Chapter 74

-Hinata's POV-

When I woke the following morning, I was sore, primarily between my legs. My eyes shot open as last night's memories flooded my brain. Sasuke and I properly had sex; we went all the way.

The man in question was still asleep, allowing me to stare at his unsuspecting face in awe. The way both of us acted last night was unfamiliar, as were the emotions. Tears welled in my eyes as I studied the gorgeous sleeping man's features, with the same feelings brewing in my chest and stomach.

I know I'm in love with him and have been for a while now, but it became more profound when we finally got intimate. I've never felt this way before. I'm actually kind of terrified because I don't know how I'm going to act when he wakes. What if he says something about it? How will I possibly be able to respond?

As stressful as the situation was becoming for me, I still didn't regret it in the slightest. Yes, it was sexy and physically fulfilling, but it also made me feel more connected to Sasuke, as though he finally trusts me in full.

A vision of his face last night, as I was fighting sleep to keep kissing him, crossed my mind, and I found myself cuddling into his side. My chest felt tingly, as though it could barely contain the exciting new emotions.

Sasuke groaned sleepily, one arm coming down to wrap around me while he reached up to rub his eyes with the other. After a moment, he turned his head to meet my eye. I watched as the realization came to his gaze, and he breathed out. He looked stunned and guilty, "I am so sorry, Hinata."

My brow furrowed, "What? Why?"

He turned onto his side to face me, brushing my long hair behind my shoulders, "You're upset, aren't you? You look like you're about to cry. I shouldn't have taken advantage of the situation last night. You weren't ready."

"No, last night was incredible!" Sasuke looked even more surprised, making me second guess myself, "A-At least it was for me. I hope you also…" I trailed off awkwardly, my previous excitement morphing into self-disappointment.

He said I wasn't ready. Does that mean he didn't have a good time? I should've done something other than let him control the situation. Maybe then he wouldn't be looking at me like I just told him something crazy.

"Are you fucking with me right now?"

The Uchiha man's eyes were suddenly warmer, the tense aura of the room beginning to lift. I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. Just what is going on inside his head? I don't know what I expected him to say or do when he woke, but it wasn't this.

Sasuke shook his head, barely holding back a smile as he ran a hand up my bare waist, eyes straying down to my naked chest, "Don't be an idiot, Hyuuga. Of course, I liked it."

My previous excitement returned, and I let out a relieved sigh, meeting him halfway when he leaned closer so our foreheads touched. Despite how bashful I felt, I closed my eyes, admitting softly, "Thank you. I-It was even better than I thought it'd be."

"What did I say about thanking me? Don't do that."

I hummed amusedly, kissing him and ignoring his irritated statement, "I'm a little sore."

The Uchiha man paused, making me pull back to see his almost prideful expression, "D-Don't let that go to your head! It's only because I-I was a virgin!"

He rolled his eyes, collapsing onto his back like he'd been when he was asleep, "You're wrong, and you know it."

Blushing, I clamped my mouth shut when he looked over to meet my gaze again, his eyes warm. Sighing defeatedly, I tried not to smile as I mirrored his position and stared at the ceiling, "W-We'll have to test that theory."

"Whoa, Hyuuga. Just because you got me into bed doesn't mean you should suddenly talk like an expert."

I scoffed, making him snicker.

Thank God things are normal between us. I don't know why I was so worried. We might even be closer than we were before. Even though last night was unplanned, it couldn't have come at a better time.

It was perfect.

A week passed after that.

I was worried the soreness would affect our first performance in Kirigakure, but I managed. We performed the next two nights as well, and then we boarded a plane back to Kumogakure.

Once there, we got back on the tour bus to settle in for a four-day drive to Sunagakure, the southernmost city of our tour. It's a dry, arid city surrounded by a vast desert. We're to perform three concerts there within six days. Unlike in Kiri, we get a day's break in between each.

After Suna, we'll head to Iwagakure. Iwa's a massive city with a thick wall surrounding its outermost borders. It's famous for its security. Apparently, their police force is unrivaled. At least we know we'll be in safe hands while there.

