Folks, I have a reason for the long ass respite of updating. I broke my right (dominant) arm, and the cast is twisted oddly so I can't type with that hand, which inversely means that I had to type this with one hand. At the same time, I had finals and essays to write. Two 8-pagers, which isn't even THAT bad, but with one hand and also with writing this and KNTM…

I am so sorry. My behavior is unacceptable.

Naruto does not belong to me in any way, shape or form.

P.S You may have noticed that I changed the name to something more fitting to the actualy. Littoral meant pertaining to a shore or a beach, and I kind of moved away from that. Now the title better fits the plot, considering that it is a rather difficult and labyrinthine love. I mean, Sasuke is basically jumping through flaming hoops and battling armored bears to woo Hinata...

It was time. It was time for her to do it. Her father would be royally pissed as all hell, as she knew. What else could she do, tell a lie and say she got into the stupid business school? No, she had to confront her problem.

It was just that confronting the problem was so scary.

Her father was a tall, strongly built man who looked like he could kill you with one mere flick to the head. Although he had never raised a hand to his daughters, it was the intimidation that he could and it would hurt that worked to his advantage.

"Otousama?"

Hinata peered around the corner of the doorframe leading into her father's study. He was going over some document that needed his signature with the only source of light being from the window, letting in the afternoon sun.

"What is it?" He barked, apparently already in a foul mood.

She tentatively stepped in, shooting one sad glance back at Neji and Hanabi who were back further down the hall. They shot her matching thumbs up, which raised her spirits slightly.

Once she was across from his desk she sat down in the uncomfortable leather chair. "I… I g-got the letter from your old school…"

He shot her a glance that said 'Oh, really?' He never really had to talk sometimes.

Hinata took a deep breath and came clean about her being denied.

O.o.O

"Is tousama going to be angry at neechan?" Hanabi asked lightly, stirring a mug of hot cocoa that Neji had provided for her. She was fourteen with long blackish brown hair like Neji's with a side part slightly obscuring one of her pale eyes. Through not completely flat-chested, it was certainly Hinata on the receiving end in the breast department. Hanabi was pretty, though she carried a lot of her father in her whereas Hinata was almost the spitting image of her mother.

Neji ran a hand through his bangs as he sighed. Both were in the kitchen waiting for the end of Hiashi and Hinata's 'meeting.'

"Yes, he's going to be furious."

Hanabi, who had just raised the mug to her lips, slammed it down on the ceramic counter top, spilling about half of it. The light brown liquid was quickly gathering in the small cracks of the tiles. "That is so unfair!"

Neji, whose eyes were fixed on the progress of the cocoa, furrowed his brow at her statement.

"Neechan got into her dream college, but not into the one tousama wanted... and she's the one who's getting in trouble? It should be the fucking business school that gets their souls crushed!"

"Such colorful language..." Neji muttered, chancing a glance up at her.

"Neji, I'm not a little kid..." Hanabi scowled, downing what remained of her cocoa. "You don't seriously agree with tousama, do you?"

He threw out another grand sigh. "You know I don't. I just wish that this could have been avoided, that's all."

The cocoa was slowly forming a chocolate river in one of the creases between the tiles and was heading for the edge of the counter. Hanabi took no notice and instead threw her spoon at Neji.

"How the hell could this have been avoided?" She was angry now. "Hinata knew she wasn't going to get into tousama's school, I'll even bet he did as well, and yet here he is, flipping a fucking tit!"

Neji smirked subconsciously at his little cousin. "Where have you been picking up this language? School? Because if Hiashi-sama finds out--"

"Do you even care about neechan?!" Hanabi accused, now resorting to pointing fingers. Very unladylike.

That touched a nerve. "Of. Course. I. Care. About. Her."

The chocolate river was a few inches from the edge now.

"Oh, well you were speaking so monotonously I honestly doubted your love for your own flesh and blood..."

The milky chocolate was just one inch away from falling into space.

