Bear with me for the delay of NaruHina's timeline. It'll be their last chapter and I haven't been doing it justice in my opinion, so I'll work on it a little longer.
But here's SasuHina.
*Thanks for all the reviews guys. I'm so glad you're still enjoying, and it's always nice to hear your thoughts.
Continuing from chapter 22*
(S) Trials of love
As Sasuke cautiously exits the lift he calls out to Neji hoping to get an explanation for his wording. However, Neji who is just about to knock on Hiashi's door turns to him with a jaded expression.
"If you're looking for me to cosign your burdened thoughts, don't bother," —he faces the door once again then adds placidly— "But if it's worth asking… I suggest you get your answers in here."
Now annoyed by his parables Sasuke quips with a sly grin.
"Not much of a small talker are you."
He replies in a cursory tone "Sounds like a horrendously dull use of time."
Sasuke scoffs in response and Neji gives it no attention.
"Oh and I hate to tell you this now, but I won't be joining you."
He gives him a persuasive glare and Sasuke replies in a manner keeping with their affectless relations.
"I'll live."
Neji then knocks on the door and is given a timely response from Hiashi to enter on the other side and with that, both men walk in though Sasuke lingers behind as he analyzes his surroundings.
"Here he is," Neji says while walking over to his uncle's desk.
Hiashi replies while shifting a dossier toward the end of the desk.
"Run through that with legal and get back to me."
Neji briefly scans through the paper work "Right now? He's already here."
Hiashi squints at him and without getting a verbal response Neji steps back and comports.
"On it."
As he turns away to leave, he passes Sasuke who is still standing feet away from the desk with elevated guard.
Meanwhile, Hiashi continues his work on his computer showing complete disregard for him whose very presence he views as an act of violence.
When Neji exits Sasuke inhales deeply, and though he feels disrespected, he attempts to do as he was advised in on the way up. He displays civility and remains silent while waiting for recognition, however, Hiashi continues clacking for several more minutes, intent on finishing his work before engaging in an unplanned discussion.
As time drags on, Sasuke begins to tap his feet while surveying the room with a mistrustful leer, and although the space is decorated ornately with regal finishes from floor-to-ceiling, typical for someone with vast reach, it is not domineering.
Nevertheless in the moment as he stands before a ghost from a nightmarish memory, the uneasiness suddenly gives him a chill on the back of his neck, enough to make him turn his head to see over his shoulder.
In the same instance, Hiashi finally looks up at Sasuke and without proper acknowledgment he stands.
"Sit," he says as he walks over to a cabinet.
Sasuke shifts his glare to him with reptilian swiftness and becomes unnerved as he watches Hiashi begin to make tea.
His in-law is lacking the overly regnant presentation he had gotten used to however, the atmosphere between them is eerie and remote, so much so that Sasuke feels it would be more hospitable if he was standing on the peaks of Everest. Then after a bit more time, Hiashi compounds the thought.
"Although we aren't familiar, you will find that repetition is not my thing."
Sasuke looks down on his watch "No thanks."
"I take it you don't like being comfortable," he rebuts.
Sasuke doesn't respond and Hiashi has already grown tired of their churlish exchange.
He adds openly after taking a deep sigh "It's foolish to inflict harm when there is a known motive. This ought to be common knowledge for someone with your vantage."
Sasuke scoffs in disbelief while shaking his head and Hiashi continues lucidly.
"Fortunately for you, I don't deal in blood currency, I have no interest to endanger you here of all places."
"I have a scar that would beg to differ," Sasuke says boldly hoping to get an admission of penance.
However, it comes as no big surprise to him when Hiashi not only provides zero verbal or bodily response but continues the clinking of metal on ceramic for minutes as he takes his sweet time to make his brew, seemingly unfazed even with his back turned in an untoward exchange.
Soon Sasuke's patience wears thin and his irascibility becomes obvious when he drags the chair loudly across the floor and plops down into it aggressively.
He exhales a loud "Any day now" he urges with an increased pitch.
"…"
He then uses a finger to flick his nose "I know Toneri is your Trojan, I know he's been siphoning funds and I know you're planning to use it to set me up," —He leans forward and adds in a rough tone— "So what will it be? Extortion? Coercion? Fraud?"
Hiashi remains silent which only makes Sasuke swelter even more beneath the surface, no other has ever brought him to restraint in such a way before now.
After a few more droning minutes Hiashi takes a satisfying sip of his finished product then leisurely turns around.
"And there is that willful lout… Impatience, arrogance, incivility. You have it all in spades Uchiha."
"I can't apologize for being direct," he replies readily.
Hiashi scoffs as he cradles his drink and begins to walk over to his desk, and when he takes his seat Sasuke continues.
"But what I'm really here for is an answer…" —He sits up a bit and asks in a steely tone— "Why? Why go after me now after all this time?"
Hiashi takes another long sip of his tea then peers out the window, pondering on whether Sasuke is a sociopath or just pea-brained, truly in awe of him having the propensity to ask what he had.
Then just as Sasuke is about to ask once more, Hiashi opens his top drawer.
"How about we find out together, shall we?" he says with a straight face.
He then tosses several tabloids over to his side of the desk and Sasuke instinctively grinds his teeth, and his temples pulsate when he sees that they all have images of Hinata and Naruto splashed on their covers, snapping them in several romantic moments in public together, as well as a blood-streaked Sasuke being carted away from Naruto's building.
Hiashi then rests in his chair with clasped his hands.
"Are you divorced or is it an open marriage?" he asks with terrifying eye contact.
"Excuse me?"
"Too direct?" he replies instantly.
Sasuke pulls his nose, wiping away his obvious displeasure, and reverts to his hardened mein.
"Toneri kept tabs on everything huh? I'm not worried about their, friendship," he ends with tightened lips.
"Friendship…?" —He questions doubtfully— "You'd be a tad more convincing if it wasn't so apparent."
He grunts "Can we get back to the reason I'm here? This has nothing to do with her."
"On the contrary, it has everything to do with her. You see, as hard-headed as she is, my daughter doesn't deserve chaos Uchiha, and as expected, chaos is all you seem capable of creating," he denounces.
Sasuke's nostrils flare and as he sneers at him with puckered brows, Hiashi adds impassively.
"Don't take offense, it's just an observation."
Hiashi then turns his computer screen to Sasuke and what it reveals lays Sasuke's sins bare and provides him with the gift of fear as his expression suddenly becomes repentant.
"Oh, did you think the internet kept secrets?" he jeers with fascination.
Sasuke sucks in his cheeks "…It's not what-"
"You can explain your wrath of stupidity on someone else's time. You asked for an answer, I've simply given one."
Hiashi stands after interrupting him and casually walks over to a window with his hands behind his back meanwhile, a sheepish Sasuke stares begrudgingly at the articles in front of him, now weighing the personal degree this attack is based, and while he does so Hiashi adds candidly.
"Since it appears to me and likely anyone else that you both are, unencumbered, now is the perfect time. So I'll be brief."
He then soberly discloses the agreement he made with Hinata, and as he lays out the ramifications that will affect them both, Sasuke feels his equilibrium tipping. The atmosphere suddenly becomes mustache-twirlingly sinister and Hiashi oozes Machiavellianism when he unmasks his content as the pieces fall into place
However, as Sasuke listens on, his skin crawls and he gradually begins to mentally check out, inert from the reveal.
