Enjoy!

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She kept a very small circle, but she was still used to having people around.

Hinata Hyuuga came from a big family, who were people of few words. Until she began college, she never thought much of how little was spoken because she basked in the fact that she was always surrounded. She must also admit that befriending someone like Neji—a cousin who doubled as a friend—had her realize she had not made many friends in school.

It never crossed her mind that she should.

The friends she did make never lasted long because her father only wanted her to have connections with people of power and influence. After middle school, she wasn't sure what constituted power or influence, so she stopped trying to befriend anyone. Even in college, she did not go out of her way to make friends. There were people in a few of her classes whom she would talk to, but she wouldn't hang out with them. So, now that Neji was studying abroad and Naruto was gone for a while, Hinata found herself experiencing true loneliness for the first time.

But she wouldn't dwell on it.

She sighed, reaching for a book but found someone behind her had grabbed it. She turned, inclined to feel irritated but mortification engulfed her instead. She pushed down the urge to scream and scanned the aisles before setting her white eyes on him.

She placed a hand on her throat, finding that it had constricted terribly, and tried not to draw attention to either of them. "What are you doing here?"

Sasuke Uchiha stared for a moment, placing the book back on the shelf. "Thought you could use some company."

"Co...? Sasuke..." She closed her eyes, breathing deeply. When she looked at him again, her gaze was steady, but it did nothing for her nerves. "How did you find me?"

"It wasn't hard."

She huffed, side-stepping as to not be trapped by him. "How did you get on campus without an identification card?"

"Being back home has its privileges."

Hinata didn't know what to say. She had heard he was back home, which made her wonder if he took what she said to heart, but that had been months ago. She stopped fearing he'd come after her in the hopes of a relationship. The only reason she entertained the thought of being with him that time was because of a night she would never fully remember. She had started to believe it was good she didn't remember it, because then she might still be stuck on a twisted obligation to be with him just because they had shared a very intimate moment. If saving her dignity meant casting away logic, then she refused to be that insane.

But...she was happy to see him, too.

For the very same reasons she didn't want to see him, she was happy he was here.

It would have been romantic if he chased after her. It would have been an overwhelming joy if that night had touched him deeper than just physical pleasure and he wanted to share moments with her beyond what could happen in a bedroom. If Sasuke Uchiha had come to her looking for a relationship simply because he couldn't imagine going on without her, that would have been the moment she could look past that night and how it all happened and possibly start a future with a near stranger.

But it should have happened over two months ago, and, maybe, she's glad she wasn't that foolish anymore. She knew it wasn't him who was making her feel this way. She still thought of Sasuke as a woman who didn't exist, and she didn't know what that was saying about herself. There was no way he was like the woman she thought him to be, but, then again, Sasuke was that person.

It was too much.

She took in a shaky breath, looking away. "Please, leave me alone."

She turned and hurried on her way.

"Uuuugh! I'm so bored here!"

"Mm."

"I haven't done anything since getting on the plane!"

"You got off the plane."

"Uuuuugh!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, holding his cellphone between his shoulder and ear as he typed away on a computer. Naruto wasn't having fun wherever he was (he still skillfully avoided to say where), and the blond thought it was a good idea to call him, of all people.

"Uh, sir?"

Sasuke looked up, finding the Shinsei school secretary standing at his side. He muted his phone, setting it down. "What?"

"What is it that you're doing, again?"

"How does this concern you?"

"It's just... I don't see how the Uchiha corporation...would benefit...from..." She cleared her throat, the dark stare she was receiving rattling her. "N-Never mind."

Sasuke watched her walk off before unmuting his phone.

"Teme? Sasuke?"

"What?"

"I asked what you were doing."

"Research."

"For school?"

"Okay."

"Okay? What do you mean 'Okay'?"

"Do you have a roommate?"

"Do... Wha? Why?"

"I was thinking of that school you won't tell me about."

Naruto sighed, his mood dropping. "That again? Geez..." He was silent, the atmosphere becoming tense. "Yeah, okay? If you live in a dorm, chances are you'll have a roommate."

"Hn... Where are you, again?"

