miikka_saki: so, this is the sequel to "It's a Kid Thing" which everybody like, to my relief. This one is actually a two-shot and focuses more on thoughts than dialogue. I hope you enjoy reading this as I have writing it.

Title: It's a Grown Up Thing
Rating: K+ or T
Words: 9,703 (in total); 5,528 (for this part).
Pairings:SasuHina; one-sided HinaNaru, NejiHina, KibaHina; slight NaruSaku
Warning: A more darker undertone than it's child counterpart.
Disclaimer:If I owned Naruto, every character would be bisexual so we can pair them up with whoever. :D

Summary of the prequel:

Sasuke goes through a number of situations in his first year of Academy to make Hinata his fangirl. Eventually, the two start to like each other until Sasuke decides he wants to keep Hinata. Forever. Solution? Get married of course, and, unexpectedly, Hiashi lets them sign the marriage contract, binding them to wed when they turn eighteen together unless Sasuke becomes an ex-ninja or dies. Of course, there's a catch, to make the Uchiha unaware of Sasuke's decision, Hiashi forbids the two from having any contact until the fateful day of Hinata's eighteenth birthday comes. And so, the tale continues...

-x-

Hinata liked to think she had forgotten about it in the first two years. It had been hard the first few months, with each stealing secret glances at the other. Sasuke had even, out of instinct, attempted to be her partner again and he had abruptly pulled away once he realised what he was doing, fear and sadness swimming in his eyes once they locked with her pale ones. He bowed his head slightly and turned around to ask someone else. It had broken her heart to know this horrible rule stood in between them like a metal door. It was locked until her eighteenth birthday and all they could do was live their lives until one day the lock fell off and the door swung open.

Soon though, they fell into some kind of twisted routine: avoid looking at each other, finding other partners, becoming isolated in their grief. Her grades started falling and, out of desperation, asked Sakura to help her. The girl was nice and explained it well enough but she was almost always distracted by Hinata's fiancé. Ino, really, couldn't care less for paper unless it was under fingers when she painted her nails so her knowledge of what was going on was a bit limited. The boys scared her, except Sasuke though; of course, he had absolutely petrified her at first. There was the rowdy boy with his cute dog, Naruto, the lazy one who always slept, the one that ate chips all day and the quiet boy who always seem to be mumbling something in his sleeve as if he was talking to it.

It was sick and wrong and hard to do, but they eventually forgot it. This engagement, this tie that held them together, was soon filtered away into an obscure dark corner of their memory. Years flitted by, six actually, and soon she was thrown against the dog boy and bug boy (as she soon found out). Sasuke was gone with Naruto and Sakura and nobody remembered a thing.

Nobody remembered how they held each other's sleeve, how they talked and laughed and helped each other, how they were always together. Nobody seemed to remember and maybe it was better that way.

But Hinata remembered and it hurt and ached in her heart. Yet she resolved herself and she fell into another hopeless crush for Naruto and admired him. She could love all of him, his faults and strengths and stupidity and resourcefulness. It was as if she could see just a little bit of old, grinning Sasuke who let her say his name without any honorifics. This was Naruto and that was Sasuke and to Hinata's grief, that and this was all the same.

-x-

He was leaving.

Sakura had been roaming the streets at night without abandon and got lost numerous times around the Hyuuga compound area. Hinata or Neji (they were always training late) would escort her back to familiar grounds but soon it became some kind of obsessive routine. Her pink hair flitting around the corners, wide green eyes filled with worry and grief. It didn't take long for Hinata and her cousin to realize that it was because of a certain Uchiha.

Hinata decided maybe she should help and snuck out of the compound. Neji knew though for she had told him about her late departure and eventually acquiesced after almost 10 minutes of convincing.

"You better come soon Hinata-sama!" he had called softly out to her. The guards, half-asleep anyways, barely blinked as she had slipped through the grates, her thin lithe body passing effortlessly through the metal bars. They were used to her late-night excursions into training grounds and her coming back, battered and bruised but smiling slightly from midnight training. It was dark and cool, a familiar path in the stone road leading into the busy part of town. She followed it quickly, breezing through the shadows. If it was one thing Hinata was good at, it was speed. Flexibility was a bonus and she worked hard to at least be good at these strengths of hers. She didn't expect anything to happen, just stumble into Sakura, escort her home and stay for a little while. Neji-nii-san had once slipped that her presence was comforting and Hinata hoped maybe she might have the same effect on the pink-haired girl.

But what she didn't expect to see was Sasuke jabbing Sakura's neck and laying her down on a bench.