Two concerts will be held there before we return to our hometown: Konoha. It'll be the last stop on our first tour. We'll have just one performance there, but it'll have the highest attendance of any show we've given till now. The venue offers over sixty thousand seats, and the tickets sold out less than a week after going on sale, so it'll be a full house.

The venue is called "The Hokage Stone Center". It's directly beneath the stone Hokage faces if the name didn't give it away. It was built over a hundred years ago, experiencing upgrades through the decades, and is the setting for some of the most famous concerts in recent history.

It's said that if you get to perform at The Hokage Stone Center, you'll know you've officially made it. The only artist I personally know that's done it is Tenten. The fact that we'll be performing on the very stage that helped our mentor's career take off makes me emotional.

I'm so proud of us. We've worked so hard, and we're finally reaping what we've sowed.

"All in, Bitches!"

Sakura's bold declaration tore me from my deep thoughts as she shoved all her poker chips toward the table's center.

Glancing down at the cards in my hand, I frowned and sat them facedown, "Fold." Even if she was bluffing, my hand wouldn't likely beat anyone else's.

Deidara smiled widely as he mirrored her act, "You're on."

Yahiko wordlessly folded, Gaara and Kisame following soon after.

Sasuke stared at Sakura, making her squirm under his calculating gaze. She eventually became fed up and slapped his chest, "God, you're annoying!" Her face was red.

The Uchiha man smirked, pushing the remainder of his chips in because he obviously judged her response as a tell.

Kisame let out a low whistle, "Alright, flip 'em! Let's see who won!"

The bus suddenly hit some kind of pothole, and everyone and everything was thrown about. The table tipped over, causing the chips and cards to fly all over.

Sasuke groaned as the seven of us began picking up ourselves and the mess, "Bullshit. I know I had it."

Once everything was back in place, we decided to call it quits with the card games. With nothing much else to do, we'd been playing various games for four days, which was already boring by day two.

Deidara leaned back in his chair, fingers interlaced behind his head as he complained, "Are we there yet? It's hot in here."

As if on some sort of cue, the bus stopped, and the agency's assistant opened the window separating our area from the front, "We're here, guys!"

An array of relieved sounds filled the air as we rushed out of the vehicle. A gust of blistering hot air hit me the moment my feet touched the ground. Sweat immediately began dusting my skin. I've never really done well in extremely high temperatures. My favorite season is winter, after all.

Before anyone had a chance to look around, the familiar scream of fangirls came from the left. Naturally, we were quickly ushered to the right into the event building, where we were supposed to meet with some important locals before going to the hotel. The slew of screams and cheers were cut off as the thick doors slid closed behind us.

Sakura linked her arm with mine casually.

We were guided through a large, winding hallway before ushered through a larger door at the very end. An elderly pair bowed respectfully, and we responded in kind.

The woman spoke with a naturally raspy but somehow still warm voice, "Welcome to Sunagakure! My name is Chiyo, and this is my brother Ebizo. Together, we lead the city."

Introductions were made before Chiyo said, "I understand that it's customary for you to stay in hotels while traveling, but it'd be an honor to host you in our home. It's more secluded and has one of the only hot springs in the city."

No one could form a complaint, so we were escorted to the leaders' home after a few more words of welcome. The house was surprisingly small, but not so much that it felt cramped. The only downside was that we'd all sleep in the same room. It wasn't that big of a deal, though. The walls, floors, and even some of the furniture were made of stone, giving the villa an earthy feel.

Sakura and I were so eager to visit the hot spring that we immediately went there after being excused by the Suna siblings. The village leaders wished us a good night and vowed to return later in the evening.

Sakura was comfortable dropping her towel and sinking into the steaming water, but I hesitated with a warm face. Pretty green eyes warmed amusedly as she watched me anxiously try to convince myself to just do it, "Oh, come on, Hinata. We're both girls here. Don't be shy." Despite her words, she placed a hand over her eyes so I could enter the spring without her looking.

Frowning, I dropped the fluffy towel and hurriedly got into the water before she could peek. My discomfort melted away as the hot water urged my body to relax.

We sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Sakura sighed happily, "This is so nice." A sound of agreement rumbled through my chest.

The water moved, so I opened one eye to see Sakura had moved so her body was angled toward me, "So?"

I opened my other eye, "So what?"

