First, let me apologize for letting this story die. This was actually my favorite fiction to update and my first attempt at SasuHina. So many people have come to love this fiction and for that I am grateful. I know some of you will be upset with me for changing everything, especially those who have recently begun to read it. For that, I am sorry. However, I didn't like the way this was going, it was getting awkward for me towards the end and it honestly felt like a bunch of jumbled mess. I am confident in this version of the story and I hope that you fall in love with this one too! Thank you so much for sticking with this story and giving it another try with me.

- KawaiixKisses/Tranquil Seoul/ Rampantt

Cover My Eyes

by, Rampantt

Chapter One : Homecoming

There was nothing Uchiha Sasuke hated more than having his time wasted. There were a million things, maybe even more than that, that he could spend his time focused on. In his mind, to be leisurely and idle was a crime and punishable by death. He was a man of few words and so rarely ever engaged in meaningless chit-chat. He couldn't stand to be sucked into conversations that lacked substance and so it is needless to say how every unhappy he was at the moment with his pink haired girlfriend of three years.

"So when I asked her if she had the the bag in beige she told me 'no' and preceded to try and sell me the brown one. Honestly! Brown. Not even an apricot or peach. Why the hell would I want that?"

Sasuke wasn't even sure he knew what the woman was talking about. She always seemed to be complaining about something that didn't matter one bit, something that could be easily handled. Over the years, Sasuke had learned that his girlfriend just liked the drama of it all. She adored chaos, it was like she got some sort of high from it.

The dark haired male sighed a bit, shutting his eyes and rubbing his brow as Sakura went on and on about whatever else had "gone horribly wrong" in her life that day.

It was times like these that made him question whether staying with her was really worth it or not. He knew deep down that he didn't want her anymore –the attraction was gone and really he was just dragging his feet with the relationship. It hadn't been like this for their entire relationship; there really was a time when he wanted nothing more than to be with the pinkette, but lately, the opposite seemed to be holding true. It was becoming more and more of a hassle to drag himself to meet with her. There had been many times where Sasuke had prepared himself to end things before they went any further, but that nudging voice in the back of his head prevented him from doing so.

Sakura was useful for now. There weren't many things he liked about her anymore, but he definitely stood to gain from their relationship. Haruno Hedeki. Her father was a huge donor to his architect business and it was sponsors like him that allowed him to stay afloat. He couldn't pass up such a blessing even if Sakura was driving him crazy. There was much to be gained from this relationship indeed. Sasuke constantly reminded himself that it wasn't forever –he didn't have to marry Sakura in order to keep his business running, her just had to tolerate her for a bit longer, just until he got his name out there and then he could rid himself of her.

His greed was a bit scary, he acknowledged this at least. He had sacrificed himself for his need to prove a point and as such he should bare no regrets. He made his choices. For now he was stuck with a woman who didn't know when to just shut the fu–

"Sasuke… Sasuke… Sasuke! Are you even listening to me? I said, what color do you think I would look best in? The brown or the beige, because really I was thinking that that brown one might not be so bad after all. Really what's the difference right? I mean they're both pretty colors, but I have shoes to match the beige one already. If I buy the brown one then I'd have to get brand new shoes… But! I could totally use that as an excuse to go shoe shopping! You know, they're having a sale at Trish and Taylor this weekend? I'm hoping to find some –"

"Sakura… I don't have time for this," Sasuke said at last, deciding he could no longer deal with her senseless conversation.

"But Sasuke… We barely talked," the pinkette whined, a pout forming on her lips.

"Yes, yes, I know. But I have work to attend to, I'll see you this Friday."

And just like that, the ebony haired male pushed himself away from the table, dropping his napkin in his plate.

He had met the pinkette into the city for lunch, at her request of course. Such was the norm for the two of them, lunch on Tuesdays at one of the manly upper scale restaurants that Konoha had to offer.

"Alright… Well, don't forget to call me then, Sasuke," she said to him as she watched him dig into his pocket and lay down a few bills on the table.

"Hn."

That was all he said before parting ways, not bothering to spare her a glance as he gathered his belongings. He all but bolted for the door, determined not to waste another moment of his time with his girlfriend. Sasuke was so quick with his exit that he hadn't heard her when she told him she loved him in parting. Not that it would have mattered to him if he did.

