Pining Heart

Young Sasuke in the academy, brooding as he does after his family is killed, and annoyed at all the girls tripping over themselves to talk to him... Except for one. Hinata is always on the outside of the crowd, never really paying him any mind, the girl who only had eyes for Naruto. Who was she? He never could approach her of course, but he was always watching, quietly admiring her and her determination to always get back up when she falls down, how she never gives up when she struggles. 

They're, of course, not put on the same team, so he doesn't see her much after that, but she's always there on his mind and he hopes to spot her around the village (he never does though). He doesn't really see her again until the Chunin exams, but again, she barely pays him any mind. He wants to talk to her, but it's hard when he has Ino hanging off of him and her and Sakura glaring daggers at each other. Maybe later then?

Exams go by and he doesn't get the chance to talk to her, and now he's leaving the village. He wants to go see her, one last time, but he's afraid that if he does, he wouldn't ever leave. So he forces himself to go, go to Orochimaru to get the power he needs, go to achieving his goals so that he could come back. Maybe when he does, he could sweep her off her feet.

Over the next couple years, he hears things, tidbits about various people from various villages (being where he was, it was hard not to know what was going on in the outside world). He doesn't hear much about Hinata, but he does hear when she passed the Chunin Exams, and he silently cheered for her. He knew she could do it, even if he never said. He catches a small glimpse of her once, during that time, and he had to stop himself from approaching her then. He couldn't. He was a traitor to the village after all. She could never want him like this. He had to kill Itachi to redeem himself, it was the only way. (He was able to acknowledge how much she had grown since the last time he's seen her, at how beautiful she's become)

The next time he sees her is during the war. She's worn down, tired, banged up and bruised, but still one of the most beautiful women he's ever seen in his life. He didn't want her fighting like this, on the front line. He wanted her back at the village, where she could be safe. But no, he knew that she wouldn't allow that, to sit back while others fought. She was too strong for that. Too determined, and he admired her for it. But he would do what he could to make sure she survived until the end, even if she still barely paid him any mind, her attention on Naruto, who was worn down as well, tired but determination in his eyes.

He didn't get the chance to approach her after the war, and the next time he seen her, it damn near broke his heart. The moon was falling from the sky, but of course, Naruto was there to the rescue. He could see him from where he stood, watching the aftermath... watching him kiss her. He had missed his chance and it hurt. But maybe Naruto would screw it up (he always did seem to screw things up, so why should this be different?) But he didn't. Next thing Sasuke knew, he was getting an invitation to the wedding. How could he go and congratulate the woman he loved for marrying someone else? How could he get the words out? He couldn't, wouldn't, so he had to send a note instead. (receiving a picture of the happy couple hurt more than seeing them in person, but at least he was able to rip Naruto off and keep Hinata's happy face for himself)

It was several years later when he saw her again, and she had kids since then and she just looked so happy that he was happy seeing her smiling at him when he stopped by. That she was finally looking at him the way he wanted her to all those years ago. Maybe, just maybe, this will be enough. He could be happy like this, acting as an uncle to her children, as long as she continued to smile at him. Maybe one day, he'd actually believe it.