The next time I woke up, Sasuke's scent was still lingering in my bed, but he himself wasn't. The comfort he came in here and offered, likely because he knows something's been bothering me, was ripped away like a bandaid. Slowly, I sat up to look around the room before a frown met my lips. Did he already leave? Why didn't he at least say goodbye?
Mood turning sour, I freshened up a bit before making my way downstairs with the intention of making a pot of coffee. To my surprise, there sat Sasuke himself, fully dressed as he browsed something on his phone while he drank from his mug at the kitchen island.
When he heard me approaching, he looked up briefly before refocusing on his phone. "There's some coffee left." His voice was casual and blank as though he didn't just spend the past few hours cuddling me in my bed.
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from losing my cool and wordlessly poured some of the hot liquid into a mug of my own. For some reason, I can't remember how I usually act around him. Nervous, I gingerly sat a few seats away from him and tried to figure out if I even want to say something about what happened.
"What's up?" When I looked over at him, his eyes were still glued to his phone's screen.
I mulled over my options before deciding honesty's probably the best road to take when it comes to the Uchiha man, "What are you doing, Sasuke?"
He finally looked at me, confusion lingering about his attractive features, so I continued as my face steadily warmed and found it hard to meet his eye, "W-Why are you coming to my room a-and why are w-we cuddling and..." I trailed off, losing my courage, only to let out a defeated sigh as I turned to stare down into my mug of coffee, "Nevermind, forget it."
A heavy feeling was rising in my chest and I know exactly what's causing it. It's a mixture of shame for being so inexperienced in these types of situations and irritation at myself for not being able to act normal and pretend nothing's changed between us in the first place.
"I like you." Sasuke spoke softly, but in a resolute tone.
My head shot in his direction and I stared at him with wide eyes, "W-Wha-"
"I said I like you, Hinata. That's my answer to your question."
Deep, dark eyes bore into mine, but they were so guarded that I can't tell if he's being platonic about his feelings or not. Without another word, he rose to wash his coffee mug before going back upstairs. My gaze remained stunned and frozen on the seat he'd just been sitting in moments ago.
He meant he likes me like a big brother or close friend, right? Yeah, we cuddled, but it's not like we made out or touched one another inappropriately. What we did can still be categorized as friendly, but not overly-friendly.
A clouded feeling rose in my mind as I turned to face forward and swallowed nervously as I took a sip of my coffee. Why would he bother saying it out loud like that if he just meant like a friend, though? Maybe it was to reassure me. Maybe that was his last ditch effort to cheer me up before he leaves. He called me by my first name, something he rarely does, so whatever his reason, he meant what he said.
I glanced at my phone as it sat on the counter nearby and suddenly felt a strong urge to call Sakura, but refrained from it because I don't want to bother her during her trip.
Another sip of coffee came past my lips and I hesitantly glanced at the staircase Sasuke disappeared up. There's no waythat was a confession. Not from Sasuke Uchiha. That'll never happen, not in a million years.
I'm the exact opposite of all the women he's hooked up with over the past few months. Not only that, but I've come to understand that his music career is the most important thing to him, above all else. He'll never risk something he holds so dear just to get involved with someone like me. No, he likes vibrant and exciting women that ooze confidence.
I heard the door to his room open and then he was coming down the steps with a small suitcase in tow.
My teeth grit together when he turned to face me once he reached the front door, "Merry Christmas." He didn't even wait for me to respond before leaving.
A tight feeling rose in my chest like it had earlier in the morning before Sasuke came to cheer me up and I listened as his car pulled out of the garage until I couldn't hear it anymore. And now I'm alone.
The next few days passed and suddenly it was Christmas morning. I texted everyone in my phone to wish them a good holiday before turning off the device and sinking back under the blankets to wallow in self pity. The day trudged on and on as I did my best to keep my mind preoccupied.
Luckily, I managed to get through the entire day without crying even once or turning on my phone to see how the others were doing. The next morning, though, when I turned my phone back on, I felt my heart sink when I realized my messages had never even been sent. Instead, there was an alert stating that the service tower closest to our home had been hit by a car, so my phone wasn't going to have a signal for at least a day or two while it was repaired.
