Day 7
- Noticing Subtleties -
The regular customers of Kanjo-Q are dazzled upon finding that the first floor is specifically reserved for the famous names of Konoha 12. Though it's not a rare sight to see someone like Yamanaka Ino or Nara Shikamaru visiting their teammate and owner of the restaurant, the entirety of Konoha 12 coming on the same night is a sight to certainly behold. With every familiar face coming through those doors, smiling and waving at their party who waits for them on the lofted second floor, the regular customers, sat with their families or dates, ogle in wonder.
"Haruno Sakura just came, didn't she?"
"I think I saw Rock Lee somewhere up there."
With every jingle of the bell over the door, all heads snap to see if another famous face is about to walk through.
Who will it be now? they wonder. Who hasn't shown up yet?
Just as they try to rack their brains, the door slides open, and in rushes summer wind and the smell of apples and fresh skies. They look around heads and over the backs of booths, and that's when they see Hyuuga Hinata has come. Old ladies hum in approval at the clean, modest blouse she wears. Children giggle as her oddly-colored eyes scan the restaurant floor. Men try to keep their jaws from falling to the ground.
She looks lost, some of them think with a tad of hope.
Maybe I should help her.
Yeah. I'll escort her up there.
So astounded by the presence of the Hyuuga beauty, not one person took notice of the dark (and shifty) silhouette behind her. Not until a pale hand captures her shoulder, turning her attention to them — then the people of the restaurant find that haunting form of Uchiha Sasuke in the doorway.
He nods his chin to the loft, and Hinata's face brightens when she sees Tenten and Kiba waving her up. Some customers watch the sway of her skirt along her calves, but most cannot tear their eyes away from the demon who has just entered.
Slowly, the traitor's gaze turns to one man who had stood from his seat in hopes to accompany Hinata. His sinister grin shows off dragon fangs, and the man, startled, stumbles back into his chair.
On second thought . . . Hyuuga Hinata seems to do just fine on her own!
If you'd like the honest answer of Uchiha Sasuke, get-togethers are about as lovely as they are awful.
A pro: everyone around him is glowing with joy. Even if he doesn't get to see most of Konoha 12 on a regular basis, and even if it is true that he'd probably lose his mind if he spent more than a few hours with a good portion of them, Sasuke liked these people. He liked it when they were in one spot, because then it felt like he was getting back all those years where they all had been together, back when he was still hellbent on revenge. He'd like to get some of that lost time back, even if it could only happen on seldom nights like this.
A con:
"Ah, hell, Naruto! If you ain't careful, you're gonna rip my dress!"
"Wha — Ino? When did you get here!?"
"I've been sitting next to you for the last ten minutes, doofus!"
Konoha 12 has a handful of loudmouths, and putting them all together in one room is giving Sasuke a painful headache. The lot of them have conjoined themselves amongst four tables, two of which are boothed and to the side while the other two look over the first floor of the restaurant. Naruto and Sakura, naturally, took seats at the edge of the loft, grinning down at the awestruck looks from the customers below. The idiot readily drinks any attention given to him, which is probably why he hadn't noticed Ino until he almost ripped her dress with the heel of his shoe.
Choji bounces between helping the waiting staff and playing host for his friends. Sasuke can tell from across the way that his back and forth is annoying the shit out of Shikamaru, and the guy soon grabs the back of his teammate's button-up to force him down into a seat.
"Sit, already," Shikamaru grumbles. "Just watching you makes me tired."
Pro: because everyone grew up together, the atmosphere is easy — especially for Sasuke. He doesn't have to worry about disdainful gazes cast his ways. The staff are comfortable serving him. No one's going to avoid his eye or curse his name under his breath.
But the con, of course: the bar is just a few steps away, and easy access to alcohol is an easy ticket to rowdiness.
Kiba's already chugging ale with Lee, and Tenten and Ino share a bottle of red as they wait for the waiter to come back to take their order. It hasn't gotten to the point where people are dancing on tables and slurring old songs they learned in the Academy, but it will get to that point, eventually.
"Kiba," Hinata calls with a smile, "don't drink so much on an empty stomach. You'll get sick."
Compared to the banging and crashing of voices storming through the air, Hinata's voice is windchimes and pan flutes, and Sasuke enjoys how close and dear it sounds.