"Hn,"

"That's not a word you know..."

Hinata's keys were next to Neji's hand, so if she came to collect them and go somewhere, he would know. He would be able to stop her long enough to get the story.

The river was now at the very edge, beginning to gather enough volume in order to jump the final hurdle: the slightly heightened edge of the counter.

Right as the river of chocolate made it over the hurdle and started a gentle drip to the floor, Hinata strode into the kitchen as leisurely as if she hadn't just gotten a major verbal beat down. No tears, no red face, the only evidence of any stress on her was that her hair was slightly riled, barely but noticeably out of place.

"Neechan!" Hanabi squeaked, keeping her distance by staying in the chair. There was something eerie about her sister in this state, like she was just a hollow shell.

Hinata avoided her sister's eyes, making her way steadily towards Neji, more specifically her keys. They noticed another stress sign in her posture, as her neck was very tense.

"Hinata…" Neji muttered, bending his neck down so he was at her level and could look at her face. " What happened?"

She stopped in front of him, her eyes focused on the keys that were by his right hand. She darted her hand out but Neji grabbed the keys too quickly and held them above her head. "Hinata, where do you think you're going?"

"Neji-niisan, give them to me please." She asked, finally looking at him. Nothing except anger and frustration was seen in her pearly orbs.

"No," he said stubbornly, holding them higher. Hanabi watched the pair of them with a trace of fear on her face. She was slightly on Neji's side of keeping the keys, considering that she wanted to know what happened.

"Please give me my keys."

Neji placed his hands in his pockets, in the same time pocketing her keys. He shook his head silently, his eyes closed. "You're just going to just pick up out of here without telling us?"

"Niisan, please." Hinata muttered, starting to sound more intense now. The staring contest of the century happened between the two cousins, with neither willing to back down.

Hinata knew that she could not get the keys from him through force, and if he wasn't going to give them to her when she asked politely…

"Fine."

Without so much as a huff of indignation or even a blush of embarrassment that they learned to expect from an anguished Hinata, she gave him one more square-jawed look before turning on her heel and strolling out of the kitchen.

She liked walking anyway.

Sasuke had just gotten home from his job at the café, literally just gotten through his door, when his cell buzzed from his pocket. He frowned at the caller ID: Neji. Why would he be calling? The only reason he had Neji's number in the first place was Track related circumstances.

He kicked his shoes off while accepting the call and put it to his ear. "What is it?"

"I don't want to do this but—"

"What is it?" Sasuke repeated, wandering to his couch and falling backwards over the arm, landing squarely on his back with his head on one of the pillows. Despite his mild dislike of the Hyuga, he found his anticipation mounting.

"I talked to Naruto and he said I should call you to help…"

"Help with what?" Sasuke was really curious now. When Neji was silent, Sasuke found himself frowning even though Neji couldn't see. "Spit it out Neji… I don't have all day."

Actually he did, but he just felt like saying that.

"Fine. Hinata's missing."

Sasuke felt his heart lag. Missing? "What do you mean?"

"God, this—Okay, long story short, Hinata told her father she didn't get accepted to his college and then she came out to get her keys and when I wouldn't give them to her she just walked out."

Trying to hide his anxiety, Sasuke attempted a casual approach to questioning. "Why did you refuse her of her keys?"

"I wanted to know what happened. She also left her cell phone at home. It's been 6 hours and—"

"So, what are our liabilities?" Sasuke asked quickly over the phone, his brow furrowed.

"Uh, she could be anywhere in Konoha. Anywhere."

"Oh… wow."

This already seemed daunting.

"Who have you called?" Sasuke snapped, getting off his couch immediately and running back to his discarded shoes.

"Sakura, Naruto, Kiba, Ino, Shino, Tenten, you, I'm going to call Lee next."

That's good, the more people the better.

"Right, I'll start looking. I'll call if I find her." He said quickly before hanging up and slipping into his shoes.

