Nars, your sleep-deprived Author: This fic is based off of a prompt I stumbled upon a few weeks ago on Tumblr by proceed-cautiously. "Soulmate AU where a person cannot physically kiss someone who isn't their soulmate, like they're repelled by the forces of the universe."

Lots of my own headcanons (and some ships) are thrown about and I'm not apologizing for it. Furthermore, I westernized a lot of the school system (the subjects, lack of a separate homeroom class) and really based it off my own. I actually adore SasuHina, I think it could've made the annoying love triangle between Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke complete if an attraction to Hinata was thrown into the mix. Come at me with ship hate and I'll block you :)

Title paraphrased from a Warsan Shire poem used at the end of this story.

Series: Naruto: Shippuden
Pairing: Sasuke/Hinata (brief Naruto/Hinata and Toneri/Hinata)
Universe: Modern, Canon-divergent
Warnings: Mild swearing and smoking marijuana
Summary: Hinata's faith lay with Naruto, that he would thrive, rise above his demons, and prove he was her destined soulmate at the end. But fate has other more bizarre ideas and it starts with Sasuke Uchiha.
Word Count: 17280

Disclaimer: Naruto/Naruto Shippuden belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. All characters mentioned belong solely to the aforementioned.

Hinata Hyūga was only five years old when she stumbled upon the concept of soulmates and what having one entailed.

Hiding from her maids one day, having already decided that listening to her teacher drone on and on about the most boring of topics was irritating, she'd accidentally bore witness to her mother leaning into the kiss of her uncle, someone who was most certainly not her father, and the way they came together like moths to a flame.

She had never seen her uncle smile the way he did when with her mother, bringing their hands together in the most intimate way and whispering her name as though he'd lose her tomorrow.

Hinata had been entranced, feeding off of the love they shared with one another that was incomparable to the love her parents had.

That very night at dinner, she'd learned that her mother could not kiss her father the same way she'd done his brother. The universe did not allow it. The cosmos separated their lips, kept them apart, denied them the right to live a lie.

Her father leaned in, her mother turned away.

...

When she was six, her mother became pregnant with her little sister.

Hinata recalled being put to bed one night by her flat-stomached mother and then waking up to find that it had inflated like a balloon.

Upon asking how this could possibly be, her mother had lifted her into her arms, gestured to the wide and beautiful flower garden before them and said, "You see, Hinata. We women carry the universe in our bodies. We are the bringers of life and the closest thing on earth to God."

Her father hadn't been there. But she was certain that he already knew and was excited for another addition to their growing family. Soon, there'd be another person to teach the ways of the Hyūga. That alone must have enthralled him.

Even at just six, Hinata had felt her fascination grow and her heart soar, for she knew that the day would soon come where she too would bear another's life in the exact same way. It was both terrifying and awe-inspiring all at once.

...

When she was seven, the Boy came into her life.

He was nothing remarkable at first glance.

He wore green goggles on his head, had scratches on his arms and a seemingly permanent skinned elbow. His knees were always caked in dirt, he smelled like a forest, and his clothes were filthy and tattered.

But he was also the one who'd stood up for her that one day at the park when the older kids who often monopolized the swings had decided that she was an unwelcome guest.

The Boy had scrambled to his knees from his lonely sandbox, searched for a rock amid the grass and hurled it at the closest older kid without pausing for a moment.

"Hey!" He had shrieked, "Why don't you just go play somewhere else?! This ain't your park!"

Hinata had watched, too scared to intervene, as the Boy was overpowered and subsequently given more scratches to add to his scratches. Still, he did not back down. His eyes remained fierce and his tongue remained sharp, long after he'd been wrestled and thrown to the ground.

The older kids had then decided that he wasn't worth their energy and sauntered off to the basketball hoops, leaving him there.

In the silence, she had felt her respect for the boy grow.

He stood up, brushed the dust from his shorts and jogged up to her with a carefree smile as though that hadn't happened. "You okay?"

"I-I–" Hinata had been unable to form any other words. Instead, she nodded and hoped it did her justice. Her eyes stayed locked on the smear of dirt across his cheek and she dug around in her pocket for her handkerchief.

Her father insisted she carried it around with her to appear as dignified as her family name. The H embroidered into the fabric solidified their wealth, something that did not matter to her at seven years old but meant the world to him.

"Y-You have something on your cheek." She had whispered, reaching a shaking hand out to wipe it off of the unsuspecting Boy's cheek.

He had grinned despite his numerous injuries and brightened up the very world she lived and breathed in. "Thanks!"

She had felt his smile beneath the cloth, beneath her hand, beneath her blood. Hinata had hastily stuffed the handkerchief into her back pocket, muttering out a quiet "You're welcome" but she didn't quite think he worried for her subdued temperament.

Instead, he had continued, that lovely grin on his fact that displayed his missing front tooth and took her breath away. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki! What's yours?"

The Boy was radiant when he smiled.

"Hinata Hyūga." She said and prayed that he did not comment on her surname.

He did not. He gave no indication that he knew of her prestigious family name. Instead, he let her name–her first name–roll off his tongue with ease as he declared their new friendship with a fist raised high in the air.

She had never heard her name sound quite so beautiful than when it was said by Naruto Uzumaki.

...

When she was eight, Hizashi Hyūga passed away. More importantly, so did her mother.

That night had been remarkable, in the sense that she would never forget how it had transpired no matter how much she wanted to.

It had begun with her mother tucking her into bed, smoothing the edges of her duvet with pale fingers and a smile on her face. "Tomorrow, Hinata," She had said in that bell-like soft voice of hers, "We can tend to the flower garden. The weather appears clear."

Hinata had nodded obediently, told her mother goodnight and beamed as her little sister reached her grubby little arms for Hinata's hair. "Goodnight, Hanabi." She said gently, "Maybe she can help too, Mom."

Her mother adjusted her baby sister in her arms, "She will gladly help if you'll be there, Hinata... She adores you."

If that were truly the case then Hinata would have been pleased. Hanabi just wanted an idol, just as Hinata had wanted and found in her amazing mother. Something to strive to imitate. "I-I'm her big sister, so I need to protect her."

"Yes," said her mother, "I suppose that's true."

Her mother never had any siblings. She'd only had herself to worry about until marrying Hiashi and having Hinata and Hanabi. Hinata had always wondered if her mother would've been happier with a younger sibling to dote on instead of children. She thought that she and Hanabi were still a better compromise.

As she turned to leave, a wracking cough began to shake her entire body, louder than she ever had been and more pained than Hinata had ever heard.

Hinata scrambled to her knees, rubbing her mother's back as she struggled to heave breath back into her lungs. "Are you okay, Mom?"

"I'm... fine." She said, completely unconvincing.

It did nothing to comfort Hinata who watched in horror as bright red blood dotted the surface of her mother's white palm. As if stung by Hinata's gaze, she snatched her hand out of sight and rubbed it on the handkerchief in her sleeve.

"...I must have overdone it today." decided her mother, more to herself than anything else. Her voice was hoarse and laced with distress. "Don't worry about me, Hinata. Goodnight."

She sank back down into bed, meeting eyes with her baby sister who had begun whimpering quietly, pawing at her mother's collar for security. "...Goodnight."

Her mother passed by the threshold, pausing just enough to glance back at her. "I love you." She added as an afterthought, meaning resonating in her gaze.

"You too, Mom..." murmured Hinata, letting her eyes close as she fell into a dreamless, troubled sleep.

Soon after, she awoke to a cacophony of noise at the stroke of midnight. Someone was wailing, another was yelling and the lights were all on outside her room. Hinata padded very slowly to the edge of her door and opened it. The sounds were coming from her parents' room, just a little further down the hallway.

As she inched closer, her father suddenly flew through the doorway, holding a sobbing Hanabi in his arms. His face had been pale, more pale than she remembered ever seeing him as he coaxed her baby sister into her arms. "Do not come any closer to this room, Hinata!"

His words left no room for argument but fear had clenched at her heart. "Where's Mom?" She had whispered, feeling tears form at the edges of her eyes. A wrong move. Her father glowered at her, turning his attention to the maid nearest to them and loudly snapping at her to keep Hinata away.

Hanabi's cries were hurting her ears. From her wails of discomfort to her own frozen terror, Hinata let her fear take control. She wrenched herself free from the unsuspecting maid and stumbled towards the door her father had barred her from entering.

Hiashi was in there, panic in his voice and a stanch pallor to his face as he leaned over her mother.

She caught sight of her mother, white like a ghost, bleeding from the corner of her mouth no differently than before and wholly immobile in the center of their bed.

From across the Hyūga compound, a young boy screamed and screamed for someone to help his father who had similarly laid in his bed, serene, at peace, and dead all the same. But this time, there would be no crowd of maids there to shield him from the horrors of losing his parent. For they were taken up with the death of the Hyūga matriarch, unable to save the orphaned boy from a fate not meant for a child.

The Hyūga family suffered two losses that night. Hizashi Hyūga and Hikari Hyūga both died at the exact same time, a feat rare but not unheard of; and completely normal given their relation. Not all secrets can be kept in death.

Because soulmates die in pairs.

...

When she was nine, Neji Hyūga began to ignore her. Or rather, that was when she first noticed.

Perhaps he'd begun to denounce her existence long before the point in which she'd realized it. He no longer visited the hydrangeas her mother and he had planted together, peering through the window just enough to wave at her as she passed by. He didn't even offer a nod when she said hello. He didn't look at her anymore.

Kō said that it was heartbreak, that Neji had lost his mother long shortly after Hinata's birth and now had lost his father. The boy was completely and utterly alone in this world.

Hinata didn't agree that he was alone. She could never fill the void his parents had left, but she was there for him. She'd voiced as much to Kō who'd smiled and called her tenderhearted but reminded her gently that Neji needed time to mourn, just as she did in the absence of her mother.

While eating lunch one day, Hinata ventured a glance at the sliding doors barring her from the garden. It had been opened just wide enough to allow breeze to seep in, allowing her mother's favourite wind chimes to sway gently from its spot above the doorframe.

She managed to make out a short figure running by, long hair sweeping through the air as the chimes rang out quietly. Hinata later discovered that the hydrangeas had been uprooted and ripped from the garden. And soon, it too had died.

...

When she was ten, she was finally enrolled into public school when her father deemed her communication skills abysmal and her socializing ability nearly non-existent. Having been home-schooled her whole life, there was little she knew about kids her age and Hiashi had believed that this would hinder her future.

The school was a quaint academy not too far from her house but far enough that a car was necessary during the winter months if she wanted to maximize safety. The teachers were all very kind, constantly reassuring her that she would fit right in and make new friends easily. But the children were a bit too rowdy for her tastes, always running amuck as they pleased and she could not usually keep up. She didn't know (or care to know) many of them besides the few girls who treated her best.

