First of all, thank you thank you for accepting the last chapter well, despite the massive errors it has. I’m in a much better mood (and pace) as I’m writing this chapter so I hope that this one will be better.

-

-

-

Chapter Nine – Juliet Never Had it This Way

Turned out that Sasuke was absent on the next Monday.

That news became a shock for Hinata. She’d spent her weekends doing laundry to the dresses that Philippe had given her and actually brought them all to school inside cartoon bags. God knows how much her hands hurt for carrying much more than her muscle strength allowed her to.

She sucked her lips onto her mouth, her fingers circled against the rope of the bags she’s still holding. Unconsciously, she cast her gaze to the empty seat beside her, wondering what Sasuke’s doing in his home.

It was such a shame that he didn’t came, and that darkened her mood vastly. She’d rehearsed millions of imaginary dialogues with Sasuke yesterday, searching for ways to lead their conversation to the point where he’d left her last weekend.

But since he’s not here, that meant that Hinata’s strenuous hard works would all come to avail.

This fact, added with the throbbing ache on her hands due to carrying too much weight, made her extra-sensitive today. Hinata wasn’t exactly what you’d call grumpy, but the near-constant pout in her mouth and the ruddy color of her cheeks gave impression that she’s not to be bothered today.

Since there had been rumors that Sasuke and Hinata were making up, people knew what had upset her so much. The fact that the source of her grumpiness was known didn’t help lifting her mood, because whenever the ‘S’ word was said, there must be somebody shusing and another one chuckling and another snorting. With her private life so exposed to everyone, she couldn’t hope for a little peace because most of these people would love to give her hell.

One of the best examples would be now. Hinata could barely see since there the huge box she’s holding was blocking her sight. She had forgotten how come she could end up retrieving this to the laboratory when she’s not in charge for the inventory, but she did remember that one mentioned that Sasuke was supposed to be doing this and since Hinata was the closest thing he had as a ‘friend’, she’s got to be the one replacing his position.

Insert some profane curses here.

She wobbled her way trough the laboratory. She’d heard the bell rang, and everybody suddenly flooded the whole corridors to go to the cafeteria, many of which tackled her and crushed her tiny body into some hard-muscled boys. When the sea of people finally dried up, Hinata felt as if her bones had just been splintered.

“Ugh…” she grunted as she shifted the box to a more comfortable position. “L-Like the cafeteria’s going to.. dissapear if they come l-later.”

“That’s what I thought, too,” a masculine voice talked back to her. Having had the dreams of hearing his voice for years, Hinata instantly knew that it was Naruto. He was emiting some painful grunts that was similar to hers. There was sounds of bags and boxes shuffling so Hinata knew that he’s suffering the same fate as she.

“N-Naruto,” she mumbled, since using up voice was such a strenout work when you’re lifting something heavy. “Working, too?”

“Yeah,” Naruto said as he tried to balance his footing while holding one box full of pom-poms and three girly sport bags that were clearly not his. “So you’re doing Sasuke’s portion?”

Hinata gaped at him. How did he know? Now the student had set up some spy to take accounts on her every move?

“I always meet him in that condition every Monday,” Naruto explained the source of his knowledge. He then gestured at the bags and grinned. “I’m doing this once a week so I know.”

“Those bags a-are not yours,” Hinata pointed out.

“Yeah, they’re Sakura’s, and Yue’s and Lilly’s,” Naruto said as though it didn’t bother him at all. “They’re Sakura’s friends, anyway, and they have cheerleading practice at Mondays.”

“I noticed,” Hinata nodded and used up all of her willpower not to make a pitying expression.

Apparently, she’s not doing that well, because now Naruto’s looking at her with a half-smirk that indicated awareness. “I know that look,” he said, his blue eyes twinkled and she once again remembered the exuberance that had enticed her.

“I-I’m sorry?”

“That look!” Naruto shouted, and Hinata thought that he would have pointed an accusing finger at her had his hands weren’t so busy. “That ‘You’re-Pathetic-and-Stupid’ look! I know it!”

“I don’t-“

“Oh, don’t bother saying anything,” Naruto laughed. There wasn’t any sadness in that laugh, only mere ignorance. “I’ve become used to it. More than half population in this school keep giving me that look. It’s only natural for me to toughen up.”

Hinata sighed. She resumed her trip with Naruto, but in the midway, she just couldn’t refrain herself anymore. Sakura wasn’t really that evil as she’d tried to project herself, but it’s more than clear that she couldn’t and wouldn’t try to return Naruto’s feelings.

