Chapter 63

-Hinata's POV-

The rest of the event went reasonably well, considering how tense it had begun. We managed to escape our fathers to join Gaara and Sakura.

At the end of the night, once we arrived home safely and went our separate ways to get ready for bed, I snuck over to Sasuke's room. As I reached for the door, it opened, and we jumped slightly in surprise. I laughed nervously, "H-Hello."

He kissed me before pulling me along into his bed. I thought we were just going to sleep after such a stressful event, but after a few minutes of silence in the dark, Sasuke spoke gruffly, "What did you two really talk about?" The barely filtered jealousy in his voice almost held a glint of distrust that left a sour taste on my tongue.

I tightened my arm over his middle, nuzzling my face into his chest with a sigh, "Nothing important. You don't need to worry."

The heartbeat under my ear wasn't at its usual calm and steady pace, telling me he wouldn't accept that response before he could even respond. He still did, though, "Tell me anyway."

My eyes opened to stare at the blanket, "D-Do you not trust me or something, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha man went silent for a long time, but I refused to let it guilt me into apologizing. If anything, he could at least drop the subject because he knows me so well by now that it shouldn't even be a question that I'd never even consider cheating on him.

That being said, I also understand why he's acting this way. There's likely not a single person in his life that he trusts anymore since his mother passed away. I can't blame him for being damaged by his family's constant betrayal because the same thing happened to me, but the fact that we're so similar should be enough to appease his anxiety on the subject.

"Forget it."

My brow furrowed at his semi-irritated tone, and I pulled away so I could look at his face in mild disbelief. Dark eyes glared back, somewhat guarded even though it was just us two. A bit of hurt panged in my chest as I frowned, but I couldn't figure out what to say, so I rolled over to put my back to him. By the time I fell asleep, he still hadn't moved or said anything.

The way he's acting now is so confusing. Everything was fine between us until he saw Toneri talking to me, but I assured him right after that the man had lied about our conversation and that I didn't like him in the slightest after his show of immaturity.

I woke up before Sasuke in the morning and removed myself from his bedroom. After freshening up, I went downstairs to see Sakura making coffee. When I passed Gaara's room, I noticed that the door was open, and the redhead was asleep in his bed, the blanket low enough that I could tell he wasn't wearing a shirt.

That surprised me thoroughly because to this day, I've only seen him shirtless once, and that was when he came out of the bathroom before Masquerade when I'd been locked out of my dorm and had to escape to his and Sasuke's, so no one would see me in a towel. He's a very private person. Sasuke rarely wears a shirt around the house if he's not doing anything, but Gaara always does.

I averted my gaze to Sakura as I approached the kitchen, sitting at the island and offering her a shy smile when she looked my way.

My attempt to appear uninterested apparently failed miserably because her face turned bright red, and she poured us both a mug of the dark drink before sliding one my way and smiling to herself as she looked down, "We did it…."

Shock had my mouth falling open, "R-Really?"

She nodded, her grin widening happily. After a long pause, I realized she was trying to decide if she wanted to add more to her confession and eventually did, "I was…I was so scared I wouldn't be able to handle that type of thing after what happened, but…." The color in her face flared up again, and she squeezed her eyes closed as a soft, excited sound escaped her chest.

Curiosity got the better of me once I overcame my surprise, "H-How was it?"

Green eyes widened, and she leaned forward on her elbows slightly, the corner of her lips pulling into an amused smirk, "Who are you, and what did you do with Hinata?"

My blush soon matched hers, and I shrugged, "I guess Ino and Tenten must be rubbing off on me."

A short laugh passed her lips, and she glanced at Gaara's bedroom door again before lowering her voice, "It was amazing. He's, like, really impressive down there, if you know what I mean." I let out a mortified sound, covering my face with my hands as I tried not to overheat and pass out. Sakura laughed again, not allowing me to recover, "Don't get me started on the things he can do with his tongue…."

I peeked through my fingers, "O-O-Okay, I get it! Shut up!"

My bandmate's smile widened further, "So, how's Itachi in bed?"

The blood in my face drained, and I dropped my hands slowly from my face, "What?"

She shook her head knowingly, wiggling her finger at me like a parent scolding their child, "That's my first guess. It's Itachi, isn't it? That's why Sasuke's been so grumpy."

"Shut the hell up, Sakura." We both turned to see Sasuke himself walking into the kitchen, a downright angry expression on his sleepy face.

The pink-haired woman perked up rather than get intimidated, "So I'm right, then?"

I waved my hands frantically, "N-No, absolutely not!"

Sakura sighed dramatically, "Damn, that's a shame. I wanted to find out if the rumors about Uchiha men are true." Sasuke turned to glare down at her with a cup of coffee in his hand. He didn't ask, but she still continued, giving me a teasing smile, "They say they're all masters in the sheets, you know. All of Sasuke and Itachi's exes agree. Ino said her friends won't shut up about it even after being dumped."

I averted my gaze down into my mug, face warm despite the heavy aura of discomfort climbing my spine, "C-Can we talk about something else?" I was ignored.

