One-Shot

Why Must I Act This Way?

"The World Is Mine!"

I don't own Naruto, but I wish I did.

A/N: This is the edited version.

It never struck me.

There she was walking by my side as we rounded the corner, chatting excitedly as she saw the school buildings in the clearing.

And here I was, my heart pounding like crazy.

Sure we have been together as friends since we were in the second grade, but this is the first that I had noticed it.

The first that I noticed how a certain raven haired girl made me feel.

Then again, I was one who detested expressing my feelings outward. It was such a weak doing, one I must not do.

It was the same as admitting defeat.

But what's this?

I was willing to admit.

To her.

And her only.

It first began when I went to go pick her up, a perfectly average day.

The walk was like any walk that I had taken many times to go pick her up before we walked together to our school.

I see the same cars stopped at the intersection and nod their way, receiving some in return.

She spots me rounding the corner and gives a small wave my way.

Like always, she was already outside waiting for me to meet her, greeting me with a kind smile, one that makes me feel warmth and a strange fluttering feeling inside. It was a weird feeling, kind of similar to when I had stuck a fork in the outlet as a dare.

As I raised my hand to respond to the wave, I tripped like an idiot on a small pebble. On instinct, my hands shot out in front me in an effort to catch myself, but it was futile. I fell anyway.

How un-cool of me.

"Sasuke-kun!"

I could hear the raw worry in her voice as she screams my name, her rushed footsteps coming closer as she ran my way.

Groaning, I looked up, only to be greeted by stripped purple and white underwear instead of her face. My mind suddenly went blank, not knowing what to do.

Before I could feel myself react to what I was seeing, she crouched down, covering the sight with the navy blue skirt as she bended down to inspect me.

"Are you hurt?"

My focus went to her lips right away. They were parted and looked oh so inviting. I could feel my face heat up as I try to push myself off of the floor.

Feeling a sting on my forearm, I hiss, sitting on the floor cross-legged as I examined the pain. My arm was just skinned, but small rocks made their way inside.

"You're bleeding." She said softly as she leaned towards me, a handkerchief already in her hand, ready to wipe it off.

My heartbeat suddenly accelerated, my throat closing up.

I caught a whiff of her as her hair was blown by the breeze. Vanilla and lavender, with a touch of candied apples. It tickled my nose, such a pleasant scent. My head began to throb.

I felt her nimble fingers pick out the small rocks out of my skin as she dabbed the handkerchief lightly.

Forgive me for holding your hand. My mind spoke, causing me to groan inwardly.

I inspect her, my heart pounding like crazy while I did.

Her navy locks that grew longer over the years was silkier than any other's. Her cream colored face was soft and void of any imperfections. A light scarlet blush was often found on her cheeks. Her eyelashes long and thick, surrounding her lavender tinted pearl eye that held so much care. Those eyes as of right now were narrowed a bit in concentration as she continued on taking the small rocks from my arm.

She was pretty cute, but I would never say that out loud to her. Honestly, I don't know how she would accept it.

She probably will just give me a half-hearted hug in the midst of her embarrassment and deny the fact that she was even cute.

No scratch that, Hinata was not cute—she was beautiful!

Hinata isn't self-centered.

Not one bit.

She wasn't a tad selfish. She was willing to give and always placed people before herself.

The only time she was selfish was when she hides herself from the world under all the baggy clothing and from behind her bangs.

I hated seeing her sad, which, nowadays was her mood. She rarely smiled anymore.

All because of two the highlighter idiots: Naruto and Sakura.

I've known that for years she had been head over heels for the boy. When we were together, she would ramble on about how he was the perfect guy and crap, acting like such a girl.

I would always not say anything because I enjoyed how she looked, radiating with happiness.

I sigh and shook my head lightly. The past is the past.

Before any more memories come flooding back to me, I looked over at Hinata again.

Her hairstyle is different from usual. There's something about it that strikes me as different, so I just utter what's in my mind. "You did something to your hair."

It must've sounded like a question, but she just smiled.

"Oh, you noticed?" She innocently looked me straight in the eye. She gave one of her rare genuine smiles. "I trimmed it a bit. Notice anything else?"