Haruno Sakura had always been known throughout her hometown of Konoha to be the most beautiful girl there. And like any home-town-beauty, she had learned to use that to her advantage. With just a bit of her father's influence she had entered the world of high fashion, booking jobs all over Asia and eventually Europe. Men flocked to her, women envied her, and that was the way Haruno Sakura liked it. She loved being the center of attention, the center of envy. To her, she was pretty much made for this kind of lifestyle. She was 23, beautiful, fucking rich and on the verge to becoming a super-model. But with all her glory and beauty, she couldn't for the life of her understand why her boyfriend of three years did not love her. She was many things, but she was not stupid.

She should have been everything the Uchiha could have ever desired in a woman. She was beautiful, rich, she fancied herself funny and while Sasuke didn't know it, she was smart. Sakura would admit it, at times she could be a bit ditzy, but she knew that powerful men often didn't find it too attractive when women were just as opinionated as them. That being said, she worked in secret, twisting and turning things until she got what she wanted. Sakura was smart and if any man was too full of himself to notice, than that was his problem because she always got what she wanted.

She had put a lot of work into Uchiha Sasuke, prepping and grooming him for marriage. She made sure he had everything he needed and pitied anyone who dared to get in her way. After a few months of dating, she decided she was going to marry Sasuke and as such he should be suitable for her. At the time, he wasn't. Many would question why someone like her would throw herself at Sasuke as she had and it was a question she didn't mind entertaining. Sasuke was rude and arrogant, a hothead with little to his name other than the notability that came with being an Uchiha. Word on the street was that he was estranged from his family so even that held little weight. But Sakura saw more in Sasuke –he had potential. All he needed was the right woman to push him and he could do anything. With this in mind, she even persuaded her father into sponsoring Sasuke's business while it was still on the ground, something she was confident Sasuke didn't know was her doing.

However, with all that work she had put into him, she had to admit that she was more than a little disappointed. Three years had gone by and she knew for a fact that Sasuke did not love her. In the beginning she could tell that his interest in her was genuine and that he honestly cared for her, but at some point his feelings had withered away. There was a bit of doubt in her for a while there, she honestly believed that he would leave her at some point but when that moment never came she knew what it was. Sasuke needed her. At first she had been hurt and angry, ready to end things herself, but then she thought on it. Why end it? What was so wrong with being needed? She had something he wanted and he had something she wanted. Wasn't that how marriages worked nowadays anyway? She could endure his apathy for a bit, she told herself, it wouldn't be long before he fell back into step with her. She was the perfect woman for him and it was plain to see. Many would have left him, not even spared him a parting glance after hearing that he was no longer attached with his family. Men seldom left the women who stood by them in difficult times and the seldom betrayed the ones who pulled them up.

If Sasuke wanted her money, he could have it, but he was going to have to work for it. She deserved a ring for all her hard work and she was going to be damned sure that she receive it in due time. Nothing was going to get in her way either. Nothing.

Hyuuga Hinata took a deep breath and readied herself.

She had been staring at her reflection for the past hour, making sure that nothing was amiss or out of place with her appearance. Each raven hair had been straighten paper thin, not a curl in sight. She had been very precautions tonight, being sure to get everything exact. The young heiress even added a bit of make up to her normally alabaster skin. Tonight her cheeks were peach and her lips a soft nude shade; even her eyelashes had received special attention.

Hinata smiled at her reflection, satisfied with herself. She donned a deep blue evening gown that flirted with her knees and showcased her figure. On her feet were platformed suede pumps that made her taller than her normally five foot four frame. She added white gold accessories to complete her outfit; a white gold bangle locked around her left wrist and diamond studded hoops dangling from her ears.

Taking a step back from the mirror, she admired herself for a bit longer before grabbing her purse and turning on her heel.

"You look pretty."

Startled, the princess gasped and her eyes widened at the sudden intrusion of her sister, Hanabi. The teen grinned, her lips parting to show off her straight white teeth.

"Hanabi! Don't scare me like that," Hinata scolded the youngest of the Hyuuga, placing a hand over her racing heart.

Her sister only continued to grin, her clear eyes looking her up and down, silently judging her attire. "What's all this for?"