A pro: Hyuuga Hinata is sharing a booth with him, and if he so much as reaches his arm out, he'd be able to gently rest her shoulder against his chest.
He didn't have to say anything to get her to sit next to him. No subtle hinting, no ploy. She hugged her friends, she slapped her teammates' shoulders in jest, and then she scouted out his form, found him in the corner of a booth, and slid next to him.
That was ten minutes ago, and Sasuke thinks, if he died today, he'd be decently content. Perhaps 75% so — which is more than he deserves, if anything.
And if there was any con for this situation, it would be that he wasn't here, with her, alone.
But that will happen in due time.
Sasuke's sure of it.
"Let him get drunk." With his confidence at an all-time high, Sasuke thinks he'd be able to get away with being a bit bold this evening. When he speaks, he's sure to tip his chin down so his breath just barely touches the shell of her ear. He keeps his tone low, half to keep anyone from eavesdropping, half to send chills down her spine. "I'd enjoy seeing Inuzuka make a fool of himself."
Hinata snorts. "You say that, but he's a sloppy drunk. Poor Choji will have a mess to clean up afterwards."
"Shouldn't have put us next to a bar, then."
Her hand lifts to knock her knuckles gently into his chest, scolding him with a laugh. He doesn't mind at all. In fact, he wants nothing more but to hold that hand and keep it pressed against his chest.
"Be nice, Sasuke."
"Traitors don't do nice."
"You're not a traitor," she says, tone dipping into a serious hum. "You're Sasuke."
If he did pin her hand against his chest, surely she'd feel how his heart roars into life, hopping around his ribs with impatience.
"I'm your Sasuke."
Wait.
Those words . . . were supposed to stay in his head. But, as stated prior, his confidence is getting a bit too big to handle, so he just lets the words drift between them, watching her, expecting a response.
"Yes," she laughs, "you are."
Okay —
Pro (a massive, all-consuming, heart-stopping, lung-snatching pro): Hyuuga Hinata, beyond doubt, is flirting with him.
He flirted (him, Uchiha Sasuke), and she (yes, that Hyuuga Hinata) flirted back.
Maybe —
Maybe Sasuke's not the only one feeling confident tonight.
...
Okay — perhaps that was the slip of the tongue on her part.
It's just a bit hard to believe, because for a month and a half, Sasuke's pretty sure he's been making his intentions clear. Ignoring the work-out partners bit, he's been slowly working his way up that mountain that makes up Hinata's walls. Sure, he hasn't exactly confessed yet, but he's gotten pretty damn close to that point; and not once, during any of these occurrences, has Hinata met his intentions in kind. She hasn't even hinted in the interest!
So either Sasuke's been blind (which is impossible when it comes to things including Hyuuga Hinata), or what she'd said before was the slip of the tongue.
Or . . . w-well, she might have had a change of heart and is now accepting and acknowledging his advances.
So, in order to test his theory, Sasuke will have to push a little more throughout the night.
Ah, and what a shame that would be.
...
They have to share a menu.
Kiba had been in the bathroom when the staff came through to hand them out, so Hinata offered him her own when he returned.
"Now look what you've done," Sasuke murmurs. "How will you order now?"
She grins and tugs his menu over so that it sits between them. "We can share, can't we?"
Of course, they can. Sasuke has no complaints at all; and when he presses his shoulder just enough to hers to be considered normal, she doesn't move away, and he's so distracted by the levitating feeling of Cloud 9 that he hardly has time to look at the dinner options by the time the waiter comes to take their order.
Hinata gives hers first, and Sasuke says the first thing he sees before snapping the menu shut and handing it to the staff.
Quietly, Hinata's byakugan activates, then ebbs away as quickly as it came.
"Fugu?" she muses. "That's one of the most expensive items on the menu."
It is? "Don't tell me."
"¥13,800."
Shit. There goes this month's rent.
"Huh?" Kiba, with his damn hyper-hearing or whatever the fuck, overhears their conversation from the next table over. "You're shitting me!"
"What?" Ino pipes, already invested in the gossip. "What is it?"
"Hear this — Sasuke just ordered the Fugu."
"WHAT?" Ino screeches, which then gets everyone else's attention.
Grand.
"Sasuke did?" Naruto's head snaps his way. "You did?"
"That's great!" Lee chimes in, raising his glass of sake. "We should splurge on the best for occasions like this. I, too, will order the Fugu!"
