A Perfect Circle

chapter six; winter

The wind was cold and heavy, bringing in a front of storm clouds from the west. The leaves had changed their colour, their once bright green hue turning orange as they died out. Sasuke thought that autumn was okay. It was winter that would bring hardship. He would travel far, across the land, trekking through freezing snow and making stops along the way as he had for the past few years. That was his plan.

When he saw the girl emerge from the bushes, his chest lurched. If he left, he might never feel the warmth of her body beside his again. His plans had changed. He would go, to remind himself of who he was, but not to brave the entire winter alone. His plans hadn't just changed. Everything had.

He'd spent the morning wondering how Hinata would react. He wasn't sure if she'd bother asking him to stay, or if she'd even care. He wondered if she would cry. She cried easily and about a lot of things. Then again, the only time he'd seen her shed tears was over Naruto.

Sasuke stood up straight and faced her. She stared at him curiously as she approached.

"I'm leaving," he told her. Hinata stopped in her tracks, unsure what to make of the abrupt statement. Nervously, she fiddled with her fingers, contemplating an appropriate response.

After a moment of rumination, delicately, she asked, "When will you be back?"

"A month," he responded. "Maybe two."

She nodded, smiling warmly. "I see..." She rummaged through her bag and took out a box; another one with the Uchiha flag crested on it. He accepted it and put it in his poncho. "If I'd known you were leaving," she peeped. "I would have packed more, but-"

"It's fine. Thanks."

Hinata tried to simper, to mask her obscure sadness, but her face only twisted. "You're welcome. I hope you stay safe."

"I'll be fine," he mumbled, turning his back. "I should get going. I have a lot of ground to cover before nightfall."

"U-Um, okay," Hinata stammered. Part of her felt like she should reach out and touch him, or even so much as shake his hand, because such a sudden goodbye just didn't feel right, but she faltered, and so did he.

"See you," he muttered. He glanced at her once more, meeting her moon-like gaze, before disappearing in one quick movement. Hinata felt the wind from his exit linger on her skin. The scent of firewood from his clothes had grown too familiar to her, but now he was gone. Even though she knew he'd eventually come back, she felt grim; lonelier than before.

She sat down by the river. At that point, she was used to having him beside her. It had been two weeks since he'd stayed over at her house, since they'd held each other in their sleep. Nothing happened since then. They didn't touch each other, and their routine hadn't changed from before; they met by the river almost daily. They talked about Naruto and the village, sometimes the war, but mostly, they sat in silence. The only people Hinata had ever been able to share such a mutual comfort of stillness with were her father and Neji. Sasuke was kind of like them, and she appreciated that because Neji was gone and her father was often too busy with Hanabi or the council to spend time with his eldest child.

Despite Hinata's growth in strength, Hiashi still hadn't changed his mind on making Hanabi the heiress to the Hyuga clan. Hinata wasn't sure if she was ever cut out for the job, anyway. Hanabi had a stronger will. She had more spunk and a powerful personality. Hinata could fight, but she still had trouble standing up for herself. She could hardly confront her own emotions, let alone those of her entire clan.

Hinata's chest still stung when she thought about Naruto's words. She'd stopped crying about it, but the feeling of dejection did not cease. Since her and Sasuke had overheard Naruto and Kiba's conversation, Hinata had successfully avoided most of the village, save Tenten and some of her family members. It didn't go without notice. Kiba and Shino had stopped by her house a few times, but she'd hidden inside, pretending to be away. Tenten told her how they were worried about her. Hinata was thankful to have Tenten as a friend, because though she knew something was up, she didn't ask any questions. Hinata simply said that she was working on a project with her sister, which took up most of her time. In actuality, she had been balancing making crafts, baking and watching television at home between spending time with the last Uchiha.

With a forlorn sigh, Hinata picked herself up and exited the clearing. Sasuke was watching her from the bushes. He'd quickly turned around after leaving because that parting was just so unsatisfying, but he hesitated. When she accelerated to a sprint, he'd lost his chance.

Growling, Sasuke turned back into the forest. He wasn't sure why he went back in the first place. Maybe to hug her, to breath in the scent of flower petals once more before stepping back into his reality. He knew his time spent with Hinata couldn't be real, not for him. He belonged on the road, but he never intended to stop thinking about her. He hadn't been able to stop since he slept over at her place. Since he'd held her, since she'd hugged him. And for the first time, Sasuke truly thought about what it would be like to press his lips against another's.