"Naruto's coming home party... You didn't forget did you?"

"Oh yeah," Hanabi said, shrugging shoulders and plopping down on her sister's bed. "Sounds boring. I'm gonna stay here."

Hinata pouted a bit, chewing the inside of her lip slightly before speaking again. "It would mean a lot if you showed up, Hanabi."

The younger sister shrugged her shoulders once again, flipping through a glamor magazine she had found on the bedside-table. "He won't even notice that I'm not there."

Hinata arched a brow at her sister, studying her silently. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Konahamaru would it?"

Hanabi's sucked her teeth, her brow creasing and her lips turning downward. "No."

Hinata smiled, knowing she had struck a nerve with her sister by mentioning her on-again-off-again-boyfriend of three years. The two were apparently on another one of their breaks, the second one this year Hinata noticed. "You can't avoid him forever," she told her sister.

"I'm not avoiding him."

"Then why won't you come?" Hinata pressed, sitting herself on the edge of the bed and facing her sister.

Hanabi was silent for a few moments before she finally spoke. "I told you this has nothing to do with him; I'm just going to stay in and study."

"On a Friday" Hinata asked with an arched brow.

"Is that against the law?" her sister retorted quickly, snapping.

Hinata giggled at her expression and picked herself up from the bed, smoothing out her dress. "Alright, say no more. I'll bring you home some leftovers."

"Mhm..." Hanabi responded, turning away from her sister and gazing down at the magazine once again.

Hinata smiled at her sister then left her bedroom, taking the stairs down to the main floor of the Hyuuga mansion. Her heels clacked against the marbled floors in the foyer, calling forth the attention of her cousin, Neji who had been walking in through the front door. She stopped in her tracks, slightly caught off guard by his arrival –she hadn't been expecting him. As she gave it a thought, it occurred to her that he was there for business with her father.

Her throat burned as she pictured the two of them sitting around the table, holding conversations she was never invited to. She knew all too well that Neji intended to succeed her father's business and the thought made her stomach turn. Her father never considered her for the position and this knowledge was slowly pressing heavier on her mind with each passing day. Even though she had always been at the top of her class, her older cousin had always been ahead of her. Everything came easy to Neji, he never had to work like Hinata did. Part of her had always hated Neji.

"Hinata."

"Neji."

Squaring her jaw, she walked by him and grabbed her nude blazer from the closet and rested it over her elbow, doing her best not to make eye-contact with her rival as she exited the mansion. She spilled out into the night, the chill of autumn brushing against her knees as she crossed the drive way, fishing in her purse for the keys to her 2011 white Range Rover Sport. Opening the door, she slid the key into the ignition and started the engine. She fiddled with her ipod, plugging it into the appropriate spot and relaxing once Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody" began to play. Throwing it into reverse, she backed out of the driveway and changed gears again, pulling off and away from her home.

She white-knuckled the stirring wheel as she sped through the streets, Neji still weighing on her mind. She clenched her jaw tightly, ignoring the racing of her heart as she rounded a corner. Instead, she forced herself to think of Naruto, the blonde sprouting up in her mind's eye immediately. Taking a deep breath she relaxed and leaned back into her seat, stirring the wheel with her left hand. At least there was Naruto, she told herself.

It had been a year and nine months since she had last seen him in person and she couldn't have been more excited. He had been deployed out to the Sound and hadn't been home since. The two had exchanged many letters over his time spent away from home. She had always worried about him. She knew she could never ask him what it was he was sent for but that didn't mean it hadn't crossed her mind. She imagined him on dangerous missions while she awaited his letters; she pictured him getting hurt more often than anything else however –that was her greatest fear. What was her life without him? Who else could she cling to when life became difficult? Who else was there to remind her that things would eventually get better and that she deserved to smile. Naruto was not her boyfriend but he was the closest thing she had to one.

It wasn't long before she arrived at her destination. She pulled into a park at the curb and tossed a glance at her dashboard to view the time –8:37pm. She was on time. Quickly, she turned the engine off, grabbed her purse and climbed out of her car, locking it and crossing over to the sidewalk, sliding her arms into her blazer at last. Her heels clacked against the pavement as she made her way to the condo. Balling her hand into a fist, she knocked on the door and patiently waited to be let in. A few moments passed before the door swung open, revealing the bubble gum princess on the other side.

