The Better Half -

by sasuhinagalore

He's the reason for a thrilling life and she's the reason for a place to come home to. As vulnerability coincides with the excitement of living, the two chose to find love in the most contrasting personas each held. This is a slow-burn love story of an Uchiha and a Hyūga, who finally met after years of no contact, all the while holding a history the two shared.

6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Hinata had so many things to process that evening. The whole day seemed like it was a powerful force of an energy-draining entity, where its sole purpose was to suck out every bit of her capacity to comprehend. Hinata couldn't blame anyone, maybe it was luck or the universe trying to play its games on her.

What the Hyūga felt proud of was her bravery to talk to Naruto. For so many years, she had been standing in the shadows, desiring Naruto in secret. She had always replayed the same scene in her head of how it would go down when she finally confesses. Of course, reality did not meet her movie scenes because Sasuke entered the picture uninvited.

The presence of him alone was enough to make Hinata want to yield and forget every fabrication of what made her identity. He challenged all that she thought was the source of her confidence, shattered her understanding, peeled off her iron mask, and stripped her soul naked. The great Uchiha. Last born of the clan, powerful in persuasion with little to no words, masterful in sweeping Hinata off her feet. Nothing Sasuke could do would make her hate him, even when he completely rewrote her sole purpose of existing. Once he entered her life, Naruto mattered less and less as days went by.

To the point of that fateful night where she decided that Sasuke was her everything. When he disciplined her, ripped her skin off that represented lies, only to find that she was not that special, to begin with. Yet somehow, the great Uchiha could spot her worth. How could she not submit to such a man, who now was her saving grace?

Her plans of confessing her love to Naruto to test herself got her to ignore the Uchiha throughout the school festival. To Hinata, it was too overbearing. The last veil of Naruto in her heart was about to be ripped to pieces and she couldn't handle more emotional pressure from talking to the Uchiha. Something about his presence made her tremble with unknown emotions. Besides that, Sasuke was attentive to her. When Sasuke saw how the men-customers tried to make a go at her, he protected her. She didn't even see it coming, and he successfully protected her from them.

What a contrast it was to her situation. To what avail would her conversation with Naruto might become? Nowhere in Hinata's being had hoped that her confession would succeed. In fact, she hoped to be rejected. She was done lying to herself. She didn't want Naruto to dictate how she should love and Hinata was set on living her life her own way. However, there was an issue she had been seeing within herself regarding Sasuke. Sure, being with the Uchiha was great, but he showed zero intention of pursuing her romantically. They were together to pleasure each other, something that will definitely disappear once her confession was made to Naruto. What else was there for both her and Sasuke once she confessed? No matter the outcome, their relationship was bound to end either way. But the confession turned the tables. Instead of a declaration of an end between Sasuke and her, the situation made Sasuke yearn for her even more. And yes, she yearned for him in return.

After agreeing to join the man for the after-party, Hinata froze upon seeing Neji. Sasuke held her hand in the most affectionate way, no man would have guessed them to be "just friends". Neji was no idiot, either.

"Sasuke. You know what I'm about to say."

"Yeah."

Hinata's heart was beating out of her chest. It wasn't a secret that the Hyūgas were not fond of the Uchihas. Hiashi-sama had expressed deep distaste for the thought of Hinata marrying an Uchiha. She had known this ever since the first night Sasuke walked her home, however, it hadn't been thoroughly stated until after their morning run. When she reached home, Hiashi-sama sat her down to talk about his disagreement with her spending too much time with the Uchiha. Hinata would wonder how her father found out, but of course, Neji-nii was the culprit behind all of this. He had managed to show indifference only to closely examine the two and report to her father.

"N-Neji-nii, it's not what it looks like." Hinata had tried to balance the situation as the air of tension began to rise. "Oh? Then what does it look like? What were you two doing?" Neji would respond.

At this point, Sasuke released Hinata's hand. When she realized he was remained quiet, intently studying Neji, Hinata decided to continue, "I-I was with Naruto-kun. I a-asked him to come to see me in the garden because I needed to talk to him. The conversation went well and coincidentally, I ran into Sasuke-kun."

"Why did you meet up with Naruto?"