“Naruto… I’m sorry for meddling with your b-business, but-“

“Don’t do it, then,” Naruto cut her.

“But I think you should stop,” Hinata carried on, not really giving much thoughts to the blond’s words. “I think you’d g-get hurt..”

Naruto rolled his eyes. “I know…” he groaned, like how kids do when their parents told them to turn off the lights and go to sleep. “Believe me, I know.”

“T-Then.. why?”

“I really really like her,” he said. “In fact, when I think about it, I think I love her.”

“Hmmm…” Hinata nodded. She turned her head away from Naruto as to hide the pitying expression she couldn’t rein.

“I mean, well, sometimes she’s not the most pleasant person to be with,” aware of her incredulity, Naruto added. “But I know that she’s a good person inside.”

“Well,” Hinata tried to recall the memories she’d had with Sakura. She did agree with NAruto that she certainly wasn’t the most pleasant person to be with, especially with the girl’s constant attempts to hurt her. But the second sentence, she couldn’t really comment on. “okay.” She finally decided to only give a noncommittal nod.

“You’re not buying it, aren’t you?” Naruto grinned. He cocked his head, thinking. “You remember when in elementary school I got mocked because I found out that I’m not my parents’ child?”

Hinata nodded her head, somehow feeling an unpleasant pang remembering that memory. She wasn’t one of the interfering kids, but she didn’t do much help to assuage Naruto either..

Her eyes flickered open as she remembered one small details.

Naruto had always sat on the back of the class that time, meek and quiet and insecure. Nobody bothered to talk to him because the mean kids had always threatened them to ‘hate’ him. But there’s one particular girl that bravely talked to her and even shared her lunch with him, regardless the hell that those kids gave to her.

Hinata tried to remember harder, in case her mind deceived her, but she couldn’t find anymore evidence that the brave girl wasn’t Sakura.

“Sakura’s the one-“ Hinata began.

“Yeah,” Naruto’s turning pink as a beautiful smile blossomed. “I mean, hell, even other outcasts don’t talk to me. But that girl, pretty and brave and.. amazing, did. I myself couldn’t believe my luck.”

“But that time, p-people always dismissed her-“

“She wasn’tpopular, yes. When we’re kids we used to think that those people who gave a damn about their report cards are wusses.”

Hinata became red as she nodded.

“We became bestfriends, you know, until we became teenagers and she became all dolled up and pretty and, well, unrecognizeable,” Naruto sighed, and with the air he had just let out some of his weariness. “She started to ignore me, treat me badly. But I think she doesn’t mean it.”

Hinata hoped she could believe that.

“She.. told you to have that tattoo,” she darted her gaze to his cheeks, trying to diverge the subject. “Is it permanent?”

“Hell yeah,” a foxy grin appeared, meaning that he’s happy. “They say people will regret their tattoos, but I highly doubt I’ll hate these whiskers. She used to call me ‘my little fox’, you know that?”

Hinata bent her head profoundly. She tried to remember if she’d done anything close to permanent just because Sasuke asked her to. Nothing came to her mind. Desperate, she fired an inappropriate question to Naruto.

“But don’t you notice? S-She.. I think she’s not loving you back…”

At this, Naruto didn’t just answer right away. His eyes went unfocused as his whole face changed. He didn’t exactly looked angry, but instead serene. But this worried Hinata even more.

“I-I’m sorry I asked you that..” she quickly apologized before the effect of her painful words sank deeper into him.

There was a few moments of silence, before then Naruto closed his eyes and smiled.

“So what?” he asked, his voice soft. “So what if she’s not loving me back? I’m able to find someone worthy to love, that’s more than enough to me.”

Unable to find her voice, Hinata only looked at him. Suddenly, her heart clenched in such a way that made her almost vomited. The fog that was in her head was swept away and she could think clear now. And all she could see, even though she was in school and nowhere near him, was Sasuke. Sasuke getting angry, Sasuke waiting for her in rain, Sasuke yelling at her, Sasuke hugging her, Sasuke giving her supports, Sasuke and his red eyes watching her, Sasuke blushing as he asked if she loved him..

“Y-Yeah,” Hinata said when she’s finally able to regain control over her body. Her head nodded slowly as recollections of memories, whether it’s bitter or sweet or just plain sour, came flooding her head. “So what?”

