It's All About the Timing
A/N: A few readers asked for an epilogue, so I decided to write one. Hope you enjoy!
Recently, Sasuke has been living on Cloud Nine.
Konoha has become a lot more pleasant in the past month, and it's no mystery as to why. A hidden force that Sasuke knows first-hand has been overlooking the intimate happenings of the village, thus causing a massive skyrocket in the number of couples across Konoha. Especially in the lives of his fellow ninja comrades who once lived an uncertain and busy lifestyle that prevented them from making longer, more committed connections, Sasuke has noticed a significant rise in the number of relationships.
Of course he's noticed.
He helped it come to be.
But perhaps more importantly — the woman who started the whole thing to "protect" the privacy of her friends and partners just so happens to be his girlfriend.
Hinata Hyuuga has a special way to her that Sasuke finds quite endearing.
She's a bit of a stalker, if he's being blunt; but rather than it being concerning, Sasuke thinks this trait of hers supports all the stories in Konoha detailing the selfless heart the Hyuuga heiress possesses. Her care for others reaches so deeply inside her that she'd willingly spend hours of her own time making sure Naruto and Ino Yamanaka's date is not rudely interrupted by the careless people of Konoha. She's the kind to spend her own earnings on umbrellas to hand out to people who look unprepared for the coming store. She tells stories to her cousin's tombstone and smiles to herself whenever she sees her friends walk hand-in-hand through the streets.
Hinata Hyuuga may be a stalker, but at least she's a good one.
And, if Sasuke may be so bold, a cute one, at that.
...
However, there is a trick when it comes to being in love with a stalker.
"Ah! Sakura and Lee seem to be doing fine."
It's evening, and he's walking her home from the Hokage Tower. The past few days have been busy for the both of them, and with schedules that simply did not line up together, they haven't had the chance to be together (alone) for a good while. He makes sure to take all the right turns to avoid busy streets and hotspots for couples to throw themselves into the pleasures of their partners, and Hinata follows along with that content look on her face that makes his heart beat wildly.
They talk, catching up with everything that's been keeping them busy for the past several days. She's telling him stories about her sister causing trouble for the clan when they come to a particularly desolate spot, and Sasuke (now thoroughly trained in the art of scouting out the area for any, wondering civilian or passerby) checks the parameter before reaching out for her hand —
Only to stop when her stories stop immediately to point out a wandering couple in an almost hidden spot of the park to the left of them. Sasuke's almost impressed until he remembers the ways of her Hyuuga eyes, and then that warm feeling slips away as he grumpily shoves his hand into the pocket of his trousers.
Because that's the thing with stalkers.
Sometimes, they get distracted. Especially this stalker in particular, who takes note of everything and everyone around her and not just one person. Her determination, while adorable, sometimes makes Sasuke wish she would turn those stalkerish tendencies towards him and him alone.
Is that a possessive and jealous way of thinking? Sure.
Is it also strange that a man who used to be stalked constantly by girls now wishes to be stalked by this girl in particular? Absolutely.
But — really.
Sasuke's a changed man.
A few months ago, he wouldn't have noticed the severe rise in couples in Konoha; and if, by some miracle, he did, he wouldn't have given two shits about it!
But now, Sasuke is the partner-in-crime to this little imp, and when he walks her to the gate of her estate, her lips are soft and warm against his cheekbone, and he thinks — Ah, hell, I've got it bad.
...
So — it's established.
Sasuke's into her. Head over heels, if you will. A pup desperately following her around, if such analogies must be made.
But even so, there are certain things that he simply will not stand for!
The next day, they find time to grab a bite at Ichiraku's, and the date starts out fantastically. Hinata accidentally snapped one of her wooden chopsticks in half, and while Sasuke would have been a gentleman and grabbed her a new pair immediately, he was entertained by her struggle to eat with two, uneven chopsticks so much that it took him a good while until he took pity on the poor girl and called for another set. The cold air would press against their backs and make Hinata shiver, so Sasuke had the chance, he'd hook his foot around the leg of her stool and pull her closer, hoping his naturally higher body heat would help warm her some. He pretended not to notice Ayame's cheeky grin as Hinata's cheeks were decorated with a pretty blush.
