Chapter 55

-Hinata's POV-

For the next four weeks, things went back to normal. Well, they went back to as normal as they could be, with Prestige's popularity on a steady rise. Photos, videos, and gifs of us are constantly trending, whether as a group or as individual members. A gif of Sasuke dancing during our short performance at the New Year's party stands as the most viral one to date, followed closely by one of our dance practices and a surprisingly flattering paparazzi photo of an unaware Sakura out and about with her new haircut.

When word got out that Sai and Ino were officially dating, they immediately confirmed the rumors rather than trying to hide it. When Ino first talked about getting his number, I thought she just wanted to mess around with him, but she must've fallen for him somewhere in the past month. They're super doting toward one another, and I think it's adorable either way.

To my, and likely Tenten's too, Neji finally came clean to my father about his relationship with her. Naturally, there was a lot of drama and animosity between them because of it, but Neji actually stood up to the great Hiashi Hyuuga.

Now, my refusal to join the company didn't affect it. Still, Neji thinking about leaving would potentially have millions of dollars in the balance because my father relies heavily on him. Neji said he didn't even have to threaten, and I'm not sure he would have if it came to it anyway, but Hiashi caved and ended the argument before it could get to that point.

So, their on-again-off-again pattern ended, and they've been smooth sailing since, for the most part. Tenten's only worry now is what's going to happen if and when the time comes that they've been together long enough that things become more serious. My cousin will unlikely want to go public because he already can't stand the public being in his business. If word gets out that he and Tenten are an item, he'll be constantly bombarded by paparazzi.

When I told Tenten this, not wanting to give her false hope, she pouted and seemed very disappointed. So I told her this: I never imagined Neji standing up to my father like he did for her, meaning he's changed at least a little. Maybe he'll also change when the time comes to address her concerns. None of us know what'll happen, so there's no point in worrying about it until then.

I didn't tell her that I was also trying to reassure myself with those words, but regarding Sasuke. Above all else, the Uchiha man values his career and music. They're his passion in life, easily. I've been trying very hard not to think about the future and just focus on the now because, in reality, we may never go public, even if we somehow get permission from Evolution.

Sure, Prestige's fans are lovely, and I sincerely appreciate and love every single one of them, but when it comes to seeing us date, particularly Sasuke and Sakura, they're very much against it. Gaara and I's fans don't seem to like the idea either, but the other two are borderline scary regarding the subject of dating.

On Sasuke, we've been so busy these past few weeks that we haven't had a chance to do much more than make out and sleep in one another's rooms. When he first kissed me sober, I thought he intended to treat this like everything else we do and steadily ease me into it without allowing my anxiety to get the best of both of us. However, he seems hesitant to go further in the slightest.

If I'm being honest with myself, I think I'm ready to try taking things to the next step. I don't know how big of a step that may be, I don't know, but I do know that he makes me feel brave, and he makes me feel safe. So long as it's Sasuke, things that previously seemed impossible for me no longer do. Now I just have to find the courage, not to mention the right time and place, to say something.

Gaara's eighteenth birthday, January nineteenth, also came and passed. He finally bought a car, an army green Jeep with four doors and oversized tires. At first, I was surprised, thinking it was very out of character, but that was until I saw him drive it. Somehow, it fits.

With Valentine's Day just days away, Sakura and I went to the store late at night for the weekly grocery trip. We all took turns, this one hers, but I had nothing to do, so I chose to tag along. When we're in public like this, no matter what time of day, we do our best to remain incognito with face masks and casual clothing. Sakura's even wearing a baseball cap to hide her easily distinguishable hair.

She hummed lightly to herself as she scanned the shelves for what to buy, and I let my eyes wander, bored, until they landed on a chocolate display for the oncoming lovers' holiday. My fingers fidgeted, and I interlaced them behind my back as I studied the variety of red and pink packaging, all with little hearts decorating them.

