DISCLAIMER: All characters from Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

+ SASUKE +

SHE IS MY ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME

Belong – Cary Brothers

"And that's what happened."

I finish the re-telling of my encounter with Hyuuga Hinata with a frown. At least until the part where she said she's working on herself by seeing her therapist again. My audience doesn't need to know how she walked away crying. That left me feeling unsettled. I still feel unsettled. Sure, it's only been fifteen minutes, but still… Hence why I called in some much-needed third person perspective.

"Huh," Shikamaru, the first third person, says helpfully.

"What?" Choji, the second third person, asks Shikamaru.

"Foolish little brother," Itachi, the third third person, mutters in that condescending manner that I know he knows I hate. He's not even invited to this little get-together of ours in the men's restroom. He followed Shikamaru and Choji because he overheard them talking about the message I sent.

I wait for him to elaborate, but he remains quiet with that irritating expression on his face. "Well, if you've got something to say, then fucking say it."

He leans against the wall and crosses his arms with a smirk. "Why did you call your friends here? To justify your decision to end things between you and Hyuuga Hinata? And for them to tell you, what? Good job?"

"Your brother has a point," Shikamaru chimes in. I glare at him. "I'm not saying he's right. Just that he has a point. You never ask our opinion whenever you dump someone."

"That was before," I say through gritted teeth, "This is now."

"What do you want us to say?"

"Some fucking honesty!"

"You idiot!" Choji exclaims. We all turn our heads to look at him in shock. He smiles abashedly, "Is what Naruto would have said right off the bat."

I didn't bother sending Naruto a message. The idiot's having fun. Loathe though I am to admit it, I do miss his valuable insights. Choji is not far-off on what Naruto would have said, though.

"So, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Uh, well…" Choji explains carefully, "you're still in love with her, right? So, I guess, it's kind of an idiotic move to let that chance slip away? Especially now that you and her seem to be on the same page? Well, at least I think you guys are on the same page?"

The three of them look at me. "I think so."

Choji nods, "Then why'd you turn her down?"

Good question. It's not that I was being difficult or petty (well, maybe just a little bit petty). After all, I already know the truth of what happened on my birthday. Karin tracked down Hinata's ex and planned it all as a revenge against me for dumping her. All because, apparently, I don't have a heart. But it turns out, I do have a heart. And that motherfucker hurts like a nasty son of a bitch when it gets broken.

"I was scared," I answer truthfully.

"Of what?" Choji asks in a hushed tone. As though what I'm scared of will jump out of nowhere.

"Doesn't matter. It's over now."

Itachi raises an eyebrow. I can tell he doesn't believe me, but he's also not saying anything. Choji looks sad for some reason. Maybe because he's always been a romantic, and he thinks this is one epic love story or some shit.

"So," Shikamaru says cautiously, "you'll be fine with me if one day someone I know confesses to Hyuuga Hinata?"

Choji lets out a gasp of surprise. I can't help but tense a little. "Who?" I ask tersely.

"My girlfriend's little brother. Met him the other day. He looked like a real hardcore rockstar – eyeliners and face tattoo and some attitude. He's also a freshman at University of Tokyo. You might have seen him around. And, apparently, he really likes Hyuuga Hinata. Even wrote a song about her –"

I jump off the counter and head straight for the door, "Fuck you, Shikamaru!"

"You're welcome!" he calls out happily.

"Bring her over to lunch tomorrow!" Itachi exclaims over the sound of Choji's cheers.

V^^V

The past couple of months went by in a blur. I was okay. For the most part. I was sleeping well, eating well, existing well. Going through the motions of existing well. You know – wake up, shower, eat, go to school, eat, go to basketball practice, go home, eat, exercise, shower, sleep, repeat. Never knew my life can be so boring, so lifeless without Hyuuga Hinata.

Then she came back, and I could breathe again.

Even if it was just a glimpse of her from afar. For a split second. That shit still made me happy. Regardless of who she was with. So, what if in my head I've hurt that little punk a hundred different ways, no one will know. Piece of shit wouldn't leave her alone. Sure, thanks for accompanying her to wherever and keeping her safe. But did it have to be every fucking night? I have no right to feel the way I felt, and that was that. Thankfully, for some reason, the nightly walks stopped a week ago. I wonder if it had something to do with what Shikamaru said.

Doesn't really matter anymore.

I look up at her apartment window. The lights are on. So why am I skulking around here like a fucking creep? I just need to go up and knock on the fucking door. Why am I hesitating? Why, despite wanting this with every fiber of my being, did I turn her down? Did I think she wasn't being serious? Did she really hurt me so bad that I have PTSD or something? Maybe we could go to therapy together. Have I finally moved on? Am I over her?

Well, considering how I was eye-fucking her the moment I set eyes on her earlier in the evening… Did she really have to wear that dress and those shoes? I remember the last time she wore them. It ignited all sorts of instinct within me, and tonight was no exception. I had to avoid her because my self-control was hanging by a thread. But when she suddenly disappeared, that awful feeling of rejection reared its ugly head again. I went out looking for her to what, I had no fucking idea. I just ran after her. She ran away, I chased after her. Like old times.

