C11

"C'mon." Sasuke sighed and finally grasped her arm, slinging it across her shoulder and standing up with her dangling off of him loosely.

"No…" Hinata moaned and clutched tightly at his shirt. "I'll…I…I haven't finished…with Mr. Toilet…"

"You need to get home." Sasuke insisted and continued dragging her out of the bathroom towards the bedroom again, carefully avoiding any gaze with the bed. "I'm guessing you told some lie to your parents as to where you're going and even have a curfew."

"I don't though," Hinata murmured and leaned into him further as she staggered towards the stairs. "My father…my father's rarely at home…it's usually only…only my sister and…and me…Neji knows where I am…oh." She looked up at Sasuke seriously, her eyebrows knitted together in concentration. "You're right! I…I do have a curfew…Neji said…midnight…"

"Let's go then," He helped her down the stairs, back into the rowdy and altogether far too loud downstairs where Hinata hid her face into his neck, inhaling his comforting scent deeply. "It really is…is loud…"

"I know. I'll walk you home." He ignored the stares being sent their way as not-so-hushed whispers were being tossed back and forth between each other like a tennis ball as people pointed at Hinata's clearly inebriated body hanging off of Sasuke for support. "Do you have everything?" He asked and waited as she clumsily tried putting on her stilettos.

"I'm…I'm glad I put my c-cell phone into my bra." Hinata reached up to feel her breasts, grabbing them reassuringly and patting them down until she felt the square outline press against her hands through the silky fabric of her shirt and bra. "I definitely would've l-lost it otherwise…" She gave a frustrated cry and kicked her shoes at the wall and bit her lip desperately. "This…this isn't g-going to work in…in the state I'm in, is it?"

"Probably not," Sasuke sighed and picked them up. "I'm sure you can manage to walk barefoot."

"Okay…" Hinata nodded and clutched his arm close to her chest. "L-let's go…" Rubbing her cheek against the warm appendage, she murmured, "You're really…nice."

Snatching a thick coat off of the wall, he slung it around his shoulders and guided the woozy and disoriented Hinata out the door where she stumbled down the porch step. "Whoops." She muttered and straightened up suddenly and stumbled further down the driveway. "I can--I can pass for s-sober, right?" Her steps were all over the place as she attempted to walk in a straight line, her arms spread wide for what little balance it provided.

"No. Not right." Sasuke grabbed her hand and pulled her down the driveway to the sidewalk where he stuffed her hand into his coat pocket. "Why the fuck didn't you bring a coat? It's December for fuck's sake."

"Naruto g-gave me a ride here…he was supposed to give me o-one back." Hinata drawled and wrapped her arm around his waist to fit her other hand into his other pocket. "But…but…him and Sakura…"

"Right." He quickly cut her off and attempted to shrug off his coat. "Put this on."

"No," She shook her head vigorously and held onto him tighter. "You…you're gonna get cold, and then I'll be--be the one whose fault it was and th-then I'll--I'll feel terrible because you're my…my…" Her eyes widened suddenly as she flung herself away from him to collapse onto her knees on the pavement and continue to vomit onto the side of the curb with loud and painful retching noises.

"Sasuke…Sasuke…I hate this." She moaned and sobbed as she pushed her hair out of her face. "This was…this was supposed to be a good night. Naruto asked m-me out to a party. I've never been to a party and…and…I'm the loser girl. I'm the w-weird girl." She hiccupped and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before looking up at Sasuke's looming form. "But…but…all of Tenten's hard work t-to make me look pretty is wasted right now…and I feel like…like shit and Naruto's probably having d-drunk sex with Sakura…and I…I made you make out with me!"

Crouching down next to her, Sasuke carefully gathered her close to his chest hesitantly and let her cry heaving sobs into his neck as she clutched back onto the front of his shirt desperately. In a voice Hinata had never expected to be so comforting and soft, Sasuke said quietly, "Hey, don't let the fact that Naruto's a dick make your self esteem drop like this. You looked fucking fantastic this evening, and even if you're the 'weird girl', I think that you're my favourite person at school and even when you don't dress up like tonight you look pretty."