I spent the rest of the day cleaning the house and practicing the dance steps Sai taught us until late in the night when I was too tired to stay awake any longer. When the next morning came, a depressive lethargy melted my aura the moment I realized I was awake.
It's my birthday. I'm nineteen and my career is thriving, yet here I am: alone.
No one's supposed to get home until at least tomorrow afternoon and that's only if Gaara's siblings weren't able to get additional days off of work. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to go back to sleep, to no avail, so ended up staring at the ceiling in a daze for what could've been anywhere from one to multiple hours.
Eventually I had to get up, though, and trudged into the bathroom with tears already in my eyes. It's already noon.
After showering, I did a face mask and painted my nails, anything to keep myself busy. When both of those were done I blow dried my hair and changed into my most comfortable oversized hoodie and leggings. Maybe I'll just spend the rest of the day curled up on the couch watching movies. That'll be nice and cozy so it might cheer me up a bit.
As I sat on the edge of the bed, pulling some fluffy socks onto my cold feet, the breath in my lungs got caught as I heard the front door downstairs loudly shoot open, followed by the sound of quick and heavy footsteps on the staircase. I got to my feet and faced the door to my bedroom, terrified.
I know for a fact I locked that door before bed last night! Before I could react further by trying to hide or something, the door to my room opened to reveal a red-faced Sasuke panting for breath.
An odd mixture between a scream and a gasp left me in surprise, only for my shock and relief that it wasn't someone trying to come and kill me to overwhelm my senses completely and I broke down into sobs as I covered my face, "W-Why'd you do that? I was s-s-so scared!"
To my surprise, large hands pulled my hands away from my face and I looked up through my tears to see Sasuke pushing my sleeves up slightly to look at my wrists before meeting my gaze, "Why didn't you answer your phone?"
I opened my mouth to respond with the truth, only for the words to get caught in my throat when he gently grabbed my jaw and forced me to arch my neck so he could look at it. My brows furrowed in confusion as I wiped at my slowing tears, "W-W-What's going on? Why are you here?"
The handsome man's dark eyes left my neck to lock onto mine and he repeated his question, "Why didn't you answer, Hinata?"
My fingers trembled as I grasped his hand and pulled it away from my jaw, "T-The tower's down. I don't have any signal. What's wrong, Sasuke?"
The look in his eye was as unguarded as I've ever seen it. Something had him shaken. He likely tried to call me to tell me something, but I never received it. He didn't immediately respond and simply stared at my face for a long moment, making me even more anxious.
"D-Did something happen? Are you okay?"
My hands were both clutching his one and it twitched under my grasp as though my questions had shaken him from a daze. Then he was digging through his coat pockets almost frantically, eyes leaving mine but not pulling his other hand away. After a moment, he found what he was looking for and pulled out a small box before offering it to me.
I looked between it and his face with wide eyes for a moment before cautiously accepting it, "Sasuke, what's going on? Please talk to me." He narrowed his eyes to wordlessly urge me to shut up and open it, so I obliged.
A small gasp passed my lips when I pulled off the lid to reveal a charming, silver, oval-shaped locket with tiny diamonds decorating it. I glanced at him for a moment and he offered his palm so I could use it to remove the necklace from its holder. I did and when I opened the locket, a miniature version of the photo of my mother and I from my second birthday was inside on one side, the one I was staring at when he'd walked in on me crying the other day, while the same photo from our debut stage as the one on my phone case was on the other.
The tears that'd previously been slowing at a steady pace immediately picked up and I struggled to gather a breath so I could talk, "W-What i-i-is-"
Then his arms were around me and I was pulled into a tight hug. The locket clutched into my palm as I panicked about not wanting to drop it. "I was going to give it to you in May as an anniversary gift for our debut, but Neji told me earlier that it's your birthday."
"You should've told us. You could've said something, at least to me, you idiot."