Sakura tossed a few items into our cart before glancing my way and following my gaze. Then she snickered, green eyes glowing to show she was clearly smiling behind her facemask, "Got someone special in mind?"

I bristled, face warming, as she waggled her eyebrows at me, "U-Um…I was wondering if we should get something for the boys."

She made an understanding noise in her chest before standing at my side so we could both look over the display more closely. After a moment, she made a disgusted sound, "No, we can't get them this prepackaged stuff. We're classy women, after all. Have you ever made homemade chocolates before?"

I shook my head, following her as she went behind the cart and turned it down the baking aisle, "The opportunity never arose."

Sakura pulled her phone out of her purse and pulled the cart to the side so we won't block anyone's path, even though there were only two or three other shoppers. I was correct in assuming she was looking up recipes because she then began grabbing the items we'd need, speaking absently with a nostalgic tone, "I made them with my mom when I was a kid. It's not too hard, so you should be fine."

Without having to say it, I understood that I'll be doing most, if not all, of the baking because things just burn and catch on fire in the kitchen when she touches them. Before heading to check out, we also bought some cute red and pink gift boxes and tissue paper to put the treats in, and she vowed to be in charge since she couldn't hurt anyone or anything in the process.

On the way home, we stopped to rest and get a coffee. Once we were served our drinks and alone in the private room, Sakura surprised me by speaking quietly but very bluntly, "I think I love Gaara."

I nearly choked on the sweet drink in my mouth, bringing a hand up to cover my lips as I coughed. Her pretty green eyes stared calmly down into her mug, almost looking sad or forlorn, but a soft blush dusted her cheeks. Once I could clear my throat, I struggled to find the proper response. The irony of her confessing her feelings to me while I'm hiding my relationship with Sasuke isn't lost on me.

To not let the silence linger too long, I attempted to have her clarify her statement, "You love him, or you, like, love-love him?"

She met my eye and gave a bittersweet grin, "I think I'm in love with him, Hinata."

A part of me is currently jumping for joy because I was correct in my hypothesis that the two had been flirting this past month and a half, but the other part's concerned because she looks like she's about to start crying. Her voice is shaky with emotion, too.

I reached across the table to touch her hand, and she turned it around to hold mine, "Why do you sound so upset?"

Sakura's chin quivered, and she sighed as she squeezed my hand for support, "It's just…He's been there for me through so much, y'know, and I've barely done a thing to thank him for it. Don't you think it's selfish of me to have feelings like this? I'm supposed to be his friend, someone he can trust not to ulterior motives."

I searched her face for a few silent moments before shaking my head and deciding to be honest, "I-I wouldn't consider falling in love with him an ulterior motive, and I don't think he would either, but I-I do understand what you're saying. Maybe you should just tell him and hope for the best." I want to say that almost everyone, me included, thinks he's head over heels for her, too, but it didn't feel right, so I kept that part out.

At first, Sakura nodded but slowly stopped to hang her head in defeat, "What if he doesn't feel the same? And what if it ruins everything? Can we possibly stay friends after that?"

For a long moment, I paused to think things through before frowning, "Do you think you can stay friends if you keep it to yourself?"

Those bright eyes widened and raised to lock onto mine again, "I-I…I guess I haven't really thought about it that way."

She's being such a fantastic friend and vulnerable with me right now, making me feel all the more guilty that I haven't said a word to her about Sasuke or that I even have someone I like. It suddenly feels akin to carrying heavy weights on my shoulders.

I watched as she took a sip of her drink, lost in thought, before noticing my staring and offering a sheepish grin, "Thanks for talking with me about this. I think it helped a little."

My confession raised in my throat like vomit, and I shot to my feet, hands flat on the table. She picked up her mug in an effort not to spill it, "What the heck! Are you okay?" I stared down at her with a blush momentarily before excusing myself to the restroom to splash cold water on my face.

I glared at my flustered reflection as I dabbed my damp skin with a paper towel. Just now, I almost betrayed Sasuke's trust by coming clean to Sakura, but I also feel like I'm betraying her by not doing the same thing. I really don't know what to do.