"Hinata-chan." gushed Sakura Haruno, Hinata's first friend, one day as they sat down for a math lesson. "Isn't Sasuke-kun the cutest?"

Ino, the blonde beside her nodded excitedly. "He is, isn't he? One day I'm going to marry him."

"No you're not!" hissed Sakura, "I am."

"In your dreams!" snapped Ino.

Hinata propped her hand under her chin and scrutinized the boy who her friends were fighting about. Sasuke Uchiha. They saw him as a gorgeous ethereal being without any flaws. She just saw him as overly-aloof, unsociable and an enemy. After all, the Hyūgas and the Uchihas had never gotten along for decades. That wouldn't change now.

So she had merely flipped her textbook open and managed to nod as her friends continued their tirades, but jolted in surprise as the door slammed open to reveal someone who she had never thought she'd see again.

"Senseiiiii, let go of me!"

"Naruto Uzumaki, go sit down now!" seethed Iruka-sensei through gritted teeth. He looked very irritated, and the rest of the class wisely remained silent.

Naruto begrudging walked closer to her desk, sending Hinata's heart into overdrive. As he was about to put his bag down, he paused. "Uh, wait, that's my seat."

"Go sit somewhere else!" exclaimed Ino. "We like Hinata sitting here better."

"Hinata...?" The boy turned back to her, running his eyes up and down her face for a few seconds. Her cheeks burned brighter with every moment longer and she resisted the urge to shut her eyes. "Oh, hey! I remember you!"

She had felt relief swim through her bones. Thank God. "Y-Yeah. Hi, again..."

He looked no different than before except that the goggles had been removed and his hair was a little longer at the fronts. There was a bandage on his cheek. It all screamed Naruto to her.

Naruto grinned, gesturing to Sakura's desk. "Hey sensei, I wanna sit next to Hinata-chan too!"

His smile burned a hole through Hinata's chest and ripped the air right out of her lungs. She palmed her heartbeat, feeling it speed up beyond belief. So this was what love felt like.

They spoke more often than they didn't. Even though it was mostly Naruto doing the talking and her doing the listening, they were a decent pair that their sensei seemed to approve of. Through him, she learned about everyone else in the class; little trivial things like how Kiba had a dog or that Shikamaru usually slept for 14 hours per day or that Sasuke liked girls with long hair.

It wasn't until the day before winter break that Hinata began to see that there was a pressing matter at hand that everyone worried over. Something she'd never really thought of.

"Sasuke, we won't get to see each other until next year!" whined Ino, throwing her arms around the quiet boy's neck. He attempted to pry her hands off, but to no avail. "I need something to remember you by!"

"Steal his pencils." suggested Naruto wryly. Hinata giggled, clearing her throat as Sasuke glared at them both. She wordlessly began to put her things away. Their sensei had stepped out to take a phone call which was probably an awful idea since they couldn't be left alone at all.

Ino shook her head, puckering up her lips. "I know something way better."

"Don't do it, Ino." said Shikamaru reproachfully. He yawned, "What makes you think you're his soulmate?"

"What makes you think I'm not?" She countered, leaning in. "Hey, hey, let's try it!"

"Do not!" shrieked Sakura from the other side of the classroom.

The next moment happened so fast Hinata had no time to brace herself for it. Ino had leaned in despite Sasuke's frazzled expression, and the instant she came closer to his lips, went flying into the wall closest to the chalkboard with a loud thump. The class went completely silent.

"Ino!" cried Hinata as she ran towards her friend who appeared dazed and confused. "Are you o-okay?"

"Owwww." She grimaced. "Nope, not doing that again."

Hinata helped her up, "Y-You need ice..." She could only imagine how much that had hurt. Without really intending to, she turned back to Sasuke and narrowed her eyes at him. His face didn't give away that he acknowledged her irritation with him, but at least she'd gotten it out of her system.

At the nurse's office, Ino nursed the bump on her head with a thoughtful frown. "If I'm not his soulmate, I wonder who is."

It could be Sakura, it could not be. It could be anyone in the world for that matter, but at least Sasuke and Ino could both rule each other out. Hinata smiled gently, trying to muster up the words to convince Ino everything would be okay, but she didn't know what she could say.

All of them worried about finding their soulmates. Until recently, it had never crossed Hinata's mind that time was of the essence. She'd just always believed that everything would fall into place. But perhaps that wasn't the case at all.

When winter break ended, Hinata returned with her hair chopped off into a pixie cut. She made sure to give Sasuke a pointed look on her way to her seat.

...

"Nee-chan, wake up!"

Hinata's eyes snapped open as she stared at her ceiling dazedly. She turned her gaze to the door where her little sister Hanabi was toying with her stuffed animals that sat atop her vanity. "L-Leave that alone." She said quietly, forcing herself to sit up. "What time is it...?"

"Almost 8:30."

Her eyes widened. It was the first day of the new school year and she was going to be late. "Why didn't you wake me e-earlier?!" She squeaked, throwing her closet open and removing her school uniform from its hanger. Hanabi appeared completely ready for school and Hinata barely had any time to comb her hair.

"I did! You just told me to get lost and went back to sleep." She retorted, "I'll tell the driver to wait a little."

Hinata sighed when her sister had disappeared. This was her last year of high school and then she'd be off to university and groomed to take over the family business. She had to make it count. There wasn't much time otherwise. She nodded defiantly to herself and scrambled off to the bathroom to get ready.

Fast forward ten minutes, Hinata had somehow managed to get dressed, brush her hair and book it to the limo as it prepared to drive off. "I-I'm so sorry." She said, sliding into her seat.

Hanabi looked at her smugly, "You're quick aren't you, nee-chan? You sure you don't want to run track?"

Hinata exhaled, "Don't tease m-me, Hanabi..." She raised her eyes to the window, realizing all too late that Neji was in the vehicle with them. She almost made him late too. She winced, "G-Good morning, Neji-nii." Saying hello to him was the least she could do. All he offered was a curt nod as he turned away. Well then. While he'd stopped completely ignoring her from when they were young, it was obvious that Neji still didn't like her in any way, shape or form.

As the limo rolled by the compound, Hinata felt her phone buzz in her backpack. She pulled it out and pressed the power button, staring down at the multitude of messages she was met by. She'd neglected to charge it, evident as the 20% warning flashed across the screen. Sakura had texted her to let her know she'd wait for her by the gym to go get their timetables for the new year.

Hanabi undid her seat belt, "See you nee-chan... Neji." They'd reached the academy that Hinata had once attended. When Hanabi had left, the vehicle became thick with tension. One day she'd be able to talk to her cousin the way they once did. But not right now.

As her high school came into view, she looked at him, receiving no indication that he'd even noticed. He was in university now, starting today as well. "Um... good luck." She murmured. He didn't say a word.

Hinata got out of the limo, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. She had no time to feel sorry for herself before someone was all but jumping on her, yelling in her eat. "I missed youuu!"

She squirmed out of the taller girl's embrace, "Ino, hello." She said warmly.

"Can't believe we didn't get to hang out all spring break." Though it hadn't been that long, it felt like eternity waiting for the new year to begin. "I went cherry blossom viewing with Sai. He wanted to paint me under the petals, he's so romantic."

Hinata nodded in understanding. Ino was one of the lucky few people who'd found her soulmate shortly into high school, something usually unheard of. Everyone was in a rush, but only few ever succeeded. Sai and Ino were a surprisingly cute couple, despite their personality differences. "Look, it's S-Sakura." She said, waving as the pink-haired girl jogged up to them,

"Hey, did you get your schedules yet?" She wondered.

"I did." said Ino, "I have phys ed. with Anko-sensei again."

Sakura groaned. "I'm probably going to get Guy-sensei. Anyways, I'm stealing Hinata, see you later."

Hinata waved goodbye to Ino, matching Sakura's strides as they headed into the auditorium, joining the impossibly long line. She didn't really have to ask about her friend's spring vacation considering she'd celebrated her birthday during it. They'd gone to see a movie together and then spent a long, gossip-filled night at her house.

"Applying to Suna U, huh?"

Hinata nodded. Sunagakure University was the most acclaimed school for business in the country. Most of her family had graduated from there and Neji was currently attending. It made the most sense that she'd do the same, considering she was to take over one day. Many of her friends were going to the less distinguished UoK, University of Konoha.

Eventually, the line moved and they received their timetables, bearing only two shared courses and one spare period.

"I have chem first." sighed Sakura, furrowing her brows. "Tsunade-sensei's class. What about you?"

"Biology." She mused softly. "With Kurenai-sensei." She was familiar with Kurenai's method of teaching, having been in her class before. It wouldn't be much of a challenge for her. "S-See you in literature..."

They bid goodbye to one another, parting ways to find their new classes. Hinata climbed the staircase to the second floor, cautiously entering the classroom on the far end of the hall. There were a fair amount of students already there, none of whom she actually knew on a personal basis. Dejected, Hinata was about to take an empty seat just as–

"Hinata! Over here!"

Her eyes widened as she someone furiously began calling for her. "N-Naruto-kun..." She whispered. How had he even managed to take this class? Nonetheless, she padded towards him, and felt her ears heat up when he took her hand and gestured to the empty seat beside him. "I-I didn't know you, um... took biology...?"

"Iruka made me." grumbled Naruto, "He thinks I have 'potential' or somethin'."

She smiled. The more they grew up together, the more she'd learned about him. He was orphaned from a tragically young age, put in a children's centre until he was five and then taken in by their elementary school teacher, Iruka at around nine years. He volunteered at the centre and had met Naruto there. One thing led to another, and Naruto was eventually adopted. While he didn't call Iruka his father, it was clear to Hinata that Naruto saw him as a father figure and wanted to make him proud. "You do."

"Heh, maybe." He laughed, sheepishly, scratching his cheek. "Say, can I call you?"

Hinata's face blanched. "W-What?"

He nodded emphatically, "Like if I don't get something? You mind?"

Oh. She deflated a bit. "Um... y-yes, that's okay." There was unspoken attraction between the two of them, a fact supported heavily by all their friends. One day she'd work up the nerve to tell him, but from the butterflies swimming in her stomach... Today was not the day. She sighed, checked the time on her phone and waited in anticipation for what was about to be a very, very long class.

...

The days slipped by, with April fading into May and then early June.

With the weather heating up, Hinata was increasingly being forced to run laps outside for physical education (with Guy-sensei so that was a treat) and then go back inside all sweaty for biology on alternate-days. She often felt way too self-conscious about it when in the presence of Naruto, though he didn't care for that stuff at all.

He'd made good on his promise to call her if he didn't understand something, and was doing sufficiently well for someone who didn't like science until taking the course. Hinata sighed, taking a sip of her water as Kurenai-sensei continued to teach the lesson. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Naruto snoring away, completely disregarding the class. Her eyes bulged as she nudged his shoulder urgently. Their sensei could be fearsome when annoyed.