"Sasuke…Sasuke…" She cried against his neck and flung her arms around him tightly, "Sasuke…y-you're not an asshole…or a j-jackass, or a dick, or wh-whatever anyone else says. Y-you're so great…" She pressed a clumsy kiss against his jaw. "I'm so glad that…that you could come and s-save me tonight."

"Alright," He said awkwardly and attempted to stand them up while still entangled together. "You need food in you. There's a McDonalds about a block from here." He gently removed her arms from around him, and before she could say anything, quickly shrugged his coat off and draped it around her shoulder. "No give backs."

"Haha," She giggled and snuggled into the warmth of her coat. "You made a f-funny…" She brought the collar up to her face and inhaled deeply. "Y-you're the best smelling person I know, Sasuke."

He rolled his eyes and placed an arm around her shoulder for her to support herself against him. "Let's get walking."

"Okay." She murmured and leaned against him.

The walk in her bare feet all the way to the McDonalds proved to be more difficult than originally either of them had thought and resulted in her limping up to the glass doors of the restaurant in her stilettos Sasuke had carried thus far.

"I can't…c-can't feel my feet." She hissed to him in a slurred whisper.

"I know, I know, but you can't go in barefoot." Sasuke held open the door for her as she stood stalk still, staring into the fast food joint with wide doe eyes. "Well?" Sasuke waved his hand exasperatedly towards the entrance way he was holding open for her.

"I--I can't go in there." She shook her head furiously and pulled him back away from the door desperately. "Kiba and…and Shino are in there!" She groaned and leaned her head against the dirty wall. "I c-can't let them see me like this…" She clutched at her stomach and looked up at Sasuke though her bangs pleadingly. "I…I think I'm g-going to throw up again."

Holding back a frustrated groan, Sasuke picked her up by her elbow and began dragging her to the drive thru window where he demanded to the surprise window cashier with a growl, "Two Big Macs."

"Hey, this is only for cars, you can't--"

"Do you want her to throw up all over you right now?" Sasuke snarled and jerked Hinata in front of him where she leaned against the window blearily and smiled. "I…I know you! Y-you're in my bio class!"

The kid at the window blinked before exclaiming, "Holy shit! Sasuke Uchiha? And…and…sorry, I don't really know your name actually…" He gave a disbelieving glance at the two of them as Hinata's face broke out into a big grin.

"That's okay, nobody--nobody knows my name." She leaned over the window where she patted his arm reassuringly. "But it's H-Hinata!"

"Okay…"

"Just fucking put in the order!" Sasuke snapped and pulled Hinata back to his chest where she sighed and closed her eyes sleepily.

"Yes sir." The boy at the window snapped back sarcastically and asked, "Eight ninety-three."

Fishing out a ten dollar bill from his pocket, Sasuke slammed it onto the window and grumbled, "Keep the change." as he tried ushering her towards the next window to receive their order. Just as they were leaving and Hinata turned around to thank the boy, the small drifting of mutterings were caught as he placed the crumpled into the register with a slam to shut it.

"Asshole."

An inexplicable anger flooded through Hinata as she jerked herself off of Sasuke and stormed over to the window, an angry and accusing finger pointed at his chest. "Take that back!"

"What?" A stunned and baffled expression was spread across his face as he looked back and forth between her finger and her angry face.

"Take back what you said about Sasuke being--being an asshole!" She shrieked and leaned her head into the window. "Sasuke's th-the nicest guy I know! You f-fucking take back what you said! He doesn't deserve your j-jackass attitude!"

"Let it go, Hinata." Sasuke reached for her waist and pulled her back. "Let it go."

"You're not an asshole." She sobbed into his shoulder. Looking up at the confused cashier through angry and narrowed eyes, she yelled, "You're the fuck--fucking asshole!"

"I'm a terrible influence on you," Sasuke sighed and quickly with long strides brought her over to the drive thru pick up to snatch the brown paper bag containing their hamburgers, then proceeded to walk her a little while a way to sit down on the curb. Passing her a hamburger, he insisted, "Eat it."

"No…" She shook her head violently and pushed it away. "My stomach st-still feels bad…"

"If you don't manage to keep it down, you're going to start vomiting bile, and then you're going to start vomiting blood from alcohol poisoning. This will help soak up a little bit of the alcohol, okay?" He pushed the hamburger forcefully into her palm and closed her fingers around it. "Eat it."

