Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.
Special Thanks: goes out to lilshadow lover, DivineGlory, Kibachow, Guest (1), thinks-too-hard, Break Blade, Sachiko Heiwajima, Guest (2), mangetsu no hime, Danish78, Dani Stark, Tamani, rockyourlove, Guest (3), TheValkyrieGladiator, Melanieciel, XxMelony-kunXx, LaydiiV, MuffinMan9223, BekotaTheMonsterHuntress, rao hyuga 18, Arasia, Sahel, Robotchick1, and MysteriousEyez for all your wonderful reviews! Seriously, the sheer number I got for the last chapter blew my mind. You all are awesome! Also thanks to everyone who keeps adding this to their favorite and follows lists - you all are amazing!
Author's Note: Something happens in this chapter that sets up a huge and very exciting development for our lovely pair in the coming chapters. It's a story arc I've been looking forward to introducing for a very long time, and I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter!
*~Chapter XXIV~*
~Ripple~
As soon as the door closed behind Sasuke, Hinata twirled over to the couch, her green and brown bamboo-patterned skirt swirling around her legs. Collapsing onto the cushions, she bounced twice. Not only had Sasuke stayed for about an hour and a half after they'd eaten dessert; but as he took his leave of her, he cupped his hand to the side of her face and gently kissed her goodbye.
She grabbed a throw pillow and hugged it tightly to her chest. She'd read of smoldering eyes before, but had never actually seen any until today, when she'd looked into Sasuke's before and after his kisses. A delicious shiver ran through her. Her skin felt warm all over, as if flushed with fever, and her lips still tingled. Giggling softly, she buried her chin in the edge of the pillow she clasped. She felt giddy, and lightheaded, and totally like someone who might be falling in love-
-With Uchiha Sasuke, of all people.
A different kind of heat flooded her, a flush of shame at how badly she'd misjudged him. Uncomfortable as it was to face such a truth about herself, what an intellectual snob she'd been! Despite her prejudices, though, she'd discovered him to be smart, shy, funny, and possessing a lot of the same interests as she, even given the subject matter of his books. They'd fallen into a camaraderie that felt so natural it almost seemed like they'd been friends for years instead of only a few weeks.
Her mind returned to the feel of his lips on hers, of his hand against her cheek, of the softness of his hair on the backs of her fingers when he'd guided her hands to feel the scars behind his ears. She'd wanted so badly to comb her fingers through his hair, to savor the sensations such an action would have triggered. Electricity tingled across her skin as her pulse quickened.
Oh, yes, she was definitely falling for him. And if the look in his eyes and his actions were any indication, he was falling for her, too.
Hinata spent she didn't know how long lost in pleasant daydreams, until the less-than-welcome thought intruded that she probably should call Hanabi and let her know it was safe to come home. Before she could do so, however, her phone played a familiar ringtone. Hurrying to answer it before it rolled over to voicemail, she cleared her throat in hopes it would make her sound normal instead of over-the-moon, then answered it. "Hello?"
"Hi, Hinata!" Tenten's voice sounded cheerful as always, but it contained an extra layer of contentment which hadn't been there before. "Just wanted to call and see how you're doing. Neji and I got back last night, but it was way too late to call then. So I'm doing it now instead! How're you doing?"
She could picture her new cousin-in-law so easily: her chestnut hair would have new streaks in it from the sun, she would be tanned from long, lazy days on the beach, and she would undoubtedly be sporting a new top or jewelry from the Bahamas. "I'm doing fine," Hinata said, her cheeks warming with a blush. The words felt so inadequate for the depth of her feelings on a number of subjects (most of them having to do with Sasuke), but she didn't want to go into any of them. "Thanks for calling. I'm glad to know you got back safely."
"Yeah. We're both enjoying our last day off before going back to the same old drudgery at work tomorrow." She laughed at something Neji said in the background, then asked, "So I've been dying to know: how'd Hanabi's move go yesterday?"
