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oOoSo far, Hinata only knew two things about her new client. The first: For some reason, the management team of one of the biggest pop stars in Japan thought she would be a good fit for their client. Two: Despite his electric performances on stage, Uchiha Sasuke was a reticent individual in real life.Blinking in the strong fluorescent light, Hinata avoided catching her own eye in the mirror in front of her. Or even worse, catching the pop star's eye as he calmly assessed her from his spot in the make-up chair. Mentally chanting in her head, she decided on what product was next.Clean face, primers, foundation, concealer and…Ah. She already sealed his waterline with powder and it was time for the eyeliner.Picking up a white pencil, she primed it and moved to Sasuke's side to start the application. Her mental concentration was thrown off when he jerked back. Surprised, Hinata pulled back as well. She sent a look to Sasuke's lone entourage member, but Suigetsu was not at all engaged with events in the room. His headphones blasted music loud enough for Hinata to hear some treble as his fingers flew angrily across the screen of his phone.Bracing herself, she glanced back at Sasuke who was practically crossed-eyed trying to glare at her pencil. He was fine with everything else. What was going wrong now?"Uchi-" She started, only to be cut off."Does that have glitter in it?" He demanded quietly.What? "What?"He rolled his cold glare to land on her. "Glitter. I don't want it on my face."Slowly, she remembered a member of Sasuke's wardrobe team warning her about glitter in passing. Honestly, this is why she was doing this today. This was her first time doing his face as a test to learn his preferences but… no glitter? At all?Really?She tried not to be personally offended. It was just glitter; he was not insulting her as a person.Reaching to the table, she picked up a pot of gel eyeliner and opened it. It was dark green with tiny flakes of reflective mica. It was intended for photoshoots, where the tiny dots of glitter would reflect the sharp lighting and make his eyes look luminous."Would this be a problem?" She asked, bringing the pot close so he could see it."Yes." His tone definitely allowed no arguments.Hinata mentally wailed. Everything had mica in it. That was the trend. She would have to leave half of her material off his face.Everything except… Hinata still had her white pencil.Setting down her gel eyeliner, she took the pencil and swiped a couple of lines on the side of her hand. Neji always said that she had to sell herself and go above the expected. If she was expected not to use products with glitter, then she would provide her customer with what he wanted.Bringing her hand up, she moved it a bit to reflect the light."No glitter," she assured."Hnn." He agreed and sat back. "Then you can continue."She bit the inside of her lip to keep from breathing a sigh of relief but she was sure her face was a little pink. Turning, she pulled out an alcoholic swab to clean the pencil and quickly sharpened the tip. She now knew three things about her new client.The third: He was completely unreasonable when it came to glitter.oOo
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oOoHinata was pulling out her brushes when Sasuke cursed and threw his phone across the room. At the crash, she gasped and instinctively jumped as high as she could manage. The resulting landing was a little shaky, but honestly, what was going on?Miraculously, she had kept from dropping the instruments. Just in case, she set them down and stared wide-eyed at the situation.No one was in the room with them. Suigetsu left ten minutes before in search of a water bottle because he was (in his own words, mind): "Fucking dehydrated." While she had been left alone with Sasuke before, he barely even acknowledged her.Even now, she was ignored. The star sat slumped with his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. On one hand, Hinata wanted to help him. Obviously he was struggling with something. Perhaps she would be able to help. Probably not, but maybe?Did she even have the right to approach him? He was her boss. What if she overstepped her bounds?On the other hand… She checked her watch. They were already running late and no one was ever late to a television interview with Mino Tetsuko. Not even the great Uchiha Sasuke. She needed access to his face. Now.Stepping lightly, she made her way to the wall and recovered the pieces of his phone. She glanced at the screen only to make sure it had not cracked. Replacing the battery and clicking the back cover into place, she set the device down on the opposite side of the dressing table.Taking a deep breath, she bolstered her courage. Even if personally, she should not be doing this, professionally, she was obligated."Is everything alright?" She quietly asked. Mentally, she winced. Could he even hear her? Speak up, Hinata.Apparently, he did find her words loud enough. He grunted but did not remove his hands from his face."I-If you want to talk, um… Or not." Hinata considered grabbing her brushes to keep from pressing her fingers together. Her nerves were shot.Surprisingly, his fists moved up to grip his hair. His eyes were slits as he glared at her. "Everyone needs to stay out of my business, that's what."Chastised, she took a step back. Well, that is what she got for trying to help. Of course he did not need her, he was-"They snuck in an interview question." He continued. Hinata froze. "And Karin okayed it."He sat back and clutched the armrests of his chair. Bolstered, Hinata moved forward and carefully snuck out his powders and foundations out of her bag."I-Is it an intrusive question?" She encouraged. This was good. This was progress. She could get to his face.He hissed and Hinata had to jerk her sponge out of the way to keep his saliva from getting on the primer."They want to know about my decision to change labels."Hinata could feel the blood drain out of her face. Sasuke's decision to quit his group was a big deal, but not life shattering. Musical artists left to pursue solo careers all the time. It was old hat and expected.But Sasuke had not just left the group. He left Konohagakure Entertainment all together.No one ever left their companies. It was akin to committing career suicide. He left the very people who made him famous in the first place.Somehow, he survived and succeeded. But the accusations still followed him like a bad odor. He wanted people to forget their disappointment in him.Hinata leaned back and frowned. She understood a bit about disappointment."Are you happy?"He finally stopped glaring at his phone and his expression was one of shock. "What?"She cleared her throat and this time her voice came out clear and strong. "Are you happy here? With Sound Machine? Or do you regret the move?"The man was clearly uncomfortable as he shrugged. "Yeah. I guess. I don't regret it at all."She nodded firmly and moved in to prepare his skin. "Good. Then don't focus on what… on what people think. Convince them it was the right choice."Eyes slid to her before staring resolutely forward. "I can do that," he declared in a low voice.She smothered a smile. He definitely could.oOo
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oOoHinata never understood the appeal of Sasuke, really. Not to say he was deficient in any way, but if she had to pick her ridiculous, never going to happen, celebrity crush, she would definitely pick his former groupmate. Naruto was Sasuke's complete opposite. While her friends had posters of Sasuke's famous pout during their teenage years, Hinata would rather have one of Naruto's blinding smile.Not that she ever had a picture of Naruto plastered to her wall. That would be ridiculous.(It had been a poster of the whole group thank you very much.)Long story short, she was much more compelled by Naruto's persona than Sasuke's. Working with the Uchiha only confirmed that his public persona was not much different than his personal one. In public he was polite enough. In private, he was snarky and a little brooding.He never smiled.Until he was on stage. There were blurry pictures and shaky cell phone videos from his concerts. Many a fangirl attended just for a chance to spot that one expression.This particular day was Hinata's first major concert as a member of Sasuke's entourage. Technically, her job was over after his last wardrobe change. But she wanted to see the whole show through, just in case his makeup smudged underneath the harsh lights and the sweat from his dancing. The concert was the kick-off to his first Asian tour and no expense was spared.From her spot huddled in the wings, Hinata absorbed it all with wide eyes. This was her first time experiencing such a concert from this vantage point. The expertly choreographed dancing with the intensely talented back-up dancers, the live band that was revealed for the last few songs, the dizzying light show that illuminated Sasuke's face. Then, the last song.It was full of energy and the atmosphere was so electric, the hairs on the back of Hinata's neck stood on end. Sasuke held nothing back. She had never seen him look so alive. He bounded across the stage like a caged panther set free. He pushed his voice to become louder, be fiercer without going out of tune. The music built steadily to a crescendo. His back-up dancers threw themselves into the air. The musicians were thrashing around their instruments.Hinata felt overwhelmed with it all.One last, elongated note and it all came to an end. Everything was silent for a sacred moment where the last vibrations from the bass still hung in the atmosphere like morning fog. Sasuke stood limply, visibly breathing hard. Everyone else, from the people on stage to the audience clutching glow sticks were frozen in place.Slowly, Sasuke pulled himself up. And then it happened. His lips pulled up at the corners and kept going, past a smirk until you could see teeth. It broke the spell. The audience went wild. Their individual screams turned into a roar of humanity.Hinata pushed herself into the staging area when the dancers and musicians streamed to the back. She did not move until Sasuke finally pulled himself away from his adoring fans.She was close enough to see his face as he accepted the back pats and light punches from the stage crew. Elation still adorned his face, morphing him into someone Hinata had never seen before. He looked almost… radiant.Hinata threw herself into an empty hallway and pressed her back into the cold concrete wall. She touched her burning cheeks.She did not understand Sasuke's appeal before. But now. Now she did.oOo
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oOoHinata was lounging on her hotel room bed, sorting through her stack of magazines when Hanabi phoned. Hinata threw herself across the bed to be able to reach the nightstand in time. However, Hanabi, impatient as she was, hung up after the third ring.Hinata grabbed her phone off the table and sighed. She peered at the time and then the bay window next to her which revealed a sunny, if not smoggy, day. Why was Hanabi calling at this hour? Oh no, what if it was an emergency?Hinata groaned. What was she supposed to do? She was in China. Wait, Neji was there. For about half a second, she relaxed before another insidious thought occurred to her. What if it was an emergency involving him?She was about to frantically start mashing at her phone when Hanabi's second call registered."Hello?" Hinata breathed."You know how long I've been calling?" Hanabi's high voice huffed through the speaker.Hinata relaxed into the down comforter, loosening all her muscles. Judging by Hanabi's teasing, everything was fine."Umm, two whole minutes?" The elder volleyed."Shut up, Onee-san." Hanabi cleared her throat. "I called you for a Very Important Reason and you are distracting me."There was a smile on Hinata's lips that she could not wipe off her voice. "I'm sorry, Hanabi-chan.""Good. I have news."Hinata waited patiently until the silence stretched out too far. Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Hanabi?""I-I don't know how to tell you," Hanabi whispered. "I'm so excited but…""Whatever is going on, I'll be proud of you. Always." Hinata promised, still completely confused. It sounded like it was good news.There was the sound that one makes when they are taking in a steadying breath. "We're doing Giselle and I made principal dancer."It became so quiet that all Hinata could hear was the blood rushing to her face. She sat straight up and clutched at the pillow beside her."Hinata, I'm sorry, I know you always wanted this and-""You made principal dancer!" Hinata squealed. "Hanabi, I knew you would!""You did?" Hanabi sounded baffled.The older sister devolved to making squeaking noises that somewhat resembled words. "Yes! Did you get Giselle? Or are you Bathilde? Hanabi, you did it! I'm so proud. I bet Neji is proud. And Father. And the whole family!"Hanabi laughed, the cockiness fully returned to her voice. "Calm down onee-san! I got Bathilde and I really need to go. I'm actually supposed to be in practice. I just wanted to let you know."Hinata warmed with affection for her sister. "Thank you for telling me. You better get back before Ko finds out you're missing."There was a banging noise in the background. Neji's voice was deep enough to carry all the way to Hinata's ears. "In the closet, really Hanabi-sama?""I was talking to Hinata!" Some shuffling noises sounded, then a man was speaking."Hinata?""Neji-niisan." Hinata smiled."You heard then?" He was curt but his trademark coldness was missing from his voice."Yes. I am very proud of her.""Aa." He agreed. "How is China? Are you safe?"Hinata looked around her swanky hotel room with its five-star furnishings. "I'm inside right now. We have the morning to rest before the day gets busy.""Hnn. Be careful."For most, it was hard deciphering Neji's reticence, but Hinata had a lot of practice. His warning was betraying his worry. Hinata had never traveled alone before. She appreciated his concern and voiced some of her own."I will. You too. You probably got the lead again, didn't you? Don't strain your ankle, okay? Are you still using my salve? And make sure Hanabi is actually eating healthy food and not all that junk she likes. She has to keep up her energy now that she's not in the corps. And-""Hinata. We have to return to practice. We will talk later."Hinata nodded meekly before responding verbally. "Okay. Bye.""Good-bye.""Bye, onee-sama! Get a lock of Sasuke's hair for me!"Hinata colored and tossed her phone to the far side of the bed. Hanabi's muffled laughter was audible before the connection ended.Still sitting up, Hinata reached to her ankles and pressed her legs to her body so the bottoms of her feet were touching each other. Inhaling, she leaned forward. When she was at the apex of the stretch, she let out a long breath.With a note of surprise Hinata noticed she was not hurting as much as she thought. Her smile turned serene.oOo
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oOoWhen Hinata returned to her magazines, she was much more emotionally prepared to face herself. Or, more accurately, to face her work on Sasuke's face.Since she had been recruited so quickly, she did not have as much time to learn his needs as she would have liked. Also, she was young and new to this business. There were going to many mistakes made along the way.Hinata cringed. She hoped she did not mess up Sasuke's makeup too badly. Hopefully, his team would be patient with her.The first magazine was not a cover story, thankfully. She rooted through the contents before she came to his advertisement. The color scheme was black and lavender and Sasuke was standing in a crisp, obsidian suit that blended with the fathomless background. He peered over his shoulder and down at the viewer while casually displaying a bottle of men's cologne. While most people's eyes would be drawn to the glowing purple bottle first, Hinata looked at his face.His collar and sleeves were peeking out of the suit. The lilac color of the clothing items blended nicely with his skin. But Hinata frowned. His lips looked a little too red.She mentally tallied what products she used on him. His skin tone was good and her products made his features glow in the low light. But his lips were too made up.Okay, that was not too painful. Next magazine.She tossed the publication to the side and closed her eyes before picking up the next one. This one was a cover story and his face was front and center.Peeking an eye open, she inspected the damage. To her relief, in the flat light, everything looked okay. She breathed out a sigh and turned to the inside spread.Oh why had she looked? Hinata grabbed a pillow and groaned into it. They had taken the pictures in natural light and he looked orange.Orange.Well, way to be heavy handed with the foundation and bronzer, Hinata. Desperate, she reached for another magazine before she tallied all her failures.In this one, he looked extremely pale.Hinata knew artists were always critical of their work, but these mistakes were painfully noticeable. She needed a lot more understanding of how his face looked under different lighting. Especially since he was going for some interviews this afternoon before the concert tonight."I need a pen," she sighed before sliding off the bed.She got up and retrieved a black one from the desk across from her. Pausing, she impulsively picked up a red marker too.Once she sat back down, she picked up the washed-out picture of the pop-star. Feeling more than a little childish, she colored Sasuke's lips with the red pen. In this picture, he was supporting his chin with a fist and was glaring. His pale skin and blood red lips made for a gothic appearance.Sasuke, pop star and vampire.She giggled and covered her face with the paper. Okay, no focus. Focus, Hinata.She took a breath and picked up the first and less hideous magazine. Tilting her head to the side, she inspected it. His features were strong. His cheekbones were sharp instead of rounded and his lips were plush but angular enough to appear masculine. His eyelashes were thick for a man.Of course, she knew these things. She did work on his face and she worked to accentuate those features. But maybe it was the look he was giving the camera, or how they had pinned the suit to look on him. The cologne seemed to waft from the page. He actually wore that brand once. She remembered the smell.The magic of the advertisement was working. Hinata struggled to look away.She covered her face again but for a different reason. This was a hell of a time to realize he was a man.oOo