"So interested in me all of a sudden." He could hear Naruto grin. "You miss me already?"

"Sure. Whatever." He paused, staring at the computer screen. "Is your dorm coed?"

"No."

"Are any dorms coed?"

"No."

"Mm. I'll call you back."

"But I'm still-"

Sasuke hung up the phone, exiting out of all the windows he had pulled up and clearing the history.

"Are you eating well?"

"Yes."

"How are you sleeping?"

"I'm sleeping fine."

"You're not lonely, are you?"

Hinata sighed, sitting on the beige sofa in her dorm room. "Naruto, it hasn't even been a whole week."

"I knooooooow, but I worry about you."

She smiled but didn't let it carry to her voice. "You shouldn't. A month on my own won't kill me."

"Jiiiiiiiinixing it."

She laughed, shifting positions. "How are things going?"

"Eh, they're not. Pervy- eh... My godfather just got in last night, so we'll have a meeting around noon."

"What's it for, again?"

"Keh! That old man is a business expert and stuff, right? And he's gotten offers from both your corporation and the Senju corporation, but he's been dodging both companies to run that strip club I told you about." He laughed condescendingly. "But they're making him choose now. Ya know, either go into the business world or have his club shut down."

"It sounds like it'll be shut down either way."

"Yeah, but at least he'll have a job with one."

"Wait... You said my dad wanted this man to work for us?"

"Yeah."

Hinata paused, her mind churning. "Jiraya's your godfather?"

"Yeah..." Naruto cleared his throat. "I was going to tell you."

She knew about Jiraya—of course she knew about him. He, along with one other man that dropped out of the business world, had been a very influential force when Tsunade was thrown in the mix. For reasons unknown, no one looked for the other man that had been with them—her father certainly made it a point to not educate her about him—but everyone wanted their hands on Jiraya.

Was it just coincidence that Naruto and his family (with their many mysterious ties) wound up indebted to her father? Even so, Naruto never said anything about it either.

"You keep...a lot of secrets," she mumbled.

"I knoooooow. Crazy, isn't it?"

"Hm... Is Neji there?"

"Yeah, but he's sleepin'."

Hinata looked at the clock above the television, ready to inquire why her cousin went to bed so early, when she remembered it would be night over there. "What are you doing up?!"

Naruto laughed heartily. "I couldn't sleep. My internal clock hasn't adjusted yet."

"Still... You have important things to do tomorrow. Or...in a few hours."

"And they'll get done. A few nights of this won't kill me."

She pouted, drawing her legs up on the sofa. Hinata kept realizing she didn't know him like she thought she did, but she didn't know if she could tell him that. She'd hate for things to become awkward between them.

A knock came from the door.

"Well," she sighed, getting up, "I hope you can have some fun while you're away."

"I have fun everywhere."

"Then maybe you can find yourself a girlfriend."

He huffed. "I can do that at home."

"Not if you're always hanging around me." When she got to the door, she looked through the peephole. "We're bound to be alone if we...stay...together..."

"Can't really be alone if we have each other."

Hinata pressed her lips together, closing suddenly heavy eyelids. "Naruto... I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Eh? Is something wrong?"

"No, I... I just got very tired all of a sudden. Goodbye." She hung up the phone, barely hearing his goodbyes, and evened her breath, keeping her eye on the other person.

He knocked again.

She swallowed hard, opening the door enough to present herself. "How?"

Sasuke looked at her, eyes flickering with amusement. "Thought this was Naruto's dorm."

"Well... It's not. It's mine."

"Un. Where is it then?"

"I wouldn't know, Sasuke." She paused, wondering if she could pull off a glare. "Why are you still here?"

He smirked, walking away. "Looking around."

Two Days Later

Hinata was exhausted.

She had a portable heater for her room, and since she kept her door closed, the rest of the dorm was rendered cold. Even when she forced herself to get ready for classes, she wanted nothing more than to go back to her room and bundle herself up in her blankets. She hadn't been able to focus at all during any of her classes, but she had her homework and other assignments, so she was grateful to be able to sleep for a while.