They had been talking quietly when Sasuke's eyes hardened and he slammed his hand against the back of her neck and watching her head fall limp against her chest. She slumped in his arms and he swiftly leaned down to swiped his arm under the crook of her legs. She fit into his arms a bit awkwardly but the boy managed to lightly set her down on the bench beside them. Hinata had watched with surprise and could not help but interrupt in her shock.

"Sa-Sasuke!" She gaped in horror, staring at the girl's limp body. His back was turned to her and he half turned his head so she could see the outline of his eyelashes and cheekbone. It was silent and tense, the atmosphere between them and Hinata almost didn't expect anything except silence in return. She saw the silhouette of his eyelashes close over his dark, piercing eyes.

"...are you here to stop me too?" His voice was hoarse, deep and calm. His posture looked entirely relaxed as if this was an everyday conversation. Hinata blinked in surprise at his reply; she was not expecting him to respond.

"A-Are you leaving?" She tried to ask evenly, but her voice trembled in the night air.

"I am." He was cold and neutral but he was talking to her with words and not 'hn's and 'aa's and that was enough for her to know he still thought of her as an equal.

"Please don't," she replied, a hint of desperation slipping into her words. A cold wind passed between them and she continued to watch his half-turned face. Sasuke's eyes however opened and roamed the unconscious form of Sakura on the bench.

"Why not?" he breathed, barely loud enough for the girl to catch.

Hinata blinked before rambling. She remembered saying something like being raised in Konoha, that this was their home, that here was there family, living or dead. She mumbled something about all the girls and boys and adults that admired and fawned over him. But most of all, she probably spoke of Naruto and Sakura and love. She never mentioned herself though, he had probably also forgotten their engagement in his grief for his family.

"Y-You... You love Sakura-chan, d-don't you?" she finally asked, "You love Sakura."

Sasuke stiffened slightly but relaxed almost immediately.

"I care for her, " he admitted quietly, his voice carried by the wind now blowing rather forcefully. Hinata made a slightly 'hah' sound and turned her face downwards. In her rare moment of jealousy, her mouth opened on her own and words slipped past her lips.

"You know, Kiba's petty ni-"

Hinata stopped breathing, her eyes wide in fear, staring down her nose to the kunai pressed against her throat. She could feel his hot breath on her neck and see the dark, pained eyes from the corner of vision. Her heart was hammering fast against her ribcage, her stomach clenching in absolute terror. He - Sasuke - had a kunai to herthroat?! Her body started to tremble and he pressed his front to her back gently. His other hand reached out in front and pressed firmly against her belly, pulling her into him. Hinata's breaths were coming out in pants due to a combination of fear, confusion and embarassment.

Sasuke inhaled sharply and blew hard against her neck sending shivers down her back yet the kunai never wavered from the pale slim throat. The metal was warming up against her jugular and Hinata had half the mind to just scream but the image of blood spilling from her decapitated body never left her mind. Sasuke wouldn't-- no, couldn't kill her.

Could he?

"S-Sasuke?" she murmured, her lips barely moving. The boy moved his hand from her belly skimming her breasts under the jacket until his fingers had grasped her chin. His hand was cold and dry under her heated skin, chilling and sending even more shivers down her spine. Sasuke didn't waste any time roughly turning her head to the side. In her new field of vision she could see Sakura on the bench, as if she was dead, and the streetlight flickered slightly. She could see his black bangs slightly obscuring the corner of her eyes. It was then he unexpectedly pressed his nose into her cheek.

"Hinata..."

His voice was as soft, commanding and loving as she remembered. She almost sagged in relief against him.

But he was gone.

-x-

The Konoha's News Weather Network was renowned for it's pinpoint accuracy. Often praised for them to narrow down the exact location of rainfall at a precise time or where a tornado would hit and when it would disperse many days in advance. The people relied alot on the weathermen and their warnings. If they said it was going to rain, it was going to rain. If it was going snow (which it hasn't in the Fire Country for many decades), it most surely was no matter how unreasonable it sounded.

That day, after the last Uchiha left Konoha, they said in a surpised sort of way, it was going to rain in only one place. The bench by the Konoha gates.

-x-

After Sakura was woken up by two ninjas, she sternly told them in her steady, powerful voice that the last Uchiha had left Konoha. After she had swiftly gathered herself up and left leaving the bench free once again where Hinata found herself lying in the exact same position as the girl the night before. Above her, a dark cloud was looming intimidatingly over her spot. She turned her head to the side to the exact spot where she was held up by kunai. If Sakura had been conscious at that time, what would she have seen? Thought? Felt? It was but a few minutes later that fat raindrops started to land on her cheeks and hair and everywhere by the bench. It seemed like one of those bad mood clouds that followed depressed people around. Hinata got up and left, seeing if it would follow.