At the end of the week, Sakura and I spent hours upon hours in the kitchen preparing chocolates and cookies. After realizing we had purchased too much of every ingredient, we made some for the Akatsuki boys, Kakashi, and even Sai.

With the yummy smells wafting through the house, Sasuke and Gaara tried to nosy their way into the kitchen to see what we were doing, but Sakura kept them in line each time so they couldn't even get a glimpse of the tissue paper on the counter. Eventually, they got annoyed and left to hang out with Kisame and Deidara, leaving us to relax more in their absence.

I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand before stepping away from the counter so I could pull my hair up into a ponytail.

"...What's that on your neck?" I glanced at Sakura, confused, and saw her eyes widen and light up like a Christmas tree as she came closer and leaned in, moving the cloth of my apron slightly, "Oh my god, that's a hickey, Hinata! You've been holding out on us!"

The hair band in my hand shot across the room in shock, and a wild heat rose to my face. I turned my back and frantically searched for it, a hand to my neck where apparently a mark lay. Once I found it, I turned to give her a pleading look, "P-Please pretend you didn't see it!"

She tickled my hips as I cried out and tried to squirm away, smacking at her hands, "So who's the lucky guy?" I don't know why I even bothered asking. There's no way she's going to let this go.

After finally managing to tie my hair up, I returned to stirring the bowl of chocolate mixture with as stern a face as I could manage, "W-We promised not to tell anyone…."

She grinned, loosely crossing her arms as she leaned against the counter beside me, "So it's a celebrity, then? Or at least someone from the agency."

My blush burnt brighter, somehow, and I gave her a pout, "I really can't tell you, Sakura, at least not yet. I-I'm sorry!"

The grin on her lips became more teasing, "How about this: I won't let the fact that you hid this from me hurt my feelings if and only if you tell me if I guess who it is correctly. Deal?" That's not awful, especially if it means she isn't upset with me.

"Okay, but you only get three guesses. Then you have to give up."

Sakura let out a loud laugh but then nodded, "Alright, it's a deal."

On Valentine's Day, the very next day, we presented the boys with a gift box, each full of homemade goodies and a little card from both of us.

Gaara's face turned red as his hair, and he shyly accepted it, giving us both a hug, "Thank you. This means a lot to me."

Sakura's face was almost as red as his when he pulled away. Sasuke gave us a quiet thanks, a surprisingly guarded expression on his handsome features. Then, the two surprised us by announcing they'd made reservations for the four of us at one of the nicest restaurants in town.

Later in the evening, once we all were dressed nicely and at dinner, the table was calm and comfortable as we ate. That is, until Sakura ruined it by whispering in an excited little hiss, "Did you guys know Hinata's seeing someone?"

I gave her a pleading look before glancing around to ensure no one other than our table heard, "S-Sakura…."

Sasuke snickered, interrupting me, "Yeah, right. I'll believe that when I see it with my own eyes." I gave him a weak glare, to which he responded with a smirk before taking another bite of his food.

Sakura continued, undeterred by either of us, "It's true! She even has a hickey on her neck!"

Sasuke coughed, covering his mouth as he tried not to choke. Sakura and Gaara laughed at him, but I let my head fall into my hands in defeat.

Once dinner ended, we all returned home and went our separate ways in comfortable silence. As I stood in the bathroom, taking my earrings out, not even five minutes later, the door to Sasuke's room opened, and I groaned loudly in humiliation. Without even looking, I know there's an amused smirk on his lips.

He snickered, leaning back against the closet door as he slowly unbuttoned his dress shirt, "So we should be more careful then?"

I lifted my gaze to him in the mirror as I returned the jewelry to my jewelry box on the large bathroom counter, "No, you need to be more careful!"

His amusement melted into flirting, "I'm pretty sure I didn't hear any complaints while I was leaving that mark."