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oOoOn a scale of one to ten, Hinata's affection for Jugo was settling comfortably at a fifty. True, she did not know too much about the towering man, but she was able to feel comfortable with him in a way that was rare for her. If there was ever a truly gentle soul in the world, Jugo was it.Also, he was physically intimidating, which meant that he was the best possible companion the diminutive woman with the wide eyes could take with her on her expedition through the neighborhoods of this foreign city. Actually, to be honest, this whole expedition had been Jugo's idea in the first place. He was Sasuke's costumer and stylist. Whatever fabric his hands touched, he turned it into a piece that would completely highlight the star's best attributes.Today, they were on the hunt for something obscure and different. Hinata dutifully stuck to Jugo's side as he confidently led her onto streets that would never show up on a visitor's guide of the city. Occasionally, he would stop, camera in hand, and ask a gangly teen or a street vendor if he could take a picture of their clothing. At first, Hinata was mortified and maybe a little terrified. These men did not look like the safest. But most of them seemed a little flattered if not embarrassed by the attention. Only one or two said no.When they stopped at a small shop for xiaolongbao, Jugo let Hinata flip through the pictures on the camera while he took large bites of the soup filled dumplings. The pictures were varied. A bomber jacket with hornet patches ironed onto the cotton collar. A chunky watch made of see-through plastic so one could see the gears inside the casing. A pair of neon orange shoes with the black laces tied in such a way that they made a grid pattern. Having seen many costumes through the years, Hinata understood that such vibrant colors would make a huge impact on stage and the details would matter for Sasuke's personal wardrobe."I heard," Jugo murmured past a full cheek, "that's there's a street close-by that's favored by local seamstresses. Do you mind coming, or do you want me to take you back to the hotel?"Hinata shook her head. "If you don't mind the company, I'll go." She offered. It was a free day and since she did not speak Chinese she would be stuck in the hotel.He offered a little boy's grin. "Okay."After Hinata finished her own selection of dumplings and let Jugo have her leftovers, they set off. The streets narrowed and the sidewalks were damp with the remnants of the past night's rain. People were becoming scarce and the ones that were around either loitered beneath awnings or slid by on scooters. She looked up in awe at the few signs they passed. The hanzi did seem painfully familiar but also extremely different from Japanese kanji.Did Sasuke ever get to experience things like this? Did he ever get to get lost in a city where he did not speak the language without someone recognizing him? Had the hot broth of a dumpling ever drip down his chin in a ten-seater hole-in-the-wall restaurant? Her steps faltered.Jugo looked back at her and raised a brow. She sped up a bit to catch up."Is something the matter?" He asked."Um-" Hinata could not help her blush at being so forward. "Do you think that Sasuke will get to be able to leave the hotel before we leave?"Jugo sighed. "Probably not. He hates crowds and paparazzi.""Oh…"He shrugged a shoulder and peered down at her out of the corner of his eye. "If you stick around long enough, you might get to come with us on a Western tour. It's easier there. Not as many people recognize Asian stars there.""Oh! So he'd finally get to go outside?" She brightened.Chuckling, Jugo indicated they should stop at a storefront. "Noticed he gets cooped up easily?"Not really, but she was saved from answering when he pulled the door open for her. It was hard to get a read on anything relating to Sasuke at all. Especially when only saw him on certain occasions.She entered in the store and took a deep breath of the filtered air. Bolts of fabric surrounded them on all sides. The store owner called out a greeting and hurried over to greet them. Jugo fluidly returned the greeting and engaged in a conversation that went so far over Hinata's head that she figured it would be better if she poked around. She knew nothing about fabrics, but she liked textures and this place was filled to the brim with them. Denim, cashmere, polyester. She ran the tips of her fingers over embroidery and resisted the urge to rub her face in some fake fur.Jugo called from another part of the store. "Hinata. Please keep me from making a mistake."After practically climbing over stray bolts piled precariously on the walkway and squeezing past a display of colorful buttons, she finally joined her guide.He stood transfixed in front of a black roll. She did not quite understand why until the florescent light caught her in the right angle. The fabric shimmered.Her eyes widened. Finally close enough to see the detail, she could not resist and reached out to touch the cloth. The base of the fabric was a black silk, but interlaid within it was another unknown fabric that shimmered like a piece of polished obsidian and the shape of the flecks reminded Hinata of reptilian scales. The difference between the slickness of the scales and the soft silk was enough to make her shiver.She could imagine exactly how she would make up Sasuke's face. The picture was so clear in her mind that she felt like she could touch his chin.Reaching the end, her fingers slipped off the fabric and fell limply to her side. She felt hot and cold at the same time."Oh."Jugo's tense shoulders sagged in relief. "It's not just me, then?"Hinata felt spell bound. "No. It feels like I am looking at Sasuke."He made a soft keening sound in the back of his throat. "It glimmers. He's going to hate it.""I have the eyeshadow that would go fantastically with this. And it has huge chunks of glitter. He would kill us.""Fire us, then kill us," he agreed.They finally tore their gaze away from the fabric long enough to trade a speaking glance.Jugo bought the whole stock.oOo
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oOoHinata almost shed her mortal flesh frame and transcended into the next plane of existence when Sasuke grabbed her wrist. In reflex, she tried to yank her arm out of his grip but he held fast. Her eyes darted around the small dressing room in panic.He was touching her.Why?What was wrong?What did she do?Sasuke's dark brows drew together in what looked like anger. Hinata could feel her heartbeat ramping up its pace and her face was so hot she was already sweating. Did he think she was using glitter on him? It had been all routine; the same makeup she always did before a show.He finally spoke. "Wha-" He cleared his throat. "What is on your hands? I can smell it."He finally released her and she dumbly brought her fingers to her nose. "I-I don't-t…""You put it on before you do anything," Sasuke interrupted roughly.Her mind was not functioning properly. She numbly peered at the table behind her. A big purple bag was open, with palettes and brushes slipping from the seams. Then there were also bottles and bags full of sponges or cotton swabs and at the corner there was…Oh.She was tempted to grab the item but her hands were shaking too much. So instead she pointed to a large pump bottle."T-This?""Hnn." Sasuke glared."Well, erm, i-it's my hand sanitizer. To-to sanitize my hands.""But why does it smell like that?""I put lavender oil in i-it. When I make it… I like lavender." She confessed in a small voice before shutting her mouth promptly.Even in her flustered state, she noticed the muted surprise hiding in the corners of his eyes."You can make it?" He questioned, his voice carrying less of an edge. "It works?""Y-Yes." Hinata's heartbeat was calming down but her silly stutter still persisted. "It's n-not that hard once you get the hang of it. It's better for-for your skin too.""Hnn." Sasuke sat back in his chair and Hinata felt like she could take a full breath. Even seated, it felt like he was looming over her. His presence and body language often communicated what he refused to verbalize. "When we're back in Japan, I would like some." He ordered.Hinata's eyes widened. "Uh, okay! Of course, Uchiha-san!"He nodded once and turned to face the mirror like nothing transpired.oOoLater, Hinata waited to make sure Sasuke was long gone before burying her face in her hands. Thankfully, the walls of the room were made of brick and concrete and thick enough to muffle her loud groan to any passerby."I use my hand sanitizer to 'sanitize my hands.' What's wrong with you?" She moaned in the agony that only follows acute embarrassment. "He must think I'm so slow."She pulled her hands back a bit before taking a deep breath.But… he liked the smell. A tiny grin snuck onto her face. Who knew the Uchiha liked floral scents?oOo
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oOoOnce, Hinata mistimed a flip and in the millisecond that time froze, she looked at the stage floor and was certain her face would impact. Of course, she caught herself so she landed on her backside and not her nose. But she never quite forgot that feeling. She remembered it every time she saw Haruno Sakura.The Asian tour had been a typhoon of work and just a bit of play, courtesy of Sasuke's small but tight-knit crew. In some part, Hinata missed the stage but she missed this craziness more. The rush to put out a good show and succeeding was overwhelming.She smiled to herself as she carefully catalogued, cleaned and packed away all of her instruments. This had become her established routine after a show. Calming but not quiet, she could hear the stage crew packing and wheeling the equipment away on squeaky dollies. In the morning, they would be setting off to Thailand so everything had to be ready.The door opened. Hinata turned, expecting to see Jugo. Sometimes when the show was over, he would come to get her so she could join he, Dosu, Kin, Zaku and Karin when they went out to explore the nightlife. Hinata opened her mouth to decline. As much as she liked the eclectic mix, they had an early start tomorrow.Instead, she froze mid-sentence as a pink-haired woman bodily hauled Sasuke through the door.The newcomer stopped also, her green eyes widening."Hinata-chan?!" Sakura exclaimed. "What are you doing here?!"Hinata gripped the arm of the makeup chair so hard she could hear the plastic handle creak. "S-Sakura-san." All other words failed her.Sakura turned her incredulous gaze on Sasuke. "Why didn't you tell me you knew her?"Sasuke raised a brow but his assessing gaze was on Hinata. "I didn't know the two of you were acquainted."Sakura huffed and set a hand on her hip. "Of course I know her! She used to be one of my backup dancers!""Is that so…" Sasuke drawled carefully.Hinata wondered if this landing was going to be particularly painful.oOo
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oOoSasuke's eyebrows came together as he leveled a significantly impressive scowl in Hinata's direction. "You used to work for Konoha?"Hinata felt like she was cowering. Thankfully, Sakura did not give the makeup artist a chance to reply.Sakura bounded forward and engulfed Hinata in an impressive bear hug. Tears sprang to Hinata's eyes. Not because of the pain of her ribs rubbing together, but because of the nostalgia."She worked for me!" Sakura declared as she put Hinata down. "And then you just turned in your resignation and disappeared! Where did you go? How are you here? I tried calling your family's school, but no one could tell me anything!"Hinata sniffled a bit before giving a tremulous smile. "I missed you all a lot."Sakura sent a glance to the man still blocking the doorway before leaning in and whispering: "Ino told me you went to go work in a department store, but now you're here...?"Blood rushed to Hinata's face. "It's a long story Sakura-san."A phone chimed. Sakura's hands tightened on Hinata's shoulders. "That's our reservation! Do you still have my number? I have to go, but you need to tell me. We miss you! I miss you!""Sakura." Sasuke called.The pop star in question brightened. "Right! Hinata, call!" She whirled and bounded out the door. "Let's go, Sasuke!"The man in question did not budge even as Sakura practically skipped down the hall. Hinata never knew Sasuke's eyes could be so cold and razor sharp. She quailed a bit under his gaze."If you're spying on me for Konoha…" He threatened lowly.She quickly shook her head."I'll ruin your career." He hissed."K-Kabuto!" She forced out. Her heart was galloping in her chest and her tongue was thick with fear. "Kabuto knew. He wouldn't have-have hired me if he thought…""Tch." Sasuke flipped a lock of hair out of his eyes before turning. "This isn't over." Then he left.Hinata helplessly cast around for something to hold on to. Tears blurred her vision as she helplessly grabbed at her makeup bag. She was going to be fired. Her dream job was over after only a few months.A sudden sharp pain exploded in her knee, sending her and her bag to the floor. The cruel reminder of how she lost her family and Sakura was ever present, especially at the worst moments. With one hand, she clutched the bag's handle, the other her kneecap. Sprawled on the floor, she let herself cry.oOo
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oOoKabuto called her the next day, early enough that she had not yet fully woken up."Hello?" She asked around her toothbrush, wondering what Hanabi wanted to talk about."Sasuke spoke to me," his distinctive voice crackled over the line. "Late last night… or should I say, early this morning."Hinata choked on her toothpaste. Hastily putting her cellphone on mute, she violently spat into the sink. She tried to suppress her coughing as she fumbled for the right button."W-What did he say?" Hinata grated out.Kabuto tsked. "I told him not to stop being so dramatic. The question is... are you going to quit?"Her moment of hesitation was telling. The man on the other line sighed in disgust."I told you he was difficult." He said.Even without him physically present, Hinata felt cowed. Her head dipped low until she remembered something Sakura would always tell her.If you don't have confidence, fake it."I-" She cleared her throat. "I remember."Her eyes roamed around the hotel bathroom. The granite tabletop held her tiny makeup bag, given to her as a good-luck present. The logo of a name brand lipstick was embroidered in white on the top. A warm, reckless emotion overtook her as she stopped discreetly coughing into her hand.Her next words were powered by her embarrassment. "I wasn't going to quit." It almost sounded true.There was a rumbling amusement in his voice. "Good. I'll be in touch."With no goodbye, he hung up. Hinata blankly stared at her phone. It cycled back to her home screen where her background picture was of Neji and Hanabi in full stage-makeup. Desperate longing lanced through her. Not quite homesickness, but definitely loneliness flavored with a bit of despair. Her goal had been to fight for her own happiness for once. She was trying so hard to do so.Was it enough?oOoBefore:The first day Kabuto visited, a woman accompanied him. Hinata would later learn the woman was named Guren. He requested an appointment but specifically with Hinata. Unusual, since most customers took whichever associate they could get.Hinata's manager, Himeko, delivered the news, peering over her glasses and through two wads of mascara. Dressed in a knee length lab coat dyed in black with red trim and wearing far too much blue eyeshadow, Himeko was a nice older lady. Far nicer than Hinata was used to."Do you know him?" Himeko asked.Hinata shook her head."Ah. You have your own client for the first time! Do your best!"Kabuto's greeting smile was polite enough. But his pretty manners made Hinata uneasy. She was not used to such civility from someone whose eyes were so cold. Most people like that did not have the social graces to hide their disinterest."She needs a dramatic evening look," Kabuto instructed, despite the fact it was eleven in the morning. "Cocktail party, high class."Guren rolled her eyes and blew a chunk of bangs out of her face.Hinata nodded. They were a lipstick counter but the brand she worked for had a whole range of products. This was a service she provided often.The store itself was a haven of sorts for Hinata. Lipsticks lined almost every part of the walls, with testers available. They were backlit by bright LED lights that were different colors depending on the section. In the back was the checkout counter. The middle held other product and two mirrors lined with more lights and stools covered in black leather. The brand's signature fragrance and electronic music wafted through the air.As a saleswoman, Hinata was unassuming enough that the older, more aggressive women ignored her on their way to the color they wore every day for years. But her meekness meant maybe some more intimidated ladies felt comfortable asking Hinata for advice. Men usually did not trespass this domain unless armed with lists. Or some who knew more about makeup than Hinata could hope to.Kabuto fit in neither of these categories. He stood apart, seemingly uncaring about being surrounded by femininity, nor indulging in it.Peering over Hinata's shoulder, he watched her work. Hinata idly wondered if Kabuto was Guren's boyfriend. He was too controlling. Hinata would have been worried if Guren herself did not seem to prickly. They both resisted Hinata's attempts at small talk.As she moved to foundation, she finally fell silent. She preferred not having to come up with conversation topics but giving Guren a smoky eye seemed dangerous. Especially when the woman's glare was already so potent.Afterwards, Kabuto inspected Guren's makeup with a cold appraisal. Most women were proud of their new look. Guren sat hunched. They left with barely an acknowledgement.When they left, Hinata slipped behind the counter and gripped her manager's sleeve at the elbow."In all my thirty years in this business, I've never seen anything like that." Himeko muttered.oOo"Why did you leave Konoha?" Kabuto asked suddenly.Hinata almost stabbed Zaku in the eye in surprise. Dosu, sitting in the spare chair and surrounded by torn tissue and chewed up Q-tips, snorted in mirth."W-what?" She straightened.Kabuto had become somewhat of a regular customer, if it was possible to classify him as "regular." He always brought someone in for a session. A redhead (Karin), a brunette with long hair and an even longer scowl (Kin), Dosu, Zaku. He requested different things for them. Sometimes he would come with a picture and ask Hinata to recreate it. Or he would ask for different looks. Dosu had gotten some contouring that made his face look slimmer. Zaku was getting dark eyeliner with eyeshadow to bring out his eyes. She was planning to sneak a little moisturizing chapstick in there somewhere because she was tired of staring at his peeling lips.But that question was enough to activate her flight or fight response. How did he know? Who was he?This was getting a little creepy."Hinata, former backup dancer for Haruno Sakura." Kabuto pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he recited. "You left a coveted position and hefty salary to work…" His eyes roamed around the room. "Here. In a department store."Her face was hot but she felt like she needed to defend her chosen profession. Sure, she was starting from the bottom, but how else did she expect to get anywhere? "Who-"A business card flashed in front of her eyes. Out of habit, she accepted it with both hands."I work for Sound Machine Entertainment." Over time, his flattery had devolved into a clipped, analytical way of speaking. Always to the point.Hinata hardly knew which way was up anymore. This was so surreal. She had heard in passing about the corporate espionage between the two companies. However, she assumed that she never rated high enough to have people spy on her.How did he know?"We're looking for a new MUA. Let us know if you're interested." His tone of voice implied she would be stupid not to be.Hinata clutched the card to her chest and watched them walk out of her store. Why her?Later, she would learn that Sound Machine was not quite interested in Hinata. They were simply running out of options when it came to Sasuke.He was kind of… difficult.oOo