She rolled her eyes and lowered her voice to a whisper, "So, we haven't had any one-on-one time in weeks! How're things going with your secret boy toy?" I sighed in defeat, making her laugh.

I've been so focused on work and Sasuke that I completely forgot that Sakura still has one remaining chance to guess his identity. She was doing a poor job of masking the fact that she was trying to get clues, too.

She also picked up on the fact that she wasn't fooling me and said, "Don't I get any hints? This is harder than I thought!"

I hardened my gaze on her, which she ignored, "Tell me, do I know him?"

My face began to feel hot, and I averted my gaze to the steamy water, emitting an excited squeal from my friend.

"Alright, so it's someone I know that's either a celebrity or works at the agency. Hm…."

As she pondered, my mind wandered to the night Sasuke and I spent together a week ago. Since then, keeping my eyes off him has been challenging. Well, more challenging than usual. I don't know if I've imagined it, but it feels like he's experiencing the same thing because we kept catching one another sneaking glances much more often than in the past.

"Are you guys dating or just messing around?" Sakura interrupted my inner musing.

I blushed but didn't see the harm in being honest so long as I didn't tell her who I was referring to. Sasuke said he wants to see how long it takes her and Gaara to figure it out, and I have to admit that it's been a little fun sneaking around and seeing what we could get away with right under their noses. It was sort of exhilarating.

"We're dating."

"When did you first get together?"

"The second half of January." It was January 20th, to be exact, but she didn't have to know specifics.

"I thought it was right before Valentine's Day!"

Smiling, I recalled how we prepared those cute chocolates and cookies for everyone. Sasuke and I were so new then, and it made me feel all fuzzy and nostalgic thinking about it.

Sakura didn't let up on the questions, likely trying to milk this chance for all she could while I was still answering willingly, "Have you done it yet?"

The invasive question shook me from my happy little daze, and I gave her a mortified look, which seemed to answer her question thoroughly, "Hinata, are you serious? You lost your virginity and didn't even tell me? I'm hurt!"

I covered my face and groaned, "It wasn't that long ago. I-I haven't had a chance!"

My pink-haired friend became quiet. I slowly dropped my hands back under the water to see her jokingly angry expression had turned more serious, "Whoever he is, he must really like you to have waited so long." Her words would've come off judgemental to someone else, but I understood that she was simply making it known that she hadn't realized it was a serious relationship, not just some fling.

I smiled softly down into the water as I finally admitted aloud, though barely in a whisper, "I love him."

Sakura took her time responding but didn't say what I expected. "Hinata, be honest with me. Did you lie about it not being Itachi? I won't be mad."

My brow furrowed in confusion as I lifted my gaze to meet hers, and she seemed just as taken back by my response as I was by her question.

"I-Itachi? What? No!"

The woman was utterly baffled, "But you guys looked so close at the beach! It looked like he even asked you out!"

I opened my mouth to respond with the truth, only to close it when I realized she might figure it out if I explained that dating Itachi would be the furthest thing from okay in my mind.

Instead, I simply said, "It's not Itachi."

Before she could say anything, my phone received a notification on the edge of the spring, and I reached over to grab it. Surprise nearly had me dropping the device into the water as I read the screen. It said I'd just received a text message from Hiashi Hyuuga. I was too curious to wait and clicked it open. It was an invitation to join him for tea the day after the tour's last concert in Konoha.

"What is it? Is everything okay?"

I shook my head, unable to tear my gaze from the screen, "I-It's a message from my father. He wants to talk after the tour."

"Really? What're you gonna do?"

As I stared at the screen, I couldn't help but feel a small glimmer of hope. Sure, the message he'd sent was as professional as if he'd sent it to a colleague, but he was reaching out for the first time in my life. Could he be finally coming to his senses about all this?

"I think I'll meet with him," I responded, confirming the time he'd suggested I come to the house before setting my phone down on the edge like before.

Sakura and I didn't talk much after that and soon exited the spring.

The mood just wasn't as light as it'd been before.

After a lovely dinner with the village leaders, the elderly pair excused themselves for the evening. None of us wanted to be rude, so we went to bed early in an effort to remain quiet. Loud snores filled the room, caused by Kisame, and for some reason, I couldn't ignore them quite as well as I do when we're on the tour bus.