Blush warmed my cheeks, and I began taking pins out of my hair, frowning slightly in embarrassment. He's right, of course. In fact, I know exactly when he left that mark because the feeling of his tongue on my skin is…

Ah, I should calm down.

Long fingers gently shooed mine away, and Sasuke took over, undoing my hair, "I'll be more careful; chill out." I nodded, warmth rising in my chest at the excited way goosebumps raise on my skin at just the slightest touch.

After a moment, the last pin was removed, and my long hair fell loosely down my back. Sasuke brushed it aside and leaned in to kiss the back of my shoulder, meeting my eye in the mirror as he spoke against my skin, "I'll just have to leave them where no one else can see." A hitch came in my breathing, and he smirked, closing his eyes.

In an instant, though, the mood changed from light-hearted to severe when he came to stand so he could turn me around in his arms. My lower back pressed against the counter, my hands on his chest as I looked up at his gorgeous face.

"About earlier…thank you. I feel bad I didn't get you anything. I thought you'd get upset if I did."

I grinned, coming up on my tip-toes as I gently pulled him down a bit so I could reach and kiss him softly. The shy, unfamiliar expression on his face just now makes the butterflies in my stomach flutter wildly. When I pulled away, I tilted my head slightly, "You were right. D-Dinner's enough for me, but those chocolates are from Sakura and me."

He shook his head slightly, jaw flexing, but he didn't say anything as he came down to kiss me again. In his eyes, that gift's solely from me, which is the most flattering thing.

When his tongue slid into my mouth, the mood shifted into a more sensual one, and I nervously slid my hand under his unbuttoned shirt to feel his firm muscles against my skin. A joyful sound rumbled through his chest. That's something I've never done before. Rather than tell him I want to do more, maybe I can just show him. He thought the same thing or could read my mind, but he pressed against me much more firmly than before, making my heart pound dangerously hard within my chest.

One of his hands came into my hair, holding the back of my head so I couldn't pull away from his eager approach, and the other felt the curve of my waist with slow movements. My bravery from before quickly faded, and then I was all but trembling in his arms. He tore his lips from mine, dipping down to press slow, sensual kisses into my jaw and shoulder, a wordless offer to back off if that's what I needed.

I angled my neck slightly so he could reach more easily and tried to get out what I wanted to say before the rest of my courage decided to leave me as well, "S-Sasuke, I-I-I…." My hands pressed against his chest, and my eyes squeezed shut.

The beating of my heart became so loud in my ears that I couldn't hear anything else until he suddenly spoke against my skin, "Hinata."

A shiver shook my spine, and he pulled back to meet my eye. After searching my face for a moment, he seemed to be piecing together what I wanted to say, but I still wanted to get it out so I could prove to him and myself that I could overcome my bashful nature.

One of my hands gently lifted to caress his jaw, and I forced myself to throw caution to the wind, "I-I want to…t-to do m-m-more…."

The fingers in my hair twitched slightly, and the look on his face was almost proud as he shocked me by genuinely smiling, "What would you like to do, then?" Rather than come off as cocky, which would be extremely simple for Sasuke Uchiha, he seems curious.

I shrugged, blushing as he unblinkingly studied my face, "I-I don't know. I thought you would t-take the lead if I'm being honest."

The hand in my hair came around to cup my cheek when I tried to avert my gaze, face burning hot with embarrassment, "If that's what you want, then that's what I'll do." Then he was kissing me again, slower this time.

After a moment or two of getting comfortable again, his hands finally moved. As steady as can be, so I can stop him if I get overwhelmed, he moved me away from the counter and reached behind me to unzip the back of my sleeveless dress at an agonizing pace. Once it was completely undone, he slowly released it, and a breath got caught in my throat when the silky cloth fell silently to the floor around my feet, leaving me in my bra and underwear before him.