Really, the date was going perfectly fine until the familiar voice of Tenten picked up from the noise of the village.
Hinata turns in her stool the moment she hears the voice, and Sasuke eventually follows suit. She and Aburame seem to be on a date of their own, enjoying the markets and goods Konoha has to offer that weekend. The curl of Hinata's shoulders tell Sasuke she's falling into her bodyguard/stalker habits before the pronounced veins around her eyes do, and his mouth turns just a tad.
"Hinata," he says, "your food will get cold."
Her eyes carefully watch the crowd, making sure no one makes a move to disturb the couple on the other side of the street.
Sasuke's nose wrinkles. "Hinata," he tries again, "what should we do after this?"
She gives a non-committal hum.
"Hinata." He leans closer, making sure she can hear him well. "I want you to stay over tonight."
"That's nice," she muses, byakugan staying activated.
Huffing, Sasuke pokes her cheek with his chopsticks. "Oi," he says. "You."
That gets her attention. When she turns back to him, looking at him with her byakugan, realization hits her. Her hand touches her astonished mouth, and she meekly deactivates her kekkei genkai and turns away from the street.
"I was doing it again."
"Yes." This time, he flicks the tip of her nose with his fingers. "You were."
"I'm sorry."
He leans back slightly, stirring his noodles with his chopsticks. "You're on a date with me, by the way; not with those two."
The bright red dancing on her cheeks makes him smirk, amused. "I-I know that!"
"Right."
"Sasukeee." She playfully kicks one of the legs of his stool before properly situating herself along the counter, eating a portion of her ramen while it was still warm. "Okay. No more distractions! I'm all yours today."
He grins down at her. "Well, that's very tempting."
That blush reaches her ears, and she tucks her hair behind them and laughs. "And I'll be doing a watch shift the day after tomorrow — um, if you'd like to join me, of course."
Sasuke tips his bowl to his mouth to drink the steaming broth. When he's finished, he wipes his mouth with his napkin before replying, "What a perfect spot to spy on the whole village and ignore your poor, dejected —"
"U-Um." Her lips curl in and bite together, which captures all of Sasuke's attention. "I'll be working the 4th shift . . . so . . . ."
This catches his attention. Hinata is rarely given 4th shift, since she's usually not available to work from midnight to five in the morning, so he suspects he must have asked for it herself. A shift specifically during the sleeping hours of Konoha, when interruptions and distractions are zilch to none — and she's asking him to join her.
Well.
To put it simply, Sasuke's very pleased with this news.
Twisting himself around in his seat, Sasuke rests his hand on the cushion of her stool, thumb rubbing the side of her thigh. He can feel her warmth against his face, and she does not pull away when he inches closer.
"You're tempting me," he murmurs.
Hinata grins. "Is it working?"
A groan nearly leaves his mouth — because it is working, and he's fighting off the desire to drag her home. They'll lock all the doors. He'll trap her in the closer — or the bathroom — somewhere deep inside his house, where no one can find them.
He's tilting his chin to kiss her, but before he can, the banners behind them flap open, and a very annoying and familiar voice booms through the air.
"Ayame! Old man! Ino and I came to say hello and — eh? Sasuke?"
Irritation is running laps through his body. Damn curse. He nearly has the mind to kiss Hinata anyway, but the amount of times he's caught Naruto and Ino making out has left him in the position to never stoop to their level, so he pulls away, grimacing.
Naruto yaps his ear off as Ino orders ramen for the two of them.
Sasuke does not look away from Hinata. His eyes tell her "I'm going to kill this idiot", and her eyes sparkle with an abundance of amusement.
...
The next evening, they're on one of the roofs overlooking the tea shop Karin and Juugo are having their date at. Because of their recent move and preparation for the twins, the two have barely had time to themselves; when Hinata and Sasuke heard of the date they planned to have, they were both adamant in making sure they were allowed that date with no possible interruptions.