As he ran down the hallway of his floor, he tried to gather his thoughts and get past the budding fear. It was about nine now, and the sun was starting towards setting. Where would she be? I don't yet know her well enough to know where she would go in this case.

When he got to the front desk on the ground floor, he stopped in his tracks. How am I going to get around? He had no car! I have to bike…

After retrieving his bike from the apartment garage, he hopped on and began to peddle viciously towards the beach, hoping maybe she would be there.

His bike was an old, forest green Schwinn road bike that rode like a dream. This'll work; I'm more mobile this way… sort of.

Upon reaching the beach, he rode onto the sand before throwing himself off and beginning to scan the empty and darkening beach. Keyword empty. She certainly wasn't there.

Okay, hold up. She's gone and sad. She's not with Sakura or any of the girls since Neji enlisted them to help search. Not at the beach, not at home, not with Kiba or Shino… Comfort food maybe!

He jumped back onto his bike and turned it to face north, in the direction of his restaurant and her beloved Shinigami Akane. As he reached the café and parked his bike in the back alley he felt his pocket buzz. Swiftly pulling out his phone, he saw it was Naruto who was calling and tried to adopt a cool and calm demeanor as he answered. "Yes?"

"Dude…" He panted. He was clearer when he caught his breath. "I should've taken your advice and gotten a bike… I've been running all over."

"That's because I'm always right. What is it?"

Something about Naruto's pause made Sasuke know that he was smiling on his end of the line. "I found her."

Sasuke was very close to crying out in triumph, so instead he spun around in a quick circle awkwardly, holding the phone to his ear tightly. "Are you with her?"

"I said I found her, teme. I can see her right now."

"Go get her then!" He barked impatiently, longing for her safe return. He, for once, failed to think about the outcome of what Naruto would do. If Naruto got her, it would be like the knight on the white stallion and her infatuation would climb further. He would just be one of the other knights who had a black horse and who looked for the princess in a totally different country. The guy they never put into the fairy tales.

"No."

That didn't make sense to Sasuke at all. "What?"

"You come get her. You're the one who loves her anyway."

In his shock, he didn't even reprimand Naruto for using the 'L' word.

Naruto took his silence for assent and continued. "She's at the cliffs, at the top of the far east part of them."

In Konoha, the city was looked over by towering cliffs that had faces of their past and present leaders carved into it. Sasuke could see, from his position, the eastern edge. That's where she is? Without another moment's hesitation, he jumped back onto his bike and peddled so fast and hard he would have made Lance Armstrong glow with pride, all the while holding the phone to his ear with his shoulder.

"Naruto… thanks."

"No problem! Go get 'um tiger!" Naruto called before hanging up. Quickly putting his phone in his pocket as he waited for the light to change, Sasuke shot one more glance at his destination, wondering why she was there of all places.

Hinata was in a state of total release. The wind on top of the cliffs was strong but she just ignored it completely. The temperature was dropping as well, but she seemed to not feel it. She sat at the edge of the cliff, with her bare feet hanging precariously over the edge. Below her laid the sprawling Konoha, and slightly further out was her beach and the sea it was attached to.

She had long stopped thinking about what her father had said to her and her options regarding her future. Her father had laid out the plan for her quite bluntly. She would wait a year, get private tutorage on business matters, and then reapply for the next year. If she refused, she wouldn't have been allowed any money from her inheritance or her savings, as he had it all locked off.

But she was no longer thinking about that. To be honest, her head was filled with bizarre thoughts of meteorology. Don't ask why, it just was. It was a completely clear night, and a new moon, making the stars provide the only light save for the city.

To be exact, she was thinking about how it was actually colder since there were no clouds there. It reminded her of her own situation in a way. The ideal position of being head of the company, like the cloudless sky, was hiding an ironic turmoil, like the colder temperature.

Shit, now I'm thinking about that again… She thought angrily, flopping down so that she lay on her back with her legs still hanging. All right, think about… kittens. Yeah, kittens.