-x-

Years are actually very short in hindsight, compromised by four seasons, twelve months and only 365 days. When one day passed so fast , it was only a matter of time before a whole year would pass you by. The summers were hot, the winter's cold and the in-between's, the springs and autumns were mild and beautiful and so very short.

Hinata knows this was how she survived, by busying herself with training, nursing and enjoying every season as it passed. Sasuke would rarely cross her mind, he labeled an ex-ninja. There were no ties anymore that held them, no love that sent aches into her heart like in Sakura's. This was this, that was that, and in Hinata's passivity, there wasn't much difference. The only passing worry about the outside world would be if Naruto had eaten yet. If he had remembered to sleep adequately. If he had enough money and perseverance to keep going. If he was ever going to come back.

She had voiced out her concerns once and Sakura had overheard in the nursing ward and scoffed, patting her back and telling her, "He might be an idiot, but he's a strong idiot. He'll be back safe and sound, don't you worry, Hinata-chan."

She passed her Chuunin exams and trained hard with Neji-niisan as much as she could for the Jounin exams. Her father was advancing on her with marriage proposals while she was still fourteen and he wasn't relenting. Her cousin gritted his teeth whenever the subject was brought up at the dinner table. Hanabi, her little sister, would always remark, "You know, that blonde kid might not be so bad, Father."

She was fifteen when Naruto came back, empty-handed yet as strong as she imagined. She blushed and sweated and stuttered and she realized that 'this' and 'that' are very much different.

Naruto would always come back. Sasuke wouldn't.

-x-

She turned twenty-one when the officiallylast Uchiha stepped through the iced Konoha gates.

A thin layer of snow covered the streets and roofs, letting the weak sunlight gleam and sparkle against everyone's eyes. It looked like crystal scattered all across the dirt roads and barely patched up houses. Hinata spent her birthday in the hospital attending to the battered and bruised ninja just back with Naruto, dragging a sick, tired Sasuke all the way from Rain Country.

"What he was doing there, no clue," rambled Kiba as Hinata pressed her hands against his shattered right wrist, "I mean, the rain was getting in the way so friggin' much! Akamaru even got sick! Even ninjas can't see through downpour like that!" The woman smiled, collapsing in the chair next to his bed and watching him out of the corner of her eye. He hadn't changed much, Kiba that is. He could still illustrate rather enthusiastically what he was saying with grand hand motions and his facial expressions moved comically from one sentence to another.

"You get what I'm saying, Hinata?" asked the man, a bright grin stretched across his lips. Hinata stood up, smiled and bowed to leave.

"I must attend to the others, Kiba-kun, please rest." Kiba's bright expression faltered but he fixed himself with a soft, contemplative smile.

"Okay. Thanks, though. Love you, Hinata." The woman giggled at his boyish embarrassed face. She pressed her lips to his forehead, lingering slightly before pulling away.

"I love you as well, Kiba-kun."

Before she reached the door, he called out, "Hey! Do you like me more than that inconsiderate prick that's your cousin?!" Hinata threw her head back and laughed softly.

"I love all my brothers equally, Kiba-kun. You and Shino-kun and Neji-niisan will always be my beloved brothers."

-x-

She glanced once more at her clipboard, flipping through the various documents held together.

"Attended to Neji-niisan, Kiba-kun, Chouji-san and after Shikamaru-san, it's..." She blinked once more and rubbed at the ink on the paper as if checking it wasn't on the sheet.

Uchiha Sasuke

She frowned slightly at the name on her list but reluctantly checked his room and where she was. One of the nurses was so engrossed in her clipboard she almost bumped into Hinata, who, in turn, grabbed the lady's arm. The other nurse was startled and stared at her supervisor's white eyes in shock. Hinata smiled sheepishly and let go of the woman's arm. She bowed her head and asked.

"Ah, Kimiko-san, can you please attend to Shikamaru-san? I need my energy to attend to a severely injured ninja." Kimiko, a slight woman with wide, surprised eyes, nodded dumbly as Hinata scribbled the room number on the other's clipboard.

"This is his room and his name's Nara Shikamaru-san."

Hinata turned and fled, leaving the dumbfounded nurse alone in the hallway.