But then she did something so unexpected it threw me off-balance. Didn't expect her to approach me first and apologize. Definitely wasn't expecting her to ask for another chance.

I grind to a halt in front of the laundromat. The one where I confessed to Hyuuga Hinata months ago. A confession from her would have been nice. That's not asking for too much, right? I know she's having some issues or whatnot, but being told that she feels the same as I do… But I'm also okay if she says nothing at all. I can wait. I can be patient. No matter how long it takes her.

That could be her roommate up there.

Of course, I can just call her and ask where she is. But that kind of defeats the purpose of her coming to me first. I mean, I've already accepted the fact that she's not going to feel the same. I made my peace with that. But if that changed… if by some miracle she's come to realize that she feels something for me too, then it's up to her. The ball's on her court.

But what if in my pettiness in telling her no thanks, she gives up and doesn't try again? What if that punk confesses to her? And she accepts because she thinks she needs to move on? Then they begin dating and I would have to endure seeing countless articles about the rising rock star dating Hyuuga Hinata. Eventually she will fall for him and in ten years they'd get married. Meanwhile, I would still be sleeping around with random women 'cause I will never meet anyone like Hyuuga Hinata. I will be alone in a cold house, wishing for things to be different and hoping they break up 'cause maybe I still have a chance. And wow. Ten years of pining. What the fuck. I've never had a panic attack, but I feel like I'm on my way there.

Please, to whoever is listening out there, give me a sign or a clue or whatever. Anything. Any indication that she wants this as bad as I do. That it's not too late and – I look down at the vibrating phone in my hand. It's Hinata.

I swipe answer as though my life depends on it. "Hinata?"

"Fuck you," she hisses furiously, "I know why you rejected me, asshole. It's 'cause I rejected you. I hurt you, you hurt me. Well, you know what? I'll do what you did. I'll be persistent. Because fuck you for making me care. I was fine on my own. I made peace with the fact that I will never find true love. That I will forever be alone. But you just had to fucking show up with your stupid smirk and that ridiculous walk and your affections and you made me feel fucking special. Like I'm worth something. Fuck you so much for making me feel and making me fall –"

"Are you drunk?" I ask, smiling like an idiot. There must be something wrong with me.

"No."

"Will you be able to tell me what you're about to say to my face?"

"Yes."

"Where are you?" I inquire, but I'm already running up the stairs.

"At home – my apartment."

"Open the door." She doesn't respond for a few moments. If it isn't for the sound of her breathing, I would think she hung up on me. "Are you scared? Me, too. I never wanted anything so much in my life. It's scary."

The door opens and there she is. Her eyes are puffy, her makeup's a mess, her hair's also a mess… she's now barefoot and out of that dress and wearing Harry Potter pajamas. And still, she looks beautiful as always.

"I like you, too, asshole," she blurts out angrily. And yes. Still beautiful. "Is it too late? Doesn't matter because you know what? You unblocked me."

"I did."

"And you're here."

"I am."

"Why did you reject me?"

"You should've started with the I like you." She blushes… from embarrassment, maybe? "May I come in?"

She blushes even more as she moves away from the doorway. I step inside and close the door. I try not to think about the last time I was here, so I look around with renewed interest. I know this is the norm around this part of Tokyo, but I've never been in an apartment as small as this. Next to the front door is the bathroom. Literally next to it is the kitchen. There's no dining table. There is a low table (without beer cans this time, but I'm not thinking about that) in the living room once you turn around from the kitchen. The door to the left is a bedroom with the light turned off. Must be the roommate's. The door to the right is where Hinata is standing.

"S-sorry about the p-place," she mutters, still blushing, "It's u-usually not this messy. I wasn't expecting c-company."

I nod in understanding. Despite the clutter and unwashed dishes on the sink, it's not that bad. Not as bad as Naruto's apartment, anyway.

"Uhm… d-do y-you want to come in?" she asks, gesturing toward her bedroom.

It's ridiculous how happy those words make me feel. I mean, it's just a bedroom. And sure, it's smaller than my bathroom, but still… My heart skips a beat when I see the plushy sitting on her bed. The plushy I gave her last school festival. Didn't think she'd keep it. Fuck. Does she like things like that? Had I known, I would've bought her something of higher quality than a Handicraft Club-made plushy.

"Why aren't you s-saying anything?" Hinata asks worriedly as she sits down her bed.

"I'm processing it," I answer, sitting down next to her.

"The b-bedroom?"

I can't help but smile. And reach for her hand 'cause fuck, I always wanted to hold it. "It's small and cute. Just like you." I chuckle at the look on her face. "Too cringey?"

She nods her head in agreement, but she's finally smiling. She also hasn't pulled her hand away.

"Sorry," I mutter as I caress her hand. I missed touching her. "I don't know how to do this."

"W-what is this?" she asks quietly. I frown. Is this the part where I wake up from this wonderful dream? Hinata must have seen something in my expression because she clarifies, "I m-mean, l-like… just so t-there's n-no m-misunderstandings or w-whatever."