"Whazz–" He sat upright, "Thanks, Hinata-chan..."

"N-No problem." She said, noting that there were bags beneath his eyes. "Did you not s-sleep well, last night?"

He shook his head. "I was studying coagoo–"

"Coagulation?" She supplied helpfully. "D-Do you not understand it?"

Naruto grinned awkwardly. "I can't even say it right. Help me, please?"

Hinata twisted a lock of her hair between her fingers. "You should have c-called..." Still, she would never leave him hanging like this. She opened up her binder to the notes she'd taken before. "Um... which part doesn't make s-sense?"

"All of it."

She frowned thoughtfully. "You can, um, just say blood c-clotting instead of coagulation..." She waited until Kurenai-sensei had turned back to the board before inching her notebook closer and gesturing to the diagrams. "Do you understand the p-purpose of clotting?"

"Fixes things, right?"

"Yes... It heals wounds like cuts and... s-scratches." She extended her index finger to his knee and brushed it gently. "Like... when we were seven and y-you protected me from those bullies and... um, got cut." Hinata waited anticipatorily for him to react.

Slowly, Naruto began to grin. "You remember that, huh?"

She nodded bashfully. It was hard not to. After all, that was how she'd fallen in love.

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Hey, Hinata-chan, you mind if I call later?"

"Um, I wasn't d-done explaining it, though..."

"I didn't mean for bio help." He mumbled, ears slightly red.

When it finally dawned on her as to what he meant, her entire face began to redden. "I-I-You–"

"Naruto, Hinata, eyes up here!"

They both jumped as Kurenai-sensei called for their attention, jolting away from one another hurriedly. She cleared her throat, burying her face in her textbook while he chewed on a nail pensively. When their sensei had turned back to the board, Hinata cautiously threw him a look, "Okay... I-I'll look forward to it."

His following smile knocked all of the breath from her lungs again, rendering her nearly catatonic in her attempts to stay conscious.

...

"You two are such a cute couple." said Sakura with a pout a few days later. "Where's my summer romance...?"

"This isn't Grease, Sakura." scoffed Ino. "Besides, she has a pre-summer romance."

Hinata grimaced. "Please don't tease me..."

She and Naruto had gone on their first few dates over the course of June, slowly moving into summer break, which came in a few weeks. The weather was only getting hotter and Naruto had pitched the idea to hit the beach with her and their friends. But mostly her.

"So what's it like dating that knucklehead?" asked Ino idly. "Exhausting, isn't it?"

"No... not really." admitted Hinata, "He, um, he's really nice to me. We study usually a-and then we eat somewhere."

"You mean Ichiraku's?" Sakura snickered.

She shook her head. "We've... only g-gone there once. We... w-went to Katoaka BBQ last night."

Sakura's jaw dropped. "Katoaka?!"

"That's the extremely expensive place downtown!" exclaimed Ino. "Where did Naruto get that kind of money?!"

She smiled. Dating Naruto was far nicer than she could put into words. He'd been exceptionally enthusiastic about introducing her to Iruka as his girlfriend, even if it was moving a bit quickly. On her end, she had no intention of telling her father. Certainly not for now. He'd most likely try to get her to end the relationship and Hinata... She was happy.

Ino sighed dreamily, "Well, you both deserve to be happy. If Naruto hurts you, he's getting beat up."

She nodded solemnly, "Of c-course." But the goofy smile on her face took away any more of her straight-laced expression. She was too happy for words.

...

But not all happy things stay that way.

She and Naruto had gone to see a movie, the new superhero flick that opened up that same day, and then walked around the park until he brought her back home. "So, uh... Tomorrow?"

"Umm..." She looked up at him beneath her lashes, "What about t-tomorrow?"

"I was... I sorta was gonna..." He sighed, shaking his head, "Can I kiss you, Hinata-chan?"

Her breath caught in her throat. Here it was. She'd been waiting for this conversation for a long time. She could hear her heartbeat, feel it beat against her chest wildly. She nodded, "O-Okay."

He leaned closer, tucking a tendril of hair behind her ear. Hinata let her eyes flutter shut, realizing she had almost completely stopped breathing as she waited. Anticipation thrummed in her chest like a ticking time bomb. She could feel his breath on her lips, hesitant and almost... afraid, but she wasn't. She was so utterly certain that–

Before Hinata could finish that thought, she was being blown back a few feet, knocking her head into her door. Her eyes snapped open, realizing that Naruto had faced the same fate and that he'd fallen over from the impact of... Oh.

Tears swam in her eyes, threatening to pour down her face when it dawned on her what had ensued. "I-I should get inside... Um, see you t-tomorrow..."

"Right." He said, sounding uneasy. "See you tomorrow."

She opened the door, waiting for a total of four seconds before the tears began to fall. Her shoulders shook as sobs wracked her body.

"Hinata-sama?"

She glanced up at the call of her name, finding Neji standing at the top of the stairs, uncertainly coming closer to her. She scrubbed a palm across her eyes, shaking her head profusely. "I-I'm sorry... I'm going to b-bed." She pushed past him, ignoring his repetitive calls of her name and slammed her door shut.

Everything was crumbling before her very eyes, as if it was never there at all. It hurt more than she could bear.

Naruto wasn't her soulmate.

...

When the breakup came–and it did–nobody was confused as to why. Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyūga were not soulmates.

Hinata, as distraught as she was, had managed to keep herself together more than Naruto. When he'd seen her the following Monday, he'd all but burst into tears, explaining himself with the excuse that he'd done too much weed before class.

It had just felt like a picture-perfect fairytale how they'd met, how he'd been her Prince Charming and how much they'd loved one another. But it wasn't meant to be.

Hinata's true distress stemmed from the fact that she did not mind making a life with Naruto, whether they were soulmates or not. She'd seen her parents do so and their marriage had worked until death parted them.

But she knew Naruto. And under no circumstance would he ever settle for that. He'd scavenge the seas until he found his soulmate, because that was the kind of person he was. No matter how much love she wanted to give him, it would never be reciprocated unless they were fated. And it wasn't.

For days following their breakup, Naruto and Hinata ambled through life, never noticing the way crowds would part for them, giving them the room they both desperately needed. Hinata never let the tears fall from her eyes, even as they tore through her vision and left her choked up beyond reason. When her friends spoke to her patronizingly, telling her to take all the time she needed, she switched topics. If someone attempted to give her advice, she politely curved and left them where they stood.

Even though she looked put together to everyone else, Hinata was falling apart at the seams... but nobody seemed to notice.

Naruto, meanwhile, had taken to letting his emotions run free and open.

"I seriously thought she was the one." He groused, blowing snot into a tissue. "It doesn't make any sense!"

Sasuke Uchiha had unfortunately been the only one available to console his dumb friend and it had called for endless amounts of ramen paid for by himself. Naruto was lucky that he was rich. His nose crinkled up at the sight of the used tissues that littered the floor of Naruto's room. He expected Iruka to be the one to deal with his son's depression–yet here he was.

Their breakup had been more than a week ago. How Naruto was still upset was beyond him.

"Hinata, why..." sniffed Naruto, clutching a blue handkerchief with the Hyūga stylized 'H' to his chest.

To Sasuke, Hinata Hyūga seemed like the only one capable of handling Naruto. She was versatile, composed, a true heiress in the making. He hadn't seen her cry once about the breakup, but he expected she'd already exhausted her tears.

"Where's my soulmate at?!" He yelled despondently. "I lost Hinata and I'm gonna fail bio–"

"Move on." said Sasuke helpfully. "Who cares anyways?"

Naruto shook his head. "What would you know? You don't even want one."

He shrugged. Sasuke had always assumed his soulmate would walk his way on their (he wouldn't rule out the possibility of a guy being his soulmate) own accord. It was too early to worry about that sort of thing. Especially if he was going to be applying to Suna U soon.

The blond suddenly stopped sobbing, sitting up suddenly. "Wait... Why did she move on?!"

Sasuke rose a brow cryptically. "Is she supposed to pine for you forever?"

"Well, no, but it was too soon! What if she already knows who her actual soulmate is?!" He exclaimed, horror dawning on his face. "Sasuke, ya gotta find out!"

"Why me?"

"Please!" He begged, "I need to know!"

Hinata Hyūga had never liked Sasuke, not once in her whole life. In fact, he remembered her cutting her hair because she knew he liked girls with long hair, or so the rumours went (he could care less about hair length). But if it would get Naruto to stop moping, he'd do it. "Fine."

"Thanks, man." Naruto snuffled, "Yer a real friend."

"Hn."

Where would Hinata Hyūga even be on a normal basis? Her compound? Sasuke frowned. The only person who would know was the one person he absolutely did not want to talk to. He pulled out his cellphone and sent a text to Sakura.

Sasuke: 'You know where hinata is atm?'

The reply was almost instantaneous. She was reliable, he'd give her that, but justifying it without rousing suspicion was another story.

Sakura: 'the gym downtown.. is this for naruto? she needs her space'

He grimaced. On the ball as usual. He stole a glance at Naruto who was stroking his cellphone with the image of Hinata on the lockscreen. Yeah, he had to stop whatever this was.

Sasuke: 'its for me.'

He shoved his phone into his pocket, stepped over the puddle of used tissues and told Naruto he'd be back. There was a Hyūga to find.

...

Hinata hadn't intended to go to the gym as soon as school was over that Thursday and yet, here she was. Konoha Underground was a training gym utilized by serious fitness gurus. She'd been introduced to it by Guy-sensei a year before but had only ever come to use its track or swimming pool. For the first time in a while, she was in one of the rooms, wreaking havoc on a punching bag.

She was frustrated. With everything going on, all of her irritation was begging for release and beating something up seemed like the only way she could do so safely. Eyebrows furrowed, she knocked her mitts together and let her fists fly. Every time she made contact with the punching bag, her anger diminished slightly.

Hinata tightened the strap on her left glove, taking a deep breath as she prepared to strike, just as someone called out to her.

"Hyūga."

Concentration broken, she spun around, coming face to face with Sasuke Uchiha, possibly the last person she expected to see. "Uchiha-san." She returned curtly. She took notice of his attire, a simple t-shirt and jeans. He couldn't have been here to work out, not while wearing that. "D-Do you want something?"

His eyes scanned the room, coming to stop on the dented punching bag behind her. She instinctively turned her back to it, shielding it from view. Sasuke really didn't say much but she could see the gears turning in his head. Without uttering a word, he picked up two flat training gloves and approached. "Hit me."

"W-W-What!?"

Sasuke slipped the gloves on and took up a defensive position in front of her. "Hit. Me."