He's touched me beneath my shirt, but until now, he's never seen me so undressed, so my anxious shivers began to return. I forced myself onward, though, and hesitantly slid his shirt off his shoulders. Sasuke moved his arms, so it fell to the floor, too, and then his hands came to my waist. The slightest touch of his calloused fingers on my bare skin sends fire down into my lower regions that I don't quite know how to quench.

Rather than pull back to look at me like I thought he would, he slid his tongue into my mouth like earlier, and a slight sound from me got lost between our lips. Minutes passed as I got less and less uncomfortable being before him like this, and once my trembling ceased, he spoke against my lips, "Hold onto me." My eyes opened, but he picked me up before I could respond, hands under my thighs to guide my legs around his hips.

When a surprised squeak left me, he covered it with his lips again as he carried me into my room. My hands gripped his shoulders even when he came to sit on my bed, my knees bent on either side of his hips as I straddled him. His wonderful fingers explored my bare skin since they no longer had to support my weight.

Before I could react, I felt my bra loosen and realized he had unhooked it. My brow furrowed nervously, but I let it slide down my arms before he pulled it away and tossed it haphazardly off the side of the bed. I opened my eyes ever so slightly, extremely nervous, and saw the shadows of the dark room across his handsome face, stirring something wild within me once more.

On instinct, I tried to pull the blanket below where we were sitting up to hide a bit, but he grabbed my wrists and straightened his spine so his bare chest was pressed firmly against mine, "Stop." My eyes opened again, and this time he looked back with a firm expression before beginning to kiss me once more.

A few moments later, pressure came against me, between my legs, and I nearly jumped out of my skin at the foreign sensation. Sasuke left the kiss and dipped down to nibble and suck at the sensitive skin of my neck. When he whispered, his voice was more deep and raspy than usual as he held me still on his lap, "Do whatever feels good for you. It's okay."

My hands were shaking, but I did my best to follow his advice and relaxed against the hardness beneath me, allowing my body to move against his and embrace him in whatever felt the most natural, and it indeed seemed to make things go more smoothly.

It's like a dance, what we're doing, one that we're learning the steps for as we move. My body reacts to everything he does, and his does the same in response to me. How come I've never felt like this before? This is so fluid and sexy.

When he pressed up into me again, this time at just the right angle, the slightest shadow of pleasure suddenly rolled up my spine, and my hips rolled against his in response, surprising us both. Sasuke froze and pulled back to look me in the eye.

My mouth opened as I actively tried not to die from humiliation, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…."

He shook his head, a small grin on his lips, "Don't apologize, but don't do it again if you want me to keep going slow." The blood in my face drained, and he leaned in to almost frantically kiss me, the level of his passion much higher than just moments ago.

A soft, higher-pitched, pleasured sound bled from me when he repeated the exact movement from before, and the sensation it brought was a bit stronger. My hips moved against his again, my grip on his shoulders tightening as the arousal flushing my body threatened to take over. I tried to pull away to ask him why he said not to do it again when he was obviously trying to make me, but he wouldn't let me go and continued to move like that at a slow and steady pace. The desire dropping within my stomach steadily grew, a light sweat dust forming on our skin.

Minutes passed before Sasuke finally allowed me to breathe. His hot breath tickled my skin as he peered at me with dark, beautiful eyes. In a split second, he had our positions flipped, and my legs were around his hips, my head against the pillows as my hair splayed about.

A sharp gasp sucked in past my lips when he leaned atop me to take one of my nipples into his mouth as he continued grinding against me. One of my hands came down into his hair, and the other slapped over my mouth when a small moan slipped past my control. Sasuke didn't say a word or pause what he was doing but swiftly swatted my hand away from my face.

When I obeyed his wordless command, he grabbed my wrist and brought my hand down to cup my own breast, the one he was not currently tasting. He squeezed his hand atop mine, urging me to do all I could to feel good and ignore that he was even here.

Feeling a bit bad because he was doing so much to me, I tried to figure out how to return some of his efforts by parting my legs a bit more so his hips could press directly into mine, pressing up against him with each thrust of his hips so the contact would be even more firm. To my surprise, the maneuver brought me a surprising amount of pleasure, too, and my body arched up against him as my teeth grit to prevent any sounds from leaving my mouth.