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oOoHinata was used to her coworkers seeing her sweaty and ragged after a rehearsal but it was different experience to run into Sasuke in the hotel gym. Still a little insecure about her new workouts, she liked to exercise in the morning before the crew dragged themselves out of their post-party stupors. For most of the tour, it was a solid plan.Until now.She stopped in her tracks in front of the door, clutching the damp towel around her shoulders. Sasuke made no move to get out of the frame. He was frowning but seemed as startled as she did.She tried to open her mouth but nothing came out. Her heart was fluttering like hummingbird wings.Sasuke moved to the side, putting some room between them."Kabuto told me to leave you alone." He said in lieu of a hello.Hinata, who had previously felt cold after cooling down, felt like she was sweating all over again. "I didn't mean to hide anything from you."Surprisingly, he looked away, his jaw tight. "Look, Hinata. I'm an asshole. Like, I know it, everyone knows it. But I don't even know your family name. You were Konoha. How can I trust you?""You didn't ask for it." She blurted before she could overthink it. "My family name. You've never asked… I-I would have told you all of it. Kabuto knows my background so he trusts me." As much as Kabuto could trust anyone.Sasuke returned to looking at her, his eyes burning into her like lasers. She blushed at her own brazenness. But she would not back off. She could deal with the man in front of her. If she could deal with her father, she was sure she could handle a diva like Sasuke.Confrontation was like ripping off a band aid. Better to get it over with.Maybe. Hinata did not have much practice standing up for herself. Oh no, was she already making a mistake? Was she doing this badly? Where was Neji when she needed him?Sasuke huffed and crossed his arms. "Fine. Why did you leave Konoha to become a MUA? And what's your family name?"They were having this discussion here? Hinata felt exposed in her leggings, tank top and sports bra. At least she was used to seeing her client in shorts and a t-shirt before he transitioned to his costumes. She pulled on her towel a little desperately."I like makeup. I like it a lot." She confessed with a small smile. "No one can be a dancer forever," she admitted. "And…" she forced her expression to stay neutral, maybe even happy. "I'm just Hinata. No family name... I-uh… I'll see you later, Sasuke-san."She gave a small bow before she took advantage of all her innate grace and slid out the doorway. He called for her but she did not turn back. Skittering down the stairs so he could not catch her at the elevator, she stopped at a landing and breathed.She did it. Without Neji stepping in. Without making too much of a mess. She ran away at the end, but a small step forward was still progress.Hinata covered her face with her towel. Only for a moment before the body odor became overpowering. Realizing how ridiculous this whole thing was, she giggled.She stuck up for herself. Against one of the most famous pop stars in Japan."Knew I could do it," she whispered.oOo
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oOoHinata soon learned it was awkward touching the face of someone she had just confronted. Her face felt eternally red as she attempted to power through her embarrassment. They were running a little late, so Sasuke was already costumed. In an attempt to save his deep purple top and black leather pants, she threw towels over his shoulders and lap.Suigetsu claimed the only couch in the room. Sprawled over it, his head slightly hung off the side of the couch as he lazily scrolled through the content on his phone."Change the music," Sasuke commanded. "I hate metal.""Dude!" Suigetsu protested. "I gotta listen to something good before I'm stuck next to the speakers and fighting off feral girls."Sasuke rolled his eyes. As head of security, Suigetsu spent most of his time in the wings, coordinating everything. Only the event staff from the stadium had to be on the floor. "Anything else, Suigestu."A pause before Sasuke caught Hinata's eye. She froze."Do you like metal?"Hinata choked on her own spit. "Uh-""Fine! Shit!" Suigetsu grumbled and seemed to slouch even lower into the couch as he changed the music to light rock.Hinata tried her best to get this makeup done as efficiently as possible. Sasuke did not make it a habit of talking to her during these sessions. Was it because of what she had told him? What if-A low voice interrupted her mental panic. "Why did you get into makeup?"Hinata scrambled not to drop the mascara brush. Even Suigetsu bolted upright."What the hell, man?""What?" Sasuke barked, his frown pronounced."Why are you asking her questions?""I'm not allowed to ask her questions? Hinata, do you have a problem with me asking you questions?"She shrunk into herself. "I don't know what's going on."Suigetsu lobbed a pillow that Hinata managed to dodge but Sasuke received full force in the back of the head. "Just 'cause she's the only one who hasn't thrown herself at your feet doesn't mean you can harass her!"Sasuke cursed as he tried to fix his hair. The amount of hairspray and pomade in it made it stick out to the sides instead of straight back. "I'm not-""Is he done?" Suigetsu stood up and stalked over to the corner where Hinata was ducking out of the way.She nodded, not trusting her voice."Good." He pulled Sasuke out of the chair. The towels slid to the floor, forgotten. Sasuke angrily threw off the hold and stalked out of the room. Suigetsu pinned Hinata with a glance."Jugo said you were having problems with Sasuke."Hinata nodded. She had told Jugo that she and Sasuke were having trouble understanding each other."B-But why are you…?"Jugo asked me to watch out for you. And no one gets on his bad side. Ever." He flashed his shark teeth at her and slouched out of the room.oOoLater, Hinata hurried over to the side of the stage to quickly patch up some of Sasuke's foundation. His quick costume change had smeared almost everything. Over the din of the pulsing baseline, Hinata leaned over a seated Sasuke to practically yell at him."Sakura's MUA… Her name is Ino. She taught me some makeup tricks and I really liked it... To answer your question from before."Sasuke stood. For a moment, he towered over her. But she did not shrink back. Which seemed to be a good move for he seemed to be measuring her. After a beat, he nodded in acknowledgment before jogging back onto stage behind a thick curtain of fog and lasers.Hinata had no clue what was going on between Jugo, Suigetsu, her and Sasuke. But she appreciated that Sasuke was trying. So, she would try too.Beginning with a talk with Jugo.oOo
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oOoFeeling a little cross-eyed, Hinata made sure to keep her half-empty bottle of beer mostly upright as she rolled it slightly in between her palms. Jugo liked to try the local alcohol everywhere they went. Hinata tried a drink out of support. She did not know what was in this one but it was strong.Reaching for their snacks to try and pad her stomach, Hinata used the beer as an excuse. She attempted to be reckless."Is Sasuke dangerous?" She asked to no one in particular.Kin, Dosu, Zaku and Jugo froze.Dosu recovered first and snorted. "Dude doesn't even look at the ladies who throw themselves at him."Zaku hissed. "Never had a special guest over or anything. Loser."Kin squinted at Hinata's beer and face. "Lemme have that." Kin ordered.Hinata did not fight it. She slid her bottle next to Kin's cocktail. Kin lifted up her fistfuls of alcohol and toasted Dosu and Zaku at the same time."Suigetsu told you then?" Jugo flagged the waiter down for more appetizers.Resting her chin on her fist, Hinata blinked lazily at her friend."Damn, girl, how much did you have?" Zaku laughed. "We haven't even started the real party yet!"She shrugged. Her knee pain had kept her up the night before. Having to stay on set at a television studio all day for Sasuke had not helped matters any. She really just needed some sleep.Jugo sighed. "He's not a bad person. He just sucks at forming relationships. I just asked Suigestu to let me know if you seemed uncomfortable around Sasuke. That's all. I don't want Sasuke to stress you out."Hinata found a napkin and fiddled with it. "He does intimidate me a little."Dosu sucked his teeth. "Everything intimidates you.""Truth." Kin said. She took a drink of her cocktail. Wincing a little at the taste, she leaned in to Hinata. "Wanna know a secret?""What?"Zaku snorted. "Sasuke's kind of a dork." He sat up in his seat as the waiter came over with more food. Reaching out, he commandeered a plate before anyone could stop him."All bark, no bite." Dosu agreed, frowning at his friend.Kin chimed in. "Boring as fu-""Anyway," Jugo said. "We're here for you. You're probably going to have to be the one who initiates any kind of friendship with him though."The meaning of their words hit Hinata and she reached back for her beer. Kin cried out as Hinata took a big gulp.Uchiha Sasuke, with his legion of adoring fans, did not know how to make friends.oOo
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oOoHinata did not realize she would ever think Sasuke was adorable, but when he asked her if she had any siblings, she resisted the urge to smile. In light of her new understanding of his personality, it was clear he was trying. She could not begrudge him for that."Two! One younger sister. And my older cousin grew up with us so he feels like a brother." She paused and feeling brave, she asked him a question in return. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"Sasuke raised an eyebrow. The motion distracted her a little as she admired her handiwork. She loved how creamy the eyebrow pomade was. The color also matched his hair perfectly."You really don't know?" He drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm.Not picking up on the subtext, Hinata murmured a: "Nope."He jerked away, causing her to jump. Sasuke's dark eyes bore into her. Flecks of concealer stuck to his eyelashes, making the black irises stick out even more. He looked ghostly.And confused?"You seriously don't know that basic fact about me?" He questioned.Hinata gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh no, was I supposed to?"He looked away and squirmed in his seat. "Well no…"She slowly pulled her fingers down and leaned her head to the side. She gave him a quizzical stare. He refused to look in her direction. Trying to puzzle this out, she tried to match his behavior with what little she knew of his personality."Did… did most of your MUAs know a lot about you?"Sasuke grunted an affirmative.Hinata could only imagine. For celebrities, nothing was sacred. Birthdays, siblings, blood type. Practically everything was public knowledge.She hummed and picked up the mascara. He did not look good with very much on but she had to cover up that concealer somehow."I don't follow any of that." She mused. "So, I don't know much. Sorry."There was a pause. "I have one brother. Itachi. He plays the cello."Lightning burst along Hinata's spine, causing her hand to spasm and drop the mascara wand in Sasuke's lap."What the-" He flinched and braced himself on the tall arms of his chair.It was so obvious, Hinata did not know why she did not make the connection sooner. "U-Uchiha Itachi is y-your brother?""What, you know him?"Tears sprang to her eyes and she bit her lip as she nodded. "I-I k-know of… of him…"Uchiha Itachi had composed the music for Hinata's first ever dance solo.She cleared her throat. The taste of bile rested on her tongue. Picking up the wand, she disinfected it before shakily returning to her task.Sasuke watched her carefully. He did not ask anything but she could tell he was curious. She sent him away to go get dressed. Making sure he was gone, she dashed off to the bathroom.Locking herself in a stall, she pressed her face to the cool metal. Squeezing her eyes shut made her banked tears slide from her lashes."I can't escape it no matter where I go." She whispered.oOo
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oOoHinata lied to herself quite often. But she always ruined it, especially when the song she swore off for life was already downloaded on her phone. Alone in her hotel room, she shakily turned the sound up to full blast.From the first moment, she was transported. The bow ran quickly over the strings of the cello, making an almost rumbling noise. It caught on a note, which held for a breathless second before tumbling into one of the most intense songs Hinata had ever heard. Yearning and heartbreaking; Hinata's eyes fell closed at the feeling that was evoked in her.She had been standing in the middle of the room, but now she slowly crumpled to the floor. Behind her eyelids, the scene played out as if she had recorded everything with a camera attached to her forehead. The smell of her stage makeup stung her nose. The heat from the stage lights making the top of her head feel like it was on fire. The feel of her pointe shoes supporting her battered toes as she stretched up as the music hung on another extended note…And then collapsed as the music became a river, coursing around her, pushing her body here and there.For the first time in her life, Hinata had lost herself in the dance. She understood why it was so addicting. Never in her fourteen years had she been able to comprehend why people enjoyed it so much. To her it was a familial obligation to be weathered stoically.But this was Uchiha Itachi's first composition. And she understood what it was trying to say. For once, music and dance made sense to her. Her first recital was the first time she understood how expressive her body could be in communicating her longing. Her longing to be accepted, to not worry about her small mistakes and how her body was proving to be too fat without extensive dieting. How she could not land the most complicated jumps like Hanabi, but Hinata could do some and do them well.The song built up and then it ended abruptly, making Hinata feel like she had just fallen off a cliff.Her eyes opened, and it was just her in her hotel room. She was not in front of an audience, she was not fourteen anymore.Her knee throbbed once, as if to taunt her with reality.A sardonic grin twisted her lips. "I know," she spoke directly to her pain. "I know."In some ways, Uchiha Itachi ruined her life. That damn song. Her performance had given her father hope that his eldest daughter was not as much of a failure as he had thought. It also revealed to her a new feeling. She had connected to her innermost self, free from her chronic anxiety and self-esteem issues.Hinata fell back on the not quite comfortable carpet and huffed. Most of her life afterwards had been spent chasing that sensation.She peered at her phone and exited out of her apps to stare at her background. Her eyes softened, seeing her family.That's why she was here, was it not? To find something that gave her that freedom again.Maybe she would also listen to Itachi's new music.oOo"May I ask you a question, Sasuke-san?" Hinata asked in a small voice.His eyes flicked up to hers. "Just Sasuke, damn."Silence fell. Hinata fidgeted. He huffed."What's your question?""Um," it was a personal question. Hinata was nervous just thinking about it. "If your brother… you see… if he plays classical music, then what made you want to be a pop… star?" Her voice shot up sharply at the end. She sucked in a deep breath, realizing she had been holding it.He smirked. "Mostly to stick it to my parents."She blushed and busied herself with her brushes. "Oh."Sasuke snorted. "And then we started getting big and I realized that my brother and I aren't really different."Hinata looked up. "Oh?"He spread his hands. The movement made Suigetsu peer up from his phone suspiciously. Seeing nothing concerning, he returned to tapping the screen in that fanatic way of his."Music is catharsis. I don't get a lot of artistic credit making pop," Sasuke shrugged. "But I reach more people this way. I make them feel good. Or sad. Or angry. Itachi gets the accolades, but he's making middle aged women and stressed salary men feel some kind of way so it's whatever."Hinata grinned at the hauteur in Sasuke's voice. She giggled and in a moment of unusual levity, he waggled his eyebrows at her. Seeing as only one of them was filled in, the movement was far more comical than he knew. She laughed more."Some of us are trying to work!" Suigetsu thundered.Sasuke threw a rude gesture over his shoulder before tilting his head up as a signal for her to continue. Hinata obliged.Considering how nervous she had been to work for Sasuke before, the more she learned about him… the more she liked him.oOo