Hinata hugged herself as she walked towards her home. Night was falling. It had been two months since Sasuke left, and snow was starting to sprinkle from the sky. Hinata wasn't overly fond of winter; some months were okay, but others were depressing. She often found herself shivering and longing for the warmth of fire, but as a member of two societies, she had duties. As a member of the main house of the Hyuga clan, she was expected to attend all meetings. As a kunoichi of the Leaf, she was sometimes given missions. She wasn't complaining; since the end of the war, missions really were hard to come by and Hinata wasn't normally a first choice.

The Hyuga garden was often her sanctuary. She took refuge in the smell and warm colours of the flower petals, but along with the cold weather, came their unfortunate demise. To seek solace, she also had the waterfall, but it was winter and the mist from the hurdling water made her bones shake. She went anyway. It brought her to a different place, a place where she'd made a friend; one who didn't remind her of what her life was missing.

Hinata did love her friends, every single one, but after hearing Naruto's words to Kiba, she had fallen into a depression. Sasuke had been there to distract her from her true feelings but once he was gone, she had little left to preoccupy herself with. As the days passed on without him, she realized more how much his company was enjoyed. The simple conversations and long stretches of silence with another person were something that she longed for.

She decided to stop by the garden before heading home. Since the weather was growing colder, the flowers were also beginning to die. Akin to tradition, she visited the garden often before winter to say goodbye to the flowers. I'll see you in a few months, she thought with a smile, touching the petal of what was once a lively flower. It crinkled upon her touch and fluttered the ground. With a sigh, she twirled on her feet and found the nearest bench. It was chilly, but there was still enough light out for her to sit and read for a short while.

When she sat down, she heard snickers coming from nearby. Hinata lifted her eyes from her book at the sound of a familiar voice; Hanabi, her fourteen year old sister. Curiously, Hinata looked behind her and activated her byakugan to see what Hanabi was up to. She was with her two friends of the same age, Kaori and Aime. They were tucked into the bushes, huddled in a triangle to hide their conversation from adult ears.

"So you actually did it?" Kaori gaped at Aime. Hinata deactivated her eyes and turned back to the book, ignoring them.

"I did it," Aime, who was a blonde of the Yamanaka clan, whispered excitedly.

"Gross," Hanabi snorted.

"Don't listen to her," Kaori said. "How was it?"

"It was great," Aime informed matter-of-factly. "We've never been more connected!"

"What if your dad finds out?" Hanabi gaped. "He'll kill you, and-"

"Be quiet, Hanabi!" Kaori spoke through a harsh whisper. "No one is going to find out."

As the girls continued to bicker, Hinata decided that to be a good time to close her book, stand up and walk away. She wasn't a fool; she knew what they were talking about. She allowed her presence to continue unnoticed, because what was the point? She wasn't going to tell anyone that Hanabi's fourteen year old friend had sex for the first time. That wasn't her business, in fact, she wished she'd never heard it at all.

Walking through the garden, admiring the cherry trees in the distance, Hinata suddenly felt pathetic. She had never so much as kissed anyone, let alone had something as audacious as sex. She knew that Kiba had, Ino had, Tenten had, and probably a majority of the rookies, save herself. Sasuke probably had, too.

Maybe even Naruto and Sakura.

The raven haired girl blushed to herself, clutching her book to her chest. Sex was a touchy subject for her and she chose not to speak about it to anyone, but after hearing the conversation between the girls, she felt somewhat envious of them, for she had no one to confide in. Even when her friends talked about it, Hinata blushed and shied away. There was no one for her to ask advice about it. She knew not whether her curious desire for it, which made her feel so dirty, was truly acceptable for her to have.

Naturally, Hinata had thought about sex many times. She was nineteen, after all, and probably past her due date for a boyfriend. To her chagrin, the only man she had ever been interested in was always preoccupied, busy, or generally disinterested in being alone with her.

Hinata sighed to herself as she reached her home. She slid open the door and kicked off her sandals, carelessly tossing her book on the floor. It was uninteresting, anyway. Apparently, the sex lives of other people provoked more thought. In an obscure way, she felt like she didn't even have the right to think about sex because she couldn't get something as simple as a date even if the gods would smile upon her.