-x-

The room was a plain, sterile white, with glaring lights overhead and a small, unreachable window unless you were seven feet tall. It was a weak attempt at preventing ninjas to escape their wards. The one, thin mattress on the metal bed stand was lumpy and uncomfortable and the only thing that keeped him company was the constant beeping of the machines beside his bed. He lied with his eyes closed on the pillow and kept his body straight. He waited for the nurse to come check on him. Maybe, if he was lucky, it would be Sakura, who had gotten engaged to Naruto (much to no one's surprise). His body ached in places he never knew he had and he winced when moving a body part. His injuries were as followed: his arm was broken in three places, he had a slight concussion, a gash on his thigh, two ribs shattered and nerves severed in his ankle. It would take a miracle (which meant Tsunade) plus a skilled nurse (which meant Sakura) to heal him.

Until then, he would wait. Hinata never crossed his mind.

-x-

The door creaked open slowly then shut and soft, shuffling steps approached his bed. His ears perked up at the slightly nostalgic sound, his brain racking through his memory to identify where he had heard it before.

"Hello, Sasuke." Her voice was soft and gentle with just a hint of anguish coloring her words. He didn't open his eyes; he would ruin the surprise. The nurse placed her clipboard next to his hand and peeled the bed sheet off his upper torso. He heard a slight intake of breath but didn't remark on it. The nurse's hands were cool against his chest and a tingling sensation sweeped into his body. Her breath became slightly faster as her chakra slipped behind his skin.

The whole process was quiet and took a long time. They said nothing to each other except the nurse giving him short, precise instructions to twist his body or test his injuries. It was replied with 'hm's and 'aa's, like a proper Uchiha and he didn't think anything of it. It was after the nurse relaxed in the chair by his bed to regain her footing that she spoke.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke turned his head away from the nurse and finally opened his eyes, glaring at the too high window in his room. It was dark and the light flickered in his room. He slowly shifted his head reluctantly to face the one who attended to him, unable to satisfy his curiosity. No matter how much he thought, he couldn't remember who this person was with soft steps and even softer voice.

She looked sickly in the glaring light, her eyes shining white. Her hair was tied up in a bun and bangs clipped back to reveal her whole, round face. She was pretty, without make-up or any enhancers and her name came tumulting back into his head with extreme force.

Hinata.

His eyes were slightly wide but his face never betrayed any surprise. She smiled gently but her eyes never crinkled. She spoke his name but her voice never came from her heart. She was the same yet not. He straightened and felt his more minor wounds once more and was surprised to note that most of them were healed, just a bit sore. Though the concussion and broken arm and shattered ribs still racked pain through his body, his burns, gashes and nerves were healed. She had become skilled in her chakra control. A cloud of shame passed over him; he had not thought of her in years, not since Orochimaru was taken over by his mind. The only thing that might've caused some reminiscence was her cousin, Neji, who had come after him so fiercely he had almost thought that this would be the end.

He stayed silent, lost in thought until her voice, gentle and beautiful, slipped into his awareness.

"Tadaima."

Sasuke blinked and looked at her in the eyes.

"Okaeri."

-x-

She continued to attend to him till hours after midnight, working relentlessly to heal his fractures. The arm being the worst having broken in three places. The dawn was creeping into his window and spilling over his bed, illuminating her hair into a pretty blue. Hinata pressed her hands firmly against one of the fractures and Sasuke grinded his teeth in order to not to scream. The woman let go and looked up.

"Who did this?" she asked with a innocent, questioning glance at his way.

Sasuke stared a while at the appendage as if recalling his fierce fight with the Konoha nins then smirked, "Neji."

-x-

It was a few weeks later that Sasuke had decided to initiate the conversation. Hinata came everyday dutifully attending to his many wounds and brining in Tsunade when necessary. She always worked overtime for him, sitting beside his bed until the first rays of dawn climbed up and shined through his little window. Sakura had even stopped by during visiting hours reserved for only select people (the former Team 7 and the senseis). Sasuke glanced towards the little table by his bedside at the many books and fruit basket that was given to him in hope for him to recover soon. The nurse never said anything about them, merely disregarding them as she focused entirely on her skills.

Conversations were minimized to orders and random questions thrown around to fill in the gaps. Who had died? Who retired? Who became Jounin and ANBU and succeeded their dreams? Hinata always started these talks with her gentle voice prying into his past while he was gone, simple inquiries like, where he had traveled, what did it look like, where to get certain herbs or foods. Sasuke answered them with the least amount of words since he was usually trying to ignore the pleasant tingles running through his body when she pressed her hands firmly against his upper stomach. Today, however, he would try to start their talks, to ask about her. He liked her. She was calm, patient and an excellent healer. Sasuke would grace her with the honour of starting.

