Chapter three –The Esoteric Deal-

Hinata couldn't help trembling as she walked to her locker. A few feet from there, she could see the Janitor's closet. And as always, it's closed. Typical, because there's a tacit agreement that it served as the place for the students to make out. No teacher would welcome the idea of having private sex-shows in school.

Thinking of those made her quivered. Sasuke just called her to come to the place when many girls on her age lost their virginity there.

She fiddled with her combination and opened her locker, then she put her books slowly. Hinata didn't want to go to the promised place quickly. If possible, she wanted to ignore him all together. But Hinata wasn't a girl who could nonchalantly disregard anything (especially a request from an albino with creepy red-eyes). Plus, she was so scared of the risk had she didn't come.

After she'd done arranging her books, she closed the door and swiveled on her heels…

-only to find a familiar guy with blue eyes was looking at her.

Naruto whistled. "You do ballet, Hinata?"

She could only gasp.

The blonde haired guy grinned at her then walked to his locker, which placed not too far from hers. He put his digit in and opened the door. Tossing his books inside the cabinet, he muttered to her.

"What a doom, eh? That bastard clings to you like an amoeba."

Naruto almost never talked to her, in fact, that was the first time Hinata had a real conversation with the blonde knight. She felt her cheeks were blazing as her heart almost exploded due to the overloaded nervousness. She licked her dry lips and replied:

"Y-yes…"

He slammed his locker shut, then put a hand on his hip, concentrating his weight on his right side. "Well… if you've have enough with him, you can always tell me." he said, still adopting his distinct foxy grin. "I'll smack his ass."

Hinata almost fainted.

Did he say that because he was concerned? Naruto? Concerned? Hinata? Jeez, what a set unfitting words she'd just made. But still, why did he say that to her? Did he intend to protect her from Sasuke? If he really meant so, then it really looked like the romance novel Hinata just read. A knight fighting with the bad guy for his princess…

Oh, no, no, no…

The scenario was too good for her.

"I… ano, N-Naruto-kun…" she licked her lips again. "T-thank you." then she remembered the incident at the first period when he shouted for her.

"N-Naruto-kun.. I-I'm sorry…"

Naruto cocked a quizzical eyebrow. "Huh?"

She pressed her index-fingers together as she tried to jog his memory. "Y-You… at the fi-first period… shouted at Sasuke… for—for me…"

He snorted as he picked up his orange basket ball. "Don't sweat it. I don't like him, after all. Five minutes, and already he makes a pass to Sakura," Naruto tossed her another grin then walked away. Probably to the gym. If Hinata's mind didn't deceit her, Naruto had basketball extracurricular on Thursdays.

As Hinata watched Naruto's retreating back, she could feel her heart sank.

So that's why he wanted to help her. Because he hated Sasuke. Nothing more, nothing less. She should have known it; Naruto only liked Sakura, and not her! She shouldn't let herself having delusions about Naruto actually liking her.

'Woe is me…' Hinata smiled weakly, then staggered to the closet.

When Hinata cautiously twisted the doorknob and peeked in a little, suddenly she heard a hoarse male voice boomed.

"Come in, fast."

She mustered power and had her chin high, then she walked in the closet. There she found two luminous red-orbs was staring at her, the owner of the eyes slouched in his chair, mouth clamped shut and fingers pressed at each other forcefully. When his eyes caught hers, a wry, quasi-smile curved on his lips.

"You come.." he breathed in relief.

Hinata turned green. She'd been to Konoha High's Janitor's closet a few times and indeed, the room was smaller and scarier than most rooms in the school. But having Sasuke with her in the same room somehow made her had a sudden claustrophobia. Especially his eyes were now radiating red-shines in the dark room.

"S-S-Sasuke…" Hinata quivered. "Why did.. why did y-you call me..?"

He sucked a breath almost abruptly, and for a second, Hinata saw him fazed. But then the anxiousness gone from his face and suddenly the usual cold expression replaced it when he blurted out. "Sakura throws a party this weekend."

"Oh… okay…" Hinata said even though she didn't know about it.

Sasuke waited in silence.

After a few seconds, Hinata just realized what he waited for. She tapped both her cheeks to punish her for becoming an idiot. Of course Sasuke wanted to ask her about Sakura's favorites, what else?

"O-oh.." she twitched her mouth to help herself thinking. "S-Sakura… Sakura likes any-anything pink.. and.. and she likes jewelries most…"

Sasuke winced. "I wasn't—"

Hinata cut him off. "Gomen Ss-suke… I-I don't know much about S-Sakra.." she was so afraid to see his wincing profile that her pronouncing abilities reduced into zero.

"Look." Sasuke said, then gestured her to be quiet and just listen to him. After he'd got the stride he continued. "I didn't, and won't give a damn to that girl. I was trying to ask you out."

It was the first time Hinata got someone said that so directly that she practically struggled for air for a few minutes.

"W-What?.!" Yeah, WHAT?