Then suddenly, he clears his throat, interrupting Hiashi's tiring briefing.
"If I didn't know better I'd think this was your plan from the start."
"What an absolute shock," Hiashi replies listlessly.
Though aghast by the admission Sasuke chuckles to disconcert the effect on him.
"Shame, it's almost like you had nothing better to do. Aren't you aware that what you and your lackey did equates to espionage? Do you actually think we'll just roll over?" he ends with a grin.
Hiashi smoothly takes his seat and inhales deeply, then after allowing Sasuke's lips to settle he addresses him with a threatening glare but in a flippant tone.
"So are you suggesting that A, you plan to inform the authorities, which would allow them to take a deep dive into the nature of your company, not only revealing your racketeering business practices, leaving your agency liable, as well as destroying your sole chance of remembrance?"
"Or B, rely on your equally corrupt board to trust that the millions leaving the company aren't a result of you embezzling, and hope that they don't replace you outright, or more likely, put a bounty on you should you choose not to take the fall or return the missing funds?"
Sasuke gulps and Hiashi continues casually.
"Or C, take the quiet way out like I've proposed and hand over your shares to me… I can assure you that Toneri will facilitate your company's smooth assignment into the fold. He'll be the only sane one left to manage the rebrand after all."
Hiashi delivered it with the charm of a rattlesnake and immediately, Sasuke feels the albatross around his neck tighten as he considers a possible recourse, alas, with his head already in the guillotine, negotiating with his executioner would prove impractical so he falls silent.
"Well? Which is it Uchiha?" he asks with rigid eyes.
"…"
"Rolling over doesn't sound all that bad now does it?" — He eases back in his chair with irreverence— "Your power was paved in blood and gold with no moral restraint, did you think I would allow you a free hand?" he provokes.
"…"
"You seem to have gone dumb," he says while turning his computer screen back to him.
He begins typing diligently, not paying any notice to a conspicuously subjugated Sasuke who is brooding with stinging resentful eyes off into a corner.
For minutes, they sit in pungent silence with the clicking of the keyboard as the only interlude punctuating the peace.
Then as Sasuke places his hands on the armrest to lift himself Hiashi baits him apathetically.
"Before you go I must be honest with you Uchiha, you exceeded my expectations… For a moment, I actually thought you did love my daugh-"
"I do love her," he interjects obstinately in an ardent voice.
Hiashi replies while still distracted "…Funny, you almost sound sincere."
Sasuke ignores the urge to attempt to convince him and simply follows up in a hush.
"…And she still loves me."
"Evidently your conceit goes as far as your subconscious," Hiashi replies with a glance at the stack of articles.
"As if you'd be so sure, like you have any interest in what we feel for each other, none of you bothered to even show up to the wedding."
Hiashi scoffs "It's what to be expected, you set the bar so low it was in hell before you even said 'I do'."— He looks at Sasuke vacuously— "You're a wastrel Uchiha you invent problems, your history is rife with turbulence. This marriage could only end the same."
Sasuke grits his teeth, now at the end of his acquiescence after deigning to refute his discernment, but now with all the cards on the table, a demon whispers in his ear causing his contempt to finally slip out.
"And you're what, father of the year? You pretend like you've planned this because you care about Hinata when it's clear that all you've ever cared about is what's good for your brand… You have more venom than blood."
Hiashi doesn't bat an eye and Sasuke continues barking balefully.
"Ready to deprive her at a moment's notice just to set an example. It really pisses you off that she ditched your benevolent totalitarianism and is no longer the mindless smiling cipher you can hold under your thumb."
Hiashi coughs "So, you're implying that it's no bother not having control of the 'cipher' whose name and scope you used to garner the sliver of respect a group like yours could otherwise never afford…? You're telling me that after convincing her to leave this family and after marrying her to propel your own standing, it doesn't bother you to have to guise their relationship as platonic, when we both know it's long past that?"
Sasuke sucks in his jaw to resist the urge to scoff at his constant confirmation bias and retorts with a pensive sigh.
"…She did it because of me."
Hiashi briefly lifts his chin "Perhaps, but I suppose it's difficult to face that even your influence over her has fallen through."
All of a sudden, Sasuke sits irresolute, with lowered eyebrows and grinding teeth, while Hiashi continues free of concern.
"I see through your act and this much hypocrisy is sweet enough to give anyone gout."
His taunts provide Sasuke with no respite, his voice was smooth and composed, lacking the presence of any irritability and it all makes Sasuke red with rage. The menacing scowl already plastering his face stiffens and his hands coil tightly as intrusive thoughts slither into his mind, making his indignation apparent.
Then, just as he begins raising a fist, Hiashi twists the knife even further.
"Your frailty saw obedience and thought it could lead to everlasting loyalty. Tell me how exactly has that worked for you?"
He neither pauses from typing nor says more but despite this, Sasuke's body droops, and his breathing becomes ragged when flashes from different instances come back to him in waves, and as they do, he realizes that his tumultuous actions have always been a cause which hindered them.
Now with a pang of melancholy, his eyes dart side to side sluggishly until he stops blinking, and as he continues to vacillate on his actions leading up to this point, his head drops into his hands.
He rocks back and forth uncontrollably, now spiraling with dejection from the thought of not only being responsible for trampling his life's work but for Hinata's incoming persecution, and just when the darkness is about to subdue his mind, a lightening memory prevails.
'…I'll follow you wherever you go.'
And with that comprehension, his cooler head takes over, and in one quick motion, he steadies his breathing, relaxes his quivering body, and stands.
"If you think you'll get satisfaction from us suffering I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, but do your worst, it will change nothing."
Sasuke eyes his in-law without hostility one final time before facing the door, then suddenly, Hiashi coughs.
"If you run after two hares you'll catch neither," He says laxly.
His phrasing catches Sasuke's attention and he halts but doesn't turn around as Hiashi continues.
"You're correct, destroying you both will not solve my problem. So, you should at least have the good sense to do something right, for once."
Sasuke replies after an exasperated sigh "I'm assuming you'd still have vested interest."
"Well of course, that's the beauty of planning." Hiashi retorts.
Sasuke chuckles at the thought of him being lenient but turns around to entertain the idea.
"…What could you possibly offer that would interest me?"
Suddenly Sasuke feels weightless as if the room had spun at light speed when he sees Hiashi's lips become uneven for the first time as a dastardly grin creeps across his stone-cold face.
It curls into a smirk so nefarious that the evil objective hidden under it becomes clear to Sasuke before the words even leave Hiashi's lips, and when they finally do, Sasuke's mind goes back to Neji's last words on the lift as he's given a deal that could only be ordained by the devil.
His hope all but evaporates when Hiashi ends his speech, and he responds in a wounded gruff while plaintively staring at the floor.
"I'll consider it."
"Not blinded by immediate self-interest? Good for you, but you clearly don't understand Uchiha… Your consideration is neither required nor desired, nothing I've just said is negotiable and it certainly doesn't void what we discussed prior."