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oOoThere was something about the last concert that made Hinata tremble in both sadness and excitement. This was it. The big finale. There had been relatively no hiccups other than the usual: sound issues, overzealous fans, and a couple of costume changes that went too long. But the audience either had not noticed or cared. Sasuke had this quality that cast a spell over everyone's better judgement. He could leave them waiting for over an hour and his fans probably would not get upset as long as they got to see him in person.Hinata did not know how he did it. For someone who pushed most people away, he was magnetic. She had tried to make herself an open book and it never worked for her. It was hard for her to coax anyone to like her, be her friend. He made it look so easy.Sasuke was also a consummate professional. In theory, he could show up late. But he did not. He respected his fans and their time and money. If he was even a minute off his time, he would push the encore long. If the sound was off, he would do the song again. For someone who talked so nonchalantly about what he did, he sure took it very seriously.Hinata was standing in the wings. By this time, she had memorized his song rotation. She could not help but mouth the musical counts, her head nodding in time to Sasuke and his dancers' beats. To anyone else it looked like she might be singing along.Apparently, it looked like that to Suigetsu, who came alongside her and smirked. "Can't help but watch a man in action, huh?"Hinata startled and looked at him. Suigetsu had this problem of making everything sound just a touch dirty and she could never figure out how to respond to it.She was saved from having to answer by one of the worst-case scenarios. There was a shriek and Suigetsu's head snapped forward.He cursed and took off in a run, yelling into his walkie-talkie. A fan had made her way on stage.Sasuke held a hand out in front of him to keep her at bay. He never stopped singing but his vocals sounded more than distracted. His body language was full of tension.The woman, who's back was to Hinata, shrieked and threw herself forward in an attempt to wrap her arms around him. Sasuke staggered and though it was hard to see from this angle, it seemed like his head snapped back. The next second Dosu was pulling the fan away, handing her off to Suigetsu and another person on security. They pulled her off the opposite end of the stage.It had been the last song but there was no magical moment at the end. Stage crew were surrounding Hinata, all peering worriedly at Sasuke. He was standoffish but he had never treated any of them particularly badly. He held all of their loyalty.His voice was shaky as he finished, and as soon as the last note ended, he stalked off. Ripping his mic off his head and the transmitter off the back of his pants, he shoved it into the hands of the nearest sound technician and stormed towards his changing room.As he passed, Hinata gasped. Blood was streaming down his lip.Without even thinking she followed. He had thrown himself in his makeup chair. His expression was thunderous and she stopped at the door, afraid to face him.Then his tongue snuck out to touch a spot on his lip and he winced.Her legs propelled her forward. The blood had dripped down his chin and onto his shirt. His makeup had smeared. He looked like a mess. She hurried to her table and grabbed a cotton ball and doused it in antiseptic before standing before him.The whole time he ignored her. When she moved to dab at his split lip, he snarled and grabbed her hand."Please," she pleaded. His anger was worrying. Her hand trembled. "Let me help you."Jugo burst into the room. "The medic is coming."Sasuke sneered but angled his head up in a mockery of their usual routine. His eyes bore into hers but she ripped her gaze away to carefully dab at his lip. The wound bled lazily and she picked up another cotton ball. With very little instruction needed, he held that one to his cut while she gingerly used some makeup remover to dab off the blood and products off the rest of his face."Did she get you anywhere else?" Jugo asked quietly."No," Sasuke bit out. He swallowed, making his throat bob underneath Hinata's hand. She startled just a little.Then the medic was there. He thanked Hinata for cleaning the wound and then applied one of the tiniest butterfly bandages Hinata had ever seen."Hopefully," the medic said, "it won't scar."Silence fell over the room. Scars were never good. The medic handed Sasuke some pain medicine and with the job done, left.Hinata felt her own anger rise before Sasuke sighed, startling both Hinata and Jugo. He leaned his head against the back of the seat, closing his eyes.She realized how tired he was. How tired they all were. She just wanted to go home.As quickly as her anger had come, it disappeared, melting into something more like sympathy. No one deserved to be assaulted, no matter what her intentions had been. Especially Sasuke. He worked so hard for his fans, and this was how they treated him."Sasuke-san…? Would you like me to take off your makeup?" She offered quietly.Hinata knew he liked to do that himself. It was an important post-show ritual. Everyone had one. The repetitive actions helped them relax, get themselves in a calmer mindset.Offering to do this for Sasuke was a touch too personal. They were not close enough for Hinata to be offering. Ino could take Sakura's makeup off. They started their journeys together and were inseparable.Hinata was not Sasuke's best friend, if she was a friend at all. She was just SME's last-ditch attempt to get Sasuke an MUA who could not be run off.But her heart hurt looking at him and she wanted to help ease his mind. Even if it was just taking him out of sticky makeup.He sighed. "Ok. Fine. I wanna change first though."She slowly backed up, exchanging a nod with Jugo. "Okay just… let me know. When you're done."Turning she exited the room and closed the door behind her. Dosu, Kin and Zaku with a handful of other people, including another bodyguard, were huddled around.They started asking her rapid-fire questions. Hinata leaned against the wood and let out a sigh not unlike Sasuke's.She was so ready to be done with this tour.oOo
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oOoHinata was so nervous she could almost feel her teeth vibrate along with the rest of her body. Then her head actually did vibrate.But it was a miracle to her. The act of texting Sasuke felt like she was undertaking a huge risk. So many people had tried to take advantage of him. It was clear to her and Jugo that she had to take this slow if she really wanted to be his friend. It was imperative that she showed him she did not want anything from him. Just his friendship.Even if he made her nervous as hell.Pulling her phone out from under her pillow, Hinata squinted at the bright screen in the dim light.Yeah. The text message read.She sucked in a breath and let it out on a little laugh. All that worrying for a one-word answer. She buried her face in her pillow. Previously, she thought her heartbeat would return to normal once -if- she received a favorable text. Instead, her nervousness ratcheted up a notch.Well no sleeping in today, it seemed.oOoGuren was waiting right outside the door to Kabuto's office when Hinata walked in. Hinata's smile was wide and genuine."Hi, Guren-san!"The older woman's lips quirked in what was her approximation of a warm smile. "Hey, yourself. What are you up to today?"Hinata's smile only widened. Classic Guren, straight to business. Hinata lifted up the wicker basket in her arms so the bodyguard could see inside."Sasuke had a bit of acne during the tour so I brought him some products to try while he's on break." She could not help but pout a little bit. "He refuses to see a dermatologist so I'm trying to help him out as best I can."Guren leaned over to run an eye over the products before snorting and leaning back against the wall. Both her arms and legs were crossed and she looked like the epitome of boredom. But Hinata knew that appearances could be deceiving. The sleeves of Guren's shirt were long enough to cover her biceps but short enough to reveal the tightly corded muscles in her slim forearms."Well," Guren said before jerking a head to the closed door and office beyond. "Kabuto and Karin are going over the tour video with the man of the hour. Might as well make yourself comfortable."Hinata voiced her agreement and sat down on a couch on the opposite wall. She set her basket down and swung her legs idly."How's Yukimaru?" She asked.Something almost indistinguishable loosened in Guren's stance. "Good. Doing well in school, as always. He's a smart little brat. Gave me hell for not going on the tour and taking him with."Hinata giggled. "We missed both of you."The older woman shrugged, her bright red lips moving into a stern frown. "Touring is hard and I'm not taking him out of school.""That's understandable," Hinata soothed. There was a reason why Suigetsu had stuck to Sasuke's side so much, instead of coordinating everything from a better vantage point. Losing the head bodyguard had put a strain on resources but it was not impossible to deal with.Guren's sharp gaze pinned Hinata suddenly. "How was it for you? I see you haven't quit yet.""Ah." Hinata laughed and lightly tugged at a strand of hair that had fallen over her shoulder. "No not yet."The door opened suddenly, revealing Karin. She stumbled to a stop at seeing the two women in the reception area. Karin sneered and then with a flip of her hair, strode out of the room. Kabuto followed and inclined his head at Hinata. Orochimaru breezed through without breaking stride, for which Hinata was grateful. She sunk back and clutched her basket to her chest.Sasuke was last, smoothing down his hair. Hinata's posture loosened enough that she felt like she could finally stand. Her movement caught Sasuke's eye."Hinata?"An acute embarrassment suddenly gripped her and she could feel her face heating up to a catastrophic level. Pushing through it as best as she could, she held out the basket."These are those products I promised you." Aware of both Guren and Sasuke's discerning gazes on her, she shakily pointed to a handwritten card. "These are instructions but it'll take at least a week or two for you to see any results.Sasuke appeared confused. "I didn't-"Hinata pulled out a pump bottle with brown tinted glass. "Here is that hand sanitizer. That-that you did ask for."Guren pushed off the wall and with a nod from Hinata, took the bottle and opened the cap slightly. "Never thought you would like floral scents, Sasuke." Guren teased.He huffed and crossed his arms, before uncrossing them to accept the basket. "How much do I owe you?"Hinata's eyes widened as she shook her head. "It was a gift!""Tch. And I want to give that hand sanitizer to my mom. How can I give her something that was given as a gift to me?"Hinata shook her head. "You don't have to-"A phone chimed. Guren pulled her out of her pocket. After a brief moment, she nodded at Sasuke and carefully placed the bottle inside the basket. "I'll meet you at the entrance. Bye, Hinata.""Bye, Guren-san!" Hinata did not want the other woman to leave."Hinata," Sasuke commanded. "How much do I owe you?" He paused, his uncertain expression killing Hinata's protests before they could leave her mouth. "I've never gotten my mom something like this before. Does your mom like it?"Oh. Um.Hinata's lips pressed together. "I… I don't have a mother, Sasuke-san. Not for a long time anyway," she said apologetically.Sasuke's eyes widened. "Oh shit, Hinata I didn't mean…"She shook her head and took advantage of his shock to shove her cargo in his hands. He accepted it robotically. "You didn't know."Her watch chimed a reminder. "And now I'm the one who has to leave." She murmured, turning the alarm off. "I'll see you soon, Sasuke-san. Have a nice day."Resisting the urge to bolt, she forced her limbs to cautiously move her towards the elevator. It opened quickly and she slid into it before Sasuke could come to his wits. When she last saw him, he was standing in the reception area, staring into the basket.She did a lot of running away when it came to him.oOoHinata pulled her phone off the table when it almost vibrated off. Her brows furrowed. A text message from Guren?Yukimaru wants to know if you want to go for breakfast some time.Hinata practically melted as she sent her answer. I would love to.oOo
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oOoThis had to be their third outing together so far. Yukimaru was ridiculously adorable and he knew it. The boy could wield his cuteness like a weapon and Hinata was too weak to say no. Guren was a bit better at it, but maybe that came from being a mother.Both Hinata and Yukimaru were sharing a bench outside of a bakery. Hinata did not want to enter because she knew the cinnamon rolls were some of the best around and she did not want the temptation. Yukimaru was not allowed in because somehow, he always managed to con too many free samples from the shop girls and boys. So Guren was braving the danger to purchase only one cookie for her son.Yukimaru had captured a handful of Hinata's hair and was attempting something like a braid. Having no one to teach him how, he was not quite getting it. But he would not let Hinata help.She resigned herself to having to comb out the knots later.Yukimaru was babbling and the woman only listened with half an ear until he started explaining why they were hanging out in the first place."Sasuke-san told Guren you don't have a mama. And Guren never had a mama or papa. And I never had a papa or mama until Guren alopt-alopt-""Adopted." Hinata offered."Yes, alopteded me so we understand what it's like to not have a mama so I thought we could be friends and I told my mom to alopt you too, but adults can't be alopted and I don't know if you have a papa-" He ran out of breath finally and loudly sucked in another one. "So, I'll share my mama."Hinata could feel her eyes water. She impulsively reached up and smoothed back Yukimaru's hair so it looked less like a mane. He leaned into the gesture so Hinata guessed he was alright with her taking the liberty. "You're very nice, Yukimaru-kun. So is your mother."He grinned up at her.Guren burst out of the bakery, bringing with her a sweet-smelling breeze. "Alright let's get out of here. That place is dangerous.""Yay! Cookies!" Yukimaru crowed and jumped off the bench.Later, when Hinata was brushing out her hair, she ran Yukimaru's words over and over in her mind. She did not know whether to be offended or not by Sasuke's disclosure. On one hand, Sasuke did not engage in small talk. There was no chance something like that would accidentally slip. On the other, Sasuke did mention things about other people when he thought it prudent.Once on tour, he had mentioned Jugo had a cold. Hinata had used it as an opportunity to baby the large man a little bit. She had visited every pharmacy she could and ordered the soups that contained the most restorative ingredients. At the time, she had not felt manipulated. She only felt like she had been… given a push.But that kind of subtlety was a tool a true leader used. How could Sasuke be so isolated and a leader at the same time? Could a self-identified "asshole" also display selfless tendencies?Did she need to reevaluate how she classified him in her mind?Her brush got stuck on one of the knots Yukimaru weaved in her hair and she winced.oOo
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oOoIf Hinata had to compare Kin to an animal, it would be a scorpion. Kin possessed a sharp tongue and was ready to strike at any little provocation. She was a fighter and deadly if crossed.It definitely startled Hinata when Kin called, crying.Somehow, Hinata was able to understand Kin's words perfectly."D-Dosu is-he's in… there was an a-a-accident-t-t and he's in the… hospital!" Kin sobbed."I'm on my way!" Hinata promised.She rushed to the hospital, her hair still wet from the hasty shower she had taken. Kin met Hinata at the main entrance. The two women hustled through the hospital and impatiently waited for the elevator to take them to their destination. Kin's sentences were still garbled through her tears but the story became clear enough soon.The trio of dancers were rehearsing with another male pop star in Sound Machine's talent pool who scheduled to go on a tour of his own soon. In this one set, Dosu was supposed to be dancing on a raised platform, along with another dancer above and to either side of the idol. For some reason, the makeshift stage had been flimsy and wobbled at the worst possible time. The other dancer jumped off right on time but Dosu had tripped and fallen.And it had been a bad fall.Tears sprung to Hinata's eyes. Of course, dancers experienced injuries. But falls could be not just career ending, but catastrophic for a person's body. Her own injury had been stress induced; her knee getting torqued from the wrong angle. But freak accidents seemed even worse for some reason. Her knee problem had, in an obtuse way, been her own fault. This, this was uncontrollable.Dosu, drugged out of his mind, was still able to recognize Hinata. "Hey," he rasped.Hinata rushed to his bedside and traded a broken look with Zaku who was sitting on the other side. She wanted to grab Dosu's hand but it was in a cast. His whole right side had impacted the floor. A broken arm. Cracked ribs. Possible concussion. The only saving grace is that his legs were not broken.She compromised and rested a light hand on his knee.There were no words. They were all dancers. They all understood how earth shattering this was. Dancing was all Dosu knew.The door opened, startling everyone in the room. Guren stalked in, looking pissed as hell. She stomped over to the other side of the room where Dosu's roommate lay. She pulled the dividing curtains around him, blocking their view of the stranger. Then she did the same for Dosu's curtains, caging them all in before the door opened again.Sasuke slipped into their private cocoon. Hinata's breath caught."If you get a hint of paparazzi, I'm out of here!" Sasuke hissed at Guren. She nodded once and the door closed behind her as she went to guard the hall.Zaku stumbled out of his seat, the only seat. Sasuke settled into it, like a king having court. Kin and Hinata exchanged bewildered looks.Who told him? What was he doing here?Sasuke leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. "How are you?" He rumbled softly.Dosu stumbled over his words."He's not too good, boss." Zaku admitted. "We don't know if… if he can."Kin turned into Hinata. Hinata wrapped her arms around her friend and rested a hand on the back of the other woman's head. She did not begrudge Kin's tears. When Neji experienced his own injury, Hinata was inconsolable for weeks until the man recovered enough to prove that his skills at the barre were not diminished.Blinking away her own tears, she pursed her lips when Sasuke met her eyes. If he was surprised she was there, he did not show it."His legs are okay." Hinata offered.It was not much hope but it was enough. Kin, Zaku, and Dosu had been a team for years. Dosu would continue dancing. Hinata had to believe it.Sasuke gave her one nod before looking back at Dosu. Something passed between them and Sasuke grimaced."Our boss promised the best care for you since it was some fucking technician's fault you got hurt. But If you're not getting the best, I expect someone to tell me." He looked at Zaku at this last statement. It was implicit in Sasuke's tone that he would fix the oversight. "And I understand if you can't dance, you can't make money. I've got those stupidly expensive lawyers that will force the company to figure out a stipend until you can get back on your feet and back to touring with me. If you can't…"Everyone sucked in a breath.Sasuke thankfully, did not voice those dammed words. If no one said them, then it would not come true. "If you can't, we'll figure it out. Understand?"Dosu's face was turned away from Hinata but she heard the tears in his voice. "Thanks, boss."Sasuke stood. "Just get better. Hospitals suck. Let me know how it goes."The four of them watched him leave the room. Kin gave a full body shiver. Dosu sniffed. Zaku rushed back to his spot."I-I thought my li-life was over, bro." Dosu moaned.Zaku shook his head. "Nah, man." He clutched at Dosu's sheets. "We've got you. He's got you."And none of them could quite believe it. Who knew Sasuke to be so kind?oOoThe other pop star, the one with the bad set design, sent Dosu flowers. Kin threw them away.oOo