"You're kidding!" Tenten yelps.
Choji stumbles out of his chair, sweating. "I need to call for Karui. She's the only one with the license to prepare it!"
Trotting down the staircase, Choji's gone within the blink of an eye. Lee bounces out of his seat, as well, to lean over Sasuke's table. Lee drags his glass over, pours him some sake, and lifts his own once again. "Cheers, my friend! To happiness!"
Sasuke slowly holds the glass up, not at all missing the grin Hinata's flashing his way. "Happiness. Sure."
They drink, the fire of the alcohol burning down his throat.
To the side, Shikamaru is rubbing his temples, not looking forward to the extra work on his desk in the morning due to the Hokage Advisor's intense hangover.
...
"So. You ordered the most expensive thing on the menu."
"Sai, not the time."
After the whole fiasco managed to settle down (and by "settle down", Sasuke means that Shino had miraculously diverted everyone's attention to a drinking game he came up with on the spot), Sai slid himself into the booth just opposite of Sasuke and Hinata. With food still in preparations, most of Konoha 12 have huddled themselves by the bar. A few jonin from the floor below have come to join them, challenging everyone to shotguns and buying a round of drinks. In Sai's hand is one of said drinks, and it seems he's taken a break from the loud group to join them at their booth.
Sasuke is still mauling over the fact that he's just spent ¥13,800 on a dish he might not even like, so Hinata's the one who keeps Sai company.
"It's good to see you again, Sai. How have you been?"
"Abysmal," he drones.
Abys-what? Sasuke's sure he just made up that word, but Hinata seems to know what it means, somehow.
"That's no good," she says. "Why?"
"Well." Both of his hands press down against his chest. "This part has been tight, and my stomach has been nau—" He stops himself, meeting Sasuke's gaze. They both know what he was about to say and what that means, so he continues on. "And I move around in my sleep."
Hinata nods along to every symptom he lists off. Sasuke can see the storm in her eyes as she tries to figure out what's wrong with him.
"Any fever?" she asks.
"No," he says. "Only hot."
"May I feel your head?"
He tips his neck forward, and she reaches over to press her palm against his forehead, feeling for any sort of heat that might be startling. From the unconcerned line of her mouth, she doesn't seem to find him with fever.
"Hey, Hinata, do you want me to buy a —" Ino pauses upon noticing the situation before her. "Oh. Is something wrong?"
"Sai might be sick," Hinata says.
Ino turns to Sai, who stares back, almost like a kid. Sasuke drinks his water to keep himself from laughing at that expression alone.
"I'm sorry, Sai," Ino says. "Can I get you anything?"
He just shakes his head, quietly thanking her, and Ino beams and skips back to the bar. Eyes growing wide, Hinata reaches over to touch his forehead once again, then his cheek with the backs of her fingers.
"Sai," she breathes, falling back into the booth, "I don't think you're sick."
"No, he is," Sasuke says. "Just not in the traditional sense."
Sai's mouth twists. "This all has to do with my feelings for Ino?"
Hinata presses her hand to her mouth, as if she hadn't expected him to be aware of his feelings — or to say them out loud so suddenly.
"You . . . like Ino," she confirms.
Sai rubs at the back of his neck. "It's miserable. That's what Sasuke says, at least."
Wow. Way to throw him under the bus. "I didn't say that. I said it's miserable when you just let it boil inside of you for so long."
Nodding, Sai adds, "Like with you."
Ah, fuck. Cat's out of the bag now. Sasuke directs his attention to Hinata, wondering if she's already putting two and two together. Truthfully, he does want her to know — just not in this sense, in this way. However, Hinata seems to be trapped in her own world for a second, eyes cast to the tangle of her fingers in her lap.
"I understand what you mean." Her smile is sympathetic. "It's a little miserable, yes."
. . . Right. She'd been in love with Naruto for a long time, hadn't she? Unconsciously, Sasuke finds him in the crowd by the bar and drills daggers into his back.
Sai shifts, uncertain if he's the cause for her sudden, gloomy mood. "I'm . . . ?" He looks to Sasuke, his gaze asking: Should I apologize? Sasuke shakes his head, so Sai tries a different route. "I'll be fine, though. I'm reading lots of books, you see."