Karin's belly is large and round. When she slides into the booth of the shop, she has to take care in making sure she doesn't bump into the table. Juugo is attentive as always, always jumping to his feet to grab napkins or anything else so she doesn't have to bother.
That's all Sasuke allows himself to notice. He has no desire to spy on their date, so he turns his attention to the darkening streets, watching for any troublemakers. Hinata sits to his right, bringing his hand to rest, palm up, on her lap. She traces the lines and hills of his hand with her short fingernails, pampering him with affection. He lets her do as she will, not even close to the mindset of pulling away. He tries hard to keep his attention to the streets, but all efforts are ripped from his clutches the moment she lifts his hand to her lips, leaving kiss after kiss along the lines of his fingers.
Desire swirls around in his stomach, and Sasuke takes a final, fleeting look below his spot on the roof before pressing her back against the shingles, his own mouth brushing along her jaw.
"Sasuke," she hums, caught between slight disapproval and overwhelming hunger.
"No one will bother them." He kisses her parted mouth once — twice — then nips her chin. "Indulge me."
And, to his immense satisfaction, she does. Her neck cranes to capture her mouth, and her hands twist into his hair. She's got one leg hooked around his hip while the other stretches out, and he's kissing her slowly, then deeply, then with a hot, burning mouth that scorches both of them — and he's thinking she's perfect and beautiful, and he's triumphantly happy that he's got all of her attention now, with no one around to bother them.
And it stays that way.
Not.
This is Konoha. There's a damn curse on the whole village!
He's barely halfway down the length of her neck when Juugo's chakra spikes, burning the sides of their necks, and they both jump into action. Sasuke feels his eyes spiral into action. Hinata's byakugan scans the entire area within seconds. They search with held breaths, looking for the danger.
Juugo is helping Karin out of the booth.
Her face is pale and scrunched up.
Hinata gasps, eyes flickering back to normal, and she looks away.
"What?" Sasuke asks.
Hinata gets to her feet, looking about ready to jump down and make herself known as the couple exits the shop.
"She's going into labor."
The hot strokes of adrenaline shove all feelings of unsatisfied desire and disappointment to the side, and both he and Hinata drop to the ground to help Karin to the hospital.
Well, Sasuke thinks to himself, there was no way we could've prevented this.
...
He thinks Kiba Inuzuka is a piece of work.
Nothing, really, has happened to cause this sort of line of thinking in Sasuke. He hasn't been around too much to get on his nerves. He doesn't harass him or cause trouble or anything of the sort.
Sasuke just thinks — really — they guy is an oblivious idiot!
Everyone in Konoha knows he and Hinata are an item. Shino shoots a knowing look every now and then when they pass each other in the streets, and Hinata's face is always red when he does so. Sakura sometimes tries to get him to talk about it, which Sasuke finds . . . endearing, but unnecessary. Hell, even Naruto knows all about it!
But Kiba Inuzuka parades around without a clue in the world, and really, it pisses Sasuke off! He doesn't know why, exactly, but it does!
"Who's the distracted one now?"
Hinata's voice manages to pull him from his heated thoughts, and Sasuke tries to relax his body. Hinata's watch shift started about forty minutes ago, and he crept himself up the ladder ten minutes after that, bringing her a bottle of tea that should help keep her awake. She was in the middle of telling him about her upcoming mission the afternoon after her shift, complaining how she'll only have enough time to take a power nap before she has to get ready and meet Kiba and Shino at the gate. The mentioning of Inuzuka's name dragged Sasuke into that spiraling thought process, and now he's trying to figure out what it is about that dog's obliviousness that irks him so much.
Shaking his head, Sasuke turns back to Hinata, who has her back snuggled against his back, legs tucked beneath her. Her head is tipped so she can look at him, giving him a knowing look that sends something fluttering into his gut.
"You caught me," he says, and she grins.