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oOoHinata wanted to know how to get in contact with Human Resources. Jugo was bullying her. Into socializing.Hinata pouted. "I actually don't have to do anything I don't want to." She groused.Jugo smirked and leaned in. "Does Kabuto know you're so rebellious?"Hinata blanched but Jugo continued: "Or Sasuke? Come to think of it, he'd probably like it."The blood rushed to her head so fast she felt faint. She covered her face with her cold hands so her next words came out muffled. "Why are you being like this?"It was not often that Jugo was so playful, but this time there were some stakes involved."You'll go?" He asked."I'll go." She said.oOoApparently, after every tour, Sasuke liked to have a staff appreciation party. At his house."Are we even allowed to be here?" Hinata breathed, looking up at the brightly lit building, tucked into a copse of trees. They were in a secluded suburb of Tokyo. The kind where the driveways were more than five kilometers long and the rich and famous came to hide from cameras.The mansion itself was all clean, modern lines of thick glass, steel and heavy wooden beams.Jugo laughed and patted her hand that was tucked into his elbow. He led her up the carefully paved and landscaped path to the front door. The stones were lit from underneath with a soft white light. She felt like she was walking on the moon.On the second floor was a balcony that stretched the whole length of the house. Someone smoking on it spotted them and let up a cheer. Jugo waved and Hinata sheepishly followed his example."You're being a little reticent." Jugo observed.Hinata ducked her chin behind the high collar of her jacket. "I'm not a fan of rowdy parties." She grimaced.Growing up Hyuga, most of the family followed strict discipline in most aspects of their lives. Unless they were one of the rebellious ones. Which technically, Hinata was now part of that group.Then, working for Sakura had been an eye opener. Sakura herself could drink anyone under the table and most of her posse did their best to try to keep up with her. If someone did not end up sick or blackout drunk by the end of the night, then Sakura had not been present."It's okay." Jugo soothed. "Have more faith in Sasuke."She smiled, because she did have faith in him. More and more every day.Jugo opened the door for them and they entered the party.oOoHinata was having a good time. The furniture had been pushed to the walls or cleared out of the first floor. There was no built-in bar anywhere, so everyone had to go to the kitchen for drinks. Hinata liked it better that way. She served herself her own wine and never let the glass leave her hand. (She still had some kind of Hyuga discipline after all.)The large living room was the de facto dance floor. The regular lightbulbs in the track lighting had been replaced with neon ones, casting different parts of the house in shades of blue and purple and green. Ownership of the Bluetooth sound system was traded off periodically and everyone would cheer when a popular pop song came on. Some of them were Sasuke's. Hinata sung along to those.Once, a classical song was played and there was mass confusion until the people recognized it as one of Itachi's. Hinata filmed the laughter and sent it to Kin and Zaku who were staying with Dosu out of solidarity. She watched Jugo get involved in a card game with a few men on the security team in a quieter section of the first floor.But soon, Hinata found herself feeling a little too dizzy and overheated. She did not want to go outside because the stage technicians were hovering suspiciously around the firepit in the backyard. And she did not want to leave. She had seen almost everyone. Suigetsu, Guren (who had left early), and even Karin. But no Sasuke.Hinata found the stairs and intended to sit on them and cool down. But the heat of the crowd lingered even at that height. Remembering the balcony, she figured that the area was also open to guests.The second floor was stunning. Free of party goers, Hinata realized that half of it was mostly just a glorified loft. A couple of closed doors on her right signaled what must have been bedrooms or a bathroom. But to her left was a sitting area. Bookshelves lined the right and left walls. In the middle were short, leather couches good for sprawling all over. And the wall facing the balcony was at least ten feet high and solid glass. Beyond the wood that afforded Sasuke his privacy, was a view of Tokyo. Lit up and glimmering, her city welcomed her.She gasped and moved towards the open sliding doors. The view was so beautiful, so magnificent, she honestly felt close to tears.Her footsteps were soft on the wooden deck and she braced her hands on the cold metal railing. She took a deep breath. The air smelled of pine. Her eyes fell closed.Someone cleared their throat from behind her. Hinata startled and whirled around. She spotted Sasuke in the doorway. An apology sprang to her lips but as he lazily approached, she could see he was smiling."Hey," he greeted. "Didn't know if you would come."Suddenly bashful, Hinata shrugged a shoulder. "I just needed a little bit of quiet and this," she forced herself to say and gestured to his yard and the view. "This is beautiful."Pulling even with her, Sasuke nodded and looked at the view. He took a sip from the beer in his hand. His dark eyes managed to pick up the dim lighting, making them glimmer.Hinata could feel her heart rate start to pick up."I don't need a big house," Sasuke said. "But the view always makes me remember how much of a lucky bastard I am. I think we need things close by to remind ourselves that even when things are awful, we still have things like this."She could not tear her gaze away from his face. The realization made her alcohol blush feel worse. "Yeah." She agreed dumbly.Maybe Sasuke would hate the comparison but she found him as beautiful as the cityscape.When he moved to look at her, she tore her gaze away."Why don't you have a family name?" He suddenly asked.The confusion helped kick her out of her daze. He wanted to ask that at a party?The expression on her face was incredulous. He grimaced into his beer like it was the drink's fault. Maybe it was."Sorry. Wanted to ask you for ages but it's not a question you text." He explained.It had been a while since they saw each other. But Hinata had become Sasuke's informant, letting him know all the things Kin told her about Dosu's recovery. Texting him was their only form of communication.Hinata sighed."You don't have to-" He started."I don't have a family name because I was disowned." She admitted so quietly that he almost could not hear her over the bass thrumming through the house. "They didn't want me using it and I thought the least I could do was not shame them by associating myself with them."Sasuke swore underneath his breath. "I'm sorry.""I told you to ask," she shrugged, referencing a conversation that seemed so long ago. Bravely, Hinata blinked away a different set of tears.His brows furrowed. "But you're successful, why wouldn't they be proud of you?"The question was so loaded and the setting was so absurd that Hinata had to giggle. "Kabuto found me working a makeup counter at a department store. Not exactly the VIP life my family imagined."After a long pause he sighed. "There's a lot I don't know about you."And because touching his face was second nature, Hinata reached up to affectionately smooth back his unruly eyebrow hairs with her thumb. They tended to fly every which way. He blinked and squinted at her in confusion. She pulled back like she had hurt him."Sorry!"Ignoring her, he glared into his drink one more time. Pausing, he tilted his head to the side before hesitantly offering the can. She slowly reached out and took a sip. His eyes widened as he watched her. Her blush was clearly spreading down her neck. Her mouth went dry.Taking a breath to ask him something, she was interrupted by one of his other dancers. He pulled Sasuke away, chattering something about a bonfire.She watched them go and when they disappeared from view, she gasped for breath. Bracing herself, she threw her head back and downed the rest of their drink.Once the dizziness passed, she was going to get Jugo to call her a cab. She also needed some water. Maybe to clean out the taste of death coating her tongue. Maybe to drown herself in it.oOo
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oOo
Hinata felt like a terrified rabbit, stuck between a rock and a snarling wolf. The journalist was still clutching her wrist and the smile he leveled at her made her feel sick. He was baring his teeth, self-satisfied on stumbling across a juicy story.Hyuga Hinata, the spurned heir, was in his grasp.oOoThe day started off nicely. Sasuke was scheduled for a television interview. She took the train to meet him and his entourage at the broadcast station. He wanted Guren to detour and pick Hinata up, but Hinata knew as soon as the paparazzi caught wind of Sasuke in her neighborhood, she would never have any privacy. She knew enough from her time with Sakura.Also from her childhood.In a way, she was used to being reported on. It Her fame was not as all-consuming as Sasuke's. In contrast, she was the heir to a very prestigious family and dance company. Anyone who wanted to be a ballet dancer in Japan had to go through the Hyuga Ballet Company. Anything else was not done. It held all the premier shows and traveled all over the world. They preformed for diplomats and royalty. Their charities were renowned for bringing the arts to disadvantaged citizens the world over. Hinata could have presided over it all.Instead, she gave it up to be an anonymous make-up artist for a pop idol. She had a small online following, where she showed her looks on her friend's faces or did demos of palettes on her arm. She never appeared in her posts. Neither did Sasuke.If Kabuto decided to fire her tomorrow and refused to let her use her employment with Sound Machine on her resume, Hinata might have to go back to a department store. Both he and Karin liked her being anonymous. So did she.Hinata hummed to herself as she walked through the halls, trying to find the break room and some tea. Apparently, Karin liked feeding Sasuke, which meant everyone on the team got some freebies, including some expensive health drinks. A voice from behind interrupted her."Hyuga Hinata?"And damn her. She had practiced this, swore to never, ever respond to the Hyuga name again. She was not a Hyuga. She was only Hinata. If Rola and Ayaka could be big celebrities with only one name, then it would probably be easier for Hinata to be a nobody with one as well.Try telling her reflexes that.She turned, eyebrows raised.A man with medium length grey hair was standing in the hallway behind her. He had a hand resting on a cubicle wall. He let go to gave a small bow. Hinata bowed distractedly in return. Where did she know him from?He approached, still grinning. "Hasegawa Hidan. I work for the Music and Arts department. We've met."Realization lanced through her heart. Her stomach started churning. She had sat through many interviews with him. Even when he did not talk to her, he had a way of twisting her misfortune with malicious glee. Hinata only read one article by him and one passage became forever tattooed into her brain. It sat there, infected and bleeding for most of her life.It read: "She is the incompetent heir of the most prestigious ballet dynasty in the East. Instead of preforming a grand jeté with grace like a deer, she instead reminds one of a hippo. Thankfully, Hyuga Hiashi, the current Head does not believe in unjust nepotism. She is a permanent staple of the chorus until she can figure out her limbs and stop letting her appetite get the best of her. Which will probably never happen."On her worst days, his words echoed through her brain while she hovered over the toilet. With every gag, the words looped anew.She crossed her arms to hide her shaking hands. "Can I help you?" She asked, sounding like the timid child she had once been.Hidan smiled. "How about we talk? It's been a while since anyone has heard anything about you. There were rumors you were still dancing but you pretty much disappeared." He leaned in. She leaned away. "Your cousin has been named successor. How do you feel about that?""I don't have anything to say." She breathed, fighting tears. Her eating disorder had not been caused by him. But she had not been strong enough to fight against his vicious words. Honestly, she did not know if she could face him now.Turning, she tried to flee but he caught her arm."Come now, just a few words. You're a hard woman to find. I almost didn't recognize you without your hair up." He chuckled."Please let me go," Hinata pleaded weakly. Guren had been teaching Hinata basic self defense. If Suigetsu had tried something like this, Hinata would have broken his hold without a problem. Something about this man, like with her father, intimidated the hell out of her. She was shaking and close to tears.He bared his teeth and moved in for the kill. Hinata sucked in a breath and closed her eyes, trying to think of being anywhere but here. She tried to calm down. Tried to remember the warmth of the stage to calm her tremors. Tried to think of the sound of Itachi's cello to drown out Hasegawa's voice. Tried to recall the smell of Sasuke's makeup to block the smell of foreign aftershave.And either her imagination was amazing, or she could actually smell Sasuke's cologne. There was the sound of skin violently meeting skin and suddenly, Hinata was free. She stumbled back, her eyes flying open. A body blocked her path. Hasegawa stared at her with wide eyes and she returned the gaze. Looking up and behind her, she saw Sasuke looming over her. He was so close she could really only see the line of his jaw.He had a hand on her shoulder and the other was raised like he had just finished slapping off Hasegawa's grip."Who are you?" Sasuke growled.Despite herself, Hinata curled back into Sasuke. His grip on her shoulder tightened but not to the point of pain.Hidan held up his hands in a helpless gesture. "Come on now, we were only talking."Hinata shuddered."If you have to assault someone to get to talk you, you're doing it wrong." Sasuke hissed.Hidan's face lit up. "You're Uchiha Sasuke. Interesting."Sasuke froze. "Oh I see, you're one of those. We're done here." He directed his next words to Hinata. "Let's go."With an arm around her shoulders, he marched her past a smirking Hidan, down the hallway to the small changing room. More of a closet, it was the only place where there were not security cameras.Right before they entered, Sasuke pressed the side of his face to her hair. "Hinata, you're shaking." He murmured with so much concern that Hinata almost started sobbing with the weight of it all.Her stomach hurt.In the room, there was a padded bench. He led her to it and lowered her down. He stood there awkwardly for a couple of moments.Hinata wanted to tell him it was okay. That she was fine and it was all a misunderstanding and how did his interview go, by the way? But she could not. Her breaths were short and catching on the back of her throat. Her eyes welled with tears."Shit." He sat down next to her and he placed his fists in his lap. "Hinata, did he do anything to you? Are you okay?"She shook her head and her lips stuck together as she tried to talk. What came out instead was a cry. "He-I th-thought..." She attempted to suck in a deep breath while dashing the water from her cheeks. "I t-t-tried to stand... up to h-h-him but he grabbed me a-a-and..."Sasuke hissed more curses. "Tell me how I can help you." He leaned in, then with a whispered apology, he moved out of her personal space. "Tissues, water?"She shook her head and to her disappointment, cried harder. She felt like she was shaking apart. Like she would shatter and her pieces would blow away. Unable to voice it, she tentatively reached over and pulled on the sleeve. Thankfully, he was fluent in body language.With a sigh, he reached over and pulled her into his arms. A hand slid into her unbound hair and the other around her upper back. He was warm and familiar and for the first time all day Hinata did not feel any shame for just being herself.
oOo
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oOo
One of Sasuke's bodyguards, Rinji, had escorted her home. Sasuke paid for them to take a taxi and the whole ride home Rinji made jokes. Hinata did her best to smile, realizing that she would have liked them if she was in a different mindset.He walked her all the way up the stairs to her apartment. "I'm gonna stay until I hear the door lock." He informed her, then presented her a card with his number on it. "I'll stay in this part of town if you need me."She nodded and let herself in the door. Sliding both locks home deliberately, she shakily made her way to the shower.An hour later, she was lying in bed. The only thing out from under the comforter was her wet hair, strewn across her pillow. She clutched her phone to her chest and thought about calling Neji, or Hanabi but she could not get her muscles to unlock from her fetal position.The phone started vibrating and she nearly jumped out of her skin.It was enough of a push to get her moving, to get her looking at her phone. Sometimes Neji could sense when she needed to talk.Sasuke, her phone read.Noting that her hands were still shaking, she pressed 'accept' and put the call on speaker phone."H-hello?""Hinata?"He sounded so concerned that tears sprang to her eyes. She did not know what she did to deserve him even paying attention to her, but she cherished it all the same."Y-yes, it's me…""Where are you? You sound muffled."Embarrassed, she took her phone off speaker and put it to her ear. "Is this better?""Yeah… Listen, I'm sorry I couldn't see you home. Did everything go okay with Rinji?""Y-yes. I'm very grateful I had someone to go with me.""Shit." Sasuke breathed. "I'm really sorry I couldn't help. I knew there were a lot of paps. They followed me all the way home today."He apologized twice. Seemed like this whole day was going to be a surreal one. "Trials of the rich and famous." She rubbed tears out of an eye."Tell me about it. Anyway, just wanted to make sure you were okay."Hinata sniffled. "Thank you so much for everything. You didn't have… to…""…Are you crying?"She muffled her sniffle in the sheets. "No.""You're the worst liar I've ever met."Her answering laugh was watery. "How do you know? I have not… haven't lied to you before.""Yeah, 'cause you know you suck." A pause. "Kabuto's calling and I gotta take this. If you can't reach me, Jugo and Guren can probably get to you faster than I can."The lone tear that escaped was more from gratitude than anything. She had seen his kindness in regards to Guren and Dosu. Never had she imagined that Sasuke would extend it to her. "Thank you so much, Sasuke-san."They disconnected and Hinata fell into a deep sleep.oOoThe stage was a like a second home to her and she recognized it immediately. Her feet were bare and she could feel the floor pulse with unheard music. The lights blinded her from seeing the audience but she knew from the stillness in the air that there was no one there.Just from the rhythm, Hinata could get the sense that the music was more modern. The pop music that Sasuke and Sakura made.She stepped forward on light feet and planted her lower body in place as her shoulders fell forward. Her body curled in on itself before she angled her chest so her left shoulder was facing the ceiling, the other the floor. Keeping her left arm curled tightly around herself, her right hand reached upwards. She stretched out for a beat before her hand clenched.Like she was holding onto an invisible rope, she let her body straighten as she mimed pulling herself up. She hoisted herself up to pointe and carefully, shakily, drew her left leg up to rest the foot at her knee, her arms stretching out above her.A footfall shattered the silence. She kept her eyes facing forward. A man was there and Hinata instinctively understood that this was her partner. She had minced her way to the center line, all grace and femininity. In contrast, he stalked on the stage, innate power obviously coiled in every muscle.She refused to look at him, settling one foot in front of the other in the third position, toes faced in different directions and heels pressing to arches.Moving to her side but slightly behind, he slipped a supportive arm around her waist. And that was her cue. Leaning back into a cambré so that her back arched over his arm, she waited for a beat. Returning to her first position, she braved a glance at his face.And Sasuke looked so handsome that Hinata's heart hurt. Her breath caught and moisture pooled in her eyes.She could feel a tear slip down her face and it slowly pulled her to wakefulness. Staring at the ceiling, softly illuminated by her alarm clock, there was only one thing she could think:
I'm in
so
much trouble.