"Why should you know?" Sasuke posed the question as a response, clearly irritated. "Why do you need to know every single fucking thing she does? What's so wrong about having a conversation with the dobe?"

Neji frowned, his emotions triggered. "I have let you step into our family matters too far, Uchiha. Hinata's well-being is none of your concern. Just because you walked her home once, now meant you could be so involved in her life? Did you not think I noticed? All the times you tried your hardest to be so close to my cousin?"

"What's so wrong about being friends with your cousin?"

"You're an Uchiha. We strongly dislike you."

"We Uchihas despise you, too. Your arrogance, your sense of responsibility of protection and provision when nobody asked for your help. You think you're so better than everyone, it makes me fucking sick. If I want to be around Hinata, I will be around Hinata and you cannot do anything about it."

Neji had tilted his head a little bit as if he had realized something in Sasuke. This new information might have been a truth revealed that has reached a certain boundary. Neji saw how attached Hinata and Sasuke were to each other.

"You really think Hinata cares about that? Your pride is unbelievable. You are not even an inch worthy to be with an heiress."

"E-Enough! Both of you!" Hinata began, tears forming in her eyes. "Don't drag me into your competitive tendencies. If there's one person who's rightfully sick of anyone's bullshit, it's me!" Neji and Sasuke might have been slightly surprised by Hinata's language since she was such a modest girl. But not that night.

"Neji-nii, Sasuke is everything I want in a friend, a companion. You don't know him as I do. I'm jealous of how you are so easily allowed to be with your girlfriend, while I, need to go through the Hyūga's screening phase, so you can determine who should be my companion. I'm not saying I'm Sasuke's girlfriend. I don't know if I'll ever be. But I'm so tired of our family controlling what I can and cannot do."

There was silence for a while until Neji spoke his final words that struck great pain into Hinata. "You are ungrateful. A spoiled, ungrateful child. You have full rights as an heiress, and you know that being an heiress meant you can't just do whatever the hell you want. But here you are, acting so oppressed, blaming our family, while you're the most privileged person I have ever met. Your ego stinks."

She felt her ears go numb. What's so wrong with her friendship with Sasuke? If she can't be friends with Sasuke if she can't be with Sasuke… then what will she become? Hinata felt her knees weak, and she felt like the whole world fell silent. How do you fight for your own heart when the system of injustice lurks in your blood?

But Hinata noticed Sasuke throwing a fist, punching Neji right on the side of his face.

Ah, I'm so tired…

Neji had thrown his punch at the Uchiha.

I just want to sleep. But I have to stop them.

One person saw the fight and managed to call the rest of the students out of the hall to witness it. Within seconds, many people had surrounded the three, watching the fight progress. Neji and Sasuke both have been unleashing what might be frustration or resentment. Some would chant, "Fight, fight, fight!" It was too overwhelming for Hinata. She could hear Neji's girlfriend, TenTen, raising her voice in hopes to get her boyfriend to hear her. Like hell that was going to stop Neji.

Hinata saw the two walking back, further away from each other, clearly scheming their next attack, and it was when she stepped in between. She walked towards Sasuke, wrapped her arms around him, her head resting against his chest with tears that streamed down her face and she found it hard to speak. Two hours ago, she worried about people finding out about their relationship, therefore she tried her best to hide her affections, to conceal herself. But at that moment, secrecy was something Hinata cared less about. Within seconds, she felt Sasuke's arms around her, comforting her.

"What do you want me to do, Hinata?" He had asked.

"J-Just get me out of here, Sasuke, please."

Naruto pushed through the crowd to see both Neji and Sasuke's faces marked with bruises. The Uzumaki let out a frustrated groan, "What the fuck happened here, man? Neji, what the hell? You're the class president, how come you're in this kind of mess?"

Neji spat some blood out of his mouth. "Shut up, Naruto. This is none of your business."

"No, you shut up, otherwise your mouth will bleed more. I don't want to clean up your mess." Naruto responded.

TenTen walked into the circle to check up on her boyfriend, and that was when Naruto turned his attention to Hinata. He looked a little wounded at the fact he might have hurt her based on their previous conversation. But when he saw how she clung to Sasuke and how the Uchiha held her protectively, peace seemed to have swept over him. He finally said, "Get her home, teme."