Sasuke sat still and had his eyes fixed to her to confirm his request.

"B-but…" Hinata hesitated. If only there's someone who she'd willing to date, then it'd be Naruto! And Naruto wasn't a creepy man who always scared her away with his crazy demands and stalker-ish characteristics.

"I-..I- we… if we go t-together then…"

Sasuke's tone was devilish. "Then the girls would think that we're dating, right."

"But we…" the raven-haired girl gulped. "But we're not…"

He half-smiled. "We're not. It's just an act."

Now Hinata felt both her talking ability and IQ was dropping a point per second.

"B-but… don't.. I… y-you… dating?" Suddenly a flash of blonde haired guy with deep-blue eyes came to her mind and she uncharacteristically blurted out. "Naruto?.!"

He smirked. "Just as I expect. You do like Naruto."

She blushed. "How did you…-h-how did you know…?"

Sasuke ignored her inquiry and stood up from his chair, then he approached her and even though she was backing away, he kept stepping forward to her. After Hinata was pinned on the wall, he dropped his body to kneel down in front of her. Very much like a guy who was going to propose his dreamgirl.

'What would he do? What would he do? 'Hinata almost shed tears in fear when she hiccupped. "U-Uchiha …. Please—"

"Hinata Hyuuga." The guy merely cut her in. "Be my pseudo-girlfriend."

What would he d—WHAT?.!

WHAT?.! "Pardon?"

"I'm tired." Was all Sasuke's reply. "I'm tired of all these. I'm tired having legions of girls following me whenever I go and in some unexpected times and places, stalked me. I'm tired to deal with all of them. And first of all, I'm tired having my mother always musing about me being gay."

If anything, Hinata burst out laughing. Sasuke's mom mused about her own son being a gay? Oh, my… but he did have potential being one. He didn't care about all those girls that fancied him, heck; even he didn't give a damn to the most desirable women in Konoha High.

In all honestly, Hinata also believed that he was homosexual. Bisexual top.

Realizing Sasuke was still looking at her when she was laughing at him made Hinata gasped and stopped her laugh immediately.

She bowed deeply to him apologetically. "Sorry.. s-sorry, Uchi-Uchiha-san…"

"I don't mind." He took another step closer, and Hinata saw the big difference on their height. Now that Sasuke was only a few inches away from her (their chests barely touched! What do she do?.!) and with her petite body, Hinata couldn't go anywhere unless the albino let her to.

"Uchiha …please.. p-please let me go…"

Seemed he didn't want to. He embedded a hand beside her temple and leaned down to whisper. "What's your answer?"

To feel his closeness and his breath was tickling her neck, Hinata almost wanted to scream. This guy.. this guy was unbelievable! And an ultimate pusher too! She didn't like him.. she so didn't like him…

No…

"I-…I.."

No, I don' want to.

He put another hand again, making a soft sound of 'thump' when he embedded it to the wall beside her other temple. "Say yes. Please say yes." He demanded quietly.

No, I won't… no I won't…

Hinata glanced up and yelped to see his red-eyes glowed even shiner than ever. But when she studied it, for a moment she could see weariness in it.

A second there she almost say 'yes'—

But-

No way, Uchiha-san!

"..Hinata…"

No, no, no, no, NO!

"Yes."

Oh, no…

The silence started to linger between those two.

And before Hinata had chance to digest anything, she saw Sasuke's whitish nape and a strange feeling of warmth wrapped her body. A second later, she realized that the albino had pulled her into a hug.

It wasn't like all the hugs she'd dreamt every night. It was bone-crushing, especially when Sasuke's was too big to her small form and his arms practically curled her body completely. The warmth also wasn't the same as she'd expected, Sasuke's body temperature was more to hot and sweaty. He must be also nervous when he waited for her answer.

Sasuke smelled like a peppermint. For a second, Hinata almost drowned to the hug, before she realized what just had happened.

Why did she say yes?.! She'd been planting 'no' words in her brain, but her mouth betrayed her! It's always like that, she never had courage to say anything she'd meant and ended up trying to please everyone.

But this one was a big deal.

'Okay, Hinata! You could do it!' she drew a long breath and opened her mouth several times to deny what she had said. It was low, but she didn't have any other option, she really didn't want having Sasuke as a boyfriend. Even a fake one.

"Uchiha-san.."

"Thank you, thank you." Sasuke whispered, hugging her tighter. "Thank you very much, Hinata…"

She couldn't say anything, nor did she have heart to break his glee.

"So, we're only pretending that we're dating at school and my house." Sasuke instructed and it followed by Hinata's nod. He saw her stiffed uncomfortably and pursed his lips.

"Just three months, Hinata." Sasuke said. "Or after my mother's convinced that I'm straight."

"A-Are you?"

Sasuke raised a brow. "Pardon?"

"Are you…I-I mean…" Hinata pressed her fingers in front of her chest. "Are you… s-straight?"

He twitched his mouth. "You really interested?"