"Shouldn't you focus on your boyfriend instead of fantasizing about my brother and me?"

Sakura elbowed him in the ribs, unbothered by his bad attitude, "Oh, Sasuke, I'm not fantasizing about anyone but Gaara, don't worry. I'm just curious."

The redhead in question suddenly appeared in the doorway of his bedroom, face the same color as his hair. All three of us looked at him in silence, waiting for his reaction to what he had just walked in on, but he simply turned back into his room and tugged his shirt off again before throwing himself onto his bed with a groan.

Despite his bitter mood, Sasuke snickered before wordlessly going downstairs to the studio.

Sakura and I shared a look before she got back on-topic, "So it's not Itachi, then. Two guesses left…." I sipped my coffee with a forced smile, hoping she didn't pick up on the odd vibe Sasuke was giving.

-Sasuke's POV-

I don't know what the hell's wrong with me. Ever since that damn party at my father's place, I've been acting like an asshole. Well, actually, I do know what my problem is. It's just that I know the reason is irrational, but I can't seem to let the fact assist in remedying the situation.

I'm a jealous, untrusting prick. Of course, I know Hinata's done nothing wrong, and I offended her by acting as she has, but is it really hard for her to give me a little reassurance? All she had to do was tell me what Toneri said to her, but she won't. In truth, I also know it's only because she doesn't deserve to be questioned like that and not because she's hiding something, but that doesn't make my anger go away.

Annoyed at everything, mostly myself, I found Gaara in the basement close to ten at night and forced him to drink with me. It's been a while since we've hung out without the girls because of everything that's gone on over the past five months.

He must feel the same way because he actually accepted my invitation, and soon we were both tipsy and playing video games in my room. It surprised me because he doesn't usually allow himself to drink enough that it affects his motor skills, but I'm not about to bring it up and ruin the fun.

"So you're fucking Sakura, then?"

Teal eyes snapped onto me and narrowed threateningly, "Don't say it like that."

I smirked, amused at his defensive attitude, "Alright, man, sorry. Congrats, though."

His tension melted, and he smiled more easily than usual, "Thanks."

A laugh rose in my throat, and I tried to choke it back as I focused more on the game since he was actually beating me for once.

It was calm and quiet for a while, maybe half an hour, before Gaara broke the silence again, "What's going on with you?" I gave him a bewildered look, and he frowned, "You've been acting weird since Hinata's wreck."

The memory of how I almost lost my composure significantly at the hospital came to mind, and I shook my head, averting my gaze to the screen, "Nothing's going on."

Usually, he's the type to let things go when he knows someone's not comfortable, but apparently, he's not the same when drunk, "Listen, it's okay to be worried. You know that, right?"

I sighed loudly, extremely unhappy with the severe sudden turn of vibe, "I said I'm fine, dude. Let it go."

Gaara paused the game and glared at me, "You'll feel better if you talk to her about it." When it became clear I wouldn't have this conversation with him, he sighed in defeat and hit play again.

An hour or two passed, and tipsy became drunk, and I discovered that Gaara's very similar to Hinata in that he talks much more when inebriated. "I'm pretty sure Shikamaru's sleeping with my sister. I'll kill him."

Usually, this would be entertaining to me, but I was too busy thinking about the hurt look on Hinata's face last night when I all but told her I don't trust her even though that's not the truth.

"If she finds out I lost my virginity, she will lose it, man. I'll never hear the end of it."

Absently, I replied so he doesn't get offended and think I'm ignoring him, "She probably already knows. I could tell, so I bet your siblings can, too."

Gaara's head turned toward me, stunned, "You could tell? How! Do I look different?"

I shook my head, bringing my glass to my lips with my eyes glazed over, "How you and Sakura act around each other."

It's true. Before, both avoided even sitting too close when alone, but now they're relaxed and natural about it. I wonder if that type of thing happened to Hinata and me when we first started dating. Will it happen when we sleep together, too? A tight feeling came to my chest, and I absently touched it with a frown. I can't believe I'm sitting here thinking about fucking her when she's in the other room, upset with me. What an asshole…

"I love her, Dude, I swear it."

Drunkenly, I saw him sitting in a daze with a red face, eyes unfocused on the glass in his hand, "How do you know?"

Gaara snapped out of it, meeting my gaze with a furrowed brow, "How do I know what?"

"That you love her."

The red on his face got brighter, but he smiled wide, "I'll do anything for her; that's how."

My words were slightly slurred as I doubted his statement, "Anything? Yeah, right."

He shook his head, an odd, soft look touching his features, "I mean it. I'd even give up my music career for her if necessary."

I frowned, sitting up a bit straighter. He's joking, right?

"You can't be serious. You'd really do that for a girl you aren't sure you'll be with ten years from now? What if she cheats on you, or you end up wanting someone else?"

Gaara tossed back the rest of his drink before shrugging, "I don't know what's going to happen in the future, but I do know I never want to lose this feeling." Suddenly, he stood up, checking his phone before sliding it into his pocket, "I'm going to bed, man."