Some of the joy of the day drained away at the question, but Hinata forced herself to sound like her usual self when she replied. "Very smoothly. The movers Father hired were very fast and efficient, and it didn't take nearly as long as I thought. She's out right now with some friends, but I'm sure she'll be back soon." There, that was nice and diplomatic and nothing at all like how she really felt about the matter.
"I'm glad things went well." Tenten said it in a voice which made it absolutely clear she wasn't fooled in the least. "I picked up some souvenirs for you both from the Bahamas, actually. You want to meet for lunch tomorrow at The Yellow Flash? I'll show you pictures and give you your souvenirs then."
"Sounds good." Hinata had missed her roommate dearly while she was gone. Now she was back, and though Hinata knew she and Tenten wouldn't get to spend nearly as much time together as they used to, she looked forward to the times when they could get together. "Will Neji come too, or...?" She allowed the question to trail off.
"'Fraid not," Tenten said with a sigh. "He's having to pull a double tomorrow. And when he's just coming back to work, too. But he just told me to tell you we'll all get together soon for dinner."
"Good." Hinata tried to picture her pale, stoic cousin tanned and relaxed from his honeymoon, but came up empty. It would be interesting to see him and find out if his complexion, at least, had undergone a change. "I've really missed you both."
Tenten hesitated a moment. "Would you be offended if I said we probably haven't missed you as much?"
Laughing, Hinata shook her head. "Not at all," she said. "Didn't want to come home?"
"Not at all." Tenten groaned. "I'm not joking, Hina. The Bahamas are so gorgeous. White sandy beaches all the way down to that beautiful turquoise ocean, the clearest blue skies you've ever seen..." She sighed heavily. "I didn't want to come home. At all."
They chatted for another couple of minutes, then agreed on a time to meet the next day and hung up. Hinata immediately made herself push the preset for her little sister, counting the rings as she waited for Hanabi to pick up on her end.
"Hello?" Loud music and laughter burst through the speaker with Hanabi's voice, forcing Hinata to hold the phone away from her ear.
"You can come home now!" Hinata raised her voice in hopes of being heard, even though she wondered if she should just flat-out shout.
"What?" Hanabi yelled on the other end.
"Where are you?" the elder sister demanded, exasperated.
"Just a sec, I can't hear you." Suddenly the music and laughter cut off with a thump, and Hanabi said, "There, that's better. Now then, what'd you say, sis?"
Rolling her eyes, Hinata repeated herself. "I said, you can come home now. For goodness sake, Hanabi, where are you?"
"Rockville," Hanabi said, naming her favorite restaurant a county over. It catered to high school and college-age young adults, giving them a place to hang out with great food and a rotating list of local bands who played each night. Hinata had been there a couple of times with friends, but it hadn't really been her cup of tea.
"There's leftover lasagna and dark chocolate soufflé here for you," Hinata said.
Just as she'd thought, that did the trick. "I'll be home in twenty minutes," Hanabi said, then hung up without saying goodbye.
Shaking her head, Hinata set down her phone with a chuckle. Even though sometimes it felt like she and Hanabi were complete strangers, she could always count on Italian food and chocolate to reel her sister in when needed.
Now all Hinata needed to do was get rid of her blush and get her insanely happy grin under control before Hanabi got home and guessed what had been going on in her absence...
Sasuke drove home on autopilot, his mind filled with images from the afternoon he'd just spent with Hinata. Though to be truthful, said images mostly focused on the sweet softness of her lips under his, the velvety feel of the skin of her cheek against the palm of his hand- Not to mention the intoxicating fragrance of her filling his nostrils as he kissed her-
Cut it out, Uchiha. You're starting to sound like a clichéd romance novelist, he chastised himself as he navigated his driveway. But despite the trite descriptions floating around in his mind, nothing about the experience felt hackneyed. Instead it had felt utterly fresh, unexpectedly making his heart swell with warmth and a yearning to know what it would be like to hold her in his arms as he kissed her breathless-
Sasuke suddenly realized he was sitting parked in front of his house, and had been there for an indefinable period of time. He heard Ninja barking from inside, and could tell from the tenor of the barks that the dog knew his master was home. Switching off the idling engine, he hurriedly climbed the front steps and unlocked the door so he could greet his canine companion.