His somehow endearing way of calling me names broke my last bit of self control and I became a shaking mess of tears against his chest. Somehow, I managed to thank him for the beautiful gift in the middle of my sobbing. It took a few minutes to regain my composure and when I did, Sasuke turned me around to clasp the necklace around my neck with a proud smirk on his lips. He knows he did very well with this one because of how affected I was by just the sight of it.
"I-I didn't want any of you to feel-"
"I was trying to find an excuse not to go to that god awful party. You know that." My mouth shut when he cut me off in an irritated tone as he pulled me down the stairs with him, a hand around my wrist.
It's been so long since we've been alone without Gaara or Sakura around that I somehow forgot he's a bit more talkative in this type of setting. I think he's like that with everyone. In a group setting, he'll remain rather quiet and casual, but if he's talking with someone one on one he's more likely to take the lead. At least, I know he's like that with Gaara because I've heard them loudly staying up too late playing video games in Sasuke's room.
The Uchiha man took off his winter gear near the door before running his hand through his messy hair and gesturing with his head toward the sofa. I obeyed with a bright red face, unsure of what's going on.
Continuing to surprise me, he made me pick a movie and didn't even complain once about it being a romantic one. After it was finished, we ordered food and ate dinner before casually hanging out in his room. He was sitting with his back to his bed as he played some kind of fantasy game and I sprawled across his mattress with my phone in hand. My signal still wasn't back, but I could still use the wifi for apps.
Hours later, I returned to my own room after showering and preparing for bed, only to toss and turn well into the early hours of the morning. At some point, I reached my limit and glanced at my phone to confirm my guess. A sigh left my chest and I let the device fall heavily back onto my nightstand as I turned my gaze onto the closed door to the bathroom.
What can it hurt if I go over there and ask to sleep in his room? It's not like Sakura or Gaara are home to potentially see us cuddling.
Biting the bullet, I headed out of my room and over to his, knocking softly and waiting for a response, unlike he does. After a moment, Sasuke answered with a barely awake expression on his face and his bare upper body glaring at me in the dark. Heat rose to my face as I averted my gaze and he groggily asked what was wrong.
"U-Um...C-C-Can I...?"
The clouded look in his black eyes began to fade and one of realization started to rise. I swallowed nervously and forced myself not to look away when our eyes met, visibly surprising him. He took a step back and held the door open a bit wider so I could come into his room.
My hands anxiously clasped together in front of my body as he closed the door behind us and climbed back into bed, "Come on, I'm tired Hyuuga."
After taking a strengthening breath, I climbed in beside him under the heavy covers. Sasuke's room is so much darker than mine at night. It was impossible to see more than a few inches in front of me, but his enticing scent was everywhere.
I rolled onto my side and attempted to relax so I could fall asleep, only to feel a strong arm come around my waist. Before I could protest, I was pulled back against him with ease.
Short, small breaths left my lips as long fingers intertwined with mine and I sensed his face was mere inches from the back of my head. Every single fiber of my being suddenly seemed much too warm and shaky with nervousness.
Rather than give me space so I could calm down, he just tightened his hold and grumbled into my hair, "It's just me, relax."
Once again, I couldn't help but confront the fact that Sasuke's so incredibly different from Kiba. When I panicked with my ex-boyfriend, he'd gently coerce me into calming down. That's not Sasuke's style, though, and I never even thought it would be. True to what I'd expect, he's the type to stay where he was and simply wait for me to get over it.
It sounds like he's forcing me into something or being rude, but if I have to be honest with myself, his method works better, at least for me. He knows well enough by now that if he backs off, I'm never going to push myself forward. It's something he had to deal with when we became dance partners and still sometimes has to work around it if something unexpected throws me off.
Minutes passed before I was able to get it together and then I felt equally as grateful for his sturdy way of helping me as I am embarrassed that he still has to do this type of thing at all. His breathing evened out at some point while I was calming down and I lay there in between his arms and felt his midsection rise and fall against my back.
Bashfully, I whispered, "S-Sasuke?" Some sort of sound rumbled from his chest, telling me he had indeed been asleep and I'd woken him up.