I frowned as he stepped over my legs and exited the room. I know damn well he's only going downstairs to be with Sakura because he's been talking about her, making him want to see her. Once my bedroom door shut behind him, I tossed back the remaining liquor in my glass before sitting it on the ground at my side and glaring at the bathroom door.

I can't blame Gaara because I feel the same way.

-Hinata's POV-

Sasuke and I avoided one another all day. With each hour that passed, my anxiety levels rose. No matter how much I care for him and hate not speaking, I'm not apologizing for something that's not my fault.

It's like he's creating an argument where one isn't needed, but I can still tell that that's not his intention. Ever since the wreck, he hasn't entirely returned to his usual, annoying self, and it feels like this is some sort of peak to that struggle.

Sakura and I watched some cheesy romance movies and drank wine in the evening as a mini girl's day. By the time the first movie ended, we'd already drunk one bottle, and I watched with unsure eyes as she got up to retrieve another.

When she returned and filled our glasses, she caught my gaze and grinned reassuringly, "It's alright, Hina. We have nothing to do tomorrow, and you're finally off your meds!" On the bottle of the pain medication I've been on for weeks, there's a big, bold label warning not to drink alcohol while taking it.

Sighing, I clinked my glass to hers in a silent toast before sipping the sweet liquid and clicking play on the next movie. By the time it was finished, the second bottle of wine was too, and it was past midnight.

Sakura's cheeks were rosy with inebriation, and she smiled bashfully at me, "I'm gonna tell Ino I slept with Gaara. Wanna listen?"

We had quite a light dinner, so the multiple glasses of wine did an excellent job getting us nice and drunk. I couldn't stop myself from nodding excitedly and scooting closer as she pulled her phone out. We shared a quick look as it rang, Sakura putting the call on speaker.

"What's up, Forehead?"

Sakura's lips twitched as she held back a smile, "Ino, guess what!"

Our model friend picked up on the "I-have-hot-news" tone of her voice, "What!"

"I slept with Gaara!"

High-pitched squeals came from the device, and Sakura mimicked the sound, making me cover my mouth to stifle a laugh. "Bitch, no way! Tell. Me. Everything."

After hearing too many details about the nights Sakura has spent with our redheaded bandmate thus far, I bid the girl good night around one in the morning. I stumbled drunkenly upstairs, her and Ino's giggles floating softly into the air as they continued to talk on the phone.

As I passed Sasuke's door, I heard Gaara's voice and went to my room in defeat. Maybe it's for the best; that way, I don't have to decide whether or not I should approach my boyfriend tonight. Luckily, I fell asleep with ease due to the wine's influence.

To my surprise, though, I was awoken at some point later to see Sasuke knelt down at the side of my bed with an unhappy frown. I sat up, head spinning slightly. I must not have been asleep for long because I was still drunk.

"S-Sasu-" "Hinata, I'm sorry."

My lips clamped shut in surprise. He slid his hands under the blanket to guide my legs over the edge of the bed, staring at my face, "I'm, um, I'm drunk, but I'm still sorry. I was an asshole."

I shook my head, running my hands through his hair and pushing it away from his face to see it clearly, "I-I forgive you."

He didn't move and kept searching my face for a moment before furrowing his brow, "Can I say something stupid that might scare you away?" I gave him a confused look, and he shook his head, coming up onto both his knees so he could grip my waist with both hands, "When I found out you were in an accident, I…."

The breath in my lungs got caught in my throat. Are there tears in his eyes right now, or am I drunker than I thought? Either way, they didn't fall as he tried to get what was on his mind out again, "Ever since then…I don't know if this feeling…It almost hurts…." He trailed off again, squeezing his eyes closed and cursing softly to himself for a moment.

I cupped his face, somehow understanding that whatever this was needed to get off his chest now, or he would get angrier. Those deep, dark eyes reopened, and the tension in his brow furrowed as he locked them onto mine more firmly, "You scare me, Hinata, and I don't know what to do."

Even if he's drunk, which might be the only reason he could garner the courage to say all this, my heart soared at his sincerity, and I tilted my head with a small smile, "Sasuke…." He moved one hand up to cup mine. "J-Just come here, okay?"

He rose slightly more so I could kiss him passionately. When I pulled away slightly, I wiped at my tears that managed to both rise and overflow without noticing, "I'm scared, too, but we'll figure it out." He nodded, kissing me again.

After calming down, he climbed into bed with me, and I snuggled closer to him as if trying to make up for not doing so last night. He mirrored my efforts, holding me against his chest tightly with both arms around me as he lay on his side, his forehead pressed to mine. "I'm sorry that I'm drunk, Hinata."

A smile tugged at my lips, and I brushed my nose against his affectionately, "I-I'm drunk, too, Sasuke."

Content emotions came over me from him as he softly pressed his lips to mine. "I'm sorry for being jealous."

My eyes opened, and I pulled back slightly, making his open too, "Stop apologizing. I forgave you already."

A drunken grin met his lips, "Yeah, sorry."

We briefly held one another's gaze before breaking into drunken and hushed laughter, cuddling closer. I think I learned something new about him today. It at least seems like he's more emotional when he's drunk, and I can't say that I hate it.