There was a challenge in her eyes, making me scoff.

Squinting, I search her head as she tended to my wound.

"I don't really—Oh." I finally see it.

They were bobby pins, two of them, with an 'H' on each them, 'H' for 'Hinata'. They looked like snowflakes clumped together in order to create the hair piece. They held back a piece of her hair behind her left ear, exposing it.

"Naruto-kun gave it to me." She blushes and tucks a few stray strands of hair behind her right ear. "He was my secret Santa."

As soon as she said that, I feel something bubbling up inside of me. My body tensed as my uninjured arm flexed as I clenched my hand.

"You like it?" She mumbles as she tried to stop herself from blushing.

I pushed her hand away from tending to mine. The pleasant feeling was now filled and replaced with utter bitterness. "Sure, whatever."

She frowned. "What's wrong, Sasuke-kun? Did I hurt you when I was taking the small rocks—?"

Leave me alone! Don't bug me! Are you not satisfied with me? Are you going to leave me like a toy? I wanted to shout but I just bit back my tongue. "No."

"Good." She gave a sigh of relief. She then raised a hand and softly touched the pins to her left. "Surprisingly, Naruto-kun knows how to pick gifts."

I clench my jaw. In actuality, I had picked that present out. The dobe complained about getting assigned Hinata to find a gift for the Secret Santa exchange.

"I don't know what a girl like her would like!" He had said, roaring as he scratched at his scalp. "I don't even know her well!"

Since we weren't allowed to trade who we were to give the gifts for, I had no choice but to help him out, knowing exactly what can be given to Hinata.

As soon as I laid eyes on those pins, I knew it was a perfect gift for her.

"Oh, this afternoon, I can't go to karaoke with you." She unexpectedly says, stopping me in my tracks. "I have to stay afterschool to shoot my video project with Naruto-kun."

My chest hurts and my hands ball up into a fist.

Oh, sure, pick the dobe over me.

The video project wasn't due till two weeks from now, plus, we had planned going to karaoke weeks ago. I made the reservations and everything; I even planned what we were going to do afterwards.

Now all that effort goes down the drain just because of some chite (Wannabe Japanese).

"You can join us if you want to. We could use some extras for the film." She placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry for suddenly canceling on you."

"I'm not going." I shrugged it off as soon as it touched me. "Do whatever you want. You won't get much done anyway, since he's probably going to bring that girl with him."

I could hear that her breath hitched.

"Wh-what do you mean by that?" She asked softly, her cheeks flushed as her eyes grew watery.

My eyes twitched closed and I turned around, not being able to face her.

Way to go, Sasuke.

"Nothing. Let's just go to school." I walk ahead, not really caring if she was behind me or not.

"O-okay." I could hear the slight tremble in her voice.

We were nearing the school entrance and the guilt was gnawing at me. I hadn't meant to snap at her, but I was so angry at the fact that she had tunnel vision for a guy that was an idiot.

Much less, an idiot who recently got a girlfriend.

And from what the rumors say, or at least what I overheard from Ino, that girlfriend only joined him to get me jealous.

That angered me even more.

I could care less about that girl playing with that idiot's heart, but at the same time, she was hurting Hinata's, even though it was unintentional.

We, Hinata and I, would look better together rather than her and that blonde dobe anyway. I just hope that she will likely give up on him after seeing that Naruto and Sakura are all over each other or something.

I look down at her hand and felt the urge to grab a hold of it.

I didn't, of course.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Huh?" I snapped out of my trance, realizing that she had stopped and was nudging me. "What?"

She muttered, turning her attention to the floor. "Never mind, it wasn't important."

It was then that I realized her hand was rested on my forearm, lightly gripping onto it.

A nagging feeling made me look up, only for me to scowl.

There just a few feet in front of us was Naruto and Sakura, the people my thoughts were around on, hand in hand, merrily making their way to the entrance of the school compound.

Hunh. I see. I just pouted and shrugged away from her contact.

"Let go of me."

I should just accept it.

We have known each other for over ten years already and she still has eyes for that blonde dobe even when she knows she has no chance. There was no point in pursuing her.