My face warmed, but it seemed necessary to show him that his stubborn tactics weren't in vain, so I mumbled out a compliment under my breath, "Y-You smell nice."
An irritated groan vibrated his chest against my shoulder blades and my eyes snapped open in surprise when he nuzzled his face into my hair, "Go to sleep."
-Sasuke's POV-
"Welcome home, baby brother!" Itachi opened his arms as though he actually thought I was going to give him a hug. I rolled my eyes and stepped around him with my suitcase. A butler approached and politely greeted me before taking it away so he could deliver it to my bedroom upstairs.
My older brother followed me, "How have you been? I already pre-ordered your new album!" I kept my glare straight ahead and ignored him.
At this point, I don't know why he continues trying to keep up this facade of a caring elder sibling. The fake persona just pisses me off. He knows it, too, because he continued to walk with me and didn't ask why I wasn't responding.
We arrived outside our father's office door and one of his personal aide's greeted us before opening the door and gesturing that we've been permitted to enter. My blood began to boil the moment I lay eyes on him. Fugaku Uchiha, the CEO and founder of our family's business, a prominent force in both the professional and entertainment world, and the person I hate more than anyone else.
It's not that I've ever expected him to be a storybook dad. From a very young age, it was made clear that I'm just a backup in case something happens to Itachi. While my older brother was given every opportunity, be it the best tutors, classes, or experiences, I was handed off to my mother and she was told to make sure I don't go around parading my last name.
I won't lie and say it didn't affect me because it did, but I eventually got over it and realized how corrupt his world is. It's not something I ever want to get involved with, so his negligence was almost a blessing in disguise.
When Mikoto Uchiha finally divorced him, I was only five, but I remember clearly how Fugaku treated her. He insulted her and threatened to keep my brother and I away. I don't know how she did it, but she somehow convinced him to let me leave the compound with her and he even paid for my schooling and clothes, but she wouldn't allow him to buy a single thing for her. My mother worked hard to pay for our house and to this day she's the person I look up to the most.
When I turned seventeen, though, my jackass of a father threatened to ruin her life if I didn't begin shadowing my older brother so I could be properly trained and prepared should I ever have to step in for him. Naturally, I refused, but he called her job right in front of me and got her fired in less than a single minute. I had no choice but to do what he wanted so my mom wouldn't be caught in the crossfire.
"Be seated, boys." Itachi and I rose from our bows and wordlessly sat in the stiff chairs in front of his giant desk.
The room was silent and tense for a long pause as he looked at us before he finally spoke again, "You will not speak to guests unless spoken to first, Sasuke. I expect you to be on your best behavior and represent this family well. Am I understood?"
My teeth grit and I felt my glare harden, but I lowered my gaze and nodded. I've learned the hard way more than once that arguing with him directly to his face is futile and only causes more problems. It's better to rebel in public where he can't react the way he wants in fear he'll look bad. He and Itachi spoke about a few business things for a while and I had to sit there and pretend to listen even though they both know I don't care about any of it.
The moment I was released, I left the building and went into town with the intention to just kill time when I drove past a jewelry store and found myself parking and going in with my head low and sunglasses on so no one would recognize me. Gaara's birthday is in less than a month and I've waited to buy him anything because I wanted to see what he received for Christmas first so I don't accidentally give him the same thing.
Truthfully, I don't know why I'm looking around a jewelry store for my only guy bandmate, but I'm not in the compound and that's all that really matters to me. This place is frequented by celebrities often, so the staff typically keeps their distance unless their help is requested and that's another thing that I'm grateful for.
A silver watch caught my eye and I glanced down to see the exact same model on my wrist, the one Hinata gave me. When I looked at the price tag, I sighed. That idiot just doesn't know when to quit. She never spends money on anything, but Christmas comes along and all of a sudden she's swiping her cards like she's Ino or Sakura.
I know the laptop she got Gaara is also high end and the brand that makes the bags she got Sakura is usually pretty pricey, so at least she didn't go out of her way to just spend more on me. I'd feel even more guilty if she did.