"What were you thinking about?"
He's not sure if it's a good idea to bring up the pissed off thoughts he had about her teammate, so he says, "Your mission. How long did you say it was?"
"Only a day. I guess I'm just complaining for the sake of complaining." She takes a look around the perimeter, then settles back into him. "I just know I'll be exhausted after it, and I know you have a mission two days after mine, so we won't be seeing each other for a while then."
Even though her words ring true, Sasuke can't help but feel pleased. Just knowing she'll miss his company as much as he'll miss hers makes all those heavy, annoying feelings wipe away. Curling his arm around her, Sasuke rests his mouth against the back of her shoulder, kissing it.
"We're together now," he notes, and he knows she hears the desire in his voice. She shifts further against him, and Sasuke groans. "Let's enjoy it to the fullest."
And like the good girl she is, Hinata cranes her neck to the side, allowing him complete access to every inch of skin from that sensitive spot behind her ear to the nape of her neck. He giggles and hums and sighs as he indulges himself, and Sasuke drifts into the powerful waves of satisfaction hitting his body.
This is his girlfriend.
She loves him, and she misses him, and she yearns for him — and even if she's always looking out for the good of Konoha, in the end, she's his, and he's hers, and everyone knows it.
Almost everyone.
And that's when it sinks into Sasuke. The reason he's so pissed off by Kiba.
He wants everyone to know.
He wants every, single person in Konoha to be acutely aware that Hinata's a taken woman.
And — look at that. Sasuke's just discovered a perfect way to get that message across.
Despite how he sometimes presents himself, Kiba Inuzuka is not a stupid man.
He knows what's going on between Hinata and Sasuke.
How could he not!? Every time he's around her, she stinks of that Uchiha! It's so, painfully obvious.
And if he's being honest with himself, Kiba had thought he'd be much more against this than he actually is. From what he can tell, Hinata is immensely happy, and Sasuke seems to treat her right. So even if his stench is constantly on her, Kiba is at least glad that she's in a good relationship. He doesn't say anything about it because he thinks he doesn't have to. It's not his place, after all. He has no desire to get in between those two.
Until . . . he sees it.
They're on their mission. Strangely, it's a warm day, and even more strangely, Hinata has a jacket over her normal uniform. It's pretty obvious that she's sweltering in that thing, and Kiba can't understand why she won't just take it off. But when they settle for a break by the river and she sneaks off to run water over her face and arms, Kiba follows after her.
It's not that he's expecting bruises or anything.
Really.
If Sasuke was being bad to her, Kiba would be the first to know!
Still, his curiosity pushes him forward, and he stands in the brush and washes her unzip and tie her jacket around her waist before she bends over the splash water over her skin.
Through the afternoon sunlight, Kiba nearly topples over.
Along her neck, he sees something. For a second, he thinks they really ARE bruises, and protectiveness overwhelms his senses.
But then he takes a closer look, and he realizes — Oh, God. Those aren't bruises at all.
And —
And, Gods, they're everywhere! Neck, shoulders, arms, back.
How many did that sick Uchiha give her!?
Needless to say, Kiba returns to camp a changed man.
If curiosity killed the cat, then it made the dog want to blind himself.
...
He tells himself to get over it.
They're a couple!
That's what couples do!
It's not anything wrong, so it's none of his business.
But when they return the next morning to Konoha, Sasuke Uchiha (of course) is there to greet them. Hinata meets him halfway, grinning and glowing, happy to see he's there. Kiba's heart almost softens if it weren't for that damn LOOK that Uchiha sent him before taking Hinata's shoulder and guiding her down the street.
He was smirking!
The guy fucking did that on purpose, and now he had that stupid, smug look on his face.
GAH! Stupid bastard!
Tenten is also there to greet Shino, and Kiba trudges along with them to the Hokage Tower, grumbling. He tells them he was right. Romance is overrated! Whatever bug is in the air making all this gross mushy-gushy stuff happen needs to stop because it's seriously pissing him off!
End (For Real This Time)