Sasuke's expression sharply contorts into a horrifyingly forlorn grimace as he contemplates whether or not to take the shovel being handed to him when he's already at rock bottom, and without words to convince Hiashi, his nostrils billow to catch what feels like limited oxygen.
Then after taking a raspy gasp, Sasuke turns around once again, and just as he reaches the door Neji re-enters with Hiashi's document.
"Right on time," —Hiashi voices earnestly with steeple fingers— "I hope you can appreciate that effects such as this can only operate when down in writing," he adds while sliding over a pen.
Sasuke rolls his neck in response, trying to relieve building tension but Hiashi exacerbates it as he continues with little concern.
"I know this is sudden so take all the time you need, within reason of course."
He gulps "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, my generosity has limits, so it would be best to get this done before the week is out." He impels.
"This week?" —Sasuke opens and closes his mouth several times before forming the words— "...You're joking right, this weekend's too important."
"Not as important as what I want, do try to keep up… Perhaps you should consider it a fitting tribute for a fresh start, wouldn't you agree?"
Sasuke keeps down some sick at the back of his throat while glaring at Hiashi, and without an answer and at the brink of collapsing from this supremely inequivalent exchange he snatches the document from Neji's hand and makes his way out the door, slamming it aggressively with his exit.
His action is however awarded no reaction from Hiashi who calmly pulls his chair more into his desk meanwhile Neji opens the door.
"Should I go after him?"
"No need, he's a snake in a corner he'll either strike or save himself. I would say this is a teachable moment but it's more of a 'reap what you sow'," he replies with full self-assurance.
After storming out of the building, when he gets into his car Sasuke looks as if he's held together by stress after pondering on the insidious 5d chess that has been orchestrated from the jump.
He takes a few tranquilizing breaths while reading over the now crumpled document and as he bargains with himself on history repeating itself, versus carrying the burden of punishment, his eyes blur and his prior outlook becomes fleeting when the onerous choice he's left with is made vividly clear.
This time when he exits their compound, Sasuke leaves with an internal and lasting wound.
Days later
Sasuke staggers to his car hammered, with eyes so tired keeping them open feels like more work than it's worth. With a continuous banging in his skull, he stumbles and catches himself on the car door, and then as he mindlessly shuffles his pockets for his fob he accidentally opens the sunroof and all the windows.
He grunts as he abandons his search and as he enters the car, he yawns when he sits in a relaxing position.
An hour later, his tilted head suddenly snaps forward from the seat, and now awaken from his impromptu slumber to rushing wind and a dark roaring sky above him, he squeezes his pockets for his possession then finally closes the sunroof and drives off.
Now on a lonely road and unable to remove the filth he's stepped in, it doesn't take much cynicism for him to consider the bleak atmosphere as a bad omen.
Meanwhile, several miles away, Ten Ten and Ino feverishly try to coax Hinata into celebrating with them.
"So you're going to stay here? Alone? How boring is that?" Ino protests restlessly.
Hinata replies absently while searching the couch for her phone "I'm just not in the mood for that kind of scene tonight."
"It'll be the event of the whole year."
"Isn't it always?" she questions with disinterest as she goes to check her bedroom.
Ten Ten follows behind her "So, how can you even consider missing it?"
"The same way I do every year."
"We'll behave you know, so like only maybe probably five drinks." Ten Ten vows boldly.
Hinata stops and looks at her with a doubtful brow lift.
"…Six," Ten Ten adds quietly
Hinata responds with a giggle then continues her search.
Ino comes closer "Okay, I'll do you one better, you can come for an hour and if-
She spins around quickly "Guys, I won't ball up on the floor once you leave just because he isn't here tonight. I swear, I'll be fine. You two really should go have fun." She says insistently.
Ten Ten pouts "Are you sure for sure?"
Hinata takes her hands "I am, just make sure you take lots of pictures, and don't leave Ino alone to run off with some guy."
She sighs deeply "Fine... But call us as soon as you change your mind."
Hinata nods and the ladies embrace her before reluctantly leaving, almost pulling her through the door with them.
When they go, Hinata searches more determinedly for her phone and when she finds it, she hurriedly scans through but pouts when there are no new messages or missed calls.
Despite this, she brightens up shortly after and walks out onto her balcony, smiling with a book in hand. However, after a few minutes, her enthusiasm for the night show wanes when she feels frigid winds and notices ominous clouds rolling in.
Then while observing the clouds, hoping that they hold it together for long enough, she soon notices the haze obscuring the bay from her view and after promptly checking the time she sighs.
"I guess there's always next year."
Now sitting at home alone with no interest to be out and about, she throws on her coat, then without any prep or powder, she leaves to get some peace of mind.
An hour later, she arrives at her former abode.
She gazes at her garden while walking up the drive and this time when she enters the house, she does it without the wave of tension and hesitancy, now grounded in reality and ditsy to go through Sasuke's recently minted décor.
She looks over all the images for several minutes with a bright smile and as she reflects, she falls into a world of her own, enraptured by memories Sasuke's gesture had unlocked.
Then just as she lifts the frame encasing the image of her on her wedding day she hears a suave voice.
"There aren't any duplicates if—
An ear-rupturing shriek from a frightened Hinata cuts Sasuke's words short, then suddenly.
Kssshhk
He beelines to her as he hears it, and in the blink of an eye, Hinata feels buoyant, lifted from broken glass and cradled between strong biceps and a heaving chest.
"I thought you heard me come in, I didn't mean to scare you," he says with shallow breathing.
She trembles from being unexpectedly awakened from her copacetic realm, however, her body goes numb and her pupils dilate when she sees Sasuke's worried eyes inspecting her carefully.
Hinata looks at him in a daze but still yet to respond and when Sasuke glimpses her face he voices with urbane charm.
"…I haven't seen you this red in the face in years."
Just then, her mottled cheeks burn to a brighter red and she curls to hide them.
"Uh-m-"
"Are you hurt?" he interjects caringly.
She gives him an uncertain shake of her head after not getting time on the floor to feel any pain kick in but despite her answer, he gently lays her on the couch then steps back.
"Don't move."
The second he walks off, he hears her yelp in distress and instantly turns around only to see her two feet on the floor leaking.
Sasuke lifts them once again and this time scooches her a bit further over on the couch.
He sighs "Can you do as I say just this once?" he entreats kindly.
She nods slowly, not to obey but due to her adrenaline subsiding, and as leaves her to grab the first aid kit close by, Hinata gets an eye full.
Though he smells as if he's as stressed as a tangled knot of live wires, he's looks comely. Dressed down from his usual debonair into a more casual fit with skinny sweats and runners and hair brushed only by the wind.
"Why are you staring?" He says suddenly without facing her.
Hinata hastily licks her lips and runs her hands through her hair before tucking it behind her ears, but there's only so much preening she can do.
Then just as she looks up through her lashes, she gasps when she meets Sasuke's face just an inch away.
He carefully shifts her hands "You still have that bad habit," —he softly pulls her hair from behind her ears— "You look great, perfect even," he adds sweetly.
He sits closely beside a crimson rapt Hinata and places her feet on his lap, then as he sorts what he needs from the kit he voices casually.
"By the way, you're still staring."