I moved along, not really seeing anything as my eyes danced over the silvers, golds, and diamonds. The door opened and closed as someone else entered and I kept my back turned to mind my own business. The sound of at least two, maybe more, girls met my ears and I bit back a groan. Usually I'm happy to run into fans, but right now I'm just not in the mood to fake a smile and act charming. In an attempt to not draw attention to myself, I lowered my head and pretended to be looking at the jewelry displayed at the counter in front of me while I waited for them to leave.
"Can you believe that jerk? He pretended to like me just to try and get lucky!"
My brow twitched in annoyance at how loudly they were gossiping in a public place, but then I recalled Hinata's face this morning when I told her I like her. My zoned out gaze hardened and an unfamiliar anxious feeling rose in my stomach.
What if she thinks I said that because I just want to sleep with her? I mean, a couple months ago that would've been the case, but not now. Damn it. I should've just kept my fucking mouth shut. I even left right after that. She didn't say anything back either, not that I really gave her a chance.
"Would you like a closer look at that one, sir?" My thoughts were interrupted by one of the staff, a middle-aged man in a business suit.
I went to shake my head, but froze when I realized what he was gesturing to and what I'd been unintentionally staring at all this time. It was a silver locket. I nodded and he wordlessly unlocked the case and pulled the small box out to sit it on the glass counter between us.
"This particular design can hold two photos. We can prepare them for you in-store if you'd like."
What the fuck am I doing?
Ten minutes later, I was sitting in my car with a small gift bag in my passenger seat and a frown. How the hell am I supposed to give it to her?
The car was still parked so I pulled my phone out and clicked through my photos until I came across the one I'd been searching for. Hinata was staring at it for like five minutes straight and crying so it has to mean a lot to her, right?
It's almost definitely her mother. Everyone knows the Hyuuga CEO's wife died while giving birth to their second child, meaning Hinata was only two or three when it happened. So now I have a gift for a girl who'll likely faint on the spot if I just give it to her out of nowhere and I don't even know why I bought it.
Despite what's happened in the past two days, we're just friends. Something like this might be a little too personal. What if it scares her away? I pictured her stunned face when I told her I like her once again. What if she's already been scared away because of that? I tossed my phone into the passenger seat next to the bag with a groan. They already put the shrunken down photos in the locket so all I have to do is hand it to her. My mind reeled as I rested my forehead on the steering wheel.
After another few minutes of stress, I finally reached an epiphany. Our debut anniversary is less than six months away. If she starts being weird because of what I said and did, I'll back off and hopefully things will be back to normal by then and I'll give it to her. I'll get the others something, too, so it doesn't seem so odd. Feeling much less animosity within, I put the car in drive and looked for something else to do to kill time.
Two days later, the first of three parties began on Christmas day. Another would follow for the next two days after that. The first party was for my father's friends in the entertainment industry, the second one was for his friends in the professional world, and the third and final one is for those he actually considers friends and doesn't just pretend to for the benefits. It's always much less crowded than the first two.
The first party actually wasn't that bad because I was bombarded by questions and compliments about my career, much to my father's chagrin. Seeing him get angrier and angrier as the time passed was satisfying.
The only person I saw there that I've met before is my cousin, Obito, who owns Reject Entertainment. He's in his thirties and still isn't married, something unheard of for an Uchiha. He did bring Rin Nohara as his date, though, likely to brag about the success she's brought to his agency. You'd think I'd have opted to audition at his company rather than Evolution, given our relation, but that's the exact reason I didn't. I won't have anyone question if my success was bought with my last name.
The second party, the day after Christmas, was just as awful as I thought it'd be. At least the entertainment industry people loosened up the longer the night carried on, but these business tightwads weren't budging. My only solace was the champagne, which I drank with a frown as I sat in the furthest seat from the center of the room.
It's ten, maybe eleven, at night and these assholes are still calmly discussing their corporate lives as if anyone's actually listening. No one here approached me about my career and for that I'm grateful. If they had, it'd likely be to ask me what it feels like to be the joke of the Uchiha family. Fuck all of them.