"But w-why would I–"

He glowered at her. She didn't really get why he was so adamant on her sparring with him, but she really didn't want to have this conversation any longer.

So she struck with a series of quick jabs to the mitts that would've pushed someone back if they weren't as bulky as Sasuke. He worked out regularly, everyone knew that much at least considering his biceps were rippling beneath his shirt. He didn't even bat an eye, simply kept the mitts steady and let her do her thing.

She adjusted her stance and hammered into the mitts harder, squeaking as Sasuke swung an arm but ducking just in time to avoid a hit. "U-Uchiha–"

"I was bored of waiting." He quipped.

Hinata took a careful step back and slammed a fist into the mitt, falling into a rhythmic pattern of left-right-right-left, knowing exactly when to fall back and evade a hit from him. Years of self-defence training (because her father insisted) had enabled her stamina to stretch as long as needed but Sasuke was tiring her out.

In a final bout of power, she allowed her arm to shoot out and land a hit to his stomach, direct it seemed as he let a sudden 'oof' noise fall from his throat.

"Cheat." He grunted, dropping the mitts to the ground at his feet.

She followed suit, placing her gloves in her gym bag and zipping it up. "S-Sorry..." Quieter, she added, "You started it."

"Hn."

She spared him a glance, finding that he wasn't as angry as she expected. In fact, he was smirking a bit, looking far too pleased for someone who'd just gotten jabbed in the stomach with a boxing glove. "Um... W-Why did you come here?"

He regarded her for a moment, cocked a brow in her direction and then walked away.

Left more confused than she had started, Hinata waited until he'd disappeared before slinging her bag over her shoulder and heading to the showers. She didn't care what anyone else said... Sasuke Uchiha was a weirdo.

...

"Hinata!"

She turned at the sound of her name, finding Sakura running towards her with her eyebrows knit together sternly. She adjusted the calculus textbook in her hand, "I-Is everything okay?"

Her friend came to a stop, scrutinizing her up and down, "Did anything happen yesterday?"

She thought back to the Thursday afternoon she'd had. All she could come up with was the strange appearance of Sasuke Uchiha at the gym. "Nothing really... Um, why?"

"It's just... Sasuke was asking about where you were." replied Sakura, leaning against the wall of lockers. "Did he text you?"

She shook her head, glancing at her phone to check for any messages. Hinata didn't really know if she wanted to tell Sakura about her meeting with Sasuke at the gym. It was too weird to decipher, even for her. "I'll s-see you in gym."

"Yeah." She relented, patting Hinata's shoulder, "See ya."

Hinata made her way to her calculus class, too tired to wonder about what Sasuke had wanted from her. She took her seat in the front of Asuma-sensei's class, waiting for the rest of the students to file in. Her desk partner, Yoroi Akadō, ambled in after her, asking about their homework from the previous night.

She made to open her notebook, but paused when the last person she wanted to see shuffled into class, hands shoved into his pocket in disinterest. Sasuke. Instead of going to his seat in the back, he stopped in front of her desk, making eye contact with Yoroi. Wordlessly, he jerked a thumb in the direction of the back and Yoroi left.

Sasuke sat down, crossing his arms over his chest and said nothing.

"Um... W-Why did you make him go over there?" She questioned, thoroughly bewildered.

"I wanted to sit here."

"...But why?"

He gave her a pointed 'stop asking questions' stare and she wisely shut up, choosing to flip to today's homework and wait for Asuma-sensei to wander in. She glanced over, finding that Sasuke's eyes were focused on her rather than his textbook. "Uchih–"

"Sasuke."

She frowned, sending him a quizzical look.

"Not Uchiha."

"O-Oh." That's all he wanted. She swallowed, resisting the urge to ask him why he'd come to the gym yesterday. She figured he must've had something on his mind. Or maybe he was just that weird.

"Time to start class. In your seats!" bellowed Asuma-sensei as he strode into class, the bud of his usual cigarette out. The fire alarms would've gone off by now if he continued to smoke, but sometimes Hinata thought that it wouldn't bother him at all. "Homework out! Where's Sasuke?" He scanned the back of class, blinking in confusion when he noticed Sasuke's seating changed. Instead of questioning it, he shrugged and turned to the board. "Sasuke, answer part a of the first question!"

Sasuke cleared his throat and flawlessly recited the answer, receiving an affirmative reply from their sensei. Hinata check-marked the answer of her own, taking a moment to stare at the Uchiha while their sensei went over the answer. It wasn't like he wasn't handsome. It was very obvious why women liked him as much as they did. His dark hair and dark eyes against pale skin made for a very pretty face, she had to admit. Plus, the addition of his very toned muscles rounded out his–

"Is my face that interesting?"

Hinata jumped, finding that she'd slipped into a little bit of a daydream. Her cheeks blazed, "S-Sorry..."

He smirked, gesturing to her notebook with his pen. "It's 82 not 820."

She peered down at what he'd indicated to, finding that she'd indeed made an error... and on one of her best subjects too. "Thanks..." She murmured, ignoring the smug expression present on his face. Still, she had to wonder what kind of person he was fated to. A part of her had to admit... they were lucky to be soulmates with a guy like Sasuke Uchiha.

...

They met again at a banquet the following weekend.

Hinata hadn't even wanted to be there, but it was the most exposure she would get in quite a while with other non-Hyūga business partners. Her father had warned her not to embarrass him by being too meek or stutter too much, but neither were parts of her that she could control.

She took a deep breath, feeling the corset of her dress constrict her lungs. The hall was stifling, the lights were too bright and the food was awful. Hinata could do without any of it. But it was for her family. All for the Hyūga name. Her father was counting on her.

"Your daughter is beautiful, Hiashi." remarked an old man whose name Hinata loathed to remember. "Did you betroth her yet?"

"No, not yet." replied her father, "We will begin looking next year."

While this was news to her, she didn't want to interject. Instead, she bowed her head and smiled as courteously as she could manage. The man gave her one more repulsive leer and then shuffled off to sniff out a glass of wine.

"Come, Hinata." Her father commanded. "There are more people to speak to."

The party had begun sometime after six, and it was nearly midnight. She'd been obediently following her father for almost six hours now. That itself deserved more praise. Networking was the worst. She stared down at her designer heels as they clacked against the tiles.

'Only the finest' her father had said, 'Cut no corners on your attire for tonight'. She'd done just that, considering the soreness of her feet. Her dress had even been coordinated to match the gunmetal grey of her father's immaculate suit.

Hinata paled as she nearly collided with her father's back, managing too stop herself just in time.

He still gave her a dirty look and then schooled his expression eloquently. "Uchiha-san, it has been quite some time."

"Yes, it has." came the sultry voice of none other than Sasuke Uchiha.

Her head snapped up at the familiar sound. Hinata very nearly almost fainted. He could clean up better than anyone knew. The clothes he was dressed in were designer, all the way down to the tiny cufflinks. He no longer smirked. Instead, his expression had become slightly more approachable and polite. She'd never seen this side of him before.

"I take it you know my daughter." Her father said coolly.

"We've met." Sasuke's eyes slid to her, almost... mischievous in its own way. He extended a hand, taking hers and bestowing upon it a kiss. "Hello."

"Sas–Uchiha-san." She stammered, managing to catch her slip-up just in time. From the corner of her eye, she could see her father's expression darkened. That little error would garner a lecture, she could tell. "H-How are you?"

"Better." was his cryptic reply. "Hyūga, I'd like to have a word with Hinata, if you wouldn't mind."

Her father didn't seem to know how to respond. Instead, he nodded calmly and gestured for her to go. Hinata ambled forward, guided by Sasuke's grip on her hand. He tucked her arm into the crook of his, smile never fading.

"W-Where are we going?" She murmured. Her father was going to be so cross with her. She could feel it.

"Away." hummed Sasuke.

He led her to the balcony furthest from the hall, dropping her arm once they were out of sight from the partygoers. She put some immediate distance between them, resting her arms against the railings.

He didn't say anything for the longest while, and then he reached into the pocket of his suit, removing a small metal tin. As his fingernails clicked against it, the tin resounded hollowly, the only sound in the silence of the balcony.

Hinata couldn't really understand why she was there, but then again, nothing he ever did with her made sense. "S-Sasuke..."

He turned to her, smile gone. Instead, he motioned to the brown nub between his fingers wordlessly.

She paled. "I-Is that–"

"It's weed."

So that was why he was in such a pleasant mood. She shook her head. "No, I, um, shouldn't..."

Sasuke produced a lighter from the pocket of his trousers, sparking the blunt and letting its pungent scent fill the air. She hoped that the smell wouldn't catch on her because someone would point fingers otherwise.

"First banquet?" asked Sasuke, letting a puff of air float into the sky.

"First... in a w-while." She answered, shying away from the overwhelming scent of the weed. "...What about you?"

"Yeah." He took another puff, "First one alone."

Right. The accident. When he was twelve, the private Uchiha jet went down somewhere in the mountains. There were no survivors besides him. The incident had been publicized relentlessly, the media even going so far as to swarm his hospital room as he laid in recovery for weeks. Her father had sent him a recovery gift for the sake of it, but aside from that, no sympathy had been felt throughout her family.

It was kind of unfortunate that he had to carry his family name like this. At least she had a choice in the matter ultimately, though she didn't want Hanabi to endure the hardships of managing such an influential, numbing company. If Sasuke didn't do it, then the fortune died with him. It would probably be swallowed up by the Hyūgas. Maybe they wanted that.

"You look like you're about to cry."

Hinata palmed her cheek at his remark, finding that while she had yet to start crying, tears were brimming at her eyes. "It's th-the weed." She lied.

"Hm."

They lapsed back into silence.

She kept thinking about the incident at the gym. All she wanted was an explanation for that. She just couldn't make sense as to what he could've possibly wanted. Furthermore, she had no way of knowing if he'd actually achieved it. She didn't carry any Hyūga family secrets on her body, nor did she carry any of her personal feelings out in the open.

She clenched a fist, determination swimming in her blood. "Sasuke, a-about the gym–!"

"It was for Naruto."

"I–ah?" She blinked. "What do you m-mean?"

"The dobe thought you moved on too quickly." He said. "Made me go ask if you already knew who your soulmate was."

"Y-You didn't ask me anything though..." said Hinata pointedly.

His lips quirked upwards. "I didn't have to. I could tell you didn't."

"How...?" She wondered in confusion. That wasn't something that someone could just know. She hadn't told him anything about it. Not once.

Sasuke placed the mostly-used up blunt into its small tin, tucking it in his pocket. He inhaled the crisp summer air, and made to walk away. He paused, reaching a hand to her face and flicked her forehead. And then he was gone.

Hinata rubbed the spot where he'd touched, watching his receding form warily. Suddenly, she felt the urge to steal his blunt.

...