Eventually, I became restless and climbed out of the bed I was sharing with Sakura so I could step out of the stuffy house. Suna's air was so hot that the atmosphere was still humid even though the villa was air-conditioned.

In an attempt to release my nervous energy, I walked barefoot along the tall fence that surrounded the plot of land the house rested on. The sand was warm under my feet. It felt nice.

"Hey, Hinata!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin, turning to see Deidara jogging to catch up with me, a grin on his face. Awkwardly, I greeted him as we fell into step beside one another.

We enjoyed the calm atmosphere in silence for a few moments before he broke it, "Are you doing okay?"

I nodded, offering a confused look.

He shrugged, his smile fading, "You've lost a lot of weight recently, and I noticed you don't eat much. You're not sick or anything, right? Is it because of the tour? I know it's been a little stressful for Yahiko, too."

My face warmed, and I unconsciously fiddled with the hem of my t-shirt, eyes low so he couldn't meet my gaze, "I-I'm on a diet."

"What! Really? Why, though?"

If we were signed to any other talent agency, the man wouldn't be surprised because Evolution's one of the only ones that doesn't require their idols to be stick thin.

An uncomfortable groan left my lips, "D-Deidara, I-I-I don't really want to talk about it."

The blonde man went silent for a long moment before sighing defeatedly, "Alright, fine, but let it go on the record that I think you looked gorgeous before losing weight, too."

I offered him a grateful smile, glad he wasn't forcing me to spill my problems.

He didn't return the smile, "And just…. It's not healthy to lose weight too fast, so be careful how you-" "I can take care of myself, Deidara."

The man chuckled, raising his hands slightly as though surrendering, "Okay, I'll shut up now."

Soon, we returned to the big guest room and attempted to go to bed. Sakura immediately latched onto me in her sleep, always big on cuddling, even when unconscious. Kisame's snores still loudly filled the air. I laid there for half an hour before sighing and pulling out my phone.

My mind was telling me not to, but I opened twxtter. To my dismay, there were still doctored photos of me flooding my inbox, some of which were new. They were photos from the tour. A sour taste met my tongue as I held back tears.

"Look at her thighs!"

"What a cow!"

"Why is she the visual? She's not even pretty!"

Horrible comments popped up when I clicked one of the photos, each one more offensive than the last.

What do I have to do to please these people? If I lose more weight, I'll be medically under what's recommended for my age and stature. Sick to my stomach, I clicked the screen off and squeezed my eyes closed, tears rolling into my hair.

What if they never stop?

What if it gets even worse?

The following days went smoothly as I was able to put my anxiety to the side so I could focus on my work. Finally, our time in Suna ended, and we were back on the bus to head to Iwa.

On day two of driving, Sakura pulled me aside and shoved her phone in my hands with an odd expression. "What is this!" Her voice hissed in a hushed tone as her eyes darted around to ensure no one was listening.

My own eyes widened at the photo on the screen. It was a shot of Deidara and me walking the other night, taken from a high angle that made us look very chummy. The headline of the post said, "Keeping It A Secret".

I tried to explain, "We w-were just-"

She gasped loudly, eyes wide in disbelief, causing everyone to look in our direction. Her expression fell into a teasing and accusatory one, and I realized precisely what she was about to say. I put my hands up in defense, waving them frantically as I tried to shut her up, but it was no use, "You're dating Deidara, aren't you!"

Gaara looked between his girlfriend, me, and Deidara before offering a small smile of understanding.

I struggled to defend myself, "N-N-No!"

Sakura ignored my panic and flitted across the room to stand behind a confused Deidara, who was sitting at the table with everyone else. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind and smiled at me, "Oh ho ho, you're not fooling me, Hinata. He checks all the boxes!"

She dropped her phone into Deidara's hands so he could see the photo, then Kisame snatched it away and held it so everyone could see the screen. Sasuke looked at it, too. My brow furrowed as I recognized the guarded look he hadn't had in months. I was getting upset and crossed the room to rip the phone from Kisame's hands, clicking the screen off and handing it back to its owner.

"That is not true. Now stop."

