her worried, questioning eyes boring into him, but he wasn't feeling the least bit congenial so he let her stew for a bit longer before he answered her gaze with his own question.

"What did you do to me?"

While he knew his question was undoubtedly vague he wasn't going to give any more details.

"I don't understand what you mean? What did I do?" her confusion shone through clearly.

"What did you do? You want to know what you did?" he couldn't hide the touch of hysteria that leaked into his voice.

"Just tell me what happened Garaa-san," her voice was concerned and imploring.

That pretty much broke the straw on the camel's back and with an almost crazed look in his eyes he gave her an account of his entire evening not sparing a single detail he didn't even allow himself to savour her astonishment, bemusement and most of all her horror.

As the last word slipped from his lips he sagged in his seat shuddering ever once in a while as lingering memories resurfaced, he was too exhausted to stuff them back into the corner he had designated to preserve the sanctity of his mind.

Gaara was startled when he felt her warm hand touch his own, but he resisted the urge to pull away, he wasn't up for anyone touching him right now.

"I'm really sorry Gaara-san. I didn't think that something like that would happen. I just- I only wanted you to look your best, please, please forgive me Gaara-san" Arata's soft, trembling voice reached his ears.

Bloody hell he wasn't up to comforting a weeping female so withdrawing himself slightly from his own pity party he squeezed her hand before relenting, "Just forget it. If you want me to forgive you'll swear that we will never mention what happened tonight ever."

"But Gaara-san-" she protested.

"Would you please just be quiet and agree", he scowled raking his finger through his dishevelled hair.

"Hai. I promise."

"Good, now get me some more coffee and I am not paying", he finished before slumping over the tabletop once more.

It took a minute for his last words to process before she gave a slow blink followed by a pathetic groan.

Goodbye paycheck. Sigh.

Sasuke's Perspective

It was at the tip of his tongue to tell the driver to get out and let him take the wheel, but his good sense won out in the end. He was in no frame of mind to be driving and though he knew she would not be awaiting him when he got home especially after the last bomb Shikamaru had dropped on him.

Yet some desperate part of him was futilely hoping that this was a twisted, messed up nightmare and once he arrived home himself he would see it had all been a joke, she would be there, her arms outstretched to ready to embrace him and sooth his fears. That the past twenty four hours had been nothing but a terrible dream.

As the car pulled up in the driveway he didn't wait for the driver to turn off the ignition before he had the door open and literally sprinted up the steps towards the front door held open by one of the house staff. He spared hardly any attention to those waiting to greet him and shifted into a purposeful stride towards his bedroom on the first floor.

Sasuke didn't realize until he was gripping the door handle how clammy his palms had become and how his erratic his breathing was. It was then the truth of his own feelings struck him, he was downright terrified to discover what lay behind the door, in his heart knowing undoubtedly he would not find who was looking for.

Steeling himself he inhaled as he turned the handle letting out his breath slowly as he took the first few tentative steps into their bedroom. While it appeared just as how he had left it the minuscule yet significant changes were glaringly obvious to him. Her familiar scent was gone, the bed sheets smelled like fabric softener and nothing else. He opened the closet and saw all the designer dresses and expensive shoes were still in their place, but her more personal, casual clothing were gone. At her bedside there were no paperback novels, no picture frame of them standing in the park together, her smiling face with an ice-cream cone in her hand. There was no sign of Hinata. No one would have been able to tell the woman he called his wife had slept in this bedroom, it could have belonged to any wealthy woman.

It felt as though someone had taken an eraser and removed all traces of her presenting a new picture that was vastly different from the one imprinted in his mind. The flaws in this current scene made him want to curse in righteous fury. They had eliminated all signs of her from their room, their bedroom, the place where they slept together and made love, and shared small secrets and bantered and laughed. A special place that held so many memories that they had made together.

Moving to stand in the centre of their- no his bedroom he felt inconsolably bereft and unbalanced. A glimmer out of the corner of his eye drew his notice and upon stepping closer he found himself looking at her engagement ring, the one he had carelessly given her after the contract had been signed. It was the ring all Uchiha brides wore, it was the ring his own mother had worn staring at him mockingly. Next to it sat a nondescript white envelop that sparked a feeling of dread in his stomach and caused a heaviness to settle in his heart. He knew precisely who had left it and he could already imagine the elegant script on the page, familiar enough to him after having read it dozens of times over on little post-it notes and the multitude of thank you letters she had sent out on their behalf as a couple.