I took another big sip of my drink, eyes narrowing when a familiar face approached and sat at my table.
"Sasuke."
I frowned, not sure what his intentions are, "Neji."
The Hyuuga man didn't say anything for a long time and simply stared at the crowd and sipped his drink like I've been doing for a couple hours now. Movement up by the small podium at the head of the room caught my eye and I recognized Hinata's father speaking with mine.
"I think you're going to be angry about this."
I turned my head and met Neji's eye, "About what?"
Before he could respond, the familiar voice of Hiashi Hyuuga sounded above the light chatter in the room as he spoke into the microphone on the podium, "May I have your attention please? I have an announcement to make with Fugaku's permission." The room quieted almost instantly and the man continued as though conducting a press release.
I recalled seeing him hit his daughter while she was still hooked up to an IV and heart monitor in the hospital and a bitter taste met my tongue. That day, I acted like a complete coward, bowing to that prick and excusing myself like a scared little puppy just because I didn't want him to go back to my father and say I'd been disrespectful.
All the while, Hinata stood up to the intimidating man even after being hit. And everyone thought she was this weak little girl back then, me included.
"It is my duty to announce that my nephew, Neji, is to inherit Hyuuga Corp. should I step down prior to my daughter, Hanabi, coming of age and finishing her schooling. The change is official and it is not necessary to keep this information secret."
I glared at Hinata's cousin, but didn't say anything. She wouldn't want me to lose my temper on her behalf, so for her sake I'll just keep my mouth shut.
"What about your eldest daughter, CEO Hiashi? Will Hinata have a place within Hyuuga Corp?" A younger party goer foolishly asked after the Hyuuga man accepted that he had an inquiry. Light chatter began to rise in the room and I sensed Neji bristle.
"I thought she was going to end up in an arranged marriage, but she left home instead."
"She wasn't cut out for this type of work anyway. Good riddance."
"If she'd put in half the effort into working for her family as she does into begging for attention in those little outfits on stage, maybe she wouldn't be such a failure."
I can't believe my god damn ears. These people honestly still think she's the same person as she was before? Are they blind or just dumb? Even she didn't like who she was when she lived at home, so I can't fault them for maybe having these opinions back then even if it pisses me off to hear about it. Today, though, she's completely different. Well, that's not true. The good qualities were always there, they were just overshadowed by the awful traits her family traumatized her into having.
My disbelief was interrupted by Hiashi gesturing for the crowd to silence once more. "Let me make one thing clear: Hinata Hyuuga is not involved with Hyuuga Corp and I no longer wish to be spoken to in regards to her career or well being. That is all."
My hand was in a tight fist under the table as my glare followed the stoic man's form as he walked over to speak with my father once more. I'm itching to punch the hell out of his smug face.
"You should control yourself. This isn't a surprise."
My glare turned onto her cousin again, but he was staring at the drink sitting in front of him, "What?"
His silver eyes turned to meet mine and I somehow got the feeling that he wasn't happy to be in the position he's in where he has to play both sides of the field, "She was already made aware that this was happening tonight. I had her sister text her so she wouldn't be hurt when she eventually sees something about it online."
Suddenly, everything seemed to fall into place, the way she's been on edge and distant. Guilt ate at my chest. I should've tried harder to get her to talk about it.
"My uncle and your father are approaching. Please don't mention Tenten." I cocked my head at him and it took everything in me not to lose my temper. Not only is he being nonchalant while his cousin's being bad-mouthed by the entire room, but he's too scared to tell his uncle he's been seeing Tenten? I want to believe Neji's not a bad guy because both of the aforementioned women care for him so much, but the way he's acting tonight is making it hard.
He rose to his feet and bowed respectfully to the two powerful men when they finally arrived at our table. I didn't follow his lead and glared up at Hiashi as I tossed back the last of my drink, slouching back in my seat afterwards.
"You will be respectful to our guests, Sasuke." Fugaku's tone was borderline threatening as he tried to keep his calm facade up in front of all these people. I didn't spare him a glance and simply kept my glare on his friend. Neji awkwardly excused himself once his uncle allowed him, leaving me with them.