Hinata fell on her bed with a sigh. What constituted as a date, anyway? She recalled when Ino was dating Shikamaru. She said they watched movies together, sometimes slept in the same bed together. They'd go out and he'd insist on buying her dinner. They'd walk down the street holding each other's hands, and later, Ino would gush about how special he made her feel. Thinking on it, a feeling of dread filled Hinata's stomach. She had experienced those emotions. She had done such date-like things with someone, and she wondered, had she been secretly dating Sasuke this entire time?

Ridden with embarrassment, the girl flopped over in her bed in an attempt to quell her emotions, but it was futile. No one could see her, no one could know, but she was anxious anyway. To calm down, she reminded herself of two important details of Ino's relationship with Shikamaru that Hinata and Sasuke did not have in common. They didn't kiss, and they didn't lie naked with each other. What the girl thought would ease her did not help because for a moment she imagined what that might be like.

With a huff, Hinata hugged a pillow to her chest and stared at the ceiling. Even if Sasuke were here, she thought. He isn't interested in that.

She grabbed her pillow and stuffed her face into it. What am I even thinking? I'm not interested in that with him either! Feeling foolish, the Hyuga threw the pillow at the wall. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and couldn't bare to look. Her appearance was ridiculous, with a red face and unkempt hair. She imagined Sasuke would tell her she looked completely ludicrous. She composed herself and left the room. Perhaps, it was never too late or too cold for her to find some peace of mind at the waterfall.

Freezing air and sleet burdened the skin of Sasuke's face. It was his luck to have the wind blowing against him, fighting with him, like it was trying to turn him back; away from the Leaf village. He'd been on the road for months, longer than he'd planned, and now it seemed like the weather was opposed to his decision to return. He was reluctant, himself. Even though he'd been enjoying his time with Hinata before he left, he felt nervous to return. A month, he'd told her, maybe two; but he'd been gone for almost four. December was growing close to an end. Hinata must have moved on from him. Maybe she'd progressed into a relationship with Naruto and he would never be able to tell her that she'd been on his mind throughout his entire trip.

He ran into some trouble that extended the duration of his absence and he grew enraged every time he thought about it. If Hinata was with Naruto, then had Sasuke missed his chance, because he laid rest to all his uncertainties and confirmed that he wanted Hinata to himself. He wouldn't settle for anything different; perhaps, that was why the wind was trying to rid of him, to bury him away from the city, because for all he knew, Hinata could be happy without him.

The snow finally slowed down by the time he reached the main gate. Rather than sneak in, he decided to walk right through. There weren't many people out, as the weather was particularly frigid. Sasuke was slowly walking towards the Hyuga compound. He reveled in the stillness and imagined how she was doing. He thought that most people were better off without the Uchiha in their lives. He turned the corner, and to his dismay, the first thing he spotted was pink.

Sakura turned around almost immediately. She could feel his presence from the moment he spotted her. Much as they always did, her green eyes widened when they landed upon him. He inwardly groaned, but outwardly waved.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura gaped in disbelief. She jogged up to him.

"Sakura," he said.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for someone," he spoke nonchalantly, looking past her head. "I should go." When he tried to push past her, she stopped him.

"W-Wait," she desperately stammered. "Um, well, there's a party tonight, for Hinata's birthday." Sasuke's stopped in his tracks. Hinata's birthday. He didn't even know. Fate really did have a funny way of playing with him. "You should come," Sakura continued. "I was just on my way there. It's a surprise party at Tenten's. Everyone would be happy to see you."

"Wouldn't that just bring the attention off Hinata?"

Sakura blushed. Really, she was looking for any reason to spend time with Sasuke. "N-No, well, I'm sure she'd be glad to see you, too."

He paused. "Maybe."

"So?" she inquired with hopefulness. He thought on it for a moment. Perhaps, his old friend was right.

"Fine," he said. "Let's go."

The Uchiha heir had never felt so out of place.

Painting the room were colourful decorations and the faces of his former peers. Everyone from the academy days were there, minus the two Hyugas. Naruto, Ino and even Lee were excited to see Sasuke, but Shikamaru, Kiba, Tenten and the others were either irate or passive about his presence. He didn't blame them. Most people weren't willing to accept Sasuke back after all he had done. He still hadn't accepted himself.

"Where is Hinata?" Sasuke asked Sakura. They were standing by the door, not too far from the coffee table, where an array of snacks and alcoholic beverages had caught his eye.