Resigning himself he picked it up and carefully raised the flap before removing the letter, unfolding it before began to read its contents, all the while he could hear her gentle voice echoing in his mind as he read every word.

Dear Sasuke,

By now you will have discovered my deception and realized that I am gone. I never intended to cause you any of the pain I know you must be feeling because of my decision. All I have ever wanted was for you to be truly and completely happy and with me by your side that is not possible.

You said it does not matter whether we have a child or not, but the fact is it really does matter to me and I am certain you will eventually realize how much you still want a child of your own once I am gone. A child I am incapable of giving you, a baby of your own flesh and blood.

The choice I have made was inevitable, nothing you could have said or done would have changed my mind, so please do not question yourself. If you must be angry direct it at me, it is my fault, entirely mines. It was utterly selfish of me to think we could continue on as we have been living, in this perfect sphere of happiness, but please you must know that I would never trade a moment of the my time spent with you for all the riches in the world.

All I ask is that you will move forward with your life and be happy. That you marry a woman who can give you the joy I never could. That you spend the rest of your life with a smile on your face and love in your heart. I may have never had the courage to say it aloud, but I love you, Uchiha Sasuke and being you wife was the greatest honour and granted the most happiness I could have ever asked for.

With all my love,

Hinata.

Only when the drops of moisture hit the page in his hand, seeping into the fibers blurring the ink did he take note of the tears escaping from his eyes. However the Uchiha was too listless and numb to care and didn't bother to brush them away.

Now that he had confirmation that she had finally left him did he realize she had taken the most essential part of him with her. Was this the price of discovering your heart? The fatal potential of your most precious person being able to decimate this fragile, intangible thing. The all too steep price of wildly unbound happiness came with the debilitating risk of possibly experiencing the most mind-bending, earth shattering pain a person was capable of feeling.

Sasuke wondered what was the point of feeling? Caring? Leaving yourself open to feeling all of this pain. Nothing but pain.

He couldn't see past it. There was this emptiness, this dark fathomless chasm was all that remained of his heart. Hinata was gone and she took along with her everything she had made him feel, all the things he had convinced himself weren't worth experiencing. She snatched away all the joy and the light and the laughter, the sweetness and the beauty in life she had shown him. Despite all the trials and hardships coming home to her made putting up with his contemptuous, prideful clan bearable if he could hold onto her and allow her soothing presence to make the rest of the world and all his worries disappear along with it.

Goddammit why the hell had the dug up his bleeding heart? Why? So they could all fucking leave? Every last one of them.

His parents.

Itachi.

All their unborn children.

Now Hinata.

She had encouraged him to feel once again and here he was vulnerable and broken in the aftermath of her desertion.

He was afraid to breath, afraid to think, to imagine how he was going to survive the next few days, weeks, months, years without her, knowing what he had lost. Time seemed to stretch out before him like an endless desert that was no hope of an oasis in this desolate place.

Every day from here on out would mean living in perpetual winter, frozen, barren and alone. So, so alone.

It made him question himself. Was he not worth staying for? How could she not have seen he didn't think life was worth living without her? Why did she think he fought so hard, held on so tightly? For her to underestimate her worth, so that she could leave him at the tender mercies at their wretched, manipulative families.

Her good intentions had turned out to be his undoing, she had virtually paved his path to hell.

What had he done that she made think their marriage…that he wasn't worth fighting for.

A baby. A baby.

The only child he wanted or would ever want for that matter was the one she gave him.

Why couldn't she have seen that?

A/N: As I told my beta the first half of this chapter was incredibly difficult for me to write, I am unaccustomed to writing anything, but angst so I do hope it turned out lighthearted and funny as I intended.

Sasuke POV is probably the one of most emotional intense, gut-wrenching piece of writing I have ever done, I was on the verge of tears a couple times while writing it. It would be one of the greatest compliments I could ever receive if any of you were moved by this scene.

In the next chapter things are going to pick up, it's the turning point that will set everything into motion and another time skip will be coming up soon.

Sorry for the wait I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and please tell me what you think about both scenes! (I know some of you missed Sasuke in the last chapter XD)

Sincerely,

CharmGirl24.