“Hey, are you alright?” Naruto sounded concerned. “Hinata?”

“That’s right,” Hinata whispered, mostly to herself. Her breaths became short as a mixed feeling of realization and enthusiasm anchored within her. Without realizing it, she’d laughing at the reminiscince of people calling her idiot. Now that she saw it, the way she acted around him, how she always tried to hide what was forming between them.

Yes, she had been an idiot.

“So what if he doesn’t love me? So what if he tells me to go away?” she kept saying. “I love him, that’s what matters.”

“You’re seriously scaring me,” Naruto had dropped the bags and boxes and now helped Hinata putting down hers. He put his hand on her forehead as if to check her temperature. “Dude, you should be at home!” he shouted as he quickly pulled away.

Hinata cupped her own cheeks and felt that it’s blazing. Being sick was the least of her worry now, though. And finally, when she’d finished calling herself names, she hugged Naruto and said.

“Can you help me bring that to the lab? I-I have things to do.”

Naruto just looked blankly at her, but already she ran from him. Midway, she remembered something, though, and ran back to the blond to plant a kiss on his cheek.

“Thanks!” she murmured, and then started running again.

-

-

-

“I need you to do me a favor,” Hinata panted to Neji, who was having lunch with his girlfriend. “You must do me a favor.”

Hinata was aware that most of the people around here were looking at her, and some of them didn’t even bother to being discreet in doing that. She could care less about them now, though, because right now she couldn’t stuff anything more in her mind. It was already full, bulging even, and she needed to let everything out.

“H-Hinata?” Neji sounded confused. “Are you alright?”

“Never better,” Hinata said, and she wasn’t lying. “So will you?”

-

“You know your father would murder me if he knows I am doing this,” Neji said as he pulled the car out of the parking lot. His mood was cranky because he’d just given all of his money to the security to keep his mouth shut. “In case that happens, I suggest you to hire the best bodyguards because the first person I will haunt is you.”

“I’m sorry. I just need to do this now.” Hinata said, buckling her safety belt and fanned herself. The heat wasn’t sweltering, but it seemed that the fire inside her body made her keep sweating.

“It can not wait?” Neji asked as he scowled at the waving security, already holding a bottle of beer. “Don’t you have classes to attend and I have my classes to attend?”

“Sorry!” Hinata couldn’t find any other word that would assuage Neji better. “I-I’m afraid once I lose the incentive I w-won’t be able to do it. It’s now or never.”

Neji exhaled impatiently, but he drove away on eighty mpH. Normal times, Hinata would have been on the edge of her seat, heart on the brink of her ribs and eyes bulging out. But now, she felt that she needed more speed.

“Faster, please?”

Neji looked at her, his eyes showed both his confusion and disbelief. “Yeah, that’s a good idea,” he said, and Hinata had hard time considering if he’s being sarcastic or not. “If we crash on a truck on 100mpH at least I will be dead rightaway. No need for tubes and bypass and the painful recovery. Freaking great idea!” he finished dramatically as he stomped at the bottom of the car, effectively elevating their speed.

He’s being sarcastic.

After giving directions to Sasuke’s house, Hinata flipped her cellphone and tried calling him. One ring, two ring, three..

“He’s not picking it up..” Hinata said.

“Because probably he is sick and is sleeping,” Neji hadn’t lost his bad mood and kept snapping. “What makes you think that he is avoiding you? I thought you two were over?”

“It’s.. It’s not exactly over..” Hinata said carefully. “At least I like to think so.”

“Oh, really?” Neji checked on the rearview mirrors for some police trailing. It’s been a wonder that no one had caught them. “Is that have something to do with your missing last night?”

“Probably.”

He snorted. “Right.”

“I’m calling the house,” Hinata announced as her third attempt at calling his cellphone had failed.

“When I say ‘Now’, you have to get out of the car,” Neji suddenly said, and his tone was serious.

“Pardon?” Hinata said in between the ignored rings. “A-Are you mad at me?”

“If you get caught speeding with me and your father beat me with a stick, then I will be,” Neji pointed at two police motorcycles trailing him. “Have he answered your call?”

Hinata shook her head. Her eyes caught the reflected motorcycles on the rearview mirror, all sirens wailing wanting her cousin’s car to pull over. “W-What are your plans? You bring your license, right?”

“I wish I did,” Neji snuck his hand onto his pocket and came out with nothing. “Ino took my wallet as a prank. Now I think I am going to add more speed to get away from this.”