"She'll be here any minute. It's a surprise party."

"I told her that only Sakura, Ino and I would be here," Tenten sniggered.

"I can't wait to see the look on her face!" Naruto cackled, and slapped Sasuke on the back. "Especially with you here, teme!"

Sasuke simply nodded and stared at the door.

"Make sure to yell surprise when she gets here," Sakura whispered mischievously. Sasuke kept his eyes glued forward. Finally, a light knock was heard at the door. Sasuke gulped. Now, only a piece of wood stood between them, but there were also ten other people. Tenten stuck up to the door, and when she opened it, revealing the Hyuga girl, everyone yelled surprise. Hinata dropped the basket she had in her hand. Her eyes widened, her cheeks flushed, and her gaze was fixated on him. The others had surprised her too but Sasuke was someone she wasn't even sure she'd see again. After all, he had doubled the amount of time he was gone. She assumed he didn't want to come back, but there he was, staring at her, wearing an untraceable half smirk.

"Come on in!" Tenten urged, snapping Hinata from her trance.

"O-Oh, right," she mumbled sheepishly, scrambling to pick up her basket before stepping inside. Everyone rushed up to congratulate Hinata. To say she was overwhelmed would be an understatement; her mind was gushing with a multitude of thoughts and feelings. When Naruto patted her on the back, she blushed, and Sasuke's eyebrow twitched.

After everyone calmed down, the party continued. They drank sake and beer and sat around Tenten's living room. Some people stood in the kitchen. Hinata was pulled to the living room by Ino, who enthused about what it felt like to be twenty. Sasuke leaned against the wall with Sakura.

"I'd like to talk to her," he said, and Sakura's head jolted to his. He stared forward at the red faced girl who was being bombarded by her friends. Sakura's face twisted in confusion, but she nodded.

"I'll grab her," she said. She left Sasuke and joined the group. She talked to them for a minute before she lightly tapped Hinata and informed her that Sasuke wanted her. Warily, Hinata glanced at him, before she nodded and the two went to join the Uchiha, who had been watching the scene expectantly. Hinata had trouble meeting Sasuke's eyes as she approached. It was awkward, especially with Sakura.

"Hey," Sasuke said. Sakura noticed the strange glint of interest in his eyes and the way his mouth curved up. He had never looked at her like that.

"Sasuke-kun," Hinata nodded politely. "How are you?"

"Fine," he said. He reached into his pocket and took out a tiny withered book. He handed it to her, and she reluctantly accepted.

"Thank you..." she murmured. She opened it up to see a single blue flower had been pressed in it. Sakura's brows furrowed.

"It's pretty," Hinata chimed. "Thank you."

"It is your birthday," he spoke casually, but the gift was more than that. In all honestly, Sasuke had no idea when Hinata's birthday was. The flower was something he'd found on his trip that reminded him of her. It was a small token of his affection, but Hinata didn't know that.

"Oi, Sakura, come over here!" Naruto's voice sounded, and the pink haired girl looked at him somewhat sadly. She turned back at Sasuke, who was watching as Hinata felt the petals of the flower. Sakura knew it was strange, but not to embarrass herself, she made an exit. For once, Sasuke was thankful for Naruto.

Hinata glanced over her shoulder. When she knew no one was listening, she looked up at him.

"You were gone for a lot longer than I expected," she cheeped.

"I know," he muttered. "I ran into some trouble."

Concern filled her lavender eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm here, aren't I?"

She smiled. "You are."

They were quiet for a few minutes. Hinata positioned herself beside him, leaning against the wall. She continued to look at the flower, to keep herself occupied before he spoke again. It felt foreign to stand beside him, in a room full of their former colleagues, laughing and drinking together. There were things she wanted to say to him, but couldn't. She shut the book and gripped onto it.

"Can I walk you home after this?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes," she practically whispered.

"I'm going to go." He pushed himself off the wall and faced her. "I'll meet you on the street."

"In two hours," she said. Their gaze lingered for few seconds longer. He wanted to read her, to pry into her mind and see if she actually wanted to see him, but her eyes were a quandary. Without another word, Sasuke disappeared towards the front door. Hinata watched him. When Sakura, who had been standing with Naruto, noticed that Sasuke was leaving, she ran after him. She rushed outside, but he was already gone. With a sad sigh, Sakura returned inside the house and went straight for Hinata, who was putting the book away in her purse.