"What day was it when I came back?"

Hinata paused, then replied: "A tuesday. December 24. It was my birthday," she added in quickly, ducking her head to hide the blush of embarrassment. Sasuke remained quiet to think for a few moments.

"You're twenty-one."

She didn't look it, really, just a little over seventeen, maybe, with no experience and fluttering hands. That was how she usually got when Tsunade was around her, nervous and trying to impress. It was yet another reason for the Uchiha to dislike the Hokage, he reduced his nurse to a mumbling, incompetent healer. Sasuke looked her over again, no, the girl looked like a girl, yet with such an age, you would think she would a have a ring on her finger and attempt to get home early to cook dinner for her husband. Hinata, on the other hand, tensed as a fierce blush covered her cheeks. It reminded her of her non-existent love-life, of her workaholic disposition in the hospital and most of all, the fact that her hands were on Sasuke's - her ex-fiance's - bare chest.

"Are you not engaged?" he asked, his brow furrowed like a little boy, "Or have you lost your ring?" Hinata hunched even more, her chin almost touching her chest.

"I-I, well, um, see..." she swallowed and tried again, "N-No, Father wanted to wait..."

Sasuke's expression grew even more confused, "For what?"

Hinata almost hyper-ventilated right there; her hands were on his chest, he was half naked, they had a history, Father wanted to wait...

Oh god, Father wanted to wait...

"F-For you."

-x-

He spent the night recollecting and piecing his childhood.

He was surprised of his feelings towards this petite woman and how he had treated her in his past. They had a history, rich and cute and complex but was never fulfilled to what it was expected to be. They had held hands, embraced, been in more intimate positions than any other woman in his life. Karin had gotten awfully close but he had never had an active part in her physical flirtations. He had neverpressed her against him before. And to think, he had done something so provocative in the middle of the street with Sakura right beside him beforehe hit puberty. His sex-drive had been pretty inactive and only reacted to either Sakura or someone that looked similar to Hinata. He had never noticed before and it embarassed him because if he was such a tactical genius, why he couldn't notice the link between his attractions?

Yet he felt awkward thinking of his nurse in a way he hadn't thought of ever. He had liked her and her looks and personality but never in a sexual way and yet here he was, lying in his hospital bed, trying to restrain certain thoughts slipping into his mind. He liked her even now, even when she became red and nervous, and the calm aura that surrounded her everyday. It soothed him and his anxiety for being locked in a room for too many days. The chakra behind her hands, the scent of her hair, the calm, composed face, they all helped him to relax, to help him get a good night's sleep. She resembled his mother quite a bit, Sasuke realized unexpectedly, the way her fingers would comb gently through his hair (it had gotten much longer) to push it off the back of his neck... This attraction, as he viewed it, was still present, even after so many years, nine in total, of not seeing each other. Deep down, in his dormant black heart, was a craving for her. Sasuke wanted her, mind , body and soul. And he could; the circumstances were set, specifically on a piece of paper with their blood smeared over it, sitting deep in the Huuga compound. Yet he couldn't help but feel that he had to make sure these feelings were mutual before even speaking to her about this engagement business.

Tomorrow, Sasuke decided, he would commence.

-x-

"If I was killed, who would you marry?"

He had not thought about what to ask her when the following day came, but decided on a more indirect approach to see if there was a certain someone that clung to her heart other than him. Sasuke knew, deep inside, there was something for him there, whether it be hate or love, she still acknowledged his presence and personality. Now, conversation was not exactly Sasuke's forte but he would drive on, to claim her, to keepher. Dark eyes watched in curiosity as Hinata froze, the chakra emanating from her hands faltering. Her face became a flaming red and he watched her comically switch her facial expressions from surprise to laughter to embarrassment. Her face turned a cherry red as she ducked her head, trying to cover up her obvious discomfort.

"I..." she faltered, "I don't know..." Her eyes were contemplative as she racked her memories of all the men she could consider: Shino, Kiba, Neji-niisan, Shikamaru, these men did not interest her as Naruto did, they did not evoke the same feelings she experienced being around the blonde. Hinata looked up sharply, her eyes boring into his, a questioning expression painted on her face.