"It's quite alright, my friend. My own daughter has offended you countless times. It's only fair that one of yours should return the favor."
Hiashi and my father shared an amused look, but I scoffed, making the latter fix his glare on me, "I suggest you correct your attitude and find your manners, boy."
My lips were moving before I could stop them, "You should take a page out of your friend here's book and disown me so I don't have to come to these fucking things anymore."
Fugaku's face began to redden as he got angry, but Hiashi spoke first, "Could it be you've gotten angry on Hinata's behalf?"
I sneered, "She's your daughter and you don't know the first thing about her."
I don't know why I'm saying all these things, all I know is that I'm pissed and they're in the wrong.
"I assume you think that you do?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but my father interrupted, eyes still in a hard glare on me, "Falling for stupid and weak women seems to run in my family, unfortunately."
Then I was on my feet and had a fistful of Fugaku's shirt as I met his gaze head on and tried to keep myself from hurting him. He's talking about my mother because he knows it'll get a rise out of me and give him the upperhand. The smug expression on his face said it all.
The party had gone silent and everyone turned to stare in case a fight actually broke out between us. After a moment, I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Itachi, but he was leering at our father as he spoke to me in a low voice so no one in the nearby crowd would overhear, "Let him go, Sasuke. It's not worth it. Just go upstairs for the night and calm down." He moved to pry my fingers from his shirt and I let him, turning on my heel to leave the party and go to my room before I did something truly stupid.
The only thing on my mind for the remainder of the night was this: I hate the fucking holidays.
The next day was the final, more intimate, get together and I considered myself lucky that both Fugaku and Hiashi opted not to approach me about our argument the night before. Around noon, everyone met for lunch, about a dozen people altogether. I was stuck at a table with Itachi, Neji, and one of my father's favorite aides, but I can't remember his name. He's rather talkative compared to most of the others, which surprises me because I can't picture my father being a fan of someone so noisy. He must be great at his job.
"It's so interesting to me that your group is co-ed. I've visited Obito's agency and he doesn't have a single group that consists of both sexes."
I nodded absently as I poked at the food on my plate with a fork. It was some sort of chicken, but was prepared in such a way that it tasted like a health nut cooked it. God, what I'd do for some rice or pasta right about now.
"It must be challenging to work amongst those you've slept with day after day." My daze snapped away and I gave him a look that told him he'd better elaborate on what he just said.
His blue-ish eyes narrowed with amusement and he shrugged, "Personally, I wouldn't be comfortable with it, but to each their own."
"That's enough, Toneri," Itachi bit at him in an irritated tone.
"Toneri" didn't listen, though, and turned his attention onto Neji, "Does it bother you that he's sleeping with your cousin?" Both the Hyuuga man and I bristled and I took a deep breath so as not to lose my cool like I did last night.
Who the fuck is this guy and why's he trying to instigate a fight so bluntly? It's obvious he's trying to piss us off, but what reason does he have for it? Did my father put him up to it in hopes we'd embarrass ourselves in front of these important people again? That's the most likely answer.
I kept my voice as calm as possible, "How much money will it take for you to not say another word until this meal is finished? Name your price."
He and Neji gave me a surprised look, but Itachi snickered. Thankfully, the aura of the table lost its tension after that. After a few moments, Neji excused himself to make a phone call, only to come back and ask to speak to me alone.
I followed him out of the room and down the hall a bit before he turned and spoke in a quiet voice, "Can you try calling my cousin please? She's not answering for me."
I pulled my phone out and began pulling up the screen to do so, but asked curiously, "What's so important you need to talk to her right now?" He didn't respond even after a few silent moments and I looked up to see a hesitant expression on his face. "What up, man?"
Neji let out a sigh and turned to lean against the wall, "Your opinion of me is only going to get worse, but I don't really have a choice, do I?" After verifying I wasn't going to say anything until he explained, he finally did, "Today's her birthday. She gets depressed around this time each year. I want to call and check on her, but she's not answering and I'm worried she might..."