It was evident that everyone had an idea of how close Sasuke and Hinata were. People would continue to talk about them. If it were to be written, the headline could have been, "Quarrels of the Uchiha and the Hyūga Heiress."

When the situation around her became a fog, Hinata managed to focus on the one pain throbbing in her chest. So much of it could be felt that it made her chest hurt physically. How is it that someone can hurt another person within seconds when healing demanded years? Humans often treat others unfairly, and Hinata was no different. Her relationship with her cousin wasn't the best one. Neji had said countless things that hurt her, all because of bitterness. If she had the choice to give up her birthright to give it all to Neji, she would. Because the pain he inflicted that came out of his jealousy was beginning to feel close to hell. Maybe, that was all Neji understood about the world.

Their walk home was silent. They did not share a word. The air and atmosphere around them were unlike the moments they have spent before. It was cold and foreign. When Sasuke reached Hinata's compound, he looked like he wanted to show affection, but couldn't. It was as if he was aware that in the Hyūga territory, they were definitely being watched.

"I'm sorry, Hinata."

"What is there to forgive?"

"I caused unnecessary attention tonight. Punching your cousin wasn't nice, even though it felt good."

Hinata smiled at the Uchiha, and yet, his face didn't show any emotion; something she hadn't seen in a while. "What's wrong, Sasuke?" She had asked, choosing to be intuitive about the situation.

"Maybe this is it for us since you've done what you've always wanted, confessing to Naruto."

A frown was the expression she chose to wear, not understanding why Sasuke concluded this for them when he didn't even ask what she thought of all this. "W-Why?"

Sasuke kept a good distance between the two. Again, probably being aware that he was being watched. Hinata saw his eyes glancing at hers as he began to speak, "There's nothing left between us. Unless you're considering going against your father to be with me?"

Hinata had to think for a while, which made Sasuke use her silence as an answer. "Exactly." He said. With that, he turned to leave, without forgetting to say, "Goodnight, Hyūga."

Hinata's heart felt another level of pain. What was all this? Why did he feel so distant, like the Uchiha she had known before he first approached her? Hinata felt loneliness loom over her as she watched Sasuke walk away. The pain was so overwhelming that her eyes produced tears without any reaction from her facial muscles. It just fell right through her sight, as if they were two separate waterfalls of the same kind.

"S-Sasuke." She had managed to call out to him, but it was a whisper, and he'd never hear her. A few seconds would be over once Sasuke walked into his family's compound, yet somehow Hinata couldn't get her voice out. When he was out of sight, she had given up. Maybe she was too tired because all the emotional turmoils were eating her up inside. She just needed sleep and everything would be back to normal.

Six months passed and the two never shared any intimacy ever since that chaotic night. Sasuke would message her once in a while, and so did Hinata. They didn't talk as much in school. They didn't share group projects any longer. Went their separate ways for lunch. It all seemed to fall away almost organically.

But Hinata would always watch Sasuke from a distance. Funny how fate treats a person. She had been watching Naruto for too long, and now she was admiring Sasuke from afar. Was admiration simply the reason for her existence? She was beginning to forget how soothing his touch was to her because it had been far too long. She had nights where she would cry herself to sleep, not knowing why they both had pulled away from each other.

She was also trapped within the chaotic thoughts waging war inside her. Why did she feel so much despair when he concluded their relationship six months ago? If she didn't even see a future with the guy, why did it hurt?

Some afternoons felt lonely for Hinata. She spent hours in her room, telling everybody she needed to study when in reality she waited for the Uchiha by the window. When she decided to text him to truly express her longing, she would erase the paragraph and replace it with a simple, "How were exams for you?" And he would reply, "Good. You?"

Maybe Sasuke had lost interest in her. The thought was entertained when she once saw him eating lunch with another girl in school, and then the next day with the same one, and for days to come. Hinata refused to agree with the fact that it might be jealousy consuming her. With such a short period of time, it seemed easy for Sasuke to consider other women. Had he forgotten everything they'd shared, even if they were anything at all?