"Hinata! You're here!" Sakura exclaimed, flinging her arms around her and hugging her tightly. "Where's Hanabi?" she asked once their embrace ended.

Hinata offered a kind smile, smoothing out her dress once again. "Home; apparently she has studying to do that couldn't wait until tomorrow."

Sakura gave her a knowing look and the two of them laughed as Hinata stepped inside. Sakura had been her best friend since the eighth grade. The two of them were so different that it was hard to believe at times that the two would even know each other, but once they were together everyone knew why. Sakura had something Hinata needed and Hinata had something Sakura needed –they balanced each other out. Sakura dared Hinata to be more expressive and take what she wants from life while Hinata kept Sakura grounded, reminding her of the practicalities of life and reality.

Hinata looked around the room filled with all her friends and smiled. Everyone in this room loved Naruto and were excited to see him home and safe. She remembered how silent they all had been when Naruto announced his entry in the Fire Country's military when they had all finished high school. No one had wanted to see him go. Naruto was such a knucklehead that it was hard to take him seriously and the military was no laughing matter. In the end, he had proved them all wrong and they had no choice but to be proud of him. Hinata always knew he could do it; she believed in him when no one else did.

She mingled with Kiba and Shino for a while, catching up with them on their latest adventures. She had been busy the past two weeks, preparing herself for her final year of university. The raven had only started classes that week and was already stressed out. She learned the semester before that she was a candidate for Valedictorian which meant that at all cost, she had to get it. Hinata didn't let her childhood friends know it however, she knew exactly what they would say –she worked too hard, she needed to relax and just enjoy her last few months of university life. She couldn't afford that however. They didn't understand what it was like to be her.

"Everyone they're here!" Sakura announced, running into the room, her pink hair bouncing around.

Everyone scrambled around the living room, landing hiding spaces anywhere possible. Hinata ducked behind the couch beside Kiba, peaking out to view the front door as Sakura killed the lights in the corner.

Voices could be heard coming from outside and it wasn't long before a key was slid into the knob and it was pushed open. All at once, everyone leaped and excited exclaimed "SURPRISE!"

Light spilled into the room and exposed a sea of smiling faces to Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke who stepped aside and allowed his friend the spotlight.

"Wow... You guys..." he breathed, a hand placed over his heart from being startled by the group.

By the look on his face he hadn't expected to see everyone which made Hinata wonder what lie Sasuke told him to keep him none the wiser.

"Naruto! We're so glad you're home" Sakura exclaimed, coming from her spot in the corner and tossing her arms around Naruto.

He chuckled hesitantly, still a bit shocked, and patted her back before pulling away.

"Yeah man, good to see you," Kiba was speaking next, clapping him on the shoulder and grinning wildly, which Naruto returned, rubbing the back of his head.

Hinata hung back while everyone greeted him, smiling softly to herself, her heart pounding in her chest. Though she hadn't leaped at him like the others had, she was probably the most excited to see him. She bit her bottom lip a little as his cyan eyes found hers through the crowd, a light blush staining her cheeks. He offered her a smile and separated himself from the latest person to grab a hold of him and made his way over to her.

"I'm home," he told her.

She looked down at her feet, her blush deepening. "Hn."

Without anything further he wrapped her in a hug, crushing her to him and holding her there. "Did you miss me?" he asked, resting his cheek atop her head.

"Of course," she whispered into his shirt, her tiny hands curling into the fabric at his back.

"Get a room!" someone shouted, forcing the two of them apart, both flushing awkwardly with Hinata looking away embarrassed.

Sakura laughed, slinging her arm around her shorter friend. "Aw, don't let them embarrass you Hinata."

The heiress continued to flush, swallowing past the hard lump that lodged itself in the center of her throat.

"Hn."

"Come help me in the kitchen for a bit," Sakura said to her once Hinata relaxed.

Before she even had a chance to respond the pinkette was already dragging her away and into Sasuke's kitchen.

Naruto watched her leave, glancing over her shoulder at him and offering him a shy smile before looking away once again.

"Sooo...you and Hinata, huh?" a voice sounded by his ear.