The first day of summer break was marked by a torrential downpour of rain. Hinata had arrived home in the limo alongside Hanabi and greeted her father as warmly as she could, receiving a mere nod in return.

He had been chilly to her ever since the banquet, in which Sasuke Uchiha had whisked her away and returned her several minutes later. The outcome of that had been a drug test, her father unconvinced that she had been clean while the results proved purity. She didn't foresee another banquet in the near future.

Nevertheless, she'd walked past the gardens, finding that someone was crouched before the peonies, an umbrella blocking their face from view. But Hinata had long memorized stances, and that one was all too familiar. "Neji-nii?"

The umbrella shifted, revealing her cousin with a rather pensive look on his face. He stood gracefully and nodded at her. "Hinata-sama."

She didn't know what else she could say. It was the most attention he had given her in a very long time. "I-Is something wrong?"

Instead of rebuffing her question, Neji cocked a brow. "Perhaps." It didn't sound like he was ending the conversation.

"...I'll, um, put on some tea." She said softly and was pleased to find that he followed after her, leaving his shoes and umbrella by the doors.

It didn't take long for her to brew tea for the two of them. The time spent waiting for it to steep was riddled with bewilderment on her part. There was a smudge of dirt on his cheek from the garden. She wondered why he'd gone there at all.

"He won't do it."

Her brows furrowed. "Pardon?"

"Your father won't consider Hanabi his heiress." said Neji calmly. "He told me so today."

Hinata placed the cups of tea on the table before them. "W-Why is that?" Fear tugged at her heart for she already knew what he was going to say.

"Because she isn't his daughter, is she?"

She stared down at her cup, slowly shaking her head. "No." She agreed mildly, "She's not."

One would be hard-pressed to ever realize that Hanabi was not truly the daughter of Hiashi Hyūga. She inherited the family looks, the light eyes and dark hair, the slim body type and the expressions. But her mannerisms were not those of Hiashi. She was stubborn to a fault, brash, arrogant–inheriting none of Hiashi but all of Hizashi.

"Your f-father and my mother were soulmates." continued Hinata, "Hanabi was theirs."

"The elders told me that they died naturally." Neji chuckled hollowly. "Anything to discount the truth."

Hanabi didn't know the truth about her parenthood. Not yet. Hinata was not about to keep that from her either. If her sister one day wished to learn about her true father, then she would never stop her. But she would protect her from resigning to her fate of servitude.

"Soulmates aren't for the Hyūga." said Neji.

Hinata kept her hand wrapped around the cup, letting the warmth spill between her fingers and scorch her palms. She closed her eyes, thinking over his words. Famously, no Hyūga had ever married their soulmate. Arranged betrothals governed their world. Perhaps he was right, in a way.

"And you, Hinata-sama–" He inquired, "Do you know your soulmate?"

She hesitated a moment and then shook her head. It didn't matter who they were. Her birthright would prevent her from ever being with them.

It was simply the way of the Hyūga and it always would be.

...

Sasuke called her on July 28, early in the morning and said nothing more than "Come."

Seconds later, an address was sent for an upscale cemetery. Despite her distaste for places containing so much death, she relented, slipping on her jacket and hailing her limo.

Ten minutes later, she stood before the resting place of Konoha's most important people. Naruto's war hero parents, Kakashi-sensei's father, and her own mother were laid to rest right on these grounds. She'd not been back in years. Hinata had always chosen to memorialize her mother through her garden, maintaining it the way she would have, had she lived.

It was eery when the sun was up. There was simply so much history that died with these people, things she would never comprehend in her lifetime. She wondered if she would one day be buried here too.

It didn't take her long to find Sasuke. He was sat in front a stone, not moving even a muscle, even as she approached. "Sasuke..." She said in greeting, letting her eyes roam over the epitaph.

'Mikoto Uchiha'

Ah, that was right. The Uchihas were all buried here too.

Hinata took notice of the handful of yellow daffodils in his hand. Not a very fitting flower to place before a grave, but she assumed there was a story behind it. She crouched beside him and uttered a silent prayer.

"It's been five years since that day."

Oh. It was hard to believe that the Uchiha Tragedy had only been five years ago. But Sasuke would know it best. She scanned the rest of the inscription. This was his mother's tombstone, judging by the words depicting her motherly nature.

"She liked these flowers for some reason. My father thought they were an eyesore." He continued quietly. "She still grew them in the back of the garden. They were the biggest."

"...She had good taste." murmured Hinata.

He blew air from his nose and it came out as a bit of a chuckle. "Hm." To her it sounded like agreement.

"M-My mother's is over there." She said, gesturing to the patch in the far back of the cemetery. "I... rarely ever c-come here." It looked a bit sad, flowerless and barren. The real Hikari Hyūga did not exist here.

"Why?"

Hinata contemplated how she could answer. "...She d-didn't like cemeteries. When I w-want to mourn her, I, um, go to our garden." Sometimes it still felt like her mother was there, grinding herbs in the kitchen to put in her tea, and that she'd call for Hinata to bring her something she'd forgotten. Sometimes she didn't mourn. She just remembered.

Sasuke was silent for a moment. Then he stood up, leaving the flowers perched against the stone. He wordlessly extended a hand to Hinata, helping her up from the ground. They walked to the entrance, saying nothing until she noticed that her limo was still there.

"Hinata." He said, not yet letting go of her hand.

"Hm?"

"Thanks." He loosened his grip on her fingers, allowing her to slip away.

She turned to him, finding that while he was not smiling, there was genuine gratitude in his eyes. Hinata ignored the way it tugged on her heart and forced a lump to her throat. She nodded, "Of course..."

When she returned home, she felt nothing but tingling, all the way down to her fingertips. The places he'd touched her had never felt so raw.

...

When they returned to school in August, things had begun to change. When Sasuke spoke to her, it was quieter. When he walked with her, it was less guarded. When he touched her, it was softer. Her conscience screamed at her to run before it was too late, but she feared that it already was.

It felt awful to fall in love with someone while knowing that they had demons to chase that demanded all their attention. It felt awful to know that she could never give him what he needed either.

She sighed.

"Hinata, that's like the eighth time you've sighed since class started." mumbled Sakura, eyebrows knit in concern. "You okay?"

She nodded despondently. "Just... a lot on my m-mind."

Her friend frowned knowingly. "It's Sasuke-kun, isn't it?"

She cringed. The expression gave Sakura an edge, as she persisted further. "Was it that obvious?"

"We've all been there." She exhaled exaggeratedly. "So it's true then? You've been hanging out?"

"Mhm..."

"Good luck, Hinata." Sakura said honestly. "You're in for a lot."

"Eh? You're not... mad?" She wondered. For as long as she knew, her friend had liked, no, loved, Sasuke. Yet she was coaching her about her own interest in the boy.

She shook her head. "Like I said, you're in for a lot of work. To quote the great Hermione Granger, he has the emotional range of a teaspoon."

Hinata cleared her throat as Kakashi-sensei passed by their desks, giving them a 'look'. When he was out of earshot, she frowned. "Ah?"

"I don't think he knows how to love." She admitted, "Considering what happened to his family and all... Be patient with him, yeah?"

It felt nice to have a friend support this little crush of hers. Hinata just wasn't sure how far she was willing to go with Sasuke, especially considering that he was her ex-boyfriend's best friend. She blinked as her phone buzzed in her pocket, alerting her of a text.

Sasuke: 'where are you going after school?'

She couldn't fight the heat that flared over her cheeks. Sakura wiggled a brow suggestively, flipping to the next page of her book. Hinata bit her lip, inputting a reply.

Hinata: 'home... why?'

The few seconds he took to type were agonizing, yet she almost dropped her phone when his reply did come.

Sasuke: 'come to gym A instead. need to give you something.'

"Sakura... I-Is there a basketball game today?" She wondered, lowering her voice.

Her friend nodded. "They're playing Otogakure."

Hinata had no idea what he wanted to give her. But she at least wanted to lend her support. She texted her chauffeur, let them know that she'd be late and waited for the bell to ring. The suspense was going to kill her.

...

Gym A (because of course they had more than one) was famously known for being the most violent part of the school. All of the big ticket games took place right here, from basketball to volleyball, against the different teams of other schools. Hinata could recall last year's volleyball season being particularly bloody, but only because Sakura had spiked balls with far too much force into the faces of opposing teams' girls. Just remembering it made Hinata wince.

As the school prepared to host a game against Otogakure, students and teachers alike were buzzing around, prepping for the big event. She scanned the floor for Sasuke, finding him at the same time he did the same. He jogged towards her, the musk of his body spray almost as overpowering as his presence. "Hey."

"Um... Hi." She countered warmly. "You w-wanted to give me something?"

He nodded, handing her the jacket slung over the crook of his arm. "Stay and watch."

Hinata blanched when she figured out what exactly he'd given her. She unfolded it from its unceremonious heap, "S-Sasuke, this is your varsity jacket..."

"Excellent observation." He said mildly.

"I c-c-can't wear it!" She protested, ears bright red. It felt as though everyone was watching their exchange.

He rolled his eyes, gesturing to the row of bleachers closest to the home team's side of the court. "Ino is wearing Sai's jacket." True to his words, the blonde was parading down the aisles, shouting romantic and somewhat explicit comments to her boyfriend as he warmed up.

She paled. "But that's... different."

He exhaled. "Just put it on."

"I can't." She persisted, "I-It's... too big."

He leaned closer, eyes twinkling aggravatingly, "Then drink more milk."

"Sh-Should I put it on after I get taller?" She asked innocently.

He scoffed, a smirk tugging at the edge of his lips. "Funny."

She pouted, unable to understand why he seemed to enjoy teasing her as much as he did. Hinata flipped it over, a strangled noise leaving her throat when she took note of the inscription. 'Uchiha' and beneath it '4'. "Sasuke–!" He swept in, attempting to force the jacket over her tiny arms, ignoring the way she tried to elbow him repeatedly.

"Yo, teme! Get over here!"

Naruto. It felt strange to hear his voice after so long apart. They'd switched seats after their breakup, and no longer interacted on a regular basis. Hinata wasn't necessarily scared to see him, but it just felt awkward considering the position she and Sasuke were in. The blond came to a stop before them, eyes shifting between the jacket and the placement of Sasuke's hands on her waist. But instead of freaking out about anything, he grinned, "The ol' jacket move, eh Sasuke? Good luck~"

"Oi." He said sharply, "Naruto–"

In the awkward silence that ensued, Hinata slipped her arms through the abysmally giant sleeves, low-key relishing the softness of the jacket. "I-I'm going to sit down."

"Hinata." said Sasuke, "Wait for me after the game. Need to talk."

"Aah?" She blinked, "Okay...?"

Without another word, he jogged back to his teammates and went ahead with practicing. Hinata made herself comfortable in the bleachers, more flustered than she wanted to be.