After the school's final examinations, her classmates gathered together to plan their farewell vacation. It was the end of high school for them and they were about to go to the countryside before everyone continues their studies at Konoha University. When she walked into the classroom, she looked around to see if Sasuke was there. As usual, he wasn't. He never took interest in wasting time discussing.

Hinata saw her classmates sitting next to the people they wanted. When she spot Sakura, the pinkette waved at her, urging Hinata to sit with both her and Naruto. Over the course of six months, Hinata found herself developing a friendship with the pink-haired. To her surprise, Sakura was a pleasant person to be around with. She had a positive air to her, except when Naruto said something dumb, which was funny to see. Hinata felt like hanging around both Sakura and Naruto was healing for her, despite what had happened. And to her surprise, the two did fit so well together.

For the times Hinata felt alone, Sakura had helped her out of it. Their friendship grew to a degree where Hinata was comfortable sharing her difficulty in perceiving her current relationship with Sasuke. Sakura would give great advice, things Hinata knew she'd never do because she was too afraid to be pushed away by Sasuke again.

"Hey," Sakura said, turning from a conversation she had with Naruto and another friend.

"Hello," Hinata responded.

"So, I arranged our hotel rooms. You're gonna share a room with me. You okay with that?" Sakura asked.

"Oh! I thought you were going to share a room with Naruto?" Hinata plainly asked. She saw Sakura's cheeks turn red with embarrassment. Maybe they haven't proceeded to be that intimate. It seems that not everyone in her class year had pursued sexual intimacy, but what would she know?

"N-No way! I mean, Naruto and I, we're not quite there yet…" Sakura would try to explain, shyness falling on her whole demeanor.

Hinata giggled, "Okay, sorry."

"Besides, Naruto will be sharing a room with Sasuke," Sakura said. Hinata found herself nodding at the statement, not wanting to react any further.

"So," Sakura continued, "We're going to have so much fun talking about Sasuke and how you can confess your feelings to him!"

The Hyūga Heiress shook her head. "I'm afraid that's impossible."

"Why?"

"I don't know," Hinata shrugged, "I've been seeing him a lot with a girl from our class year during lunch."

"And have you guys talked at all lately?"

"Ah, maybe a little bit. I asked him how his exams went and he said it went well."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

The pinkette frowned. "Huh. Weird."

Hinata decided to change the subject. "I'd be happy to spend more time with you, Sakura-chan."

"Oh don't be too humble! By the way, Sasuke will be our ride for this vacation."

The Hyūga noticed the whole situation was planned by both Naruto and Sakura. It didn't bother Hinata, but she was worried about how awkward they would be if both were so distant. How does one close distance when the other is reluctant?

A week passed without meeting Sasuke. They didn't text, no phone calls, nothing. Hinata grew accustomed to his absence and figured that she should learn to be okay with it. When Hinata learned that Sasuke was going to pick her up first, she could feel herself resort to nervousness. They hadn't been talking face to face and he was about to drive with her in the car alone for a few minutes before having Naruto and Sakura with them. She would check her appearance in the mirror before leaving the house, wondering if Sasuke would like it. But her sadness reinvaded when she recalled his distance. He wouldn't care if she looked nice, so why bother? She decided to change into something mediocre; a t-shirt and shorts.

The Heiress' maid knocked on her bedroom door before opening it halfway, "Excuse me, Hinata-san, the Uchiha is waiting at the driveway." With a nod from Hinata, she took her bags and walked downstairs towards Sasuke's car. A very nice car, to be expected. The Uchihas always looked cool.

When she got into the car with him, Sasuke did not immediately drive. They sat there in silence in front of the Hyūga compound. He didn't look at her either and she couldn't get herself to glance his way. All she could feel was her heart beating way out of control, and everything within her wanted to limp into his arms. But he wasn't inviting. If she were to take Sakura's advice about being honest to the Uchiha about her feelings, that moment would have been perfect.

"How are you holding up?" Sasuke asked to break the silence.

"G-Good."

"How's the family treating you lately?"

"Better, I suppose, now that I'm away from you more."

Hinata had meant that sarcastically, but Sasuke took it hard. "I'm sorry."