She quickly shook her head hard, deep blush appeared on her cheeks, but Sasuke knew it wasn't from him, it was from her own embarrassment.

"Good. Better be, cause it'll be hard to pretend if you're in love with me." he said.

The girl submissively nodded.

"I won't love you either." He continued, still maintaining that notorious poker-face of him. "I'm gay."

Hinata's eyes widened and Sasuke snorted a short chuckle.

"I was kidding." He slouched deeper in his chair and raised his red-eyes to meet hers. Now his voice was cold again. "You always look scared."

She twitched her mouth a few times, and finally succeeded to toss him a smile. Sasuke appreciated her attempt to alleviate him, but then sighed in dismay when he noticed that her smile was tremulous.

"You don't need to smile if you don't want to." He told her. "It's infuriating."

Again, she nodded and fidgeted, like always. Sasuke sort of happy inside, the girl remained untouched with their relationship. In fact, she still kept the distance between them, which he recommended. But still he didn't like the fact that he always scared the girl off.

The silence was beginning to fall again when Hinata raised her voice.

"U-Uchiha … how about… how about Naruto?"

There was no inflection in his tone. "I'd been thinking about that too." Then he gave her a lopsided smirk as he continued. "After three months, you could pretend that you dumped me. It'll raise your popularity and I'm sure Naruto would notice you that way."

She murmured something he'd considered as an understanding, then shut her mouth again. But something artificial in her gestures made Sasuke thought that Hinata still had something to talk. So he waited.

And waited—

But still she said nothing.

He exhaled sharply. "Just say it."

She flinched, and much to his relief, she obeyed him.

"… would you.. a-after three months…" she swallowed, then raised her hand to wipe her sweated forehead. "… s-stay away… stay away f-from me..?"

"Why?"

Instead of answering, Hinata only bent her head down and played with her fingers.

It hurt his vanity a bit, but he nodded nonetheless. "No prob."

She seemed to look relieved by his answer and put a hand on her chest while sighing. A small smile appeared on her lips. "T-Thank you… Uchiha …"

He gave her a look. "I hope you call me Sasuke in public."

That's when they heard someone knocked the door, a girl voice followed it shortly.

"Sasuke? I heard that you came here just now. Are you there?"

"K-Kin!" Hinata exclaimed before Sasuke's hand darted on her lips, avoiding it to speak anymore words.

Kin looked enraged to hear a girl's voice with her Sasuke-kun and knocked louder. Sasukeeeeeeeeeee? Answer me…"

"Our first show." Sasuke announced softly to her ear, and Hinata nodded.

He shut his eyes for a second, then bit his lips hard until it bruised a bit, then ruffled his hair wildly and creased his clothes. But Hinata stood still beside him.

"Bit your lips." he commanded her. "Hard."

She hesitated, but then she bit it. After a moment, she released her teeth from her lips, Sasuke angled his head in satisfaction when she saw her mouth reddened. Then he leaned to her and put a hand on her shoulder, his other hand was tracing her neck.

"This may hurt a little." He said, then pinched her neck.

Hinata squeaked, and Kin's voice became louder.

Sasuke smirked when he saw a red-bluish mark on her neck. Then he apologized again before he took off Hinata's jacket, but then gaped a sec when he saw the most curvaceous body he ever seen. He shook his head and tucked some hair into her ear so the mark was noticed.

"You ready?"

"Yes."

"Pretend we've just made out." He instructed while twisting the doorknob. "Don't forget to call me lovingly."

She nodded as another blush came to her cheeks. "O-okay.."

"Okay what?"

"S-Sasuke…"

A smile was plastered on his lips as he inhaled the air then opened the door, and found a very furious Kin was before it.

The brunette girl looked happy when she saw him and smiled flirtatiously (it made Sasuke winced). "Wha, Sasuke..! What're you doing there?"

Sasuke gloated inwardly when he hugged Hinata tighter on his side, then said. "Made out."

He quickly caressed her shoulder to settle her shaking body down.

"Do it." he whispered when he pretended to kiss her temple.

Even Sasuke could hear Hinata's gulp before she began to say. "Sasuke's.. Sasuke's my boyfriend now."

Life is beautiful…

He saw Kin gawked like a cow, then her shoulder slumped and her wig dropped down to the floor. Only this time she didn't quickly ran away but just .. gawked.

Hinata's shaking became harder and Sasuke decided that it was time to draw back, he said his goodbyes to the long haired girl and lead Hinata to the parking lot. He drove her home and didn't say anything except a simple 'thanks'.

Hinata guided him to her house and when they'd arrived, she quickly bowed and raised her hand for a goodbye salute, then quickly strode to her bedroom.

"Hinata?" Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister looked confused to see her sister's blushing face. It was unusual for Hinata to come home late. Moreover, with a redface, too.

She only smiled to her sister then walked in to her room, after making sure no one would see her, she buried her face in her hands.

What had she just done?

Chapter three ended.