"Why did he leave?" Sakura inquired, and Hinata jumped, startled. She composed herself and met her friend's eyes.

"I'm not sure," she answered. Sakura's expression softened.

"I wish he had said goodbye," she sighed. Hinata awkwardly fiddled with her fingers as Sakura seemed deep in thought. "He gave you a flower," she stated. It wasn't an accusation or laced with jealousy, but felt somber and distant. Hinata was pained with guilt as she read Sakura's face. She felt remorseful because the gift from Sasuke had made her feel special and was making her friend so sad.

"I'm sure it was just something he had on him," Hinata assured.

"Maybe you're right, but he's never given me a present before." When Sakura saw Hinata's guilt ridden expression, she straightened up. "Oh, I'm sorry, Hinata. It's your birthday. I shouldn't be making you feel bad for receiving a gift."

"O-Oh, not at all," she stuttered, forcing a small laugh. It wasn't the receiving of the gift that made Hinata so guilty but the words behind it. The words he didn't need to say; he'd thought of her while he was gone. Her stomach went fuzzy on the idea, a familiar feeling of warmth like she'd had when he held her hand, when she woke up in his arms.

I shouldn't feel this way, Hinata reminded herself. She looked around the room at all her friends, Naruto included, and suddenly, she felt like a stranger to them all.

Hinata slipped away from the party before anyone else had left. She spoke to Tenten in private, telling her that she wasn't feeling well. The cold streets had a lonely feeling about them, and Hinata walked for several minutes before Sasuke showed himself. He jumped down from a building and landed directly in front of her, causing her to jump. She fumbled back, but caught herself before she could fall.

"Sasuke-kun," she breathed. "You startled me."

"Oops," he smirked. With a slight roll of her eyes, she continued on her path with the Uchiha beside her.

"So," Hinata began, breaking the silence. "How was your trip?"

"Fine," he said. "It was... Longer than I wanted it to be."

Me too, the girl thought, but said, "But you're back now. For how long, do you think?"

"I'm not sure."

"I see."

Tell her, Sasuke urged himself, but refrained. He'd thought about admitting his feelings for her a lot over his absence, but as he faced the moment, a lump grew in his throat. He was nervous, which wasn't something he was accustomed to feeling.

"It's strange," she mused, saving the moment. "I was kind of lonely without you."

"I didn't expect that," he responded. They stopped outside of Hinata's door and faced each other. "I figured you'd be with Naruto by now."

"Not quite," she mumbled.

"I, um," he trailed off and gulped. Hinata stared up at him with that innocent stare of hers, and he scratched the back of his head, thinking that he was a fool. Shaking off the uncharacteristic demeanor, he firmly met her gaze. "I thought about you a lot while I was gone."

"I thought about you, too," Hinata murmured sheepishly. "I didn't know if you were coming back or not." Her eyes were somber. He studied her face, the way her gaze sadly looked at the ground, and he thought it might not be too farfetched to believe she actually missed him. Slowly, not to startle her, he wrapped his arms around her torso and pulled her into his chest. When she encased her arms around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder, he lifted her off the ground, holding her tight. I really have missed you, Hinata thought, and Sasuke thought much the same thing.

When he put her down, he kept his hands on her waist for a moment before releasing her. "Come to the waterfall with me," he said.

"But... It's too cold."

Without thinking, he pulled the warmth of his poncho off his body. The night was brisk, but he could handle it. He put it over her head, engulfing her in his familiar smell of the forest. When her head poked through, she pouted at him.

"I look ridiculous," she commented. He patted her on the head.

"Let's go."

Despite their time apart, Sasuke and Hinata found themselves with little words they were willing to say. For them, the silence was nothing new. They sat by the river, side by side, staring at the moonlight reflected on the water, as though they hadn't been apart at all. Hinata hugged her legs to her chest beneath the poncho Sasuke had thrown upon her. She felt silly in it, but didn't really mind. It was warm and the smell was that of an amenity.

Hinata didn't understand what was happening between them. The empty feeling she'd had without him, and the bubbling feeling of warmth she now felt after being reunited with him, was unmistakable, but foreign. Sasuke, having much room for thought while he was away, had a better idea. He caught himself staring at her. Lost in her thoughts, it took her eyes a moment to flicker to his. She uniformly blushed, something he'd seen often in his mind over the past few months.