This gets Hinata's attention. Her gaze lifts. "Oh?"
"They're very helpful in the ways of wooing," he continues. "I've learned things like where to look when I'm talking with her, or how I should be an active listener. I've been practicing with daily conversation. Sakura says I'm acting more and more human every day."
"That's good."
"It's the approaching part that's hard to understand." His hands move in a way, like he's trying to manifest the very book he's citing. "It says I need to look for the right occasion, but I don't know what that means."
The rattle and clinks of glass turns their attention back to the bar. Ino sparkles in the attention — almost to an annoying degree, if you want Sasuke's opinion. But Sai doesn't seem to mind. He just stares, then shifts, then downs the rest of his drink.
"I think now's a good time," Hinata says.
"How can you tell?" Sai asks.
Subtly, so know one but them notice, Hinata points at the two jonin around Ino. "They're making their move. You don't want her to be whisked away, do you?"
Sasuke snorts. As if Ino would be interested in subpar jonin like those fools. It's Hinata's foot tapping against his that tells him to play along.
"Oh," Sai says. "I guess not."
Smiling, Hinata motions for him to stand. "Compliment her. Start idle conversation. Buy her a drink — actually —" She thinks, her smile broadening, and she says, "let her buy you a drink."
Standing, Sai dawdles at the side of the table, eyes honed in on Ino's back. "Should I ask her to?"
"I think you should," Hinata says, patting his arm. "You'll do great."
As if those words are all he needs to hear, Sai makes his way to the bar. Satisfied, Hinata sits back in the booth, fingertips dancing around the lip of her glass.
"Ask Ino to buy him a drink?" Sasuke watches him over the top of the booth. "Are you sure?"
"Ino likes to buy people drinks," Hinata explains. "To her, if she buys you a drink, it's like saying 'I like you'."
The segue is right there and perfect; Sasuke almost wonders if she gave it to him on purpose.
"Should I buy you one, then?"
And her eyes sparkle up at him. "Espresso martini. With lemon."
There she goes again — following his lead. It can't be an accident, can it? She's flirting with him. She has to be.
"Lemon." When his tongue touches the backs of his teeth to shape the syllable, he tastes something fresh and sour. "What's with you and lemon?"
Her hands lie along her lap, simply, politely. But her smile is dazzling, and he can't look away.
"It reminds me of you."
Now, if she had her hand to his chest, she'd feel his heart stop all-together.
Kami. He wants to smother her mouth with his.
But there's a better time and place for that, so Sasuke bites his tongue and slides out of the booth to shove his way into the crowd of people around the bar.
...
Soon, food arrives.
Hinata is sipping at her espresso martini when the waiter places Sasuke's fugu sashimi before him. Her brow raises, silently wondering if he's actually going to eat it.
Well, he has to, doesn't he?
With how expensive it was . . . .
It's plated like it should be served to a king, with its slices decorated in a spiral pattern that almost looks like a flower. Sasuke picks a piece up with his chopsticks. The meat is almost translucent with how thinly it's cut. Before he can bring it to his mouth, however, Hinata stops him with her own chopsticks halting his.
"Maybe you shouldn't," she whispers. "It could still have poison in it."
He can't help but smirk. "You're sweet."
"Sasuke."
"I trust Choji and Karui."
Her lips pinch, then loosen, and she lets go of his chopsticks. Dropping the piece of fugu into his mouth, Sasuke chews, letting the taste linger on his taste buds.
"It's good."
He grabs another piece. Choji, who had been watching from across the way, sighs in relief and slopes into his chair.
...
"Here." He offers her a piece, placing it on the edge of her plate. "Try it."
"Are you sure?" Hinata asks. "It's expensive."
He pats her back, enjoying the warmth seeping through her blouse. "You're worth it."
Playfully kicking his foot under the table, Hinata plops the piece of fugu in her mouth, taking time to chew and enjoy like Sasuke does. Her eyes crinkle and flow in the golden glow.
"You're right. That's fantastic."
Thus, throughout the rest of the meal, Hinata would sometimes find another piece of fugu finding its way onto her plate. She eats the pieces happily, and she sometimes drops some of her food on his plate, as well.
...
The pale, sick color to Naruto's complexion is so obvious that even Sasuke notices it from his spot way back in the booth, bathed in the dark that only a corner can offer. He watches the man swing himself from the bartop, legs so bent on wobbling that he looks more like a toddler still new to walking than a ninja. Naruto fits himself through the crowd, plods down the staircase, and disappears from sight.