...The jacket smelled just like him.

...

By the last quarter, Konoha led Otogakure 93-80. It was a runaway. People were conspiratorially whispering about Sasuke's extraordinary playing and how he was consistently landing his team 3-pointers. Ino, in better spirits than ever, sauntered up to Hinata, "Sooo, he finally made you wear the jacket, eh?"

"Don't tease me." mumbled Hinata, resisting the urge to cover her flaming cheeks.

"You look cute in it." remarked Ino. Sai's jacket had been sheared into a cropped one, unusual but somehow they both wore the look perfectly. Hinata liked the security that Sasuke's jacket brought her. She wanted to take it home wit her, keep it safe forever. But she liked it best on Sasuke.

"How serious is it?" She continued, "Did you reach first base yet? Or is that not... y'know?"

"...I don't like b-baseball." quipped Hinata, smiling when Ino punched her shoulder. "No... We aren't... like that."

"Yet." She corrected. "...Not yet."

Hinata's eyes followed Sasuke as he broke across the court, shooting a clean layup. A lot of girls would be envious to even touch his jacket, and here she was wearing it. She figured a lot of people had probably never been offered to share his blunt either. In a lot of situations, Hinata had the upper hand on a lot of other women, but it didn't feel that way when she realized that his affections weren't some sort of pseudo-competition.

Her cellphone began ringing just as the crowd went into an uproar when Oto took possession of the ball. Hinata checked the caller ID, feeling her heart skip a beat. She accepted the call, "F-Father–"

"Where are you, Hinata?"

"Um... school."

"Return home at once. There is something we must discuss."

His tone left no room to excuse herself. Hinata knew better than to get on her father's bad side as well. She bit her lip. "Yes, father."

"What was that about?" asked Ino, "Your dad getting on your case again?"

She smiled wryly. "I n-need to go. Can you tell Sasuke, um, that I left?"

"Sure, go on before you get the crap beaten out of you." Ino said lightly.

Hinata slipped away, the jacket still cloaking her in its entirety. She slid into the limo, pulling out her cellphone and furiously texting apologies to Sasuke. She didn't like having to give him the slip like this, but her father's word was law. She'd just have to meet back with him later and find out what he'd wanted to talk to her about.

When the limo pulled into her compound, she discreetly put the jacket in her room, making herself presentable as she slunk off to her father's study. He was sitting in front of his table, various papers strewn about and a very troubled expression on her face. "Hinata, sit."

She obeyed, keeping her eyes low on the table. It seemed like he was attempting to file taxes, things that had to do with the well-being of the Hyūga name.

"Can you explain what is happening in this photograph?" He slid a developed image across the table over to her. She gingerly picked it up and felt the blood drain from her face. Someone had taken a picture of her and Sasuke leaving the cemetery, when he'd taken her hand before she left. It appeared misleading, but it wasn't.

"I... Father," She swallowed, "We were only–"

"And this one?" He pushed another one in her direction, the one from the gym... When they'd left (at separate times) sweaty and exhausted. "Is it your intention to taint the Hyūga name?"

"No." said Hinata automatically, shaking her head, "I-I would never do anything to tarnish the image of our family!"

"What is your relationship to Sasuke Uchiha, Daughter?" He said coolly, "Are you whoring yourself out to him?"

"Father!" She whispered, horrified. "N-No, it's nothing like that, we–"

"Let me rephrase then, Hinata." interjected her father. "Do you love him?"

All of her ferocity left her in that very same instance. She'd fallen in love with him over the course of their newfound whatever this was. That much was certain. She couldn't possibly lie to her father in the same breath that she'd undermined him. "Yes." She conceded weakly.

"I see."

For the longest while, there was nothing but silence in the room. She fisted her hands over her knees, resisting the urge to fidget uncontrollably. This was not an ideal conversation. She absolutely never wanted to tell her father that she was interested in Sasuke Uchiha and yet she couldn't imagine lying to him about it.

"He has told you about the death of his family, no?"

"Yes." She said.

"Did he tell you that his brother is alive?"

"H-His... brother?" She hadn't even known that he had a brother. She looked up, finding that her father appeared more smug than angry.

"He's lying to you." He explained acidly. "That plane crash was deliberate, plotted and carried out by Sasuke's older brother. He has since disappeared from Konoha. Sasuke wishes for nothing more than to exact revenge upon Itachi Uchiha for his crimes and he is willing to do anything to reach his objectives. Stomping on our family is nothing but a stepping stone for him."

"That's n-not true." dissented Hinata, but she could not disagree any further. Sasuke hadn't told her any of that, and she was willing to bet that it had been covered up purposely. He'd brought her to the grave of his mother, told her about his family... and yet the part about his brother remained hidden. It hurt.

"Adhere to me, Hinata. The boy is not worth your time, nor this family's. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Father."

...

4 Unread Text Messages from Uchiha, Sasuke

...

And so began the escaping.

It pained her to have to evade Sasuke in the halls when he'd approach, under the guise that they could have a conversation. It pained her to switch seats with Yoroi and have to fend for herself in calculus without Sasuke's ample guidance. It pained her to see confusion pass through his eyes and say nothing at all in passing.

But he'd hurt her first with the lies and she would not fall prey to any more bastards wishing ill on her family.

Her cellphone had exploded with his messages, vibrating so constantly that she'd turned it off and put it away. He'd even deigned to call her name in the corridors between classes, something he never did under any circumstances because it attracted too much attention.

Sasuke Uchiha may have been doing new things because of her but so was she.

"Hinata, is everything okay?" asked Sakura softly as they ran laps in phys. ed. "Did something happen between you and Sasuke?"

She shook her head, "There was nothing between us, a-anyways."

"Maybe to you, but not him." She sulked. "He keeps calling me, telling me to see what was wrong."

She swallowed back the lump in her throat. "T-Tell him to forget about it." She didn't wish to hear any of his excuses either.

"You should do that yourself." She said reproachfully. "C'mon, Hinata. This isn't like you!"

But maybe it was exactly like her. The Hyūga way was paved with stoicism. Maybe she was finally fitting into the mould.

"Pick up the pace, girls! Let the power of youth flow through you!" boomed Guy-sensei as he blew the whistle at them threateningly.

Hinata sped up, putting distance between her and Sakura while ignoring the other girl's complaints that she was moving too fast.

Talk to Sasuke. Hmph.

That was something Hinata absolutely could not do. Every part of her was telling her that if she were to come face to face with Sasuke Uchiha, she would be able to do nothing else except cry.

...

7 Unread Text Messages from Uchiha, Sasuke

...

She saw him one more time, two days after vowing to never speak to him again.

Let it be known that Hinata Hyūga was not a thief. Gentle, maybe. Soft-spoken, sure. But not thieving.

Sasuke's varsity jacket had laid innocently on the chair in front of her vanity, not doing anything more than existing and yet it tempted her more than the man himself had. When she was cold, she wanted to wear it. When she was lonely, she wanted to hold it. When she was mad, she wanted to burn it. But throughout all of those times, Hinata desperately wanted to let his scent wash over her and surround her with the warmth Sasuke himself had often given.

But she had to be strong.

Hinata folded it, running her finger along the letter U bearing his surname. Tears pricked at her eyes to know that once she relinquished this jacket, there would be no more link tying them together. After this, it was all over.

Strength, she reminded herself, comes from within. If she was not brave, she would not flourish.

"Is that Uchiha-san's?"

Hinata turned to the door, finding that Hanabi was staring quite pointedly at the jacket as she shepherded it into a gift bag. It would be rude to give it back just like that, and Hinata was not rude. "Maybe." She said evasively.

"I can see his name right there, nee-chan." said Hanabi dryly. "So is it true? You broke up?"

"We were n-never together." She told her sister. "Don't worry about it."

"I heard from Moegi who heard from Konohamaru who heard from Naruto that Uchiha-san really did like you."

"That's... irrelevant now." She said softly, "I can't be fooled by l-lies."

Hanabi pouted, tying her hair back from her face. She approached and laid herself out over Hinata's bed, nudging the blue gift bag with her toe. "Are you sure you're happy like this, nee-chan? You were always smiling when you were like, seeing him..."

"Hanabi." She said sternly. "I'm completely fine."

Her sister regarded her for a moment and then smiled, though it looked more sad than anything else. "If you're so fine," She snorted, "then why are you crying?"

Hinata touched her cheek tentatively, finding that tears had begun to streak down her face, without her even knowing. She shook her head, wiped them off and gave her sister a curt goodbye.

Hinata curled her fingers around the bag and left the Hyūga compound without another word to anyone else.

"Hinata-sama." said Kō as soon as she'd exited the gates, "The limo is–"

"I'm walking somewhere t-today." She said, hoping that even if he could tell she was crying, he would not say anything about it.

He didn't. Instead he motioned for the chauffeur to drive off into the lot, and let her move past him.

Hinata pulled her collar closer to her neck, looking up at the sky, finding that thick billowing rain clouds had begun forming. She had to hurry, lest the rain catch her. She sped up, allowing her combat boots to clip hollowly against the pavement as she ducked past the onslaught of shoppers to arrive next to a residential apartment building.

She climbed the stairs, stopping just in front of a door bearing no nameplate and a dark umbrella resting against the frame. She swallowed back her nerves and knocked.

There was no indication that anyone was home. She didn't think that the apartment would've been empty but it had always been a possibility. Hinata turned, preparing to go back home, and then the door opened. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of Sasuke Uchiha in all his imposing glory.

"Uchiha-san." She said courteously.

His eyebrow twitched a bit at the sudden formality of her using his last name again. He didn't comment on it. Instead, he leaned against the frame almost cautiously. "What... happened?"

"Nothing." She murmured coolly, holding the bag out to him. "Please take this."

Sasuke peered into the bag and let out what sounded like a very self-deprecating laugh. "Did I do something to you, Hinata?"

"Just... take it." She said, almost pleadingly this time.

"No. Explain this." He snapped, "Because I don't know what I did wrong."

She shook her head fiercely, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. "I can't let this keep happening, I..." Hinata paused, recollecting her thoughts that had suddenly gone away from her seeing his face like this again. "I'm s-sorry."

"Hinata–"

"I'm sorry it had to e-end like this." She interjected, catching him off guard long enough to force the bag into his hand and hightail it out of there.

"Yeah." She heard him say as she disappeared, "Me too."

...

By mid-September, the weather had taken a turn for the worst, becoming constantly rainy and cold no matter what the temperatures called for. Hinata had taken to wearing shorts beneath her skirt and a thicker winter jacket, though it did nothing for the frigidity in her heart. While she was slowly becoming used to Sasuke's lack of presence in her life, it still didn't feel right. She hadn't known it was possible to miss someone who'd only recently come into her life, and yet...