She shakes off the coyness "S-Sorry, I'm just thinking, you're not supposed to be here today… How was your-"
"This is going to hurt," he interrupts her curiosity to show her tweezers.
Suddenly, Hinata's brows press together with fearful anxiety and she quickly turns away and closes her eyes. Then as soon as she feels a prick, she howls loudly but in seconds an amused Sasuke cuts her off.
"It's already out," he chuckles.
"…Oh."
While he silently cleans her wounds, Hinata's eyes stay dismally fixed on the shattered casing that Sasuke toiled to hold her image.
"I'm sorry Sasuke, I just wanted to see your creepy wall again," she says in a frivolous tone
He releases a partial snicker "As if that's a perfectly normal thing to say."
Hinata forces a giggle on account of his genial response but when Sasuke notices a distinct sadness behind her eyes as they stare at the pieces strewn across the floor, he gently holds her chin and turns her face back to him.
"I still have the original so don't worry about it. Besides, blood and glass really do tie the room together," he says soothingly.
Hinata nods with a widening smile as her body relaxes and becomes carefree, but as Sasuke removes his hand from her chin, she flinches when she looks closely at them.
"You're bleeding," she gasps.
"I know."
She shifts without hesitation to tend to him but Sasuke tugs her leg, keeping her in place while he wraps up.
He takes his time to finish but as he secures the adhesive on her bandage, Hinata bulldozes her way beside him and takes his hands. However, her brows crease when she sees the cause of his wound, and when she questions how, Sasuke uses his hand to turn her head in the direction of the front door.
"You really took it with you?" she asks with wide eyes.
She then faces him again now with a slightly slack jaw and as she uses her tender touch to remove cactus spines and care for his cuts, Sasuke enjoys what he considers the last bit of guileless affection he'll ever receive from her.
After patching him up, Sasuke packs away the first aid kit then cleans up the soil spilling from the cactus pot he carelessly dropped before rushing to pick her up.
He then heads to the kitchen to bring back a drink but as he walks by their points board a discrepancy catches his eye and he takes it off the wall and holds it up for her to see.
"Aren't we a few hours too early for a reset?"
Hinata glances at him and chortles "Well you were lagging a tad behind."
"You call a million a tad?" he asks in a sarcastic tone while affixing it back onto the wall.
He grabs two glasses and a bottle of wine on his way back to her and when he takes a seat, Hinata expounds.
"You went a little overboard, and I want to earn my win like always so, I wanted a restart."
"Like always?" he asks with a reserved chortle and a raised brow.
"Mhm."
"You do know th-"
She covers her ears "La la la la I can't hear you la la la-"
Sasuke smiles with a short relenting laugh, allowing her white lie to slide, and as Hinata bites into her bottom lip to contain a grin, Sasuke pours her and himself a glass while sincerely explaining his reasoning.
"I gave you points because you always heard me out, no matter how reckless what I ended up saying was."
Hinata snickers "It's not like you made it easy to not listen."
She brushes him playfully with her shoulder and giggles, and as she does, Sasuke nods with a broad smile.
"I appreciate that."
"Good because, you've racked up a few points too as of late, so, how about we call it a tie this year?"
She holds out her hand eagerly and he shakes it with vigor until a laugh pops out from her.
"Deal."
An hour speeds by as they engage each other in light conversation, forgoing any mention of his therapy or their current situation, but not long after he refills their glasses for the third time, Hinata's curiosity gets the best of her again.
"Are you trying to get me drunk?"
"Is it working?" he quips in a whimsical tone before taking a sip
Hinata expresses a brief chortle while setting down her glass then licks her lips.
"Unfortunately not... So, how did your meetings go?"
Sasuke chokes on his drink a bit, then after taking a slight glance at her then at the clock, he closes his eyes and drags back the emotion to where he doesn't need to feel it.
"That bad huh?"
He inhales deeply "…Something like that."
All of a sudden, his voice drops an octave and becomes gritty.
"It's getting late and you aren't driving anywhere with those feet so." —He scratches his forehead— "Do you want me to drop you anywhere? Don't you have somewhere to be with…"
"I broke it off."
She interrupts serenely, and Sasuke tilts his head towards her with an open gaze as she continues.
"I'm not sure where you and I will go after counseling so… It was for the best," she says with conciliatory eyes.
Sasuke releases a huge exhalation of pent-up breath as his eyes brighten, but although immensely uplifted by her news the reality sinks in and he places a slightly trembling hand on the back of hers.
"Are, Are you ok?"
He asked considerately and his thoughtfulness resonated with her.
She turns her hand palm-up to hold his and responds affirmatively with a degree of confidence that ignites a spark inside him as if he could dance around the room.
"So, you have no plans tonight?"
She shakes her head "It's almost midnight Sasuke, I wouldn't be here if I did."
He takes a purifying breath so deep his lung capacity doubles, and now aware that she's without loose ends, Sasuke decides to use their time together more effectively.
"I know it's still stormy outside but, I'd love to take you somewhere before tomorrow."
"Before tomorrow?" —She says with emphasis as she looks at the clock— "Do you think we'll make it?"
He stands quickly, and with a warm smile, he reaches a hand out to her.
"That's for us to find out."
Hinata gulps subtly as she looks at his hand and though she considers going home in lieu of something potentially inadequate, when she sees the intense besottedness held within his gaze as he reaches for her, she feels no other desire but to trust him, implicitly.
When she places her hand in his Sasuke holds it with a firm grasp then crouches, and all while the two peer into each other's eyes, he lifts her off the couch with his other arm.
"Hold on tight," He requests nicely.
As his brawny arms embosom her, Hinata sinks her face into his well-built chest and inadvertently purrs under her breath.
Then when her arms wrap around his neck, he carries her with speed to her car, so fast that they both leave their phones behind and heedlessly forget to lock the front door.
Despite being aware of their reckless abandon, they drive without looking back, entertained by each other as well as melodies ringing in new beginnings.
In what feels like a jet-boosted ride, Sasuke weaves through tight alleys and foggy unlit back roads as he avoids blocked lanes, heavy traffic, and crowds, and soon after, they arrive at the foot of a hill with only an obscure zig-zag trail leading up through unkempt growth.
Then as soon as he sets the gear to park, he hops from his seat and hurries over to the passenger door where he smoothly whisks Hinata away, and as fast as he's walking, he's anxious to see this through and wrings his wrist to see his watch.
"I'm going to need you to run faster."
He says it next to her ear and humored by his statement Hinata looks up from below his chin with softly knitted brows.
"You know, I thought of that but it's a little hard when you're the one carrying me. Maybe if you stop teetering like an old- Ahh!"
Her cheeky rebuttal ends abruptly and she gasps out when Sasuke briefly releases the tension in his grip.
"I didn't catch that, you were saying?"
While now clinging tightly to his shirt, Hinata gives him a wide folded lip smile and looks up the path.
She nods slowly "Okay," she says it with obvious intent at eventual payback.
However, as they reach the crest, everything else becomes a blur and Hinata's circuits light up from the sudden release of dopamine when she's blown away by the breathtaking view of the city skyline and the serenity of this hideaway.
With only night's light glowing in between clouds and the shushing of wind, the long grass seeded with bright wildflowers and devil snares sway, and it invites comfort and immersion in a way only the same combination can achieve.