He was sorry? What's he sorry for? Would his sorry fix everything? Would it fix the vast space between them? Would it fix the foreign atmosphere around them? What would a simple sorry do? Men are dumb.

"Sasuke, don't apologize if you're just going to stay further away." Hinata had said, turning her head to rest it against the window next to her. She didn't want them to exchange any more words. She was caught up in pain and she didn't know how to reach Sasuke. For the first time, he was too far. And what hurts the most was that he didn't fight for her like he used to. He didn't even try to respond to her statement, rather, he set the gear in motion and began to drive.

The fact that it took them 30 minutes to reach Naruto's house without exchanging a single word said something about the hectares of the distance between them. Hinata couldn't recognize Sasuke and maybe she should stop trying. She was exhausted, drowning in her longing, and she was probably the only one feeling so alone. Of course, when Naruto came, the situation was a bit more lively. When Sakura came, it was even more energetic. Hinata could start making remarks, responding to questions, and laughing along. She could even exchange a few words with Sasuke as if whatever happened 30 minutes ago wasn't awkward. Maybe Sakura was on to something. However, once they've reached their resort by the sea, Sasuke immediately disconnected from Hinata. A girl whom he was having frequent lunches with, came up to him, and his response to her was warm enough to make Hinata annoyed. If she could remember, that girl's name was probably Hana.

"Hina-chan, don't feel intimidated," Sakura said, as she stood next to her, her luggage picked up by the resort's concierge. "Sasuke's probably not that interested, I can tell."

"How?"

Sakura wrapped an arm around Hinata's shoulders, leading her to their hotel room. "Because that was how he treated me."

Hinata glanced at Sasuke one last time only to see Hana clinging onto his arm, and him not really reacting. Anger began to build up within Hinata, and she had to mentally fight her own thoughts to keep herself composed. She would tell herself to forget the man and enjoy her time with Sakura. She had hoped it would work.

Once they got into their suites, they began unpacking, placing their personal stuff into their own space. The room was great, known to be the best in the area. With most Konoha High students being wealthy, the whole class decided to do a little luxurious vacation to close their high school chapter.

"It's nice, right?" Sakura asked.

Hinata nodded, her expression obvious that she found the room and the view exquisite.

"Naruto and Sasuke are right across from us." Sakura winked.

Hinata glanced at the Haruno, "Got it."

Sakura grinned, "And I'll be going out with Naruto on a date tonight so be sure to confess to Sasuke!"

"We'll see, although I doubt it would happen."

"So what? Just be honest with him about how you currently feel. That will definitely close the distance."

A few hours later, Sakura looked like she was ready for her date. Hinata checked the time and it was exactly 6 PM. The sun was beginning to set, sending a gentle orange color to the room. When Sakura walked out of the bathroom, Hinata noticed the dress, expressing her fondness for her beauty.

"You look really nice," Hinata remarked.

"Thanks, Hina-chan. Naruto should be here soon."

A knock on the door could be heard right after Sakura spoke. Both the pink-haired and Hinata turned to look at the door. "Alright, let's go meet Naruto," Sakura said, grabbing Hinata's wrist to make the Hyūga walk. The Hyūga girl stood from her couch, following Sakura as she opened the door to see Naruto standing in the middle of the hallway, his body facing a man who was standing at their hotel room's door. It seemed like they were exchanging a few words Hinata didn't want to know about. And of course, that man happened to be Sasuke.

Right. They're roommates for the weekend.

Sasuke saw Hinata but didn't say anything because Naruto had approached her first. "Hina-chan! Can I borrow Sakura for a few hours?" Naruto looked very nice in his laid-back semi-formal outfit. Hinata nodded, "Of course, have fun you two."

"Sasuke, maybe hang out with Hina-chan while both Sakura and I are away." Naruto would say, making it obvious that it wasn't a question, nor a suggestion. Sasuke didn't react to his statement, he just stood there across from Hinata. Once Naruto and Sakura left, silence took over the atmosphere again. Sasuke observed the Hyūga as if he was trying to read her mind, and it made the Hyūga blush a little.

"Do you want to come in?" Sasuke finally said.