Sasuke touches Hinata's shoulder, first, to motion her to slide out of the booth so he may leave. It's only when she stands does he get a look of her face, and he sees she'd witnessed the whole thing, as well.
"I'm going to check on him," he says.
Her smile is tight, and her nod is miniscule. "Okay."
So it's still awkward between her and Naruto, then. That will have to be discussed later. Sasuke climbs down the stairway, peering over the blurs of colors and faces that make up the lower floor of the restaurant. When he does not spot that blinding flash of orange, he dips into the men's restroom, where Naruto is bent over one of the white sinks, drain plugged up so that his face may submerge in the rising water.
Feeling that they're not alone, Sasuke kicks one of the stall doors open, the bang echoing against the tile walls.
"If you don't leave," he says into the cool air, "I'll burn you alive."
There's a nervous breath, a shuffle of fabric, and then a man quickly skitters out from another stall and leaves the bathroom in a panic.
Naruto lifts his head out of the water just enough to say, "Mean bastard. Threatenin' people ain't gonna help your case."
Sasuke joins him at his side. "You look like shit."
"I feel like it, too." Groaning, Naruto moves to rest his forehead against the cold porcelain of the sink. "I think I drank something too quick."
"Or too much."
"Heh — yeah, that too."
Not enjoying the miserable sight of his friend, Sasuke grabs him by his under arm and lifts him up to stand. Naruto sways forward to lift the plug and to turn the sink's faucet off.
"It's good you're here," he murmurs. "I didn't know if you'd come."
Great. Now he's getting sentimental. "I'm taking you back out. Shikamaru will take you home."
"You should have joined us at the bar." Naruto has more to say, but he stops when the noise of the place rings in his ears. He rubs his face, squints, and tries again. "Y'know, you're a part of us, too."
"I know." But it still feels nice to hear people say it every now and then. "I wasn't being reclusive."
"Right," Naruto says, "you were with someone. Ah, hell, who was it again? I told you I drank a lot, didn't I?"
"Hinata," Sasuke offers.
"Hinata," Naruto repeats. "Little Hinata. Right! You —" He stops again, rubbing his palm over his face, groaning. "Right. You were with Hinata."
Maybe Sasuke shouldn't have said anything. "Is that a problem?"
"No. Actually, I think it's the best thing that could've happened."
What's that supposed to mean?
They march up the stairs. Sasuke brings Naruto to Shikamaru, who sits at one of the stools at the bar, watching Kiba down another beer with an unimpressed and, frankly, bored look on his face. Upon sighting the state Naruto's in, practically hanging from Sasuke's shoulder, Shikamaru already has an idea what's happened.
"Damn," he says. "You look like shit."
Naruto cackles. "Feel like it, too!"
Sasuke looks out to his booth, finding it empty. He searches the tables Konoha 12 inhabit, finding Hinata at the one Tenten sits at. There are two jonin there, and based on their confident postures and dashing smiles, Sasuke can take a guess at what they're talking about.
"Take him home," he says, pushing Naruto in Shikamaru's direction. Shikamaru snorts and grumbles, but lifts one of Naruto's arms over his shoulder and helps him down the stairs once again.
Slowly, Sasuke approaches, intending to read more into the situation before deciding what to do. He's close enough where he can hear what's being discussed, and so he crosses his arms and leans back against one of the tables.
"You know, I've always thought you were the prettiest," the jonin says. "I never thought I'd have the chance to talk with you like this."
He's clearly flirting with her, and the hopeful look in his gaze makes Sasuke's gut twist.
Hinata just smiles. "Thank you."
She's being polite, but she's . . . not flirting back. Not from how it looks, at least.
"Really," the jonin keeps going, "I've always had a thing for you."
Is this a situation he should interrupt? It's not really his business, though, and Hinata doesn't look like she's in trouble and needs a savior. Even if he doesn't like it, he's not sure if he can justify stepping in and yanking her away.
Suddenly, Hinata meets his eye, and he tips his head, quietly asking her if she's okay.
Her face is pink, and she whispers something to the jonin before crossing the way to join Sasuke by the table. Her face is more red than pink now, and her fingers spread out to cover her face.