He'd barely had time to let Ninja into the back yard when his phone rang. His heart jumped, hoping it was Hinata. But when he looked at the screen, he saw Jiraiya's number instead.
Why is he calling me on a Sunday? Sighing, Sasuke reluctantly connected the call and lifted his phone to his ear. "Hello?"
"Don't sound so excited to talk to me, my boy!" Jiraiya admonished teasingly. He sounded like he was in a truly jolly mood; nothing unusual, but the timing of the phone call was decidedly suspicious. "Are you doing anything important right now?"
"No." Sinking down onto one of the benches at the patio table, Sasuke leaned back and watched as Ninja ran around the yard, grabbing his toys and then flinging them away just as quickly.
"Good. So I'm going to get a phone call tomorrow, and I need to know what to say." Jiraiya cleared his throat, sounding suddenly nervous. "As we talked about before, we're less than a month out from the New York premiere of Head Shot. I know you hated coming to the one for Metronome, but your being there really did make a huge difference as far as fan and media presence. I need to know if you're coming for Head Shot, because if you are, I have some things to arrange with the people in New York. The usual - publicity, booking your hotel suite, limo, all that good stuff."
Sasuke's initial reaction was to give Jiraiya a resounding and unequivocal no. All the people, and the lights, and the sound... It had made his last trip to New York miserable. But something Jiraiya had said in relation to this trip still weighed on his mind. If Hinata agreed to go with him as his date, he would do it. Having her with him would help him be better able to handle the people, sounds, and bright lights directed at him.
"If I do come-" Sasuke ignored Jiraiya's sharp, hopeful inhale on the other end of the line "-I have some conditions."
Paper rustled, and Jiraiya prompted, "Yes? Yes? What conditions?" He reminded Sauske of Ninja with his rope toy; now his agent had his teeth sunk into the idea, and he wasn't going to let it go without a fight.
Propping his bare feet against the patio railing, Sasuke squinted into the distance and began his list. "For one thing, no planes. I'm going to drive there again, just like last time. And no, you can't send a car to pick me up. I will drive myself everywhere except the premiere. Then, and only then, you can send the limo after me."
Jiraiya grumbled unhappily for a long minute, but at last muttered, "Fine."
"When I get to New York, I'll meet with you to finalize plans. But know the only official public appearance I'm planning to make is at the premiere. No book signings. No interviews, save for those on the red carpet." Sasuke knew he had to come up with every contingency, because Jiraiya optimistically thought his most popular author would one day wake up and transform from a reclusive caterpillar into a social butterfly.
Yeah, that was going to happen. Not. But Jiraiya still kept hoping, and hinting, and nagging.
"What about the dinner afterwards, with the cast and such?" Jiraiya's pen busily scratching on the paper was audible over the phone. "Will you come to that, too?"
Sasuke had skipped Metronome's, but he had a feeling he wouldn't be so lucky the second time around. "I guess. And if the press is there, I might give a comment or two. But no full-on interviews." He valued his privacy above all else and didn't want that to change any time soon. But answering a couple of questions wouldn't be too bad, as long as they pertained to his book and the movie.
"Got it. Anything else?" The twist of sarcasm at the end of Jiraiya's sentence made Sasuke smile.
"As a matter of fact, yes, there is. Have any clothing or jewelry companies been in touch with you?" If the answer was no, Sasuke would be surprised. There had been no fewer than two dozen of each in contact with Jiraiya before Metronome.
"Yes, a few. Most of them are wanting to outfit you, but a couple of them called to ask if you were going to be bringing a - ahem - lady friend with you this time. They're salivating to get their newest designs on the red carpet for such a highly-anticipated and media-covered event." Jiraiya sounded downright pleased at the prospect.
Sasuke was tempted to have Jiraiya tell them to go concentrate on the stars of the film, but he had a feeling all of that had been taken care of months ago. He was a last-minute addition, so everyone and their second-cousin-four-times-removed wanted a crack at him. "Tell whichever one - doesn't matter to me - they can do my tux," he said. "And get the hottest, classiest dress designer to be on call."