"What is it?" Hinata stuttered when Sasuke's eyes didn't flare away as they normally would. Swallowing his uncertainty, he swiftly moved closer to her, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her towards him. She was hesitant, but relaxed onto him, resting her head in the crook of his neck. He wrapped his free arm around her torso and rested his cheek on her head. She always smelled nice, one of the many things he'd grown fond of about her.

"If this isn't okay, let me know," he muttered. She nodded. Maybe it shouldn't have been okay. She thought that it would be appropriate for her to push him away because there were no further questions about it; friends didn't hold each other like that, period. Then again, maybe the thought wasn't so taboo, that her and Sasuke had become more than friends, or that they were never simply that to begin with.

The faces of Naruto and Sakura flashed in her mind, inadvertently causing her to flinch. Sasuke loosened his grip on her, but she held him tighter. Naruto showed no interest in Hinata and she knew that. What was the point of waiting around for him, while he loved Sakura, not her? They had each other, and Sasuke was the one who had been there for her, so she clutched onto his shirt, burying herself in his warmth. Perhaps, it wasn't so wrong for her to take comfort in him. Before long, despite the cold, Hinata found her eyelids growing heavy. She drifted asleep, for the first time since Sasuke had left, feeling content.

When the girl's weight on him fell dead, Sasuke knew she had passed out. He geared his head to look at her and smirked. Part of him had hoped she would fall asleep. Even though he'd have to carry her home, he didn't mind. She was cute when she grumbled and curled in his arms.

He positioned her on his back and found it amusing how he could mold her body like clay and she would hardly make a sound. Rather than running, he walked back to the village at a steady pace. Sasuke didn't know what he was really doing with the girl, but he did know that he liked the way she made him feel, and that was enough to make him want to stick around. No one had ever made him feel like he was not being judged, like he could tell her things about himself, dark parts of his past, and she would still smile and find the bright side of it. Like she truly looked for good in all people, even in him, even his monster.

By the time he reached Hinata's doorstep, Sasuke really was cold. He wasn't used to travelling without his poncho, but Hinata needed it more.

"Hey," he muttered, and the girl grumbled. He kept her on his back until her eyelids fluttered open.

"Sasuke-kun," Hinata peeped. Carefully, he set her down. She stumbled for a moment and grabbed onto him for support.

"You okay?" he inquired.

"Yeah." She fumbled to her door and turned to him, rubbing her eye. "I... I fell asleep," she yawned.

"You did. I figured you'd rather sleep in your bed."

"Thank you." Hinata lifted the poncho off herself and handed it to Sasuke, who reluctantly complied. Even though Hinata was still half asleep, he didn't want his time with her to be over yet.

"I'll see you later," he said, but Hinata grabbed his hand, rubbing her eye once more with her free one.

"Come inside," she said. "Sleep here."

"Are you sure?"

Hinata let go of him and unlocked the door. She opened it up and stood inside, staring at him with puffy eyes. When he didn't move, she grabbed his hand again and pulled him in.

"Sleep here," she repeated in her groggiest voice.

"Okay," he agreed. Hinata grinned a sleepy smile and shut the door behind them. She didn't bother with any of the lights as she walked towards her bedroom. Sasuke dropped his poncho on a chair and went to the couch, but Hinata stopped him.

"No," she said, standing in the doorway of her room. "In here."

As he followed her, Sasuke's first thought went to a darker place, but Hinata was innocent. She crawled under the covers and gestured for him to join her. The man gulped, but complied and mimicked her, pulling the fluffy pink covers over his body. His brain was wide awake, but his body couldn't resist tiredness. He found himself laying in the most comfortable bed he'd ever been in. Hinata curled up next to him and rested her head on his arm. She was sleeping within seconds, and he wondered if she'd even remember this; if she'd wake up in the morning and scream at the strange man in her bed. He shrugged it off. If she forgot, it was still her wish for him to be there so he didn't fight it. He took her in his grasp and allowed himself to relax, eventually falling asleep to the sound of soft breathing and the pleasant smell of her home.

A/N: Hey guys! Thank you all so frickin much for your reviews on the last chapter. :'D

WEll things are moving forward. I hope that you liked the chapter. I'm a bit nervous about it, tbh.

Please review! If I can get to 100 reviews with this chapter I will be so stoked on life!