When she entered her dorm, she saw her roommate's bedroom light was on. She stared, shutting the door behind her, and walked toward it. When she opened the door, her eyes snapped wide, words caught in her throat. Dark eyes that had been fixed on a laptop screen looked up at her. They regarded her for a moment before looking back down.

"What-"

"Am I doing here?" Sasuke finished, typing away. "Homework. What's it look like?"

"No, no, no, how did you get in here?" She huffed repeatedly, not knowing whether or not to take a step forward or back. Her head felt like lead, and she had to place her hand against it just to feel as though she were keeping it in place. "There is no way you could have gotten in here."

"This room or this dorm?" He looked back at her, leaning back in his chair. "I thought you said this wasn't Naruto's dorm."

"It's...not." She dropped her hand, balling it defensively as she tried to act composed. "He just lives with me."

"Hm." Sasuke smirked. "Now I live with you."

"No, you do not. You don't even go here, and if anyone finds out-"

"The school already approved."

Hinata shook her head, pushing her bangs back. He was exhausting. "Why...are you trying so hard to be near me? Why now? We only met once."

"I met you twice a week for two months straight."

"You know nothing about me."

"What did you know about Satsuki?"

She reddened, biting her lip. "What is this really about? If you think what I said two months ago still means something...then you don't understand the first thing about me."

He shrugged. "I'll learn."

Two Weeks Later

The men in her life were of no help.

Well, that was unfair.

The three men in her life she thought would help her in this situation were of no help.

She was able to get in contact with the dean of the school, but he more or less said he couldn't evict the Uchiha from her dorm because he went through all the necessary procedures to temporarily live there. Meaning, he knew exactly who Sasuke Uchiha was and did not want to have any funding for the school drastically cut due to his influence. It also didn't help that Sasuke had mentioned to someone or other that he was good friends with Naruto Uzumaki, and all it took was a call to the blond's father to confirm it.

So, logically, she turned to her father. At first, the Uchiha name hadn't meant a thing to him, and he was livid that the school would allow anyone to live with his daughter without contacting him first. However, just five hours after speaking with him, Hiashi called back to tell her he had a talk with Fugaku Uchiha—her last resort, if it came to it—and...

She concluded the Uchihas had a way with persuasion.

So, it was two weeks later, and she had been co-existing with Sasuke quite oddly.

He mentioned he now did most of his schooling online, so most of his time spent was in Naruto's room with the door closed. He also received a lot of phone calls, and they always sounded business related. Still, she made sure to leave before he was even awake, and she finished her homework at various secluded places around campus, so, really, they didn't see much of each other. The only time they really ran into each other would be an hour or so after she returned. Sasuke would just be coming out of the shower or heading to it, and she would sit on the sofa and watch television until he ventured into Naruto's room.

They only shared dinner together if she cooked or if he ordered pizza, and if a conversation couldn't be avoided, it was never pleasant. She was always slightly irritable around him. He never actually did anything to bother her, but he didn't need to for her to feel rubbed the wrong way.

But she was very aware that they never talked about anything that happened months ago.

In fact, any occurrence they shared prior to their current college experience was never brought up, but, the more they didn't talk about it, the more she thought about it. Sasuke seemed like three completely different people, and she didn't like not knowing what any of this was about. His thoughts about their night together was for anyone's interpretation, but she found herself wanting to know how exactly that night impacted him. She also wanted to express to him her admiration for Satsuki and how it had nothing to do with him, but she didn't have the right composure to express that part of herself—not to mention there was no reason to bring it up. But then another part of her was curious about Sasuke himself. She couldn't figure him out in any shape or form, and her own conclusions about him were surprisingly unsatisfying. She'd be lying if she said she didn't want to know him, but she didn't want to build her emotions up all over again.

Not like she thought they would...

Her life had changed, yet, nothing felt different, so she didn't know how much of this current situation was actually a problem.

It was because of these thoughts that she found it hard to go to sleep for the second night in a row. She sat up in her bed, blinking into the near darkness with heavy eyelids, and forced herself to get up. She opened her door, exiting her room, but stopped. The light to the small kitchen area was on, where Sasuke leaned against the counter eating from a pot. He didn't see her as he stared off in space, and Hinata contemplated going back in her room.