My mouth went dry. It's her fucking birthday? How the hell did none of us realize that!
I shook my head, "She's not the type to do something like that, dude. I'll call her, though." He shook his head, but didn't say anything so I clicked her icon to attempt calling, only for it to ring all the way through to voicemail. With each ring, my heartbeat quickened and I pictured the horrified expression on her face when she realized I'd caught her crying upstairs in the middle of the night on Christmas.
My voice was monotone as I clicked off the call without leaving a message, "She didn't answer."
"I know I'm in no place to ask for a favor, but could you-!" My feet were moving before he could finish asking a question I already knew the ending to.
I threw all of my clothes into my suitcase and hurried out to my car with one arm still out of my coat. As I pulled out of the compound, I tried calling again. "Come on, Hinata....pick up..." I mumbled under my breath as it rang and my fingers tapped anxiously on the steering wheel.
I don't like this, not one bit. When I said she isn't the type of person to hurt herself, I meant it because at the time I thought Neji was over-reacting, but now that the notion was placed in my head it's all I can think about. She's been so stressed lately and not one of us pushed her to tell us about it. What if....No, I can't think like that or I'll wreck this damn car.
It took over an hour to get back to our house and my concern only heightened when I realized the entire downstairs was empty. My shoes were leaving a trail of wet footprints and snow as I climbed the stairs, but I couldn't care less.
The moment I opened her bedroom door and realized Hinata at least appeared fine, it was like an entire ton of weight was lifted from my shoulders. She was in tears and terrified, but otherwise alright.
My fingers shook as I verified Neji's concern wasn't warranted and felt even more relieved when I confirmed she didn't have a single scratch on her. Anger rose in my throat when she began worrying if I was alright and I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her for driving me so crazy, but didn't.
For a moment, I became distracted by her hands holding mine. She's never done that so casually, as though it was an everyday thing for her to touch me. All of us have realized that she's a fan of physical affection, but is also the shyest out of us all when it comes to both giving and receiving it so it makes me a bit happy that she didn't hesitate in the slightest.
It's her birthday and you're scaring her, you dumbass! Snap out of it!
I wrapped my fingers around the ones in my palm of hers as I searched my pockets frantically for the locket I'd bought. Eventually, I found it and handed it to her quite lamely, making me feel like an idiot. When she got it out of the box and opened it, she looked up at me with that oh so sincere expression in her eyes that told me she was confused, surprised, and incredibly touched.
In order to stop myself from kissing her so I could finally see what it feels like, I pulled her into a hug and explained what happened. Her emotional ass ended up crying forever, like I expected. The rest of the day was actually pretty nice and we just hung out like we used to before she dated Kiba.
When she left to go to bed, I was tempted to follow her over to her room, but stopped myself. It's bad enough I rushed here earlier and gave her a present out of nowhere. If I add anything else to today's out of character actions, she's likely to have an aneurysm. At least, that's what I thought until I woke up hours later to her knocking at my bedroom door.
The moment she got into my bed, I couldn't stop myself from selfishly pulling her closer and just barely stopped myself from going overboard by slipping a hand under the hem of her shirt. If I did that, she might actually faint and I don't know how I'll react either at this point. Nothing about how I've been acting around her is normal for me.
Hinata was panicking, but I know better than to let it get to me by now. The only thing that works for her is to leave no choice but to get over it so that's what I always do and now's no exception. My reasons are just much more selfish this time around.
As she went through her process of calming down, I took stock of how small her frame is compared to mine and how nice the soft, floral scent of her hair is. One of my hands' fingers were interlaced with one of hers, but the other one was simply resting lazily against her stomach.
A sleepy haze slowly took me under again, only for her to say something and snap me out of it again.
"Y-You smell nice."
My eyes shot open and I saw in the dark that the top of her ear was red, making me bite back a smirk. It really isn't just me feeling things like this, huh?
I relaxed a bit, not realizing until now that I'd been holding some tension after all this time, and pressed my face into her soft hair, enjoying the scent of it once more, "Go to sleep."
Somehow, I feel quite satisfied with myself.