Now mesmerized, Hinata unwittingly balls her fists and covers a swelling smile, her eyes gleam profoundly over her knuckles as she takes in the vista, and although she sees hope when she looks on the horizon, Sasuke's fades.
"…I know it's not the helicopter dinner bu-,"
"There you go overthinking again."
After a pregnant pause, he answers with clairvoyance "I was going to say, I know you'd love it."
Her eyes shimmer from the sentiment and while she dotes on his understanding of her, he steadily sets her down, taking off some of the pressure by keeping her leaned against him, however, Hinata's enthusiasm is too great to contain.
"I can see the bay from here," she says with both arms stretched and flying above her head.
His brows raise with his smile as he replies "I couldn't let you miss the show."
She then swiftly faces him and chants 'thank you' repeatedly, her voice growing louder with each one until they blur together as her face flushes with excitement and it brings Sasuke tremendous pleasure.
However, when she turns away his throat clenches and his mind becomes heavy as he remembers the heat that will surely rain down on his head.
Nonetheless, with only a few minutes to go before the show, Hinata applies gentle pressure as she creeps a bit forward.
"How do you even know about this place?"
He swallows the itch in his throat "…This is where I keep all the dead bodies."
Hinata snaps her head to him but he remains stoic after his reveal.
She quips with enthusiasm "Dinner and a show? Yum. Were they dead before they got here or…?"
The corners of his lips twitch as he fails to contain a grin and he chortles.
"Alright cool it Satan don't get your hopes up, I've just been coming here to think."
She pouts and replies in a dulled tone "Oh."
"Did that disappoint you?"
"Just a little."
She giggles and swings her arms as she moves further and Sasuke releases a sigh of deep contentment, her piquing ways are inebriating and now he can't wipe the proud smile off his face.
Then as firecrackers set off and horns start blaring, he checks the time and walks over to her without delay.
"We have 10 seconds, do you want to start?"
She grabs his hand "You have to yell with me this time."
"What?"
"We're alone so do it with me, as loud as you can, okay?" she says in haste.
He nods and they start counting down from five, interchanging with each other as they go.
Then as massive fireworks blast off and shatter into thousands of sparks illuminating the area and emblazing the stormy sky, it incites cheers from all over and Hinata and Sasuke celebrate just the same, at the top of their lungs.
"Happy New Year!"
"Happy Anniversary!"
When he says it, Hinata gasps and looks over at him and although he is not fully engrossed as depressing thoughts hang on, he adorns a fawning smile but she easily sees through it.
She sighs and looks to the sky "You said the wrong thing Sasuke."
"That's what I tell you every year. That's what I celebrate," he says brazen-faced
Hinata titters a bit and shakes her head slowly, but doesn't say a word. However as she watches the rockets explode against the darkness high above filling it with colorful lights and signaling rebirth, her smile diminishes as she releases the burden on her chest.
"You say that but it isn't a happy one this year is it?"
He squeezes his eyes shut "I'm sorry."
"Hmm… You should have just stayed home that night, but I know you know that you messed up." She chirps with a giggle at the end, already no longer dwelling on it.
"I-I'm so sorry," he says with a shiver.
She replies flatly "Did you not hear m-"
Her mouth loses connection with her brain when she turns to him and sees that his eyes are now heavy and rimmed with tears. So baffled is she, that she doesn't know what to think or say and as the light show dies down in the background he continues to unpack his feelings.
He speaks softly but with conviction "I've made our life together complicated, I hit our marriage with a grenade and now you have no reason to trust how I feel… I wish more than anything that I stayed with you, I left you stranded and now I'm drowning."
He wheezes for a bit from his throat tightening and as she observes him wistfully, his watery eyes dangle and shut, unable to maintain eye contact.
"I blocked your destiny, I broke your heart… If I could only turn back time, you would never have met me, known me, or fallen in love. You would have found someone better, never felt that pain, and forever be happy, honored unconditionally… But I took that away from you and I'm so sorry."
With no more fireworks to break up the silence, and as he stands in the quiet glade between them under a waning crescent moon, Sasuke's thoughts scream like untethered banshees, deafening and pleading for release.
'This is it,' he thinks.
Then just as his hands become icy as he prepares to say the words, Hinata lifts her hands and uses both thumbs to compassionately sweep away the tears trickling down his cheek.
Her action induces calm and Sasuke takes a deep breath, finally giving his lungs reprieve. Then when he opens his eyes he's greeted with a soulful sight as Hinata smiles winsomely.
"You're eyes are sweating."
The tone of her out there response subtracts the sadness from the moment, and he chuckles away the emotion.
"Really, that's all you have to say to me?"
"You want a trophy?"
"Maybe," he grins.
She giggles behind her hands "I don't have one but, for what it's worth, you don't have to apologize for it anymore. We've both done things that we shouldn't have so as far as I'm concerned we'll just move forward… I mean, there can only be up from here right?"
Her words do little to rebuild his confidence in the decision he's chosen, nonetheless, he quietly agrees with a small nod, though with hesitation.
"Ye-Yeah, Right."
She looks skyward at the smoky trails beginning to vanish and as a gust of wind hits her she speaks prudently without looking at him.
"Before you left, you asked a personal question, I'm about to do the same."
She tilts her head to him with crossed arms and when Sasuke confirms that he's ready her lips grow thin and firm.
"…Why did you marry me? Was it just so you wouldn't ever be alone?"
A momentary look of discomfort crosses his face from being on the receiving end of the odd question, and he scratches his forehead to pull apart the perturbed lines.
"Honestly?"
She rubs the back of her crossed arms "Well that's the best policy isn't it?"
His brows lift "Hmm, I hope so."
He looks up briefly to gather his thoughts and just as Hinata begins to think he's uncertain Sasuke turns to her fully and brushes her bang.
"No, I didn't marry you just for company, you were simply bothersome."
"Was- was that, the only reason?" she questions anxiously.
"No just the main one," he chuckles flippantly.
The space between Hinata's eyebrows narrow and he taps on the contorted skin while letting out a groaning laugh.
"I'm joking, I'm not done," he soothes.
He rubs her forehead until the dismayed grooves flatten and when they do he softly adds a precise explanation.
"I couldn't get you out of my head. The way your voice heightened when you laughed, the way your eyes sparkled when you looked at me, you always smelt like you were covered in sweetness, and your touch would send tidal waves through me… You were always there, always ready with the biggest heart to love me when I needed it… So when you weren't, you were all I could think of, every second, of every day, and the more I tried to stop, the worse it got."
Hinata tastes copper and her cheeks scorch as her stomach twists into knots.
She gulps "I didn't know that I made you so sick."
He smiles warmly and runs his hand along her hair "You were my cure," he whispers.
His voice quivers as he adds "I dreamt of you with grey hair surrounded by kids that all take after you. I wanted a life with you so badly Hina, because I was in love with you… It was like gravity wasn't the thing keeping me grounded anymore, it was you, and I never wanted to live without that feeling, or share it with anyone else."
After a few minutes of reflective silence, Hinata blows her cheeks out "…Including my family?"
A throaty laugh erupts from him "Especially your family."