The bus got quiet as I turned and headed back to the other end to plop down on one of the beds to control my anger. I turned my back to everyone as tears welled up in my eyes. Deidara looked lost entirely, but I couldn't explain at the moment, or else I'd lose my composure further.

We traveled for another half a day before arriving in Iwa. I felt bad enough that Deidara was confused by all that happened, but only felt worse when it became clear Sasuke truly had been affected by what happened on the bus.

Just like Deidara had said, I hadn't been eating much, but I couldn't stomach a single thing all day because I was so uneasy.

After attending a few public events as a group, we retired to our rooms. The air was tense as Sasuke and I lay in bed silently. I'd struggled to keep my composure all day as I told myself I'd talk to him once we were alone. Now that the time had come, I was scared.

What if he doesn't believe me and…

I couldn't bring myself to finish the thought.

"I trust you, Hinata."

I was snapped into focus by his sudden words. I turned onto my side to face him when I noticed he'd done the same. "Nothing happened, S-Sasuke, I swear. We just went for a walk." My voice wavered as I held back nervous tears.

He cupped my face with his warm hand and studied my face in silence for a few moments before leaning forward and capturing my lips with his in a slow kiss. When he pulled back, my tears fell over, and I frantically wiped at them. My fingers trembled slightly, probably because I hadn't eaten all day.

Slowly, the Uchiha kissed me again. He steadily deepened the kiss as he climbed over me, sliding his tongue against mine. His knee pushed my legs apart to slide between them and press himself against me. My face warmed when I felt he was already starting to get hard.

Would it hurt this time, too, or would my body be more relaxed since we've already done it once?

A soft gasp left my mouth when his fingers pressed against the outside of my underwear. His teeth lightly grazed my bottom lip before he moved his mouth to just beneath my ear. I felt his hand slide under the cloth, and he stroked the length of my entrance slowly to get me a bit wet before steadily sliding a finger in, leaving his thumb to press lightly against the perfect spot as he did so.

Sweat was slowly starting to dust my skin as he hovered over me. It didn't take long for us both to lose our clothes and soon he gently sheathed himself inside me. My face warmed as he sat back so he could watch where our bodies were meeting.

My brow furrowed as a slight ache formed once he was entirely inside. He ran a hand over the inside of my thigh, lifting my leg up to press his lips onto it before looking down at me through lidded eyes. The familiar heated expression made my body want him even more.

He pulled out slightly before pressing back in, heightening the cramp.

"Arch your back, Hina," He instructed before reaching down to rub circles into my clit.

I did as instructed and was delighted to find the cramp disappeared. At a steady pace, he began thrusting into me. At first, there was a slight ghost of the pain from before, but once he picked up the pace, it faded. One of his hands gripped the thigh of the leg he was holding up, and he leaned forward slightly to grasp my breast with the other.

I panted as he blessed my body with pleasure.

His eyes studied my face, only glancing down at my body every once in a while. Embarrassed, I tried to look away, but he reached up and gripped my chin as he made me face him again.

One of his thrusts brushed against the pleasurable spot from the last time as if by accident, and a gasp of surprise erupted from my chest. Suddenly, my other leg was next to the one on his shoulder, and he pressed my knees against my chest.

The new angle allowed him to hit the spot more efficiently, and he started to do so with every other motion. My body moved independently as I gasped and moaned at the sensations. My arms wrapped around my legs, and my fingers interlocked behind my knees to hold them in place. Sasuke looked surprised by my actions but seemed thrilled. He removed his hands from my legs and moved them around my body so he could grip my bottom.

The force with which his body connected to mine picked up, and I soon found it hard to keep control of the sounds I was emitting.

Last time, he'd also let out a sound or two, but he was utterly silent this time. Through my clouded mind, foggy with pleasure, I wondered if it was because he wasn't feeling good.

Even though I was nervous, I slowly let go of my legs, letting them fall on either side of him. His pace slowed, and his dark eyes met mine curiously. A deep blush warmed my face, both with embarrassment and exertion, "C-Can I…."

Sasuke slowed to a stop and pulled out, leaning down to kiss my lips before giving me a slight smirk, "You can do whatever you want."