“But isn’t that going to be dangerous?”

“I’ve never done this before,” was how Neji answered, and somehow Hinata could see a small smirk developing. He made a radical u-turn and drove fast along the alleyway, when the polices were nowhere to be seen, he unlocked the door and yelled ‘now!’.

Hinata took a few sharp breathes, murmured her thanks, and then went out of the car. Right after she stepped her second foot on the land, Neji slammed the door shut and sped up. A few seconds later, two motorcycles and one car consisting of two polices were right after him.

“He went left!” Hinata screamed to the police.

Not everyone was fooled, but at least the only one chasing after her cousin was the slowest one. Hinata checked on the roads, and after she’s convinced that Neji’s going to be alright, she scurried to the house that looked familiar. Only without the pink luggage.

After her fifth attempts to call his home number gone ignored, Hinata finally decided to talk to the message box.

“If I’m not asking your call, it means I don’t want to talk to you. Don’t leave message. Beep.”

“I know you’re there, Sasuke,” Hinata said as she lifted her head, trying to find Sasuke’s figure on the second floor of his house. There was nothing there, but she’s not going to be fooled. “P-Please answer my phone.”

He’s still not picking up, so it was finally time to crash in.

Since it’s impossible to expect him to answer her doorbell, Hinata took a sideway. She ran around his house, searching for a loophole that’d allow her in. There were some windows, but they’re closed. She groaned in frustation, as Sasuke’s house seemed well protected, and this growl attracted some bypassers to turn their heads to her.

Noticing this, she said. “I-Is the owner of this h-house went out this morning?”

One of the girls answered. “You mean the good-looking bloke with black hair? I haven’t seen him out. I always watching him so I know.”

This revelation made Hinata even more anxious. Even strangers had crush to Sasuke. She checked on the girl, and found that she’s quite very beautiful. For a moment there, her confidence was cracked, but she steeled herself.

“So are you his girlfriend or what?” the girl asked.

Hinata tried to forget that there’s a big acne on her forehead and that she’s wearing a second-day hair and that she had more fat than this girl had and said. “There’s a p-possibilties I will be.. If I can get h-him to talk to me.”

Surprisingly, the girl smiled and gave her a thumbs up. “Good luck, girl! He’s a catch, you gotta go get him.”

This made Hinata smiled. The girl then pointed into one spot that she hadn’t checked, on the very back of the house.

“There’s a tree there, and it connects right to the bloke’s room,” she said. “I can go get some of my friends to give you a lift.”

Not long thereafter, Hinata was showing her panties to the boy who let her stand on his palms. The girl (turns out her name was Rei) was navigating the boy to stand on the most convenient place. After he found it, Hinata stepped on his shoulder to get onto the nearest branch.

“Be careful!” Rei shouted, but she was laughing.

Thank God that she’d had some practice before. The tree in which she and Gaara had climbed wasn’t nearly as steep as this one, but it was close. Her clothes were ruined as it came contact with the trunks but she could hardly care. With her one hand holding on the branch, she tried calling once more.

Still, Sasuke wouldn’t pick up.

“Talk to me!” Hinata shouted desperately. “God!”

There were some murmurs heard down there, and when Hinata glanced, the view shocked her. The two people that had helped her went here had grown into a dozen or two eager spectators, all enthustiastic to see her get into Sasuke’s room.

“Come on, girl!” said one elderly woman. “I know that boy’s lonely.”

“I thought he’s gay!” screamed a few young boys.

Hinata appreciated the concern those people gave, even though her little heard said that they’re only watching her because there’s nothing more entertaining to do. This place was a little bit secluded, Hinata admitted, and somehow understood why Sasuke chose this place to live.

She struggled to lift her feet to another branch, but she slipped, and then she’s dangling on the tree, the only thing that prevented her from failing was her hands.

The spectator down there sang a ‘OHHH!’ in unison.

Hinata was scared as hell, but determination still ruled over her. She mustered her power, then jumped to the next branch. This action of hers drew applause, and from the gradually louder voices, she assumed that the flock had gotten bigger.

She shook her head, and her mind went to the book that Shakespeare wrote. The one about Romeo and Juliet. It’s a pity how Shakespeare had never written about Romeo’s struggles to climb a tree to go to Juliet’s bedroom. That scene with him struggling with a lot of people blindly cheered on him would give the readers an idea why he’s so anal about letting go the girl he’d just known for one day. The task was extremely hard.