"F-fine." She took a hesitant bite out of it before gagging and forcing it down. The process continued several times before she finally managed to scarf it all down long before Sasuke finished his own. There was a pregnant silence filled only with Hinata's tiny whimpers as she curled into herself and wrapped her arms around her drawn up legs.

"What h-happened to your car?" She asked and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Why--why are we walking?"

Shrugging, he finished the last of his burger and licked his fingers clean. "I was planning on getting drunk and getting Itachi to pick me up." Looking down at her guilty face, he quickly amended, "It's fine. Something really stupid always happens when I'm drunk, anyways. It's fine."

"I'm sorry, S-Sasuke." She whispered quietly and fiddled with the long sleeves of his coat.

"Don't…just don't be." He stood the both of them up and brushed himself off. "I don't know where you got this concept that you're so…worthless." Straightening her up as she stumbled a step forwards, he ran the tips of his fingers against her cheek. "Just because you're not…popular like Sakura or have that same sort of beauty…don't let it affect your self esteem like this, okay?"

Looking up from her fingers, she lightly grasped the front of his shirt and began playing with the creases of that and said, "I…I think I want to kiss you again." She looked up at him, confusion and almost desperation clouded her face. "I know I sh-shouldn't…but I really--really want to."

Without warning, a loud honk blasted the quiet night air that was followed by an obnoxious, "Get a room!" The jeering teenagers laughed and sped off past into the drive thru where their loud guffaws could still be heard.

Swearing violently, Sasuke turned his gaze back down to Hinata's wobbling legs. Turning around, he beckoned to her with a wave of his hand. "Climb on. You're not going to be able to walk the rest of the way."

"A--a piggyback ride?" She asked incredulously. "I'm too--too heavy."

"I find that really doubtful. Now just get on." He snapped and bent over to allow her to clumsily jump on and wrap her limbs around his neck and waist.

"I haven't h-had a piggyback since I was seven." She giggled and squirmed against him. "Th-thank you."

"Don't mention it." He grumbled and began the journey back to Hinata's home.

--

"We're here now." He sighed and adjusted her against his back. "Do you need me to walk you to the door?"

"Sasuke…Sasuke thank you." Hinata smiled against his neck. "Thank…you."

"It's fine." He firmly said and took her gratitude as a yes to his previous question. He only made it two steps further before she began shouting desperately.

"No! No, Sasuke, stop!" She moaned and pulled at his shirt desperately. "Sasuke! Sasuke, drop me!"

"What--"

"Just drop me!" She insisted, her decibel level nearly reaching a shriek. Startled, Sasuke did so and was nearly knocked over as she pushed herself over to the hedge and retched all over the dirt at its roots. Looking over her shoulder wretchedly, she wiped the back of her mouth and said, "The…the burger did sorta help…"

"You're really on and off with this throwing up thing, aren't you?" He pulled her up and brought her to her doorstep, waiting for her to withdraw her key.

As she fumbled through the pockets of her jeans, she bit her lip and blurted out. "I'm really happy you were…were here tonight!" She flung her arms around him in a tight hug and felt elation course through her as he hesitantly returned it with firm arms wrapping around her too. Shyly, she looked up and apologized quietly, "I'm really s-sorry I made you make--make out with me."

"Wanna know a secret?" He murmured and held her closer to his chilled body.

"Yes!"

"Even if it'll make you hate me?" He insisted and pressed his nose against the hair at the top of her head.

"I could n-never hate you."

"I was very much sober." He whispered lowly against her ear. "A single beer is not going to get me drunk enough to lose all inhibition or even just get me tipsy. I took advantage of you."

With a gaping mouth, she glanced up at him. His eyebrows were drawn together in worry and his lips were drawn into a thin line. Altogether he looked almost…distraught. When nothing was said from her, he turned his head and dropped his arms from around her then stepped down off the porch. "I should go now--"

Placing both hands on the side of his face, she placed a hard kiss against his surprised and open mouth before stumbling back and jamming the key into the lock and twisting it open.

Just before she closed the door behind her, she peeked her head around it and murmured, "I don't hate you."