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oOo
The problem went something a little like this: Hinata was accustomed to celebrity crushes. Her crush on Naruto was almost all consuming in its intensity. While she tried her best to respect his privacy, she was capable of answering all the basic questions about him. His favorite food, his favorite color, how long he had been an idol, all of his discography, etcetera.However, there was a gap between them, one she discovered when she worked for Konoha. Idols kept themselves apart. No matter how much they would befriend their support staff, they were still the face of the machine. Sakura took her entourage out for drinks and bought them flowers or booze for their birthdays. But she kept her secrets to herself. Her dancers never saw her sick or injured.She only dated famous faces. Like Naruto.And Naruto was perfectly polite and effusive whenever he visited. He asked all of Sakura's people about their hobbies, their goals. But he had the affectation that most famous people had. He knew the importance of his words, enough to be nervous about paying too much attention to someone unless they came to the wrong kind of conclusion.Sometimes Hinata wondered what Naruto would have been like if his father was not a career politician. Would he care so much about the rules then? Would he work to protect his image if he had not been bred from birth to be the perfect son? Naruto cared but was afraid of caring too much.Hinata saw a lot of herself in him.She remembered the last time she saw him.He knew her by name and waved to her as he bounced into the dance studio. Hinata and a couple of her neighbors raised their hands in response. He slipped his sneakers off in deference to keeping the waxed wood floors free of debris. Then, despite all the mirrors surrounding them, he attempted to sneak up on Sakura. Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, she turned just in time for him to catch her in a great bear hug. He spun her once as she laughed. Hinata hastily focused her attention to massaging her knee. The catcalls of the girls in the room drowned out the sound of the couple kissing, which Hinata was grateful for.In contrast…Sasuke did not give one single thought to the rules. He was rude, sure. Standoffish and aloof at most times. But that invisible line did not exist to him. Once he trusted a person, he was sure to meddle.The man had engaged in a cloak and dagger exercise to escape the paparazzi so he could visit an injured dancer in the hospital.If Hinata had been in Sasuke's shoes, she did not think she would have done the same. Her father had trained her in the art of justifying their selfishness. Everyone wanted something from the Hyuga. Under no circumstances could they allow people to think they had a right to ask. Naruto understood this. Sakura did too.And so, did Sasuke. But he twisted it to suit his needs. No one could get close to him unless they proved their loyalty. After that, they could request anything and he would bend over backwards to provide.Hinata did not know what test she passed. But she was resolved not to bother him with her problems. He was a better person than her by far.oOoAnother problem about Hinata is that she was super shy and blushed at everything, okay? If a mugger tried to rob her and failed, she would probably be embarrassed for them and give them her wallet in sympathy. She knew this.If she had to look at Sasuke's face, knowing that she had a crush, it was a given that her face would resemble a tomato all day until she was asleep and too comatose to think about him. Unless he starred in her dreams.Oh geez. She should not have thought that.So, she put on makeup to go to work. Which was out of her usual routine. Hinata allowed herself the small vanity of acknowledging that she took very careful care of her skin, which allowed her to not need any makeup.But if she was going to be a perpetual cherry, she needed to at least try to mitigate the impeding disaster. Resisting the urge to do a full workup, she stuck to foundation all over her exposed skin, a bit of bronzer and highlighter. Some eyebrow pomade, mascara, and chapstick helped to keep her from, ironically, looking washed out.Finished, Hinata lowered the chapstick tube and inspected herself in the mirror.She was going to have to wear her hair down so no one saw her burning ears.
oOo
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oOo
At times, Hinata reminded herself of her father. It was easy to fall into old patterns. To face the world with a faked veneer of self-importance and apathy. For most of her childhood, she practiced this. It would make her a better dancer. A better Hyuga.When Sasuke unexpectedly showed up at her front door, bearing gifts of sweets, inviting himself in, and explaining how Guren must have been a secret agent before she started working security; Hinata felt the floor drop out from beneath her.A complete overreaction, she knew, but she was helpless to stop it.She fixated on the sweets. If he made her eat them… She could not eat them. How was she going to say no? He would find out everything.He would figure out just how much of a screw up she was.Like a timpani drum, her brain was beating out a constant beat of no, no, no.She could not have this type of food in her house."You need to leave." Hinata stated with a tone so frigid she felt the room temperature drop. In contrast, fear and embarrassment lit up her blood and made her warm.No, no, what was she doing?Apparently, Sasuke had the same question. He paused in the middle of taking out a pack of melon ice cream bars from a plastic shopping bag. His expression was definitely one that communicated that she had caught him completely off guard."What?"Hinata took a step backwards. She could feel the pressure of cameras, of people watching her. The sight of the ice cream made her taste bile. Panic was choking her.She could not fall back into old habits. Not now."I need you to leave." She stated. Still frosty, but closer to the truth than before. Technically what she said next was not even close to a lie. "I did not ask you to come."Sasuke straightened, and it hit Hinata like a punch to the stomach. She had not realized how stiffly he had held himself when they first met. He walked in the door, loose limbed and comfortable. He was relaxed around her. Now, his stance mirrored hers.She regretted it instantly. But it was too late to take it back. A tremor snaked up her tense spine. Her shoulders ached from being held so tight.Sasuke sacrificed his time, his privacy, and gotten her a small gift to help her feel better. He was so much better than her. This could have been nice. They could have spent time together. This could have led to a growth in their relationship."I'm waiting," she reminded, her eyes flickering to the open window shades.Sasuke held his jaw so tightly, it could cut glass. "Fine. I'm gone."Then he was.She called Kabuto. "I need some time off."
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oOo
When Hinata walked into the physical therapist's office, the receptionist invited Hinata to head to the back. Kiba was there, putting exercise balls on their racks and hanging up resistance bands.Akamaru noticed her first. He jumped up from his bed in the corner and barreled over to her. He was careful not to actually touch but circled her with his whole-body wriggling in excitement. She offered a weak smile and leaned down to bury her fingers in his thick fur."Hey cutie." She greeted."He's not the only cutie here." Kiba groused, opening his arms in invitation. Hinata obliged and rushed over to accept his bear hug. He gave a big, gusty sigh.She let out a deep breath of her own. Instantly, she felt lighter. "Hi, Kiba."He grinned before reluctantly letting her go. "While you're here, why don't you hop on the table? I can check your knee while we're waiting for Shino." Kiba offhandedly suggested.Hinata sent him a flat stare. She knew what he was up to.He shrugged, unrepentant. "If someone scheduled regular sessions…" He sing-songed.She made a face, but it was an obvious tell of her emotional state that she did not argue more. She hoisted herself on the table.Luckily, she was in a long skirt. So Kiba only had to drape the obscuring fabric over her thigh to get to her joint. He bent down one knee, propping her foot on his thigh perpendicular to the ground before lightly prodding the muscles around her kneecap."Are you using the foam roller?""Yes." She hated it. Like a short and fat pool noodle, it was made of a hard foam. She used it to massage tense muscles like the one that ran down her leg from her knee to her hip."Your IT band feels a less tight.""The foam roller." She said dryly.His eyes twinkled and he peeked up at her. "You get sassy when I mention it."She huffed and opened her mouth to complain, but Kiba interrupted her."Hush, Princess." He prodded a tender space right next to the bone and Hinata hissed.Akamaru bolted over to inspect the situation. Kiba pulled back as if he had been stung. "Sorry, sorry!"She blinked away the tears. This definitely did not hurt as bad as it could have. "I've been doing the exercises but it's still really tender."He carefully draped her skirt back over her legs. He rubbed her calf over the fabric. It was not a medical move, just one friend trying to give comfort to the other."So, what's really going on?" He asked quietly.Hinata shifted uncomfortably. "I don't want you to think I only call you when I need something."His smile was affectionate enough to make her flush. "We've been friends since before Kou taught me how to tie my pointe shoes. I know you better than that." He lightly pinched her Achilles tendon, teasing.She smiled and ducked her face to hide behind her hair. Haltingly, she tried to untangle her knotted thoughts enough to give them a voice. "I… My… friend brought some ice cream over and I freaked out because I thought it was going to make me have an episode and… I don't know if he's my friend anymore.""Does he know? About your condition?"Shaking her head, she closed her eyes against her tears. "Kiba, I messed up. It's not his fault."There was silence and Akamaru took the moment to lick a broad stripe over her hand. Without opening her eyes, she blindly reached out and scratched behind an ear obligingly."When was the last time you had a decent meal?" Kiba finally asked.She startled and her eyes flew open. "I don't-""No." He cut her off firmly. "We've talked about this. It's harder to fight the demons in your head if you don't keep your body healthy. You use all the tools in your arsenal to fight your mental illness, and your physical health is one of them. You fucked up. Fine. But you can't punish yourself like this. You learn and you move on. You overreacted but just tell him next time you want some fruit instead."Unbidden, her worst fear bubbled up and out of her mouth before she could stop it. "What do I have to offer anyone? I'm so messed up and I'm fighting and it's never enough and-""Hinata." A voice sounded from the doorway. Shino walked in, and in an unusually demonstrative move, ran his hand over Hinata's hair. She realized she was shaking."You understand the power of choice much better than Kiba and I do. Why? Because many choices were taken from you. Allow your friend to choose to be in your life." He rumbled, revealing just how much of the conversation he had heard.Hinata clutched at the table. "What if he knows me, and doesn't want me around?"Kiba grinned wolfishly. "Then we kill him."
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oOo
It was abundantly and ridiculously clear to Hinata that she needed to apologize. If she could even get ahold of Sasuke. Not a single one of Sasuke's entourage was willing to let her get close. Guren would glare until Hinata's words stuttered to a stop. Jugo carefully but firmly told her that it was not going to happen. After her break, even Kabuto rescheduled her to work with another popular idol, Kimimaro. She did not bother asking Suigetsu or Karin.She texted and even attempted to call Sasuke a couple of times over the next few weeks and he never answered.It was sweet, honestly, how everyone rallied around him. Not to say that it did not hurt a little to know she had kicked herself out of the family. Not that they cut her out. They just cut her off from Sasuke.But if her stupid Hyuga upbringing had gotten her into this, then it could get her out. She was going to use her powers of manipulation for good.So, she called the biggest and sweetest gossip in their circle of mutual friends: Ino."Hinata-chan!" Ino sang on the other side of the line. "How's idol life treating you? Did you see that picture I posted? Did you see that eyeshadow? Rose gold, Hinata-chan," she breathed reverently."I'll have to check it out." Hinata promised. She paused and then sighed with just enough forlornness to catch Ino's attention."Hinata-chan? Is something the matter?""No… well… it's just that… I have no clue what I'm doing, Ino-chan! How do you work with idols?" Hinata thought about crying but she made a face. Too much. Pull it back a notch, she instructed herself. She instead let her real desperation and frustration shine through her voice. "I got myself in trouble and I offended Sasuke, and now I don't know what to do…"Ino chortled on the other line. "Don't let it get to you. Idols can be such divas sometimes. Did I ever tell you about the time Sakura got half of her right eyebrow waxed off by accident and I couldn't find the right color pink to match?"Hinata's lips twitched upwards despite herself. "No.""Well then, settle in my friend because this gets wild."oOoIno told Sakura an appropriately dramatic version of the story. Sakura embellished it for Naruto's ears only. Naruto obviously told Sasuke something, because four weeks after the fiasco, Hinata received a text.Naruto said I fired you and you cried. Sasuke sent her.Hinata almost jumped out of her skin. She knew the gossip she would spark would warp the story but she did not mean to make Sasuke the bad guy.She was sitting on a padded bench outside Kimimaro's dressing room waiting for him to arrive. Peering down the hallway to make sure no one was coming, she texted him back quickly.
What? How does Naruto even know me?
Her phone chimed. That's what I'm wondering…She carefully counted out a full minute before responding. I'm sorry! The only person I told was Ino and I just told her that I messed up and wanted to apologize! She added an appropriate emoticon.He took so long to respond that Kimimaro arrived and she did not have a chance to look at her phone until over an hour later.
She probably told Sakura. You don't have to apologize. It's fine.
Hinata still had some of Kimimaro's red eyeliner on her thumb, so she cleaned it with a tissue so it would not smear on her screen. She wanted to be really careful how she handled this. Even a typo seemed like it could derail everything. I really do need to. And I would prefer to do it in person. The reply was swift. Fine. oOoUnsurprisingly, Sasuke's house felt a lot bigger when there were not a lot of people in it. Guren escorted Hinata up to the front door and Hinata entered by herself. She took advantage of the complementary house slippers and the soft rubber soles echoed throughout the house.It occurred to her that the acoustics were probably amazing. She shivered at the thought of Sasuke singing in the loft during the early morning.Speaking of which, he was not there to greet her. However, she had a cloth bag of Kiba approved snacks so she directed herself to the kitchen to drop them off.Sasuke was there, sitting on a stool at the large, granite island. He made no move to greet her. Cradling a steaming cup in his hand that faintly smelled of coffee, he watched her as she quietly unpacked various containers at the end opposite of him.Undaunted, because his silence was nothing compared to the quiet disdain she was used to, she gave him a smile."Hello, Sasuke-san." She pushed the containers in his direction. "I come with an apology. And an explanation." Pausing, she let her smile turn into something far more self-depreciating. "I don't like to blame my childhood for my problems, but in this case, I think I can."Sasuke gave a brief laugh like it was startled out of him.It was a good start.
