TW: Unfulfilled Love

"Was it a bad day?"

Hinata's hand extended to tuck some of his bangs behind his ear. His face is red and sweaty, hair sticking to it. He's beyond drunk. The owner of the bar contacted her asking for someone to come retrieve the buzzed gentleman.

But Sasuke does not wish to leave yet.

So here she is, an unsuspected Wednesday night having a drink with him too.

"You could say so"

Muttering, his head barely held up by his hand on his cheek. Eyes closed.

"Work related?"

Sasuke is a private detective. So even when he does have bad workdays, he can never truly vent to her. He has way too many signed NDAs for that. A simple nod from the man tells her that there will be no further questions from her.

Moving her stool a bit closer to his. Caressing his back softly, guiding his head onto her shoulder. She can't give him more comfort that this. Letting him know she's there. That's who they are, who they've always been since university when they met through some common friends.

Friends, best friends, the closest of friends.

"Come. Let's go. I'll take you to my place."

Probably he does not want to be alone for today.

Sasuke stumbling to sit up. "Won't that be an issue?"

A genuine and reasonable question. Her boyfriend has made a few comments about her friendship with Sasuke, shown jealousy. Tiny frown on her lips.

"It's alright. He won't" shaking her head vehemently. She's unsure but won't think about it now.

It hurts that now there are such questions that need to be asked when they used to simply show up at each other's place without a second guess. She could take him to his place, knows his pin code, has a key to it. But…

Hinata is preparing breakfast for both of them, Sasuke probably still asleep in the bed, or if he is awake he's dealing with a huge hangover. She did leave some ibuprofen and water on the nightstand for him.

As she pours the egg mixture in the pan to make some scrambled eggs, she can hear the shower running. So, he's awake.

"How are you feeling? You were quite drunk yesterday."

He's putting a white t-shirt on, already has on sweatpants. Yes, he has multiple clothing items at her place.

"I feel oddly fine." His head is killing him, Hinata looks at him with a knowing gaze. She remembers how badly he reacts to alcohol the next day, have seen it all in university. He too knows how she acts when drunk.

They've both seen each other at their highest, were there holding the other's hand when they got their dream job, got the scholarship money they needed and so on. But they were there just the same when they were at their low, failed grades, evictions from dorm rooms due to some fights with roommates.

But most importantly, they were there at each other's lowest. When Neji was killed in an accident by a drunk driver, when Sasuke's father almost lost his life on duty as a police officer.

No matter how many partners either of them went through, Hinata is still his emergency contact, she's the one his phone calls automatically when pressing the unlock button three times.

"Here; have some food. It may help"

*

Hinata is a high school English and art teacher, thankfully her university roommate Sakura also works at the school as the nurse so they always eat lunch together.

Today Sakura seems to be flinching and acting odd, she opens up her mouth multiple times but does not say anything. Hinata observes and lets it go for a while, but even her patience does not last forever.

"What's wrong?"

Green uncertain eyes looking at her.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this."

? "Umm…ok?" confused, but if Sakura can't tell her, who is she to insist.

"But I feel like I should!" Frustrated hand through pink hair.

"I'll tell you. But you can't blame me for ruining the surprise, ok? I just…I just feel like you should know…"

"Umm…ok" Same answer as before. Hinata's anxiety raising too. What could Sakura know that is tormenting her so?

"Ok." Multiple nods. "Here it goes.

Kiba is going to ask you to marry him." Whisper-scream from the woman and then she covers her mouth, as if she cannot believe herself the words she just let out, somewhat regretting having told Hinata.

Her own heart beating at a rate that is truly scary. She's happy, of course she is. She loves him, why else would she be dating him? But…but there's still a tiny part of her that feels…sad.

"That's amazing" Finally answering the secret. Putting her sadness away. She'll deal with it at another time.

Hand over her heart. "That's amazing"

Sakura's shoulders relax. "It is! I just- I know that…"

But she doesn't say anything after. There's no need for her to. Hinata knows what she means. They talk about it more. Hinata asks her how she knew, Sakura tells her how Kiba ask her to take Hinata to get her nails done by the end of the month, and that she knows what that means. That she told him congratulation and he blushed shyly but proudly.

Home at the end of her day, eyes closed as she lays in bed. The room still smells of booze a bit, but mostly it smells of Sasuke.

She can't help but think of their university days. Their last year, when she finally became aware of her feelings for him. When she'd look at him for seconds too long, think of him even when he was not there.

How one time when it was just them, when her head was resting on his shoulder she almost reached over to hold his hand. But fear is a much stronger feeling for her than love ever was. She feared rejection, feared ruining their 4 year long friendship.

They've also each dated multiple people throughout their friendship, how there was almost never a time period in which both of them were single. That each time she almost got the courage to do something she'd cower in fear. So, she just waited. Waiting for him to give her a signal, waiting for him to make a move. And it just never happened.

She was still waiting until 2 years ago when she met Kiba, when she started dating him casually, but now…now he's the one she calls first after a hard day. He's the one she thinks about the most.

Hands covering her face. Fading unfulfilled love is not what she thought her and Sasuke would turn into.

Hinata is melancholic and thinks about all of their interactions for the following few days. So when Sasuke calls her, asking her to come over she still has all those thoughts into her mind.

Arms around him the moment the door opens. Sasuke taken aback, chuckling. Asking 'Did you miss me that much' jokingly. But when she doesn't reply his heart rate spikes up, pushing her slightly to look at her face, a few unshed tears into her eyes.

"Hinata? What's wrong?" Cubbing her cheek, wiping her tear away with his thumb.

Her eyes closed, heart heavy and confused. Fear makes her fingertips numb, but she cannot back down now, she needs to know, it's important. She cannot answer Kiba's question with a truthful and enthusiastic 'yes' unless they talk about this, unless they move on.

"I loved you" Her words echoing into the hallway. A moment of silence that urges her to open her eyes and look up at him, he has a sad smile on his lips.

"I know. I loved you too"

Her whole body is tingling, shocked. "What?"

Sasuke caresses her hair and pulls her into a hug.

"I didn't know all along. I suspected at times, but then you'd turn around and do things that made me believe I was a narcissist for thinking you might feel the same. I was waiting for you to say or do something, tell me I wasn't wrong.

But time went on and…well…"

Her mouth wide open, fist clenched, and she hit his shoulder. "I was waiting for YOU!"

More frustrated with both of them than anything else.

"By the time I realized that perhaps my feelings were indeed reciprocated, so many things happened, so much time passed and it felt like a shame…to change"

Looking at him somewhat in disbelief.

"Kiba asked me to marry him" He didn't yet but that's just details. "I said yes" she didn't yet but she will.

Sasuke's smile dims a bit, but he hugs and congratulates her nevertheless.

They remain in a hug for a long time before she breaks the silence.

"We both said loved. In the past"

"I still love you, but it is different now…"

Small nod. She agrees. She feels the same. The feelings faded in time, no longer having a romantic aspect to them.

They both waited for each other, but the wait was just too long…