On the 19th, things began to fall out of her favour (not like they'd ever been in her favour to begin with) and it started with the man in her father's office that late evening. She'd knocked on the door with the intent to ask her father to stay at Sakura's house for a night, not expecting that he'd have been having a meeting with a business partner. "Oh, I'm s-sorry." She'd said automatically, "I d-didn't mean to interrupt..."

Her father's expression was not as severe as she expected it would be. There was a bottle of Scotch atop his table between he and the unknown man, and his eyes were relaxed. "Hinata, your timing is admirable. Come."

As confused as she was, she didn't let it show on her face, instead choosing to nod and shut the door behind her. Her father waved her into the seat beside him as she found herself face to face with the stranger bearing light hair and unusual blue eyes. He smiled upon meeting her gaze, "It's nice to finally meet you, Hinata."

Sensing her incertitude, her father cleared his throat, "This is Toneri Ōtsutsuki-san. You should recall a past relative of his–"

"Hamura-sama?" She wondered, pleased as her father nodded in satisfaction. Hamura Ōtsutsuki was said to have been the forefather of their cultivated business, eventually changing the Ōtsutsuki name to what it was presently. She'd heard stories that his surname had branched out into another sector, but to find that it was indeed true was fascinating. "It's, um, very nice to meet you too."

Toneri's eyes brightened. "Indeed, Hiashi-sama, she is as smart as you said."

"Of course." said her father offhandedly, "She is my progeny."

Hinata realized that her father could be very chatty once drunk enough. It wasn't enough to cloud his judgement but it was enough to get him talking. "Have you always lived in K-Konoha, Toneri-san?"

"No, I've lived elsewhere, but because of you, I suppose I'll be settling down soon." said the man with a chuckle. He didn't seem to mean anything crass by it, but the statement in itself was very oddly put.

She frowned, "I'm sorry, m-me?"

"Yes, Hinata." Her father cut in, "As of today, you and Toneri-san are officially engaged to be married."

"If you'll have me, that is." Toneri said, eyes softening.

The breaking never came. She did not feel her heart drop to her stomach or her blood freeze in her veins. The calm that had drifted over her was catatonic, and all she could do, try as she may otherwise, was nod.

...

6 Missed Calls from Haruno, Sakura

11 Unread Text Messages from Yamanaka, Ino and 4 others

...

Sakura: 'wtf do you mean you're engaged? call me!'

Ino: 'what's going on hinata? it's all over the internet, r u good?'

Naruto: 'hey, u can talk to me if smthn's wrong u kno.. everything ok?'

...

The engagement party happened immediately after the prenuptial agreement (apparently months in the making) had been drafted, revised, and then agreed to on both ends. Hinata had taken a few days off school, both to avoid her friends' and their prying questions and to acquaint herself with her future husband.

He wasn't a bad person. Certainly not as kind as Naruto nor as reliable as Neji, but he had his own merits, particularly that he would be able to protect the Hyūga name from falling into bankruptcy unless the marriage became void–though there was much doubt that would ever happen.

She'd learned that he was two years her elder, freshly nineteen, trying for another degree in finance and a wonderful conversationalist. Furthermore, he was considered a celebrity among the modern world, having partaken in various humanitarian efforts with a name of his own. Truly someone her father would be thrilled to have as a son-in-law.

Her sister was another story. Hanabi did not like Toneri one bit and vocalized as much whenever the opportunity presented itself. While this made Hiashi reasonably upset, he was patient with Hanabi, allowing her to get the wrath out of her system and then barricade herself in her room.

The engagement party was slated for Saturday, a mere four days after she'd been introduced to him. They had rented out a large banquet hall, complete with reputable media coverage and... The ring.

Toneri's gift to Hinata was a three hundred million yen, twenty-four karat, engagement ring cut in the shape of a crescent moon.

The media had gone into a frenzy after the purchase of the ring, chasing her down like roaches when she'd step out of the compound. As such, she'd not gone anywhere without her limousine and bodyguards. Kō needed additional backup these days to keep her safe. She'd tried to ease up on the burden by staying away from school, a choice that did not hinder her in the least, considering how admirable she was doing in her studies.

"You ready for this, nee-chan?" asked Hanabi as she lounged about in her sister's dressing room before the engagement party began. While the thirteen year old had no original intention of attending this party, she had eventually opted to do so, because Hinata was involved and all. There was no way she was leaving her sister to fend for herself.

"Mm." She nodded, staring down her unusually dressy reflection in the mirror. Engagement parties were new territory for her and considering the first she'd ever go to was her own, she was nervous. There would be tons of rich, classy businessmen ready to see this come to fruition for the future of the economy.

Hinata scratched at her thigh (as low-key as she could manage) through the strange, itchy material. It was slinky, revealing, and far too blue. The irritating sort of blue that reminded her too much of Toneri and by extension, her own twisted fate.

She'd been avoiding all of her friends for so long and it rather hurt to know that they could not be here for this special occasion. Engagements didn't happen every day, especially not for people like her whose every move was captured by the media. But there was nothing that could be done for the fact. The Hyūgas came first in her heart.

"I heard Investors Weekly AND Teen Konoha were here to report on this." said Hanabi, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh." That was an interesting spectrum but not surprising. Many rich businesspeople wanted to know about this union and many younger teenagers wanted to know everything there was to know about the dreamboat Toneri's engagement. She glanced at the clock, "Almost time to g-go..."

"Time to face the demon." said Hanabi sourly. "I love you, nee-chan, but that guy's not cut out for you. He'll never treat you as good as–" She cut herself off, clamping up instantly.

"As who, Hanabi?" She sighed calmly. "Go downstairs before F-Father gets mad."

Her sister nodded obediently, "Alright, alright..." She slunk out of the room and bounded down the stairs, pausing to make conversation with someone who Hinata couldn't pinpoint until the door opened.

"Hinata-sama, are you ready?" inquired Neji, dressed in a tidy, designer suit no doubt bought by her father.

"...Yes." She said decisively, giving her updo hairstyle another glance-over before taking Neji's offered arm.

Unlike her sister and father, Neji had yet to say anything about her engagement to Toneri, but if she had to guess, she'd say that he disapproved. But at the same time, he also wanted the best for the company but not at the expense of her own happiness.

"Hinata-sama." He said when they approached the curved staircase leading down to the hall. "I've been thinking about this for quite some time now."

"Hm?" Here it came, his disappointment in her.

"Maybe we have always been meant to follow the footsteps of our parents." He explained, "You are doing exactly as your mother had, sacrificing herself for the Hyūga name, and perhaps I will do as my own mother has... the opposite."

Neji's mother had left years ago, never to return for her son in her own pursuit of happiness. Whether she was alive or dead or missing, Neji would never know because he'd been erased from her narrative. Maybe he would prioritize himself over the family name one day, just as Hinata did the opposite. Perhaps fate, much like the soulmate bond, could not be escaped.

"He's here for you." said Neji, gesturing to Toneri who was dressed in an even more fancy outfit, eyes bright as he awaited his fiancée.

"Neji-nii." She said before he could leave, "Thank you."

The smile he gave to her was akin to the ones he'd once given her in a time long ago and then he was gone.

She turned to Toneri, prepared to face the destiny she'd been entrusted with. His eyes brightened as he extended his arm, curling his fingers around hers almost protectively. While it didn't do much for her nerves, she was at least glad that her future husband did not loathe her. She would learn to love him, in time, but not now.

They descended the staircase in tandem, slowly becoming wrapped up in uproarious applause. Her eyes scanned the hall, packed to the brim with people in sharp suits and lovely dresses. Her father and sister were situated towards the very back, the former smiling like she'd never seen him before. It made her heart swell to know that her father was finally proud of her. That he trusted her enough to give the family name to her without worries.

"It's time." Toneri murmured as he leaned closer to her ear. She schooled her expression, putting her best smile forward as she readied herself to accept the hundreds of congratulatory remarks they were about to receive.

"Congrats on your engagement!" said a trading partner from Toneri's ends. "When will the wedding be?"

"Not until after Hinata turns eighteen." said Toneri smoothly. "Although that's in under a few months."

December was approaching. When she turned of age, the very world she knew around her was going to shift and change. No longer would she be the Hyūga princess... She'd be someone's wife attempting to educate herself in university. She was far too young to bear this upon her shoulders.

"Congratulations, Hinata-san." said a woman toting a handbag that she'd once seen go on sale at an auction for millions. "May your life together be filled with lovely babies!"

"Thank you." She said, hoping that her smiled held up and looked genuine, despite the unease spreading through her heart.

But the only person who could possibly tell was herself. And even then, she could not.

...

Midway through the night, she slipped away from Toneri to take a breather out near the balcony. It was stifling in there, truly a place she'd never be at ease with. Toneri had gotten into the groove of it instantly, waxing poetics with older people and cracking jokes with younger ones. She just wasn't cut out for the life of a celebrity's wife.

Hinata stared up at the moon, realizing wryly how much it actually looked like her ring. She couldn't understand why he seemed to like the moon as much as he did. She much preferred the sun. After all, it was where she received her name from.

"Hinata."

She froze, realizing too late that Sasuke Uchiha stood behind her. Sensing she could not avoid him anymore, she turned slowly and attempted to mask her nervousness. "Hello, Uchiha-san."

"...Congratulations on your engagement."

The words finally stung, piercing her like shrapnel through the heart. She swallowed back the lump in her throat, "Thank y-you."

He approached but he didn't go to her. Instead he propped himself up against the rails and looked up at the stars with an unreadable expression. "You have a bad habit of kicking people out of your life without telling them why."

She remained silent, choosing to wonder who had invited Sasuke. If Toneri had done so, it was understandable as their history was not known to him. But if her father had done so... Then maybe he had a hidden agenda against the Uchiha, wanting to show him that she was indeed moving on.

"So, then. You can't run away now." He said, "Why?"

"You lied t-to me." She said, feeling tears burn at the corners of her eyes. "About your brother."

His expression shifted, becoming less impassive and more uneasy. "Hn." She took his reply as a means to continue.

"A-About wanting revenge, you... lied."

Sasuke shook his head. "He's dead, Hinata."

"M-My father said–"

"He's dead now." He clarified. "And yes, it was he who killed my family before you ask."

She balked, "What do you m-mean now?"

"Itachi was terminally ill with brain cancer. He died one year after my family did." said Sasuke, "He... killed them to prevent the Uchiha family from falling to ruin. They were expanding their wealth by means of drug trafficking and in too deep. Konoha's police force was already getting involved."

Hinata glanced over at him, "How did you find th-that out?"

"He told me." said Sasuke, "Most people know that he plotted the plane crash, but not why. They discredit him without knowing he had to do it."

That meant her father had been completely going out on a limb to tell her that Sasuke wanted revenge. All this time, he'd never once wanted vengeance for their deaths. He had been mourning his brother.