oOo
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oOoClasping her hands in front of her, Hinata felt like she was stepping onto a stage floor. Her movements and words needed to be deliberate and practiced while simultaneously seeming both natural and miraculous. Dance was supposed to be the revelation of some kind of story.This would be the revelation of her truth.Sasuke carefully looked over the food but made no move to eat.Hinata fiddled with the strap of the bag so she would not have to look at his face. "My family, the ones who… They owned a dance company."She heard him inhale sharply. If he did not know she was a Hyuga before, he did now. Maybe other families had dance studios or organizations owned a company. Yet, only one family could claim a monopoly.Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Out of the large windows on the back wall, she could see a pheasant waddling around on Sasuke's deck. Smiling at it, she tried to imagine it as a sign to keep up her courage. If it worked, this would be her first adult relationship where her friend knew about her disorder.If they were still friends, that was.She braved a glance at Sasuke. His face was impassive except for his slightly furrowed brow."As the eldest, it was my job to become a prima. A principal dancer. And to one day take over the company." She let out a small huff of breath in her best approximation to a laugh. "The problem is… I am too… fat."The words settled over them, stifling them with the weight of their meaning."The hell you are," Sasuke spit out. It startled Hinata into looking at him. He was leaning forward in his chair and his voice was slightly raised. For him, it was practically yelling. "How could you… That is. Not. True."She blushed a bit at his vehemence on her behalf. But the rest of her emotions remained untouched. Bravely moving closer, she moved until she was right in front of him, only the island separating them both.Sure, she knew she was not fat or overweight. But her friends had not stared at her body in the mirror for hours on end, knowing it was wrong. They never were there when her aunties took a tape measure to her breasts, hips, and waist and hissed and pinched skin in disapproval. Only Hinata felt pins poke into her while she was dancing because her cousins tailored costumes for the size Hinata should have been, not the size she actually was. Her friends could read ugly reviews about Hinata's dancing and weight in the paper, but only Hinata knew the sting of knowing the article was about her. She imagined that she was attractive and at a healthy weight because people told her so. But she did not believe it. Maybe she never would.That was why this would always be a lifetime struggle for her.Sasuke needed to understand that much at least.She shook her head once. "That is what we believed. Ballet is a sport but it is also about aesthetics. My father put me on a very strict diet and I am learning to eat… more." She clasped her hands tightly underneath the counter so Sasuke could not see her white knuckles. "But I saw what you had that night and I panicked and I am sorry."His eyes widened as her explanation finally made sense to him. "It's what I brought-""You didn't do anything wrong," she said firmly."But-""You didn't know."Sasuke sat back and crossed his arms. "Fine." He spent a quiet minute re-inspecting the spread before him. "Is this food you are okay with eating?"She grinned, feeling like the worst was over with. "Yes!"He nodded and pulled one of Hinata's bags closer. Pulling out two plates and sets of chopsticks, he placed them in front of him and the chair next to him."Well then," he smirked. "I can't be the only one who eats."Her blush was definitely setting her face on fire, but that was okay. Mincing her way over, she carefully hauled herself into the chair and tried not to embarrass herself further as she picked her way through a plate of watermelon.Sasuke made an odd sound and Hinata paused. He was staring intently at the counter and the tips of his ears were red."Does this mean you'll come back?" He asked in a low voice.She tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean? I thought you'd rather I work with Kimimaro."He snapped his head over to look at her and leaned in as she leaned back. "Why would I want that?" He demanded.She slipped the piece of fruit that had been slowly sliding out of her chopstick grip into her mouth. Chewing slowly, she thought about it."I guess Kabuto implied it," she said.Sasuke huffed. "Come back. I got Kimimaro's guy in exchange and he keeps trying to put that dumb eyeliner on me. I look like a clown."Hinata stifled a giggle behind a hand. "A very handsome clown, no doubt."He grimaced. "That's it, you're fired for real."oOo
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oOoIf there was a place on Earth that was adjacent to the heavens, Hinata imagined that Jugo's workshop would be it. Practically a closet, it was a space in Sound Machine's headquarters where Jugo could store some of his creations. On every wall were floor to ceiling shelves stuffed with fabrics, shoes, jewelry, watches, and sewing paraphernalia Hinata did not quite recognize. In the middle, a countless amount of clothes hung on racks. She could see that there was some kind of organization, with outerwear on the left, underwear on the right, and everything else in between.By the window was a desk full of patterns and a sewing machine. On the opposite side, there was the door to the rest of the building and a small couch. An actual closet doubled as a changing room.Jugo was currently slipping outfits to Sasuke through the door as Hinata sat on the couch with Yukimaru on her lap. During her time away from the team, Sasuke created a new single. He was still in the news cycle from his recently ended tour, but Kabuto wanted a new music video to release the moment Sasuke stopped being relevant.Maybe it was a bit early to start prepping Sasuke's outfits if Sound Machine had not even hired a director or choreographer yet, but Hinata and Jugo liked having time to plan their projects. They could conform to the art direction at any time."I don't like yukata." Sasuke griped behind the closed door."But you look good in them," Jugo calmly replied as he adjusted the clothes hanging from his forearm. "Good lines." He caught Hinata's eye and winked.Her mouth fell open. Did Jugo know about her crush? Was she that obvious?She ducked her head and pretended to be interested in the game Yukimaru was playing on her phone.The door opened and Sasuke frowned and gestured to his body. "Really, Jugo? Orange?"Jugo gave a small grimace. "Sorry, that is not your color. But I was right about the lines."Hinata agreed. It was a struggle to pretend she was not looking at Sasuke's hips and backside as he huffed back into the dressing room. Okay, maybe she was obvious."Take it off and let me see if I can find another one in a better color. Maybe we can stick with a haori and give you some more modern pants." Jugo set his clothes on a nearby stool waded into the sea of clothing to rifle through hangars.Hinata's phone chimed with a notification and Yukimaru easily relinquished his hold on the device. Half thinking it was a text message from Guren (who was in the food court enjoying some quiet time), Hinata opened it in front of Yukimaru. Instead of being a text, however, it was a email with a link. She clicked on it and it took her to a locked website."What is that?" Yukimaru asked.Hinata buried her smile in his hair as she typed in her password and entered the private blog where a new video was waiting. Caught up in her excitement, she hardly noticed as Sasuke dropped down next to them on the couch with a sigh."It's my family." She replied happily. Hitting play, strains of classical music warbled from the tinny speakers. Both Sasuke and Yukimaru leaned in.Yukimaru pointed at Neji in the role of Duke Albrecht. "He's your brother?""He's my cousin." She beamed as Natsu came on stage to a round of applause. "And that's also my cousin.""Wow," Yukimaru breathed."It's online?" Sasuke asked.Hinata jumped at his proximity. He had changed back into his street clothes, probably hoping that Jugo would decide to stop for the day."Um…" Hinata wondered how to word the truth in front of the child in her lap. "My cousin Kou videotaped opening night for me um… since I wasn't able to go."His brow furrowed and Hinata could see his individual lashes and feel his body heat. His thigh was pressing against hers and his elbow brushed her side and if she was not so embarrassed about her family drama, she would probably be in a puddle on the floor right now.He had been doing this lately. Freely and innocently touching her in a way that only her closest friends and family did. A hand on her forearm or back or shoulder. Knocking knees together. Leaning his head in close to hers. She did not know what it meant or if she even wanted him to stop."Why weren't you able to go?" He asked."You can go see them?" Yukimaru asked.Hinata distracted herself by explaining that anyone could go to the ballet before reopening Yukimaru's game. She waited until he seemed sufficiently engrossed before giving Sasuke a taste of his own medicine.Whispering into his ear, she murmured: "I'm not allowed."He fell back onto the arm of the couch, and Hinata took a breath of the cool air that rushed in between them.Really? His glare demanded.Hinata frowned and flicked a significant look to the top of Yukimaru's head. Bless him, but he was the kind of child who would yell out personal business on a busy street corner. He did not need to know any of this.Thankfully, as Jugo was an actual angel, he appeared with a black haori embroidered with white cranes. "Try this one boss," he ordered.Sasuke sighed and hefted himself to his feet. "Fine, fine."Surprisingly enough, Sasuke managed to let it go for three whole hours. His phone call came just as she was studying a can of bamboo shoots. Grocery shopping tended to be a bit difficult on the days she thought about ballet. She knew that she could now eat whatever she wanted, but her disgust with her weight would sometimes make all food seem unappealing.She answered her phone without even looking at the screen."What do you mean you aren't allowed?"Hinata startled and looked around like someone would notice she was talking to a famous popstar in public. "Sasuke?" She whispered."... Yes?"Feeling exposed, she shuffled away from the end cap full of canned foods and ducked into an aisle. "Sorry, I just wasn't expecting… Are you asking about the video?""Yes."The option of not explaining was open to her, but she felt like he would be offended on her behalf. She wanted him to be angry for her. The whole situation was massively unfair and she had been carrying this hurt around for ages. It would be nice if someone else acknowledged it. If she could trust him to safeguard her secrets for her."I… My cousin sends me recordings in secret since… Since I'm not allowed to go to any shows. Not even as an audience member, because my father… But, I want to see and cheer them on, you know?" She could not manage to utter the word "disowned" in public but Sasuke was the king of limited communication and reading between the lines."Tch. That's not… Family shouldn't…" He struggled with his words and Hinata wished she could read his face. She was getting better at reading his microexpressions. They revealed far more than he realized."That's stupid." Sasuke settled on.Something tightly wound in her chest unraveled. She firmly pressed the index finger of her free hand to one of her throbbing temples and let out a small laugh of relief."Yeah." She agreed. "It's really stupid."oOo
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Hinata really wished Sasuke would stop touching her hands or wrists when she was working specifically on his eyelids. She only met the Sound Machine executive, Orochimaru, once in passing. But he seemed like the kind of man who would have Kabuto bury her body in the basement if she poked Sasuke's eye out.Jerking the eyeliner brush back, she swallowed a startled yelp. Sasuke barely touched the back of her hand, but it was enough to send a lightning bolt of sensation through her body, heating her face in a furious blush."Y-yes, Sasuke?"He reared back in the makeup chair, just as startled, before leaning forward and catching her forearms before she could back up enough to hit the table."Sorry." He quickly apologized. "I didn't mean to startle you, but I kept saying your name and you didn't respond."Hinata breathed out slowly, trying to ignore the heat of his skin against hers. As much as she wanted to calm down, she did not know if that was possible with Sasuke so close."I'm sorry, I must have zoned out." She did that sometimes. Which was ironic. She struggled so hard to lose herself in her choreography when she was dancing but with makeup, with Sasuke, it was easy. Easy to focus on smoothing the chalky pigment over delicate skin, watching for loose powder or jarring streaks. On making him look as polished as possible.His grip, which was not tight in the first place, loosened as he looked away. "I just… I know privacy is important but if you're upset about it…""Sasuke, I don't understand."He pinned back his shoulders, like he was a beat away from stepping onto the stage. Her own grip on the paint pot tightened. Why was he gathering his courage for her? What did she do?"I thought that maybe I could find you online. And I saw a video of you. You were dancing to one of Itachi's songs."Hinata's strings were cut. She slouched towards him in relief. Her recital. She was glad that he had seen one of her few good performances. She would have been mortified if he was able to point her out in a chorus line."Oh," she sighed. "Is that all?"His eyes searched hers. "I didn't offend you?"This, from someone who guarded his privacy zealously. A smile bloomed on her face before she could help it. She appreciated his concern for her. "It's on the internet. If I had inherited the Company, I would have been a public figure anyway. I'm used to it. It's alright."He also let out a little sigh of relief. His head ducked a bit. "You were beautiful."Hinata froze and it was the worst time to realize she was leaning on his legs. Perhaps ascertaining her need to flee, his grip transferred to her triceps to keep her close. He surged closer, so their faces were almost level."I mean it, Hinata." He stated quietly. "No matter what your family said, you were a beautiful dancer."Then there were truly no strings or bones left in her body to keep her upright. Pure want ripped through her. She wanted to be closer to him, she wanted to experience that warmth that suffused her body whenever she touched him. She wanted physical comfort from him.She wanted.He had already hugged her once, so hopefully this was not overstepping her bounds.She slumped and braced her elbows on the armrests while she rested her forehead on Sasuke's shoulder. His hands slid up to rest lightly on her upper back. She remembered his cologne as the one he wore for that advertisement and a corner of her mouth ticked upwards."I still miss it," she admitted in a whisper."Would you go back?" He asked, just as quietly. He gathered her closer."I like what I do now." Finally, saying this did not seem like a lie. "I stopped dancing for Sakura to do makeup.""You like this? You like me?"Hinata pulled back in shock only to see Sasuke smirking at her. She rolled his eyes at his smug face and untangled herself. She peeked at the watch on her wrist and mentally swore at the time. Late."Sasuke-san, stop teasing."
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Sasuke made Hinata nervous but she was not afraid of him. Still, she stepped lightly onto the second floor, not wanting to disturb him if he was in a mood.He had invited Jugo, Suigetsu, and Karin over for some beers. Those four were close. They were the only friends he had once he left Konoha Records. But Hinata only had a relationship with Jugo and Sasuke. Nevertheless, Sasuke sent her an invite by text anyway.She did not say no. Her crush was steadily turning into Feelings. All she wanted was to spend time with him. He centered her in a way that she was not used to feeling often. His confidence bolstered hers, and in turn, she was protective of his emotions. He felt deeply.Like now.Just minutes before, when Sasuke received the text, his small smile had faded. Stress lines formed around his eyes. Attuned to his moods, everyone fell silent and looked at him."It's from Naruto." He said with a blankness that shook Hinata. "They're reforming the band."Suigetsu frowned. "But how can you be in it if you're with-""They're forming it without me."Everyone froze. That did not make any sense. How could two of his closest friends do that to him?But on second thought, they had cut him off when he had first left. Maybe their relationships were not as strong as everyone assumed."It's fine." Sasuke dismissed.Obviously, it was not fine. Not if he had to excuse himself to the loft. Hinata knew he probably wanted to be left alone. Yet, she wanted to be with him. Support him, like he had supported her. If he told her to get lost, she would. She needed to give him the option to reject her.She lowered herself onto the couch across from him. He sprawled out; his pose casual but his mouth in a firm line."I wasn't that mad," he offered when Hinata had started to resort to picking the lint off her wool skirt. "I probably wouldn't have cared but they're replacing me with Sai. They had to get the only idol in the company that looks the most like me!""Knockoff Sasuke," she said.Sasuke froze and Hinata almost regretted opening her mouth. Then, he snorted and covered a choked off laugh with his hand. Warmth rushed through her cheeks. She glanced out the window to avoid melting into a puddle due to the brilliance of his smile. It could happen. Maybe. It felt like it could."Sasuke-lite." She dared, unable to help herself.She did not risk looking at him, but humor was dripping from his voice as he replied:"You're funny. How did I not know this?"Hinata hummed and turned her gaze back to her skirt to give her hands something to do."…Can I ask you a question?" His voice was serious.She looked up, concerned. "Of course.""Your music for your recital: Itachi's."She nodded, trying to prod him into giving more. He paused for an odd amount of time."Did you mean that as a question?"This time, he was the one to look away. Startled, she realized his ears were red. He was blushing.She stared in amazement."Like, would his music still be…" He glared at the glass windows like he could melt them with sheer willpower. "Is his music still something you would listen to? If you had to."She did not get it. Was he upset that she liked Itachi's music? What did her old recital have to do with the issue at hand?"I like his new stuff." She finally stated.He glanced at her. "Okay." Then he got up so quickly he startled her. "I'm going to get another beer."As he passed on his way to the bottom floor, he reached out and lightly tugged on a lock of her hair. Lightning shot from her scalp all the way down to her toes.He trekked down the stairs without a backward glance. Which was good, because she needed a couple of minutes alone to compose herself.
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This time when Sasuke appeared at her door, Hinata panicked for a wholly different reason. Her apartment was so dirty. She had just received new stock in the mail to trade out with her expired cosmetics. Boxes and wrapping paper were all over the floor. And there had just been an unfortunate interaction between pencil shavings and a sneeze all over her kotatsu.Hinata resisted the urge to wipe her hands all over the fabric of her pants. Like all the makeup artists that belonged to Sound Machine, she traded between a lot of the secondary idols when she was not working for Sasuke. For them, glitter was in.Moreover, while Sasuke's house was minimalist and modern, hers was filled with trinkets. Little picture frames of her adventures with Kiba and Shino shared shelf space with small figurines of animals and cute characters. Her smaller cousins had snuck those into her bags as rebellious goodbye gifts. Colorful crocheted blankets full of uneven stitches draped over a couch Shino bought her when she tried not to cry over her lack of furniture and funds. She hoped he did not ask for tea because her cups were finds from thrift shops and Kiba thought the slightly chipped ones had "character."She knew what was considered classy or luxurious. It had been a long and painful process to make the transition from luxury to poverty. She now understood the strength of character it had taken her. It was unknown if Sasuke, given his wealthy family, would be able to recognize it. She did not want Sasuke to look down his nose at the small things she had fought for.For a brief second, she considered closing the door behind her and having the conversation with him in the hall. She threw that idea out the window after realizing that she could not keep someone as recognizable as him out in public. Also, she could not do something like that to their relationship again. If she had to be vulnerable with him to keep them moving forward than she would.She could trust him to learn what was important to her. "Sasuke," she greeted breathlessly. Moving out of the way, she tried not to watch his face in case his expression betrayed anything. She ended up looking at the shift of his broad shoulders underneath his thin athletic sweater instead.Face hot, she closed the door behind him. "Sorry about the mess.""No," he stated as he dodged the stray packaging around the kotatsu, peering at the eyeshadow palettes stacked on the table. "I interrupted you… Why is this shaped like an ice cream cone?""It's not for you." She rushed to assure him. Coming over, she opened it to show him that almost every color shimmered.Sasuke reared back like the whole thing was going to tear up and bite him. Calmer, she giggled and shut the lid, concealing the contraband."These are for you." She pointed at a large bag on the floor. "Don't look at those on the table.""Then what is all this?" He frowned, ignoring her order."Well the ice cream is for Tayuya.""She wears glitter?" His eyes widened."So much glitter," she laughed. "Even more than I would think to put."Hinata waited out Sasuke's pause with the patience that came from knowing him well.He finally spoke. "I actually haven't noticed too much. Hn."Pondering what that inflection meant, she missed how his gaze turned razor edged."I came here for a reason." He announced.Hinata jumped. Sasuke's spine was rod straight. She did not think she did anything to get in trouble but an apology sprang to her lips anyway. She did not get a chance to voice it before he spoke."I want to show you something."She reared back. "Now?""No. In a week. On your off time. But I can get Kabuto to get you overtime if you need it. And. Formal dress."Hinata blinked at his rapid fire statements. His ears were red and he looked highly uncomfortable. What was happening? What kind of work trip was this?"…Okay."His shoulders sagged ever so slightly. "Okay?""Okay."He nodded and finally looked like he was in his element. "Okay. Guren will text you the time and will pick you up. I… have to go. But thank you.""Thank you?" Hinata breathed as Sasuke showed himself out.She stared at her mess helplessly. Now it both looked and felt like a cyclone had torn through her space.Oh no. She needed to call Kiba. Or Ino. Or both. She needed a dress.