My shattered hopes just collapsed on the cold cement.

"Sasuke-kun, what's wrong?" Hinata looked shocked.

"Oh, nothing. After all, you're the princess." I left her there standing. "Just don't drag me into things, I'm sick and tired of watching this pathetic scene."

"What?" She gasped. I could hear the slight crack in her voice, knowing that she was on the verge of crying.

"I don't know why you even bother. You know he'll never look your way." I said before kicking the glass door open and entering the air-conditioned hallways.

I was still hung over the fact that I actually uttered those words to Hinata.

I couldn't believe that I could actually tell those to her purposefully to hurt her feelings so that she may come to realize about my feelings and have her running my way.

If I had thought more about it, life just didn't roll that way.

I felt the pain before my ear exploded.

"What the hell did you do to Hinata?" Temari yelled at me once the bell rang, but not before she slammed her bag on the back of my head.

"What'd you do that for?" I shouted back, not bothering answering her question.

"Tenten and I saw you guys this morning," Temari grabbed a hold of my collar. "And you said something that made her bawling."

"So what?" I grumbled, holding myself from punching her like I would've if she was a dude. "That's between me and her only."

"Don't tell me you brought up that." Temari narrowed her light blue eyes. "I swear, if you did, you better say good-bye to genitals!"

Instead of punching her, I just pushed her away. "Just leave me alone."

She harrumphed and crossed her arms. "You better apologize. She skipped all the classes so far, crying no doubt."

Way to make me feel better on my choice of words.

I groaned and just walked away from Temari. "Yeah, yeah."

Never was fond of that girl. She reminded me too much of the light haired loser who willingly threw herself my way with her strong personality. I much prefer those with attitudes that don't scream out, 'pay attention to me.'

As soon as I was out of her sight, I ran instinctively to the roof top, pushing myself to run full speed ahead.

In a matter of a few minutes, I was standing in front of the metal door that led outside to the roof top. I took a few seconds to calm my breathing before opening it.

When I opened the door to the roof top, a familiar melody reached my ears.

There she was, near the edge, facing the sky, singing.

How'd I know she was here?

"When you and I and he and she are we." The soft voice sang.

I smile and step on the roof top and inched closer towards the voice.

"Humanity will sing harmony." I joined in.

She gave a small hiccup and turned around, her eyes brimming with tears and was red.

"Found you." I smirk and made my way, sitting next to her.

She looked away immediately and rubbed her eyes furiously with small balled fists. "You remembered."

"Of course. It was the first song we ever sang together." I whistled. "But don't tell me that, because you remembered also."

I don't forget anything when it comes to you. I wanted to say that, but I couldn't.

She didn't say anything.

"Hey," I cleared my throat. "I didn't mean what I said. I was joking."

She stops rubbing her eyes and turned to look my way. Her eyes searched mine.

I gulped.

After a while, she responded. "It's okay. It was the truth."

"That's not true! I was seriously joking about that stupid little statement—!" I tried to make her see it my way.

"It's fine, really." Hinata gave a quavering sigh. "I can understand that my actions are depressing. I'm not mad at you for wanting to go away from me. I mean, who wouldn't?"

"You have to be kidding me if you think that I will get away from you!" I nearly yelled.

She flinched. "You weren't?"

"Of course not!" I gazed down at the people instead of the endless blue with blotches of white. "I could never."

You're precious to me. Again my mouth ran dry.

"Sasuke-kun," her voice trailed off as she immediately grabbed me in a hug.

"Whoa!" I leaned back, trying to regain my balance. "Watch it; you're going to make us fall."

She just laughed and stopped hugging me, going back to her original position that I found her in, rubbing her eyes of the newly shed tears.

"What was that for?" I saw many heads look our way after I shouted.

She shrugged, flashing me smile. "Thanks."

My right hand grabbed a hold of her left, giving it a small squeeze. "Glad you're out of your depressing funk."

Instead of the twitch and her pulling her hand back that I expected, I was met with a responding squeeze.

"So am I."

I smile and sat there, making sure that I was to remember this.

Take that dobe.

Err...

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