There was one more branch to climb, and Sasuke’s still ignoring her phones. She doubted that she had enough power to jump to the balcony, so she sucked in a large portion of air and then-

“Sasuke!!” she shouted to the closed doors.

The crowd down there gasped.

“She knows his name!” Hinata heard a girl murmured.

“,” another girl kept mumbling his name nonstop.

“Open the door!” Hinata continued. “I’m dangling on the tree beside your balcony and will fall in-“ she checked on her shaking limbs. “two minutes.. if you don’t c-come out and help me.”

More gasps ensued and some even started holding hands, as if they’re watching some kind of suspenseful romantic comedy. The first thirty seconds passed with no sounds except for Hinata’s limbs shuddering. Hinata waited in fear, not because she’d embarrassed herself for nothing, but because she feared that she wouldn’t be able to tell him that-

Sasuke opened the door to his balcony. He was obviously hadn’t bathed and had just had a very rough night. There were puffs under his eyes, and his hair was ruffled and messy and stood up in a very weird way. Instead of contacts, now he’s wearing glasses, thick and looked heavy on his nose. His old sleeping robe was wrapped around him, and from the glimpse of it, it seemed that it’s the only thing he’s wearing, and he’s wearing it in hurry. His mouth pale and when his eyes caught hers, his whole body seemed to freeze.

“You!” Sasuke exclaimed.

“Me,” Hinata said, weary but relieved. “Hey…”

a few wistful smiles were heard down there.

Sasuke noticed the crowd that was watching them, but wisely decided to ignore them. “What on earth are you doing? Come here,” he reached out and waited for her to take his hands.

Hinata did, and then Sasuke pulled her to his balcony. He didn’t smell like the usual, as he hadn’t put on cologne, and Hinata noticed that there’s soft stubby grew under his chin. He didn’t look his best and he hadn’t even combed his hair.

But never, ever, Hinata found him sexier than that time.

So, she said the first thing that came to her mind.

“I love you.”

Sasuke’s expression didn’t change, and neither did he move any of his muscle. He just stared through her, his eyes unfocused and his mouth open. He seemed like he hadn’t connected with his soul.

At his lack of response, Hinata bit her lip to fight back the tears that nearly sprung on her eyes. But she’d said the word, and she might as well finished her confession. “A-And I’m sorry that I’ve lied a-a lot to you. But really, I-I love you, and I realized that-that my crush to Naruto i-is just mere adoration and Gaara’s…” she gritted his teeth at the mention of the name. “I-I don’t even know if I like him. But I know.. I-I always know that I love you and I’m just um, v-very afraid to show that because I think you’re not returning my feelings.”

Still no response. If anything, Sasuke hadn’t even blinked.

Desperate, finally Hinata just came to the conclusion. “So.. y-yeah. I love you. I-I just want to tell you that. And I-I’m not returning Philippe’s dresses b-because, even though you reject me now I s-still want to keep them as a m-memento as what I had.. e-even though it’s all just pretending.”

“So there,” Hinata whispered. “I’ve-I’ve let it out.”

A few agonizingly long seconds later, Sasuke blinked, and the first words that came from his mouth were: “Can you.. repeat that?”

Now, this was a cue for Hinata to hit him, and she followed her instinct by pounding on her chest. “Y-You’re such a meanie! I-I phoned you many times, climbed a tree, e-embarassed myself and I’ve let out the l-longest speech I ever have, and then y-you want me to repeat that? Don’t you know t-that I’m killing myself saying those things?”

Sasuke, who seemed had just realized a few things, blinked and regained some of focus. “I-I’m sorry,” he hit his head softly. “I thought I was imagining things.”

She pounded at his chest again, torn between feeling amused and afraid and hurt.

“Let’s go inside,” Sasuke decided, since the crowd was becoming louder and louder with every word that either of them let out. “Come.”

Hinata had never been to Sasuke’s room before, but she couldn’t just concentrate to even the risqué poster he had on his door because her heart was too busy jumping and doing arduous cardiovascular exercise. Her sweats kept coming and her eyes could never leave the black-haired guy.

Sasuke himself seemed in no more better condition than her. He walked slowly behind her than asked her to sit on his chair. He sat on the edge of his bed, and did nothing but stare at her.

“So…” Hinata started. She gulped, then fanned herself again.

“So..?”

“W-What do you think?”