"Well aren't you selfish, but you know what? You're a really bad kidnapper."
"And you're a bad hostage."
He says it with a chortle then caresses her cheek when he sees her blink back emerging tears, drawn out by the purity of his words.
"God I love you… I fucking love you… I-I" —he whispers with heavy emphasis before a hesitant crack— "…I don't know what I'll do without you."
Suddenly, longing loaded stares get sent back and forth, and just when Hinata feels as though her knees could give out, she quickly captures Sasuke in a crushing embrace, and though reluctant, his body trembles as he gradually returns it with equal force, rocking her a bit when he does.
"You shouldn't think like that anymore, I'm right here," she says hoping to impart solace.
He doesn't respond but when Hinata feels him squeeze her tighter, she attempts once more.
She sniffles mildly "Listen, I'm glad you came back and all, but, it's almost been twenty minutes into our anniversary and, you still haven't kissed me."
She tilts her head up to him with beguiling eyes and it sends blood surging from Sasuke's already nervous brain, leaving him lightheaded and susceptible.
So without hesitation and with lips as soft as cotton, he kisses her forehead long and tenderly then slowly inches around her temple, sucking on her cheeks a little at a time and going as far back as her ears down to her jawline before lovingly rubbing his nose against hers then finishing with a soft peck on her chin.
He intentionally avoids the one place she wants him out of fear that he wouldn't be able to let go. Regardless, satisfaction swells in his chest the whole time from listening to her fit of laughter and feeling her supple skin on his lips.
Then just when he begins to pull away Hinata tugs on his collar, keeping him close, and murmurs with titillating eyes.
"Try again."
She enticingly bites her lips while rubbing a delicate finger side to side just below his, and her touch is so seductive that he becomes unfettered to his craving.
He gulps as his eyes draw down to gaze intensely at her succulence, then with eyes closing, he licks his lips and leans in to taste them, but just as he does, a droplet of rain lands on his forehead and he looks up.
Right then, another droplet hits him then a few hit her, and now lifted from his trance of what could be, he uses the divine disruption to neutralize the yearning.
He crouches then effortlessly picks her up "Let me take you home."
He cuddles her while walking back to her car all while shuddering from internal panic, and as they take affectionate peeks while cruising to her apartment, Sasuke slips an upright palm onto her lap and gestures for her to take it, and when she does, he interlocks his fingers with hers.
An hour later
After keeping far under the speed limit, when Hinata tells him to turn into reserved parking, Sasuke tilts his head under to watch how far up the fountain shows shoot.
Then as he clutches Hinata and walks to the entrance, Sasuke stares incredulously at the marble embellishments decorating the exterior and floor-to-ceiling windows covering more than half the building's length with a perch that seemingly touches the sky.
He tentatively crosses sliding doors and as it opens up to a spacious lobby with opulent designs and ambient lighting he can't help but comment on the distinct divergence from her usual taste.
"Ritzy," he says inquisitively.
Then as he turns his pondering eyes to her, Hinata looks up with deliberately raised brows.
"No wonder you couldn't find me huh? But don't worry you can come by anytime you like."
She reads him like a book and as his cheeks redden he chins up and calls the lift.
She teases him about it the whole way up and now, after being her willing crutch, Sasuke sets her down one final time at her door.
Hinata thanks him courteously for the night, and just as she takes a step inside, she turns around and voices playfully.
"Would you like to-,"
"Yes," he interjects eagerly.
His response was predictable and Hinata chortles as she steps aside and opens the door wider, however when he's about to take a step in, he grudgingly braces both hands on the doorway and winces.
"But… I can't, I shouldn't," he says with a disheartened shrug.
Now with crestfallen eyes, he becomes certain of the kind of husband he wants to be. But, despite his answer Hinata takes a firm hold of his sweatshirt and pulls him inside, not wanting to skip out on their modest desire like they did before.
She scuttles to the kitchen carefully, leaving him in a daze at the front, and after a minute she returns.
"Head's up."
Hinata tosses a bottle at him and though he has well-oiled reflexes, Sasuke fumbles before getting a good grasp.
He puffs the air "You wouldn't happen to have any stronger apple juice would you?"
She shakes her head as she casually takes a sip from her own bottle and after walking to an end table she turns to him with enthusiasm.
"I found a counselor and she's really good. She's helped a lot of people just like us... I wanted to book an appointment but I didn't know when you'd be back and I don't want to clash with your therapy so..."
She waits, hopeful that Sasuke would show some interest but he just stands at the door, immobile as his heart sinks like an anchor.
Nonetheless, Hinata continues with care.
"I really want us to set a date."
He steps forward "Hina, why don't we talk for a bit first."
Her head juts back a little as her heart gets a sudden jab of high anxiety.
"What? We've been talking all night."
His voice quivers "I uh… I know, but-"
"Why did you say it like that?" she interrupts with brows knot with concern.
He gulps "…W-what do you mean?"
"That little ripple in your tone like there's something upsetting you."
He snickers through his teeth "..Wh-why would I be-"
"There it is again…"
Sasuke clears his throat, trying to get some control before he continues and Hinata takes up a card from the table.
"I have her number and email right here, we can do it now."
He moves with urgency towards her "I-It-It's late, it's a holiday, I don't-"
"Oh shoot I left my phone," she interjects with a smack on her head.
Sasuke takes a sigh of relief "I… I left mine too so…"
Hinata stares at him with unblinking eyes "So… We have to go back."
She briskly moves towards the front, and he shakes his head with sagging eyes.
"I really don't think we should."
She nods "You're right I should just use my laptop, it's faster that way."
He holds his head in his hands "Hina."
"I don't know why I didn't think of that first."
"Hina."
"We could probably even start tomo-"
"Hina!"
"WHAT!" she replies with an aggressively harsh sneer.
Suddenly, all his seams come undone, and he tugs her close then braces her against the wall, and as he holds her there, Hinata breathes heavily with tense eyes while Sasuke's chin trembles.
He then tightly sucks in his bottom lip and bows his head then shuts his eyes.
"I… Have to tell you something," he says after a pause that felt like forever.
"I don't want to hear it," she replies worriedly as her eyes get hot and gummy.
She harshly shoves off his arm, causing his limp body to crash against the wall, then crosses her arms as she walks away, but soon, the foreboding emotion wraps around her like a noose and she squeezes her eyes to force the tears from their edge.
She sighs dreadfully "You've been acting weird all night, you self-medicated before you even got in, like you showered in booze… You got that edge in your voice, and you held me like I kept slipping through your fingers every time I brought our future up. Like it won't be there, like you can't see it anymore."
She wipes away a heavy sigh with her hand "You were so excited over the phone so I thought it was nerves but, it's obvious that it isn't, so tell me… Do you want to do this or not?"
After a few minutes of no answer, Hinata walks over to him and forcefully yanks him away from the wall, vexed by his unresponsiveness however, the sight she sees gives her all the answers she feared.
Sasuke's eyes are hollow and glistening with unshed tears, a look she's seen only at the end times, and as her breathing gives out from her throat tightening Sasuke lifts her and takes her to the couch.
He moistens his lips and holds her hands, and as a tear falls from his eyes he speaks tonelessly, the words tasting like mothballs to say.