Jiraiya nearly choked. "Dress designer? You mean you're actually bringing a date, Sasuke?!" The frantic scritching of his pen increased tempo, if possible. "Oh, this is going to be gold. This is going to be bigger than that boat movie twenty years ago - you know the one. This is going to be huge, I tell you! Now, is it that pretty little librarian you invited for dinner while I was there?" He sounded as pleased as if he'd arranged the whole thing himself.
While Sasuke didn't think Head Shot would be quite as big a buzz as "that boat movie," as Jiraiya so eloquently put it, he feared it was going to be big. Which was why he was already starting to get cold feet.
But no. It was time he stopped being a coward and did things. He needed to show Hinata he could step out of his shell, his comfort zone, and be a normal person. Besides, he wanted to take her to New York and pamper her with the restaurants, the sights, Broadway, the stores... All he had to do was talk her into it. "I'm not saying for sure yet that I'm bringing a date, and I'm doubly sure I'm not saying who it is, at least not yet. And if you breathe a word of this to anyone, Jiraiya, so help me, I'll fire you." He wouldn't, and Jiraiya knew it. But he figured the threat couldn't hurt anything.
"When will I know if you're bringing a date?" Jiraiya hedged. "The dress and jewelry people will need to know."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. This wasn't the sort of thing he wanted to ask Hinata over the phone, and he didn't want to have to drop by the library and ask, either. The idea of asking her over for dinner before the (two hour!) book signing session on Wednesday appealed, though. He could ask her then. "I'll get back to you Thursday at the latest, all right?"
More unhappy mumbling, but Jiraiya finally sighed and gave in. "All right, fine. I'll talk to 'em about booking your hotel and limo tomorrow, then, and to the tux designer. How long are you planning to stay in New York? They'll want to know."
"Few days. Four, maybe? Two before the premiere, then the day of, then the day after. I'll leave the day after that, then." It was a long drive, and he wanted time to rest. "Well - maybe five days. Two before, day of, two after." There was a lot to fit in if Hinata was going, after all. "And check to see what's playing on Broadway that week, too."
"Don't ask for much, do you?" Jiraiya inquired dryly. Then, "Sure thing, kid. Anything else?"
"I think that covers it. Thanks, Jiraiya. I really do appreciate everything you do for me. You're miles above all the other agents in the business, you know that?" Sasuke knew he didn't say it nearly enough. Usually he just took Jiraiya and his infinite helpfulness for granted, but it wasn't fair.
"It's not a problem. Compared to some of the authors out there, you're a cinch to work for. You don't get embroiled in scandals, you're not really that hard to please, and you're not constantly whining for another appearance or interview. Thank you for being so easy to work for." Jiraiya's pen clicked, as if he were finally finished writing. Sasuke could only imagine how long the list looked, and winced in sympathy. He wasn't that easy to please, but it was nice of his agent to say so.
"We'll talk later this week, then?" Sasuke watched as Ninja ambled up the steps, obviously ready for a nap and a big drink of water, not necessarily in that order. He stood and sauntered across the deck toward the door into the house, his dog heeling without being told.
"Yep. I'll e-mail you all the details after I get 'em ironed out. Have a good night, Sasuke."
Sasuke ignored Jiraiya's overly teasing tone. "Good night, Jiraiya." He hung up on the sound of his agent's belly laugh.
As Ninja headed for his water dish, Sasuke went to the dusty line of cookbooks shoved back in the corner of the counter and dragged them out. Hinata had made a great meal for him today, and he wanted to reciprocate by doing something more than just throwing something on the grill.
No box meals or takeout for him. No, sir. He was going to make her something that would knock down her defenses and leave her in just the right mood to go to New York with him. He just hoped his cooking skills weren't as dusty as the cookbooks. If so, he - and all prospects for New York - were in big trouble.
*~To Be Continued~*
Author's Ending Notes: So Sasuke's going to New York! But will Hinata go with him...? We shall soon find out! I'm so excited for things to come which this chapter hinted at, and I hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you all again for next week's update!