"Well, you already know how I feel and what I want. But I will say it again to be clear: I like you and I want to go out with you. And I know that things between us progressed in a weird way… which is why this time, I would like us to start over. I want to take you on dates. I want to buy you a plushy every day. I want to have the right to feel jealous. I want to be the one to walk you home every night. I want to be the reason for your smile. I want to always hold your hands."

"That's a lot of w-wants," Hinata mumbles, staring at our joined hands with a smile.

"Is that creeping you out?"

She shakes her head, "No, no… it's just that… I'm me. I have a lot of issues. Lots of baggage."

"I have wide shoulders," I say, shrugging, "I can help you carry that baggage."

"That's… so s-sweet," she mumbles, entwining our hands together. "You're so sweet. I'm g-going to have a hard time b-believing everything you say. Not because of y-you. My therapist said that my i-issues are keeping me from enjoying anything whenever anything good h-happens. And that I always feel like I don't d-deserve anything."

"Don't worry," I give her hand a kiss, "I'm always going to be here to remind you that you deserve happiness."

She leans her head on my shoulder, and we stay like that for a few moments. She's never done this before – initiate skin contact. This is nice. Fucking amazing, actually. It's making me question my life choices. The almost-kiss from earlier keeps playing in my head. It doesn't help that we're in her bedroom. Sitting on her bed. It's a single bed, sure, but still a bed. I wonder if she's wondering why we're still just sitting on her bed. And why I haven't ravished her yet. A part of me wants to, of course. Yes, that part. It has been over two months. Longest time I've gone without sex. But I don't want us to jump straight to sex. That's how everything started. This time I –

"Uhm…" Hinata starts quietly, lifting her head and looking at me with those beautiful eyes, "I l-like you, too. And I w-would be happy to do all those w-wants with you. Except the p-plushies every day. I don't have the space for all of that."

There goes my control down the drain. I can't help it. She's too fucking adorable. And patience has never been my strongest trait, so I grab her head gently and crush our lips together. I fucking missed this – her taste, the feel of her silky hair, her smooth skin, her smell. She is truly the best I ever had. Will ever have.

Soon – too soon – we have to separate so that we can catch our breaths. Can't say I'm surprised to discover that we are now laying down on the bed, and that my hand is somehow under her shirt. Her hair's gotten even messier.

"I want you," I murmur, smoothing back some stray strand from her face, "More than anything. Which is why I want to do this right and take things slow. And according to my research, we should go out on three dates at least before we have sex."

She looks stunned for a moment before finally smiling and giving a nod, "O-okay. Cool."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah… so, t-three dates?"

"Sure," I reposition us so that we can fit somewhat on this small bed. "First date: amusement park. Your pick. Let's do cringey things that couples do."

"Are we a c-couple? O-officially a couple?" she asks with a blush.

My heart sinks as I realize something. I search for my phone on the bed to check the time. "It's 11:09. Fuck."

"W-what is it?"

"I don't want our anniversary to be on Naruto's birthday."

"W-what's wrong with that?"

I think back to the things that idiot did for me – for us. His party did bring me and Hinata together. And I suppose it's not so bad. It's not the day that I was hoping for (I prefer a date that means something special to us), but things just happen the way it does and it's okay.

"Nothing." I chuckle as I settle back down next to Hinata.

We talk for hours. About anything and everything. I explained my side of the story the night of my birthday – about that ex-fling of mine and her ex and the misunderstandings they caused. Hinata talked about her side of the story and her ex-boyfriend that I don't really give a shit about, but I guess is important. She told me about her summer in Hokkaido and how she wants to go back up there soon. I said that she should without inviting myself along even if I want to because I'm not clingy and I'm a supportive boyfriend. We discuss our plans for the day and maybe get that first date done. It is Sunday, after all. But then I remember the weekly Sunday lunch at my parents', so that's a bust. Oh, well. I did say we'll take it slow. And I know Itachi invited her, but not yet.

"I was just thinking about this the other day," Hinata mumbles sleepily against my shoulder.

"About what?"

"About how I never got to cuddle with you. I like this. So warm." She nestles even closer against me and dozes off.

It's actually uncomfortable. My feet are dangling off the edge of her too-small bed, the tip of my toes is touching the wall, and one move will wake her up. It's uncomfortable, yes. But I wouldn't want it any other way.

I know that we're still just teenagers and we don't know what the future holds, and life can still fuck us over. Nonetheless, I am confident that we're going to be okay.

+ END +

May 25, 2024 – I was in my 20s when I wrote this. Now I'm in my 30s. Wow. This version of Sasuke is inspired by Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. I don't know if I said that before. That's why the songs from the last couple of chapters are from TVD.

I know fanfics aren't much, but I'm proud of what I accomplished, and my works here are definitely my greatest achievement. It's been an amazing ride with you all.

THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who favorited, followed, reviewed, and read. I'm happy that you enjoyed my stories.

PS. I may or may not write an epilogue. It will be a Tenten POV, so don't get excited? I know it's not "ideal", but that chapter's been in my head for years. I might just write it to get it out and move on without regrets. We'll see.