In this moment, he appeared rather...casual. Actually, he appeared exhausted and bored, but he wasn't intimidating like all the other times. He also wasn't wearing a shirt, which amused her because it was very cold from what she could feel. It made her wonder about him, but she had to quickly snap herself out of it before she built up another fantasy version of him she wouldn't be able to confront.

Gathering her nerve, she walked forward, clutching her over-sized shirt. Sasuke noticed her, his eyes dull and tired.

"Hey," he said.

"...Hello. What are you doing?"

"Eating."

"Oh." She stopped near him, looking into the pot. "That's the spaghetti sauce."

"I know."

"You...didn't even heat it up."

"I know."

"Hm..." She looked at the counter, strumming her fingers on it.

"You need to talk or what?"

She looked at him. "What makes you ask?"

"What is it, Hyuuga?"

She stared at him for a moment, lingering on the fact they would have more noodles than sauce, then exhaled. "I don't understand what you're doing here."

"You've made that clear."

She frowned, feeling the intimidation creeping back. "Living with you... What are you trying to do exactly?"

"Waiting for you to make a move."

"Ah..." She reddened, but she was more shocked than embarrassed. "What I said that time... I felt guilty."

"Because you slept with me?"

She flinched. "Because you made it sound like it was your first time."

"It was."

Her eyes were stuck on his, stunned. His eyes were overwhelming, conveying emotions and thoughts she had never caught before, and she felt as though she were suffocating from the amount of information trying to make itself know. When she realized they were staring at each other, she looked away, wetting her lips nervously. "Okay... Well, mine...t-too." She cleared her throat, shaking her head. "But...I mean, if you're really here to be with me, then why haven't you done...anything?"

"Like what?"

"Like get to know me."

He shrugged. "The only time your approachable is after you come back from class."

"So...?"

"And then I'm too tired."

She huffed, crossing her arms. "You know, I... I don't like..." She stopped, starting over. "I really liked the you who was Satsuki... And the you who was the son of my father's corporate rival might have been interesting, too... But I don't know if I like this you."

He huffed, rolling his eyes. "Funny, since this is the only me you actually know."

And that kind of hurt because it was true. Relatively speaking, Satsuki and Fugaku Uchiha's second child had both left her to imagine what they were like and how they would act around her. Sasuke, on the other hand, wasn't like how she imagined his other personas. He wasn't kind, polite, or humble; he was very aloof, intrusive, and off-putting. But, even with all that, it was her fault for making up sides of him that never existed in the first place, but she still wanted to blame him for not being that way. And it was another fault of hers that she wanted to be with him, but not this him.

"I like you enough."

She blinked, meeting his eyes again. "Pardon?"

He shrugged, turning to put the pot and spoon away. "I like you enough."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I quit a job that paid well and went back to a life I intentionally left all for a drunken girl I didn't know." He turned to her, pausing. "And I'm still wondering why, but, I guess, I like you enough."

"But...enough what?"

He shrugged. "Enough to tolerate this." He paused, frowning by a fraction. "I like...your presence," he stated matter-of-factly.

Hinata didn't say anything. She wasn't sure how to reply to that, and, quite frankly, she still wasn't sure what he meant. She watched Sasuke walk from the kitchen to Naruto's room. "Sasuke."

He stopped, turning toward her.

"What...would be an example of making a move?"

He regarded her for a moment, head tilting. "Let me sleep in your bed."

She jolted. "That's moving too-"

"No, switch beds with me. I smell Naruto every time I sleep in his."

"Is that bad?"

It was when it resulted in his dreams being invaded every night. "It's your move."

She looked to the side, cheeks tinting. "It doesn't mean we're da-aaating. It just means...I'd like to get to know you."

"And whatever happens, happens."

"Y-yeah," she squeaked, hearing the satisfaction in his tone. "But it happens slowly."

"I could do you slowly."

Her eyes shot to him, glaring weakly, face red. "Sasuke."

He smirked, walking to her room. "Hinata."

She watched him, everything about her twisting and jittering. "Sasuke, um... When we wake up... When we wake up, can we just forget everything that led up to this?"