Sasuke didn’t seem to understand.

“I-I h-have just confessed,” Hinata said with her head bowed down profoundly. She couldn’t bear looking at those bloodshot eyes. “it’s o-only polite for you t-to answer, e-even if it’s a no.”

The silence that ensued was almost as burdening as hearing him speak.

“A ‘No’?!” Sasuke sounded incredulous. “All this time I’ve been screaming ‘Yes’. I thought it’s you who’s saying ‘no’.”

“R-Really?” Hinata said, now half of the burden had been magically lifted off her heart as she heard him. “T-Then.. we’re..?”

Sasuke sighed. “I.. don’t know,” he said slowly.

Hinata intertwined her hands and started squashing them together. She wanted to ask why, but her throat was incapable of doing anything after being pushed over its quota just now.

“I don’t think.. I deserve you..” Sasuke said, his voice was whispery.

“Nonsense.”

“I smoke,” he quickly carried on. “I’m horribly addicted. I can’t get past a day without at least a dozen of cigars. My life’s only half it’s supposed to be and I have no qualms shortening it even more.”

Hinata nearly couldn’t believe her ears. What’s the point of saying that sad fact now? She searched for Sasuke’s eyes, but his bangs covered them completely that she found nothing but the frame of his eyeglasses. After a while, she’d just realized why he said that. There’s something on his expression that made Hinata wanted to throw him with rags, but thankfully she could repent herself.

“I-I’m a stutterer. I’ve t-tried reading poetries and going t-to theatres but I just c-can’t get rid of it.”

“I did drugs. Nearly OD trice, pulled some innocent people into my tangled webs of life.”

“I’m-I’m a sycophant. I s-suck up to people and want t-them to love me because I’m a-afraid to be alone. I’m t-the most pathetic girl you’ve ever seen.”

Sasuke wasn’t about to lose. Even at a ‘who’s more a loser?’ competition. “I can’t control my anger. I’ve shouted at you many times.”

“And I c-can’t control my mouth,” Hinata retorted. “I-I’ve lied to you many times.”

“I’ve s-slept with girls I dislike.”

“I-I’ve French-kissed the p-particular guy that my f-first friend told me to s-stay away from.”

That made Sasuke twitched, but he was still game. “I’ve made a the girl I like’s life in danger.”

“Really?” Hinata snorted a chuckle. “T-Try this. I-I almost chickened out to tell the b-boy I love ‘I love him’ b-because I thought he’s going to r-reject me.”

“You don’t love him,” Sasuke raised his voice. “He can’t be loved. He’s not worth it.”

“Why? B-Because he smokes and s-slept around?”

“Yes!” Sasuke roared. “and because there are better options that you can choose instead of him.”

“Like who? Gaara? Naruto?”

Sasuke seemed taken aback.

Hinata found it hard not to laugh. “In c-case he really thinks t-that way…” she got up from her chair and kneeled in front of Sasuke so that their eyes were in the same level. “then you’re not as smart as I thought you were, Sasuke.”

As she finished her sentence, Sasuke’s face had grown so red, and the redness spread until his neck and a small part of his chest. He stared back at her, his red eyes were sharp and amazing with its rich color. Hinata still couldn’t believe that these were the same eyes that had frightened her weeks ago.

Sasuke broke into a smile as he said: “I wish I’d brush my teeth, because right now I really want to kiss you.”

Hinata giggled, and then tilted her head as Sasuke slowly closed the distance between them. This time, their kiss was for real, as there’s no pretending and there’s no pressure behind it all. Their lips touched, tentatively at first, but then he went for his natural instinct and led everything flow freely. It was more intimate than she’d ever imagined, and felt much better than her romance novels had dictated. It’s like there’s something that they’re sharing something very private and important.

He opened her mouth with his, and she felt her knees buckled and her shoulders loosened. She was completely supported by him, but at the same time, she’s completely supporting him, too. She’s a bit ticked off, however, when he abruptly ended their first kiss. He looked at her straight in the eye and gently tilted her chin so that she’s gazing up to him. “I’m not a bad kisser, am I?”

Hinata’s laugh rang, and she answered his question by kissing him again.

AN
God! Finally I wrote that! That scene (when Hinata climbed the tree in particular) had been inside my mind for two years and FINALLY I can get it out! Huff! :D Thanks a lot for reading, y’all! Now, it’s all just Gaara’s problem to be solved. Yahaahahahhahahaha..!