"What'cha thinking about?"

Hinata felt the presence of someone besides her before seeing his or her silhouette against the deep blue sky. He sat next to her, staying sitting for a moment before exactly copying her position.

"Kittens," She muttered softly, not needing to look at his face to place a name. "You?"

"Ah… me too. Kittens plague my thoughts in every waking moment of my existence. They're just so awfully cute."

The sarcasm was thick on Sasuke's words, making her smile a little. "I …I don't know anything that can out-cute a kitten."

Wow, she just set herself up… Sasuke thought, hiding a smirk. He had already reached the peak of his boldness-o-meter so a little shameless flirting would do no harm.

"Sometimes you can."

A light wind coursed through their little area, lifting their hair. They were both silent for a few moments before Sasuke decided to elaborate.

"Well, when you're not depressed and melancholy like this. Not when you're alone either, in which case it wouldn't matter since nobody would be around to see it."

"H-here I am hiding from the w-world after a terrible day, and you are trying to flirt me back into happiness?" Hinata asked lightly, lifting her arm up in the air to put the tips of her fingers on top of a grouping of five stars that perfectly accommodated her hand.

Sasuke looked at her hand absentmindedly. "It was worth a try. I once saved a person's life by flirting…"

"Do tell."

"Well," he started, putting his hands behind his head as he turned his gaze to the stars. "This woman was on a bridge, the one on 2nd, and she was going to jump. As I was walking past her, I turned up the 'ol charm and made her beam and then step away from the edge."

"What did you say?"

"I told her she was pretty."

"You are q-quite the bullshitter."

"I try…"

"How'd you find me?" She asked lightly, turning her neck to look at him. She had jumped tracks quickly.

Tell the truth or lie? Sasuke was at a crossroads. Lie and make her happy at him, or tell the truth and make her happy at Naruto. Decisions, decisions…

Of course, Uchihas were known for their lying, whether obvious or not.

"Actually,"

But maybe it was time for a change.

"Naruto found you."

There was a silence as he said this. After a few moments he turned his head to look at her. To his obvious surprise, she was looking right at him intensely.

"Then why did you come?"

That was the bad question. Though, he noted that she didn't ask why Naruto didn't come, she asked why he did.

He had his answer. The time had finally come to crush her dreams with brutal honesty that didn't necessarily mean him confessing. His feelings were blatantly implied already.

"I care about you more than him."

Shit, that sounded terrible. A lot worse than it sounded in my head…

"Hn…" She muttered lightly, turning to face the sky again. "I… I respect your honesty. Guess I should give you some of my own then, right?"

She's taking this rather well for being in love with him… He thought, staying silent to allow her to continue.

"I don't think I like him anymore."

It was as if Sasuke's mind was a train and it had just derailed, causing all of the cars connected to it to scrunch up like an accordion. "Oh."

"I thought you should know…"

"That's good."

She laughed. It was soft, but it was a laugh! "T-that's an interesting response…"

"Hn."

Once again she laughed, only this time it was louder and more cheerful. "Ah, but now that you have arrived how do you plan to bring me back?"

Sasuke smirked, though still facing the stars. "By bike?"

"Oh my… How will that ever work?"

"Not sure. For now lets just stay here."

Hinata smiled as she heard the unmistakable and cheesy little jingle that sounded when one turned off their phone. Nice move Sasuke…

From where they were, the rest of the world couldn't reach them.

Jeez, from Hinata's collegial troubles to Sasuke attempting to woo a worthwhile girl… growing up sucks.

Oops. Short and not good. I almost drowned in the fluff by the end –throws huge sigh-

Well, here there it was. Sorry again for the terrible wait.

Scene's From Next Episode:

It was a cruel, cruel circle that he wasn't going to get out of on his own. Paradoxically, he wouldn't allow anyone to be with him if he had anything to say about it. That door would remain locked for all eternity for all he cared.