He stood in her doorway, back turned. "No. I like everything that led up to this."

o0o0o

When Sasuke woke up in Hinata's bed, she was just getting in it. She didn't try to be sneaky or quiet, and she shook the bed with the way she fell in it. He would have said something if he wasn't so tired, and he concluded she had went to the bathroom and forgot about their trade.

"His bed is hard," she muttered.

He also concluded she could read minds.

Hinata spent the bulk of the next day with red cheeks.

She managed to get out of bed and get dressed without waking Sasuke, but now she dreaded going back to face him. Everything aside, she gave him the impression that they could be together, but that was more or less influenced by the way he was (or wasn't) acting when she happened to run into him.

Not to mention she willingly slept next to him...

She groaned, standing in front of her dorm. There wasn't anymore stalling she could do, and she was already an hour late than usual. Letting herself in, she was surprised by how dark it was. She turned on a light, closing the door behind her, and looked around. Naruto's door was open and there was no light on in there either. She walked to it, turning on the light to inspect, but didn't see Sasuke despite his things still being there. Her eyebrows raised, and she turned her attention to her door, quickly crossing the room and opening it. Upon turning on the light, Sasuke groaned, pulling the blanket over his face.

"Sasuke," she said, not sure if she was chastising him. "Did you sleep all day?"

"No," he muttered.

"Then why are you in bed?"

"Because I just got in bed."

"Why are you in my bed?"

"You weren't using it."

Her lips twitched, tempted to smile. "Well, I'm back now."

"You still have to take a shower."

At this, she smiled. She supposed he could rest for a little while longer.

o0o0o

When she got out the shower and got dressed, Sasuke was still there, covered from head to toe. She walked to the bed's side, looking down at him. "How tired are you?" she asked.

"Why?" And she hadn't expected him to reply.

"Because...you can sleep here tonight. I'll take Naruto's bed."

"All night?"

She bit her lip, eyes squinting. "Yes, all night."

"Hn."

o0o0o

She really didn't like Naruto's bed.

Maybe her bed was just too soft, but she couldn't find a comfortable spot no matter where she moved or how she turned. Her only comfort was that she actually enjoyed the smell of the Uzumaki all around her because she missed him. They had talked a few times in the past two weeks, but he did warn her that he would be busier as time went on. The same thing happened when Neji left, but at least Naruto wouldn't be gone nearly as long as her cousin.

She jumped, the room filling with flashing light and buzzing. She leaned over the edge of the bed, momentarily blinded, and picked up her phone. "Hello."

"Were you sleeping?"

"Ah... Neji. I was just... It's been a while." She smiled to herself. "How is everything?"

"Lively ever since Naruto and Jiraya arrived. They both blend in just fine with the Americans." He paused. "How are you? I heard you're sleeping with the enemy."

She gasped, rolling on her back. "What?"

He chuckled. "Uncle told me. It's the youngest Uchiha, right?"

"Ah... Yes... Sasuke Uchiha."

"How is it? I heard he has to have a group call with his father and our uncle every day so they know he's not getting either of you into trouble."

"Really?"

"You didn't know?"

"No... We haven't really talked since he got here."

"That's odd. It must be awkward all the time."

"Sort of...but he's kind of easy to be around. He's not that social."

"Hm. Doesn't sound much like his brother."

"He could be different in his private life, too."

"Perhaps, but Sasuke doesn't sound as promising. He went missing a few months ago."

"Mm... Yes, I remember hearing about that."

"Wonder what happened." He paused. "Ah, I have to be going. Oh... Naruto just walked in." Another pause. "Hinata."

"Ye-"

"Hinataaaaaaa!" Naruto greeted, almost causing her to drop her phone.

"Hello, Naruto," she nearly laughed.

"Hey, what are you doing up? It's late there, isn't it?"

"It's not that late. I was having a hard time sleeping anyway."

"Eh? How come?"

"Your bed is kind of hard."

There was a long pause, giving her enough time to realize what she said.

"You're...sleeping in my bed?"