oOo
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Sasuke came to pick her up in a small, sporty car; not a limo. Hinata did not recognize it but she knew Guren liked to mix up his modes of transportation to throw off the paparazzi.She was glad that she did not let Kiba coerce her into wearing a dress with more fabric than all the linens in her house put together. Ruffles were intimidating. Instead, she was in Ino's pick. A slinky, satiny baby pink dress that fell to her ankles with heels on and was loose enough that Hinata did not have to be nervous about her new curves.She smoothed her hands over her lap then dared a glance at the man sitting next to her. The backseat was small, so they were pressed together all down her left side.He looked back. His voice was low. "We're going through the back if you don't mind and cutting behind the stage."Ah, so he was taking her to a show. Kiba and Ino had taken her through various possibilities but this one was their favorite. She shook her head and smiled. "I don't."She liked the backstage. It was the only thing she remembered fondly of her time as a ballerina. She liked how the tunnel-like hallways opened to a cavernous stage. When she was back there, she could almost remember the sound of rustling fabric and girls giggling as they adjusted their tights and shoes. And the smell of wood and stage makeup and the dusty curtains. And the elation she felt whenever she saw Sasuke's wide smile.Backstage invoked good memories.Hinata grinned up at him. His face was close but Hinata could not bring herself to pull away. Embarrassed by her boldness, her cheeks grew hot. As it was nighttime, hopefully the city lights were not bright enough to reveal her emotional state.But Sasuke was staring."You're wearing glitter." He murmured, eyes at half-mast.Of course. She was beginning to think he was protesting too much. Or maybe was just teasing. "Unlike you, I like glitter." She teased back.His eyes dropped to her mouth. "Even on your lips?"Chuckling, she shook her head. "It's lip gloss. There's no glitter in this one, it just makes everything shiny. It's different."She returned her eyes to him just in time to see him lick his own lips.Eyes wide, she turned her head to the opposite direction so fast she might have smacked him with her hair if it was not in an updo.He cleared his throat and pressed himself back into the seat. Now, acutely aware of their contact when before it was just comfortable, she took the rest of the ride to gather herself.When they arrived, Guren opened Sasuke's door, and Sasuke opened Hinata's. He helped her out of the short profile car by the hand and did not give it up even when they reached the entrance at the back of the theater. Suigetsu was lounging on the wall. His smirk was sharp when he caught their joined hands.Maybe one day Suigetsu would not make Hinata feel so slimy but today was not that day."Been waiting for you. Get inside already."They waited just inside the doorway for Suigetsu to close the heavy metal door behind them. Then he led the couple past ushers and sound technicians with ease.He herded them into a box with a smug: "Behave, kids."Sasuke finally let go of her hand as they seated themselves. Hinata tried to discreetly wipe her sweaty hand on the seat. She hoped she had not grossed him out.Looking around, it seemed like they would still have some kind of privacy. Hopefully no one would spot Sasuke and ruin his night. It would not do for the news to come out that he had been seen in public with an unknown woman. Thankfully, she was in the shadows so if someone did catch a glimpse of him, they would not be able to see that he was not alone.The background noise of people seating themselves and of musicians tuning their instruments slowly came to a stop. The lights illuminating the orchestra on stage dimmed as a spotlight powered on and turned to stage left.Hinata imagined she could hear the dress shoes clicking on the polished floor as a man emerged from behind the curtain. He strode forward, effortlessly carrying his instrument in a hand. His tailored suit clung to his body as he moved. His long ponytail swung behind him like a slow metronome.It was Itachi. She had suspected, but now she had the confirmation. Sasuke had brought her to see Itachi.He was trying to do something special for her. Hinata blinked back sudden tears. She had the sudden urge to clench her hands in her dress, but she could not without ruining it. She did the only thing she could think of and grabbed Sasuke's forearm.He leaned in with a furrowed his brow. "Are you okay?"She did not trust herself to speak so she just nodded. He began to move back. But she was feeling too emotionally vulnerable at the moment. She slid her hand underneath his bicep and tried to hold on without clutching too hard at him. Sasuke had allowed her physical intimacy in the past when she was crying so she hoped he would allow it when she was happy as well. He was stiff for a moment then relaxed against her.His hand settled tentatively on her knee since he could not use the armrest. He glanced at her and she nodded once again.At any time, she would have been scandalized with herself. But Sasuke had long been her anchor when it came to her experiencing intense emotions and this time was no different. She was settled enough that she could pay attention to what was happening below them.Itachi bowed at the crowd's applause. The conductor of the orchestra handed Itachi a microphone.Itachi probably said something welcoming because the crowd responded with another round of polite welcome. It all sounded like a dim roar of noise.Nothing really made sense to her ear until he sat down on a chair in the middle of the stage in front of the conductor. The conductor raised his arms and the musicians in the background lifted their instruments in readiness. He adjusted his cello, lifted his bow, visibly took a breath, and then…A high, clear chord sounded as Itachi dragged the bow across the strings.The sound evaporated Hinata's mental haze. Tears sprang to her eyes and she hurriedly blinked them away.It was his new song, the one that had comforted her all those months ago.She was happy.oOoOnce the concert was over, she detangled herself. Without Sasuke's body heat, the air conditioning caused goosebumps to form on her skin and she hastily slipped on her coat. She glanced at Sasuke who was staring back at her."I have something else to show you."He did not take her hand this time. She made a note of staying close as they slipped their way through the same halls as before. And with all of her experience with the backstage, it was soon clear where he was taking her. She could see through a cracked door. Itachi's back was to her but his hair was unmistakable. He was speaking to an older couple and Sasuke was a spitting image of the woman.Digging in her heels, she caught his sleeve."Sasuke," she whispered in scandalized horror. "Is that your family?"He frowned down at her in confusion. "What's wrong?"What a loaded question. This definitely felt like a date. Especially to her fragile heart. If anything, they were boldly going past any boundaries of friendship. But they had not even discussed what was between them.So what did it mean that he was bringing her to his family?He seemed to understand something in her expression. Stepping close, he ducked his head down so he could peer into her eyes."They're not perfect, but they're mine. If the Hyuga don't want you, we do."Well. What was she supposed to say to that?Except: "You told your family about me?" It came out teasing, and with a confidence that shocked even her.He managed to smirk even as his ears turned cherry red. Hinata just found it adorable."Tch." He placed a hand on her lower back and herded her forward. Speaking loudly enough that the occupants of the room could hear him he said: "My family may be a pain, but they're better than yours."Itachi turned and opened the door all the way."Now little brother, what have I told you about watching your manners?" Itachi asked. His hand darted out faster than Hinata could track and his middle and pointer finger poked Sasuke right between the eyes. Sasuke stopped, stunned, before slapping his palm to the spot.Hinata had to hide her face behind her jacket collar because she did not want Sasuke to see just how hard she was laughing at him. He figured it out anyway.
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It was the night of the first performance of the new Team 7. Jugo, Suigetsu, and Karin had already left.(Suigetsu had practically dragged Karin away, but still.)It had been a televised event and the promotional material was all over Tokyo. So, the group retreated to Sasuke's secluded home. Jugo brought cards, Suigetsu the sake, Hinata the food, and Karin the terrifying competitiveness. For a while at least, they had taken Sasuke's mind off his former bandmates' betrayal.Happily buzzed and reluctant to leave, Hinata lowered herself onto Sasuke's couch in the loft. He procured an afghan from somewhere, so now she was warm even with the glass doors to the balcony open. The breeze smelled like petrichor and the fire burning in the pit on the deck.If he wanted to be alone, she could call Guren or another driver service. But she did not want him to experience the same thing she did when visitors left. She was all too familiar with that feeling of emptiness when Kiba and Shino escorted themselves out of her apartment and left her to a night of lying in bed with her intrusive thoughts.Sasuke, who had just lowered the gas in the fire pit so the flames were small and safer at a distance, walked back inside and lowered himself next to her. He smelled like his cologne and alcohol and the just stopped rain. His arm pressed against hers. His skin was cold but he made her warm anyway.With only slightly clumsy fingers, she slid half of the blanket to cover him too. She smoothed the fabric over his thighs but snatched her hand back when she realized what she was doing.With her face burning, she turned away and pretended to be interested in the stairs or something, anything.Sasuke chuckled and carefully grabbed her hand. He pressed his palm to hers and linked their fingers together.Hinata startled and blinked at their joined hands.He rested his cheek on the top of her head. "Hinata," he murmured.Her body simultaneously wanted to freeze and melt into his side. But it was easy to talk to him when she dd not have to look into his eyes. She stared at their hands instead as he rested them on his leg."Yes, Sasuke?""If…" He lifted his head to briefly clear his throat. "If… you were to be in the public eye, would you be okay? If… if I made you famous again?"Her grip tightened. "Do you mean, if people started noticing me around you?"His voice was hoarse when he responded. "Yeah."She wondered if she was truly trembling or she just felt shaky with the magnitude of what he was implying. "I remember what it was like. But… when I was a ballerina it wasn't worth it. Because I didn't want to be a ballerina. But if I had a reason to be famous… a reason that I was okay with, and someone to support me through it, then I would be okay."He pressed closer into her. Making her decision, she relaxed into him."I would support you. I'm private anyway, but if we had anything, the public would find out. But I'd be there for you. I promise," he said gravely.She moved her head out from under his so she could grin up at him. His eyes were soft as he looked down at her. She wanted to capture it because she had never seen him look so gorgeous as he did now."Thank you for telling me that." He was a man of action and few words. The fact that he was being as frank as he was said so much about his commitment. "I know you will. I trust you."His smile was small. It was his turn to duck his head away to hide his blush. "I want this to be easy for you, but I know it won't be. Fame isn't easy.""But you do what you love. And I want to be near you no matter what." She confessed.His free hand came up to cover his face. "You can't just say things like that, Hinata.""But it's true!" She said earnestly. "And, I'll just have to be careful about browsing the internet from now on."Suddenly, Sasuke untangled their grip. He used his newly free arm to lay it over her shoulders and tug her impossibly closer. He surprised the hell out of her when he laid a brief kiss in her hair. She clutched at his shirt. Then a kiss on her forehead. He playfully nudged her head and pecked another kiss on the tip of her nose. Then her lips.He only let her see his blinding smile for a second before he pressed it to the join of her neck and shoulder. She slipped her arms around his torso and hugged him. They stayed like that for a long time.
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Posting on mobile, so please forgive any grammar or formatting mistakes.oOoHinata was never the kind of person that would draw attention when they walked into a room. She was very used to being a wallflower. She liked seeing how people acted when they did not bother to pay her much attention.It was a strange and unsettling experience walking into Jugo's workshop and having everything pause in her presence."Hinata!" Jugo exclaimed, hurriedly hanging up a jacket amongst the jeans. Which was peculiar because Jugo was very particular that every type of clothing stayed in its same area.He bounded forward and crowded into her space. She never noticed just how tall and broad his shoulders were until he blocked her view of everything behind him."What are you doing here?" He demanded breathlessly.Her brows furrowed. Immediately, an old scabbed wound suddenly throbbed in her chest. She remembered those exact words in that same tone aimed at her. It felt like a lifetime ago, but it was the same thing the Hyuga matrons used to ask.She knew he did not mean it like that, but on bad days it felt like her trauma would never heal. Today was one of them.Jugo's eyes widened like he realized what he said. "I'm sorry, that sounded terrible!" He immediately apologized.She was able to swallow past the ball of tears in her throat. How could five words undo her like that?"I've just been so busy trying to figure out some outfits and I lost track of time," he continued apologizing. He grabbed one of her hands with both of his. His touch was gentle like he was trying to soothe a spooked horse. "You usually text me and I guessed I missed it."Hinata cleared her throat and nodded. "I-um… I did text. Are you-is everything okay?"He grimaced and Hinata noticed the cold bite of a metal thimble on one of his thumbs and the measuring ribbon around his neck. She tried another tactic. "Should I come back later?"Jugo's kind eyes were wide and pleading. "I'm so sorry. I don't mean to kick you out."She mustered up a smile from somewhere. "Will you let me know when you're free for a visit?"Those broad shoulders of his sagged in relief. He looked less like an intimidating mountain now. His posture was familiar enough that Hinata was comforted.Jugo was not a Hyuga. She had to remind herself of that."I promise I'll show you what's happening when I am done," he breathed."Okay." She would trust him. "Just let me know."oOoThis time she made sure that Sasuke responded to her text.I can meet you in the dressing room. He sent. I'm in the studio right now and Mitsuki isn't letting anyone in.Hinata managed a real grin at the thought of Mitsuki. He was a temperamental person, but his work was a producer was solid.Okay, I'll meet you soon. She replied.To her dismay, when Sasuke walked in, he looked as shifty and uncomfortable as Jugo.She tried to be brave. "What's going on, Sasuke?"He immediately tried to deny it. The knee-jerk reaction was so unlike Sasuke, it scared Hinata. "Nothing is-"She got up from her perch on the couch and quickly crossed the room to him. Her arms slid around his torso and she buried her face into his chest. This way, she did not have to work so hard to hide the little extra moisture in her eyes. He paused before returning the hug."Sasuke, I don't have to know everything. But if… if it's something bad, and it has to do with me, you have to tell me. I'm not good with secrets.""Ah," he sighed and pulled her in tighter. She sniffled. "It does have to do with you, but it's supposed to be a surprise. A good surprise."One of her hands clenched the back of his shirt. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to ruin-""You didn't ruin anything." He chided. "I'm the idiot who didn't consider how this would look."He pulled back and rested his palm on the side of his face. It felt like torture looking up at him.But his eyes were soft. There was no condemnation there. His fingers slid up her temple to brush through her bangs. "Thank you for letting me know that I made you feel uncomfortable. I want to know that stuff, okay?"She now felt teary eyed for a whole new reason. "I don't want to lose you, Sasuke." She admitted. "You're my family and I really love you."She only had a brief glimpse of his smile before his lips were on hers. His kiss was soft but overwhelming. Hinata barely had time to respond before he pulled back. He swept in again with another that was deeper and erased practically every thought from her head.When the kiss ended, she was out of breath and practically hanging on to him for dear life.He was chuckling, no doubt at her dazed expression. "I promise this was supposed to be a good thing. Do you want me to tell you what it is? We still have two weeks before I can show you in person."She sucked in a shaky breath. Maybe because she was so out of sorts that she ended up being more honest than intended: "I can wait forever for you."Sasuke's entire body started. He practically turned into an octopus as he gathered her impossibly close. Somehow, he made sure they were aligned knees to hips to chest. He stared down at her like she was a new and amazing creature. "How are you so cute?"Hinata tried to duck her head away but he swooped down for yet another kiss to stop her."Sasuke," she managed to get out when he went to adjust the angle of her chin. "That was so cheesy, I can't believe I said that! I am so embarrassed!"His lips were firm against hers. Of course, they had kissed, but never with this kind of intention. His mouth was soft as he licked into her mouth and Hinata felt helpless and giddy and in love."Stop apologizing," he ordered as he pulled back for air. "You can be as cute as you want. As long as you only say things you mean… And only to me."That seemed fair. She stopped trying to argue with him.oOo
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oOoHinata did not realize that those two weeks were up the day she walked into the studio. Sasuke was filming a new music video. Strangely, Jugo had not contacted her about matching the makeup to the outfits. All he did was send her a brief text: You'll know exactly what makeup to do. Don't worry.Well, telling Hinata not to worry was a surefire way to give her anxiety.But she trusted Jugo and she trusted her own work. She knew Sasuke's skin.Sasuke was standing at the door to the studio with a slight grin on his face. She smiled back and greeted him with a kiss to his cheek.He grabbed her hand and pulled her inside. He was clearly excited. It confused Hinata but she was happy to see him like this."Sasuke, what's happening?""I have to show you something."She followed closely as he pulled her over to the corner where a rolling dress rack waited. He maneuvered her hand, so it was touching a silky fabric with a familiar texture. Hinata paused and pulled the bomber jacket off its hanger so she could look at it in the light.Her heart started pounding. It was the fabric. The fabric. The one with the glittery scale pattern that she and Jugo had found all that time ago.She was at a loss for words, but she turned to Sasuke with a plead for answers on her face.His ears turned pink. Clearly embarrassed, he looked away then forced himself to look back at her. "Jugo said you knew what makeup to do with that jacket."Heedless of wrinkling the fabric, she clutched it over her galloping heart. "Sasuke…"He cleared his throat and crowded closer. His voice quieted. "I don't know how to do this or be romantic or whatever, but Itachi said since I'm not the best with my words, I need gestures." He confessed.Hinata swallowed. "This is a pretty big gesture.""It's uh. It's not over yet. Filming is pretty boring, but I promise I have something else to show you."Hinata nodded dumbly, her mind whirling with the possibilities. It was a miracle she had the right palette in her bag.oOoFilming was a little boring. Okay, a lot boring. She mostly sat out of view and out of the way. But she could not stop looking at the chunky glitter he allowed her to carefully apply to the corner of his eyes. Every time his jacket shimmered under the lights as he moved through the dance routine, she was captivated. He looked amazing.But she was also shocked when she listened to the lyrics of his new song. It was replayed so many times it was forever stuck in her brain. And her heart.If she was right, this was a song written for her. He wrote a song for her. For her. In the breaks, he would meet her eyes while she cleaned up his foundation. And she knew that he was confirming all her suspicions for her.And when everything wrapped and he approached her, she finally broke out of her daze. He took her hand again and pulled her to another room where they had some privacy."This is a pretty big gesture," she breathed.He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her in. "I feel a lot for you, Hinata.""You let me put glitter on you!" She clutched at his arms so she could still touch him but still look at him.Sasuke chucked. "Just this once.""You wrote me a song!" She was still shocked."You're making me nervous.""Me? I'm making you nervous?" Hinata exclaimed, then started giggling. "I don't know what to say, no one has ever done this for me before."He hugged her to him, and she buried her face in his chest."I'm trying to say I love you, Hinata." He confessed in a soft rumble.Hinata knew that he loved her, but now she was realizing how much. "I love you too." She whispered. "Thank you."oOoLyrics:You contain galaxiesYour love is celestialSomething for eternityYour devotion calms the restless parts of me Shimmer so brightI want to be the onlyStar in your skyIlluminate your day andNight your gravity pulls me in Born in the nebulae of your eyesFormed under your gentle handsYour love has the power of creationAnd all I can do to repay you Glitter so brightI want to be the onlyStar in your skyIlluminate your day andNight your gravity pulls me in When all the air is goneAnd there is no soundI will never be afraidI will never doubtBecause you are there And I'm seen by only youAnd I'm seen by only youAnd I'm seen by only youIt's only youoOo