Now it was Sasuke's turn to blush. Her gaze was uncomfortable, pinning him to the bed. His chest tightened as his eyes roamed her face, memorizing each detail, each shadow of her. She would be his, soon enough, she always was, yet he kept hesitating. A one-sided relationship was twisted, he had experience, being born in a mighty clan who believed in keeping the bloodline pure. His mother was not from the main family, a quarter foreigner in actuality and was forced to be with his father. An arranged marriage was a twisted love. She was too pure, too innocent to let the despair of not being with the one she wanted. He swallowed and tried again. Uchiha Sasuke was never the most social creature but he was gonna take his chances.

"Who do you want?" Suddenly, his brow furrowed, "Or is it a woman?" Hinata's eyes widened comically, her face red from too much embarassment. She gave up on forcing chakra out of her hands and calmed herself down to think and talk coherently. Inwardly, she wondered why her patient was asking such intimate questions all of a sudden. Maybe there was a chance that he remembered their childhood, their empty promises and innocent smiles. A shake of the head and the thoughts dispersed. No, Sasuke wasn't sentimental like that, he would rather reach over and grab whatever he wanted. Looking down into her lap, a half-coherent string of words drifted through her brain, was it her that he wanted? She certainly didn't like that thought and decided to take the safe route.

"Father has been implying that I should settle myself down with Shikamaru-san or Neji-niisan," she replied simply, her eyes betraying nothing as she looked bravely into his own black ones. The Uchiha pursed his lips slightly then let out a sigh. This was a pain, he didn't want brain boy by Hinata at all, but he would probably have the best chances to claim the girl. Neji was quite influential with the Hyuuga leader though, so he was a force to reckon with. The Uchiha gritted his teeth, his rivals were fierce but she had not answered the question properly. This conversation was making her nervous, he realized.

"Not your father. I'm talking about you." His tone sounded a touch irritable but Hinata knew it wasn't any harm. Nothing Sasuke did was actual harm in the room. He was weak, injured, anxious and vaguely claustrophobic from being enclosed in the same room for so many days. But his days as a wandering nin had probably prepared him mentally to take on being captured and put into a small room. Claustrophobia was a but a minor effect in his mental system which was thoroughly prepared for anything life could throw at it. Hinata shook her head again; her thoughts were getting off topic and she wanted to answer him because no one had ever asked her about herself so directly, so personally. She looked down at her lap and thought deeply about the men she knew.

"I think..." she paused and Sasuke leaned forward without him realizing, "I think I just wouldn't marry."

This was it. This was the answer he had wanted. His wanderings were almost the same as him being dead and here she was, as she claimed, single and without a man. This was his chance and he would take it, slam it against the wall and wring it for all it was worth. Hinata would soon be his and he couldn't stop himself because this was it, this was Hinata, and vaguely, in his mind, the words I love you formed in front of his mind's eye.

Sasuke's face openly showed surprise, alarming Hinata as the cardiograph's beeping spiked suddenly. He swallowed and thought again, for love was a different matter entirely. Lust he was used to, since he felt that burning sensation every time he saw Sakura in his years wandering and girls with dark, choppy hair and gentle smiles. He took all these girls to bed, slept with them but nightmares still plagued his mind. It was as if his body was unconsciously craving for the soothing presence of this girl, this girl that he loved. Sasuke's world tilted on his axis. Too fast, it was all too fast, he had only known her for a few months after returning and already such a strong bond had formed. Remnants of his childhood swept through his mind, he had loved her back then too, a childish, innocent wanting for the girl no one else could have. And on that dark night, when Sakura lay peacefully on the bench, when he caught sight of her wide, round face and choppy, dark hair windswept, an overwhelming urge to cling to her had arisen. He had loved her even than, without him realizing it. Even now, here, bedridden, he wanted to take her in his arms, to love her, to lay with her. He leaned over and suddenly the scent of lavender was drowning his sense of smell and he realized his nose was almost buried in her hair. Did she always smell like this? Was she always so warm, so gentle? Hinata looked at him with wide, wide eyes.

"I remember," was all he said before she grabbed her clipboard and fled the room.

Sasuke fell back into his bed, new thoughts racing relentlessly in his head.

"I love you."

IloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyou

-x-

miikka_saki:Uwa, first part is done, I'll update in two weeks. I hope you liked this part. Hm, yes, Sasuke might seem OOC but I tried hard to keep him IC. But if I keep him completely IC, he'll fall in love with Naruto and I can't have that happen. (Oh c'mon, it's so obvious Sasuke is gay for Naruto.)

Reviews (and flames) are wanted, needed and accepted. 'I like this' or 'I hate this' is good enough for me. :D