His hand moved from atop mine so he could hook his fingers around the underwear at my hip. My eyes shot open in shock, and he noticed my hesitance, moving it back up to my hip. I stopped him by reaching down and guiding his fingers back where they were.

Dark eyes locked onto mine as he stopped what he was doing to my breasts with a face that hinted he thinks he just did something wrong, "I shouldn't have-"

"G-Go ahead; it's okay."

With surprise dusting his features, he didn't hesitate much more, and soon I lay completely nude beneath him. He pressed his lips slowly, sensually, against the skin between my breasts, slowly trailing them lower, and spoke in between each moment of contact, "I like you." He obviously knows how self-conscious I'm feeling and wants to do his best to distract me from it.

Without further warning, he dipped between my legs, a hand holding the outside of my thighs. My breath hitched when his mouth met my most personal and private area, "S-S-Sasuke!" I could feel him trying not to smirk against me, but he didn't pause for even a second. When I looked down, I couldn't see his face in the dark room and could only see his messy hair and broad shoulders, his fingers squeezing my thighs greedily as he continued.

Since I first kissed him, I thought his hands and fingers were skilled, but now I know they're nothing compared to his tongue. It pressed against and massaged my pearl expertly.

It was a terrifying and foreign feeling at first, but now the sensations are beginning to build a fire within me in slow, unstable waves. The more it grew, the harder it became to keep my breathing even, the more my back arched off the bed, and the more my ability to not move against him failed. I gripped the sheets, and my head fell back slightly when, a minute or two later, the waves suddenly jumped in frequency with a short warning.

Then, the waves electrifying my insides released and scattered like crazy. One of my hands came up so I could lightly bite the back of it, muffling what would've been a very verbal response to the euphoric pleasure tearing through me, and my legs trembled slightly as I tried not to squeeze Sasuke's head between them in my out of control state. Slowly, the wonderful feeling ended, and I was left sweaty and breathless with a head full of fog.

Sasuke made a satisfied sound and continued for a moment or two before beginning to trail kisses back up my body, climbing between my legs like he'd been a few minutes ago as he pulled the blanket over us. My fingers trembled, this time with exhaustion and humiliation at being seen by him like that, as I ran them into his hair when he got high enough to kiss my neck again. I stared at the ceiling, eyes glazed over as I recalled the incredible sensations he'd just caused.

"You good?"

My voice had an unfamiliar, breathy tone, "I-I'm alright. Thank you."

He snickered, rising to look me in the eye with a smirk, "Don't ever say thank you. That's my job." I blushed, clamping my mouth closed. He shook his head in amusement, kissing my forehead, then one cheek, then the other, before kissing my lips and pulling back again, "Did you like it? It sure seems like you did."

I made an embarrassed sound but couldn't help smiling bashfully, "It was lovely…." Then my emotions overwhelmed me, and I raised a hand to cover my eyes, "I-I'm sorry, I…I'm s-so embarrassed."

He let out a small laugh, laying at my side and wrapping an arm around my waist to make me turn to face him, "Don't be an idiot, Hyuuga."

I dropped my hand and frowned at him, to which he smirked, kissing my lips once before speaking with his forehead pressed to mine and eyes closed, "Your skin is so soft…." I nervously returned his embrace, bringing my arm around his waist and pulling myself flush against him, a leg hooked over his hip.

As horrifying as it was then, we spent a few more hours talking. He asked me many questions about what I thought I'd like, and I somehow managed to ask him some as well. Apparently, what he just did to me is something he really likes to do. To my understanding, that's something rare that many women can only hope for in a man.

We agreed by the night's end to continue going at a slower pace, but we also decided we couldn't wait forever to have sex. I'm not sure how I made it through that conversation, but I did and fell asleep still naked in Sasuke's arms and feeling closer to him than ever before.