"I wanted to tell you sooner… I've thought of what I could have done differently a thousand times but it all leads back to one simple thing, I don't deserve you."
She shakes her head from side to side, tearfully rejecting his claim but Sasuke rubs her shoulders and reasons with her.
"I thought we could do it too but, Hina"—he looks deeply into her eyes then quickly bows— "It's been obstacle after obstacle from the start, when will it end?"
She eagerly juts forward "Now, it can end now Sasuke," she says with alacrity, tilting her head downward to see his eyes.
"You're right," he replies absently.
He nods while sucking in the tear running to his lips and Hinata's eyes immediately condense into sanguine pearls.
Then just when her smile animates with mirth as she readies to provide more solace, Sasuke interrupts her in a dull distant voice.
"I want an annulment."
Suddenly, she feels as if she's been dragged underwater as all the blood rushes from her system leaving her cold, and even when he finds the will to look at her, Hinata's eyes remain heavy and lifeless.
Regardless, he wipes the droplets as they course down her cheeks and his mouth quivers as he struggles to make the words leave his throat.
"…It… It would be like," —His shoulders hang spiritlessly— "…We never even met."
She shakes her head in denial as she snivels, while his head bounces heedlessly as he speaks over her.
"St-Stop it, you're not saying this to me-"
"We weren't meant to be-"
"Y-y-you don't mean it so stop-"
"You just made a mistake marrying me-"
"I said stop!"
Hinata holds his head between her hands to steady it and when his eyes focus directly on her she gasps desperately between soft sobs.
"You didn't do all you did for nothing so we're not doing this again… You can't push me away again, I won't let you."
"I'm doing this for you," he whines.
"No, you're not, you'd never want this, you'd never ask for it…" —She sniffles as her nose runs red— "So please… Please tell me what I did to change your mind." She adds with a hitch.
His eyes stretch wide raising his forehead "Nothing, you did no-"
"I'm sorry I won't do it again, please just tell me."
Now thoroughly despondent, he lowers his gaze while trying to extinguish her feelings of guilt, but as he bends his head Hinata keeps it firmly at eye level. Then as she caresses his cheek and continues pleading for herself with despairing tears gathering at her neck, Sasuke grabs a fist full of hair as his will falls apart.
"I know about the arrangement you made with your father," he admits in a plaintive sigh.
Abruptly, Hinata's tears seize and her breathing becomes resigned and restricted as panic sets in. Then when Sasuke notices, he brushes the groove above his lips.
"He'll use Toneri to take over my company or else I'll be hit with an embezzlement charge and your practice will be divested, forcing you back into his gilded cage to do as he sees fit... I know everything."
Her face grows pensive and she blubbers "I…I…I'm. I'm so sor-"
"You've got to stop doing that… You're sorry? For what exactly?"
Now afflicted by him knowing, Hinata struggles to control her quivering body as she drowns out her senses to cope.
"You're angry aren't you?" she asks with haggard eyes looking down.
Sasuke recoils slightly as he balks at her question "Would it make you feel better if I was?"
She shakes her head woefully, then when he feels her shaky hands slipping from his face he holds them just as they release tension.
"You think I'd be angry with you for loving me enough to risk your freedom?"
Hinata's shoulders raise then depress in an obvious fashion and he reassures her unashamed.
"For putting all your faith in me…? Hina you believed in us, with all your heart and you proved it with all you could give… So tell me, how could I possibly be angry with you?"
Her face slowly swings up as her hands warm against his skin and with an incredibly intimate mutual gaze, they send a balmy smile toward each other before he continues.
"It's flattering actually," he says with a chuckle.
Her eyes blink rapidly and she swallows the strangling sensation around her neck, transitioning from disbelief to gracious appreciation and endearing smile.
She slowly pulls her hands to her lap "So if you know about it, why don't you fight it? Won't your board back you up?"
He scratches his jaw "I make them money Hina we're not friends. Plus my latest acquisition was impulsive not strategic, Kiba's shit burns more money than it can ever make and since it wasn't green-lit or discussed it doesn't exactly scream dutiful leader. So I'm not expecting a cavalry to ride in."
She replies staunchly "Well then, I haven't exactly been sitting on my hands you know, I just need a few more documents and-
He holds her shoulders firmly to interrupt her unwavering optimism.
"If I don't do this by tonight you won't be registered under his brand tomorrow, you won't have rights or access to your practice and you'll have to start from scratch just to be licensed here... If we fight this Hina, I'll get a court date and you'll lose everything… So this isn't up for discussion, I've already made up my mind." He says resolutely
She takes a minute to process it all and as she does, her eyes become imbued with abjection.
"Okay, but… I still don't get it, if it doesn't matter what we do, why are you asking for this?"
"Because he gave you an out,"
Now truly perplexed and having lost heart, Hinata's body stiffens and goes still when he expounds on his intention.
"If I cut you loose you won't be stripped and if we get it annulled, you'll have no ties to me when I go down."
Her brows tip upwards "…But-"
"No more buts, I won't let you bend to his will for something I caused when you've given so much," —He rubs his sweaty hands on his pockets then clutches one with the other— "Remember that promise I made? I meant it and now it's time for me to keep it… I want to make you the happiest woman in the world even if that means I can't share it with you."
She opposes "Not like this, not when we're so close to-"
"Do you trust me?" he interrupts.
Without much delay, Hinata nods doubtlessly and when she does, he responds with avid affection.
"Then do me a favor, put your faith in me, and let me do this for you... Let me prove how much I love you one last time."
Hinata cocks her head to the side and shakes it slowly, denying him surety to sacrifice his desires and everything else just to ensure hers.
However, determined to see this through he gets on his knees before her and glazes her chin. He then bundles one of his palms with hers and rests his other on top to secure it tightly.
"Please Hina, let me protect you," he begs with pained eyes.
"…"
She meets his eyes and continuously shakes her head all while biting her lip incessantly, in need of differed pain to provide relief from her cramping chest, but as he pleads unabated, she ultimately relents, and after a small intake of breath she reluctantly approves in a quiet quiver.
"…Okay… Okay."
He nods with a dreary smile, then while still clenching her fingers, he responds with audible stress.
"…I know it doesn't seem like it now but please remember this, you're still the best thing that ever happened to me. So although our journey ends here, trust that I'll love you from afar… No matter the distance or time between us, you will be my Hina always and forever."
As he stands, he carefully lets go of her hand, and after a quick stroke of her cheek, Sasuke kisses her forehead with tremendous passion, leaving his love embedded in her mind before he says a final goodbye.
Then with eyes bursting with severely forlorn tears, they smile softly at each other before he whizzes through the door. He leaves without looking back fearing that if he does it'll unnerve him while giving her a glimmer of hope, so when he shuts the door behind him, Hinata unravels.
She wails helplessly with seemingly endless tears and just as she readies her hands to clear her muddled eyes she becomes aware of something inside and quickly unbundles it.
When she does, Hinata breathes feebly through her nose at the sight of her ring, and as she considers its restored meaning, she depresses, and her gaze devolves further from the thought of no longer having a reason to adorn it.