Hinata looked down at her finger where the ring lay, sparkling consciously under the moonlight. She curled her fingers into a fist, bowing her head. "Why... c-couldn't you tell me?"

"You would've seen me as some sort of repulsive pusher." He spat, "I'm not like my family–"

"I wouldn't have!" She interrupted, spinning around to face him, "I-I was so happy when you opened up to me. I thought... that I was im-important enough to you... that you actually l-liked–" Hinata shut herself up before she said something she would regret, but the damage had already been done.

"Finish that, Hinata."

"No-I–"

"What. Were. You. Going. To. Say?" He said through gritted teeth, stalking closer to her.

She stepped back until she was flush against the balcony rails. With nowhere to go and nowhere to hide, she clenched her fists, "I th-thought you liked me!"

The silence was deafening. And then–

"You're an idiot." said Sasuke as he crossed the short distance between them. His hands forced their way into her hair, causing the updo hairstyle to tumble down her shoulders. And then his lips were on hers, hard, bruising and everything she could have ever wanted.

Her free hand raised to grip him by the tie and force him to bend closer to her. One of his arms came to wrap solidly around her and bring their bodies nearer. The touch of his skin felt like static sparks shooting all the way down to the tips of her toes.

Hinata drew back too soon, her hair disheveled and horror painted all over her face. Unable to form any coherent sentences, she pushed past him and started running.

...

Hiashi Hyūga's office faced towards the garden that his wife had cultivated with every ounce of devotion. In daylight, it resembled the garden of Eden. In nighttime, the moon gave it an ethereal and eerie glow. Hinata had learned from an early age that the plot of land would forever remain a landmark of Hikari Hyūga's goodwill and no matter how much Hiashi loathed to look at it, he would never lay a finger upon even a leaf.

"What is it that you have come here to tell me, Hinata?" said Hiashi, raising his teacup to his lips elegantly and taking a cautious sip. "After leaving your own engagement party, I didn't think you had the gall to speak to me like this."

For her part she remained cool and collected, channeling the teachings her father himself had given her. "I cannot marry Toneri-san, Father." She realized acutely that she had not stuttered once, raising her chin just enough to meet her father's eyes, something she'd not done in a very long time.

"And why is that?"

"Because... Sasuke Uchiha is my soulmate."

To her surprise, her words did not catch her father off guard at all. He cracked a smile instead, raising a single brow, "Oh?"

"Yes, I..." She paused to recollect her thoughts. "I cannot marry someone who isn't my s-soulmate, Father. I'm sorry."

Hiashi's eyes flashed. "And you would marry the Uchiha boy?"

She nodded.

"Despite his thirst for vengeance against his brother?"

"You have been informed wrong, Father. Itachi Uchiha's premeditated massacre was done to prevent the Uchiha family from tr-trafficking drugs to increase their prosperity. Sasuke intends to grow the Uchiha es-establishment in an honourable and ethical way." She said, pointedly looking at her father. Should this fail, Hinata was at least pleased to note that she'd grown a backbone since the party mere hours ago. "I will st-stand by him, no matter what."

Hiashi stared at her inquisitively for a moment, and then nodded, "You've grown, Daughter, more than I initially believed you could."

His words damaged her ire, caused her to deflate like a balloon. She looked down at her hands, now devoid of a ring and rightfully so. "...Father, one more thing. Did you, um, know... that Mother and Hizashi-ojisan were–"

"Yes, I knew they were soulmates before their deaths."

"...Why didn't you ever s-say anything?" She whispered, "Didn't it... hurt?"

Hiashi exhaled, nearly chuckling. "Hinata, one day you will learn that love is intuitive. Before I was your Mother's husband, I was an heir, and before I was an heir, I was acquisitive. My self-serving nature did not allow for me to see that my brother had loved your Mother. I merely wanted to please my father and disregarded all else." He placed his cup down, looking at her pointedly. "I even believed I could pretend Hanabi was my daughter if I so thought it."

Her eyes softened, "Y-You knew?"

"Of course. I did my best to be your father, Hinata. You and Hanabi, no matter what blood may dictate." He stood, coming to clasp a hand over her shoulder. "Only you can decide how successful I was."

He was a harsh father, yes, but Hinata could ask for no one better. He made sure she was always properly protected, that she had enough spending money in her pockets, and ultimately, that she could be financially provided for. "You were. I-I'm happy now, Father."

"Are you, now?" chuckled Hiashi, "Hanabi has since told me that you and the Uchiha were feuding. Have you apologized as of yet?"

Hinata blanched. While she might've felt at ease, she did leave Sasuke at a loss after running out on him last night. "There... may be one thing left to do..." She said bashfully.

"Go, now." He commanded, "Rectify this situation."

"Yes, Father." She said, filled with determination as she shot to her feet and made her way out to the limousine. There was an Uchiha to catch.

...

When Sasuke was eleven, he'd known something was wrong with his brother. Itachi had always been enthusiastic about becoming a member of the police force, to bring down foes like nobody's business. And then one day, he dropped out altogether and their parents had not been upset about it in the least. They had said it was for the best, offering no other explanation.

After that, Itachi began to barricade himself in his room and then he was scarcely seen.

Sasuke was young but not that young. He could tell when something was amiss, and it had to do with the mysterious illness his brother had seemingly contracted, if his pallor and sudden influx in hospital visits were anything to go by.

And yet his parents told him not a damn thing.

The day Sasuke had awoken late one night, seeking water for his parched throat, he bumped into his brother for the first time in many uncountable days. He had been draped in bulky cloak that masked most of his head and all of his body, all the way down to his toes. If Sasuke had known any better, he'd have thought he was a robber. But then his brother had flicked his forehead and told him to get his rest.

He'd watched his brother slink off, almost a completely different person than he used to know. If only he had known that his brother had been seeking treatment for brain cancer. If only he'd known that Itachi still carried the world on his shoulders even in his final days.

When the accident happened, Sasuke laid in his hospital bed, miraculously suffering only surface injuries and a broken clavicle. People came to see him, fleeting faces merely attempting to show that they pitied the little boy.

When he'd been discharged, he sat in the emptiness of his home with new maids bustling about, attempting to wrap him in a false aura of normalcy. As though anything was ever going to be okay again. When he opted to lock himself in his room, there was a binder situated on his bed about ethics of business, scrawled in black ink in someone else's writing.

The day after he began to re-attend school, he found another. And slowly, Sasuke had amassed an entire collection of handwritten notes about objective business strategies.

And then Itachi came home, bearing one final book, written by him, addressed directly to Sasuke. His skin was sallow and his bones had sunk into his flesh. His fingers shook when he poked Sasuke's forehead and his voice trembled when he told him to stop crying.

Sasuke had never seen his brother look quite so broken. Yet Itachi remained standing to explain to him the true horrors of that plane crash and the things Sasuke would not understand until he inherited the fortune.

Itachi left the compound when his hair was nearly all gone, moving himself to a facility deep in the mountains to live out the last of his days. He continued to send Sasuke postcards that bore nothing but his unconditional love for him. He implored Sasuke to find his soulmate, to never let them go under any circumstance, and to be a better leader for the new age Uchihas that were not tarnished by greed.

Itachi Uchiha died on November 10 and transferred all of his company shares to his little brother.

The healing would come, he had told Sasuke in his final letter. And then would come the surviving and then the living and then the loving, and then Sasuke would be alright.

But statistically, a person's chance of finding their soulmate was a measly 0.00042% and few ever did. His parents had. But they were the only ones in Uchiha history which didn't bode well for him. Itachi seemed to believe that Sasuke had the strength to be the next, even so.

It had taken him several years, but Sasuke had proven them right, and it came in the form of the Hyūga heiress who plagued his every waking moment. Sasuke felt the sun's rays and thought of her smile. He bit into a tomato and was reminded of her blush. He blinked and saw her behind his eyes.

Itachi had neglected to tell him that after the living, there was another phase–the pining–and it would precede the loving yet be the most painful of them all.

Waiting for Hinata Hyūga to respond to his feelings hurt more than falling from the sky itself, and he meant no poetics at all. But he would wait a million years if it meant she was his destiny.

And then he'd wait some more.

...

Hinata all but flew from her limousine once it had pulled up in front of Sasuke's building. She scrambled up the stairs and pinpointed his apartment, rapping her knuckles on the door and then placing a hand over her heart, begging her heartbeat to slow down.

The door opened, revealing Sasuke Uchiha in all his beautiful glory. He furrowed his brows, took note of her disorderly state and said, "Hyūga."

"Uchiha." She countered as she launched herself into his arms, slanting her lips over his.

Sasuke didn't waste any time in returning the kiss, as though he were drowning and she was his air. He swept his thumb over her cheekbone, very reluctantly pulling away to lean his forehead against hers. "Hinata Hyūga, you cannot just kiss me without acknowledging what you did."

"Wh-What did I do?" She asked breathlessly.

"You broke my heart."

"I know I did." She replied, staring deep into his eyes apologetically, "And I want to, um, make up for lost time."

Sasuke considered her words. He could hold out on her, make her flounder for forgiveness, but he would much rather move past all of this and go right into the next phase. "You're forgiven." He said as he slid his hand behind the nape of her neck and pulled her back in for another kiss.

She smiled against his lips, felt him chuckle midway through and then set herself back down on her feet, feeling the concrete bring her back down to earth from her Uchiha high. "I love you." She admitted honestly, not expecting his face to flare up several shades of red and for him to stumble into the threshold. "S-Sasuke!"

"I'm fine." He said quickly, blushing all the way to his ears, "I–"

"Do you want me to say it again...?" She wondered innocently, not waiting for an answer before she gave one. "Sasuke... I love you."

His pupils were blown wide, lips parted with no words managing to force their way out. He reached for her hands and rubbed his thumb over her ring finger, "I'll give you a better ring than that Ōtsutsuki ever could."

"Then... I'll wait." responded Hinata. "I'll wait until you're r-ready." If it meant that Sasuke was her destiny, she would wait forever, and then she'd wait some more.

When she was seventeen, Hinata Hyūga found her soulmate.

Or perhaps he was the one who found her.

...

At the end of the day, it isn't where I came from. Maybe home is somewhere I'm going and never have been before.

- Warsan Shire

Nars: And that's a wrap! Thank you for reading this long, long, long story.

I had a very specific idea of how I wanted this to go but my Sasuke portrayal ended up taking its own path. He seems like a very likely person to smoke weed, in my opinion, just to take the edge off. Meanwhile, Hinata seems like a very likely person to take her anger out on something insentient like the gym.

Still, it all came together remarkably well for my first one-shot. I hope you all thought so too... Please tell me your thoughts through reviews, I love reading them!

Let us meet again in another story, but until then, I love you all :)