"Kami, help me," she says under her breath.
Her embarrassment stirs his own kind of worry deep in his chest. Sasuke uncrosses his arms. "What is it?"
"He — he said — u-um —" She doesn't continue that line of thinking. Her face is so red that it could almost glow. "Wh-What should I say?"
Sasuke glances over at the jonin, then at her again. "Do you . . . like him?"
Her eyes stare at him between her fingers, and he can see himself in them.
She never answers.
Before she gets the chance to, a ruckus buzzes from behind, and she turns back to see a woman is yelling at the very jonin who was talking to her just moments ago. There's a ring on her left hand, and when Hinata activates her byakugan, Sasuke can only guess she finds a matching ring hidden in the jonin's pocket. Choji has to escort the two out, with a drunk Kiba and Lee hooting along the way.
Hinata looks miserable.
Sasuke thinks the stiff air could choke and kill her, so he taps her wrist and motions for her to follow him.
...
Once outside, Hinata crouches down to pull a senbon from her boot. She swirls it between her fingers nervously as she breathes in the fresh air of night. Sasuke stands just close enough to remind her he's here, with her.
"I'm embarrassed." The words burst from her mouth after four minutes of silence. "I'm so obvious, aren't I?"
Her hands shake, but she does not drop the needle. It just keeps spinning between her fingers, around and around in circles.
"I have to be. Everyone knows about it — everyone! Th-The Hyuuga, all my friends, that man just now." Hinata grits her teeth. "They know about Naruto, a-and they know about Kankuro —"
Kankuro? "The Kazekage's brother?" Sasuke asks.
Her head spins his way, and her wide eyes sinks into him. "Do I look easy?" she asks. "Do I look like someone with a broken heart?"
His throat tightens, because whenever he looks at her, all he sees is a future he's desperately trying to obtain. "You don't look easy."
If his words give her any relief, he doesn't see it as she stares off to the dark street. The hurt is ripe on her face. The memory of Naruto reflects in the sharp and narrow of her senbon like poison. If she sticks it into her open palm, he will coarse through her bloodstream more than he already does. Carefully, Sasuke cradles her fingers between his, pressing against the backs of her knuckles until she finally lets go.
"It might be my eyes," she whispers, hiding the very things behind a swaying curtain of bangs as she watches the tips of her toes curl. "O-Or maybe it's my voice. I, um, I'm not very lucky with boys, you see."
Her shoulders bend to the ground like she's injured.
She is.
It's very clear to him she is.
"They don't seem to like me, Sasuke."
It's in the way her jaw shakes with muffled anguish that keeps Sasuke from taking her face in his hand and lifting her into that proud, grand Hyuuga he knows well. Instead, Uchiha Sasuke, the demon, kneels until his knees press into the concrete sidewalk. He finds those eyes she thinks ugly. He does not look away, and he hopes she understands.
"I like you," he says.
The shine of tears comes first, then the giggle that is watery but real. "Yes, Sasuke. I know."
She doesn't.
Not yet.
But, for now, that's fine.
She'll know soon enough.
...
"I'm sure you have your own share of girl problems," she says a while later, when they're both sitting on the curb, the rumble of voice sounding from the building behind them. Her mood has lifted, and her eyes no longer shine like weeping stars. Sasuke likes to think he's the reason for that.
He says, "Yes, actually." And he hopes she'll look up and see herself in his gaze and understand.
She doesn't. Hinata keeps her gaze on her feet, arms wrapped around her knees.
"Who?" she asks.
And he answers, "You."
Hinata does not turn pink like she did with the jonin. She does not hide her face. She does not run over to Tenten or Ino or Kiba to ask them what she should say to such a bold statement.
Instead, she laughs, and she nudges her shoulder into his.
And it all clicks together for Sasuke.
The flirting — it wasn't flirting to Hinata. It was banter. It was playful. He could be replaced with Shino, or Sakura, and she'd react all the same.
Oh.
Disappointment is heavy on his soul, but he tried to keep his chin up.
One step at a time.
A month ago, if he'd said the things he's said to her tonight, she would have ran away with that look of fear on her face.
This isn't that.
This is better.
He'll get to her some day.
"Let's go back inside. We still need to pay."
"I'm sure Choji will be awfully happy with the amount you'll be paying for your fugu."
One step at a time