Then as she sobs without relief, the bad memories once hard-pressed become distorted, outweighed, and overridden by the thousands of heartfelt moments which brought them together and kept them there time after time despite persistent hurdles that stood in their way.
However, now heading for a definitive end, Hinata's gut rolls as her reasoning falls apart. This promised happiness is far more than she bargained for.
Meanwhile
Sasuke exits the building and as heavy rain pours from above he curses under his breath at the heavens cruel irony.
With bent posture he drags his feet with every step, almost stumbling with each one, moving listlessly and abysmally absent-minded towards the end of the parking lot, and though with no mode of transport, Sasuke slugs on, barely aware of his own movement while being chewed and gutted by abrasive thoughts.
Then even though soaked from head to toe, every breath he takes burns as if he's walking through an inferno.
After a few minutes, his skin becomes numb and as he gets bogged down further, he begins to feel his dejected mind playing tricks on him when he hears a faint voice calling his name.
He squeezes his eyes shut and curses the voice causing his insanity, questioning why it sounds like her.
However just as he uses the clashing thunder to try to tune it out, it gets louder, and when he begins to hear the splatter of water being displaced and drawing closer and closer as if something is clambering on top of it, Sasuke halts and opens his eyes.
Suddenly as he listens closely, his ears get filled with a repetition of the exclusive word he's longed to embody for months.
"SASU!"
He hears it as clear as day, booming and insistent as the clouds above, and now convinced that he's heard correctly he hastily spins around, and precisely when he does, Sasuke gets struck by a monstrous amount of force as Hinata slams into him as fast as a bullet, using him as a stopper and sending him along with herself a couple feet from where he stood.
She wraps her arms around him tightly, trapping his, and clings to the back of his shirt then sobs inconsolably with her face crammed into his chest.
The sheer force awakens his tired heart and as it pummels his lungs, it makes it hard to breathe, and as gobsmacked as he is, all Sasuke can do at the moment is look at her head with sodden unbelieving eyes and voice quietly.
"Hina, your feet."
She ignores his concern while panting breathlessly from exhaustion and worry, then after gulping down air, she begins to express her heated exasperation in an aggravated strain.
"You promised you'd make me happy but I'm not. You said you'd keep trying but you're leaving."
She sniffles excessively "…So, I'll never forgive you," —her voice grows louder— "I'll never ever forgive you Sasuke Uchiha!" —She pounds his chest with trembling fists— "I'll forever wish for you to be unhappy, I'll hope that you're always alone… I'll hate you until you die," she whines.
"I'll hate you Sasu I promise I will, I'll hate you until I die if-if-" —her thumps soften and cease as her tone pitches—…If you don't take me with you."
Her voice reduces to a sniveling rasp "Pl-Ple-Please, take me with you… Let me follow until my legs turn to dust and even then I'll crawl, just please don't go without me."
"I need you to love me in my presence, so be guilty, suffer through it, start from scratch, and stay with me... Be with me Sasu, don't go off on your own, don't out run me again."
Her voice grows faint "…Please don't leave me behind."
She says it all with her face buried in his chest, practically drowning on land from unceasing tears, and as she squeezes him tighter while sniffling tiredly and still sounding out her pleas, Sasuke finally Inhales the breath of life.
He wrangles his arms loose and clutches her close, easing the pressure off her aching feet.
"Well, look who's selfish now," he teases quietly.
"I do-do-don't care," she hiccups as her nose clogs.
He puffs a small chortle "Clearly," —he places his lips close to her forehead, as if to speak into her mind— "You won't make this easy will you?"
"It'll be harder to be without you. What's good in being free, if I can't share it with you." she muffles in his shirt.
His tears run onto her forehead "Hina… If we do this, and you run away with me, you'll be going against your father and all of them who love you… We'll be repeating the past. Is that what you really want, again?"
Hinata shifts her face and pants as she gets fresh breath, then with eyebrows pulled up and knitted in the middle she dolefully unpacks her feelings.
"Sasu… You still don't get it, I will always choose you… Because, even if I could go back a hundred times, I'd still want to meet you, get to know you, and fall in love. I'd run straight to you every time for a hundred reasons to smile, so I'll keep choosing you till the very end."
Sasuke rubs her chin before tilting her head up to him then strokes her cheeks with both thumbs.
"Then answer this… Can you see me?"
Hinata slowly opens her immensely heavy lids dripping just as intensely as the torrent of rain washing them away and when she looks at him, she exhales.
She sees him as he was before all their recent qualms, as her husband, the reserved and brutally honest man that would willingly move mountains just for her sake, and as it all comes back to her, Hinata's nostrils billow wildly and she nods.
"…I see you," —she whispers adoringly— "I love you Sasu."
When she says it, a stinging release runs rampant within him, the ardor words he's missed for so long enkindle the warmth and engulfs his heart like wildfire.
Suddenly, Hinata's racing fears gets cast asunder when Sasuke sweeps her off her feet and twirls her around. He splashes the water beneath them giddily and swings her lovingly, pressing their bodies together in a vise he's spent too many daunting nights fantasizing of, only now with the comfort of mind knowing that he'll never have to let her go.
Though the rain continues pouring heavily, drenching them both, the two have never sensed this extensive heat permeating from within, it makes the air around them feel heavenly.
Then as he excitedly expresses his exuberance, he kisses her all over and chokes on his words as they blur and meld together, amalgamating the many hopes and dreams he's been itching to realize and though it's almost a jumbled mess to her ears, it's touching, and makes them tingle as the pounding in her chest thunders.
Soon they lock rapturous eyes, and Hinata rubs her fingers softly around his face then runs her hands through his hair, and when Sasuke notices the ring, his throat tightens, overwhelmed by the actuality of it all.
Then while internally appreciating her consideration, Hinata entices him sweetly.
"Kiss me."
At a moment's notice and without second-guessing, he leans in with voracious lips to seal their love on the area he's desired most of all.
Sasuke sucks on her lips tenderly for minutes, in plain view of traffic and any soul occupying the front-facing apartments, and as she gets wrapped in the heat, Hinata slips her tongue out which he smoothly twists and knots with his.
Then with slow undulating jaws, they kiss deeply in the cold, delighting in the frisson as they ride each other's wave, and just as they detach, he embraces her then expresses the sentiments that assure how they'll navigate their newest path.
He braces her onto him and tilts his lips to her ear then speaks in a pleasant hush.
"Don't follow me Hina, hold my hand and stand beside me... So if I run you can keep up and if you get tired I'll slow down. That way we'll never leave each other behind. Got it?"
"Got it," she agrees in an equally affable tone.
He captures her lips once more in his and as they sensually declare their quenchless devotion for each other, they do so with flourishing affection, now steady and transfixing as they prepare to dance with the devil, side by side and hand in hand with mutual and uncompromised confidence.
Hope you enjoyed the read.
A/N: This should have been SasuHina's last chapter but obviously it's missing a proper wrap up with Hiashi, and well, smut so one more chapter will do it. For now this ties up the major loose end so you can imagine what will happen.
Title for NaruHina will be twisted fate.
Also, thank so much for all the well wishes, I really appreciate them. I had a pretty uneventful delivery, besides an eight hour labor, and now a perfectly healthy baby is getting all my love and cuddles 😊
Take care till next time.