With inexperienced movements, I had us switch positions. He locked his hands behind his head against the pillows and watched me with heated eyes as I straddled his hips and slowly sat down on his member.

I looked up at him with unsure eyes, and he nodded, "Go ahead."

My hands pressed against his chest and stomach as I experimented with moving my hips side to side, up and down, back and forth, until I found what felt right. When I did, I averted my gaze from his with a burning face and started moving with less hesitation.

I leaned forward slightly and let my instincts take over. My body moved naturally against his. The new angle still felt very good, but I was too nervous about whether I was doing this right to let myself recklessly approach a climax.

My hips moved differently in a natural reaction to a wave of pleasure that rolled up my spine, and suddenly Sasuke's hands were tightly gripping my hips.

I looked up to see his head thrown back in pleasure, his jaw tight as he gritted his teeth. A thick wave of arousal sank into my stomach at the sight, and I suddenly felt a surge of confidence. I repeated the series of movements over and over until he seemed unable to stay still any further and pulled my hips down against him roughly.

A shocked moan came from my mouth.

The Uchiha man slightly bent his knees and started moving his hips to meet mine. Our bodies connected roughly as his dark eyes locked back onto mine. Familiar tension grew within me as we moved in a hot and lustrous haze.

I struggled to keep myself from holding back my moans, finding it much easier to let go since this wasn't the first time Sasuke was hearing them anymore.

The tip of his cock suddenly hit that spot again, and my insides spasmed around him in response. A growl shook his chest under my hands, and he suddenly sat up. I was in a daze of arousal and reacted on instinct alone. I got as tall as I could get on my knees and rolled my hips against him, feeling how slick it was where our bodies met.

One of his hands remained on my hip, and the other wrapped around to firmly pull me against him, his nails slightly digging into my skin in a way that should've hurt but instead only made it harder to control my lust. My breasts pressed against his chest as we moved. A gasp of pleasure escaped me each time our bodies collided.

A completely new sensation shot up my body in a short burst, a more intense pleasure than last time. I squeezed my eyes shut and struggled to hold onto my sanity as he led me to lean back slightly.

My arms held me up from the mattress, and I continued with my head thrown back in pleasure. His hand ran from my neck and then down between my breasts before he firmly gripped my hips once more and started slamming into me without the hesitation that he's shown up until now.

The unfiltered passion of his actions threw me right over the edge.

I suddenly pressed him back down to the mattress as my legs shook."S-Sasuke!" He kept up his movements as my hips bucked wildly against him, and my insides quaked.

His nails dug into my skin, and I barely heard him through my ecstasy. "Oh…fuck…"

The Uchiha man thrusted into me one last time before freezing. A heat pooled in my lower abdomen as I felt him twitch and pulse inside me. Almost simultaneously, we gasped for breath and came down from the high. I sat back on my knees, pushing my hair out of my face before pulling it all into one hand and off my sweaty skin so I could cool down more quickly. Sasuke simply stared up at me, his lips slightly parted as he breathed heavily.

My voice was breathy and light as I panted, "Was that okay?"

I could get off of him and let him pull out, but then I wouldn't be able to see him from the angle that I was anymore, so I didn't. Sweat glistened on his skin, making his already attractive muscles stand out even more. The honest expression of satisfaction and surprise didn't hurt, either.

Alas, it ended anyway because Sasuke sat up beneath me, his hands running up my back to take over the task of holding my hair away from my skin. With my hands free, I ran them up his chest and over his shoulders, pressing my chest to his as I kissed him.

Then I let my head fall back slightly, complaining breathlessly, "It's so hot."

It was then that I realized the Uchiha man had yet to say a single word, so I straightened my spine and met his eye, "A-Are you alright? You're quiet."

Dark eyes danced over my appearance in silence before he murmured in a low tone, "I'm waiting for you to cool down. We're going again." He released my hair, letting it fall down my back as he ran his fingers gently into my scalp.

My body responded naturally when he leaned forward, and I melted into his touch when he kissed my neck. I slid my arms further over his shoulders, shortening the distance between us further as he held me more tightly against him.

A smile tugged at my lips when he spoke softly into my damp skin, "I can't wait anymore."

I didn't say it out loud, but I definitely thought it.

"Neither can I."