Naruto turned to find Kiba grinning at him.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb. We all saw you two," Kiba continued.

Naruto rolled his eyes and tried to ignore him but Kiba continued, draping his arm around the blonde's shoulder. "What are you hiding?"

Soon, a crowd formed around them and Naruto was sucking his teeth. "None of your business."

"Ah! So you are hiding something," Kiba pushed, grinning wildly.

"Why do you care?" Naruto hissed, shoving Kiba off of him.

Kiba through his hands up in defense, feigning innocence. "I'm just curious. Hinata's one of my best friends and all I want is to see her happy."

"Don't she look happy to you?" Naruto asked pointedly, her blonde brows furrowing in agitation.

"Calm down, dope," Sasuke chimed in at last, having enough of the two of them.

He clapped his friend on the shoulder and steered him away from the conversation with little protest from the crowd behind them. The two of them disappeared into the kitchen to check up on the girls and found them deep in conversation.

"And they had the gall to give me beige! Can you believe it?" Sakura was carrying on.

Hinata sat at the bar stool, one leg crossed over the other as she watched Sakura adding a few finishing touches to a plate of sandwiches.

"They didn't have an apricot or a peach at least?" Hinata inquired, her brow furrowed as she considered her friend's words.

"No! That's exactly what I asked too. Seriously. I don't know if I'll ever shop there again," the pinkette complained. "Oh! Sasuke, good, you're here. Take this out to everyone, please?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Why hadn't he expected as much from Sakura? What was more disappointing was that Hinata had even entertained her shenanigans. One thing he could say about her, though they never really conversed much –both being naturally stoic people, Hinata was very level headed. He actually admired that about her. She was never lost daydreaming or caught up in fantasies like her pinkette companion. Often he wondered how Sakura had even obtained such a friend with her personality. Hinata was a stark contrast to Sakura when he really thought about it. He didn't let the thought linger however; he accepted the plate and was soon on his way.

"We really missed you around here, Naruto," Sakura said, leaning against the bar beside Hinata.

"Yeah?"

She nodded her head. "Especially this one; she even kept a calender specifically to count down the days until your return."

"Sakura!" Hinata exclaimed, heat flooding her cheeks as she slapped her thigh, her brow crumpling.

Naruto chucked at Hinata's embarrassed expression. He always knew that at the end of the day he could count on Hinata to be there for him when he needed someone. She had always been there, even at his lowest point, when he wasn't sure what he was going to do with his life. It was Hinata who urged him to join the military and he could never be more grateful to her for that.

Hinata's letters had been the only thing other than coming home that he had looked for while he was away on assignment. Sakura also wrote him every now couple of months, Sasuke too, far fewer than that however but then he hadn't expected anything different, but Hinata had been the most consistent. Her letters made him feel like he was home; she would recount her day for him and keep him up-to-date with the going-ons of Konoha. If he were to be honest with himself, Hinata had become the most important person in his life over the last year and nine months –he only wished he could give her what she wanted, what she always wanted from him. He wasn't ready to tell her that he couldn't yet. She had never voiced it but it was always obvious. He wanted to cling to her for as long as he possibly could, no matter how selfish that was.

Sakura laughed. "Well, let's get back to the party!"

Naruto watched as the pinkette shimmied past him and back out into the living room.

"Well?" he asked, turning his attention to Hinata.

He offered his hand out to her and smiled that smile she missed so much. She smiled back at him, unable to resist and climbed down from the bar stool, closing her hand around his.

"You look really pretty tonight," he told her, lacing their fingers together.

Hinata blushed. "Thank you."

She was grateful for her hard work paying off after all. It was worth it just to hear those five words. She leaned up on her tip toes and lightly pecked his cheek, pulling back just as quickly and blushing down at her feet. Naruto chuckled again and smiled at her, pulling her back into the party with him. For the first time in nearly two years, Hyuuga Hinata was content.

Thank you for reading it through and if you skimmed it, then that's cool too lol thank you for at least looking at it. I'm confident in this. There might be a few grammar or spelling mistakes, all of which I am ashamed of, but thank you for ignoring them. Anyway. Let me know what you think. Leave me love via reviews or even messages! I want to know your opinions.

Much love,

Rampantt