She breathed in slowly, squinting into the dark. "Is...that weird?" There was another long pause. She checked her phone multiple times to make sure he didn't hang up, but the fact that he was still on the line unnerved her. "Um...are you upset?"

He sighed loudly. "God, no!" He laughed. "I sleep in your bed all the time when you're not around, so I'm glad I'm not the only one!"

Hinata stared into darkness, phone held against her ear, then turned her face into the pillow and began to laugh. She heard Naruto ask what that sound was, but she was realizing she wasn't so different from him. She didn't stop laughing until there was a shift in the bed. Gasping, she looked up, very faint light coming in through the now opened door, and saw Sasuke's outline lying in bed with her.

She brought the phone back to her ear. "Naruto."

"Yeah."

"Can we talk more tomorrow?"

"Weight lifted, huh? Yeah. Talk to you later."

"Bye."

"Bye."

She hung up her phone, setting it down. "Why are you here?"

"You were making noise," Sasuke said, voice groggy.

"You could hear?"

"Sure."

She frowned, shifting so she was facing him. "Go to your own bed."

"That's on the other side of town."

"Go to my bed."

"No."

She huffed, settling in place. "If I were with you, would it be like this?"

"You're with me now, so I guess."

"You're...difficult."

"Mm."

"And you don't really respect other people's space."

"Hm."

She sighed. "Tell me something about yourself."

Sasuke moved, draping one limp arm over her. "I ate all the sauce."

Three Days Later

When the weekend came, Hinata was much more appreciative of Sasuke's presence. He was out of Naruto's room more, so they were on the sofa more often than not.

"Sasuke," she said, head on his shoulder. "You don't have much experience with girls, do you?"

"I guess not."

She nodded. "You're really bad at it."

He shrugged. "Your father wants to meet me."

"He thinks we're dating?" She paused. "You never asked me."

"I had to? We already-"

"Dooooon't bring that up. I don't remember..."

"I can help."

"How?"

"Muscle memory."

She groaned, moving to the side of the sofa so her back was against the arm. "Normal people don't get together like this."

"We're together?"

She crossed her arms, frowning at her lap. "We're...working on it. I sort of want to talk to Naruto about it first."

"You need his permission?"

She sighed. "For obvious reasons, he doesn't have a good opinion of us being together, so I want him to be comfortable with it. He's important—to both of us."

He shifted, not saying anything.

"I just don't want him to feel betrayed. We gave him a lot to worry over."

"You're right." He moved toward her, lying with his head on her stomach. "This isn't normal. And your father wants to meet me because I've been living with you."

"And because your his rival's son," she added.

"Debatable."

"He never wanted to meet you before." He wanted to meet Itachi, not him. She placed her hands on his head, mindlessly patting it. "This all happened because you became a drag queen."

"This happened because you slept with one."

She pursed her lips, frowning. "How do we tell people how we met?"

"Lie."

She laughed, secretly agreeing with him.

o0o0o

They talked mildly for a while until the door handle rattled, prompting them to look in that direction. It came as a surprise when Naruto walked in.

Hinata went rigid, eyes widening. "You're early."

"By two days," Sasuke added, not moving from his position.

Naruto stared at them, eyes dead, suitcase in tow. It was silent for a long while.

Hinata grew uneasy.

Sasuke was unaffected.

Then, after the tension became unbearable, Naruto shook his head, running a hand across his face. "I'll deal with it later," he said.

They watched as he crossed the room, heading towards Hinata's bedroom.

"N-Neji didn't tell you?" Hinata called after him.

"I'll deal with it later."

"I'm going to meet her father," Sasuke said.

Naruto glanced at him. "Later."

"Are you mad?" Hinata asked, worried.

Naruto stopped in her doorway, huffing, and looked at them, eyes locking with Sasuke. "How serious are you?"

He shrugged, gaze firm. "Serious enough."

Naruto looked at Hinata. "And you?"

She smiled sheepishly, patting Sasuke's head. "If you trust him, I trust him."

And he lingered for a moment, blinking once, before giving a tired smile. "I'll deal with you both later."

They stared after him as he closed the door.

In two months, they'd all think back to the nights filled with drag queens and bad decisions and find some peace with it.

Thank you for reading!