With a nod, Hinata walked over to Sasuke's suite, finding the room looking the same as hers. Throughout the limited time they spent together, Sasuke was always the one sneaking into her bedroom. Hinata never really knew what his room looked like, and maybe there were more things she never knew about him.

Not wanting to linger in her thoughts, she walked through the entryway and into the suite's living area, where she sat on an armchair across from Sasuke. "Do you like this resort?" He asked.

"I do. I love looking at the sea."

"Why's that?"

With a shrug, Hinata answered, "I don't know. It's such a mysterious part of the earth. You would think that it makes sense why someone's secrets have their own depth."

"I guess so."

"Do you have secrets, Sasuke?"

"Hm. Yes. Do you?" He would say, his eyes fixed her way.

Hinata glanced at the man. A lot of secrets. But how does one communicate it? She was adamant that this time, maybe being truthful about how she truly felt would be a good idea. "I do, I have a lot of them."

Sasuke looked at her, his eyes focused, studying her. But he didn't say a word. Fidgeting in her seat, Hinata would sigh. She was positive that Sasuke noticed her desire to speak out something. From the way he looked at her, he seemed to be waiting for her to finally explode into an emotional mess. Would he pick her pieces back up again like he used to?

"Well, I don't like how you're frequently around Hana." She finally said. A brow raised, and Sasuke smirked. He's an asshole for finding this amusing.

"Why is that?"

She hated how he had a way to make her confess. She hated the way he looked so attractive, sitting across from her in all his glory. She hated how she felt so powerless in his presence. She hated it all because secretly, she loved it.

"I don't know why you had to stay away from me, and then glue yourself to another one so fast."

"I'm not that close to Hana. Besides, you and I are not together." Sasuke said in the most monotonous way.

"But why did you stay away?"

"I like seeing you beg for my attention."

"You're so cruel, Sasuke."

"And yet, you're here."

"You're impossible." Hinata felt herself shaking, anger boiling too hot.

"But aren't we over? The dobe rejecting you equals to no more need of Sasuke."

"W-What makes you say that?" Hinata's expression changed, mirroring another pain bombarding her heart, while Sasuke seemed calm.

"You said you wanted to fool around with me to learn. You have no other reason to stay that way with me, Hinata. It's over."

Over? It's over?

Hinata had enough. She stood abruptly, her fists clenched as if it helped herself from exploding. Her tears were evident, another instance of being unable to control them. She's been feeling too much pain that she couldn't tolerate anymore. If Sasuke didn't want her then this too shall pass.

"I can't believe you tossed me away like that."

"Tossed you?" Sasuke responded, evidently irritated as he too stood from his seat.

"You're so inconsistent with your affections, Sasuke, you're too confusing."

The Uchiha nodded, "Yes, okay. What else?"

"I felt like you used me, b-but I can't blame you either. I used you, too." Hinata began to choke up tears when Sasuke's demeanor remained ice-cold. He didn't react to this statement, showing how he partially agreed with the truth she just confessed.

"And our parents dislike each other," He finally spoke. "Mine showed disagreement about you, which I'm pretty sure your father expressed the same concern."

Hinata nodded, "Yes, h-he did."

"When?"

"After our morning run. Apparently, Neji-nii's been watching, and he told him every detail." She saw a hint of anger, but it was astonishing how he could contain all of that, while Hinata's tears didn't come to a halt.

"How could you go from showing me the world to leaving me astray?" She asked.

It was getting hard to breathe, but Sasuke responded. "I'm supposed to be asking you why. I'm just doing what we've agreed on. You're just too afraid to admit that you might be feeling something towards me."

"Aren't we both afraid? I know your heart. The way you look at me, Sasuke. And the worst part is I respond to it, too. Naruto never had that space in me. It was always you."

Sasuke looked either irritated or simply unable to comprehend what was going to happen next. "You're free of all this, Hinata. I'm not expecting you to be anything, you're free. What more do you want from me? Why are you still trying?"

"Because—" Hinata paused, feeling her tears completely drenching her cheeks. She cursed herself inwardly for being so keen on crying every time she tried to be honest.

"B-Because, Sasuke, I'm in love with you."